Chapter 6

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Evening, Main Hall – Shen Family Dining Table

The long table was laid with steaming dishes—braised pork belly, lotus root soup, finely sliced river fish, and golden-fried tofu. Lanterns cast warm pools of light over polished chopsticks and delicate porcelain bowls. Yet beneath the outward peace, the air was taut with unsaid thoughts.

Shen Yuhan had not joined the family dinner.

Again.

Seated at the head, Shen Zhirui ate in silence, his eyes lowered as though neither bothered nor curious. Su Wanning sat to his side, gently spooning soup into Shen Yulan's bowl, her expression soft and matronly.

Across from them, Shen Yanli—calm and bookish—ate without looking up. His younger brother, Shen Yanxu, already halfway through his rice bowl, glanced at the empty seat where Shen Yuhan should've been and scoffed.

"Eldest sister didn't come again?" he asked with a frown. "What's wrong with her now?"

Su Wanning sighed lightly, as if distressed but helpless. "She's probably still upset over what happened at the pond. She's a sensitive child, after all…"

Shen Yulan gently lowered her chopsticks and bit her lip, looking hesitant.

"Father," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Should we ask a physician to check on elder sister? It's already been ten days… She hasn't even stepped out of her courtyard. I'm really worried."

Her words were like water poured into boiling oil—sincere on the surface, but beneath it, laced with calculated concern.

Shen Zhirui grunted.

"She knows how to cause trouble. Let's see if she knows how to reflect as well."

"But..." Shen Yulan hesitated again, eyes slightly reddened, "it's not good for her to be so isolated. I... I keep feeling like something's wrong. Sister has always been impulsive. What if she's thinking of doing something foolish?"

Su Wanning immediately added, "Ah Lan, don't blame yourself again. Yuhan is strong-willed, but she's not foolish. She just needs time to calm down. Once she sees you've forgiven her, she'll come around."

Shen Yanli finally spoke, voice mild. "Maybe it's better this way. Peaceful."

Shen Yanxu snorted into his soup. "Or maybe she's just trying to stir sympathy again. She always goes silent when she wants people to feel sorry for her."

The laughter that followed was light, but Su Wanning's eyes flickered slightly with a complex glint. It was subtle, but noticeable.

Ten days of silence. No tantrums. No accusations. No dramatic confrontations.

Too unlike Shen Yuhan.

Too quiet.

And that—was what unsettled Su Wanning most.

She glanced toward the window. The sky outside was already dark.

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Later That Night – Inner Chamber, Su Wanning's Courtyard

The flickering candlelight bathed the room in soft golden hues. A faint fragrance of sandalwood drifted through the warm air. Shen Yulan sat cross-legged beside Su Wanning on a long couch upholstered with silk cushions. Her head leaned lazily against her mother's shoulder, while Su Wanning gently combed through her daughter's long black hair with a mother's practiced hand.

The room was quiet for a moment, filled only with the rustling of silk and the crackle of oil lamps.

Then, Su Wanning broke the silence.

"Yuhan hasn't made a fuss for days."

Shen Yulan's lashes fluttered. "So?"

"She hasn't stepped out of Osmanthus Courtyard," Su Wanning continued, her voice even, but her eyes dark with thought. "No tantrums. No demands. No sudden rushes into the main hall to accuse us. That's not like her."

Shen Yulan scoffed. "It's exactly like her. This is just another trick."

Su Wanning looked down at her daughter, brows slightly furrowed.

"She's trying to act pitiful in front of your father, hoping he'll soften and favor her again. You saw how he was at dinner—he didn't say much, but if she keeps pretending to be obedient and pitiful, he might be swayed."

Shen Yulan's tone was casual, almost mocking. "She's always been good at playing the poor victim. Let her sulk. Once she sees no one's paying attention, she'll come crawling out soon enough."

But Su Wanning didn't look convinced. Her hand paused mid-stroke.

"No... something feels different this time. It's been ten days, and she's been completely quiet. She hasn't even tried to provoke you or plead her innocence."

She leaned back, her fingers tightening slightly around the comb.

"That girl never knew how to endure. But now, she's enduring far too well."

Shen Yulan's lips curved into a slight smirk. "Mother, you think too much. Even if she wants to do something, what can she do? She's been stripped of her friends, her reputation, her dowry, and even her status as the heir. What else does she have left?"

Su Wanning didn't answer.

Her gaze lingered on the flickering flame of the oil lamp, shadows dancing across her calm, beautiful face.

"She may have nothing," Su Wanning said slowly, "but desperate people become dangerous when they stop shouting and start thinking."

The room fell silent once more

Su Wanning's eyes stayed fixed on the flame, but the corners of her mouth dipped slightly. Before she could speak again, Shen Yulan rolled her eyes and added with a huff:

"Mother, you are really worrying for nothing. Even if that fool stops shouting and starts thinking, with her pig-like brain, she can't come up with anything clever or useful."

She gave a dismissive wave of her delicate hand, her fingers adorned with a new jade ring Su Wanning had given her just the week before.

"She doesn't even know how to scheme. All she ever did was throw tantrums and act high and mighty like some young lady from a noble clan. She can't even tell a trap from a gift. Let her waste away in that broken little courtyard. She'll be forgotten before the autumn leaves fall."

Su Wanning didn't respond immediately.

She reached for the teacup on the low table beside her, took a sip, and finally said in a quiet voice, "Let's hope you're right, Ah Lan. But still, have Xiao Ling quietly check on the Osmanthus Courtyard once in a while."

Shen Yulan's brows creased, irritated. "Mother…"

"Humor me," Su Wanning said with a soft smile, but her eyes were cold beneath the curve of her lips. "If she dares to stir again, I want to know the moment it happens."