Her Birth Mother Began Her Counterattack

"You only just got here. Why are you leaving already? Stay a little longer!" Shen Shuyi urged her to stay.

"Another day, another day. I just remembered something I need to do. I have to hurry back," Xu Yanni replied, hastily waving her hands.

"Oh, I see. Then I won't keep you. I just ordered a batch of cordyceps and ginseng. I'll have Sister Lian get you a couple of boxes."

"No, no, I couldn't possibly take things home every time I visit you, Shuyi." Despite her words, Xu Yanni made no move to leave.

"We're family. There's no need to stand on ceremony!" After saying that, Shen Shuyi still had Sister Lian bring Xu Yanni some cordyceps and ginseng, along with several cases of imported fruit.

Before she left, Shen Shuyi made sure to add,

"Oh, and about those earrings. If you don't believe me, you can look up the information online.

Just don't tell anyone you heard it from me. I don't want to end up looking like the one at fault!

Honestly, if my conscience hadn't bothered me, I wouldn't have warned you. After all, wearing them brings prosperity to the Xu family!"

"Don't worry, Shuyi. I won't mention you at all. I know you only warned me out of kindness, for my own good."

With that assurance, Xu Yanni left the Shen Family home carrying her gifts.

My birth mother really knows how to play her cards. A few gifts shut my aunt's mouth, and she even drove a wedge between her and the mistress! Brilliant!

Listening to her daughter's thoughts while watching her sit quietly in a corner eating, Shen Shuyi felt a mixture of emotions.

If she couldn't hear her daughter's thoughts, she probably would have assumed she had an intellectual disability too, seeing her like this.

Fortunately, her daughter was just as Yushu had said: wise beneath her foolish exterior. That seemingly dim appearance was more like camouflage.

Until she had completely severed ties with Xu Junshan, she couldn't expose her daughter's true nature and put her in danger.

If she looked a little foolish, so be it. There was nothing wrong with that.

After her sister-in-law left, Shen Shuyi didn't rest. She summoned the butler.

She said that if she hadn't gone out today and happened to see a woman wearing jewelry identical to hers, she never would have realized her own jewelry had been switched out, stolen, and sold.

She suspected a thief among the household staff and instructed the butler to give everyone working for the Shen Family a warning.

Anyone who had taken anything from the Shen Family had one week to return it to its original place, exactly as it had been. If they did, she would let bygones be bygones.

Otherwise, if they were discovered next week, she would report them directly to the police, pursue legal action, and demand appropriate compensation.

Of course, this was also to avoid wrongly accusing anyone who worked conscientiously for the Shen Family.

The butler knew this was no trivial matter. Not daring to take it lightly, he immediately conveyed her instructions to everyone working for the Shen Family.

Naturally, Shen Shuyi wasn't doing this to find out who had stolen her jewelry. She was using the opportunity to get rid of some of the informants Xu Junshan had planted in the Shen Family household.

She wasn't sure which people were Xu Junshan's. After all, he had married into the Shen Family twenty-eight years ago. Too much time had passed to investigate easily, so she could only find a way to draw them out.

Besides, anyone who had stolen something would normally have disposed of it. How could they possibly return it exactly as it had been? When the time came, anyone working for Xu Junshan would surely turn to him for help.

Anyone who approached Xu Junshan recently would have to go. Better to dismiss the wrong person than let one slip through.

Even if they weren't working for Xu Junshan, anyone with sticky fingers couldn't stay either.

Before taking this step, Shen Shuyi had already instructed the Shen Family's Finance Department to send her a comprehensive list of every item, large and small, recorded in the household inventory over the past two years.

In a week, the Shen Family would conduct another thorough inventory and authentication. Comparing the results against the list would quickly reveal what was missing and what had been replaced.

Their home's surveillance footage from the past two years was also archived. As long as she was determined to investigate, she would uncover traces sooner or later.

Technology had advanced enough to make people's lives more convenient-and leave many crimes nowhere to hide.

With such a large home and so many possessions, nobody would normally notice something missing unless it was particularly conspicuous.

But if they truly investigated, anything on the inventory could be located or confirmed missing, even a needle or a length of thread.

Shen Shuyi's maneuver immediately sent those with guilty consciences into a panic.

Especially those who habitually stole things and helped themselves to whatever they could.

With that done, Shen Shuyi took her walks and drank her coffee as usual, calmly waiting for what would happen next.

When Xu Mingyue returned from school and saw Shen Banxia crouched beside the wall, talking to the flowers and plants, a sneer crossed her face.

To think this idiot had actually cost her mother a huge sum of money. Her mother had only fallen for it because she'd let her guard down for a moment.

Xu Mingyue walked over, yawning as she greeted Shen Banxia.

"Sis... what are you studying out here?"

It was all Shen Banxia's fault she hadn't gotten enough sleep. She'd been exhausted all day.

"I'm chatting with the flowers!" Shen Banxia replied innocently.

"What are you talking about?" The mocking amusement on Xu Mingyue's face deepened.

"The flowers said there's a ghost in our house!" Shen Banxia turned to stare at Xu Mingyue, lowering her voice mysteriously.

Xu Mingyue froze for a moment, then blurted out,

"You're crazy! What nonsense!"

"I'm telling Mom you called me names!" Shen Banxia looked away and lowered her eyes to the flowers, sounding utterly aggrieved as she complained.

Xu Mingyue's expression changed at once, and she hurried to explain,

"I wasn't calling you names."

"You called me crazy!" Shen Banxia insisted.

Xu Mingyue instantly shut down. There was nothing she could do about Shen Banxia's seemingly impaired comprehension. Since she was Shen Shuyi's biological daughter, Xu Mingyue could only swallow her frustration, apologize, and change the subject.

"I was wrong, I was wrong. I'm sorry!

Banxia, did you go to Aunt Cui's with Mom today?"

"How did you know?" Shen Banxia turned back to ask.

Xu Mingyue and her mother certainly exchanged information quickly.

"I... Mom told me! What did you talk about at Aunt Cui's?" Xu Mingyue almost failed to come up with an answer.

"Aunt Cui has lots of delicious food.

Oh, have you tried Aunt Cui's Osmanthus Cake?

It's so fragrant and soft and chewy. It's delicious!" As Shen Banxia spoke, she smacked her lips, still savoring the memory.

Xu Mingyue felt frustrated. Talking to Shen Banxia was like talking to a brick wall.

When Xu Mingyue didn't respond, Shen Banxia fell silent too, quietly watching her.

Her gaze made Xu Mingyue feel a little guilty. Just as she was about to offer an explanation, Shen Banxia suddenly smiled.

"Xu Mingyue, I never realized you were such a gossip!"

Frustrated and speechless, Xu Mingyue could only force a smile and reply,

"I'm not. I was just curious!

If I hadn't had to go to school, I would've gone with you. Aunt Cui's home is even grander than ours!"

"No matter how grand another place is, there's no place like home. Your own home is always the best!"

Unable to argue with that, Xu Mingyue gave a couple of awkward laughs, stopped paying attention to Shen Banxia, and went inside.

She thought her mother had only been outmaneuvered by Shen Shuyi and her daughter today because those two had gotten ridiculously lucky. They wouldn't be so lucky in the future!