Chapter 313

Shen Qingling stayed for meal before leaving. He also made a sincere apology to Tangtang and Guoguo and told them about his family.

Tangtang and Guoguo could understand Shen Qingling. After all, it was his step-Daddy, and life must not be easy for him when he didn’t have his own child to rely on in such an influential family. However, if he had known better and been kinder to Shen Qingling and his brother, their relationship wouldn’t have been so tense, and Shen Qingling would definitely have saved him some pride.

Nevertheless, the only thing was that he was too stupid. He tried to use this kind of method to control Shen Qingling. Had he ever asked himself how he was able to manipulate someone who had become the minister of Ministry of Works at such an early age on his own?

After all, this was someone else’s family affair, so Tangtang and Guoguo didn’t comment on it. Since Shen Qingling had already apologized to them, and besides, it was not his fault to begin with, Tangtang and Guoguo wouldn’t care much about it.

They were just a little worried. There would probably be more people in the capital city knowing them from today, because the prime minister’s second spouse had visited them in person. Those who were unaware of the truth might mistake them the twins as two Ge’ers, whose sugar daddy was the prime minister. Otherwise, how could the prime minister’s second spouse have visited them?

However, Tangtang and Guoguo believed that they hadn’t worried too much when hearing the rumors the next day. Even worse, rumor had it that Tangtang and Guoguo were the prime minister’s illegitimate children.

Rumors aside, when Shen Qingling had meal and got back to the prime minister’s residence, hardly had he entered the door than the servant told him that his Dad was waiting for him in the study.

Shen Qingling had originally wanted to return to his own courtyard, but instead, he made a turn and went to the study. The study door was closed. Shen Qingling knocked on the door and his Dad’s angry voice came out from inside, “Come in!”

Shen Qingling pushed the door open and walked in. He saw that his step-Daddy was also there and seemed to have cried. When his step-Daddy saw Shen Qingling coming in, he gave Shen Qingling a smug stare.

Shen Qingling smiled. He was speechless!

“Dad, you…”

Before Shen Qingling could finish his words, he was interrupted by his Dad.

“Bastard, kneel down. You have disgraced the whole Shen family.”

Hearing this, Shen Qingling was stunned, looking confused, but deep down inside, he understood why his step-Daddy had that smug look.

Naturally, Shen Qingling would not kneel down. He didn’t think he had done anything wrong, so it was impossible for him to kneel down just because his Dad told him so. He had been the study partner for the Emperor for so long and hardly knelt. It was after the Emperor had been enthroned that he knelt down once a day.

When his Dad saw that he didn’t move, he picked up the cup on the desk and threw it at him. “Bastard, don’t you even listen to my words now?”

Shen Qingling still didn’t react. He just stood upright, staring at his angry Dad. Suddenly, he felt like laughing. How sad it was that his Dad’s integrity had been ruined by this ignorant Ge’er.

Shen Qingling didn’t move, but his step-Daddy couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He walked up to the prime minister. “Master, don’t be angry. Qingling is still young. Besides, nothing serious has happened today. Why do you have to be so furious?”

Intentionally or not, his step-Daddy mentioned the reason of his Dad’s anger. Haha! Shen Qingling was sneering in his mind, ‘I’ll just see if you dare to mention it again in a while.’

When Shen Qingling saw that his Dad had calmed down a little, he said, “Dad, I don’t know what makes you so angry. Please tell me. What have I done wrong?”

Watching Shen Qingling’s ignorant face, Prime Minister Shen felt that his blood was welling up inside him, and he was about to spit it out.

“Bastard, don’t you know what you’ve done? How shameless of you to ask me what you have done wrong!”

Shen Qingling still looked blank. He cupped his hands together and said to his Dad, “I really have no idea. Please tell me, Dad.”

“Alright, alright, alright. Since you really have no idea, let me tell you about it. Let me tell you what you have done wrong today.”

“Let me ask you. Have you asked two Ge’ers to live in the courtyard under your name?”

Shen Qingling nodded and then shook his head. “Dad, I did have some people live in my courtyard, but the two people are not some Ge’ers. Instead, they are students who came to the capital city to take part in the Spring Imperial Examination. The other day, I was wandering about on the street, and saw them looking for an inn. Dad, you also know that the Spring Imperial Examination is approaching and there are many students coming to the capital city to take the test. If they arrive later, the inns in the capital city will long be fully occupied.

I chatted with those two students. They were both decent people, and I wanted to get to know them. Therefore, I offered them a place to stay. I rented out that courtyard at market price, not even one penny less. I wonder where did you learn that I let two Ge’ers live in my courtyard?”

Prime Minister Shen’s face darkened. He turned to look at his second spouse. “What is this then? Didn’t you tell me that it was two Ge’ers? You also said that everyone on the street has known about this.”

Shen Qingling watched his step-Daddy’s face turn pale at once after his Dad questioned him. “I… Those two looked exactly like Ge’ers.”

Once he said that, Shen Qingling could feel that his Dad grew even angrier. “You couldn’t even distinguish between a Ge’er and a son, yet you were telling tales in front of me. I’m afraid it’s a sheer story you made up that Qingling humiliated you on the street for the sake of two Ge’ers!”

