Chapter 4 Kneeling Punishment

Chapter 4: Kneeling as Punishment

"Help! Help! Waaah... Brother Shen Rong..."

The fish in the pond were scared off. Shen Ci snapped several lotus stems, thrashing his arms and churning up a huge splash.

He shouted very loudly. Shen Wenzhou and Shen Shiyan in the main hall were the first to hear it. They hurried over one right after the other, just in time to hear Shen Rong say, "Go ahead and drown."

Shen Wenzhou didn't pause to consider Shen Rong's words. Shen Ci's life may have been of little value, but it concerned the fate of the Shen family and his own, so he didn't dare be careless.

Before he could call for the butler, Shen Shiyan had already jumped in to rescue him.

Shen Ci was thrashing violently, choking on several mouthfuls of water. He only quieted down a little when he made contact with Shen Shiyan, clinging tightly to Shen Shiyan's neck like a sloth, hanging onto him with his whole body.

After getting out, Shen Shiyan set him down and wiped the water from his face, his expression dark.

"Sorry, Grandpa," Shen Ci said, having just gotten off Shen Shiyan. His little legs nimbly gave way as he knelt down toward Shen Wenzhou. He cried and apologized, "I really didn't know he hated me so much. I'm sorry, Grandpa, for causing you trouble. I'm sorry."

Shen Wenzhou glanced at Shen Rong beside him. "What happened?"

His voice carried authority even without anger. Shen Rong, who had always been most afraid of him, shivered. "How should I know? He lost his footing and fell in by himself."

Shen Ci's small face was full of terror, his long hair plastered to his cheeks, making him look delicate and pitiable. "No, Grandpa, that's not it! Shen Rong brother pushed me!"

Shen Rong had never seen someone who could so blatantly twist the truth. For a moment, he was speechless, then wanted to reach out and hit Shen Ci again, but Shen Wenzhou grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"You tell me."

Shen Ci cried intermittently, meekly trying to grab the hem of Shen Wenzhou's pants but quickly withdrawing his hand as if afraid of dirtying them. "It's... Shen Rong brother called me a bastard, said with my long hair I was neither a boy nor a girl... that it was disgusting... I wanted to let him pull my hair to take out his anger, but I didn't expect him to just push me in! I really didn't mean to, Grandpa..."

He cried bitterly, and combined with having choked on water, his face was completely red, water droplets dripping down his chin.

Shen Wenzhou was well aware of how spoiled Shen Rong usually was. Plus, when he came out, he had indeed heard Shen Rong say that malevolent "Go on and drown."

Shen Wenzhou found it hard to show favoritism, but he also didn't want to give Shen Shiyan and Shen Ci too much face, treating it merely as a scuffle between two children. "Shen Rong, go to the ancestral hall and kneel in punishment, for three hours. Shen Shiyan, you take Shen Ci to change clothes. After he's changed, make him kneel too. From now on, no one is allowed to cause trouble!"

"Mm."

Shen Shiyan responded.

Seeing the two leave, Shen Ci wiped the tears from his face, stood up, and smiled at Shen Shiyan again. "Thank you, daddy, for saving me."

Shen Shiyan pulled him by the wrist toward the side courtyard. "Don't call me daddy."

Dragged by the wrist, Shen Ci looked down at his soaked clothes, now stained with some mud, feeling a pang of regret. This was the first time he'd worn such well-fitting, comfortable clothes.

"But Grandpa and the director both said you're my daddy now."

Shen Ci finished his internal lament before replying to Shen Shiyan.

A complex light flickered in Shen Shiyan's eyes, unclear what he was thinking, and he didn't respond to Shen Ci.

Seeing the man remain silent, Shen Ci started talking on his own again. "Daddy said last night that we should follow the rules! According to the rules, I should call you daddy!"

Shen Shiyan couldn't be bothered to argue with a child and said in a low voice, "Suit yourself."

Shen Ci happily swung his arm. "Mm! Daddy."

That old man Shen Wenzhou was really biased. Even after all that, he still had to go kneel as punishment. However, Shen Ci didn't regret it. Chances for instant payback didn't come often. Next time, Shen Rong probably wouldn't dare to insult or bully him to his face. It was just a pity he seemed to have underestimated Shen Rong.

While changing clothes, Shen Ci kept staring at Shen Shiyan. Although Shen Shiyan didn't like to talk and often wore a scowl, Shen Ci didn't dislike him.

"Daddy, the pond was very cold. You should drink some hot water so you don't get sick."

The butler came to take Shen Ci for his punishment kneeling. Before leaving, Shen Ci tugged on the hem of Shen Shiyan's clothes, instructing him like an adult.

Shen Shiyan didn't say a word until Shen Ci left. He looked at the closed door for a long while before getting up to take a shower.

The kneeling cushions in the ancestral hall weren't very soft. Shen Wenzhou had also sent the butler to watch them, requiring a standard kneeling posture with backs straight.

Shen Ci was naturally thin. The bones in his knees started aching before long, and by the end, they had gone numb.

Shen Rong was picked up by Liang Ning. The butler had other matters and left as soon as the punishment was over. Shen Ci didn't mind, struggling to stand up by himself and slowly shuffling outward.

When leaving the ancestral hall, because the steps were somewhat high and Shen Ci's knees were aching terribly, he lost his balance and fell straight down.

But there was no pain as expected. He landed in a cool embrace, the places where their skin touched feeling very warm.

"Daddy!" Shen Ci looked up to see Shen Shiyan's face and called out happily.

Shen Shiyan still wore that impatient expression. After steadying him, he spoke. "Grandpa told me to come get you."

"Mm!" Shen Ci nodded obediently, then thought for a moment and asked Shen Shiyan, "My legs are numb. Can you give me a piggyback ride, daddy?"

Shen Shiyan glanced at him, then saw Shen Ci's two red knees, still bearing the pattern from the cushion.

Shen Shiyan gave a faint "Mm," turned around, and knelt on one knee. Shen Ci's arms wrapped around his neck.

He was too light. Shen Shiyan lifted and carried him with one hand. He didn't seem like a teenager, more like a scrawny little dog.

Shen Ci genuinely felt happy because Shen Rong had someone to pick him up, and so did he! Even though it was Shen Wenzhou who made him come, Shen Ci still felt immense satisfaction. Thinking this, he started swinging his feet.

Shen Shiyan frowned. "Stop fidgeting."

Shen Ci indeed stopped moving, lying on Shen Shiyan's back, his face pressed against the back of his neck.

Shen Shiyan's steps paused for a moment, then he jostled Shen Ci up a bit higher. His steps were very steady. By the time they reached the side courtyard, Shen Ci was almost asleep.

The Shen family didn't need to have dinner together. Each branch had their own chef. Although his side courtyard was small, it was also equipped.

No matter how mature for his age, he still had a child's nature. After all the commotion and kneeling for three hours, Shen Ci's stomach growled twice while on Shen Shiyan's back.

"Fourth Family Head, it's time for dinner."

The dishes on the table were simple, but there were still four dishes and a soup. With only Shen Shiyan present, Shen Ci wasn't as restrained as in the morning and ate two full bowls of rice.

Shen Ci was adept at reading people's expressions. Over the years, whether genuinely well-behaved or pretending, pleasing others had sometimes become instinct. He patted his round belly, jumped down from the chair to clear the table, but was stopped by an auntie who informed him that the young master didn't need to do any housework.

Shen Ci's eyes sparkled.

So happy!!

Being able to eat his fill and not having to work, just clinging tightly to daddy's coattails meant a lifetime of food and clothing without worry!

Shen Shiyan, who was on the sofa reading the Yuhe company share transfer contract, inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine.