[Interesting.]
[But I didn’t even do anything today... technically.]
Xi Wenzhe spoke again, his voice lower now but still sharp enough to cut through the silence.
"Do not leave the manor without reporting again. And be more careful next time."
It sounded like a warning.
It also sounded like restraint.
Su Yueqing blinked slowly.
Inside her mind—
[Careful?]
[In this house?]
[I almost died, lost my room, lost my bed, and now I’m being told to be careful?]
[Sure.]
[Very logical.]
She looked away immediately after, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation.
But the moment she did, something shifted again in the courtyard.
Because a thought, calm and sharp as ever, slipped through her mind without warning.
[Still...]
[If they really want to find the truth, it’s not that hard.]
[Just check her hand.]
[That little maid.]
[She definitely has burn marks on her palm from the oil.]
[And if they search her belongings properly, the things she used should still be hidden somewhere in her room in the servants’ quarters.]
[Honestly... it’s obvious.]
The entire courtyard froze.
Xi Wenzhe’s eyes narrowed sharply.
Xi Jianyu’s gaze shifted immediately.
Xi Yunhao turned his head slowly.
Even Xi Lanyin stiffened.
And Li Mei, who had been standing quietly with lowered eyes, suddenly felt the atmosphere around her change.
She slowly raised her head, her expression still soft and innocent, but her fingers unconsciously tightened inside her sleeves.
"...Why," she asked softly, forcing a confused look, "why is everyone suddenly looking at me?"
Su Yueqing suddenly yawned, as if the entire discussion had nothing to do with her at all, and she stretched her arms slightly with a tired expression before speaking in a calm, almost lazy tone.
"I’m going to bed," she said simply, even though she had no idea where exactly she was supposed to sleep in this huge manor.
The Duchess turned immediately and called for a maid in a low voice, instructing her to personally take Su Yueqing to the Young Master’s residence so she could rest there for the night, and the maid quickly stepped forward and bowed before guiding her away.
Xi Wenzhe did not even seem to register what had just been arranged, as his attention was still fixed on Li Mei with a deep, unreadable expression, as though he was still trying to process everything that had happened within such a short span of time.
Su Yueqing followed the maid without resistance, her steps slow and unbothered, while behind her the atmosphere of the courtyard remained tense and unsettled, like a storm that had not yet fully passed.
Almost at the same time, the Duchess quietly instructed another servant to take Li Mei away as well, so that her injuries and possible burns could be properly treated, and Li Mei was gently escorted out of the courtyard under the careful supervision of the servants.
With both women leaving the scene, the heavy silence that had been forced earlier by Su Yueqing’s presence finally broke apart, and the family members immediately began speaking more freely, as though they had been holding back everything for too long.
Xi Yunhao frowned deeply as he looked toward Xi Wenzhe, his voice lower but firm.
"Do you actually believe Li Mei could do something like this?"
Xi Yunchen let out a short breath and added in a more thoughtful tone, "Everything tonight is already strange enough, but if we are being honest, she doesn’t seem like the type to do something so reckless."
Xi Qianqian shook her head, speaking with certainty as though she wanted to defend what she believed in.
"Li Mei has always been gentle and kind, she even takes care of the other servants without being asked, so why would she ever burn down Su Yueqing’s residence?"
But Xi Ronghua immediately clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, her expression sharp and unconvinced.
"Why can’t she?" she said bluntly, her voice cutting through the disagreement. "Jealousy can make anyone do anything, and people are not always what they appear to be when they feel threatened."
The moment those words fell, the entire group went quiet again, as the weight of suspicion slowly settled back into the air, leaving Xi Wenzhe standing there in silence, still staring in the direction Li Mei had been taken, as though even he did not yet know what answer he was supposed to believe.