Chapter 16

Madam Huo was not at the Marquis Manor. Could she go to see her mother? Once this thought took root, Shen Xuejin could not suppress it. However, she had not expected Madam Huo to station two guards at the entrance of the West Courtyard. Faced with such precautions, Shen Xuejin felt nothing but helplessness. She stood in the pavilion outside the West Courtyard, hoping to use the higher ground to catch a glimpse of the situation inside, but alas, the high walls of the manor kept her in the dark. Looking at the high-walled compound, a sense of desolation washed over Shen Xuejin. She did not care for her status as the legitimate daughter of the Shen family, nor did she wish to compete with Shen Wanya for anything. Living in the countryside, though meager, had been interesting and content. She envied the birds that could fly freely and choose any branch to rest upon, rather than being trapped in this walled enclosure, spending every day in suspicion and calculation.