Rebirth of Poisoned Empress, by 颜若优雅

Chapter 71

"Liangliang!" a lively greeting suddenly sounded. Shen Liang, who was gazing at the front gates startled and turned around. He immediately saw Xiang Zhuo and the others heading towards him and waving. 

"Don't be in such a hurry. It's not like I'll run off," laughing, Shen Liang nodded to Xie Yan and the others as what could be considered a greeting.

"We've been waiting for quite a while and even thought you wouldn't show up," after that day, Xiang Zhuo and the others couldn't rid their minds of Shen Liang. If it wasn't because their families were strict with them and supervised their actions, they might've already paid the Marquis Donglin Manor a visit themselves.

"Only you would do that. Don't drag us all down with you," before Shen Liang could respond, Yang Tianyu, the second son of the Minister from the Ministry of Justice sold Xiang Zhuo old mercilessly. Xie Yan and the others covered their mouths and chuckled unanimously. 

Xiang Zhuo flustered: "Do you even want to continue being friends?"

"Haha..." the group of youths laughed without scruples. The students who came and passed couldn't help but peer over curiously. No one noticed when two more carriages of the Marquis Donglin Manor pulled to a stop before the school gate. Shen Qiang and Shen Jing, who many people who gossip over not long before, exited their carriage one after the other. But today... the two of them looked at Shen Liang who wasn't far away and conversing with Xie Yan and others. Envy and jealousy coursed through their hearts but before public view, they didn't reveal it. The two of them still carried pleasant smiles on their faces.

"Fifth brother!" with a single call, the entire road fell into dead silence. Xie Yan and some of the others were fine, but Xiang Zhuo couldn't even bother to hide his naked disdain. Shen Liang only revealed a faint smile. And Shen Qiang and Shen Jing who took the initiative to call out to him headed towards him with a wide smile.

"Fifth brother, it's your first day reporting to Tianmen Academy. Why didn't you wait for us? Grandmother and the others were worried," when only a few meters separated them, Shen Qiang stopped to say. She still had on her smile and her voice had also been deliberately softened, but it was no longer as pleasing to the eyes and ears of the surrounding audience anymore. Rather, it felt fake. Her goddess-like facade and persona could be said to have completely collapsed.

"I am no longer a three- to five-year-old child. I have already told Grandmother yesterday that I would head here by myself. Where does seventh sister's concern stem from?" even now, she was still pretending. Shen Liang felt too lazy to bother with them. After perfunctorily throwing her a response, he was prepared to leave.

"Fifth brother, Grandmother is only concerned for you." but Shen Qiang wouldn't let him leave just like that. However, she was cleverer this time and brought out Grandmother with every sentence she spieled. It didn't seem unnatural, but anyone with intelligence could see that she was alluding Shen Liang was an unfilial person. That he had made his Grandmother worried and didn't care at all.

But with Shen Liang's current reputation, it would prove difficult to use this tactic to pour dirty water on him and tarnish his name. Besides....

"Guys, look! It's the Duke of Qingping and the Young Master Jing!"

The sound of horses sounded. No one knew who was the one who called out the sentence, but everyone looked over, whether subconsciously or consciously. They immediately spotted the excessively handsome figure donned in mauve Pei Yuanxian, and another equally attractive figure donned in white, Jing Xiran, approach on horseback. Many cries and shrieks sounded while other revealed an obsessed expression, including Shen Qiang, who was originally secretly annoyed. Shen Jing, who stood behind her without a sound the entire time, couldn't help but scold her for her foolishness in her mind.