Chapter 324 The Scoundrel Young Master 10 "Do you need to tell me? Jian and I are so close! He always gives me the best things! We're great together!"

Shen Yurong immediately raised her voice, trying to hide her guilty conscience, and retorted with bluster but no substance.

To increase her persuasiveness, she even deliberately puffed out her chest, trying to adopt the posture of someone who had been through it all.

However, her eagerness to prove herself, coupled with the noise of Zhou Qingjian slamming the door, had already alerted the neighbors. At this moment, several nosy neighbors were peeking over the courtyard wall or through the crack in the door to watch the commotion.

"Oh, Yu Rong, you don't seem to be having a good relationship with a man! Look at how distant you are, and Qing Jian's temper just now... Could it be that you haven't consummated your marriage yet?"

An auntie who was always gossiping couldn't help but chuckle, her voice just loud enough for people inside and outside the courtyard to hear.

"Exactly! A truly loving couple wouldn't argue like this over such a small thing."

"We all know the new bride is shy, but she can't just pretend to be tough!"

Another neighbor chimed in, with a mocking tone.

These words were like several resounding slaps to Shen Yurong's face.

Shen Yurong's face flushed instantly, her lips trembled as she tried to refute but couldn't utter a single word, because what the other person said was the truth.

The shame and embarrassment of being stripped naked in public made her wish she could disappear into the ground.

She looked at Shen Zixi, who still appeared weak and frail, standing in front of her, and then at the mocking looks from her neighbors. The embarrassment made her feel suffocated.

"Sister, don't take it to heart. The neighbors were just joking... You... don't be sad. I'll go back now."

Zi Xi looked somewhat at a loss and spoke softly.

After saying that, she left the Zhou family courtyard with light steps.

Behind her were the neighbors' increasingly unrestrained gossip and ridicule, and Shen Yurong's uncontrollable sobs as she ran back into the house.

The marriage she had painstakingly arranged turned out to be a complete joke.

When will Zhou Qingjian finally make a fortune?!

Shen Zixi, the adopted daughter she had always looked down upon, gave her a bicycle and a hundred yuan as a homecoming gift—something she had always dreamed of. How could she possibly accept that?

Zi Xi left lightly, and quietly took all the homecoming gifts with her before returning to the Lu family.

Thinking back on her days at the Lu family's house, she didn't have a very pleasant time.

Lu Ran's father, Lu Zhenbang, holds an important position in the military, and his mother works at a research institute. The couple usually live in another residence allocated by their work units and rarely come back.

The other siblings all bought houses and live separately, while Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu live in the main house.

The actual person in charge of the small villa where Lu Ran lived was Aunt Liu, who had worked as a maid for the Lu family for decades.

Aunt Liu was about fifty years old. Her hair was neatly combed and tied into a tight bun at the back of her head.

She watched Lu Ran grow up and held a very high position in the family.

Aunt Liu looked down on Shen Zixi, this young mistress from a humble family who had suddenly barged in.

This woman only managed to climb the social ladder by sheer luck; she is not worthy of the Lu family, much less worthy of being Lu Ran's wife.

If she had known the Lu family would marry such a woman, she would have let her niece from the village give it a try.

On mornings after her marriage, Zi Xi still got up before dawn, and she was alone in bed.

"...Those from humble backgrounds still don't know proper etiquette. Even though the master and mistress aren't here, and the young master doesn't come home, they still act as if they're at home..."

As soon as she reached the restaurant entrance, she heard Aunt Liu's voice coming from inside—a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, but loud enough for others to hear—in a sarcastic tone.

Zi Xi paused for a moment at the door, then walked in with a normal expression.

Aunt Liu immediately fell silent, only glancing at her out of the corner of her eye with undisguised scrutiny and contempt.

Zi Xi was the only one at the breakfast table; Lu Ran was still absent.