Big Zhuang’s group was very awkward; they looked at each other, with forced smiles that could be easily seen through.
It wasn’t until the man said, “Start eating,” that the woman and the adoptive father breathed a sigh of relief and picked up their chopsticks.
The woman wore a non-aggressive smile, “Big Zhuang, Xiao Hong, Hao Zi, don’t just stand there, quickly pick up your chopsticks and eat. Treat this place as your own home. Come, eat, eat.”
As she spoke, the woman extended her arm, picked up a piece of fish from the plate, and put it in Bai Lixin’s bowl, “Xiao Xin, this is the Qinghe Black Fish you like the most. Mom made it herself. Try it and see how it tastes.”
After politely saying “thank you,” Bai Lixin finally started eating.
The fish was tender, delicious, perfectly cooked.
Seeing Bai Lixin taking a mouthful, the woman continued serving dishes for the young man happily. In a short while, there was a mountain piled up on Bai Lixin’s plate, and he didn’t need to serve himself.
Watching the woman pick up her chopsticks again, Bai Lixin stopped her, “That’s enough. You’ve been serving me and haven’t had a few bites yourself. Don’t just busy yourself taking care of me, you should eat too.”
He spoke and mimicked the woman’s action, using the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish and put it in the woman’s plate, reciprocating the courtesy.
The woman’s chopsticks paused, and after two seconds, she withdrew her hand, looking touched, “Okay, Mom will eat too. Xiao Xin is really good. Thank you for picking up the food for Mom.”
While eating, Bai Lixin kept glancing at the man beside him from the corner of his eyes.
The man’s expression was indifferent, like a lifeless robot, each eating motion seemingly calculated optimally, without any hesitation or unnecessary movements.
Suddenly, the young man’s chopsticks fell on the ground. Immediately, he bent down to pick them up. His arm slid in the air and accidentally brushed against the man’s hand.
Seeing this, the woman hurriedly said, “Xiao Xin, we have plenty of chopsticks. If they fall on the ground, we don’t use them. Aunt Zhang, bring another pair of chopsticks for Xiao Xin!”
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Aunt Zhang stepped out of the kitchen with measured steps, holding another pair of chopsticks.
After Bai Lixin took the chopsticks, he politely said “thank you” and continued to eat calmly, “…”
He had deliberately touched the man’s hand just now. His arm was very cold, abnormally cold.
Everyone in this house was strange.
The adoptive father was weak, and the mother was skillful in smoothing things over.
They were both very young. Logically, the family’s industry and decision-making power should be in the hands of the adoptive father, so he should have more say in the family.
But now, it’s evident that Yino’s authority in this house was more substantial.
Take eating, for example; he didn’t say “let’s eat,” and the woman and adoptive father didn’t even dare to pick up their chopsticks.
So, was he the person who has sinister intentions against the original owner?
This was a logical inference. The installation of the two-way mirror and surveillance, if not done by the controller of the house, who could silently install them?
Moreover, the original owner should be aware of their existence.
But he didn’t resist; instead, he chose to compromise.
This proves that he didn’t have the authority to speak.
Even if he was unwilling, he could only silently accept it.
Who else, besides the owner of this house, could achieve this?
Bai Lixin silently glanced at the man.
“Mom,” Bai Lixin glanced at the woman, “I had no money during the days I was away and lost all my belongings. My phone is also gone. Can you get me a new phone?”
The woman hesitated, subconsciously looking at the man(Fei Yino).
The man ate his vegetables gracefully, showing no reaction.
The woman smiled awkwardly, “Xiao Xin, I’ll have the steward buy you the best phone later. Don’t worry.”
“Oh, how did you sleep during the day today? Aunt Zhang said you haven’t left the room since morning.”
Bai Lixin: “I slept from morning until just now, I was so too tired. As soon as I touched the pillow, I fell asleep.”
Woman: “That’s for sure; you must have suffered a lot outside.”
She paused, “But after sleeping so much during the day, can you still sleep at night?”
Bai Lixin: “I don’t know. I’m quite awake now, not sleepy at all.”
The woman bit her lip and finally softly, “Sleep during the day is for the day; you should sleep well at night too.”
“…” Bai Lixin silently nodded while assessing the woman’s expression.
The man ate quickly and, after finishing, stood up and went straight upstairs without waiting for others to finish.
