"...and I will not tolerate any behavior that brings shame to the Shen family. The Shen family has a reputation that took generations to build…" Shen Chengwei continued the lecture that has been going on for half an hour now.
Though Shen Yelan stopped listening the moment he opened his mouth. Her gray eyes were half-lidded, more focused on the steamed bun in her hand than on the man talking at the head of the table.
Sitting next to Shen Yelan, Shen Yuheng was sneakily piling the vegetables from his bowl into hers when he thought she was not paying any attention. He still hadn't noticed that no matter how many vegetables he transferred, the vegetables in his own bowl never seemed to decrease.
Shen Chengwei finally stopped talking. He looked at Shen Yelan and felt his blood pressure rising again. He had been talking for almost an hour. Yet from beginning to end, Shen Yelan hadn't responded once. She did not even give a nod to show she was listening. It was as if he were talking to a wall.
Shen Chengwei had never felt this ignored in his life. Every time he came close to saying something about it, she would innocently blinked those gray eyes, and all those words would die in his throat. In the end, he could only swallow his anger back down.
Whatever, he was finally getting rid of her. Today she was leaving for Dexing, and once she was through those gates he wouldn't have to see her face for weeks at a time. Maybe months if he was lucky.
Just thinking about it improved his mood.
He gave her one final glance and turned to leave.
"Dad, wait a minute." Shen Wanwan hurried into the kitchen and returned carrying a neatly packed lunchbox.
"I made you congee and egg custard. Your stomach only recently recovered. You shouldn't eat spicy food outside."
"Wanwan woke up at five in the morning to make those. You better eat all of it and not waste her efforts." Feng Xin added, giving him a reprimanding look.
Shen Chengwei's expression instantly softened as he took the lunch box from her. His eyes were warm now, completely different from the cold stare he had given Shen Yelan just moments ago.
See, this is how daughters should be. Warm and caring.
His eyes subconsciously drifted toward Shen Yelan. who was eating her food without even looking up, and he scoffed before looking away.
What a waste.
Shen Wanwan naturally noticed the comparison. A trace of satisfaction flashed through her eyes.
"You've been busy preparing for the science competition lately. Remember to rest and spend time with your friends too." Shen Chengwei patted her head and left.
"I will, Dad," Shen Wanwan said sweetly.
Shen Chengwei nodded and walked out of the dining hall.
Shen Wanwan turned to look at Shen Yelan.
"Have you packed up everything for school, Elder sister? I heard Dexing High School is very strict regarding its rules and does not allow any students to leave the premises once they enter. Even on weekends, you have to get parents' permission to leave."
Her tone sounded concerned. But the meaning behind her words was obvious.
Once Shen Yelan entered that school, she would basically be trapped there with no way out. There was no way Feng Xin or Shen Chengwei would give her permission to leave. In other words, it was no different than going to a prison with no freedom.
Shen Yelan wiped the corner of her lips with a napkin. The action was so elegant that even Shen Wanwan was caught off guard.
She stared at Shen Yelan's face and felt something twist inside her chest.
It wasn't fair. Shen Yelan had grown up in the countryside, raised by God knows who. She should have been rough and clumsy and awkward. But it was moment like these when she made Shen Wanwan feel inferior.
For a second, a flicker of jealousy flashed through her eyes.
Shen Yelan looked up just in time to catch that fleeting gaze before Shen Wanwan masked it with a smile.
Shen Yelan mimicked her smile. "Thank you for worrying about me, but don't worry. I have everything I need."
In reality, she hadn't taken a single thing from the Shen family. The small bag sitting in the trunk of the car outside was full of the stuff she had brought with her when she first arrived. She hadn't even used the money Shen Chengwei had given her to buy herself things and had instead handed it to a beggar on the street corner.
"Oh, that's good. Best of luck with the exam, by the way. I hope you won't blame me because I couldn't help you study more. I really did want to, but the competition prep took up more time than I expected." She gave an apologetic sigh, "But I believe you will do good. And even if you don't score high, don't stress yourself about it. It's just a small test anyway and your admission is already confirmed."
The hidden meaning was clear.
She was saying, without actually saying it, that Shen Yelan was only getting into Dexing because Shen Chengwei paid for it. No school would take a useless, uneducated girl from the countryside otherwise.
The corner of Shen Yelan's lips curved into an amused smile. She was not the least bit affected by her words. Rather, she felt like she was staring at a monkey dancing in front of her to show off.
"I should get going now. It's a three-hour drive to the school." Shen Yelan said.
"Let me take you to the car," Shen Yucheng stuffed an entire steamed bun into his mouth before grabbing the wheelchair handles.
"Careful, Chenger. You're going to choke." Feng Xin called out to him.
"Ummph mmmph mmph," Shen Yucheng said something but it came out muffled, and no one understood his words.
Feng Xin narrowed her eyes as she watched him push Shen Yelan's wheelchair out. Once they were out of sight, she asked, "When did he get close to Yelan?"
"I don't know. You know he never talks to me much," Shen Wanwan said, her voice soft and a little hurt.
That wasn't a lie.
Shen Yucheng had never been close to her. Even when she tried to talk to him, he would only give her perfunctory answers or ignore her completely. Sometimes, he even yelled at her to leave him alone.
She still remembered that one time she had walked into his room to ask him something, only to be pushed out of his room and had the door slammed in her face. Afterwards, when she complaied, she was the one who ended up getting scolded by Feng Xin who told her she shouldn't go into his room uninvited.
It was at that moment that she realized that no matter how good she was, Shen Yucheng was the first priority of her parents. Because Shen Yucheng was the biological son of Shen Chengwei and the legitimate heir.
As for her, she would always be someone else's daughter. Even Shen Yelan held a higher position than her in terms of blood relations. If Shen Chengwei ever stopped liking her, he could throw her out of the family without hesitation.
The thought made her chest tighten.
Feng Xin didn't notice her expression.
She simply patted her shoulder. "Don't overthink it. Your brother is still young. Once he grows up, your relationship will get better naturally."
She stood up and smoothed her dress. "Now hurry up. You need to leave for school, too. Don't be late."
With that, Feng Xin walked away.
The dining hall gradually became quiet.
Shen Wanwan sat alone at the big dining table. Under the table, her hands curled into fists. Her nails dug into her palms, hard enough to leave marks. But the sweet smile on her face never disappeared.