Night falls at Songxi Courtyard.
Lu Bai pushed open the door and hurriedly told her mistress the news she had found out. Her expression was somewhat complicated. "Miss, I heard that Madam Ye has been arranged by the Marquis to stay in the Begonia Courtyard."
The Marquis has actually brought his mistress into the mansion in a very open manner. There's going to be some interesting things to see in the mansion from now on.
"It seems the adoption will have to be brought forward." Song Zhiyu was somewhat surprised, not expecting Shen Feng to lose patience so quickly.
However, upon further reflection, she realized that Ye Rou's entry into the manor wasn't entirely without its advantages.
If their relationship were to be exposed to the world in the future, Shen Feng's carefully cultivated reputation would be completely ruined.
"The Marquis is truly shrewd, openly adopting his concubine's son into his own name. It seems he intends for him to inherit the Marquis's mansion." Lu Bai was also quick-witted. Since learning about Shen Rushan's identity, she had an explanation for Shen Feng's strange behavior.
She wondered how someone could treat a disciple better than their own son; it turned out there was more to it than met the eye.
Song Zhiyu didn't speak, clearly she understood Shen Feng's thoughts.
He went to great lengths for the two children he had with his mistress.
Not only did she have Shen Jinshu replace her identity, but she also wanted Shen Rushan to take away the position of heir that rightfully belonged to Shen Yuzhou.
If she wasn't mistaken, once Shen Rushan secured his position as heir apparent, he would find a pretext to officially recognize his mistress as his wife, so that the family could be reunited.
At that time, Shen's mother and her child will become thorns in Shen Feng's side, something he wants to get rid of as soon as possible.
Shen Feng was known throughout the capital for his deep love for his wife and his virtuous reputation for not taking another woman. Everyone praised him for it.
He is a person who values his reputation highly, and he would never do anything to damage it.
If Shen's mother doesn't die, Ye Rou will never see the light of day.
But Shen Feng couldn't bear to see his beloved woman suffer any more injustice, and when he had to choose between the two, he would obviously have to make a decision.
Moreover, given Shen Feng's treacherous and ruthless methods, it's impossible that he wouldn't have taken any action after deciding to adopt Shen Rushan into his name.
Song Zhiyu's expression hardened, and he leaned close to Lu Bai's ear to whisper, "Lu Bai, I need you to do something for me..."
"Miss, do you suspect that the Marquis will harm the Madam?" Lu Bai's small mouth opened slightly, startled by Song Zhiyu's guess.
"Perhaps he already made his move." Song Zhiyu stared blankly at the candlestick on the table, her thoughts drifting away.
She thought of how her mother had always maintained her health with precious medicinal herbs, but it was said that she had suffered severe bleeding during childbirth, which had damaged her very health.
After that, her health deteriorated, and she became a walking pharmacy.
When she was treating Shen's mother before, she found that Shen's mother was too weak, as if something had been hollowed out, and she thought it was a lingering effect of the massive bleeding she had suffered years ago.
But now that I think about it carefully, it doesn't seem that simple.
Lu Bai's face showed disgust, but she believed Song Zhiyu's words without a doubt, even if it was just a guess. "I really didn't expect that the Marquis would be so cruel as to harm even his wife."
However, when she thought about how Shen Feng treated his young mistress, she wasn't surprised.
"Alright, let's not talk about him for now. Is there any other news from the manor?" Song Zhiyu smiled. This guess would only be useful once she confirmed it, so she would leave it aside for now.
Lu Bai had a sudden flash of inspiration and thought of Shen Mingyi's matter. "I heard that the Third Young Master has not returned since he left the manor in a hurry last time. It seems that there is a problem with the clothing store."
"What's the problem?" Song Zhiyu asked casually, showing little interest in Shen Mingyi.
"It is said that after someone wore clothes from Shen's Clothing Shop, their whole body broke out in red rashes, and the person has already gone to the clothing shop to complain."
Even the goods ordered by the Jiangnan merchants ran into problems, causing huge losses to the clothing shop. If not handled properly, the shop might have to close down. Lu Bai's face was beaming with an uncontrollable smile, tinged with a hint of schadenfreude.
Of all the young masters, she disliked the third young master, Shen Mingyi, the most—a selfish and hypocritical scoundrel.
In his eyes, Shen Jinshu, whom he acknowledged, was a treasure; he cared for her in everything and protected her in every way. His mistress, on the other hand, was just grass, to be trampled upon at will.
Now, seeing Shen Mingyi in trouble makes her happy.
Lu Bai learned all this information from Xiao Cui at the gatehouse, and at least 80% of it is true.
Song Zhiyu shook the round fan in her hand, her smile meaningful, "Shen's Clothing Shop is Shen Mingyi's life's work, he would never just watch it close down. We've known each other for a while, so naturally I have to give him a push."
It would be best to expedite the closure of Shen's Clothing Store.
It remains to be seen whether Shen Mingyi and Shen Jinshu will be able to maintain their close sibling relationship after the clothing store closes down.
After all, those terrible ideas that substitute inferior for superior ones were all conceived by Shen Jinshu.
Thinking of this, Song Zhiyu smiled gently, a sense of anticipation suddenly welling up within her.
With a plan in mind, Song Zhiyu felt much more relaxed.
Seeing that it was getting late and that there was some fatigue on Lu Bai's face, Song Zhiyu's heart warmed up suddenly, and she said gently, "You've had a long day too, go back and rest first."
"Alright, Miss, you should rest early too. I'll head out now." Lu Bai was indeed tired. She gently draped the crescent-white cloak over Song Zhiyu and then thoughtfully closed the door behind her.
As soon as Lu Bai left, the entire room fell silent, with only the soft sound of turning the pages of a book remaining.
Song Zhiyu leaned casually against the chaise longue, her unbound hair hanging loosely. By the flickering candlelight, she turned the pages of a book in her hands, completely absorbed in the reading.
The bright moonlight, like water, quietly streamed into the room through the half-open window, gently outlining the woman's graceful figure and adding a touch of languor.
The room was quiet.
As soon as Zhou Xingzhi entered the room, he saw this alluring scene. His eyes darkened instantly, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably, bringing with it a hidden restlessness.
Song Zhiyu looked up as if sensing something, meeting Zhou Xingzhi's deep-set eyes, his dark pupils filled with intense desire.
"Why are you here?" Song Zhiyu was pleasantly surprised. She stepped off the chaise lounge and ran to Zhou Xingzhi without even putting on her shoes. She looked up at him, her bright and moist eyes filled with his image.
Zhou Xingzhi's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes filled with restraint and forbearance, his voice low and husky, carrying a strong seductive quality, "My darling, I missed you."
"It's only been a few days, but Your Highness's sweet talk has improved quite a bit." Song Zhiyu chuckled, her ear tips blushing slightly as she uttered the teasing words.
"A day apart feels like three autumns." The usually aloof and reserved Crown Prince became unusually witty, as if he had no formal training, and sweet words kept popping out one after another.
Caught off guard, Song Zhiyu's face flushed red, her delicate, fair face appearing even more alluring in the candlelight.
Upon seeing this, Zhou Xingzhi's handsome brows suddenly darkened, and his sharp, hawk-like eyes stared intently at Song Zhiyu's luscious red lips as he lowered his head slightly.
Before he could even touch her red lips, he saw Song Zhiyu's small, delicate bare feet, which were dazzlingly white against the dark ground.
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