Chapter 256 The Truth Must Be Seen Personally

Ji Ying looked directly into her eyes.

"She looks a lot like your daughter, doesn't she?" She raised the corners of her lips slightly, her smile carrying a hint of wickedness and determination. "Unfortunately, I don't have the fortune to bear the surname Shen."

Madam Shen's lips trembled slightly as she subconsciously looked at Liang Yizhi.

"Yizhi, have you investigated her?"

Liang Yizhi's eyes were deep and unfathomable, like a cold pool, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

"She is not."

Madam Shen believed him. Upon hearing this, the budding joy that had just risen in her heart, almost bursting forth from the ground, suddenly vanished, shattering silently.

His gaze returned to Ji Ying, and he became somewhat disappointed.

"It's truly fate that you were able to marry Yizhi."

When Old Master Shen heard that she wasn't, his eyes immediately turned cold.

“Yizhi, since you welcomed Ruoheng’s memorial tablet, you are now the rightful son-in-law of the Shen family. This relationship cannot be erased simply by having a marriage certificate.”

As he spoke, he turned to look at Madam Shen.

“Jianwei, you are Aizhu’s mother. Logically, after Ruoheng’s passing, the marriage agreement with Yizhi should have been inherited by Ruofu or Aizhu. Now that Ruofu is about to marry into the Xu family, Yizhi should marry your daughter Aizhu. However, he secretly registered his marriage with another woman without our knowledge. The Shen family cannot let this matter go so easily.”

"Can marriage contracts be inherited?"

Ji Ying felt like she had heard a joke.

She walked over to a maid, snatched the coat from her hand, and then went to Liang Yizhi, standing on tiptoe to put it on him.

The two looked at each other without saying a word, yet it was as if they had spoken a thousand words.

Ji Ying straightened Liang Yizhi's clothes before looking up at Old Master Shen.

"According to your most absurd theory, how do your two granddaughters plan to divide my husband equally? Who gets 135, who gets 246, and who gets Sunday?"

"You bastard!"

Old Master Shen was so angry that his face turned ashen, and he slammed his cane heavily on the ground.

"Yizhi! Look at the kind of woman you married! She's spouting nonsense and has no manners whatsoever!"

"You're the one spouting nonsense and acting crazy!" Ji Ying said sharply. "My husband and I got married, and the state even issued a marriage certificate. How is that wrong in your eyes? You're just using your age to bully me!"

This woman is so rude.

Old Master Shen, as if on high alert, yelled at the whip-wielder, "What are you all standing there for? Enforce the family rules! Do you really think you can get away with this beating just because someone's trying to cause trouble?"

The slightly overweight man dared not hesitate any longer and raised his armor-piercing whip to strike Liang Yi's back.

In that instant, Ji Ying suddenly lunged at Liang Yizhi's back and hugged him tightly.

Seeing that she was going to shield him from the whip, Liang Yizhi's expression changed drastically. Almost instinctively, he grabbed her arm and quickly turned around.

He would rather take the whip head-on than let Ji Ying get hurt.

However, just as they were protecting each other, no one expected that Madam Shen would rush up at this moment, spreading her arms to block Liang Yizhi and Ji Ying.

The whip had already struck, and there was no time to stop its momentum.

With a "snap".

The whip struck Madam Shen's raised arm hard, causing her to groan in pain and stagger half a step before Liang Yizhi caught her in time.

Ji Ying's anger flared up, and she bypassed Madam Shen, rushing towards the slightly overweight man.

The slightly overweight man was already terrified because he had hit the wrong person, and now he was even more frightened. As soon as Ji Ying rushed over, he knelt down and begged for mercy repeatedly.

However, Ji Ying only took the armor-piercing whip from his hand.

She looked at the instigator standing on the steps.

"Does every place with old relics have to be accompanied by outdated feudal rules? If so, go back to your roots; this era doesn't welcome you!"

Old Master Shen was used to flattery and obedience, and he was extremely uncomfortable with Ji Ying's attitude.

He was trembling with rage, pointing his finger at her: "You, you..."

"dad!"

Madam Shen couldn't lift her hand. She withdrew her gaze from Ji Ying, took a deep breath, and tried her best to control her voice.

"Marriage is a matter of personal freedom. Yizhi has already married Ruoheng's memorial tablet, so we shouldn't force him to marry her."

"Jianwei, what are you saying?"

