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"Mother has come?"

Shen Yuan rose to his feet as usual to pay his respects, respectfully bringing over her previously favorite rattan chair: "Please sit here, Mother."

He also brewed a cup of Clear Chrysanthemum Tea, Madam Zheng’s favorite, just like old times.

Madam Zheng watched all this in silence, her gaze complex. The movements of moving the chair and brewing tea were exactly the same as before.

But could the person remain exactly the same as before?

He didn’t believe it. Shen Yu, spoiled by her own favor, had also become as cold and ruthless as his father once he gained power, hadn’t he? Born of the same man, how different could they be?

Madam Zheng snorted coldly and went straight to the point after they both sat down, "You did that on purpose, didn’t you?"

"Why would Mother say that?" Shen Yuan put down the teapot, looking at her as he spoke.

"You behaved that way in front of everyone on purpose, didn’t you? Just to oblige the Shen Family to send me to plead with you, now are you satisfied?" Madam Zheng said mockingly: "Tell me, how do you want me to beg? Kneel? Or kneel in public?"

Shen Yuan fell silent for a moment, poured himself a cup of flower tea, and said softly, "Whether Mother believes it or not, I only complied instinctively at the time. Have you forgotten? I have always listened to you."

"Is that so?" Madam Zheng scoffed: "Does that mean you still listen to what I say now?"

"As long as I am able to."

"Then what if I order you to surrender those crooked and perverse techniques?"

"Good...." Shen Yuan sipped his tea, responding faintly.

"Ha, I knew it... Huh?" Madam Zheng was stunned. "What did you say?"

"I said, if Mother commands it, your son shall obey."

"You..." Madam Zheng looked at him in disbelief, all her prepared scathing words caught in her throat, finding none of them appropriate to use.

"You’re joking with me, aren’t you?"

"Isn’t that why you came, Mother?" Shen Yuan said helplessly: "Why would I joke with you about this?"

"You’re serious?" Madam Zheng frowned: "Isn’t that thing very important?"

"Didn’t Mother just say it was crooked and perverse?" Shen Yuan said with a smile.

Madam Zheng: "....."

It wasn’t her words, but Shen Yu’s. And to speak of it, it was shameless—crooked and perverse things so eagerly sought after?

"If Mother wants me to hand over what I’ve learned to the Shen Family, then I shall do so. But does Mother truly wish for this?" Shen Yuan sighed.

"What do you mean?" Madam Zheng frowned.

"Father dares not show up, and neither does my younger brother. They send Mother, a woman, to test the waters. I am very curious, what promise... did the Shen Family give you?"

Madam Zheng was silent for a moment before finally saying, "The position of the Family Head’s wife."

"Isn’t that originally yours anyway?"

"It’s not!" Madam Zheng’s eyes bore into his: "Don’t you understand? Ever since you proved that you lack the Magician’s qualifications, that position has never been secure!!"

"Is that so?" Shen Yuan looked at her. He had actually wanted to prove something for a long time but just never had the opportunity. Now, the words he had held back for so long finally had the chance to be spoken.

"Shen Yu’s talent is the best among the three generations of the Shen Family. According to what Mother said, with him around, shouldn’t you be... as solid as Mount Tai?"

"Shen Yuan!!" Madam Zheng stood up abruptly, crushing her teacup in her hand, blood flowing freely, obviously overcome with emotional turbulence....

"Enough!" The room door flung open, and Shen Yan appeared at the doorway, halting the about-to-explode Madam Zheng with a shout.

Madam Zheng trembled, and Shen Yan looked at her with icy eyes: "A person who’s good for nothing but screwing up, out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, despair had just begun to show in Madam Zheng’s eyes when a warmth enveloped her icy hands.

Madam Zheng was stunned and looked up only to see that it was Shen Yuan holding her injured hand, his face full of urgency. The anxious look on his face made Madam Zheng’s previously hopeless and angry expression soften somewhat.

A long-buried memory surfaced.

It seemed like a thing of many years past when her hand had also been cut, and the little three-year-old plump boy had held her hand with the same urgency, his anxious face frowning like a little old man.

Over twenty years had passed, and when the two faces were superimposed, they were practically indistinguishable...

The next instant, Shen Yuan’s expression turned icy as he eyed the doorway, his aura chillingly cold: "My conversation with Mother is none of your concern. Get out!"

Shen Yan: "....."

------------------------

"So you just came back like that?"

In the inner hall of the Shen Family, Shen Yan’s father looked at him with a face full of disdain.

Shen Yan couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to the other party. In that kind of situation, what could he do if not return—throw a tantrum and start a fight?

"It seems that sending Madam Zheng was the right decision," Old Master Shen nodded and said, "That child... has a knot in his heart regarding Madam Zheng!"

"A knot?" the others were taken aback, "What do you mean?"

