"Butler Jun, what is it? Is something the matter?" Jiang Yanna asked gently, turning her gaze toward him with a look of feigned confusion.
"Actually, Miss Qiao has already been awake for quite some time. She went out earlier to get some morning exercise." Butler Jun stated clearly, his voice carrying through the dining room and addressing everyone seated at the table.
"Morning exercise?" Jiang Lukang repeated slowly.
His voice was laced heavily with scepticism and a touch of disbelief, as though the very concept of such discipline from her was difficult to reconcile with his expectations.
At that exact moment, the front door clicked open from the outside, and Qiao Meixia finally returned to the villa. She was dressed in practical trekking gear, unassuming but functional clothes suitable for high-intensity physical activity. Several visible beads of sweat had formed along the line of her forehead and neck, providing undeniable evidence that she had been genuinely exerting herself. However, despite the physical strain, her face remained as cold, calm, and maddeningly emotionless as ever.
"Where exactly did you go?" Jiang Lukang asked immediately, narrowing his eyes into sharp slits as he scrutinised her dishevelled appearance.
"Did he not already mention it to you?" Qiao Meixia asked calmly in return, casting a brief yet pointed glance toward Butler Jun that effectively redirected the interrogation.
"I already told you quite clearly that we are all going to the Old Residence today." Jiang Lukang stated coldly, his patience beginning to flare visibly in the tightening of his jaw.
"You never actually told me that." Qiao Meixia replied to Jiang Lukang without a flicker of hesitation.
Her voice remained perfectly level, as though she were merely correcting a clerical error rather than challenging the head of the house.
"You..." Jiang Lukang opened his mouth, his face reddening as he prepared to retort sharply.
However, before the confrontation could escalate, his wife stepped in with practised grace to de-escalate the rising tension.
"Husband, please calm down. There truly is no need to become so agitated over such a small, trivial misunderstanding." Feng Lan said gently, lightly patting her husband's hand to soothe his ego. She then turned her gaze toward Qiao Meixia, though her eyes lacked any real warmth. "Meixia, please go upstairs and change your clothes first. After you finish your breakfast, we will all depart together for the Old Residence. Your grandfather and grandmother have been very anxious to finally meet you."
Qiao Meixia gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod in acknowledgement. Without a word of apology or further explanation, she quietly turned and headed back upstairs. Once in her room, she took a quick, refreshing shower to wash away the morning's exertion before changing into a fresh set of clothes.
When she finally made her way back downstairs, the rest of the family had nearly finished their meal.
"Mom, why don't you scold her? She came downstairs even later than I did." Jiang Chinan complained loudly, his face twisting into a petulant, dissatisfied pout.
Earlier that morning, when he had been only a few minutes late, his mother had scolded him harshly for his lack of punctuality. Yet now, despite this girl's significant delay, his mother remained uncharacteristically silent.
"Chinan, you must understand that Sister Meixia actually woke up much earlier than everyone else." Jiang Yanna explained patiently, carefully maintaining her image as the reasonable, saintly older sister. "She only went back upstairs specifically to freshen up and change."
"Change her clothes? Humph! Even after changing, she still looks completely plain. Why did she even bother?" Jiang Chinan scoffed openly, eyeing Qiao Meixia's simple, unadorned outfit with blatant disdain.
"Chinan... what a thing to say. As I mentioned, she was exercising. It's only natural to change." Jiang Yanna lightly scolded him again.
However, Jiang Yanna only truly scolded him for the first half of his rude sentence. In truth, she silently and fully agreed with the second half of his statement.
***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. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***