Facing Qin Shi's trembling anger, Shen Mingtang hesitated for a moment before sitting by the bedside.
She reached out to grasp Qin Shi's hand. "Mother, it's alright. I'm here."
At this moment, Qin Shi's hand was icy cold to the bone and still trembling slightly.
Shen Mingtang sat with Qin Shi for quite some time.
Until someone else entered.
It was Qin Shi's personal maid Qiuyue.
Qiuyue's eyes were red with urgency, her forehead drenched in sweat from running. She entered the room and stood before the mother and daughter.
She knelt with a thud. "Madam, this servant was deceived by the Eldest Daughter."
Originally, when Madam said she was terribly dizzy, they had helped her here to rest. Seeing how attentive the Eldest Daughter was being, she had let her guard down completely.
These past few days, the Eldest Daughter had been at odds with Madam, and as a maid, she had been terribly worried for her mistress.
Who would have thought that after settling Madam, the Eldest Daughter would suddenly clutch her stomach, claiming severe abdominal pain and needing to use the privy.
Today, the Eldest Daughter hadn't even brought a maid with her.
The Eldest Daughter said she couldn't walk properly, so she had to support her to find the privy, only to be locked inside by the Eldest Daughter…
She knew then that something terrible had happened.
The Eldest Daughter's actions were clearly meant to scheme against Madam.
"It was all this servant's carelessness." Qiuyue blamed herself severely. "If only I…"
"This isn't your fault." Qin Shi's voice was somewhat hoarse. "Get up and help me freshen up. The Liu family's banquet will likely begin soon."
Qiuyue acknowledged the order, though her legs were visibly still weak as she rose.
Shen Mingtang's gaze rested on Qiuyue.
She knew Qiuyue was utterly loyal. Back when Qin Shi married Shen Yuanshan, she had brought four personal maids as part of her dowry.
Of those four maids, one had offended the pregnant Zhou Yiniang. In a fit of rage, Shen Yuanshan had kicked her in the chest, killing her instantly.
Qin Shi had been pregnant with her at the time, and by the time she learned of it, it was already too late.
Qin Shi had no choice but to arrange marriages for the other three. Two had agreed, but the youngest, Qiuyue, had refused.
Qiuyue's devotion to Qin Shi was beyond question, but there was one thing—Qiuyue had watched Shen Mingyue grow up.
No matter how strained Shen Mingyue's relationship with Qin Shi became, Qiuyue would always feel sorry for Shen Mingyue because she was Qin Shi's child.
Even now, if Qiuyue were to reflect later, she would likely entertain two suspicions.
One would be suspecting that Shen Mingtang was behind the schemes, and the other would be suspecting that Zhou Yiniang had instigated it.
Qiuyue helped Qin Shi tidy up simply, making her appear no different from when she had arrived.
"Ming Tang, don't speak of what just happened to anyone," Qin Shi said softly.
Shen Mingtang nodded. "Yes."
She watched as Qin Shi skillfully suppressed her emotions. The despair and pain from earlier were now undetectable, as if nothing had happened.
All these years, her mother had failed to win her father's affection. Everyone lived off her resources and used her dowry money, yet they all looked down on her merchant background.
She must have endured many painful and sorrowful moments to become so adept at controlling her emotions.
Just like someone tormented by fate for too long, they eventually learn to pretend to face the world with a smile.
When the three of them went out, Xiao Beili was no longer in the outer room.
Qiuyue seemed unaware that Xiao Beili had been there, focusing entirely on supporting Qin Shi as they left.
Shen Mingtang was concerned about retrieving her soaked clothes, but after searching several times, she couldn't find them anywhere.
Perhaps Prince Rui had taken them away?
For a man to be so meticulous—Shen Mingtang unconsciously curved the corner of her mouth.
She had no choice but to let it go for now.
Qin Shi was still instructing as she stepped over the threshold, "Just say I wasn't feeling well and rested for a while in the guest room. Don't mention anything else."
Shen Mingtang and Qiuyue responded simultaneously.
Soon the three of them arrived at the front hall of the Liu residence, which was already bustling with colorful decorations and continuous laughter and chatter.
When Qin Shi and her daughter arrived, many people stopped talking and turned to look at them.
Qin Shi nodded to the crowd, then took Shen Mingtang's hand and found a secluded seat to sit down.
"Mingyue, she…" Qin Shi hesitated for a long moment before asking in a low voice, "Is she alright?"
As she asked this, a bitter smile appeared on her own face.
She still couldn't help worrying about this daughter.
After carrying her for ten months and raising her with care, every little moment made it impossible for her to completely harden her heart unless her daughter personally took her life.
Shen Mingtang knew what she was referring to – Qin Shi had woken up early and heard about her forcing Shen Mingyue to take the 'poison'.
Actually, it wasn't poison at all.
It was just some antidote medicine that Prince Rui carried with him, as he was physically weak and poisoned, fearing he might suddenly fall unconscious.
When she took the sword for Prince Rui, it happened precisely because his poison had suddenly flared up at that critical moment.
She wondered if those who sent the assassins had been found out yet.
"Mingtang?" Qin Shi's voice carried a hint of urgency when she saw her not responding.
"She's fine, I was just trying to scare her." Shen Mingtang snapped back to attention and poured tea for Qin Shi. "Mother needn't worry that I would harm her. If anything really happened to her, it would break your heart."
Qin Shi breathed a sigh of relief. "Mother knows you have a kind and generous heart. Don't take it to heart like your elder sister does."
"Mother is so good to elder sister. It's just strange why Yiniang has never liked me – she prefers elder sister." Shen Mingtang couldn't help testing the waters. "These past few days, I've been somewhat confused – it feels like I'm mother's daughter, and elder sister is Yiniang's daughter."
Qin Shi looked at her with pained eyes, opening her mouth but not knowing what to say.
Yes.
She too had been feeling this confusion these past few days.
Mingtang was the daughter she had carefully raised, the one who was close to her, where mother and daughter got along harmoniously and cared for each other.
She didn't understand why Zhou Shi hated her so much yet liked her daughter so much.
After much thought, she could only conclude that Zhou Yiniang was using Mingyue to deal with her. Unfortunately, her naive daughter had fallen into Zhou Shi's trap.
Today's incident likely had Zhou Shi's guidance behind it as well.
After a long while, Qin Shi finally smiled and said, "You are also mother's daughter. In the future, I'll find an opportunity to officially claim you under my name, and then our mother-daughter relationship will be proper."
Though she said this, it wouldn't be easy in practice.
Unless Zhou Yiniang suddenly died, or Zhou Yiniang committed some serious offense that lost Shen Yuanshan's favor, would it be possible.
However, now that she had the Imperial Order that Mingtang had obtained for her, it wasn't impossible to bring it up directly.
Shen Mingtang wasn't too disappointed by Qin Shi's reaction.
Though she didn't know what Qin Shi had been thinking during her silence, the fact that Qin Shi had taken the initiative to propose claiming her was already a good thing.
Everything needed to be taken slowly.
But thinking about Zhou Yiniang, she felt like she had overlooked something important.
The ladies chatting nearby gradually quieted down.
Shen Mingtang looked up and saw Liu Furen supporting Liu Laofuren as they slowly approached, greeting everyone.
However.
Liu Furen's face clearly showed a forced smile, her gaze searching for something around the room.
Soon enough, Shen Mingtang met her eyes.
Their gazes locked.
A flash of coldness passed through Liu Furen's eyes.