Chapter 45 - How About We Teaming Up?

Shen Dong was so angry that his hands started trembling. He took the piece of the handkerchief from Shen Ninghua’s hand. After seeing the embroidered character clearly, he angrily glared at Shen Linghan and coldly shouted, “You little beast, where is your handkerchief?”

Shen Linghan opened her mouth and her lips turned pale with fear. “Fa…father, my handkerchief…”

Shen Dong laughed out of anger, “Haha, I have always treated you as a treasure, only hoping that you could have a safe and glorious life. But I never thought that my beloved daughter couldn’t even compare with an animal. You even wanted to murder your grandmother!” If there was a need in the future, wouldn’t she even dare to kill her father?

“I didn’t!” Shen Linghan’s eyes widened as tears continuously flowed down her cheeks. This time, her tears really poured out with utter sadness. “Father, I didn’t murder my grandmother. Trust me.”

“Heh, do you want me to invite doctor Chen over and ask him to personally check if your handkerchief was corroded by the corpse melting water?” Shen Dong glared at Shen Linghan with a ferocious expression.

“I… I…” Shen Linghan stuttered, but couldn’t say anything.

Seeing that she was unable to argue any more, Old Lady Xiao raised the crutch and slammed it down on her, “You monster, when did our Shen family raise an ungrateful person like you?”

Shen Linghan was hit in the back and screamed in pain, “Grandmother, I didn’t want any harm to you. Why don’t you believe me? It was Shen Ninghua, it must be Shen Ninghua who designed this!”

This time, Shen Ninghua even didn’t need to defend herself before Shen Dong shouted coldly. “If your eldest sister didn’t keep the secret for you, everyone in the capital would know by now about your crime of murdering your grandmother. Yet you still want to ruin her reputation. Your eldest sister is also my child and the first daughter of the Shen family. But you are so narrow-minded and keep framing her up. Do you really think I don’t know all these? ”

Shen Linghan was stunned and remained motionless, with despair in her eyes. Would her life be destroyed like this? She unconsciously loosened up the hairpin in her hand.

“Elder brother, say something and help me. I really don’t dare to murder grandmother.”

Seeing that Shen Linghan was asking for help from Shen Xuanye, Shen Ninghua sneered in her heart. When you were useless, Shen Xuanye would not even take a glance at you, let alone give a helping hand. There was no such thing as kinship or affection in his heart. There was only a difference between the useful and the useless.

Shen Xuanye’s expression was filled with sadness. He looked at Shen Linghan with shock and sorrow. His white clothes made him look even more otherworldly, without the slightest trace of worldliness. “Father, I didn’t expect…that my younger sister was actually so stupid. Linghan, quickly confess to father.”

“Elder brother…” Shen Linghan’s eyes were dull. She never expected that Shen Xuanye would actually ask her to confess. Didn’t he know that once she confessed, the rest of her life would be ruined! No, she didn’t want this!

“I’m not guilty. Father, this matter…” This matter was planned by Shen Xuanye. She was just cooperating.

Madam Zhao grabbed Shen Linghan by the arm and interrupted her sternly, “Linghan! Don’t explain for yourself now. Mother and you will both admit our mistakes. Master, I didn’t manage the backyard properly, and caused some errors to my sister’s dowry. I didn’t educate Linghan well, and made her do such things out of stupidity. But please don’t kill us, for the sake of our tens of years of marriage.”

Shen Linghan was unwilling to give up. She wanted to say anything else, but was frightened by Madam Zhao’s cruel gaze.

Shen Dong gritted his teeth and looked at Madam Zhao and Shen Linghan. His angry gaze slowly cooled down. In the end, the gaze was cold as ice. “Our Shen family will never embezzle the dowry of the master’s wife. Since you failed to manage the backyard well, you should step down from the position. Leave it to mother for now. I give you half a month to make up Xia’s dowry. Not even a silver hairpin could be missing. Shen Linghan, you are grounded in the ancestral hall to pray for the Old Lady. No one is allowed to visit you. I will truthfully tell the Zhao family about this matter and ask for an explanation.”

Madam Zhao’s face turned pale as she pulled Shen Linghan who was about to speak more. She kowtowed and agreed, “Yes, I will do as you say. Thank you, Master, thank you, my Old Lady.”

Shen Dong turned his sight aside and said, “Ninghua, bring back your mother’s things first. If there is anything else, come and tell me.”

Shen Ninghua lowered her head and saluted, “Yes, thank you, father, I’m leaving now.”

After walking out of Shuanghua Courtyard, Shen Ninghua turned her head to look at the high-hanging plaque. Her eyes were cold, as if filled with cold frost. In the end, Madam Zhao chose to protect Shen Xuanye. Who knew if she would regret or not in the end?

Bai Ruo stepped forward to support Shen Ninghua. “Miss, let’s go back.”

“Alright.”

The one hundred boxes were all sent to Yingyue Courtyard. Shen Ninghua asked Bai Ruo to carefully count the number and put them away. After that, she remained in her courtyard.

Yingyue Courtyard was tranquil, but the atmosphere of the Shen family had completely changed. All the lad servants and maidservants held their breath and didn’t even dare to reveal a single smile. It could be said that after Old Lady Xiao’s birthday banquet, the sky above the Shen Mansion had never been clear.

Shen Ninghua listened to Hong Ling reporting all the news bit by bit, but there was not the slightest ripple in her heart.

