Chapter 59 - I'll Take Responsibility
Sheng Peiyin half-heartedly called Jiao Jiao a few times, but Shen Ziqiao ignored her.
Qi Zheng lifted his head and glanced at Shen Ziqiao with a deep glint in his eyes. Even if he lost to that dumbo, he didn’t seem battered nor exhausted. Instead, he wore a normal and spirited expression, confident.
Shen Ziqiao looked down and glanced at him, a sneer curled up. “You specially followed these people here, so that you can do this right?”
If she didn’t recognize Qi Zheng in the past, she would’ve thought he was really harmless. So what if he wasn’t dumb? For the past decade or so, he only ate and slept. Even if he wasn’t dumb anymore, he was still useless. What’s there to care about?
This was what Qi Zheng wanted others to think of him, right?
Qi Zheng stood up and patted off the dust on his clothes. He gazed deeply at Shen Ziqiao’s mocking face. “I found out what happened at Marquis Luo’s place. I’m sorry for implicating you.”
The man’s voice was calm and composed, quiet. Yet, his deep and low voice was pleasing to the ears.
Shen Ziqiao looked up to see his beautifully contoured chin. “Oh, so it seems like Young Master Qi knows how your step mother had humiliated me? Shouldn’t this be expected?”
Qi Zheng seemingly knew that Shen Ziqiao would’ve said this. He lightly pursed his lips and said, “I know.”
He answered confidently! Shen Ziqiao angrily glared at him and asked, “You knew? But you still framed me? Don’t you know how horrible the feeling of being humiliated in front of the public by your good stepmother feels like? Don’t you know that it’ll affect my reputation? What if I can’t get married? Are you going to take responsibility for that?”
“I’ll take responsibility.” Qi Zheng answered seriously and solemnly.
Shen Ziqiao was stunned before she immediately said angrily, “Take responsibility my ass! Who wants to get married to you? I don’t need you to take responsibility for me.”
There was a smiling glint in Qi Zhen’s indifferent eyes. “I meant that I’ll be responsible for finding a husband for you.”
“Who wants you to meddle in my business?” Shen Ziqiao’s face slightly flushed. She harshly glared at him and said, “Stay away from me. Nothing good ever happens when I see you. I’m already unlucky enough.”
He’s not a male lead with gold fingers, but rather a male side lead that could become cannon fodder at any moment. How could he be lucky? Female side lead and male side lead...it’d only make her life even more unlucky.
Qi Zheng slightly lifted his brows, not commenting.
“You’re still going in?” Doesn’t he feel like he’s losing face?
He’d achieved his motive, so there was no need to be with them anymore. Qi Zheng glanced at Shen Ziqiao and said in a low voice, “I’ll help you get justice for the way Xiao Gu treated you today.”
The confident voice rang lowly by her ears, making Shen Ziqiao’s heart tremble. She looked at him with shock. The man’s handsome face oozed with confidence and firmness. His pitch-black eyes sparkled a cold and icy glint.
Shen Ziqiao was in a daze for a second. Actually, Qi Zheng acted very much like a male lead.
“I’ll be going now.” Without looking at the Ninth Prince or the others, Qi Zheng walked past Shen Ziqiao.
Glancing at his tall and broad figure, Shen Ziqiao hadn’t expected Qi Zheng to change in such a way. Maybe the book only revealed that Qi Zheng was pretending to be stupid in the end. But right now, she got to see the other side of him in advance in this life.
Maybe he was the breakthrough that she was looking for, a chance for her to counterattack.
Shen Ziqiao didn’t say goodbye to Sheng Peiyin. She stood in her original position for a while before she also left the Shangpin Establishment.
Through the window, the Ninth Prince in the private room saw Shen Ziqiao leave. Disdain and dislike flickered in his eyes as a thought flitted by in his mind that a shameless straw bag could only be with Qi Zheng, a dumbo.
If Shen Ziqiao knew how the Ninth Prince thought of her, she would’ve pointed at him and cursed him out loud. Were he and Sheng Peiyin not shameless for their deeds?
Shen Ziqiao returned to the Shen Family and just sat down as she panted, trying to catch her breath just as Old Madam Shen called her to De’an Courtyard.
Hearing the old woman’s summon, Shen Ziqiao felt extremely exhausted. She was impatient and disliked continuously fighting with this old woman who lacked a clear mind.
It’s not that she didn’t want to respect her elders, but the old woman made it hard for her to respect her.
“...When do you plan on not losing face for the Shen Family? You fought with Madam Shen in front of everyone. You’re a junior, don’t you know that?” It was unclear where Old Madam Shen found out that Shen Ziqiao and Xiao Gu drew daggers against each other at Marquis Luo’s place. The moment she saw Shen Ziqiao, she scolded her.
Shen Ziqiao was speechless. So if someone slapped her left face, she was supposed to turn her right face over for them to slap as well? That way, it’d be balanced out? That way, she wouldn’t be losing face for the Shen Family?
As her senior, shouldn’t she be concerned with her granddaughter’s well-behing first?
Seeing Shen Ziqiao’s expressionless face and how she didn’t seem to be taking in the scolding, Old Madam Shen was furious. “Do you think that you’re wronged?”
“Yes.” Shen Ziqiao responded confidently.
Old Madam Shen sneered, “Why do you think you’re wronged?”
“If only I had a mother. If I had a mother, she wouldn’t just watch me suffer outside and not comfort me when I return home. Even more, she wouldn’t let me get scolded randomly.” Shen Ziqaio replied indifferently as well.
“You are quite capable. Even if you don’t have a mother, no one would dare to make you suffer.” Old Madam Shen humphed.
Shen Ziqiao looked up and a cold glint sparkled in her eyes. Towards this old woman, she held no respect at all. “Grandmother, if you have something to say, say it. Isn’t it because of you that I’ve come to this state?”
“Presumptuous!” Old Madam Shen roared. She pointed at Shen Ziqiao and insulted, “Look at yourself. Do you still treat me as your grandmother?”
“You should know best.” Shen Ziqiao faintly said.
Old Madam Shen wanted to continue reprimanding her when Mama Li hurriedly gave her a look.
That’s right. There was something more important they needed to ask.
“Where did you bring the people in the Liu Yun Village to?” Old Madam Shen stared sternly at Shen Ziqiao, but her expression didn’t change.
Shen Ziqiao’s expression changed, looking at Old Madam Shen suspiciously. “What does grandmother mean? What did you do to Lady Meng and the others?”
It seemed like she didn’t know and instead, was suspicious of her now. Old Madam Shen said unhappily, “You thought that I would do something to her, so you took them away?”
“If I could take them away, why would I stay in this family?” Shen Ziqiao mocked.
Old Madam Shen sneered, “You’re thinking about leaving the family? You think that you would still be a prestigious young miss after leaving the Shen Family?”
“So now I look like a prestigious young miss?” Shen Ziqiao smiled and retorted.
“Let me ask you again. Where are Lady Meng and the rest? They stole valuable things from the village and sold them off. This is a capital offense! If you don’t hand them over, I’ll have someone report this to the authorities. They’ll be done for life then.” Old Madam Shen threatened sternly. She thought that Shen Ziqiao was an inexperienced young lady and she would say the truth after frightening her.
Shen Ziqiao sneered in her heart. Could this old woman be any more shameless?
“I lived in the village for a while, but I couldn’t find any valuable things there?” Shen Ziqiao smiled.
Old Madam Shen’s face darkened.