After hearing Lan Yu's words, Butler Liu had no choice but to reluctantly put Tang Qiqi down.

Lan Yu's expression immediately changed, and she said gently, "You little lazy cat, have you finally had enough sleep? Are you hungry? Come in and have lunch!"

Tang Qiqi looked around but didn't see Erzhuzi. She tilted her head and asked, "Where's my Uncle Zhuzi? I'm having dinner with him."

Lan Yu stepped forward, took Tang Qiqi's hand, and said, "If you sleep until this time, your Uncle Zhuzi will be so thin from hunger that his chest is practically touching his back. I already had someone send him food."

Tang Qiqi heard that Uncle Zhu had already eaten before following Lan Yu into the house.

There were many dishes already laid out on the table, all covered with glass lids. The bowls for eating were made of jade, and the chopsticks were made of silver.

Tang Qiqi exclaimed, "Brother Lanyu, I knew you were a tycoon, but I never imagined you would be this extravagant!"

Lan Yu frowned and asked, "What is a 'tuhao' (nouveau riche)?"

Tang Qiqi explained earnestly, "Tuhao means very rich."

Lan Yu smiled: "Does Qi Qi like money?"

Tang Qiqi was indeed hungry. She climbed onto the tall chair, sat down, and said, "I'm not stupid. How could I not like money?"

Lan Yu smiled happily: "Then Qi Qi can stay. How about I give you half of my money?"

Tang Qiqi glanced at Lan Yu with disdain and said, "You're only eight or nine years old. The wealth you possess must have been accumulated by your parents. What right do you have to give away the fruits of other people's labor?"

Besides, I can earn money myself. I still have my grandma, mother, and six older sisters to take care of.

Lan Yu was speechless. They removed the glass covers from the dishes and said with smiles, "Are you hungry? Let's eat first. Try this Eight Treasures Duck, it's very delicious!"

Seeing the delicious food, Tang Qiqi's mood improved considerably. She said sweetly, "Brother Lanyu, how can the two of us finish all this food? Sister Ziling and Sister Lühe have been taking care of me, and they are hungry too. Let them eat together!"

Zi Ling and Lü He were so frightened that they quickly knelt down and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Qi Qi. How can we, as servants, eat at the same table as our masters!"

Butler Liu, who was standing to the side, also looked rather unpleasant. This little ungrateful brat was only concerned about her two older sisters. I, her uncle, accompanied her to find someone in the middle of the night and even acted as her horse, but it turned out that I had nothing to do with it!

He was already feeling annoyed when Tang Qiqi said, "Uncle Liu, come along too! Let's not waste so much delicious food!"

Butler Liu's face relaxed, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. Although he said, "What kind of behavior is this!" his feet involuntarily moved forward.

Lan Yu, with an expression that suggested she knew everything but wouldn't say anything, subtly said, "Since Qi Qi has spoken, you should all sit down and eat together!"

For the people in Lan Yu's household, this meal was quite unusual.

Lan Yu usually ate alone, with many maids and servants standing around to serve him. Although the food was exquisite, he found it tasteless.

There were many more people at the table today, especially Tang Qiqi. Although she was young, she had a great appetite. Watching her eat with relish was a real treat. Lan Yu also seemed to eat more as a result.

Butler Liu felt very pleased to see Lan Yu eating well. He secretly thought that if he could keep Tang Qiqi, his young master might be more childlike and playful, and wouldn't be so mature for his age.

Ziling and Lühe ate the most agonizing meal of the day. They were torn between eating and not eating, feeling like they were sitting on pins and needles.

Once Uncle Liu had made up his mind, he began to try to fool Tang Qiqi: "Qiqi, is our house big?"

"Big brother, my feet are sore from walking!" Tang Qiqi said honestly.

"But there's only your brother Lan Yu in this courtyard. He's very lonely. Qi Qi, why don't you stay a few more days to keep him company?" Butler Liu coaxed patiently.

