Bai Yixian had Luo’s Mom go to Wanhai Tower early to order dishes and wait, but Luo’s Mom, waiting anxiously at Wanhai Tower, found herself alone in the vast private room.
"I guess Auntie wasn’t in the mood to order, so I went ahead and arranged everything. You all go up first and take a seat; Zhuzi will lead the way." Bai Yixian, followed by Luo Qianqian, Bai Yizhu, Luo Shufan, and He Wenyu, had the suit-clad gentlemen in down jackets leading He’s father and Mother He to Wanhai Tower.
"I’ve only heard about this place but never been here. Can we afford it?" Mother He looked around the richly decorated restaurant and couldn’t help but sigh.
"Don’t worry, Auntie, my brother owns this place," Bai Yizhu boasted, showing off a little as he led the way.
"Don’t scare my mom," said Luo Qianqian with disdain, following close behind.
"How could I scare anyone looking this handsome?" Bai Yizhu muttered under his breath.
Startled by the sound of the door opening, Luo’s Mom turned around, and upon seeing the children, she let out a sigh of relief: "Is everything alright? Why did you arrive just now?"
"Mommy~" Luo Qianqian threw herself into Luo’s Mom’s arms; it was so cold outside but so comfortable in the heated restaurant.
"There, there," Luo’s Mom soothed, stroking her daughter’s head, and suddenly, noticing He’s father’s cast-covered arm and leg, asked in shock, "What happened?"
Luo Qianqian and her siblings hadn’t told Luo’s Mom about the plan, fearing she would worry, so they just stuck out their tongues and sat to one side.
"Don’t worry, it’s fake," Huang Yueran said with a smile, pulling Luo’s Mom to sit down, and explained to her what had just happened.
Meanwhile, He’s father began removing the cast: "It’s all thanks to Younger Brother Bai. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have known what to do." There was no use dwelling on what had already happened; he decided to cherish everything before him, to appreciate his wife who had endured so much yet never left his side, and to nurture their daughter, who had had to bear fear and humiliation for the sake of their family at such a young age.
"Uncle, what do we call Zhuzi if you call Big Brother Bai ’Younger Brother Bai’?" Luo Qianqian pouted, "If Uncle calls Big Brother Bai ’younger brother,’ then that makes Big Brother Bai our uncle, and since Zhuzi is Big Brother Bai’s younger brother, isn’t he our uncle too?"
"Haha, you kid," He’s father couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the sight of Luo Qianqian’s aggrieved expression; the gloom in his heart seemed to dissipate a little.
"Uncle, you’re too polite; just call me Xiao Bai," Bai Yizhu cut in from behind.
No sooner had Bai Yixian pushed the door open when he heard his younger brother asking people to call him Xiao Bai, a mischievous smile appeared on his handsome face: "Xiao Xiaobai, have you finished your winter break homework yet?" He said this as he pushed the door to the private room open, revealing himself to everyone.
Bai Yizhu’s face turned blue when he heard his brother’s words, but he couldn’t speak up; he had no idea that the rare moment he called someone "brother" would be caught red-handed.
"Mom, I haven’t properly introduced him yet. This is Bai Yixian, Bai Yizhu’s brother, who often takes good care of us," Luo Qianqian said, pulling Luo’s Mom’s hand to interrupt her whispers with Mother He.
"Big Brother Bai, this is my mom An Zilan, and this is Huang Yueran, Xiaoyu’s mom. You already know everyone else," Luo Qianqian said with a smile, but her face held a stern warning for Bai Yixian not to slip up.
Bai Yixian smiled at Luo Qianqian’s serious expression and stepped forward to shake hands with both moms: "Aunt An, Aunt Huang, I’m grateful for how your kids have looked after Tie Zhu at our house. I’ll be counting on your continued kindness."
"Tie Zhu?" Luo’s Mom, upon hearing this nickname and looking at the clean-cut Bai Yizhu, couldn’t help but smile, "It was indeed thanks to you for stepping in last time, and I haven’t had a chance to thank you yet."
"It was nothing," Bai Yixian said as if it were part of his duties: "If you need anything in the future, just let me know, and I’ll take care of Tie Zhu’s academics. Now that’s what I call adding interest." Bai Yixian smiled warmly, looking every bit the refined gentleman and elegant aristocrat.
Luo Shufan’s mouth twitched; he usually was kicking around a soccer ball before joining the milk tea shop studying trio, only sticking together in the winter due to the cold: "Sure, sure," he said modestly, waving his hand and glancing guiltily at Bai Yizhu standing silently by.
"Brother, let’s get the food served, we’ve been hungry all afternoon," Bai Yizhu said, feeling chills from Bai Yixian switching to his polite facade.
"Go get the makeup remover, can’t you see Uncle is uncomfortable?" Bai Yixian completely ignored Bai Yizhu’s complaints and ordered calmly.
"Makeup remover???" Luo Qianqian’s eyes widened in astonishment at the bruises on He’s father’s face and hands: "These are fake?"
"Would you all blame me if I had actually laid a hand on him?" Bai Yixian chuckled lightly: "It took a while to paint on, and it sure is a hassle to clean off."