"How dare you hit me? Shen Qi, you damned little bastard, how dare you hit me!" Shen Yinyin covered her face, utterly incredulous, pointing at Shen Qi. "Fine, just you wait!"
Shen Qi stared at her own palm, almost frozen in shock.
She hadn't expected to actually strike Shen Yinyin either.
Given Shen Yinyin's temper and her mother's protective nature, it was bound to be—
Sure enough, before Shen Qi could react, Shen夫人's curses rang out from outside: "You wretched little wench, daring to hit Yinyin? What a despicable thing! Just wait till I deal with you!"
The moment the words fell, Shen夫人 stormed in from outside, furious. Without even asking what happened, she grabbed a green stone ornament from the shelf and hurled it at Shen Qi's head.
Shen Qi dodged swiftly, infuriating Shen夫人 even more. "Fine, fine, fine—you've grown wings and think you can fly, huh? You dare to dodge? Then I'll beat the one who can't!"
With that, Shen夫人 spun around, snatched a feather duster from a servant's hand, and swung it straight at Shen Lu's head.
"No!" Shen Qi screamed, lunging toward Shen Lu.
She turned and wrapped her arms tightly around Shen Lu, and the feather duster landed squarely on her back.
The next second, a searing pain shot through her entire back, making her convulse instantly.
Shen夫人 lashed out more than a dozen times, only stopping when she was gasping for breath.
Shen Qi clung to Shen Lu, her heart as cold as winter.
Shen夫人 spat venomously, "If it weren't for the fact that you still need to bear a child for the He family, I'd beat you to death today!"
Shen Yinyin wasn't about to let Shen Qi off so easily, pouting in displeasure. "Mom, look what she did to my face... We can't let her off lightly!"
Shen夫人 quickly soothed her. "Good Yinyin, once she's given the He family a child and we've paid off their debts, we can take revenge however we want."
Only then did Shen Yinyin cheerfully follow Shen夫人 out of the room.
After they left, Shen Qi collapsed like a dead weight, releasing her hold on Shen Lu and slumping to the floor.
In Shen Lu's eyes, dark as a deep abyss, something seemed to flicker. He reached out a trembling hand and gently touched Shen Qi.
It was the first time he had ever initiated contact with anyone.
"Xiao Qi," Shen Lu said softly. "Doesn't hurt."
Shen Qi's tears streamed down instantly. "Brother, it doesn't hurt."
Looking at Shen Lu's face, Shen Qi felt a bitter hatred for her own helplessness for the first time.
If it weren't for her incompetence, her brother wouldn't have to endure such humiliation.
"Brother, just hold on a little longer. Once I've saved enough money, I'll take you out of here. No one will ever bully you again." Through tear-blurred eyes, Shen Qi reached out and wiped the mess from Shen Lu's face.
Shen Lu sat silently on the floor, offering no response.
He had retreated back into his own world again.
Even though Shen Lu couldn't hear other sounds, Shen Qi still repeated over and over, telling him to eat well, sleep well, and cooperate with the doctor's training.
When she left the Shen residence, Shen Qi bid a reluctant farewell to Shen Lu amid Shen Yinyin's taunts, tears streaming down her face as she walked out the gate.
The moment she stepped through the doorway, Shen Qi clenched her fists, looked up at the sky, and forced back the tears in her eyes.
In that moment, she swore she would work hard to earn money—enough to cure her brother.
And never set foot in this devouring place again.