Chapter Seventy Rhetoric

  Remember in one second

  As soon as the four words "Princess Huai'an" came out, a murmur of surprise erupted around her, causing Princess Huai'an to smile complacently, with disdain in her phoenix-like eyes: "What? Afraid?"

  As soon as the woman's words fell, the maid beside her kept pulling at the woman's sleeve until she turned back impatiently.

  "Princess, that..."

  "What's going on?"

  "Ah... Young Master Mu..."

  "What? Brother Mu?"

  Looking at the changes on the faces of the two, Shen Huan felt like watching a circus clown. And that servant who was called Ruyi, shouted out the word "princess", and with their dressing and domineering manner, she immediately understood that they were able to be so arrogant because they could be considered as one person above all others.

  But just the next moment, it was Shen Huan's turn to change his face, because...

  "Princess Huai'an..."

  A mere four words made Shen Huan's body tremble, and she mechanically turned her head to see Mu Siyao's cunning eyes staring back at her. At this moment, there was only one phrase that could describe Shen Huan's feelings: "Enemies meet on a narrow road."

  "Brother Mo..."

  Shen Han couldn't help but shudder all over again, and was suddenly given a fright by Princess Huai'an. Just a moment ago, she was still pointing her finger at him with an air of superiority, as if she were the only one who mattered. Now, however, as soon as Mu Siyao appeared, she wilted.

  But... what's even more unbearable for Shen Han is that she dragged out a long tail sound and shouted "Mu Gege", I thought we were filming a romantic drama or something?

  "Hey, isn't this Shen young lady? How come you're with the princess? You... know each other?"

  Hua An Gongzhu's face fell as soon as she heard the words, and Shen Huan couldn't help but glare at Mu Siyao. From her limited understanding of him, he must have done it on purpose. Clearly aware of the tense atmosphere earlier, he still chose to ignore the princess's gentle advances towards him, instead flashing a smile in her direction and acting as if they were familiar with each other.

  Shen Han looked at him silently, furious and roaring in her heart: Big brother, are you sure you're not here to cause trouble?

  "I don't know, just now..."

  "It's okay, this sister just accidentally bumped into Ruyi, she insisted on apologizing, and I'm telling her not to be polite."

  For Princess Huai'an's change of attitude, Shen Huan was so impressed that she admired her from the bottom of her heart. What she admired even more was her skill in reversing right and wrong with her words. Shen Huan looked at her silently as she sang a solo, originally... no matter how proud a woman thinks she is, when she meets the man she likes, she can't help but put away that pride and lose all sense of self.

  However, Shen Huan didn't know what was so good about Mu Siyao that she would act so shamelessly in front of so many people.

  "Hmm... Miss Shen, is it really like this?"

  To someone who clearly knew the answer but asked anyway, Shen Huan didn't have the leisure to bother with her and directly replied: "If you think it's like that, then it is."

  After finishing speaking, he didn't look at the two of them again, and with his arm around Li's arm, he turned around and left, thinking that they were a perfect match.

  As Shen Huan turned around, Princess Huai'an and her personal maid Ruyi couldn't help but twitch on their faces, wanting to call out to her to stop, but they couldn't bring themselves to do so. They looked back at Mu Siyao, who was smiling as he watched Shen Huan's departing figure. Princess Huai'an felt even more displeased in her heart, but she still had to endure it and not erupt, otherwise the image she had built up in front of him all along would be completely destroyed.

  "Brother Mu...do you want to go together later..."

  "Princess, excuse me, I have something to attend to and will take my leave first."

  After finishing speaking, he turned around in the direction Shen Huan had left and saw that Shen Huan had already stopped not far away, saying something to a man in his forties or fifties who was dressed very neatly. From her movements, it seemed like she was somewhat agitated and helpless. Mu Siyao also happened to see this, so he hastily bid farewell and went over to take a look.

  "Thank you, Mr. Liu! I really didn't expect to run into you in the capital."

