Chapter 56 Father and Mother Have a Fierce Argument
Seeing her son return after changing his clothes, only to find no one behind him, Chen's mother pressed, "Where's your sister?"
Shen Jingsi sat down opposite him, still with that lazy and arrogant demeanor. "It's my future mother-in-law, not her. You couldn't protect her when it mattered, so what's the point of having her come? Is she just feeding the trouble caused by outsiders?"
The sound wasn't intentional, but Duan Xi'er and Shen's father, who were sitting next to her, heard it most clearly.
She slapped him, saying, "How dare you talk to your mother like that? We already talked it out. Sister Zhenzhen doesn't hold grudges, but you're holding one."
Shen Jingsi sneered, "Then I'll find a master to calculate it tomorrow. If he also finds out that the villain's surname is Duan and his given name is Yu, don't hold a grudge."
"What nonsense are you talking about? That's my brother!"
Shen Jingsi raised an eyebrow at her, "You're treated like siblings when you're wronged, but when I'm wronged, I'm considered an adulterer?"
Of course, maybe... it really is?
But Shen Jingsi spoke without batting an eye, leaving everyone speechless.
But Lu Zhenyu still came.
The girl wore a milky white shawl, the tassels swaying in front of her graceful waist as she moved.
The person appeared at the restaurant entrance and said, "Godfather and Godmother, I'm late."
Everyone looked up at the doorway, and when Mr. Shen saw them, he quickly waved, "My daughter is here. Come, sit next to Dad."
Feeling a burning gaze, Lu Zhenyu, who arrived late, obediently sat down next to her father.
The girl consistently refused to confront the feelings hidden deep within her heart, because the answer was:
"He didn't want her to suffer, and she didn't want him to suffer either."
Whether her marriage with Duan Xier was based on love or self-interest, Lu Zhenyu never asked Shen Jingsi.
Regardless of which one, she hoped that this man's future family and life would be fulfilling.
In this family, it's enough if one person is unhappy.
Looking again at her father, who was gazing at her silently, Lu Zhenyu felt that his gaze held some meaning.
The couple, who used to sit close to each other no matter where they were, were far apart tonight and didn't exchange a single word at the dinner table.
The three elders chatted occasionally at the dinner table. With Shen Zhen'an present, the meal was more peaceful than in the afternoon.
When leaving, Mr. Shen only saw him off to the villa entrance, while Mrs. Shen escorted him to the car, reminding Shen Jingsi to drive safely.
After dinner, Lu Zhenyu felt unwell in her stomach. After everyone had left, she took Xiaomeng for a walk in the back mountain to aid digestion.
Walking through the withered forest, Xiao Meng recalled her mother's words from that afternoon: "Is this the forest that's going to be cut down to build a new house?"
Lu Zhenyu, who was ahead, nodded. "Yes."
Seeing the tall, straight trees being cut down like that, Xiaomeng felt a little sorry.
This forest has existed as far back as Lu Zhenyu can remember.
Silence, darkness, mystery, and tranquility.
It carries not only the long-standing glory of the Shen family, but also Lu Zhenyu's childhood and youth.
When Lu Zhenyu heard Chen's mother say she was going to cut down the forest in the afternoon, her heart clenched.
It's quite surprising. This mansion, spanning nearly 10,000 square meters, can't even accommodate a small grove.
"Miss Beizhen!"
Xiao Meng, who turned around first, took two steps to meet the man who was staggering towards her. "What's wrong, butler?"
The butler took a couple of breaths and said to Lu Zhenyu, who had turned around, "Madam and Master are arguing. Miss Beizhen, please go back and try to persuade them."
When Lu Zhenyu rushed back, she could hear the argument coming from the study on the second floor from the first floor.
"So you're saying that because I didn't have eyes all over my body and could take care of everyone, it's all my fault if something goes wrong?"
"Is that what I meant? I felt ashamed when I saw that child with his arms wrapped in bandages, in so much pain, yet still having to put on an act for you, his mother, in front of others!"
For the first time in many years, Mr. Shen, who had always doted on and spoiled his wife, blushed.
"Both children were burned at the same time. You ignored your own child and were worried about someone else's child. If Xiao Si hadn't told me, none of the dozens of people in the family would have noticed. Have you ever thought about how much pain that child must be in, seeing all this!"
Mother Shen's eyes were bloodshot, and tears streamed down her face silently. "So I did it on purpose! Both children were injured. I heard Xiao Xi crying, but she stood there silently. Who would have guessed that she was injured too!"
