Chapter 87: The Vinegar Jar Has Been Overturned Again

The next morning, when Gu Yan went downstairs, only Sheng Ze was in the dining room.

He was sitting with his legs crossed, reading gossip news; hearing footsteps, he looked up and smiled in greeting: "Morning, little sister-in-law."

"Morning." Gu Yan sat down opposite him and glanced at the empty head seat, "Where is Shen Yanhui?"

"Called away by Chang Su." Sheng Ze took a sip of coffee, "The doctor came by just now, I suppose there's some matter with Aunt Pei."

Gu Yan nodded, and a servant served breakfast.

She scooped a spoonful of oatmeal, and just as she put it in her mouth, she heard Sheng Ze tease: "I say, little sister-in-law, you two are a bit excessively inseparable, aren't you? You have to ask the moment you don't see him."

Gu Yan looked up at him, tilting her head with a smile: "That's right, romance is only interesting when you show it off to others."

Sheng Ze: "... Hey, how come you're starting to talk more and more like Shen Yanhui?"

Gu Yan was noncommittal and continued eating breakfast. But as she ate, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Sheng Ze: "You've known him for a long time, right?"

Sheng Ze raised an eyebrow and put down his phone: "What, want to dig into his affairs?"

Gu Yan nodded.

"Go ahead, what do you want to know?"

Gu Yan moved her chair closer to him and lowered her voice: "I want to know everything."

Sheng Ze made a "tsk-tsk" sound: "Why not ask him directly? Would he really not tell you?"

"I'm afraid of stirring up his painful memories."

Sheng Ze scoffed: "Shen Yanhui, capable of being sad? You underestimate him too much. That guy's heart is as hard as stone; when he was in his teens, he..."

He stopped abruptly when he said this, looked at Gu Yan's earnest expression, and sighed.

"Fine, fine, for the sake of you wanting to know so badly." Sheng Ze also lowered his voice, "When Shen Yanhui was little... he was actually quite pitiful."

Gu Yan pricked up her ears.

"His parents were a typical business marriage, no affection," Sheng Ze said, "Shen, that is his father, had ulterior motives when he married Aunt Pei back then."

From Sheng Ze, Gu Yan learned that Pei Wanjun actually had one-quarter French ancestry. Her maternal family was powerful and influential in France, and it was precisely because Shen Zongwen had his eye on this that he deliberately approached her to seek a chance for marriage.

He used these resources to step by step claim these powers for himself, while also allowing him to stand out among his brothers and catch the eye of the Old Master of the Shen Family.

Naturally, he became the new head of the Shen Family.

"And then?" Gu Yan listened intently, her brow slightly furrowed.

"Then? Once he had everything, he naturally didn't care about Aunt Pei anymore, bringing women from the outside and illegitimate children back to the Shen Family. In that kind of twisted environment, Aunt Pei's mental state grew worse and worse."

Gu Yan's expression was one of disgust: "Then didn't Shen Yanhui's grandfather do anything?"

Sheng Ze shook his head: "The Old Master of the Shen Family only cares about profit; he mostly turned a blind eye."

He paused and continued: "Later on, Shen died in a car accident, and that woman and the illegitimate child were in the car too."

Gu Yan: "Was it an accident?"

Sheng Ze: "The police said so."

Whether it was truly an accident, with so many years having passed, there is no way to verify. Or perhaps, someone covered it up.

"After Shen died, Aunt Pei became completely ill. When she had episodes, she would even attack Shen Yanhui; who knows how many times he's been injured."

Gu Yan's heart tightened; so, an injury like this one wasn't the first time.

No wonder he didn't take it to heart, saying he was used to it.

"So," Sheng Ze concluded, "that guy Shen Yanhui lived in that kind of environment since he was small. With a father who didn't love him and a mother who didn't care, it's already a miracle he grew up the way he is now without going astray."

Gu Yan was about to speak when she suddenly felt a gaze.

She turned her head.

Shen Yanhui was standing at the entrance of the dining room, quietly watching them.

Gu Yan's eyes curved: "You're here!"

"What are you chatting about?" Shen Yanhui walked over, his tone deep.

Gu Yan didn't want to bring up his painful memories again, so she brushed it off: "Nothing much... Shen Yanhui, come try this oatmeal, it's delicious!"

Shen Yanhui stopped beside her and reached out to pull her up from her chair. He walked to the opposite side to sit down, then pulled her onto his lap.

The sequence of actions was smooth and fluid.

Gu Yan was embarrassed and annoyed: "What are you doing!"

Shen Yanhui ignored her, only glancing at Sheng Ze opposite them, then picked up Gu Yan's spoon, scooped some oatmeal, and held it to her lips: "Eat."

Gu Yan: "..."

Sheng Ze: "..."

Well, he's jealous.

Gu Yan ate the spoonful of porridge with a flushed face and whispered: "I can eat by myself..."

"I'll feed you." Shen Yanhui scooped another spoonful and held it out.

Gu Yan had no choice but to keep eating.

Sheng Ze watched from the side, dumbfounded; just as he was about to tease them, he heard Shen Yanhui say to the servant: "Young Master Sheng doesn't like to eat at the dining table; put his breakfast at the door, he's used to squatting while he eats."

The servant froze.

Sheng Ze: "???"

Gu Yan: "..."

What? He has that kind of habit?

The servant looked hesitantly at Sheng Ze.

"No, Old Shen, let me explain—" Sheng Ze tried to struggle.

"Please show Young Master Sheng out." Shen Yanhui's tone was flat but unquestionable.

The servant immediately stepped forward: "Mr. Sheng, please."

Sheng Ze was "invited" out of the dining room.

Gu Yan watched his back disappear at the doorway, then looked at Shen Yanhui: "Does he really like to squat while eating?"

"Mm," Shen Yanhui said without changing his expression, "don't mind him."

He fed Gu Yan another spoonful of porridge: "Eat more."

Gu Yan ate obediently, but couldn't help asking in a low voice: "Are you angry?"

"No."

"Then why did you kick Sheng Ze out?"

"He was too noisy," Shen Yanhui said, "it affected your meal."

Gu Yan looked at his calm profile and suddenly smiled.

She leaned over and kissed his chin: "Shen Yanhui, the way you get jealous is so cute."

"Knowing I would get jealous, you still got that close to talk to him?"

Gu Yan laughed: "How was that close? There was a whole person's distance between us."

Shen Yanhui narrowed his eyes.

Gu Yan sensed danger and hurriedly changed her tune: "Exactly, exactly, how could Sheng Ze have no sense of propriety at all!"

Shen Yanhui was satisfied: "His brain isn't right, stay away from him."

Gu Yan nodded repeatedly.

Meanwhile, the "brain-damaged" Sheng Ze squatted on the steps, looked at the tray in his hands, and sighed.

It would have been fine if Fourth Master Shen hadn't fallen for someone, but once he did, he fell this hard!

Is he the reincarnation of a vinegar jar? He even gets jealous of a childhood friend of over a dozen years like me!

There is no justice.

Sheng Ze shook his head and resignedly began to eat.