Page 13

Only the phrase "beauty beyond compare" could describe how everyone felt at that moment.

Sensing everyone's fascination, Wei Zhanjie proudly straightened his back. He took Wei Jiayi from Fang Yuqing's arms and said with a smile, "Don't just stand around at the door. Come in already. Xiao Heng must be hungry, right?"

As he spoke, the servants had already prepared slippers.

After changing shoes and entering the house, they saw Wei Hongxuan, who had briefly appeared at the door earlier, sitting beside an elegant old lady with silver-streaked hair in an emerald-green cheongsam, whispering to her. An austere yet refined old man sat in the living room as well, along with a middle-aged couple who looked to be in their fifties.

Wei Zhanjie introduced them with a smile. "This is Grandpa, Grandma, Eldest Uncle, Eldest Aunt, and Eldest Cousin."

Lu Heng greeted them one by one.

Wei Jiayi, still in Wei Zhanjie's arms, protested, "Second Uncle, what about me?"

Wei Zhanjie smiled. "This is our family's little princess, Wei Jiayi. She fell in love with you at first sight."

Only then did Wei Jiayi nod in satisfaction. Everyone laughed at Wei Zhanjie's teasing.

Only Eldest Uncle Wei's expression hardened. Looking at his daughter in Wei Zhanjie's arms, he scolded, "Jiayi, why aren't you getting down from your Second Uncle's arms? We have guests at home. What kind of behavior is this?"

Wei Jiayi pouted. After climbing down from Wei Zhanjie's arms, she ran straight to Grandpa Wei's side. Hugging his arm and giving it a shake, she called, "Grandpa!"

Grandpa Wei answered with a smile, reached out to stroke Wei Jiayi's hair, and said slowly, "She's a child. Being lively is a good thing. Xiao Heng isn't really an outsider either. Isn't he my grandson now?"

On the surface, Old Master Wei meant that since they were filming a show and Lu Heng was replacing Wei Linxuan's identity according to the program's requirements, he was not an outsider. Of course, there was also a subtle warning in his words. Although the production team was made up of their own people, and they had the final say in how things were edited and aired, they were still in front of the cameras. It was better to keep things harmonious.

Lu Heng, once a formidable member of Huaxia Imperial Entertainment, knew all too well about the undercurrents lurking beneath the Wei family's facade of harmony. He could not help recalling Wei Jiayi's pickiness and dissatisfaction with him when they had filmed the show in his previous life. Only afterward had he learned that most of the vague remarks that had misled Wei Jiayi were deliberately made by Wei Hongxuan in a joking tone.

"You're going to have a new older brother."

"Second Uncle and Second Aunt traded their son with someone else. That country boy will come here and be your older brother, while Wei Linxuan will have to go to the countryside. He'll drink porridge and eat pickles every day, work in the fields, and won't even be able to afford new clothes or go to school."

"Second Uncle and Second Aunt have a new son now, so they won't want your second brother anymore. Your new older brother doesn't know you. What if he treats you badly?"

"Your new older brother has a little sister back in the countryside too, but she'll become your second brother's little sister then. Once your second brother has a new little sister, he'll definitely forget all about you..."

Lu Heng did not know what purpose Wei Hongxuan, who appeared so polite and well-mannered, had in saying such things to Wei Jiayi when she was only seven years old. To many adults, those words might have been nothing more than a joke to laugh off. Yet they had no idea how much fear and harm such jokes could bring to the person involved.

At that thought, Lu Heng quietly glanced at Wei Hongxuan's father, the Wei family's eldest son, Wei Renjie.

Wei Renjie did not notice Lu Heng's scrutiny. Hearing Old Master Wei's warning, he merely smiled faintly. "Jiayi is simply too spoiled. Father and Second Brother indulge her so much. If I don't play the strict father, what will become of her in the future?"

"Our Wei family has only one little princess across three generations. Of course she should be pampered dearly. Are we supposed to be like you, sending a child overseas to study the moment he starts middle school?" Eldest Aunt Zhao Yanan said with a smile. Rising to her feet, she added, "I'll take Xiao Heng to freshen up, then we can eat."

Fang Yuqing smiled as well. "Old Master is from Shanghai and is used to rich, heavily sauced local cuisine. I was afraid you might not be accustomed to it, so I had the kitchen make sweet-and-sour pork and candied sweet potatoes. I don't know whether they're authentic."

That was Fang Yuqing's gentle thoughtfulness. Whenever she laid out a lavish spread, she always took her guests' tastes into consideration, making them feel completely at home and touched by the warmth and regard of their hosts.

Lunch had long been prepared. By the time Lu Heng returned from washing up, the dining table was already overflowing with dishes.

Old Master Wei had a heavy palate and had always loved meat. But considering his high blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids, as well as the doctor's advice, there were not many local dishes in front of him. Most of the other dishes were light as well. Seeing nothing but lush greens before him, Old Master Wei unhappily raised his brows and was just about to speak when Grandma Wei smilingly placed a chopstickful of blanched choy sum into his bowl. Old Master Wei could only suppress his dissatisfaction and eat the vegetables with a stern face.

When the camera turned to Lu Heng's side again, the garlic-steamed lobster, hairy crabs, sea cucumbers, abalone, and all manner of vividly colored, exquisitely presented dishes spread across the long table immediately drew everyone's attention.

Fang Yuqing placed a crab onto a small plate and used a set of crab utensils to extract the roe, tomalley, and leg meat from the hairy crab. Her movements were so elegant and gentle that it seemed as though she were filming a crab-eating commercial. She even arranged the emptied crab back into its original shape.

Wei Zhanjie shot the camera a smug look. Just as he was about to hand over his bowl, Fang Yuqing placed the crab meat and roe in front of Lu Heng and asked with a gentle smile, "Try it. See if it suits your taste."

Wei Zhanjie hurriedly set down his own bowl and picked up the ginger vinegar dip prepared at the side. "Crab meat is cold in nature. Dip it in ginger vinegar."

Lu Heng had never expected Fang Yuqing to peel a crab for him. In his previous life, after visiting the Wei family often enough, both host and guest had lost the polite restraint of their first meetings. On top of that, Wei Zhanjie was especially petty—he was the type to get jealous even if Fang Yuqing served Wei Linxuan a few extra bites of food. Thus, after they became familiar with one another, Lu Heng had never again received the treatment of having a beauty serve him food, much less such troublesome care as peeling crab for him.

For a moment, Lu Heng was genuinely flattered. He accepted the crab meat while thanking her.

"You're welcome." Fang Yuqing smiled. "Eat it while it's hot. See if it tastes good."