Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot-Chapter 418 - 379 The Scent of Mother_2

Meng Qianqian pinched her cheek. "You’re much cuter than your brother."

Lady Du quickly finished cooking the glutinous rice balls and prepared a bowl for Shang Wuyou as well.

"Why is mine different from my sister’s?"

Shang Wuyou asked.

Meng Qianqian responded, "You don’t like sweets. Yours are filled with meat."

Shang Wuyou was surprised. "Sister, did you tell her?"

Shang Changle shook her head.

Meng Qianqian said calmly, "Observing you—is that such a challenge?"

Shang Wuyou froze in his tracks.

Shang Changle ate her glutinous rice balls, and as she ate, her eyes reddened.

Meng Qianqian noticed and gently asked, "Changle, what’s the matter?"

She was seated to the left of the candlestick. The warm golden light of the candle fell on her profile, and through tear-filled eyes, Shang Changle’s vision blurred. In her haze, Meng Qianqian’s figure seemed to overlay the shadows of figures buried deep in her memory.

It was Meng Qianqian’s gentle voice, her tone full of care, that struck a chord of familiarity in her.

"I... I had this when I was little."

Shang Changle choked as she spoke.

Shang Wuyou said, "Of course, you had it. We used to eat glutinous rice balls every year at the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion."

"Not glutinous rice balls..." Shang Changle stared at the half-eaten sugar-filled egg in her spoon. "Sugar-filled ones..."

Meng Qianqian’s nose tingled with an ache.

Her father spent years stationed at the military camp, while her mother was relentlessly strict with her, forcing her to learn martial arts and medicine.

Whenever she wanted to slack off, she’d fake illness and hide in her second aunt’s room.

Her second aunt would have someone prepare soft-boiled eggs in brown sugar water for her.

Her love for soft-boiled eggs was a habit that carried on even after she was reborn.

Lady Du always cooked them to her preferences.

When her second aunt was alive, she must’ve done the same for the two children. Unexpectedly, Changle had remembered that taste.

Shang Changle finished the glutinous rice balls through her tears.

Shang Wuyou was frantically distraught—not caring whether he’d been held captive or faced mortal danger—but he couldn’t bear to see his sister suffer.

If there were just one person in this world he’d willingly die for, that person would surely be Changle.

Meng Qianqian waited until Shang Changle’s emotions had steadied before cautiously broaching the subject at hand. "Changle, now that you’re awake, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you and Wuyou."

Shang Wuyou replied coldly, "Whatever it is, you can discuss it with me. There’s no need to drag my sister into this!"

This boy still harbored plenty of wariness toward her. freewēbnoveℓ.com

Meng Qianqian said sternly, "Your sister has the right to know the truth and the right to make choices about her own future."

Shang Wuyou jumped up fiercely. "I won’t let you spout nonsense in front of her!"

"Brother."

Shang Changle tugged at his sleeve and softly said, "The day when Elder Yan came over and spoke to you both—I overheard it."

Shang Wuyou startled immensely. "Changle, you..."

Shang Changle smiled weakly. "You don’t have to hide it from me; I’ll be fine."

Shang Wuyou frowned. "Sister, what Elder Yan said might not be true. Elder Yan has deep ties with the Governor Mansion—it’s possible that she was bribed to incite discord between us and the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion."

Shang Changle smiled and said, "Brother, I’ve long known that someone drugged me."

Shang Wuyou froze. "You... You knew... Why didn’t you tell me?"

Shang Changle replied, "I didn’t want brother to be in danger, so I could only pretend I didn’t know."

Meng Qianqian looked deeply at Shang Changle with a seemingly meaningful thought, then asked, "Changle, did you plead with the Pavilion Master of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, asking him not to poison your brother?"

Shang Wuyou was struck like lightning. "Changle, is... is it true?"

Shang Changle lowered her head, not replying.

Shang Wuyou staggered back, his body swaying unsteadily. He couldn’t believe his sister had made such a huge sacrifice—and as her brother, he had been completely in the dark.

Meng Qianqian said seriously, "Wuyou, do you understand now? The truth behind why your father didn’t drug you is that your own sister bore the brunt of it all. Will you still remain stubborn and blindly recognize a traitor as your father?"

Shang Wuyou felt as though his world had come crashing down.

He slumped heavily into a chair, utterly broken.

Meng Qianqian’s words—he could ignore.

Elder Yan’s assertions—he could refuse to believe.

But Changle was his sister!

Meng Qianqian calmly looked at Shang Wuyou. "Have you calmed down now? If so, I’ll discuss how to treat Changle."

Shang Wuyou clenched his fists tightly, gulping down his emotions and the crushing weight of it all. "Go ahead."

Meng Qianqian said, "Lady Yan gave me three pills that can protect Changle from harm for three months. I plan to take Changle to Miaojiang to seek the help of the Goddess there to detoxify her."

Shang Wuyou furrowed his brows. "The Miaojiang Goddess never treats foreigners."

This boy—he certainly knew quite a bit.

Meng Qianqian cast him a sideways glance. "I’ll find a way. If three months pass and we still can’t cure Changle, I’ll return her to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion."

She had thought of every contingency—there were no flaws for Shang Wuyou to pick apart.

Meng Qianqian turned to Shang Changle and asked gently, "Changle, the journey to Miaojiang will be cold and harsh. Would you be willing to go with me?"

"Yes."

Shang Changle nodded.

Meng Qianqian affectionately patted Shang Changle’s head. "Alright then. It’s settled. Once I handle some matters at hand, we’ll set out for Miaojiang immediately."

"You haven’t asked me yet."

Shang Wuyou remarked, catching on.

This woman treated him and his sister with utterly different attitudes.

Meng Qianqian nonchalantly replied, "Ask you what? I’m taking Changle to cure her, not you. If you want to come along, I won’t oppose it. If you don’t, I won’t force you."

After saying that, she gently patted Changle’s head again before standing and heading outside.

Shang Wuyou gritted his teeth in fury. "You—aren’t you afraid I’ll return to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion?"

"Do as you wish."

Meng Qianqian didn’t even turn her head as she walked out.

Shang Wuyou was beside himself with anger.

Shang Changle noticed her brother’s fuming expression, and couldn’t help herself—she burst into laughter.

Shang Wuyou looked at her with animosity. "Why are you laughing?"

Shang Changle giggled, "Brother, are you jealous?"

"How could I be?"

Shang Wuyou truly wasn’t jealous, but he couldn’t figure out why—this woman was unlike any other he’d ever met, always managing to effortlessly infuriate him.

He sighed and asked, "Sister, do you truly intend to follow her to Miaojiang?"

Shang Changle replied, "Brother, I want to go. She... carries the scent of Mother. Even if I can’t be cured, I want to take in more of Mother’s scent before I die."