Chapter 78: Slip of the Tongue

Shen Family.

To dispel bad luck for Shen Xi, Mother Shen specially prepared pomelo leaves, dampened them, and brushed them over her.

She said, "Jiang Lai, that ungrateful one, even at the end she wants to hurt you; her conscience has been eaten by a dog."

"Does Jiang Lai still insist on suing me? Ke Lin Hotel doesn't even dare to sue me, where does she get the courage?" Shen Xi said with a disdainful look, "Brother definitely won't let her get away with it."

"Brother trusts me, and even said he'll bring Jiang Lai back to apologize to me; in a moment I'll make her kneel before me!"

"That's enough," Father Shen said, "Jiang Lai will no longer be one of our family; when she comes to apologize to you, just give her a lesson, don't actually provoke her too much."

Mother Shen returned this morning and relayed Jiang Lai's exact words to Father Shen; he was a bit worried that Jiang Lai would cling to the Shen household and refuse to leave, delaying his son for a lifetime.

Shen Xi pursed her lips; though dissatisfied, she was pleased to hear her father say Jiang Lai would no longer be part of their family.

"Dad, Mom, you also think Jiang Lai shouldn't be our Shen family member, and Sister Shutong should marry my brother, right?"

Father Shen nodded, "Lin Shutong is indeed a good choice: good family background, good job, poised and courteous."

Mother Shen laughed, "Yes, Shutong is worthy of my son; these four years have let that toad Jiang Lai eat swan meat, can we keep letting her have it?"

"But brother has never been willing to divorce Jiang Lai; Sister Shutong has been back for a month, and brother shows no sign of divorcing Jiang Lai." Shen Xi crossed her arms, leaned on the sofa, "If brother hadn't been completely inert, I wouldn't have thought of this plan."

"It drives me crazy; the medicine was so strong, yet Jiang Lai could still feign fainting to deceive me? When I left, she locked herself in the bathtub, causing that person to go up and not see her, only a floor of water, so they had to leave."

She regretted it immensely.

"Sister Shutong has already taken my brother away; if we successfully catch Jiang Lai in the act, I don't believe my brother wouldn't divorce that fickle woman."

"Besides…"

Bang!

The front door was flung open forcefully.

The three turned their heads toward the entrance; it was Shen Xun.

Shen Xun's gaze was heavy as he looked at his younger sister lounging on the sofa.

His whole body felt like sinking into an ice cellar.

Shen Xi sprang up from the sofa, panic on her face: "Brother, brother… you, you're back."

She stammered from fright.

She didn't know whether her older brother had heard just now.

"What did you just say?" Shen Xun tossed the suit jacket he was holding onto the sofa, murderous aura blazing.

It seemed he had heard.

Shen Xi, terrified, had tears welling up, kept stepping back, hid behind her parents, and said, "No, I didn't say anything."

Mother Shen whispered reproachfully to her daughter, "You need to watch your words, watch your words; you just let something slip, didn't you?"

Whimper…

Shen Xun stepped forward, questioning, "Did you really do what happened last night?"

Shen Xi shook her head, "No, nothing."

"I heard it all!" Shen Xun had been in a car accident this evening; Jiang Lai had left with Ke Zhongyu, his anger already burning, and upon returning home he heard his protective sister was truly vicious.

Mother Shen, shielding her daughter, said, "Son, you can't blame Xiao Xi for this; it's all over now."

"You and Dad both knew?" Shen Xun looked incredulously at his parents, then at Shen Xi, "Shen Xi, why did you do this!"

They even used full names.

Shen Xi's tears fell in a splash.

When she was in middle school, she bullied someone and ended up in jail; her older brother went to rescue her, but when she got home, he beat her with a bamboo rod.

Just recalling it, her back still felt as if it hurt.

"Brother, brother, I just…" Shen Xi, without hesitation, shouted, "I just want you to divorce Jiang Lai! Jiang Lai doesn't deserve you; you also like Sister Shutong, right? Why won't you divorce Jiang Lai and marry Shutong?"

"Our whole family dislikes Jiang Lai, so why not let her go!"

Mother Shen, while pulling her daughter, tried to calm her down, saying that if Shen Xun flared up, no one in this house could withstand it.

"Shen Xi, who gave you the nerve to do this?" Shen Xun grabbed Shen Xi by the back of her neck.

Shen Xi arched her whole body.

"Brother, brother, I'm wrong, I'm wrong, isn't that enough?"

"Shen Xi, do you realize that if Jiang Lai actually gets into trouble because of this, what will you do?"

"Then divorce her."

"What about her innocence!" Shen Xun gritted his teeth; when his parents tried to intervene, he warded them off with a glance.

Shen Xi retorted, "You've been married for four years; she's not a virgin, what's this about purity or not?"

"Xiao Xi," Father Shen scolded his daughter, the remark being excessive.

Shen Xun raised his hand to slap his sister, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to.

When he thought of just now letting Jiang Lai return to apologize to Shen Xi, he felt like a scoundrel.

Thinking again of Jiang Lai's situation last night made his whole body tremble with dread.

If Jiang Lai truly…

He didn't dare to imagine.

He would regret it for a lifetime.

Shen Xi again hid behind her father and said, "She ended up fine, right? Isn't that okay? Then why sue me."

Shen Xun looked at the steaming dishes on the table and at the unrepentant Shen Xi, and said, "I won't meddle in Jiang Lai's lawsuit against you."

"What!" Shen Xi's eyes widened, "Brother, you didn't persuade her to withdraw the lawsuit? She loves you so much."

"Shut up." A vein bulged on Shen Xun's neck as he strained to suppress his emotions.

He suddenly said, "No wonder Jiang Lai doesn't want to come back."

"If she doesn't come back, then she doesn't; she's not family with us." Mother Shen knew that Shen Xun would curse, but he would definitely not help Jiang Lai get his own younger sister successfully prosecuted.

Mother Shen's expression was also very indifferent.

"Mom," Shen Xun said, "how come Jiang Lai isn't family?"

Father also said, "No."

"Dad, you don't even acknowledge Jiang Lai?" Shen Xun said seriously, "Jiang Lai is my wife, she's your daughter‑in‑law."

Father Shen looked at him with a serious face: "Shen Xun, I ask you, what feelings do you have for Jiang Lai? And what feelings do you have for Lin Shutong?"

If the son truly loves Jiang Lai, handling the divorce papers would make him hesitate.

After all, estranging oneself from one's son because of a woman isn't very worthwhile.

"I've seen how you treat Lin Shutong and Jiang Lai," Father Shen continued, "so what do you mean?"

Shen Xun was stumped by the question.

"I…" his voice faltered, then quickly continued, "I married Jiang Lai, so I must be responsible for her, must take care of her."

"Just that?" Father Shen pressed, "Is that why you won't divorce?"

"Dad, why are you also thinking about us divorcing?" Shen Xun didn't understand what was happening to the family; hadn't they all been fine and harmonious before?

"I can't divorce Jiang Lai; a divorce would affect the company, and we'd have to split the assets evenly." Shen Xun said this reason aloud, but his heart thumped, as if deliberately contradicting himself.

It seemed something was about to surface.