But wait, the most important thing right now isn't the relationships between the characters.
"Mother, there's only one other house around here. Wouldn't it be easy for those people to suspect that we've come here?"
Shen Yunting shook his head with a smile: "I really don't know how."
Shen Xingmian looked at her father again, it seemed that only her mother had said this, and it still couldn't put her completely at ease.
In her view, human nature is complex, and the pursuit should be endless, like a persistent infection. After a brief respite, one should continue the escape.
Why don't her father and mother look particularly tense or anxious? Is it just that she's the only one with a bad mindset?
Luo Qi'an explained on behalf of his wife: "In the eyes of everyone in the capital, the relationship between your mother, me, and your Uncle Jiang Yu is one of irreconcilable enmity. Even if ordinary people see this villa, as long as they know it belongs to him, they will not suspect that we are hiding here."
Shen Xingmian covered her mouth in surprise.
She thought that it was because they were poisoned and exiled that her whole family was no longer the dutiful, loyal, and patriotic old stubborns. She never expected that they had already started acting so long ago.
Well done!
Shen Xingmian looked around the three-person room with sparkling eyes, her meaning clear: she wanted to know more details.
"Stop looking, you must be exhausted today. Go and rest. Your father and Jiang Yu still have things to talk about. I'll go to sleep with you first."
After saying that, before Shen Xingmian could think of an excuse to eavesdrop, he pulled her out the door.
Shen Xingmian could only offer one last polite gesture before leaving, turning back to wave quickly and say, "Goodbye, Uncle Jiang!"
Before she could hear a response, her mother dragged her to her room next door.
While letting her mother wipe her with a towel, Shen Xingmian kept chattering away.
"Mom, how did you and Dad meet Uncle Jiang? How did you manage to keep such a close relationship so well hidden? It's unbelievable! Please tell me, please, please!"
Shen Yunting was so exasperated by her antics that he had no choice but to pull his daughter to sit on the edge of the bed, reminisce for a while, and then slowly begin to tell her story.
"Jiang Yu's father was very familiar with your maternal grandfather, but they always seemed to be at odds in court. After all, they were both military officers, and if they had a good relationship, it would probably arouse suspicion."
Mother, you and Uncle Jiang have known each other since you were little. Once, you traveled back to the capital together on business and encountered bandits on the way..."
Shen Xingmian immediately raised her hand to interrupt, asking curiously, "Is it the time Father was kidnapped?"
Shen Yunting smiled and poked her nose, then nodded and said "Mmm".
"So, when you met your father, Uncle Jiang Yu was also there. Doesn't that mean he watched helplessly as his sweetheart was snatched away by someone else? My goodness, childhood sweethearts can't compete with newcomers. That's too heartbreaking!"
"What nonsense are you talking about? In my eyes, Jiang Yu is no different from my older brother. Let alone romantic feelings, he doesn't even have a gender in my eyes. He's just family."
Shen Xingmian shook her head and clicked her tongue, saying, "Uncle Jiang is so pitiful. He didn't have even the slightest chance from beginning to end."
“You little girl know quite a lot. Why don’t I stop telling you and you can make it up yourself?” Shen Yunting raised her chin and glanced at her daughter.
Shen Xingmian quickly pouted and grabbed her mother's arm, shaking it: "No, no, please tell me more! Life is so boring, I have to hear something interesting, please, Mommy~"
Shen Yunting really couldn't do anything with his precious daughter, so he confessed the secret he had never told anyone before.
"When I was little, all I thought about was learning martial arts from your grandfather and dominating the army with my fists. Of course, I didn't just beat up my own people; I always prioritized beating up foreign enemies."
Shen Xingmian nodded vigorously: "I envy the foreign enemies' priority, they can get beaten by my mother."
"Haha, you're just being cheeky."
"Because you were fighting in the army every day, and your grandmother passed away early, your mother didn't have any feelings about gender, and never felt that there was anything wrong with Jiang Yu."
Later, when I met your father, it was like waking up suddenly from a dream. I immediately had a very strong thought: I want this person; I must get my hands on him.
"Wow! Did Mother intend to seize it by force?" Shen Xingmian exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
"There was no chance, because your father was very proactive. Our relationship was progressing smoothly, and I originally planned to marry him, even though he was the only person in his family."
But later, when she went out, she met the eldest princess. Her mother felt that the way the princess looked at her father was strange. In addition, the princess had a bad reputation. Her mother felt that living outside would cause a lot of trouble and was very unsafe.
Your father didn't want to cause trouble, and since your maternal grandfather's side was short-handed, he simply gave up his career in government and married into the family.
Shen Xingmian sighed, "That father was really decisive. For men here, 'marrying into another family' is probably the worst choice when it comes to marriage."
Shen Yunting nodded. Even though more than ten years had passed, she was still very moved by her husband's choice back then.
"That's right. When the news got out, your father was ridiculed a lot, but I beat those people so badly that they didn't dare to say anything more. Hehe."
Shen Xingmian understood; mutual affection was the reason her father made that decision.
If it were just a one-sided affair, he probably wouldn't have "married into the family," since for a man, this term is probably just as painful as being "cuckolded."
The person you like is willing to go to such lengths for you; no wonder my mother's personality hasn't changed at all over the years, and she still has that girlish innocence and cheerfulness.
Sigh, my parents have such a good relationship, so I can only let Uncle Jiang Yu down.
“Mother, we still have such a long way to go. We might as well help Uncle Jiang find a suitable woman for him. We can’t let him grow old alone.”
"Sigh, your father has worried a lot about him. These two, although they don't see eye to eye most of the time, actually respect each other quite a bit. Otherwise, your father wouldn't think of him first when something happens."
Shen Xingmian immediately sat up straight, grabbed her mother's arm, and asked:
"Is it about that sister who filed a complaint with the emperor? I heard she's here too. Does that mean I'll have a chance to see her? Grandpa said no one knew where she went, which was a bit of a disappointment."
She was really curious about this older sister.
"I'm afraid that won't work. To ensure safety, these people today are all trusted confidants specially selected by your Uncle Jiang. It's best not to cause any unforeseen problems."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xingmian could only nod regretfully.
“Then I’ll leave her a pot of water to help fade the scars a little, as a small token of my appreciation.”
Shen Yunting hugged his daughter tightly and smiled gently, "My Mian'er is so kind. She even wants to help someone she's never met. Is she a fairy sent from heaven to save all living beings? Isn't she?"
Shen Xingmian was amused by her mother, but immediately shook her head and denied it, saying, "No, I'm just nice to the people I like. Look at how I treat the emperor and the princess, I'm only thinking that I'm not ruthless enough!"
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