Standing Next To You-Chapter 180: Found in Richard’s Room

Xiao Mi looked around and did not see her daughter. Breakfast time was around the corner, and she did not want her daughter to be late. So she called out to one of her maids to bring her daughter.

While waiting for her daughter to arrive, the other branches started to arrive in the dining hall one by one.

When they saw her at the dining table so early, the other madams’ moods plummeted.

Li Mei, Lin Sunji’s mother, put on a fake smile and inquired, "You arrived so early, Fifth Sister. Did you perhaps help in the kitchen?"

The other madams’ attention turned to Xiao Mi.

Xiao Mi covered her smile elegantly. "This is the last time we are able to share the table with the Simon family. Of course, I have to at least cook for them for once."

Li Mei’s smile turned stiff. She was a bit envious that this woman was able to show off her skills and at the same time curry favor with just one dish. If she knew how helpful cooking was, she should have learned this skill or another.

Li Mei, of course, tried to learn cooking after witnessing how Xiao Mi gained the old man’s favor with just one dish. However, she simply didn’t have the talent for it. It was the same for the other madams. They didn’t have the patience to learn cooking, and their soft hands might get burned.

They could only grit their teeth in envy.

Li Mei muttered softly, "I wish I knew which dish it was so I could tamper with it."

The twins behind her, Lin Sunji and Lin Sanju, heard her low mutter. Lin Sanju ignored it and went to his own seat, while Lin Sunji hugged her mother’s arm.

"Don’t worry, Mom. The fifth branch won’t be happy any longer. There will be a good show."

Li Mei’s attention was caught by her daughter’s words. "A good show?"

"Yes. Listen to me, Mom. Later...."

Lin Sunji made some instructions. Li Mei’s eyes flashed. Her daughter had not explained everything yet, but based on her daughter’s hints, she could tell that there would be an interesting show later.

She looked at her daughter in surprise. This plan was indeed good. Did her daughter come up with this plan alone? She felt a sense of pride. Her daughter was getting smarter.

The other members arrived and filled up the seats one by one.

Mr. Simon and Sophia also arrived. They seemed dispirited. A while later, Butler Yang arrived with Old Master Lin.

Xiao Mei glanced upstairs. Why was her daughter taking so long?

Old Master Lin took a seat and returned everyone’s greeting. He glanced at the empty seat beside Mr. Simon. "Is your grandson not going to join us?"

Mr. Simon had a sullen face. He still felt cheated and betrayed because of the incident yesterday. "He must be tired. Please excuse his tiredness." He then called one of the servants to check on Richard.

Lin Sunji glanced at them and gestured for her mother. Li Mei’s eyes flashed. She suddenly exclaimed. "Eh? Where is Lin Xiaoni, Sister Xiao Mei?"

Xiao Mei’s husband, Lin Xiao, was also wondering why his daughter hadn’t arrived. "Is she ill?"

Xiao Mei shook her head, "No. I checked on her yesterday. She seems fine. I have sent a maid to check on her earlier. But she still hasn’t gone back." Xiao Mei was also getting worried. If her daughter arrived too late, her father-in-law might scold their branch.

Lin Sunji showed a hint of doubt and commented loudly, "I have seen fifth sister wandering around the area of the guest room yesterday evening. She seemed in a hurry, as if she is going to meet someone. Perhaps she is late because of that?"

Lin Sunji’s comment made everyone at the dining table pause.

The others immediately caught the hint in her words.

"Wandered around the guest room area in the middle of the night?"

Mr. Simon’s face suddenly darkened. He had a bad premonition.

Xiao Mei and Lin Xiao glanced sharply at Lin Sunji.

Xiao Mei’s face became stern, "Watch your mouth. Don’t easily speak of things that might cause misunderstanding." She then turned to Old Master Lin and Mr. Simon, "There’s no way my daughter will go around in that area in the middle of the night. Lin Sunji might be seeing it wrong."

"I am not blind. Lin Xiaoni is wearing her white nightgown." Lin Sunji turned to ask her personal butler, "Didn’t we see her together? I wondered if she needed help, so I asked my personal butler to follow her and ask her. Tell them what did you see."

Lin Sunji’s personal butler stepped forward and respectfully reported, "The fifth young miss went to the farthest room on the second floor of the guest area. She entered the room, so I stopped following her."

Sophia turned pale in shock. "T-that’s my brother’s room!" She then covered her mouth as if trying to cover up what she said. But it was too late.

Mr. Simon’s face was darker than the bottom of a burned pot.

Xiao Mei and Lin Xiao glared at the fourth branch. How dare they ruin their daughter’s reputation in front of everyone!

As Xiao Mei was about to defend her daughter, the maid she sent over finally arrived.

She arrived next to Xiao Mei and whispered. "Madame, Young Miss is not in her room. I have looked everywhere else, but I couldn’t find her. Could it be... she did not sleep in her room?"

Xiao Mei felt a thunder struck her core. Her daughter was not in her room?

Her husband was just beside her and heard the maid’s report. He turned pale.

Another servant came running in. The servant was too flustered to notice the strange atmosphere in the dining hall and reported next to Mr. Simon.

"Y-young M-master Richard...he...he.." He was having a hard time explaining, and Mr. Simon got impatient.

"Explain it clearly!"

The servant got scared by Mr. Simon’s sudden outburst. In his clumsiness, he reported what he had seen a bit loudly, "Y-young Master Richard is found together with the Fifth young miss in his room!"

Thud.

Xiao Mei was so shocked that she dropped her utensils.

Li Mei’s eyes flashed. "Let’s go and find out if it’s the truth then." She then stood up and left the table. Lin Sunji followed behind. Sophia also followed after them.