Chapter 154: One-Track Mind

Chapter 154: Chapter 154: One-Track Mind

"I will never, ever approve of this marriage. If you dare to agree, I’ll break one of your legs on the spot. Believe me?"

Hearing this, Shen Rongdan suddenly burst out laughing.

"Then you might as well break them both. It would save me from doing something stupid and embarrassing on a whim one day."

Shen Zhenwu shot him a glare and cursed, "You little brat!"

Finally, his tone softened.

"Find an excuse to come back. And bring Song Yao’s man with you. Have him come to Beijing with you."

When a man gets old, what does he want?

Just a lively home, with his children all there before his eyes.

He didn’t want to worry about anything else. He couldn’t manage it anymore, anyway.

"Li Hanchen?"

Shen Rongdan paused, then added, "Would he be willing to leave?"

"Why wouldn’t he be? Are we supposed to let Song Yao suffer by herself in another city?"

"He’ll definitely agree. It’s for Song Yao’s own good."

The moment Song Yao opened her eyes, she saw a vast expanse of white outside the window. Snowflakes were drifting down.

She rushed to the window, pressing her face against the cold glass. Watching the snowflakes drift and fly, she suddenly remembered.

She had been in Beijing for almost two months now, and it was already the twelfth lunar month.

This was the first snow in Beijing this year.

The snowflakes fell thick and fast, landing on the eaves, branches, and steps, quickly accumulating in a thin layer.

She quickly threw on her clothes, wrapped her scarf on, and dashed down the stairs.

Hearing the commotion, Shen Rongjing poked his head out and quickly shouted, "Slow down! The steps are slippery. Don’t fall!"

He was still holding a half-eaten youtiao.

He took a bite of the youtiao and added indistinctly, "Song Yao, don’t go to work today. Just stay home."

Song Yao looked up at the sky. The snow was still falling. ’Big Brother is probably just worried I’ll get cold and wants me to take a day off,’ she thought.

She quickly patted her coat and knit cap.

"Don’t worry, don’t worry! It’s toasty warm inside the museum. The heating is on full blast. I’m bundled up tighter than a bear. I definitely won’t be cold when I go out!"

Shen Rongdan chimed in as well, finishing the congee in his bowl and wiping his mouth.

"I’ll take her there, and I’ll pick her up after work. No matter how heavy the snow gets, it’ll be fine."

But Shen Rongjing shook his head, pressing his temples. His voice grew heavier.

"It’s not because of the snow... Something big is happening today, something that’s closely related to our family."

Song Yao and Shen Rongdan exchanged a look, both of them completely baffled.

What big event? Why hadn’t they heard anything about it?

Song Yao put down her bowl of soy milk, and Shen Rongdan paused his chopsticks. Both of them turned to look at Shen Rongjing.

Shen Rongjing also called out to stop Shen Zhenwu, raising a hand to signal for him not to get up.

"Dad, don’t leave yet. Someone is coming to visit after breakfast."

Guo Shushu had already rushed off to work.

She could just listen to her husband ramble on about his family’s affairs when she got home from work in the evening. There was no need to take a day off just to be a spectator. It would be a waste of a workday, and what’s more, she might even get caught in the crossfire.

Since no one was in a hurry to leave for work anymore, everyone started eating their breakfast at a leisurely pace.

Only Guo Shushu had finished in a few quick bites before being escorted out the door by Shen Rongjing.

Shen Rongdan sipped his congee with a grin and said to Song Yao, "Once the snow gets thick this afternoon, I’ll take you out to build a snowman! I’ll build you one with a red scarf!"

Yang Wanqing immediately slammed down her chopsticks. "Nonsense! If you want to go play, go by yourself. Don’t drag Song Yao into it!"

"She’s pregnant right now! The paths outside are as slippery as if they’ve been greased. If she slips and falls, can you bear that responsibility?"

Shen Lixin chimed in, "She really shouldn’t be running outside! If she catches a cold and starts coughing, she’s the one who will suffer."

He turned his head to look at Shen Rongdan.

"You’re about to be an uncle, yet you’re still so reckless. You should hurry up and pick a girl to settle down with. A man can’t become steady until he’s married."

