Chapter 49

Chapter 49

By the time they returned to the Sheng Family, night had already fallen.

The guests had long since dispersed, and the maids and servants were busy sweeping and tidying the estate.

In the front hall, every member of the Sheng Family had gathered.

Old Madam Sheng sat upright in the seat of honor, her face cold and dark, her gaze stern. Below her sat Sheng Yuanzhong and Lady Lu, as well as the families of the second and third branches.

Everyone sat together, yet no one said a word. The air around them was terrifyingly cold.

The atmosphere was inexplicably tense.

“Old Madam, the First Young Master has returned.” Song Fu entered to report with extreme caution, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Only then did Old Madam Sheng lift her eyelids. A cold snort came from her nose. “Bring him in!”

Song Fu swallowed and quickly answered, “Yes,” then turned and hurried out.

Before long, a pale blue-and-white figure appeared at the doorway.

Sheng Zhaoning stepped into the courtyard alone.

When Lady Lu saw her son return, she first let out a breath of relief, but soon, only worry remained.

She quietly glanced at the old madam’s expression. Seeing the storm brewing on her face, she could not help breaking into a cold sweat for Sheng Zhaoning.

“Kneel!”

The moment Sheng Zhaoning stepped into the main hall, a sharp shout rang in her ears.

Standing behind Lady Liu, Sheng Zhaoyan watched the scene before him, his eyes filled with gloating delight.

Sheng Zhaoning raised her head indifferently and swept a blank look over everyone in the hall. Her posture remained straight, without the slightest intention of kneeling.

“I have done nothing wrong. Why should I kneel?”

Old Madam Sheng was so furious at those words that she nearly choked.

“Nothing wrong?!” She slammed her cane hard against the floor and pointed at Sheng Zhaoning. “Then tell me, where did you go today?”

Sheng Zhaoning lowered her brows slightly. “Do I need to report my whereabouts to anyone?”

The old madam shot to her feet. “You-”

Seeing her sway unsteadily, almost falling back into her seat, Lady Liu’s eyes flickered. She hurried forward to support her and said, “Oh, Mother, you must take care of yourself. Ning’er only made her words sound a bit harsh. She certainly didn’t mean to disrespect you. Please don’t lower yourself to argue with a child.”

Seeing this, Sheng Zhaoyan immediately added, “That’s right, Grandmother. My cousin is young and ignorant. Please don’t be angry.”

The mother and son sang in perfect harmony, successfully making Old Madam Sheng’s expression darken even further.

“Sheng Yuanzhong, is this the fine son you’ve raised?”

Old Madam Sheng felt a breath lodged in her chest, suffocating her until her face turned alternately blue and white.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Sheng Yuanzhong obediently stood. Shame colored his face. “Mother, Ning’er did indeed mishandle things, but today’s events cannot be blamed entirely on him. After all, no one expected Ning’er to become the Jieyuan and draw so many people here to pay their respects.”

Old Madam Sheng slapped the table in fury. “If it were anyone else, then fine. But today, even the prefectural governor sent someone to our door to offer congratulations. What a rare honor that was! Yet he did not even show his face. What do you expect the governor to think?”

“This…” Sheng Yuanzhong was left speechless.

Although the prefectural governor had not come in person, the fact that he had sent someone at all had already given the Sheng Family more than enough face. And the person who came was a judicial commissioner from the governor’s own side, which showed considerable regard.

Under such circumstances, by all rights, Sheng Zhaoning should have appeared personally to offer thanks. Yet she just so happened not to be in the manor. When others asked, Sheng Yuanzhong could only force a smile and claim that she was ill and not fit to receive guests.

But that explanation was indeed rather flimsy.

If one truly looked into it, the Sheng Family had indeed been discourteous.

