Chapter 237 - 235: Treating Her as a Plaything

Words : 1410 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Finally, after seeing Luo Wanzhao off, Shen Yinning rubbed her ears in annoyance. She wasn’t one for pretense and immediately instructed her maid to assist her with bathing and changing. Meanwhile, on the other side. Luo Wanxiang had already made up her mind to teach Shen Yinning a lesson. She rode her horse to the back mountain of Liang Garden. There was a Beast Garden here, housing various ferocious beasts and birds of prey. Her elder brother, Luo Xibai, loved spending time here toying with the wild creatures when he was idle. When Luo Wanxiang arrived, she saw a man dressed in luxurious clothing, with a corpulent build, waving his hands enthusiastically and shouting at the top of his lungs. Surrounding him were several beauties of varying shapes and sizes. Who else could it be but her elder brother? Inside the Beast Fighting Arena, two emaciated slaves were panting heavily as they faced off against a tiger. Yet, in just an instant, the tiger, starved for three days, lunged directly at the slaves, clamping its jaws around their necks and snapping them. Blood gushed from their neck cavities. The nobles on the sidelines let out impatient jeers, worried the blood might splatter onto their elaborate garments, and turned away in disgust. Off to one side of the arena, bones were piled high like a mountain, with skulls strung together on bamboo poles as macabre decorations. It was clear that these southern nobles had long grown accustomed to the spectacle of beasts devouring humans. "Big Brother!" Luo Wanxiang called out in a crisp voice. Truthfully, she didn’t hold her elder brother in high regard and generally avoided dining at the same table as him. His unattractive appearance and portly figure were simply too unsightly. However, her brother was quite doting toward her and her elder sister, always treating them with indulgence. "Xiang’er!" Luo Xibai exclaimed with delight, pulling her aside. "You’ve returned from the Capital?! So, how was it? Did that Fifth Prince catch your eye?! With you being the first beauty of Jiangnan, I bet the moment he set eyes on you, he was utterly smitten! When’s the wedding day set? Whatever dowry you want, just say the word!" Luo Wanxiang’s face flushed red. She wasn’t about to admit that she fancied Xue Ling, but the man didn’t even want to look at her. She replied, "Brother, don’t concern yourself with me. You should focus on taking care of our sister and brother-in-law!" Then, she began embellishing the story with exaggerated details, describing how Shen Yinning was vain and seductive, how she oppressed and humiliated her, driving a wedge between her, her elder sister, and her brother-in-law. By the end, Luo Wanxiang’s eyes were tinged red as she lamented, "Since childhood, I’ve been sheltered and pampered by Brother and Sister. But who does Shen Yinning think she is? Just the daughter of a disgraced official! How dare she bully me?! No matter how powerful her family once was, they’ve fallen now, haven’t they? She should be living meekly, watching my moods to survive! Yet, when I reprimanded her, she retaliated with sarcasm and mockery. She doesn’t respect our Jiangnan Luo Family at all!" Shen Yinning... Luo Xibai was quite familiar with this name. The once-beloved "Bright Pearl" of the former Duke Shen, the famous first beauty of the Capital. Although those who had seen her and returned to Jiangnan praised her beauty highly, Luo Xibai sneered at their words. Those people probably hadn’t seen true beauty, which was why they deemed Shen Yinning so attractive. Within his Liang Garden, there were numerous stunning women. By comparison, Shen Yinning likely wouldn’t even measure up to one of his top-ranking maids. It wasn’t arrogance but fact. The south was wealthier than the north, and southern women were generally more delicate and striking than their northern counterparts. The so-called "first beauty of the Capital" would be nothing more than a gimmick in his Liang Garden. Northerners were simply ignorant and self-satisfied! Even his elder sister’s husband, Lu Shiyan, must have lost his wits. Ignoring his kind, beautiful wife in favor of being hopelessly devoted to Shen Yinning... It was probably just sentimentality from