Grandpa Shen was clearly displeased at what he’d heard. When he received the news that his granddaughter, Shen Minyao, had lost her way in the wilderness while being on Shen Qing’s party, he refused to believe it. After all, he was the one who had looked after Shen Minyao for five long years after her mother had left without a word and before Shen Xin had his second marriage with Cheng Lifan. 

The young Shen Minyao had been taught how to do basic survival skills during her childhood years as part of her training. She was versed on finding the right way just in case she got lost… so for Grandpa Shen, it was impossible for their Xiao Yao to get lost at Qingqiu Mountain. 

He would have believed if it was Shen Qing who got lost instead of Shen Minyao, for that girl had been spoiled rotten by her parents. Shen Qing had never received the same education given to a young miss like her by the Shen family. 

Shen Xin gave his daughter a fierce glare, but he wouldn’t dare to reprimand her in front of his father. Why was she even calling him ‘Papa’ now? Hadn’t she made sure to call him ‘Father’, clearly distancing herself from him for over the years? 

“It’s nothing serious, Father. Nothing we can’t deal with on our own,” he told Grandpa Shen. 

“It’s a serious matter, Papa. We are talking about my future, right?” Shen Minyao contested. “How can you say it was nothing serious?” 

“Right! That Su Yin isn’t worthy of my Yao Jie anyway. Why should she marry someone like him?” Unexpectedly, Shen Qingyuan took his sister’s side, surprising the fox woman. Taking a look at his handsome, arrogant face; the fox woman knew that this mischievous child would surely make a lot of women chase after him once he grew up. 

“Xiao Yao, if you aren’t happy being with Su Yin, then you don’t have to marry him in the future,” Grandpa Shen said with a gentle tone towards Shen Minyao before he regarded Shen Xin. 

“Do you see it now? I told you it was a bad idea to get your daughter engaged with the second young master of the Su family.  What were you thinking—agreeing to such an arrangement? Go and cancel Xiao Yao’s engagement. How could you allow Qing’er to bully your own child?” 

Everyone aside from Shen Xin wanted the engagement to be canceled. Cheng Lifan was already displeased by what Shen Qing and Shen Qiu did to her stepdaughter. The fox woman paid attention to her host’s father, and she could tell why Shen Xin was treating his own daughter like this. 

She couldn’t sense any love or care coming from this man. If anything, Shen Xin only felt disappointment whenever he looked at his own daughter. Perhaps he’d never gotten over the fact that his first wife, Shen Minyao’s biological mother, had abandoned the two of them, and the mere sight of his daughter was enough for Shen Xin to remember her. 

Shen Xin was taken aback. He didn’t expect his daughter would raise the issue about her engagement with Su Yin. Initially, he wanted to cancel the engagement as soon as he heard that Su Yin had gotten involved with his niece, Shen Qing. 

However, just the thought of what he could lose in the future—along with his connection with the Su family; Shen Xin wasn’t willing to do it anymore. He thought that it might just be a misunderstanding between his daughter and his niece. He had never thought Shen Qing’s scheme towards his daughter had caused her to lose her life so early. 

“Papa shouldn’t worry too much. If anything, the Su family needs us more than we need them.” He heard his daughter speak meaningfully. Something about how she spoke and drank her tea in a regal way made Shen Xin wonder just how much his daughter changed since her return. 

Furthermore, what Shen Minyao said made sense. The Su family was among the four most influential families in Jiang City, but they didn’t have many financial resources compared to the other three families. If Su Yin ended up marrying Shen Minyao, wouldn’t that mean the Su family would not only gain financially… but also uplift their influence within the society? 

“Fine. If that’s what you want. I would arrange a meeting with the Su family to discuss it. You better not regret this decision of yours, Yao’er.” He conceded. The Su family’s weakness was money, and the Shen family wasn’t willing to churn out just because a Shen daughter married into their family. If the Su family thought of taking advantage of them by proposing the engagement between Su Yin and his daughter before, they must be dreaming! 

The end of Shen Minyao’s lips curled into an evil smile which she hid behind her teacup. Looking at everyone’s expression, she understood the dynamics of this family. She lowered her eyes and smirked. Except for her idiotic father, Shen Minyao was obviously adored by the rest of the family. 

“I would never regret it, Papa. I’ll make sure of it,” she spoke with a soft voice, assuring Shen Xin and the rest of the family. 

It was only after that the dishes had been served. The dishes were visually appealing, but the fox woman knew that it would never be enough to satiate her growing hunger. She had been awake and freed for days now, and the only time she had eaten a decent meal was when she devoured the bland livers of the three hired killers who attempted to assassinate her human contractor. 

Ah, she would need to hunt for her own food soon! She needed to regain her strength as soon as possible.

“Xiao Yao, I asked the housekeepers to prepare your favorite foods since you rarely come home and join us on meals,” Grandpa Shen said dotingly, while Shen Qingyuan grinned back at his elder sister.