Chapter 157 Just how ugly can the human heart be?
She wore a lotus-green dress and headdress in the graceful Jiangnan style. With light makeup, she perfectly matched the image of Shen Ziran, who was weak and gentle, always hiding behind her older sister and needing to be protected, when she was in the Shen family.
With her fair complexion and bright, sparkling eyes, anyone who saw such a girl would think she had no bad intentions.
Not to mention that at this moment, Shen Xiaoran's eyes reddened, and she walked briskly towards Shen Shuangyu with a weak and boneless gait, her eyes full of longing, "Second sister... Second sister!"
[If Shen Ding'an's selfishness can be justified by citing the historically patriarchal perspective of sacrificing himself for the revival of the second branch of the Shen family, then Shen Xiran's selfishness is downright vicious. However, how much of her current behavior is genuine, and how much is feigned? To be honest, if it's acting, her acting is quite good; I couldn't tell it was fake.]
Shen Shuangyu also looked at Shen Xiaoran. Shen Jiawei, who was standing to the side, was very curious about Shen Shuangyu's reaction. After all, Shen Shuangyu had told her that she did not acknowledge this younger sister.
“Ranran…” Shen Shuangyu choked up, stood up and hugged Shen Ran who rushed towards her.
The scene unfolded exactly as expected: the long-lost sisters reunited and wept in each other's arms, yet something felt off to everyone.
Especially Lu Lan, after all, she had seen how bad Shen Shuangyu's attitude was towards Shen Ding'an, so why was she so close to her fourth sister?
Perhaps it's because Shen Xiran wasn't involved in the incident where she suppressed Shen Shuangyu and prevented her from getting a divorce.
But everyone felt that Shen Shuangyu should harbor resentment, since everyone present believed that she had been framed and tricked back then, which meant that her marriage to the Yin family had fallen through by mistake and that her younger sister had taken her away. How could she not feel disgusted?
The two sisters just looked at each other, their eyes filled with complex emotions, tears streaming down their faces before they could even speak.
In order not to interfere with Shen Shuangyu's performance, Ye Qing didn't even dare to send any comments.
It's practically a competition of acting skills now.
Shen Xiaoran's eyes were filled with guilt and helplessness, her sorrow overflowing. She held her sister's hand tightly, as if she had learned the truth and blamed herself for stealing her sister's fiancé. She also lamented that fate had played tricks on the sisters, leaving her heart full of sorrow.
Shen Shuangyu, her eyes filled with tears, looked relieved and at ease. She gently patted her younger sister's trembling hand, comforting her and telling her that she was doing well and there was nothing to worry about. All of that was in the past. She had never minded her sister's relationship with her fiancé. She accepted fate and wanted her sister to live a good life.
Some of the people around who were more susceptible to infection couldn't help but tear up and sigh that the two sisters were truly... pitiful.
Thinking about it now, the eldest son who just left really did something terrible.
To everyone else, the two sisters were victims.
At this moment, Shen Ziran finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Ding'an didn't dare tell her the truth, so she thought that the reason Shen Shuangyu disliked her third brother was simply because she was preventing her from getting a divorce. She didn't know that Shen Shuangyu already knew how Shen Ding'an had been involved in the design.
Shen Shuangyu's attitude towards her remains unchanged; she is still her good second sister, so there is no problem.
The younger sister, who had been cherished and loved since childhood, could never have imagined that one day, the older sister who had shed blood and sweat for them would be hypocritical and deceitful towards them.
It wasn't that Shen Shuangyu's acting was particularly good; it was that Shen Xiaoran was completely unprepared.
"It's a rare treat to see you again, so we sisters should all be happy. On this joyous occasion, we can't cry and make ourselves look foolish." Shen Shuangyu took out a handkerchief and gently dabbed at the corners of Shen Xiaoran's eyes, then asked with concern, "By the way, I heard you weren't feeling well? What's wrong?"
Just like before she got married, Shen Xiaoran nestled in her sister's arms. A flicker of struggle flashed in her eyes, but in the end, she remained silent.
She looked up, her expression worried, as if she had some unspeakable trouble.
This behavior naturally caught the grandmother's attention. "What's wrong?"
Lu Lan, having recovered from the display of sisterly affection, smiled and said, "Isn't my sister-in-law waiting for this joyous day to tell Grandmother so that she'll be happy? Why don't you tell her now?"
Lu Lan felt a little schadenfreude. Just now, Shen Shuangyu didn't show any resentment. But if she heard this news, could she really let go of her resentment and remain indifferent?
"I...I'm pregnant." Shen Xiaoran touched her belly, her face beaming with happiness, but when she looked up, she glanced at Shen Shuangyu cautiously, as if afraid that she would be unhappy.
The announcement was met with cheers and delight from everyone present.
Shen Shuangyu immediately grabbed Shen Xiaoran's hand and said with delight, "Really? That's wonderful! If our parents were still alive, they would be so happy. They're going to be grandparents!"
Seeing that Shen Shuangyu directly brought up her parents, it was almost as if she had no complaints.
Shen Xiaoran looked at Shen Shuangyu, who was so happy for her, and felt no sadness at all.
A pang of regret rose within her, but it quickly vanished.
Shen Shuangyu had already joined the group of other women, eagerly inquiring about how many months pregnant she was, what symptoms she was experiencing, and how she could possibly get pregnant while traveling such a long distance by carriage.
After a while, Granny Sun, who was behind Shen Shuangyu, gave her a reminder.
Shen Shuangyu looked up and saw Yun Tao and Uncle Li had returned and were waiting outside.
With people talking all around, Shen Shuangyu naturally withdrew and went outside.
Yun Tao stepped forward to report the situation.
They did indeed intercept the doctor who was trying to leave quietly at the back gate of the Shen residence.
To avoid revealing his identity, Uncle Li held her at knifepoint from behind, and then Yun Tao asked him questions in a different voice.
The man who came was just a traveling doctor casually hired from the capital, the kind who could leave the capital at any time, so he had no intention of keeping the secret. He was scared half to death when he was taken hostage and confessed everything.
However, he never saw the person he was diagnosing; he only knew that she was a young pregnant woman and that she was being examined through an interlocking device.
However, the fetus cannot be saved, and miscarriage may occur at any time. The medication previously prescribed only temporarily suppresses the symptoms, and its effectiveness will gradually weaken if taken continuously. If any excessive movement or emotional outburst occurs, the situation could collapse at any moment.
Yun Tao and Uncle Li still don't know who the pregnant woman is; they only know that she is from the second wife's family.
Just to be on the safe side, Uncle Li knocked out the doctor, tied him up properly in the abandoned courtyard of the Shen residence, and then came to report the situation to Yun Tao.
But as soon as they finished speaking, Shen Shuangyu's expression turned very strange, as if frost was gradually forming on it, leaving only a chilling murderous aura.
Just how ugly can the human heart be? Do you think there was even a fleeting moment when she abandoned her schemes against you?
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