Her acting was completely natural. She showed neither excessive panic nor deliberate aloofness, perfectly portraying a Crown Prince who had grown suspicious.
Xue Ye's gaze lingered on Xue Qinghe's face for a long time, as if he wanted to pierce through his skin and see every emotion within.
The air in the study seemed to freeze. Even Prince Xue Xing temporarily restrained his anger and stared at Qian Renxue's reaction.
After a long while, Xue Ye slowly lowered the arm resting on the chair's armrest and straightened his back slightly.
His voice carried unconcealable grief and exhaustion as he spoke one word at a time:
"Your younger brother is dead."
Those brief six words were like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, sending heavy ripples through the study.
The color drained from Qian Renxue's face as Xue Qinghe, and she abruptly widened her eyes as if unable to believe it.
She immediately hurried one step forward, her voice carrying just the right amount of shock and urgency:
"Imperial Father, what did you say? Fourth Brother... how could this happen?"
His gaze fell once more on the stretcher covered with a white cloth. His body trembled slightly, as if he had suffered a tremendous shock.
"This is...! This is impossible! Fourth Brother was fine this morning. How could he suddenly..."
That perfectly measured panic and grief left even Xue Ye unable to find the slightest fault.
Seeing his reddened eyes, Xue Ye's suspicions eased slightly, leaving only the agony of losing his son. He waved his hand and spoke hoarsely:
"The details are still being investigated... Your fourth brother was beaten to death by someone named Dai Mubai!"
Prince Xue Xing spoke coldly from the side, his tone edged with sarcasm:
"Dai Mubai didn't know Xue Beng at all. Why