Shen Yu had a gentle personality, and even though she wasn’t in the mood to go shopping, she still agreed to accompany Shen Wan since she asked.
However, just as they were leaving, they happened to run into the Marchioness of Yongqing and the cousin, Xu Zhiyi, who had just arrived.
Seeing Shen Yu’s slightly red eyes, the Marchioness of Yongqing nor was displeased. “There’s always a bit of friction between husband and wife. But to argue a couple of sentences and then run back to your natal family is simply too childish and unreasonable.”
Xu Zhiyi quickly apologized, “It was my fault just now. I came to apologize to Sister-in-law…”
So that was it, they had mistaken her for taking her elder sister back to the Duke Dingguo Manor to complain, and came rushing over to stop her.
Was it the same in her previous life too? Afraid of her father and elder brother, they killed her elder sister after she discovered their illicit affair between cousins?!
Rage surged in Shen Wan’s chest, but her expression remained calm. “What argument? And what apology?”
She turned to look at Shen Yu.
Shen Yu was momentarily confused by Shen Wan’s feigned ignorance.
The Marchioness of Yongqing said, “Aren’t you two going back to the Duke Ding Manor?”
Shen Wan smiled. “My elder sister accidentally damaged my brother-in-law’s brocade robe and felt bad about it, so I’m taking her out to buy a gift on the street to make amends.”
A flicker of embarrassment crossed the Marchioness’s face. “Then you may go.”
Shen Wan curtsied slightly and left with Shen Yu.
After boarding the carriage, Shen Yu looked at her. “Wan’er, you…”
Shen Wan smiled lightly. “Is Eldest Sister surprised that I, who has always been straightforward, have learned to be tactful as well?”
Shen Yu said nothing, silence was confirmation.
Shen Wan continued, “Didn’t I already tell you? It’s not worth arguing or being upset over such matters, and I won’t be telling Father, Mother, or Elder Brother either.”
In her previous life, her parents knew nothing about this. Her elder sister was killed by them in less than half a month.
If they were told, they would only become more alert, and might act even sooner.
Without evidence, she could not directly remove her elder sister from the Marquis of Yongqing Manor. But even if there was conflict, she did not want her sister to suffer for it, she would rather her sister never see those people again.
Shen Yu originally had an excellent marriage engagement arranged. It had already been settled, and she was just waiting to come of age before marrying.
But only a few days after her coming-of-age ceremony, she and the heir of Marquis Yongqing fell into water together. He rescued her, and they ended up in a situation of physical contact witnessed by others.
The engagement was broken off, and she was instead married into the Marquis of Yongqing heir.
Shen Wan would never forget the day she was flying kites in the estate with Ye Caiwei and Shen Wu, when a maid suddenly brought news that her elder sister’s carriage had gone out of control and she had fallen off a cliff and died.
After only a little over two years of marriage, Shen Yu still had no child and went to the Qingmiao Temple seeking blessings for fertility. But her carriage met with an accident on the way back, falling off a cliff. The death was tragic, and none of the coachman or maid survived.
When their father investigated, someone said Shen Yu had boarded the carriage in tears, but no one knew why she had been crying.
Marquis of Yongqing Manor held a grand funeral. The heir of the manor was devastated, refusing food and drink. Yet shortly after his wife was buried, he got drunk and had relations with his cousin, who had deliberately seduced him by wearing Shen Yu’s clothes.
The blame was placed entirely on the cousin’s seduction. Even Shen Wan’s parents could not say anything, as a man would inevitably remarry.
Soon after the funeral, Marquis of Yongqing Manor held a wedding. Eight months later, a premature son was born.
The Marchioness of Yongqing did not even dare let Duke Dingguo Manor know that the heir had sided with the cousin and hurt Shen Yu’s feelings, let alone the fact that they had conceived a child together, Marquis of Yongqing Manor could not afford to offend Duke Dingguo Manor.
Once Shen Yu discovered their affair, she would not be allowed to live.
Shen Wan had already asked her cousin to investigate this matter, but she did not know when the truth would come out. Until it was resolved, she could not be at peace.
She tightened her grip on Shen Yu’s hand. “The other day, thanks to a Taoist outside Huguo Temple, I narrowly escaped disaster. Afterwards, I asked him to look into when you might have children. He said that children are not the urgent matter right now, and that you must not leave the manor for the next half month, especially not to go to Qingmiao Temple.”
“Promise me, for these half a month, you won’t go anywhere secluded. Not even any quiet corners within Marquis of Yongqing Manor.”
Shen Yu felt an uneasy sensation rising in her heart, though she couldn’t explain why. She nodded. “I rarely go out anyway. I promise you.”
But Shen Wan was still not reassured. After they went out, she repeated the warning to Tubai.
“If one day Eldest Sister insists on going to Qingmiao Temple, no matter what, you must inform me immediately.”
Tubai nodded. “This servant will remember.”
After making all arrangements, Shen Wan took Shen Yu shopping from one end of the street to the other, then switched streets and did the same again.
She could barely remember the last time they had truly gone shopping together properly, or perhaps they had never done so alone. Shen Wu and Ye Caiwei were always with them, and everything had to be accommodated around them.
They shopped through three streets, buying everything they liked without hesitation.
Finally, they entered a calligraphy and painting shop. There was nothing interesting on the first floor, so they went upstairs.
Shen Yu walked ahead, Shen Wan behind her. Suddenly, Shen Yu panicked and stepped back, accidentally stepping on Shen Wan’s foot.
“Ouch… Eldest Sister, what’s wrong?” Shen Wan looked up.
She saw the heir of the Marquis of Zhaoping Manor coming down the stairs.
Shen Yu quickly turned sideways to avoid him, pressing herself against the wall, tense and uneasy, as though she didn’t even dare breathe.
The man’s gaze lingered on her face for a long moment. He said nothing, then continued downstairs and left.
Only after he had gone did Shen Yu turn to look at him. Her eyes were already red.
Afraid Shen Wan would notice, she only glanced once before quickly looking away and hurriedly went upstairs.
Once, they had been childhood sweethearts. Now, they could not even greet each other.
Shen Wan felt a bitterness she could not describe, hatred almost rising in her chest, she wanted nothing more than to burn the Marquis of Yongqing Manor to the ground.
That man had once been Shen Yu’s fiancé. But after she fell into the water and was rescued by the heir of the Marquis of Yongqing Manor, the scandal spread everywhere, and Marchioness of Zhaoping Manor personally broke off the engagement.
When the engagement was broken, the heir of the Marquis of Zhaoping Manor was not in the capital. He returned on the very day Shen Yu got married.
He had brought carefully chosen gifts, intending to give them to her, but instead saw her in wedding robes, getting into another man’s bridal sedan. The engagement had already been broken by his mother, leaving him no reason even to fight for her.
For two years after her marriage, he never took another wife.
Shen Yu only picked a single inkstone. Shen Wan bought nothing at all, and they left the shop separately to return home in their own carriages.
Shen Wan watched her elder sister leave, then looked up and saw the heir of the Marquis of Zhaoping Manor mounted on a horse in a deserted corner, silently watching the carriage disappear into the distance.
His figure was lonely and desolate.
The last time Shen Wan had seen him was on Shen Yu’s death anniversary in her previous life. After her parents and elder brother were gone, she had gone to pay respects and saw him there as well.
She still remembered his bloodshot eyes.
Perhaps…
A bold thought suddenly sprang up in her mind.
And with it, an uncontrollable surge of excitement rose in Shen Wan’s heart.