Chapter 533: Regret

Chapter 533: Regret

Shen Yuanyang was dazed by the delicious aroma but felt that this single piece was nowhere near enough. It was like Zhu Bajie devouring a ginseng fruit.

What kind of divine life had Xiao Wu been living these past few days?

Shen Yuanyang extended his chopsticks to pick up a second piece, but suddenly they were knocked. He looked up and saw Su Youyue’s eyes glinting with a hint of anger.

"Shen Yuanyang, I didn't agree to let you eat here. Who allowed you to come uninvited?"

Shen Yuanyang was about to speak but first swallowed involuntarily before saying, "Cough... we're all from the Shen family. It's just a meal. Do we really need permission?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he was promptly called out by his younger brother.

Shen Yuanzhen pointed at his own face and teased, "Fourth Brother, shame on you! Big Sister didn’t give you permission, so you can’t eat!"

"Xiao Wu." Shen Yuanyang's face turned red with embarrassment as his younger brother shamed him.

But to put down his chopsticks? He was absolutely unwilling.

After eating a piece of the red-braised pork, he felt even hungrier. Had he ever lived such a hard life before? There was red-braised pork this delicious in the world!

Su Youyue put down her chopsticks and sneered, "Shen Yuanyang, even a five-year-old child has more decency than you. I made these meals with my own money. I can give them to whomever I want. If I don't want to give them to someone, what does it have to do with your Shen family?"

Finally, Shen Yuanyang remembered that Second Brother had cut off all the regular supplies to Phoenix Courtyard.

That meant the dishes here were now paid for out of Shen Nan's own pocket.

Though she was brought back to the Shen family as a Young Miss, in reality... other than a rundown courtyard, the Shen family hadn’t given her anything.

"What does being part of the Shen family even mean? In the eyes of Master Shen, Madam Fang, and the young masters and misses, do I, Shen Nan, even count as part of the Shen family? Do I deserve it?"

Su Youyue mocked.

In fact, just now, Shen Yuanyang had been willing to speak up for her, which had made her dislike for this young man lessen somewhat.

However...

A fourteen-year-old boy and a five-year-old child have very different appetites. Adding Xiao Linzi and Shen Yuanzhen only meant adding two small bowls, but adding Shen Yuanyang was like adding an entire food barrel.

She didn’t want to burden her Jiner because of him.

So today, she had to drive Shen Yuanyang away.

Gradually, Shen Yuanyang's face turned red, and he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Before Shen Nan entered the estate, he remembered clearly how he had expressed his rejection of her to his family. It had been like making a grand declaration.

Even when Shen Nan first entered the estate, he had worn a sullen face and hadn’t said anything nice.

Now thinking back, he had been utterly blinded by foolishness. He wished he could go back in time and punch his past self.

Shen Nan... had done nothing wrong...

Was he, Shen Yuanyang, the kind of unreasonable person who would lash out at someone who had done nothing wrong?

Was this what he called justice, heroism, and chivalry?

This so-called righteous man is actually nothing but a scumbag who sides with his family regardless of right or wrong!

Suddenly, Shen Yuanyang felt overwhelmed with shame and couldn't bear to look at Shen Nan.

Before coming here, he had promised his second and third brothers that he would ignore Shen Nan from now on. But now, reflecting on it, he realized how absurdly petty he had been.

Was he in the right?

Miss Su had just stood up for him at the Duke's mansion, showing true loyalty, and what did he do in return? He turned around and stabbed her in the back.

Ugh, what a traitor!

And he had promised to ignore her? Well, she probably didn’t want anything to do with him anyway.

Shen Yuanyang suddenly stood up, almost tipping the table over, causing Jin'er and Qingluo to quickly grab it to steady it.

"I..."

Feeling all eyes on him, Shen Yuanyang's face burned with embarrassment. Gritting his teeth, he turned to Su Youyue, "I apologize for what I said and did to you before. I'm sorry!"

Su Youyue was momentarily silent.

She had just been mocking him as usual, so why was he suddenly so agitated and apologizing?

Jin'er and Qingluo exchanged wide-eyed glances.

Shen Yuanzhen, munching on milk-flavored peanuts, watched his fourth brother, getting a taste of front-row drama at a young age.

Overwhelmed by guilt, Shen Yuanyang, after apologizing, couldn't stand to stay any longer. He lost interest in the delicious food, gave Su Youyue a long look, and then ran out.

"Fourth Brother?"

Shen Yuanzhen looked confused, not understanding what had gotten into his fourth brother.

Su Youyue placed a chopstick of food in his bowl, "Don't mind him. Eat your own food."

As for what Shen Yuanyang was thinking, she had no interest in that.

Even if...

He truly regretted it.

But today, it was Su Youyue standing here listening to his apology.

Would the real Shen Nan ever receive his apology?

The answer was uncertain, but Su Youyue wouldn’t forgive in Shen Nan’s place.

After the meal, Shen Yuanzhen lingered, reluctant to leave. Su Youyue finally coaxed him to leave by promising to make glutinous rice lotus roots for him the next day.

Once they were alone, Jin'er, who had held back for a long time, finally exhaled, "Miss, I was dying of boredom."

Finally, Su Youyue smiled, revealing her first genuine smile of the day.

After a day of fake smiles, she too felt exhausted.

"It doesn't matter. We won't be staying with the Shen family for much longer."

"Really, Miss?" A look of surprise flickered across Jin'er's round face. Just moments ago, she had looked like a drooping little flower, but now she was beaming, clearly not fond of the days spent at the Shen family.

Apart from the Fifth Young Master Shen Yuanzhen, who was somewhat endearing, she really disliked the other young masters and misses.

Su Youyue nodded.

At present, she was investigating two matters. One was Helian Lin's identity, and the other was the murderer of Miss Shen. She expected results for both within a few days.

Moreover, she had been pregnant for almost two months now, and if she stayed any longer, her pregnancy would become noticeable. By then, she wouldn't be able to maintain Miss Shen's identity anymore.

So, she wouldn't be staying with the Shen family for much longer.

However, before she left, she would have a gift for the Shen family.

Su Youyue lowered her gaze, her eyes shifting like the stars, inscrutable.

Seeing Qingluo clear away the dishes, she looked at Zhe Ying, who was standing in the courtyard. "Night is falling."

Night was falling.

Would Helian Lin show up for their meeting?

On this late autumn night, the moon was bright and the stars sparse, with the Big Dipper barely visible in the night sky.

The Holy City stood in the night, its central pavilions and towers glowing brightly like stars fallen to earth. On the outskirts, in the remote alleys, the silence was so profound it seemed time itself had frozen into shadows.

"My lady, it's already midnight..."

After a long silence, a voice finally shattered the stillness of the dark alley.