Seeing Jiang Nian break the awkward silence, Shen Lei assumed she was speaking up for him. He immediately put on an aggrieved but forbearing expression.
"I'm fine, Jiang Nian. Don't fall out with my brother and the others over me."
Jiang Nian: ?
When did I ever speak up for you?
But Shen Lei seemed addicted to his own performance. Sneaking glances at everyone's reactions, he magnanimously tried to soothe Jiang Nian.
"Jiang Nian, I'm really fine. I know my brother doesn't like me. I'm used to it. Just having you speak up for me already makes me happy."
With that, he looked at Jiang Nian in satisfaction.
Jiang Nian could only stare speechlessly at his grateful gaze, which seemed to hold so many unspoken words.
After a long moment, her face turned ice-cold. As if searching for the right words to describe Shen Lei, she opened and closed her mouth several times before finally saying:
"You fucking two-faced bitch."
Trying to disgust me, are you?
Congratulations. You succeeded.
Shen Lei heard what Jiang Nian said, yet felt as though he must have misheard.
"Two... two-faced bitch?"
Shen Lei pointed a trembling finger at himself and asked Jiang Nian, his face deathly pale, "Are you talking about me?"
How could she say that about him? How dare she say that about him!
Jiang Nian watched Shen Lei coldly for a moment.
Then, to everyone's horror, her expression changed abruptly. Her lips curved into a smile, and she spoke to him with gentle sweetness.
"Oh, you misheard! How could I possibly use such crude language?"
[Disgust me like that again, and I'll throw a sack over your head and beat you until you can't even look after yourself.]
The main cast's mouths twitched as they watched Jiang Nian, whose outward behavior was wildly at odds with her inner thoughts.
Uncle Jiang, your daughter seems to be undergoing mitosis.
Looking at the smiling Jiang Nian, Shen Lei felt a little dazed.
Had he really misheard her just now?
He stole a glance, still uncertain.
Then he stole another and nodded solemnly.
Yes, he must have misheard.
Who could insult someone one second and look at him so tenderly the next?
With that thought, his expression relaxed. He waved a hand at Jiang Nian. "Then I must have misheard. You're so gentle and kind, Jiang Nian. How could you go around insulting people? I'm terribly sorry."
Everyone around them watched Shen Lei delude himself, utterly speechless. Wen Jincheng even shot Shen Hui a questioning look.
Is there something wrong with that illegitimate brother of yours?
Shen Hui remained silent.
How had he never noticed what an idiot this little nuisance was?
It was just as well Jiang Nian couldn't hear Shen Hui's thought. Otherwise, she would have laughed three times and spat straight in his face.
Shen Lei was cunning. Otherwise, he couldn't have helped his mother drive Shen Hui's mother, the lawful wife, to her death, then gradually won over Shen Qifei and Old Master Shen, leaving Shen Hui unloved by both his father and grandfather.
If Shen Hui hadn't later threatened to kill himself, those two damned bastards would have brought Shen Lei back into the Shen Family long ago.
Then, no longer satisfied with the status quo, Shen Lei had chosen to sacrifice an arm and orchestrate everything to return to the Shen Family, putting Shen Hui through a period of immense pain and despair in the process.
Back to the scene of Jiang Nian's abrupt change of expression.
Although Shen Lei could deceive himself, Jiang Wenxue hadn't misheard what Jiang Nian had just said.
Before they came over, Shen Lei had repeatedly reminded her to avoid speaking up even if he was bullied, but she couldn't hold back any longer.
Jiang Wenxue stepped directly in front of Shen Lei, pointed at Jiang Nian's nose, and cursed, "You bitch! Do you think we're deaf? You were clearly insulting Lei!"
Shen Lei was still trying to stop Jiang Wenxue when Jiang Nian abruptly channeled Auntie Qiong Yao, clutching her chest like a wounded beauty, her face full of grievance.
"You... how could you say that about me? I was only worried about your dear Lei!"
Jiang Wenxue was furious. "How is that being worried?"
Jiang Nian pretended to wipe the corners of her eyes, looking utterly heartbroken.
"Of course I'm worried about your dear Lei getting thrown out of the banquet!"
Jiang Wenxue gritted her teeth. "Ridiculous! Today is his grandfather's birthday banquet. Who would dare throw him out?"
Jiang Nian lowered the hand concealing her face and glanced at Shen Lei with a sneer.
"So you do know this is Old Master Shen's birthday banquet. But I don't think your dear Shen Lei knows."
[Otherwise, why would he drug Shen Hui on such an important day, then lock the two of you together to cause a scandal? Just to get into this rotten Shen Family, he's willing to ruin both Shen Hui's reputation and the family's. Doesn't he understand that they rise and fall together?]
[So what if he gets into the Shen Family because Shen Hui makes a mistake? Without the support of Shen Hui's mother's family, how much longer does he really think the Shen Family can last? Does he honestly think a Shen Family controlled by an illegitimate son can keep flourishing like it used to?]
[What a joke. Apart from Shen Hui, there's not one decent person in the whole Shen Family.]
[No wonder Shen Hui eventually struck out on his own and destroyed the Shen Family. This castle in the air is all show and no substance. One poke, and it collapses.]
Song Jici and the others were shocked. This was the first time they had heard details about Shen Hui's future.
Without the revelations in Jiang Nian's thoughts, Shen Hui might truly have been framed by Shen Lei today and had his reputation utterly destroyed, giving Shen Lei and his mother an opening.
As Shen Hui listened to the future Jiang Nian revealed, his initial confusion gave way to a surge of emotion.
The future Jiang Nian described was different from the one he had imagined.
He already disliked the Shen Family, but he wouldn't leave it lightly, because part of it belonged to his mother.
He couldn't hand over his position as the Shen Family's heir. So he could only swallow his disgust and hold on to it until he had power in his hands.
But after hearing the future Jiang Nian revealed, he understood.
Rather than inherit everything he despised, destroying it with his own hands would be far more satisfying.
After all, he was curious whether the Shen Family could still rise so effortlessly without his maternal grandparents' help.
In that case, he would start pulling a few strings ahead of time and speed up the process.
Watching Jiang Nian fiercely rail against the injustice he had suffered in her thoughts, Shen Hui's eyes curved with pleasure.
Apart from Ji Ci and the others, few people looked out for him so openly.
She might have a sharp tongue, but she really was adorable.
He stepped forward and pulled Jiang Nian behind him. Ignoring her puzzled expression, he bluntly ordered Shen Lei to leave.
"You should know nobody here welcomes you. Don't stay here and ask for trouble."
"Also, there are plenty of distinguished guests at today's birthday banquet. If you're planning any little tricks, I'd advise you to stop now. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what will happen."
At Shen Hui's warning, Shen Lei's pupils briefly contracted, but he forced himself to calm down.
He had that servant's family under his control. There was no way the servant would turn on him. Shen Hui couldn't possibly know what he was planning. He was probably just warning him not to try anything underhanded.
Still, he wasn't about to let such a good opportunity slip away.
Seeing the hostile looks everyone directed at him, Shen Lei knew it was time to leave. He took Jiang Wenxue's hand and tactfully said goodbye.
He had achieved his purpose in coming over, anyway.
Seeing everyone around them discussing his relationship with the Shen Family, his eyes curved in a smile.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nian stared after Shen Lei for a long time. Just as everyone began to think she really was going to throw a sack over his head, she suddenly raised her right hand, then...
Flipped Shen Lei off with all her might.
Before you continue