Chapter 149: Unexpected Morning "I seem to have forgotten to bring a change of clothes. Could you lend me one?"
As Seraphina appeared in the doorway, Xiaxia and Evelyn were struck dumb, their eyes widening in disbelief as they stared at her, almost as if they had just seen a ghost.
". . ."
". . ."
The shock of the unexpected sight left them completely speechless, and for a brief moment, the room was engulfed in an eerie and deafening silence.
Time seemed to stand still as no one in the room reacted to the startling presence of Seraphina. Their minds raced, trying to process the inexplicable situation that had unfolded before them.
Xiaxia and Evelyn were caught in a surreal tableau, each one locked in a bewildered trance.
It took a few moments for Evelyn and Xiaxia to break free from their initial shock, but when they finally did, they found themselves unable to form any coherent words.
Their gazes darted between Xin and Seraphina, their eyes filled with a mix of confusion and surprise. It was as if they were trapped in a maze of unspoken questions, unsure of where to begin unraveling the confusion that had unfolded in the room.
"Mom . . ." Xin finally broke the silence, his voice calm and steady, ". . . it’s not what you think."
However, as Evelyn found her voice, it was anything but calm. Her tone turned accusatory as she practically yelled at Xin, her frustration evident.
"What do you mean, ’not what I think’?! That’s Lady Seraphina! In your room! In a robe! Xin, what on earth did you do?!"
Realizing her outburst, Evelyn’s demeanor quickly shifted when she remembered Seraphina’s presence. Her voice softened, and she forced a polite smile. "Lady Seraphina, I apologize. Whatever my son did to you, we could work this out peacefully."
Xiaxia’s eyes widened with shock and disbelief. She couldn’t contain her anger and stormed over to Xin, pinching him on the side.
"You . . . that’s Lady Seraphina, you idiot! What have you done?! Do you realize how many suitors she has? You’re so dead! Just laying eyes on her is considered a sin and then you shared a bed with her?! What did you do?! You better start talking!"
Xin was about to explain when Xiaxia’s panic escalated.
"I knew it! I knew it! Xin, you disgust me!"
Xin took a deep breath, trying to regain control of the situation as his sister and mother spiraled into wild assumptions and off-topic discussions. It was becoming increasingly clear that they were indeed mother and daughter.
Feeling the weight of the awkwardness in the room, Xin turned to Seraphina and asked, "Can you help me out here?"
Seraphina gracefully exited the bedroom, causing Evelyn and Xiaxia to nearly faint when they confirmed that she was, indeed, in just a robe.
The panic in the room escalated as Xiaxia paced back and forth, muttering, "Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Xin is definitely going to jail. Mr. Fey will find out about this, kick us out, and put Xin behind bars. And if her suitors and fan club find out . . . oh, you’re so dead."
Evelyn was struggling to maintain her composure, and tried to calm everyone down. "Let’s all take a deep breath and not jump to conclusions. We need to think of a solution for this . . . incident."
But before she could continue, Seraphina finally interjected with a calm tone that immediately grabbed everyone’s attention. "There’s nothing to think about."
All eyes turned toward Seraphina, who briefly glanced at Xin before continuing, "Nothing happened between your son and me."
Xiaxia came to a screeching halt in her pacing. "Really?"
Evelyn let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the heavens!"
The tension in the room began to dissipate as Seraphina’s words sank in, leaving the family to wonder how they had misunderstood the situation so dramatically.
"You." Evelyn shifted her attention to Xin. "Why didn’t you say so in the first place? You let us embarrassed ourselves in front of Lady Seraphina."
She batted her eyelids at Xin and the latter couldn’t help but close his eyes and exhaled a sigh of relief.
For a moment, he had feared that Seraphina might lie just to see him suffer. She had given him the impression that she was going to do exactly that.
Fortunately, he was mistaken.
Once Evelyn and Xiaxia regained their composure, they began asking more rational questions.
"So . . . why are you here, Lady Seraphina?" Evelyn inquired.
Seraphina calmly explained, "I attended a friend’s party last night and returned home quite late. This place happened to be the nearest, so I decided to rest here."
"But why did you end up sleeping in Xin’s room?" Xiaxia asked, voicing the question that was on everyone’s minds.
Seraphina offered an elegant half-shrug. "I must have been more tired than I realized and didn’t pay attention."
Evelyn and Xiaxia exchanged knowing glances. They believed Seraphina’s explanation, but it left one more unanswered question, and they were both thinking the same thing.
Evelyn cleared her throat and spoke politely, "Lady Seraphina, we’re truly sorry for imposing on your home like this. We can leave right away . . ."
However, before Evelyn could finish, Seraphina raised her hand and interrupted. "Stay," she insisted with a commanding tone that sounded like her father.
"I’ve heard about the circumstances from my father. There are five bedrooms in this place, and it’s too big for just me."
Her unexpected generosity left Evelyn and Xiaxia wide-eyed. They hadn’t expected Lady Seraphina to be so . . . so kind.
She had always come across as cold, indifferent, and aloof, much like her father. This unexpected revelation caught them off guard.
Meanwhile, Xin’s expression remained impassive and unresponsive, as if he were trying to maintain his composure.
Seraphina continued, "I’m not here all the time, so you can stay here as long as you want."
Evelyn and Xiaxia were still processing the generosity extended to them while Seraphina shifted her attention to Xin.
"Can you lend me some clothes?"
"Help yourself. Your father bought those, after all," Xin responded casually which made Xiaxia and Evelyn’s mouth dropped.
"Thank you," Seraphina replied before excusing herself to return to the room, leaving Xiaxia and Evelyn with their mouths agape in amazement.
After Seraphina had left the room, Xiaxia and Evelyn resumed their interrogation of Xin.
"Are you absolutely certain that you didn’t do anything to her?" Evelyn asked once again, her concern evident in her tone.
Xin let out an exasperated sigh. "She already told you the truth."
Xiaxia breathed a sigh of relief and affectionately tapped Xin’s shoulders. "I knew it . . . I knew you didn’t have the spine to do anything to her."
". . ." Xin couldn’t help but feel the urge to flick her head at this moment.