The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 115 - 113 I’ll Kill You, You Wretch

Chapter 115: Chapter 113 I’ll Kill You, You Wretch

Shen Yinning neither dodged nor avoided; instead, she mockingly lifted her exquisitely curved, snow-white jaw.

Lu Ying was calmly seated on a circle-back chair, enjoying his tea.

The powerful sound of an approaching fist reached his ears. He lifted his eyelids, casually flicking the teacup in his hand. The cup, carried by the swirling wind, shot straight toward Shen Xinglei!

The teacup collided mid-air with Shen Xinglei’s fist with uncanny precision!

Though it was just a small teacup, Shen Xinglei felt his knuckles tremble in pain as if struck by lightning. His fist could no longer advance even a fraction of an inch!

In the next moment, the porcelain teacup shattered, countless fragments embedding into his fist. Blood and flesh intermingled in a grisly, horrifying sight!

Clutching his injured hand with a face darkened with rage, Shen Xinglei’s lips quivered as he snarled, "Crown Prince?!"

"Attacking a woman in broad daylight—what kind of proper conduct is that?" Lu Ying’s voice was cold and sharp. "Still not backing down?"

Grinding his teeth, Shen Xinglei had no choice but to retreat awkwardly to Shen Xinghan’s side. His eyes, venomous as if laced with poison, remained locked onto Shen Yinning.

The guests did not speak, but their impressions of Shen Xinglei had plummeted to rock bottom.

This young man not only insulted his cousin as a "worthless wretch" in public but also raised his fists against her. What semblance of propriety did he have as a nobleman’s son!

Similarly, among the younger generals who had spent years at the border, Shen Xingye had once been a dashing gentleman—poised and charming, famous for scenes of "riding under the moonlit bridge, crimson-sleeved beauties beckoning from balconies." After the Shen Mansion fell into misfortune, he had voluntarily called off his engagement with the Zhou family to avoid implicating his fiancée—a true man’s conduct!

When compared to Shen Xingye, Shen Xinglei’s despicable act of poisoning his fiancée made his shortcomings glaringly evident!

The onlookers exchanged glances, tacitly agreeing that they would never marry their daughters to Shen Xinglei, no matter what.

Chief Xue shielded his sobbing wife and daughter, his heart a mix of anguish and fury. "Shen Yan, what wrong has my Qingqing committed for your family to treat her like this?! Having a mistress isn’t enough—you poisoned her too! Your Shen Family is utterly intolerable! I will definitely seek justice from His Majesty regarding this!"

Mrs. Qin watched the Xue family leave and couldn’t help but complain, "Granted, this matter is our Shen Family’s fault. But isn’t the Xue Family at fault, too? Couldn’t they help cover up this scandal involving the mistress and her illegitimate child? Was it really necessary to make such a scene in front of everyone, ruining face for both families?"

Shen Yan said nothing, though he shared the same sentiments inwardly.

Shen Xinghan patted Shen Xinglei on the shoulder and murmured, "Second Brother, don’t burden yourself with guilt. The Xue Family, righteous as they are, would never stoop to underhanded scheming for revenge. All they’ll likely demand is an apology before His Majesty. Nothing more."

"Elder Brother speaks truly," Shen Yunxi chimed in. "Second Brother, Qingqing wasn’t all that remarkable anyway. I will personally select a more beautiful and noble heiress for you in the future, so the Xue Family will regret calling off the engagement today!"

Xue Ling leisurely trailed behind the departing Xue household.

While rubbing his wrist, he turned back for one last look at the Shen Family with a wicked, untamed smile that glinted with cold malice in his pale eyes.

After the Xue Family departed, Mrs. Qin, now irritated, cast a glance at Sun Miaoniang and her son before gesturing to her attendants to escort them away.

Forcing herself to maintain the dignified and gentle demeanor of the Duchess, Mrs. Qin addressed the guests with a strained smile. "Dear friends, forgive us for the unpleasantness you’ve witnessed! Let the birthday banquet continue!"

