above the galaxy

Chapter 582 Hate About Ugliness!
Yanqing Street. Number 18.

Since being intercepted at the airport, Sheng Xinhuai has stayed at home, rarely goes out, and no longer goes to school to give lectures.

She knew that people's mentality was to "hate those who have and laugh at those who don't".

Her style at school was independent and assertive, and her colleagues at school often gossiped about her.

Rumors about sleeping with so many students or having affairs with young teachers all originate from schools.

Many people compare schools to ivory towers, but those elephants must not have brushed their teeth in a long time.

School is a small society, and the power struggles and deceit within it are no less than those outside.

On the contrary, due to its strict hierarchy, enclosed space, and narrow channels for advancement, it appears even colder and more cruel.

If she went to school now, I'm afraid many people would point and whisper about her from behind.

She didn't care what others said; she just didn't want to provide fodder for despicable people.

As Sheng Xinhuai and Mei Yuyin were nestled on the sofa watching a movie, they heard voices coming from the courtyard.

Sheng Xinhuai glanced through the floor-to-ceiling window and said, "Old Sheng is back."

Mei Yuyin glanced at her watch and asked in surprise, "Why are you back so early today?"

Sheng Xinhuai, quick-witted and shrewd, immediately stood up and said, "I'll go get Old Sheng's bag."

After saying that, he went out to greet them.

Sheng Jing was changing his shoes with the help of a housekeeping robot when Sheng Xin Huai stepped forward, took his coat, and asked, "Why are you back so early today? Did you skip work early?"

She knew that her father was a meticulous and upright person, and even more so when he was working.

I never arrive late or leave early; I always arrive and leave work on time.

"A storm is brewing," Sheng Jing remarked with a sigh.

Sheng Xinhuai's heart tightened, and he asked with a serious expression, "Dad, has something happened?"

"It's nothing." Sheng Jing waved his hand and said with a smile, "I received a call from Shen Wuxiang. He said he'd be coming over to visit later, so I came back a little early. Have your mom cook some of her best dishes, and I'll have a couple of drinks with him later."

"Shen Wuxiang is coming?" Mei Yuyin asked in surprise.

According to official practice, people at their high rank do not travel frequently, let alone visit other people's homes casually.

If the Minister of War and the Minister of Finance were to gather together for drinks and chats whenever they had nothing to do during Zhong Daolong's tenure, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep soundly.

One controls the military, the other holds the empire's purse strings—what are you two up to?

Shen Wuxiang had just paid a visit some time ago, and now he's here again.
There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.

"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Madam." Sheng Jing nodded.

"They've been coming far too often. Has something happened?" Mei Yuyin asked, her face also showing concern.

Not wanting his wife and children to worry, Sheng Jing smiled and said, "It's just drinking and chatting, don't overthink it. I'm going upstairs to wash my face, you two get ready."

"Okay, I'll go to the kitchen to make the arrangements," Mei Yuyin said.

There is a chef in the family, but she also likes to cook a few of her signature dishes at home from time to time.

Watching his father's retreating figure as he went upstairs, Sheng Xinhuai always felt that things were not so simple.

Shen Wuxiang came again. He didn't come with good intentions.

What exactly happened?
She glanced at the kitchen, then tiptoed upstairs with her father.

Sheng Jing was washing her face at the sink when she heard footsteps outside. She said, "I knew you couldn't resist. Tell me, what do you want to know?"

"Has something happened outside lately?" Sheng Xinhuai asked, standing at the bathroom door.

"This is good news for you." Sheng Jing was applying facial cleanser; his wife was so young, and he paid great attention to skincare. "The Tang bandits have won another victory. They not only captured Fengcheng, but also, together with the Sea God Fleet of the Os Empire, decisively defeated the North Sea Fleet, severely injured Shen Xinglan, and seized Carp Port."

"So much has happened?" Sheng Xinhuai asked in surprise, "I haven't seen any reports about it online."

She has been staying home a lot lately, spending her days watching anime and dramas with Mei Yuyin, and rarely paying attention to what's going on outside.

Occasionally, when I open a news website, all I see are stories about a peaceful and prosperous country, and celebrities going out to get their hair done.
“How could such a thing be reported?” Sheng Jing shook his head and said, “Shen Wuxiang suffered a great loss, so naturally he will try his best to intercept it. Without putting in some effort, I’m afraid we won’t find any news.”

"Is Shen Wuxiang's visit related to this incident?"

"The fiercer the Tang bandits' offensive and the greater their achievements, the more tense the situation will become in China."

"If I'm not mistaken, Shen Wuxiang is about to unleash his ruthless methods. Don't forget how the Shen family built its fortune."

"Are they going to attack our family?"

