Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1246 - 636: A Heart as Cold as Iron
First update, requesting support.
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"It should, it should..." Cai Xiu heard Shen Liu questioning her, and she raised her head. Seeing the smile hanging on Shen Liu’s lips, she was momentarily stunned. Cai Xiu knew in her heart that Shen Liu wasn’t genuinely seeking her opinion, but there were certain things she still needed to say at this moment.
What if, what if it’s useful, Cai Xiu thought to herself.
"Sixth Master," Cai Xiu knelt there, trying to steady herself and spoke in the same soft tone she usually used with Shen Liu, "Lian Manman and her family have only been with Sixth Master for a few days, Lian Manman is literate. I heard from the maids serving Fifth Miss that Fifth Miss praised Lian Manman as a female scholar."
"Lian Manman went into the study in the rockery and stayed there for quite a while. This matter truly worries me on behalf of Sixth Master. Sixth Master must not be soft-hearted. If you let her go now, and she leaks something, it could be very detrimental to Sixth Master." As Cai Xiu spoke, she furtively glanced at Shen Liu. Seeing no expression on Shen Liu’s face, she boldly added, "Sixth Master, dealing with just one Lian Manman might leave consequences. She still has a brother by her side; who knows what they might say when they leave later... Maid thinks only for Sixth Master’s sake... The Lian Family has the life they have now all thanks to Sixth Master’s grace. Now, for Seventh Master, she, they have no right to complain."
Cai Xiu said this, implying that eliminating Lian Manman alone wasn’t enough; she also suggested destroying Xiao Qi and even the Lian Family.
The coldness on Shen Liu’s face deepened, and he looked at Cai Xiu playfully.
"Cai Xiu, did you know the Lian Family before? Do you have a grudge with the Lian Family or Lian Manman?" Shen Liu asked Cai Xiu.
"No, Sixth Master, I’ve served you in the mansion since childhood, never venturing out alone, how could I know such rural folk. Maid, maid and her, maid and Lian Manman have no enmity. Maid only thinks for Sixth Master," Cai Xiu quickly replied.
"Thinking for me, so you deliberately led her to the rockery’s study?" Shen Liu sneered, "You knew how important that study is, but you didn’t consider, if she indeed peeked at something and spread it, what might happen?"
"Sixth Master, maid believed there wouldn’t be any accident. That’s why I dared do so," Cai Xiu saw Shen Liu questioning her, and seemed to glimpse a hope. She hurriedly crawled a step forward, urgently explaining, "...She’s just a little maid, how could she run away? Even if those around Sixth Master were slightly negligent, maid still had people watching, absolutely wouldn’t let her leak a single word."
Shen Liu glanced at Cai Xiu indifferently. Holding a high position, he had numerous subordinates. Like anyone in such a position, as long as subordinates were loyal to him, he would overlook any minor tactics they might play among themselves or against others.
But this time, Cai Xiu had overplayed her hand.
"You admitted it, Lian Manman said it was all true, that you intentionally set a trap, luring her to the rockery’s study?!" Shen Liu suddenly asked.
"Sixth Master, maid..." Cai Xiu was stunned, her big eyes staring at Shen Liu. Just a moment ago she thought Shen Liu wasn’t pursuing this matter, but now Shen Liu spoke this way. This made her somewhat at a loss, and she didn’t know what Shen Liu intended.
"Cai Xiu, I ask you again, you say you haven’t known the Lian Family before, you have no enmity with Lian Manman, so why do you want her dead and even want to destroy her brother and family?" Shen Liu slightly leaned, resting an arm on the table, his eyes looking deeply at Cai Xiu asking.
"I..." Cai Xiu uttered a single ’I’ before pausing.
"Why, don’t want to tell me?" Shen Liu squinted, smilingly asked.
Cai Xiu’s face suddenly turned red.
She didn’t want not to tell Shen Liu; she wanted Shen Liu to know, and believed Shen Liu should already know. Yet this matter could be understood without needing to be spoken explicitly.
Now, being directly questioned by Shen Liu like this, not only did Cai Xiu’s face redden, but her heart was also in turmoil.
"I won’t force you if you don’t want to say. Considering you’ve served by my side for so many years, I’ll let you off this time." Shen Liu sat upright in his chair, the smile on his face also disappeared. He waved to the outside, "Someone, take Cai Xiu away."
"Sixth Master, what does Sixth Master plan to do with maid?" Cai Xiu saw people coming in from outside, panicked and hurriedly asked.
"You’re not young anymore, let the stewards send you to the farm at Xiao Shen Tun, find you a household there." Shen Liu said.
"No." Not knowing where the strength came from, Cai Xiu broke free from the two old women who came to pull her, and crawled a step forward to Shen Liu. "Sixth Master, don’t, don’t send maid away, don’t send maid to others."
Saying this, Cai Xiu was in tears.
"Sixth Master, maid knows this time’s action was clumsy, maid will accept any punishment from Sixth Master. Just don’t send maid away, leave maid a bit of life. Maid, maid wants to live—whether life or death—at Sixth Master’s side for a lifetime, serving Sixth Master." Cai Xiu while crying, still attempted to approach, wanting to hold Shen Liu’s leg.
