At a Loss for Words

Bo Miao's boyfriend's face darkened until it was black as coal. His outstretched hand hung awkwardly in midair.

There was no need to humiliate him like this. One of them had made it clear he wasn't welcome, constantly needling him with cold remarks. The two elders sat off to the side without saying a word, and the one who had just come home had ignored him as though he didn't exist.

Whether people knew a visitor or not, whether they had a grudge or not, they were supposed to be polite when that person came to their home.

Who acted like this family? They were far too full of themselves.

Even among arrogant rich families, few were like them. And they ranked first on A City's rich list? Big deal. It was time someone else took that spot.

(-＂-怒)

Bo Hanmo frowned and picked Fang Yao up. The moment he had stepped through the door, he had spotted the little woman crouching on the second floor, watching secretly. She was clearly uncomfortable, but she refused to leave.

"How long have you been crouching there?"

Caught in the act, Fang Yao gave a sheepish grin. "Not long. Just a little while."

The Bo family: It's been at least half an hour since we started hearing your thoughts.

They hadn't expected Fang Yao to stay crouched on the second floor for so long either. They couldn't call her down without making it too obvious, so they had pretended not to know she was there.

"Looks like your family doesn't like me. I'll leave right now. I won't stay here and offend your eyes." Bo Miao's boyfriend got up and headed for the door. After a few steps, he realized something was wrong: Bo Miao hadn't followed him. He seethed.

I put up with this for so long, and you're not even leaving with me?

Bo Miao's boyfriend snapped, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and drive me home. Don't you know my feet hurt from standing so long?" He spoke to Bo Miao as if giving her an order was both a favor and his right.

Bo Miao froze. "Brother Tian, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to you just now. I'll get the car. Wait for me." This was the first time Chen Shengtian had spoken to her so harshly, but she knew he had been upset today, so she wasn't angry.

She would have been angry too. Poor Brother Tian.

[Have their roles been reversed? Shouldn't the guy be driving the girl home? No matter how I look at him, he's shameless. He's actually angry? Where does he get the nerve?]

Bo Miao stumbled and knocked her boyfriend to the ground. Even his usually good temper couldn't take any more. He got up, his face full of fury.

Bo Miao knew this was bad.

At the sight of Chen Shengtian making a fool of himself, Bo Zhe didn't care that the man was right there. He clutched his stomach and laughed at the top of his lungs.

Old Master Bo and the other elder turned away and covered their mouths, their eyes nearly disappearing with laughter.

"Bo Miao, what's this supposed to mean? What's wrong with your family? Are they laughing at me?"

"Your eldest brother was looking down on me, wasn't he?"

"Hah. If you hadn't begged me to come and sworn your family wouldn't make me feel unwelcome, I wouldn't have bothered coming with you."

"And now look at me."

Chen Shengtian didn't dare point a finger at Bo Hanmo. He only pointed at his own filthy clothes, then slapped Bo Miao's hand away.

Bo Miao rubbed her stinging hand and went up to him with an ingratiating smile, taking his arm. "Brother Tian, don't be angry. I'll talk to my eldest brother and the others later. How could they treat you like this?"

"They owe me an apology." Chen Shengtian looked at Bo Miao with disdain.

"Well... all right, all right. Brother Tian, don't be angry. I'll get them to apologize to you later. Come on, I'll take you home now." Bo Miao nodded reluctantly.

She thought her eldest and second brothers had been in the wrong today, but they hadn't really done anything wrong. It was only natural for a family to give a prospective son-in-law a hard time when he first came over. The thought of making them apologize to her boyfriend made her frown. But when she saw Chen Shengtian angrily push her hand away, she stopped thinking and agreed on Bo Hanmo and the others' behalf.

"Mm." Chen Shengtian gave a grudging hum.

"Okay, let's go. Wait under the eaves for a moment while I get the car." Bo Miao left happily after settling Chen Shengtian somewhere out of the sun, speaking to him in a fawning tone.

"Hurry up."

"I know," Bo Miao called back as she ran.

"Big Brother, why are you stopping me? That little fool has already gone off with him. Look how thoroughly he's bewitched her! An apology? Does he deserve one? Like hell!" Watching the two walk away, Bo Zhe was so angry that he forgot to be afraid of Bo Hanmo and burst out at him.

"Finished venting? Is this little thing worth getting angry over?" Bo Hanmo's icy voice seemed to freeze the air around them.

That chill snapped Bo Zhe back to his senses. Oh my god, I just yelled at Big Brother!!!

[Good thing Bo Hanmo inherited the company. With Bo Zhe's brains... Tsk, tsk. I don't even want to make fun of him. It might lower my IQ.]

Fang Yao gave Bo Zhe the sort of look one might give a child who needed special care. Before he could look her way, she withdrew her gaze and flopped onto the sofa, perfectly at ease doing nothing.

Bo Zhe was the only one left feeling wounded. He sat across from the others, staring straight at the front door. When Bo Miao returned, the first thing she saw was her second brother's eyes, wide as a fish's.

"Second Brother, did you spend last night sneaking around like a thief? Why are your eyes so wide?"

Bo Zhe had hoped Bo Miao would comfort him. Instead, her jab left him so defeated that he collapsed back into his seat.

Bo Miao looked at her second brother, baffled. Had she said something wrong? Come to think of it, hadn't his eyes been normal earlier? Had her eldest brother beaten him up while she was gone? No, that didn't make sense either.

[・ヘ・?]

Old Master Bo beckoned to her. "Miao Miao, come tell Grandpa something. Why haven't you mentioned that you have a boyfriend? And what's his family like?"

Bo Miao sat beside him and hugged his arm. "Grandpa, I'm already in my twenties. Isn't it normal for me to have a boyfriend?"

"Don't change the subject. Answer Grandpa's questions properly," Bo Hanmo scolded with a frown.

"Why so fierce? Trying to make that icy face of yours look even colder?" Bo Miao muttered.

When she saw her eldest brother's eyebrows rise, Bo Miao ducked into Old Master Bo's arms. Go ahead and glare.

Over the next ten minutes, Bo Miao told everyone about her boyfriend, Chen Shengtian. Old Master Bo frowned. While Bo Miao and Chen Shengtian had been gone, the family had already pieced together the basics.

They didn't care whether his family had money. They cared about his manners and character, and Chen Shengtian clearly fell short on both counts. What decent man visited his girlfriend's family, behaved that badly, and put on airs as though they were beneath him? As if. His family background couldn't compare, his character couldn't compare, and he was as ugly as a toad. Where did he get the nerve?

"So you're saying his family's little company will go to his younger brother? What are his plans, then?" Bo Zhe scratched his head. Didn't families start grooming an heir from childhood? Chen Shengtian's younger brother was a full five years younger than him.

Surely they hadn't waited specifically for his younger brother to be born. Besides, who could know whether a second child would be a boy or a girl? What family didn't start preparing its heir early? His eldest brother had started studying as soon as he could walk.