"No matter," Yi Zhixie said faintly.
Sima Han merely shook his head, saying nothing.
Their thoughts were identical.
Before leaving the imperial capital, they had indeed found the food at "All Guests Are Welcome" delicious. However, ever since living with Shen Xiaoyan and the others, their palates had been spoiled, and the food at "All Guests Are Welcome" no longer caught their eye.
It was sufficient to understand this in their hearts; there was no need to voice it.
After all, Prince Duan was hosting, and they had to leave him some face.
Silence filled the room, and an inexplicable awkwardness began to settle in.
Zheng Xiang wanted to say something, and even more so, he wanted to get closer to Zheng Wei, perhaps even invite him back to the prince's mansion later.
But Zheng Wei remained aloof, never engaging in conversation, which left Zheng Xiang feeling utterly helpless.
Frustrated, Zheng Xiang's gaze swept aimlessly over everyone present.
It halted abruptly upon seeing Shen Xiaoyan.
If he remembered correctly, Zheng Wei and this woman in red had been holding hands just moments ago.
"This lady, may I ask your surname and origin? And what is your relationship with Wei'er?"
Zheng Xiang's sudden question jolted everyone from their deep thoughts.
Following Zheng Xiang's gaze, they realized he was referring to Shen Xiaoyan.
Seeing this, Yi Zhixie and the others exchanged glances.
In each other's eyes, they saw expressions of schadenfreude.
Why did they feel inexplicably excited?
"Why does Prince Duan ask? Have I committed some offense?" Shen Xiaoyan retorted.
Zheng Xiang paused, then smiled, "Not at all. It's just that I observed you and Wei'er acting very intimately just now. May I inquire about your relationship?"
"Naturally, we are husband and wife," Shen Xiaoyan stated as a matter of course.
Hearing Shen Xiaoyan's words, Zheng Xiang's eyes widened.
Husband and wife?
Zheng Wei was already married?
Upon reflection, Zheng Wei had already come of age, so marriage was normal.
However...
"May I ask what your family does, my lady? How did you two meet? How many years have you been married? And where are your parents?" Zheng Xiang continued to question.
Shen Xiaoyan, however, was disinclined to answer. Without speaking, she looked directly at Zheng Wei.
Zheng Wei smiled at Shen Xiaoyan, then turned to Zheng Xiang and said, "Prince Duan's concern is truly extensive. Are you perhaps with the Ministry of Revenue now?"
This question, for a moment, left Zheng Xiang unable to respond.
Even someone from the Ministry of Revenue wouldn't inquire about a person's parents and origin upon first meeting.
Besides, this person was not a criminal.
"Wei'er, your Royal Father is merely concerned for you. After all, you were not by your Royal Father's side all these years, suffering hardships. Marriage is a matter of lifelong importance. How can it be done so carelessly? Now that you have returned, your Royal Father naturally wants to oversee it. If you do not like this lady, your Royal Father will compensate her with some money and send her back to her parents. With that wealth, she can remarry into a good family. As for you, there are so many noble ladies in the capital. With your status, appearance, and demeanor, you can marry whomever you desire."
Zheng Xiang spoke a long, heartfelt speech, his own face flushing with emotion.
However, apart from him, no one else was moved.
Especially Zheng Wei, the recipient of his words, whose face darkened completely after his speech concluded.
Zheng Wei did not retort immediately. Instead, he looked at Shen Xiaoyan.
Seeing that her expression remained unchanged, he felt a slight sense of relief.
"I believed I had made myself clear earlier. I didn't expect Prince Duan to have such a poor memory. How could he have forgotten what I just said so soon?" Zheng Wei said coldly.
"My Royal Father is getting old, and his memory is failing a bit. Wei'er, whatever you wish to say, please repeat it to your Royal Father," Zheng Xiang said with a smile.
"I already stated that I am not your son. If you insist I am, then produce evidence. If you cannot, then do not meddle in my affairs. The woman I marry will naturally be the one I cherish for my entire life. How can she be discarded with just a word from you?"
"Even if I were your son, with the words you've spoken, I'm afraid I could not acknowledge you."
Zheng Xiang's face changed upon hearing this. "Why is that? Your Royal Father is only acting for your own good."
Zheng Wei gave a chilling smile. "Acting for my own good is teaching me to be faithless? To abandon the wife who shared my hardships and marry someone else?"
"I..."
Zheng Wei's words left Zheng Xiang speechless.
He had assumed that Zheng Wei must have suffered greatly all these years.