"It shouldn't be that time yet." Sheng Jing washed the foam off his face with water, and the fatigue on his face was also wiped away a lot. "He came here this time probably to be polite first and then not to overthink things. He'll be here soon, and things will be clear."

"Go help your mom and tell her not to worry about me while I look at the documents."

“Okay,” Sheng Xinhuai agreed.

Seeing Sheng Jing sit down at the desk in the study, he then went downstairs.

Around four o'clock in the afternoon, a large convoy of cars arrived at the entrance of No. 18 Yanqing Street.

Upon receiving the news, Sheng Jing waited at the entrance early in the morning.

Although they are all one of the three prime ministers of the empire and hold equal positions, it is well known that Shen Wuxiang is already 'half the master' of this country.

Therefore, the proper etiquette and respect should still be shown.

On the other hand, Minister Su Zhenlie went even further, leading a group of government officials and their henchmen scholars to extoll the various advantages and feasibility of the 'abdication' system, clearing away obstacles for the Shen family's ascension to the throne.
His words and actions are completely at odds with his name.

Surrounded by a group of guards, Shen Wuxiang stepped out of the car, took the initiative to shake Sheng Jing's hand, and said apologetically, "I'm so sorry to have kept Brother Sheng waiting."

"Brother Wuxiang, your presence is an honor to my humble abode. I am happy to wait as long as it takes," Sheng Jing said politely. "My wife has personally prepared a few dishes. Brother Wuxiang, please taste them and see if they are to your liking?"

"I'm so sorry to bother you. I've come all this way on short notice; how could I possibly trouble you to cook for me?"

After shaking hands, at Shengjing's invitation, the two entered the courtyard and sat down in the restaurant as host and guest.

The servants brought over a variety of side dishes and soups, which looked delicious and smelled wonderful, and were full of the warmth of home cooking – definitely not the work of a cooking robot.

"Brother Wuxiang, how about we have a glass of baijiu today?"

"White. What's the point of men drinking wine? It's effeminate. I love baijiu the most, it's sweet, strong, and fragrant. One sip and you feel completely refreshed." Shen Wuxiang, a former soldier, loves strong liquor.

Those wines and sherry were just sweet drinks to him; he wouldn't normally give them a second glance. "Brother Wuxiang is a connoisseur of wine. I happen to have a bottle of Xifeng from the Blue Star era here. Shall we finish it today?"

"Solved." Shen Wuxiang's face showed a greedy look as he said with a smile, "This is a good thing, something you can only come across once in a lifetime."

Sheng Jing then unscrewed the bottle cap, poured a cup for each of them, and said, "This cup is for Brother Wuxiang."

"What are you paying respects to?"

"Guests are always welcome, and Brother Wuxiang is an honored guest among honored guests," Sheng Jing said. "Here is the most distinguished guest of the Sheng family."

"This one must be drunk." Shen Wuxiang raised his glass and clinked it against Sheng Jing's.

The two tilted their heads back and drank the wine in their glasses in one gulp.

Sheng Jing refilled their glasses with wine, but before he could raise his glass, Shen Wuxiang beat him to it: "This cup is to toast our friendship of serving in the same court for the past twenty years."

Sheng Jing had no choice but to pick up his glass and say, "Cheers."

The two of them drank the wine in their glasses again in one gulp.

Sheng Jing, who couldn't hold his liquor, was already feeling a bit tipsy after two drinks. He quickly urged, "Come on, eat some food. Try my wife's cooking."

"Alright. We're in for a treat today." Shen Wuxiang finally picked up his chopsticks.

After eating braised pork ribs, steamed yellow croaker, and the unique bok choy from Xinxing, Shen Wuxiang praised the food highly, saying, "It's still the most comfortable to eat at home. The food outside is tasteless and no different from pig swill."

"That's because Brother Wuxiang has eaten too many delicacies and rare foods. When he changes his taste occasionally, he naturally finds it refreshing and delightful."

"The aroma of cooking at home, the warmth of smoke and fire, and the joy of family reunion—nothing compares to that outside. I've heard that Brother Sheng never eats out for business or social occasions; it seems there's a good reason for that."

"I'm just not good at socializing, that's why I turned down those invitations," Sheng Jing explained.

After eating a few bites of food and drinking a bowl of seafood soup, Sheng Jing raised his wine cup and said, "Come, let me toast Brother Wuxiang again."

Shen Wuxiang pressed down on his cup and said, "I have a request. If Brother Sheng refuses, I will not be able to drink this third cup of wine no matter what."

"Oh?" Sheng Jing became wary, but remained calm on the surface and said with a smile, "Brother Wuxiang, tell me about it."

"I've heard that Brother Sheng has a daughter of unparalleled beauty, whom the infatuated scholar Jie Wencai has described as 'a beauty beyond beauty, a fragrance beyond fragrance.' I wonder if I could invite her to meet me?"

