Chapter 54: Each has his own plans, he is more important in Shen Qingtan's heart

Liu Yue opened the closed door and saw a young man standing outside.

Shen Qingtan turned her head and saw a man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, handsome and tall, dressed in a straight lotus-colored robe, which made him look like a dragon and a phoenix.

Liu Yue saw who was coming and it turned out to be Shen Shaohuai, the second young master of the Cheng'en Marquis Mansion and the eldest son of Madam Shen.

She suppressed her surprise and bowed, "Second Master."

Shen Shaohuai nodded slightly, stepped into the house, stood a few steps away from Shen Qingtan, and looked at her plain and charming face with a dark gaze. His clear and bright eyes did not contain any filth.

It was this seemingly innocent woman who caused my mother to fall into trouble several times.

"It's been a while since we last met, second brother, don't you recognize me?" Shen Qingtan smiled and stood up and said, "When I came back, I had something to say to you, second brother. It's a pity that you and third brother were not at home."

"Second brother just feels that eldest sister has changed a lot since she got married."

Shen Shaohuai retracted his scrutiny, sat down beside her, and said apologetically, "My second brother is studying at the Shuchang Hall, so you can't get away to go home when you return home."

After a brief pause, he smiled and said, "I had originally planned to take a day off today to come see you and my second sister, but I didn't expect that my second brother would receive your letter first."

Shen Qingtan looked at Shen Shaohuai in front of her. There was a kind look in his eyes and eyebrows, as if he really treated her as his beloved sister.

When she got married that day, it should have been Shen Shaohuai who carried her on his back.

When chaos broke out in the mansion, she almost fell down and grabbed his sleeve tightly.

Shen Shaohuai broke free from her hand, supported Shen Mingzhu beside him, and then carried Shen Mingzhu on his back to the sedan chair.

Shen Qingtan deliberately brought up the day she got married: "On my wedding day, I was knocked down by someone. It was thanks to my second brother that he supported me that I didn't make a fool of myself. Today, I specially invited you to come and reminisce about the past."

Then, she said very sympathetically, "Brother, Father and Mother have high hopes for you. You should focus on your studies. If you achieve a high position in the future, you will be able to provide support for me and my second sister."

Shen Shaohuai is the apple of Mrs. Shen's eye, and she devotes all her efforts to him.

Marquis Cheng'en also valued him and cultivated him as the heir to the title.

Shen Shaohuai lived up to the high expectations and excelled in his studies. Both his teacher and classmates said that he had the talent to be the top scholar.

Unfortunately, during the palace examination this year, Shen Shaohuai caught a cold and only ranked first in the second class, and was admitted to the Shuchang Hall for further study.

When Shen Shaohuai heard Shen Qingtan's words, he didn't mention at all that it was not him who supported her that day, and tacitly acknowledged her misunderstanding.

He said softly, "Even if you get married, you are still my sisters, and your second brother will naturally be your support."

"Second brother, you must strive to be better." Shen Qingtan said with a downcast expression, "Second brother-in-law has only been married for a few days, and he has already taken in a concubine. He stays with the concubine every day and neglects my second sister."

Shen Shaohuai's face darkened. He had heard from his mother about this matter. It was all Shen Qingtan's plan for Shen Mingzhu.

"The Second Master is frail and says he can't give me an heir, yet he keeps a mistress in the wine alley on Nanshui Street."

Shen Qingtan pressed the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief and said bitterly, "That concubine is just relying on her favor to make trouble in front of me."

Shen Shaohuai was surprised. Zhao Yi was weak and looked to be indifferent, but he was actually a womanizer?

He saw that Shen Qingtan's eyes were red, and she seemed to be really feeling aggrieved and sad.

Shen Shaohuai's heart moved slightly, and he comforted her on the surface: "Sister, don't be sad. Second brother will go and check it out. If it is really as you said, I will definitely ask for justice for you."

