The room froze. Gasps and stunned silence followed as everyone turned to stare at Yu Zhengwei, then at Lixue.
Her cousins exchanged bewildered looks, while some of the older relatives gawked openly.
Even Yu Guangshan’s eyes flickered with surprise, though his expression quickly returned to its usual stern one.
Qin Sayou, seated on the other side of Yu Zhengwei, looked as though she had been struck. Her elegant features twisted in barely contained outrage.
"Zhengwei!" she exclaimed, her voice sharp enough to draw everyone’s attention. "What are you doing?"
Lixue hesitated for the briefest moment before walking forward, her expression unreadable. She moved with a quiet grace, her poise only serving to deepen the tension in the room.
Qin Sayou stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the polished floor. "You cannot seriously mean for her to sit here," she said, her tone low but furious. "This is the family table, Zhengwei. You’re making a mockery of tradition by—"
"Sit down, Sayou," Yu Zhengwei interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "You’re embarrassing yourself."
She froze, her eyes widening in disbelief at his words. "I’m embarrassing myself? You’re the one—"
"Enough!" His voice carried an unmistakable authority, silencing her immediately. He looked around the table, his sharp gaze sweeping over the stunned faces of the other family members. "Have all of you forgotten the family laws? No matter what opinions you hold, Lixue is the Yu family’s eldest miss. That position is not something you can erase just because it makes you uncomfortable."
The room remained silent, but the tension was palpable.
Qin Sayou who’s face was flushing with anger, sank back into her seat reluctantly. "You think this is about comfort?" she hissed, barely keeping her voice low. "She has no right to sit here, Zhengwei. The title of ’eldest miss’ is meaningless if she hasn’t earned it."
Yu Zhengwei’s expression hardened, and his gaze turned icy. "Family laws are not subject to your emotions, Sayou. Whether you like it or not, Lixue holds that title, and this seat reflects her rightful place. So it would be best you behave yourself."
Lixue sat down gracefully, her face was calm though her heart raced internally. She could feel the weight of the stares around her—some burning with resentment, others with confusion or suppressed fury.
Yu Guangshan, who had been observing the exchange silently, finally spoke. "Zhengwei," he said, his tone measured, "you know the importance of unity in this family. Decisions like these disrupt order."
Yu Zhengwei didn’t flinch. "Father, I have made no decision that goes against our family laws. If unity is what you desire, then perhaps it’s time for everyone to start respecting them instead of bending them to their will."
The dining room grew cold with the unspoken implications of his words. Qin Sayou’s nails dug into her palms as she kept her anger barely in check, while the rest of the family exchanged tense, uncomfortable glances.
Lixue sat in stunned silence as her father, took a stand that she had never anticipated. Her heart raced, not from the stares and whispers around her, but from the sheer force of his words and the unexpected defense he had put up for her.
She had never imagined her father— who was distant, aloof, always leaving her to face the disdain of the family alone—would ever openly challenge his wife and the extended family in such a way.
The authority in his voice was uncharacteristic, and for the first time in her life, she wondered if there was more to him than the man she had known.
She had taken the seat beside him, the weight of his actions hitting her like a sudden wave, crashing over her with a mix of disbelief and cautious hope. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, unsure of how to process the complex emotions stirring inside her.
Her father had never once been protective of her in public. Not in front of these relatives who looked down on her, who mocked her at every turn. But today, something had shifted. She had expected the usual cold indifference—his silence in the face of their cruelty and his avoidance of conflict.
But instead, he had taken charge. He had stood up for her.
Why?!
It wasn’t just the words, it was the strength he displayed. The way he had shut down Qin Sayou’s outrage with a simple command. The way he had reminded everyone—reminded her—of her rightful place in the family, a place that she had long since doubted would ever truly be acknowledged.
Lixue swallowed hard, struggling to keep her composure as the weight of his unexpected support settled over her. The shock made her pulse race, her mind was turmoil as she fought to process the sheer magnitude of what had just happened.
The others, were clearly taken aback by her father’s firm stance, so they had gone silent, but Lixue could still feel their judgment in the air. The room was thick with tension, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that, for the first time in years, her father had finally seen her.
She glanced again at Yu Zhengwei, this time more openly. His gaze was cold, distant, but there was a flicker of something deeper in his eyes—something that lingered just long enough for her to catch it before he looked away.
It wasn’t warmth, but perhaps something more—something Lixue couldn’t quite name. A sense of duty, maybe? A sense of responsibility that had always been absent when it came to her.
As the dinner progressed, the conversation remained stilted. The family members, still recovering from the shock of Lixue’s unexpected position at the table, ate in silence, their nerves palpable. Though the meal was lavish, with platters of exquisite dishes, the tension in the air was nearly suffocating. Lixue could feel the weight of their stares as she ate her food quietly, each bite more difficult than the last as her mind raced.
Qin Sayou, who had barely acknowledged Lixue’s presence throughout the meal, continued to glare at her from across the table. Her thinly veiled anger was evident in the stiff way she held herself, as though every motion was carefully calculated to show her disapproval. Beside her, Yu Jia sat with a similar expression, her eyes narrowed and filled with resentment. Lixue could feel the hostility radiating from them both, but she refused to let it show.