Chapter 21: Clingy

She couldn’t bear to see her brother’s wholehearted devotion wasted.

“Brother, take a look at this box. It contains the gifts Liang sent me the day after I fell into the water.”

Shen Qi was startled. Why would his little sister address his wife as “Liang”?

They had gone to the temple with their grandmother to pray for blessings. On the way, they encountered a beggar being bullied. Liang stepped in to help, and both Shen Qi and his sister were deeply impressed by her.

After that, the kind and beautiful Liang had captured his heart. He had sought his grandmother’s permission to marry her.

Their mother had disapproved, finding her father’s official rank too low and Liang’s family background lacking. Fortunately, his little sister had supported him.

What had Liang done to upset his sister? He could just coax her.

He took the box and opened it, rummaging through the contents. They were all children’s toys.

“This… Little sister, don’t be angry. I’ll go back and ask her about it. I’ll make it up to you.”

“Brother, we’ve been deceived. Our meeting with Liang was a conspiracy…”

Shen Qi froze. What was his sister saying?

Looking at the paper in his hand, Shen Qi felt dizzy. Liang had a childhood sweetheart before her marriage?

And her childhood sweetheart had been stolen by her stepsister. She had vowed to marry a powerful man. Her first target had been Xie Yunzheng?

Shen Qi was merely her… third target!

She used the same tricks on everyone. She didn’t even bother to change her tactics!

Shen Qi slumped onto the couch. How could this be possible? “Little sister, where did you hear this? It’s impossible! Liang…”

She was kind and gentle, even reluctant to speak loudly. She was carrying his first child.

Shen Shurong knew it was hard for him to accept. It was hard for her too. Every time their mother and grandmother spoke harshly about Liang, she would comfort her, “Brother, we’re just too kind. We’ve been taken advantage of. Experience is the best teacher. Mother and Grandmother probably saw through her cunning long ago.”

Shen Qi couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it. For the first time, he understood what it meant to be smitten.

Raised in luxury, he wasn’t easily approachable. Liang’s innocence had drawn him to her. He couldn’t fathom that the wife, someone who even helped a beggar he would have avoided, could be plotting against him.

His sister was also kind but couldn’t do it. She would vomit at the sight of anything dirty.

That’s right, why wasn’t she disgusted? He had wanted to puke at the time.

“Brother, if she admires you, I don’t think it’s wrong to use some tactics.” Because she had just done the same thing.

“But you’re her third choice. If you count her childhood sweetheart, you’re the fourth. I can’t tolerate it.”

“What I can’t accept the most is that her childhood sweetheart, her current brother-in-law, passed the civil service exam last year. They’ve been meeting in secret.”

Only the siblings were in the room. The Grand Princess had heard that her grandson had arrived and knew she was in trouble. She and her daughter-in-law rushed over.

Shen Shurong didn’t let them in. Without a strong dose of reality, he would forever be lost in his romantic fantasy. It was better to cut through the mess before he was hurt.

Shen Qi covered his face, tears streaming through his fingers. When he realized it, he felt his face burning. He was making a fool of himself in front of his sister.

Shen Shurong didn’t need to ask. She knew what he was thinking. “We’re the closest people in the world, brother. I’ve cried on your shoulder more times than I can count. Don’t worry about it. The most important thing now is something else.”

Shen Qi listened and learned about another shocking matter.

“Grandmother is siding with the Crown Prince. But he wants to destroy us?”

Shen Qi felt like the world had been turned upside down. He had wasted twenty-one years of his life.

“So, brother, compared to the lives of our family, is Liang still important?”

Shen Qi’s attention was completely diverted. He shook his head; with his family gone, Liang was naturally gone too. What was the point of feeling sad?

This was the reason his little sister had taken over the family finances.

Shen Qi left Shen Shurong’s room, his expression returning to normal. In the face of family and life, romantic feelings were insignificant.

The Grand Princess and the Commandery Princess Consort were waiting in the hallway. They knew that Liang was not as weak and innocent as she appeared, but they had not expected her to be so bold as to scheme against the Commandery Prince’s family.

As soon as they saw Shen Qi come out, they surrounded him to scrutinize him.

“Grandmother, Mother, I was blind to her faults. I won’t be again.”

Seeing that he was fine, the two women felt relieved. The Commandery Princess Consort took her son back home, and they both pretended that nothing had happened, waiting to see if Liang would truly leave the residence the next day.

The Grand Princess still went inside to find Shen Shurong. Her granddaughter was too ruthless; it was better to be more tactful.

“Grandmother, a single needle prick only hurts for a moment. If you wrap her head, the needle will have no effect.” Only a deep wound that bleeds profusely would be effective; a simple bandage wouldn’t suffice.

Knowing her brother’s temperament, Shen Shurong understood all too well that they could not allow themselves to be naive any longer.

The Grand Princess understood this logic as well, but after all, he was her own grandson; she couldn’t bring herself to be so harsh.

“Don’t worry, Grandmother. Although my brother is kind, he can handle things.” Among the royals in the capital, who truly didn’t understand the complexities of relationships?

The Grand Princess sighed as she left. She had initially thought that with her around, her grandchildren would always be honored. Yet, unexpectedly, both internal and external troubles persisted.

She was getting old and could no longer protect her grandchildren. Now, with Yongjia in such a state, she felt a little more at ease.

Shen Shurong went to find Xie Yunzhao, who was sitting in the accounting room reviewing the accounts. It wasn’t easy to get him to settle down.

“What are you looking at?”

“Your brother left?”

“Yes.” Shen Shurong’s expression was downcast.

Seeing this, Xie Yunzhao didn’t dare to ask where she wanted to go. “Are you unhappy?”

“You noticed?” Shen Shurong sat beside him, gently resting her head on his shoulder. “Yunzhao, isn’t kindness the most beautiful virtue? Why do kind people have to suffer?”

Xie Yunzhao felt a stir in his heart. He could sense that his young lady was beginning to rely on him. “Rongrong, in a world where one has no desires, kindness is possible, but people have emotions and desires, and it’s hard to ensure that ill intentions won’t arise.”

Shen Shurong leaned in to look at him. “Isn’t a loved one trustworthy?”

Xie Yunzhao was captivated by her dark eyes, their breaths mingling. His ears turned slightly red.

What was she afraid of?

Or was it that Shen Qi and his wife had encountered problems?

Gazing into her eyes, Xie Yunzhao spoke slowly, “I don’t know about others, but Rongrong, you can trust me for a lifetime.”

Shen Shurong’s mood improved a little. “I have something to do tomorrow, so don’t come.”

Xie Yunzhao nodded, understanding that he shouldn’t be too clingy. “Alright.”

…

That night, the rain fell steadily. Shen Qi stood under the eaves of the study, watching the raindrops hit the ground, slowly gathering together, eventually flowing into the cracks of the stone bricks.

Even with her approaching him with good intentions, after their marriage, he had cared for her meticulously. His mother had mentioned taking a concubine several times, all of which he had rejected. Could he not win her heart?

“Husband, why are you standing here?” Liang approached, supporting her waist, with a maid holding an umbrella for her.