Shen Yumian suddenly felt that her mother really did play favorites.
“So that’s why the main family values Lin Jianqing so much?” Shen Yumian asked.
“Me valuing him and the main family valuing him aren’t entirely the same thing.” Shen Mu looked at her, her tone softening slightly.
“Yumian, I still favor Lin Jianqing as a son-in-law because when Huaxue looks at him, she finally doesn’t seem to be looking at someone irrelevant. As for why the main family noticed him… that’s harder to explain.”
Shen Yumian’s gaze paused slightly. She wasn’t entirely sure what her mother meant by that.
“Is this something I should be hearing?” When it came to matters of the main family, Shen Yumian naturally didn’t want to pry. Seeing her mother’s gentle smile, Shen Yumian quickly put on a look of refusal.
The more you know, the more trouble you get into. That was the lesson Shen Yumian had learned growing up in the Shen Family.
“Since you don’t want to know, then I won’t bring it up. Now that this matter is settled, I’ve been thinking about when to call Shen Huaxue back home.” Shen Mu looked at the photo album in her hands, then lifted her head slightly.
If she applied a little pressure, those old stubborn heads in the Shen Family shouldn’t be able to do anything to Shen Huaxue.
Besides, Shen Huaxue was gradually developing feelings for Lin Jianqing, so it was only natural that she return to the Capital City.
Change.
“By the way, if I asked that boy Lin Jianqing to marry into the Shen Family, do you think he’d be willing?”
Honestly, Shen Mu couldn’t quite read the feelings between Shen Huaxue and Lin Jianqing, so she could only ask Shen Yumian, who had actually met him.
“Mom~ You should already have an answer in your head, right? What kind of temperament does Fourth Younger Sister have? I’d bet he was definitely forced into this.”
As for the means of coercion, Shen Yumian had already looked into it.
Though Shen Huaxue had changed somewhat, her personality was still just as terrible.
Shen Yumian simply picked up her teacup, the surface of the tea swaying gently before settling still again.
“Alright then, let’s see if we can cook the rice before the water boils.” Hearing Shen Yumian’s answer, Shen Mu had already reached a decision in her heart.
Hearing that, Shen Yumian couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for that boy Lin Jianqing.
Never mind what identity Lin Jianqing held with Fourth Younger Sister—if her mother had already decided Lin Jianqing was her son-in-law, then that matter would most likely not change.
Actually… Shen Yumian often used to complain about Shen Huaxue’s temper. But those complaints were also indirectly complaints about her mother, because the two of them had personalities that were far too similar.
Shen Mu’s powerful genes had influenced Shen Huaxue and Shen Yumian’s two older sisters above her, which also made her feel more like an ‘anomaly’ in the family.
Shen Yumian leaned back into the sofa. She didn’t want to talk about Lin Jianqing anymore. She could only pray that her future brother-in-law would quickly accept the fact.
Besides, from the fragments she’d heard from Shen Mu just now, she suddenly realized that Lin Jianqing’s background was even more troublesome than she’d imagined.
Shen Yumian lowered her gaze, as if deep in thought.
“Alright, I’ll probably need to keep bothering you about Lin Jianqing’s matters. If there’s nothing else, you can go rest.”
Shen Mu picked up her teacup again and said to Shen Yumian. But finally, as if remembering something, she suddenly added, “Oh, and the deeper parts of the ancestral estate—don’t go wandering over there recently.”
Shen Yumian looked up.
“What’s going on over there?”
Shen Mu didn’t look at her. She simply set the teacup down.
“Nothing. Just a reminder. Your ability’s landing point tends to drift easily. Don’t teleport yourself somewhere you shouldn’t be.”
Shen Yumian’s brow furrowed. The depths of the ancestral estate weren’t an ordinary place. Those courtyards had been sealed off for years. Servants never went near them, and the younger generation of the family was rarely allowed over there.
Shen Yumian lowered her head slightly. “Okay, I understand.” Though she was a bit curious, Shen Yumian knew all too well the principle of ‘the more you know, the more trouble you get.’ Even though Shen Mu wore an expression that said ‘you can ask, and I’ll tell you if you do.’
But Shen Yumian still kept her head down and left.
“And, practice your ability more. Don’t always teleport to some strange spot next to your destination.”
Watching Shen Yumian leave, Shen Mu added one final reminder.
“Ugh… I know, Mom. Okay, I’m leaving.” Shen Yumian, who was just about to leave, nearly stumbled from her mother’s reminder.
***
After Shen Yumian left, Shen Mu fell silent for even longer this time.
So long that she herself didn’t know how much time had passed.
The night breeze outside the main hall was a bit cold. Shen Yumian walked along the corridor toward her own courtyard. When she passed the back garden, her steps suddenly slowed.
A faint glow was emanating from the direction of the ancestral estate’s depths.
Normally, no one lived in the ancestral estate, let alone had lights on.
Shen Yumian had been walking casually along the wooden corridor of the main house. Though Shen Mu had said not to go near the ancestral estate, the estate was on the only path to her room.
When she passed by the ancestral estate, she hadn’t planned to look over. But the moment she turned her head, deep in the courtyard, behind that half-closed door, something seemed to glint—a faint silver flash.
Like hair, or maybe the corner of a robe.
It was too far away. She couldn’t make it out clearly.
All she could see was a blurry figure standing quietly in the darkness. That sliver of silver-white stood out too starkly in the night, too striking to be dismissed as an ordinary play of light and shadow.
Shen Yumian’s steps stopped. The figure didn’t turn around.
There was no movement at all.
Shen Yumian stared for a few seconds, then suddenly recalled what her mother had just said.
Don’t go where you shouldn’t.
Whatever she wasn’t supposed to see was probably that silver-white thing… Shen Yumian felt her luck was truly terrible.
Weren’t they supposed to be in the depths of the ancestral estate? Why was that person sitting right on the doorframe at the estate’s entrance?
‘I didn’t see anything. Didn’t see anything. Just some white blur—who knows what that was.’
‘Maybe it was a white dog… yeah, a white dog.’
Shen Yumian thought this to herself, kept her head down, and quickly hurried back to her own courtyard.
***
Meanwhile, sitting at the doorframe of the ancestral estate was a silver-haired girl, quietly watching Shen Yumian scurry away as if she were running from something.
She tilted her head with a hint of confusion. She didn’t seem to understand why that strange older sister was running away.
She’d originally wanted to say hello, but now it seemed she could only pass the time by staring at the stars in the sky.
“Achoo!”
Meanwhile, over in distant Linzhou City, Lin Jianqing—who was supposedly reviewing his studies to avoid being tormented by Shen Huaxue—suddenly sneezed.
He was playing on his phone at the moment. As for the review plan, he’d long since abandoned it.
Studying was never going to happen anyway. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait on Shen Huaxue right now, and the snacks and drinks he’d bought from the convenience store had all been finished off.
At this moment, he felt like he’d returned to those carefree, easy days before his parents’ accident.
Though, Lin Jianqing had no idea when this stretch of happiness would come to an end.
Over on Shen Huaxue’s side, she was also staring at the starry sky with a worried expression.
Shen Yumian’s sudden visit today had made her feel increasingly uneasy.
Thinking of Lin Jianqing… Shen Huaxue’s feelings were incredibly complicated.