Chapter 75 Not a First Offender

Ai Xue nodded after hearing this and said, "Okay, I'm hungry too."

The three of them went in together and headed straight to the restaurant.

On the table, there is already a full banquet.

But there were only three sets of bowls and chopsticks on the huge dining table.

The overflowing dishes and the empty seats made the meal seem particularly deserted.

As soon as she sat down, Ai Xue couldn't wait to speak, as if she had been holding it in for a long time.

"Just now you brought this person..."

As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Xu Yueqing with a hint of inquiry.

Xu Yueqing immediately responded.

"Xu Yueqing."

"Yueqing," Ai Xue nodded, taking note of it. She turned her gaze back to Ji Bingqian, "Did you run into Mom when you brought Yueqing back?"

Ji Bingqian hummed, picked up the chopsticks, but did not move.

An expected smile appeared on Ai Xue's lips.

She leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice, as if sharing a secret.

"How did she trick you back this time?"

The word "again" clearly revealed that this was not the first offense.

Ji Bingqian's face was calm. He picked up the serving chopsticks, picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and put it into Xu Yueqing's bowl. He answered in a calm voice.

"He said his heart wasn't feeling well."

"Heartache?"

Ai Xue repeated it as if she had heard some huge joke, with undisguised sarcasm on her face.

"Does she have a heart?"

The words were light and airy, but they were like a piece of ice hitting the ground, filling the air with chill.

Xu Yueqing's hand holding the chopsticks froze for a moment, and even her breathing subconsciously slowed down.

After Ai Xue finished speaking, she seemed to realize that Xu Yueqing, an outsider, was still there. She glanced at her face and shrugged indifferently.

"Forget it, forget it. Let's not talk about unhappy things while eating."

She put on a warm smile, leaned forward, and moved closer to Xu Yueqing.

"Yueqing, don't be scared. We are a family from now on. Just treat this place as your own home!"

A family...

Xu Yueqing didn't know how to answer.

Ji Bingqian seemed not to hear what Ai Xue said. He picked up the spoon, scooped a bowl of mushroom soup for her and placed it next to her.

The porcelain bowl collided with the table, making a crisp sound, which just drowned out Ai Xue's enthusiasm.

"Try it," he said, his voice still steady, praising, "The chef in the old house is one of the best."

Xu Yueqing looked at the few pieces of matsutake mushrooms floating in the bowl and curled up the corners of her mouth.

"Thanks."

She lowered her head and sipped the soup with a spoon.

The soup was delicious, and the warmth flowed down her throat into her stomach, but she felt that there was an invisible, crackling high-voltage power grid between Ji Bingqian and Ai Xue.

For the rest of the time, no one at the table spoke a word.

The meal ended hastily in this extreme silence.

Xu Yueqing had just picked up the napkin to wipe the corner of her mouth when she saw Qin Hai hurried in.

Qin Hai first walked up to Ji Bingqian without looking around, bowed slightly, and spoke respectfully.

"Master, the old man is back and is in the ancestral hall. He wants to see you."

Ji Bingqian put down his chopsticks and nodded expressionlessly, his emotion invisible.

Qin Hai stood up and turned to Ai Xue on the other side, but his attitude was obviously a little colder.

"Miss Ai, the lady is looking for you."

Ai Xue was slowly wiping her fingers with a wet wipe. Upon hearing this, she paused, snorted coldly, and didn't even raise her eyelids.

"Is he awake?"

Even Xu Yueqing could hear the sharp sting in these words clearly.

Qin Hai's brows furrowed slightly, and his tone contained a hint of warning.

“Miss Ai, Madam is your elder after all.”