Xu Mingyue walked toward her usual seat beside Shen Shuyi.
Shen Shuyi doted on her the most and had always let her sit at her side.
But now Shen Banxia was sitting there.
Sure enough, now that the biological daughter was back, there was no place left for an adopted daughter like her.
Before this, Shen Shuyi had kept insisting that whether Shen Banxia returned to the Shen Family or not, Mingyue would always be her daughter, always a child of the Shen Family.
Hatred seethed inside her, but she could hardly show it outright. She could only swallow her resentment and sit in another seat nearby.
The incident with the gift box had left a subtle tension in the dining room, but Shen Banxia, who was having her first meal with the Shen Family, seemed entirely unaffected. She kept her head down and concentrated on eating.
The original owner of her body had been insecure, timid, and painfully reserved. She had not even dared take large bites, keeping her head lowered and her shoulders hunched, afraid that a single improper gesture would make her family dislike her.
But the current Shen Banxia had no time to worry about whether the Shen Family liked her. After all, she had only a year left to live. If she did not enjoy herself now, when would she?
Naturally, she paid no attention to what anyone else thought and indulged in the delicious food.
Besides, the Shen Family was still at its peak. What delicacies would a wealthy household like this not have?
Wouldn't she be an idiot not to enjoy it while she could?
Shen Banxia ate with such focus and relish that everyone in the Shen Family thought she must have been starving for a long time.
Watching her eat, Xu Mingyue could not help feeling smug again.
What kind of family was the Shen Family? They were aristocrats who had been wealthy for generations and placed the utmost importance on manners and upbringing.
One look at Shen Banxia wolfing down her food was enough to tell that she had never received a proper upbringing. How could the Shen Family possibly take a daughter like this to any public event? They might not even want to acknowledge her identity.
At that thought, Xu Mingyue's earlier gloom vanished. She picked up her knife and fork and began eating dinner elegantly.
The Shen Family served individual portions, with one meal for each person.
Clearly, one portion was not enough for Shen Banxia. As she neared the end of her meal, she secretly glanced around, wondering whether everyone in the Shen Family ate so little.
Did that mean she would have to go hungry every day from now on?
Then she met the appraising gaze of her third brother, who sat diagonally across from her. Clearly, his attention was not on the food.
Shen Banxia met his gaze and grumbled inwardly,
Had her third brother never seen a gorgeous woman eat before?
Shen Shenxing was so startled that he spat out his food. Considering Shen Banxia's face, it took admirable courage for her to call herself a gorgeous woman.
The next second, Xu Mingyue shrieked and jumped to her feet. Her third brother's food would have sprayed right into her plate if the dining table had not been so wide.
When everyone's attention turned to Xu Mingyue, she sat back down, embarrassed and flustered, and apologized,
"Sorry."
Remaining calm in unexpected situations was also part of good manners and poise. Her fuss just now had clearly been anything but dignified.
"Third Brother, what's wrong?" Shen Qingfeng asked in confusion.
"Nothing. I just choked on my food," Shen Shenxing replied evasively, picking up his napkin to wipe the corner of his mouth.
Shen Banxia was in no mood to watch Xu Mingyue put on an act. She only wanted to know whether she could ask for another serving.
When she finished the last bite on her plate and looked up again, she realized everyone in the Shen Family was watching her. Utterly baffled, she asked,
"Aren't you eating?"
Everyone lowered their heads and looked away, making a show of eating dinner to ease the awkwardness.
"Banxia, is dinner to your liking?" Shen Shuyi asked gently.
"It is, but the portions are too small. It feels like feeding mice!" Shen Banxia sighed softly.
"..." Everyone in the Shen Family stopped eating and stared at Shen Banxia in astonishment. Why did that comparison feel so insulting?
Xu Mingyue was the most put out of all. She was always dieting to maintain her figure and rarely finished an entire portion.
Besides, her third brother's spit had nearly landed on her plate just now, which had spoiled her appetite even further.
"If it's not enough, have Sister Lian bring you another serving. Now that you're home, you should eat well and have your fill!" Shen Shuyi declared with a wave of her hand, giving the order right away.
"Thank you, Mom. You're so good to me!" Shen Banxia replied sincerely.
The compliment went straight to Shen Shuyi's heart and melted it. Never mind another serving-she would have given her daughter her heart.
And so, Shen Banxia asked for an extra half portion and finally ate her fill.
She even remembered to praise Sister Lian's delicious cooking, leaving Sister Lian delighted and even more eager to cook for the newly returned seventh young lady.
After all, the Shen Family had long since grown used to her cooking. It had been ages since anyone had complimented her food.
Everyone in the Shen Family finished the meal in a different mood and with a different appetite.
Xu Junshan and Xu Mingyue, in particular, had barely been able to eat, let alone enjoy their food.
But Xu Mingyue had yet to achieve her goal. Unwilling to be replaced, she still tried hard to reclaim her place after dinner.
She offered to take Shen Banxia for a walk and help her get familiar with the surroundings.
"Isn't your Gaokao coming up? Have you finished all your homework?"
With a single question, Shen Banxia extinguished Xu Mingyue's feigned enthusiasm.
Xu Mingyue was in her final year of high school. Although she attended International High School, her workload was still heavy.
She had to do a great deal of research just to complete a single assignment from her teachers.
Her current good grades were partly due to her intelligence and a few clever tricks,
but even more depended on help from Shen Qingfeng, who had skipped grades and was already a university freshman. She did not dare slack off at all,
afraid that a drop in her grades would cost her the image of a top student.
That was also one of the images she took the most pride in.
So Shen Banxia's question was no different from dumping a bucket of ice water over Xu Mingyue's head,
because she still had not written a short paper that was due today.
"Speaking of the Gaokao,
Banxia, I've already had your enrollment transferred to International High School.
Starting next week, you'll go to International High School with Mingyue."
After saying that, Shen Shuyi turned to Xu Mingyue and added,
"Mingyue, you know the school well. Make sure you look after Banxia."
Her daughter seemed a little slow, yet she had actually managed to get into high school and was already in her final year. When Shen Shuyi learned that, she had been both surprised and delighted.
Xu Mingyue slipped her arm through Shen Banxia's and agreed sweetly,
"Mom, I will. Banxia and I are close sisters, after all!"
Shen Banxia gave her a faint, ambiguous smile without replying. Goosebumps had already risen all over her body.
She really had hurt the enemy only to hurt herself almost as much!
She had forgotten that, at this point in time, she was still a high school senior.
Just like Xu Mingyue, she still had to go to school and prepare for exams-
What a shame. She could not spend all her time watching the drama unfold.
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