"This is how people are, always having something they can’t get over," Old Master Shen said with a smile: "For Shen Yuan, the indifference of Madam Zheng over the years is the hurdle he can’t get over in his heart.

Only when he overcomes this, can his thoughts become clear.

Looking at it this way, he really is just a child. ...."

-----------------------

"You... how could you speak to your father that way?"

Inside the room, Madam Zheng’s voice became much softer and more cautious. It was at this moment that she truly realized that Shen Yuan had changed.....

"We’re strangers as father and son anyways.

His willingness to talk to me this time is also for the sake of benefit, so why should I be polite to him?

" Shen Yuan carefully treated Madam Zheng’s wounds, thankful that he had brought the pure essence from the Mountain God Azure Bird.

Otherwise, such a deep wound would have left a big scar.

"Isn’t that the same for me?" Madam Zheng hesitated for a while before finally asking this question.

Shen Yan was indifferent to his son, and wasn’t she, his mother, the same?

"Before I was seven... Mother was very good to me," Shen Yuan said while treating the wound.

"Just because of that?" Madam Zheng was startled.

Shen Yuan paused for a moment as he treated the wound, his voice growing much quieter, "But I... only have that left....."

Thump!

Madam Zheng’s heart leaped violently, a strong surge of bitterness overwhelmed her, and in an instant, her eyes blurred with tears!

"Why is Mother crying?" Shen Yuan was startled; after bandaging Madam Zheng’s hand, he quickly grabbed a hand towel to wipe her face, "Mother need not worry, these things for the promise of the role of Family Head’s wife in the Shen Family, is not difficult for me to change....."

"What use is that?" Madam Zheng couldn’t restrain herself any longer and began sobbing, her voice choked with emotion: "Shen Yan despises me, your brother also despises me. Even if I force myself into the position of Family Head’s wife in the Shen Family, what use will it serve? The matrons of those noble families look down on me, no matter how much I try to please them with a smile, they all scorn me. I can’t accomplish anything, I can’t do anything. .."

Shen Yuan suddenly became flustered, "Mother, please don’t cry."

"It wasn’t on purpose, it really wasn’t!

" The more agitated Madam Zheng became, her eyes turning bloodshot, "I was scared, you know? Every time I showed you affection, your father’s gaze on me was terrifying; he was so scared that I would mistreat the legitimate children and concubines’ children because of you, who lacked qualifications.

I never thought like that? But he didn’t believe me.

He just didn’t, so I had to distance myself from you, I was scared. .."

Shen Yuan’s gaze softened a great deal, and memories from many years ago resurfaced.

He remembered that, behind his father’s back, Mother used to secretly make him sweet rice wine with eggs, always saying that one phrase, "Eat slowly, your father is not here..."

He had known for a long time that Mother... was hiding her affection for him from Father.

Only he didn’t know when it started, Mother’s character had become colder and more indifferent, becoming more and more like people from the Shen Family.....

But he knew that wasn’t how Mother used to be!

The coldness came from the environment of the Shen Family, not from Mother!

"Does Mother truly no longer wish to continue as the Shen Family’s matriarch?"

Madam Zheng’s eyes, red, shook her head: "I don’t want to anymore, I don’t want to... I’ll go back to your father right away to cancel that Technique pact. I want nothing of what he promised..."

"Technique pact?" Shen Yuan was taken aback before smiling, "Mother is quite shrewd, to form such a pact with him... But it’s good too. Technique pacts are full of loopholes. Mother, did you make the Shen Family promise you the matriarch’s position?

Given his heartlessness, if he wants to switch the matriarch, he has the means to do so, making such bindings worthless. "

Madam Zheng fell silent. She was of course aware of this fact; Shen Yuan was actually being conservative in his assessment. In truth, she had already thought that, what would it matter even if she were to become the matriarch?

If everyone saw her as an obstacle, even if she became the matriarch, she wouldn’t have the destiny to keep enjoying it. She had no doubt now that Shen Yan and the others would make a move against her!

"Then, what does Mother plan to do in the future?"

"I don’t know....." Madam Zheng shook her head, "I don’t want to go back to my maiden home. At my age, to be sent back, I just don’t have the face to show....."

"Mother, rest assured, the Shen Family... doesn’t have such courage!" Shen Yuan stood up and looked outside with a cold gaze, "The position of the Shen Family’s matriarch will always be yours. But indeed, the Shen Family is no longer suitable. Why don’t you come with me to Jiangnan?"

"Go to Jiangnan?" Madam Zheng was taken aback.

"It’s the best place in the world right now," Shen Yuan said with a smile, "Mother will definitely like it there."

"Jiangnan, huh....." Madam Zheng looked somewhat lost.

"Let’s go, Mother....." Shen Yuan helped her up, "Let’s go and have a talk with the Shen Family people!"