Volume 1, Chapter 8: Dog Bites Dog, the Gift Controversy
Before the banquet began, the younger generation stepped forward one by one to present their gifts and offer birthday wishes.
Shen Guanghui, Shen Mingli, and Shen Ji'an, the three brothers, each brought their spouses forward to congratulate the matriarch.
Next came the grandchildren.
As the eldest daughter of the Shen family, Shen He naturally drew the attention of everyone present when she stepped forward with Mu Tingyun to offer her birthday wishes.
She wore a strapless, figure-hugging fishtail dress, moving with graceful steps. Her cat-like eyes, adorned with a subtle smoky makeup, shimmered with a captivating light, and her stunning appearance sparked whispers among the guests.
Standing beside the third son of the Mu family, she did not lose even a hint of presence.
Shen He had already presented her gift earlier. After offering a few auspicious birthday wishes, it was Mu Tingyun's turn to present his gift.
Mu Tingyun held the gift box and turned to Shen Guanghui, who was seated at the table, saying, "Uncle Shen, I need your help."
Shen Guanghui rose with a beaming smile and helped Mu Tingyun unfurl the embroidered artwork.
As the piece was unveiled, a pair of longevity cranes perched on a pine tree came into view. The guests' eyes lit up at the sight of the embroidery.
They gathered around, enthusiastically praising the lifelike quality of the embroidery, noting that each stitch was masterful and must have been the work of a renowned artist.
However, as soon as Madam Zhong saw the white cranes on the embroidered cloth, she sensed something familiar.
The smile on her face instantly faded.
Mu Tingyun smiled faintly and spoke with elegant grace, "Grandmother Zhong, this is the 'Longevity White Crane Embroidery' I obtained from Master Zhang Jingyu, a representative master of Su embroidery."
"I present this embroidery to you, Grandmother Zhong, wishing you robust health and a long, prosperous life."
Upon hearing this, the guests exclaimed in admiration—
"I knew these cranes looked so vivid and lifelike—no ordinary embroiderer could have created them. So it's actually the work of Master Zhang Jingyu!"
"Mr. Mu is truly thoughtful."
Hearing the guests' flattery, a hint of arrogance flickered in Mu Tingyun's eyes.
However, the Shen family members who knew the inside story all subtly changed their expressions upon hearing the name "Zhang Jingyu."
Shen Guanghui even glanced fearfully at the matriarch.
Seeing the cold, piercing look in Madam Zhong's eyes, Shen Guanghui angrily questioned Mu Tingyun, "Tingyun, what's going on! Why did you have to give something from that woman?"
"How unlucky!"
Mu Tingyun immediately frowned and asked Shen Guanghui, "Uncle Shen, what do you mean by that?"
He said in confusion, "Master Zhang Jingyu is widely recognized as a representative master of Su embroidery. I specifically sought this out because I heard from you, Uncle Shen, that Grandmother Zhong has a hobby of collecting embroideries and porcelain."
"If I've done something wrong, please explain clearly, Uncle Shen."
Hearing the conversation, Madam Zhong cast a scrutinizing glance at Shen Guanghui.
Seeing this, Shen Guanghui grew anxious, almost stomping his feet in frustration. He gritted his teeth and said, "I did say my mother enjoys collecting porcelain and embroidery, but I never said she likes Zhang Jingyu's work!"
"But Uncle Shen also never said it couldn't be Master Zhang Jingyu's embroidery," Mu Tingyun's eyes suddenly turned sharp and cold as he asked Shen Guanghui, "Are you blaming me for making a mistake?"
It was Shen Guanghui who wanted him to attend the birthday banquet and present a grand gift to boost his own prestige. Now, it was also Shen Guanghui who was criticizing him for making a mistake.
This Shen Guanghui…
Mu Tingyun's gaze toward Shen Guanghui instantly turned cold.
Shen Guanghui also felt somewhat intimidated by Mu Tingyun. Seeing Mu Tingyun's anger, he dared not say anything more.
Meeting Mrs. Zhong's scrutinizing gaze from above, Shen Guanghui inwardly cursed his bad luck.
If he had known it would lead to such a scene, he would never have invited Mu Tingyun in the first place.
