Worst breakfast ever.
The words lingered in the air for several monts before the sound of approaching footsteps drifted into the courtyard from the stone pathway outside.
The won imdiately turned toward the entrance.
A mont later, several familiar figures appeared.
Xi Jianyu entered first with his hands clasped behind his back, followed by Xi Wenzhe, Xi Yunhao, Xi Yunchen, and Gu Xiang who had spent the morning practicing archery and discussing estate matters elsewhere.
The n had expected to arrive in ti for breakfast.
Instead, the first thing they noticed was the unusual atmosphere.
The food remained on the tables as the tea was still warm, yet nobody seed to be eating anymore.
Even stranger, every woman present appeared ntally exhausted.
Xi Jianyu frowned slightly.
"What happened?"
No one answered imdiately.
The Duke slowly looked around the courtyard.
His wife’s expression was complicated.
His mother’s face was dark.
Xi Ronghua appeared ready to either laugh or kill soone.
Xi Lanyin looked as though she had just received terrible news.
Even Gu Yue and Xi Qianqian were sitting unusually quietly.
The scene was so strange that Xi Jianyu imdiately beca suspicious.
anwhile, Xi Yunchen looked around in confusion.
"How is breakfast already over?"
"We only left for a little while."
Xi Yunhao nodded.
"Did sothing happen?"
The mont the question was asked, several won exchanged glances.
Then Xi Ronghua slowly turned toward them.
A complicated expression appeared on her face.
After a long pause, she sighed.
"Su Yueqing happened."
The n imdiately froze.
For so reason, those three words alone were enough to make everyone nervous.
Xi Yunchen’s eyelid twitched.
"What did Sister-in-Law do this ti?"
Gu Yue imdiately corrected him.
"Technically, she didn’t do anything."
Xi Yunchen frowned.
"Then why does everyone look like this?"
This ti Xi Qianqian answered.
"Because Sister-in-Law struck again."
The younger generation instantly understood.
Even Xi Wenzhe’s expression beca slightly strange.
Whenever soone said Su Yueqing had "struck again," it usually ant another secret had been exposed.
Xi Jianyu slowly sat down.
"What was revealed this ti?"
Nobody answered imdiately.
The won exchanged another round of glances.
Because honestly...
They weren’t sure where to begin.
Was it Zhao Mingyuan?
The Pri Minister’s son?
The future destruction of the Xi family?
Or Xi Lanyin’s secret relationship?
Eventually, Old Madam Xi rubbed her forehead.
"Everything."
Xi Yunchen blinked.
"...Everything?"
Old Madam Xi nodded.
"Everything."
Xi Yunhao looked confused.
"What does that even an?"
Across the table, Xi Ronghua suddenly pointed toward Xi Lanyin.
"Your sister has been secretly exchanging letters with a man."
Silence.
Every male mber of the family froze.
Xi Lanyin imdiately lowered her head in embarrassnt.
Xi Yunhao’s eyes widened.
Xi Yunchen nearly jumped from his seat.
"What?!"
Xi Jianyu slowly turned toward his daughter.
For the first ti since arriving, his expression beca serious.
"Lanyin."
The poor girl looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
anwhile, Xi Ronghua wasn’t finished.
"The man is Zhao Mingyuan."
Xi Yunchen frowned.
"The Baron’s son?"
"The sa one."
Xi Yunhao’s face darkened imdiately.
anwhile, Xi Jianyu’s expression beca colder with every passing second.
Then Xi Ronghua casually added another sentence.
"And according to Su Yueqing, he intends to ruin her life."
The courtyard beca silent again.
The n’s expressions imdiately changed.
Xi Yunchen slowly sat back down.
Xi Yunhao clenched his jaw.
Even Xi Jianyu’s eyes darkened.
Then Lin iyun calmly added,
"And apparently the Pri Minister’s son likes Lanyin."
This ti every man froze again.
Even Xi Wenzhe finally looked surprised.
The Pri Minister’s son?
Liking Xi Lanyin?
Nobody spoke for several monts.
Then Xi Yunchen slowly turned toward his sister.
"Sister... what are they saying?"
Xi Lanyin wanted to cry.
"Don’t."
Unfortunately, Xi Yunchen ignored her.
"The Pri Minister’s son?"
Xi Lanyin covered her face.
"I don’t know! How am I supposed to know if he really likes or not."
