Chapter 611: Chapter 611: Kneel Down and Call Us Father and Mother

Ren Er had originally come hoping for some drama. But not only did she fail to find a chance to mock Ren Liuyue, she also saw that her sister was beautiful and had married a perfect husband.

Most importantly, their relationship seemed incredibly strong.

Her face was clouded with gloom. Ren San, standing beside her, noticed and tried to curry favor. "But Sister, it’s nothing to worry about. What’s the use of being pretty? That Fang Huan is just a teacher; how much can he possibly earn in a year? Look at what Ren Liuyue is wearing. It’s worse than what your maids wear!"

Hearing this, Ren Er’s expression finally brightened a little.

She feigned disagreement. "Alright, don’t talk like that. She is technically our family, after all. You should just call her Sister Yue. Don’t let Father hear you and get angry."

Ren San huffed and crossed her arms. "I’ll behave in front of Father. But if I run into her in private, just watch how I’ll make her life miserable!"

While the two sisters harbored their own schemes, over in the courtyard, Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei were sitting inside their room. Mo Lingwei first inspected the premises.

As Shen Ningning sipped her tea, she noticed him out of the corner of her eye and couldn’t help but chuckle. "What’s wrong? Are you afraid they’ve hidden assassins in the room?"

Mo Lingwei, his handsome brows furrowed, finished his sweep of the room before sitting down beside Shen Ningning.

"I’m worried there might be other traps or drugged incense in the room."

This was because when they were speaking with Ren Pengyi earlier, both Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei could tell that he had clearly known about the family servants’ attempt to assassinate Ren Liuyue.

’What kind of reason would make a father so ruthless as to kill a daughter who posed no threat to him whatsoever?’

Shen Ningning stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Ren Liuyue hasn’t been close to him for years, and they rarely interact. She’s been living her own life. Logically, Governor Ren shouldn’t see her as such a burden that he’d have to kill her."

"Right," Mo Lingwei agreed with a nod. "That’s what’s so strange. He specifically chose to make his move while Ren Liuyue was on her way home. It’s as if he deliberately came up with a reason to lure her back and kill her. If he had succeeded, he would have staged it to look like an accident."

They both found it odd.

But for the moment, Shen Ningning couldn’t think of any reason.

"If we stay observant here in the Ren Mansion, we’ll definitely find the reason."

Mo Lingwei nodded. "When I find a chance, I need to write a letter back to the Capital City. At the very least, my father, the Emperor, must be made aware of the situation at the border."

Shen Ningning thought of General Peng, who had already been brought under control.

"Don’t tell me Governor Ren is planning a rebellion? He’s already seized military power. Could he be harboring treasonous ambitions?"

Mo Lingwei frowned slightly. This was his suspicion as well, but one thing didn’t add up.

"Ling Mountain City is on the border of Cangyun Country. Even if he conquered this place, it would only be temporary. The court would never let it stand. If a real war broke out, Changliu Country would be reduced to ashes. Ren Pengyi has absolutely nothing to gain from a rebellion. He can’t possibly be ignorant of that."

Besides, it was still hard to say whether Ren Pengyi had even colluded with Changliu Country.

Last time, Changliu Country was frightened by Shen Ningning’s methods and had been keeping a low profile ever since.

But it was hard to say for sure. After all, Changliu Country was known for its vindictive nature.

Shen Ningning could only try to find out what was truly going on by quietly investigating within the mansion.

Mo Lingwei suddenly said, "Let me give you a heads-up. If they do anything to cross the line with you, I don’t care about exposing my identity. I will turn on them immediately."

Shen Ningning chuckled lightly. "Okay. In any case, let’s just wait and see for now."

"Mm," Mo Lingwei acknowledged with a nod. "If worse comes to worst, after you’ve finished your business with Mrs. Shen, I’ll just have my men arrest Ren Pengyi and take him back to the Capital City for a thorough interrogation."

But Shen Ningning voiced her one concern.

"That method is good, a quick and decisive solution, but it isn’t safe for you. After all, the entirety of Ling Mountain City is Governor Ren’s territory right now, and he’s also seized military control."

