"Isn't my cousin also the legitimate daughter of the Bai family?"
The light voice sounded like a demonic sound in Bai Xiaonian's ears, but this was not the end.
"Ahem...because cousin Bai is still in her filial piety period and is not suitable to go out and walk around," Shen Qiaoqi explained.
"Xiao Qi? But my cousin often goes out to visit friends and attend small banquets." After Shen Qiaochen finished speaking, she pouted and then turned to look at Bai Xiaonian with a hesitant look on her face.
Everyone also followed her gaze to Bai Xiaonian, and saw that the young girl was wearing a lilac-colored embroidered long coat with dark makeup and flower collar, a horse-faced skirt underneath, and light purple embroidered shoes with dark patterns exposed under the skirt. There was a small silver phoenix hairpin with an orchid stuck in her temple hair. On her dignified oval face, a pair of bright eyes flickered uneasily, with an expression that seemed both shameful and annoyed.
Although this outfit cannot be called gorgeous, it is definitely not what Xiaoqi should look like. It is in sharp contrast with the simple Bai Lin next to her.
"Xiao Qiao... you..." Seeing everyone looking at him inexplicably, Bai Xiaonian spoke subconsciously.
"Snapped……"
Unexpectedly, Bai Lin slapped Bai Xiaonian hard. His usually kind-hearted face was full of sorrow.
"Mother..." His face was turned to one side after being hit. When he came to his senses, Bai Xiaonian raised his head in shock and looked at his mother, who had always loved him the most.
"Bai Xiaonian, you disappoint me so much." After saying each word, Bai Lin turned her head and burst into tears, but she never looked at her daughter again.
Bai Xiaonian was stung by the disappointment in his mother's eyes and looked around: Mrs. Shen was shaking her head and sighing, Shen Qiaoqi was still sipping tea slowly, Shen Qiaoran and Shen Qiaochen looked at him with two pairs of extremely similar phoenix eyes. The former's eyes were full of disdain, while the latter's eyes were full of indifference, as if he was just a clown in her eyes and was ridiculous.
The eyes of everyone, especially Shen Qiaochen, were like sharp swords piercing Bai Xiaonian, which made a burning fire surge in her heart.
Then a sharp and high-pitched voice blurted out: "Shen Qiaochen! I am your cousin, do you still have any rules?" As he said this, he quickly rushed towards Shen Qiaochen and raised his hand high.
"presumptuous!"
"Whoosh...pop!"
"ah!!!"
After a rapid gust of wind, there was the sound of something breaking. What followed was an even more piercing scream, and Mrs. Shen's angry rebuke was suppressed by this sound.
"My face...!" Bai Xiaonian fell to the ground in embarrassment, carrying tea leaves all over her head and body. When she covered her face and raised her head, bright red blood snaked down from her fingers, dripping on the messy mess. on the petticoat.
Feeling the sting, Bai Xiaonian stared blankly at her hands. Only then did everyone realize that there was a long and narrow cut on her face, from the corner of her eye, to her cheek, and all the way to the corner of her mouth. At this time, blood beads were still pouring out from it, accompanied by sporadic blisters, which looked terrifying.
Bai Lin came to her senses and rushed to Bai Xiaonian's side. She carefully held down her hands that were still about to touch her face. She saw that her originally white and slender fingers were covered with burns and scratches. Immediately he was so angry that he was shaking all over and glared at the initiator.
"Shen Qiaoqi, are you crazy?"
Shen Qiaoqi was seen slowly wiping his slender hands, and then his cold eyes were directed at Bai Xiaonian. His usually gentle and jade-like expression was now as cold as ice. What was colder than this was his voice.
"Who are you? Who gave you the courage to attack Xiao Qiao?"
"This is the Shen Mansion, and Xiao Qiao is the master. When you are a guest, you must act like a guest. Otherwise, it is better to leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, the person who leaves last may not be who he is."
His eyes were cold, but his temperament was gentle. The combination of these two complex elements made him look even more dangerous.
Even Bai Xiaonian, who was hysterical just now, could only lower his eyes and sob quietly. Her hair was messy and she was whimpering faintly. She used to be dignified and beautiful, but now she was as embarrassed as a mad woman.
"Aunt, Qiao Tong is too much. Sister Nian is a girl, how can he say that to her..." Bai Lin hugged Bai Xiaonian in her arms. She could no longer maintain her usual calmness and turned to Mrs. Shen and said sadly.
"That's enough!" Mrs. Shen shouted in a deep voice. Her eyes swept over Bai Xiaonian's bloody face and the ferocity in her eyes. She sighed and looked away lightly.