However, upon seeing Shen Liu’s expression, Cai Xiu dismissed the idea.
"So, now you’re willing to speak?" Shen Liu asked again, indifferent to Cai Xiu’s words.
"Maid, maid..." Cai Xiu lowered her head, repeating ’maid’ twice, her face flushed with red. She bit her lip, deciding to take a gamble, and speak all her heartfelt words in front of Shen Liu.
That way, Shen Liu should consider the years she’s served him, her mother’s efforts, and her infatuation, and keep her. Moreover, once the veil is lifted between them, perhaps, perhaps...
Cai Xiu’s face was not the only thing turning red, a touch of blush also spread on the exposed section of her creamy neck. She shyly raised her head and looked at Shen Liu again, and in that gaze, her admiration was unreserved.
A young girl’s blossoming affection is, by nature, something hard to hide.
After Cai Xiu finished her slightly bashful yet resolute confession, Shen Liu’s facial expression didn’t change at all.
"This, what does it have to do with you wanting harm to come to Lian Manman?" Shen Liu asked Cai Xiu.
"Sixth Master, I’m not someone who doesn’t know manners. I know I have no right to concern myself with Sixth Master’s affairs," Cai Xiu said, her head lowered in shame, unable to lift it after confessing earlier. Hence, she couldn’t see Shen Liu’s expression at the moment.
Shen Liu snorted coldly without saying a word. Cai Xiu had long considered herself the inevitable choice to become Shen Liu’s concubine. What she referred to as "Sixth Master’s affairs" was naturally not official matters but the addition of someone to Shen Liu’s household.
"It’s just that..." Cai Xiu was about to continue when Shen Liu shouted for her to stop.
Cai Xiu raised her head in surprise.
Shen Liu had already waved his hand to dismiss the few attendants in the room and the two older women who had just entered, and they hurriedly left silently with hands lowered.
"Go on." Seeing that everyone had left, Shen Liu said.
Cai Xiu, mustering her courage, looked at Shen Liu again, her tears falling down in streams once more. When she made her confession earlier, Shen Liu had her do it in front of everyone. But now, as she began to speak, Shen Liu had already dismissed those in the room.
Shen Liu must have guessed, indeed, indeed he has...
Cai Xiu felt a surge of bitterness rising to her throat, filled with both hatred and pain.
"Sixth Master could have anyone he wants..." Cai Xiu sobbed, "Lian Manman, Lian Manman is not worthy. She’s just a countryside big-footed girl. Even if she’s lucky enough to enter the mansion, she’d just be a lowly maid. But even putting that aside, the key point is, Lian Manman... she used tricks to get to know Sixth Master, then clung onto him tightly..."
"What kinds of people has Sixth Master not seen before, yet she managed to bewitch him, granting favor to her family again and again, and she’s still not satisfied. Lian Manman’s ambitious heart is vast. If she enters the mansion, there’d be no room for anyone else. Not to mention the maids would eventually fall into her hands, even the usual masters and mistresses would also fall under her sway..."
"Silence!" Shen Liu, hearing Cai Xiu talk more outrageously, couldn’t help but slap the table in anger, "So much nonsense. Someone, drag her out and slap her mouth!"
Quickly, two older women who administered punishments came in and dragged Cai Xiu outward.
"Sixth Master..." Cai Xiu’s large eyes initially showed disbelief, then quickly turned to pleading, looking at Shen Liu pitifully, struggling to shake off the older women’s hands.
In Shen Mansion, for favored maids, even when they err and face punishment, it was usually just verbal admonishment or standing, kneeling penalties. Truly severe punishments were rare. Yet slapping the mouth was more severe and humiliating than a beating with a cane.
Cai Xiu couldn’t believe Shen Liu would have her mouth slapped. With their years of affinity, all she did was say a few things about Lian Manman, why was Shen Liu so enraged.
Cai Xiu cried and begged, while Shen Liu’s face was as hard as iron. The two older women who administered punishments, watching his expression, initially moved slowly, but later on decisively dragged Cai Xiu out.
...
In the Lotus Pavilion, Lian Manman drank a bowl of calming tea and refused to lie down again, choosing instead to sit up from the couch.
Shen Jin sat on the couch accompanying her, while Shen Qian and Xiao Qi sat on embroidered stools beside the couch, looking at Lian Manman with concern.
"I’m much better now, nothing to worry about," Lian Manman said upon seeing their concerned expressions.
"Manman, then I’ll go over to Sixth Brother’s side and take a look," Shen Qian said as he got up. Seeing that Lian Manman had settled down, Shen Qian thought to check on how Cai Xiu’s questioning was going over at Evergreen Garden.
After Shen Qian left, Shen Jin found an excuse to send Xiao Qi out as well.
"Manman, there are some things I couldn’t say in front of Xiao Jiu and your brother..." Shen Jin pondered before speaking, "This girl Cai Xiu, she is the daughter of my mother’s personal maid..."
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Here’s the first update, trying for a second update later.
Seeking support through legitimate subscriptions, pink votes, and recommendation votes. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes, monthly votes, your support is my biggest motivation.)
