HBWMA -Chapter 407 Apology Letter

“Clack-clack-clack-clack—”

Behind them, the forklift rattled noisily like an old machine in desperate need of repairs.

One man and one vehicle made their way to the outside of Chrysanthemum Garden just like that.

“Oh my, what’s going on? Where did this tractor come from?”

Zhang Ru’s ears rang from the noise of the forklift outside. Before Shen Lanxi could even knock, she had already stepped out into the courtyard to check.

“This… Young Master Lanxi?” Zhang Ru never expected that a mud-splattered forklift would appear in the same scene as the elegant and noble young heir. She froze for a moment, stunned. “What is this?”

Shen Lanxi replied, “How is Shanshan? I came to see her.”

It was the first time Zhang Ru had ever seen someone bring an entire forklift of gifts to visit a patient. Still shocked, she answered a little awkwardly, “Young Master Lanxi, you’ve come at an unfortunate time. Miss Jiang has already gone to sleep.”

Shen Lanxi’s gaze flickered slightly. “At this hour?”

He had deliberately timed his visit. Normally, this was when Jiang Huashan was most active—either basking in the yard with her turtle or sketching in the backyard.

Zhang Ru caught the implication in his tone and hurried to explain, “Young Master Lanxi, Miss Jiang just drove Young Master A-Ling out. She’s in a bad mood right now and doesn’t want to see anyone.”

Shen Lanxi frowned slightly. “She… hit Shen Guiling?”

Zhang Ru glanced around and gave an awkward yet polite smile. “Even the councilman didn’t get a kind reception. You’d better not go in and stir things up.”

Shen Lanxi turned to look in the direction of the embroidered tower. After a moment of silence, he said calmly, “Take these gifts inside. I’ll come another day.”

Looking at the pile of gifts stacked higher than the courtyard wall, Zhang Ru was deeply moved. “Young Master Lanxi, you’re very thoughtful.”

Shen Lanxi nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

“Young Master!”

Gao Zhi quickly jumped down from the forklift and hurried after him.

“You’re just leaving like this?”

Shen Lanxi said, “She doesn’t want to see me. She must still be angry. I’ll come back after she’s calmed down.”

Gao Zhi slapped his forehead. “With Miss Jiang’s temper, what if she stays angry for ten years or eight? Are you just going to obediently wait that long?”

Shen Lanxi paused, his expression darkening slightly.

Gao Zhi shot him a sideways glance. “Don’t tell me you only just realized this?”

“…” Shen Lanxi finally looked at him directly. “Then what should I do?”

“…,” Gao Zhi was so exasperated he felt like giving himself CPR. “You coax her! Girls need to be coaxed when they’re angry. If you just leave her there to stew, her anger will only grow.”

Shen Lanxi’s expression turned a little strange. “Coax?”

The young heir had barely said a few kind words in his entire life, let alone coaxed someone.

Knowing his shortcomings all too well, Gao Zhi pulled him toward the side gate of Chrysanthemum Garden. “Tonight we’ll sneak in with a ladder from here. If the mountain won’t come to us, we’ll go to the mountain—get it?”

Shen Lanxi shook off his hand. “You want me to climb a wall?”

“…,” Gao Zhi gave up arguing and said earnestly, “Miss Jiang is quite sharp-tongued. Normally, even when you haven’t done anything wrong, she dares to boss you around. Now that she has leverage over you, if you don’t come up with some countermeasure, she’ll have you completely under her thumb from now on.”

Shen Lanxi asked, “What kind of countermeasure?”

Gao Zhi covered his mouth and whispered conspiratorially, “I’ve already looked into it. Miss Jiang is basically immobilized in three out of four limbs right now—she can’t move anything except her mouth. Tonight, you launch a surprise attack and just—take charge by force…”

Shen Lanxi’s temple twitched, his gaze colder than frost in February.

Gao Zhi shivered and quickly added in a small voice, “…cover her mouth.”

“…” Shen Lanxi closed his eyes briefly, filtering out the terribly chosen wording. “And then?”

“And then… then you play pitiful and act weak. Tell Miss Jiang how hard it’s been for you to support the main branch alone, why you had to conspire with Young Master A-Ling and Young Master Qingyu. Most importantly, you have to make her sympathize with you.”

