"He hates you all, and you still want to marry him?"
Shen Yan looked pained: "It's understandable that he hates us. My sister-in-law was bullied by my brother and eventually hanged herself because she couldn't bear the humiliation. Our family has wronged them."
"If I marry him, it would be a way of atoning for my brother's sins."
She even moved herself with her words: "I am willing to be a slave to the Su family to make amends."
"......"
Shen Ning felt like there was something wrong with her ears; why did she feel like she couldn't understand what she was saying?
She thought Shen Yan had regained her senses and knew to fight for herself, but she was dealt a blow unexpectedly.
Her head is buzzing right now.
She didn't understand: "Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the Su family?"
Shen Yan was very brave: "I'm not afraid. When I made this decision, I already expected to suffer some hardships."
Is this just about suffering? This is about a lifetime.
"You must know what Su Yao went through. Aren't you afraid they'll inflict double the pain on you?"
Shen Yan shook her head: "No, he's not that kind of bad person. I believe him."
Shen Ning gripped the cup lid, her expression indescribable: "Nothing is absolute. What if he really did that? He could have you humiliated, ruined, or even driven to your death."
Shen Yan's tearful eyes were filled with determination: "I will not let such a thing happen. I will atone for my sins, reform him, and make him let go of his hatred."
"..." This aura of Buddha-like light is reminiscent of the Buddha's compassion and spirit of sacrifice in cutting off his own flesh to feed an eagle.
Where did this Buddhist saintess come from?
Shen Ning couldn't help but scoff, "I'm asking about the worst-case scenario. Can you accept that?"
Shen Yan remained silent for a long time before finally relaxing her shoulders, adopting an attitude of helpless acceptance of reality: "If it really comes to that, it's my fate. Consider it repaying my sister-in-law..."
Returning my sister-in-law? Even if she's abused, or even sent away to be defiled?
She's supposed to be a lady from a respectable family, how could she stoop so low and demean herself?
The gentleness in Shen Ning's eyes vanished completely, leaving only endless, chilling irony.
How is she any different from Shen Shu?
No, there are some differences.
Although Shen Shu only had eyes for men, she knew how to be selfish. She wanted affection, status, and power, and she would calculate everything she wanted but did not get.
Shen Yan actually wanted to send herself to be tortured by people who hated her family.
This... is this out of your mind? Is this something a girl could come up with or accept?
Shen Ning took back what she had said earlier; she couldn't help, not even a little bit.
Don't talk about breaking a promise. If she really helps Shen Yan marry into that family, Shen Yan will be tortured like a slave and eventually even be violated to death.
The thought alone made her feel suffocated.
She felt an unbearable unease and could never forgive herself.
"Go away, I can't help you."
Shen Yan became anxious: "You broke your promise. You said you would do everything you could to help me."
Shen Ning stared at her, his gaze cold and sharp, as if it could pierce through her soul: "When I say I'm helping you, I mean helping you escape from this sea of suffering and break free from the shackles of fate, not making you jump into a fire pit and run off to be trampled on for no reason!"
"If you want to get married, you can choose a better family, one with a respectable background and upright conduct. I can help you find a matchmaker and even provide dowry. If you don't want to get married, I can teach you how to do business and give you a shop. But I can't help you with this request."
Shen Yan was shocked, but she still knew what was good and bad. At least she understood that Shen Ning wanted what was best for her, but this was not what she wanted.
Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head: "Sister, you don't understand. I don't crave wealth and status; I just want to atone for my sins..."
Shen Ning interrupted her: "No, you're just out of your mind."
Shen Ning chased the person away, secretly vowing that she would never again act out of kindness indiscriminately.
Not everyone deserves to be saved.
Liu Ying changed Shen Ning's teacup and patted her back to soothe her: "Miss, don't be angry. Everyone has their own destiny. Why ruin your health for other people?"
Shen Ning didn't want to be angry, but she just couldn't understand it.
Staring blankly at the gate: "Sister Liuying, you said we both have the surname Chen and share the same bloodline, so why are we so different?"
"Shen Shu's willingness to die for a man, her inability to live without him, could be said to be like her mother's. But her second uncle is selfish and self-serving, her second aunt is shrewish and greedy, and Shen Ming has perfectly inherited all those virtues. How did they end up with someone like Shen Yan..."
She couldn't find the words to describe it for a moment.
"Could it be that the second wife's family has too many wicked intentions, and someone has to atone for their sins and balance things out?"
Liu Ying hugged her and gently comforted her, "A Ning, don't overthink it. That's the second wife's business. Miss Yan has never been close to you, so you shouldn't interfere."
“You are different from them. You are the eldest daughter of the Shen family. You are intelligent, decisive, brave and resilient. You are the head of the Shen family who is no less than any man.”
"It's not that they're bad, it's that you're too good. You're different from them, so don't judge others by your own standards."
Shen Ning patted her hand and sighed helplessly, "Sister Liu Ying, you don't understand. I'm not just angry at Shen Yan, but at this huge Shen family... that there's not a glimmer of hope for its revitalization."
As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement.
The vast Shen family estate was filled with decadence, depravity, and decay, devoid of any trace of righteousness.
She is the head of the family and desperately hopes that the family will prosper and that its members will be outstanding, known as young talents and outstanding individuals, who will become pillars of the family in the future.
Whether they are biological siblings or cousins, she will never hesitate to support them as long as she has the ability.
But look at this family... in the end, not a single one of them is any good.
That day, Shen Yan came to find her alone, and she thought she had seen a glimmer of hope.
She didn't expect others to be like her, but as long as Shen Yan was doing it for her and had a firm idea, even if it was a bit absurd, she would be gratified.
She wanted to get married, and Shen Ning was willing to choose a good family for her, support her, teach her how to manage the household finances, and make her a good wife.
She wants to go into business, and Shen Ning will fully support her.
If she were to deviate from the norm, whether it was to wander the world, travel the land, or yearn for a peaceful and tranquil life in the countryside, Shen Ning would help her as much as he could.
But she actually went and offered herself up to be abused.
The second wife did owe the Su family, but that was Shen Ming's fault, and it should be paid for with Shen Ming's life. Why should she sacrifice her whole life to be tormented by others?
Shen Yan threw herself into the dust, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope that Shen Ning had ignited.
"Never mind, never mind..." Shen Ning sighed helplessly. Having been reborn, why should she care about these things?
Blood ties, family honor—she's already died once, so these things have nothing to do with her anymore, and it's pointless for her to fight for them anyway.
She just wanted to live her life, earn more money, and travel around, enjoying herself to the fullest. She couldn't let herself be trapped in the capital city any longer.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