Shen Yinning said softly and politely, "After all this commotion, we must all be famished by now. Aunt, how will we arrange the seating? I’ve been here for quite some time and still haven’t seen the layout for the feast."

How should they arrange seating?

Mrs. Qin was at a loss.

Today’s banquet had been organized by Yunxi. How would she know where the guests were supposed to sit?

She could only look to Shen Yunxi for help.

Shen Yunxi, in turn, shifted her gaze to Yin Shanshan, demanding, "Where’s the seating arrangement?!"

With a faint smile, Yin Shanshan replied loudly, "Serve the dishes!"

As her voice fell, a dozen chefs dressed in white shirts and pants, with white hats, carried trays of dishes into the hall.

Introducing them, Yin Shanshan said, "These are chefs from the ’Cupid’s Arrival Western Cuisine Restaurant.’ I paid a hefty sum to recruit them from far away. Don’t be surprised by their peculiar attire; these outfits are called ’chef uniforms,’ and they are the hallmark of our Western restaurant."

The hall fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Chef uniforms? Such a thing had never been heard of!

Worse still, for a joyful occasion like this birthday celebration, these people showed up in white. Was this not akin to cursing Shen Yan?!

Shen Yan’s face turned as dark as ink, but since this banquet was arranged by Shen Yunxi, he restrained himself from breaking out into fury.

Soon, the bar counters around the hall were filled with an assortment of dishes, dazzling in their presentation.

Old Madam Chen hesitated before commenting, "These tables are so narrow and long—this old woman has never seen such things before. There are only a dozen or so high round stools. Are we supposed to eat standing up?"

Yin Shanshan proudly retorted, "Old crone, you simply don’t understand, do you? This is called a buffet. Here, guests can serve themselves whatever they like to eat, freely moving about as they enjoy their food while chatting with one another. Isn’t that delightful?"

Once again, the hall fell into an awkward silence.

Since ancient times, table etiquette adhered to the principle of "Silent during meals, quiet during rest." Eating while chatting? Preposterous!

Moreover, these aristocrats held strict adherence to dining protocols. Eating while standing? Such absurdity!

This birthday banquet was turning into a farce!

Out of respect for the Shen Family’s newly acquired status as influential figures in the Capital, the guests forced themselves to give Shen Yan some courtesy and reluctantly sampled the dishes.

At least the dishes appeared vibrant and aesthetically pleasing—unfamiliar but enticing at first glance.

Lu Jiazhe, curious, sampled a piece of fish, only to spit it out unceremoniously. "This fish is rotten!"

"The shrimp smells off as well."

"Is this supposed to be shark fin? It tastes more like sweet potato noodles to me!"

"Pah, this isn’t sea cucumber at all—it’s cucumber!"

"..."

Complaints filled the hall.

Despite the eye-catching array of dishes, not a single one was fit for consumption!

Yin Shanshan’s scalp tingled with dread.

These high-ranking nobles had shockingly refined palates! She had specifically instructed the chefs to use heavy spices and salt to mask the unsavory quality of the ingredients, yet they had still figured it out!

Shen Yunxi’s face contorted with rage. "Yin Shanshan! I entrusted you with organizing this banquet, and this is what you’ve come up with?! Are you deliberately sabotaging the Shen Guogong Mansion?!"

"No... it’s not like that..." Yin Shanshan trembled in panic before suddenly having a spark of inspiration. Choking up, she sobbed, "As the saying goes, ’In decadent mansions, wine and meat rot, while outside, the bones of the poor freeze.’ In these times, the stark disparity between rich and poor has led us, the wealthy class, to live in extravagance while countless commoners suffer from hunger and cold. My use of spoiled ingredients is meant to remind everyone of the plight of the people, that we must not indulge in our own pleasures while ignoring their suffering! Crown Princess Consort, Duke Shen, we should revise the laws to bring prosperity to all and ensure equality for everyone!"

She felt immensely satisfied with her response, even managing to squeeze out two merciful tears.

Shen Yunxi felt an overwhelming urge to slap her to death!