  Looking at Mr. Liu in front of him, who was smiling so unrealistically, Shen Han felt a lot of pressure. He had come to their home many times to thank them, and Shen Han was already afraid of him and didn't dare go out. Now, it's even better that they met again after coming to the capital, it seems that this period is indeed relatively unlucky.

  "Who is this...?"

  "Mother, this is the one I told you about last time, I helped his wife give birth."

  After explaining to Li's family, Shen Han was about to leave, but unexpectedly Old Man Liu blocked her way with his arms open and said: "Is... this your mother? Then last time in Qingfeng Town..."

  "This is my mother-in-law."

  As for this Old Man Liu, Shen Han also didn't know where he got so much enthusiasm from, insisting on clinging to her as if it was necessary, even if she was truly grateful, there was no need to be like this.

  "So... you're already married? I really couldn't tell"

  Shen Han also saw the displeasure in Li's eyes and knew that she couldn't get entangled with him anymore. Earlier, when Mu Siyao appeared, Shen Han had already sensed her unease. Now, encountering another man who took the initiative to strike up a conversation, others might think that she was somehow attracting these men, one after another, as if she were some kind of magnet?

  "Well, I have something to attend to with my wife and mother-in-law, so I'll take my leave first."

  After finishing, Shen Huan thought of taking a step back to leave, but unexpectedly that Old Man Liu burst out laughing: "Miss Shen, don't misunderstand, I have these entanglements, I'm afraid it's because I scared you. I actually have a niece who is about to give birth, and I originally came to congratulate her. Who would have thought that I coincidentally ran into you? I wonder if you can help out when she goes into labor?"

  Upon hearing this, apart from Shen Huan's sigh of relief, Li's face also relaxed a bit. After all, the Liu family had previously relied on Shen to deliver their child, so it was understandable that they would have more trust in her than in strangers. Moreover, this enthusiasm came not from elsewhere but from business opportunities knocking on their door, making Li's expression naturally more pleasant.

  "Didn't you contact the midwife in advance?"

  "It's true that there is, but as the saying goes, it's better to be familiar than to start anew. Last time you helped my wife give birth in a hurry and even got a big fat baby boy, having one more person help out isn't a bad thing."

  "But..."

  "However, among midwives, it's generally not done to use one's own methods in front of others. Everyone has their own set of methods, so... if Old Man Liu hires someone else, we wouldn't be able to show our faces."

  Li was afraid that Shen Han wouldn't understand the rules of this line, so she hastily agreed and interrupted her words. But when Shen Han heard this, she couldn't help but pause for a moment, thinking to herself: What kind of rule is this? Last time when I helped with the delivery at the Yuan's house, weren't there several midwives inside? However, last time was probably a difficult birth, and it might not have been possible due to the urgent situation.

  Thinking of this, Shen Huan couldn't help but purse her lips and no longer express any opinions. At this moment, Mu Siyao also walked up, seeing Liu Laoye's appearance, and looking at Shen Huan and the others who seemed a bit tense, she felt a chill in her heart. She immediately gave Liu Laoye an angry look before turning to Shen Huan: "Miss Shen, do you know him?"

  Shen Han felt very surprised at Mu Si Yao's appearance. Shouldn't he be accompanying that spoiled Princess right now? How did he end up here again?

  Thinking of this, Shen Huan also couldn't help but turn his head to look at the position where they were standing before, and didn't see the figure of Princess Huai An. Looking at Mu Siyao again, there was only a serious expression on his face, shaking his head. Shen Huan was too lazy to think about it, he just didn't understand why he looked like someone owed him tens of thousands of dollars and hadn't paid back yet.

  "I suppose so."

  Shen Huan's response made Mu Siyao feel even more that she was being harassed. When she looked up at Liu Lao Ye, she thought he had a lewd expression on his face, extremely detestable, but she didn't notice that Shen Huan's gaze towards her was so terrifying, as if looking at an idiot.

  "Which side do you live on? Do I need to send you?"

  "Not needed"

  "Shen Jie, regarding what I said earlier, I still hope you can consider it."

