Chapter 314 Paying Respects to My Brother-in-Law
She paused, glanced quickly at Meng Shilan, and then looked down again.
"It wasn't until the imperial decree requesting the appointment of the heir apparent came down that we realized that Aunt Qinglian's two children had been found."
“We…are all happy for our third grandfather.”
Meng Shilan's hand, holding the teacup, paused in mid-air for a moment.
The tea rippled slightly, reflecting her calm and undisturbed face on the surface.
But beneath that calm, his eyes suddenly turned cold.
She said.
The visitor is not friendly.
My great-grandfather never mentioned it?
Even the collateral relatives don't know?
Is this questioning her and her brother Meng Xingjiang's unclear identities and origins?
Meng Shilan sneered inwardly.
The title of Duke of Zhenguo is extremely prestigious.
The main branch of the Meng family has dwindled, leaving only the maternal grandfather.
If she and her brother hadn't returned, according to clan rules, wouldn't this immense wealth have fallen into the hands of these so-called "collateral branches"?
Now that she and her brother have returned, it's obvious whose path they've blocked.
Today's encounter was hardly a chance meeting at all.
This was clearly a meticulously planned attempt to interrogate someone.
They probably wanted to probe her background and see if they could find any loopholes in her that could overturn their identities.
Meng Shilan's fingertips gently caressed the warm, smooth surface of the cup.
She raised her eyes and looked at Meng Ruoshui. The smile on her lips remained unchanged, but that smile no longer reached her eyes.
"It's been two or three years, I think."
She spoke, her tone casual, as if she were talking about something utterly ordinary.
A glint of light flashed quickly in Meng Ruoshui's eyes.
She immediately followed up with more questions.
"It's been two or three years..."
She feigned surprise and exclaimed.
"Where did you live before, sister?"
"Where are you from?"
"And... how do you make a living?"
A series of problems followed one after another, pressing in relentlessly.
Finally, she gave a compassionate look and sighed softly.
"I imagine my sister must have suffered a lot while she was away from home."
That pitying gaze was as if he were looking at some pitiful beggar.
The curve of Meng Shilan's lips deepened.
She did not answer Meng Ruoshui's question.
Instead, he slowly placed the teacup back on the table.
She raised her hand and slowly brushed away non-existent dust from her sleeve.
Every movement exudes an indescribable languor and composure.
Meng Ruoshui was somewhat flustered by her actions, and a hint of unnaturalness appeared on her face.
Just then, Meng Shilan finally raised his eyes again and looked at her.
That gaze, though calm and indifferent, carried an invisible pressure, as if it could see through people's hearts.
"Sister Ruoshui".
She parted her lips slightly, her voice soft, yet each word clear.
"Are you... doubting my identity?"
Meng Ruoshui's expression changed slightly.
She never expected Meng Shilan to be so direct!
"How...how could this be?"
Meng Ruoshui chuckled twice, her voice trembling slightly.
"Sister is joking. I... I was just... just curious about your past life."
"Really, I didn't mean anything by it."
Her explanation seemed weak and feeble.
Meng Shilan just looked at her quietly, without saying a word, just watching.
Meng Ruoshui was so startled by her gaze that she broke out in a cold sweat. Her hands, resting on her knees, were tightly twisting the handkerchief.
for a long time.
Meng Shilan finally withdrew her gaze.
She picked up the teacup again and gently blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface of the water.
"My brother will also be returning to Beijing at the end of the month."
She casually uttered a sentence.
Meng Ruoshui's heart skipped a beat.
Meng Shilan continued in that deliberate and slow tone:
"At that time, my brother and I will definitely find a time to invite all our uncles, brothers and sisters to have a good get-together."
"My brother and I will definitely reminisce about our past life at that time."
“I will tell you about each and every one of these things, little sister Ruoshui.”
"OK?"
After she finished speaking, she raised her eyes and looked at Meng Ruoshui with a half-smile, as if she were really asking for her opinion.
Meng Ruoshui's face froze instantly.
A flurry of green and white, a dazzling display.
What does Meng Shilan mean by this?
This is a warning to her!
Warn her, she's not alone! She has an older brother who is about to inherit the title!
The brother and sister were inseparable, sharing the same fate and not tolerating any doubt or provocation from others!
Meng Ruoshui felt as if she had been slapped hard across the face, and her cheek stung with pain.
"Sister...sister has misunderstood..."
Her voice trembled with a sob, and her eyes reddened.
"I...I really didn't mean that."
She bit her lower lip in grievance, and her almond-shaped eyes quickly filled with tears.
His tearful appearance was so pitiful that I felt sorry for him.
"Sister, don't be angry, it's all Ruoshui's fault."
"I won't ask."
"I shouldn't have been curious."
If it were any other man here, he probably would have softened his heart long ago.
But Meng Shilan just watched coldly.
She was already tired of this kind of charade of feigning helplessness to gain sympathy.
Just when tensions were about to rise.
Suddenly, the crisp sound of gongs and drums rang out on the polo field.
"Red wins!"
"We won! We won! I won!"
Chai Sijiu's signature, powerful howl instantly resounded throughout the entire horse farm.
"Zhou Congxian! Did you see that?! We won!"
The stagnant and eerie atmosphere in the pavilion was instantly dispelled by the sudden commotion.
Meng Ruoshui's tears, which were about to spill out, were awkwardly held back in her eyes.
Meng Shilan's gaze passed over her and landed on the figure riding towards them in the distance.
Zhou Congxian took off his helmet, revealing an incomparably handsome face.
A thin layer of sweat glistened on his forehead, shimmering in the sunlight.
He rode on his horse with a posture as upright as a pine tree. Even his casual movements exuded an innate nobility and a sense of oppression.
He's back.
A genuine smile finally appeared on Meng Shilan's lips.
Zhou Congxian dismounted, tossed the reins to a guard beside him, and walked straight toward the pavilion.
He walked with a steady gait, carrying a sharp and imposing aura unique to those who had fought on the battlefield.
As soon as he entered the pavilion, his sharp eyes immediately locked onto Meng Shilan.
Then, he noticed the unfamiliar girl sitting next to him, whose eyes were red and swollen.
His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Shi Lan, what's this?"
The moment Meng Ruoshui saw Zhou Congxian, she stood up.
This is... the Duke of England's heir who gave up his title for Meng Shilan?
Before Meng Shilan could speak, Meng Ruoshui curtsied first and said softly.
"This must be my brother-in-law, right?"
"Ruoshui, greet your brother-in-law."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com