“Miss, the First Lady’s courtyard was burned down. She simply accompanied the Second Young Lady to the ancestral hall and said that she would also pray for the Old Lady.” Hong Ling mocked in her heart. If the two of them were truly kind-hearted, they would not have made such an evil scheme to frame up the eldest young lady. If it weren’t for Shen Ninghua’s intelligence, she would have been expelled from the Shen family long ago with a ruined reputation.

Shen Ninghua nodded. “Did Shen Xuanye do anything?”

“Nothing special, but I heard that many people came to invite him to banquets, but he refused all of them.”

Shen Ninghua’s eyes moved with thought. “Who invited him?”

“The son of the Assistant Minister of Rites, the son of the Minister of Military Affairs, and the state general. The other people’s ranks are too low. They just sent an invitation and did not personally come to invite him. It looks like the eldest young master doesn’t want to get close to anyone.”

Shen Ninghua sneered. “It’s not that he doesn’t want to. It is just that these people aren’t important enough.” In her previous life, Shen Xuanye became the youngest Minister of Revenue because he chose the right prince to serve. If it wasn’t because he was too young, he could even become the Prime Minister.

Not important enough? Bai Ruo was shocked. She changed a cup of hot tea for Shen Ninghua and asked, “Miss, does the eldest young master want to be involved in the competition among the princes? That’s impossible.”

“Why not? He is Master Liao Chen’s direct disciple, and he is praised as a world-shocking genius. Whichever prince he chooses to serve, he will be treated as an honored guest.”

“Miss, we’ve completely offended him. Will he…”

Shen Ninghua laughed and said, “Do you think he and I will be able to get along even if nothing happened between us?”

“Since you two can’t coexist peacefully, then you might beat him down as well.” Chu Junyi’s voice was suddenly heard.

With a quick move of Qing Que’s wrist, three plum-blossom-shaped darts whizzed towards Chu Junyi who was by the window.

Chu Junyi’s pupils contracted. He suddenly opened the folding fan in his hand, spun the fan around his chest, and with three bangs, the plum-blossom-shaped darts were knocked to the ground one after another.

“Black girl, your maidservant’s martial art is really good. How did you find her?”

Shen Ninghua glanced at him and said to Qing Que, “You guys leave and guard the door.”

“Yes, Miss.” Qing Que saluted a little reluctantly. She stepped out with Bai Ruo and others, but she decided in her heart that she would continue to practice hard to protect Shen Ninghua from any harassment.

Chu Junyi swayed his fan and sat down on a chair beside Shen Ninghua. He casually flipped through the chess book beside her hand and said, “Why do you read such boring things? The scenery outside is perfect. Isn’t it a pity if you don’t go out for a sightseeing?”

“If I went out, how would I know that you would openly break into my room like this?”

“Haha,” Chu Junyi chuckled. “I just helped you, and you turned your back on me. You really are a black-hearted girl.”

Shen Ninghua lowered her eyes and her slender eyelashes cast a faint shadow on her white porcelain-like face. “Are you here to ask me for a reward? Tell me, what do you want?”

“Let’s cooperate.” Chu Junyi smiled warmly. His gentle expression made his handsome face even more outstanding.

Shen Ninghua was shocked, “Cooperate?”

“Yes.” Chu Junyi’s eyes were burning with deep passion as he looked at her. “You want to bring down the Shen family, and I want to bring down the Zhao family. You can work out plans in the backyard, and I can take actions in the court. I’m in the light and you are in the shadow. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose in our cooperation. Why not cooperate with me?”

Shen Ninghua sneered. “Why should I believe you?” There were too many people who would stab her in the back, and she couldn’t believe anyone except herself.

“You dare not?” Chu Junyi curled his lips.

“A provocation technique?”

“Just like you, the willing one will take the bait.”

Shen Ninghua concentrated her mind. She could only see sincerity in Chu Junyi’s eyes. There wasn’t the slightest trace of hypocrisy. Unfortunately, the more he behaved like this, the more she distrusted him. “I never bite the bait thrown by others, much less be a fish on the chopping board.”

“Then throw out your bait and I’ll bite it.” Chu Junyi looked at her with rapt attention. “You make the rules. I’m only responsible for paving the way for you and helping you do what you can’t do. You live in the backyard, and it must be inconvenient for you to obtain a lot of information from outside, right?”

She had admitted that these words accorded fully with her heart. Shen Ninghua looked at Chu Junyi with a faint inspection in her eyes.

Chu Junyi maintained a gentle smile, and she didn’t discern the slightest bit of sharpness in his attitude.

“Tell me your purpose in approaching the royal family.” Shen Ninghua asked.

Chu Junyi smiled faintly, “Revenge, and take back my things by the way.”

Shen Ninghua’s heart trembled slightly. She said firmly, “There is something exceptional with your identity.”

“You got it?” Chu Junyi retorted.

“Were your parents killed by the royal family?”

“Only my mother was. If I didn’t avenge my mother, I would be struck by lightning from heaven.” Chu Junyi said lightly, but Shen Ninghua could tell his firmness and coldness.

Shen Ninghua remained silent for a long time before she finally nodded, “Alright, I’ll cooperate with you on one condition.”

“What condition?” Hearing her agreement, Chu Junyi was much happier.

“Let me see your true appearance.”

Chu Junyi was stunned for quite a while. Then, he laughed loudly. His fingers touched the skin behind his ears, and there was a slight unnatural fluctuation in the area covered by his hair. “I have really failed to hide it from you. Alright, it’s fine if I show it to you. But I don’t have the option to remove the disguise here. We can wait for a chance…”

Shen Ninghua smiled, “There’s no need to wait. I have it here.”

“You…”