Chapter 41: Disciplining the Younger Brother

"Well, Father asked me to marry in Wanning's place."

His eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"But rest assured, I've already figured out a countermeasure."

For the sake of her grandmother, Shen Yuan only superficially agreed to the substitutionary marriage, but deep down she had already devised a way to extricate herself.

Since Pei Ji could orchestrate a scheme involving feigned leg injuries, why couldn't she concoct other schemes to break it?

In short, she would not marry him.

Seeing Shen Yuan's confident demeanor, which reminded him of the obstinate and stubborn little girl of the past, Lu Chengyuan curved the corners of his lips: "I know you've always had your own ideas. It's getting late, I should be heading back."

Shen Yuan smiled and nodded: "Safe journey."

The carriage curtain dropped, and the rolling sound of the wheels resumed.

Inside the carriage, Lu Chengyuan lowered his eyelashes, returning to his customary tranquility.

After traveling some distance away from the Shen residence, the coachman turned back to ask, "My lord, are we returning to the manor or heading to the northern suburbs?"

Lu Chengyuan pondered for a few seconds: "Let's go to the northern suburbs."

In fact, the moment he met Shen Yuan, he had just emerged from the imperial palace and was on his way to the construction site of the imperial villa in the northern suburbs.

It was only by chance that he encountered her, looking hesitant and reluctant to board the carriage waiting at the entrance.

That was why Lu Chengyuan had instructed the coachman to change direction, telling a white lie to send her back first.

Ever since their last meeting, Lu Chengyuan would occasionally think of Shen Yuan and the mottled, aged scars on her body.

When she was little, even a simple fall would cause her to feel aggrieved for a long time. He wondered how terribly she must have cried when enduring so many beatings?

"This subordinate noticed that you and the Third Young Lady of the Shen family are old acquaintances?" The coachman pulled on the reins and asked leisurely.

Lu Chengyuan gave a faint murmur of assent.

"My lord is daily absorbed in architecture and might not be entirely aware of the rumors in the capital. They all say that the Third Young Lady of the Shen family, who only recently returned, is probably no longer a proper young lady of a noble house, and may have even frequented brothels in order to scrape by... Of course, this subordinate is only repeating idle gossip. I beg my lord's magnanimity not to take offense!"

Hearing no response, the coachman guessed that Lu Chengyuan might be slightly displeased.

He felt somewhat regretful for having spoken thus.

After all, his master had always been obsessed with craftsmanship and turned a deaf ear to matters of romance.

Yet when facing the Third Young Lady, he had worn a beaming smile.

It was the kind of smile that lingered in his eyes and brows—purely, genuinely happy.

"Since it is unverified idle gossip, I hope you will hold your tongue in the future and refrain from spreading rumors."

His flat tone carried little inflection.

Yet compared to his usual gentleness, it already counted as displeasure.

The coachman nodded repeatedly: "This subordinate will remember it. Thank you for the instruction, my lord!"

Through the carriage curtain, Lu Chengyuan felt as though those words he had spoken were echoing repeatedly in his ears.

Those unpleasant rumors were indeed rampant in the capital.

Yet entering his heart before any jest or gossip was the question of how Shen Yuan had endured day after day, masking her pain simply to survive.

It was already difficult enough for ordinary women to survive; for one carrying a stain, the path was even harder.

A heavier weight settled upon Lu Chengyuan's heart.

Just at that moment, the carriage reached the wind-swept alley entrance.

A biting cold wind whistled through, causing the carriage curtains to flutter.

The sound of unfamiliar hoofbeats rang out nearby.

Immediately following, a cold gaze lingered on the carriage for a moment.

Hostility and indifference intertwined.

Lu Chengyuan stared directly at the figure on horseback.

A few seconds later, the figure proudly tossed his head and rode away, leaving the fading sound of hoofbeats in the distance.

Only then did Lu Chengyuan withdraw his gaze.

If his eyes did not deceive him, the person who had just brushed past them was Pei Ji.

He was coming from the direction of the northern suburban gardens.

And not long before, Shen Yuan had also emerged from there.

Furthermore, Pei Ji's legs were completely intact, which contradicted the rumors of his broken legs currently circulating in the capital.

At this thought, Lu Chengyuan curled his fingers slightly, his expression turning stern.

