Chapter Fifty-Eight: Don't Do This Anymore

Shen Nanyuan looked at Li Yan, who was still shouting arrogantly in the distance, and couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of her nose. These pampered sons of wealthy families were truly insufferably dull. The waiter bustled back and forth between them like a headless chicken, while downstairs a crowd had already gathered to watch the commotion. Li Yan was determined not to let them leave unless he got to kick Shen Jinyu.

It was clearly impossible to summon the guards up here now. With so many people present, if word got out about such a spectacle, the Duke Protector’s household would be accused of bullying others with their power.

Qingrui, uneasy, whispered, “Miss, let’s go. They wouldn’t dare to stop us by force.”

Shen Nanyuan shook her head slightly. “They would dare.”

Sons of the powerful were accustomed to throwing their weight around and cared nothing for the consequences. She pressed her lips together in thought, then raised her voice, “Since that’s the case, I’ll send someone to fetch the Minister and my elder brother.”

At once, the atmosphere grew tense and silent. Li Yan, who had been so loud just a moment before, froze, his gaze locking onto her.

The people downstairs, unsure what Shen Nanyuan had said, grew quiet as they watched the unfamiliar scene unfolding on the second floor.

“If we call these two gentlemen, will that satisfy you, Young Master Li?” she asked with a slight smile. “Otherwise, this private feud will only harm the relations between our families. I’m sure my brother and the Minister would not wish to see such a scene.”

Li Yan’s expression grew stiff. “Don’t call them! There’s no need to trouble my father over such a trivial matter!”

“A trivial matter?” Shen Nanyuan’s smile deepened, but her eyes grew cold and sharp. “I don’t think it’s trivial at all.”

She gently pulled Shen Jinyu, who was standing in front of her, to the side and continued, “Young Master Li provoked first; Jinyu only retaliated. Everyone here has seen clearly who started it, and Jinyu had good reason to kick you.”

A flicker of unease crossed Li Yan’s heart.

“When someone tries to harass his own sister in front of him, who could possibly endure that?” Shen Nanyuan’s gaze was like an arrow, icy and unyielding. “Young Master Li, perhaps you have forgotten—I am the eldest daughter of the Duke Protector’s household. To harass me is to show utter disregard for our house. This concerns my reputation. Let my brother and the Minister be summoned.”

Her eyes were frosted with coldness. “Faced with such an incident, even the Minister will have no choice but to bow his head and apologize to our household.”

Li Yan’s companions exchanged uneasy glances and dared not utter a word.

Their earlier bravado vanished, and realizing the gravity of the situation, each shrank back, lips tightly sealed.

Shen Jinyu laughed coldly. “To harass my sister is to insult the Duke Protector’s house, to make an enemy of us. Young Master Li, can you truly bear the wrath of the Duke Protector?”

The weight of those four words—Duke Protector’s household—descended like a mountain. Li Yan finally understood how serious things had become. He pressed his lips together, faltering in front of the crowd. After a long, awkward silence, he finally croaked, “This time, I’ll let it go. We’re leaving.”

“Wait!” Shen Jinyu called after him, his tone still icy. “You think you can just walk away? Aren’t you going to apologize to my sister?”

He sneered, “Young Master Li, when you make a mistake, you must admit it. There’s no such thing as turning your back and leaving as you please. Or do you not even understand that much?”

“Apologize to my sister!”

Countless eyes bore down on Li Yan. Rage simmered within him, but he dared not vent it before Shen Nanyuan. He clenched his jaw, his fingers curling tightly, unwilling to apologize in front of so many people.

But Shen Jinyu refused to let him off. The humiliation choked him, making his face flush bright red. In the end, he forced out a few words through gritted teeth: “I was wrong.”

With that, he turned and fled in disgrace.

This was a humiliation he would not live down for a long time—no doubt Li Yan would avoid leaving his home for quite some time.

The crowd dispersed. Shen Jinyu’s face was alight with joy; he had thought he would be the one to suffer in silence today, yet it was Li Yan who took the blow and lost face. He was overjoyed.

The carriage rolled slowly toward the Duke Protector’s residence.

Both Shen Sinian and the Minister of Justice would surely hear of this affair, but in the end, the one who started the trouble was at fault. The Minister would no doubt not only discipline his own son but also come in person to offer apologies.

Shen Nanyuan felt weary. She sighed softly and, out of the corner of her eye, caught sight of the uncontrollable smile on Shen Jinyu’s face. Without warning, she asked, “Are you very pleased?”

Shen Jinyu was startled by her sudden question. He remembered, belatedly, that perhaps kicking Li Yan had been a bit impulsive.

His bravado faded at once and he shook his head vigorously. “No, not at all.”

Shen Nanyuan knew what he was thinking, but said nothing immediately. She waited until Shen Jinyu looked increasingly uneasy, then spoke calmly, “Today was an exception. Don’t let it happen again.”

It was clear she did not intend to pursue the matter further.

Shen Jinyu nodded eagerly, unable to hide a grin. “Alright, I’ll do as you say, Sister.”

The rain had fallen all day, leaving everything damp and sodden. As Shen Nanyuan stepped down from the carriage, a sudden chill wind made her shiver.

Qingrui held an umbrella at her side. Shen Nanyuan wrapped her cloak tighter and, looking up, was surprised to see Xiao Yan waiting by the door.

He was wearing the clothes she had specially had made for him days before. His figure was tall and straight, his eyes cool and clear, his face sharp and sculpted, with a well-defined jawline, reminding Shen Nanyuan of the first time she had seen him.

Back then, he had been so frail it seemed he might faint at any moment—so different from now. The aura he carried had grown colder, more resolute, and there was no trace of his former desolation.

He walked over holding an umbrella and said quietly to Qingrui, “Allow me.”

Qingrui nodded, withdrew her umbrella, and followed behind them.

“Why are you out here? It’s cold and wet—much less comfortable than inside.”

Xiao Yan tilted the umbrella toward her, his voice gentle beneath the rain. “Miss, you hadn’t returned, so I came out to wait for you.”

He paused briefly. “I am now able to protect you, Miss. If you go out in the future, let me accompany you.”

Shen Nanyuan nodded softly. She glanced sideways at Xiao Yan, not sure if it was her imagination, but ever since the imperial hunt, he seemed to have changed.

Before, he barely dared look at her, always keeping a respectful distance.

Now... he actually came to wait for her at the gates.