Chapter 92: Bullying a Helpless Young Lady

Madam Shen’s voice was loud enough for those nearby to catch every word. At the neighboring table, a woman in a black dress couldn’t help but interject, “Your house was bought by your family, wasn’t it? You’re just staying there temporarily, letting your brother enroll smoothly—what’s the harm in that?”

“Exactly! Everything you eat, wear, and use comes from your family. Without their support, how could a girl who’s lived up in the mountains for years afford to buy a villa in West Mountain?”

“Daughters raised outside the family never form deep bonds, only thinking of themselves. So selfish!”

“We’re all family—why make things so unpleasant? If it were me, I’d definitely hand over the house. After all, SaiSai finally got into Petersburg Noble Academy, a school so many strive to enter but never succeed!”

Hearing the voices around them, Deng Meiru and Scholar Shen’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. They were using the crowd to pressure Shen Chutang into surrendering her house.

Shen Chutang smiled, her gaze drifting over the group. “Since you’re all so generous, why not offer your own houses for them to stay in? Wouldn’t that solve everything?”

She turned to the woman who had just spoken. “I didn’t expect Auntie to be planning a property purchase recently. Why not buy a place near Petersburg Noble Academy? Make it large enough to house my second uncle’s entire family.”

The woman immediately grew flustered. “Why should I buy your second uncle a house? That’s not my responsibility!”

Shen Chutang’s lips curved. “Now you’re making things unpleasant. Aren’t we all family? Why draw boundaries?”

The woman was instantly silenced, unable to reply.

Shen Chutang’s gaze swept over those who had spoken earlier. “It’s easy to sound noble when you’re generous with someone else’s possessions. If you’re so fond of moral coercion, why not step forward yourselves?”

The woman in the black dress tried again. “It’s not that we don’t want to help…”

“Then keep quiet.”

“You—!”

Scholar Shen barked angrily, “Shen Chutang, most people here are your elders. How can you speak to them like this?”

Shen Chutang covered her mouth, snickering. “Now you’re willing to step in, but where were you when they were speaking?”

“Was the West Mountain villa bought by the Shen family? I lived on the mountain all those years—did the Shen family ever give me a cent?”

“Last time, you came with moving boxes and tried to pry open my door without my consent. How is that any different from a thief breaking in?”

“And you had the nerve to invite me back home, only to prepare a storage room for me out of all those rooms. What, did you expect me to be grateful?”

Besides the relatives, many of the other guests were business associates. Initially, they watched with amusement, but now they realized—they were blatantly ganging up on a young woman with no backing.

They’d hoped that the pressure of public opinion would force Shen Chutang to yield. But to their surprise, she’d completely overturned their assumptions with nothing but her words.

Shen Tingting, annoyed by Shen Chutang’s calm and commanding demeanor, raised her voice, “Sister, must you be so harsh? Second uncle only needs the West Mountain villa for a while—just a temporary arrangement. If you don’t want to move, you can stay and live with him for a bit.”

Deng Meiru quickly chimed in, “Yes, we’re only borrowing it for a short time. Just help your second aunt out.”

Shen Tingting continued, “With so many rooms at home, how could they possibly put you in a storage room? But you—ever since you started seeing that young master from the Shi family, you moved into the West Mountain villa and began living with another man… Sister, won’t Young Master Shi be angry?”

Her words struck directly at Shen Chutang, insinuating she’d only moved into the villa because she was being kept by Young Master Shi—and implying she was keeping a gigolo in the villa.

In an instant, those who’d felt sympathy for Shen Chutang now changed their minds. They’d just been arguing that the villa wasn’t bought by the Shen family, but now suspected it was funded by another man.

Shen Chutang snorted coldly. “You’ve got it wrong. I bought the house after discovering there was no room for me at home. As for my connection with Young Master Shi, aren’t you well aware?”

“You caused the Shi family’s heiress to fall ill in the mall, then falsely claimed you’d saved her, pocketed a reward worth millions, and were exposed on the spot. It was Liu Shuhua who returned the reward. Both of you were thrown out of the heiress’s coming-of-age celebration—have you forgotten?”