He Wanrou could hardly believe her ears. Zhou Qiqi was actually speaking up for her?
She froze for a moment, then, as if a drowning person had grasped at the last piece of driftwood, she disregarded all decorum and repeatedly kowtowed to the crowd, tears and snot mingling as she said:
"Thank you, Auntie! Thank you, Uncle! Thank you... Thank you, Sister Qiqi! Thank you, Brother Huaichuan! I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! I will definitely behave myself and never cause trouble again!"
She cried pitifully, but her mind was racing with plans.
As long as she can stay in the Shen family and isn't immediately kicked out, she still has a chance to catch her breath, and maybe she can even turn things around!
Qin Peilan naturally had no objection to this arrangement. She was soft-hearted and concerned about saving face, so this peaceful resolution was the best possible outcome.
Shen Zhenbang was extremely unwilling, his brows furrowed tightly, but after glancing at his wife, he swallowed his words and gave a heavy snort, which was considered tacit consent.
He always respected Qin Peilan's wishes when it came to important family matters.
Shen Huaichuan stood to the side, his face still cold, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.
But when he heard his wife Zhou Qiqi speak, he suppressed all his emotions and nodded silently.
He knew that Qiqi must have her reasons for doing this. She was secretly investigating and needed time to keep He Wanrou calm to avoid alerting her.
He chose to unconditionally believe in and support his wife's plan.
The only one in the entire room who was kept in the dark and extremely anxious was Zhou Shuhua!
Upon hearing that Zhou Qiqi had actually agreed to let that troublemaker stay, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She immediately panicked, abandoning all pretense of politeness, and grabbed Zhou Qiqi, saying:
"Qiqi! Are you out of your mind?! You child! You're too soft-hearted! This woman is obviously no good! I could tell from the first day she walked into this house! She's got a vixen-like aura and is full of bad intentions! Keeping her around is like keeping a menace! Sooner or later she'll bring you trouble!"
She grew angrier and angrier, her chest heaving with anger. Hands on her hips, she gave a sharp look as she swept her gaze across the elderly couple and Shen Huaichuan, her tone incredibly assertive, completely adopting the stance of someone backing her up as a member of her own family.
"Don't be afraid! Don't worry about this! Your aunt will stand up for you! Don't be fooled by the fact that everyone here is from the Shen family. Your family isn't without support either! I, Zhou Shuhua, am standing right here! If they insist on keeping this troublemaker around so you can suffer, I'll risk everything and break ties with them to save face for you! Let's see who dares to bully you!"
Looking at Zhou Shuhua's protective manner, as if she wanted to roll up her sleeves and fight someone right away, Zhou Qiqi couldn't help but laugh and cry.
This is the first time that a family member has stood up for her unconditionally.
Although the other party was Zhou Shuhua, whom she chose not to forgive, Zhou Qiqi still felt somewhat complicated at this moment.
But given the current situation, she couldn't explain much.
She tugged at Zhou Shuhua's sleeve and said:
"Let's be lenient here. After all, she saved the Shen family's life twice. If this matter becomes public knowledge, it will not look good for the Shen family, and it won't be good for anyone... Let's leave it at that for now."
After saying that, she winked at Zhou Shuhua.
Zhou Shuhua received a look from her niece, and after considering the meaning behind her words, her heart skipped a beat.
She had experienced Zhou Qiqi's abilities firsthand; the calmer the girl appeared, the bigger the ideas she was hiding!
Could it be... that Qiqi is plotting something this time?
She immediately fell silent, the harsh words that were on the tip of her tongue taking a different turn, though she was still reluctant, and pouted.
When facing Zhou Qiqi, she was incredibly humble, still feeling guilty towards her niece and hoping to be forgiven.
But as soon as she turned to the elderly couple of the Shen family and Shen Huaichuan, her back straightened immediately, and her tone became firm:
"Alright, alright! Since Qiqi has said so, I'll listen to her this time!"
Her gaze lingered deliberately on Shen Huaichuan's face, carrying a warning meaning.
"But! Shen Huaichuan! Let me make this clear beforehand! There will absolutely be no next time! If you dare to let this kind of shady woman get close to you again and hurt Qiqi, I'll be the first to not forgive you! Our Zhou family will never allow it either!!"
Faced with his meticulous teacher's wife, Shen Huaichuan was somewhat helpless and could only offer a wry smile as he explained:
"Madam, I really didn't do anything this time. I'm a victim too..."
Qin Peilan quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, taking Zhou Shuhua's hand and assuring her:
"Don't worry, Shuhua, Huaichuan wouldn't dare! If he dares to do anything to betray Qiqi, you don't even need to lift a finger, his father and I will be the first to break his legs!"
Shen Zhenbang nodded emphatically, stating:
"That's right! Qiqi is our own daughter! I will never stand for anyone who makes her suffer!"
The elderly couple had already learned about Zhou Qiqi's difficult past from Zhou Shuhua in the past few days, and they felt even more sorry for her. They treated her as their own daughter and wanted to give her all the good things they could.
At this moment, everyone was eager to express their opinions, afraid that Zhou Qiqi might feel even slightly uncomfortable.
Left out in the cold, He Wanrou stared at the glaring scene before her.
Zhou Shuhua's careful attempts to please Zhou Qiqi, the Shen family elders' unwavering protection of Zhou Qiqi, and Shen Huaichuan's unconditional trust in Zhou Qiqi...
They all revolved around Zhou Qiqi, as if she were the center of the family and the precious treasure that everyone held in their hands!
He Wanrou, who had worked hard to take care of the elderly couple for half a year, cleaning up their excrement and urine, was now seen as an unwanted, obstructive, and despised piece of trash by everyone!
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