Xia Houshang’s heart dropped. She was about to explain when Yin Lei interrupted her, “Enough.”
Yin Lei frowned and glanced at both Qiao Qing and Xia Houshang. He had a good idea of what happened.
He added, “Let’s get over what just happened and eat our meal.”
Xia Houshang nodded and as if picking up treasure, moved a bowl of Crucian Soup in front of Jun Yexuan.
“Yexuan, I made this myself. I wonder if your taste changed over the last decade, but this used to be your favorite dish.”
Qiao Qing’s eyes flickered. His taste didn’t change. Every time he ate this dish, his appetite would improve.
Jun Yexuan observed Qiao Qing’s expression closely and saw the darkened look in her face.
“Ms. Xia, my surname is Jun, first name Yexuan. If you are unaware, I will have to repeat it to you. Please do not only call me by my first name. Plus, even if I do like the dish, I wouldn’t eat what you have cooked. Please behave yourself.”
Xia Houshang’s expression froze yet again.
Yin Lei sighed, “Yexuan, she’s a lady who’s done nothing wrong. Everything she’s done has been for your benefit. Can’t you talk nicely? As a man, you should behave chivalrously.”
“I don’t need her to do anything for my benefit.” Jun Yexuan said, “You want me to be chivalrous? Then she better act like a lady first. To treat someone else’s husband like that in front of his wife is not appropriate. She’s also trying to make it seem like we are really close or something. How is it that she’s doing nothing wrong?”
“Anywhere else, we’d call this situation a third woman trying to be a homewrecker. Why would I act chivalrous towards someone like that?”
The expression on Xia Houshang’s face got even uglier.
Yin Lei frowned, “You aren’t married yet, right?”
Jun Yexuan said, “That’s going to happen sooner or later. I am only going to marry Qingqing.”
Yin Lei was taken aback while Xia Houshang’s face paled.
Just then, Qi Yusen burst out, “Emperor Yin, you’re so very aggressively trying to make my sister appear small. Are you looking down on my Qi family?!”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it was oppressive.
Yin Lei was a little shocked. This oppressive vibe used to be unique to the man who wore a mask.
After some time, Yin Lei smiled, “Young master Qi, what are you saying? The Qi family is one of the most powerful families in the Capital Country. If your country wasn’t a democracy, you would be considered a Duke. I would never look down on you.”
“What just happened really isn’t me trying to make the young miss look small. There must be a cultural difference between us and we view things differently. I honestly very much admire Qiao Qing.”
He then changed the subject, “Eat, eat, the food is getting cold.”
Everything was seemingly calm.
As everyone continued to eat, Lei Yin looked over to Jun Yexuan and asked caringly, “Yexuan, how’s your health? Did your old disease come back to haunt you after moving countries?”
Mu Jinghang mockingly glanced over Emperor Yin.
If it weren’t for the old discoveries they’ve made before, he really would’ve thought that the Emperor was worried about his third brother.
Qiao Qing turned to look at Jun Yexuan in shock.
He has a disease? How come she didn’t know…
She wondered until suddenly, she remembered what happened the first night they met.
That night, when she saved him and brought him home, he didn’t have a pulse.
After he played it off and started to distract her with other things, she didn’t think much about that again.
As she remembered this, she pulled Jun Yexuan’s arm over and rested her fingers on his wrist to detect his pulse.
