Chapter 18
As autumn deepened, the days passed quietly in Shen Mian's restless waiting, and before she knew it, it was the end of October.
After packing their things, Chen Mian and Lin Langli returned to the Shen family's old house together.
This event, which is both a birthday banquet and a family reunion ceremony, is finally coming.
Back at the old house, Chenmian could clearly feel the change in the attitudes of others towards him.
The servants no longer fawned over him as before; their gazes were now fixed on Lin Langli, filled with curiosity and scrutiny.
Other relatives, who usually treated him with affection, also bypassed him and pulled Lin Langli aside to ask him questions.
Chenmian forced herself to remain calm, managing a weak smile as she greeted her elders, but resentment slowly began to grow within her.
These snobbish bastards used to fawn over him before his true identity was revealed, but now that he's fallen from grace, they've all switched sides and started fawning over him.
It's laughable that Lin Langli is so foolish. Of all these people, who is truly here for him?
At this moment, you're talking to someone like this? Aren't you afraid of being tricked into revealing your secrets and having those things used against you later?
After greeting his grandparents, the two elders of the Shen family, Lin Langli was left behind. Shen Ci and his elder brother had not yet arrived, so Shen Mian had to return to his room alone from the main house.
Shen Mian's second cousin, the eldest uncle's son, had already arrived. His room was opposite Shen Mian's. When he saw Shen Mian's dejected expression upon returning, Shen Zhang couldn't help but mock him.
In the previous generation of the Shen family, Shen Mianjun was an outstanding individual, whose abilities made his other brothers and sisters seem mediocre.
This excellence seems to be etched into his very genes, and his eldest son, Shen Jinshan, was born with outstanding qualities far exceeding those of his peers, completely inheriting his father's excellence.
As twins, Shen Ci and Shen Mian were especially favored by the elderly.
It's one thing that Shen Ci is exceptionally capable, but Shen Mian is just as mediocre as them, yet she always manages to win the old man's affection because of her face and her chronically weak body.
How could I not mind?
It's utterly ridiculous that Chenmian was actually a fake, and the real bloodline of the Shen family was actually a victim of bullying by Chenmian at school.
He smiled and approached, blocking Shen Mian's way of entering the house. Shen Zhang said, "Shen Xiaomian, what's wrong? Now that you're no longer a child of the Shen family, you don't even call me brother anymore?"
Chenmian disliked his two cousins from his uncle's family the most. They always liked to tease him when they were young, and now their look of watching the show was even more annoying. He couldn't help but want to roll his eyes, but then he remembered his current status and had no choice but to swallow his resentment and force a smile, saying, "Brother, I'm not feeling well and want to go back to my room to rest."
Shen Zhang blinked and released him: "What's wrong? You're so angry and uncomfortable now that you know you're not a member of the Shen family?"
Chenmian remained expressionless: "I really don't feel well."
"Oh, Shen Xiaomian, you're really not feeling well," Shen Zhang said, drawing out the last syllable of his voice, his tone sarcastic. "You're not going to pretend to be sick and skip the banquet tomorrow, are you?"
Chen Mian was annoyed that his thoughts had been exposed. He did have this idea, but not attending at this moment would make anyone guess what he was thinking and would seem very inconsiderate.
He may have thought about it, but he had no intention of putting it into practice.
His smile vanished, and he stared coldly at Shen Zhang. But Shen Zhang wasn't afraid of him at all, and instead grabbed Shen Mian's arm and pulled back defiantly.
Someone appeared at the opportune moment and called out Shen Zhang's name.
The two turned their heads to look at the newcomer.
Upon seeing that it was Shen Jinshan, Shen Mian immediately felt as if she had found her pillar of support. She quickly broke free from her restraints and ran towards her elder brother, nestling into his arms and whispering, "Shen Zhang bullied me again."
Shen Jinshan raised his hand, his well-defined fingers gently patting Shen Mian's back in a soothing gesture. He stood tall and straight, shielding Shen Mian from view, his gaze fixed on Shen Zhang, devoid of emotion.
Shen Jinshan glanced at his young cousin and said, "Going to see your grandparents? Bullying your younger brother here, how old are you, still so immature."
Shen Jinshan was the eldest among their generation and had been highly respected since childhood. When Shen Zhang met his gaze, his arrogance vanished instantly, and he obediently listened. Before leaving, he glared resentfully at Shen Mian, who was pitifully cowering behind the man.
As he walked to the top of the stairs, he suddenly saw a handsome, unfamiliar face. He could vaguely recognize the resemblance to Shen Mianjun. Shen Zhang was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized that this was the protagonist they were going to talk about when they returned.
"Xiao Li?" he greeted. "I'm your uncle's second cousin. How have you been settling in since you came back?"
Lin Langli nodded slightly, the two exchanged a few words, and then Shen Zhang hurriedly left.
Lin Langli still didn't go upstairs. Using the dim light at the top of the stairs, he hid in the shadows and stared at the interaction between Chenmian and Shen Jinshan not far away.
He watched as Shen Mian brazenly hugged Shen Jinshan's waist after Shen Zhang left, pressing her head against the man's chest and whining in a muffled voice.
Shen Jinshan did not push away his younger brother, who had now grown into an adult. Instead, he gently stroked Shenmian's head, one stroke at a time.
It's like how I usually pet the cat at home during my sleep.
He coldly turned his head away, changed the direction of his toes, and walked downstairs, coming face to face with Shen Ci, who had just climbed the stairs.
Shen Ci asked, "You've arrived. Where's Chen Mian? Is she with you? Why didn't you call me?"
Lin Langli: "He's hugging and cuddling with his older brother at the door, don't go and disturb them."
He clearly spoke without thinking.
