Later that evening, Shen Yelan was called down for dinner. When she arrived at the dining hall, the family of four was already eating.
Shen Wanwan was happily telling them about her school exam, where she had scored third in her class and was even appreciated by her teacher.
Shen Chengwei sat at the head of the table, nodding along to his daughter's story with a pleased expression on his face.
Shen Qian, Shen Wanwan's twin brother, rolled his eyes and kept his head down, shoveling rice into his mouth. He was a pudgy teenage boy with soft features and perpetually messy hair.
Feng Xin, who sat beside her husband, kept reaching over to pile more food into Shen Qian's bowl. "Eat more, darling. You've gotten so thin from all that studying. You need to keep your strength up."
Shen Qian grunted in response, his mouth full.
Shen Yelan stood at the door, observing the family.
"Shen Yelan is here," Feng Xin was the first one to notice her. She smiled at her as if she was really happy to see her.
Shen Wanwan turned to look, and her chopsticks froze halfway to her mouth. Her eyes went wide.
This was Shen Yelan?
Shen Wanwan's grip tightened on her chopsticks. But it had been taken from far away, and she'd convinced herself it was photoshopped or filtered or something. Because there was no way someone who'd been living in a village for years could look like that. She had imagined Shen Yelan would look rough and ugly now. Instead, she now looked even more beautiful now that she had lost the childhood immaturity. A hot spike of jealousy shot through her.
Shen Qian looked at her, surprised. Was this the same crippled girl he had seen years ago? Was living in a living so good that it would transform one into a fairy?
Shen Chengwei snapped, "It seems that after living in the countryside, you have forgotten basic manners. You even make others wait for you at the table."
Shen Yelan stared at him for a second and then at the half-eaten dishes on the table. She internally rolled her eyes and, without even uttering a word, she took a seat.
Shen Chengwei slammed his chopsticks down.
"You ungrateful thing! You don't even greet your father now? I shouldn't have brought you back!"
Shen Yelan looked up slowly, meeting his angry glare. She tilted her head slightly, a tiny spark of amusement flickering with amusement that he did not notice.
"You are right. You should not have brought me back," Shen Yelan agreed, catching them off guard.
"But what can we do?" She pouted slightly. "You didn't really have a choice, did you? After all..." She paused, meeting her father's eyes. "We don't want people to talk and damage the Shen family's reputation, now, do we?"
The air around them stilled as everyone stared at Shen Yelan. Even the maids standing along the wall looked horrified, like they couldn't believe what they were hearing. In the corner, Sun Lili had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.
They were scared just by this? But Young Miss hadn't even started yet.
Sun Lili had met Shen Yelan three years ago. Back then, she was sold by her parents, who had gambling debts, and was saved by Shen Yelan. From then on, she was personally taught by Shen Yelan and had witnessed what this girl who was years younger than her was capable of.
These people had no idea what was coming.
Shen Chengwei's face went from red to purple. "Yo-you..." He could barely get the words out. "You're the one behind all this?"
Thinking about it, it suddenly made sense. This wretched girl had leaked the information herself just so he'd be forced to bring her back.
"I have no idea what you're insinuating, Father," Shen Yelan said innocently.
Shen Chengwei glared at her. The more he looked at her, the more convinced he became that she was behind it. But then, thinking about how she was just a girl who had lived in the countryside, he thought he was overthinking it. There was no way this girl was capable enough to orchestrate all of this.
Feng Xin shared the same thoughts as her husband and did not think much about it.
"Honey, let's not get angry at her," she said, placing a hand on her husband's arm. "She just came back. She probably missed you a lot. Isn't that right, Shen Yelan?"
She looked at Shen Yelan with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
Shen Yelan nodded her head, agreeing. "You are right, Aunt Feng. I really missed you all and can not wait to spend more time with you."
Feng Xin's smile wavered slightly. There was something about the way Shen Yelan said that felt off. But she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
She forced her smile wider. "That's wonderful. Now that you're here, our family is back together."
Shen Yelan tilted her head, a small frown appearing on her face. "That can't be right, Aunt Feng. The family won't truly be complete until Elder brother is back."
Feng Xin's smile stiffened. One bastard had just walked back in the door, and she was already talking about the other bastard.
She stole a glance towards her husband, and sure enough, she saw the distant look on his face. She mentally cursed.
Shen Chengwei might hate Shen Yelan because of her mother, but he actually cared about his eldest son born from his first marriage. When that boy had left to live with his maternal family, Shen Chengwei had done everything he could to bring him back. But that family was too powerful compared to them and there was an unknown grudge. She had never been able to uncover what grudge was held between these two families, but she knew it was the reason why the father and son had become estranged.
But she knew that Shen Chengwei would still sometimes think of him. There was no way she could let that boy come back, or else her own son's position as heir would be threatened.
Shen Yelan enjoyed the myriad of emotions on their faces and continued eating. She had already sown the seed of chaos. Now all she had to do was sit back and watch it grow.