Chapter 22
Chu Xihuan completely ignored the complicated gazes of the other four and also made up her mind to cherish this meal.
Ever since she had eaten Lin Zhao’s cooking, she felt that life was just so-so. How could it be so ordinary and uninteresting!
Everyone arrived at the dining hall. Ye Liuxiang looked at Chu Ningyi and Chu Qincheng and asked with some confusion, “Aren’t Shaoqing and Yuzheng coming to eat?”
At her words, Chu Ningyi and Chu Qincheng exchanged a look. Finally, Chu Qincheng said tactfully, “Shaoqing said she still has some accounts to settle and is still busy, so she won’t be coming.”
Chu Ningyi also nodded in agreement. “He’s also busy.”
In reality, it was because they all thought that today would be a chaotic day, and they were afraid that the two of them would feel awkward, so it was better for them to stay in their own courtyards and not get involved.
Ye Liuxiang was silent for a moment, then waved her hand to signal for them to start eating.
Chu Xuanzhuang’s face was tense. If it weren’t for the fact that it was Chu Xihuan’s homecoming day and it wouldn’t be good to make a scene, he would have already lost his temper and wanted to kick Lin Zhao out.
Lin Zhao had been very nervous and apprehensive, but when she saw the table full of food, her eyes widened.
It was even better than the feast at her own wedding!
After seeing her parents start eating, Chu Xihuan took the initiative to place a piece of fish belly in Lin Zhao’s bowl and once again instructed in a low voice, “Eat more. We don’t usually eat so lavishly at home.”
The family had never been one for extravagance. Although they weren’t overly frugal, they weren’t extravagant either. Their daily meals were usually quite standard.
Seeing Chu Xihuan serve her food, Lin Zhao, who had been so scared she had almost broken out in a cold sweat, had now completely forgotten about what had happened earlier. Her eyes shone like a little puppy being fed, and she was just short of wagging her tail and jumping up and down with Chu Xihuan’s hand.
Seeing her like this, a hint of satisfaction appeared in Chu Xihuan’s eyes. “Can you eat fish heads?” she asked in a low voice.
Lin Zhao’s eyes were still fixed on the fish in her bowl, her chopsticks already eager to pick it up. Hearing Chu Xihuan’s question, she answered smoothly, “I can.”
She could eat it, but she didn’t particularly like it. But it was good to have something to eat, and Lin Zhao wasn’t picky.
Besides, a fish head was still meat, still something savory. In the past, she rarely had the chance to eat it.
Hearing her say this, Chu Xihuan nodded slightly. “Then you can eat the fish head later.” To nourish your brain.
Chu Xihuan didn’t say the last part out loud, lest this person with a fragile ego look at her with those aggrieved, stifled eyes in front of everyone, as if she were bullying her.
“Oh, okay,” Lin Zhao replied quickly. “Then you can serve it to me later,” she said in a small voice.
The fish was a little far from her, and she only dared to take from the two or three dishes in front of her. She was too embarrassed to reach for the ones further away.
Chu Xihuan hummed softly and then picked out her favorite dishes from the table.
Although her family’s disapproval of her marriage had strained their relationship, there were still many of her favorite dishes on the table.
As Lin Zhao ate the fish, her eyes kept darting to Chu Xihuan, carefully noting which dishes she took and which ones she took more of, in order to analyze her preferences.
Ye Liuxiang looked at the two of them whispering to each other and sighed softly in her heart, but in the end, she said nothing.
It seemed… her daughter was not going to turn back.
At this thought, Ye Liuxiang’s brow furrowed slightly, and her hand holding the chopsticks hesitated.
Xihuan… didn’t she used to like that girl Cao Jing very much? How could she have changed so much?
The meal was eaten in silence. The only occasional voices were those of Chu Xihuan and Lin Zhao. Compared to the other four, the two who should have been at the center of the storm seemed to be the most relaxed and at ease.
After the meal, Chu Xuanzhuang’s face was dark, and he left with a flick of his sleeve.
Before leaving, Chu Qincheng pulled Chu Xihuan aside and asked with a frown, “Little sister, are you really serious about this decision? It’s not just a whim, is it?”