their childhood companionship that he clung to all these years. On this trip to Jingcheng, he even dared to bring that wretched woman back to Jiangnan! That woman must have been desperate in her downfall, groveling for Lu Shiyan’s protection! She’d outright trampled on the face of their Luo Family! A sinister expression crept across Luo Xibai’s chubby face. "Where is she now?!" Luo Wanxiang’s heart surged with joy. "Brother, she’s in Zhaoyue Pavilion!" Luo Xibai immediately ordered his attendants to bring weapons and fierce beasts, marching aggressively toward Zhaoyue Pavilion. Shen Yinning had already finished her bath. She sat in her chamber before a dressing table, leisurely combing her cloud-like hair with an ivory-inlaid golden comb. Two maids hurriedly entered and knelt. "Trouble, Miss Shen! Lord Luo and Second Miss have barged in!" As they spoke, Luo Xibai and Luo Wanxiang had already entered. From behind the curtain of gold beads, Luo Xibai barked sharply, "You’re that wretched woman?!" Shen Yinning stood, calm and unhurried, stepping out from the beaded curtain. It was early spring, the golden hues of dusk streaming through the windows, casting shadows of pear blossoms on the walls. Luo Xibai’s first glimpse was of a delicate hand lifting the gold-beaded curtain with the ivory comb. The hand, fairer and more tender than ivory itself, with naturally rosy fingertips that outshone any lacquered nails. Indeed, Shen Yinning’s hands were quite exquisite and worthy of note. But the face... well, he suspected it could only be described as plain and vulgar. Sneering, he glanced sideways at the figure stepping out from behind the curtain. It was a single look. Then he froze, stunned, and quickly straightened his gaze for a closer look. The girl stood tall and slender, donned in a pear blossom white silk spring dress with angled lapels. Her raven-black hair cascaded down like clouds, her skin was white as snow and flawless, and her face was as enchanting as lotus blossoms. Without a trace of makeup, her willow-like brows, ruby lips, and fox-like phoenix eyes shone with natural brilliance. She exuded a vibrant beauty that illuminated the entire room—a true masterpiece of the mortal realm! The combined beauty of all the women treasured in his Liang Garden was but the light of fireflies before this moonlit splendor! Luo Xibai stood in complete awe. Shen Yinning’s voice was cool and indifferent. "Who are you calling a wretched woman?" "Of course, I’m talking about you!" Luo Wanxiang snapped, catching sight of her brother’s dazed expression. She frowned. "Brother, what are you gawking at? Beat her already! Women need to be beaten; only then will they behave!" Snapping back to himself, Luo Xibai’s gaze lingered unabashedly on Shen Yinning. This divine creation of pure natural elegance was unparalleled in all of Jiangnan. No wonder those who had seen her lavished endless praise upon her appearance! How laughable it was that he once dismissed them as ignorant. Now, it was clear: Luo Xibai himself had been the true frog at the bottom of the well! Feeling a twinge of shame, Luo Xibai bowed toward Shen Yinning, face flushed. "I was presumptuous—" "Brother?!" Luo Wanxiang stared in disbelief. What? Her terrifying brother, who had killed so many and committed countless malicious deeds, was blushing at a woman?! She stomped her foot, shouting, "Brother, why are you apologizing? Hit her already!" Shen Yinning gracefully took a seat. "So, you’ve come to discipline me?" "How could we ever!" Luo Xibai hastily waved his pudgy hands. "We merely came to check if Miss Shen needed anything!" Shen Yinning could see right through him. These men treated her as a mere plaything, no different from Lu Ying. So why shouldn’t she treat these men as playthings in return? Just as they did to her. She would show Lu Ying that even without him, she could thrive—and exact her revenge. A cold mockery settled in her heart, but she feigned a frightened expression, looking pitiful. "Then why are the attendants behind you armed, and why do they have fierce beasts? Does Brother Luo intend to kill me?" Brother Luo... Luo Xibai took a deep, euphoric breath. His smile stretched nearly to his ears, and his entire pudgy frame seemed to melt with delight.

Chapter 237 - 235: Treating Her as a Plaything

Comments (0)