Chapter 187 - 136: If This Weren’t Serious, Would I Cause a Scene Before Your Majesty and the Empress?
Chapter 187: Chapter 136: If This Weren’t Serious, Would I Cause a Scene Before Your Majesty and the Empress?
"So this is the niece Shu District Chief brought back from the Lower Star District. She seems like a pretty and clever girl."
Shu Yao let out a nearly inaudible snort, unimpressed by the Family Head’s insincere attempt at goodwill.
Her display of contempt enraged Antoine.
The Austin Family Head, however, didn’t seem to take offense.
He adopted a conciliatory tone toward Shu Guohua. "It’s perfectly normal for the younger generation to have their squabbles. Weren’t we the same when we were young? It’s not worth damaging the peace between our families over something so trivial. And there’s certainly no need to trouble His Majesty and the Empress over it."
With that, he waved his hand magnanimously.
With a dark expression, Shu Guohua snorted heavily. His words were laced with sarcasm. "So if we don’t reconcile now, we’ll be the ones who look petty, is that it!"
The Austin Family Head froze for a second before breaking into a sincere smile. "Shu District Chief, I genuinely wish to reconcile. I have no intention of slighting you."
"Reconciliation?" Shu Yao pondered for a second before saying graciously, "Fine. For my uncles’ sake, I’ll give you one chance."
Yudola shot her a somewhat dissatisfied glance.
’Giving in already? How boring.’
The Austin Family Head chuckled. "The Shu Family’s niece is quite reasonable after all."
"Heh." Shu Yao smirked, thinking he was celebrating too soon. Ignoring everyone’s expressions and stares, she continued, "All you have to do is name what I consider to be the single most outrageous thing the Austin family has ever done. If you guess correctly, I’ll let everything that happened today go."
"That’s... That’s asking the impossible!"
"Feel free to speak boldly. I won’t deny it if you get it right." Shu Yao smiled with a disarming innocence, looking as pure as a freshly bloomed flower, utterly devoid of guile or calculation. "I’ll give you one minute."
Antoine couldn’t hold it in any longer. Seething, he burst out, "You’re just being difficult for the sake of it! You can just deny whatever we say!"
Shu Yao looked wounded. "Don’t think so poorly of me."
The Austin Family Head smiled. "Can we not be so flippant in front of His Majesty?"
"I am being quite serious," Shu Yao emphasized, then added a helpful reminder, "You have 40 seconds left."
Antoine looked at the Austin Family Head.
The latter thought for a moment before offering a sincere apology. "What happened today was, indeed, our fault at the Austin family. I’ll have Juelton go to your home to formally apologize. As for compensation, we won’t be short a single cent. We will also offer a sincere apology to your classmate who was caught up in this."
"Such a shame," Shu Yao said regretfully. "Wrong answer."
"Don’t push it!" Antoine’s warning was tinged with menace.
A single, cold glance from Qin Shiwei’s dark green eyes was all it took. Antoine immediately shrank back as if cowed, hastily concealing his vicious expression.
The Austin Family Head also gave him a slightly displeased look.
Antoine clamped his mouth shut and sat in simmering silence, his gaze on the woman opposite him turning dark.
The Austin Family Head offered a wan, self-deprecating smile. "I’m getting old. My mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be. I honestly can’t think of the answer."
Shu Yao’s gaze swept the room before settling on him. "Does the Austin Family Head want to ask for outside help?"
The Austin Family Head smiled and waved his hand dismissively.
Few people present had the nerve to offend the Austin family as she did.
The Austin Family Head suddenly looked to the head of the table. "Perhaps Your Majesty knows?"
Qin Songlin laughed heartily. "How would I know what a young lady is thinking? Let’s have Miss Shu enlighten us."
’He was rather curious to hear what his sister-in-law had to say.’
Thinking of Shu Yao’s hidden identity, he couldn’t help but glance at Qin Shiwei.
’Holy cow!’
’His younger brother, who he’d always thought of as a stone statue that would never fall in love, now had eyes practically overflowing with affection!’
Shu Yao glanced at both the Austin Family Head and Antoine, then announced without a hint of restraint, "In my opinion, the most outrageous mistake the Austin family ever made... was when a sick cat handed the family’s administrative power to a pack of mongrels."
The Austin Family Head’s face instantly turned grim.
Upon hearing her words, Antoine flew into an uncontrollable rage.
"You!"
"Antoine!" The Family Head beside him said in a composed, deep voice. "Who gave you permission to shout before His Majesty?"
"My apologies. I lost my composure." Antoine forced himself to sit back down.
"Hahaha!" Shu Guohua burst out laughing. "Well said, well said!"
’Daring to say what she thinks and ready to face the consequences. That’s a member of the Shu Family, all right!’
The others laughed more reservedly.
Shu Yao cleared her throat. "Now then, shall we return to the topic at hand?"