Chapter 35 Resolute

Looking at Chen's mother so close to her, this was the first time Lu Zhenyu felt that the distance between herself and this mother was so far, so very far.

What's distant is her heart, the interests of the Shen family, and her own.

Mother Shen's gaze was intense, and she almost lowered herself, placing Lu Zhenyu, who had grown up under her grace, on her lap.

She stood beneath the raging fire, crying her eyes out and saying she felt sorry for him, yet she remained oblivious to the rope clutched in her own hand.

This time, however, Lu Zhenyu was unwilling to swallow her pride. She said, "Godmother, I can agree to anything you ask, but I can't do this."

Mother Shen had already guessed it, and she felt deeply ashamed, but having come this far, how could she be willing to give up so easily?

She pressed her hands, which were still cold in her palms, and said earnestly, "Zhenzhen, do you think now that Mom really likes Xiaoxi, treats her well, and is eager to curry favor with her to get her into our Shen family?"

Lu Zhenyu held onto that sincerity, saying, "My godmother has always been kind and good to everyone, I understand."

"To be honest, if I could, I would prefer you to be Xiao Si's wife."

As Lu Zhenyu looked on in surprise, Shen's mother continued, "You are calm, intelligent, sensible, and have a broad perspective. No girl in the capital can compare to you in terms of looks and character. But I am also helpless. What happened to the Shen family five years ago really scared me."

Mother Shen spoke earnestly, and these were indeed the truths she had kept in her heart for many years.

"The Shen family is decent in politics, but they have no real power. If they don't want to repeat the same mistakes, they need to find a family that can help them firmly establish their roots in the capital. Right now, the most suitable family is the Duan family."

Lu Zhenyu knew that what Shen's mother said was right.

Thinking back to when Old Master Shen was alive, the Shen family held immense power. However, as the older generation who held great power passed away one after another, the Shen family lost its former glory.

Shen Zhenye's career has come to an end after what happened back then. Jin Chuan has great potential, but he is still young.

When she married into the Zheng family, it was only to get Old Master Zheng to let the Shen family off the hook.

Therefore, Madam Shen's eagerness to win over allies for the Shen family was not out of womanly compassion, nor was it out of selfishness.

Lu Zhenyu agreed, but said, "I can only say what I should say; as for the rest, I can't control that."

Mother Shen nodded repeatedly, "That's enough. As long as the child feels that there's no possibility with you anymore, and will settle down and live a peaceful life with Xiao Xi from now on, that's fine."

Watching Shen's mother's joyful departure, Lu Zhenyu smiled.

This autumn is so abnormal. A few days ago it was unbearably hot, and now it's freezing cold.

Even though it wasn't winter yet, the wind felt like knives, scraping against her face and cutting into her flesh until it went numb.

Feeling the paintbrush already broken in her palm, Lu Zhenyu knew that if she let go, it would be severed from its body.

Similarly, as long as she doesn't let go, no one will notice that it's broken.

Shen Jingsi arrived. I thought it would be him alone, but he also dragged Duan Xi'er along.

The two struggled for a while a hundred meters away. Duan Xi'er said, "Mother Shen said that you and Sister Zhenzhen can talk alone. Go ahead."

Seeing his fiancée's gentleness and virtue, Shen Jingsi smirked, "So magnanimous? Aren't you afraid I'll still have feelings for her and leave you?"

Strangely enough, the more Shen Jingsi made these kinds of jokes, the more at ease Duan Xi'er felt.

She understood this man; he was rebellious by nature and never pretended to be tolerant.

I like what I like, and I'll never give in to what I don't like, no matter what. And acting is the last thing I'm good at.

Therefore, it is precisely at times like these that she needs to act generously and appropriately in order to hold onto this man's heart.

Duan Xi'er raised her hand to push him away, a shy smile on her face, "Don't be silly, Sister Zhenzhen is waiting for you. I'm going to chat with the mothers. Come over when you're done."

Watching the person leave with cheerful steps, Shen Jingsi blinked, his expression turning cold and stern.

Turning around, his gaze fell upon the figure deep in the mountains, his pupils turning as dark as ink, unfathomable.

The sound of a pencil scratching on white paper mingled with the autumn wind. The girl sat there quietly, and the groom she was drawing was already taking shape.

Shen Jingsi stood behind with his arms crossed, watching this scene, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Is this someone who heard I'm getting married and is reminiscing about their own marriage? Well, there's something wrong with how you drew the character's appearance."

He stepped forward and looked at Lu Zhenyu's face, which had remained fixed on the side, from the side. "Do you want me to help you revise it?"

The sketching continued without pause. At this moment, Lu Zhenyu was like a stagnant pool; the wind swept by, but she remained calm and undisturbed.

"I heard you're getting married?"

"Your groom is balding, and you only painted a few hairs on."

"I would like to congratulate you in person and wish you happiness."

"Zheng Yaozong's shoulders are that broad and his waist is that narrow? Don't be ridiculous. He looks like a wild boar with slanted eyes and a droopy waist. This drawing is wrong."

The two of them could still strike up a conversation even though they were each talking to themselves.

Lu Zhenyu continued, “Once you’re married, just settle down and live a stable life. Regardless of Duan Xi’er’s character, her love for you is genuine. With her around, she can help you support the Shen family.”

She continued sketching, but Shen Jingsi couldn't stand it and snatched her pen away.

Just as he was about to revise the painting, he looked down and froze, staring at the broken pen lying in his palm.

The air suddenly became quiet. Lu Zhenyu looked at the tail that was only half left in his hand, and then at the head in his hand. A strange emotion welled up in her, and she reached out and pushed the easel over!

"Why did you snatch my pen? Are you bored? If you want to teach people to draw, go find your fiancée! If you want to go crazy, go home. Nobody has time to watch you grow up. Are you still a little kid who doesn't understand anything?" Shen Jingsi!

She launched into a tirade of incoherent rant, her blood boiling with rage. Her chest heaved violently, and her hand, clutching half a pen, trembled uncontrollably inside her sleeve.

She shouldn't have had an attack at this time. She took two steps away from him, turned her back, and brushed a strand of hair that was falling in front of her face.

“Shen Jingsi, your godmother asked me to say something to you, but I feel there’s nothing left to say between us. Since you’ve decided to marry Duan Xi’er, please take responsibility for your own future and the Shen family’s future.”

She suppressed her intense breathing and trembling hands; the tears streaming down her face didn't matter, because he couldn't see them.

But you must never cry.

"You're an adult, and I believe you understand the meaning of 'keeping your word' better than anyone else."

There was still no sound behind her. She took a deep breath and finally hardened her heart. "Mr. Shen, you've come, so please leave. From now on, let's go our separate ways and pretend we never met."

Regardless of what Lu Zhenyu was saying incoherently in front of him, Shen Jingsi, standing behind her, remained quietly watching her back.

Suddenly, he laughed, a laugh tinged with bitterness, "So you do know that you must keep your word."

Lu Zhenyu stopped speaking abruptly, her eyes filled with bitterness.

Yes, she had no right to say those four words in front of him.

As everyone fell silent, Shen Jingsi's gaze fell on her hand, which was tightly gripping her sleeve.

His hand was trembling, frozen red, and looked like it was about to be crushed in his grip.

Shen Jingsi stared intently, his right hand, which was holding half a paintbrush, moved uncontrollably at his side a couple of times before finally putting it into his pocket.

After a long while, he looked away and said, "Don't worry, Mrs. Zheng, I always keep my word."

After saying that, the man strode away.