Before he could finish speaking, Shen Xiaohai stormed in and delivered a heavy kick to his chest, sending him crashing against the dispy shelf. The impact toppled various ornaments, scattering them across the floor with a loud ctter.

  Lady He and Shen Huizhi screamed simultaneously. Lady He, trembling, rose to her feet, then dropped to her knees, clutching Shen Xiaohai in a desperate attempt to hold him back. She was so distressed that she ignored the scratches on her own face, pleading with him incessantly, "My lord! He's our only son! If you injure him too badly..."

  Shen Huixin also knelt beside her mother, reaching out to grasp Shen Xiaohai's arm. She was the only one in the room capable of reasoning with him, her voice choked with emotion as she tearfully called out, "Father." Seeing Shen Xiaohai finally stop, she felt a slight sense of relief but knew she couldn't afford to dey. She quickly voiced her thoughts, "Yes, he deserves punishment for his behavior. But even if you beat him to death, this matter won't just go away..."

  Shen Xiaohai gred darkly at Shen Qingrang, who couldn't even manage to get up, and spat at him heavily. "You don't want to marry her? You'd rather die than marry her? Then what were you thinking, doing something so disgraceful after just a few drinks? Didn't you hear what your sister just said? She's not some actress you can summon and dismiss at will! She's a noblewoman with a clean reputation and a powerful family! Did you think you could just walk away from this? Keep dreaming!"

  Shen Qingrang's throat choked up, his voice trembling with fear as he clung to Lady He, saying, "I really thought she was Hongxiu, from the Hongyun Theater..."

  But no one believed him, not even the ever-skeptical Shen Xiaohai. He had already ordered someone to investigate, discovering that recently, Shen Qingrang had been frequenting every tavern, tea house, gambling den, and theater in the city—even participating in dog fights on the outskirts. In moments of revelry, people often lost themselves, making reckless decisions. Miss Tong had clearly said she went to pay his bill because she heard he was too drunk to settle it, only for him to grab onto her and refuse to let her leave.

  Shen Xiaohai pulled up a chair, sat down, and pointed at him with a cold sneer. "Prepare yourself. In a few days, you'll accompany me to the Tong family to propose."

  He wasn't foolish. The Song family likely resented Duke Ying's family deeply due to this matter, making any marital alliance with them out of the question. They had already seen through his attempt to drag them into the matter. Even if he had the nerve, he couldn't consider proposing to Sixth Miss Song anymore.

  Since things had reached this point, he could only be grateful it was at least the Marquis of Wuning's granddaughter. Besides, since she had lost her reputation before marriage, her dowry would only be more generous. The Marquis of Wuning had extensive wealth from his enterprises outside the capital. In a sense, it was a small consotion.

  Shen Qingrang, tearful, shook his head persistently, "But... she's... isn't she... with her leg problems, could she really become our family's matron..."

  Lady He hesitated, looking up at Shen Xiaohai, wondering if she should dare try persuading him. But Shen Xiaohai gave a cold snort.

  "So what? The news has already spread. If you don't take responsibility, should Miss Tong be left with no choice but to end her life?" He pointed at Shen Qingrang, his anger fring once again. "If it comes to that day, you think you can still marry and have a family? Start preparing your coffin! If the censors don't tear us down, the emperor and empress will surely issue a reprimand. And if by some miracle that doesn't happen, do you think the Marquis of Wuning's family won't come after you?"

  With a wave of his hand, he looked at Shen Qingrang with utter disgust and turned to Lady He. "Keep a close eye on him. If he causes any more trouble, I won't acknowledge him as my son anymore. Open the ancestral hall and cast him out of the family if it comes to that!"

  Though Shen Xiaohai had few legitimate sons, he had plenty of illegitimate ones. His eldest illegitimate son was proving to be quite capable, managing the estates efficiently. Lady He knew he meant every word, and, struck with terror, nodded repeatedly.

  Shen Qingrang dared not protest further. After his father left with his elder sister, he clung to Lady He's legs, pleading, "Mother! Help me find a way out! I'll marry Sixth Miss Song! That... that ill-tempered, pin-looking Tong..."

  Lady He had to steel herself and spped him across the face, trembling as she cursed, "Shut up! Marry Sixth Miss Song? Do you not understand the situation you're in? You think you have the right to choose? You'd better give up on this foolish idea. If you mention Sixth Miss Song again, I'll see to it you're expelled from the family myself!"

  The Shen family's turmoil unfolded like scenes from a painting, each vivid and detailed in Song Chuyi's mind, thanks to Qingzhuo's colorful retelling, complete with Lady He's tone and expressions.

  After sending Qingying off with instructions for Ma Changjiang, Qingzhuo recounted the most critical part: "The seventh young master Shen absolutely refuses to marry Miss Tong. He was beaten bck and blue by the Duke's heir and still cried out that he wouldn't take a pin woman as his wife... and kept saying he wanted..."

  He gnced at the intrigued Zhou Weizhao and Song Chuyi, chuckling awkwardly as he steered the conversation away, "In short, the Shen household was in complete chaos today. Both the Duke and Duchess Ying were so enraged they fell ill. And the Marquis of Wuning's family hasn't let up either; a group came over again tonight to berate them."

  Zhou Weizhao, who had always known that the Shen family was Song Chuyi's weakness, listened to Qingzhuo's vivid recounting with a hint of a smile as he looked at her. "Are you at ease now? Even the Shen family's fortunes have changed, showing how ridiculous that dream was. Take it as a gift from fate, showing you how to avoid danger, recognize good and evil, loyalty and treachery, and which path you should follow."

  Qingzhuo was a bit disheartened, as his master's tone was the same as when coaxing that cat at Mount Longhu... clearly, she hadn't yet come to realize his intentions.

  Unaware of Zhou Weizhao's special tone with the cat, Song Chuyi found nothing strange about it and nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. Although the Shen family hasn't yet used and discarded me like in the dream, their intentions and actions mirror it perfectly. I should indeed be grateful for that dream—it showed me how to tread each step carefully. At least I won't be clueless when camity strikes."