He had asked her this more than once before the wedding, but now that it was a done deal, the question had a different meaning.
“Naturally, big brother, I’m serious,” Chu Xihuan said quite seriously.
If she had still been in a state of calm after a fit of pique and self-destruction on her wedding day, after spending two days with Lin Zhao, Chu Xihuan had long since figured things out.
Lin Zhao isn’t bad, is she?
She really is a suitable person to live a life with.
Even if there were no feelings now, Chu Xihuan felt that even without feelings, Lin Zhao was not an annoying person.
Chu Qincheng’s expression was complicated for a moment. But after looking around, he quickly took something out from his robes and stuffed it into Chu Xihuan’s hand, saying in a low voice, “This is the private money I’ve saved up. Take it.”
After saying this, as if afraid he would change his mind, he quickly left.
Chu Xihuan’s eyes widened slightly. She weighed the money pouch in her hand and looked at her brother’s retreating back, a little amused.
She never thought that her brother, who was so strictly controlled by his wife, could still have this much money.
Chu Xihuan accepted it without any psychological burden. They were family, so there was no need to be so particular. Besides, when her financial situation improved in the future, she would naturally pay him back.
Chu Xihuan returned to the front hall and saw Lin Zhao looking as if she were being interrogated by her mother and second sister.
Seeing Lin Zhao’s pleading gaze, Chu Xihuan raised an eyebrow and stepped forward. “Mother, second sister, don’t scare her.”
Seeing Chu Xihuan return, Lin Zhao felt as if she had seen her pillar of support. If Ye Liuxiang and the others weren’t there, she would have tearfully rushed forward and hugged her leg.
Facing Ye Liuxiang and Chu Ningyi alone, she was really scared to death!
Ye Liuxiang looked at Chu Xihuan. “We’re not tigers. How could we scare her?”
At her words, Chu Xihuan gave her a slightly stiff smile, not daring to agree.
Although her mother was not a tiger, she was sometimes more terrifying than one. In this family, the three siblings might not be that afraid of Chu Xuanzhuang, but they were definitely both respectful and afraid of their mother.
Chu Xihuan sat down next to Lin Zhao and gave her a questioning look.
In front of them, how could Lin Zhao dare to complain immediately? She could only shake her head bravely, indicating that she was fine.
Chu Xihuan’s lips curved. She ruffled her head and said to Ye Liuxiang and the others, “Mother, shall I have someone take Lin Zhao for a walk outside?”
She wasn’t comfortable staying here, and from the looks of her mother and the others, they clearly had something they wanted to say to her. It would be better to send Lin Zhao outside, so she wouldn’t have to face them and could relax a little.
Ye Liuxiang was noncommittal.
Seeing her tacit agreement, Chu Xihuan called over Simeng, who had been with her the longest, and asked her to take Lin Zhao for a walk in the garden, also reminding her to take good care of her.
Before leaving, Lin Zhao looked at her with a worried expression.
Chu Xihuan waved her hand and gave her a reassuring look.
Lin Zhao wanted to say something, but in the end, she swallowed her words and followed Simeng out dejectedly. She knew that even if she stayed, she wouldn’t be able to help Chu Xihuan.
After she left, only the three of them, mother and daughters, remained in the room. Chu Ningyi looked at her little sister’s expression and asked cautiously, “Little sister, she doesn’t seem that bad?”
This was a relief to her. If Lin Zhao were really as ruffian-like as those street hooligans, even someone as good-tempered as her would have wanted to cough up blood.
She would have just wanted to knock her little sister out, preferably so that she would lose her memory and forget that person.
“Mm, she’s quite good,” Chu Xihuan said with a pleasant expression. “She’s actually quite timid, so I was serious when I told you not to scare her.”
Chu Xihuan thought back on their interactions over the past two days. Not only was she timid, but she was also easily wronged.
Thinking about it, Chu Xihuan also began to wonder if she had brought a troublemaker back with her.
**
Author’s Note:
Zhaozhao: A troublemaker? (Teary-eyed)
