The hand clutching the armrest of the chair grew tighter and tighter, but Shen Qiunong never lifted her head.
"A pitiful little girl lost her parents, became an orphan, and was adopted by her uncle and aunt. Unfortunately, her aunt was cruel, often beating and scolding her. The poor little girl’s body was covered in bruises, she didn’t have enough to eat or clothes to keep warm, and there was endless housework for her to do. But fortunately, she met me."
Shen Qiunong trembled all over.
Yu Ruohuan looked down at the elder’s lapse in composure with a detached sense of enjoyment. Her voice was soft to the extreme, yet like a venomous snake coiled around one’s neck, it made chills run down the spine.
"She’s very beautiful. If you look closely, her features resemble yours, and she’s quite clever—probably inherited her grandfather’s intelligence. What a pity, though. Fate dealt her a cruel hand, didn’t it? With such a background, tell me, how should I torment her to be worthy of the lecture you gave me today?"
Shen Qiunong took a deep breath. "What do you want to do?"
"The token of your betrothal agreement with the Gu family back then—the jade pendant."
Shen Qiunong shook her head. "Do you think that, with the jade pendant, the Gu family would acknowledge the marriage contract?"
"You old hag, don’t think I’m negotiating with you. Hand over the jade pendant, and your granddaughter will live. Otherwise, you two can reunite in the underworld."
Shen Qiunong was silent for a while, then sighed deeply. "The jade pendant isn’t with me."
Yu Ruohuan immediately pressed her, "Where is it?"
"I want to see her."
"Fine, but you need to tell me where the jade pendant is first."
Shen Qiunong remained silent.
Yu Ruohuan grabbed her by the collar, forcing Shen Qiunong to lift her head.
A pair of unfocused eyes, dull and lifeless—Yu Ruohuan inexplicably felt a chill run down her spine. Steeling herself, she barked harshly, "You’re not qualified to negotiate with me."
"That child’s life means nothing to you. If you wanted to kill her, you would’ve done so long ago. But the jade pendant—it’s your most crucial bargaining chip with the Gu family. Surely, you can weigh what’s more important in your heart."
Shen Qiunong brushed off her hand, adjusted her collar, and calmly waited.
Yu Ruohuan clenched her fists, inwardly cursing the old hag, suddenly realizing that the tables had been turned.
She blamed herself for losing patience and revealing her trump card too quickly.
Yu Ruohuan glanced around the room.
"Such an important item as the jade pendant—how could I possibly carry it with me? It’s hidden in a place no one knows about."
Shen Qiunong spoke lightly to remind her.
"Fine, wait here."
Yu Ruohuan turned and strode away.
As she opened the door, her eyes immediately fell on the woman standing outside the room. She narrowed her eyes.
"Where’s Guo Cui?"
The woman replied, "She’s sick and is resting in the adjacent room."
Yu Ruohuan glanced at Jiao Long.
Jiao Long nodded and walked quickly to the adjacent room.
Half a minute later, Jiao Long came out of the room, gently shaking his head.
Yu Ruohuan looked at the honest and simple woman standing before her, then turned and left quickly.
The guards repaired the wooden door as fast as they could. By the time Yu Ruohuan stepped out through the threshold, the doors of Silent Garden had been sealed once more.
Shen You’an turned and pushed open the door to enter the room.
She instantly saw Shen Qiunong collapsed on the floor, tears streaming from her parched eyes, tracing desolate trails down her cheeks.
She sat there lifelessly, as though she had lost her sanity.
"Grandmother."
Shen Qiunong trembled violently upon hearing the term.
She hastily grabbed the hands of the person before her, touching her arms, her face, trying to trace her features with trembling fingers.
"An’an..."
This time, Shen You’an froze in place, staring at the old woman before her in utter disbelief.
Shen Qiunong’s hands were frantic yet gentle, as though she feared hurting her.
Her fingers brushed against the cold surface of eyeglasses, jolting her into sudden clarity.
She froze abruptly.
"You’re Keke."
Not An’an.
It took Shen You’an a long while to find her voice, and she asked hoarsely, "Who is An’an?"
Shen Qiunong smiled tenderly. "She’s my granddaughter."
"You have another granddaughter?"
"The young lady just told me. She could lie to me about other things, but about this—she has no reason to fabricate it. Besides, I can feel it deep inside..."
Shen Qiunong placed her hand over her chest. "She’s very close to me now."
"What if she was deceiving you?"
"Impossible," Shen Qiunong said fiercely.
She seemed like someone drowning, desperately clutching at a life-saving straw.
In the face of despair, she’d glimpsed hope.
No matter how self-deluded, she wouldn’t let go.
Immersed in her emotional fervor, Shen Qiunong didn’t hear the nasal hesitation in the voice alongside her: "Did the young lady tell you her name was An’an?"
Clearly, she had heard just now that Yu Ruohuan hadn’t mentioned the name An’an from start to finish.