While speaking, he also looked at Lan Yu's reaction. Seeing that Lan Yu was just a casual acquaintance, he added some more dishes and didn't say anything. Butler Liu knew that Lan Yu did not object to him making decisions on his own.

Tang Qiqi went to pay the bill: "That won't do, I have to go sell chickens with Uncle Zhu!"

Butler Liu chuckled: "You brought dozens of chickens, Uncle Liu will buy them. We'll have an extra meal for everyone tonight."

Tang Qiqi put down her chopsticks and said, word by word, "That won't do. Each of those chickens is a different breed. I need to take them to find a discerning buyer."

"Is that just a sample?" Lan Yu interjected. "I'll buy all the chickens you have. It's really hard on you to make a three-year-old worry about this!"

Tang Qiqi isn't really a three-year-old child. Although Lan Yu seems to be very wealthy and powerful, he is unfathomable. She just wants to make money peacefully.

Tang Qiqi tried her best to speak in the tone of a three-year-old child: "My family has thousands upon thousands of chickens, Brother Lanyu can't possibly eat that many!"

Lan Yu was clearly surprised, but he didn't say anything more. After finishing the meal, Lan Yu sent everyone away and stared at Tang Qiqi with some hesitation. He seemed very conflicted.

Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he squatted down in front of Tang Qiqi and said, "Tang Qiqi, tell me who you really are. If you're willing, I will protect you for the rest of my life!"

Tang Qiqi really wanted to slap her across the face. She was mature for her age because her soul was a nearly thirty-year-old spinster. When he was seven or eight years old, he always acted like he was in control of everything and was superior. It was really annoying.

Lan Yu had no idea that the goodwill she had painstakingly built up at the dinner table had been completely squandered.

Tang Qiqi patiently tried to be cute: "What is Brother Lan Yu saying? I don't understand!"

Lan Yu showed enough patience: "Okay, then I'll ask you in a different way. What's the deal with those Tibetan mastiffs and that Akhal-Teke horse? Don't tell me these things have nothing to do with you!"

Tang Qiqi felt a chill run down her spine. Just what she feared had come to pass. Fortunately, she had now honed her skills in feigning ignorance and acting cute to perfection.

Tang Qiqi reached out and fiddled with the purple-gold crown on Lan Yu's head, asking with a serious expression, "What is a Tibetan Mastiff?"

Lan Yu's face darkened. Was this girl deliberately causing trouble? She was so talkative just a moment ago, but now she knew nothing.

Lan Yu felt he was overthinking things; Tang Qiqi couldn't possibly have been sent by the enemy. But for no reason, he felt a closeness to Tang Qiqi, which made him uneasy.

Moreover, after meeting Tang Qiqi, there are too many things that cannot be explained.

Lan Yu gave a wry smile. After all, she was still a child, so it was normal that she couldn't explain it clearly.

But he couldn't help asking one last question: "Qiqi, what kind of medicine did you give my brother? The doctor said that it was thanks to those medicines that the onset of the poison was delayed, but no one had ever seen such medicine before!"

"Take your medicine, save my brother!" Tang Qiqi continued to play dumb.

Lan Yu sighed and asked again, "Qi Qi doesn't want to live here, does she?"

This time, Tang Qiqi was a little emotional: "Qiqi misses her mother, her grandmother, and her sister. Qiqi wants to go back to her own home!"

Lan Yu smiled: "I really envy you, having such a lively family. Now, say goodbye to your brother!"

Tang Qiqi suddenly felt a pang of sadness. She took Lan Yu's hand and said, "Brother Lan Yu, cheer up!"

Lan Yu suddenly ordered that Tang Qiqi and Erzhuzi be sent to the city center.

They also arranged for Butler Liu to send people to observe Tang Qiqi secretly, firstly to ensure her safety, and secondly to see who she was contacting.

Butler Liu said with some displeasure, "Does the young master still have anyone he's willing to trust? You're still just a child!"

Lan Yu said expressionlessly, "My childhood ended when this happened!"