Shen Ci paused for a moment, his brows furrowing with coldness, and strode past him upstairs.
Within seconds, Lin Langli heard their argument. Chen Mian's tone was still very angry: "Big brother, you're speaking up for me. You don't even know where you are, so what right do you have to criticize me?"
Back at the Shen residence, Lin Langli was slightly displeased by Shen Mian's expression upon seeing Shen Jinshan.
For a while, I was completely dependent on him during my period of deep sleep. The way I tried to be careful and flatter him is gone. Did I feel like I had a powerful backer?
However, he did not think that Shen Jinshan would be a support for Chenmian, and instinctively did not want Chenmian to have anyone to rely on.
At 11 p.m., Lin Langli knocked on the door of the sleeping young man. The young man was still awake, his hair was wet, and he was wearing the pajamas that Lin Langli had recently bought for him.
Seeing it was him, Chenmian opened her eyes wide hesitantly and welcomed him in: "Lin Langli, what's wrong?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I came to find you."
Lin Langli closed the door.
The young man's gaze swept across the room's layout, lingering on the messy bed before returning to the sleeping man's damp hair: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I can't sleep either. Everyone has changed towards me today..." The boy whispered, his black hair sticking to his skin. The main light in the room was off, making his skin look exceptionally white. Lin Langli stared at him without changing his expression as he listened to Chenmian say, "I didn't want to come back at all, but tomorrow is your family recognition ceremony, and I can't miss the moment you come back."
They only say nice things.
Lin Langli glanced at Chen Mian without moving, recalling the glaring scene from that evening.
“You just need to stay with me. Their attitude towards you depends on me.” With this blatant bargaining chip, Lin Langli couldn’t help but bring a hint of malice to his words. He moved closer to Chenmian, his fingertips tracing the young man’s still-dripping hair, and whispered, “It’s all because you did so many wrong things before. You owe me all of this.”
Chenmian looked up at him, her eyes becoming watery, as if she was about to cry from grievance. However, she couldn't cry in front of her aggrieved friend, so she could only bite her lip and softly say "Mmm," appearing obedient.
After Lin Langli left, Chen Mian turned on the hairdryer to muffle the noise, and couldn't help but vent her anger, throwing everything on the table to the floor, her fingers trembling uncontrollably—
He's having a hard time, while Lin Langli is so successful and triumphant. Tomorrow, Lin Langli's identity will be revealed. What will become of him in his slumber?
On the day of the banquet, the servants began preparing early in the morning for the evening's event. With the exception of a few, all the members of the Shen family had arrived the previous day.
During lunch, many people's eyes lingered on Shen Mian and Lin Langli. After the meal, the women gathered in the side hall to chat, while the men discussed matters in the study. However, the topics always circled back to the protagonist of the evening.
Chenmian felt a tightness in her chest, and even her breathing felt strained.
As night fell, the guests slowly entered, all of them wealthy and influential figures dressed in fine clothes.
The old house is traditionally luxurious, with a large, high-ceilinged hall filled with the subtle fragrance of sandalwood, exuding a deep and dignified atmosphere.
Dressed in an exquisite suit, Chen Mian blended into the crowd. In the past, he was the focus of everyone's attention, but today, everyone's conversation revolved around Lin Langli—the real young master of the Shen family.
Shen Mianjun's voice was loud and solemn as he announced Lin Langli's identity to everyone. Every word was like a heavy hammer blow to Shen Mian's heart. From this moment on, he was no longer the young master of the Shen family, but merely an insignificant adopted son.
Unable to bear the humiliation, Chenmian quietly left the hall and walked along the long pavilion path that circled the lake in the old house. The emerald lake and the lush vegetation around it made the place exceptionally quiet.
Several swans live in the lake, and they are currently leaning against the opposite bank, affectionately circling each other's necks.
Chenmian thought bitterly, even these beasts are keeping their distance from him, is he really that pathetic now?
The only sound was the gentle breeze rustling the water. The lake water, in the dim light, looked dark green, but reflected the light from afar, appearing in patches as if it had sunk into ice.
I sat down by the water, took off my shoes and socks, and dipped my feet into the cool lake water.
He had drunk some alcohol, and now the effects were kicking in, making him a little tipsy. The cool water brought him back to his senses, and he absentmindedly tugged at the grass on the bank.
Lin Langli's words last night were like a knife cutting into his flesh. How could he not know that his fate in the Shen family was largely determined by Lin Langli's attitude?
But Lin Langli had said before that he was not willing to let him go. Now that he was with him, it seemed that they had made up on the surface, but traveling with such a person was no different from asking a tiger for its skin.
He might not be able to do anything if Lin Langli eats him up completely one day.
Chen Mian's ambitions were not great. Before Lin Langli returned, his desire for the family's wealth and power was nothing more than wanting the amusement park under the Shen family's name.
Previously, he wanted the entire chain of amusement parks, but after Lin Langli returned, he could only cautiously settle for second best, hoping to get just one of them.
Would Lin Langli be willing to let him have it?
The banquet proceeded as usual, but Lin Langli was already feeling annoyed as he looked at the crowd surrounding him.
His gaze swept across the hall, but he did not see the sleeping figure.
Was he angered and ran away? Lin Langli pondered, then looked around. Shen Jinshan and Shen Ci were both there, so it seemed that he had left alone.
Didn't I say sweet things to him yesterday?
Why do you always say one thing and do another?
He couldn't help but sigh softly, feeling regretful that the only pleasure he had found in the Shen family had slipped away.
That's so naughty.
But this is slumber, a slumber filled with lies and devoid of sincerity.
He put down his wine glass, wanting to grab the fleeing swindler.
A note from the author:
My dear readers, I'll stop updating and stop taking breaks! Please come back, waaaaah, is anyone there?
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