After an afternoon of classes, Bai Xia found that dinner really was made by the male lead himself.
She didn’t believe it until the butler showed her the surveillance footage—he truly cooked it.
Five dishes and one soup.
The chef didn’t even help with prep.
Lu Qihui and others looked at the table in disbelief.
No way was this made by their son.
They hesitantly took a bite of the vegetables, and their expressions changed slightly.
“Tastes good,” he reluctantly praised.
Lu Shuo grabbed a chicken leg, nearly spit it out after one bite, but scared of Lu Lin, forced himself to swallow.
“Delicious.”
Yao Yun tried the fish and almost lost control of her expression, but still silently drank water.
Bai Xia bit into a chicken leg and immediately spat it back onto the table.
“So salty!”
Lu Jin Nian didn’t touch his chopsticks at all.
Did he not understand his grandson’s habits?
“Hurry and make more. Xiaxia needs to eat on time. After such a tiring day, she can’t go hungry,” Lu Jin Nian told the butler.
The butler was prepared and had the chef bring out more dishes.
Lu Lin frowned slightly, tasted the vegetables, then spat them out.
The steps were right, but he didn’t know where he went wrong.
Bai Xia thought the butler was really smart to have the chef keep a backup plan; otherwise, they might not have eaten on time today.
A butler with such foresight deserved a high salary.
“Don’t cook anymore. If you don’t enter the kitchen, Xiaxia won’t starve,” Lu Jin Nian warned.
If Xiaxia got sick from eating, how could a child bear the trouble?
“Does it hurt? Remember to wear protection in class from now on. Don’t enter these competitions. Want as many medals as you like? Great-grandpa will have someone make them for you.”
He looked at his great-granddaughter’s injured head with concern.
Bai Xia lowered her head to eat and then looked at him.
“I don’t even have a training partner. I have to compete so I can know my level.”
“Let Shuo Shuo be your training partner. He’s all muscle and runs everywhere,” Lu Qihui said without looking up.
Lu Shuo immediately looked up.
“Me? I’m not a punching bag! What if she beats me to death?”
“Nonsense.”
Yao Yun tapped his head.
“Dad’s just joking. He wouldn’t really have you as a partner.”
Lu Shuo’s eyes twinkled.
“I don’t mind being a partner—for one class… fifty thousand! Then I’ll be her partner!”
This brat isn’t strong at all—can’t even open a water bottle.
Perfect, he can make money.
He’s really smart.
“Why don’t you want fifty million?”
Bai Xia gave him a look.
“I’d rather make a punching bag out of gold than pay you that.”
Seeing her sabotage him, Lu Shuo bit the lamb leg unhappily.
Didn’t this brat know he was saving money?
“Study hard. If you can be as good as Xiaxia, even if just the top of your class, Great-grandpa will reward you five million.”
Lu Jin Nian looked at his grandson.
Yao Yun immediately chimed in, “Shuo Shuo will definitely work hard.”
At the mention of five million, Lu Shuo’s eyes lit up.
Fine, he must be class top or else no more snacks!
Rare moments of warmth appeared at the table, but Lu Lin ate with little appetite and went upstairs after a few bites.
Bai Xia didn’t mind—he probably hadn’t recovered from his heartbreak.
He was an adult; he’d get used to it eventually.
***
Back at school on Monday, Bai Xia brought many small cakes from the kitchen to share with the whole class.
As class president and discipline monitor, this helped foster better relationships.
At noon, she didn’t eat in the first-floor cafeteria but ordered many dishes on the second floor to share with He Yuehua and others.
After all, they had come to watch her compete; she should at least show gratitude.
“Bai Xia, you’re amazing! Can I learn to fight like you?”
Wang Yiyi looked up at her with admiration, mouth full.
Bai Xia bit a lion’s head meatball and patiently explained, “It’s not fighting; it’s self-defense. You don’t have to learn it, but if you’re interested, it’s good for fitness.”
“But it looks painful. I’ll just hire bodyguards in the future,” He Yuehua blinked and took a sip of soda.
“I saw your mom. Why don’t you stay with her? Your dad looks so scary; I’m afraid to even look at him.”
Bai Xia blinked. Indeed, the male lead was the kind of person even kids were scared of.
“My mom has taken care of me for years. It should be my dad’s turn. I visit my mom on weekends, but my dad rarely takes me out. He only asks if I’ve eaten.”
Hearing this, He Yuehua nodded in agreement.
“Mine rarely takes me out either. He comes home late every day, and it’s always my mom who looks after me. But Mom says Dad has to earn money to buy me pretty dresses, so I forgive him. Maybe your dad is the same.”
Bai Xia suddenly turned to the two silent boys.
“If the girl you like marries someone else, would you cry?”
She clearly saw the male lead’s eyes redden that day.
He must have cried.
Why wait until later to be sentimental?
The chance was long gone.
Lin Yan blinked.
“Probably not.”
Bai Xia stared at the quiet Qi Mo.
“Do you have a sore throat?”
He was usually the most talkative, but today not a word.
Did Lin Yan’s condition spread to him?
Qi Mo looked around nervously and stammered, “I have a cold.”
He specially asked his mom to hire a martial arts master to teach him kung fu.
When he’s good enough, he can protect Bai Xia.
But he can’t say this yet or it won’t be a surprise.
He’s a man—he can’t let a girl protect him.
He has to be stronger than Bai Xia!
“You have a cold?”