"I wonder why Brother Wuxiang wants to see my daughter?" Sheng Jing asked in confusion.

"As you know, Brother Sheng, I have a good-for-nothing grandson named Xinglan. He's not young anymore, but he's obsessed with martial arts and has never taken marriage seriously."

"As your grandfather, I'm very anxious. So I was thinking that if the two families could become even closer and more closely related through marriage, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?"

"."

Sheng Jing remained silent, lost in thought.

He never expected that Shen Wuxiang would have such a thought, and in order to bind the Sheng family to their cause, he actually took the initiative to propose a marriage alliance between the two families.

If it were an ordinary family, they would naturally be more than willing.

That's Shen Xinglan, the prodigy of the Shen family, a chosen one of heaven.

Before he was even twenty years old, he broke through the mountain gate and advanced to the Grandmaster realm.
Any one of these incidents could dazzle countless people.

But can he agree to this marriage?

He, as the father, knew perfectly well who his daughter truly longed for.

Moreover, is it in the interest of the Sheng clan to be tied to the Shen family?
If you don't agree.
How can we explain this to Shen Wuxiang?
Seeing Sheng Jing remain silent for a long time, Shen Wuxiang's smile gradually faded. He picked up a peanut, popped it into his mouth, and chewed it with a crunching sound, as if he had some deep-seated grudge against someone: "What? Do the noble families look down on us children from humble backgrounds?"

"In front of the Shen family, where is there any grand family?" Sheng Jing immediately denied, saying, "I was just thinking, isn't this a generational gap? Aren't the two children a bit too far apart in age?"

"If I remember correctly, Xinglan is only twenty-one years old, right? But Xinhuai is already twenty-seven, and will be twenty-eight in two months. She's several years older than Xinglan. Is that appropriate?"

Although Sheng Jing and Shen Wu addressed each other as "brother," this was merely a respectful way of addressing each other in official circles.

In reality, Shen Wuxiang was much older than Sheng Jing, and Sheng Xinhuai was seven or eight years older than Shen Xinglan.
According to the 'brotherly' relationship between Shen Wuxiang and Sheng Jing, Shen Xinglan should call Sheng Xinhuai 'aunt'.

"What's wrong with that?" Shen Wuxiang said nonchalantly, "As the old saying goes, 'A woman three years older than you is like holding a gold brick.' Xin Huai is six years older than Xing Lan, so that's like holding two gold bricks. I think it's just right."

Sheng Jing smiled wryly and said, "I've spoiled my daughter. She's strong-willed and always says she has to make her own decisions. Whether this matter succeeds or not, it's up to her to decide."

“That’s no problem. You talk to her first. I believe she’s a smart girl and will definitely choose a suitable husband for herself,” Shen Wuxiang said meaningfully.

"I hope so."

Shen Wuxiang then raised his wine cup and said, "Come, come, let's drink to this fate. Who knows, in a while we might become family."

Sheng Jing raised his glass to clink glasses with him, then drank it all in one gulp.

The baijiu (Chinese white liquor) was exceptionally refreshing and bitter compared to the previous two glasses.

After seeing Shen Wuxiang off, Mei Yuyin and Sheng Xinhuai went downstairs.

"What is he doing here?" Mei Yuyin asked bluntly.

She had no good feelings towards Shen Wuxiang. No matter how they tried to cover it up on the surface, the seeds of discord had already been sown between them from the moment they were brought back from the airport and imprisoned by the security bureau.

Sheng Jing then recounted Shen Wuxiang's request, and Mei Yuyin and Sheng Xinhuai exchanged bewildered glances.

"We just got rid of Shen Lewen, and now another Shen Xinglan has appeared. Why is the Shen family like a ghost that won't go away?" Mei Yuyin said angrily.

A few days ago, Shen Jianping brought his son Shen Lewen to the house to propose marriage, but Sheng Jing refused.

Not long after, Shen Lewen was poisoned to death in a business karaoke bar.
Now, Shen Wuxiang has come to propose marriage on behalf of Shen Xinglan.

In Mei Yuyin's view, the men of the Shen family were deliberately making things difficult for their daughter.

If this idea were to fall into the hands of other wealthy families in Phoenix, they would probably be furious.

They wanted to marry their daughter into the Shen family but hadn't had the chance yet, while someone here was desperately trying to get her out.
Sheng Jing looked at Sheng Xinhuai and asked, "What do you think?"

"Wasn't Shen Xinglan disfigured? Just tell Shen Wuxiang that I have a phobia of ugliness; I can't eat and feel nauseous whenever I see someone ugly."

"."

Is it inappropriate to say it this way?

"What do you think?"

(End of this chapter)