CHAPTER 260: CHAPTER 258: DON’T YOU HAVE AN OLDER BROTHER YOURSELF?!

How should we handle Lu Ying?

Her long lashes cast a dense shadow at the corners of her eyes, like the intertwined moments of their shared time.

She and Lu Ying had been entangled for years. She could never fully love him, yet she couldn’t completely hate him either.

She slid the golden hairpin back into her bun: "Lu Ying has a spotless reputation both in court and beyond, with many supporters. Killing him outright would incite resentment toward Jiangnan from the officials and the common people alike. Brother, we can’t be the villains here. It’s better to place him under house arrest for now and wait to see how the Capital reacts."

"Fair enough." Luo Xibai chuckled again and said, "By the way, guess what I brought back for you?"

The maid brought out a bamboo basket and pulled back the brocade covering, revealing a barely month-old puppy inside.

Shen Yinning froze for a moment: "A puppy?"

"This isn’t just any ordinary dog!" Luo Xibai’s plump face glowed with excitement. "This is a Snow Mountain Wolf Dog, freshly bought from a Western Regions merchant! I have the most experience raising fierce beasts. Look, it’s pure white all over without a single stray hair, its facial features are well-shaped, and it has large paws and a strong build. It’ll definitely grow into a rare, robust animal! These wolf dogs are loyal to one master for life. Raise it well, and it’ll be worth ten or twenty guards in the future, ensuring my sister’s safety for a lifetime..."

The man rattled on and on.

His words seeped into Shen Yinning’s ears, gradually cutting through the years and intertwining with Shen Xingye’s voice:

——I got this dog from a hunter’s family. It’s not an ordinary dog; it’s a wolf dog favored by the mountain people! Look at its shiny coat and strong build. It’ll definitely be a great dog for guarding the house! I’ve heard that these wolf dogs are loyal to their master. Raise it well, and it’ll be more reliable than a human in times of danger, ensuring my sister’s safety for a lifetime...

A lifetime of safety...

Shen Yinning’s pupils reflected deep pools, and her nose tingled sharply.

In the end, she hadn’t been kept safe for life.

Her slender hand gently stroked the puppy’s head.

The little dog opened its bleary eyes, cocking its head in curiosity at Shen Yinning, and let out a soft "woof."

Its reactions were eerily similar to the puppy her brother had gifted her years ago.

Luo Xibai noticed Shen Yinning’s strange expression and grew nervous: "Sister, do you not like dogs?"

Shen Yinning shook her head: "I love them... Can I call this one Little Hatchet?"

Luo Xibai breathed a sigh of relief: "Of course! It’s yours, after all. You can name it whatever you like!"

He adored animals and had raised many wild beasts in his beast fighting arena.

Unfortunately, his two biological sisters not only disliked them but found them utterly repulsive.

Years ago, he had gifted a beautiful curly-haired Western dog to Xiang’er, only to be chased out that very day. Xiang’er had found it dirty, complained that it would soil her boudoir, and ordered him and his dog to stay far away.

He hadn’t expected the Shen family sister to share his fondness for animals.

Shen Yinning lifted the puppy out of the bamboo basket. The little dog, stout and plump from its mother’s nurturing, looked at her blankly before wagging its tail and eagerly chasing her skirt hem as it rippled like ocean waves.

Shen Yinning fed it a piece of ham, calling out brightly, "Brother, look! It already knows how to eat!"

Luo Xibai laughed: "It likes you."

Outside the study, in the corridor.

Luo Wanxiang stood by the window, watching the pair playing with the puppy, her face shifting between light and dark.

The elder sister was like that, yet the brother could still spare the mood to amuse Shen Yinning!

The garden had been in such an uproar last night, and even the brother-in-law had inexplicably sustained injuries. Ever since returning, the brother-in-law hadn’t gone to visit the sister, instead locking himself in his room as though something had provoked him, refusing to see anyone.

The house was in utter chaos, yet the brother still had the leisure to pamper that woman!

Shen Yinning’s sharp instincts detected Luo Wanxiang’s fierce and hostile gaze.

She pretended not to notice and continued playing with the puppy alongside Luo Xibai.

"Brother," she said sweetly, pressing the plate of ham into Luo Xibai’s hand, "You feed it."

Watching Luo Xibai feed the puppy with a beaming smile, a faint trace of warmth flickered within Shen Yinning’s phoenix-shaped eyes.

Luo Xibai had gifted her a puppy.

Her brother had gifted her a puppy too...

The two figures began to merge into one.

She knew Luo Xibai was someone else’s brother.

Yet, in this moment, she selfishly wanted to claim him, to keep him by her side.

She was never the kind, gentle, naive, or innocent girl people thought she was.

She was the villain.

"Bang!"

The door was violently kicked open.

Luo Wanxiang charged in with a fiery aura: "Shen Yinning! Are you so shameless, clinging to someone else’s brother all day long? Don’t you have your own brother?!"

"Xiang’er!" Luo Xibai reprimanded sternly. "How dare you speak to Sister Shen like that? Where’s your decorum as a young lady?!"

"Brother cares only about this harlot now and forgets me and Sister! This harlot knows better than respectable girls like us how to charm men, and you’re completely bewitched by her." Luo Wanxiang raged, "Our elder sister is still unconscious, yet you haven’t even gone to see her! What kind of elder brother are you?!"

"You–"

Luo Xibai was so furious he choked on his words.

When he had returned to Liang Garden, he had planned to visit Luo Wanzhao. But upon learning that her injury from the fall was due to her own scheming attempt to frame his Shen family sister, he changed his mind.

He couldn’t understand what Shen family sister had done to deserve such bullying from his two sisters!

Shen Yinning cradled the puppy as she stood beside Luo Xibai, her voice soft and melodious: "The Princess fell from the building and is still unconscious. Since the physician advised she needs rest, how could Brother go and disrupt her peace? Not to mention, Brother is not a healer; his visit would bring no benefit, only disturbance."

Luo Xibai hurriedly nodded: "Exactly! Xiang’er, didn’t you hear? Sister Shen speaks absolute truth!"

"You–" Luo Wanxiang stomped her embroidered shoes fiercely. "Brother, I’ll ask you one last time: Are you staying to keep company with this harlot or coming with me to visit Sister? If you don’t come today, Sister and I will no longer recognize you as our brother in the future!"

"Xiang’er!" Luo Xibai exclaimed in distress.

"Brother has been overwhelmed with official duties lately, bearing tremendous stress. Xiang’er, must you drag him into our affairs as well?" Shen Yinning’s voice was soft and measured, forming a stark contrast to Luo Wanxiang’s vehement shouting. "Although Brother is a great hero, he’s still human. He has burdens too. All he seeks is a moment of peace here; why must Xiang’er insist on forcing him?"

Luo Xibai nodded repeatedly, gazing at Shen Yinning with overwhelming gratitude, his plump face filled with emotion.

It was as though only this girl understood him and truly empathized with him.

Shen Yinning turned to Luo Xibai, her tone velvety and tender: "Brother, I’ll personally cook spring pancakes for you tonight. How about that?"

"Great, great!" Luo Xibai rejoiced, sighing, "Meeting Sister Shen made me realize there are such kind and thoughtful sisters in this world!"

Seeing she couldn’t get a word in edgewise, Luo Wanxiang ground her teeth in fury.

These men were blind, unable to see that Shen Yinning was merely a scheming harlot who loved seducing men!

Only she and her sister could see through her!

To protect this family, she had to find a way to eliminate her!

Since her brother-in-law and elder brother couldn’t be counted on, it seemed she would have to turn to Lu Qianqian for help.