The four men glanced at the empty chairs beside them and silently pushed them back in place.
Seeing his brothers sit down, Owen was quick to dart over to Zuri, only to be stopped by the firm grip of his scheming older brother, Adam, who tugged on his collar.
"Let go!" Owen gritted his teeth, slapping at Adam's hand, desperately trying to free his clothes.
Unfazed, Adam merely said, "Sit down."
Watching his youngest son's antics, Fei An sternly ordered, "That's enough. Sit down."
The moment his father spoke, Owen obediently slumped back into his original seat, albeit reluctantly. Today, the three brothers hadn't sat together; they'd left a space next to each of them, specially reserved for Zuri.
Thinking he'd won, Owen now silently wiped away his bitter tears. Zuri wasn't as close to him anymore—it was heartbreaking.
Watching the family gather around the dining table, Mrs. Zhang felt a deep sense of contentment. How long had it been since she had seen a scene like this? Ever since the young miss went missing, this household had been devoid of laughter and joy. Even the simple pleasure of a quiet family breakfast had become a luxury.
"Mrs. Zhang, serve the food."
Mrs. Zhang quickly directed the servants to bring out the breakfast dishes, all meticulously prepared according to Zuri's tastes.
As Zuri looked at the thoughtful breakfast spread before her, memories of her first dinner at the Lin household surfaced in her mind—back then, the entire meal had been filled with Saira's favorite dishes.
And now, this breakfast table was filled with all her favorites.
Is this what the difference between family truly means?
Neither Fei An nor his sons, nor even Fu Yunya, touched their chopsticks; they were all waiting for Zuri. Even Mrs. Zhang watched Zuri with nervous anticipation, fearing she might not like the food.
Fu Yunya asked cautiously, "Yin'er, don't you like it? Tell Mom what you want to eat, and I'll make it for you, okay?"
The four men also looked at her with concern.
Zuri could feel their genuine care and concern. Smiling, she replied, "No, I like it very much."
She picked up a small dumpling and placed it in Fu Yunya's bowl. Fu Yunya, looking at the dumpling, felt tears well up in her eyes, and she slowly took a bite, savoring it as if it were the most precious delicacy.
Owen watched his mother eat the dumpling, and the dumpling in his mouth suddenly felt tasteless. His intense longing and jealousy seemed to ripple through those around him.
From Fei An to Adam, they all silently stared at the dumpling in Fu Yunya's bowl.
Seeing this, Zuri sighed inwardly, then stood up. She first placed a dumpling in Fei An's bowl, then handed a fried dough stick to her eldest brother Nolan, followed by a pan-fried dumpling for her second brother, and finally, a golden cake for Owen, who had been waiting for a long time.
This time, the four men visibly relaxed, their brows unfurrowing and smiles appearing at the corners of their lips.
"Thank you, Zuri."
"Thank you, little sister."
"Zuri, you're the best," Owen said gleefully, like a cat who'd stolen some cream. If he had a tail, it would surely be wagging in delight.
Fu Yunya, however, was displeased. She gave the four men a reproachful look and scolded, "Serve yourselves! Don't trouble Yin'er, or you'll be in for it."
"Yes, yes, yes," they all nodded obediently, not daring to protest.
Fu Yunya, unsure of what Zuri liked to eat, placed a golden, pan-fried egg on her plate, saying, "Eat more."
Mrs. Zhang watched the warm scene unfold in the dining room, her face unconsciously breaking into a smile.
A newly arrived maid whispered, "The Madam seems normal now."
Looking at the Madam, she appeared entirely sane, with no trace of her mental illness.
Mrs. Zhang's eyes fell on Mrs. Feng. "If the young miss could stay like this, that would be wonderful."
Fu Yunya's illness was intermittent, sometimes good, sometimes bad. When she was clear-headed, she was just like a normal person. But during her episodes, she recognized no one, constantly searching for her daughter, attacking people, and even doing dangerous things.
During the years when the young miss was missing, her condition worsened significantly. In recent years, under the care of the second young master, her condition had improved a lot, and she had more lucid moments. But how long it would take for her to fully recover was still uncertain.
The family continued to enjoy their breakfast happily.
