Chapter 159: Desperation Beneath the Calm You Can't See

ion.A delicate smile reappeared on her face, stiff and unnatural though it was. She took Jian Tong's hand and spoke earnestly:“Child, please, dear child, just go. Please After today… after today, moth...How could she be here!

How could she be here!

How could Mr. [Name] bring her here!

This is where Weiming grew up. This place does not allow this woman to come!

The old butler's silver hair hung limply over his forehead, his veins visibly pulsing!

Enduring the fury that roared in my chest!

As the Shen family's longtime butler, he had served the Shen family for generations. The butler endured with every ounce of his being at this moment, his last thread of rationality clinging on as his mind teetered on the brink of collapse. Yet, he still managed to stammer out, "Sir, how...how could Miss Jian be here"

When mentioning the three words "Ms. Jian," the old butler's teeth almost gritted together, his cold eyes glancing at Jian Tong.

Jian Tong was still sitting in the back seat of the car, but she wasn't calm.

The buried skull was not out of guilt, but because she looked at this old man who had been called "Xia Butler" since childhood, yet didn't know how to interact with him now.

The death of Xia Wei Ming, and the undeniable injustice suffered by Jian Tong, this elderly man with a head full of silver hair, his tragic experience of seeing black hair turned white, who should bear this burden

"I don't want to live here."

The woman in the car, for the first time, broke the silence.

The man outside was utterly astonished.

He immediately beckoned to the woman inside the car: "Come here." His voice was low, laced with an imperiousness that left no room for refusal.

Seeing the woman in the car hadn't moved, Shen Xiujin suddenly leaned in. His palm suddenly grasped the woman's arm, with a skillful pull, dragging her out of the car.

Everything happened so suddenly, Jian Tong exclaimed "Ah," before she could even think, she was dragged out of the car. Her feet stumbled, and in the next second, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, warm and solid. A cold voice then rang out above her head:

"If Mr. Xia doesn't want to stay at this manor, he can pack his things and go back to his grandfather today. Of course, I will also give him a generous pension. If Mr. Xia doesn't want to go back to his grandfather, this pension is enough for him to live a comfortable retirement."

Bang!

Summer Butler's heart suddenly jolted with fright. He abruptly raised his head: "Sir, you misunderstood. I... I was just curious why Miss Jian would suddenly appear here. I...was caught off guard by Miss Jian's sudden appearance. There's no other meaning."

"Is that so" A low voice, unhurried and calm, posed the question.

Summer Butler's back was soaked with sweat at the moment, and the look on top of his head felt like a sharp blade, piercing through his heart. He gritted his teeth and nodded: "Sir, please rest assured, our Summer family has been loyal to the master family for generations. And the first thing a Summer family member learns when they are born is to follow the professional ethics of a butler. No matter... whether there is any unpleasantness between me and Miss Jian, I will uphold the self-cultivation of a butler and treat Miss Jian politely."

Summer the Butler bent over, though he couldn't see Shen Xiuqin's expression, his whole body was tense, his heart pounding with anxiety. It wasn't until the gaze from above was gone that he quietly let out a breath of relief.

It's unknown whether Shen Xiujin truly believed Xia Butler's words. He glanced at Xia Butler dismissively and said, "You better make good on your word." Although he said that, in his heart, he had already begun to consider finding someone to replace Xia Butler.

The Xia family has served the Shen family for generations. To abruptly replace Mr. Xia... Thinking of these many years of master-servant affection, Shen Xiuqin looked at the old man in front of him. Although his figure was still vigorous, he was already showing signs of aging. Since Shen Xiuqin's memory, Mr. Xia had been taking care of his daily life.

"In ten minutes, come to my study," he said, dropping the words and leading Jian Tong into the house.

“Yes, sir.” Butler Xia continued to bow respectfully until the footsteps behind him disappeared. Then he slowly straightened his back, facing the vast manor behind him. The poison that had been soaking in his heart for so long, that "hatred" now spread like wildfire.

"Take a rest first, have lunch, and then I'll have Su Meng accompany you to go shopping." Shen Xiujin led Jian Tong into a bedroom.

Jian Tong was actually very familiar with the layout of this manor. As he led her up to the second floor, he already knew where they were going. Shen Xiuqin couldn't see the complex expression on the woman beside him, and naturally didn't know what she was thinking at this moment.

He led her into the house and, after whispering a single instruction, turned and left.

While Jian Tong stood there for a long time, she slowly turned her neck and looked around. She looked very slowly, as if she wanted to take in every corner of the room at 360 degrees.

Suddenly, her gaze froze!

His gaze fell upon his bedside.

If Shen Xiujin were here now instead of going to the study, he would definitely find something strange and unnatural about the woman's expression at this moment.

Unable to tell if he was happy or unhappy, only a strange expression appeared on his gaunt face...like sadness, like resentment, like longing...His steps wanted to lift, yet hesitated. Only a pair of eyes stared fixedly in that direction.

Finally!

He lifted his foot and walked in that direction.

The solid wood bedside table was undeniably heavy. Inside, one couldn't tell what the person had piled in there, making it even heavier.

Take it by the handle, place it on top of the nightstand, and pull outward with force. Wipe a bit of sweat from your brow, then continue.

I dare not make a sound, this work is becoming increasingly difficult.

She still had the wit to tease herself. Back then, she was young and didn't know where she got the energy. She was like a shot of adrenaline, secretly sneaking into his room. Fueled by that uncontrollable "love," she dragged this heavy solid wood cabinet over.

He just never thought that after so many years, he hadn't changed his bed...

"With a grunt," he finally managed to make a sound, and immediately it was like being startled by an arrow. He stiffened his body, looking nervously towards the door as if he had done something wrong.

Five seconds later, the door was still firmly shut. She suddenly remembered: the person had gone to the study. She had been there before, it was a distance from the bedroom. The person had entered the study and, as usual, closed the door.

Thinking about this, she couldn't help but roll her eyes at herself... What was there to be afraid of anyway He wouldn't even hear her.

Wiping sweat from his brow, he continued to toil away, digging and scraping until finally, he unearthed the three floorboards he remembered being ripped up by her years ago beneath the bed-side table.

The floor creaked open, revealing a faded sheet of paper.

What was written on the paper, I still remember clearly to this day.

She stared at the aged piece of paper on the floor for a good five minutes, before finally letting out a sigh without even touching it.

"Laughing at one's youthful recklessness, ridiculing one's arrogance and ignorance... only to think of such a foolish scheme to calculate fate. In the end, after a single day in prison, my heart died like ashes. A lifetime wasted on love gone wrong, sacrificing an entire life." Closing her eyes, tears had already wetted her face. She laughed at herself for loving the wrong person, ruining this life of hers.

Lifting her arms, she wiped away her tears, and once again, a serene calm returned to her face, as if everything that had just happened was a mere illusion. She carefully replaced the three floorboards, then with a final push, moved the bedside cabinet back into place.

Let that letter stay here… One day, when despair completely outweighs hope and there's no more longing for freedom... then... just let go... burn it all to ashes! happy to see it happen. After all, it wasn't her child who would suffer inside. It wasn't her child who would be wronged, humiliated, and tortured. What did it have to do with herBut now, her husband...