Chi He returned home later than usual, and the table was already set, waiting for him, the patriarch, to announce the beginning of the meal.
While he was domineering and formidable outside, at home, Chi He was remarkably affable.
Of course, this affability was not extended to the Jin family trio.
His gaze, however, rested solely on Chi Yu.
Jin's father sat upright, his expression stiff and uneasy.
Facing this young man, a decade his junior but exuding an imposing aura, he could never quite maintain a calm demeanor.
Chi He glanced at him and smiled lightly, "I said it's a family dinner. Relax, make yourself at home."
Though his words were casual, the Jin couple remained on edge, too cautious to let their guard down.
Only Jin Yao seemed at ease, eating and drinking freely as if he were in his own house, raising and lowering his chopsticks and wine glass without a care, entirely unlike his careful parents.
At less than ten years old, Jin Yao had been sent to live with Chi Yu under the guise of fostering a childhood bond, but in reality, he was more of a glorified companion.
On some occasions, when the driver "forgot" to pick up the young master, Jin Yao would stay for dinner or even spend the night at the Chi residence.
Jin Yao was likely more familiar with this long dining table than some of the Chi family's distant relatives.
His unhurried ease stood out conspicuously.
Chi Yu calmly popped a pea into her mouth, her eyes subtly shifting to her wristwatch.
Hmm, it was time for the dishes to be served.
As Ning Jin entered the dining room carrying a pot of pork bone soup, which starkly contrasted with the rest of the table's exquisite fare, Jin Yao was engrossed in his lobster.
For the first time since sitting down, Chi Yu spoke, "Put the soup down and join us for dinner."
Her voice drew the attention of everyone at the table.
Jin Yao straightened up almost immediately, staring at the oily soup with a foreboding feeling.
Ning Jin paled under the scrutinizing gazes, whispering, "Miss, that would be improper."
She had anticipated that Chi Yu wouldn't let her off easily, but she hadn't expected Chi Yu to choose this moment, in front of Jin Yao's parents, to humiliate her.
Chi Yu set down her chopsticks with a sharp clink, the sound of jade hitting porcelain clear and crisp.
A tiny gesture, but one that signaled her displeasure.
From the head of the table, Chi He's voice came softly, "Sit down."
In this household, Chi He's words carried the weight of an imperial decree.
Ning Jin bit her lip, as if enduring a grave injustice, and with a loud scrape, pulled out a chair and sat, clearly seething with emotion.
She resented Chi He for knowing full well that Chi Yu was intent on bullying her, yet doing nothing to stop it—in fact, aiding her in the process.
Who was really his blood relative here?
Chi Yu observed Ning Jin's every move, choosing not to call her out for her lack of decorum, and in a show of almost feigned kindness, ladled a bowl of the pork bone soup for her.
"This is your favorite soup. Today, I expect you to finish every last drop."
As a teenage girl, Ning Jin was particularly conscious of her figure.
Especially since she was painfully aware of the disparity between her and Chi Yu. While Ning Jin was pretty, she lacked Chi Yu's polished elegance and took great care in maintaining her figure and skin.
She wouldn't even touch lean meat, let alone pork bone soup.
To claim it was her favorite was clearly a pretext Chi Yu was using to punish her for feigning illness and forcing her to drink it the other day.
Ning Jin glanced around the room. Chi He sat unflinching like a mountain.
The Jin couple, heads bowed, made no effort to intervene on her behalf.
In the end, Ning Jin's gaze fell on Jin Yao—this boy who had once sworn to protect her.
Her delicate brows knitted in slight distress, her nostrils flaring as though on the verge of tears, her head lowering in silent fragility.
Her pitiful demeanor would have stirred sympathy in any onlooker.
From the moment Chi Yu spoke, Jin Yao had known she intended to make things difficult for Ning Jin.
It was just a bowl of soup, but the way she was dragging it out was utterly infuriating, making her pettiness unbearable!
Annoyed by Chi Yu's relentless nitpicking, Jin Yao abruptly stood, grabbed the greasy bowl, and lifted it to his lips.
Chi Yu, as if expecting his defiance, said calmly, "Wait."
Jin Yao glared at her, his patience wearing thin, "You didn't say I couldn't drink it for her!"
Chi Yu's voice remained even, "True, I didn't. But think carefully—if you drink it for her, you'll have to finish all twenty pounds of it sitting in the kitchen. If she drinks it herself, she can spread it out over three meals."
"Who are you trying to scare?" Jin Yao scoffed, certain that Chi Yu was exaggerating.
Twenty pounds? That would be like drinking five large bottles of soda.
He didn't believe for a second that there was actually twenty pounds of pork bone soup simmering in the kitchen.
Little did he know, Chi Yu had instructed the kitchen to prepare the soup as soon as she arrived home and had personally overseen its preparation.
She had been planning Ning Jin's punishment for days; no detail would be overlooked.
Chi Yu clapped her hands, and immediately, two servants struggled in, carrying a massive pot into the dining room.
The pot was nearly half the height of a person, and the effort the servants exerted made Jin Yao suspect it weighed more than twenty pounds.
"Believe me now?" Chi Yu's smile was leisurely and unhurried as she watched him.
Even if the soup were divided over three meals, it would still be too much for Ning Jin to bear.
Seeing the worry in Ning Jin's eyes, Jin Yao gritted his teeth and said, "I'll drink it for her!"
Jin's mother's eyes blazed with fury.
No amount of throat-clearing or the sound of chopsticks being dropped on the table could snap her foolish son out of his daze.
Seething with rage, she ground her heel into her husband's foot under the table.
Finally, Jin's father seemed to come to his senses. As he watched Jin Yao lift the bowl once more, he abruptly stood and addressed Chi He, "Thank you for your hospitality, but we'll be leaving now. It's been a wonderful evening, and next time we'll be sure to host you and Chi Yu at our home."
Jin's mother acted quickly, rushing to Jin Yao's side and snatching the bowl from his hands, slamming it back onto the table with a loud thud.
Jin Yao glared at her defiantly, clearly intent on drinking it.
But his mother gripped his wrist tightly, her sharp nails digging into his skin, leaving angry red marks.
"If you stand up for her now, I'll have your father break your legs," she hissed in a low voice, only the two of them could hear.
Jin Yao shot her a furious look, but she sneered back at him, her gaze cold and menacing. "Go ahead. Try me."
Jin Yao's hand went numb from the pain.
In the end, it wasn't his mother's threat that made him yield but the slight trembling in her body.
She was afraid, and he knew exactly what she feared.
With Chi He present, it was as if a towering god overlooked them, and any misstep would lead to their complete ruin.
If Jin Yao were truly an unfilial son, he would defy his elders tonight.
But he wasn't.
Stiff and ashamed, he avoided Ning Jin's eyes, knowing full well she would be deeply disappointed in him.
Chi Yu, in high spirits, graciously saw the Jin couple to the door.
Jin's mother had performed so well tonight that Chi Yu generously promised her a limited-edition Hermès bag, which would be delivered to her home by the next afternoon.
That bag, a symbol of high status among society's elite, was impossible to purchase with money alone—it required connections.
Jin's mother, previously filled with anger toward her son, had her rage swiftly extinguished by Chi Yu's words.
Radiant, she showered Chi Yu with endless praise.
Finally, Jin Yao interrupted, "Mother, please get in the car. I need a word with Chi Yu."
(End of Chapter)