It was only when the man’s footsteps couldn’t be heard that the expressions of the woman and adoptive father relaxed. The woman’s tone also became cheerful, “Come on, eat more. Big Zhuang, where did you stop just now? Tell Auntie again.”
Big Zhuang, who was cued, immediately straightened up, “Oh, let me think, Auntie.”
“Oh, I remember. Just now, we were talking about a prank. It’s the interactive game I did in the live broadcast. Whoever guesses my answer first gets a prize.”
The woman nodded repeatedly, “Right, right, that’s where we left off. So, what was your answer, and did anyone guess it? Tell us.”
Big Zhuang burst into laughter, “Hahaha, no one guessed it. I created that riddle myself.”
He smiled mysteriously at the woman, “I’ll tell you the truth, Auntie. I also don’t know what the answer is. Because I don’t know, I didn’t announce the answer. It’s been almost half a year now, and people are still wracking their brains over the riddle. Haha. I wanted this effect, to make them always think about this unsolved mystery, and think about my live broadcast. Every time I update a video, they come to check, but there’s never an answer. It’s like torture, it’s more uncomfortable than anything.”
The woman gave Big Zhuang a thumbs up, “Impressive, really impressive. So, that’s how it is. Luckily, you told me; otherwise, I would have been pondering the answer forever. No wonder your live broadcast is doing so well; you do have a business mind in it.”
Big Zhuang: “Hey, even with a good business mind, what’s the use? I can hardly afford to eat now, Auntie.”
The woman asked with concern, “What happened?”
Big Zhuang: “I’m expanding my live broadcast now, but there’s a bottleneck. If someone could give me a push from behind at this time, my live broadcast could definitely shine again. But no one is helping me, and now I lack a patron who appreciates me.”
“Auntie,” Big Zhuang looked at the woman earnestly, “would you invest in my live broadcast? I’m a hidden gem, I’ll definitely become popular.”
The adoptive father, who rarely spoke, suddenly spoke with a hint of disdain, “Entertainers, no one solicits sponsors like you.”
“In business, it’s about mutual benefit. You want us to invest in you with just a few words. Are you not sober?”
“What is the positioning of your live broadcast?”
“How does your live broadcast make a profit? What are your advantages?”
“When will we get returns on our investment? What is the return rate?”
“If you really want us to invest in you, do your homework properly. Make a detailed list of these things.”
“The data should be detailed, the content should be concise and clear, so we can decide whether to invest in you or cooperate with you.”
“Don’t treat your auntie like a fool.”
“If we were fools, the Fei family wouldn’t have reached this size, understand?”
Big Zhuang was silenced by the adoptive father’s series of remarks. When he was embarrassed and had nowhere to hide, the adoptive father’s tone changed, “But, I just listened, and your live broadcast also has development prospects. You have a lot of drive. I appreciate that.”
As if controlled by someone else’s mood switch, the somewhat dejected Big Zhuang instantly smiled, “Really? Thank you, Uncle, for your appreciation!”
Bai Lixin: “…”
Since yesterday, the adoptive father had been low-key, and Bai Lixin thought he was just a background figure. Now, hearing him speak like this, it seems it’s not the case.
The adoptive father was hidden and seemingly low-key, but in fact, he had a bit more to him.
“Do you plan to stay here tonight?” Bai Lixin withdrew his gaze and looked at Big Zhuang and the other two.
Red Hair and Mr. Mouse glanced at each other, and Red Hair asked cautiously, “Can we still stay tonight? I don’t really want to go home and live by myself these days. I’m afraid.”
Bai Lixin remained silent for two seconds, “I let you come yesterday because I saw that you were too scared and needed rest, so I let you come along. Now that you’ve rested, it’s time to leave.”
“Hey,” Big Zhuang looked anxious, “Good buddy, you weren’t like this yesterday. We said not to forget each other in prosperity, how come you changed your mind after a night’s sleep? Can you bear to let Red go home alone? Doesn’t your conscience ache?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘It’s because of my conscience that I want you to leave this place of trouble.
When you realize it, it might be too late to leave.’
“Xiao Xin,” the woman held Bai Lixin’s hand, “Big Zhuang has already told me everything that happened last night.”
“You were also frightened. They’re too pitiful to go back now. Let them stay at home for a few more days.”
