Chapter 18 Punishment: "She's just his future sister-in-law; it's not good to have any dealings with her..."
Jiang's eyes were filled with tears, and her chest heaved violently. But looking at her beloved son whom she had raised with her own hands, whose hands were red from the tea she had just thrown at him, it was impossible for her not to feel heartache.
But why is it Chen Xi, this very Chen Xi!
Granny Liu stepped forward and massaged her temples. Jiang Shi gradually calmed down and spoke in a hoarse voice after a while: "Chen'er, if you want women, I won't object. Whether it's taking a wife, taking a concubine, or having more maids, I'll choose for you myself. But Shen Xi is the only exception."
Shen Wangchen's cold gaze gradually darkened, and he remained silent, his neck stiff.
"Putting aside her status, you are now an official in the Hanlin Academy. It's not worth ruining your future for a woman," Madam Jiang continued to persuade him earnestly.
“If it were before, if you really liked her, keeping her outside as a pet for amusement wouldn’t have been a bad idea. I could have found a way to keep it from your father and others. But things are different now. This vixen has now hooked up with the Duke’s mansion. That’s a lot of power. If the young master of the Xie family causes trouble, not only you, but even your father’s future will be in jeopardy.”
"Chen'er, don't do anything foolish."
It's Xie Wenlang again.
Shen Wangchen clenched his fists, bit his teeth, and forcibly suppressed the restlessness surging in his chest.
Finally, he looked up at Jiang Shi, his expression calm: "Mother, don't worry, I was just confused for a moment, I won't do it again."
"Good, it's good that you can figure it out."
Jiang couldn't help but shed tears again. She helped Shen Wangchen up, gently wiping his swollen hand with her handkerchief. Her heart ached. "Mother was too anxious. It must hurt a lot."
Shen Wangchen shook his head, ignoring the burning pain on the back of his hand: "It's nothing, don't worry."
No matter how angry Jiang was, after a few words, she could only soften her heart and let bygones be bygones when faced with the child she had carried for ten months. This matter was considered over in Shen Wangchen's eyes.
However, Jiang herself was not so easily appeased. With nowhere to vent her resentment, she could only turn her attention to Shen Xi.
Actually, Shen Xi herself hadn't been having a very good time these past few days.
Since witnessing Xie Chengyan's swift and decisive attack at Wangxian Tower, she has never seen him again, and Liang Tuo has handled all matters, big and small.
It was from that day that she realized that the two of them were not actually familiar with each other. If Xie Chengyan hadn't made the effort, she wouldn't have been qualified to meet him at all, given her status.
One or two times might be a coincidence, but over time, Shen Xi naturally noticed that something was wrong.
On one occasion, Shen Xiren had already arrived at Wangxian Tower, but Liang Tuo made an excuse that Xie Chengyan was in the army and it was inconvenient for him to come over.
Shen Xi was already filled with doubts. As she left, her gaze inexplicably swept over the half-open door of the private room next door. Through the shadowy screen, she clearly saw that all-too-familiar profile.
He sat alone by the window, with no other guests in sight.
In an instant, Shen Xi realized that Xie Chengyan had been deliberately avoiding her these days.
When she came to this conclusion, she was first stunned. Was Xie Chengyan avoiding her?
How is that possible?
But after observing carefully twice, she finally confirmed the fact. Recalling his cold indifference when he forced her to call him "brother," she realized that their current state seemed to have started from that day.
Although she never quite understood what was going on.
Xie Chengyan avoided her time and time again. Eventually, Shen Xi stopped bothering him and started leaving the mansion less often. If she had any correspondence with Xie Wenlang, she would entrust Qingqiu to deliver it.
Her actions naturally attracted Jiang's attention. She noticed that Shen Xi had not left her room for many days and her contact with the Xie family was not as close as before. Only Xie Chengyan's deputy general came and went.
After considering the cause and effect together, Jiang suddenly realized something.
