After the engagement-breaking fiasco passed, Shen Zhiyi began living quite comfortably in the marquis household under her mother’s protection.
The maids and servants her mother assigned to her were all dependable people. Not only were they competent, they were also genuinely decent and clean-hearted—to the point that even the Gossip System couldn’t dig up a single scandal about them.
Over the past few days, besides going shopping and buying everything in sight while secretly planning her escape route, Shen Zhiyi spent most of her time gossiping with the system.
The enormous marquis household had plenty of small gossip, though very few truly explosive scandals.
Things like this servant secretly crushing on that maid, that maid caught in a love triangle, or some steward being caught visiting brothels by his wife…
The first few times, it was entertaining.
But after hearing too much of it, it became boring.
What Shen Zhiyi really cared about was discovering the identity of the mistress her scumbag father had hidden inside the marquis household.
The Gossip System had one major flaw:
In order to see detailed gossip about someone, Shen Zhiyi first needed to know that person’s name and appearance.
An abstract portrait could work too—but unfortunately, she didn’t have a picture of the mistress.
Thus, Shen Zhiyi wandered around the marquis household again and again, practically observing every single person in the estate, yet still failed to identify this mysterious Leng Zhu.
Shen Zhiyi narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
[System, are you bugged? Maybe the mistress isn’t actually in the marquis household at all?]
The system immediately straightened its metaphorical spine, speaking with unprecedented confidence and dignity.
[Host! This system may be a little muddle-headed sometimes, but my gossip database is absolutely reliable! Every piece of gossip is updated in real time. There is absolutely—absolutely—no possibility of error!]
[Leng Zhu is definitely being hidden inside the marquis household. As for why we haven’t found her, that only means she’s temporarily away from the manor on business, just like the other young masters and young ladies!]
Having juicy gossip right within reach yet being unable to uncover it was genuinely unbearable.
Shen Zhiyi looked utterly listless.
【Such a huge marquis household, with people constantly coming and going… when is this Leng Zhu finally coming back?】
If Leng Zhu never returned, then the scumbag father’s true colors couldn’t be exposed.
And if his true colors weren’t exposed, then Mother would never completely wake up.
And if Mother didn’t fully wake up, then how could she possibly leave the marquis household with Shen Zhiyi?
After careful thought and planning, Shen Zhiyi had already decided that since her mother was protecting her, she naturally ought to help her mother in return.
If she could rescue her from her tragic fate, that would be even better.
The moment Chen Wanran entered the room, she heard her daughter’s inner thoughts once again.
After spending the past few days together, she had truly realized how extraordinary her daughter’s mysterious ability was.
There seemed to be a distance limit to the inner thoughts—only those within a certain range around Zhiyi could hear them.
Though perhaps it was merely her imagination, Chen Wanran felt that the range had subtly expanded.
As for the things Zhiyi’s inner thoughts revealed…
None of them were fabricated.
Over the past few days, Chen Wanran had listened to plenty of household gossip while staying beside Zhiyi. After conducting quiet investigations, every single thing turned out to be true.
Ever since the incident in the garden, she had already entrusted the matter to her elder brother’s trusted aides to investigate secretly.
They had indeed uncovered clues and even located one of Shen Honglang’s illegitimate sons living outside the estate.
However, for some reason, they still could not find the mysterious Leng Zhu supposedly hidden within the marquis household.
【Forget it. Gossip tastes best when the melon is fully ripe. Sooner or later, the truth will come out.】
For now, Shen Zhiyi temporarily put aside her escape plans.
With her survival crisis significantly eased, her mind began wandering again.
【There must be tons of gossip in noble households and the imperial court. Rich and powerful people always play the wildest games. Sadly, nobody invites me to their tea parties yet, so I’m missing all these premium gossip gathering spots. What a waste!】
Chen Wanran’s heart stirred slightly.
Zhiyi had already returned for several days.
It was about time to host a banquet announcing her return to the family and formally recognizing her as the legitimate eldest daughter of the marquis household.
Once an auspicious date was chosen, invitations could be sent to all the noble families in the capital.
At that time, Zhiyi’s wish to “eat gossip” could conveniently be fulfilled as well.
Chen Wanran had already decided that during the banquet, she absolutely must remain within hearing range of Zhiyi’s inner thoughts.
If Zhiyi didn’t recognize someone, Chen Wanran could quietly explain things to her.
After all…
She wasn’t a gossip-loving person.
She was simply helping her daughter.
And only incidentally listening along.
“Mother, you’re here!”
Shen Zhiyi immediately tossed aside her sunflower seeds and skipped over happily.
Seeing her like this, Chen Wanran couldn’t help smiling.
Although Zhiyi had spent fifteen years growing up in the countryside, her posture and manner of speaking were actually excellent.
She was nothing like the “illiterate country bumpkin” Wang Zimo and Shen Ruoyue had maliciously described.
Though she wasn’t skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, nor familiar with books such as Lessons for Women or Admonitions for Women, she was remarkably knowledgeable and surprisingly well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics.
Because of this, Chen Wanran had directly rejected Shen Honglang’s proposal to hire matrons to train Zhiyi in ladylike etiquette and the so-called “three obediences and four virtues.”
“Master Kongwu just returned to the estate,” Chen Wanran said gently. “I have something I’d like to ask her, and I also wanted to bring you to meet her.”
Master Kongwu?
Shen Zhiyi remembered hearing that she was an extremely spiritual nun who had once cultivated under a great monk.
She originally practiced at a convent outside the city, but after Shen Zhiyi’s older brother once saved her life, she moved into the marquis household to repay the favor, only occasionally leaving to seek alms.
The household had even built a small Buddhist hall specifically for her to chant scriptures and practice vegetarian discipline.
Ever since she arrived ten years ago, the marquis household had flourished more and more. Many people believed this was due to Master Kongwu’s guidance and blessings.
Shen Zhiyi felt somewhat curious about this mysterious nun as well.
Maybe later she could ask her to calculate when Mother would finally divorce the scumbag father so Shen Zhiyi would never have to see that cursed pair again.
Originally, Shen Zhiyi had been rather excited.
But the moment she entered the Buddhist hall, surrounded by sacred Buddha statues and solemn holy light, an explosive curse burst from her heart before she could stop herself.
【HOLY SH—】
【Forgive me, Buddha, this humble girl means no offense. My sins, my sins.】
Staring at the bald nun, Shen Zhiyi quickly confirmed things with the system again in her mind.
【HOLY SHT HOLY SHT HOLY SH*T— SHE’S THE MISTRESS?!】
【No wonder I searched the marquis household eight hundred times and still couldn’t find her! No wonder the scumbag father managed to hide his mistress here for so many years without anyone discovering it—and even managed to have several more children with her! No wonder, no wonder!】
Shen Zhiyi was utterly shaken.
At the same time, Chen Wanran suffered an even greater shock.
What…?
Had she heard wrong?
The mistress Shen Honglang had been secretly keeping… was Master Kongwu?!
How was that even possible?!
Wouldn’t that mean they had been—
Shen Zhiyi’s inner thoughts perfectly completed the sentence in Chen Wanran’s mind.
【Wouldn’t that mean they’ve been secretly sleeping together inside this Buddhist hall the entire time?!】
【This is insane! Isn’t the scumbag father supposed to be some feudal-era conservative? He actually dares disrespect Buddha like this? Isn’t he afraid of divine punishment?!】