The implication was clear: the elder did not approve of so many people surrounding Xiao Yebai, her most treasured grandson, and besieging him in her absence.
Therefore, Xiao Shuju stamped her foot a few times and said, "Seriously, who could bully Xiao Yebai? It’s already very good that this brother of mine doesn’t use his venomous tongue to annihilate them all."
Perhaps because they had just been bullied by Xiao Yebai, the second and third siblings and their families all kept silent, maintaining a distance from Yebai.
Only Xiao Shuzhu, who had always been overseas and seldom returned to China to reunite with the family, seemed more interested in her younger brother and approached Yebai.
Xiao Yebai dug his hand into his suit pocket, pulled out a gold pocket watch, and popped it open to check the time.
Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Shuzhu smiled and said, "Are you hungry? Shall we ask the butler to serve us food as well? We can’t all be hungry, right?"
"Fourth sister, grandma hasn’t eaten, aren’t you afraid people will say we’re unfilial?" Xiao Yebai said.
Xiao Shuzhu appeared to be well accustomed to his sharp-tongued retorts, laughing as she playfully hit his arm, "You, always , how can you make second sister and third sister not angry? Clearly, you don’t think this way in your heart." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⁂𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⁂𝓷𝓮𝓽
"How do you know I don’t think this way in my heart? At least I never lie."
"Yes. Perhaps you are." Xiao Shuzhu suddenly squinted at him mysteriously, "You should know that between us, there’s no conflict of interest."
Undoubtedly, when these words of Xiao Shuzhu reached the second and third siblings, their expressions were unanimously noncommittal.
Xiao Yebai seemed too lazy to banter with Xiao Shuzhu and said, "Is there somewhere I can watch TV?" As he spoke, he directly headed towards the TV which was temporarily placed in a smaller living room.
Zhu Jiayin walked over to her mother, who had paused mid-sentence, and said, "Uncle is just the same as always, mom, you should stop talking to him in the future."
Hearing her daughter’s words, Xiao Shuzhu simply narrowed her eyes, "What nonsense are you talking about? He’s your uncle, your mother’s dearest relative. If I don’t get along with your uncle, whom should I get along with?"
Gu Nuan, who had been led to the study by the Xiao family’s butler, beheld the most magnificent room she had ever seen in her life.
Honestly, this room was far more beautiful than any grand living room or hall.
The cashmere carpet laid on the hardwood floor, a sumptuous dark gray with an elegantly embroidered leopard, was surely handmade.
The rosewood desk, bookcases, and armchairs were all in an ancient Chinese style, exuding both grandeur and profound cultural depth.
The Sino-western chandeliers and table lamps from the Republican era were refreshing embellishments, another kind of historical sedimentation.
Looking back, on each side of the room’s entrance, a hunting rifle hung on the wall, though it was unclear whether they were merely decorative.
The air conditioning was on in the room, but the scent of books pervaded, settling in a way that suggested it would forever be a part of the ambiance.
This made the person who stayed in the room immersed in the sea of books, intoxicated by the fragrance without the need for haste to flip through the thousands of neatly arranged volumes on the bookshelves, lost in reverie without a sign of awakening.
The butler served her a cup of chrysanthemum tea.
In a white porcelain cup outlined with a blue flower, a perfect chrysanthemum floated.
It was very classy, bohemian, tasteful.
Indeed, every item in the home of the wealthy was crafted with an air of exquisite sophistication, afforded by their resources. Gu Nuan could feel herself sitting on a sofa with a solidly thick cushion over a rosewood frame, with the perfect balance of softness and firmness, laid with a bamboo mat that offered comfort within the air-conditioned room.
Grandma Xiao came into the room.
Gu Nuan stood up and bowed her head slightly.
With a wave of her hand, the elderly lady motioned for the person supporting her to leave first.