Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

Shen Chuning walked out slowly with a smile. That smile was like the warmest sunshine in spring, instantly dispelling the slightly tense atmosphere.

She bowed slightly, trying hard to suppress the upward curl of her lips, and said to Wang Haiquan standing in front of her, "Sir Wang, your family has become so miserable now, and Aning is deeply regretful about this. But on the day of the fire, Aning went to Taishan Academy, so this false accusation cannot be pinned on Aning."

"A Ning, you don't need to explain anything to him. Follow your mother to the carriage and get ready to set off. As for what exactly caused this fire, His Majesty will send people to investigate carefully."

Shen Qinghe looked at Shen Chuning seriously, his eyes full of worry. He didn't want his daughter to be involved in this matter.

After hearing what he said, Shen Chuning felt unwilling in her heart, but she still walked obediently to Shen Qinghe's side.

She gently tugged at her father's sleeve, a hint of stubbornness flashing in her eyes as she said, "Dad, if we don't explain this matter clearly today, who knows what else Lord Wang will come up with to throw dirty water on his daughter. Didn't he just use such an unpleasant word as 'seduction'?"

When Wang Haiquan heard this, his expression became even gloomier. He snorted coldly and then shouted loudly to Wang Hongwen who was hiding behind the crowd.

When Wang Hongwen heard his father's shout, he lowered his head like a frightened little rabbit, took cautious steps, and reluctantly walked out from behind the crowd and came in front of everyone.

His face flushed, his eyes evaded, and he stammered, "Dad...Mr. Shen...Miss Shen..."

Wang Haiquan stared at his disappointing son, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger.

The already timid look now seemed even more disgraceful to him, like an eggplant hit by frost.

Zhou Lin, standing next to him, had a posture like a tall green pine and a temperament like an orchid in a quiet valley. He exuded a unique charm slowly and naturally, which formed a sharp contrast with his son.

This strong contrast made the anger in Wang Haiquan's heart like a blazing flame, instantly rising higher.

He could no longer suppress his emotions and slapped Wang Hongwen hard on the back of his neck.

The force was so great that it seemed as if all the dissatisfaction and anger could be vented through this palm.

There was a loud "bang" and Wang Hongwen's whole body shook violently. He almost fell to the ground, looking extremely embarrassed.

Shen Chengliu and Shen Chengbai were standing beside the carriage. When they saw this scene, they shook their heads at the same time, with helpless expressions on their faces.

The two men lowered their voices and whispered quietly, "How dare such a thing have improper thoughts about Xiaojiu? Doesn't it even consider its own weight?"

"Hongwen, tell me, what's going on? Why did you buy so much kerosene for your home?" Wang Haiquan asked sternly.

Wang Hongwen was stunned by his father's sudden slap, and he became even more nervous when he heard his father's question.

He stammered, "Because... Miss Shen said the lanterns in our house were too dim and she couldn't see the road clearly at night, so I went to buy some kerosene to light the way."

Wang Haiquan frowned upon hearing this. He took a deep breath and shouted to Shen Qinghe who was not far away, "Master Shen."

There was a hint of anger and dissatisfaction in the voice.

Shen Qinghe raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, and then he asked, "Why, is there something wrong in your house that you won't let people speak out?"

Wang Haiquan was speechless for a moment. After a moment, he suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "An unmarried girl goes to a man's house late at night to be picky. If this isn't seduction, what is it?"

His words were full of dissatisfaction and accusations towards Shen Chuning's behavior.

Shen Chuning frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes. She snorted and said, "Master Wang, you are wrong. It was clearly Miss Wang Ruolin who graciously invited me to enjoy the flowers, but how could I have expected a young master Wang to show up halfway? I wonder if this was intentional on your part."

Shen Chuning's lips curled up into a mocking smile as she continued, "I was just casually mentioning that the Shen family in the capital has always used kerosene pots for lighting. How much kerosene would they normally need for lighting? But the kerosene burned in this fire is so much that I'm afraid it might not be used up even if I use it for ten or eight years!"

After hearing this, Wang Haiquan glared at Wang Hongwen.

Wang Hongwen, who was standing by, was so frightened when he saw his father's look that he started to stutter.

He trembled as he spoke, "There's a kerosene shop in the city. The old couple who own it are planning to return home to retire. The kerosene in other shops is fifty cents a pound, but this one only costs ten cents. My son thought...that kerosene doesn't spoil and will be used up eventually...so...on an impulse...he bought all the kerosene in the shop...Who could have imagined it would lead to such a disaster, with everything burning down? It's truly...sigh!"

"Tsk tsk." Shen Chuning said sarcastically, "This is really too careless. There are so many pine trees planted in the yard, how can you be so careless as to put so much kerosene here?"

When Wang Haiquan heard this, his eyes widened, his face filled with anger, and he loudly retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? There are no pine trees planted in the west courtyard."

Shen Chuning sniffed lightly and said with a smile, "The air is clearly filled with the smell of burning pine wood. How could there be no pine trees planted here?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Haiquan looked at Wang Hongwen again.

Wang Hongwen's timid voice trembled, "It was... Miss Shen who said the gravel road was rough... so my son thought of paving the floor with wooden planks... I went to all the lumber shops in the city, but they only had pine wood left... So my son... bought some pine wood..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chuning glanced at Wang Hongwen with disdain. "Floors are made of hemlock to prevent fire, but you're using pine wood. Are you afraid the house won't burn down fast enough?"