Bai Xia frowned and picked up her bowl.
“Why didn’t you say earlier? What if you infect us?”
She quickly walked away with her bowl.
He Yuehua and Wang Yiyi also looked at Qi Mo disdainfully and left with their bowls.
“Hey…”
Qi Mo wanted to say something but ended up poking at the rice.
Looking at the dishes on the table, this was Bai Xia’s treat.
He had to eat more.
“If the girl I like marries someone else, I’d snatch her back. Crying is for cowards. I’m strong—I have to take the initiative!”
He flexed his arm and looked at his muscles.
Yan didn’t speak.
Bai Xia obviously didn’t like her dad, who was domineering by nature, so she probably preferred someone upright and gentle.
Snatching a bride?
He’d probably get punched out.
“I think Bai Xia must like me. Although she always says I talk too much, she treats me to meals and invites me to competitions. Isn’t that liking?”
Qi Mo said, his ears reddening.
“You have a cold. Why didn’t you say?”
Lin Yan suddenly covered his mouth and nose, stood up with his plate, and left.
Kids their age get sick easily.
“I’m not sick! I lied!”
Qi Mo shouted.
Too much.
Even if he were sick, no one cared.
So much for school friendships.
After lunch, Bai Xia was about to go for a nap, but when she passed the basketball court, she saw a fight.
Many students were watching.
“Bai Xia, look, that guy looks like your uncle,” He Yuehua said excitedly.
Bai Xia had already turned but looked again toward the court.
Indeed, a chubby kid was being beaten, though it wasn’t a full-on group fight, just a few lower graders against upper graders.
This kid often got into fights at school; it was normal.
But since she saw it, ignoring it wasn’t right—after all, he had served her family for a long time.
When she approached, she only saw a fifth-grade boy holding a basketball, sneering at some third graders.
“You guys think you can play basketball? Do you even know how to dribble? Only we’re allowed to play now. Remember that.”
Lu Shuo and a few classmates were pinned to the ground, faces flushed red.
“Bullshit! This isn’t your school. Why should only you play? We were here first!”
The upper-grade boys laughed at him.
“It’s you again, fat kid. I heard you’re your stepmom’s kid—no manners. If you dare take our spot again, I’ll beat you every time I see you.”
“Who’s ill-mannered? You’re the stepmom’s kid!”
Lu Shuo angrily wrestled with another boy.
Bai Xia frowned.
She didn’t know much about basketball cliques, but kids fighting and dragging family into insults was common.
Lu Shuo clearly got bullied a lot.
“School is a public place, and the basketball court is public property—not anyone’s private territory. Hitting people is wrong.”
She suddenly walked over.
Seeing a small girl who looked like first grade, the older boys sneered.
“Who are you? Got nothing better to do? Don’t you know I’m in fifth grade?”
“No matter what grade you’re in, the school is a public place, not your private domain. Whoever gets there first uses it first. If someone comes late and forcibly takes it, hitting people is wrong. If you keep fighting, I’ll tell the principal.”
Bai Xia said expressionlessly.
The first time they’d seen such a brave first grader, the boys laughed.
“Go ahead. I want to see if the principal will come.”
“Forget it, I heard her great-grandpa is Lu Jin Nian.”
One boy tugged the other’s sleeve; they’d heard rumors about first-class trouble at the start of the semester.
Hearing this, the upper-grade boy snorted, told the others to let go, then picked up the basketball and left.
“Didn’t the teacher tell you to say sorry after hitting someone?”
Bai Xia came to Lu Shuo’s side and looked at the wound on his head.
“Or compensate for injury, or I’ll tell the principal.”
Lu Shuo sat on the ground, holding his head in disbelief.
He hadn’t expected the little girl to be so bold as to confront fifth graders for him.
“I won’t pay. What can you do?”
The older boy was annoyed.
Before Bai Xia could take out her phone, the crowd suddenly parted.
The discipline head rushed over and relaxed seeing Bai Xia was unharmed.
Hearing Bai Xia had clashed with older students, he hadn’t dared to eat.
Lu Shuo often fought; it was routine.
“You’re in fifth grade? How can you bully juniors? The basketball court is public. They came first, so they should use it. How can you hit people? Apologize now!”
The discipline head glared at the fifth graders.
Because of his usual strict image, the boys grudgingly said sorry.
“Go write a reflection and hand it to me through your homeroom teacher. If you hit again, you’ll be publicly criticized by the whole school!”
The discipline head’s voice was firm.
The boys said no more and left with their basketballs, heads down.
“You should go to the infirmary. You always fight but never win. Isn’t that asking for trouble?”
Bai Xia glanced at Lu Shuo in disbelief.
One must gauge the situation.
Acting rashly without confidence would only lead to losses.
Probably because he’d been called home many times, Yao Yun was used to his constant fights at school.
“They’re unreasonable. We were here first. Why should we give up? Can’t win? I’ll still kick them!”
Lu Shuo stood up, cursing and holding his head.
Bai Xia was too tired to argue.
She turned and walked back with He Yuehua and others.
The discipline head hurried to send everyone back to rest.
“That’s your niece? So cute! She’s nice to you. Why are you so strict?”
A classmate who had been beaten asked.
Lu Shuo’s eyes widened.
“Strict? You don’t know! She bossed me around to get food and cut fruit. No one dares to mess with her at home. Grandpa treats her like a flower and almost wants to pluck the stars down for her. But I can’t even eat an extra lamb leg.”