  Mr. Liu knew that there was no chance, but he also wanted to say something to make himself feel better, so he said a few words and left with his hands behind his back, leaving Mu Siyao staring at his back in a daze. Especially when he mentioned something to consider before leaving, Mu Siyao looked at Shen Han, who didn't take it seriously at all, and didn't even bother to look at him, and was about to leave.

  "Hello"

  "What?"

  "What's going on?"

  Shen Han felt a bit depressed about this, and Li Shi, who had been somewhat unhappy before, now had a change in her expression again with the appearance of Mu Siyao. She could only say helplessly: "Mu Gongzi, you seem to be overly concerned about my affairs."

  Upon hearing this, Mu Siyao suddenly realized her own loss of composure and was taken aback for a moment. Beside her, Qianfan also had an unusual serious expression on his face. He couldn't help but start taking the matter seriously and wondered why he was becoming more and more concerned about her affairs.

  It used to be possible to say that it was because she had some special place, but now... Mu Siyao herself didn't even believe such a statement.

  "Really? Perhaps... I need to think about this question carefully myself."

  "Then think slowly, we left."

  This time, Mu Siyao did not stop Shen Huan's departure, but instead saw off the figures of her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law as they walked further and further away.

  Back home, Zhao Xiuxiao walked towards her again. Shen Huan couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. What was going on? She really didn't want to live in such a tense and oppressive atmosphere, even if Zhao Xiuxiao had disguised it well now. But... some things aren't like that just because you want to cover them up, they can't be treated as if nothing happened.

  "Remember, after I'm gone, don't casually agree to help others with their births."

  After sitting down, Li told Shen Huan: "Don't think too much, I'm not afraid that you'll have a bad influence on me when you deliver the baby. On the contrary, we don't know anyone in the capital city, and I also hope you can make a good impression. However, delivering babies is still not something you're familiar with, and there are many unexpected situations that you don't know how to handle. If you rashly agree to someone's request and something goes wrong, it will be a small matter of reputation, but if something happens to the mother or child, we won't be able to bear the responsibility."

  Upon hearing this, Shen Huan finally understood that Li was worried about something going wrong and nodded in relief: "I understand, from now on I won't respond to anything related to this matter, let Mother make the decisions."

  "When you can stand on your own, I don't want to come out and interfere. Now that Qiao'er has made a name for himself, there's nothing left for me to strive for in this life."

  "What are you talking about? You've worked so hard to raise me into an adult, and now you want to spend a few decades living a good life?"

  Mrs. Li said, as if she was about to start lamenting again, but Zhao Xiuzhen immediately interrupted her: "But... I still think it's our family that wronged my sister-in-law and delayed her."

  Shen Han listened to these words from Zhao Xi's mouth, and her heart was extremely uncomfortable. Her only thought was: Could it be that there is really such a thing as "hating the one you love"? Is he going to drive me away just because there's no result? Or is it because my brother-in-law has made something of himself now and doesn't want people to know that his family has a widow sister-in-law? Or perhaps, he doesn't want this rice worm to occupy his benefits anymore?

  "This..."

  Seeing the look in Li's eyes again, Shen Han could only make a decision with a sigh: "Mother, once I've learned the skill of midwifery, you can have my brother-in-law write a divorce letter, and I'll return to my parents' home immediately."

  "Wait, we aren't..."

  "Mother, you don't have to say anything more, I understand, all of you are doing this for my own good."

  Seeing Shen's determination, Li didn't say much either. She could only sigh and think that her son had just entered high school in Beijing and was already divorcing his wife. If this got out, people would gossip about it terribly.

  But... for her son, Li thought it was worth letting Shen Han suffer a bit of injustice. After all... having one's heart pierced still hurts more than just a superficial wound.

  Shen Han sat in the room, lost in thought, and unknowingly felt a chill. She got up to close the window slightly, but discovered a rustling sound. As if accustomed to such scenes, she spoke without looking: "Come out."

  "How did you know it was me?"

  "Who else would climb the wall and crouch under my window besides you?"

