Chapter 151

Chapter 151

“You knew I would come?” Chi Wan stared at her with eyes as sharp as blades.

Sheng Zhaoning met her gaze calmly, neither confirming nor denying it.

Chi Wan had not appeared before her in a long time. Meeting her even once was no easy task.

The guards stationed outside Changhua Hall had been greatly reinforced. Since Chi Wan could not get inside, Sheng Zhaoning had no choice but to go out herself.

Yet she could not reveal her intentions in front of Wei Yi.

So she used Bailu Garden as bait, making Wei Yi lower his guard while also sending Chi Wan the message that she came there every day.

As long as Chi Wan still harbored hatred toward her, she would certainly find an opportunity to come and make trouble.

The day Wei Yi was absent was the perfect opportunity.

And Chi Wan had indeed come looking for her.

Seeing Sheng Zhaoning sitting unharmed in the pavilion, Chi Wan’s gaze hardened. Whether out of resentment or exasperation, she said, “You’re really hard to kill.”

From the Shadow Guard Camp to Luochuan Lake, from the Palace Coup to the New Year’s banquet not long ago…

In one desperate situation after another, Sheng Zhaoning had somehow survived every time.

It had even given Chi Wan the illusion that no matter what methods she used, she might never be able to kill Sheng Zhaoning.

Sitting in the pavilion, Sheng Zhaoning let out a faint sigh as well. “I’m puzzled too. Killing someone is obviously such a simple thing, so how is it that I just can’t seem to die?”

Her words made Chi Wan’s face turn from green to white with anger. She clenched her teeth and said, “Do you believe I’ll kill you right now?”

Sheng Zhaoning raised her eyes halfway to look at her, the corners of her lips curling upward. “Do you dare?”

If she killed Sheng Zhaoning, she would have to face Wei Yi’s overwhelming fury, as well as his revenge against the entire Chi Family.

Though Chi Wan was unwilling to face the fact that Wei Yi loved Sheng Zhaoning, she could not deny it either.

The price of killing Sheng Zhaoning was too high. Chi Wan had only realized that later.

So no matter how much she hated or despised Sheng Zhaoning, she could only use petty methods to make her uncomfortable. She did not dare openly move against her with the intent to kill.

Sheng Zhaoning watched her steadily, then glanced at the people outside the pavilion from the corner of her eye. In a voice low enough for only the two of them to hear, she said, “Chi Wan, have you ever considered that perhaps we aren’t enemies?”

Chi Wan’s gaze froze.

She slowly turned her head and lowered her eyes, looking both puzzled and incredulous, as though she had guessed what Sheng Zhaoning meant.

“What do you mean?” Chi Wan asked.

Sheng Zhaoning said slowly, “You want to kill me simply because you want me to leave Wei Yi’s side. Must I die before you can achieve what you want?”

The moment she heard this, Chi Wan understood everything.

A tremor entered her voice. “You want to escape.”

She had never considered that there might be such a possibility.

Yes. How had she forgotten? Sheng Zhaoning had already fallen in love with someone else long ago, even betraying the Zhenbei Prince’s Mansion to be with that person.

It was Wei Yi who had forcibly kept her there, refusing to let her go. Sheng Zhaoning had not willingly chosen to remain at his side.

She and Sheng Zhaoning were no longer enemies.

“The price of killing me is too high. You can’t bear it.”

Sheng Zhaoning stood and walked over to her. Her voice remained low. “If you want me to leave his side and never return to the Capital City, there is only one path available.”

Under Chi Wan’s trembling gaze, Sheng Zhaoning slowly spoke two words:

“Help me.”

Help her leave the Imperial Palace, leave Wei Yi’s side.

For the two of them, this was a mutually beneficial bargain from the very beginning. Or rather, it was cooperation between people who shared the same goal.

Chi Wan stared at her with a stiff expression. “You…”

The sudden turn of events was indeed difficult for Chi Wan to accept.

She had always regarded Sheng Zhaoning as the enemy of her entire life and had tried countless times to have her killed. She had never imagined that one day there might be a possibility of “cooperating” with her.

And yet, this was something Chi Wan had no way to refuse.

Sheng Zhaoning pressed her advantage. “As long as I’m by his side, Wei Yi will never be able to let me go. Can you really accept that outcome?”

After those words fell, the uncertainty in Chi Wan’s eyes gradually hardened into resolve.

One by one, her fingers curled inward, and her clenched fists cracked sharply.

Wei Yi might not even realize how much he loved Sheng Zhaoning, but Chi Wan could see it clearly.

From the way his gaze had followed her since childhood to the deep hatred he developed after she became a Shadow Guard. If he hadn’t cared about her so deeply, how could he have felt such terrifying hatred after she had turned into a loathsome killing tool?

He and Sheng Zhaoning tormented each other while pretending they had no love between them.

But even after Sheng Zhaoning betrayed him and tried to kill him, he still couldn’t bear to let her truly die.

Chi Wan had not the slightest doubt about the truth of Sheng Zhaoning’s words. It was a fact that even she herself understood all too well.

At last, Chi Wan drew a deep breath, raised her eyes to look at Sheng Zhaoning, and asked, “What do you want me to do?”

Hearing this, Sheng Zhaoning knew that the matter was settled. The stone weighing on her heart finally shifted aside a little.

She said, “On the fifteenth of next month, at the Temple of Ten Thousand Blessings. Keep Wei Yi occupied.”

Chi Wan frowned. “That’s it?”

Sheng Zhaoning’s brows twitched slightly. Staring into Chi Wan’s eyes, she nodded once with utmost seriousness.

“You only need to do this one thing. Keep him occupied for as long as possible. If I manage to get out, I promise I will never set foot in the capital again for the rest of my life.”

Chi Wan’s heart pounded wildly.

She gazed deeply at the person before her as countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

There was certainly risk involved.

But faced with the possibility of Sheng Zhaoning leaving Wei Yi forever, Chi Wan was willing to take that risk.

Since no method could kill Sheng Zhaoning,

helping her was undoubtedly the best choice available.

Chi Wan took a deep breath and looked at her. Then, word by word, she said, “I agree.”

She had better truly keep her word and never come back.

A smile glimmered in Sheng Zhaoning’s eyes. “It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

Chi Wan glared at her. She still wasn’t willing to accept their sudden harmony, so she let out a cold snort and turned to leave.

Behind her, Sheng Zhaoning’s voice suddenly rang out.

“Wait.”

Chi Wan stopped and frowned. Thinking Sheng Zhaoning had suddenly changed her mind, she turned around with a cold, hostile look in her eyes. Instead, she saw Sheng Zhaoning silently mouth a word at her.

“Sorry.”

Before Chi Wan could react, a slap came flying at her out of nowhere.

“Smack!”

The crisp sound, complete with the rush of wind, landed squarely against her face.

Chi Wan’s face was knocked to the side.

She covered her cheek and slowly turned her head back, her movements stiff. Her eyes widened, filled with utter disbelief.

Once she realized what had happened, the fury in Chi Wan’s eyes seemed ready to erupt. She lunged at Sheng Zhaoning with a twisted expression, grabbing her clothes and beating at her.

“Sheng Zhaoning, how dare you hit me!”

“Even my parents have never dared to hit me! You actually dared to touch my face. I’ll kill you!”