EBE Chapter 91 The Past of the Shen Family
Chapter 91 The Past of the Shen Family
Shen Family of the Capital
The middle-aged man sat upright in the middle of the sofa, looking at his daughter who was bowing her head and dared not look at him, exuding an imposing aura without anger.
His voice was deep, yet it made the girl standing as punishment instinctively tremble.
"Shen Lu, how old are you this year? Are you still running away from home?"
Shen Lu pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, not daring to speak. After a long while, she managed to utter a few words, trembling as if a mosquito were buzzing.
"...I'm sorry, Dad, I know I was wrong."
Shen Ke had been standing casually to the side, but seeing his sister shrink back in fright, he pulled his hand out of his pocket, about to speak...
"You know you're wrong?! Look at you, how can you say you know you're wrong? You have asthma, and you didn't even bring your medicine with you this time. What if you had an attack on the way and no one found you?! If that happens, you won't even be able to call for help. What, do you want your mother and me to be old folks who bury our young?"
—With a bang,
He slammed his hand on the table.
Even in middle age, Shen Qi's authority only grew stronger. When he was angry, his aura was overwhelming; his face turned ashen, his eyes sharp, and his expression furious.
The atmosphere became heavy for a moment.
The servants of the Shen family instinctively hid to the side; at this moment, no one wanted to offend their employer.
Even Shen Ke, who had just pulled his hand out, put it back in his pocket. He glanced at his shivering sister and sighed deeply in his heart.
His younger sister was spoiled by her family from childhood and had never been exposed to the harsh realities of society.
The old man was right about something.
Shen Lu is in poor health and has had asthma since childhood. This time, for some unknown reason, she ran away from home without a care in the world.
Although they had always spoiled Shen Lu, it doesn't mean that the Shen family would have no sense of right and wrong in raising their child.
In the past, the old man wouldn't even raise his voice to his sister, but this time he was really angry. As soon as Shen Lu entered the house, he didn't even let her go back to her room to tidy up.
Shen Ke couldn't understand why her younger sister wanted to run away from home.
The white light flickered and shone on Shen Lu's face. Shen Lu bit her lip tightly, her cheeks flushed. She made a tough decision.
With a thud, he knelt on the ground.
Shen Ke was startled and immediately bent down to help him.
"Don't help him up!!"
Shen Qi's sharp gaze swept over his son.
Seeing his sister's pale face and the cold sweat on her forehead, Shen Ke couldn't bear it and pleaded for her life.
“Dad, you’ve already scolded me, there’s no need for that…my sister’s health isn’t good to begin with…”
Shen Qi interrupted him calmly.
"Shen Ke, do you know that your mother is sick and hospitalized?"
Shen Ke was startled, then abruptly looked up, his hand on Shen Lu's shoulder trembling slightly. He looked up at Shen Qi in disbelief, his eyes fixed on him, his tone strained.
"Dad, when did this happen? How come I didn't know?"
Shen Lu stared blankly at her father, her eyes filled with regret.
Looking at his son and daughter, one standing and one kneeling, Shen Qi's eyes revealed a clear sense of disappointment and helplessness. His voice was flat.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with young people going out to make their way in the world. I’ve always encouraged you to be independent and make something of yourselves. But Shen Lu, before you ran away from home, wasn’t your mother already in poor health, taking medicine every few days? Put your hand on your heart and tell me honestly, did you… even the slightest thought of her when you ran away from home?”
Shen Qi crossed his legs, his eyes calm, but his clear gaze made Shen Lu feel extremely embarrassed.
"I know you don't."
Shen Qi turned to look at his distraught son.
"You've been so busy these past two years. Have you noticed that your mother's voice has gotten weaker and weaker each time you call home?"
Shen Ke's eyes were bloodshot, and her voice trembled.
"Dad, where is Mom now?"
Shen Qi waved his hand dismissively, his tone flat.
"She is recuperating, so please don't go and disturb her."
Shen Lu knew that these words were meant for her, because her disobedience and running away from home had indirectly caused her mother's illness to worsen.
She looked down at her dirty shoe tips, and a wave of guilt, regret, and bitterness surged into her heart.
"Dad, I really know I was wrong, I admit my mistake."
Shen Lu's voice choked with emotion, filled with indescribable sorrow.
"That night, I was going to talk to you about the wedding, but I overheard you and Mom talking about your biological daughter. I panicked and didn't know what to do. I ran away cowardly."
She felt as if she had been thrown from heaven to hell all at once. She realized that she was not her parents' daughter, and that the identity she had always been proud of was all a lie.
These words shocked everyone present.
Shen Ke instantly raised his bloodshot eyes, his mind seemingly being cleansed again and again, everything that happened tonight was impacting his perception.
He rubbed his eyes hard.
"Dad, how is Mom's health now? And what's going on with what my sister said?"
Shen Qi's eyes were deep and dark. He glanced at the butler.
The butler immediately understood and dismissed all the servants present.
Shen Qi lifted his eyelids and looked at his two children, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He was suddenly relieved that Ali was still in the sanatorium and had not returned.
Otherwise, you'll just get hurt again for no reason.
“Indeed, Shen Lu is not my and Ali’s biological daughter. Someone left her at the gate of the old house, and the housekeeper brought her back.”
Shen Qi spoke succinctly and directly, stating the truth without any concealment.
Shen Lu's face was deathly pale, and she didn't have the courage to look up.
Shen Ke's eyes flickered occasionally, but he didn't see anything wrong with it. Adopted sons in wealthy families were a dime a dozen, and his family had a very good relationship with them, no different from that of biological children.
He looked down at his sister, his tone as usual.
"Shen Lu is my sister, there's no difference."
Shen Qi remained indifferent, coldly glancing at his son who only half understood, when suddenly a sense of injustice welled up in his heart.
His biological daughter is missing. His wife treats their adopted daughter well, but she dreams of her daughter every night, and her heart aches.
The adopted daughter suddenly ran away from home, causing the wife to worry for no reason.
Shen Qi always felt that his blood was cold, and his wife needed an outlet for her emotions. So Shen Lu naturally came to their home. It was because of this child that his wife gradually emerged from the grief of losing her biological daughter. For this reason, Shen Qi always treated Shen Lu very well.
But from the night Shen Lu ran away from home, his wife fell ill and was hospitalized, and he would never forgive his adopted daughter again.
He never developed any so-called father-daughter relationship.
If it weren't for Ah Li's kind heart, what would it have mattered to him if that child froze to death outside on a snowy night years ago?
Shen Qi closed his eyes; he had thought about it just as his wife had said.
If he treats this child well, will his biological daughter also be treated kindly by others outside?