To express her inner "happiness" and "gratitude", Shen Wan personally prepared a fruit platter.
The outer layer comprised slices of orange, their golden skin expertly carved into intricate shapes; just beneath, neatly aligned watermelon strips were evenly sized and devoid of seeds; progressing inward, there were chunks of guava; and at the very center, a mound of vibrant red cherry tomatoes was stacked.
Placed on a crystal tray, not only were the colors vibrant, but they also stirred one's appetite.
Shen Wan was the first to present it to Old Master Shen, her smile carrying a hint of shyness, yet an undeniable sense of closeness.
"Grandpa, would you like to taste it?"
"Wan Wan..." Shen Chunjiang intended to remind her that Old Master Shen didn't eat fruits at night, but before he could speak, he saw Old Master Shen pick up a piece of guava and put it in his mouth.
Yang Lan raised an eyebrow.
Shen Yan was indignant.
Shen Chunjiang, however, was astonished. He knew how stubborn and set in his ways his father was, so breaking from convention was a rarity.
Shen Wan's reaction was quite normal, showing only happiness on her face as an "uninformed" party.
She even smiled and turned to reassure Shen Chunjiang, "Dad, don't worry, I'll bring you the next one."
She thought Shen Chunjiang's earlier call of "Wan Wan" was an invitation for her to be the first to have the fruit platter.
The man was rendered speechless.
Yang Lan's expression wasn't too pleasant; she kept changing channels on the remote control to divert her attention.
Shen Yan crossed her arms and sneered, "Heh..." Such an act!
Shen Wan was well aware that Old Master Shen would certainly grant her this favor. After all, during the intense "battle" between her and Shen Yan earlier in the afternoon, Old Master Shen never intervened.
That's right, Old Master Shen was home at the time.
With such a loud commotion, the likelihood of him not hearing was nearly zero, yet he had never shown up, not even when Shen Yan pushed Shen Wan to the ground and grabbed her by the neck.
If Shen Chunjiang hadn't returned in time, the consequences could have been dire.
Since Old Master Shen had ignored her earlier, he naturally should give her something sweet in return.
Thus, Shen Wan confidently invited Old Master Shen to enjoy the fruit platter.
"Auntie." she approached Yang Lan, displaying an obedient and respectful posture. "Would you like to try it too?"
Yang Lan casually took a cherry tomato, saying, "Thank you."
"Sister Yan?"
"Not hungry, just leave it."
Shen Wan nodded, knowing when to stop.
At nine o'clock, Old Master Shen retired upstairs.
At ten o'clock, Shen Chunjiang and Yang Lan went to their rooms.
In the spacious living room, Shen Yan and Shen Wan each occupied one end of the sofa.
A comedy movie was playing on the television, but neither of them laughed while watching.
Shen Yan was the first to lose her patience. She raised her hand and overturned the fruit platter on the coffee table. Fortunately, there was a thick woolen carpet on the floor, so the plates didn't break and there wasn't a loud noise.
However, it still caught the attention of the night-duty servant, who hurriedly rushed over to check.
Seeing the situation, they hesitated.
One was the willful Second Lady, and the other was the newly favored Third Lady—neither of them was easy to deal with.
This was where the benefits of Old Master Shen's "not disliking" Shen Wan and Shen Chunjiang's numerous protections for her came into play.
Throughout history, this servant was undoubtedly skilled at sensing the winds and gauging people's moods.
Shen Yan clearly noticed this as well.
She shouted directly, "Get lost!"
The servant fled as if granted amnesty, moving quickly.
Shen Wan yawned, got up, and paid no mind to the fruit platter that had been messed up on the carpet. She headed straight upstairs.
"You stop right there—"
Shen Yan chased after her.
Shen Wan turned around. By now, she was standing on the spiral staircase, with Shen Yan trailing behind, suddenly seeming much shorter.
"You..." The angle of looking up made Shen Yan feel quite uncomfortable, as if her own aura had diminished.
Shen Wan, however, continued to smile. A hint of cunning light flashed in her eyes, "When I fell, you seemed quite pleased, didn't you? How about experiencing that feeling for yourself?"