Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 176 I'll Beat You to Death!

Shen Zhui witnessed firsthand the intimacy between Shen Qingzhou and Miss Lu today, with Shen Qingzhou even offering to paint a fan for her himself. It was truly rare for Shen Qingzhou to stoop to such a level for someone. This clearly demonstrated the importance he placed on Miss Lu.

But he was clearly the eldest son of the noble Grand Commandant's mansion, a dignified official of the Six Ministries, yet he disguised himself and stayed by her side like a follower, obeying her every word.

There are two possibilities for why he did this: either he reached some kind of tacit understanding with Miss Lu, or Miss Lu had no idea about his identity.

If it's one of them, then Shen Qingzhou wouldn't have needed to abandon Miss Lu and leave without a word when he noticed Shen Zhui was nearby.

Since he did this, and after this incident, Shen Qingzhou immediately forced his father to send him back to the border, there is only one possibility: he was afraid!

He was afraid that Shen Zhui would reveal his identity to Miss Lu!

This liar!

He actually deceived a girl!
Since Shen Qingzhou isn't letting him have an easy time, then he won't let Shen Qingzhou have an easy time either!
He wanted to expose the swindler's true colors in front of Miss Lu!
Lu Jia stared in disbelief: "You're saying he's a liar?"

“That’s right!” Shen Zhui said bitterly, “The person you were with at the temple fair today, that’s my brother! My own brother! The eldest son of our Grand Commandant’s mansion!”
"You've been fooled by him. I caught him in the act today, and he's afraid I'll expose him. So he forced my father to send me to the border!"

Lu Jia stared at the resentful young man in front of her, a breath stuck in her throat, unable to rise for a long time!
……

After Shen Qingzhou made some harsh remarks in the study, Shen Bo also came out from behind his desk.

The father and son stared at each other in the dim light; though the scene was quiet and still, it was as if a sword was gleaming beneath the surface.

But the sword was only from Shen Qingzhou. Shen Bo just stared at him with a face full of anger. Then the anger subsided, and he put his hands behind his back and slowly calmed down.

“Yu’er…”

"Reporting to the Grand Commandant!" Shen Bo had just finished processing his thoughts when the guards outside rushed in: "The Second Young Master stormed out of the mansion in a rage, and we couldn't stop him at all!"

Shen Bo suddenly turned around: "Why is he like this?"

The guards practically buried their heads in their knees: "The second young master just arrived outside and happened to overhear the Grand Commandant and the eldest young master talking, so..."

Shen Bo immediately picked up his riding whip: "Which direction did he go?"

"He headed south. The second young master didn't want us to follow, so I didn't keep up and don't know where he went!"

Shen Bo gritted his teeth and strode to the door, then suddenly stopped, turned around, took two steps back, and tossed the riding whip into Shen Qingzhou's hand: "It's your brother, go find him!"

Shen Qingzhou returned the riding whip: "What does he have to do with me?"

Shen Bo shoved the riding whip into his hand, his bulging eyes flashing with barely concealed rage: "Once you bring him back, I'll tell you exactly what he has to do with you!"

Shen Qingzhou's gaze remained cold and indifferent.

Shen Bo stared at him intently, then took a step back and walked out the door.

After Song En and the others finished seeing them off, they immediately rushed in.

Shen Qingzhou threw the whip on the table and gritted his teeth, saying, "Go find it!"

Song En silently left the courtyard, but a guard rushed towards him, shouting, "Mr. Song! Something terrible has happened!..."

Shen Qingzhou had just sat down when Song En slammed the door open again: "Young Master! Two pieces of news, one good and one bad. Which would you like to hear first?"

Shen Qingzhou shot him a sharp look: "He's dead?"

Song En stepped forward: "He's not dead! But Young Master, you—oh dear! Second Young Master went to Swallow Alley! He just happened to run into Miss Lu there, and he just handed over his invitation to see her!"

With a clatter behind the desk, Shen Qingzhou suddenly stood up!
Song En blurted out, "The second young master went to Miss Lu to complain about the young master!"

Shen Qingzhou grabbed the riding whip and, before he could finish speaking, dashed out the door...

……

"That's how it is!" Shen Zhui still looked resentful. "He's not some kind of handyman, nor is he someone who's willing to be a follower. He's hiding his identity and staying by your side for ulterior motives!"
"He is eyeing your beauty, Miss Lu!"
"To be honest, I never realized before that he was such a treacherous person!"

Shen Zhui vowed to expose all the despicable things Shen Qingzhou had done, to prevent him from marrying Miss Lu! He wanted Miss Lu to hate him, resent him, and never forgive him! He wanted her to live a life of regret! He wanted him to know that the Second Master of the Shen family was not someone to be trifled with!
"He covets my beauty?" Lu Jia murmured. "Does he even think I'm beautiful?"

Shen Zhui looked at her and said, "Beautiful!"

Of course, she's a little less capable than the brave female generals he'd seen in the borderlands who could ride horses and shoot arrows, but not by much. And now that he's going to recruit her to deal with that despicable Shen Qingzhou, he definitely has to praise her a bit!
Under the moonlight, Lu Jia's eyes were incredibly deep.

Shen Zhui bent down and said, "Sister Lu, you must not let him go! He's so despicable. He won't tell you who he is because he doesn't want to take responsibility for you!"
"Sister Lu..."

"shut up!"

Shen Zhui immediately stopped.

Then they realized that besides Lu Jia's voice in front of them, the louder, angry shout came from afar!
He quickly turned his head and saw Shen Qingzhou riding his horse up to him. Before the horse had even settled down, he had already leaped down and raised his arm, the diamond-encrusted whip lashing at him!
Shen Zhui cried out in alarm, "Sister, save me!"

He had personally witnessed Shen Qingzhou wielding a halberd, so how could he dare to step forward and risk his life?

He immediately hid behind Lu Jia!
Shen Qingzhou had no choice but to stop. When he looked up, he saw Lu Jia staring at him with a cold expression. His soul and spirit seemed to be heading towards hell!

He stumbled, dropped the whip, and rushed forward: "Jia, Jiajia!..."

Lu Jia gazed at his pale face and rapid breathing under the moonlight, then looked down at his noticeably less robust physique than Shen Zhui's, and even after half a year of recuperation, he still appeared somewhat thin. She stammered, "You—"

Shen Qingzhou's eyes were red, and her hands trembled as she placed her hands on her shoulders.

He was wrong!

He's the one who made things this way!

He choked up and could not speak.

Lu Jia shouted: "Get out here!"

Shen Qingzhou suddenly stopped.

This man, who had faced the turbulent and unpredictable court since his youth, now had all his courage shattered like moonlight filtering through swaying leaves, broken to pieces by the cold wind.

He was too late after all.

Shen Zhui was also stunned.

He never imagined that the arrogant Shen Qingzhou would be in such a sorry state.

Isn't he a heartless person?

He was as cold as ice, yet he was so heartbroken for someone?
Did he go too far?

"I'm talking to you, Second Young Master Shen!"

At this moment, Lu Jia turned around, glanced at the area under the tree roots, then bent down, picked up a brick, and weighed it in her palm: "So it was you!"

"what?"

"You stole his father, making him prefer to live as an orphan!"

Shen Zhui:......

Lu Jia gritted her teeth: "What right do you have to come to me and complain about him? What right do you have to slander him behind his back?!"

Shen Zhui was stunned!

Shen Qingzhou was also stunned!

"If he hits you, your father will surely be biased. Today I'm here to hit you, and I want to see what Grand Commandant Shen dares to do to me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the brick slipped from his hand!
To everyone's surprise, it flew straight at Shen Zhui...