When Adam spoke, the old man dared not disobey.
Feng Yunyao was smart enough to recognize this as a final, unspoken dismissal. She pouted regretfully and said, "Second Brother, make sure you come pick me up and take me home."
With that, she seemed to remember there was another person present. She turned to Zuri with a gentle smile and said, "Sister Zuri, I wanted to chat with you, but it seems there's no chance now. I'll come find you another time when we can talk."
After Feng Yunyao left, Adam spoke in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, as if recounting a common story: "We adopted her not to replace you. She lost her parents in that accident. The family searched for a long time but couldn't find her parents, so we decided to adopt her.
"When she got older, we initially planned to send her to another family, but Grandmother took pity on her and noticed she wasn't in good health, so she stayed with us.
"The position of the fourth miss in the Feng family is yours and always will be. No one can take that from you."
His last words struck Zuri like a blow to the heart.
From the beginning, Adam had neither asked nor hinted for her to return home or to even visit. This made Zuri feel a complex mix of emotions.
Adam walked her to the dormitory building. Seeing her inner turmoil, he lightly tapped her nose and said, "Don't overthink it."
"Okay."
Adam didn't move, staying where he was and watching her go upstairs. Only when he saw her enter the dorm did he finally turn and leave.
When Zuri returned, Shen Menglai's tone was full of jealousy as she teased, "Oh, our campus queen is back. I thought you were going to stay out all night."
Zuri ignored her, washed up, and went straight to bed.
In the days that followed, whenever Zuri had free time, Adam would always appear. It was as if he had a monitoring device on her.
This made Azura green with envy.
"Ugh, I want a brother like that too."
Azura didn't have any brothers, only a younger half-brother.
"Could you lend me one? Just one. I don't need a lot," Azura said, looking at her longingly.
"Sure! Which one do you want?" Zuri asked with a playful smile.
"I want... I want... Oh, it's so hard to choose! I want them all."
"Aren't you the one who's always been crazy about Owen?" Zuri asked, puzzled by her sudden change of heart.
"I do love him, but I also love Big Brother and Second Brother," Azura replied, her expression full of infatuation.
Zuri could only smile helplessly at her.
On the table, Zuri's phone vibrated slightly. She picked it up, and an unfamiliar number was displayed on the screen.
"Who is this?"
"It's me." Feng Yunyao's voice came through the phone.
"What do you want?" Zuri frowned, surprised but also finding it somewhat expected that Feng Yunyao would contact her.
"I'm outside your school right now. I'd like to meet with you if you're available," Feng Yunyao said, seemingly afraid that Zuri might refuse. "Don't worry, I won't take up too much of your time."
"Alright. Let's meet at the West Gate in ten minutes."
After hanging up, Azura asked, "Who was that?"
"Feng Yunyao."
"What does she want with you?" Azura frowned.
"I'm not sure. I'll find out when I meet her," Zuri replied, putting down her chopsticks and closing the lunchbox.
Azura, feeling uneasy, said, "I'll go with you."
"There's no need. If you come, she might not say what she wants to say."
Azura nodded in understanding. "I get it, I get it. Go on then! Just call me if anything happens. I haven't met Feng Yunyao much, and I don't know her well, but you should be careful."
Given how Saira acted after entering the Lin family, with her constant scheming and undermining, it wouldn't be surprising if Feng Yunyao behaved the same way.
After all, anyone who's lived in luxury for over ten years would be reluctant to give up their fine clothes, jewelry, and status. No one would let go easily.
Zuri nodded.
Ten minutes later, in a cozy dessert shop outside the West Gate, Zuri and Feng Yunyao sat facing each other. The waiter brought over freshly made coffee and desserts.
"Here are your orders. Please enjoy!"
After the waiter left, Feng Yunyao finally spoke. "I'm really sorry to disturb you like this today."
Zuri waved her hand, signaling her to stop. "No need for pleasantries. Just get to the point. What do you want?"
Zuri raised her wrist to glance at her watch. "I only have fifteen minutes."
As she made this gesture, Feng Yunyao noticed the watch on Zuri's wrist. If she wasn't mistaken, it was a custom-made Patek Philippe, a unique piece in the world, made especially for her eldest brother.
She had once liked that watch very much, but her brother never considered giving it to her. Yet now, it was on Zuri's wrist.
"Your watch is beautiful," Feng Yunyao said with a bitter smile.
Zuri noticed the shift in her expression and looked down at the watch on her wrist. "Thank you."
"Actually, the reason I wanted to meet you today was to invite you to come home with me. Father, Mother, and all the brothers really hope you'll come back," Feng Yunyao said, her voice filled with earnestness.
Zuri raised an eyebrow and asked with a faint smile, "It's simple enough for me to go back—just leave the Feng family. Would you still want me to return then?"
Feng Yunyao was taken aback, but quickly replied, "If my leaving would truly bring you back, I would do it. Father and Mother have raised me for so many years, and I'm already content. It's time for me to repay them."
Zuri suddenly laughed.
So, leaving the Feng family would be how she repaid her parents for raising her.
How interesting!
Feng Yunyao was confused by her sudden laughter and anxiously asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
"You didn't say anything wrong. I just remembered a very amusing story. Do you want to know what it is?" Zuri asked, her eyes gleaming with meaning.
"What story?" Feng Yunyao asked, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity.
"Once, there was a hunter who raised a hunting dog. He took it into the mountains to hunt, but the dog lost its owner and accidentally encountered a hermit. Seeing the dog's pitiful state, the hermit took pity and decided to take it in. The hermit treated the dog well, and soon the dog forgot about its original owner. One day, the hunter stumbled upon the hermit's home, and the dog barked at its former owner but didn't attack. Do you know why?"
"Because that was its former owner," Feng Yunyao answered softly.
"Yes, but also no," Zuri replied with a meaningful smile. "Because it was repaying its debt."
Feng Yunyao: ...