HBWMA -Chapter 8 Shen Jiao

After leaving Qinyuan, Jiang Huashan immediately fell into deep thought. By the time she reached the corridor, she didn’t even bother to greet anyone and directly turned into the side gallery.

Her cold, detached demeanor stood in stark contrast to how she had behaved in the flower hall earlier.

Shen Zhi remained silent, watching Jiang Huashan leave.

This young lady’s behavior today was truly unexpected. If it was simply acting on impulse, that would be one thing—but if someone had deliberately provoked her…

Shen Zhi’s eyes darkened slightly. For someone so young to have such deep scheming was not a good thing.

Just as he was observing her back in thought, Jiang Huashan suddenly stopped. Before Shen Zhi could react, she abruptly dashed forward and slammed her head into a purple sandalwood pillar in the corridor.

“!”

Shen Zhi’s brows jumped; his expression changed drastically. He no longer had time to think and rushed into the corridor.

“Miss Jiang!”

Jiang Huashan was not attempting suicide. She simply wanted to verify whether everything she was experiencing was just a fleeting dream. If it was, then she had already seen her grandfather—she needed to return and could not allow herself to become lost in it.

If it wasn’t…

“Miss Jiang!” Shen Zhi helped her sit down, both anxious and angry. “What are you doing? You must not joke like this!”

“Hiss…” The impact just now wasn’t enough to kill her, but she had put real force into it.

Jiang Huashan held her swollen forehead, her eyes narrowing. She hadn’t gone back!

After a brief daze, she suddenly jumped up, looking at him with both curiosity and caution. “Steward Shen, you’re still here?”

Shen Zhi didn’t understand what she was doing and sighed. “Miss Jiang, if you’re trying to use self-harm to gain sympathy now, you’ll only break the old master’s heart.”

Jiang Huashan’s gaze flickered everywhere. She pushed him aside and muttered, “I just spaced out and didn’t see the pillar.”

Shen Zhi: “……”

Spaced out? He had clearly seen her take a running start.

Jiang Huashan didn’t bother explaining further. She turned to leave, then suddenly seemed to remember something and came back again.

She emphasized once more to Shen Zhi, “Steward Shen, this was just an accident.” After speaking, she ran off down the corridor.

Shen Zhi froze. Her attitude…

“Uncle Shen.”

At that moment, Shen Jiao entered from another courtyard into the corridor bridge leading to Qinyuan.

Shen Zhi quickly snapped back to attention. “Youngest Miss.”

The old master Shen had three wives in total and five sons and two daughters.

His first wife, Xi Qing, came from an overseas noble family with one-quarter A-country bloodline. However, there was no affection between her and the old master. After five years of marriage without children, she was forced to accept that the old master kept mistresses outside, which led to the second branch.

The second wife gave birth to two sons and one daughter. Just as she thought she would rise in status through her children, the first wife unexpectedly became pregnant and gave birth to a son, forcing the second branch to remain subordinate.

Later, Xi Qing’s health declined due to childbirth complications and she passed away not long after. Two years later, the old master married a third wife, also from a prestigious family, who similarly gave birth to two sons and one daughter.

Shen Jiao was the daughter of the third wife. Because she was the seventh child in the family, longtime servants in the Shen residence called her the “Youngest Miss.” Apart from the deceased legitimate son Shen Xi, she was the old master’s most favored daughter.

“Steward Shen, is Dad inside? I want to talk to him.”

Shen Jiao was strikingly beautiful. Although nearly forty, she was extremely well-maintained: golden-brown wavy hair, fair and tight skin, and a curvy figure that made her look like she was in her twenties. However, her attire clearly marked her as a wealthy matriarch—everything from her clothing and shoes was high-end couture, and even her casually worn jewelry included a multimillion-dollar imperial green necklace.

Shen Zhi nodded. “The old master just met Miss Jiang. He should be free now.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Jiao’s brows slightly furrowed.

She had just returned and already heard that her precious daughter had been pushed down from the second floor by Jiang Huashan. Naturally, she would not let this matter go. However, since this was the Shen family and she was already married out, handling it privately would not be appropriate. That was why she came to seek an explanation from the old master.

She did not expect that girl from the Jiang family to get there first.

Based on Jiang Huashan’s past behavior, Shen Jiao immediately assumed she had come to plead her case. Over the past three years, whenever that girl cried or caused trouble, the old master had always handled things lightly.

Frustrated, Shen Jiao couldn’t help but say, “What is Dad thinking? Is he still going to protect that outsider even after all this? Sui’er is my daughter—whether in the Fu family or the Shen family, I will not allow her to be bullied. If I don’t get a satisfactory explanation today, don’t blame me for breaking ties!”

“Breaking ties with whom exactly?”

Shen Jiao froze and turned back.

Shen Zhuang had appeared at some point, leaning on his dragon-headed cane, squinting at her sternly.

“Dad.” Shen Jiao’s expression stiffened slightly. She coughed lightly and stepped out of the corridor.

The old master glanced at her coldly. “Come in and talk.”

They didn’t enter the house but instead spoke in the courtyard.

Shen Jiao casually glanced at the peonies in the yard and forced a smile. “Dad, that plant is growing well.”

In the courtyard were six Song-style official armchairs and a rattan rose chair. The old master slowly sat down, tapping his cane on the stone floor. “Sit.”

Shen Jiao’s expression changed slightly, and she obediently sat.

“Dad.” Her posture was elegant, legs together, waist slightly tilted, one arm resting lightly on the armrest, hands neatly folded on her lap.

The old master’s gaze was calm. “Speak. How did things escalate to this point? Are you really planning to divorce Fu Jiaming?”

The smile on Shen Jiao’s face vanished completely. After a brief pause, she said firmly, “Yes. Dad, I’ve already made my decision. No one can stop me. Not even you.”

This summer holiday was almost over, and by this time in previous years, Shen Jiao would have already returned to the Fu family with her daughter Sui’er. But this time, there was no movement.

The old master had sent someone to investigate the Fu family and only then learned the truth.

His daughter had gone wild—using her family power in her husband’s home, smashing a two-million-yuan antique vase belonging to the Fu patriarch, even injuring Fu Jiaming by opening his head. She then casually left a divorce agreement and returned to her maternal home with the child.