Chapter 155: Chapter 124: Shang Family Adopted Daughter

"Miss, Miss!"

Jiang Shi impatiently pulled the quilt over herself, but it was quickly lifted off: "Miss, wake up, you can’t sleep anymore!"

"Hm?"

Jiang Shi rubbed her eyes and got up, locking eyes with the maid for a while. Suddenly realizing something, she snapped awake: "What time is it now?"

"It’s already Si Chou!" The maid said anxiously, "The patriarch is calling for you. Hurry up and wash up, don’t keep the patriarch waiting!"

Jiang Shi hastily dressed and washed, inwardly complaining about how she could have fallen asleep.

Yes, after returning from the Thief’s House last night, Jiang Shi was changing her clothes while sitting on the bed, and as she changed, she ended up in her underwear and squeezed into the quilt, intending to take a nap.

So many things had happened—her father was injured, the Imperial Palace was robbed, the whole Jiangnan City was thrown into chaos. Anyone who knew the inside story couldn’t sleep, yet she could sleep so soundly, without a care, without worries.

Perhaps knowing the road ahead, even if the sky outside were to fall, there wouldn’t be the slightest worry in her heart.

When Jiang Shi arrived at the study, she found not only her third brother Shang Qia was there, but also sitting nearby was a tiger-faced girl, Qian Gongyu, with a sleepy face.

Qian Gongyu stood up excitedly upon seeing her, her round beast ears even swelled a bit, just like a cat that’s not seen its owner for a long time, wanting to hug Jiang Shi and meow. Luckily, knowing there were others present, she restrained her excited emotions, sat back down, and vigorously waved her paw in greeting to Jiang Shi, her face full of joy.

"Xinlei, you got up a bit late today."

After a turbulent night, Shang Xuanwen’s first words upon seeing his daughter were unsurprisingly a criticism of her poor schedule, but knowing Shang Xuanwen’s character, no one found it strange.

Jiang Shi noticed that although her father looked unwell, he was full of energy, and there were no visible injuries on his exterior. She felt relieved—all her worries about Black Wolf and White Fox were overestimated; her father could indeed handle them.

"Where did you go last night? Do you know that the Young Master Qian went out privately to look for you all night in Jiangnan City? You came back without saying a word, making us look for you for a long time."

Jiang Shi was startled, glanced at the nodding off Qian Gongyu. Hearing herself being talked about, Qian Gongyu suddenly showed a big smile, as if very proud, making Jiang Shi for the first time doubt whether being friends with such a fool was a poor judgment.

Originally, Jiang Shi didn’t want to expose her whereabouts, intending to complete her task quietly and return home unnoticed.

Now, not only had her father discovered she went out at night, but Qian Gongyu’s breakout compounded the mistake, uncertain of how her father might punish her.

She couldn’t help but recall Jiang Shi and Qian Gongyu’s interactions, which were often commands like "Miss, move." Before, she thought Jiang Shi was being rude, but now she felt perhaps this was the right way to handle a fool—the fool wouldn’t understand social etiquette. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Although this time the fool good-heartedly messed things up... ultimately, she’s Jiang Shi’s fool.

"Please don’t punish Xiaoyu, Father." Jiang Shi said calmly, "If you must punish her, punish me first. If you’re punishing me, then you can’t punish her."

Both Qian Gongyu and Shang Qia were stunned, about to say something, but Shang Xuanwen asked first, "Why?"

"Because she is my friend. If she is humiliated, I will feel hurt; if she is injured, I will care for her. She escaped from Shuiyue Pavilion for me, so I cannot let her be punished. Otherwise, not only will my conscience suffer, but I may also lose this friend." Jiang Shi felt much relieved after saying this. She looked at her father earnestly and said, "I have few friends... I don’t want to lose Xiaoyu."

"If father insists on punishing her, I cannot stop it, but I will rebel in my own way, such as living with her at Shuiyue Pavilion through thick and thin. I won’t watch my friends suffer injustice."

Father and daughter stared at each other, the atmosphere suddenly tense.

Shang Qia wanted to speak but was silenced by a glance from Shang Xuanwen, only able to sigh and close his mouth.

"No merit, no reward; that’s Shang Family’s rule." Shang Xuanwen asked, "What do you plan to offer—"

"I am not making a plea to you as the Chancellor," Jiang Shi interrupted him, "I am making a request as a daughter to her father."

"Father, I’ve made my stance clear. However, if you continue to disregard my feelings and act arbitrarily... I will resent you."

Shang Qia sensed trouble, hurriedly interjected, "Xinlei, how can you speak to father like this? Quickly apologize."

"I won’t apologize, Father is wrong!" Jiang Shi stubbornly said.

Although both she and Yan Qing believed their father loved his children, when faced with such a confrontation, Jiang Shi still felt uncertain. What if her father couldn’t tolerate her rebellion? What if her father held onto his pride and refused to admit fault? After all, he was the Chancellor of Da Liang and the patriarch, praised by everyone, never shown disfavor. He’d held power for so long, he might have been molded into a political creature by the power itself.

Yet Jiang Shi still resolutely decided, unwilling to remain a child forever; she had grown up. Even if the path ahead was thorny, even amid storms, she would face it, because growing up is like this.

However, what she awaited wasn’t a storm, but an embrace almost on her face.