Chapter 262 Jade Rabbit Festival (4)

Shen Dongling was the third child, hence the nickname "Third Miss." Ren Wanyun was known for her jealous nature. After Concubine Wan gave birth to Shen Dongling, she stayed in the courtyard all day, never leaving. Shen Dongling was also frail and sickly. Shen Miao, in her past and present lives, had no memory of Shen Dongling at all. She was practically invisible, like the unfavored daughter of a wealthy family. She might have been bullied and scolded, but she would never be like this, practically forgotten.

Such people are either truly weak enough to be ignored, or so strong that they can endure what ordinary people cannot. In her previous life, Shen Dongling seemed to have been given away by Ren Wanyun as a bargaining chip in Shen Gui's career. In this life, Ren Wanyun has fallen from power, and Concubine Wan has returned to prominence. Whether this will change Shen Dongling's fate is unknown.

“Third sister is not feeling well, so please don’t come out.” Shen Miao said indifferently, “If you catch a cold again because of this, I can’t afford it.”

Aunt Wan was somewhat displeased when she heard this, but she still had a smile on her face and said, "This is the Third Miss's affection for the Fifth Miss. It's all my fault. The Third Miss was born with a disease. For so many years, she could only watch other children playing in the yard. It's all my fault..." After saying that, she turned her head to the side and covered her mouth with the handkerchief in her hand, looking extremely sad.

Shen Miao couldn't bear to see Aunt Wan's hypocritical behavior, and said calmly, "No one can decide their own health. Besides, it's not necessarily a bad thing for Third Sister to stay in the courtyard. Eldest Sister has enjoyed everything she should have enjoyed, but who knew she would be so beautiful and have such a tragic fate." She raised the corner of her lips slightly, "A person's fortune cannot be seen on the surface."

After these words were spoken, Aunt Wan looked at Shen Miao with some doubt and uncertainty. After a moment, she forced a smile and said, "Fifth Miss is right." She suddenly stood up again, looked at Shen Miao and said, "Fifth Miss, I suddenly remembered that I have something else to do. I will take my leave now. If the Fifth Miss is free one day, I think Third Miss will come to talk to the Fifth Miss. She is not in good health, so please bear with her." After saying this, she bowed to Shen Miao and left slowly. However, compared with her previous appearance, she seemed much more hurried and flustered.

Jingzhe, who had been serving tea, looked at Aunt Wan's hurried departure and asked in confusion, "What does Aunt Wan mean? Is she here to show her affection? And the Third Miss, she hasn't left the courtyard in all these years and hasn't seen the young lady much, so why does she act like there's some affection between them?"

"That's right." Gu Yu said as she cleared the teacup left by Aunt Wan on the table, "Now that I think about it, I can't quite remember what the Third Young Lady looks like. After all, she's a young lady from the mansion, and she's been hidden for so many years, probably to avoid the Second Madam. How pitiful."

“What are you pitiful about?” Shen Miao picked up the tea on the table and took a sip: “I’m afraid that in her eyes, you are still very pitiful.”

"She?" Jingzhe was puzzled: "Are you talking about the third girl?"

Shen Miao smiled: "I was mistaken. There is still a smart person in our mansion."

Concubine Wan's purpose in coming here today was clearly to test him. However, for someone as clever and outwardly clever as Concubine Wan, she'd come up with this method. On the surface, it might seem like she was eager to announce her return to Chen Gui's favor, but a closer look revealed that this wasn't entirely the case. Shen Dongling, the unseen Shen Qing, was far more clever than Shen Qing.

However…no matter which side she was on, Shen Miao would not consider her a friend, let alone a sister.

"Be careful." She put down the teacup in her hand and reminded the maids around her.