Chapter 52: Do You Really Think the Shen Family Has No One?

At this critical moment, Shen Ningyuan, prepared in advance, delivered a flying kick that sent the little bean flying through the air.

Thud!

The little bean crashed heavily onto the ground, producing a loud noise.

From the moment they entered, she had sensed something was amiss between Madam Chen and the little bean.

Especially when Madam Chen pushed the little bean toward her, Shen Ningyuan immediately became alert.

She poised on her toes, gathering strength, ready to act at any moment.

Shen Ningyuan had suspected that the little bean might attack her.

But she never imagined that a six-year-old girl could be so bold as to attempt to assassinate her in front of so many people!

It was well known that whenever outsiders were in her courtyard, the little bean would hide in the woodshed, too afraid to come out.

But now...

Shen Ningyuan refused to dwell on it further and cast a cold gaze at Madam Chen and Ji Zehai. “What exactly have you told the little bean?”

Madam Chen appeared innocent. “Ningyuan, this little girl understands nothing. What could we possibly say to her? Are you perhaps misunderstanding us?”

At that moment, the little bean, after being kicked to the ground, picked up a dagger and stood up.

“You villain! You killed my mother! Give her back to me!” The little girl charged at Shen Ningyuan, dagger in hand.

But this time, Shen Haobai was ready. He grabbed the little bean’s collar and lifted her up.

“How dare you attack again!” Shen Haobai snapped sharply and wrested the dagger from the girl’s hand.

The little bean struggled fiercely in his grip.

“Let me go! I’m going to kill this villain! She killed my mother and deserves no mercy!” the little girl wailed loudly.

By now, Shen Ningyuan had pieced it together.

She guessed what Madam Chen had told the little bean—probably that she had killed the nanny Ming and ordered the child to kill her in return.

Shen Ningyuan never expected the Ji family to be so heartless as to manipulate even a six-year-old child!

However, recalling how the Ji family had once mercilessly tried to turn her three-year-old nephew into a human beast, their cruelty with the little bean suddenly seemed all too plausible.

What shocked Shen Ningyuan even more was the Ji family’s darker side.

Halfway through struggling, the little bean suddenly began foaming at the mouth and convulsing violently!

After a spasm of frothing, she started coughing up black blood.

“What’s happening?”

Shen Haobai was startled and gently set the little bean down.

She lay on the ground, convulsing all over.

Soon, the convulsions ceased, and her eyes stared blankly, refusing to close.

It appeared she had no breath left.

Shen Haobai knelt down and reached out toward the little bean’s nose.

Then he turned to Shen Ningyuan, shaking his head with a grave expression.

“She’s gone.”

Shen Ningyuan’s head rang, then went blank.

A living soul had vanished right before her eyes.

She hadn’t even had time to grasp what had happened.

“Gone?” Shen Ningyuan whispered.

Shen Haobai nodded. “Yes, gone.”

With the confirmation, Shen Ningyuan looked at Madam Chen, her eyes burning with boundless hatred.

“She was just a child!” Shen Ningyuan shouted. “How could you incite her to kill me?”

“You even poisoned her in advance, just in case the truth came out and left evidence against you!”

Madam Chen appeared guilty and avoided Shen Ningyuan’s gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Her words pushed Shen Ningyuan’s fury to its peak.

“You’re still pretending!”

With a roar, Shen Ningyuan snatched the dagger from Shen Haobai and lunged at Madam Chen’s chest.

“Yuan’er!”

Everyone was shocked.

Especially the Shen family—they were stunned by this sudden turn.

Yet no one moved to stop Shen Ningyuan.

Just as the dagger was about to pierce Madam Chen, Shen Ningyuan suddenly withdrew it, flipped it around, and slashed at Madam Chen’s neck with the hilt.

The blow knocked Madam Chen unconscious.

She collapsed to the ground, while Shen Ningyuan stood still, gradually regaining her composure.

She had truly wanted to kill Madam Chen.

But she knew Madam Chen could not die yet!

***

A sharp pain in her jaw slowly brought Shen Liuli back to consciousness.

Before she could fully grasp the situation, a mocking voice whispered in her ear.

“Heh, awake?”

“You’re so fragile? I barely moved, and you just went out like that…”

She struggled to open her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a magnified handsome face.

“Ah!”

Shen Liuli screamed, immediately sitting up and scooting backward to keep her distance from the man.

Her vision blurred as she glanced around.

She was in a simple, cramped meditation room, and she and the man before her were naked, tangled under the covers.

Hadn’t she died already?

How was she waking up here?

She had been stabbed in the heart by Shen Yuejiao, her body thrown onto a mass grave, half devoured by wild dogs.

In the end, a masked man had driven away the wild dogs and held her tightly in his arms.

Regrettably, she had lost consciousness before seeing his face unmasked and had now returned here.

Instinctively, Shen Liuli pulled the blanket up to cover herself, eyeing the man warily.

Her voice trembled as she asked, “Who… who are you?”

The man chuckled softly and reached out to pinch her chin.

“Don’t you know who I am? Why did you cling to me last night? You nearly broke my waist…”

“I—”

Shen Liuli blushed deeply.

She understood his words and realized some unspeakable events had occurred the night before.

Before she could ask more, a scolding voice came from outside the door.

“Shen Liuli, you shameless bed-hopper! You don’t even spare the monks of Yun Chan Temple! Your reckless behavior is one thing, but to do such filthy deeds in the solemn Yun Chan Temple—how dare you!”

Unmoved, Shen Liuli’s expression darkened as she walked over and opened the meditation room door.

She was immediately met with a slap from Zhao Zhulian!

While striking, Zhao Zhulian cursed, “You wretch! His Majesty is here at Yun Chan Temple, and you behave so disgracefully! How can the Shen family bear this!”

Shen Liuli’s eyes turned cold. She grabbed Zhao Zhulian’s hand and countered with a clean, sharp slap across her face!

Smack—

Zhao Zhulian stumbled back two steps, stunned.

Clutching her reddened cheek, she stared at Shen Liuli in disbelief.

Gritting her teeth, she cursed, “You shameless wretch! How dare you strike me? I am your mother!”

“Mother?” Shen Liuli sneered.

“Does someone who constantly calls her own daughter a wretch deserve to be called mother?”

“No matter what, I am your mother, and it is a grievous offense to lay hands on me!”

Zhao Zhulian was enraged and raised her hand to slap Shen Liuli again.

But this time, Shen Liuli gave her no chance.

As Zhao Zhulian charged, Shen Liuli delivered a fierce flying kick to her soft abdomen, sending her flying backward!