"Xiaoxun? It's rare to see you back at the old mansion. I've got good news for you. I'm pregnant. You'll soon have a little brother. Your father was overjoyed when he heard the news and insisted on having me move into the old mansion.
I know you might not be happy to see me here, but the baby in my belly is your real younger brother after all. And this was approved by the old master himself.
You've taken over as the head of the family, but you're still a kid under eighteen. You should listen to your elders, shouldn't you?"
The woman had excellent control over her expressions. She kept smiling throughout her speech, but there was a hint of nervousness in her eyes.
She was busy justifying herself, trying to use her status as an elder, as well as the authority of Shen Weixun's father and grandfather, to put Shen Weixun in his place.
"Since the old master has decided to let you stay, I can't disrespect him. I've got something to do. Don't show up in front of me if you've got nothing to do."
Shen Weixun's gaze swept across the woman's belly. His expression was so obscure that it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
But the sensitive Niannian could feel that Third Senior Brother was extremely unhappy at the moment.
Niannian subconsciously began to observe the woman's facial features. After calculating most of the woman's past, she immediately understood.
This woman had a very faint kinship with her Third Senior Brother, but it wasn't a blood - related one. It was a bond formed later in life.
So she must be Third Senior Brother's legendary frail and helpless step - mother.
The woman's facial features were a bit blurry, probably because she had had plastic surgery. She had once been involved in the entertainment industry, presumably doing something like prostitution.
She would become extremely wealthy through marriage, probably after marrying Third Senior Brother's father.
However, the area on her face related to children wasn't good.
Without a doubt, she was destined to be childless all her life. The very shallow mother - son relationship she had with Third Senior Brother was only due to the bond through Third Senior Brother's father.
Pregnant...
The signs on her face did indicate that the woman was currently pregnant. But it was highly likely that she wouldn't be able to give birth to this child.
She actually shouldn't have been able to get pregnant in the first place. Niannian wondered what method she had used to conceive the child in her belly.
"My senior brother doesn't have a younger brother. He'll never have a brother or a sister in his life. And normally, auntie, you won't have a child either."
Niannian couldn't keep things to herself. Since she had seen it, she just said it out.
She didn't have so many scheming thoughts in her mind. If she wanted to stand up for Third Senior Brother, she would do it in the most straightforward way.
With her fists.
There was absolutely no intention to curse or anger the woman in her words.
She even thought it was a loss for her to have given the woman a free facial reading.
The child's words were straightforward but stung like needles.
The woman's face changed drastically upon hearing this. She didn't care about maintaining her expression anymore. This child in her belly was her only support in the Shen family now.
Since Shen Weixun became the head of the family, he had made it clear that he wouldn't allow her to get close to the mansion.
For a woman who had married into a wealthy family, if she couldn't even enter the main family's residence, she was no different from a mistress kept outside.
In the social circle, if one wasn't recognized by the main family, they were still outsiders, mistresses who couldn't be presented in public, and no - one would recognize her as Mrs. Shen.
Only those from less - prominent families would value her status as Mrs. Shen.
None of the truly prestigious families looked down on her.
The old master had never liked her, and since she was on the opposite side of his grandson, he had never recognized her as his daughter - in - law, either inside or outside the family.
Now that she was pregnant, the old master was overjoyed when he heard the news.
He even made an exception to let her move into the old mansion and promised to hold a wedding for her and his son after the child was born.
Only then could she truly become the legitimate Mrs. Shen.
She had been scheming for so many years for the position of Mrs. Shen.
She had finally managed to get pregnant and was about to ascend to a higher position. Now, for this little girl to say that she wouldn't be able to give birth to the child, how could she not be angry?
These words were undoubtedly a curse to the woman.
But her usual tactic was to retreat in order to advance, using her fragility as a weapon and pretending to be harmless while stabbing people in the back.
So even though she was extremely angry, she wouldn't scream and scold hysterically.
"Xiaoxun, I know you've never liked me, but the baby in my belly is innocent. I know I'm not worthy to be your mother. But considering that half of your blood comes from your father, and the baby in my belly also has half of his blood, you two are blood - related. How could you be so heartless as to instruct someone to curse your little brother like this?
This child is so young. She doesn't know anything. I don't blame her. But if you teach her to talk like this, when she grows up a bit, she'll surely offend people, especially in this imperial capital. If she offends someone she can't afford to mess with because of her mouth and ruins her whole life, what should we do?"
The woman's tears welled up in her eyes. She looked as frail as Lin Daiyu, as if a gentle breeze could blow her down.
Her words, though seemingly soft, were like needles. She shifted all the blame onto Shen Weixun.
Niannian's rudeness didn't bother her at all.
Whether in the past or now, hadn't she heard enough rumors and gossips?
As long as she could maximize her interests, what did it matter if she was scolded more harshly?
Hearing the woman blame Third Senior Brother, Niannian got angry. She put her hands on her hips and stood in front of Third Senior Brother, using her small body to shield Shen Weixun. "Third Senior Brother has never taught me these words. I said them myself. And I'm telling the truth. You don't have a good fate with children according to your facial features. Even if you're pregnant, you won't be able to give birth. Your previous miscarriages are proof of your fate, aren't they?"
"Another impertinent little girl! How dare you be so presumptuous in the Shen family!"
As soon as Niannian finished speaking, a menacing man walked out from around the corner.
This man was none other than Shen Weixun's father.
He glared angrily at Niannian.
The last time it was because of this little girl that he was kicked out of the house by his son, losing all his face.
Now hearing Niannian so confidently say that his child wouldn't be born, it made his blood boil.
Niannian still clearly remembered how Shen's father had bullied Third Senior Brother and even tried to beat him. This incident was deeply engraved in her mind.
Now seeing him appear, Niannian was even more merciless. "We were just walking with Third Senior Brother. This bad aunt came up to us on her own. Third Senior Brother said that a good dog doesn't block the way, and she's not even as good as a good dog. I didn't even blame her for being impolite. I gave her a free fortune - telling. How am I being presumptuous? You bad uncle, you're so unreasonable!"