His heart inexplicably trembled.
Shen Chongxuan seed to realize sothing as well and softly called out.
"Grandfather?"
Zhao Shuan gave no response.
"Grandfather!"
Shen Chongxuan called out again, and Zhao Jinhua rushed in from outside when he heard the call.
Shen Yuan tightly gripped Zhao Shuan’s hand, then stood up, tears welling in his eyes, and said, "Your father is gone..."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinhua’s expression montarily froze, then he bowed sorrowfully to Shen Yuan, wiping his tears as he knelt before Zhao Shuan’s bed.
Zhao Shuan’s funeral was very grand, but Shen Yuan did not attend.
In the backyard of the manor, Zhao Xuan sat there with a sowhat pale complexion. Seeing a maid cleaning the yard, she called her over.
"Has anything big happened in the family recently?"
The maid’s eyes flickered evasively, then she shook her head: "No major events, Second Young Mistress."
Zhao Xuan, hearing this, didn’t think much of it and turned to ask, "Where have Chongxuan and Chongxu gone? They’ve been missing since early morning."
The maid bowed and said: "Young Master Chongxuan has probably gone to see the Elder Patriarch."
"Young Master Chongxu is training in the front yard."
Hearing this, a smile appeared on Zhao Xuan’s face, and she waved the maid away.
When Shen Wen’an and the others returned, it was already three days after Zhao Shuan’s funeral.
The four of them appeared outside the Shen Family manor, with Hu i’Er dressed in a white cloak, concealing her head and face.
In her arms, Shen Li was curiously observing everything in front of her, reaching out with her little hands.
"Sister i’Er, we’re ho."
Wei Qiuling spoke.
Only then did Hu i’Er slowly raise her head and take a look at the manor in front of her.
"Let’s go in," Shen Wen’an said, leading the mother and daughter through the Shen Family’s gate.
Shen Yuan and Shen Wenxing had already received the news in advance and led them into the side room upon arrival.
"This is father and eldest brother."
After Wei Qiuling made the introduction, Hu i’Er nervously greeted Shen Yuan and Shen Wenxing.
"Father."
"Eldest Brother."
Shen Yuan showed a slight smile and nodded: "Have a seat."
After they all sat down, Shen Li in Hu i’Er’s arms curiously looked at Shen Yuan and then struggled to open her little hands.
Seeing this, Shen Yuan hurriedly got up, ca over, and took little Shen Li from Hu i’Er’s arms.
At this mont, Shen Wenxing also looked confusedly at Shen Wen’an and asked, "Didn’t your second brother co back with you?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the side room froze, and no one spoke.
Shen Wen’an and Wei Qiuling first looked at Shen Yuan. Seeing his expression of silent sorrow, they realized he might have already calculated the outco.
Hu i’Er lowered her head, tears quietly slipping down her face.
Seeing everyone’s expression, Shen Wenxing imdiately sensed sothing was wrong, stood up, and asked Shen Wen’an:
"What on earth happened?"
Shen Wen’an clenched his fist lightly and finally chose to reveal that Shen Wenyan had perished on Hundred Beasts Mountain.
Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Shen Wenxing’s tiger eyes, and he sank back into the chair behind him.
Although Shen Yuan was playing with Shen Li, tears were already streaming down his face.
"Ah Die... knew all along?"
Shen Wenxing looked at his father, his voice choked with emotion.
These days, he always felt that his father was acting strange; it now seed that he had calculated the news of his brother’s demise long ago.
He had just silently borne it all without saying anything.
Shen Yuan didn’t respond but looked at Shen Li in his arms and Hu i’Er, who was quietly crying in front of him, and said in a deep voice: "How are the courtyard preparations I asked you to make?"
There wasn’t enough space in the manor’s courtyard, so when Shen Wen’an and Wei Qiuling set off for Danzhou, he had Shen Wenxing build an additional courtyard in the back. He planned to let Shen Wenyan and his family move into that larger courtyard when they returned safely.
But he hadn’t expected that this son ultimately couldn’t escape the fate of a "broken family."
"Father, Sister i’Er she..."
Wei Qiuling glanced at Hu i’Er, hesitating whether to reveal her identity as a Fox Demon.
At this mont, however, Hu i’Er slowly raised her head, removing the cloak that concealed her face, revealing two fox ears covered in white fur.
Her eyes were filled with tears, with a hint of determination as she looked at Shen Yuan and said:
"i’Er is a demon!"
"But Shen Li is my child with my husband, a bloodline of the Shen Family."
"i’Er intends to leave her with the Shen Family and then depart."
"I hope Father will take good care of her, considering the Shen Family blood flowing in her veins."
As Hu i’Er spoke, she suddenly got up and knelt before Shen Yuan.
When Shen Wenyan was alive, he had always assured her that his parents were sensible people and would not mind her demonic identity.
At that ti, Hu i’Er genuinely thought she could integrate into human life.
But now that Shen Wenyan was gone, her heart had died along with him.
This ti, after safely delivering Shen Li to the Shen Family, she intended to return imdiately to Danzhou to follow in Shen Wenyan’s footsteps.
Seeing this, Shen Yuan handed Shen Li to Shen Wen’an and personally helped her to her feet.
"Li’Er is a bloodline of the Shen Family; the Shen Family will take good care of her."
"You are also a daughter-in-law of the Shen Family, Li’Er’s mother; this is your ho."
"Since you call ’Father,’ you still acknowledge this identity."
"Stay."
Hu i’Er hesitated slightly.
If it weren’t for Shen Li, she wouldn’t have returned from Danzhou at all.
This ti, she initially intended to go back to Danzhou once she confird her daughter’s safety. However, looking at the adorable daughter in Shen Wen’an’s arms, a sense of reluctance arose in her heart, which had died with Shen Wenyan’s fall.
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