Chapter 11: Chapter The strange atmosphere inside the dining hall had not even fully settled when Xi Jianyu suddenly stood up from his seat.
The movement was so sudden that the sleeves of his dark robe swept sharply against the side of the chair.
At the same moment—
Xi Wenzhe stood as well.
Neither father nor son looked relaxed anymore.
The calmness from earlier had completely disappeared from their expressions, replaced by something colder and much heavier.
Urgency.
The entire hall immediately became quiet again.
Nobody asked questions.
Nobody tried stopping them.
Because after hearing Su Yueqing’s thoughts earlier, everyone already understood exactly where the two men were planning to go.
The palace.
If what Su Yueqing said was true...
Then the Crown Princess was already in danger.
Xi Jianyu’s face looked extremely dark as he spoke coldly toward the guards outside.
"Prepare horses immediately."
"Yes, Duke!"
The guards rushed away at once.
Meanwhile, Xi Wenzhe had already begun walking toward the entrance without wasting another second.
The pressure around him felt terrifying now.
Even the servants lowered their heads harder when he passed by.
At the dining table, Xi Qianqian nervously tightened her fingers around her sleeves.
Xi Yunhao looked serious.
Xi Lanyin silently glanced toward Su Yueqing.
Even Zhao Rui’s expression had become colder than before.
Only Su Yueqing herself remained completely confused.
Her eyes casually followed the father and son as they headed toward the doors.
Inside her mind—
[Hm?]
[Where are they going now?]
She frowned slightly.
[Don’t tell me they suddenly remembered unfinished paperwork.]
Xi Yunchen instantly pressed his lips together again.
Meanwhile, Xi Jianyu and Xi Wenzhe continued walking quickly toward the exit.
Then, as Xi Wenzhe passed beside Li Mei the young maid instinctively lifted her head toward him.
Her beautiful eyes looked soft and innocent beneath the lantern light, carrying quiet expectation and hidden affection.
Tonight, she had deliberately changed into cleaner robes after returning from serving Lin Meiyun earlier. The dark purple maid uniform suited her pale skin well, making her already delicate appearance look even gentler.
In the original story—
Xi Wenzhe would normally pause.
His expression would soften slightly.
Even if only for a second, his attention would naturally fall toward Li Mei.
Because by this point in the plot, he had already begun unconsciously caring about her.
But tonight—
Xi Wenzhe walked straight past her.
Without slowing down.
Without looking at her.
Without even seeming aware she was standing there at all.
Li Mei froze slightly.
The soft expression on her face stiffened almost invisibly.
Her fingers slowly tightened around her sleeves.