No matter how arrogant and unruly Xie Wenlang was, he ultimately had no real power. Now, not only was he ordered to stay at home by the Duke's Mansion, but Xie Chengyan also personally sent his men to intercept their letters, clearly showing an attitude of distancing and pressuring. Could it be that the Duke's Mansion planned to take this opportunity to ruin this marriage that was not a good match?
Jiang Shi understood all this and sneered. It was a pity that Shen Xi had been so lawless before because Xie Wenlang was backing her up. Now that she had been abandoned, what waves could she still make?
The crimes that Aunt Lin had committed against her were now being punished on her own daughter's head. Jiang felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. Heaven truly had eyes!
She knew it; that bastard's daughter wouldn't be any better than Shen Wan, and it was only right that she was rejected by the Duke's mansion.
With that thought in mind, Jiang finally found an outlet for her pent-up frustration, so she sent someone to summon Shen Xi.
When Shen Xi arrived at Lanxiang Courtyard, bewildered, the servants there stopped her again, forbidding her from entering the house and only allowing her to wait outside.
Upon seeing this, Shen Xi immediately sensed something was wrong and knew it was not a good omen.
Snow was falling from the sky, and soon a thick layer of snow had settled on her shoulders. Chen Xi forced herself to stomp her slightly numb feet to warm them up.
After standing in the snow and ice for a good half hour, Jiang slowly came out of the room.
He held an elegant hand warmer in his palm, his fox fur coat was finely outlined with silk thread, his gaze casually swept over her, and he did not continue to walk out, but stood under the eaves to avoid the wind and snow.
Jiang remained silent, but Liu, the old woman beside her, who had long since developed a tacit understanding, spoke up and questioned her on her behalf.
"Shen Xi, do you know your mistake?"
The question came out of nowhere, and Shen Xi let out a long breath: "I don't understand what Granny Liu is talking about."
"Still being stubborn!" Granny Liu instantly put on a fierce and menacing expression.
Jiang stopped her in time: "Why are you in such a hurry? Xi'er is still a child. She needs to be patiently taught when she makes a mistake."
Upon hearing this, Granny Liu fell silent and bowed her head respectfully, saying, "What Madam says is true."
Shen Xi had no interest in watching their performance. She tilted her head and waved her hand to shake off the snow falling on her body.
Jiang saw this scene and, seeing her nonchalant expression, her face stiffened: "Xi'er, as long as you admit your mistake today, your mother will not blame you. You are still young, and it is a great thing to know your mistake and correct it."
Shen Xi frowned as she listened to her going in circles: "Mother, I truly don't understand."
Jiang smiled, feigning the image of a kind mother: "Since that's the case, then I'll be frank. You are a daughter of the Shen family, and a lady of a respectable family should naturally be well-educated in poetry and literature, but you keep those second-rate medical books in your room, which is really against the rules."
When Jiang mentioned medical books, Shen Xi was taken aback. She thought the matter was over, so why was it being brought up again today?
She tried to explain: "Mother..."
But Jiang wouldn't let her continue: "As your mother, I care about you the most. A few days ago, I kindly asked Granny Liu to take care of those odds and ends, but you not only didn't appreciate it, you also made a big scene. That's alright. Children are bound to be ignorant and have a temper. But I recently heard that you actually copied it yourself. Is that true?"
Shen Xi's thoughts raced through her mind, and she suddenly remembered what Shen Wangchen was holding when he brought her the caged bird that day—it happened to be the book she had rewritten from memory.
Once again, Chen Wangchen is lost in thought.
He always engages in these insidious acts of stabbing people in the back.
At this point, Shen Xi rolled her eyes and said, "Mother, you must have misheard. Medical books are obscure and difficult to understand. I have never been exposed to them before. Since Granny Liu burned the books, there are no original copies. How could I possibly have the ability to copy them out of thin air?"
But Jiang wouldn't listen to her explanation at all: "So, you're not admitting it?"
A sinister gaze pressed down heavily, and Shen Xi braced himself: "It's not that I don't admit it, it's that it simply doesn't exist."
Once this matter is acknowledged, who knows how Jiang will use it to her advantage? Shen Xi doesn't want a repeat of the past, so she cannot acknowledge it no matter what.