The moment he finished speaking, Shen Rongdan subconsciously glanced at Shen Zhenwu. It was just for a fleeting moment.

Shen Lixin immediately asked, "Why are you looking at your father?"

"He won’t stop this. If you agree, your grandmother and I will immediately arrange some matchmaking dates for you."

Shen Lixin’s tone was firm and decisive.

Shen Rongdan scratched the back of his neck and muttered, "Hiss... I think I strained my neck last night. It’s a little sore."

Before he could finish, Shen Rongjing had already led a young man through the door.

The young man’s head and shoulders were covered in snow. Upon entering, he went straight to Shen Zhenwu, called out "Uncle Shen," and then greeted the others.

Shen Zhenwu stood up at once, his eyes falling on the stack of documents in Shen Rongjing’s hands. "What is this?"

"This is Xiao Guo. I asked him to run some errands and look into a few things for me."

Shen Rongjing brandished the stack of materials in his hand.

A black cloth bag was slung over his shoulder. It was the one Xiao Guo had been using to carry the documents, but Shen Rongjing had already gone through everything inside the moment the man stepped through the door.

As soon as he finished answering his father’s question, Shen Rongjing turned his head to look at Xiao Guo.

"You haven’t eaten yet, have you?"

Xiao Guo was about to wave his hand and say, "I’ve eaten," but Shen Zhenwu had already raised his voice to call for someone.

"Dongxue! Bring a bowl of hot wontons, and add seven or eight extra!"

"And bring a dry towel."

Only after saying this did he turn back to Xiao Guo, his tone filled with puzzlement.

"It’s barely dawn, and the snow outside is coming down like goose feathers. Where could you possibly have gone to eat breakfast?"

At these words, Xiao Guo immediately froze.

He raised a hand to touch his forehead, but the movement caused snow to fall down his collar, sending an icy chill down his spine.

Xiao Xiao quickly handed him a dry towel.

Xiao Guo glanced around the spotless room, then looked down at his own snow-caked, muddy soles and asked quietly,

"Excuse me... where is the restroom?"

Xiao Xiao pointed. "Over there. Second door on the right."

Xiao Guo quickly nodded to Shen Zhenwu and Shen Rongjing. "I—I’m just going to use the restroom. Sorry about this..."

Shen Zhenwu let out a laugh and clapped him heavily on the shoulder twice.

"Go on, go on, little scholar. No need to file a report in your own home."

As he spoke, he casually took the stack of documents from Shen Rongjing’s arms.

"What is all this..."

Shen Rongjing didn’t answer, his face taut. "See for yourself."

Shen Zhenwu sat down on the sofa and began to flip through the pages. The more he read, the more his hands trembled, until finally his face was ashen.

Shen Rongdan, who had just come out of the kitchen with a bowl of congee, froze at the sight. "Brother, what’s wrong?"

Shen Zhenwu’s lips moved, but no sound came out, as if his throat were being squeezed shut.

Shen Rongjing spoke for him.

"Mom worked with Ruan Yongxing back then to abandon Song Yao. The iron-clad proof is right here."

Shen Rongdan’s hand went slack. The porcelain bowl smashed on the floor, shattering into pieces as congee splattered everywhere.

Xiao Xiao rushed forward and grabbed a rag to start wiping it up.

Hearing the commotion, Yang Wanqing and Shen Lixin threw down their chopsticks and rushed over, supporting each other, nearly stumbling over the threshold.

Shen Songyao snorted inwardly.

’Just as I expected!’ she thought. ’The heavens are just! The truth is finally out! No more acting—it’s time to bring down the hammer!’

’A mother intentionally abandoning her own daughter—doesn’t that count as attempted murder?’

’Or at least intentional abandonment, right?’

She finished her wontons in a few quick bites, threw down her chopsticks, and rushed to "center stage" in the living room to start her performance.

Her peach-blossom eyes shimmered with unshed tears, which welled up and swirled in their sockets.

She began to sob and choke out, "...Mom? My own mother... abandoned me?"

She blinked once, then twice.

Two tears clung to her eyelashes, trembling precariously as if about to fall at any moment.

Sniffling, her shoulders hitching, she spoke in a soft, small voice.

"Why would she abandon me...? What did I do wrong?"