“Play pitiful? Gain sympathy?” Shen Lanxi frowned, as if he had just heard something that offended his ears.

“What’s so miserable about me? And what exactly is there worth sympathizing with?”

Gao Zhi was suddenly at a loss for words. Someone as proud as Shen Lanxi would never stoop to such cheap tactics.

Shen Lanxi lifted his gaze toward the courtyard wall. Only after Gao Zhi’s reminder did he realize that the embroidery tower was just a few steps away from the side courtyard. With a ladder, one could climb through the lattice window and scale it by hand straight up to the tower’s windowsill.

After a moment’s consideration, he pointed toward the side courtyard. “Have the craftsmen move the outer wall of Chrysanthemum Garden three meters outward, and build it higher.”

Just because he wouldn’t sneak into a lady’s chamber at night didn’t mean others wouldn’t. It was better to guard against ill intentions.

“Yes.”

Gao Zhi looked utterly lifeless as he forced a response, lips twitching. The young master’s noble integrity only made him seem like complete trash in comparison.

Back in Orchid Garden, Shen Lanxi began grinding ink again.

Arms crossed, Gao Zhi watched from the side. Can’t comfort people, can’t climb walls—serves you right for having a one-sided crush.

Curious and eager for some entertainment, Gao Zhi deliberately leaned closer to the desk. But the moment he saw the three words Apology Letter, he froze in shock.

“Young Master, this is…?”

A sliver of sunlight slipped through the gaps of the green bamboo blinds, casting a sheen over the finely ground ink. The glow brushed against Shen Lanxi’s lowered lashes, turning even his eyelashes into translucent golden threads.

“Since she’s unwilling to see me, I’ll write her an apology letter first.”

Gao Zhi, “…”

Whale Harmony Hospital

The gauze curtains fluttered in the summer breeze, filled with air, their translucent folds carrying the faint scent of disinfectant.

Shen Qingyu lay still, staring at the ceiling. He had been awake for quite some time, but after hearing Shen Zhuang’s vigorous shouting from the next room, he chose to remain silent.

After a while, the door opened, and a nurse on rounds slowly pushed a metal cart inside.

Their eyes met, and the nurse’s face lit up with joy. She hurried forward in small steps. “Thank heavens, Young Master Shen, you’re awake!”

Her voice wasn’t quiet. The people in the next room heard it, and the shouting abruptly stopped.

Shen Qingyu lazily hummed in acknowledgment. Turning his head, he saw Shen Zhuang walking in, leaning on his cane.

“Qingyu!”

Though Shen Qingyu’s face was pale, his eyes were still bright with spirit.

With a mischievous grin, he said, “Old man~ You were scared, weren’t you?”

Shen Zhuang’s eyes stung slightly, but he feigned composure. “So you know that, do you? Why are you always so troublesome? Did it really have to turn out like this?”

Shen Qingyu smiled, then turned to Shen Yuan. “I’m asking you—why did it have to turn out like this?”

“…” Shen Yuan had been beaten dozens of times, even his face marked with rod strikes. He had been full of relief just moments ago, but Shen Qingyu’s mocking tone instantly made his chest tighten with irritation.

Shen Zhuang’s gaze swept between the two of them. “Shen Zhi.”

Understanding immediately, Shen Zhi cleared all the unrelated people out of the ward.

Leaning on his cane, Shen Zhuang stepped up to the bedside. “There are no outsiders here. Qingyu, tell your grandfather the truth—what exactly happened last night?”

Shen Yuan’s expression shifted slightly. “Dad—”

“Silence. I’m asking Qingyu.” Shen Zhuang’s eyes turned cold. “Qingyu, speak.”

Shen Qingyu glanced at Shen Yuan, then looked back at Shen Zhuang with a smile. “Grandfather, this time… it was an accident.”

Shen Yuan immediately let out a long breath of relief and quickly added, “Yes, Dad. I’ve already explained it to you many times—it was an accident. Even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs. I wouldn’t go so far as to kill my own son.”

Shen Zhuang looked at him skeptically. “With your character, what wouldn’t be possible?”

Shen Yuan, “…”