Shen Jinyan watched his mother's car head toward his grandmother's house, utterly bewildered.
Hadn't his father said Grandma had gone out?
Why was his mother still going to Grandma's house?
Or was she just passing through the neighborhood?
Then he thought about how well his mother treated his grandmother, while his father secretly kept another woman and even plotted to harm them and seize their assets. His heart sank further.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes last night, he would never have dreamed that the father he had always respected was a beast in gentleman's clothing.
Not knowing his father's true colors before was one thing. Now that he knew, he would never let his father's plans succeed.
As a member of the Shen Family, he had a duty to protect his family.
Shen Ruogu turned right after his second brother's car, muttering as he drove,
"Are we going to Grandma's house?"
"Just follow him, Ruogu!" Shen Banxia urged, her face alight with excitement.
[The old hag's house is in an uproar. Mom's heading over just in time. Now things will get even livelier!]
Shen Ruogu glanced at his seventh sister and smiled.
Although he didn't know what had happened, judging by his sister's reaction, there should be quite a show to watch.
As soon as they got out of the car, they could faintly hear a heated argument coming from the villa.
"Mom, he's obviously taking her side, yet you're blaming me for making trouble!"
"You're at fault too. Why couldn't you come to me to settle this instead of making such an ugly scene?
If this gets out of hand and Shen Shuyi finds out, we'll all be in trouble!"
"I only lost my temper because Xiyue bullied me like that.
But she shouldn't have hit me either. Mom, look how badly she beat me! I can't even show my face anymore."
Shen Jinyan was about to go inside to break up the argument when Shen Shuyi turned and saw her second son there too. Without time to think, she reached out to stop him and signaled for him to keep quiet.
"Xiyue didn't know about those strange meanings attached to the earrings. She just thought they were pretty and would suit you, so she gave them to you!
Instead of appreciating it, you went over there and caused a scene. You brought this on yourself!" Xu Junshan argued in defense of his mistress.
"She deliberately set me up, and you expect me to thank her? Have you lost your mind?
I'm your own sister! Someone beat me up like this, and you're still siding with an outsider.
Oh, right, she's not an outsider. She's your lover-"
"Shut up!" Xu Junshan's expression changed instantly.
"I won't! I'm going to ask your wife to judge who's right-"
"Don't you dare!" Xu Junshan's face turned livid with rage.
Smack! A slap rang out, and the room fell silent, the atmosphere turning strange.
"Mom, you hit me?" Xu Yanni held her cheek, her eyes wide.
"Yanni, you can eat whatever you like, but you can't say whatever you please!
If I ever hear you say anything like that again, don't call me Mom. I'll pretend I never gave birth to you!" Xu Cuie warned.
"Mom-" Xu Yanni stamped her foot in fury. She couldn't swallow this humiliation, but she was afraid her mother might actually follow through.
She still relied on her mother for money and support from time to time. She couldn't afford to burn that bridge.
Shen Banxia entered the villa behind the others with her fourth brother. Now she watched her mother standing outside the living room doorway, both excited and nervous.
[The Xu family is done for. Mom heard everything. They can't hide Xu Junshan's affair anymore.]
[Mom must be furious. She'll definitely storm in and demand answers!]
[The Xu family will definitely deny it. Then they'll tear into each other. They might even start fighting!]
[This will be even livelier than last night!]
Instead, her mother remained calmly where she was, eavesdropping like any other spectator, with no intention of charging inside.
[Mom, why are you just standing there? You're watching the drama without doing anything!]
[Could Mom have already discovered Xu Junshan's affair and simply kept it to herself?]
Just as Shen Banxia's thoughts were battling furiously, Shen Shuyi and her two sons all turned to look at her.
Shen Banxia was instantly embarrassed.
[Why are you looking at me? Go inside and tear those scumbags apart!]
The corners of Shen Shuyi's mouth lifted slightly. She deliberately made a little noise before strolling into the villa, then asked in a surprised tone,
"What happened? Mom, weren't you going out with your friends?
Yanni, what happened to your face? Who hurt you? Tell me. I'll make sure you get justice."
She had stopped listening because she saw the butler approaching.
The Xu family's expressions changed the moment Shen Shuyi appeared, especially Xu Junshan's.
"Shuyi, when did you get here? Why didn't you tell me beforehand? I could have had someone buy more food."
Xu Cuie recovered first and approached her with a fake smile.
Where the hell had the butler gone? Why hadn't he announced her arrival? If Shen Shuyi heard something she shouldn't, they would be in serious trouble.
"I just arrived. I was planning to take the children out to the countryside, then remembered the baskets of fresh loquats in the car.
Since we were passing near your place, Mom, I thought I'd drop them off first.
If I'd known Junshan was coming here, I would have had him bring them over." Shen Shuyi explained with a smile.
"I just got here too. Something happened at Yanni's home, so Mom didn't go out. She called me over to discuss it," Xu Junshan lied, feigning composure.
[You scumbag. You only rushed over because Xu Yanni came running home first thing this morning to complain to the old hag, and you were afraid things would spiral out of control.]
"Yanni, what happened at home?
If you're too embarrassed to tell your brother, tell me. I'll definitely help you."
Shen Shuyi walked over to Xu Yanni, looking straight at her as she coaxed her gently.
"N-nothing." Xu Yanni's eyes darted evasively.
Her earlier threat to ask her sister-in-law to settle the matter had merely been a bluff to intimidate her brother. In truth, she wouldn't dare do it even if she had ten times the courage.
After all, if she dragged everyone down with her, she wouldn't gain anything and would only get herself into trouble. She wasn't stupid!
"She's too embarrassed to say it. Wenchuan beat her up like this last night," Xu Cuie explained, glancing at her daughter.
[She's willing to smear her own son-in-law just to hide the truth. Tsk, tsk. A crooked beam makes a crooked house. They're all in cahoots!]
"Why did Wenchuan hit Yanni? And so badly, too! That's outrageous!
Junshan, what kind of older brother are you? Why haven't you stood up for your sister?" Shen Shuyi demanded indignantly on her sister-in-law's behalf.
Quietly watching the drama from the sidelines, Shen Banxia nearly laughed aloud. So her mother had two faces too.
She finally understood. Her mother had already discovered something was wrong with Xu Junshan. That was why she could respond so calmly and intelligently after hearing everything, rather than impulsively charging in to start a screaming match.
Her mother in this life wasn't as naive and gullible as she had been in the previous one, helpless at everyone else's mercy. Instead, she knew how to step back to gain the upper hand and fight back.
Shen Banxia was already looking forward to watching her mother's revenge unfold.
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