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墨書 Inktalez
“Ah...”
Shen Muhan had spent the entire night waiting for Xia Muxin to wash her hair, but by the time she fainted from exhaustion in bed, she still hadn’t gotten it done.
One day, when Xia Muxin finally woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. Perhaps it was because she had traveled all day yesterday and visited places like the Workshop supermarket. Coupled with Shen Muhan's extraordinary energy, Xia Muxin felt she deserved a round of applause for herself—at least she hadn’t slept for three days and nights.
Shen Muhan was not around. Even the thin blanket had long lost her warmth. After washing up, she went to knock on the door of the adjacent room, feeling a bit anxious. After all, leaving Yan Zhouwan here without any word for an entire night made her wonder if she would be mocked later.
“Miss, Miss Yan left early this morning. It seems she encountered some tricky matters and asked you to rest in your room. She will come find you once she's done.”
After knocking for quite a while with no response, Xia Muxin had a sinking feeling. Yan Zhouwan was not someone who could sit still; given that she was currently in a low mood, she wouldn’t just stay locked in her room. The only way for her to vent would be to keep herself busy. Just as Xia Muxin withdrew her hand from the door, a young servant approached her respectfully, casting glances downstairs with a somewhat elongated face.
Xia Muxin immediately realized that Shen Muhan must have run into some trouble, which was why they were keeping her from going downstairs. At the same time, it reminded her of Su Xiuning. Her heart sank; could it be that troublesome woman had really come? Seeing the young servant looking at her with confusion, she offered him a warm smile and nodded before heading downstairs. As she hurried down, even her light embroidered shoes made a loud clattering sound on the wooden steps, drawing glances from several people tidying up the hall below.
“Have you been bewitched by that uncultured girl? You’re throwing away your bright future to get involved with an ordinary commoner. Now you’re happy and have forgotten your home and relatives. Look at how magnanimous Xiu Ning is; despite how cruelly you’ve hurt her, she still cares about you. You should know that every relationship is difficult when you’re out in the world. A girl like this is out there exposing herself every day, running supermarkets and workshops; while others are supporting her, who knows how much gossip is swirling behind her back? This is bringing shame to your Shen Family! How will Mu Qing ever find a wife after this?”
However, just as her foot hit the ground, a series of loud noises accompanied by knocking sounds echoed in her ears. The few people who had been cleaning the hall had vanished without a trace. Xia Muxin felt a wave of frustration as she looked at Su Rong and his grandson with their backs turned to her, feeling an impulse to slap them both.
What was wrong with a woman making a name for herself? What was wrong with running a supermarket or workshop and earning money through her own efforts? Wasn’t his precious granddaughter always wandering around with a group of pretty boys, living off her parents? How could this old man still have the audacity to belittle her?
“Old Su, you’re overthinking this. This is between my husband and me; it doesn’t seem like outsiders should interfere. If you’re so keen on it, you can marry this beautiful lady beside you as your concubine since there’s no blood relation anyway. If you’re done talking nonsense, I need to see my wife now.”
Before Xia Muxin could intervene, Shen Muhan had already spoken up. He appeared relaxed and carefree, his eyes filled with thoughts of his wife. His words were so venomous they could make someone bleed from anger. Su Rong didn’t take it well either; he seemed thoroughly provoked and slammed his hand on the table as he shouted:
“Unthinkable! Unthinkable! How could Su Tian give birth to such a son like you? You’ve brought disgrace upon my Su Family! How am I supposed to maintain my standing in Kyoto after this?”
“Well then, if I’ve brought shame upon your family, why are you still trying to push your granddaughter onto me? Is it because no one wants her? Or perhaps she lost her virtue before marriage? Or is she simply born lowly?”
Shen Muhan had completely lost his patience. Su Rong was someone who would cling to you if given even a hint of kindness but would then step all over your head afterward. It was hard to tell whether he was stubborn or ignorant; he had already gone too far yet refused to give up under the pretense of caring for Su Xiuning. Little did he know that his actions had long become fodder for laughter among those in power and had brought disdain upon the entire Su Family as well.
Since being with Xia Muxin, he found himself becoming more venomous. The saying that one becomes like the company they keep was proving true. Even he couldn't believe the words that had just come out of his mouth. Although he had always been sharp-tongued, it had been a more restrained kind of sharpness.
