Shen Qingqing exaggerated her expression deliberately.
Ye Zhi frowned as she watched just as she thought, this was a country bumpkin raised in the countryside, utterly inexperienced!
Her face couldn’t hide her disgust, and whatever little fondness she had for Shen Qingqing vanished instantly. She put on a cold expression and said indifferently, “Shen Qingqing, Shen Qingqing! How dare you return without my permission?”
“Don’t you know that a newlywed daughter-in-law must be filial to her in-laws and live harmoniously with her husband?”
Shen Qingqing glanced at Shen Baiyun with an ambiguous look, then smiled lightly and said, “What’s the big deal? After all, Lu Qianshan is practically a vegetable.”
“You even let me marry in place of my sister, to a vegetable. Why care about these petty rituals?”
She continued calmly, “Besides, even though I grew up in the countryside, I’ve never heard that a married daughter isn’t allowed to return home.”
This woman from the countryside was really crude!
Ye Zhi’s disgust deepened, and she coldly asked, “Shen Qingqing, are you resentful toward me?”
Shen Qingqing quickly smiled: “What are you saying? How could I dare to resent you!”
Shen Baiyun, rolling her eyes, interjected: “Sister, since you’re back home, I’m sure you must be missing home a little. Why not stay a few more days?”
Then she turned to Ye Zhi and said, “Mom, since Sister comes from the countryside, it’s understandable she doesn’t know our rules. You should be more understanding of her.”
Every word radiated superiority.
Shen Qingqing felt nauseated.
Ye Zhi, however, calmed herself after a moment of silence and finally asked, “Shen Qingqing, what exactly do you want by coming back this time? Speak.”
Shen Qingqing pursed her lips, smiled, and grabbed a few grapes from the plate on the coffee table, popping them into her mouth. She then spat out a grape skin.
She casually said, “Of course, I came to see you. And, in passing, to see Father as well.”
Ye Zhi’s face immediately darkened: “He’s not at home.”
“I can wait,” Shen Qingqing said innocently, blinking her eyes, and then picked up a dragon fruit from the table.
She quickly peeled it, grabbed the remote, and turned on a rural-style Mary Sue drama.
Coincidentally, the drama was about a story of a fake and real heiress.
Seeing this, Shen Baiyun’s face went pale, alternating between blue and purple.
Ye Zhi’s chest heaved in anger.
Just as she was about to speak, the housekeeper’s polite voice came from the door: “Mr. Shen, you’re home.”
Accompanied by the sound of shoes, a man slowly walked in.
Shen Jing had just returned from the Shen Corporation. Lately, the Lu Group’s business had taken a downturn, affecting the Shen family as well.
He frowned as he came home, planning to discuss with Ye Zhi whether they should use “that money” to tide things over.
But he saw Shen Baiyun and Ye Zhi in the living room and an uninvited guest: Shen Qingqing.
Shen Jing’s brows furrowed immediately. Shen Baiyun, upon seeing him, brightened and hurriedly got up, taking small, quick steps.
She grabbed Shen Jing and cooed, “Dad, you’re finally back! Ever since Sister arrived, she’s been looking for you. Mom tried to persuade her several times, but she wouldn’t listen.”
At that moment, a line from the TV drama suddenly rang out “Can’t you see the fake one is just pretending? She acts all sweet and delicate, like a little girl, clearly performing to amuse you, and yet you believe her!”
“Rejecting your own flesh and blood, and wanting some random nobody!”
Shen Qingqing: …The drama speaks for me.
Shen Baiyun: …
Ye Zhi: …
Shen Jing: …
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Shen Baiyun’s face paled slightly. She quickly let go of Shen Jing’s hand.
Meanwhile, the characters on TV continued mercilessly criticizing the fake. Every scene seemed to reflect on Shen Baiyun.
Shen Qingqing couldn’t help but feel a bit proud of herself.
She had randomly picked a rural Mary Sue drama, and it turned out to be perfectly relevant.
Seeing Shen Baiyun’s increasingly pale face, Shen Qingqing couldn’t help but laugh.
The “pfft” sound was sharp in the silent living room.
Shen Baiyun immediately glared at Shen Qingqing with reddened eyes, showing the classic expression “I’m upset, but I don’t blame you” then shifting to “My heart is breaking, but I must stay strong on the surface.”
Then, with a despairing, crying voice, she said “Qingqing… Sister, I know you’re angry, but you don’t need to humiliate me like this, sob sob sob.”
She then turned to Shen Jing and Ye Zhi, red-eyed, saying, “Mom, Dad, since Sister doesn’t like me much, I won’t linger here to annoy anyone. I’m going upstairs now!”
With that, Shen Baiyun tugged her dress and ran upstairs.
On TV, a line played: “See, once the fake is exposed, her fragile heart shatters. She’d better act pitiful and run fast, right?”
Shen Baiyun: …This time, it’s really broken!
How could such a drama even exist? Shen Baiyun thought in despair.
Shen Jing, however, strode forward, grabbed the remote, turned off the TV, and coldly stared at Shen Qingqing.
Looking into her eyes, he felt nothing but shame. He said coldly, “Shen Qingqing, why have you come today?”
Shen Qingqing calmly spat out the grape skin, peanut shells, and sunflower seed shells… the author gives up enumerating.
Then she lifted her gaze to meet Shen Jing’s resentful eyes and said, “Dad, can’t I come if I want to?”
The living room fell silent.
Shen Jing hesitated after all, she was his flesh and blood but thinking of past events, his face immediately hardened. He said coldly, “There’s nothing to discuss. You’re just a little girl. Instead of being filial in your in-laws’ house, why are you here?”
Shen Qingqing’s eyes flickered with sarcasm.
In the original story, the original self still somewhat respected her father, Shen Jing.
Apparently, he didn’t deserve it!
In the original story, Shen Jing tacitly allowed Ye Zhi to arrange the substitution marriage and later ignored the original self’s hardships.
He did not nurture his child and even pushed his own daughter into the fire.
What a classic dysfunctional family.
Shen Qingqing felt indignant for her original self. Seeing the shame and guilt crossing Shen Jing’s face, a thought suddenly formed in her mind.
After a pause, Shen Qingqing slowly said, “Father, then perhaps I shouldn’t call you ‘Father’ anymore.”
Shen Jing didn’t respond, instead sitting beside Ye Zhi, taking a piece of fruit and gently feeding it to her.
Seeing this, Shen Qingqing stopped holding back and, looking down from above, said coldly “Since that’s the case, I won’t call you Mr. Shen either.”
“Shen Jing, tell me what exactly happened with my mother’s inheritance?!”