Chapter 40: Kneeling Before the Si Family Gate

At the very beginning, she was the one with Shen Lan, it's just that no one knew.

During that time, she was insanely jealous of Si Rong.

And the better Si Rong treated her, the more intensely she felt that jealousy.

Si Rong's appearance, Si Rong's clothing, Si Rong's parents and brother.

Compared to her own mediocre self in every way, everything about her was far too dazzling.

So dazzling that it kept her awake night after night.

Back then, Li Xuan would think, how wonderful it would be if everything Si Rong possessed became hers.

However, given her background and aptitude, it was impossible for her to ever surpass Si Rong.

So, what was she to do?

Jealousy was like waterweed that had grown legs, entangling her every night and breeding some crazy ideas.

She knew that Shen Lan was the most perfect chess piece in her hands.

He possessed a handsome exterior that any girl would like.

Although poor, he had immense ambition.

She found Shen Lan and told him her plan.

Use Shen Lan, this chess piece, to open the entrance to the Si Family, and then, it would be their children.

Once they completely gained Si Rong's trust, then everything belonging to the Si Family would belong to her children.

The things she didn't obtain, if they could be obtained by her children, then it wouldn't have been a waste of all her scheming.

Unfortunately, just as success was within reach, Si Rong actually discovered their affair, and even dug up the truth about the parentage of the two children completely.

It is truly so frustrating!

For the sake of this agreement over these years, their lives had turned into a stage.

Having sacrificed so much, how could they admit defeat now!

Shen Lan is right; the position of County Magistrate must be obtained.

Now that it's clear the Si Family can no longer be relied upon, since that is the case, then they must make good use of the Si Family's remaining value.

"Alright, I won't appear for these few days, but Shen Lan, I hope you remember what you promised me."

Regardless of whether the matter succeeds or not, he must marry her and become the legitimate Mr. Shen.

Shen Lan nodded; he had no other way now.

After Li Xuan left, Shen Lan drank a bowl of millet porridge cooked by Shen Mu, and then went to the Si Family.

The Si Family is located in the center of Huaiyang, covering nearly one thousand square meters, in the style of a Chinese courtyard house.

It is magnificent.

The main gate is tightly shut.

Shen Lan took a deep breath, then stepped forward to knock on the door.

Sometimes, what people compete with each other is that bit of ruthlessness.

Having climbed up from the bottom, no one understood the game between people better than he did.

Now, between him and the Si Family, it depends on who bows their head first.

In the past, the Si Family was satisfied with him as a son-in-law in every aspect; now, they are merely minding that his affair with Li Xuan caused their Si Family to lose face.

Since that is the case, he will simply return this face to the Si Family.

Shen Lan's method is—kneeling.

As long as he kneels until Si Rong's heart softens, until she remembers their beautiful past, and kneels until the Si Family feels their face has been returned, he will naturally be able to reconcile with Si Rong.

Of course, this is also a gamble for him.

If it takes too long, he might miss the election for County Magistrate.

It's just that he has no other way now.

Ever since the competition, he felt as if everyone knew about his betrayal of Si Rong; walking on the road, he felt that others looked at him with mockery.

The Si Family gate opened; it was the Si Family's security guard.

Shen Lan smiled confidently, "Wang Shu, please trouble yourself to tell Si Rong and my parents-in-law that I have deeply realized my mistakes, and I will kneel here at the Si Family gate until they forgive me."

After speaking, he bent his legs and knelt at the Si Family's main gate, his face, a mix of green and red, seemingly still wearing a mysterious smile!

Wang Shu:...

How insane!

This fool!

He immediately reported this matter to the young lady and the mistress of the house.

Si Rong looked out from the second-floor window and saw Shen Lan kneeling straight at their front gate.

Passersby walked past him, snickering, but he didn't care at all.

He just knelt there.

As devout as if kneeling before a Buddha.

Yet who could have imagined that such a man was so deep in his schemes, having betrayed her for eighteen long years.

Someone who didn't know might even think he was some good man carrying thorns to beg for forgiveness.

Another passerby walked past Shen Lan; it was their neighbor.

Si Rong heard the neighbor ask Shen Lan, "County Magistrate Shen, why are you kneeling here?"

"I did some wrong things, I'm here to apologize to my wife!" Shen Lan said dismissively.

The neighbor had a good relationship with the Si Family; hearing this, they laughed for a while before leaving.

Shen Mu watched and sneered repeatedly; worried that her daughter might soften her heart, she pulled her to sit down beside her.

"You must never listen to a man's words at a time like this; he doesn't think he's wrong at all."

Mother Si stroked her daughter's cheek affectionately, "My dear girl, you are only thirty-eight years old this year; you still have a very long road ahead of you. Even if he truly knew he was wrong, it would be impossible for him to make a clean break with the woman who bore his child. In this world, the hardest thing to sever is blood ties."

"Mom, don't worry, I will never forgive him."

Si Rong had made up her mind.

But with Shen Lan kneeling at the entrance of their Si Family home, it was truly a disgrace to the Si Family.

"I'll go tell him to get lost!"

Originally, she had thought that since things had reached this point, there would be no more entanglement after the divorce.

Yet she never imagined Shen Lan could be so shameless.

"No need, let him kneel."

Mother Si spoke coldly.

Then, her long, narrow phoenix eyes lifted slightly as she looked at the sky, "In weather like this, how fitting it would be for a rain to fall!"

Mother Si watched the kneeling figure with narrowed eyes, then instructed Li Sao, who worked in the house, "The weather is cold today; go stew a pot of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for the young lady to warm her body!"

"Yes."

Before long, a bolt of thunder flashed across the horizon, followed by the howling of a gale.

Carrying the chill of late autumn, the sky turned gloomy in an instant.

Shen Lan's knees were numb and aching from kneeling, yet his posture remained steady.

He knew he had plenty of patience.

It was going to rain.

That was fine; once he was drenched like a drowned rat, he didn't believe Si Rong would still be able to sit still in her room!

When the time came and the pea-sized raindrops fell, Si Rong would hold a folding umbrella and walk toward him; the two of them would gaze at each other in the rain, then smile away their grievances and return home together!

As long as he could get Si Rong to go home with him, then let it rain!

Soon, the rain poured down in torrents.

The icy raindrops hit his meticulously styled hair and face, and the jacket on his body was soon soaked through.

His chest and back felt chilled to the bone.

Ever since becoming Deputy County Magistrate, Shen Lan had not been this disheveled for a long time.

The chill made him cough several times, and he began to wheeze.

It seemed that after those two hospitalizations, his health was not as good as it used to be.

It didn't matter; as long as Si Rong softened her heart and was willing to go back with him, Si Rong would help him nurse his health back later.

Shen Lan knew clearly that although Si Rong had not come out yet, she must be behind the window worrying about him, unable to eat or drink, and suffering mentally.

Indeed, Si Rong was by the window, admiring his kneeling posture in the rain while drinking the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall that Li Sao had stewed for her.

Then, she saw her second brother driving his BMW back, but he did not slow down when he reached Shen Lan; instead, he accelerated.

Si Rong stood up abruptly.