Chapter 125: A False Counter-Accusation

Chapter 125: Chapter 125: A False Counter-Accusation

Yao Yuzhen asked.

Shen Songyao answered with perfect clarity.

"For every member of the Shen family—my dad, my mom, my brothers, and my sister, making seven people in total. You give me five thousand for each. Thirty-five thousand. Pay up, and I’ll book a ticket and get the hell out of Beijing immediately."

SLAP!

Yao Yuzhen shot to her feet, her hand slamming down hard on the table.

"In your dreams! You think you’re worthy?!"

"Whether I’m worthy or not depends on who’s asking."

Yang Wanqing’s voice suddenly came from behind the screen.

The old woman emerged step by step, leaning on her cane.

"Yao Yuzhen, let me ask you something. Who in the Shen family has ever wronged you? Go on, tell me!"

"Do you have any idea how much this family has longed for Song Yao’s return all these years?"

"And what do you do? You turn right around and try to shut her up with money?"

"Is this how a human being is supposed to act?!"

"Yao Yuzhen, oh, Yao Yuzhen. You’ve really got some nerve. Some real audacity!"

Yao Yuzhen froze, unable to utter a single word.

She slowly turned her head to glare at Shen Songyao, her eyes filled with utter shock.

It was as if only at this moment did she finally understand she had walked right into the young woman’s trap.

Yang Wanqing seized Song Yao’s wrist.

"Let’s go! Come home with Grandma! Every single piece of nonsense she spouted today, I’m going to break down piece by piece for your father until he understands everything!"

As soon as the two of them left, all the strength went out of Yao Yuzhen, and she collapsed into her chair.

Shen Shuangshuang immediately crouched down, making a show of picking up the money that had fallen on the floor.

The moment her fingers touched the stack of bills, her eyes darted around before she snatched a small bundle and stuffed it into her own bag.

Once the car was moving, Yang Wanqing finally relaxed her tense shoulders, her voice trembling slightly.

"I always thought she was just difficult to get along with, a bit prone to petty tantrums... I never imagined..."

The old woman was so angry she slapped her thigh.

"What era are we living in? Women can work, get assigned housing, and earn professional titles! If she really didn’t want to marry your father, she should have just said no from the start!"

"Your father isn’t some pestering thug. He made a proper, formal proposal. All she had to do was say ’I’m not willing’ to his face. Would your father have dragged her to the altar by force?"

"Even if she married your father just to escape some trouble, she still had to live her life! If she couldn’t stand it, she should have put her cards on the table long ago, written a divorce agreement, and gone her own way. Who was stopping her?"

"Instead, she bottled it all up for decades like a clam, never speaking her mind or clearing the air. And now she has the gall to turn it all around and pin all the blame on your father?"

"Your poor father... he poured his heart and soul out for her his entire life, only to get such a heartless response in return..."

Song Yao quickly put an arm around her grandmother’s shoulders, gently patting her back.

"Grandma, don’t cry. Now that we know the truth, we can finally have some peace of mind."

Yang Wanqing wiped her face and nodded.

"It’s better than being deceived by her until I’m in my coffin!"

True to her word, the moment she got home, she dialed Shen Zhenwu’s number and snapped a single sentence.

"You must be home by noon! Drop everything, no matter how important!"

The moment Shen Zhenwu walked in the door, the old woman grabbed an enamel mug and pointed it at his nose.

"Look at the fine wife you picked! You put her on a pedestal and worship her, and for what?!"

"She’s been playing you for a complete fool for over a decade!"

As Yang Wanqing spoke, her throat tightened, and tears started to fall.

Shen Zhenwu was completely baffled. Seeing his mother in such a state, he quickly turned to ask Song Yao.

"What’s wrong with Mom?"

Song Yao sighed and said softly.

"Mom called me yesterday and asked to meet me at a teahouse."

Shen Zhenwu’s expression immediately darkened.

Song Yao continued.

"She stuffed five thousand yuan into my hands and told me to buy a ticket, leave Beijing immediately, and never step foot in the Shen family’s home again for the rest of my life."

"Grandma was behind the screen the whole time, listening."

Shen Zhenwu’s brow instantly furrowed into a tight knot.

