NOVEL NEXT Ch. 2
Chapter 2: Slap Him for Me
The stronger one’s strength, the greater the share of the original plot they occupied, and the more negative emotions could be harvested.
During these past few days, Shen Yanzhou had used the lackeys around him as test subjects.
No matter how he tried to provoke their mindset, they could barely provide any negative emotions at all, basically stuck in the state of +0.01, +0.01, +0.01…
On the contrary, Elder Mo, who served as a consecrated retainer of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Manor, had quite a significant portion in the plot.
Adding to that his status as a Martial Dao Sixth Rank Sea-Splitting Realm expert, each time it was +1, +1, +1, allowing Shen Yanzhou to reap a fair amount of negative emotions from him.
Afterward, Shen Yanzhou began to turn his gaze toward Wu Ruyue, who, in the original plot, could be considered one of the female leads.
——
On the bluestone street before the Wu Manor gates, Wu Ruyue held the reins in hand.
Her dark brows furrowed as she looked at the luxurious carriage parked before the entrance.
At first, she was stunned, but soon her face showed obvious disgust and disdain.
Throughout the entire imperial capital, who did not know whose carriage this crimson-lacquered, gold-painted vehicle belonged to?
Sure enough, very quickly she spotted Shen Yanzhou’s leisurely swaying figure beside the carriage.
“Miss Wu, long time no see.”
Shen Yanzhou’s thoughts returned.
With a crisp snap, he casually flicked open the folding fan at his waist and walked over with a smile.
As the foremost of all the capital’s dandies, his appearance was naturally outstanding—handsome beyond compare, tall and elegant.
If one ignored the foolish deeds committed by his original self, he could indeed be called a refined young gentleman, untouched by worldly dust.
“Shen Yanzhou, what are you doing here?”
Wu Ruyue tightened her reins, towering above him, her brows knitted as she spoke coldly.
The man in a gray robe who followed behind her also frowned slightly as he looked at the arrogant young noble blocking their path.
“Miss Wu, why so distant? Today, this heir has come bearing a piece of joyous news to deliver to your Wu Manor.”
Shen Yanzhou smiled as he spoke, not caring in the least about Wu Ruyue’s icy, disdainful expression.
In his mind, notifications continuously emerged: Negative emotions from Wu Ruyue +1, +2, +3, +4…
This only made his smile grow brighter.
As expected of one of the original plot’s female leads—even a casual pluck yielded plenty of negative emotions.
Of course, this also owed to his original self’s odious character and reputation.
Just by standing here, he could rattle another’s composure.
“A weasel paying New Year greetings never comes with good intentions. Shen Yanzhou, I, Wu Ruyue, am not like those noble ladies of the capital for you to toy with at will.”
“You had better get out of my way.”
Wu Ruyue’s voice was cold.
In her time of training with the Demon Suppression Army in the southern border, she had often heard among the ranks the same sentiment: hatred and disappointment toward this heir, Shen Yanzhou.
Calling him “a tiger father, a dog son” was no exaggeration.
The Demon Suppression Prince was a towering hero—resisting Great Yu in the north, repelling barbarians in the west, subduing the Demon Nation in the south, constructing the endless Demon-Defending Pass, establishing countless military achievements.
Yet Shen Yanzhou, his heir, was nothing more than a useless, corrupt wastrel—drowning in debauchery, bullying men and women alike, possessing no talents whatsoever.
“Heh, Miss Wu, don’t be so formal. In a few days, you and I may very well be one family.” Shen Yanzhou continued with a leisurely smile.
“What nonsense are you speaking…”
Wu Ruyue’s willow-like brows shot up.
Her habit of military training made her instinctively rest her hand on the red-tasseled spear at her back.
“I told you it’s a joyous event. Why won’t Miss Wu believe me?”
“Lord Wu has already decided to marry you to me. Tomorrow I’ll ask my mother to visit the Mingde Hall and request His Majesty to bestow the marriage.”
