<h4>Chapter 83</h4>


    In an instant, Wei Lin''s expression underwent an extremely subtle change. Being in front of the Old Master, he quickly concealed his emotions again.


    He had really... really underestimated Li Xiaoya before!


    He didn''t know if it was truly her childlike innocence or if she had done it intentionally, but this move was simply... simply brilliant.


    Wei Lin had always felt that the Old Master wasn''t particrly sentimental about family ties.


    The Old Master was just very traditional.


    Traditional to the point where he believed the family business must be passed down to direct blood descendants; no matter how capable others might be, they weren''t worthy of eating from his family''s bowls.


    He was autocratic and domineering, like an eagle pushing its eaglets off a cliff to force them to learn to fly. He was cruel in how he raised his own sons.


    This approach caused pain to the Old Master''s direct blood rtives.


    The more they suffered, the more opportunities it created for Wei Lin to exploit.


    But as people age, they inevitably be softer.


    The Old Master might regret his past harshness at some point. But regret is ultimately useless, especially now that the oue has been decided.


    It was precisely at this moment that Li Xiaoya appeared out of nowhere... she had opened a door to familial affection.


    This wasn''t a good sign at all!


    As theseplex thoughts shed through Wei Lin''s mind, a dull thud pulled him back to reality.


    The servants had brought out the portraits of the eldest young master and young miss, cing them on the table.


    The ck and white portraits, no matter how outstanding the appearance of the people in them once was, now seemed eerie.


    Wei Lin''s eyelids twitched, and he instinctively averted his gaze slightly.


    This is madness! Wei Lin thought.


    How could anyone eat properly with these things disyed?


    Li Xiaoya, despite her small size, wasn''t afraid of the portraits before her. She rummaged through her backpack, which a servant was helping to carry, and pulled out a yogurt and a chocte bar.


    The cafeteria at the elite school offered a wide variety of sumptuous foods.


    Others disdained to eat them.


    Even if some did eat, whatever was left would be casually tossed in the trash. Only Li Xiaoya had saved everything she couldn''t finish...


    She had given the orange to Sheng Yuxiao earlier. Now she ced the yogurt in front of her eldest uncle''s portrait and the chocte in front of her eldest aunt''s portrait.


    She said to the portraits, "These are gifts."


    Wei Xuanming watched silently, then suddenly asked, "Aren''t you going to put anything in front of your mother''s picture?"


    Li Xiaoya shook her head, picked up her mother''s photo, and ced it in front of Wei Xuanming.


    She said, "Seeing grandfather again is mom''s gift."


    Wei Xuanming''s hand trembled, nearly knocking over the teacup beside him.


    Wei Wenjun and Wei Wenqing could no longer hold back their tears.


    Wei Wenjun said hoarsely, "Little Duck is right. At a family dinner, everyone should be present."


    At that moment, the sound of footsteps and wheels rolling approached.


    It was a servant pushing someone out.


    Li Xiaoya knew this was her only surviving aunt.


    The servant pushed closer and closer—


    The woman''s appearance came into Li Xiaoya''s view.


    Her hair was neatlybed, and her clothes were proper and tidy, with no decorations.


    But she was so thin.


    So thin that it seemed a gust of wind could blow her away.


    Her hands were ced neatly on her knees, and her beautiful eyes stared nkly ahead, not looking at any of them...


    "Wenyi," Wei Xuanming called her name.


    But she had no reaction at all.


    "Push her closer," Wei Xuanming said wearily.


    Unlike Wei Wenjun and his brother who lived at Guanghua Vi, Wei Wenyi had always stayed with the Old Master.


    But the Old Master rarely went to see her.


    Because she no longer recognized people.


    Sometimes she even lost her sense of being human—she thought she was a de of grass or a stone.


    So they met less often, letting her be carefree as a de of grass or a stone.


    He wouldn''t feel the pain either.


    That was all the Old Master could think.


    "You don''t need to give your aunt a gift, she gets scared when she sees unfamiliar things," Wei Xuanming said, waving his hand.


    The servant beside them immediately picked up a spoon, ustomed to feeding Wei Wenyi.


