Chapter 159 Don't Worry, the Child Isn't Yours

Xiaoqiu hurriedly helped Wang Qingrui up from the ground. "Eldest Miss, I will take the concubine down first. Her leg is injured, and I am afraid her stomach cannot bear this either."

Wang Qingrui’s lips were drained of all color. The pain in her knees and abdomen caused beads of sweat the size of beans to break out across her forehead. Her small face was deathly pale, yet she managed to force a smile at Shen Qingyun. "Eldest Miss, it is truly wonderful that you have returned safely."

"Say no more, hurry and take her to see the estate physician."

Shen Qingyun gave a subtle look, and Cuicui stepped forward, joining Xiaoqiu to support Wang Qingrui on either side as they walked out the door.

The Old Madame watched helplessly as Wang Qingrui was led away, unable to stop her. She could only glare at Shen Qingyun and shout, "You rebellious wretch, you still have the face to return!"

Shen Qingyun turned her head to look at the Old Madame, whose formerly arrogant aura immediately withered by several degrees.

For some reason, she was now somewhat afraid of this granddaughter. Clearly, the girl had gone missing, so how had she managed to run back so quickly?

Suddenly, the Old Madame's sharp eyes noticed that Shen Qingyun's attire seemed unfamiliar—the household had not commissioned any new clothes recently. Her mind raced, and she sneered, "Qingyun, you disappeared for a day and a night. There is no need to spell out what happened; pack your things and go to the ancestral temple."

Cuicui walked over and reported, "Miss, Concubine Wang's pregnancy is likely in jeopardy."

Upon hearing this, the Old Madame looked even more pleased. Nearby, Shen Zhifeng held the baby in silence, though the triumph in his eyes was blindingly obvious.

Shen Qingyun suppressed the emotions swirling in her eyes and instructed in a low voice, "Have the physician examine her and try your best to save the child. If that is impossible, ensure the mother survives."

Shen Zhifeng's face turned extremely gloomy, and he could not help but snap, "What is the point of keeping that bastard alive! Shen Qingyun, the child in my arms is your younger brother."

"Younger brother?" Shen Qingyun suddenly offered a faint smile. "Hanshuang, bring my so-called younger brother here so I can have a look."

With a swift flash of motion, Hanshuang darted forward and snatched the baby directly from his arms. Shen Zhifeng panicked instantly. "Qingyun, this truly is your brother! The child is innocent, spare him."

The Old Madame was equally frantic. "Qingyun, give the child to me! Do not hurt him."

Shen Qingyun looked down at the infant in the swaddling clothes, who was still blowing bubbles in blissful ignorance, and sighed softly. "Send him to the Marquis's estate."

Hanshuang nodded.

Shen Zhifeng grew desperate. "Shen Qingyun, you heartless beast! If you dare to harm your brother, you will burn in hell when you die."

"Father, I have no younger brother," Shen Qingyun said leisurely. "I am merely returning this child to the sides of his biological parents. I am doing a good deed."

"What do you mean? Let me tell you, I will not listen to your wild nonsense. Give the child back to me immediately," Shen Zhifeng said, his expression panicked as he forced a calm facade.

"Indeed, Shen Qingyun, this is the Duke's Estate's only heir! What good will it do you if the Duke's Estate falls to ruin?" The Old Madame gazed anxiously at the child, terrified that Hanshuang would take him away.

Yet Hanshuang completely ignored them, clutching the infant and walking straight out of the room.

Shen Qingyun sighed lightly. "Grandmother, Father, I know you are anxious, but do not rush just yet. Father's sterility medicine was never cured, so this obviously cannot be his child. Now you can rest easy, can you not?"

The room fell into an abrupt silence, save for Zhenzhu, who was secretly giggling off to the side.

Shen Zhifeng violently kicked over the stool in front of him and roared, "Shen Qingyun, what nonsense are you spewing! To deny his identity, you can concoct such lies? You rebellious wretch, see if I don't kill you today!"