Mo Lingwei’s eyes darkened slightly, as if he already had a plan. "You don’t need to worry about that. Let me figure something out."

That night, just as expected, a maid came to invite Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei to dine in the front hall.

When they arrived, they found not only Governor Ren and Mrs. Ren, but also Ren Er, Ren San, and Ren Er’s husband, Zhao Lei.

Shen Ningning had never met Ren Er before, but she recognized her at a glance.

This was because when Ren Liuyue had described her family members, she mentioned that Ren Er had a competitive personality and loved to make comparisons.

She and Ren Liuyue had gotten married barely half a month apart. Before the weddings, Ren Er had written a letter to Ren Liuyue asking how much the groom’s family had given in betrothal gifts. Her words feigned concern, but her true intention was to show off.

Today, Ren Er sat in the hall dripping with gold and silver. Her black hair was adorned with ten golden hairpins, making for a truly dazzling and opulent sight.

Especially when she saw Shen Ningning enter, Ren Er couldn’t help but straighten her back, fixing her with a mocking gaze.

’She’s trying to compete again,’ Shen Ningning realized. ’I heard she married the son of the wealthiest merchant in Ling Mountain City, so it’s no wonder she’s dressed so extravagantly.’

Seated beside her was her husband—Zhao Lei, son of Ling Mountain City’s wealthiest merchant. He was short, fat, and round. On his hand, he wore a gleaming, thumb-sized green jade ring, which, paired with the small, squinty eyes on his round face, gave him a gaze that Shen Ningning found exceptionally repulsive.

Perhaps because he had already confirmed that Shen Ningning’s story was true, Governor Ren now wore a look of deliberately feigned fatherly love. "Yue’er, to have you back home by my side... it’s a wonderful blessing I never dared to imagine before."

He was about to wave Shen Ningning over to sit at his right hand, but Mrs. Ren, who was beside him, interjected and stopped him.

"Yue’er, you’re here! Come sit next to me. Tonight’s family dinner is a welcome for you and Fang Huan, and also for Xin’er and Zhao Lei. You haven’t met some of the family yet, so let me introduce you. This is your second younger sister, Liu Xin, and your second brother-in-law, Zhao Lei. Over there is your third younger sister, Liu Meng. Your fourth sister and fifth brother were supposed to be here, but they aren’t feeling well tonight and had to be absent. Your fourth sister felt very bad about it and asked me to apologize to you on her behalf." Mrs. Ren finished with a smile, then looked at Shen Ningning.

Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei were dressed in matching clothes with a green lotus pattern. Her hair was held by a single jade hairpin, one that had belonged to Ren Liuyue.

She had a simple, pure beauty that reminded one of the bright, clear moonlight in the night sky.

Faced with Mrs. Ren’s hypocritical words, she also put on a fake smile. "Mrs. Ren, please tell Fourth Sister not to feel guilty. I’m home now, so we’ll have plenty of opportunities to eat together in the future."

Ren San seized the opportunity to exclaim, "Oh, Eldest Sister, why are you calling my mother ’Mrs. Ren’? That sounds so formal."

Mrs. Ren put on a magnanimous air. "Hush now. Your Sister Yue just came home. She barely saw me when she was growing up, so of course she’s not used to calling me ’Mother’ yet. We have to take it slow. We can’t rush things."

Beside them, Ren Er gave a phony laugh. "That may be true, but we’re all one family now. Calling her that is so distant. It wouldn’t be good for Father’s reputation if word got out."

Hearing this, Governor Ren narrowed his eyes. "There’s truth in that. Yue’er, you weren’t at home before. I imagine your maternal grandfather spoiled you and didn’t properly teach you the rules. Now that you’re home, you must naturally learn a few things. Respecting your elders is essential."

Ren Er’s eyes darted about. "How about this? Sister Yue and Brother-in-law Fang Huan never knelt to their parents during their wedding. Why not make up for it now?"

After she spoke, Governor Ren nodded in satisfaction, and everyone’s gaze turned toward them.

’They actually wanted Mo Lingwei and me to kneel before them and call them ’Father’ and ’Mother’!’

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