"Who exactly are you?" The boy suddenly demanded. He stared directly at Qiao Meixia with a defiant tilt of his chin and an openly hostile expression.
"Chinan... I already explained this to you earlier. She is your biological sister." Feng Lan said to the boy, her voice tinged with a mixture of weary helplessness and growing frustration.
"What? My sister?" The boy's brow furrowed instantly in obvious, visceral distaste. "I already have a sister. Why on earth do I need another one?"
"Jiang Chinan... we have already discussed this matter at great length." Jiang Lukang said sternly, his gaze hardening with a clear, paternal warning. "She is your sister by blood, and you will show her the proper respect required of your position."
"Meixia... this is our younger brother, Jiang Chinan." Jiang Yanna added smoothly. Her voice was gentle and sweet as she stepped in to play her accustomed role of peacemaker. "Oh, and you should also know that we have an older brother, Jiang Suyin. Unfortunately, he is currently away on a business trip today, so you will meet him at another time later on."
Qiao Meixia shifted her gaze toward the boy, looking at him briefly with an expression that revealed absolutely nothing of her internal thoughts.
Then, she simply gave a single, curt nod in acknowledgement, offering no words of greeting, empty politeness, or sisterly warmth whatsoever. After that, she lowered her head and quietly began eating her food with calm, methodical precision. She acted as though the tense, toxic conversation unfolding around her had absolutely nothing to do with her in the slightest.
Qiao Meixia remained nothing more than a detached, silent observer throughout the entire duration of the meal, not uttering a single syllable to anyone seated at the expansive table. From the periphery of her vision, she quietly scrutinised the effortless interactions between the two siblings.
Jiang Yanna and Jiang Chinan chatted and laughed together with the natural ease and practised familiarity of true siblings who had grown up side by side their entire lives. Watching the seamless, effortless bond between them only served to make her feel even more like an unwelcome intruder, a ghost who had accidentally wandered into a place where she clearly did not belong. It was glaringly, painfully obvious that there was no emotional space reserved for her within the cold, polished walls of this family.
That realisation brought back the same burning, persistent question that had been lingering in the back of her mind ever since she first arrived. For what possible reason did the Jiang Family demand her return so urgently? She was deeply curious about the hidden agenda lurking behind their sudden persistence and newfound determination to bring her back into the fold. It was certainly not motivated by a sense of love, a pang of guilt, or some sudden, inexplicable burst of parental longing. She silently made a mental note to investigate the true, underlying motive behind her so-called "homecoming" later, once she had retreated to the safety and absolute privacy of her room.
"We will be going to your grandparents' house tomorrow. Your grandfather has explicitly expressed that he wants to meet with you personally." Jiang Lukang announced.
His deep, authoritative voice cut sharply through the soft, rhythmic sound of clinking cutlery as he turned his stern gaze toward Qiao Meixia.
Qiao Meixia lifted her head slightly, her eyes meeting Jiang Lukang's for only the briefest of seconds.
"Sure." Qiao Meixia replied simply, her tone completely devoid of any excitement, nervousness, or even a hint of anticipation.
After giving her minimalist answer, she immediately lowered her gaze once again and returned the entirety of her attention to the food on her plate. She behaved as though he had merely commented on the triviality of the weather rather than informed her of a significant and mandatory family visit.
***This novel is a work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If it is not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, then it has been stolen. As your support to me. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***