Before long, Xing'er led a young woman in a pale yellow dress into the room.
Chen Miaohe curtsied first, a gentle smile gracing her face. Her gaze landed on Cui Yunchu and never shifted away, making Cui Yunchu feel rather uncomfortable.
"Miss Chen, please have a seat."
Chen Miaohe sat down by the bed, and Xing'er immediately served tea.
Chen Miaohe said, "I wanted to sit and chat with you a few days ago, Eldest Miss, but your household kept saying you were unwell. I was truly worried, so I wanted to come and see for myself. I hope I'm not disturbing your recovery."
Chen Miaohe had originally thought the Cui family simply didn't want to deal with the Chen family anymore. Seeing Cui Yunchu now, she realized she was genuinely ill.
Cui Yunchu smiled. "I'm almost fully recovered. Thank you for your concern, Miss Chen."
"It's only right," Chen Miaohe said awkwardly. "Regarding what happened before... I know what my elder brother's temper is like. I came today to apologize to you on his behalf. If he said anything unpleasant before, please don't take it to heart."
"Even my mother says he's a bookworm."
Cui Yunchu smiled. "Your brother certainly doesn't mince his words."
Slandering her time and again—if she didn't have a good temper, she would have gone to the Chen family to make trouble long ago.
It was also because Cui Yunchu couldn't be bothered to argue with him. After all, she was a young lady; if things blew up, it would be her own reputation that suffered.
Chen Miaohe felt a bit embarrassed.
After a moment, she said, "After the incident with the young master of the Wang family came to light, he knew he was wrong. He has always wanted to apologize to you, but due to the boundaries between men and women, he never had the chance."
Cui Yunchu smiled but said nothing.
There was no need for an apology; as long as he didn't come before her and spout nonsense like a madman, it would be fine.
When Chen Jiuhe learned the whole story about the Wang family's son, he truly regretted his actions, but he was too proud to admit it.
And in his heart, there was also Shen Xiabai, someone he knew he was no match for.
Chen Miaohe said, "The past is in the past. Since you have found someone even more outstanding than my brother, our Chen family is happy for you."
There was a hidden meaning in these words. Cui Yunchu frowned slightly but didn't probe further.
"Yunchu, may I call you that?"
Cui Yunchu nodded. "Of course."
Chen Miaohe beamed. "From now on, we'll be family. We should visit each other often. I really like you, and I don't want any past unpleasantness regarding my brother to affect our relationship."
Family?
Cui Yunchu was a bit bewildered.
They weren't even friends yet, so how did they suddenly become family?
Chen Miaohe didn't give her a chance to ask, standing up and saying, "I've been here for a while, I shouldn't delay your rest. Let's meet again when you are fully recovered."
"...Xing'er, see Miss Chen out."
She came in a hurry and left in a hurry.
Cui Yunchu and Cui Yunfeng both stared at the doorway, feeling somewhat baffled.
"Did you understand what she meant?" Cui Yunchu asked Cui Yunfeng.
"She said she likes you."
The enthusiasm in her eyes couldn't be faked. Cui Yunfeng shivered. "She also said you'll be family. Eldest Sister, is there something wrong with this Miss Chen's head?"
"No." Cui Yunchu rested her chin in her hand. "I've interacted with her before; she's quite a cheerful girl."
At the entrance of the Cui residence, Chen Miaohe got into the Shen family's carriage.
"Thank you for accompanying me to the Cui residence today, Young Master Shen."
The carriage clopped forward. Only after leaving the street did Shen Zilan slowly withdraw his gaze. "I had nothing else to do. You don't need to be so polite, Miss Chen."
Chen Miaohe was speechless.
She was his fiancée. Shouldn't he say something like it was his duty to do so?
Another bookworm.
Chen Miaohe felt stifled and rested her chin in her hand, staying silent.
Shen Zilan asked, "I heard that Eldest Miss Cui is unwell?"
Chen Miaohe nodded. "Her complexion didn't look too good. They said she caught a cold and it's quite serious."
"Is she fully recovered now?"
His tone was somewhat urgent, prompting Chen Miaohe to give him a strange look.
Shen Zilan immediately restrained his emotions. "I was just asking casually."
Chen Miaohe raised an eyebrow and said somewhat sneakily, "Whether she's fully recovered or not, shouldn't your youngest uncle know very well? What, did the two of them have a fight?"
"My uncle is busy with government affairs all day, how could he know clearly about a young lady?" As Shen Zilan spoke, he suddenly froze.
"What do you mean?"
What should his uncle know? Who had a fight?
Seeing Shen Zilan's baffled expression, Chen Miaohe frowned.
Did he really not know?
Lord Shen had kept it completely watertight.
Chen Miaohe suddenly felt a bit awkward, unsure if she should speak or not.
If she said it, it would make her seem like a blabbermouth.
If she didn't, her heart would itch with the secret.
Just thinking of the scene where Lord Shen and Cui Yunchu stood together—a perfect match of a talented man and a beautiful woman, meeting and falling in love—she couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile.
Shen Zilan, however, stared intently at Chen Miaohe. "What are you smiling at, Miss Chen? What exactly did you mean by what you just said?"
