between them.The other hand reached out toward Jian Tong, Jian Tong instinctively flinched backward. Shen Xiu Jin spoke, "Don't move."Seeing Jian Tong was indeed much more well-behaved, Shen Xiuqin g..."Summer Butler, follow me."

As Summer Butler was about to close the villa's gate, a low voice came from behind him. Summer Butler's hand trembled slightly as he gripped the door frame. Before he could turn around, the dark figure had already crossed his face, stepped over the gate, and walked out of the house.

Xia Guanjia immediately followed silently, his head bowed slightly as he trailed behind him, always keeping a distance of less than a meter from the tall figure in front of him.

A master and his servant walked through the corridor, bypassing the villa, and heading towards the backyard.

The deeper the path, the further one walks.

The deeper the path, the more towering the trees lining the forest trail became, casting an even more eerie shadow at night.

Besides, winter has now set in.

All is silent, the trees bare and leafless.

Plump, plump~

Unseen birds flit their wings, occasionally leaping between the withered branches.

Sploosh!

Ominous.

Creak~

Xia Guanjia's heart skipped a beat, and despite his best efforts to maintain a composed facade, beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his weathered cheeks under the chill of the winter night.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a calm demeanor: “Sir, where are we going The ditch is just ahead.” Behind the back garden of Shen's manor, there was indeed a fairly sizable ditch. In daylight, it was surrounded by greenery and looked quite pleasant.

But at night, it was very eerie.

Summer Butler's heart pounded, his face paled slightly, and he refused to take another step forward.

The person in front turned around, and as they did, their foot landed on a dry twig with a snap.

"Uncle Xia."

Shen Xiujin opened his mouth, but instead of calling Xia the housekeeper as usual, he called out a long-lost "Xia Shu."

Summer Butler was suddenly stunned. After three seconds, he immediately raised his hand and waved, hurriedly declining: "Oh no, no, no!"

Shen Xiujian's pair of black eyes, with long eyelashes falling down, covered the thoughts in his dark pupils. He still managed to speak softly:

"Xia Shu has officially been my butler for over ten years, hasn't he"

He spoke softly.

Summer Butler nodded respectfully, "It has been quite a few years. It comforts this old servant to know that Master still remembers."

“Hmm~ Uncle Xia has been by my side for over a decade. I have just one question, Grandfather and I, each of us asks you to do one thing, these two things, are exactly the opposite. Uncle Xia, how would you choose” As she spoke, her long eyelashes suddenly lifted, her black eyes were incredibly deep, locking onto the old man across from her.

Boom!

Summer Butler's heart exploded!

What does this mean

How could Mr. suddenly ask him such a question out of the blue

A multitude of thoughts raced through his mind, yet the old steward did not reply immediately.

Shen Xiujin's dark eyes became even more obscure.

Take a deep breath and make the decision: "Uncle Xia, in another six months, according to the Shen family's rules, you will formally retire. Starting tomorrow, someone will take over your work. Out of respect for the past, spend the remaining half year resting here at the estate. Everything else will be handled by others."

The old housekeeper's face, it drained of all color!

"Master! What wrong has the old servant done The old servant... doesn't accept this!"

Shen Xiujin took out a cigarette from his bosom, lit it, took a puff, looked at the sky, his eyes filled with disappointment and regret. A mouthful of smoke lingered in his mouth before finally being slowly exhaled. The corner of his eye glanced faintly at the old man: "Xia Shu, you hate Jian Tong, don't you"

“I…!” I hate it!

But these two words, when faced with Shen Xiuqin, Xia the housekeeper just couldn't bring himself to say them!

“If I told you that I’m investigating Wei Ming’s death, trying to figure out exactly what happened that night. If I said that I believe Jian Tong is innocent. Uncle Xia, what do you think”

"Impossible!" Summer Butler's face changed drastically, hatred surging in his eyes: "Impossible! She absolutely couldn't be innocent! If it weren't for her, Wei Ming wouldn't have died!"

A pair of cold eyes had been watching Xia Guanjia's every move, noticing every subtle expression. Even though the ferocious look on Xia Guanjia's face was fleeting, Shen Xiujin couldn't pretend he didn't see it. "Look, you hate Jian Tong so much. How can I possibly entrust this mansion to you This mansion still has her living here."

Although Xia Guanjia hated Jian Tong, Shen Xiujin also felt a wave of relief because of Xia Guanjia's reaction... At least, from what he saw, Xia Guanjia should only have secretly reported to his grandfather about his investigation into the incident three or four years ago, and didn't know anything else.

"It's night. Uncle Xia, you should go back to sleep." Shen Xiujin loosened his fingers, the cigarette butt fell to the ground, and he walked away.

Before leaving, I glanced out of the corner of my eye at the small ditch behind me.

If Xia, the butler, had just hinted at the clues about his grandfather's involvement in framing Jian Tong three or four years ago, he would have already been dead, thrown into that ditch.

Summer Butler looked down at the cigarette butts still faintly glowing on the ground, with a few tiny red lights flickering in the night, looking quite eerie.

Then, he looked up again at the receding figure.

The vines of poison in my heart have spread throughout my entire body, from the limbs to the viscera. Every cell is screaming with hatred and vengeance.

"It's so unfair, to that silly girl Wei Ming, it's just too unfair." An old man stood among the trees, his lips cracking like dry bark, muttering softly to himself towards the cigarette butt on the ground.

……

"Squeak—" The door opened gently.

He didn't speak, walking straight into the bedroom. Without a word, he unbuttoned his shirt, taking it off piece by piece to reveal his solid and muscular waist. Without looking at the person in bed, he pulled open the bathroom door and went inside.

The child in bed stared blankly out the window until the sound of the bathroom door closing reached their ears, at which point they slowly turned their head to glance.

Then, slowly moved to the side of the bed, slowly rolled over, slowly curled up, and slowly closed his eyes.

Not long after, a rustling sound came from behind me. Suddenly, the bed beneath me sank sharply.

Her fist clenched tighter against her chest with a jolt.

As the heat source drew nearer, a sudden weight settled on her waist. A pair of powerful arms pulled her forcefully to the center of the bed.

Her shoulders stiffened, creaking as her upper and lower teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Can you... please just stop touching her!

Every minute, every second, is extremely difficult!

Is it love or hate, love and hate intertwined, tormenting her heart at all times... Shen Xiujin, can you please stay away from me

"From now on, no one will ever be able to hurt you again." A low voice, a little raspy, echoed in her ear.

"My grandfather won't do either…" Shen Xiujin said in his heart.

He knew she was innocent, yet he couldn't tell her. It involved his grandfather, how could he explain His grandfather had set the trap, and he himself had sent her to hell in a prison cell

That was her grandfather. If it was truly him who had set all this up back then, making her the scapegoat, then there would be no turning back between them!

He held her tighter, looking at the woman in his arms whose hair fell and covered most of her face. He silently said in his heart: "If everything is true, our Shen family owes you too much."foot of the bed, his long fingers carefully unbuttoning his white shirt one by one.Instinctively, she backed away until her back hit the headboard. The man, with a pair of narrow and long phoenix eyes...