He thought that if an ordinary person were suddenly told they were the son of a prince, and could divorce their village wife to marry a noble lady, wouldn't they happily accept with tears of gratitude?
Why had it changed with Zheng Wei?
Not only Zheng Xiang, but even Zheng Fan on the side looked at Zheng Wei with bewilderment.
To be honest, Shen Xiaoyan was indeed beautiful.
Even among the noble ladies and county princesses of the capital, few could compare to her.
But what good was beauty?
Without status or background, unable to offer any assistance, beauty was ultimately useless.
Therefore, Zheng Wei's words earlier were something he could not agree with.
Seeing the expressions on the father and son's faces, Zheng Wei knew they thought alike.
He inwardly scoffed. As expected of father and son, their hearts were indeed connected.
"Alright, since Wei'er is unwilling, then you shall not be divorced. My son is a loyal and righteous person, which is a good thing," Zheng Xiang said with a smile.
"Indeed, such a loyal and righteous person is most favored. Perhaps one day, some noble lady will learn of it and insist on marrying him as a co-wife," Zheng Fan added.
Zheng Fan had intended to help Zheng Xiang out of the awkward situation and ease the tension.
Who would have thought that these words would turn him into cannon fodder?
Shen Xiaoyan looked coldly at Zheng Fan, her red lips parting slightly, her voice clear and melodious.
"If that were to happen, I hope that young lady's life is sufficiently tough, otherwise..."
As Shen Xiaoyan spoke, she picked up a porcelain cup from the table and applied a slight force with her hand.
Watching Shen Xiaoyan crush an intact porcelain cup into powder on the table, all the words Zheng Fan had prepared to say were swallowed back.
Was this still a woman?
With this level of martial prowess, let alone a woman, even he might not be able to resist it.
"What does my lady mean by this?" Zheng Xiang asked, his face stern.
Was this a threat to him?
Zheng Xiang scoffed inwardly. Truly, she was still just a young girl.
Just because she possessed some martial skill, she dared to threaten him here.
No matter how powerful she was alone, could she stand against an army of thousands?
Seeing Zheng Xiang's disdainful gaze, Shen Xiaoyan could vaguely guess what he was thinking.
A cold, alluring smile slowly spread across her lips. Shen Xiaoyan said, "Isn't it obvious what I am doing? Does Prince Duan not even understand this?"
Zheng Xiang faltered. He had understood perfectly moments ago, but now, with Shen Xiaoyan's question, he was truly a bit confused.
"Then tell me, what do you mean? Let this prince understand properly."
Shen Xiaoyan laughed heartily upon hearing this. "The meaning is, of course, very simple. I am threatening Prince Duan."
Shen Xiaoyan's tone was exceptionally natural, which astonished Zheng Fan and the others immensely.
What kind of person could casually and naturally say, "I am threatening you," in front of a powerful prince?
Dai Yin looked at Shen Xiaoyan with a mixture of surprise, scrutiny, and wariness.
Relying on her female intuition, Dai Yin felt that Shen Xiaoyan was not as easy to get along with as she appeared on the surface.
It was as if she were smiling and joking with you, with not a single word sounding harmless, and even the previous sentence sounded like a joke in its tone.
But it was precisely this that made Dai Yin perceive Shen Xiaoyan as even more dangerous.
Dai Yin's usual approach to people she couldn't figure out was to extend courtesy before resorting to force.
This was her first meeting with Shen Xiaoyan, and she hadn't offended her. Although they hadn't exchanged many words, they were by no means enemies.
Thinking this, Dai Yin couldn't help but feel secretly fortunate.
Fortunately, she hadn't said anything that would offend Shen Xiaoyan earlier.
Otherwise, creating such a powerful enemy for herself out of nowhere would truly not be a wise move.
Dai Yin pondered internally for another moment before speaking, "Miss Shen, please do not joke. The Prince's earlier words were merely out of concern for Young Master Zheng... Young Master Zheng. Miss Shen should try to understand a father's feelings and not take it too personally."
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan raised her eyelids and looked at Dai Yin. Seeing the polite smile on Dai Yin's face, she felt a hint of annoyance.
She wanted to play both sides and not offend anyone.
Logically, she was a smooth operator.
However, it was precisely this kind of person who made Shen Xiaoyan dislike her even more.
Therefore, after glancing at Dai Yin a couple of times, Shen Xiaoyan shifted her gaze away. "What does this have to do with you? Are you perhaps Prince Duan's inner worm, knowing his thoughts and thus specifically explaining for him?"