Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Fang Rong had been waiting in the living room the whole time. When she saw Shen Yanchen come out of Xia Sheng’s room, apparently with no intention of staying the night, her impression of him improved slightly.

Shen Yanchen said politely, “Aunt Fang, Sheng’er is already asleep, so I’ll be heading back first.”

As the saying went, you don’t slap a smiling face. Since Shen Yanchen was being so courteous, Fang Rong couldn’t very well keep giving him the cold shoulder. “It’ll still take you over half an hour to drive back,” she said. “We have a spare room at home. You can stay the night.”

Shen Yanchen looked a little surprised. “I thought you really disliked me.”

“I do,” Fang Rong said expressionlessly. Then she changed tack. “But Sheng’er likes you, so what can I do?”

After all, relationships were her daughter’s own business. It wouldn’t be appropriate for her to interfere too much.

When Fang Rong got together with Jiang Zhongqing, Xia Sheng hadn’t objected either.

If she turned around and opposed her daughter’s relationship now, it would make her seem far too unreasonable.

“I’ve already cleaned up a room for you. It’s right next to Sheng’er’s. Just go sleep there.”

After saying that, Fang Rong added a warning. “My hearing is very sharp, so don’t even think about sneaking into Sheng’er’s room tonight.”

Shen Yanchen laughed. “Okay.”

There weren’t any suitable pajamas in the house, so Shen Yanchen went out to buy toiletries and clothes nearby. Only after getting everything sorted did he finally go to bed.

Early the next morning, Fang Rong got up to make breakfast for Xia Sheng. The moment she opened the door, she caught the smell of food.

She glanced toward the kitchen and found Shen Yanchen inside, busy cooking with an apron tied around his waist.

Fang Rong was a little surprised. “You can cook too?”

In her impression, pampered young masters from wealthy families usually didn’t know their way around a kitchen.

Shen Yanchen said, “I didn’t at first. I wanted to cook for Sheng’er, so I specifically went and learned.”

Fang Rong took that as flattery. “Smooth talker.”

She went into the kitchen and sampled Shen Yanchen’s cooking, only to discover that it tasted surprisingly good.

Sure enough, smart people learned everything quickly. Even his cooking skills had reached a masterful level.

After tasting it, Fang Rong said to Shen Yanchen, “Leave the rest to me. Go wake Sheng’er up.”

Shen Yanchen didn’t refuse. He untied his apron and went to wake Xia Sheng.

Watching Shen Yanchen’s tall, straight figure walk away, Fang Rong finally felt a few traces of satisfaction.

Setting aside the seven-year age gap, Shen Yanchen really was the perfect son-in-law.

And with his family being fairly well-off, he was more than worthy of her daughter.

After breakfast, Xia Sheng packed up the things she used for her street stall and prepared to go back to telling fortunes beneath the footbridge.

Shen Yanchen said, “I’ll drive you over.”

Xia Sheng didn’t refuse. Just as the two of them were about to head out, the doorbell rang.

Xia Sheng went to open the door.

As soon as it opened, she saw Xia Yanzhi standing there with his face full of rage.

“Xia Sheng, you heartless little beast! What did you do to Zhiruo!? Why has her body been getting weaker and weaker ever since the engagement? Did you put some kind of curse on her!?”

Ever since the engagement ceremony between the Xia Family and the Shi Family ended two days ago, Xia Zhiruo’s body had begun aging at an extremely rapid pace.

In just two days, all her hair had turned white, and her face was already covered in wrinkles.

Yesterday, Xia Yanzhi took Xia Zhiruo to the hospital for a full day of examinations and discovered that every organ in her body was rapidly failing. Every physical indicator had already reached the level of someone in their seventies or eighties, and she could die of old age at any moment.

At first, Xia Yanzhi couldn’t understand the reason. It wasn’t until Xia Zhiruo mentioned Xia Sheng’s earlier warning-that she would run into trouble if she married into the Shi Family-that Xia Yanzhi began to suspect Xia Sheng might be behind this.
After all, because of Fang Rong, Xia Sheng had always hated the Xia Family. And with those strange, almost sinister abilities Xia Sheng possessed, there was no way Xia Yanzhi would believe this had nothing to do with her.

“Xia Sheng, I’m warning you. You’d better remove the curse you put on Zhiruo right now, or I won’t let this go!”

No sooner had Xia Yanzhi finished speaking than a cold voice rang out from behind Xia Sheng.

Xia Yanzhi’s gaze swept past Xia Sheng. When he saw who was standing behind her, his pupils contracted slightly.

“Sh-Shen Ninth Master?”

Hadn’t he heard before that Xia Sheng was with Shen Ze, the young master of the Shen Family?

So why was the person coming out of Xia Sheng’s house now Shen Yanchen?

Could it be that the one truly involved with Xia Sheng was actually Shen Yanchen, not Shen Ze?

The moment that thought crossed his mind, more than half of Xia Yanzhi’s earlier arrogance evaporated.

If the person backing Xia Sheng was Shen Ze, he still would have dared to fight it out.

But if it was Shen Yanchen, then even speaking a little too loudly required careful thought.

Shen Yanchen looked at him coldly, the chill between his brows seeming almost ready to freeze into ice. His presence was overwhelming. “What are you trying to do to Sheng’er?”

Hearing Shen Yanchen address Xia Sheng so intimately, Xia Yanzhi became even more certain that their relationship was anything but ordinary. His face turned a little pale, and he quickly forced a flattering smile. “It’s nothing, Ninth Master, please don’t misunderstand.

“Sheng’er is my daughter. I just came to see her, that’s all.”

Xia Sheng gave a mocking laugh. “Came to see me? Leaving aside the fact that you showed up empty-handed, who visits someone and starts pointing a finger at them and yelling the moment they open the door?”

Xia Yanzhi choked on his words and gave an awkward laugh. “Wasn’t I just worried about your sister’s condition and too anxious?

“Sheng’er, the real reason Dad came to see you was to ask whether you have any way to solve Zhiruo’s current problem.

“Ever since she got engaged to Shi Chen, she has remained unconscious, and her condition has only gotten worse. If this keeps up, she might really die. For Dad’s sake, can you help her?”

There was almost no expression on Xia Sheng’s delicate face, her eyes cool and distant. “Xia Zhiruo has remained unconscious ever since getting engaged to Shi Chen. If you want answers about that, you should be asking the Shi Family. Why come to me?”

“You’re trying to shift the blame onto the Shi Family!?” Xia Yanzhi blurted out angrily. But the instant he sensed Shen Yanchen’s icy gaze, he immediately reined in his temper and plastered a smile back onto his face. “Sheng’er, the Shi Family are all ordinary people. They don’t know any of that strange stuff… they don’t know Mystic Arts. This matter shouldn’t have anything to do with them.

“I know I wronged you and your mother in the past. I’ll apologize to you here and now. Just come back and take a look at Zhiruo, all right?”

Xia Sheng refused without hesitation. “No.”

Xia Yanzhi secretly gritted his teeth. “Xia Sheng, Zhiruo is your own sister. Are you really going to stand by and watch her die like this?”

“Don’t go claiming relatives where there aren’t any.” Xia Sheng’s tone was light and casual, carrying a hint of lazy indifference. “Xia Zhiruo is not my biological sister.”

Xia Yanzhi said angrily, “Even if you weren’t born to Yu He, you and Zhiruo both have my blood in your veins, so how is she not your sister? Or is it that you just don’t want to save her?”

Xia Sheng curled her lips into a faint smile. “You and I are indeed blood-related. But as for Xia Zhiruo… that’s not necessarily the case.”