Lu Xiong’s pupils trembled slightly, and his mouth fell open unconsciously.
His breathing became a little difficult.
Father?
Lu Yinghan’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.
Her eyes were clear and bright, but they seemed to keep people at a distance of a thousand miles.
At the bottom of her eyes, there was no trace of him, Lu Xiong.
“Lu Yinghan…”
“Yes, Father.”
Lu Xiong’s voice was low, squeezed out through clenched teeth.
Lu Yinghan didn’t flinch. She looked straight at Lu Xiong and slowly, steadily, called out the address that made Lu Xiong’s heart ache once more.
“Dad!”
In Lu Xiong’s mind, he recalled the soft, sweet voice of Lu Yinghan calling him Dad…
What expression had she worn when she called him Dad?
“Bang!—”
The sound of the cup slamming against the table startled Lu Yinghan.
She looked in confusion at Lu Xiong, whose neck was flushed red with anger.
“I told you to address your elders properly, and you’re deliberately picking a fight with me, is that it? Huh?”
“Can’t I call you Father? Isn’t that showing even more respect for an elder?”
Lu Xiong felt like his lungs were about to explode with rage!
What was going on?
What was up with Lu Yinghan now?
Deliberately keeping her distance from him—what was she trying to do?
Huh?
“What are you two doing?”
Lu Jiansen, who hadn’t slept well all night, entered the dining room and immediately sensed the strange atmosphere.
Lu Xiong’s rationality was pulled back by Lu Jiansen’s voice.
“Jiansen, perfect timing. Take a look, take a look at your sister—what kind of attitude she has now! She’s even talking back to us!”
Lu Xiong was so angry that he directly raised his hand and pointed at Lu Yinghan as he spoke.
Lu Jiansen’s brow twitched.
This version of Lu Yinghan—he had witnessed it earlier than his old man had.
After Lu Xiong finished his complaint, the three of them sat in an awkward silence in the dining room.
Lu Yinghan had completely lost her appetite now.
She just wanted to go back.
And thinking that, she did exactly that.
“I’ll head back first. I’ll come again later.”
“Stop right there! Is that any way to behave?!”
Lu Xiong suddenly stood up and shouted, stopping Lu Yinghan who was about to leave.
Lu Yinghan’s brow finally moved slightly.
“Father, is there anything else?”
This time, it was Lu Jiansen’s turn to widen his eyes.
“Father…”
He muttered to himself.
Lu Jiansen’s sharp eyes revealed a hint of darkness.
“Lu Yinghan, let’s have a proper talk today. Dad is here too. If you have any grievances, you can tell us directly. And while you’re at it, explain why you’re acting this way.”
Lu Jiansen pulled out a chair, crossed his arms on the table, and looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze.
Lu Xiong also sat down, propping his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his hands.
Neither of their eyes held any intention of having a genuine talk.
Grievances?
If she actually said them, they’d always have a dozen reasons to refute her.
The men of the Lu family would never allow themselves to be wrong.
When she was five or six, she had tried to argue her case.
All it brought her was even more disgust and scolding.
Lu Yinghan clenched her jaw, placed her hands on her lap, and gripped them into fists. She lowered her head, refusing to look at them.
“Speak up. We’re all busy people. In a little while, we all have things to do. We don’t have the obligation to sit here while you throw a tantrum. If you have any grievances, say them directly.”
Lu Jiansen’s volume gradually rose.
Each word hammered against Lu Yinghan’s heart.
Grievances? She didn’t dare have any.
Having grievances meant she still held a sliver of hope for them.
With that thought, Lu Yinghan raised her head and looked directly at the two men staring coldly at her.
“Big Brother, Father, I don’t have any grievances. I just did what I thought was appropriate or what I liked. Is that also something to be criticized?
When Father saw me this morning, I greeted him, but he said I should address him properly like Yaoyao does, and show respect to elders.
So I called him Father. Isn’t that a respectful title?
Why did Father still get angry and drag Big Brother into criticizing me?
I don’t understand. It seems like no matter what I do, you always find something to scold me for.
Haven’t I done enough?
Everything Yaoyao liked, I gave to Yaoyao—the jewelry, the room, I gave it all away.
You told me to eat alone and not cause trouble for everyone, so I learned to eat alone and stopped bothering you.
This morning, I just got up early to have a meal. Is that also something I should be criticized for?”
Lu Yinghan’s expression wasn’t the grief-stricken outrage one might have expected. It was as if she were telling a story.
A slow pace, a detached tone.
The two men sitting across from her had no idea how to respond.
If she had been like before, crying and making a scene…
Crying and making a scene??
Lu Xiong’s heart trembled violently.
When was the last time Yinghan had made a scene with him?
And what she said about the room.
Yaoyao’s health was poor, and Yinghan’s room was big, so he had indeed told her to give the room to Yaoyao…
So where was she living now?
Yaoyao’s old room had also been turned into a dressing room.
So where was Lu Yinghan living now?
Reality sent Lu Xiong’s chest pounding.
A chill shot straight through his limbs.
Even his toes began to feel cold.
Lu Jiansen glanced at Lu Xiong from the corner of his eye, observing his expression.
His old man was staring at Lu Yinghan with contracted pupils.
It seemed he had thought of something.
But Lu Jiansen didn’t soften his stance.
Yaoyao was in poor health, and Lu Yinghan’s room was larger with better air circulation.
Why not just give it to her?
The Lu family had so many rooms; it wasn’t as if they were short one for her.
She was so young—how much space could she possibly need?
Her form of address for him had also changed to “big brother,” not “Sen-gege,” the same way she addressed their father.
She was throwing a tantrum.
Lu Jiansen’s mind was spinning at high speed.
He needed to find a way to correct this willful streak of hers.
His peripheral vision caught Lu Xiong, and he suddenly noticed the newspaper in his hands.
A flash of inspiration struck him!
“You should be about seven this year, right? It’s time for you to start elementary school.”
Hmm?
Now it was Lu Yinghan’s turn to look up at Lu Jiansen in confusion.
If things followed the trajectory of her previous life, she wouldn’t have been remembered until two years from now, and then sent to a public elementary school.
Had she triggered the butterfly effect?
A slight ripple stirred within her.
It quickly settled.
Going early or late was the same—it would still be public school anyway.
Besides, this age was the correct age to start elementary school.
In that case, she supposed she should thank this big brother for finally having a moment of clarity and remembering to send the child to school.
“That’s right, school! That international aristocratic elementary school is still accepting students this year. I’ll go right now and see if there are any spots left.”
Lu Xiong, still in a state of confusion, snapped fully awake at Lu Jiansen’s mention of elementary school.
He abandoned his breakfast and strode quickly toward the study.
It wasn’t the walk of someone excited.
It was more like fleeing.
Lu Xiong was unwilling to admit it, but he also didn’t want to face Lu Yinghan.
If he could get Lu Yinghan into the aristocratic elementary school.
His conscience would be freed, and then there would be nothing owed between them.
With that thought, he handled the matter of enrolling Lu Yinghan in the aristocratic school even faster.
The two men, on their own, planned out which school Lu Yinghan would attend.
Lu Jiansen also used work as an excuse, brewed himself a cup of coffee, and left. He had nothing to say to Lu Yinghan.
Leaving Lu Yinghan alone in the kitchen, staring wide-eyed in a daze.
Wasn’t it supposed to be public school?