When Shen Yelan returned to the Shen estate, Shen Chengwei seemed to be waiting for her in the living room. Feng Xin and Shen Wanwan were also present there. All three pairs of eyes locked onto Shen Yelan the instant she entered.
"You bastard!" Shen Chenwei raised a tea cup and flung it toward her. It smashed onto the floor a few inches from her wheelchair and shattered into pieces.
Shen Yelan looked down at the broken glass and then coughed into a napkin. When she finally raised her head, she had a confused look on her face.
"Did I do something wrong, father?"
"Don't you already know what you have done!" Shen Chengwei's voice boomed through the room. "How dare you put a snake in Xiao Wei's room? Do you know what condition he is in right now?"
Shen Yelan blinked, giving him a bewildered look, "I don't understand what father means. What does this have anything to do with me? I would never-"
"Pretend, keep on pretending. You've been here less than two days and you're already causing trouble for this family. I should have thrown you out along with your mother back then," he spat out the last part with disgust.
"Dad, please calm down." Shen Wanwan stepped forward. "I think there must be a misunderstanding. Elder Sister has just arrived. I'm sure she didn't mean to actually hurt Xiao Wei. She was probably just trying to play a little prank on him. She just didn't expect it to go this far."
Shen Wanwan's words seemed like she was actually defending Shen Yelan, but in reality, she was putting all the blame on her.
'She has gotten better,' Shen Yelan internally mused, genuinely impressed.
"Who uses a snake for a prank!? This is attempted murder!" Feng Xin exclaimed and looked at Shen Yelan with a disappointed look. "Yelan, I have always treated you like my own daughter. Even when you caused trouble, I made excuses for you because I thought you were just a child who didn't know any better. But you have grown up now."
Feng Xin's eyes glistened, as if she were fighting back tears. Shen Yelan could see where Shen Wanwan had learned her green tea act.
"How could you harm your own little brother like this? Is this because you're still angry about being sent to live in the countryside? But you must understand that it wasn't our decision. It was dad who sent you away, and it was all done for your benefit."
Shen Yelan choughed once more while she listened to Feng Xin. Once she was done talking, Shen Yelan gave her a grieving look.
"Is Aunt Feng talking about the snake incident that happened this morning? But how could that possibly be related to me? I already explained everything to Grandfather. I'm just a cripple who can't even use the bathroom without assistance. How would I even be capable of doing something like that?"
She looked at Shen Chengwei, and a tear trickled down her face.
"Father... do you really not believe me? Why? I haven't done anything wrong. I've been in my room since I arrived and only went out today after getting Grandfather's permission. So why am I being blamed for something I couldn't possibly have done?"
Her voice cracked on the last word, and then the coughing started again. This time, it was harsher than her previous ones and made her whole body tremble.
Sun Lili, who was standing behind the wheelchair and did not move forward to help her, stared at her blankly.
Internally, she was in awe. Boss should seriously consider a career in acting. Even she fell for her acting.
The coughing fit went on for nearly half a minute. By the end of it, Shen Yelan looked absolutely drained, slumped in her wheelchair like she might pass out at any moment.
Seeing her pitiful state, a hint of doubt appeared in Shen Chengwei's eyes. Did he overdo it? And when he thought about it logically, she didn't seem capable of doing it.
But he did not care. Even if she wasn't directly responsible for the snake, the incident had happened the very night she returned to the estate. It just proved she was a jinx that he could not keep around. He needed to get rid of her soon after Old Master Shen dies.
He waved his hand dismissively, not even looking at her anymore. "Take her back to her room. She won't be getting dinner tonight. Maybe going hungry will teach her to think before she acts."
In the end, he still put the blame on her.
"Yes, Master Shen," Sun Lili said and pushed the wheelchair to the elevator.
Behind them, Shen Yelan could hear Feng Xin's voice, soft and soothing as she comforted Shen Chengwei. "You did the right thing, dear. She needs discipline..."
The elevator doors slid open, and Sun Lili pushed the wheelchair inside. She pressed the button for the third floor. The moment they shut completely, Shen Yelan sat up straight and wiped the tears from her face. The pitiful expression was replaced with a cold one.
"Make sure they enjoy their dinner tonight."
Sun Lili's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Yes, boss. I'll make the arrangements."
.
.
That night, everyone who had eaten the food prepared in the kitchen made several rounds to the bathroom. By midnight, all had passed out from sheer exhaustion and dehydration and were rushed to the hospital. In a private hospital room, next to Shen Wei's bed, three more were added.
The next morning, an article appeared on a popular news website.
"Business Tycoon Shen Chengwei Hospitalized Along with Family Due to Severe Food Poisoning"
Attached to the article was a picture of the inside of a private hospital room.
In her room at the Shen estate, Shen Yelan sat by the window with a cup of tea, scrolling through the article on her phone.
Outside, the morning sun was shining beautifully.
It was going to be a good day.