Ai Ye’s face turned pale on the spot, and he immediately knelt down to Liang Jue, saying, “I have never had such thoughts.”

It would have been better if he hadn’t knelt, but when he did, Liang Jue’s expression became even more unsightly.

Shen Li wore a smug smile on his face, appearing like a kindly elder. He came over and pulled Ai Ye, who was kneeling, up forcefully, saying, “Look at you, why are you so frightened? Your master is kind-hearted. How could he make things difficult for you!”

His words were full of sarcasm, and Ai Ye realized his mistake, making his face even more unsightly than before. However, his rationality told him that showing such an expression at this time would only provoke Liang Jue further. He forced a smile, trying to make his face appear softer.

But if he had a mirror in front of him, he would have noticed that his smile was worse than not smiling at all. He looked sarcastic, smiling but not really, appearing more like he was mocking.

After all, he was just a servant, and there wasn’t much room for him to speak his mind. Shen Li quickly redirected his gaze back to Liang Jue. Although his face still had a gentle smile, his words were like sharp knives, piercing straight into Liang Jue’s heart: “I’ve been so busy lately with Xiang’er’s wedding that I’ve had less time to take care of Shen Meng.”

He sighed and sat down, placing his hands on the cane he usually used, adopting a solemn attitude. “As you know, I’m not Shen Meng’s biological father. They say being a stepfather is difficult, but I dare say that I’ve treated Xiang’er and Shen Meng equally. So even now, she still respectfully calls me ‘father’ every year. Am I wrong?”

Although reluctant, Liang Jue had to acknowledge this fact: “You’re right.”

Shen Li continued, with a hint of warmth in his smile, but his words were like icy winds in winter, stabbing directly at Liang Jue’s heart: “During this period, I’ve been focused on Xiang’er’s marriage. There’s been less attention on Shen Meng’s side.”

Even though Shen Xiang had been married off, Shen Li still couldn’t stand the fact that Shen Meng’s father was absent. He already had some resentment towards Shen Meng’s father, and Shen Meng’s mother often compared him unfavorably.

Initially, Shen Li wanted to cause trouble for Shen Meng, but Shen Meng was young and had a strong personality. Moreover, he was cold and indifferent, making it difficult for Shen Li to play the role of a loving father.

Furthermore, when he first arrived, he wasn’t stable and couldn’t gauge the attitude of the people around him. He didn’t dare to make any big moves. Later on, when his own children were born, he had to take care of them as well, making it even harder for him to come up with malicious schemes.

He also cared about his reputation and knew that his children’s reputation was tied to his own. For the sake of his children’s future and marriage, he had to reluctantly play the role of a passable stepfather.

Although material wealth was not lacking, there was no love to be found. If he had a child who desperately sought love, their personality might have been twisted. Now that Shen Xiang had married, he had fewer things to worry about, and the greatest joy for him was to make Shen Meng and Liang Jue uncomfortable. The more uncomfortable they were, the happier he felt.

When Shen Meng returned home, she noticed that the atmosphere in the courtyard was unusual. Not to mention anything else, the lamp in her study was usually lit up even if Liang Jue didn’t personally come to greet her. The orange light cast flickering shadows on the window paper, giving warmth to the slightly cool autumn day.

But today, not only was the room dark, but the entire courtyard had a gloomy atmosphere. She sniffed and detected a sweet, powdery scent in the air.

Although she felt strange, this was still her home. She slowed her pace, hesitating when she reached the door. Despite preparing herself mentally, when she pushed open the door, she was still stunned by the scene before her.