He hurriedly explained to Mrs. Zhong, "Mother, this is all a misunderstanding…"
Mrs. Zhong sneered, cutting Shen Guanghui off, her tone neither light nor heavy. "Guanghui, although you are not my biological son, you grew up by my side since childhood."
"Over the years, I have treated you well, and I believe I have never mistreated or wronged you." Staring at Zhang Jingyu's seal in the corner of the embroidery, Mrs. Zhong's eyes turned cold.
In front of all the guests, she openly questioned Shen Guanghui, "Years ago, your father cheated on me during my third trimester. That woman he had an affair with was Zhang Jingyu!"
"This is a family scandal. Outsiders may not know, but how could you not know?"
"Today is my 70th birthday. Is this the kind of gift you give me? Do you wish me a long and healthy life, or are you hoping I'll die soon?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room erupted in an uproar!
"What! Shen Zhenkun's affair with Zhang Jingyu back then was actually true?"
"The eldest son of the Shen family isn't Mrs. Zhong and Shen Zhenkun's biological child? I always thought Mrs. Zhong was Shen Guanghui's birth mother."
Hearing the guests' discussions, Mu Tingyun only then learned that Shen Guanghui was not Mrs. Zhong's biological son.
He was quite surprised, never expecting Mrs. Zhong to have kept such an ugly secret so well hidden.
Mrs. Zhong had never publicly disclosed this matter before, surely to preserve Shen Guanghui's dignity.
But now…
At the stepmother's 70th birthday celebration, the stepson, together with his well-connected prospective son-in-law, gifted an embroidery made by the mistress as a birthday present.
Anyone in this situation would be furious, so it was no wonder Mrs. Zhong made such a scene.
Mu Tingyun couldn't let his future father-in-law be embarrassed in front of everyone, so he took the blame upon himself. "I'm sorry, Grandma Zhong, this was my mistake."
Mu Tingyun rolled up the embroidery as if to throw it into the trash.
"Don't throw it away," Mrs. Zhong said to Shen Guanghui. "Young Master Mu must have spent quite a bit on this piece. Guanghui, take this embroidery and burn it for your father when you have time. It's the work of his old lover—he'll surely appreciate this gift."
After saying this, Mrs. Zhong let out a mocking laugh and added sarcastically, "If your father has any spirit in the afterlife, he will surely be touched by your filial piety."
Shen Guanghui's face darkened, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and take the Longevity White Crane embroidery.
After that, Mrs. Zhong herself acted as if nothing had happened, eating and drinking as usual, but Mu Tingyun and Shen Guanghui remained unusually silent.
After picking at his food for a while, Mu Tingyun called Shen He and left early.
Taking the car keys from the valet, Mu Tingyun silently got into the driver's seat.
As soon as Shen He settled into the passenger seat, she heard Mu Tingyun ask in an unreadable tone, "Did you know beforehand?"
"Know what?" Shen He reacted as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
Suppressing his anger, Mu Tingyun asked again, "Did you know about the history between Master Zhang Jingyu and your grandmother?"
Shen He's eyes suddenly reddened, and she started crying without warning, inexplicably.
Mu Tingyun was taken aback, completely bewildered. "Why are you crying?"
Sobbing, Shen He accused Mu Tingyun, "Mu Tingyun, are you doubting me? Do you suspect I deliberately embarrassed you? Made you lose face in front of everyone?"
"Mu Tingyun! So in your heart, I'm just this kind of person?"
"What am I? A scheming, manipulative bitch?"
As she spoke, Shen He cried even harder.
Mu Tingyun: "…"
He actually saw Qin Yinong's shadow in Shen He, and this horrifying thought startled Mu Tingyun into clarity.
Thinking carefully about today's events, he realized that his accusations had indeed wronged Shen He.
"You didn't know about this?" Mu Tingyun also calmed down.
Shen He deliberately retorted angrily: "No! I knew, I did it intentionally! I wanted to see you embarrassed, and when you were embarrassed, I felt proud too!"
"I'm a despicable person, I love acting, I love grabbing attention!" By the end, Shen He was crying uncontrollably.
Honestly, she had never cried like this in her life.
Afraid that her tears might run dry and she couldn’t continue pretending to be a manipulative bitch, Shen He secretly pinched her thigh.
Damn, it hurt so much!