“When they are no longer afraid, they can leave. Anyway, there are many guest rooms in the house, and I quite like this child Big Zhuang. You don’t know how long it’s been since Mom was so happy.”
Big Zhuang looked at Bai Lixin triumphantly, then quickly expressed gratitude to the woman, “Auntie, you are so understanding and considerate. I really envy Bai Lixin. If I were as lucky as Bai Lixin, having such a gentle, kind, beautiful, and generous mother like you would be great.”
The woman immediately laughed, “Hahaha, you are such a good talker with your little mouth.”
Big Zhuang patted his chest, “Of course, or else, how could I be an anchor? Speaking of which, what I said to Auntie is all heartfelt, not a single false word.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘This is really… who is flirting with whom?
It seems like both are gradually losing themselves in each other’s words.
Forget it, I can’t save them, let them be.
Take one step at a time.’
…
This meal ended in a depressing atmosphere at first and a cheerful atmosphere later.
After a satisfying meal, the woman insisted on playing cards with Big Zhuang.
The woman and Big Zhuang gathered at the table. Initially, they intended to have Bai Lixin join, but Bai Lixin used the excuse of “losing his memory” to evade and returned upstairs.
While going upstairs, he met Aunt Zhang, who happened to be coming downstairs.
Aunt Zhang paused for two seconds after seeing Bai Lixin. She seemed hesitant, and Bai Lixin didn’t rush, quietly waiting for her to speak.
After two seconds, she lowered her voice and reminded, “Young Master, make sure to lock the doors and windows tightly when you sleep at night. Don’t respond to any outside noises.”
Aunt Zhang didn’t want to say much and left hurriedly after leaving these words. Bai Lixin didn’t inquire further about the meaning of her words because it wasn’t necessary.
Continuously probing would only make the other party more cautious in transmitting signals to him later.
Moreover, any confusion would be resolved when he truly experienced something at night…
When he went upstairs, he deliberately lingered on the first floor.
If he heard correctly when he was in the dining room, Fei Yino’s footsteps disappeared on the first floor.
He had asked Aunt Zhang and got to know that Fei Yino’s bedroom was on the first floor.
His room was on the third floor, and the guest rooms were also on the third floor.
Big Zhuang’s group was very awkward; they looked at each other, with forced smiles that could be easily seen through.
It wasn’t until the man said, “Start eating,” that the woman and the adoptive father breathed a sigh of relief and picked up their chopsticks.
The woman wore a non-aggressive smile, “Big Zhuang, Xiao Hong, Hao Zi, don’t just stand there, quickly pick up your chopsticks and eat. Treat this place as your own home. Come, eat, eat.”
As she spoke, the woman extended her arm, picked up a piece of fish from the plate, and put it in Bai Lixin’s bowl, “Xiao Xin, this is the Qinghe Black Fish you like the most. Mom made it herself. Try it and see how it tastes.”
After politely saying “thank you,” Bai Lixin finally started eating.
The fish was tender, delicious, perfectly cooked.
Seeing Bai Lixin taking a mouthful, the woman continued serving dishes for the young man happily. In a short while, there was a mountain piled up on Bai Lixin’s plate, and he didn’t need to serve himself.
Watching the woman pick up her chopsticks again, Bai Lixin stopped her, “That’s enough. You’ve been serving me and haven’t had a few bites yourself. Don’t just busy yourself taking care of me, you should eat too.”
He spoke and mimicked the woman’s action, using the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish and put it in the woman’s plate, reciprocating the courtesy.
The woman’s chopsticks paused, and after two seconds, she withdrew her hand, looking touched, “Okay, Mom will eat too. Xiao Xin is really good. Thank you for picking up the food for Mom.”
While eating, Bai Lixin kept glancing at the man beside him from the corner of his eyes.
The man’s expression was indifferent, like a lifeless robot, each eating motion seemingly calculated optimally, without any hesitation or unnecessary movements.
Suddenly, the young man’s chopsticks fell on the ground. Immediately, he bent down to pick them up. His arm slid in the air and accidentally brushed against the man’s hand.
Seeing this, the woman hurriedly said, “Xiao Xin, we have plenty of chopsticks. If they fall on the ground, we don’t use them. Aunt Zhang, bring another pair of chopsticks for Xiao Xin!”
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Aunt Zhang stepped out of the kitchen with measured steps, holding another pair of chopsticks.