Chen Miaohe remained silent.
After all, he was his own nephew. Telling him would just mean one more person to gossip with; it shouldn't be a big deal.
"It's just... it's just that Eldest Miss Cui and your uncle are in love with each other, and a happy occasion is approaching."
Shen Zilan sat there motionless, staring blankly at Chen Miaohe.
It was as if a sudden clap of thunder had exploded in his mind.
His handsome face, which still carried a hint of youthful innocence, stiffened slightly, as if something was slowly shattering in the depths of his clear eyes.
"What did you say?"
Chen Miaohe pursed her lips and repeated what she had just said. "When I first found out, I was just as surprised as you are."
"But thinking about it carefully, Eldest Miss Cui has a city-toppling beauty, and Lord Shen is exceptionally handsome. Standing together, they are a match made in heaven."
Her brother could at most compare to a fraction of that, and even that was Chen Miaohe speaking against her conscience for the sake of their sibling bond.
"Nonsense." Shen Zilan looked utterly absurd, wanting to laugh but unable to. "Where did you hear this? It's pure nonsense."
"How could it be nonsense?" Chen Miaohe immediately retorted. "My eldest brother saw it with his own eyes, and both Lord Shen and Eldest Miss Cui tacitly acknowledged it. How could it be fake?"
Looking at Chen Miaohe's certain expression, Shen Zilan's eyes slowly darkened, and his face turned slightly pale.
He pressed his lips tightly together, suddenly withdrew his gaze, and lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.
Chen Miaohe frowned. "What's wrong with you?"
No matter how careless she was, she finally noticed the change in Shen Zilan's mood.
"Nothing." Shen Zilan's muffled voice was blown back into the carriage by the wind.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Chen residence. Chen Miaohe got off, and Shen Zilan didn't even say goodbye before urging the driver to return home immediately.
Chen Miaohe stood on the steps, her brows tightly knitted. "Dumber than a blockhead. I don't know what mother sees in him."
Chen Miaohe sighed deeply. She acknowledged Shen Zilan's good character, but as a young woman, she inevitably yearned for the passionate love found in storybooks, rather than the arranged marriages dictated by parents. She always felt that life had lost its fun.
The Shen residence, Shen Xiabai's study.
Yu Feng carefully placed a tattered book on the desk. "It rained a few days ago, and the book... was mostly ruined."
Although it had been retrieved, the contents inside were long destroyed.
Shen Xiabai lowered his eyes, slowly flipping through a few chapters. His lips were pressed tightly together, and his gaze was exceedingly cold.
It was the only thing his father had left him.
The Cui family had destroyed his last remaining sentimental attachment.
Have you found out the truth?
Yu Feng frowned and shook his head.
Shen Xiabai raised his eyes, his expression aloof. Did you not find anything, or is it impossible to investigate?
Yu Feng replied, All evidence has been destroyed. Not a single trace was left behind.
What about the horse?
Even if it had been smashed into mud, they should still be able to find its corpse.
At the mention of this, Yu Feng's scalp tingled slightly. Your subordinate was a step too late. By the time I found the horse, not even bone fragments remained. I don't know if it was devoured by wild beasts or what happened, but there was only a pool of bloody water left.
Shen Xiabai tapped his fingertips against the desk, his expression unchanging at these words.
Yu Feng continued, Master, this method... nine times out of ten, it is the work of His Highness Prince An.
Whether it was Madam Tang, née Cui, the Crown Prince, or Prince An, Shen Xiabai had been dealing with them for quite some time and naturally had some understanding of their methods.
Amidst the silence, another person suddenly pushed the door open and entered, handing over a wooden token. Master, this was found at the bottom of the cliff.
Shen Xiabai turned it over and suddenly curled his lips into a smile.
Yu Feng leaned in for a glance and frowned. This is a token from the Ministry of War. Could my guess be wrong? Was it the Liu family who tampered with the carriage?
That would also make sense. After all, the carriage belonged to the young lady of the Tang family. The one the Liu family originally wanted to harm was Tang Qingwan.
Shen Xiabai tossed the wooden token onto the table, his gaze resting lightly upon it. It's true that the intended victim was the young lady of the Tang family, but as for who actually carried it out...
He tapped the wooden token with his fingertips and sneered, That is not necessarily certain.
Sometimes, evidence was the most unreliable thing of all.
Master suspects someone is shifting the blame? But if this was done by the young lady of the Liu family, it would make sense for there to be such an oversight.
Mm. Shen Xiabai didn't really care.
The more fiercely the Tang and Cui families fought with the Liu family, the better. He was happy to sit back and watch.
He had ordered an investigation to see if Madam Tang, née Cui had a hand in it, to see if it was a coincidence or a calculated scheme.
Since he was only accidentally dragged into it, Shen Xiabai couldn't be bothered to intervene. Have someone keep an eye on the situation. We will just watch coldly from the sidelines.
He would watch how the Tang and Cui families, the Liu family, the Crown Prince, and Prince An settled this messy debt.
The study fell silent. Not long after, a sudden, loud bang came from the study door.
It caused the furnishings in the room to tremble, and dust drifted down from the roof beams.
