Chapter 27: Undercurrents

Night deepened over the marquis' estate, its serene façade masking the roiling tensions beneath.

Su Mingli sat at her desk, fingertips brushing the aged pages of a classical text. Candlelight flickered across her contemplative profile.

Xiao Tao slipped into the room, voice hushed. "Miss, we've confirmed it. Su Wanrou's confinement is merely for show. Her maids still meet covertly with outside agents. She hasn't surrendered."

Su Mingli smiled faintly. "Of course she hasn't."

She knew Su Wanrou's nature well. The marquess' wife had imposed confinement as a temporary measure, but given the chance, her stepsister would strike back viciously.

Xiao Tao frowned. "Should we—"

"Patience." Su Mingli closed her book, eyes glinting coldly. "Others will act first."

A sudden knock interrupted them.

"Miss! The Marquess' wife summons you to the front hall—urgently."

Su Mingli rose, lips curving. "Right on schedule."

Main Hall

The moment Su Mingli entered, she sensed the suffocating tension. The Marquess' wife sat rigidly on the central seat, face stormy. Beside her stood a black-clad man, his expression icy.

"Do you confess your crimes?" the Marquess' wife demanded.

Su Mingli walked forward, her steps as graceful as lotus blooms. "What crimes, Mother?"

The Marquess' wife gestured sharply to the man. He bowed. "Last night, we intercepted a letter bound for the palace. Its contents… implicate the marquis' household in treason." His gaze hardened on Su Mingli. "Had it reached His Majesty, the entire estate would face ruin."

Su Mingli arched a brow. "You believe I sent this letter?"

"Who else?" the Marquess' wife snapped.

"So Mother accuses me of conspiring against our own family?" Su Mingli's voice chilled. "How… inventive."

The Marquess' wife faltered, unnerved by her daughter's composure.

A low laugh echoed from the doorway.

"What lively drama unfolds here tonight."

All turned as Xiao Jingxuan strode in, his gaze sweeping the room like a predator assessing prey.

"War Prince!" The Marquess' wife rose abruptly. "This is a private—"

"Ah, but false accusations against Lady Su concern me deeply." He paused beside Su Mingli, eyes locking with hers. "Someone seeks to frame you, it seems."

Su Mingli tilted her head. "Your Highness' spies work swiftly."

"For you?" His voice dropped, intimate. "I make exceptions."

A charged silence fell.

The Marquess' wife's knuckles whitened on her chair. "This matter… requires further investigation."

The black-clad man opened his mouth to protest but bit back his words.

Su Mingli curtsied gracefully to Xiao Jingxuan. "Your timely intervention is appreciated."

He leaned close, breath grazing her ear. "You owe me a favor now."

"Since when does the War Prince keep score?" she murmured.

"Since you became… interesting." His thumb brushed her sleeve, a touch fleeting as a shadow.

Their eyes met—a collision of calculation and something hotter.

The Marquess' wife watched them, suspicion and dread warring in her gaze.

Outside, the night hummed with unseen threats.

The game had escalated.

And Su Mingli stood precisely where she intended—at its burning center.