When Shen Meng’s footsteps gradually faded away, indicating that she had gone far, Liang Rong sat down on the stool next to Liang Jue. She toned down her previously frivolous attitude and appeared more serious, “Go ahead, what important matter do you want to discuss with me?”

“Remember a few days ago when I returned home? I stayed at the mansion for two days longer and asked you and mother for a favor.”

“Of course, I remember. What’s wrong? Did that girl mistreat you? Tell me, I’ll take care of it for you.”

“I already said it’s not that. Wife treats me very well. It’s just…” Liang Jue briefly explained the things he had investigated.

Liang Jue continued, “This incident, although partly due to the cunning of outsiders, don’t you think our mansion’s management is somewhat lax?”

“What do you mean?”

Liang Jue explained, “Father’s temperament is too kind. It’s too easy for people to take advantage of when I’m not around. The Liang family’s estate needs to be managed better to prevent problems from arising.”

The Liang family valued family ties, but they weren’t particularly faithful in matters of love. Although Mother Liang doted on her two legitimate children, she also had a few beautiful concubines. As for Liang Jue’s elder sister, Liang Rong, besides her legitimate husband, she had two other paramours.

Father Liang wasn’t soft-hearted; in fact, he was quite tough. The concubines Mother Liang brought in didn’t dare to make a peep in front of him. His only flaw was his sentimentality, but in Liang Jue’s eyes, even that couldn’t be considered a flaw.

Thinking about her own father, Liang Rong’s face showed a headache expression. “Where is Father soft? Just a few days ago, he had a fight with Mother and smashed a set of cups. Speaking of the mess in the courtyard, it’s because of you!”

Liang Jue asked her, “How is it my fault?”

“It’s because you’ve spoiled Father. You’ve been helping him with most of the daily chores. Now that you’re married, he’s having a hard time adjusting. Naturally, things are a bit chaotic in the mansion for a while.” Liang Jue’s ability to handle Shen Meng’s affairs wasn’t just because of theoretical knowledge; it was because of years of practical experience.

Since childhood, he had been assisting Father with household chores. Initially, he only took care of a small portion of the affairs, but later on, he basically took over all the household matters. During his marriage, he had wanted to hand over the affairs, but the mansion was busy preparing for his wedding, and Father didn’t have time to manage everything.

Liang Jue’s tone became heavier. “So it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have helped Father with these trivial matters in the first place.”

Liang Rong hurriedly waved her hand. “Don’t say that. You’re a great contributor to our family. You’re Mother and Father’s right-hand man. Without you, our mansion wouldn’t be managed so well. What I mean is, now that you’re married, Father keeps thinking about you, and he doesn’t have the energy to manage the affairs of the mansion properly.”

Liang Jue said, “Father knows how to handle these things much better than I do. He taught me everything I know. But as you know, he doesn’t want to deal with these troublesome matters, so he avoids them. He’s not getting any younger, and it’s time for him to enjoy life. While we feel sorry for him and don’t want him to be burdened, we can’t let the mansion remain in such a mess.”

Liang Jue was several years younger than Liang Rong. He was almost twenty years old now, and Father Liang was past middle age. They were both grandparents, and it was indeed inappropriate for them to hold onto power so tightly.

Liang Rong’s expression was slightly hesitant. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just as you think. It’s time for my brother-in-law to take over.”

Liang Rong seemed a bit hesitant. After a pause, she added, “It’s not that I don’t want him to take over. You know Father has some prejudice against him. I’m afraid he won’t agree. If he does well, it’s naturally a good thing, but I’m afraid he’ll make things even messier in the mansion.”

“Being afraid and not doing anything will never lead to success. I was very afraid that my wife would dislike me at first, but no matter how scared I was, I still begged my parents to propose to her for me. Do you understand what I mean?”

A smile appeared on Liang Rong’s face. “Got it, got it. I’ll go back and talk to Father, asking him to help your brother-in-law more. If he refuses, I’ll say it was your request.”

She paused and then asked Liang Jue again, “You called me here and even deliberately sent your wife away. It’s not just for this small matter, is it?”

For matters like this, Liang Jue could simply write a letter to the mansion, which would not only be convenient but also directly communicate with Father Liang, saving her the trouble of relaying messages.

Liang Jue shook his head. “Of course not, that’s just mentioned in passing. You happened to bring a message, so I don’t have to write a letter.”

“Then go ahead and tell me everything else you want to say. Since I was a child, I’ve always hated your way of beating around the bush.”

Liang Jue didn’t say anything but dipped his finger into the tea on the table and wrote down a name.

Liang Rong widened her eyes. “Are you saying that last time it was her?”

Liang Jue nodded briefly, briefly mentioning the incident without forgetting to mention Shen Meng’s cousin, Du Zhi. The latter, however, showed an expression of disbelief. “Are you sure there’s no mistake? It’s unlikely. Our family has no grudges with him. The Liang Mansion has always been cautious. And isn’t Shen Meng on good terms with him? Why would he target you?”

“This will require you, older sister, to investigate. My influence is limited, and further investigation will only alert the enemy. It’s up to you to find out their intentions and whether it’s him. I’ll trouble you with this.”

Liang Rong stood up. “I’ll go investigate. I won’t bother you at the mansion anymore.” She paced anxiously around the room, waiting for the news to sink in. Then she pushed open the door and walked out. Before leaving, she reminded Liang Jue, “Since you can’t investigate further, don’t worry about it anymore. I’ll make sure Father handles Du Zhi’s matter for you. He’s the most judicious and will definitely handle it properly.”

After saying this, she hurried away. In the corridor, she bumped into Shen Meng, who was carrying a book. Shen Meng greeted her, but Liang Rong completely ignored her and hastily walked away as if something terrifying was chasing her.

In her past life, she was often subjected to her elder sister-in-law’s disdain and coldness. Although Liang Rong’s attitude was better in this life, Shen Meng was even more accustomed to her indifference and didn’t think much of it.

Perhaps Liang Jue had told her something important. Shen Meng thought about this but decided not to go back and ask Liang Jue. After all, she couldn’t be completely honest with Liang Jue, and her feelings for him weren’t strong enough to know all his secrets.

Little did she know that if she had asked today, things might have turned out differently. Unfortunately, there are no ‘ifs’ in this world.