At this moment, he truly understood what it meant to be influenced by one's surroundings.
"Brother Mu Han, how can you say that about me? I... I've always been innocent, and my heart only has room for you..."
Su Rong's voice trembled as tears streamed down her face. Beside her, Su Xiuning was already in a state of despair, her makeup ruined by her tears.
With her crying, her face became a patchwork of white and red. In this era, there were no eyeliners; otherwise, her face would have looked even more "attractive." Su Xiuning shamelessly declared her feelings for Shen Muhan in such a public place, leaving others to wonder how to comment on it. Fortunately, they were not in the capital; otherwise, their commotion would have stirred up quite a scandal.
"Should I call you cousin or Miss Ouyang now? Didn't you just go to acknowledge your relatives? What? Do you still prefer the Su Family?"
Shen Muhan frowned, a hint of impatience flashing across his face as his cold gaze swept over Su Xiuning. Only when he saw the panic in her eyes did he slowly speak again.
The Su Family may no longer hold his favor, but they were still his mother's family. Moreover, Su Yan-Chu was a reasonable person. If for some reason his family fell from grace, he would feel some concern. By speaking so bluntly, he aimed to make Su Rong recognize the reality before her. No matter how much he doted on Su Xiuning, they shared no blood relation. Besides, Su Xiuning was troublesome; she often flaunted her talents in front of other young ladies and offended many people. They were only able to keep the peace due to the influence of the Su Family. In a different situation, things would be entirely different.
Furthermore, the Ouyang Family had recently begun to rise again. After Ming Lie's incident, they likely took care of their affairs and were now ready to seize any business opportunities.
If they played fair, they would naturally compete with Xia Muxin in various business aspects. However, if they resorted to underhanded tactics, it would be just like last time—stealing technology and then undercutting prices.
He still couldn't figure out Su Xiuning's temporary motives or why the Ouyang Family seemed controlled by Ming Lie. Given their financial power and influence, they wouldn't easily let anyone lead them around by the nose.
Ouyang Xuan appeared to be two-faced; today he might act like a child, but tomorrow he could be a shrewd businessman. Xia Muxin likely understood this well too, which was why he kept her at a distance.
However, his words made Su Rong's expression change dramatically. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Su Xiuning, who had forgotten to continue crying. Her gaze was complex and her lips trembled; ultimately, she chose not to speak further.
"Husband, we have guests! It's getting late; shall we ask the innkeeper to prepare some food and drink while we chat?"
Seeing that the verbal battle had come to a halt, Xia Muxin finally moved down the stairs. Her clear voice rang out softly.
Shen Muhan's tense expression finally relaxed as he watched Xia Muxin approach with a smile on her lips. He reached out and pulled her close to sit beside him. His fingers gently rubbed against her soft palm as he whispered:
"How long have you been awake? Are you hungry? I had the waiter keep some lotus seed porridge for you. Would you like to eat a little?"
In this season, all the lotus seeds had ripened, and every restaurant would gather some, primarily to make porridge. He had specifically instructed this.
Shen Muhan looked at the faint bluish tint beneath her brows and felt a bit guilty about his lack of restraint last night, but he truly couldn't help himself...
Noticing his thoughts, Xia Muxin felt a bit embarrassed and turned her eyes away from him. However, she had always held a poor impression of Su Rong. For the sake of her mother-in-law, she called out sincerely at that moment:
"Hello, Grandfather."
She had considered many possibilities, but since these two were now close, they would inevitably be connected to the Su Family. Even if that connection was strained, it was still her mother-in-law's family. If she, as a daughter-in-law, acted this way, it would reflect poorly on Shen Muhan's upbringing.
After all, the Shen Family held significant weight in the court. Even though Shen Muhan was now a commoner, his background could not be changed. Rather than constantly being at odds with each other, it would be better to lower her head once and seek peace. If Su Rong were adaptable, he naturally wouldn't target her as he did before. Moreover, Shen Muhan had just bluntly revealed Su Xiuning's connection to the Ouyang Family; it was hard to believe that Su Rong didn't have any thoughts about that.
Furthermore, she now suspected that it wasn't just that the Ouyang Family was his benefactor—wasn't she also an orphan?
So how did the suddenly appearing Ouyang Family relate to Su Xiuning possibly being one of their descendants?
"Grandfather? No, I'm not well at all."
- End of Chapter -
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