Xiao Tianci, who had been waiting smugly to watch the show, was equally stunned.
Over the past year, he had exploited everyone's weaknesses and taken advantage of the fact that Xiao Ye was still unfamiliar with the Duke's Mansion, sowing discord at every turn.
By all logic, having brought up Xiao Qing, and with Xiao Ye putting on such an attitude, father and son should have had a blazing row and parted on bad terms, shouldn't they?
Xiao Tianci steadied himself, then his eyes quickly reddened.
"So Father doesn't believe me? You truly believe Third Brother's words and think that I lost Little Sister?"
As if overwhelmed by grief, his thin, frail body swayed. "Little Sister grew up under my watch—how could I possibly…"
Seeing him like this, the Duke of Jin, his wife, and the two cousins from the Xiao family instinctively rose to their feet.
Because Xiao Tianci had suffered from a heart condition since childhood and was sensitive and prone to tears, over time they had all developed a conditioned response—the moment Xiao Tianci cried or mentioned chest pain, they would panic.
Ruan Nanxi couldn't help but mock inwardly: [Here we go again? A grown man crying at the drop of a hat, how embarrassing! Cry, cry, cry—you're crying away all this family's good fortune!]
[It's true that Little Sister grew up under your watch, but too bad she discovered your secret, so you sold her to a child trafficker without batting an eye, and conveniently framed Xiao Ye for it.]
Everyone's expressions shifted, and the Duke and his wife were so shocked they nearly stumbled. Ruan Nanxi spoke with such vivid detail—did she know something? Could it really be Tianci?
Because the revelation was so staggering, they momentarily forgot to comfort Xiao Tianci.
Xiao Tianci, swaying precariously, swayed for a long while without anyone rushing over to support him and whisper soothing words as they usually did. Both his body and his tears froze mid-act.
He seethed inwardly—what on earth was going on today?
Seeing his comical expression, Ruan Nanxi laughed heartily inside, then found it strange:
[What's going on? Didn't the original book say that the moment Xiao Tianci cried, the Xiao family would panic collectively and start blaming Xiao Ye unconditionally?]
Could reality differ from the book? Or was it because her arrival—this little butterfly—had flapped its wings and changed the course of the story? But she hadn't done anything!
She propped her chin on her hand and watched Xiao Tianci quickly recompose his expression.
[Tsk, with acting skills like that, it's a shame he's not in a southern opera troupe! Let me guess what this green-tea man will do next.]
[Based on my years of reading experience, his next move will either be a fake suicide attempt or feigning a heart attack. Hmm, most likely a fake suicide attempt—the excuse is ready-made and relatable: proving his innocence!]
She scanned the room, her gaze settling on the pillar behind the Duke of Jin.
[If he's going to dash into a pillar, that one's the farthest from him, and it's convenient for Father-in-law to rescue him in time.]
Madam Xiao felt somewhat irritated. Third daughter-in-law's words were too harsh—comparing Tianci to an opera performer!
Tianci was merely sensitive and prone to tears, but he was a kind-hearted, good child. How could he do something as hurtful to his parents as threatening to die?
Yet the very next moment, Xiao Tianci's eyes turned utterly despairing and shattered as he cried out hoarsely:
"So you don't believe me? Then I have no choice but to prove my innocence with death! My life was saved by Father and Mother, so now I'll return it to you."
With that, before anyone could react, he charged headfirst toward the pillar behind the Duke of Jin.
Madam Xiao: "…"
The face-slapping came so swiftly that Madam Xiao's expression froze, her heart churning like a tipped-over jar of mixed spices.
Ruan Nanxi had stood up the moment Xiao Tianci made his move, intending to stop him.
If he got to finish this self-injury ruse, who knew how heartbroken his parents would be?
Having witnessed this green-tea man's scheming, she was even more determined to get rid of him quickly.
With a ticking time bomb like him in the house, constantly targeting Xiao Ye day and night—as Xiao Ye's nominal wife, she might well end up like in the original novel, where he'd slip her an aphrodisiac while she slept. That would disgust her for a lifetime.
But before she could act, Xiao Ye reached out with his long arm, easily caught the man, and pushed him in front of her.
Ruan Nanxi breathed a sigh of relief and shot him a surprised glance. She hadn't expected the fellow to be so in sync with her!
With his scheme foiled, fierce unwillingness blazed in Xiao Tianci's eyes, but his body struggled and twisted desperately:
"Let me go! I was born with thin fortune anyway. If I die, Third Brother, you won't have to force yourself to go against Father and Mother at every meeting just to vie for their attention…"
Even at a moment like this, he didn't forget to poison the well against Xiao Ye.
Ruan Nanxi directly pulled the dagger from Xiao Ye's waist and held it out to him with a sigh.
"Since Brother Tianci is so determined to die, your elder brother and sister-in-law won't stand in your way. But dashing into a pillar is so bloody and messy—how unsightly! Why not use this dagger instead? One slice across the neck, and you'll be gone in a dozen breaths."
She considerately drew the sheath off.
"Brother Tianci, please proceed."
The blade, reflecting a cold gleam, pointed straight at him. Xiao Tianci was so terrified he immediately stopped struggling, his heart seething with humiliation and resentment.
But when he looked up, seeing his parents and cousin, who should have unconditionally protected him, all staring at him with complicated expressions, Xiao Tianci felt a surge of intense unease.
Ever since he'd entered the flower hall, something had been off.
He gritted his teeth and pulled out his trump card—clutching his chest, he prepared to fake a faint.
The next moment, that annoying voice of Ruan Nanxi came again from beside him:
"Oh my, you're not thinking of faking a faint because you don't want to die and can't save face, are you? Surely not, surely not!"
Xiao Tianci, halfway through his fake faint: "…"
Ruan Nanxi's little mouth kept chattering: "I know you have a heart condition, Cousin Tianci, but your illness is so miraculous—it never acts up early or late, only ever right when you're arguing with my husband."
Xiao Tianci could only swallow his frustration and stubbornly continue pretending to be unconscious.
The Duke of Jin, his heart as tangled as Madam Xiao's, sighed and ordered someone to take the faking Xiao Tianci away.
Ruan Nanxi knew the principle that too much is as bad as too little, but having defeated a minor villain from the original book on her very first move, she felt quite pleased with herself.
[Looks like I've got some talent for domestic power struggles after all—I mean, I've read a hundred or so novels about domestic intrigue and palace drama.]
Turning her head, she saw the gloomy atmosphere in the flower hall. Ruan Nanxi's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively covered the priceless bracelet she'd just obtained.
[Oh no, oh no—Father-in-law and Mother-in-law dote on Xiao Tianci the most. I bullied him like that; Mother-in-law won't get angry and take the bracelet back, will she!]
Xiao Ye, listening to the thoughts that kept popping into her head, found his originally heavy mood inexplicably lightened.
But Madam Xiao had no mind for bracelets at the moment. Her head was full of the possibility that Tianci might not be as kind and good as she'd believed, and of the thoughts she'd just heard.
Did Ruan Nanxi know where her little daughter was?
She took a deep breath, grabbed Ruan Nanxi's hand, and tentatively said:
"Nanxi, ah, my little daughter has gone missing—our whole family is searching for her. Xiaoqing was closest to Third Brother among us all. When you go out socializing, could you help us look for her and ask around?"