After Bai Lixin took the chopsticks, he politely said “thank you” and continued to eat calmly, “…”
He had deliberately touched the man’s hand just now. His arm was very cold, abnormally cold.
Everyone in this house was strange.
The adoptive father was weak, and the mother was skillful in smoothing things over.
They were both very young. Logically, the family’s industry and decision-making power should be in the hands of the adoptive father, so he should have more say in the family.
But now, it’s evident that Yino’s authority in this house was more substantial.
Take eating, for example; he didn’t say “let’s eat,” and the woman and adoptive father didn’t even dare to pick up their chopsticks.
So, was he the person who has sinister intentions against the original owner?
This was a logical inference. The installation of the two-way mirror and surveillance, if not done by the controller of the house, who could silently install them?
Moreover, the original owner should be aware of their existence.
But he didn’t resist; instead, he chose to compromise.
This proves that he didn’t have the authority to speak.
Even if he was unwilling, he could only silently accept it.
Who else, besides the owner of this house, could achieve this?
Bai Lixin silently glanced at the man.
“Mom,” Bai Lixin glanced at the woman, “I had no money during the days I was away and lost all my belongings. My phone is also gone. Can you get me a new phone?”
The woman hesitated, subconsciously looking at the man(Fei Yino).
The man ate his vegetables gracefully, showing no reaction.
The woman smiled awkwardly, “Xiao Xin, I’ll have the steward buy you the best phone later. Don’t worry.”
“Oh, how did you sleep during the day today? Aunt Zhang said you haven’t left the room since morning.”
Bai Lixin: “I slept from morning until just now, I was so too tired. As soon as I touched the pillow, I fell asleep.”
Woman: “That’s for sure; you must have suffered a lot outside.”
She paused, “But after sleeping so much during the day, can you still sleep at night?”
Bai Lixin: “I don’t know. I’m quite awake now, not sleepy at all.”
The woman bit her lip and finally softly, “Sleep during the day is for the day; you should sleep well at night too.”
“…” Bai Lixin silently nodded while assessing the woman’s expression.
The man ate quickly and, after finishing, stood up and went straight upstairs without waiting for others to finish.
It was only when the man’s footsteps couldn’t be heard that the expressions of the woman and adoptive father relaxed. The woman’s tone also became cheerful, “Come on, eat more. Big Zhuang, where did you stop just now? Tell Auntie again.”
Big Zhuang, who was cued, immediately straightened up, “Oh, let me think, Auntie.”
“Oh, I remember. Just now, we were talking about a prank. It’s the interactive game I did in the live broadcast. Whoever guesses my answer first gets a prize.”
The woman nodded repeatedly, “Right, right, that’s where we left off. So, what was your answer, and did anyone guess it? Tell us.”
Big Zhuang burst into laughter, “Hahaha, no one guessed it. I created that riddle myself.”
He smiled mysteriously at the woman, “I’ll tell you the truth, Auntie. I also don’t know what the answer is. Because I don’t know, I didn’t announce the answer. It’s been almost half a year now, and people are still wracking their brains over the riddle. Haha. I wanted this effect, to make them always think about this unsolved mystery, and think about my live broadcast. Every time I update a video, they come to check, but there’s never an answer. It’s like torture, it’s more uncomfortable than anything.”
The woman gave Big Zhuang a thumbs up, “Impressive, really impressive. So, that’s how it is. Luckily, you told me; otherwise, I would have been pondering the answer forever. No wonder your live broadcast is doing so well; you do have a business mind in it.”
Big Zhuang: “Hey, even with a good business mind, what’s the use? I can hardly afford to eat now, Auntie.”
The woman asked with concern, “What happened?”
Big Zhuang: “I’m expanding my live broadcast now, but there’s a bottleneck. If someone could give me a push from behind at this time, my live broadcast could definitely shine again. But no one is helping me, and now I lack a patron who appreciates me.”
“Auntie,” Big Zhuang looked at the woman earnestly, “would you invest in my live broadcast? I’m a hidden gem, I’ll definitely become popular.”
The adoptive father, who rarely spoke, suddenly spoke with a hint of disdain, “Entertainers, no one solicits sponsors like you.”
“In business, it’s about mutual benefit. You want us to invest in you with just a few words. Are you not sober?”
“What is the positioning of your live broadcast?”
