Chapter 182 A young man is looking at you.
Wang glanced quickly at Shen Changyin out of the corner of her eye and saw him nod slightly.
She took half a step forward, her voice carrying a deliberate air of dignity: "In response to this gentleman, I am Qingnian's mother."
Xie Yanzhi slowly raised his eyes, and when his gaze fell on Wang Shi, his brows twitched almost imperceptibly.
The woman before me was adorned with numerous gold and kingfisher feather hairpins.
She wore a dress embroidered with gold, with three layers of gold trim around the collar and cuffs, and a golden peony on her chest.
It's complicated and vulgar.
Her face was plastered with a fawning smile, but her eyes betrayed a shrewdness and mercenary nature.
How could such a vulgar person give birth to a woman as aloof and refined as Shen Qingnian?
Xie Yanzhi frowned, and the scrutiny in his eyes made Wang Shi feel uneasy.
Ever since that bitch Su Wanyun helped Shen Qingnian escape, the master has locked Su Wanyun in the backyard and interrogated her about Shen Qingnian's whereabouts every day.
However, Su Wanyun refused to reveal Shen Qingnian's whereabouts.
Later, the master lost patience and ordered her to interrogate him every few days.
Wang believed that she was born into a better family than Su Wanyun, but she was not as beautiful as her.
Shen Changyin only made her a concubine, which she resented for many years.
His resentment towards Su Wanyun grew stronger and stronger.
Unexpectedly, Shen Changyin entrusted her with such a good task.
Having received the order, Wang went to the backyard every day to humiliate Su Wanyun, cutting off her food and displaying the power and authority usually reserved for a principal wife, which finally relieved some of her anger.
But that one glance from this gentleman made her inexplicably uneasy, as if he could tell at a glance that she wasn't the real Madam Shen.
Xie Yanzhi shifted his gaze from Wang Shi to Shen Changyin beside him, his expression filled with questioning and an undeniable air of authority.
Shen Changyin's heart skipped a beat when he saw that look. He quickly stepped forward, a fawning smile plastered on his face: "Sir, this is Madam Wang. She... she is also Nian'er's mother."
Su Wanyun was still locked in the backyard by him, and she was too ashamed to be seen by anyone.
Since Su Wanyun was imprisoned by him, he has allowed Wang to temporarily take over the role of mistress and manage the household affairs. The servants in the mansion have long since accepted Wang as the legitimate wife.
This man's origins are unknown, but judging from his demeanor, he must be an important figure. We can't let Su Wanyun ruin things.
"You mean that?" Xie Yanzhi's face darkened.
Yuan Qing, standing beside him, said coldly, "Master Shen, my master is asking about Miss Qing's birth mother! Not some Tom, Dick, or Harry!"
He heard clearly the foul language Wang had just uttered.
How could such a mean and vicious woman be Qing's biological mother?
Upon hearing this, Shen Changyin's smile froze.
Madam Wang was even more annoyed that a mere servant dared to speak to her like that! But she couldn't retaliate now, so she could only suppress her anger, her face turning red and white in turns.
Shen Changyin was now even more certain that this man had a close relationship with Shen Qingnian, otherwise he wouldn't be protecting Shen Qingnian like this and insisting on meeting Shen Qingnian's birth mother.
However, this gentleman spoke with a Beijing accent, and his clothing and accessories were quite extraordinary.
If Qingnian really finds him a backer even more powerful than Jiang Funian, then the Shen family will no longer have to suffer from the Jiang family's wrath.
He rolled his eyes and tentatively asked, "This gentleman's accent sounds somewhat like someone from the capital. How come he knows my Nian'er?"
"How dare you inquire about my master's name?"
Yuan Qing's eyes sharpened, and he took a step forward.
"Stop with this nonsense, where exactly is Miss Qing's birth mother!"
Shen Changyin, having failed to ascertain the man's identity, wanted to test him further.
Suddenly, the sound of a sword being drawn came from behind. Shen Changyin turned around and saw that one of the guards had already drawn half of the sword from his waist and was pointing it directly at him.
Shen Changyin was so frightened that he broke out in a sweat, and his voice trembled slightly: "I... my wife is in the backyard, but she has been unwell lately and it is really inconvenient for her to receive guests."
Upon seeing this, Wang also looked flustered.
Unexpectedly, this gentleman, who appeared refined, was actually a ruthless character.
Seeing her master being threatened with a knife, she quickly chimed in, "Yes, sir, ever since Nian'er left, my sister has been missing her day and night, and her health has long since deteriorated."
"Now my sister can hardly even get up, so she really can't see you."
After speaking, Wang and Shen Changyin exchanged a glance.
Although the panic in the couple's eyes was fleeting, Xie Yanzhi saw it clearly.
His doubts deepened, and his tone turned as cold as ice: "In that case, I will go to the backyard myself to take a look."
Upon hearing this, Shen Changyin and Madam Wang's expressions changed instantly, but they dared not refute it. They could only grit their teeth and lead the group to the backyard one after the other.
As Xie Yanzhi walked through a long corridor, he suddenly stopped and his gaze fell on the swing not far away.
A woman was sitting on the swing, dressed in a plain, moon-white dress.
Her slender and graceful figure bore a striking resemblance to Shen Qingnian.
His heart skipped a beat, and he was momentarily lost in thought.
She always loved wearing plain-colored clothes, which always gave her a cool and aloof air, like the cold mist under the moon, making her unforgettable at first glance.
When Wang saw Xie Yanzhi stop, she felt a little puzzled. Then she noticed that he was staring at a certain spot, so she followed his gaze.
He was staring at his daughter, Shen Qingrui, with a tender look in his eyes, as if he were looking at his beloved.
Wang felt a sense of relief, and then her heart was filled with joy.
Jiang Funian didn't take a liking to her daughter. Wouldn't it be better if this important person took a liking to her?
Thinking this, Madam Wang stepped forward and said, "That is my daughter, Shen Qingrui."
Shen Changyin also noticed something amiss. Judging from the man's expression, he clearly had some interest in Qingrui.
He secretly thought that if he could help Qingrui get close to this important person, the Shen family would have no worries about future wealth and prosperity.
Then he exchanged glances with Wang.
Both of them had joy in their eyes.
Shen Qingrui, sitting on the swing, was adjusting her skirt when her maidservant said obsequiously, "Miss, you look much better in this dress than the eldest young lady! Even if the eldest young lady wears something plain, she doesn't look as good as you with your figure."
Shen Qingrui raised her chin smugly, her voice tinged with disdain: "I don't know what's so good about Shen Qingnian's clothes. They're so plain, yet Young Master Jiang treats them like treasures."
Her mother, Wang, had already told her to wear Shen Qingnian's old clothes and imitate Shen Qingnian's aloofness while swinging on the swing.
We'll figure out a way to get Jiang Funian to come over and "bump into" us later.
As long as Jiang Funian takes a liking to her, her father will definitely make her mother the legal wife, and then she will be the rightful eldest daughter of the Shen family.
As they were talking, the maid suddenly noticed a man standing in the corridor behind Shen Qingrui. He was tall and handsome, and was looking intently at his mistress.
She quickly lowered her voice and reminded her, "Miss, a young man is watching you."
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