The Queen and Pei Lie had arrived.
The family reunion was, naturally, filled with warmth, with Shen Qingqing, Fu Jingshu, and the old man serving as background figures.
After the family finished their heartfelt reunion, the King asked Pei Lie to retrieve a box from his desk drawer.
The box was no larger than a palm and featured a complex combination lock.
The King glanced at everyone present. They all discreetly withdrew, leaving the room for the King and Queen. Shortly thereafter, the King's voice was heard.
"You may come in."
As Pei Lie and Pei Ji entered, the King instructed them, "Take this and mobilize all your forces to apprehend Pei Xi."
It was a token, inscribed with a single character.
King.
This was the highest-level token of the royal family, possessed only by the King himself, granting him the authority to command all royal forces, including the shadow forces that were usually hidden from everyone.
Pei Ji merely glanced at it before turning away. "This sort of matter is best left to Elder Brother. I am not skilled in such affairs."
Pei Lie had no choice but to accept. He looked at the King, ultimately saying nothing, and turned to leave.
Not long after, Pei Lie returned, encircling the royal palace with a contingent of his forces. When Pei Xi arrived, it was like catching a turtle in a jar.
He stood in the grand hall, observing the King, the Queen, and several princes before him. His gaze paused upon seeing Pei Xing, and then shifted to Shen Qingqing.
"So, you returned long ago."
He had miscalculated.
He had believed the personnel he had stationed within the palace were sufficient to stop Shen Qingqing. Ultimately, he had underestimated them.
The King's expression darkened, his eyes filled with disappointment. "Pei Xi, do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Pei Xi shook his head, his demeanor calm. "I have nothing to say."
The King gritted his teeth. "Pei Xi, I gave you that name. My initial intention was for you to hold onto hope, no matter the circumstances. I never imagined..."
Now, he truly held onto hope, but his methods were cruel, completely contrary to his original wishes.
Pei Xi let out a light chuckle. "If you truly cared about me, you would have sought me out instead of waiting for me to come to you. All these years, you never once thought of my mother, did you?"
A flicker of guilt crossed the King's face. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Pei Xi shot him a scornful look, shook his head, and then turned to Shen Qingqing. "You won. You've gotten the antidote, haven't you?"
Shen Qingqing scoffed. "If you hadn't taken the antidote, I would already be back home."
Pei Xi remained silent.
She, however, was filled with bewilderment. "Why? You could have simply dealt with your own matters without involving me. Why did you have to snatch the antidote and force us into opposition with you?"
This had brought Pei Xi no benefits whatsoever.
Pei Xi did not answer. He turned and looked at each person intently. "Alright, I no longer wish to discuss these matters. Just tell me directly, how do you intend to deal with me?"
The King, utterly disillusioned with him, did not wish to speak further. He stated coldly, "Confine him to the dungeons. Execute him."
Pei Xi let out a soft laugh, a sound imbued with unspeakable irony and mockery. He still said nothing in the face of this outcome.
He did not cry, nor did he fuss, nor did he exhibit hysteria.
When the guards came to apprehend him, he behaved like a gentleman from a bygone era, even extending his hands cooperatively.
Before he left, he glanced back at Shen Qingqing.
"You have won, but you have not entirely won."
"What do you mean?"
Pei Xi no longer answered and left with the guards.
As for his attendants and butler, they were all arrested and thrown into the dungeons. The King, fearing escape, even ordered increased security.
At this point, everything seemed resolved.
The King and Queen had matters to discuss, and they retired upstairs, leaving the mess below entirely to Pei Lie to handle.
Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu also decided to gracefully withdraw, their mission accomplished.
They returned to their room and ordered their luggage to be packed. The thought of returning home soon filled Shen Qingqing with immense joy, a smile never leaving her face.
"Once we're home and after Xi Xi's illness is cured, we must have a family portrait taken!"
Fu Jingshu, of course, agreed to her every word. "Alright, as you wish."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Shen Qingqing opened it to find Pei Ji. He wore a rare, relaxed smile, but his eyes immediately fell upon the packed luggage.
"Are you... leaving?"
"Yes." Shen Qingqing leaned against the doorframe. "We've been here for too long."
"Before you go, let's have a meal," Pei Ji said, glancing downstairs with a hint of a resigned smile. "Mother said she wants to prepare a dinner for you. Don't worry, it will be a simple dinner, just our family, to express our gratitude."
Shen Qingqing actually felt a little hesitant.
But their kindness was too genuine to refuse. "Alright, this evening?"
"Yes." Pei Ji looked at the suitcase and teased, "Aren't you in a hurry to leave? I'll tell Mother to arrange it for this evening. After dinner, I'll book your flights for tomorrow, and you can go home."
Home.
These two words seemed to be imbued with warmth at this moment.
Shen Qingqing smiled radiantly, and the dinner, which she had not anticipated, no longer felt unwelcome.
What was called a dinner was truly just that.
The King, the Queen, and the three princes were present, not a single extra person. Shen Qingqing attended with the old man, Fu Jingshu, and King.
Now that the King was out of danger and had regained control of the palace, there was no longer any need to worry about Nika discovering King's impersonation.
Nika had been furious when she found out, but the Queen had arrived at that exact moment.
She hadn't dared to unleash her anger and had timidly retreated.
At the dinner table, the Queen said, "Miss Shen, we were able to overcome this crisis today thanks to your help. I am truly grateful to you. You must have this drink with me."
Shen Qingqing, of course, gave the Queen face and raised her glass, drinking it down in one go.
The Queen also gracefully finished her drink, but someone advised, "Your health hasn't fully recovered yet. You shouldn't drink too much; you need to rest."
The Queen glared at him, and the King immediately fell silent. Feeling somewhat embarrassed in front of everyone, he whispered a quiet explanation.
"I am only doing this for your own good."
"You should just behave yourself," the Queen said, her tone gentle yet firm.
The King immediately fell silent. He thought that by staying quiet, it would be over. However, the Queen then brought him up again. "Shouldn't you thank Miss Shen?"
The King's lips were tightly pressed together; he remained silent.
"She saved your life, after all," the Queen reminded him.
The King was not an ungrateful person. It was just that he had held some prejudice against Shen Qingqing previously, and now it was difficult for him to utter words of thanks.
However, all eyes were on him, as if waiting for him to say those words.
Helpless, the King could only mumble, "Thank you."
The words were spoken so quickly and quietly that they were barely audible. The Queen was clearly not satisfied. "You have no sincerity at all."
The King felt incredibly wronged, but he could not refute her. Not only did he not want to offend the Queen, but he also felt he was indeed indebted to Shen Qingqing and was in the wrong.