The Dagger is Unsheathed When the Map is Unrolled

"Mom."

"Are you okay? Please calm down."

Seeing this, Shen Yi quickly stepped forward, speaking in an appeasing tone.

Liu Huijuan looked at her son's face and felt an unfamiliarity she'd never experienced before.

She truly wanted to peel back Shen Yi's face to see what was inside—where had her once-so-honest son gone?

Liu Huijuan waved her hand dismissively and snapped,

"Stop."

"I'm not your mom, and I don’t have a son like you. I still want to live a few more years..."

"Hurry up and get as far away from me as possible."

Hadn’t she said it before? Two wasn’t enough—soon there’d be three, four, even five. And those words hadn’t even left her mouth a month ago.

Liu Huijuan shot a sidelong glance at Cheng Jun, unable to suppress her inner grumbling,

‘Look at this—three of them standing right here, popping up in the blink of an eye.’

Her heartache wasn’t entirely feigned. The Shen family was just a modest household—they couldn’t handle so many "immortals" causing chaos.

"Mom, I—"

Facing his mother’s scolding, Shen Yi wore an ingratiating smile.

"Everyone’s watching. Can’t you save me some face?"

Shen's Mother only grew more furious, glaring at him and shouting,

"You still care about face?!"

"Do you think what you’re doing now is something to be proud of?"

"Face is something you earn, not something you throw away yourself."

Unable to contain her anger, she kicked Shen Yi in the shin and barked,

"Get out."

"Go as far as you can. Don’t let me see you right now."

Seeing Shen's Mother’s temper flare again, Fu Nanzhi and Shu Yunyi, standing nearby, quickly tried to soothe her:

"Auntie, please calm down..."

"That’s right, it’s not good for your health. Scolding him a couple of times is enough."

Though Shen's Mother’s outburst had secretly pleased the two women, they still felt obliged to offer some comforting words.

Cheng Jun, meanwhile, was at a loss. This was her first time witnessing such a scene, and she wasn’t familiar with Shen Yi’s family. She could only sit silently in a corner, saying nothing.

"Ahem..."

Shen's Father, who had been standing by awkwardly, finally stepped in to mediate.

"Lower your voice. Say less, won’t you?"

"Fu Nanzhi, Xiao Shen, and this... Xiao Cheng are all here..."

He stumbled over Cheng Jun’s name—after all, this was his first time meeting her, or even hearing about her. It was only after Shen Yi whispered a reminder that he managed to say it.

"So what if they’re here? Look at the mess your son’s made!"

"If he dares to do it, why should he be afraid of people talking?"

Shen's Mother refused to back down, her words sharp and unyielding.

Sensing the fire might spread to him, Shen's Father quickly distanced himself.

"Hey, what does this have to do with me?"

"Don’t take it out on me—it’s not my fault."

With that, he hurriedly pushed the source of the trouble—Shen Yi—away, lest the flames reach him.

"Go on, get out of here."

"Go upstairs and stay there until your mom cools down."

With his mother in a rage, the three women only able to placate her, and his father now unreliable, Shen Yi found himself outmatched. He had no choice but to retreat to his room upstairs.

But he didn’t fully obey—once upstairs, he left the door slightly ajar, straining to listen to the commotion below.

Once Shen Yi was gone, the atmosphere eased considerably.

Liu Huijuan’s expression softened, no longer the terrifying scowl she’d directed at her son.

First, she turned to her right with a tender smile, making Fu Nanzhi’s heart flutter with delight.

Then, with her left hand, she patted Shu Yunyi’s hand reassuringly, making her feel valued and warm inside.

Shen's Mother’s skill at balancing attention was truly impressive—even Cheng Jun, shrinking in the corner during her first visit, wasn’t overlooked.

When Shen's Mother nodded at her, Cheng Jun was flustered but touched, offering a slight bow in return.

"Ah..."

To build up, one must first tear down. Sitting in the center, Liu Huijuan let out a long sigh.

That sigh sent a jolt through the women in the room, tightening their chests.

"All of you are first-rate young women, good girls..."

"The kind that’s hard to find even with a lantern in broad daylight."

"Tell me, what has that rotten boy done to deserve...?"

Fu Nanzhi leaned closer to Shen's Mother, hugging her arm as she spoke up for Shen Yi.

"Auntie, it’s not his fault. I’m here willingly."

Liu Huijuan smiled warmly. She had always held Fu Nanzhi in high regard—there wasn’t a single thing about her she didn’t like.

Shu Yunyi gritted her teeth, annoyed that Fu Nanzhi had beaten her to it. She quickly added,

"That’s right. Right or wrong, we made our own choices. Auntie, don’t upset yourself over this."

Liu Huijuan’s expression darkened slightly as she sighed.

"How can I not be upset...?"

"Since you’re all here, I won’t beat around the bush."

Her gaze swept across the faces of the three women before she suddenly turned solemn.

"Auntie wants to ask you one thing—do all three of you really have... a relationship with Xiao Yi?"

"He hasn’t done anything unforgivable... hasn’t deceived you, has he?"

The three women exchanged glances, realizing Shen's Mother was shocked by the situation.

Of course—any ordinary person would struggle to understand this scenario.

They couldn’t very well explain the intricacies to her, so they took turns reassuring her, trying to stabilize her emotions.

"No, no, Auntie, please don’t worry."

"Exactly! We’re all in this freely—there’s no coercion at all..."

"That’s right. Shen Yi is wonderful. How could he possibly do anything bad?"

"Ahem..."

Shen's Father, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly coughed, nearly crushing the beads in his hand.

This exchange shattered his worldview. He knew his son was two-timing, but he never expected that after meeting, the boats wouldn’t just stay afloat—they’d actively work together to steady the waves.

When he lifted his head, he met Shen's Mother’s sharp glare and immediately straightened up, falling silent.

Liu Huimin, satisfied with their answers, secretly gloated but maintained a sorrowful expression as she sighed.

"Ah, that foolish boy... What kind of nonsense has he gotten into?"

"Your uncle and I can’t control him..."

Then, pressing her lips together, she put on an apologetic face.

"To raise a child without teaching is the father’s fault. Here, Old Shen and I apologize to all of you on Xiao Yi’s behalf."

"We’re sorry. It’s all our fault."

With that, Shen's Mother stood, pulling a bewildered Shen's Father up to bow in apology to the three women.

The women were stunned. The sight moved them deeply, and they hurriedly rose to stop the elderly couple, exclaiming,

"No, no, no..."

"Uncle, Auntie, this isn’t necessary!"

"Right, right—there’s no need for this..."

Shu Yunyi and Fu Nanzhi flusteredly supported Shen's Mother, while Cheng Jun, closer to Shen's Father, helped steady him by the arm.

After much fuss and polite refusals, Shen's Mother—from looking ashamed to glowing with relief—was finally persuaded to sit back down.

After all the buildup, Liu Huijuan finally revealed her true intentions.

She muttered under her breath,

"Such good girls, all such good girls..."

"But there are three of you, and only one Shen Yi—this is just too chaotic, isn’t it?"

Then she shook her head and murmured,

"No, no, this is absurd."

Cheng Jun watched as Shen's Mother alternated between muttering to herself and speaking aloud, her own heart in turmoil. Finally, she spoke up:

"Auntie, why don’t you just say it plainly..."

"Yes, it’s alright. We can handle it."

Shu Yunyi and Fu Nanzhi chimed in as well.

Under their urging, Shen's Mother hesitated before stammering out:

"All three of you... are you... willing to be Shen Yi’s girlfriends?"