Chapter 138: Mother Shen faints again, Shen Xun gets slapped

Shen Xun knew this could no longer be hidden, so he frankly admitted: "Shutong has a need, and I happen to have funds to support her career; it's not easy for a woman to walk this path."

Hearing her son admit personally that he had emptied the family fortune for Lin Shutong, Mother Shen fainted again.

The doctor came over and warned them not to stimulate the patient any further.

Shen Xun looked anxiously at his mother; he had originally chosen to conceal this precisely because he feared something like this would happen, and thus he let his parents mistakenly think the money was all with Jiang Lai.

"Come out with me." Shen Father called his son to the end of the hospital hallway.

A crisp slap sound rang out.

Shen Xun was slapped by his father, his face turned to the side.

Although his father held back his strength, Shen Xun didn't bleed, but his face soon felt a burning pain.

"I thought you were just spending a little money to appease Lin Shutong, but I never imagined you would squander most of your family's fortune on a woman—how? Are your days over? Is the family's life over?"

Shen Xun swallowed, met his father's gaze, and said: "Dad, I'm just supporting Shutong's career; it counts as a private investment."

"Which book or person taught you to put all your family assets into a single project? Don't you understand the principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket?" Shen Father's face was as black as a pot bottom; he didn't believe his son was ignorant, but rather had been coaxed by Lin Shutong back into the womb.

Brainless thing.

No wonder Jiang Lai sneaked around wanting a divorce, even preferring to give up property rather than stay married.

It turns out Jiang Lai has suffered so many years of grievance in the Shen family.

And she has all along watched helplessly as her husband disregards family and future, throwing himself wholeheartedly at an outside woman.

Shen Father's chest also felt weighed down by a huge stone.

The Shen family this time truly lost the watermelon while picking up sesame seeds.

"Still a private investment—has it succeeded? You know better than we do what situation Lin Shutong is in now!"

Shen Xun was speechless.

If we truly liken it to an investment, this is his utter failure from start to finish.

"After Shutong returned to the country, I haven't spent any large sums on research expenses." Shen Xun tried to salvage a bit of his image.

Shen Father retorted: "What's the deal with Lin Shutong's car and house? He's been back only a month or two, yet you've arranged everything for her crystal clear—our whole family, including Jiang Lai, don't see you arranging things so clearly for us!"

"You're really something—deceiving superiors and subordinates, and you've reduced your own situation to such a miserable state!"

"Your mother worries about you working overtime hard, every day she tells the nanny to cook you this and that nourishing soup, yet you instead made your mother faint in the hospital."

"I never meant to make my mother faint." Shen Xun currently doesn't know how to explain how he has been pinching pennies these years just to throw money at Lin Shutong; the matter has already happened, he has also withdrawn and steadied his heart.

Shen Father said with a cold face: "This slap is merely a lesson for you; if you continue to treat Lin Shutong as foolishly as before, you can stop recognizing me as your father."

"Dad." Shen Xun wore an embarrassed expression.

Shen Father: "If you would just divert a bit of the zeal you show toward Lin Shutong toward Jiang Lai, things wouldn't have come to this; you really make me furious."

Just thinking that the good daughter-in-law is gone—both because of the son's doing and because of his own meddling—almost makes him palpitate and gasp for breath.

Shen Xun promised: "I won't be like before; from now on I will treat Jiang Lai well."

What good is that!

You two are already divorced!

Shen Father truly regrets not having made a fake divorce certificate back then; he was also blind, failing to see Jiang Lai's ability, and also failing to see that Lin Shutong is a half‑filled bucket that clatters.

Considering he served as a senior executive in the education group for years, constantly dealing with officials, yet he stumbled over his own family members.

Truly, darkness under the lamp.

"Shen Xun, you had better immediately correct your thoughts about Lin Shutong, focus your mind on work and on Jiang Lai, and make me coax Jiang Lai well!"

As long as his son re‑coaxes Jiang Lai well, then they can proceed with remarriage.

Shen Xun's gaze was firm: "I know, but lately I can't see Jiang Lai; even when I do see her, Ke Zhongyu interferes, and Ke Zhongyu seems to like Jiang Lai."

Mentioning this just makes him angry.

Jiang Lai, a married woman, walks every day with another man, repeatedly abandoning him to ride in Ke Zhongyu's car.

Shen Father frowned, then quickly relaxed: "Just men's base tastes; there's no real sincerity. Even if Jiang Lai were a top‑tier research expert, her orphan status would not catch the eye of the Ke or Nian families—what noble house's young master would marry a woman who has been married before?"

Shen Xun always felt his father's last remark was a bit strange.

What does "a woman who has been married" mean?

He said: "Jiang Lai won't divorce me, and I certainly won't divorce Jiang Lai."

Shen Father looked at his son, who had his chest full of confidence, and for a moment could not speak.

In the past he would have believed it.

"Put more thought into Jiang Lai, understand?"

"I know." Shen Xun said, "My thoughts ought to be only on Jiang Lai anyway."

Jiang Lai is the wife he personally married.

He ought to cherish her.

Shen Father looked at his son's reddening face: "Does it hurt? If it hurts, remember it better—I don't care how much history you have with Lin Shutong; you have already been benevolent and righteous toward him."

"I know." Shen Xun nodded, followed his father back to the ward; Mother Shen still hadn't awakened.

Upon hearing the news, Shen Xi rushed over and flung herself onto the bedside, bursting into tears.

"Dad, Brother, what happened to Mom?"

Shen Father replied irritably: "Made angry by your brother."

"Brother, what did you do?" Shen Xi snapped angrily, "How could you make Mom angry enough to end up in the hospital!"

"Enough." Shen Xun looked at his sister, the former indulgence gone from his eyes, "Don't disturb Mom's rest."

Shen Xi stared at him blankly, then quickly said: "Is it because of Jiang Lai that you made Mom faint?"

Her mother's anger these past years has mostly been related to Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai is just a stir‑shit stick, always trying to stir up and scatter their loving family.

Mother indeed fainted from anger because Jiang Lai laid out the truth, and Shen Xun did not rebut his sister's words.

"Sure enough." Shen Xi said through gritted teeth, "Jiang Lai, this trouble‑maker, isn't she unwilling to see our house turned into chaos? She's just a …"

"Shen Xi." Shen Xun interrupted in time, his eyes turning sharp, "Haven't I told you to respect Jiang Lai? She's your sister‑in‑law."

"I don't want her as my sister‑in‑law!"

"She will always be your sister‑in‑law." Shen Xun said firmly and sonorously, "No one cares whether you want it or not; you took Jiang Lai's bag, drove off with her car and even damaged it—I've already been lenient by not demanding compensation or an apology."

"If you dare to be disrespectful to her again or touch her belongings again, I will not only stop your living expenses, but also forget about your plans to go abroad—better think about how to find a job to support yourself."

Shen Xi had never thought she would have to work hard for a living.

She should graduate, then go abroad to study, gild her resume, return and let her parents and brother support her in holding an art exhibition, thereafter mingling in high society, marrying a wealthy Young Master, and living a life of wealth and leisure.

As a result, because Jiang Lai refused to take the money, this path has been stuck at studying abroad, and moreover, because of Jiang Lai, her older brother wants her to go to work?