Grandfather Chi's eyebrow twitched as he shot the butler a sharp look. Lou Ming instantly straightened up like a soldier. "Apologies, sir."
Chi Yuanfeng glared at him once more before turning his attention back to Huaijin, whispering with mock seriousness, "Princess, beware of smiling men. They're dangerous."
Huaijin gasped dramatically. "Really? Like those wolves I see in movies?!"
"Yes," Yuanfeng said solemnly. "Exactly like wolves."
Luo Ming wanted to bury himself alive.
For a few minutes, the awkward tension that had filled the room earlier completely dissolved into lighthearted laughter. Huaijin kept whispering silly comments to her father, who tried to look serious but couldn't help grinning every few seconds. Even Grandfather Chi looked far less intimidating than before, as he occasionally peeked at the lively pair from the corner of his eye.
The servants finished serving dish after dish, lining up delicacies like jewels on the long table. Still, the main event hadn't started. The seats for the Eldest and Third branches of the Chi family were empty, and Grandfather Chi had made it clear that no one could begin until everyone arrived.
"Grandpa," Huaijin said innocently after a long silence, "if we wait any longer, the food will get cold."
Grandfather Chi blinked. "They should be here soon."
"Then we should eat first!" Huaijin declared, with the kind of confident logic only a child could have. "If they're late, they can eat the leftovers! It's their punishment for being slow."
The servant pouring water made a choking noise. Yuanfeng quickly picked up a napkin and pretended to cough to hide his laughter.
"Little one," Grandfather Chi said, pretending to scold, though his tone was far gentler now, "that's not how a proper dinner works."
"But Grandpa," Huaijin said with wide eyes, "if we don't eat now, the poor food will be sad. You told me the family shouldn't waste anything."
Grandfather Chi blinked again.
Even he couldn't argue with that.
A faint cough sounded from beside him; it was none other than Luo Ming, trying very hard not to smile again. "The Young Miss makes an excellent point, sir," he murmured.
"Quiet," Grandfather Chi said, though his voice lacked bite this time.
Meanwhile, Yuanfeng leaned back in his seat, looking smug. "See, Father? Even your granddaughter understands logic better than most adults."
Grandfather Chi gave him a long look, but his lips twitched faintly upward. "Perhaps she gets that from her mother's side."
Yuanfeng stiffened slightly, the air freezing for a second, but Huaijin quickly saved the moment by reaching over to grab a grape from her fruit plate.
"Daddy," she said between bites, "I like Grandpa's house. It's big and shiny, but it's missing something."
Yuanfeng looked down at her. "Oh? What's it missing?"
She pointed seriously at the corner. "A cat."
There was silence for two beats.
Then Luo Ming actually snorted out loud before turning away to pretend he was adjusting a vase.
Chi Yuanfeng facepalmed in his mind.
"A cat?" Grandfather Chi repeated, his brows lifting.
"Yes!" Huaijin nodded firmly. "Cats make every house better. You can have a hundred gold chairs, but one cat will make it warm!"
Grandfather Chi stared at her for a moment, and then, shockingly, laughed. A quiet, genuine, and real laugh that echoed across the hall and made every servant look up in disbelief.
It had been years, literal years— since anyone had heard the old man laugh like that. Even the favorite granddaughter of the household, Chi Yunyin, couldn't make him laugh out loud like this.
Even Yuanfeng froze, caught off guard by the rare sound.
"Perhaps," Grandfather Chi said after a moment, still smiling faintly, "you are right, child."
"I'm always right," Huaijin replied proudly, puffing up her chest.
"Like father, like daughter," Luo Ming muttered under his breath.
Chi Yuanfeng glared at the guy again.
Just as the atmosphere finally began to feel warm and almost familial, the large double doors of the dining hall swung open with a dramatic creak.
Two groups of people entered, elegant, overdressed, and clearly determined to make an entrance.
The eldest uncle, Chi Yuantian, with his wife draped in jewelry so heavy it could buy a mansion, behind them trailed their son, looking smug and entitled. The third uncle, Chi Yuanjie, followed with his equally refined wife and a daughter who clearly took after her, pretty, polite, and fake to the core.
The air around the room changed instantly.
The smiles froze, the laughter faded, and the servants immediately went into perfect formation, bowing deeply.
"Father," Yuantian greeted with a practiced smile. "Apologies for our delay. Traffic was dreadful."
Grandfather Chi nodded, his earlier warmth vanishing behind the mask of authority again.
But Huaijin wasn't fazed. She looked at the newcomers curiously, munching on another grape. Her small hand tugged on her father's sleeve. "Daddy," she whispered, "why do they look like they're coming to war?"
"Because," Yuanfeng murmured, eyes narrowing, "they usually are."
*
*
*
The golden doors of the Chi dining hall creaked open again.
Everyone's chatter died down. The glittering light from the chandelier fell upon a slender figure entering behind the newly arrived families. Each step was deliberate, and her heels echoed across the marble floor.
The rustle of silk filled the silence.
The woman's dress, a deep, dangerous red qipao embroidered with golden peonies, shimmered under the chandelier. Her hair was coiled into a perfect bun, every strand in place, her lips painted in a crimson shade that matched her gown.
And her eyes, calculating, sly, and confident, swept across the table like a queen surveying her subjects.
Chi Huaijin's small hands froze midair, her fork slipping from her fingers with a quiet clang. Her cheerful expression vanished. Even the brightness in her eyes dimmed, like a candle flickering out.
Her father's voice called softly, "Jin'er?"
But Huaijin didn't answer.
Because that woman, standing there with the perfect smile, was someone she could never forget.
Her name was Xu Meilin.
In her previous life, Xu Meilin had been the woman her grandfather had introduced to her father.