Severing ties with family to marry the young marshal, his whole family chases me to the crematorium.

Shen Qingyao followed Si Jingnian to the basement of the young marshal's mansion. As soon as she reached the entrance, she frowned at the stench that greeted her.

"Why does it smell so bad?"

Shen Qingyao couldn't help but cover her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, her disgust undisguised.

But what puzzled her was that Si Jingnian and Ye Liangchen seemed not to smell it at all, not even frowning.

“The basement is damp and never sees sunlight. Plus, it’s where prisoners are held, so it’s normal for it to smell a bit bad. I’ll have Lieutenant Ye get you some incense.”

"No need, it's not that fussy."

Although Shen Qingyao said those words, a strange feeling rose in her heart.

She was never a pretentious person, nor was she a pampered young lady who had never been exposed to dirt and mess, but the stench in the basement was simply unbearable for her.

Logically speaking, if Si Jingnian and Ye Liangchen had smelled such a foul odor, they wouldn't have remained so calm. It's impossible to become immune to this kind of smell through prolonged exposure. The only explanation is that they simply didn't smell it.

Although Shen Qingyao said there was no need for incense, Si Jingnian still asked Ye Liangchen to fetch some.

Shen Qingyao no longer refused, and after accepting the incense, she followed Si Jingnian into the basement.

Upon entering the basement, Shen Qingyao saw a lot of resentment gathering and swirling in the air. She casually made a hand seal and silently chanted a spell, easily dispelling the resentment.

What puzzled Shen Qingyao even more was that after she entered the basement, the stench that they found unbearable inexplicably disappeared.

"what happened?"

Seeing Shen Qingyao's solemn expression, Si Jingnian assumed she was feeling unwell because of the smell in the basement and couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"If you really can't stand the smell here, then let's go upstairs."

Shen Qingyao suppressed her doubts and shook her head, not making a fuss about the strangeness she had discovered.

"It's okay, let's go. I can accept the smell here now."

Si Jingnian was relieved after confirming that Shen Qingyao was not just putting on a brave face, and continued walking inside with her.

……

Shen Qingyao examined the body several times but found nothing unusual, which was not beyond her expectations.

Since the other party committed suicide, it means they won't leave any useful clues; otherwise, wouldn't their suicide have been in vain?

"The only thing we can be sure of right now is that this person knows Taoist magic and there are signs of backlash on his body. As for other clues, we don't have any yet."

Shen Qingyao's words made Si Jingnian look somewhat disappointed. Although he had expected it, the fact that even Shen Qingyao hadn't been able to find anything useful was enough to prove the caution of the mastermind.

"It's alright. I expected this outcome long ago. I'm just a little unwilling to give up. At least make me certain of one thing: this person is from the Xuanmen sect. Anyone who wants to deal with me must be able to contact people in this field."

Worried that Shen Qingyao might feel frustrated, Si Jingnian took the initiative to comfort her on the way out of the basement.

This left Shen Qingyao somewhat amused and exasperated. She wasn't a child anymore; why did she need to be coaxed like this?

But she appreciated Si Jingnian's kindness.

"Tomorrow is the day you return to your parents' home. Is there anything you want to take back with you?"

It wasn't until Si Jingnian brought it up that Shen Qingyao realized there was such a thing as returning to her parents' home after marriage. After thinking about it, she shook her head.

"There's nothing I need to bring."

Her fate has now been largely separated from the Shen family's fortune, and she probably won't have much contact with them in the future. Therefore, she doesn't want to do anything meaningless; she just needs to go through the motions.

Seeing that Shen Qingyao's expression was indifferent and showed no joy at wanting to go home, Si Jingnian had a vague guess in his heart, so he subtly changed the subject.

At night, Shen Qingyao lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Only now has she belatedly realized that she has broken away from the Shen family.

She is now on a completely different path from her previous life, and she has even changed the fate of Si Jingnian, who died young in her previous life.

Having experienced everything in her previous life, she actually harbored hatred for the Shen family. However, due to the severe divine punishment caused by kinship ties, she was unable to take revenge and only wanted to stay away from them and live her own life well.

Even at this moment, she was still somewhat bewildered.

"What's wrong? Can't you sleep? Do you want me to talk to you?"

In the darkness, Si Jingnian's gentle voice came from the ground, carrying a hint of concern.

"Hmm...did I disturb you?"

"No, I just couldn't sleep either. Is something on your mind? Why don't you tell me?"

After Si Jingnian finished speaking, he didn't receive a reply from Shen Qingyao for a while, and he thought that Shen Qingyao had fallen asleep.

Just when he thought Shen Qingyao wouldn't speak again, her slightly melancholy voice came from the darkness once more.

"I don't like the Shen family."

Upon hearing this, Si Jingnian understood after a moment's thought, and felt a pang of sympathy for Shen Qingyao.

He was already a dying man at the time, and even ordinary families wouldn't marry their daughters into the Young Marshal's mansion as a bride to bring good luck.

However, the Shen family, the largest cloth merchant family in the southern city, married off their newly found biological daughter to him.

From this point alone, one should be able to tell that Shen Qingyao's life in the Shen family was not easy.

To some extent, both Shen Qingyao and he were children who were not favored by their families.

Thinking of this, Si Jingnian felt a strange sensation in his heart, a mix of heartache and sadness, as well as an urge to provide Shen Qingyao with support.

“I understand how you feel. Ayao, now that you have married into the young marshal’s mansion and become my wife, Si Jingnian, you are now a member of this family, and no one will treat you badly anymore.”

"Although we're not really husband and wife, at least we're friends now, right? If you ever need anything from me, just let me know."

Si Jingnian racked his brains to comfort Shen Qingyao, but he felt that the more he talked, the more confused he became. In the end, he could only shut his mouth in frustration and sulk to himself.

This was the first time in his life that he felt frustrated because he was bad at speaking.

Shen Qingyao was somewhat surprised by what Si Jingnian said, and her unease was somewhat dispelled.

"Si Jingnian, do you attract a lot of attention from women?"

This was something Shen Qingyao had always been curious about. With Si Jingnian's gentle and refined nature, and his cheerful and gentle personality, he should be very popular with girls.

Si Jingnian didn't expect Shen Qingyao to suddenly steer the conversation to this point, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

"I...I don't know."

"I think you must be very popular with girls. Oh, by the way, do you have a girl you like?"

Shen Qingyao's words made Si Jingnian's face flush slightly, but fortunately, it was dark and Shen Qingyao couldn't see it.

"how about you?"

As if possessed, Si Jingnian asked the question, and as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it, wishing he could slap himself.