"Second brother, don't go. If others knew about this, they would probably say that our mansion is bad at educating our daughters, and that all the daughters born there are jealous. The reputations of the unmarried sisters in the mansion would also be affected."

Shen Qingtan sobbed, "Father, considering the overall situation, taught me to be virtuous and generous since I was young. Although mother indulges me and dotes on me, she is impartial in dealing with major issues. If she knew that I was a woman outside, I would lose the demeanor of a wife and go against the cultivation of mother over the years. I am afraid she would be disappointed and heartbroken.

"Second brother is different. You have loved me since we were little and always protected me no matter what. I am close to you in my heart. Whenever I encounter something unfair, the only person I think of is you."

Shen Shaohuai's eyes went blank for a moment, as if he remembered that Shen Qingtan loved to stick to him and call him brother when they were little.

He had always known that Shen Qingtan was not the daughter of the Shen family, so he was lukewarm towards her, but she was not afraid of being disliked and could not be driven away.

Occasionally, when he treated her more gently, she would be happy all day and be a little bolder in front of him.

As for why he protected her, it was because Shen Mingzhu was not found. From now on, she would be the daughter of the Marquis' Mansion and seek benefits for the Marquis' Mansion.

He deliberately let Shen Qingtan get close to him and remember his kindness in her heart so that he could make her more obedient in the future.

Until she understood the difference between men and women, she stopped being close to him and instead became close to her third brother, and the two of them often quarreled.

Shen Shaohuai thought that Shen Qingtan had distanced herself from him, but he didn't expect that the misunderstanding on the wedding day would remind her of her childhood and make her feel close to him again.

"Don't cry." Shen Shaohuai took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears: "Zhao Yi is too bullying. You can't let it go like this, otherwise he will think you don't have your family's support. Second brother will handle this matter properly and will not damage your reputation."

"Second brother, you can't go. If I get stained with dirt and hinder your future, I will be a sinner."

Shen Qingtan tried to persuade him, as if he really didn't want him to get involved in this mess. He changed the subject: "Let's not talk about my troubles. Second brother, how are you doing in the Shuchang Hall? You are very knowledgeable. Do your colleagues and superiors admire you very much?"

When Shen Shaohuai saw her mention Shuchang Pavilion, all the pain in his eyes faded away, and he began to admire him very much, and even had a vague feeling of honor.

Being looked at by her with such sincere eyes, Shen Shaohuai felt a sense of accomplishment in his heart.

After all, Zhao Yi is a role model, and no matter how outstanding he is, he will always be overshadowed by Zhao Yi.

Shen Qingtan is Zhao Yi's wife, but she is proud of his talent and glory, which is enough to show that in Shen Qingtan's heart, his talent is better than Zhao Yi's.

Shen Shaohuai was in a good mood, so he picked up a few things that happened in Shuchang Hall and told them to Shen Qingtan.

Shen Qingtan looked at Shen Shaohuai with bright eyes: "Second brother, you are really amazing. When you come out of the Shuchang Pavilion, you will definitely be the most outstanding aristocratic child of your age."

Shen Shaohuai was very pleased with her compliment because Zhao Yi was the same age as him.

He glanced at the sky outside the window and said, "Sister, my second brother has something to do today. I'll ask you out another day when I have a day off."

"Second brother, go get busy." Shen Qingtan stood up to see him off, looking guilty and said, "I've delayed you today."

"You are my biological sister. Everything comes after you. Nothing can compare to your position in my second brother's heart."

Shen Shaohuai personally escorted Shen Qingtan to the carriage and advised as a brother, "Tan'er, my second sister has suffered a lot outside. If she has done anything wrong, as the eldest sister, you should be more tolerant of her.

You know best how your parents treat you. Even if your marriage is not what you want, you should understand your parents' pain. No one wants you to marry well more than they do.

There are no perfect parents in the world. When you become a mother, you will understand how difficult it is for them and be more considerate of them. The grace of raising you should never be forgotten, so don't make things difficult for them anymore."