Chapter 615: How Guilty

Chapter 615: Chapter 615: How Guilty

"That’s impossible..." Shen Ningning murmured. "Even if there were a rain disaster, it wouldn’t last more than a day."

With the golden fruit she had cultivated in her Immortal Realm, she had enough to scorch the entire Cangyun Country under the sun for three years, maybe even longer. ℯℯ𝘭.

Mo Lingwei’s brow furrowed. "No matter. I’ve already assigned people to watch Ren Pengyi and see what he’s up to."

As evening approached, Governor Ren and his family didn’t come to invite Shen Ningning for dinner this time.

After last night’s thunderstorm, they probably couldn’t wait to avoid her.

Instead, the maids brought their meal to their room. Mo Lingwei frowned at the four simple, watery dishes. "This is all we’re eating?"

The maid jumped, thinking he was displeased. She quickly lowered her head and explained, "Young Master, are these dishes not to your liking? I can have the kitchen prepare something else. It’s not that they’re trying to slight you, but Mrs. Ren has fallen ill, and the second miss and her husband came to visit today. The kitchen has been so busy they couldn’t prepare a better spread..."

Shen Ningning glanced at her. The young maid was trembling and didn’t seem to be lying, so Shen Ningning decided not to make things difficult for her.

"Forget it. Plain is fine. Just make sure to prepare properly tomorrow."

After speaking, she remembered something and asked the young maid, "When I went to pay my respects to Mrs. Ren this morning, I heard my Fourth Sister was being punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall. Do you know if she’s been released yet? If she has, please invite her here. Have the kitchen add two more dishes, and we can all eat together."

The young maid shook her head, looking troubled. "Miss Ren the Fourth is still in the ancestral hall. Mrs. Ren wants her to reflect on her actions and has forbidden any maids from visiting or bringing her food."

Shen Ningning frowned. "I see. You may go."

After the maid left, Shen Ningning told Mo Lingwei what had happened to Ren Si.

"The way Mrs. Ren treats her... it’s as if she weren’t her own daughter."

"’Perhaps she really isn’t?’" Mo Lingwei smiled. He had little appetite for the dishes before him and simply set down his chopsticks. "We’ll know once we have someone investigate."

He took a jade, whistle-like ornament from his sleeve and blew it twice. Shen Ningning thought she heard the sound of wind.

A moment later, a knock came from the window. Mo Lingwei went to open it, and a Hidden Guard vaulted inside.

"Your Highness, what are your orders?"

"Investigate the background of Miss Ren the Fourth. Find out if she is truly Mrs. Ren’s biological daughter."

The Hidden Guard accepted the order and left immediately.

After dinner, Shen Ningning considered the situation. Ren Si’s temperament clashed with the rest of the Ren Family, which made her the easiest person to get information from.

So, as night began to fall, she slipped out and headed toward the ancestral hall.

Mo Lingwei wanted to follow, but Shen Ningning worried that two people would be too conspicuous and told him to wait in the room.

However, she was unfamiliar with the Ren Mansion and got lost in the garden halfway there.

Shen Ningning rubbed her brow in frustration. "’I should have just brought Brother Mo with me...’"

’He looked like he’d already learned everything about the Ren Family in secret.’

Just then, she heard the voices of maids nearby. Shen Ningning quickly ducked behind a rockery, using the deepening twilight to hide herself.

The maids’ conversation drifted over—

"Miss Ren the Fourth is just too stubborn. What’s so hard about apologizing to Mrs. Ren and admitting she’s wrong?"

"I know, right? Mrs. Ren specifically sent us to check on her, but Miss Ren the Fourth refused to admit her mistake. Mrs. Ren had no choice but to continue her punishment."

"Don’t you think Mrs. Ren is especially harsh with Miss Ren the Fourth? Before the second miss was married, she accidentally broke Mrs. Ren’s favorite Jade Buddha Mother, and Mrs. Ren didn’t even get angry."

"Of course she’s strict with her. Miss Ren the Fourth is the most beautiful of them all. I heard our lady wants to groom her to marry into a prominent family in the Capital City!"

"But with a personality like that, she’ll cause trouble wherever she goes. She’s afraid of nothing and no one. SIGH..."

As the sound of their conversation faded, Shen Ningning stepped out from behind the rockery.

She was more and more convinced that Miss Ren the Fourth was not Mrs. Ren’s biological daughter at all.

Since the maids had come from the ancestral hall, that meant the hall must be in that direction.

Shen Ningning followed the path and, sure enough, found a large, secluded courtyard.

Against the night, the offering lamps inside the ancestral hall seemed exceptionally bright.

No one was guarding the entrance. Shen Ningning slipped into the courtyard with ease, only to find that the door to the hall itself was bolted from the outside.

"Fourth Sister..." Shen Ningning knocked softly on the door and called inside.

Ren Si’s suspicious voice soon answered, "Who’s there?"

She wasn’t familiar enough with Shen Ningning’s voice, so Shen Ningning pursed her lips and said, "It’s me, Ren Liuyue. I heard you were still locked up and haven’t eaten, so I came to see you."

From inside, Ren Si sounded dejected. "How pathetic. The only person to remember I’ve been starving all day is you... SIGH. But it’s no use. The door is locked."

The moment she finished speaking, there was a RUSTLING sound at the door.

The next second, Shen Ningning pulled the door open. Inside, Ren Si’s eyes widened in astonishment.

"You can pick locks?"

"It was just a wooden bolt. I pulled it out," Shen Ningning said, lifting the food container she was holding. "I can’t stay long. Eat something, and then I’ll go."

She once again marveled at the wonders of her Immortal Realm. Just moments ago, standing outside the door, she had simply reached out and summoned the delicious food she had stored there previously.

The food was from a supply she had stockpiled back in the Capital City, with flavors and styles completely different from those in Ling Mountain City.

Ren Si was immediately captivated by the fragrant aroma.

"It smells so good... Where did you get this? Did the kitchen make it? Does my mother know?"

"She definitely doesn’t know. My husband brought it back when he went out today. Hurry up and eat."

Shen Ningning took out a pair of chopsticks and handed them to her. Ren Si first closed the door behind them, then pulled Shen Ningning deeper into the ancestral hall.

The two of them hid behind the spirit tablets, and Ren Si began to eat with gusto.

She had been starving since morning. In all that time, Mrs. Ren had only allowed maids to bring her water, leaving her absolutely famished.

Watching her wolf down the food, Shen Ningning grew puzzled. "Why does Mrs. Ren treat you so poorly? How can she be so cruel as to only give you water?"

Ren Si snorted. "What is there for her *not* to be cruel about? In her eyes, Second Sister, Third Sister, and Little Brother are her only obedient children. She’s always thought I was no good."

Shen Ningning laughed, finding it bizarre. "That makes no sense. You’re all her children, so why would she rank you all differently?"

"Second Sister married well and often sends her gold, so of course Mother likes her. Third Sister is a sweet-talker who knows how to act pitiful, so she dotes on her too. And Little Brother is a boy, Mother’s only son, so she treats him well no matter what he does."

"But I’m different," Ren Si said, holding the soup bowl. "Speaking of which, the reason I’m so disliked has a little something to do with you."

"With me?" Shen Ningning asked in surprise.

Ren Si pouted. "Mhm. To be precise, it’s related to your mother. The day I was born happens to be the anniversary of your mother’s death. My mother considers it taboo and is afraid I was born to collect a debt."

Shen Ningning laughed in exasperation.

"That’s utter nonsense!" ’Just what did she do to have such a guilty conscience that she’d even fear her own daughter?’