  Mo Si Yao was laughing, seemingly not minding being described as a "thief" at all. Shen Huan looked at him silently, truly unable to understand how such a man could be the Crown Prince's reader. Was the Crown Prince also of this character? As the saying goes, "Those who are near cinnabar become red, those who are near ink become black."

  "What's going on this afternoon?"

  The topic suddenly turned to the afternoon, and Shen Han couldn't quite grasp Mo Siyao's train of thought. However, seeing how much he cared about what happened in the afternoon, Shen Han had a vague feeling that he had misunderstood something. She immediately told him about helping Old Master Liu's wife give birth, only because she felt that there was no need to hide anything between them, as there were no conflicting interests and it wasn't a secret that couldn't be spoken of.

  After listening to Shen Huan's explanation, Mu Siyao also understood that he had misunderstood and could only smile awkwardly to cover up his embarrassment. At this moment, Shen Huan didn't have the mood to study this with him either, but continued to turn her head and think deeply, thinking about what to do in the future. Mu Siyao saw that she seemed to be out of spirit, not even bothering to tease himself, and couldn't help but feel a little worried: "What's wrong?"

  "It's nothing, I was just thinking about what I'll do after leaving the Zhao family."

  Shen Han didn't know why she could say what was on her mind when facing Mu Siyao, perhaps... it was just because there were no excessive intersections between the two of them, nor any conflicts of interest. She had never thought about getting anything from him, and he wouldn't force her to do anything either. Only such a relationship could make each other truly feel at ease, even to the point of having nothing to hide.

  Shen Han's current situation indeed requires a friend who can offer some words of comfort. Ying Yue Xue is still in Fucheng Town, and now she has to bear everything on her own. The key issue is how to explain things to her family.

  "Leave Zhao's house?"

  Shen Huan's answer gave Mu Siyao a huge shock. He never thought that she, who had been wholeheartedly devoted to the Zhao family, would leave?

  Not towards her husband... Mu Siyao didn't realize that the moment he heard Shen Huan say she was leaving the Zhao residence, his heart would actually have a hint of excitement. In the afternoon, he still couldn't get an answer to the question that had been plaguing him - why did he care about her so much? Actually... it was just because he liked her, but he didn't want to admit this answer, saying she was already someone else's wife.

  But now, she is the one who suggests leaving the Zhao family. Does she want to gain her freedom? But will the Zhao family let her go? If they don't let her go, where can she be considered free? That's purely seeking death.

  "Hmm, my younger brother-in-law is now doing well, and my mother-in-law has enough support, so it's also time for me to leave."

  "You're always thinking for their sake, what about yourself?"

  "Me?"

  Seeing Shen Huan being so thoughtless, Mu Siyao couldn't help but get a little excited, the next moment she realized that she had sneaked in by climbing over the wall, if her voice was too loud and caused unnecessary trouble, it wouldn't be good. She forcibly lowered her own volume: "When you married into the Zhao family, until now you haven't even seen your husband, why don't you go ask them for an explanation?"

  "Why should I go ask them for their opinion?"

  Shen Han had long sensed that this old man's affair was not simple, but she couldn't ask anyone, so she took the opportunity to get some information out of Mu Siyao's mouth. She continued to pretend to be nonchalant and raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

  "That man didn't say another word and took..."

  "Huh?"

  "Don't tell me you didn't know about this."

  Shen Huan was also slightly surprised by Mu Siyao's realization, but she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. She maintained the smile that made Mu Siyao want to knock on her head and asked, "What if I said yes?"

  Jian Mu's face turned red with anger, Shen Huan couldn't help but burst out laughing. She got up and poured him a glass of water, handing it to him as she continued: "Actually, when I first married into this family, I didn't ask any questions. Later on, I found out that I had married into a household without a husband. At first, I couldn't accept it, but later on, I thought it through and felt that it wasn't a big deal. Blind marriages are no longer unusual, who can guarantee that they'll marry a good man? Since it's something that can't be guaranteed, being a virtuous widow like this isn't bad either."

  "So you really don't know about your husband's affair?"

  "Not very clear, and I don't care if I haven't asked before, but since you're so nervous, I'm getting curious, just tell me already?"