But she didn't know that Jiang wasn't really there to investigate the matter; she just wanted an excuse.
After hearing Shen Xi's words, Madam Jiang's face darkened: "Xi'er, it seems I've been too indulgent with you. You won't even admit your mistakes. In that case, I'll have to teach you a lesson."
After saying this, Jiang glanced at Liu Mama, who immediately understood.
It was too cold outside, so she didn't stay any longer and turned back into her room, leaving Chen Xi alone in the courtyard.
Granny Liu stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Shen Xi, saying, "Miss, please forgive me."
But the next moment, Granny Liu shouted sharply: "Kneel down!"
Before Shen Xi could react, Granny Liu kicked her in the back of the knee, forcing her to kneel down. Her knee slammed into the snow, and the intense pain made her groan involuntarily, almost bringing tears to her eyes.
Granny Liu reached out and pressed on her shoulder, whispering in her ear, "Miss, the Madam is kind-hearted and won't hold it against you. She'll let you go back after you've knelt for two hours, and she won't mention this matter again."
Shen Xi couldn't help but struggle, but Granny Liu had already seen through her intentions. Her hands were like iron clamps, pressing her down hard and not allowing her to move an inch.
Like goose feathers, snow fell silently from the gray sky, and the cold wind howled past, sweeping away the withered branches of the trees that were about to fall.
The hot breath exhaled from his mouth instantly turned into ice crystals and condensed on his long eyelashes. At first, there was a needle-like pain stimulating all parts of his body, but after kneeling for a long time, he was only numb.
The biting cold spread from his mouth, nose, and knees, and Chen Xi's breathing became increasingly weak.
Seeing that she had no strength left to struggle, Granny Liu finally let go and slowly strolled back to her room, leaving her kneeling alone in the snow.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Xi noticed her vision darkening and realized she probably couldn't hold on much longer. She quietly turned her head and instructed Qing Qiu to go find Xie Chengyan.
Now that things have come to this, she has no one to rely on in the Shen family, so she can only borrow the power of the Xie family. Even though Xie Wenlang is under house arrest and cannot come, there is still Xie Chengyan.
He is Xie Wenlang's older brother. Based on their past relationship, if she really needs his help, Xie Chengyan should not refuse.
He will come.
Shen Xi's knees were numb and she could not move. There was a maid in the courtyard watching her. Whenever she tried to get up, the maid would come forward and press her back to her original position.
She couldn't think of any other way, so she could only hold on with this faint thought. As long as she could hold on until Qingqiu brought reinforcements, Jiang would be unable to do anything to her due to the power of the Xie family.
Time seemed to drag on as she waited, snowflakes falling one by one before her eyes. She silently counted them, hoping to hear steady, familiar footsteps behind her.
She waited for a long time, but no one else came. Instead, she saw Shen Wangchen.
He stood straight to the side, observing coldly without any reaction.
Shen Xi knew clearly that he was forcing her to give in.
She stubbornly refused to comply with his wishes and remained silent.
But she never received any help. Qingqiu ran back through the heavy snow, stumbling and crawling, and knelt beside her, crying uncontrollably.
"Young lady, General Xie..."
Seeing this, Shen Xi had a premonition, but still refused to give up, and asked softly, "How is it?"
"General Xie refused to see her, and sent a servant to tell her that the young lady is merely... merely his future sister-in-law, and that it's inappropriate for them to get too close." Qingqiu continued, her voice choked with sobs. "This servant also went to the Duke's mansion, and they said that Second Young Master Xie is under house arrest and not allowed to see anyone..."
Shen Xi listened in silence for a long while before finally uttering a single sentence, her expression perfectly calm: "Don't cry, your tears will freeze."
Only now did she finally understand that all the talk about using power and influence was an illusion. She herself was just a fool who had taken a shortcut and tasted the temporary sweetness, actually treating this as a lifeline.
Laughable, pathetic.
Everything is like sand piled on water, fleeting and transient; she is still all alone.
A note from the author:
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Yes, he started courting disaster [glasses].
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