The entire birthday banquet was tasteless for Qiao Chuchu.
Lou Tingsi also had a dark expression throughout, the usual fake smile absent from his face as he absentmindedly poked at the food on his plate.
The people at the dining table could sense the low atmosphere between the two, and their gazes kept shifting back and forth between them.
The more Qiao Chuchu thought about it, the angrier she became.
[I never expected the Dragon Family to make such a bold move to replace the Lou Family. The script is really something. I brought Lou Yuejue and Lou Tingsi back, and it immediately rushed to give Xia Xuechun a new family background.]
[Giving her a new background is one thing, but at least make it equal in strength so we can compete and clash. Instead, they’re sacrificing the Lou Family to strengthen the Dragon Family. It’s like a small fish trying to eat a big fish, using underhanded tactics to devour the Lou Family. It’s infuriating!]
She angrily cut into her steak.
[Fine! If everyone wants to play dirty, then we’ll all play dirty. After all, the people on my side are all morally bankrupt villains. Why should we be afraid of them?!]
[But how can I let Lou Tingsi know that there’s a traitor by his side?]
Qiao Chuchu slowly chewed the steak she had just put in her mouth, raising her eyes to look at Lou Tingsi across the table.
Lou Tingsi was cutting his steak with an elegant posture, his features as beautiful as a painting.
Suddenly, he raised his eyes and met her gaze.
Qiao Chuchu was startled.
Lou Tingsi’s eyes were beautiful, with the upward curve of peach blossom eyes, always warm and smiling.
But now, his eyes were sharp and cold, though the corners of his lips were curved as he nodded at her with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
She quickly averted her gaze, only to bump into Ying Chen’s intrigued eyes.
Qiao Chuchu: “?”
Ying Chen rested his chin on his hand, twirling a dinner knife in his fingers, staring at her expressionlessly.
She felt strange and lowered her eyes to her food, glancing at Ying Chen out of the corner of her eye.
He was still watching her.
Like Pei Youchuan, his skin was a chocolate tone, popular in Western countries, clearly the result of deliberate tanning.
Ying Chen looked like a mixed-race individual, with deep-set features, a high nose bridge, and thin, well-defined lips. But the most striking feature was his eyes.
Unlike the men around her, Ying Chen’s eyes had a drooping outer corner and were a mysterious shade of green.
When you met his gaze, it gave off a vague sense of being both harmless and dangerous.
Like a black leopard raised in captivity—aggressive yet unpredictable, unsure whether it would bare its claws or gently touch you.
At that moment, Ying Chen was propping his chin with one hand, twirling a sharp dinner knife in the other, staring unblinkingly at her.
Qiao Chuchu: “…”
[Why is this Mr. Ying Chen staring at me so much?]
The expressions of the people at the table shifted slightly, their eyes darting toward Ying Chen.
Ying Chen’s gaze swept casually around the table before settling back on Qiao Chuchu, unabashedly continuing to stare.
Pei Yuan’s expression darkened: “Mr. Ying, is there something on my sister’s face?”
Qiao Chuchu was startled, looking at Pei Yuan with delight.
[Big brother, you get it! You noticed he’s been staring at me too, didn’t you?!]
Ying Chen glanced at Pei Yuan.
Pei Yuan stared back coldly, as if looking at an intruder in his territory.
Ying Chen shrugged indifferently, speaking in French: “I was just thinking about what kind of gift to give this new sister of ours. After all, it’s our first meeting, and as an older brother, I should give her a present. It just took me a while to decide.”
Pei Yuan’s expression grew even more resistant, replying in French: “My sister doesn’t need any gifts. The fact that we’ve met is already a blessing. You don’t need to trouble yourself. But if you keep staring like that, she might get scared.”
Ying Chen’s eyes darkened as he turned to Weisheng Yucan, continuing in French: “Where did you pick up such a treasure? She seems quite likable. I’ve only been looking at her for a while, and already there’s someone stepping up to protect her.”
Yucan smiled faintly, also replying in French: “Haven’t you noticed something special about her?”
In other words, could Ying Chen hear Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts?
Ying Chen glanced at Qiao Chuchu: “She’s quite cute.”
His tone was indifferent, as if he felt nothing more: “That’s all.”
Weisheng Yucan paused, her smile deepening: “Being cute is already rare enough, isn’t it?”
Ying Chen chuckled: “Yes, of course.”
Qiao Chuchu was completely lost, her eyes darting around the table.
[What’s going on? We’re all at the same table, still in China, yet they’re speaking French instead of Chinese?]
[Am I the only one who doesn’t understand French?]
Everyone at the table continued cutting their steaks, their eyes flicking toward Qiao Chuchu, unable to suppress a smirk.
Yes, she was the only one who didn’t understand French.
Weisheng Wenzhan, sitting next to Pei Che, whispered: “Didn’t your family hire a tutor to teach Qiao Chuchu French?”
Foreign language lessons were a basic requirement in their circles. Lou Yuejue probably understood several languages by the age of ten.
Pei Che’s face darkened as he whispered back: “When she was little, Qiao Chuchu would cry every time she had a foreign language class. She’d cry through the entire lesson and couldn’t remember a single word. My mom was afraid she’d cry her eyes out, so she canceled all her language classes. We had a nanny communicate with her in English at home, so she only knows English and Chinese, and her English is mediocre at best.”
Weisheng Wenzhan: “…”
Weisheng Biehe: “…”
Weisheng Lin couldn’t help but laugh: “As the saying goes, when God closes a door, he closes a door.”
Weisheng Huailing disagreed: 「Don’t say that. Qiao Chuchu has a talent—she can draw!」
Weisheng Wenzhan thought of the male protagonist she had drawn, who looked exactly like him, and his face instantly darkened.
When dinner ended, everyone prepared to leave.
After some hesitation, Qiao Chuchu walked over to Lou Tingsi.
The Weisheng family watched her back intently.
Huailing wanted to go talk to Qiao Chuchu.
But Pei Che held him back: “You heard Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts. This is Lou Tingsi’s scene. We’ve already agreed that whoever’s turn it is gets to be with Qiao Chuchu alone. So, it’s Lou Tingsi’s time now. Don’t disturb him.”
Huailing frowned, looking at his siblings.
Weisheng Yucan was surprised: “I didn’t expect you all to be so harmonious. Does that mean you won’t interfere when it’s our turn to take the stage?”
Pei Yuan nodded firmly: “Right, we won’t. We’ll even help behind the scenes.”
“Alright, then the Weisheng family will do the same,” Yucan said, patting Huailing’s shoulder and signing: 「Be patient. This is Lou Tingsi’s scene. They agreed that whoever’s turn it is gets to be with Qiao Chuchu alone. You can talk to her after she’s done with this part of the story.」
Huailing furrowed his brows, typing a message on his phone that was read aloud: “I can be patient, but Lou Tingsi won’t fall for Qiao Chuchu, right?”
The Weisheng family: “…”
The Pei family: “…”
The Lin family: “…”
Pei Buxian suddenly flared up: “Why do you have to say such unsettling things?! How am I supposed to let go now?!”
Pei Youchuan was also annoyed: “Yeah, why do you have to bring that up? How are we supposed to sleep tonight?!”
Weisheng Huailing: “???”
So it’s my fault now?!