The banquet in the front courtyard had already begun, with guests taking their seats in small groups. Shen Xiabai sat together with the Crown Prince, while several young lords clustered around the Prince of An, plying him with wine.
Beside them, the Crown Prince lowered his voice to Shen Xiabai, "Where exactly did you get those pastries the other day, Lord Shen?"
Shen Xiabai cast a sidelong glance at the Crown Prince but remained silent.
"Why do you look at me like that, Lord Shen?"
"Your Highness seems quite interested in those pastries," Shen Xiabai said.
The Crown Prince's smile stiffened.
"Such a unique flavor truly left a lasting impression on me."
"Is that all?" Shen Xiabai asked.
"...What else would there be?" Could he possibly be missing that taste, which was like something out of a swill bucket?
"Lord Shen certainly knows how to joke."
Shen Xiabai smiled in response. "Since Your Highness says it's so distinctive, I naturally cannot casually reveal its source to anyone."
The Crown Prince watched the cautious look in Shen Xiabai's eyes and couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth. One would think it was some rare treasure, when in truth he was merely curious. "To be honest, I have no desire to taste that flavor again. Lord Shen, if you enjoy it, you can keep savoring it at your leisure."
Shen Xiabai shot him a glance that was far from friendly, lacking even the basic respect owed to the heir apparent.
Xiao Chen didn't mind much; after all, he had been dealing with Shen Xiabai for quite some time. But the man's fierce protectiveness over such a tooth-cracking, unpalatable pastry had certainly piqued the Crown Prince's strong curiosity.
Nearby, the Prince of An finally catching his breath seemed to overhear their conversation. He cast a glance their way, a lazy smile on his lips. "So Lord Shen has offered pastries to my royal brother as well?"
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow. "He offered them to you too?"
"Mm-hmm." The Prince of An nodded, fixing a meaningful gaze on Shen Xiabai, who sat upright, and asked, "Could it be that my royal brother also touched a sore spot for Lord Shen?"
The phrase sore spot landed like a small hammer, tapping lightly but insistently on someone's mind.
Shen Xiabai lifted his eyelids, glanced at the Prince of An, but offered no explanation.
"Sore spot?" The Crown Prince was utterly confused. With all the troubles he was currently facing, when would he have had the time to offend Shen Xiabai?
What the Prince of An said remained clouded in ambiguity. "For all the sins of us brothers this lifetime, the Cui family has taken them all. Where can we ever seek justice?"
"What injustice does Your Highness suffer from?"
A smile played on the Prince of An's lips. "There should still be a thick stack of documents in my study that I haven't had time to handle. After the wedding, I'll lend them to Lord Shen for a look."
Beneath the table, Shen Xiabai rubbed his hands together slowly while keeping a smile on his face. "Since it's Your Highness's grievances, I certainly must take a look."
The Crown Prince frowned, looking from one to the other, utterly perplexed.
Suddenly, a firm hand landed on his shoulder. The Prince of An's voice carried a tipsy blur. "Lord Shen, be honest: among those dreadfully awful pastries, was there really shit in them?"
His words silenced everyone at the table instantly. The faces of the Crown Prince and Shen Xiabai paled noticeably.
Struggling to suppress a gag, the Crown Prince turned his head toward Shen Xiabai. "Lord Shen, I..."
Thinking of Cui Yunchu's character, Shen Xiabai suddenly wondered if the Prince of An's suggestion might not be entirely impossible.
His stomach churned violently.
The Crown Prince doubled over, his face turning purple.
"I... do not know," Shen Xiabai said, his voice strained.
He was always sincere and unwilling to lie. The Prince of An's carefree demeanor slowly shifted. Shen Xiabai looked up at the two of them with utter candor. "I ate them too, Your Highnesses."
"I don't recall ever offending you in any way, Lord Shen," said the Crown Prince.
As the three of them fell into a silent standoff, Yu Feng returned. Shen Xiabai glanced at him, and Yu Feng leaned in to whisper, "The Prince of An's men have taken care of the situation over there."
Shen Xiabai nodded.
The Prince of An shot the master and servant a look and snorted with a laugh. "Lord Shen and Miss Cui Yunchu—you truly are birds of a feather."
Each of them, when they had means, chose not to use them; they saved all their tricks for him. Yun Feng alone was too innocent to see through their schemes.
The Crown Prince had just bitten into a slice of cucumber from his plate. At these words, he looked up in astonishment. "Lord Shen... and my eldest cousin?"
Shen Xiabai's tone was indifferent. "Your Highness need not mock me in vain. If you have the nerve, just try winning the Princess of An's heart to your side only."
"..."
A killing blow indeed, and none more cutting.
Xiao Yi’s mouth twitched, his playful gaze turning into weary dejection.
"It's Your Highness's wedding day today, Lord Shen. Please show a little restraint," said the Crown Prince.
"The Crown Prince is always quick with cold, smug words now, isn't he? If the Prince of An were mocking you and the Crown Princess, would you be singing the same tune?" Shen Xiabai countered.
"..."
The cucumber in his dish was indeed crisp and sweet. The Crown Prince picked up his chopsticks and continued eating with elegant composure.
Ever since the three of them started speaking, the others either fell silent or drifted away, neither daring to interrupt.
Just then, a maidservant came rushing over frantically. It was Yun'er, who served Cui Yunfeng. "Your Highness, something terrible has happened."
She kept her voice low, so only a few could hear.
The Crown Prince and Shen Xiabai didn't even lift their eyes from the food.
The Prince of An asked urgently, "What happened?"
"My eldest miss has gone missing."
The Prince of An's heart, which had jumped to its throat, eased at her words.
Someone else shot to his feet.
The Crown Prince was still chewing something when he lifted his head in bewilderment.
"Gone missing—what does that mean?" Shen Xiabai's voice was icy cold.
Yun'er said, "My eldest miss said she would go to the kitchen to see if there was anything the princess could eat, fearing that the princess would be too hungry. But she had been gone for over half an hour, and when I went to look for her, I couldn't find anyone. The kitchen staff said she left there long ago, but I have searched the entire mansion and still can't find her."
The Prince of An said, "Didn't I order food sent to Yunfeng? Why did she go to the kitchen?"
Was that the point?
Yun'er kept her head down and relayed Cui Yunfeng's instructions. "The lady official from the Ministry of Rites wouldn't allow it, saying it's bad luck for the bride to eat on the wedding day."
Beside them, Shen Xiabai had already instructed Yu Feng: "Go find her."
Having said that, he started to leave but suddenly stopped and turned back to look at the Prince of An.
"What about Gu Xuan?"
Xiao Yi's face changed. "I ordered him to be thrown out of the mansion."
"Are you sure, Your Highness?" Shen Xiabai's face was tight, and the veins on his forehead were almost visible.
Sure? Of course not—he had been terribly busy all day and hadn't had time to check personally.
A chill of dread also rose in Xiao Yi's heart. If anything happened to Cui Yunchu at the Prince of An's mansion, Yunfeng would surely fight him to the death.
The Crown Prince also stood up. "The priority now is to find her as quickly as possible."
