“Cousin, there’s no need for that. We all know Aunt’s personality; she’s just a bit outspoken. I’m sure Second Sister can understand and won’t hold a grudge against her elders.”
Shen Jinshu preemptively declined Qin Xu's suggestion on behalf of Song Zhiyu, and even flattered Song Zhiyu, her dignified and generous demeanor drawing frequent nods of approval from everyone present.
Upon hearing this, Qin's mother grasped Shen Jinshu's hand, beaming from ear to ear, "I've long heard that Jinshu is kind-hearted and has the demeanor of a lady from a prominent family. Now it seems that seeing is believing."
The more she looked at Shen Jinshu, the more satisfied she became, and she wished she could marry Shen Jinshu to her son.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. The man she liked was too good for her. And what she disliked most was his stubborn and inflexible nature, which was truly frustrating.
Qin's mother glanced at Song Zhiyu furtively, and seeing the ambiguous smile on her face, her heart skipped a beat.
She always felt that this brat's eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, easily seeing through her dark thoughts, which made her feel extremely embarrassed.
Unable to bear such an intimidating gaze, Qin's mother slunk away and turned her attention back to Shen Jinshu, praising only the good things about her.
Looking at Shen Jinshu, Madam Shen's eyes were full of love. Although she spoke words of reprimand, she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. "Jinshu has never liked to make things difficult for others and always thinks about being kind to people. I said before that she would suffer sooner or later because of her personality."
"It's all thanks to my mother's excellent teaching." Shen Jinshu lowered her head and smiled shyly, attributing all the credit to her mother.
"All is well, all is well. The children of the Shen family are all good-natured people." It was rare for Madam Shen to show such obvious joy. Her well-maintained face smiled like a chrysanthemum.
The sight of such deep mother-daughter affection made Song Zhiyu seem like an outsider, even though in Shen's mother's heart, Shen Jinshu was indeed more important than her.
In the past, Song Zhiyu might have been saddened and disappointed to see this scene, but now she was quite at ease, her eyes calm and undisturbed.
She has few family ties, so there's nothing to force.
Fortunately, she has three older brothers, friends, and a lover, so she doesn't lack this so-called family affection.
"Although Mother's words were not malicious, and the Second Miss will not take it too seriously, my brother and I still cannot rest easy until we hear the Second Miss say that she forgives us."
Seeing that everyone's attention was on Shen Jinshu, and seeing Song Zhiyu standing casually to the side with no expression of joy or anger, Qin Yu inexplicably felt a sense of impending storm.
Only then did Madam Shen belatedly realize the purpose of inviting the Qin family today, and feeling that she had neglected Song Zhiyu, she forced a smile, "You don't need to take it too seriously, Zhiyu won't mind..."
Before she could finish speaking, Song Zhiyu ruthlessly refuted her, saying, "I mind."
The three words, spoken casually, instantly turned Shen's mother's face deathly pale. She looked at Song Zhiyu in disbelief, her eyes filled with shock and disappointment, a mixture of emotions that made her seem as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Song Zhiyu was completely unaware, her deep gaze fixed on Qin's mother, her lips slightly raised, but her words were directed at Qin Xu, "Aren't you here to express your apology? What are you standing there for?"
"Second sister, are you really going to do this? The Qin family is, after all, Grandmother's maternal family. Why would you ruin the harmony between the two families over such a trivial matter, and make Grandmother lose face?" Shen Jinshu paused for a moment, then smiled, her eyes filled with complex and obscure emotions.
Shen Jinshu spoke with a sincere expression, seemingly genuinely concerned for Song Zhiyu, but upon closer listening, every word she uttered was a trap set for her, intended to provoke Old Madam Shen's dissatisfaction.
Qin Xu glanced at Shen Jinshu with a dark look in his eyes and sensed something was amiss.
It seems that this renowned Miss Shen is not as gentle and harmless as she appears on the surface.
Among the people present, apart from Song Zhiyu and Qin Xu, no one else noticed Shen Jinshu's hidden thoughts and thought she was genuinely trying to comfort her.
Little did they know, she was merely trying to sow discord in secret.
Song Zhiyu wasn't incapable of sowing discord, but she simply didn't use it. However, that didn't mean Shen Jinshu could take advantage of her kindness. "Isn't the Qin family's action also a slap in the face to the Marquis's mansion? They don't care about Grandmother's reputation, so why should we be polite?"
"Eldest sister, you're completely biased towards the Qin family, forcing me to accept Madam Qin's unintentional words. Do you even care about the Marquis's mansion anymore?"
Since Shen Jinshu was trying to sow discord between her and Old Madam Shen, she had no choice but to retaliate in kind.
"I just thought that since the two families are so close, it shouldn't be a big deal, and there's no need to cause trouble. Brother Rushan has just been demoted, and Father has also been reprimanded by His Majesty. These are turbulent times, so it's better to avoid trouble."
Shen Jinshu quickly realized what was happening and shifted the conversation to Shen Feng, downplaying her own presence.
As expected, Madam Shen's attention was instantly drawn away, and she let out a long sigh. "Rushan should have had a bright future and was expected to be promoted again. Who knew that this would happen, and your father too? It's truly an undeserved disaster."
"Grandmother is absolutely right. The Ye family has really ruined Father's life. The Marquis's mansion is now counting on Father alone, and who would have thought he would be implicated like this?"
"I wonder when the Marquis of Chengen's mansion will be able to regain its former glory." Song Zhiyu sighed softly, each word piercing the heart of Old Madam Shen.
What she valued most was the reputation of the Marquis of Chengen's mansion. The Ye family was ignorant and offended people they shouldn't have, which also implicated the Marquis's mansion. No matter how much Old Madam Shen liked Ye Rou, she couldn't help but feel resentful towards her.
If Shen Jinshu has a plan, then she has a way to get through it.
She protected herself, but Ye Rou was in trouble.
Seeing that Shen Jinshu remained silent with a stern face, Song Zhiyu straightened up, turned and walked towards the door, not forgetting to say before leaving, "It's time to express your apologies."
Upon seeing this, Qin Xu was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously touched the money pouch at his waist, gritting his teeth in resentment.
He was just being polite, but he didn't expect Song Zhiyu to take it seriously.
But now he's in a precarious position, and he probably can't afford not to go along with Song Zhiyu.
With things having come to this, Qin Xu forced a smile and steeled his resolve, "Jinshu, you should come with us too."
"My second sister is tactless, I need to stay with her to feel at ease." Making up an excuse for herself, Shen Jinshu accepted Qin Xu's invitation with a smile.
She wanted to find an opportunity to have Song Zhiyu and Qin Xu alone, and then find a good time to spread the rumors she had already prepared.
Even if they do something they shouldn't and it gets discovered later, it can only be considered as an irresistible impulse between young men and women.
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