```
After this small interlude, the atmosphere was noticeably less relaxed than before, especially with the Empress Dowager wearing a face like a storm about to break, while Si Chu acted as if nothing had happened. Anyone with some discernment could smell the tension between these two, and nobody dared to provoke either party at such a time.
Perhaps sensing the stagnation in the air, Si Chu casually looked up and tugged at the corner of his mouth, appearing rather amiable, "Why is no one talking? Don't be so stiff; today is the Empress Dowager's birthday. Isn't it odd for everyone to have such long faces?"
It might have been an illusion, but his words seemed to make the Empress Dowager's face look even worse.
Indeed, no one could be cheerful after being publicly embarrassed on their birthday. Her level of vexation was self-evident, and Si Chu's words were like adding fuel to the fire.
