Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Can’t Be Heartless
As soon as Lu Shaoping finished speaking, the three members of the Lu family turned their gazes back to Shen Nian.
Shen Nian knew that of the three Lu family members, Lu Shaoping was the wisest and most rational. His earlier reaction to Qin Xueling’s slander had already made that clear.
Therefore, far from being offended by Lu Shaoping’s question, Shen Nian was actually rather grateful.
Shen Nian knew it wouldn’t be easy to dispel the Lu family’s suspicions about her, and Lu Shaoping had just given her the perfect opportunity to do so.
"Dad, I know I’ve made you worry. But please, rest assured, I see things clearly now. I understand that Lu Cheng’s job is to protect the safety of many people! That’s why I’m proud to be his wife! And most importantly, I have a heart. I can feel that Lu Cheng, and all of you, are good people. No matter how immature I was before, I can’t be completely heartless, can I?"
’To reassure Father and Mrs. Lu, she naturally had to say something, but she couldn’t overdo it.’
’She couldn’t just blurt out that she was deeply in love with Lu Cheng now, that she would never leave him and would always be good to him! If she really said that, she’d probably just scare the Lu family away!’
"I know I’ve made a terrible impression on you because of my past behavior. Perhaps no matter what I do, you’ll always hold it against me, always feel that I’m not a worthy daughter-in-law. This is a bitter pill of my own making, and I have no one to blame but myself. I will do my best to make up for my past mistakes. However, while I’ll admit to the things I’ve done wrong, I will absolutely not take the blame for things I haven’t done! As for the incident with Qin Xueling, it was my own poor judgment that caused such a mess, so I suppose I brought that on myself. Dad, Mom, I’m very grateful that you at least gave me a chance to explain. Whether you truly believe me now or not, I believe that time will prove everything."
After saying this to Father Lu and Mrs. Lu, Shen Nian turned to look at Lu Xinyue.
From the moment the tables had turned, Lu Xinyue had been standing there stunned, saying nothing. She wasn’t stupid; she knew in her heart that this time, she had been truly in the wrong.
Her guilt only deepened after hearing the exchange between Shen Nian, Father Lu, and Mrs. Lu.
It was true that she disliked Shen Nian. She felt Shen Nian didn’t love her brother and was unworthy of him and their family, which was why she’d wanted to drive her away.
But she had never imagined resorting to framing someone like that!
So when Shen Nian’s gaze fell upon her, Lu Xinyue felt a sudden, inexplicable panic.
"Xinyue, I know you don’t like me. I know you’ve always wished you could drive me out of this house. It’s my own fault you feel that way, and I don’t blame you. But you’re not a child anymore. Do you really not understand the implications of what happened today? If I hadn’t been able to prove my innocence, what do you think would have happened? My reputation would be in tatters, and I’d be scorned by everyone. But do you think the Lu family’s reputation would have fared any better? Have you thought about that? If you haven’t, then you need to think long and hard about it today."
’Shen Nian knew her sister-in-law wasn’t a bad person at heart, just stubborn and a little simple-minded. People like her were the easiest to manipulate!’
’She had to give her a harsh wake-up call now. Otherwise, with a personality like Lu Xinyue’s, she was bound to suffer for it sooner or later.’
"Dad, Mom, I was out for a long time today, and so much has happened since I got back. I’m a little tired, so I’m going to my room now."
Without waiting for the three of them to react, Shen Nian turned and went straight to the room she shared with Lu Cheng.
’She needed to cool down, and she figured they did too. After all, the day’s events had been overwhelming, and they all needed time to think things through.’
"Xiao Nian, Xiao—"
