"They have all gone back to their homes. Your great-grandfather needs to recuperate, and as his children, they find it inconvenient to disturb him," Lin Xiao explained to Xun'er.
"That's great!"
Xun'er clapped her hands with joy. "This means no one will stop Xun'er from watching TV, playing games, eating fruit, or..."
The little girl seemed to hold a grudge, counting off on her fingers and listing their transgressions. It was clear she had been keeping track of everything and was now complaining to Lin Xiao.
"Now that all the annoying people are gone, are you happy, Xun'er?" Lin Xiao asked tenderly, hugging his precious daughter.
"Happy!"
Before long, Luo Buyu's family also returned. They were all management personnel at the Luo family's enterprise, so there was no option for overtime for now. After all, they weren't technical staff, so working overtime wouldn't be of much use.
The family returned to this familiar yet strange place. They felt a little unaccustomed at first, but the mood improved considerably with the absence of people pointing fingers at them.
"This is so much better, so much more peaceful," Li Xin said, then quickly scanned around, noticing neither the grandfather nor the grandmother.
"My father is advanced in years... this situation, I imagine, is not what he wanted to see," Luo Buyu sighed, a mix of emotions churning within him, though relief was the predominant one.
His sigh ignited Li Xin's anger. She immediately pointed at his nose and scolded, "Only you would consider them important. Did they ever treat you like a human? Think about how your legs were broken! If it weren't for Lin Xiao, you'd still be in a wheelchair! Forget about the current situation, you wouldn't even be able to walk. And now you have the heart to worry about your father?"
"That's true..."
Luo Buyu quickly embraced his wife. "I shouldn't have spoken. I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
"You! When will you ever think about yourself? Your mother won't even allow you into the Luo family cemetery. Only you treat the Luo family like a treasure!" Li Xin became more incensed as she spoke. "Haven't our family suffered enough humiliation over the years? Look at Qinghan, look at Xun'er, have they ever had a good life in the Luo family? Now that things are starting to get better, what were you just saying?"
"Alright, Mom, please don't say anymore. Today, let's go out for a big meal and celebrate. Dad was just worried about Grandpa... Dad, sometimes you need to think about yourself, think about us!" Luo Qinghan quickly interjected to mediate.
Luo Buyu gave a sheepish smile and hugged Li Xin tightly. "I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that. I've let you down. You've suffered all these years..."
"Okay! Why are you hugging me so tight? Trying to suffocate me? Let's go, let's go eat." Li Xin struggled a bit, then playfully tapped Luo Buyu a couple of times on the body, saying grumpily.
"Mhm."
Seeing that his wife wasn't too angry anymore, Luo Buyu finally let go.
Lin Xiao walked over and hugged Luo Qinghan as well.
"Ah!"
Luo Qinghan exclaimed, quickly glancing at her parents. To her surprise, they acted as if they saw nothing and walked out of the villa with Xun'er, leading the way.
As they walked, Li Xin continued, "Xun'er, be good. Let's leave some space for your mommy and daddy. They want to have some private time."
"Private time?" Xun'er tilted her head. "Grandma, is that like on TV, where they put their mouths together?"
"Yes, yes. Let's wait for them outside." Li Xin asked, "Do you want Grandma to hold you?"
"Yes!"
Xun'er extended her arms and called out cheerfully.
After the three of them left, Lin Xiao chuckled. Luo Qinghan said, "Did you hear that? Mom and Dad are giving us time for some private moments."
"Who wants to have private moments with you!"
Luo Qinghan turned her head away, her cheeks flushed. This scoundrel was so embarrassing!
"What, can't we?"
Lin Xiao asked.
"..."
Luo Qinghan remained silent.
"Alright, I was thinking, since I helped you get back all this money to ease your urgent need, I was hoping you'd give me a kiss as a reward..."
With that, Lin Xiao released her.
"Eh?!"
Luo Qinghan grabbed Lin Xiao and kissed him on the cheek. "Is this okay...?"
"Mhm... Not bad!"
Lin Xiao grinned, finally satisfied.
Luo Qinghan couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. "Let's go, it's time to head out."
"Coming!"
...
Since it was a celebration, Lin Xiao naturally booked the best restaurant in Shashi, Huxiangli. He had heard that the restaurant had excellent service and cuisine, which was why he chose it.
However, as the family happily headed towards their private room, the lobby manager suddenly said apologetically, "I'm sorry, but the private room has already been given to our diamond card VIP guests..."
"What do you mean?"
Lin Xiao's eyebrows shot up. He found it absurd. "I reserved this private room three hours ago. You confirmed it, and now that I'm here, you're telling me you've given it to someone else?"
"Yes, after all, they are our diamond VIP members. We need to prioritize their needs. We hope you can understand." The manager maintained his smile.
However, his smile made Lin Xiao feel a bit nauseous. He had encountered too many such disingenuous smiles.
"Why should we understand?!" Li Xin was the first to speak. "We told you we reserved it in advance. Is this how your restaurant does business?!"
"Madam, it's like this. Diamond card members represent our VIPs who spend over three million yuan annually at all our company's establishments. We cannot possibly not offer preferential treatment to such esteemed guests, so we hope you can understand..." The lobby manager remained in the same demeanor, his tone unchanged.
If there was any difference, Lin Xiao could detect a clear disdain for their family in the manager's eyes. The implication in his words was obvious. They were simply looking down on them.
"Give up the private room, and I'll consider not shutting down your restaurant." Lin Xiao said, his eyes narrowing into slits, his tone turning icy. He was getting angry at such individuals.
"I apologize, sir, but our restaurant is affiliated with the Tianxia Hui. Wanting to shut down our restaurant is likely not something you can achieve with just a word," the lobby manager said with a smile, showing no anger, and even finding it a bit amusing.