At this moment, there were eleven people sitting at the dining table—six males and five females, including a little girl under three years old and a boy around seven or eight. Gao Jian was also present, but Gao Xiao's presence was not noticed by Gao Ming.
What puzzled Gao Ming was that these people exuded a completely different aura. A thought crossed his mind—could all of these people be Espers?
When everyone saw Gao Ming's arrival, they cast their gazes upon him, carefully examining him. Especially the clan leader couple, their faces showed a hint of satisfaction.
"Gao Ming, just sit next to Gao Jian!"
Gao Bo spoke up.
Gao Ming nodded and took a seat next to Gao Jian on an empty chair. The atmosphere at the dining table was very quiet, and the dining hall was silent, with only the sound of everyone's breathing.
Not long after, Gao Bo spoke again. He introduced the other people at the table to Gao Ming. As he suspected, everyone at the table was an Esper. In other words, only Espers from the clan had the qualification to sit at this table.
Even the ordinary children of Gao Meng's legitimate wife did not have the qualification to sit at this table.
It can be said that being at this table represented the highest status and position in the clan.
From this regulation, it could be seen how much importance this world placed on Espers.
However, what puzzled Gao Ming was that he did not see the old man in the green robe from six years ago. According to the identity of that old man as an Esper, his status in the clan should be extremely high. It was unlikely for him to miss such a dinner gathering!
Could that old man be hiding somewhere and not appearing in front of everyone? It seemed possible. Considering the age of that old man, he was probably over eighty. He might be a generation higher than Clan Leader Gao Meng. So, it wasn't surprising that he didn't appear.
Gao Ming also learned about the number of Aliens in the clan. Excluding the possibility of Aliens from external branches, like the old man in the green robe. Including himself, there were a total of seventeen Aliens. This number was quite considerable, considering the general ratio where one in a hundred individuals might be an Alien. However, the likelihood of Aliens having children with other Aliens was slightly higher, fluctuating between one-tenth to one-half.
With a total population of over ten million in the Gao clan, there were only around a thousand Aliens. Most of them came from the noble class, with a small minority from the common people.
Dinner began with a command from Clan Leader Gao Meng. The atmosphere during the meal was quite heavy. It could be considered Gao Ming's first family gathering at the clan residence!
After dinner, Gao Ming called Gao Jian to stop and talk, leaving the maid to wait on the side. They walked into a garden. Although it was night, the full moon hung high in the sky, casting an endless silver radiance that enveloped the entire garden, creating a dreamlike and ethereal scene. It was early spring, and everything was coming back to life. Flowers, plants, and trees were thriving, emitting a faint fragrance that drifted through the garden, bringing a serene atmosphere.
Before Gao Ming could speak, Gao Jian said, "You want to ask about Gao Xiao, right?"
"Yeah..."
Gao Ming looked at the full moon above. Six years had passed since he arrived in this world. His parents on Earth probably had no idea about his current situation. The sorrow of losing him might have gradually healed by now.
"Gao Ming, don't think about revenge for now. It's useless. He's the legitimate son of the clan, and he has Gao Yu backing him up. You can't do anything to him. Besides, with your current condition, it's not suitable to start any conflicts with him."
Gao Jian walked to a peach tree, plucked a pink flower, and gently sniffed the faint fragrance, closing his eyes as if intoxicated. His originally stern expression softened.
"I know that, but why wasn't he present today?"
Gao Ming was not lacking in shrewdness. He wouldn't act recklessly. Even without Gao Yu's support, Gao Xiao himself was not someone he could deal with. Moreover, given his current situation, it wasn't appropriate to engage in any conflict.
"I understand. But why wasn't he present today?"
Gao Jian walked to a peach tree, plucked a pink flower, and gently sniffed its faint fragrance, closing his eyes as if lost in its scent. His initially stern expression softened.
"I know that, but why wasn't he present today?"
Gao Ming was not lacking in shrewdness. He wouldn't act recklessly. Even without Gao Yu's support, Gao Xiao himself was not someone he could deal with. Moreover, given his current situation, it wasn't appropriate to engage in any conflict.
"I know about that. But why wasn't he present today?"
Gao Ming was not lacking in shrewdness. He wouldn't act recklessly. Even without Gao Yu's support, Gao Xiao himself was not someone he could deal with. Moreover, given his current situation, it wasn't appropriate to engage in any conflict.
"Maybe he was confined as a form of explanation. Although it's just a show, it's better than doing nothing. Hehe..."
Gao Jian's cold face broke into a faint smile. He casually threw the peach blossom into the sky, and the soft, pinkish flower seemed to turn into a bright white light with a hint of pink as it burst in the sky. It formed a beautiful pattern of peach blossoms, reminiscent of fireworks from Gao Ming's previous life.
"Tomorrow, when you go to the Esper Training Camp, be careful. Gao Xiao has a bit of reputation there."
However, this was quite normal. Gao Xiao, as the legitimate grandson of the clan, held a noble status within the family and must have gained the support of many Esper users. The conflicts between Gao Ming and Gao Xiao would undoubtedly spread within the Esper community. Even without Gao Xiao directly ordering it, there would be people in the training camp trying to please him by making things difficult for Gao Ming.
After chatting for a while, the two went their separate ways, each accompanied by their respective maids.
Gao Ming first went to spend some time with Li Qing before returning to his own residence. In this world, there wasn't much entertainment, and the evenings were quite boring. Without much to do, people typically went to bed early.
"Ling Ping, stay behind," Gao Ming called out to the maid who was about to leave after finishing her duties.
A slight blush appeared on Ling Ping's cheeks as she lowered her head, feeling a bit uneasy. She softly uttered an acknowledgment.
Seeing her reaction, Gao Ming couldn't help but smile wryly. He hadn't expected to be misunderstood. He only wanted to chat with her since the long nights were quite dull. As his personal maid, Ling Ping was allowed to accompany him whenever needed, especially considering her original role as a concubine.
In general, personal maids had a higher status than ordinary concubines. Before marrying a legitimate wife, the daily life and well-being of a man were taken care of by his personal maid. The relationship between the two could be considered somewhat sentimental.
This Ling Ping had been assigned to Gao Ming as his personal maid, a position granted due to her looks, which were undoubtedly superior. Although she wasn't as attractive as Gao Yu, there was still a considerable difference in their temperaments. After all, being an Esper was synonymous with having a unique temperament.
Time passed with questions and answers, and Gao Ming found the conversation somewhat uninteresting. To pass the seemingly endless night, he had invited Ling Ping to chat. He realized that Ling Ping was very calm and gentle. In fact, this girl, if placed in his previous life, would have been a rare gem. Unfortunately, in this world, such characters were abundant and had become quite ordinary. Even Li Qing possessed the same serene disposition, which was influenced by the specific environment. In a world lacking vitality, even people's hearts seemed to lack excitement.