Shortly after, the carriage gradually vanished into the mountain forests.

The Shen Residence.

Upon entering the estate, just as Shen Yuan bypassed the spirit screen, a basin of icy water suddenly plummeted from above, drenching her completely from head to toe!

She didn't even have time to utter a cry of surprise.

The bone-chilling water felt like a blade, slicing across every inch of her skin.

"Oh my, Third Young Lady! It's all this servant's fault for not looking properly and accidentally spilling the dirty water on you. Are you all right?"

Luo Lu's somewhat smug voice rang beside her ears.

Fortunately, Liuyan arrived promptly, fetching a clean handkerchief and a set of clothes for Shen Yuan.

"What is going on?" Shen钰 suddenly emerged from a corner, a slightly unnatural look on his face as he hastily raised his voice in scolding, "Since it was accidentally spilled, why haven't you apologized to the Third Sister yet? If you ever make such a mistake again, watch out or I'll have you driven out of the manor! Now scram!"

"This servant knows her mistake, this servant won't do it again!"

Luo Lu offered a perfunctory apology with lowered head, and as she turned to leave, she cast a covert glance at Shen钰, as if following a prearranged signal.

This subtle action made it entirely clear to Shen Yuan what was happening.

She called out to Luo Lu in a deep voice: "Stop right there."

Luo Lu looked back at her, her brows and eyes tinged with faint disdain: "Is the Third Young Lady planning to punish this servant?"

Even Liuyan could not tolerate such a defiant and questioning tone, and instantly blurted out, "Insulting your superior—you clearly did this on purpose!"

"Even though this servant wasn't paying attention for a moment, it was the Young Master who ordered me to spill the water! Otherwise, even if I had the courage of a leopard, I wouldn't dare do such a thing!"

To avoid punishment, Luo Lu unhesitatingly threw Shen钰 under the bus.

Besides, it was simply that Shen钰 could not stomach the idea of Shen Yuan taking Shen Wanning's place in the marriage, and desperately wanted to vent his anger on Shen Wanning's behalf!

It was just a basin of water; water poured was water spilled. Did Shen Yuan really expect to retaliate?

"I did it. What can you do about it?"

Shen钰 was still young, fearless and reckless.

Besides, she wasn't his real sister anyway; what was there to be afraid of?

Shen Yuan's cold, fixed gaze fell upon Shen钰, her clear eyes tinged with several shades of anger.

Although he was young, his manners and speech were truly lawless.

When Shen Yuan had gone missing, Shen钰 was not even a fetus in the womb, so there were no deep bonds of affection between them.

The one with whom he shared deep sibling affection was solely Shen Wanning.

Thus, there was no need to be constrained by emotional ties.

"Liuyan, go fetch a ruler."

"Third Young Lady, you are going to..."

Shen Yuan swept a cold glare and stated flatly, "Ayu has shown disrespect to me. As his nominal elder sister, I believe it is only right that I discipline him."

"You dare! An outsider like you, what qualification do you have to discipline me? If Father finds out, see if he doesn't beat you to death again and drive you out of the Shen manor!" Shen钰 shouted defiantly, completely unbowed by Shen Yuan's words.

Seeing him retort while retreating behind a pillar, Shen Yuan took the ruler handed over by Liuyan, weighed it in her palm, and said, "Since my name is still registered in the Shen family genealogy, you must address me as Third Sister according to seniority. Since I am your sister, why can't I discipline a younger sibling? Or perhaps you believe that Father, at this crucial juncture, would have the heart to drive me out of the manor?"

Being driven out was a minor matter, but who else would marry Pei Ji?

Shen Wanning?

Shen Yong and Madam Chen would never bear to part with her.

Although Shen钰 understood some of the gossip circulating in the manor, he was still too young to realize how Pei Ji's injury affected the marriage prospects.

He was simply feeling a sense of injustice and purely wanted to vent his frustration for his Fourth Sister!

Clearly she was the one who ought to marry Pei Ji; how had it suddenly become Shen Yuan?

Besides, he had gone to Jinxiu Garden to visit, and his Fourth Sister had cried her eyes swollen these past few days. The doctor had said that if this continued, she would go blind!

At the thought of this, Shen钰 felt an inexplicable hatred for Shen Yuan.