After that, Prime Minister Shen snorted, not wanting to listen to his second spouse’s explanation again. Instead, he moved his eyes to Shen Qingling. “Ling’er, tell me what exactly happened.”

If Shen Qingling didn’t complain of his grievances now, when else could he? He retold what had happened in the morning without hesitation, and also wept out both his and Tangtang and Guoguo’s grievances to his Dad.

Shen Qingling had rented out the house to make friends. Meanwhile, Tangtang and Guoguo had clearly paid the rent but still been wronged like this. Now that Shen Qingling put it this way, his step-Daddy seemed to have made more mistakes. He had offended the students who had come to the capital city to take the imperial exam, and who knew what they would be in the future.

As for his ignorant Ge’er cousin, Shen Qingling did not mention anything about him. But even if he didn’t, someone would sort him out. Shen Qingling assumed that he would not have to see that disgusting face anymore.

Shen Qingling’s complaint had his step-Daddy punished, while his Dad also felt guilty about having wronged him.

Shen Qingling acted very generously, saying that his Dad had been deceived by his step-Daddy, and that was why he had blamed him wrongly. After that, his Dad disliked his step-Daddy even more.

Shen Qingling left his Dad’s study with satisfaction, and went back to his own courtyard.

But just when Shen Qingling reached the entrance of the courtyard, he saw his brother’s figure. Shen Qingling and his brother were on good terms, and the two shared something mutual: the disgust for their step-Daddy, and they would annoy him from time to time.

Shen Qingling walked into the yard and called out to his brother, “Bro, what brought you here? You have nothing to do?”

Shen Qingfei turned to roll his eyeballs at Shen Qingling. “If I didn’t come, I wouldn’t know what rumors would be circulating in the capital city tomorrow.”

Shen Qingling walked over, put his arm around Shen Qingfei’s shoulders and walked into the house with him. “Bro, don’t worry! Dad will deal with it. Anyway, I am not the one in the unfavorable situation. As for that unpleasant thing, he should be good for some time. Speaking of which, I wonder why Dad fell for such a thing.”

Hearing him, Shen Qingfei couldn’t help but laugh, “Enough, he’s Dad’s second spouse, no matter what. Stop calling him a ‘thing’. If he’s a thing, then our Dad is more of a thing.”

Even Shen Qingfei himself felt strange about what he said. Shen Qingling covered his mouth with his hand and that was how he stopped himself from laughing. His brother had a sharper tongue than he did! He even scolded his Dad along with his step-Daddy.

Shen Qingfei gave Shen Qingling a ferocious stare and asked, “Tell me, what’s going on? Have you really kept two Ge’ers outside home?”

Shen Qingling rolled his eyeballs. “Bro, are you stupid? If I really wanted to keep Ge’ers, would I have them discovered? Those two are my friends, and I met them not long ago. They are the students coming to take the Spring Imperial Examination. Since we got on with each other, I accommodated them. They have also paid the rent.

As for why step-Daddy learned that, it’s all because I have visited them often. Step-Daddy’s family are all restless spirits. Zisang went for them once in the name of my cousin and failed to drive them away. The next day, he went to them again with that thing. How shameless of him to visit them and stir up trouble, even if he couldn’t even distinguish a Ge’er and a son.”

Shen Qingfei understood what was going on after listening to Shen Qingling’s explanation. It was nothing but some people’s wild dream.

He patted Shen Qingling on the shoulder and said to him, “Remember to apologize to your friends. Since you think they are great, they will probably get a good place in the Spring Imperial Examination. Now that the Shen family have a good relationship with them, we may take care of each other in the future.”

Shen Qingling nodded. “I know that, and I’ve already apologized to them. Just rest assured, brother! But I want to tell you something else, in case you get too surprised then.”

“What is it?” Shen Qingfei asked casually, but when he looked up, he found that Shen Qingling had put on a stern face, looking serious.

Shen Qingling replied, “I’m afraid you may have a brother-in-law soon, but that one is not a Ge’er, but a son.”

As expected, Shen Qingfei was surprised. He stood up at once. “Qingling, are you joking?”

Shen Qingling spread his hands. “Bro, do I look like joking?”

Shen Qingfei saw Shen Qingling spreading his hands, and wanted to say yes, but he thought of Shen Qingling’s stern face just now and knew that he wasn’t joking. So he asked, “Is he one of the two sons?”

Shen Qingling nodded. “Yeah, it’s the elder one. The younger one is married.”

Shen Qingfei thought to himself. Shen Qingling had even known that his younger brother was married. It seemed that he had really put in time to know them. However, Shen Qingfei had no idea that it was Guoguo who had told him about it himself.

Almost no one in the family could change Shen Qingling’s mind, so Shen Qingfei simply saved himself the time and energy, “As long as you’ve made up your mind. Anyway, I’m with you, no matter what you do, but you have to think of ways to explain it to Dad. I’m leaving. It’s up to you now!”

Shen Qingfei patted Shen Qingling on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Shen Qingling spread his hands behind Shen Qingfei again. He thought to himself, ‘I’m going to marry my spouse, not my Dad. Does he have any say in it?’

As for whether he really had any say in it, who knew now?