Chapter 110: Thunderstorm (2)

Shen Xiling smiled faintly, only then remembering Snowflake.

Yes, there was still Snowflake.

As a pet, surely Qi Yin would allow her to take it with her… But the kitten had always eaten expensive food in Fenghe Garden, and she might not be able to afford its upkeep right away. Even if money wasn’t an issue, she probably wouldn’t have enough time to care for it. Perhaps it would be better for Snowflake to stay here…

Shen Xiling sighed, sat quietly for a moment, then nuzzled the kitten’s face with her own, her sadness deepening.

In the end, she still had nothing, and she couldn’t take anything with her.

She glanced at the small box in her hand, forcing a bitter smile. After some thought, she still didn’t dare open it, just gently placed it against her chest, thinking: Maybe this is all I can take with me.

Another wave of tears welled up in Shen Xiling’s eyes, leaving her quite troubled.

She didn’t want to cry anymore, nor did she want to continue feeling sorrowful. Quickly tilting her head back to let the tears subside, she began considering how to leave this place.

She felt that it was necessary to properly bid farewell to Qi Yin. He had taken care of her for three years, and aside from her romantic feelings for him, she was genuinely grateful. If she left without a word, it would be inappropriate. Besides, Fenghe Garden was full of his people. Even if Shuipei and the others ultimately listened to him, without his consent, she wouldn’t be able to leave.

However, she didn’t know when he would return this time. Perhaps to avoid her, he would stay away for several more months…

Shen Xiling sighed inwardly, thinking it didn’t matter. She would start packing first. If he didn’t return after a while, she would write him a letter to discuss this matter. If he was willing to come back and say goodbye in person, that would be ideal. If not, at least they would have a farewell letter, avoiding an abrupt ending.

With her mind made up, Shen Xiling held Snowflake for a while longer, then rose with the kitten in her arms and stepped out of the room.

Shuipei truly hadn’t expected that their young mistress would continue eating her meals as usual on that day and the days following, contrary to their prediction that she would struggle to eat.

She didn’t cry, nor did she display any signs of sadness. She didn’t inquire about matters related to Master Qi, appearing calm as if nothing had happened.

But the maids had witnessed her tear-streaked face that day and seen Master Qi standing before her door with a complex expression. How could they truly believe everything was fine? They were even more anxious, sensing that something significant was about to happen.

However, since their young mistress remained calm, the maids, though uneasy, couldn’t send another message to Master Qi. It would be inappropriate to report, “Our young mistress is very calm, suspiciously so.” Even if Master Qi didn’t get angry, Qingzhu would likely throw them out.

The maids were troubled when, two days later, Song Haotang arrived at Fenghe Garden again.

Whenever this gentleman visited, something was bound to happen. This time, he brought shocking news: Manager Feng had committed suicide.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shen Xiling accidentally shattered a teacup. She remained stunned for a long time before finally finding her voice and asking, “…What did you say?”

Song Haotang lowered his head, his expression heavy with grief. Summoning the courage to glance at Shen Xiling, he gritted his teeth and said, “…He hanged himself. It happened three days ago, and today is the funeral…”

Shen Xiling was still in shock, unable to process the information.

Manager Feng…

Hadn’t she seen him just recently? Hadn’t she given him a sum of money to cover his losses? He had even promised to help persuade other shopkeepers to stand by her.

How could this have happened…? He was dead.

Shen Xiling felt dizzy, struggling to believe it. Forcing herself to steady her mind, she asked Song Haotang, “If this happened three days ago, why are you only telling me now?”

Song Haotang looked troubled, lowering his head as he replied, “The twenty-fourth was your auspicious ceremony. He died the day before. I…”

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiling furrowed her brows, anger rising within her. She scolded, “How could you be so foolish! Such a significant matter—how could you conceal it from me!”

Before Song Haotang could respond, a loud crash echoed through the hall as Liu Zi accidentally knocked over a grand chair. He scrambled to upright it, while the expressions of Shuipei and the others turned grim.

Shen Xiling’s mind was too chaotic to dwell on these anomalies. Turning back to Song Haotang, she asked, “It happened three days ago, which would have allowed for the wake… Is today the day of Manager Feng’s funeral?”

Song Haotang pursed his lips, glanced at Shen Xiling, and then nodded with great difficulty.

Shen Xiling took a deep breath, steadying herself against the table as she stood. The devastating news had weakened her legs, but she managed to compose herself, concealing her disarray. Her expression was resolute yet tinged with confusion she struggled to hide. Everyone heard her say, “Let’s go and pay our respects.”

Manager Feng had hanged himself in his previously vandalized fabric shop. His memorial hall wasn’t set up at home but in the shop itself. It was said that he had sold his family’s property to cover the shop’s losses, and since then, his family had been living in a small house behind the shop, in dire straits.