"I will take this lash for them. Let's leave it at that."

Looking at the glaring bloodstains on his daughter-in-law's arm and meeting her unyielding gaze, Old Master Shen finally seemed deflated and waved his hand resentfully.

Liang Yizhi took Ji Ying's hand, interlocked their fingers, and without saying another word, led her outside.

Ji Ying took two steps, then suddenly turned back to look at Madam Shen.

But then she saw Madam Shen, supported by the steward, staring blankly at her.

She had the same stubborn look in her eyes as her daughter, but there was also a hint of unfamiliarity and distance between her brows.

Madam Shen's eyes were churning with emotions, a mixture of pain and complex feelings that almost overflowed.

Ji Ying silently withdrew her gaze, walked side by side with Liang Yizhi, and left without looking back.

"Madam, I'll call the doctor right away," the butler said.

"Add plenty of sugar to the brewed medicine, then divide it into portions and send it to the second young lady."

"yes."

Madam Shen turned and went into the room.

Seeing that everyone had left, the slightly overweight man called out "Grandpa" twice.

Old Master Shen snapped out of his reverie. "What is it?"

The slightly overweight man pointed towards the door, "That woman took your family heirloom whip with her."

Old Master Shen was so angry that his eyes almost spit fire. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Liang Yizhi led Ji Ying out of the Shen family mansion gate, where Yue Zheng and Jiang Ran, who were waiting at the door, immediately came to greet them.

When they met Liang Yizhi's gaze, they both unconsciously lowered their heads.

"Sir," Yue Zheng spoke first, "did Madam arrive in time?"

She was told to take the person back, but instead let them in. Liang Yizhi was very dissatisfied with her failure to obey orders.

"Let's install an anti-fraud app in our brains."

Yue Zheng retorted frankly, "But what Madam said makes a lot of sense, and I can't refute it..."

"Does something being undeniable mean it's right?" Liang Yizhi countered.

Yue Zheng straightened his back and said righteously, "The lady's words are also orders, and I cannot disobey them."

These words left even Liang Yizhi speechless for a moment.

As if he had found evidence, Yue Zheng immediately said, "Well, sir, I looked exactly like you back then."

Ji Ying couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Liang Yizhi closed his eyes, gave Yue Zheng a sharp look, and personally opened the back door for his wife.

Ji Ying passed by Jiang Ran and handed her the armor-piercing whip.

"It's yours."

Jiang Ran recognized its value and was both surprised and delighted.

"This whip is a sharp weapon, quite old. It always draws blood, and at the very least, breaks bones... You're really willing to give it to me?"

Jiang Ran was overjoyed.

"Use it properly, and use it where it's needed."

After Ji Ying finished speaking, she bent down and got into the car.

The vehicle smoothly entered the night. Jiang Ran focused on driving, while Yue Zheng, sitting in the passenger seat, would occasionally look behind them through the rearview mirror.

Liang Yizhi turned his head to look at Ji Ying, who had been silent the whole way, and said softly, "I looked at Madam Shen's arm, and it was just a superficial wound, without any damage to the bones or tendons."

Ji Ying gazed at the receding street scene outside the window, her tone indifferent, "Whether she's injured or not is none of my business."

Liang Yizhi didn't argue with her, but gently held her hand. The warmth from his palm made Ji Ying tremble slightly...

At this moment, Chen is at home.

The doctor carefully cleaned Mrs. Shen's wound, applied ointment, and left her with anti-inflammatory and analgesic medication.

"Fortunately, you held back when you whipped it. With the medicine applied on time and proper rest, you'll be fine. If you can't sleep tonight due to pain or if you get a fever, take the medicine I left behind."

After the doctor left, the worried personal assistant couldn't help but speak up, "Madam, you're too lenient. How can we just let it go like this? Even if that Miss Ji... does look somewhat similar, that's no excuse."

Madam Shen leaned against the soft pillows, her face pale from the burning pain in her arm.

She shook her head, her voice weak, "Suzhi, you don't understand, it's not that I think she looks like..."

Despite trusting Liang Yizhi, the gleam in the girl's eyes and the flame that suddenly ignited because of her injury compelled her to find out the truth herself.

A sharp pain shot through my arm again.

"Go," Madam Shen took a deep breath and ordered, "Summon Shen Mu. I want him to find out exactly what kind of background that Miss Ji is."