Chapter 498: No Need to Comfort Me

Chapter 498: No Need to Comfort Me

In a short span of time, the people's sentiments changed instantly.

"Miss Shen is so pitiful, poor thing, which brat would dare to set fire to Miss Shen like that!"

"I sensed something was off as soon as they arrived, but it took me a moment to realize what. Now I understand why they didn’t bother to ask what happened and just demanded Miss Shen apologize!"

"What’s wrong with the Shen family? I think maybe they’re dissatisfied with the marriage and deliberately brought back Miss Shen to marry in her sister's place. Now that the marriage has been called off, they’re framing Miss Shen for it."

"Do you think Second Miss Shen knows about this?"

"Of course she knows. The one who stands to gain is likely the one pulling the strings."

Upon hearing someone mention Shen Zhuyu, Shen Yufeng's eyes turned red with anger, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Though the people knew him as the "Smiling Tiger," they usually found him approachable because of his constant smile. Seeing his openly malicious and terrifying demeanor in public now made them feel a bit frightened.

Meng Zhiyi was stunned, her anger forgotten, as she thought, 'Has Shen Nan lost her mind? Does she even know what fear is?' Her mind was filled with the thought: Has Shen Nan gone mad? Doesn’t she know the meaning of fear? Isn’t she afraid that the Shen family's reputation will be completely ruined, that she’ll be alienated by her family and torn apart by them?

Meng Zhiyi suddenly felt a bit of regret for forcing Shen Nan to apologize and provoking her like that...

If she had known Shen Nan was this crazy, she should have kept her distance.

However, she felt that Master Shen probably regretted it even more.

She also wondered if the Shen family would blame her for this whole mess...

Su Youyue took a handkerchief and entered the screen, wiping away non-existent tears.

Sigh.

Su Qian's skills weren't something just anyone could learn. Fortunately, she had just now truly stepped into the shoes of the real Miss Shen, which allowed her to perform so sincerely.

"Miss Shen, how can you casually tell such lies? Do you not feel guilty for the care and love that Master, Madam, and the young masters and misses have given you? Everyone in our Shen family knows that the best meals in the estate go to you in Wutong Courtyard!"

Seeing Madam Fang on the verge of fainting from rage, Liang Mama rushed to prove her loyalty.

"You are willful and unruly, and on the very first day you returned, you whipped the servants and even hit the third young master. Yet, Master and Madam have been thoughtful and kind-hearted, not allowing us servants to spread news of your actions out of concern for your reputation. You cannot be so ungrateful towards Master and Madam!"

Su Youyue's gaze shifted slightly towards Liang Mama.

Perhaps it was due to her fierce tone; even though Liang Mama couldn't see her expression through the screen, she felt a bit nervous.

"Liang Mama is right."

Liang Mama's left eyelid twitched, and...

Su Youyue sobbed, "The servants gave me food that even dogs wouldn't eat, and I should have just eaten it since it would only cause a stomach ache for a few days. When my younger brother came to set fire in my courtyard, I shouldn't have hit him since I managed to escape without being burned to death. That day, I should have comforted him instead; he must have been scared too."

Shen Yuanyang's eyelid twitched as well.

He hadn't said anything, so why was she dragging him into it!

Although he still disliked her, he didn’t want to sever ties because he wanted to challenge the hidden expert accompanying her.

Moreover...

He didn’t like Meng Zhiyi either, so when Shen Nan went off on her, he couldn’t help but feel a bit satisfied.

He was always irritated by Meng Zhiyi's nagging voice, and now that she had finally been silenced by the scolding, he felt an immense sense of relief.

As for what she said next...

Shen Yuanyang pondered for a moment.

He wanted to refute, but found it impossible. After all, he and his brothers had never regarded her as a sister. And the two incidents she mentioned—he had indeed done those things.

As for the stale food... So that was why she had flown into a rage and snatched the food away that day?

He had thought she was dissatisfied with their family’s cold attitude and was deliberately trying to embarrass them!

If anyone dared to serve me rotten food, I’d throw it right back at them!

And as for the substitute marriage and the broken engagement, although he didn’t know the family’s arrangements, it was clear that Shen Nan had indeed been called back to substitute for the marriage, not to snatch the wedding.

Now that the engagement had been broken off, would she really have to return to Jiuyuan River?

Shen Yuanyang really couldn’t refute, but the thought of Shen Nan possibly leaving soon made him anxious—he still wanted to have a martial arts match with that hidden expert!

So he immediately stepped forward: “It was indeed my fault that day. You don’t need to worry about me, I don’t need your comfort!”

“……”

The Shen family's gazes all turned toward Shen Yuanyang.

“Yuanyang!” Madam Fang could hardly breathe.

Shen Yuanyang only realized something was wrong after the fact. Being straightforward, he hadn’t thought through the complexities. He had merely acknowledged that what Shen Nan said was true.

Seeing the expressions of his parents and older brother, he quickly shut his mouth.

Su Youyue, however, was deeply moved: “Seeing Fourth Brother still so full of energy, I’m relieved.”

She really appreciated how honest and straightforward he was.

Sure enough, as soon as Shen Yuanyang finished speaking, the crowd erupted into chatter once more.

Earlier, when only Su Youyue had spoken, the people had been leaning toward believing her, but were still unsure. Now that Shen Yuanyang himself had admitted to the arson, it confirmed Su Youyue’s words.

Now, almost everyone was convinced by Su Youyue’s words.

“It seems Miss Shen was telling the truth!”

“Miss Shen is so pitiful, bullied at home and bullied outside by Miss Meng from the Houfu of Ding'an. This Miss Meng is really too domineering.”

“May the heavens bless and protect this poor girl.”

Meng Zhiyi’s anger flared as she heard people talking about her like that. But how could a young lady like her lower herself to explain to commoners? Besides, with what Shen Nan had already said, what could she possibly add?

How could Shen Yuanyang, that fool, have admitted everything in front of everyone?

Furious and humiliated, she stomped her foot and stormed off.

The two eunuchs watching this farce were quite satisfied.

The marriage between the Houfu of Ding'an and the Shen family had originally been requested by the Houfu’s heir from the Emperor.

But now, the heir of Ding'an had asked the Emperor to cancel the marriage.

The Emperor was not happy.

In the Holy City, it was easy for the Emperor to gather information. Whether it was Miss Shen who wanted this marriage or if the Shen family wanted her to substitute for the marriage, the Emperor knew the truth.

This had further angered the Emperor. While nothing had been said publicly yet, once this matter was settled, the Shen family could forget about the Gongbu business, and their official standing would likely end there.

If they told the Emperor about today’s events, he might even find this drama quite entertaining.