"My mom was there too?"

Song Yao nodded and quickly explained.

"Grandma was worried she might say something too harsh, so she hid beforehand. Yao Yuzhen had no idea she was there."

The words had barely left her mouth when Yang Wanqing slammed her hand on the table. BANG!

"You treat her like a living saint, but do you know what she said about you to Song Yao behind your back?"

"She said it with her own mouth! Because you displease her, she can’t stand the sight of Song Yao, Rong Dan, or any of them. In her eyes, all these children are burdens. She wishes she had never even been pregnant with Song Yao!"

"That’s why when Song Yao first came back, she didn’t even crack a smile. All she wanted was for her to leave as soon as possible, to free up her spot for that adopted daughter."

Hearing these words from his own mother was like having a bucket of ice water dumped over Shen Zhenwu’s head.

His tall frame suddenly swayed, and he almost lost his footing.

"Dad! Dad!"

Song Yao quickly reached out to steady his arm.

Thankfully, he had a strong constitution. After a brief wobble, he straightened up and gently patted the back of Song Yao’s hand.

He then looked at Yang Wanqing, his voice a little hoarse.

"I understand."

With that, he turned and headed upstairs.

Yang Wanqing opened her mouth to stop him, but her arm was grabbed by Shen Lixin.

Shen Lixin shook his head at her, his voice low.

"Let him have a moment. This is a huge blow; he needs to process it."

Then he turned to Song Yao, his tone gentle.

"Song Yao, don’t be afraid. Your father isn’t an unreasonable man. He’s soft-hearted, it’s true, but his mind is very clear. He’ll figure this out on his own."

"This house, this family—this is your real home. No one is going to push you out."

"If anyone dares to try and kick you out, I’ll be the first to flip the table!"

Yang Wanqing immediately chimed in.

"Flip the table? I’ll be the first to grab a broom!"

Shen Lixin nodded at once.

"Alright, alright. You lead the charge, and I’ll hand you the broom!"

As he spoke, he released Yang Wanqing’s arm and slid a half-full glass of cold tea toward her on the table.

Only then did the old woman’s expression soften a little.

But she didn’t stop talking, cursing Yao Yuzhen one line after another.

"Brainless!"

"Completely lost her mind!"

After Shen Songyao and the others left, Yao Yuzhen remained in the private room, slumped in her seat, not wanting to move.

Shen Shuangshuang picked up the money from the floor and stacked it neatly on the table.

After a long wait, she tentatively called out.

"Mom..."

Yao Yuzhen sat on the sofa, her lips pressed into a thin, tight line.

Shen Shuangshuang stared at her for three seconds. Seeing no reaction, she finally mustered the courage to speak.

"Shen Songyao is such an incredible actor! She had the old woman hidden away perfectly, waiting for just the right moment to reveal her. It’s obvious she was plotting against us!"

Yao Yuzhen’s eyelids finally twitched.

’Yes, it was Shen Songyao!’

’Truly a child of the Shen family. She has their looks and their black heart. She came back just to destroy me!’

’And she actually succeeded.’

Earlier, Ruan Yongxing had puffed out his chest and boasted.

"A country girl like her has never seen real money. Put five thousand yuan in front of her—that’s enough to feed her whole family for ten years! Her eyes will light up for sure. She’ll sign on the dotted line right then and there and happily get lost."

Once Song Yao was gone, Yao Yuzhen had planned to take the bank withdrawal slip to Shen Zhenwu and tell him her side of the story.

She would claim Song Yao had deliberately put on an act to extort her, all to force her to give up her position in the family.

She wasn’t raised by the Shen family, after all; she didn’t have a shred of affection for them.

’Coming back?’

’She was only after the Shen family’s money and power.’

If Yao Yuzhen didn’t pay up, Song Yao would immediately turn hostile and stir up trouble in the Shen household every single day.

Since Shen Songyao hadn’t grown up under Shen Zhenwu’s watch, once this whole mess blew up, how much father-daughter affection could possibly be left in his heart?

And what would the rest of the Shen family whisper about her behind her back?

The more Yao Yuzhen thought about it, the more foolproof her plan seemed.

But reality had delivered a harsh slap to the face, refusing to follow their script at all...