Chapter 67

Sheng Changyu was feeling a bit irritated. 

He had just returned from the military base when he received a call, asking him to come to the old mansion. He didn’t really want to come, but since it involved his wife, the governor’s wife, it was technically his business too.  

And if it was his business, he figured he had the right to come and cause a bit of trouble—which he didn’t exactly mind doing. 

When he arrived, it was snowing. Beneath an oil-paper umbrella, a woman wearing a bright crimson cloak, her skin fairer than the snow, was a sight to behold.  

Ning Zhen’s greatest asset was her beauty. 

Whether sitting, standing, or walking, she was never awkward. She was born beautiful and carried herself well. Even when wearing a white fox-fur scarf, she appeared livelier than others by threefold. 

Beauty, in many cases, is absolute, like a fully blossomed peony on a branch.  

You could complain that the peony is too lush and extravagant, but you couldn’t deny its beauty. Absolute beauty has nothing to do with personal dislike. 

Even if you didn’t like her, you couldn’t, in good conscience, say she was ugly. 

Seeing Ning Zhen when he got out of the car improved Sheng Changyu’s mood a little. 

Listening to the petty issues of the old mansion, where even throwing dirt was done in such a low-class manner, made Sheng Changyu even more annoyed. 

“My wife, the governor’s wife, why should she be the one acting as a housekeeper here, only to be nitpicked by you all?” This sudden thought crossed his mind. 

It was just a fleeting notion, without any follow-up, because the governor’s wife was most appropriately situated at the old mansion.  

There was nowhere else that needed her anyway. 

In his foul mood, Sheng Changyu quietly listened to everything being said, looking for flaws. 

Unexpectedly, his younger sister Sheng Changyin came back and overturned the entire situation. 

They had been treating this like a serious matter, playing a game of strategy, but Sheng Changyin pulled the rug out from under them. 

Sheng Changyin handed a check to the Old lady : “Mother, I found this check that my nurse was hiding.” 

Sheng Changyu glanced at the nurse. 

The nurse had been calmly standing there, seemingly confident, but as soon as the check was revealed, her face visibly turned pale, and she looked extremely flustered. 

Even the usually composed and gentle Xu Fangdu subtly trembled. 

At this point, things became clear in Sheng Changyu’s eyes. 

“What check?” 

“Old lady , this is my personal…” the nurse stammered. 

Sheng Changyin stepped forward: “Mother, don’t you understand? The nurse has been deceiving both sides. She took someone else’s check and framed my sister-in-law. 

She deliberately went to the kitchen, claiming that my sister-in-law had ordered my dinner rations to be cut in half. Then she turned around and said I wasn’t getting enough to eat, purposefully asking for braised pork knuckles. 

But I’ve been eating well, as Sister Hong has been making fish soup noodles for me and my teacher every night; I never asked for braised pork knuckles.” 

Sheng Changyin rarely spoke so loudly, and now, with her emotions running high, her voice trembled, making her seem all the more pitiful. 

The Old lady , pained by this, exclaimed, “You wretched old hag! I trusted you and left my daughter in your care, and this is how you treat her?” 

The nurse fell to her knees and kowtowed, “Old lady , I… I was just momentarily confused.” 

Sheng Changyin continued, “Mother, don’t you get it? Someone bribed her!” 

With that, she looked over at Xu Fangdu. 

Tears were already streaming down Xu Fangdu’s face. “Mother, A-Yin, you’ve misunderstood me. It wasn’t me. Why would I harm A-Yin?” 

“You weren’t trying to harm me; you were trying to harm my sister-in-law,” Sheng Changyin said. “I treated you like my own sister, but you used me. 

Last time, you manipulated Mother into replacing my piano teacher with Yao Wenluo. That was also you. You never treated me like your own sister!” 

As she spoke, she began to cry too. 

It seemed she wasn’t used to such direct confrontations, as her emotions became unstable, and her voice rose and fell. 

The room was in complete chaos. 

Ning Zhen watched them quietly. 

Sheng Changyu glanced at Ning Zhen. 

“Mother, why not interrogate the nurse? That should reveal the truth. Plus, the check didn’t come out of nowhere. We can trace who’s behind it,” Ning Zhen said. 

The Old lady said, “You’re right! Someone, take her away for interrogation.” 

“Such a hassle,” Sheng Changyu muttered as he stood up, pulling out a gun and aiming it at the nurse’s head. “Talk. Say one wrong word, and we’ll see if your skull is bulletproof.” 

The Old lady was speechless. 

The nurse was on the verge of collapse, terrified.  

Looking at the dark barrel of the gun, she could no longer think about anything else. 

“It was the third concubine. She told me to do it. She said she would cover for me and make sure nothing could be traced back to me,” the nurse cried. 

One was the nurse, and the other was Xu Fangdu—both were close to Sheng Changyin. 

They had conspired together, accusing Ning Zhen of reducing Sheng Changyin’s food portions, knowing that Sheng Changyin would never confront Ning Zhen about it.  

Given Sheng Changyin’s personality, she would simply endure it quietly.  

The nurse could then claim she saw Sheng Changyin starving, which was why she asked for the braised pork knuckles, although Sheng Changyin didn’t even like them. 

In the end, it would seem as though Sheng Changyin was left hungry.  

There was no way Ning Zhen, who was managing the kitchen, could escape the blame. Once such a mistake was made, Ning Zhen would lose control of the kitchen, and she might not even be allowed to leave the house for the New Year. 

To scheme against someone, you didn’t need particularly clever tactics. As long as you created a bad outcome, it would leave the person with no defense. 

Sheng Changyu pushed the gun forward a little. 

“Big brother!” Sheng Changyin cried, her face full of tears. “Big brother, she’s my nurse. I know she has her own selfish thoughts, but she was just trying to look out for herself. She hasn’t treated me poorly. Let her go, give her some money for her retirement—she did nurse me, after all.” 

Sheng Changyu replied, “Too much mercy is weakness.” 

“Big brother, I can be weak. I don’t mind being weak,” Sheng Changyin said. 

Sheng Changyu fell silent for a moment. 

He didn’t put the gun away but instead aimed it at Xu Fangdu. 

The Old lady ’s face instantly changed. 

“You too, explain yourself,” Sheng Changyu demanded. “What was your reason for causing such a scene today, making it impossible for Mother and me to have peace?” 

Xu Fangdu’s tears flowed nonstop. 

She looked at him with sorrowful eyes. “Brother Yu, I…” 

“Speak!” Sheng Changyu snapped, irritated. 

“She’s just jealous,” the Old lady defended. “It’s my fault too. I shouldn’t have mentioned that after the New Year, Ning Zhen would be given a role in managing affairs. Adu (Xu Fangdu) is just foolish, with her overly delicate thoughts.” 

Sheng Changyu felt a surge of anger. 

He thought of his younger sister, Sheng Changrong. 

Their mother always favored Sheng Changrong, no matter how poorly she behaved. Mother always excused her. 

Mother did everything based on her own preferences. 

In the past, she hadn’t liked Sheng Changyu. Now, she didn’t like Ning Zhen. 

When Sheng Changyu looked at Ning Zhen’s current situation, he saw a reflection of his own past. 

His burning anger suddenly cooled a bit, and he became more composed. 

He quietly observed the Old lady , then shifted his gaze to Xu Fangdu. 

Suddenly, he asked Xu Fangdu, “Adu, are you a virgin?” 

This question left everyone in the room stunned. 

Including Ning Zhen. 

Ning Zhen wondered if she had heard correctly, instinctively leaning closer. 

“Adu, tell me—tell Mother. Are you a virgin?” Sheng Changyu asked again. 

The Old lady was baffled. “What kind of question is that…? What are you trying to say?” 

“Adu, answer me,” Sheng Changyu said, his gaze fixed solely on Xu Fangdu. 

The Old lady was both furious and helpless at his unreasonable behavior. 

He had been like this since he was a child, sometimes making nonsensical statements that no one could understand. 

To everyone’s surprise, Xu Fangdu made a firm decision and nodded. “Yes, I am.” 

The Old lady was speechless. 

Ning Zhen was equally stunned.