Suddenly, there was a loud thud at the dining room door. Everyone turned to see a slender girl with long, flowing hair standing at the entrance. At her feet was a bag that had just fallen to the ground.
Feng Yunyao, looking nervous and anxious, quickly apologized, "I'm sorry for disturbing your meal."
Upon seeing her, Owen's eyes filled with undisguised disgust.
Fei An glanced at his anxious foster daughter and then at his defiant youngest son, speaking calmly, "Have you had breakfast? If not, come join us."
Feng Yunyao's face lit up with joy. "Okay, Dad."
She walked over and sat next to Fei An. When she saw Fu Yunya across the table, she greeted her sweetly, "Good morning, Mom."
She then turned her gaze to Zuri, as if just noticing her, and asked Nolan, "Brother, who is that girl?"
Before Nolan could answer, Owen interjected, "She's my sister—my real, flesh-and-blood sister. Got it?"
Feng Yunyao's expression stiffened, a look of sadness briefly crossing her face. But when she looked at Zuri again, her eyes were full of warmth and joy. "That's wonderful. With big sister back, Mom will get better. I'm so happy."
"Pfft," Owen sneered, not bothering to hide his disdain.
Feng Yunyao lowered her head in sadness.
Fei An glanced at his timid foster daughter, then at his rebellious son, and sternly called out, "Owen!"
Owen huffed but said nothing further.
Zuri silently observed the scene, missing nothing in the expressions of those around the table.
Suddenly, a warm hand gently clasped hers.
Startled, Zuri looked to her side and met her mother's soft, loving gaze. Her eyes seemed to say, "Don't be afraid, I'm here," and a wave of warmth spread through Zuri's heart.
At that moment, a maid entered the dining room and said to Fei An, "Sir, Young Master Leo is here to visit."
Upon hearing Leo's name, both Owen and Nolan frowned in unison.
Adam wasn't as bothered but found it odd that Leo would visit so early in the morning.
Fei An didn't think much of it and smiled. "Let him in."
Feng Yunyao's face lit up with excitement. She quickly stood up and walked out of the dining room toward the living room. Upon seeing the tall, handsome figure standing there, her eyes sparkled, and she greeted him sweetly, "Brother Ye."
Leo heard the commotion and turned around with a smile on his face, striding gracefully towards her. Seeing him approach, Feng Yunyao's heart began to race. As the distance between them closed, her cheeks flushed with anticipation, and just as she was about to speak, he walked right past her, heading towards the person behind her.
"Zuri," Leo called out gently.
Feng Yunyao turned around, watching in embarrassment as Leo walked towards that woman with a tender expression. The flush on her cheeks faded, replaced by a look of discomfort.
Zuri blinked at him, as if silently asking, "What are you doing here?"
Seeing Leo's affectionate gaze, Owen couldn't hold back his anger. "Leo, what are you doing here? You're not welcome in our house."
Feng An scolded, "Owen, mind your manners. Xiao Ye, do you know Zuri?"
"Yes, Uncle Feng."
When Feng An heard him say "Uncle Feng," he was puzzled, wondering why this boy suddenly started calling him uncle. Then he heard Leo say, "Zuri is my girlfriend, so of course, you're my uncle."
"What!" Owen exploded, his eyes wide with rage.
Nolan's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Adam's gaze turned hostile as he stared at Leo.
Feng An was so shocked that his jaw nearly dropped.
Feng Yunyao's face turned ashen, unable to believe what she was hearing.
Zuri was equally stunned, staring at him in disbelief.
What on earth is Leo doing?!
Fu Yunnan tightly grasped Zuri's hand, as if afraid she might run away.
Leo calmly walked up to Zuri's other side and naturally took her hand, undaunted by the brewing anger from Feng An and his three sons.
With a composed expression, he said, "I truly didn't know Zuri was Uncle Feng's daughter. I remember holding her and kissing her when she was a baby. I guess this is what you call fate."
"You were a pervert even as a kid?" Owen gritted his teeth.
The more Owen looked at Leo, the more he disliked him!
This guy had been annoying since they were kids; Owen wanted nothing more than to punch him.
Ignoring the childish Owen, Leo turned to Feng An and said, "I'll take Zuri back now. After the summer break, I'll bring her back to the capital."
He said "back to the capital," not "back to Feng's house," making his intentions clear.