That answer only made the situation more chaotic.
anwhile, Xi Wenzhe had remained silent throughout the entire discussion.
Unlike everyone else, he wasn’t focused on Zhao Mingyuan.
Nor was he focused on the Pri Minister’s son.
Instead, his thoughts had landed elsewhere.
His gaze slowly shifted toward the empty seat Su Yueqing had occupied earlier.
For so reason, he could already imagine what breakfast must have looked like.
The won sitting here, Su Yueqing eating peacefully and everyone else suffering emotional damage.
A strange expression appeared briefly on his face.
Across from him, Gu Zhen noticed it imdiately.
Then he sighed deeply.
The sigh carried all the exhaustion of a man who had survived far too much before noon.
"This family cannot continue like this."
"I take back what I said earlier."
Everyone looked at him.
"Worst breakfast in the history of breakfasts."
This ti, even Xi Jianyu nodded in agreent.
...
"Where is Su Yueqing now?" Xi Wenzhe finally said sothing.
The conversation paused.
Several people imdiately looked toward him.
Xi Ronghua raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You are actually asking about your wife?"
Xi Wenzhe ignored her.
His gaze remained on Lin iyun.
The Duchess calmly placed her teacup down.
"After breakfast, I had a maid escort her back to your residence."
Xi Wenzhe frowned slightly.
"My residence?"
Lin iyun nodded.
"I also ordered all the servants and maids working there to gather in the main courtyard so she could et them."
The mont those words were spoken, Xi Yunchen suddenly sat upright.
His eyes widened slightly.
Then a strange expression appeared on his face.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
Xi Yunhao imdiately beca suspicious.
"What?"
Xi Yunchen slowly pointed toward the direction of Xi Wenzhe’s residence.
"That ans Sister-in-Law is currently eting dozens of servants."
"Yes."
"And she was already upset about moving into Elder Brother’s residence."
"Yes."
"And nobody explained anything to her beforehand."
Lin iyun hesitated.
"...No."
Xi Yunchen imdiately looked toward the sky.
Then he sighed dramatically.
"Then there’s definitely going to be drama."
Several people imdiately exchanged looks.
The more they thought about it, the harder it beca to disagree.
Xi Ronghua nodded seriously.
"I hate to admit it, but he has a point."
Gu Yue imdiately joined in.
"Cousin Sister-in-Law looked ready to cry when she found out she had to live there."
Xi Qianqian covered her mouth.
"Not ready to cry."
She corrected.
"She looked ready to fake her death."
That earned a burst of laughter from several people.
Even Old Madam Xi had to cough into her sleeve.
Xi Jianyu helplessly shook his head.
"Are we really discussing whether my daughter-in-law intends to escape from her marriage?"
Xi Ronghua answered imdiately.
"Based on her thoughts this morning? Yes."
Xi Jianyu suddenly found himself unable to argue.
Then, just as the conversation seed to be settling down again, Xi Ronghua suddenly froze.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Oh."
The single word imdiately made everyone nervous.
Old Madam Xi looked at her.
"What now?"
Xi Ronghua slowly turned toward Xi Wenzhe.
"Speaking of your residence..."
A strange expression appeared on her face.
"Isn’t Li i working there now?"
The courtyard instantly fell silent.
The laughter disappeared as they all paused for a second.
Even Xi Jianyu’s brows furrowed.
Lin iyun slowly nodded.
"She is."
"I inford her this morning that she would remain in Wenzhe’s residence as an ordinary servant."
Xi Ronghua stared.
Then she stared at Xi Wenzhe.
Then she stared toward the direction of his residence.
"Oh dear."
Gu Yue imdiately leaned forward.
"What?"
Xi Ronghua pointed dramatically.
"Think about it."
Nobody interrupted.
"Sister-in-Law already dislikes living there."
"She already dislikes Wenzhe."
Xi Wenzhe’s eyelid twitched.
Xi Ronghua ignored him.
"And now she discovers that Li i is also there."
The more she spoke, the stranger everyone’s expressions beca.
Xi Yunchen slowly lowered his teacup.
Then he looked toward his elder brother.
"Elder Brother."
Xi Wenzhe looked at him.
"What?"
Xi Yunchen hesitated.
Then he carefully asked,
"Have you considered the possibility that your residence may no longer exist by the end of today?"
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