At this moment, she was bowing her head slightly, her eyes filled with a hint of fragility, as if she might shed tears at any moment, making her all the more endearing.
"What's going on?" Grand Tutor Shen noticed something was wrong and asked.
Aunt Qiu quickly lowered her head and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, saying softly, "It's nothing, nothing serious."
Grand Tutor Shen turned his gaze to Shen Wanwan behind Aunt Qiu, his tone stern: "What exactly happened? Explain clearly."
Shen Wanwan looked indignant and said angrily, "It's all because of that cousin who was brought into the manor by the steward yesterday! She has absolutely no manners! Yesterday, I kindly showed her around the manor and asked the steward to take good care of her, telling her to tell me if she needed anything. I genuinely treated her like a sister. But what did she do? She ignored me and didn't even greet me! I tolerated it; I could tolerate it for the sake of peace in the household. But she doesn't even know the proper etiquette for paying respects to Father and Mother today. We've been waiting and waiting, and she's still nowhere to be seen!"
Shen Wanwan became more and more agitated as she spoke, and finally couldn't help but complain, "Isn't it just because she's the late lady's niece that she's so arrogant?"
She glanced at Shen Huaixu standing to the side, her tone slightly toned, but she still couldn't help but mutter, "They only dare to bully us because they look down on Mother for being born a concubine."
"Alright, Wanwan, stop talking." Aunt Qiu gently pressed down on Chen Wanwan's hand, her tone soothing, trying to stop her complaints.
Shen Wanwan looked as if she had suffered a great injustice, her eyes red, and she looked at Aunt Qiu with heartache, muttering, "Mother, you are too kind-hearted. Those people are clearly taking advantage of us, yet you still indulge them!"
Aunt Qiu sighed, her eyes full of helplessness, and said softly, "I was originally a concubine, and she is your wife's niece. Given her status, it's understandable that she's arrogant."
Shen Wanwan was gently embraced by Aunt Qiu, her body trembling slightly as she sobbed softly, her tears wetting Aunt Qiu's sleeves.
Normally, Grand Tutor Shen couldn't stand seeing them suffer any injustice. If anyone dared to bully them, he would slam his fist on the table and fly into a rage, ordering people to avenge them.
But today, they waited for a long time, yet they still didn't receive a response from him.
Could it be that the new cousin is different from others?
Aunt Qiu's heart sank, and she couldn't help but raise her eyes to secretly glance at Grand Tutor Shen.
His gaze, however, remained fixed on Shen Huaixu, motionless, as if deep in thought.
Shen Huaixu remained standing there, his expression calm, his eyes revealing a deep depth, as if everything was under his control.
Grand Tutor Shen's eyes flickered slightly. He recalled the "countermeasures" that Shen Huaixu had mentioned earlier, and his heart skipped a beat.
Shen Jintang, that scourge, has suddenly disappeared today.
Could this really be Shen Huaixu's plan?
He couldn't help but frown, his eyes revealing a hint of doubt and contemplation.
The study was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; no one dared to speak, and even their breathing became lighter.
Shen Huaixu tilted his head slightly, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the mother and daughter.
Shen Wanwan was crying with tears streaming down her face, while Aunt Qiu gently patted her back and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, her face full of heartache.
Shen Huaixu was already used to this scene; it wasn't the first time it had happened in the Shen family.
He frowned slightly, cleared his throat, and said, "Yesterday, His Highness the Crown Prince entered the residence."
Shen Huaixu knew that Gu Zhixing had entered the Grand Tutor's mansion, and he even specially arranged for someone to let him pass, allowing Gu Zhixing to take Shen Jintang away smoothly.
If Shen Jintang stayed in the Grand Tutor's mansion, it would be inconvenient for them to get rid of her, since it would damage their reputation.
But if something happens to her when she falls into Gu Zhixing's hands, it would be killing two birds with one stone.
This principle is very simple, and Grand Tutor Shen naturally understands it as well.
Although he didn't understand what tricks Shen Huaixu had used to lure Gu Zhixing to the Grand Tutor's mansion to kidnap him.
However, he knew in his heart that as long as the final result was in their favor, the process was not important.
He stared coldly at Shen Huaixu, his tone devoid of any warmth, and said, "Hurry up and get on with it!"
These words didn't sound like a father speaking to his son; they sounded more like a boss giving orders to a subordinate. And look at the tenderness in his arms for his young son—it was a world of difference from his current cold demeanor.
Shen Huaixu nodded slightly, turned and left, but his gaze couldn't help but fall on Grand Tutor Shen and Aunt Qiu behind him.
Aunt Qiu was gently patting Shen Wanwan's back to comfort her, while Grand Tutor Shen looked at his youngest son in his arms with doting eyes. The family of four looked incredibly sweet.
But in just a moment, Shen Huaixu suppressed the envy in his eyes.
He lowered his eyes slightly, concealing the complex emotions within them.
What family ties? They were completely gone the moment his mother was forced to her death.
——
*** Mansion, Gu Zhixing's bedroom.
Shen Jintang woke up just as dawn broke.
She carefully folded the bedding on the floor, put it back in the closet, and then quickly washed herself.
After everything was tidied up, Gu Zhixing was still asleep, breathing steadily, and didn't notice her movements at all.
Shen Jintang stood still, her eyes scanning the room, her mind racing.
When Gu Zhixing kidnapped her yesterday, she was terribly panicked, but now she had calmed down. No one noticed she was missing last night, but this morning, Shen Wanwan would definitely find her missing when she went to pay her respects to Aunt Qiu.
It's impossible for her to go back and pretend nothing happened now. Besides, Gu Zhixing certainly won't let her go back easily these days.
She knew that staying in the *** mansion might be her only option right now, but this path was destined to be difficult.
Not to mention that Gu Zhixing is now full of hatred towards her and will definitely try every means to torment her, just the fact that she left the Shen family will definitely not let go of this opportunity to get rid of her without ruining their reputation.
The days ahead are unlikely to be peaceful.
But Shen Jintang wasn't the type to give up easily. No matter how bad the situation was, she had to find a way to turn things around.
In a daze, her gaze fell on the clothes Gu Zhixing had changed out of the night before. The clothes were carelessly tossed on the chair, still stained with a bit of blood, which was particularly glaring.
Staring at the clothes, Shen Jintang's heart stirred, and her eyes lit up slightly.
She slowly walked over, bent down to pick up the garment, her fingertips gently touching the bloodstains on it. She frowned slightly, her fingers unconsciously clenching together slightly.
A plan quietly took shape in her mind.
"Someone come here."
Shen Jintang went out the door and called a servant to bring her a set of clothes belonging to a maid in the *** mansion.
Gu Zhixing told her last night that he wanted her to be his personal maid, something many people had heard, so it was perfectly reasonable for her to come and ask for a maid's uniform.
The servants quickly brought a set of plain maid's clothes, which Shen Jintang changed into in a few moments. Then she picked up Gu Zhixing's blood-stained clothes and walked out.
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