"Second Aunt..." Sang Wan was caught between a laugh and not wanting to laugh, her face stiff as she hesitated. It wouldn't be appropriate to forcefully shake free of her grip like Shi Fengju did earlier, so she allowed herself to be led into the room.
Sang Wan glanced towards Shi Fengju, her eyes full of pleading and bitter smiles. Shi Fengju, with great foresight, had managed to evade Sang Pingliang's affection. Their gazes met, and the corners of his lips curled up, almost wanting to laugh, as he imperceptibly nodded towards her.
"Please, please, have a seat, have a seat!" Sang Pingliang and his wife eagerly welcomed Shi Fengju and Sang Wan into the room, chattering with laughter but completely ignoring Sang Hong. Fortunately, Sang Hong was used to their behavior and quietly followed behind.
"Brother-in-law and Sister Wan, please have some tea!" As everyone took their seats, Sang Yan shyly approached with a tray holding two cups of tea.
Upon seeing this, Liu Ya quickly took half a step forward, took the tea cups, and presented them to Shi Fengju and Sang Wan.
Sang Wan's eyes swept over the scene and noticed that her older brother was sitting on a small stool in the corner, leaning against the wall. She couldn't help but feel furious. Her second uncle and aunt could do whatever they wanted, but how could they treat her, Sang Wan, !
"Take it to Uncle, I'm not thirsty. Hurry up and invite Uncle to come and sit!" Sang Wan said softly, glancing at Liu Ya.
"Yes, Madam!" Liu Ya crisply acknowledged and turned to walk towards Sang Hong.
Sang Pingliang and Mrs. Li exchanged glances, only then remembering that Sang Hong was there as well!
"How could you be so careless? How could you forget about your cousin? Hurry up and pour some tea for him!" Sang Pingliang glared at his daughter before turning to Sang Hong with a smile, "Come, come, nephew, sit over here! We're all familiar with each other, no need to let your second uncle take care of you! Come, come!"
"No need, no need!" Sang Hong hurriedly stood up, waving his hands frantically. Hearing Sang Pingliang's friendly yet accusatory remarks, Sang Hong felt a bit guilty, as if he had genuinely acted too distant and hurt his dear second uncle's feelings!
"Uh, I'll go back first, you all have a chat, you all have a chat, haha! Second Uncle, Second Aunt, let's have a meal together later, it's a rare occasion for Sister Wan to return. Let's all catch up!" Sang Hong said with a polite laugh before taking his leave.
"Of course, of course! We're family after all! Then go ahead, we'll be right there, we'll be right there!" Sang Pingliang smiled warmly, nodding repeatedly.
Sang Hong smiled at Shi Fengju and excused himself, quickly leaving with the air of someone escaping a desperate situation.
"Come, Awan, let's go to our room and have a chat! Second Aunt has so much to say to you! Your sister must have missed you too and wants to talk to you!" Mrs. Li laughed and tried to pull Sang Wan up to her feet.
Sang Wan knew full well what she wanted to discuss: inquiring about the Shi family's wealth, her treatment in the Shi family, followed by countless warnings not to forget her roots and to remember them. She didn't want to hear any of it! It would only make her feel sick.
"I think it's getting late, and sister-in-law's dishes should be almost ready. Let's go and have lunch first, we can always talk later. We shouldn't keep brother and sister-in-law waiting!" Sang Wan said gently.
"That's true, let's head over then," Shi Fengju immediately nodded in agreement.
Sang Pingliang and Mrs. Li could put on elder airs in front of Sang Wan, but they didn't dare do so in front of Shi Fengju. Instead, they treated his words as a sacred decree. After agreeing with laughter, they said, "You go ahead, we'll be right behind, right behind!"
Mrs. Li didn't forget to call out to Sang Yan, "Ayan, accompany your cousin over there and chat with her! You sisters should get closer!"
Hiding at the back and peeking, Sang Rou's heart was in her throat, staring at Sang Wan and hoping she would remember her cousin. As long as she mentioned her, her stepmother wouldn't be able to refuse her going over to show her face.
Sang Wan's beautiful eyebrows arched slightly, her lips parted as if she indeed remembered Sang Rou and was about to inquire about her. But on second thought, she held back. She hadn't been close with Sang Rou in the past, and she wasn't the type of person to be easy to get along with. Why should Sang Wan meddle in how they ran their household?
Seeing that she didn't even mention her and simply left with the group, Sang Rou couldn't help but feel a mixture of hatred and disappointment. She resentfully cursed under her breath before quietly returning to her room. Thinking of her late mother, she couldn't help but bury her face in the bed and silently cry.