If You Could Hear My Heart

“Out of line, let go of my hand!” Liu Rumei struggled fiercely to free her wrist.

Unfortunately, Shen Chi’s grip was too tight, and her efforts were futile.

Embarrassed before the servants, Liu Rumei’s face turned alternately red and white.

“You clearly don’t understand the rules of the Shen Family. Move your things to the west wing now, or don’t blame me if I throw them out!”

Each word Shen Chi uttered was laced with menace; he had already given her enough face.

“Let go of me, and we can talk this through. The rules of the Shen Family aren’t for you, Shen Chi, to dictate. We should wait for your father to return and discuss this!” Liu Rumei stood her ground.

It was her first day, and if the servants ridiculed her, how could she hold her head up in the Shen Family again?

Shen Chi’s grip on her hand tightened further, causing Liu Rumei’s brows to furrow in pain.

Xu Chaomu seemed to thrive on chaos, instructing the servants moving items, “Throw it out, throw it out, this vase is too ugly, this box too hideous, what terrible taste.”

“This…” The servants looked at each other, uncertain whether to stay or go. “You wouldn’t dare!” Liu Rumei wished she could jump up in anger.

These were all her treasures!

Liu Rumei had no way of dealing with Shen Chi, so she turned to Xu Chaomu and shouted, “Since when is it your turn to speak here? What are you exactly?”

Shen Chi tightened his hold and raised an eyebrow, “I spoiled her, so what?”

Xu Chaomu felt overjoyed inside.

Her face bloomed like a peach blossom in delight.

“Very well, there will be other days. Move everything to the west wing!” Liu Rumei finally conceded.

The servants all wiped off sweat and resumed moving items out.

Only then did Shen Chi let out a cold laugh and release his hold.

Livid, Liu Rumei stormed off. Everyone knew the western wing of the Shen estate was reserved for guests. By sending her there, Shen Chi was clearly showing he did not take her seriously at all.

One day, she would move back in!

Seeing that the living room had cleared, Xu Chaomu gleefully climbed onto Shen Chi’s neck.

“Brother Shen Chi, since when have you cared about me so much?”

Shen Chi smirked, “I did say, you have to look at the owner when you beat a dog, right?”

“Yes!” Xu Chaomu nodded vigorously. But something seemed amiss.

Pah, what beating a dog!

She’s not a dog!

Shen Chi pried her fingers loose, “Keep yourself in check, or else I’ll throw you out to the dogs for food!”

“Are you confusing me with Dabai? I’m not a dog. What’s this about beating a dog and watching the owner? Shen Chi, you’re a bully!”

“How could I mistake you for Dabai?” Shen Chi’s lips curled slightly, “You’re not as cute as Dabai.”

The next second, Shen Chi tossed Xu Chaomu onto the sofa and strode out. “…” Xu Chaomu thrashed and kicked. “Shen Chi, you bully!”

After moving her belongings to the west wing, still indignant, Liu Rumei made a call to Shen Cexian.

Shen Cexian offered her a few words of comfort but said little else.

As Liu Rumei busied herself in the western villa, the driver brought over her son and daughter.

Her daughter, Shen Yanrou, and her son, Shen Shihan, were both a bit older than Shen Chi. Shen Shihan was relatively quiet and cold by nature.

However, upon arriving at the west wing, Shen Yanrou began to complain,

“Can anyone even live here? The trees are taller than the building!”

“Talk less. Orphans from the orphanage are treated better than you,” Liu Rumei mocked coldly.

The conversation between mother and daughter was overheard by the servants, and of course, it also reached Shen Cexian.

When Shen Cexian returned home in the evening, a large table of dishes had already been prepared in the living room.

Xu Chaomu used to be at odds with Shen Chi, but now she took the initiative to sit beside him.

“Before we eat, I’m setting a rule!” Shen Cexian announced.

Everyone remained silent, quietly waiting for what he would say next.

“The order of seniority cannot be neglected. Although Adi is abroad, she is the oldest and will henceforth be the eldest sister. Yanrou is the second sister, and Shihan is the third eldest. As for Achi, you are the youngest, so don’t forget your manners when addressing others. Xu Chaomu, you should learn from this as well! ”

Shen Cexian’s words were definitive, spoken with a resolute and powerful voice that no one dared to interrupt.

The living room became so quiet for a moment that one could hear a pin drop.

“I can call the second sister and the third brother, but I’m afraid I can only address this lady as ‘Miss Liu,”‘ Shen Chi finally spoke, glancing indifferently at Liu Rumei.

“Oh, I’ve heard that the young master of the Shen Family, Shen Chi, studied at the best schools, yet he doesn’t seem to know how to respect his elders. I don’t expect you to call me ‘mom’, I can’t accept that honor. But what is this ‘Miss Liu’? I have never heard such a term before,” she retorted.

With Shen Cexian’s backing her, Liu Rumei’s voice grew louder by several decibels!

“Addressing you as ‘Miss Liu” is already a courtesy. I certainly don’t like people who don’t know how to accept a face-saving gesture,” Shen Chi’s tone was icy.

Sitting closest to Liu Rumei, Xu Chaomu’s eyes darted around, looking for an opportunity. Spotting one, she stepped firmly on Liu Rumei’s toes!

Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!

Liu Rumei grimaced in pain, gasping for air.

Normally she pretended to be virtuous and good in front of Shen Cexian, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and swallow the pain!

Acting as if nothing had happened, Xu Chaomu bowed her head to focus on the food in her bowl, yet her foot remained on Liu Rumei’s toe!

Shen Cexian had not yet spoken, but Shen Yanrou couldn’t hold her peace:

“How can you talk to my mom like that? She’s your elder, after all!”

“Brother Shen Chi’s elders are like Uncle Shen, wise and sagacious. Not just anyone is worthy of being Brother Shen Chi’s elder!”

Xu Chaomu was the first to respond, her words as merciless as her actions.

Liu Rumei, having already turned pale from the pain, was about to retaliate by pinching Xu Chaomu with her long nails when Chaomu shifted her foot, this time stepping on Shen Yanrou’s instep.

Shen Yanrou didn’t have Liu Rumei’s composure and let out a loud “Ah!” right away!

In her surprise, her elbow turned and a large glass of grape juice spilled all over Liu Rumei’s skirt. “Who stepped on me?”

Shen Yanrou stood up.

Everyone at the table remained expressionless, especially Xu Chaomu, who continued cutting her steak as though she was perfectly innocent.

She had just learned how to cut steak from Shen Chi, and it was an opportune moment for a little practice.

Liu Rumei also stood up, frantically trying to wipe her skirt with a tissue. Alas, the purple stain from the grape juice had already seeped into her red skirt, creating a mess.

“Xu Chaomu, was it you?” Shen Yanrou looked around and felt it must have been Chaomu.

“Was what me?” Xu Chaomu blinked her large, innocent eyes.

“Did you just step on me?” Shen Yanrou asked through gritted teeth.

“Enough! All of you, settle down!” Shen Cexian finally spoke up.

With a loud “slap” of his chopsticks, silence once again fell over the living room.

Xu Chaomu continued to cut her steak, passing the first piece she had cut to Shen Chi’s plate.

Shen Chi didn’t refuse and gracefully ate the steak Xu Chaomu had handed him.

Shen Yanrou pursed her lips and resigned herself to her misfortune.

Of course, there was one other person at the table who remained utterly composed.

Shen Shihan.

Throughout the ordeal, he had been mixing his fruit juice, indifferent to the commotion around him, displaying a cool detachment no different from Shen Chi’s.

Without saying a word, he calmly observed everything..