At this moment, Yuan Rong's face showed no trace of her previous pitiful state, and she didn't even seem to care about him.

He chuckled and said to Qu Jingyun, "Then the money that Madam promised me."

When Qu Jingyun handed the silver notes to her from her bosom, Yuan Rong was overjoyed.

With this money, she could redeem herself.

He hurriedly thanked her, saying, "Thank you, Madam."

After saying this, she turned to leave.

However, when her gaze fell on Shen Cong, she couldn't help but remind Qu Jingyun, "Your son is indeed too naive. Madam should teach him properly, lest he be tricked by someone in the future."

Thinking that Shen Cong had actually believed her clumsy lie, Yuan Rong looked at her as if she were a fool.

Shen Cong was shocked by what he saw and looked at Qu Jingyun with disbelief.

"this……"

Qu Jingyun waved her hand, signaling Yuan Rong to leave, and also told Xiao Liu to go out.

"Mother, what's going on?" Shen Cong finally managed to find his voice.

"Get up first and tidy your clothes." Qu Jingyun said helplessly.

She and Shen Yunting were both exceptionally intelligent, so how come their children were all so naive and easily deceived?

Shen Cong quickly straightened his clothes and stood in front of Qu Jingyun with a complicated expression.

She asked cautiously, "Mother, what happened?"

Instead, he received a torrent of abuse from Qu Jingyun.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"You actually believe Yuan Rong's fabricated stories?"

Qu Jingyun rolled her eyes, then asked, "If something really happened between you and her, wouldn't you feel anything?"

"Not to mention, take a good look. Your clothes are torn to shreds, but they're still hanging on you. How could anything have happened?"

At this moment, Shen Cong couldn't help but interject, "My son has no experience, how would he know these things?"

These words made Qu Jingyun laugh in anger, and she continued to accuse, "Didn't you realize that her lies were riddled with holes?"

"If you really forced her and dragged her in from the stairwell, how could anyone not notice in broad daylight with so many people coming and going?"

"She woke up before you. An ordinary woman would probably have stabbed you and tried to escape by now. Why would she wait for you to wake up?"

“This whole thing doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny, yet you believed it and even lied to protect her. You really are my good son.”

Enraged by Qu Jingyun's sarcastic remarks, Shen Cong couldn't help but retort, "Who would have thought you would bribe someone to scheme against your own son like this? Otherwise, why would an ordinary woman risk her innocence to frame someone?"

He glared at Qu Jingyun with a face full of indignation, he was furious.

He was terrified by what had just happened, but he never expected that it was all a trap set by Qu Jingyun.

This is absolutely outrageous!

"How could there not be?" Qu Jingyun retorted sharply, then said, "In the face of absolute interests, anything can happen."

"Now that you're the top scholar in the imperial examination, your future is limitless, so naturally countless people will be eyeing your marriage."

"If this matter has nothing to do with me, and someone else schemed against you, what would you do? Do you really want to marry such a scheming person, like your elder brother, who almost ruined the entire General's Mansion?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Cong realized the seriousness of the matter, but still couldn't help but retort, "If Mother hadn't done it in secret, I would definitely have been able to see it."

His response was a cold laugh from Qu Jingyun: "Aren't you curious why I'm here? Why I set this up for you?"

Shen Cong looked bewildered; of course, this was something he didn't know.

But then Qu Jingyun beckoned to me and said, "Come with me and take a look."

Shen Cong looked puzzled, but seeing Qu Jingyun get up and leave, he could only follow her out.

All that could be heard was Qu Jingyun whispering, "Stay behind me and don't show yourself."

The two stopped at the door of a private room and then pushed the door open.

Inside the room, Shen Yunting stood in the center, and a smile immediately appeared on his face when he saw Qu Jingyun.

As for Shen Cong, he completely ignored him, only giving him a disdainful look.

Shen Cong wanted to say something, but remembering what Qu Jingyun had just said, he stood behind Qu Jingyun in a place where no one would notice.

"Waaaaah, I don't want to live anymore! Young Master Shen ruined my innocence for no reason. What's the point of me living in this world?"

On a soft couch not far away, a woman pulled the blanket over herself and cried out in anguish.

Shen Cong's body stiffened instantly.

Why did this scene look so familiar to him?

"Things have already come to this, it's too late to say anything now. Miss Zhao, how do you intend to handle this matter?" Qu Jingyun suddenly asked.

Miss Zhao?

Shen Cong quickly turned his head and looked over, and sure enough, he saw Zhao Xiangxue's familiar face.

He stood there in shock, unable to move for a long time.

How did she end up here?

“I know the Shen family looks down on me and I don’t want to climb up their social ladder, but I never expected Young Master Shen to do this to me today… He clearly hates me, why are you treating me like this? I might as well just die.”

Zhao Xiangxue covered her face and burst into tears, but waited a long time for Shen Yunting and Qu Jingyun to react.

She suddenly felt a little unsure.

Shouldn't these people, in their anger, drag Shen Cong off the bed, berate him, and ultimately force him to take responsibility for himself?

Just as she was pondering what to do next, Qu Jingyun finally spoke up: "How about I have him marry you and welcome you into the family?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiangxue's face immediately lit up with joy.

Did things really go so smoothly?

With tears in her eyes, she stared blankly at the person in front of her, unsure whether she should continue speaking the words she had prepared.

"Since he did this to you, he should take responsibility," Qu Jingyun said calmly.

It was as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.

Zhao Xiangxue felt a sudden surge of panic.

Are these people trying to keep her calm for now before killing her to silence her?

Even so, she still asked, "Is what you're saying true?"

In any case, she absolutely cannot marry into the Qian family to please her family.

"That's natural." Qu Jingyun nodded.

"When will you come to the Zhao family to deliver the betrothal gifts?" Zhao Xiangxue asked impatiently.

"Anytime is fine," Qu Jingyun agreed again, adding directly, "It's not a big deal anyway."

Hearing Qu Jingyun's nonchalant attitude, Zhao Xiangxue became anxious and hurriedly said, "Marrying a wife is no small matter. How can you be so perfunctory? You should at least have our birth dates and times matched and choose an auspicious day."

"What if our birth dates and times don't match? Would you still not get married?" Qu Jingyun asked casually.