With that, he suddenly pulled a small dagger from his robes and lunged at Shen Qingyun.

Shen Qingyun did not even blink. A guard behind her materialized in a flash and struck out with a single palm, sending Shen Zhifeng crashing into the wall. His body slumped to the floor like a ragdoll.

"My son!" the Old Madame shrieked, lunging forward to check on his condition.

Zhenzhu gave a silent, cold scoff inwardly. Did they really think that because Hanshuang and Hanqing were away, her young miss would be left unprotected? Fortunately, Prince Li was farsighted and had specially assigned guards to stay by the young miss's side precisely to prevent her from being bullied upon returning to the estate.

"Shen Qingyun! Have you lost your mind? You dare to harm your own father!" The Old Madame's gaze was ferocious, as though she longed to tear Shen Qingyun to shreds.

"My father, Shen Zhifeng, died long ago." Shen Qingyun's expression remained indifferent. To her, the moment Shen Zhifeng swapped her away over a decade ago, she had ceased to have a father.

Shen Zhifeng coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes glaring fixedly at Shen Qingyun, his lips trembling, but he was unable to utter a single word.

At that moment, the estate physician and Xiaoqiu arrived.

Xiaoqiu's eyes were rimmed with red, clearly having wept. She choked out through her tears, "Eldest Miss, the concubine's child could not be saved, and she begs the Miss to hand that man over to her for punishment!"

She pointed a finger at Shen Zhifeng, her eyes filled with pure hatred.

Shen Qingyun glanced at the physician, who nodded with a regretful expression.

"Is Concubine Wang alright?" Shen Qingyun asked.

"Her life was saved, but given how advanced the pregnancy was, conceiving in the future may prove rather difficult. The injury on her leg must also be properly cared for; she cannot walk about for the time being," the physician replied in a low voice.

Shen Qingyun's heart sank. If the physician called it difficult, she would likely be barren for the rest of her life.

She took a deep breath and instructed the physician, "Go and examine him as well. He still refuses to believe his body is fine."

The physician was momentarily stunned before walking over to take Shen Zhifeng's pulse. His brows furrowed deeply, and he sighed, "His constitution was already hollowed out, and coupled with the ingestion of potent aphrodisiacs, he has long since lost his manhood."

Hearing such words spoken aloud in public, Shen Zhifeng was seized by a fit of rage and fury. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

Shen Qingyun ordered people to tie him up and drag him straight to Concubine Wang's courtyard.

The Old Madame wailed as she hugged Shen Zhifeng, hurling every vile curse imaginable at Shen Qingyun, yet she could do nothing to stop it. She could only watch helplessly as Shen Zhifeng was hauled away.

"Nanny Liu, you are a veteran servant by Grandmother's side. Persuade her well. If she accepts that her father is dead, she can stay quietly in Yansong Hall. If she insists on recognizing only that man over there, she can go and join him at Concubine Wang's courtyard." With an indifferent expression, Shen Qingyun gave her orders and departed.

Nanny Liu looked fearfully at the retreating figure, utterly too terrified to utter a single syllable.

The Old Madame froze on the spot, collapsing limply into a chair.

Trembling all over, her face a ghastly shade of pale blue and white, she grabbed Nanny Liu's hand and muttered, "I must stay alive to save my son!"

Nanny Liu let out a long sigh.

For the Old Madame to comfort herself in such a manner was merely out of fear of death—fear of ending up like Shen Zhifeng and losing the last remnants of her status.

When Shen Qingyun returned to Jianjia Courtyard and finished a simple wash-up, she saw that Hanshuang had already returned and asked, "Was the child delivered?"

Hanshuang nodded.

Zhenzhu eagerly pressed for details. "How did the Marquis's estate react? Did it turn the place upside down?"

She truly wished Hanshuang could have taken her along so she could witness it with her own eyes.

With a somewhat helpless expression on her face, Hanshuang nodded. Naturally it had! The Marquis's estate was in absolute chaos, far livelier than Yansong Hall had been just moments ago!