    Li Xiaoya clenched her fingers slightly and softly responded, "Mm."


    "Let the feast begin," Wei Xuanming said, regaining his spirits.


    The servants acknowledged and began to serve the dishes.


    Bowls and chopsticks were ced in front of each "person," and Wei Xuanming put food in each of their bowls. Watching this scene, even Wei Lin felt a moment of daze, as if he had returned to years ago...


    The atmosphere of this meal was somewhat heavy, and it should have been eaten in silent stillness.


    But the Old Master suddenly remembered to ask, "How did you feel about your first day of school?"


    This question immediately drew the attention of both uncles.


    Li Xiaoya obediently answered, "It was okay."


    "At such a young age, and already giving such a mediocre answer. What do you mean by ''okay''?"


    "Well, it means it was okay. The teachers were okay, the ssmates were okay, the school was okay. And Uncle Wei Lin apanying me outside the window during ss was okay too."


    Hearing this, Wei Xuanming nced at Wei Lin.


    This was better than her uncles; at least she knew how to make use of Wei Lin.


    Sometimes, what''s the point of despising someone? It''s better to control them, to use them.


    "Did you make any friends?" Wei Wenjun asked eagerly, more concerned about this.


    He was worried that Li Xiaoya might be bullied at the elite school.


    The more prestigious the ce, the more they judge by appearances and engage in group bullying.


    "No," Li Xiaoya said.


    "That''s alright, you''ll make some eventually..."


    "It''s okay not to have friends," Li Xiaoya added.


    Wei Wenjun was instantly speechless.


    Wei Xuanming, on the other hand, immediately praised her, "Good! A child of our family should have such temperament and breadth of mind. You are destined to be the alpha wolf in the future."


    Wei Lin felt very uneasy hearing this.


    The Old Master was indeed nning to groom the little girl.


    The two uncles, who had harbored a lot of resentment towards their father, now felt some of that resentment dissipate as they heard him praise Li Xiaoya. They couldn''t help but smile.


    Yes, that''s right! Little Duck is excellent! She''s good!


    The dinner thus concluded with this question-and-answer session, the atmosphere no longer silent but unexpectedly warm.


    Time quickly approached nine o''clock, and Li Xiaoya, being an elementary school student after all, still needed to go to bed early.


    "See Young Master Sheng out," Wei Xuanming said, looking up.


    This was meant for the servants, but Li Xiaoya jumped down from her seat in a sh.


    "Mr. Wei, I''ll take my leave now. Please take care of yourself," the young Master Sheng said, unusually respectful as he finished speaking before leaving with Li Xiaoya.


    Wei Xuanming gripped his cane tightly but ultimately didn''t angrily call out to keep Li Xiaoya back.


    Li Xiaoya apanied Sheng Yuxiao all the way to the main gate.


    "We''ll see each other tomorrow, go back inside," Sheng Yuxiao patted her head.


    Li Xiaoya bit her lip and took half a step back.


    Just as she was about to turn and leave, Sheng Yuxiao couldn''t help but hug her tightly one more time.


    "I''m leaving," Sheng Yuxiao quickly let go and stood up to leave.


    To avoid feeling even more reluctant to part.


    It was already veryte when he got home, but Xu Qii was still waiting for him in the living room. Seeing him enter, she immediately asked, "Did you see Li Xiaoya?"


    Sheng Yuxiao nodded, his brows slightly furrowed.


    The situation at the Wei family was even moreplicated than imagined.


    Xu Qii asked in surprise, "Why do you still look unhappy?"


    Sheng Yuxiao paused, then said in a deep voice, "I''m not unhappy. I''m very happy." He was very happy that Li Xiaoya had firmly pulled him inside, firmly insisted on him staying for dinner.


    Being in Li Vige was like being in a den of tigers and wolves, and returning home was equally fraught with danger. But even so, Li Xiaoya would still share a bit of her inner softness with him.


    So he would share his strength with her.


    "I just feel... Li Xiaoya really needs me," Sheng Yuxiao said.


    Xu Qii fell silent. Her son''s symptoms of arrogance had lessened, but his narcissistic tendencies seemed to have worsened.