“By then, won’t the two of us be one family?”
Shen Yanzhou spoke with a smile.
“What did you say? How is this possible?”
At his words, Wu Ruyue first froze, then her whole body went rigid.
Her bright eyes widened in disbelief.
Her father intended to marry her to this incompetent wastrel standing before her?
The gray-robed man behind her, mounted upon his horse, was also dumbfounded when he heard this, as though doubting his own ears.
Shen Yanzhou’s smile only grew more brilliant.
In his mind, messages surged forth: *Negative emotions from Wu Ruyue +5, +5, +5, +6.*
*Negative emotions from Shen Tian +7, +8, +9, +9.*
Excellent.
In just a few short breaths, the negative emotions he had reaped were more than enough to match the past several days of accumulation.
Indeed, the best wool came from the fattest sheep.
“Ruyue, do not believe the nonsense of this dandy.”
“He is clearly just mocking you, disgusting you.”
A deep, steady voice came from behind Wu Ruyue.
The gray-robed man on horseback tugged his reins and rode forward.
“Shen Yanzhou, my father could not possibly be so muddle-headed. What kind of person you are—the entire capital knows it well.”
Wu Ruyue, tempered by years in the military, quickly regained her composure.
She looked at Shen Yanzhou coldly.
Shen Yanzhou tapped his fan, his eyes narrowing as he studied the other man.
This gray-robed youth appeared strikingly delicate, plain and unremarkable at first glance.
But in truth, he was none other than the nominal true heir, Shen Tian—though at this point, he had yet to fully reunite with the Demon Suppression Prince.
Being familiar with the original plot, Shen Yanzhou knew well that the two had already met in the southern border.
The Demon Suppression Prince, admiring Shen Tian’s character and talent, had taken him in as an adopted son.
This return to the capital was, firstly, to accompany Wu Ruyue in visiting her family, and secondly, for Shen Tian to investigate the hidden secrets of what had transpired years ago in the Prince’s Manor—to contact the Princess Consort and confirm his true parentage.
The Demon Suppression Prince himself also had the intention of matching the two.
After all, regarding the past incident of swapping the prince’s son, no one knew the details better than the Prince himself.
As a man of great ambition, how could he possibly let his true son remain in the capital as a useless hostage?
“And who are you? I was speaking with Miss Wu—what right have you to interrupt?”
Shen Yanzhou looked at Shen Tian with interest, leisurely fanning himself.
Shen Tian’s brows knitted, a trace of displeasure flashing in his eyes, yet he still cupped his fists and said firmly, “I am Shen Tian, Deputy Officer of the Firearms Battalion of the Demon Suppression Army…”
“So in other words, you serve under my father?” Shen Yanzhou waved his hand, cutting him off.
A nameless fury surged in Shen Tian’s heart.
He had always felt a strange bond, an inexplicable closeness with the Demon Suppression Prince.
Now hearing this wastrel flaunt the word “father” so readily made him extremely uncomfortable.
“Yes…”
But at this moment, he could only grit his teeth and answer.
Shen Yanzhou’s eyes narrowed.
The smile on his face vanished, and his tone turned cold.
“Impudent. Since you serve under my father, why do you not dismount and salute this heir?”
“Elder Mo, what did this fellow just call me?”
This was clearly directed to the consecrated retainer of the Prince’s Manor standing behind him.
Although Elder Mo had always been tasked by the Princess Consort to safeguard Shen Yanzhou, many times he would not obey Shen Yanzhou’s absurd commands.
“Young Master, just now he called you a dandy…”
But now, he still pulled at the corner of his lips and answered respectfully.
“All the noble sons of the capital may call me a dandy, and I would not care. But you—a mere deputy officer of the Firearms Battalion—where did you get the gall to call me such?”
“Elder Mo, slap him twenty times, as a minor punishment.” Shen Yanzhou said calmly.