Zuri didn't know what to say, so he decided to speak for her.
"Aunt Fu, may I speak to you alone?" Leo said, taking advantage of Fu Yunnan's clarity of mind.
The two of them stepped out and returned a short while later. When they came back, Fu Yunnan's eyes were red, and her gaze towards Zuri was filled with guilt.
Fu Yunnan took Zuri's hand and placed it in Leo's. "Take good care of her for me."
No one knew what Leo had said to her, but it was enough to make a mother who was obsessed with her lost daughter willingly let go.
Since his wife had let go, Feng An naturally didn't insist on keeping Zuri.
As Leo prepared to leave with Zuri, the three brothers couldn't just let him leave so easily.
Leo looked at the three men blocking his way and focused on Nolan. "Until you fully understand her, letting go is the best way to protect her."
Nolan, being the smart one, understood immediately and stepped aside.
Owen still wanted to block their way, but Adam pulled him back.
The three brothers could only watch as Leo took Zuri and left Feng's house.
Although Nolan was unhappy with Leo's declaration of his claim on Zuri, he had to admit that Leo understood her better than they did.
Today, Leo had come to rescue Zuri, to protect her.
Outside the mansion, Leo led Zuri to a car, and they drove away from the heavily guarded residential area.
Zuri turned to the person beside her and said softly, "Thank you, Brother Ye."
She called him "Brother Ye" with genuine affection.
Zuri wasn't naive.
He had played the bad guy for her, making it easy for her to leave Feng's house without any hesitation or need for explanations.
Zuri looked at Leo, feeling like he was a mystery she could never fully understand. Sometimes she thought she could see through him, but then she realized he was even more enigmatic than she had imagined.
His deep, fathomless eyes were like a mirror, reflecting the truth about everyone.
Just like today, without her saying much, he had shown up at the perfect time and handled everything for her.
Such skill and consideration were rare qualities.
Calling him "Brother Ye" was something she did willingly.
Leo's eyes gleamed with amusement as he glanced at her. "You're welcome. Do you want to stay in the capital for a few days, or head back to Oceanic City right away?"
"Let's go back to Oceanic City. I'll be staying in the capital starting next month, so I'll have plenty of time to explore then."
Zuri looked at the unfamiliar city, a place many people longed to visit.
"Alright."
Leo made a quick call to his assistant, Fang Xiang. "We'll head back together."
Two hours later, Zuri and Leo boarded a private jet back to Oceanic City.
Meanwhile, in a certain nightclub, a group of young men and women were singing and drinking merrily, the atmosphere lively and boisterous.
"Today is Huang Shao's farewell party. Let's wish him great success and boundless prosperity. Cheers!"
Arthur, who was surrounded by friends, smiled as he accepted their well-wishes.
"I'll down this drink, and you can do as you please."
Arthur downed his glass in one go, brimming with enthusiasm.
Saira sat in a corner, watching Jazmin sit beside Arthur, jealousy simmering within her. That seat should have been hers.
But ever since the Lin family fell, she was no longer worthy of that seat.
Saira sat in the corner, full of resentment, completely ignored by everyone.
"Saira, let me toast to you." Kyle approached her with a smile.
Saira glanced at him and smiled as they clinked glasses.
"I heard you're planning to go abroad. Where are you heading?" Kyle asked.
Before Saira could answer, Shaina chimed in with a sneer, "Where would she get the money to go abroad?"
Saira's face stiffened, but she forced a smile. "Shaina, where did you hear such rumors? I've already been accepted into the Imperial Capital Film Academy and will be reporting next month."
"So, you're planning to enter the entertainment industry? When you become a big star, don't forget us old classmates." Kyle chuckled.
Their classmates joined in, cheering and making a fuss.
"Let's toast to our future big star."
"Don't forget us when you make it big."
"Of course, I won't," Saira replied with a smile.
The lively scene caught Arthur's attention, and his gaze landed on Saira. His feelings towards her were complicated.
After all, Saira was someone he had once liked.
Jazmin noticed Arthur's gaze and followed it to Saira, her eyes narrowing. Back in Windsor, this woman had always competed with her for the title of school beauty. Despite not being particularly attractive, she always pretended to be an aloof fairy, indifferent to worldly matters.
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