"Come here, go and invite... Doctor Lin to come over and show your cousin."
Doctor Lin was brought by Mrs. Shen from the Lin family. His medical skills are not inferior to those of the imperial physicians. The most important thing is that his ancestors have been doctors of the Lin family for generations. Compared to the imperial physicians, Doctor Lin knows better what to say and what not to say. .
Soon Dr. Lin arrived in a hurry, followed by the medicine boy carrying a medicine box.
At this time, Bai Xiaonian, who had changed his clothes, had been moved to the blue gauze cabinet in Jinghe Hall, and Mrs. Bai Lin's worried daughter also followed.
Only a few members of the Shen family were left in the originally crowded Dongci Room.
Shen Qiaoran looked at the backs of Bai's mother and daughter and sneered, then looked at the second brother beside him with admiration.
Mrs. Shen looked at the two brothers and frowned. She was about to speak when she was interrupted by Shen Qiaochen.
"Grandma, try this tea. It's a new method I learned. Guess the difference."
Shen Qiaochen held the tea cup with blue and white longevity characters in both hands and carefully handed it to Mrs. Shen, with hope in her eyes.
"You..." Looking helplessly at the pretty little granddaughter in front of her, Mrs. Shen stretched out her finger and gently tapped her white forehead. My granddaughter has always been well-behaved, how could she say these words. Obviously Shen Qiaochen deliberately angered Bai Xiaonian.
"What does it matter? Her surname is not Shen." Shen Qiao puffed up her cheeks angrily, as if unintentionally.
Mrs. Shen was stunned, as if she didn't expect Shen Qiaochen to say that.
Mrs. Shen came from a famous family, and later accompanied Old General Shen through fire and sword. It can be said that she has met countless people in her life. How could the little thoughts of the Bai family and her daughter be hidden from her eyes.
On weekdays, she turned a blind eye to Bai Xiaonian's behavior of always using the Shen family's name to act when she was out, just because she was of Lin family blood after all, but the most important thing was that Bai Xiaonian was not named Shen.
If her surname is not Shen, then even if she lives in the Shen Mansion, even if something goes wrong with her, it can only be said that the Bai family failed to educate their daughter well, and the Shen family cannot be blamed.
After all, it’s not convenient for the Shen family to discipline the mistress’ niece, right? What's more, his mother-in-law is still around.
As long as it doesn't harm the Shen family, Mrs. Shen can turn a blind eye to Bai Xiaonian's little actions. Naturally, her character and conduct have nothing to do with the Shen family.
This cannot be blamed on Mrs. Shen's coldness. After all, no woman from an aristocratic family can be truly merciful.
A mature lady like Mrs. Shen naturally knows all these things, but Shen Qiaochen is just a 13-year-old girl. Because of the love of everyone in the Shen family, no one has ever taught her these twists and turns, but she never thought that she could do it on her own. Seeing so clearly.
This made Mrs. Shen both proud and pitiful.
Being stared at by her grandmother with such complicated eyes, Shen Qiaochen had no choice but to look at his two brothers for help.
Sure enough, Shen Qiaoran lived up to his expectations and said quickly: "Grandma, don't blame the second brother and Xiao Qiao. My grandson found out that Xiao Qiao fell into the water and it seems to be related to Bai Xiaonian."
Hearing this, Mrs. Shen's eyes suddenly turned sharp and she looked at Shen Qiaoran.
Facing her grandmother's threatening gaze, Shen Qiaoran continued: "There is a second-class maid named Ying'er in Xiao Qiao's courtyard. She recently got a broken jade bracelet. I thought it was strange and checked it out. The bracelet was originally from Bai Xiaonian. The little maid beside me is from Lixia, and after Xiao Qiao fell into the water, the bracelet came to Ying'er's hand."
Mrs. Shen put down the teacup heavily and shouted: "Come here, bring those two maids over to me. Aunt Su, you go there yourself and search Ying'er's residence."
Then he calmly told Liusu: "Please take care of the Bisha cabinet for me. No one is allowed to disturb my cousin's treatment." This eliminated the possibility of collusion.
After the explanations were given one by one, the room fell silent, the masters all looked condensed, and the servants in the room did not dare to make a sound.
Only Shen Qiaochen was still happily drinking the sherbet from the glass bowl, looking like she didn't know what it was like.
After lighting the incense, Nanny Su hurried over with her people, followed by two maids who were tied tightly and had handkerchiefs stuffed in their mouths.
"Old madam, look..." Grandma Su said and opened the baggage she was carrying.
