Xi Lanyin’s face was still pale.
The young woman sat quietly with her hands clasped together, clearly unable to recover from everything she had just heard.
The sight made Lin Meiyun’s heart ache.
"Lanyin."
Xi Lanyin slowly looked up.
Her eyes were slightly red.
"Mother..."
Lin Meiyun reached across the table and held her hand.
"Tell me honestly."
The Duchess’s voice was gentler than usual.
"How far has this relationship with Zhao Mingyuan progressed?"
The moment the question was asked, Xi Lanyin’s face immediately turned white.
She lowered her head.
For several seconds, she couldn’t bring herself to answer.
Old Madam Xi’s expression darkened.
That reaction alone told them enough.
Finally, Xi Lanyin spoke quietly.
"We’ve exchanged letters."
Xi Ronghua nearly jumped from her chair.
"Letters?!"
Xi Lanyin flinched.
"We only wrote occasionally."
"Occasionally?"
Xi Ronghua looked ready to faint.
"You hid a man from your entire family and you call that occasional?"
"Fourth Aunt..."
Xi Lanyin looked miserable.
Meanwhile, Old Madam Xi tapped her cane against the ground.
The sharp sound immediately silenced everyone.
"Enough."
The old matriarch’s gaze rested on her granddaughter.
"Do you like him?"
The question hung heavily in the air.
Xi Lanyin lowered her head.
Her silence was answer enough.
Old Madam Xi slowly closed her eyes.
Lin Meiyun’s expression became even more complicated.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Then Gu Yue finally broke the silence.
"But... what if Sister-in-Law is wrong?"
The question made everyone look toward her.
Gu Yue immediately shrank slightly.
"I mean..."
She hesitated.
"What if Zhao Mingyuan isn’t that kind of person?"
The courtyard became quiet again.
The possibility existed.
After all, none of the things Su Yueqing had mentioned had happened yet.
Then Xi Anran shook her head.
"No."