Chen Jie clutched her chest tightly, the veins on both sides of her forehead bulging. "Shen Zhenan, you're not the only one who knows how to be a father, you're not the only one who knows how to care for a girl. I care for her too. I've seen that child compromise and suffer for our family in every way, and my heart has been torn apart like it's being stabbed with a knife the whole time!"
"You feel sorry for me?"
Shen Fu, his eyes red, suddenly laughed, "If you truly cared, you wouldn't have done something like pushing your child into a fire pit behind the back of the whole family!"
Mother Shen was stunned, her eyes widening in disbelief. "When did you find out?"
That one sentence instantly broke the upright man's spirit.
He didn't know it at first, or he learned a little bit from his son's words.
But at this moment, based solely on his wife's reaction, he completely understood.
Shen Zhenan suddenly laughed, a laugh that was both desolate and relieved.
He said that Shen Zhen'an's daughter could never have fallen for such a beast as the Zheng family.
Based on the education I've given her over the years, even if things don't go well, she can still find someone with decent character.
But now, Shen Zhenquan understands everything.
The question that had troubled his son for years, and which he still couldn't figure out to this day, was understood by him, the father.
It turns out it was the Zheng family.
"Chen Jie, don't you know what kind of person that Zheng family boy is? Letting your child marry him is no different from killing her!"
Seeing the utter disappointment in her husband's eyes, Chen's mother felt a surge of anger rise in her chest.
The name is for all the helplessness and grievances that have been suppressed deep inside me over the past five years.
She suddenly became resolute, no longer wanting to hide anything, and tears welled up in her eyes from her loud voice:
"Then tell me, what can I do! Do I really want to be the villain? Back then, all thirty men in the Shen family were arrested, leaving only my mother and me. Xiao Si was later framed for a car accident. If I don't marry that child off to the Zheng family as they demand, the Shen family, you, Xiao Si, everyone will be finished in the end!"
"If that's the price, I'd rather have died in prison back then!"
"you……"
Shen's mother looked at her husband in disbelief. He had once cherished her like a precious treasure, doted on her, and risked everything to marry her despite his family's objections.
Those trembling tears seemed to have been hit by a thousand points of damage. "Is this how you talk to me now, Shen Zhen'an?"
Her lips trembled, and her hand pointing at herself also shook. "So, you resent me, resent me for selling my daughter for personal gain, resent me for being heartless and cold-blooded, is that it?"
His wife's unending tears pierced the man's already fragile heart.
With his senses returning somewhat, Shen Zhen'an pinched the bridge of his nose, turned his back, took a few deep breaths, and wiped away the moisture from the corners of his eyes.
“It’s not your fault, it’s mine. I’m the incompetent head of the family. In the end, my wife and children have suffered because of me. I, Shen Zhen’an, am a good-for-nothing.”
The woman's heart ached at her husband's self-deprecation and dejection.
"Why do you say such things? I, Chen Jie, never deny what I did. I will pay back the debts I owe, but don't let Xiao Si know. He has finally accepted Xi'er, and their marriage cannot go wrong at this crucial moment."
Father Shen turned around and said, "Can't you see what Zhenzhen was thinking when she came back this time?"
"I won't look! I just think she's suffering and wants to get rid of the Zheng family. The Zheng family is about to collapse anyway, so if things really don't work out, then divorce is fine. But if she's thinking of remarrying Xiao Si, then there's absolutely no way! I'll fight to the death to make the Duan family my ally!"
You're utterly hopeless!
The tightly closed door was kicked open, and Shen's father strode out and slammed the door shut as he left.
Lu Zhenyu stood behind the door, watching the man's angry departure. Her face, hidden in the shadows, was eerily calm.
Standing to the side, Xiaomeng seemed a little flustered. She slowly walked over a little and asked, "Zhenzhen... are you alright?"
The next second, the previously stiff back suddenly bowed.
Lu Zhenyu was seen sliding down the wall, her hand covering her lower abdomen.
Xiao Meng quickly stepped forward to help him up, "What's wrong?"
As waves of lower abdominal pain washed over her, Lu Zhenyu squatted there, head down, enduring the pain for a moment.
When he looked up again, his forehead was covered in sweat, and his pale face shook at Xiaomeng.
"It's nothing, just a bit of a stomachache. Can you help me back to lie down for a while?"
Lu Zhenyu originally came to mediate the fight, but who would have thought that in the end, she not only failed to mediate the fight, but also ended up with a stomachache and dizziness.
Amidst her mother's sobs, she, her head drenched in sweat and her hair disheveled, gritted her teeth and forced herself to return to her bedroom.
She thought it was just a cold, but it turned out to be her period coming early. After changing out of her clothes which were stained with a small amount of light pink blood, Lu Zhenyu drank some brown sugar water and went to sleep.
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