Shen Mingzhu looked up and saw Xie Lang standing there, leaning against the door. When he noticed Shen Mingzhu looking at him, he raised his eyebrows, a somewhat mysterious smile on his face. Chen Jin had been keeping an eye on what was happening with Old Madam Li, but out of the corner of his eye, he'd been closely watching Shen Mingzhu. Seeing her in a daze, he instinctively followed her line of sight and saw Xie Lang standing at the door, looking at him intently.
Why is he here?
Chen Jin instinctively felt annoyed but didn't have the spare energy to pay attention to Xie Lang's movements.
"Hey, you went out to watch the fun without even calling me?"
Xie Lang had quietly walked up to Shen Mingzhu. No one present even noticed there was an extra person.
He reached out and leaned against Shen Mingzhu as if he had no bones. He casually took one of Shen Mingzhu's hands in his palm. His thumb traced over her knuckles, from the palm to the fingertips. Seeing that Shen Mingzhu didn't react, he leaned closer and let out a soft grunt of dissatisfaction.
[Humph, Shen Mingzhu sneaked out while I was sleeping. If I hadn't reacted quickly and informed Shen Mingyuan when I heard those people from the Li family were coming, how could it be this lively now?]
[Tsk, so annoying. I really hate Chen Jin. Fortunately, Shen Mingzhu doesn't know anything.]
Shen Mingzhu: "..."
At first, she really didn't know anything. But after hearing Xie Lang's thoughts, she had a bit more of an understanding.
She didn't expect Xie Lang to be so well - informed, even seeing things more clearly than she, the person involved.
After a moment of silence, Shen Mingzhu felt Xie Lang gently squeeze her palm, as if giving her a little reminder.
She looked up and saw Xie Lang looking at her dissatisfiedly. When he noticed her looking back, he pursed his lips.
Was he dissatisfied that she hadn't answered him?
Shen Mingzhu suddenly felt like laughing. The unpleasantness brought on by Li Chengyu and Old Madam Li just moments ago instantly vanished. She looked at Xie Lang, quickly glanced around, and then leaned closer to him.
Seeing this, Xie Lang's expression remained unchanged, but he slightly bent his knees so that Shen Mingzhu could turn her head and whisper in his ear without having to stand on her tiptoes.
He looked as carefree as ever, but all his attention was on Shen Mingzhu. He was waiting for that clichéd greeting he could already imagine her saying, and his anticipation didn't wane at all.
Shen Mingzhu lowered her voice and said, "I thought you went to bed late last night, so I wanted you to rest a bit more. By the time I got back, you'd probably be awake."
Xie Lang was amused by her last words. A lingering smile appeared in his eyes, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly as he said, "Oh."
Shen Mingzhu almost burst out laughing.
Chen Yun, who was standing beside Shen Mingzhu, only now noticed Xie Lang, who had suddenly appeared. Surprise flashed in her eyes.
"You..." Old Madam Li stood there, looking extremely embarrassed. At first glance, it seemed as if she was being bullied by the people in front of her. All traces of her earlier arrogance were gone. "Let's talk about this matter slowly."
"Yunyun and Chengyu are husband and wife after all. This is a family matter. Let's put the divorce on hold for now."
"Put it on hold?"
Chen Jin let out a low laugh as if he'd heard a joke. He looked at Old Madam Li and said, "I didn't know that after being away from the capital for a few years, marriage could be treated like a joke."
"That's that for this matter."
As he said this, Chen Jin turned to a young maid beside him and gave her a few instructions, telling her to quickly fetch paper and a pen.
At first, Old Madam Li was glad that she'd removed an obstacle for her son. She thought that after Chen Yun divorced her son, he'd surely be able to find a better daughter from a noble family.
But now...
Old Madam Li's face looked a bit ugly. Seeing Chen Jin looking at her half - smiling, she even unconsciously showed a bit of timidity and annoyance in her eyes.
She clenched her hands tightly, and her breathing became a bit rapid. When she saw Chen Jin giving instructions to the young maid, a bold idea even popped into her head.
Forget it. Since I've already offended them, I might as well go all the way. Anyway, I won't be the one suffering in the end! What is Chen Yun so proud of? She's pregnant now. After the child is born, who would want her?
If it's a boy, I must find a way to take the child back and raise it myself. If it's a girl, I'll just let Chen Yun be. After she gets married, I'll bring her back to the mansion and find a good family for her.
The more Old Madam Li thought about it, the more excited she became. So, when she looked at Chen Jin, there was a bit of smugness in her eyes.
What is he so proud of? His sister is about to be divorced. Even though he's a general, the Li family doesn't want her!
Li Chengyu was standing beside them. A look of despair was faintly showing on his face. When he looked at Chen Jin, there was even a bit of pleading in his eyes.
It had been difficult enough to bring Yunyun back. Now, his mother had come out to cause more trouble. Chen Jin had just been ennobled, and their situation was even more complicated.
He instinctively looked at Chen Yun and saw that she was also looking at him. He forced a smile and said softly, "Yunyun, I don't want to be separated from you."
Hearing this, Chen Jin sneered and said, "So, is the young master of the Li family going to be a nuisance?"
As he spoke, Chen Yun just quietly looked at Li Chengyu. The more she looked, the more his heart sank, and a bit of helplessness unconsciously showed in his eyes.
"What did you say!"
Before Li Chengyu could step forward, Old Madam Li grabbed his sleeve.
He turned to look at Old Madam Li seriously, then said to the servant beside him, "Take Old Madam Li away."
"Yes."
The guards and maids behind Li Chengyu stepped forward and grabbed Old Madam Li.
"What are you doing! Li Chengyu! I'm your mother!"
Li Chengyu had always been obedient in front of her and had never shown such an expression. Old Madam Li was stunned in disbelief when she saw him take such action. Then she exclaimed, "Let go! Let me go!"
A bitter look appeared on Li Chengyu's face. He said coldly to Old Madam Li, "Mother, what on earth do you want to do? I'll tell Father what happened today exactly as it is. For now, I'd better send you back!"
Old Madam Li came from a humble background. When she was young, she was cautious in her actions. Later, her son and husband were both outstanding and indulged her, so her temper got worse day by day. As Li Chengyu became more and more outstanding, she favored her younger son even more.
"You!"
Old Madam Li was extremely angry. Before she could say anything, she saw the coldness in Li Chengyu's eyes as he looked at her. He warned her, "Mother, you know very well what Father will do if he knows you keep causing trouble."
"Moreover, if you keep making a scene, I won't help with younger brother's matter anymore."
Old Madam Li instantly became like a chicken with its neck wrung. She stared with wide eyes and didn't dare to say a word.
"Young master, the paper and pen are here."