Chapter 58: Family Banquet - Questioning
Concubine Lan lost her interest in talking to her and Huang WanRou was expecting her cousin’s reaction to the drug to show. Lady Huang who was observing both Rijun and Xing who are fairly close for someone who only knew each other for only a short time. She noted Rijun exchanging his sweet and sour chicken dish for Xing’s spicy pork dish as if he was so used to it.
In fact, Xing and Rijun got close pretty quick ever since their talk in Uncle Feiye’s home. Xing usually emitted the casual vibe that lets anyone get close to her as long as she likes them. Also all her mannerisms were close to a male and she only acted feminine unconsciously around Shengli. So Rijun who is basically a jovial one got along pretty quick with her as he identified her mostly as his peer who can understand him rather than some female he is newly getting to know. Also other than the Emperor, only she knew the ancient language and could help him out with his works. Xing also found many similarities between him and Haru and treated him the same way as a brother. Since she mostly dressed as a man if anyone would find them together they would seem like close friends or brothers.
"You two get along pretty well. If I didn’t know better I might think you two are a pair of mandarin ducks", Lady Huang smiled slyly at Xing.
Ducks??? Xing looked at Rijun who had his chopsticks tightly clenched and face stiff. Shengli also had paused his eating and her father too didn’t look pleased. Her uncles too had a weird look. Guess it should be an insult... Okay.. Xing didn’t realise mandarin ducks represents lovers and decided to leave it.
"We are siblings. It is only natural for us to get along", Xing replied smiling.
"Siblings?", Lady Huang chuckled, " One is a illegitimate son and another one is of unknown origins",her tone clearly berating them.
Xing saw Concubine Lan holding her laughter, isn’t she calling your son bastard? And Lady Huang! what kind of words are you teaching your six year old grandson? Xing wondered. Guess this is the usual kind of talks that would provoke her father. Xing nodded slightly at her father who almost opened his mouth and he immediately stopped.
Of course Lord Huang didn’t miss a thing happening around him but didn’t stop his wife either. He had already asked his sons not to interfere too. It was for that reason they took the farthest seat in the banquet even though they should be the ones sitting nearer the host seat.
Xing noticed Rijun already stopped eating. What she hated most is the people who won’t let them eat when there is food in front of them. Be it poisoning or adding salt or making to lose their appetite saying useless things, they are the worst kinds of bastards who deserves the highest level of punishment in hell. She wanted to wait it out to see if that Lady Huang stops talking. Also the way Lord Huang acts also is weird as she noted. He seemed not caring about what happens around him but he looked disappointed at the same time.
Seeing none of them replying and even her usually easily provoked brother-in-law keeping his silence, Lady Huang continued her blabbering as if everyone was agreeing with her.
"Looking at you, your mother should have been pretty right", she asked mockingly.
Seeing Xing nod she continued, "It must have been hard raising a daughter alone and she was pretty young too"