"You have a really good relationship with Chuan Jin," Fu Zeming suddenly remarked as he watched her lost in thought.
As if her secret had been exposed, she explained nervously, "We're just ordinary friends. Second Brother has always been kind to me, but our relationship isn't that special."
Thankfully, her father didn't notice her little uneasiness.
Seeing that Fu Zeming didn't pursue the topic further, Xia Sang heaved a sigh of relief.
"Your eldest brother is still wrapping up the work for the annual meeting at the company, and your two elder sisters are also dealing with the last - minute matters," her father said, looking in high spirits. His tone unconsciously became lighter.
"We'll probably get home around the same time as them."
He chatted away, sharing what had happened during this period, and the girl listened patiently, chiming in from time to time.
The car soon pulled into the Fu family's parking lot. They carried her luggage and walked towards the main mansion.
To respect her wishes, Fu Zeming didn't arrange for anyone to come out to greet them. After all, his youngest daughter was a low - key person. Such a grand welcome might make her uncomfortable.
When they reached the door, Xia Sang hesitated.
Seeing her hand go up and then drop, her father asked curiously, "What's wrong, Huanhuan?"
She turned her head, looking worried. "I forgot to buy gifts for Grandpa and Grandma last time. Will they be angry?"
Hearing her words, Fu Zeming reached out and gently stroked her head reassuringly. "Don't be afraid. I took the gifts home secretly last time. They didn't notice."
Only then did she feel relieved.
After ringing the doorbell, the door was immediately opened from the inside.
"Welcome home, sir, miss," the butler's cheerful voice came from inside the house.
The warm - colored lights instantly filled the girl's vision. She looked at her elder brothers and sisters who came over and curved her lips. "I'm back."
Fu Lingshi immediately took the luggage from Fu Zeming's hand and then told the servants to take it to Xia Sanghuan's room.
"Huanhuan, how was your stay at the Leng family? Did anyone bully you?" Fu Moning led her to sit on the sofa and asked, holding her hand.
"I had a great time at Brother Chuan Jin's place," she replied casually, automatically ignoring all the things Leng Wanqing had done to her.
After making sure she wasn't lying, her second elder sister heaved a sigh of relief.
"Huanhuan, are you hungry? You haven't had dinner yet, right?" Fu Youqing asked beside them.
"Not yet. Have you eaten, sister?"
"Neither have I," her third elder sister blinked.
"Perfect. The family is having hot pot for dinner tonight." She turned around and waved to the servants. "Tell the kitchen. We can start dinner."
While waiting for dinner to be served, Fu Lingshi came downstairs. The siblings and their father sat together chatting casually. Xia Sanghuan even took the time to check his wound and was relieved to find that her eldest brother had recovered well.
Just as they sat around the table, ready to start eating, an old voice suddenly came. "You kids don't even call us for dinner?"
The girl's hand froze instantly when she heard the voice. Even though she hadn't interacted much with him, she recognized it. It was Grandpa.
The old man wasn't leaning on his walking stick this time. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back, looking at them seriously.
"Youqing, have I ever told you to have a light dinner? It's good for your health. And your younger brother can't eat such spicy food. Have you forgotten again?"
Fu Youqing pouted and put down her chopsticks discontentedly. What did Fu Kai's intolerance to spicy food have to do with them? Although she didn't show it on her face, she complained silently in her heart.
As soon as the old man finished speaking, the old lady pushed Fu Kai over. "What's this smell? Why are you having hot pot again?"
Seeing his mother, Fu Zeming quickly stood up from his seat. "Mom, I've told you to let the servants push him. You don't have to do everything yourself."
As he spoke, he walked over to take the wheelchair from the old lady and pushed Fu Kai to another table.
Fu Lingshi also stood up and went to the kitchen to bring out the dinner prepared for the two elders.
"Grandpa, Grandma, don't be angry. Youqing is just a bit of a glutton. And since Huanhuan is back today, we got a bit carried away and had hot pot," he said, trying to smooth things over as he pulled out chairs for the two elders.
Actually, they all knew that the two elders would be angry if they had hot pot for dinner. So they set up a small table and had this meal there. They also prepared another dinner that suited the taste of the two elders and Fu Kai. All these arrangements were made by Fu Lingshi. His thoughtfulness always took care of everyone.
However, the two elders didn't appreciate it. They didn't even notice his words. As soon as they heard the name "Huanhuan", their eyes fell on the girl they hadn't noticed before.
But she wasn't flustered. She still calmly stuffed meat into her mouth.
Fu Kai saw her behavior and sneered disdainfully. "Such bad manners."
"Fu Kai," Fu Moning frowned and gave him a cold look. There was a hint of anger in her voice. "How can you talk to your sister like that?"
In this family, apart from Fu Zeming, the one who could keep this troublemaker in check was Fu Moning. Fu Youqing didn't have the air of an elder sister, and Fu Lingshi wasn't their biological brother. So in critical moments, it was still the eldest sister who had to step in. And as the eldest sister, Fu Moning wouldn't be blamed by Grandpa and Grandma.
But this time, there was Xia Sanghuan. The old lady shuffled to the table and sat down, echoing, "Isn't what Xiaokai said right? As a junior, she doesn't even greet the elders when they come. And she just eats on her own." She shook her head as she spoke.
"Grandma..." Fu Youqing, who had been silent, couldn't help but feel angry after hearing the old lady's words. What should have been a harmonious dinner was ruined like this.
The girl bit her chopsticks, a hint of dissatisfaction rising in her heart. She wondered what was wrong with the two elders of the Fu family. They acted as if she wasn't a part of the family. They blindly supported whatever came out of Fu Kai's mouth. No wonder her fourth elder brother was so useless.
"Can such a person be worthy of the Fu family's property?" "Humph—" the old man added defiantly.
He was still thinking about the family property. Xia Sanghuan sighed inwardly. She didn't care about the family property at all. With her own abilities, she could make a living anywhere. But in the eyes of some people with ulterior motives, her existence wasn't that simple.