The man stopped at the staircase and stared at her face with a serious demeanor.
"I didn’t want to, but I just... can’t control myself."
He missed someone so much that he couldn’t even focus on his work, always feeling like there was an empty space in his heart, restless in both sleep and appetite... That feeling was completely different from the happiness and fulfillment of love described in books.
He didn’t like that feeling at all, but what could he do?
The more he tried to forget someone, the more frequently she appeared in his mind.
The teasing expression on Gan Yuan’s face gradually faded.
"So... do you regret it?"
"Saving me on the snowy mountain."
The man laughed, holding her hand as they walked downstairs, and he spoke lightly.
"I never regret. I only do what I want to do, love whom I want to love!"
Such a simple statement, yet so arrogant!
When Huangfu Jue walked in with Gan Yuan, the King, elevated above all, was coming out of the kitchen, hands on a platter.
He had taken off his suit jacket, and over his shirt, he wore a gray apron.
Huangfu Jue was used to such a father; the nearby servants and staff remained calm and composed, as if accustomed to such scenes, but Gan Yuan watched, dumbfounded.
"Take a seat quickly!"
Leng Xiaoye greeted them to sit down as soon as he saw the two of them enter.
Huangfu Yaoyang placed the platter on the rack and skillfully served the roasted meat onto everyone’s plates. His movements were unhurried yet methodical, clearly not his first time doing this.
Huangfu Jue pulled out a chair for her and proceeded to set her place at the table. Gan Yuan, feeling somewhat embarrassed in front of his parents, hurriedly reached out to stop him, but Leng Xiaoye laughed and spoke from across the table.
"Let me tell you a secret. I posted a photo of Mr. King cooking on my social media account, and it got more likes than the votes he got when he ran for election!"
Mr. King’s voice carried a hint of threat.
"What is it, Mr. King?"
Leng Xiaoye turned his face to look at him, only to see the man passing over the well-cut roast meat to his own plate.
"It won’t taste good if it cools down."
"I knew it, grandfather is most afraid of grandmother."
Everyone began to laugh, and Gan Yuan joined in, her tension and awkwardness dissipating.
"That’s not fear." Huangfu Yaoyang removed his apron and passed it to a servant, then picked up his own silverware, "Men should give way to women."
"Mhmm," the little one nodded, "then I’ll give way to mommy in the future."
This time, even Mr. King laughed along.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was unusually joyful, the family talking and eating together – of course, Leng Xiaoye did most of the talking, followed by Gan Tang.
Gan Yuan didn’t talk much, but she laughed quite frequently.
This meal completely shattered her preconception that royal dinners must be as boring as the previous gatherings she attended, and she ended up eating quite a lot without realizing it.
After dinner, Leng Xiaoye actively offered an invitation.
"It’s getting late. Why don’t you stay at the Royal Palace tonight? XiaoJue’s room has already been prepared by the servants."
Huangfu Jue frowned slightly, about to object, when Huangfu Yaoyang on the main seat coughed gently once.
The message was clear: if Huangfu Jue dared to go against Leng Xiaoye, he would be displeased.
Across the table, Leng Xiaoye stood up.
"Okay... it’s settled then."
Bringing his grandson back was only the first step; next would be Gan Yuan and his son.
The brat thought he could outsmart her, but he still had a long way to go!