Chapter 139: Jiang Lin Was Reborn

On the seventh day following the death, known as the "break of the seventh," it was time for the funeral procession. The Old Madame was still confined to her bed and unable to stand, so Shen Qingyun took charge of the entire proceedings, while Shen Sisi and Concubine Wang stood by in attendance.

Jiang Lin had also arrived, his gaze fixed intently upon Shen Qingyun, utterly unable to tear himself away.

Shen Sisi naturally noticed this scene, hating Shen Qingyun to the core. Her eyes turned red with fury, though onlookers merely assumed she was grieving for Shen Feng.

Having very little emotional attachment to the impostor Shen Feng, Wang Qingrui maintained the detachment of a bystander. Noticing the expressions of both Jiang Lin and Shen Sisi, she found the situation rather amusing.

As she looked at Shen Qingyun, she could not help sighing inwardly. As the saying goes, white mourning attire best enhances a woman's natural beauty. The simple, plain white mourning garments lent Shen Qingyun an air of ethereal aloofness. With only two simple wooden hairpins securing her hair and no cosmetics upon her face, her exquisite features remained breathtakingly lovely, and the trace of sorrow upon her expression instantly stirred a sense of protective pity in anyone who beheld her.

It was hardly any wonder that Jiang Lin could not take his eyes off her.

However, with numerous matters requiring attention today, Shen Qingyun had no mind to pay attention to such trifles. Who could have expected that just as she turned the corner of the veranda, Jiang Lin would suddenly appear and block her path.

"Sister Qingyun, how are you holding up?"

At the sight of him, a look of profound disgust surfaced in Shen Qingyun's eyes.

Zhenzhu hurriedly stepped forward. "Marquess Jiang, my young mistress is quite well. You would do better to return and show more concern for your own wife."

Jiang Lin's expression darkened somewhat. "Sister Qingyun, I am only worried about you."

Unwilling to pay him the slightest heed, Shen Qingyun stepped around him and prepared to leave. In his desperation, Jiang Lin reached out and grabbed her sleeve. "Qingyun, can't you stop and listen to what I have to say? You have no idea—I often dream of you lately. I... I dream that we were married, but I failed to cherish you, and every day I live with regret..."

Suddenly, Jiang Lin was sent flying by a single palm strike, crashing heavily against a pillar with a loud thud against the back of his head.

Simoliqu strode forward in a few steps and rebuked him coldly, "This prince believes the Marquess of Jiang has completely lost his mind, forgetting what day this is today. I shall personally discipline you on behalf of the late Duke of Shen. If you ever dare to harass Qingyun again, this prince will ensure you learn the true meaning of regret!"

Shen Qingyun had not expected him to arrive, and a faint, gentle smile touched the corners of her lips. "Your Highness, let us go. There is no need to waste your energy on a person of no consequence."

Simoli nodded and accompanied Shen Qingyun toward the front hall.

"Why did you come here?" Shen Qingyun asked, unable to restrain her curiosity as she led the way.

"I was worried about you. Hearing that someone from the Shen clan intended to cause trouble, I naturally had to come to the Duke's estate. When I arrived and found you absent, one of the concubines in your household told me she had seen the Marquess of Jiang follow you, so I hurried right over to check."

He had not expected to arrive just in time to see Jiang Lin harassing her; in that fleeting moment, he had half a mind to send Jiang Lin straight down to keep Shen Feng company.

A wave of warmth washed over Shen Qingyun's heart. Many people had come today, especially members of the clan. Seeing that only she and the Old Madame remained in the Shen household, they had all come under the guise of concern, hoping to take advantage of the situation, which had kept her perpetually vexed. Now, seeing Simoli, an inexplicable sense of peace settled over her.

Just as she had anticipated, upon seeing that the Prince of Li had personally come to pay his respects, not a single person dared to stir up trouble. They all quietly completed the entire procession, and their estimation of Shen Qingyun instantly rose.

They had originally assumed that with Shen Feng's death, Shen Qingyun would be doomed. Yet with the Prince of Li showing such a protective attitude, anyone wishing to give Shen Qingyun a hard time would have to weigh the consequences very carefully. Moreover, standing firmly behind her was the General's Manor.

