Chapter 61 - Huge Backer

The man walking quickly inside wore a bright blue silk robe. He seemed to be seventeen or eighteen. He had thick eyebrows, huge eyes, and tanned skin. He didn’t look like a pampered young master. This handsome young man was Shen Ziqiao’s elder brother, Shen Zikai.

“Jiao Jiao, Jiao Jiao?” Shen Zikai didn’t care for the etiquettes and rules, hurriedly running over to the bed. Seeing his unconscious sister, he anxiously asked in a loud voice, “What happened? Why did the Third Miss faint?”

Hong Yu was about to answer when Mama Li’s voice rang by the door, “The Third Miss didn’t sleep well last night. Then she went to Marquis Luo’s place early in the morning to celebrate Princess Nihong’s birthday. The doctor said that she is just overly exhausted and that she’s fine.” Mama Li carefully responded, following a middle-aged sturdy man inside.

The middle-aged man was still in his prime years. He had thick and dashing eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and thin lips. He wore a navy blue robe and emitted a biting cold aura like that of a soldier. People didn’t dare to make eye contact with him.

Shen Zikai was quite similar to this middle-aged man; he was Shen Xiao.

Shen Ziqiao wanted to see the rumored two men that were brought to their tragic ends by Sheng Peiyin. However, she couldn’t open her eyes as she was supposedly still unconscious.

Hong Yu knew that the Eldest Master was here, so Mama Li didn’t dare to do anything to her. Therefore, she boldly refuted, “When the Third Miss left the residence, she was still in high spirits. She was also well when she came back. But she fainted after coming back from De’an Courtyard.”

Mama Li glanced coldly at Hong Yu. “You’re saying that the Old Madam must’ve done something to the Third Miss?”

“This maid doesn’t dare.” Hong Yu lowered her head, not daring to meet Shen Xiao’s stern gaze.

Hong Ying suddenly let out a shriek. “Why is the Third Miss’ hand swollen?”

When Shen Xiao heard this, he sat by the edge of the bed and gently cupped Shen Ziqiao’s chubby hands. Her originally fair and delicate hands were now swollen. One could easily tell that it had been stepped on before. There were obvious footprints on her hands.

“Jiao Jiao?” Shen Xiao called in distress. He looked indifferently at Mama Li and ordered Hong Yu to bring the Golden Sore Ointment.

“Where’s the doctor? They said that this was caused by exhaustion? How come she looks unwell?” Shen Zikai roared, interrogating.

Mama Li had dismissed the doctor before the father and son became in. He was waiting outside right now.

Shen Ziqiao originally pretended to faint because she didn’t want to stand there as punishment. She didn’t expect for Shen Xiao and her elder brother to come back today. It seemed meaningless if she continued to keep up this act.

“Third Miss is awake.” Hong Ying’s sharp eyes saw Shen Ziqiao’s eyelashes flickering. She knew that this was the signal the Third Miss gave her, so she called out in surprise.

“Jiao Jiao?” Shen Xiao and Shen Zikai both called in unison.

Shen Ziqiao opened her eyes with ‘difficulty.’ She glanced at the people in front of her in confusion before her shock slowly became happiness. “Father, elder brother, you guys are back!”

I’ve been waiting for you two backers for such a long time! Shen Ziqiao thought inside her heart.

Seeing that his sister seemed to be fine, Shen Zikai laughed in comfort. “You, ah. You were being playful again, weren’t you?”

“What do you mean by ‘I’m being playful again?’ Father, elder brother is being mean. The moment he sees me, he scolds me instead of asking how I am.”

Shen Xiao smiled gently, reaching over to ruffle Shen Ziqiao’s hair. “What’s the matter? Why did you suddenly faint?”

“I don’t know. I told grandmother that I was really tired and wanted to rest. But grandmother didn’t believe me and forced me to stand there. I just stood there and then I lost unconsciousness.” Shen Ziqiao replied, her eyes innocent and appeared pitiful. She then suddenly cried in pain, “Ouch, my hand hurts a lot! What happened to my hand?”

Shen Zikai knitted his eyebrows and looked at Mama Li. “What happened to the Third Miss’ hand?”

Mama Li stuttered, “Maybe she accidentally bumped into somewhere when she was carried back…”

If she knew that the Lord and the Eldest Master were coming back today, she wouldn’t dare touch Shen Ziqiao at all even if she was given the courage to.

Who would’ve thought that instead of paying respects to the seniors in the family first after coming back home after half a year, that they instead went to visit this girl first?

The Eldest Master and the Lord pampered the Third Miss so much, resulting in her arrogant and crafty personality.

However, Mama Li only dared to mutter this in her heart. Right now, cold sweat drenched her back. Shen Xiao’s gaze became colder and colder as he looked at her.

Shen Ziqiao sneered, “There’s such a huge footprint. How could I possibly just bumped into someone?”

Hong Yu glanced at Mama Li and delivered the Golden Sore Ointment to Shen Zikai.

Shen Zikai gently and carefully applied the ointment on for Shen Ziqiao. He said coldly, “Compare the shoes and we’ll find out who stepped on the Third Miss!”

Ah, that’s a great method. That’d teach Mama Li, that bitch, a lesson.

Glancing at his daughter’s excitement, Shen Xiao shook his head. He said faintly to Mama Li, “Mama Li, you can go back. Tell the Old Madam that we’ll come over to pay respects in a bit.”

Mama Li felt as if she was relieved of her burden. She curtsied and hurriedly retreated.

Shen Ziqiao extended her swollen hand and shook it in front of Shen Xiao.

“It hurts!”

He actually didn’t get revenge for her. This father was irresponsible.

Shen Xiao lightly smiled and shook his head. “You deserve it! Who let you pretend to faint?”

He could tell? Shen Ziqiao withdrew her hand sadly and blew on it lightly. The gains didn’t make up for the losses. Mama Li really stepped on her hand firmly.

Had she knew that her backers were going to be back, she wouldn’t have pretended to faint.

“Father, how come you didn’t let someone report that you guys were coming back?” Shen Ziqiao asked softly. She didn’t know how indulging the father and son were towards her, so she didn’t dare to complain right away.

“If we did, we wouldn’t know how much trouble you caused in this half year!” Shen Xiao glared at her. This daughter never spared him of any worry, but she knew him the best.

What does this have to do with her?! She hadn’t even been in this bizarre place for two months.

Of course, she didn’t dare to say this out loud.

“Father, this has nothing to do with Jiao Jiao. Qi Zheng is tall and sturdy; there’s no way that even ten Jiao Jiaos combined could hurt him. He probably just had bad luck that day, so he got into an accident in our village. We can’t blame this on Jiao Jiao.” Shen Zikai explained in place of his sister. He protected her more than anyone.

Shen Ziqiao nodded firmly. That’s what an elder brother should say.

“Then what did you do to Lady He’s face? How about the croton you gave to General Du’s horse? Or what happened in the Thousand Buddhas Temple?” Shen Xiao asked in a serious voice. He originally wanted to raise his daughter into a young miss that mastered the four arts, but who knew that he raised her into a devil and troublemaker?

What were these random things...?

Shen Ziqiao stayed silent. She was blamed for the things the original owner had done.

“Father, why don’t we pay respects to grandmother first?” Shen Zikai interjected for Shen Ziqiao at a suitable time.