Was the man a scumbag who tricked her into marriage? A powerful man brought his child to her door de

The two chatted for more than ten minutes, but Jie Lanyuan did not return, nor did Ying Xuelan and Shen Qingmu appear.

Old Master Shen was well aware that they had always been wary of Shen Mohan's existence.

Now that Shen Mohan is back, I'm afraid they won't give up.

Worried that something might have happened, Old Master Shen said, "Girl, go out and urge them, the food is getting cold."

Yan Xuxu nodded and got up to go find someone.

She just saw Xie Lanyuan leave through the main gate.

As expected, they went to the yard to look for someone.

She hadn't walked far when she saw three figures standing under the magnolia tree.

Just as they were about to approach, they heard Ying Xuelan speak.

"As human beings, we should know how to be grateful. If it weren't for our kindness in taking you in back then, you would still be all alone in the orphanage, and you might have died in some corner long ago."

"Since you left, why did you come back? Do you really think you can compete with Mingzhou for the family fortune, being an outsider?"

"Let me tell you, Shen Mohan, as long as I'm around, don't even think about it! The president of Ming'an Group can only be Ming Zhou. Go back to where you came from."

Yan Xuxu's breath hitched slightly as she silently hid behind a tree.

She remembered how Ying Xuelan had abused and humiliated Shen Mohan in the same way before.

Once, when Old Master Shen was away for a month, Ying Xuelan tormented Shen Mohan for that entire month.

In the freezing cold, they didn't let him eat and made him kneel on the ground in thin clothes.

Because Shen Mingzhou bullied him, he fought back and beat Shen Mingzhou up.

Ying Xuelan felt sorry for Shen Mingzhou and personally avenged her son.

They not only made them kneel, but also whipped them.

She knew how to punish in the most painful way, and also in the most discreet way, so that no one would find out.

Therefore, when Grandpa Shen returned, he only saw that Shen Mohan had a cold and did not notice his injuries.

Jie Lanyuan stood there expressionless, his icy voice like a chilling breeze, "If I weren't grateful, Ms. Ying, do you think Shen Mingzhou would be where he is today?"

The word "Ms. Ying" caused Ying Xuelan's face to turn pale and then red.

Before she was five years old, Shen Mohan always called her mother.

She made Shen Mingzhou change his address as soon as he was born.

In front of Old Master Shen, he still called her "Mother," and was the esteemed eldest son of the Shen family.

But once Old Master Shen was gone, she could only call her "Madam" like the servants in the old house and do the work that only servants do.

She truly loathed this adopted son.

It's one thing to have absolutely no sense of propriety.

She even dared to ride roughshod over her son, stealing the limelight at every turn and winning the old man's trust.

She would not allow an outsider to jeopardize Shen Mingzhou's position.

"That's Mingzhou's ability, what does it have to do with you?" Ying Xuelan said sarcastically.

Jie Lanyuan chuckled, "Does Madam Ying have that much confidence in him?"

"Stop being sarcastic. It's none of your business how my son is treated."

Enraged, Ying Xuelan clearly couldn't stand Xie Lanyuan's attitude and raised her hand to hit him.

Yan Xuxu was in a hurry and couldn't help but take a step, but accidentally kicked the flowerpot next to her, making a loud bang.

She was stunned and didn't react for a moment, but when she saw the gazes of the people in front of her, she suppressed her wildly beating heart and quickly hid back inside.

At the same time, Xie Lanyuan took the opportunity to stop Ying Xuelan from slapping him.

Seeing that he still dared to block her way, Ying Xuelan cursed him even more harshly, "You've grown wings and now you dare to resist?"

After saying that, he was about to slap her with his other hand.

Jie Lanyuan's eyes, as cold as a deep pool, swept towards her like icy blades.

Ying Xuelan was frightened.

The hairs on my body stood on end.

Even my back was covered in cold sweat.

My hands went limp uncontrollably.

What happened?

After five years, how could this bastard have such a strong deterrent effect?

"Mo Han, my wife and I have raised you for so many years. We've done our part, if not great deeds, then we've certainly put in a lot of hard work. How dare you speak to your mother like that!"

Shen Qingyun shielded Ying Xuelan, his eyes dark and ruthless. "As for everything in the Shen family, it belongs to Mingzhou. Don't even think about things that don't belong to you. If you dare to make a move, don't blame us for being ruthless."

They knew the old man was still waiting for them to eat.

After Shen Qingyun finished speaking, he put his arm around Ying Xuelan and walked towards the hall.

The atmosphere suddenly quieted down.

Jie Lanyuan stood there for a long time before turning around and walking towards Yan Xuxu.

The familiar presence drew ever closer, and Yan Xuxu's clenched fists were covered in cold sweat.

She didn't know what she was nervous about; she just didn't want Xie Lanyuan to know that she was hiding here.

Soon, the man slowed his pace and stopped beside her.

The two were separated by a green belt, the thick trunks of the trees effectively concealing her presence.

Jie Lanyuan turned his head and looked over, and Yan Xuxu shrank back even further.

Just when she thought she would be discovered, the man curled his lips into a smile, uttered not a sound, and strode past her.

Only after he disappeared into the night did Yan Xuxu finally breathe a sigh of relief and step out from behind the tree.

Worried that Grandpa Shen would have to wait too long, Yan Xuxu hurried back.

*

The meal was not enjoyable.

Ying Xuelan used the excuse of not feeling well to avoid eating with them.

On the surface, Shen Qingyun acted like a loving father, bustling around serving food to Shen Mohan, but every word he uttered was a reminder.

Old Master Shen was a wise man, how could he not understand? He kept a straight face and didn't say a word.

The atmosphere was very tense, making it hard to breathe.

Yan Xuxu didn't say a word from beginning to end. She just ate a few bites of food with her head down, thinking only of getting the job done quickly.

Finally, the family dinner ended with Grandpa Shen slamming his chopsticks heavily on the table.

"Mo Han, you and the girl go back first."

Relieved, Yan Xuxu stood up and said, "Okay, Grandpa, take care of yourself."

She walked ahead.

Jie Lanyuan followed behind.

This scene is just like when the two of them used to secretly be together, always keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far, for fear of being discovered.

That sense of loss filled the walls of her heart again, and Yan Xuxu felt a sudden tightness in her chest.

She tried to quicken her pace.

But she couldn't compete with a man's height and long legs.

They closed the distance in one step.

She was unwilling to continue walking.

He chased after him.

Yan Xuxu was so angry that she was about to curse him, but she didn't realize that he was less than half a step away from her. She turned around and bumped into his solid chest, and her head was buzzing.

"Who gave you permission to stand behind me?"

She covered her forehead, tears welling up in her eyes.

It hurt so much I almost cried.

Jie Lanyuan stared at her, his brows furrowed in indifference. "Who told you to have short legs and block the way?"

Yan Xuxu was furious.

It's obvious that he's been following her relentlessly!

And they even have the nerve to complain about her being short!

She endured the pain, rolled her eyes at him, then stepped aside to make way for him, saying, "Then please go first, Mr. Xie, so that no one can block your way."

Jie Lanyuan strode forward quickly.

The sound of Old Master Shen slamming his fist on the table in anger came from the hall. He paused slightly, but did not linger.

Yan Xuxu heard it too.

The reason why Old Master Shen asked them to leave was so that he could have a private talk with Shen Qingyun.

It's likely related to Xie Lanyuan.