She turned her head away. “Mu Wanting, don’t treat me too well. I can’t respond to your feelings.”
Mu Wanting raised an eyebrow. “Drink it. I never expected you to respond anyway.”
Shen Xinglan clenched his fists and turned to look at her clear eyes. She wasn’t lying—she truly didn’t expect him to accept her.
His heart inexplicably trembled.
Mu Wanting raised her brows again, pinched Shen Xinglan’s chin, and thought that she would probably have to force-feed him—so troublesome when he kept hesitating.
Her fingers were soft and smooth, and Shen Xinglan only felt a tingling sensation at his jaw.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Mu Wanting looked at his reddening ears and smiled.
“Feeding you, of course. It’s just some meat soup—why are you being so slow about it?”
“Or you can drink it yourself. Don’t feel any psychological burden. Just pay me back double once you recover.”
Shen Xinglan took the bowl from her hand, brushing against her warm, soft fingers. His hand curled slightly. When he looked up, his gaze met hers.
Mu Wanting’s amber eyes were very close to him, and he could even see his reflection in them.
His heartbeat skipped again, and he quickly turned away and drank the meat soup in one go.
Then he drank the medicine as well. After that, she changed his dressing and massaged him.
When she massaged his legs, he didn’t feel much, but when she reached his waist, his body suddenly felt warm. He closed his eyes, enduring the strange sensation.
By the time she finished, he was sweating.
He thought to himself that next time, he should let Shen Xinghe do the massage instead. Mu Wanting’s technique was good, but he was still a healthy, hot-blooded man—how could he possibly not react at all?
The next morning, the eldest and second branches checked their small savings and realized even more had been spent. The pain felt like cutting flesh from their own bodies.
At this rate, their money would be gone in no time.
Even though they were exhausted from yesterday, they still had to keep pushing today. The eldest branch struggled, and though they didn’t want to continue, they still worried about Shen Xinglan’s future prospects.
If they completely offended the third branch, they might face revenge later.
So they could only grit their teeth and continue pushing, though they constantly muttered sarcastic complaints at the third branch.
The third branch, however, was in a good state of mind. With food to eat and free labor to use, a few sarcastic remarks didn’t cost them anything.
Half a month passed like this, until the eldest and second branches could no longer bear it.
That day, they overheard Shen Yujiao and Shen Xinghe talking.
“Second brother can’t stand up anymore. What a pity. He doesn’t seem as cheerful as before,” Shen Yujiao said.
Shen Xinghe replied, “Who knows.”
Just this short exchange made the eldest and second branches furious. Zhang Caiyun stormed out immediately.
“So it turns out Shen Xinglan is already a cripple, and you still made us push him and pay for your food!”
Shen Xinghe and Shen Yujiao looked slightly embarrassed. Mu Wanting walked over.
“Second Aunt, what exactly are you saying? Aren’t you pushing Shen Xinglan because we haven’t divided the family?”
“If we’re still one family, shouldn’t we share hardship together? Yet you’re even scheming against Xinglan.”
Zhang Caiyun could no longer hold back and immediately called for Old Madam Shen.
“Mother, I want to divide the family!”
Xu Wencui also agreed. “Yes, Mother! Life is already so hard, and Xinglan is completely crippled. We can’t support the third branch anymore.”
Old Madam Shen looked at Madam Shen.
“Lanpei, what do you think?”
Madam Shen Zhao Lanpei was anxious and looked toward the third branch. Shen Yujiao was already cursing.
“Mother, just divide! They’ve been wanting to split anyway!”
Shen Xinghe also said, “Mother, let’s divide. I can take care of you.”
Lanpei’s gaze finally fell on Mu Wanting, who had remained silent.
“Wanting, what do you think?”
Mu Wanting didn’t want to make the decision for them—otherwise, if things went badly later, they might blame her.
She lowered her eyes and bowed slightly.
“I will follow Mother’s decision.”
At this point, it was no longer something Zhao Lanpei could control. The eldest and second branches were determined to split, and she could not hold them back.
“Since the eldest and second branches insist on dividing, then let it be.”
“Each branch will keep its own money. No need to pool resources. As for Mother’s care, each family will take turns supporting her—ten days each, starting with the eldest branch.”
The division agreement was drafted by Shen Xinghe, and the eldest and second branches eagerly signed it.
Mu Wanting raised her hand to stop them.
“Uncles, are you sure? If Shen Xinglan stands up again in the future, you won’t benefit at all from this decision.”
Shen Lijun and Shen Lin’nong exchanged a glance. Zhang Caiyun sneered.
“Don’t try to trick us again. Even if Shen Xinglan is truly crippled now—or even if he recovers later—we don’t care!”
Everyone else agreed.
Mu Wanting then asked Shen Xinghe to add a clause to the agreement:
“If the third branch prospers in the future, the eldest and second branches cannot regret it.”
The eldest and second branches immediately added their own clause:
“If the eldest or second branch prospers in the future, the third branch cannot regret it.”
No one objected, and they all signed.
Madam Shen sighed, looked at the unconscious Shen Xinglan and the children, and finally signed through gritted teeth.
Mu Wanting curled her lips.
Now that the family was divided, the third branch’s good days were just beginning.
She had long wanted to bring out the supplies hidden in her space.
To be honest, if the eldest and second branches hadn’t been selfish and provoking first, she would have shared some of it.
But since they chose to scheme and then still expect benefits, she wasn’t naive or saintly.
On the day of the split, the third branch ate dried fish from before. The aroma spread through the entire exile convoy.
The guards kept glancing over, but this time Mu Wanting had no intention of sharing.
Previously, she had shared because they had excess and because the guards hadn’t taken advantage of them too much. But now, sharing would only encourage greed.
If she stopped sharing later, the guards would only make things difficult for them.
The third branch ate happily together. Madam Shen spoke up.
“From now on, we are on our own as the third branch. We must support each other.”
“No matter how Wanting entered the family before, she is now Xinglan’s wife. You should treat her as one of us and call her Second Sister-in-law.”
She looked at Shen Xinghe and Shen Yujiao.
Shen Xinghe frowned and glanced at Mu Wanting coldly—he refused to acknowledge her.
Shen Yujiao, however, had already softened toward her and found her dependable. But she was used to being at odds with her and couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Hearing Madam Shen’s words, she finally found an excuse and softly said:
“Second Sister-in-law.”