Lady Lu braced herself and stepped forward. “Mother, Ning’er only made a momentary oversight…”

It would have been better if Lady Lu had stayed silent. The instant she spoke, Old Madam Sheng seized on her as well and exploded, “And you! Born from merchants, with a merchant’s narrow little view of the world. I told you long ago to send him to Guanghua Temple for a few years of quiet cultivation, to cleanse away that vulgar dust clinging to him. But you? You’ve indulged him until he no longer knows the meaning of restraint.”

Scolded in front of everyone and humiliated for her birth besides, Lady Lu flushed crimson at once, her eyes growing wet.

Seeing his wife insulted, Sheng Yuanzhong was just about to defend her when, before he could speak, Sheng Zhaoning asked coldly, “Are you done?”

Every gaze in the room snapped to her.

No one had expected her to speak up at a time like this.

A shadow of gloom pressed between Sheng Zhaoning’s brows, and her face was cold in a way rarely seen.

Ever since she had returned to the Sheng Family, she had seldom shown herself, spending all day shut inside Guanlan Waterside Pavilion. Even half a month could pass without anyone seeing her once.

Whenever she did appear before everyone, her expression was always faint and indifferent, as though nothing in the world had anything to do with her.

Everyone simply took her for cold and reclusive by nature. Having wandered outside since childhood, she had little attachment to the household. Though it was hard to feel close to her, at least they could maintain appearances.

Yet now Sheng Zhaoning stood below the hall, staring straight at Old Madam Sheng, her gaze dark and overcast, without the slightest trace of respect.

It was truly out of the ordinary.

Old Madam Sheng was stunned for an instant by the chill in her eyes. After a brief daze, she came back to herself, and her fury surged even higher. “What kind of attitude is that?”

Sheng Zhaoning had not originally wanted to get entangled here for long, but for some reason, whenever she heard someone insult and bully Lady Lu, irritation welled up inside her.

She could not help remembering when she had first arrived at Sheng Mansion. Lady Lu had held her and wept as though her heart were being torn apart, refusing to let go no matter how others tried to persuade her.

After that, Lady Lu had visited her every day, personally asking after her food, clothing, and daily needs with meticulous, wholehearted care.

Sheng Zhaoning was not used to being cared for like that, yet strangely, she did not resist it.

So, seeing Lady Lu humiliated, she spoke without thinking. “Old Madam despises my mother for being born to merchants and thinks her unworthy of the Sheng Family’s refined elegance. But in my view, compared with those who feign lofty purity on the surface while being sinister and treacherous underneath, my mother is upright and honorable. She is better than those petty villains by far.”

Every word from Sheng Zhaoning rang firm and clear. Lady Liu, who had been implicitly targeted among those present, changed expression and clenched her teeth hard.

Even the ever-slow Sheng Zhaoyan could tell something was off.

Old Madam Sheng’s fury was nearly ready to burst out of her. Her face went ashen with rage, a breath lodged in her chest, and she almost fainted on the spot.

“Utter nonsense! Rebellious and unfilial!” Her hand trembled as she pointed at Sheng Zhaoning. “Servants! Servants! Drag him to the ancestral hall and bring out the family discipline!”

Lady Lu’s vision went dark. She hurriedly knelt before Old Madam Sheng, her voice instantly thick with tears. “Mother, you mustn’t beat him! Ning’er has only just become the Jieyuan and is at the height of his fame. Who knows how many people are watching? If word gets out, won’t it ruin his reputation?”

“Jieyuan?” Old Madam Sheng let out two cold laughs and glared at her with wide eyes. “Let alone a Jieyuan-even if he were the Zhuangyuan, I would still beat him!”

“Take him away!”

Several household servants outside obeyed the order and entered the hall. Without another word, they stepped forward and seized Sheng Zhaoning.

Sheng Zhaoning’s brows sank. By instinct, she nearly twisted back and snapped their arms, but before she could raise her hands, her reason reacted first. She could only force the motion down and grit her teeth, allowing herself to be restrained.

The whole group marched grandly toward the ancestral hall.