“How does your live broadcast make a profit? What are your advantages?”
“When will we get returns on our investment? What is the return rate?”
“If you really want us to invest in you, do your homework properly. Make a detailed list of these things.”
“The data should be detailed, the content should be concise and clear, so we can decide whether to invest in you or cooperate with you.”
“Don’t treat your auntie like a fool.”
“If we were fools, the Fei family wouldn’t have reached this size, understand?”
Big Zhuang was silenced by the adoptive father’s series of remarks. When he was embarrassed and had nowhere to hide, the adoptive father’s tone changed, “But, I just listened, and your live broadcast also has development prospects. You have a lot of drive. I appreciate that.”
As if controlled by someone else’s mood switch, the somewhat dejected Big Zhuang instantly smiled, “Really? Thank you, Uncle, for your appreciation!”
Bai Lixin: “…”
Since yesterday, the adoptive father had been low-key, and Bai Lixin thought he was just a background figure. Now, hearing him speak like this, it seems it’s not the case.
The adoptive father was hidden and seemingly low-key, but in fact, he had a bit more to him.
“Do you plan to stay here tonight?” Bai Lixin withdrew his gaze and looked at Big Zhuang and the other two.
Red Hair and Mr. Mouse glanced at each other, and Red Hair asked cautiously, “Can we still stay tonight? I don’t really want to go home and live by myself these days. I’m afraid.”
Bai Lixin remained silent for two seconds, “I let you come yesterday because I saw that you were too scared and needed rest, so I let you come along. Now that you’ve rested, it’s time to leave.”
“Hey,” Big Zhuang looked anxious, “Good buddy, you weren’t like this yesterday. We said not to forget each other in prosperity, how come you changed your mind after a night’s sleep? Can you bear to let Red go home alone? Doesn’t your conscience ache?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘It’s because of my conscience that I want you to leave this place of trouble.
When you realize it, it might be too late to leave.’
“Xiao Xin,” the woman held Bai Lixin’s hand, “Big Zhuang has already told me everything that happened last night.”
“You were also frightened. They’re too pitiful to go back now. Let them stay at home for a few more days.”
“When they are no longer afraid, they can leave. Anyway, there are many guest rooms in the house, and I quite like this child Big Zhuang. You don’t know how long it’s been since Mom was so happy.”
Big Zhuang looked at Bai Lixin triumphantly, then quickly expressed gratitude to the woman, “Auntie, you are so understanding and considerate. I really envy Bai Lixin. If I were as lucky as Bai Lixin, having such a gentle, kind, beautiful, and generous mother like you would be great.”
The woman immediately laughed, “Hahaha, you are such a good talker with your little mouth.”
Big Zhuang patted his chest, “Of course, or else, how could I be an anchor? Speaking of which, what I said to Auntie is all heartfelt, not a single false word.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘This is really… who is flirting with whom?
It seems like both are gradually losing themselves in each other’s words.
Forget it, I can’t save them, let them be.
Take one step at a time.’
…
This meal ended in a depressing atmosphere at first and a cheerful atmosphere later.
After a satisfying meal, the woman insisted on playing cards with Big Zhuang.
The woman and Big Zhuang gathered at the table. Initially, they intended to have Bai Lixin join, but Bai Lixin used the excuse of “losing his memory” to evade and returned upstairs.
While going upstairs, he met Aunt Zhang, who happened to be coming downstairs.
Aunt Zhang paused for two seconds after seeing Bai Lixin. She seemed hesitant, and Bai Lixin didn’t rush, quietly waiting for her to speak.
After two seconds, she lowered her voice and reminded, “Young Master, make sure to lock the doors and windows tightly when you sleep at night. Don’t respond to any outside noises.”
Aunt Zhang didn’t want to say much and left hurriedly after leaving these words. Bai Lixin didn’t inquire further about the meaning of her words because it wasn’t necessary.
Continuously probing would only make the other party more cautious in transmitting signals to him later.
Moreover, any confusion would be resolved when he truly experienced something at night…
When he went upstairs, he deliberately lingered on the first floor.
If he heard correctly when he was in the dining room, Fei Yino’s footsteps disappeared on the first floor.
He had asked Aunt Zhang and got to know that Fei Yino’s bedroom was on the first floor.
His room was on the third floor, and the guest rooms were also on the third floor.
