...
Shen Yi hid behind, revealing only half of her face, her amber eyes blinking as she looked at the person opposite her.
Her two hands gripped the hem of Shen Zhizhao's clothes. Elder Shen sat on the sofa, steam rising from the purple clay teapot in front of him. The fragrance of the tea mixed with the lingering scent of incense in the ancestral hall, forming a reassuring and comforting aroma.
But at this moment, he felt anything but reassured.
Elder Shen looked at this row of younger generation members, who were all, intentionally or unintentionally, on guard against him for the sake of a child.
Right now, he felt like the ultimate villain.
The problem was that he wasn't a villain; he was their grandfather.
This scene seemed exceptionally absurd.
In the past, none of these juniors dared to speak loudly in front of him, but today they had rarely grown a spine.
When Elder Shen tried to coldly reprimand her for her actions in the ancestral hall...
They showed an inexplicable tacit understanding.
Opening and closing their mouths, they shared a unified testimony: She is still just a child.
Elder Shen listened until his temples throbbed. With heavy oppression in his voice, he said, Are you going to spoil her like this? What will she become in the future? Will you be satisfied if she turns into a useless bum who just eats and waits to die?
Shen Wenta almost wanted to say that this would be a good thing.
But he held it back.
Well, we can't just start by belittling and suppressing her, Shen Ruxu was the only one present who dared to retort. He pulled Shen Yi into his arms. Grandpa, education requires proper methods.
Besides, she really can do whatever she wants in the future, right?
Anyway, you don't need to worry about it.
In just a few words, Elder Shen was rebuffed so much that his expression clouded over.
Hearing them discuss her future, Shen Yi raised a hand, her voice as crisp as a ringing bell: I want to be an assassin in the future! My code name will be Grilled Sausage!
She loved eating Grilled Sausage.
...
Shut up. Elder Shen felt his blood pressure spike the moment he heard her speak. What on earth was a Grilled Sausage?
He didn't manage the affairs of the Archive much, but he knew that assassins all had basic code names.
He could close his eyes and imagine how comical it would be for a Grilled Sausage to appear among a uniform list of concise and clear assassin code names.
Shen Xun, squatting in the back, suddenly spoke up: I want to be an assassin too.
Regardless, being an assassin was quite freeing, and it was easy to achieve financial freedom, even if it was very busy.
Shen Xun liked this kind of quiet, unchanging work.
If his younger sister was called Grilled Sausage, then would he be Hotdog?
You want to as well? Elder Shen couldn't help but speak sarcastically upon hearing this. Then why don't the two of you debut together at the Archive? When the time comes, go report directly to Shen Sigui and say you are a brother-sister assassin duo, how about that?
He was purely being sarcastic. Shen Yi heard it, but pretended not to understand, jumping up with a grin: Wow, is that really okay?
Grandpa, you are truly a great person!!
Then I will go report to the Archive as soon as I graduate from elementary school~~
...A great person.
Elder Shen's face twitched slightly.
He had an unknown number of lives on his hands, and the various case files of crimes committed in the records room could pile up into a small mountain.
Yet now, he was being evaluated as a great person by a seven or eight-year-old little girl.
Shen Ruxu was already squatting on the side, laughing so hard he doubled over.
You should know, Grandpa, Shen Zhizhao stood at the very front, after all, she only has her mom and dad by her side.
He squatted down, gently wrapping one arm around Shen Yi's shoulders and rubbing her hair with the other hand. With a soft and affectionate expression, his voice was gentle: Shen Yi isn't like her idle second, third, and fourth brothers, who have the family to back them up.
Right now, other than becoming an assassin, she has no other choice.
Shen Yi, being held by him, still didn't quite understand what he meant by saying this.
Little Yi isn't like Shen Ruxu and the others who can freely choose their professions. She doesn't have the family's backing, so she can only rely on herself.
Right? Shen Zhizhao gestured for her to look up, smiling: Little Yi?
Shen Yi understood now; he was trying to get a definitive promise from Grandpa for her.
Mhm, she reacted quickly, biting the corner of her lip, and opened her mouth to say: Brother, my life is so bitter—
Sister. Shen Zhizhao returned an equally affectionate gaze, tilting his head slightly, his fingertips brushing away her nonexistent tears: Don't cry, don't cry.
The two of them chiming in one after another was like a comedic double act.
The other three were dumbfounded.
Where did they get this ridiculous tacit understanding? Shen Wenta whispered.
Shen Ruxu was squatting on the ground, still unable to stop laughing, his voice trembling: How should I know! I haven't even seen the two of them together that many times!
The two of them looked at Shen Xun in unison.
Shen Xun squatted in the corner expressionlessly. Feeling the two gazes, he lifted his eyelids to look at them and said, I don't know either.
He hated Shen Zhizhao.
He always felt that he and Shen Yi shared some secret.
Shen Xun hated secrets the most.
Listening to this exchange, Elder Shen's hand tapping the teacup was trembling.
With this group of kids gathered together, even someone with low blood pressure would be cured on the spot.
No family backing...
A bitter life...
Every single sentence was clearly a pointed jab at him.
Then what do you want me to do? You want me to acknowledge her? Elder Shen's temples throbbed, his tone heavy. Why don't you just ask me to hold a press conference to announce her identity?
Whether it was the branch families or the main family, they rarely let their children appear in the public eye.
The situation of the Shen family was more like a cloud of mist. Only the tip of the iceberg was occasionally revealed, and the outside world knew practically nothing about them.
No need, just one word from you will do. Shen Zhizhao's expression was neither cold nor hot, perfectly measured. The housekeepers at home all call her Miss Shen.
This type of address was generally reserved for guests.
Elder Shen had never explicitly stated his stance on her identity, so that layer of window paper remained unbroken. They could only choose a distant-sounding title to avoid displeasing the masters of the house.
Shen Zhizhao just wanted a clear attitude from his grandfather.
With the family as her backing, even if Shen Yi didn't run amok in the future, just navigating social occasions would be exceptionally smooth.
Grandpa, there is something I haven't told you. Shen Ruxu also guessed his older brother's intention. His eyes flickered slightly, and he simply decided to add fuel to the fire: She saved my life.