There weren’t many mourners, but it wasn’t sparse either—mostly relatives. His wife and eight-year-old son, both dressed in mourning attire, knelt at the entrance of the memorial hall, their faces filled with sorrow.

Shen Xiling’s carriage stopped nearby. Out of respect for the deceased, she alighted and walked to the memorial hall.

Accompanying her were maids Shuipei and Fengchang, along with Song Haotang and Liu Zi, making quite a presence. Seeing this, Manager Feng’s wife initially mistook them for oppressive aristocrats and clutched her son in fear. Shen Xiling quickly bent down to explain, saying, “Madam, please don’t be alarmed. I am a… business acquaintance of Manager Feng. My surname is Fang. I’ve come to pay my respects today.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Zi promptly presented silver ingots and mourning candles.

Everyone assumed Madam Feng would calm down upon hearing this, but upon hearing the name “Fang,” she burst into tears again, her emotions more intense than before, her eyes filled with hatred as she shouted, “Fang? You’re that Fang Yun?”

Before Shen Xiling could react, Madam Feng angrily cursed, “How dare you show your face here! How dare you show your face here!”

She released her tightly embraced son and lunged toward Shen Xiling like a madwoman, but was promptly restrained by Liu Zi and Song Haotang.

Despite being held back, she continued to struggle fiercely, reaching out as if to attack Shen Xiling, shouting accusations: “You’re the one who killed him! Because of doing business with you, he offended the guild! His shop was destroyed! That was his life’s work! They even threatened him, threatening to harm our child! Do you know that? Huh?”

Madam Feng wailed and struggled loudly. Shen Xiling’s heart raced, shocked and uneasy. Gazing at the almost deranged woman in pain, she could barely speak. After a long pause, she trembled slightly and said, “I didn’t know the guild would go this far. Manager Feng never mentioned it to me—if I had known, I certainly would have…”

Before Shen Xiling could finish, Madam Feng’s bitter laughter interrupted her.

Madam Feng looked at Shen Xiling mockingly, then spat at her, cursing, “Do you feel no shame saying that? You didn’t know? Of course, you didn’t! He came to your high-class mansion seeking your help, but you refused to see him! You even sent someone to drive him away! How cruel-hearted you are… He was working for you. How could you abandon him in his time of need?”

Exhausted from crying, Madam Feng collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably: “It wasn’t the guild that killed him—it was you, it was you…”

Shen Xiling was utterly speechless.

She didn’t understand what Madam Feng was saying, feeling completely at a loss. She wanted to defend herself, to say that Manager Feng had never come to see her, that she wasn’t irresponsible. But looking at Madam Feng and her son in mourning, she felt that all defenses were meaningless…

Shen Xiling turned her head numbly, seeing a coffin resting in the memorial hall—it must be Manager Feng’s. His body lay inside, forever separated from his family. He had been such a loving husband and father, reliable in business, not weak or incompetent. How much pain and helplessness must he have endured to choose hanging? And what had she been doing at that time…

Lost in thought, Shen Xiling suddenly heard more cries and arguments. It turned out that Manager Feng’s young son, seeing his mother collapse and cry, thought Shen Xiling’s group had bullied her. Despite his tender age, he already knew to protect his family in his father’s absence. Now, like an enraged little bull, he charged at Shen Xiling, his young face filled with hatred, trying to hit her.

He was restrained by Shuipei and Fengchang, but they couldn’t stop the hateful glare fixed on Shen Xiling. That gaze pierced her deeply, making her already hollow heart feel as if another large hole had been torn open, cold winds relentlessly pouring in, chilling her to the core.

She felt like an unforgivable villain, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong.

…What on earth was going on?

With the chaos in the Feng family’s memorial hall, Shen Xiling naturally couldn’t stay. In the end, she arranged for a generous sum of money to be given to Madam Feng as compensation and hastily retreated to her carriage.

It was dusk by then, but there were no brilliant rays of sunset—only rolling dark clouds and rumbling thunder, foretelling a torrential downpour.

Shen Xiling sat listlessly in the carriage, while Shuipei and the others wept and apologized before her.

Shuipei, usually the most composed, was also frightened, sobbing uncontrollably: “Young Mistress, this is my fault… Manager Feng indeed came to Fenghe Garden seeking an audience with you. But during those days, you were in low spirits. Seeing him appear as if ready to cry and make a scene, I feared he would upset you further, so I took it upon myself to turn him away—I never imagined he would take his own life because of it…”

Before Shuipei could finish, Liu Zi, standing outside the carriage, anxiously interjected: “No, no, Young Mistress, don’t listen to her. This is my fault. I was the first to stop him. It’s all my fault, entirely my fault…”

One by one, the servants and maids rushed to take responsibility, but Shen Xiling knew it wasn’t their fault.

It was her fault.

All of it was her fault.