Absurd! (Continued)

But I never expected...

That evening, after Maria appeared, he stared at Maria almost intently.

Their eyes are practically melting!

Even with all her magnanimity, Lamaline found it hard to bear being spied on like this.

She paused for a few moments before speaking with a smile.

"I already know Miss Shu and Miss Nian. This is..."

"Ah... Xi."

The carefree Nian, oblivious to Lamaline's reminder, simply smiled and spoke.

"She's our little sister, Xi La. She's never been very talkative, so don't worry about her."

Nian waved with a smile, but this response made Xi somewhat dissatisfied.

She subtly shook her palm, summoning A-Yao once again.

This time, the millet was too late to stop it, and it directly bit into the tail end of the year.

Instantly, Nian's expression froze, and her smile became somewhat forced.

Fortunately, this situation did not last long, and Maria turned her head and continued to speak.

"Are you having a party here?"

"I guess you could call it a family gathering? But even so, it was really just a regular meal."

Shu smiled and answered her question, but after seeing Maria's slightly worried look, he also smiled and shook his head.

"It's alright, we've already notified them, everything will be fine."

Maria was aware of the wariness the Great Yan was towards the Sui Family, and only after hearing that Shu had already reported it did she nod in relief and then get up.

"In that case, we won't bother you any longer."

"Huh?"

Nian was taken aback, somewhat puzzled, "You... you're leaving already? Is something urgent?"

"Your family gathering is quite rare, so we won't disturb you any longer."

Maria pulled down her hat brim and answered calmly.

Of course, her real purpose was because of the slight trembling of Lamaline's small hand, which was placed in Maria's palm, under the table.

Although Lamaline said nothing, Maria knew everything.

This made Xi, who was standing to the side, hesitate to speak.

Fortunately, Nian spoke the words she couldn't say herself.

"It's nothing, eating is about having fun... If you don't mind, you can join us for some too. The food's all served now."

As he spoke, he waved his arm at the waiter beside him, indicating that they should come this way.

She still believes that meals should be enjoyed in a happy and lively atmosphere.

However, Nian clearly made a mistake.

As she waved, the person who arrived was not a waiter, but a tall, sharp-eyed young man.

"Um?"

Those staff members who had been pretending to be diners but were actually monitoring the Sui Family also stood up and stared at the newcomer.

Nian, who had been laughing, frowned upon seeing the other person.

The people in the Candlebearer Office...

The previously relaxed and cheerful atmosphere instantly froze.

The Sui Family members were immediately unhappy.

Maria blinked.

"Several people."

After confirming the identities of the group, the young man walked over meticulously and first clasped his hands in a gesture of greeting to everyone.

"The Sui Office has extended an invitation; please, gentlemen, proceed to the terrace temporarily..."

He paused a few times at the end of his sentence before continuing.

"This is a matter of great importance."

The atmosphere at the scene immediately turned cold.

None of the Sui Family members spoke. Nian silently watched them, Shu had his back to them and remained silent, and Xi was still silent.

An awkward atmosphere seemed to permeate the air.

This is also the most troublesome point for young people.

He also knew how annoying it was to interrupt a family's precious time together.

But there was no way around it; the matter was of utmost importance. No matter how much he resisted, even if he had to bite the bullet, he had to play the bad guy.

"Please, gentlemen, don't put us in a difficult position."

Seeing that the Sui Family members remained silent, the young man gritted his teeth and took another step forward.

At this moment, Nian, somewhat impatient, removed the obstruction.

"What's wrong with our family having a meal together?"

"Sui Office understands your thoughts and is willing to be understanding, but there are some things that are not my decision. Please come with us."

The young man passed by Maria and Lamaline; his purpose in coming here had always been only the Sui Family.

"So... what exactly happened?"

"... I'm sorry, I didn't know about this, perhaps..."

"If they're calling us but won't tell us what they want, it's probably not a good thing... I'm not going."

He waved goodbye, somewhat unhappy.

Xi remained as indifferent as ever, not even giving the other person a proper look.

Even the most good-natured Shu didn't accept it at this moment, instead speaking in a slightly cold tone.

"Food should not be wasted..."

"This..."

The young man's face was filled with helplessness and distress.

In this situation, he could indeed have used a more forceful attitude and methods to demand that the members of the Sui Family leave with them. After all, getting angry for a moment is a small matter, but if it really delays important matters, that would be a real headache.

However, while his usual methods might work for others, using them on the Sui Family members...

It's somewhat like an old man hanging himself.

The Great Yan wouldn't be afraid of a few Beast Fragments, but... he wasn't part of the Great Yan; he was just an ordinary person within it.

He didn't want things to get out of hand unless absolutely necessary.

Can...

If the Sui Family doesn't cooperate, he won't be able to fulfill his obligations.

For a moment, the young man was caught in a dilemma.

Maria, however, blinked and then asked a question.

"May I have your name?"

Um?

It was only then that the young man noticed Maria beside him. He searched his memory for any recollection of her, but found no connection to her. However, he did have some recollection of Lamaline, who was standing nearby.

She seems to be some important figure among the Sarkaz Banshees?

Thinking of this, the young man dared not be negligent. After pondering for a moment, he cupped his hands in a salute.

"My surname is Zuo, and my given name is Le."

He didn't say his full name, only his surname, which was within the acceptable limits and fulfilled the other party's request.

Maria paused for a long time after hearing his words.

"Left?"

This surname is quite rare.

At least, Maria didn't know how many people had that surname.

And the few I knew...

"Tap tap..."

Maria tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her eyes slightly lowered, and suddenly spoke.

"I'll go take a look."

As she spoke, she slowly stood up.

And everyone's slightly surprised gazes turned towards them.

Maria continued speaking, addressing the Sui Family members.

"You don't mind if I go and see what happened on your behalf, do you?"

"Ah?!"

Maria's words immediately caused surprise and confusion among everyone present.

Zuo Le, in particular, was completely bewildered.

Ah?

He came here to meet with the Sui Family.

What are you doing here?

But who exactly is this woman?

She doesn't look like Banshees, but the person next to her is a high-ranking figure associated with Banshees, and they seem to have a good relationship with these three members of the Sui Family...

Um?

Zuo Le was completely puzzled.

What troubled him even more was that, judging from Maria's actions, she seemed to genuinely intend to go and see what had happened in place of the Sui Family.

Ah!?

Although Maria is currently seeking the opinions of the Sui Family, even if they agree, can Maria really represent them in this matter?

Zuo Le didn't know.

After hesitating for a few moments, he finally spoke.

"Um... your idea might be..."

Zuo Le wanted to try and persuade Maria.

Although he couldn't be sure how his boss would scold him for failing to bring back the Sui Family members, he was certain that if he had brought back an unrelated person, he would be in trouble.

So he chose to speak, trying to calm Maria down.

To his surprise, as Maria spoke, the Sui Family members also chose to stand up.

"That's not the case."

Nian shook his head and spoke first.

"Since you put it that way... then I'll go take a look. Sister Shu, Xi, you two can eat here for a while..."

Before Nian could finish speaking, Shu shook his head and stepped forward.

Even Xi, who was usually quiet, stepped forward.

They weren't quite sure why Maria chose to help the other person after hearing their name, but they knew Maria was their friend, and since she was leaving, there was no need for them to stay.