Only after bidding farewell to the guests and the members of the Shen clan did the Duke of Shen's estate finally quiet down.

"Mistress, I've boiled some hot water for you. Why don't you go take a bath and relax later?" Yicui had also been busy all day and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Qingyun nodded, massaging her aching knees. Kneeling and walking all day had been genuinely exhausting.

Suddenly, Shen Sisi burst into the room in tears, raising her hand to deliver a slap. "Sister, how could you injure the Marquess? He has passed out!"

Han Shuang, standing behind her, intercepted Shen Sisi's hand in mid-air, firmly gripping her wrist while glaring at her with a heavy frown.

Shen Sisi had intended to use the commotion to stir up trouble, but upon seeing Han Shuang's icy demeanor and realizing that a mere maid possessed such formidable strength that her wrist could not be freed, a wave of panic began to set in.

Shen Qingyun signaled for Han Shuang to withdraw, then turned to Zhenzhu, who had followed closely behind, and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

Reassured only after seeing Han Shuang step down, Zhenzhu pouted and said, "Mistress, just as the Marquess and the Marchioness were about to leave the estate, the Marquess suddenly collapsed to the ground. With no other choice, he had to be carried back inside, and the estate physician has already been sent to examine him."

Could he not have waited until he returned to his own manor to collapse? Now it looked as though he were shamelessly trying to extort the Duke's estate. Zhenzhu even suspected that Jiang Lin had done it on purpose, perhaps trying to scheme some silver out of them.

Shen Qingyun shared the exact same sentiment as Zhenzhu—it was utterly wretched luck. But since the man had fainted within the Duke's estate, she could not simply ignore him and had no choice but to go and take a look.

The estate physician had just emerged from the room and, upon seeing Shen Qingyun, reported the situation: "Mistress, rest assured. The Marquess has merely suffered from excessive worry and fatigue; there is nothing seriously wrong."

Zhenzhu asked impatiently, "Then once he wakes up, he can leave immediately, right?"

The physician nodded. "He should wake shortly."

Shen Qingyun cast an exasperated glance at Zhenzhu. "Let's go inside and take a look."

Scarcely had they stepped into the room, before Shen Sisi could even begin her tearful complaints, Jiang Lin slowly regained consciousness, his gaze drifting around the room with a bewildered daze.

Tearfully, Shen Sisi threw herself onto his chest. "Marquess, you're finally awake! You worried me to death."

Although Jiang Lin had no idea what had happened, seeing Shen Sisi's tear-stained face filled him with a surge of heartache. "Sisi, what is it? Don't cry."

Shen Sisi froze. How long had it been since Jiang Lin had spoken to her with such gentleness?

She choked back a sob and raised her head, only to meet a gaze full of genuine concern—a look entirely at odds with his usual annoyance—leaving her utterly dumbfounded.

Shen Qingyun spoke with chilling indifference, "Since the Marquess is now awake, I must ask you to take your leave and return to your own manor."

Jiang Lin turned his head toward the voice and was instantly transfixed by Shen Qingyun's cold, aloof face. Incredulous, he asked, "Shen Qingyun, what has happened to you?"

Shen Qingyun's patience had worn completely thin. "The Marquess appears to be somewhat out of his mind. Eldest Sister, you had best take him back to the manor to rest properly."

"Shen Qingyun, how dare you speak to Sisi in that tone? Who gave you the audacity? Kneel!" Jiang Lin raised his chin and rebuked her harshly.

Silence fell over the entire room as everyone stared at him in utter astonishment.

Even Shen Qingyun was frozen in place for a moment. With acute perception, she sensed that something was amiss with Jiang Lin's demeanor; that haughty, overbearing tone seemed to seamlessly overlap with the Jiang Lin from her past life who had so utterly despised her.

Yet Jiang Lin remained completely oblivious to the bizarre atmosphere in the room. Seeing that Shen Qingyun was still standing there, his anger flared further. "Have you lost your witless mind? Did you not hear a word I just said?"