Su Yueqing lowered herself into a proper bow.
"This daughter-in-law greets Grandmother, Mother, Father, and Husband."
Her voice sounded respectful and smooth.
Completely different from the chaos inside her head.
Then she lifted her head slightly again before speaking calmly.
"My apologies for arriving late. I beca unfamiliar with the manor pathways and delayed everyone."
The mont she finished speaking, several people inside the hall exchanged strange looks.
Because for the first ti since eting her—
Su Yueqing actually sounded polite.
Xi Qianqian imdiately narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Xi Yunchen looked deeply unconvinced.
Even Zhao Rui’s fingers paused slightly around her teacup.
anwhile, inside Su Yueqing’s mind—
[Of course I’m lying.]
[I absolutely knew where the dining hall was.]
[I just didn’t want to co.]
Xi Yunchen instantly bent his head downward.
His shoulders began shaking violently again.
Gu Xing stared at him in disbelief.
"What is wrong with you tonight?"
Xi Yunchen grabbed the table while trying to hold himself together.
"Nothing."
Xi Qianqian looked exhausted already.
"She’s doing this on purpose..."
anwhile, Lin iyun calmly gestured toward Xi Jianyu.
"Since you have entered the manor, greet your father-in-law properly."
Su Yueqing obediently turned toward the head seat.
Only then did she properly look at the Grand Duke for the first ti tonight.
Xi Jianyu sat tall and straight even while resting, his dark robes still carrying traces of dust and blood from outside. His face looked cold and stern beneath the lantern light, carrying the pressure of soone who had spent years standing above battlefields and death.
Beside him sat Xi Wenzhe.
Even sitting still, he carried a dangerous feeling around him.
Su Yueqing calmly lowered her eyes again.
"This daughter-in-law greets Father."
Then she turned toward Xi Wenzhe.
"And greets Husband."
Xi Wenzhe watched her quietly without speaking.
But the mont Su Yueqing looked at the two of them—
Her thoughts imdiately started wandering again.
[Hm.]
[From the sll of blood and dust on their clothes, they probably just returned from killing people.]
Xi Yunhao instantly stiffened.
Xi Ronghua slowly exchanged a look with Zhao Rui.
anwhile, Su Yueqing continued calmly bowing outside while casually destroying everyone’s peace inside her head.
[Most likely mountain bandits.]
[Judging by the dirt on the boots, probably western forest routes.]
[Though honestly calling them "bandits" is generous.]
[More like disposable bait.]
Xi Wenzhe’s eyes narrowed slightly for the first ti.
Xi Jianyu’s fingers slowly tapped once against the armrest.
The hall beca quieter.
Very quietly—
Xi Lanyin leaned slightly toward her mother.
"Mother..."
Lin iyun lightly shook her head.
aning:
Keep listening.
anwhile Su Yueqing still looked perfectly respectful outside.
Inside her mind however—
[Poor Xi family.]
[Working so hard killing fake enemies while the real problem is already inside the capital.]
Xi Yunchen’s smile slowly disappeared.
Xi Ronghua frowned deeply.
Even Gu Zhen straightened slightly now.
Then—
Su Yueqing’s thoughts beca slower.
More thoughtful.
[If I rember correctly...]
[The Crown Princess should die tonight.]
The entire hall froze.
Xi Wenzhe’s gaze instantly sharpened.
Xi Jianyu slowly lifted his eyes fully toward Su Yueqing.
Inside her mind, she sounded almost lazy while thinking about it.
[Maybe one hour.]
[Maybe two.]
[Poison should already be spreading.]
[Once the palace discovers the Crown Princess died after the assassination attempt failed, the Emperor will beco furious.]
[And naturally...]
[Soone must take responsibility.]
Xi Qianqian’s face slowly turned pale.
Xi Yunhao’s arms tightened across his chest.
anwhile Su Yueqing calmly stood there like nothing was wrong.
[Unfortunately for the Xi family...]
[Protecting the Crown Princess was today’s military assignnt.]
[The Emperor already fears the Xi family too much.]
[Now his precious son’s wife dies under their watch?]
[Ah.]
[The destruction countdown officially starts tonight.]
The air inside the hall turned ice cold.
Even the younger children sensed sothing was wrong now.
Little Xi Anran quietly moved closer toward Lin iyun.
Gu Yue’s fingers tightened around her sleeves.
Gu Xing looked completely serious for the first ti all evening.
anwhile—
Xi Ronghua suddenly whispered harshly toward her husband,
"Why are you still sitting there looking stupid?! Say sothing!"
Gu Zhen looked wronged imdiately.
"What exactly do you want to say?!"
"She just casually predicted the death of the Crown Princess!"
"And how is that my fault?!"
Xi Ronghua almost smacked him.
Xi Yunchen quickly looked away before he laughed at the wrong mont again.
At the front seat, Xi Jianyu finally spoke.
"What happened during today’s operation?"
His voice was calm.
But heavy.
Xi Wenzhe answered slowly without taking his eyes off Su Yueqing.
"The bandits were strange."
The hall beca silent again.
"There were too many openings," Xi Wenzhe continued coldly. "Almost like they wanted us to chase them deeper into the mountains."
Xi Jianyu nodded once.
"At first I believed it was carelessness."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"But now..."
Nobody finished the sentence.
Because now—
Everything sounded terrifyingly possible.
anwhile Su Yueqing remained completely unaware of the storm happening around her.
Inside her mind, she sighed softly.
[Still...]
[My husband is much more handso than described in the novel.]
The atmosphere instantly cracked.
Xi Yunchen choked violently.
Xi Qianqian’s eyes widened.
Even Xi Wenzhe paused slightly.
anwhile Su Yueqing continued thinking calmly while standing there like a proper noble lady.
[Cold face.]
[Sharp eyes.]
[Dangerous aura.]
[Very classic male lead package.]
[No wonder both the villain wife and heroine beca ntally unstable around him.]
Xi Lanyin imdiately lowered her head.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Gu Yue covered her mouth.
Even Zhao Rui looked like her expression almost broke for one second.
Then—
Su Yueqing’s thoughts shifted again.
[Though emotionally he’s basically a walking disaster.]
Xi Wenzhe: "..."
[Terrible communication skills.]
[Trust issues.]
[Future anger problems.]
[Probably sleeps three hours a night.]
[Definitely the type to stare silently out windows after murdering people.]
Xi Yunchen finally lost control.
A loud laugh escaped him instantly.
The entire hall turned toward him.
Xi Yunhao looked mortified.
"Xi Yunchen!"
But Xi Yunchen genuinely could not stop anymore.
"I’m sorry—"
He grabbed the table while wheezing.
"I suddenly imagined Elder Brother staring sadly out a window—"
"Enough," Xi Wenzhe said coldly.
Instant silence.
But even now—
Several people were still secretly avoiding looking at him directly anymore.
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