As Lin He was just about to shift her body to change her sitting posture, just as she started to move, she suddenly heard a loud smack as a hand hit the main table from the head seat. Immediately following that, she heard Old Master Wen’s extremely furious voice: “How long is that unfilial son Wen Ningchen planning to drag this out? He’s made a mistake, and now he expects the entire household to wait for him? Butler, fetch two men and bring that unfilial son here.”

“Master…”

Madam Wen stood up, but before she could finish speaking, Old Master Wen shot her a cold glare, and Madam Wen instantly fell silent, retreating back to her chair.

Old Master Wen watched the butler remain stationary beside him and frowned, glancing at the man. The butler immediately called two young servants waiting behind him and hurried toward the door.

Before the butler even reached the doorway, they heard Wen Ningchen’s voice drift in from outside the room: “Father, I have arrived.”

Lin He looked up. Wen Ningchen walked in from the doorway, his face somewhat pale, followed by Li Yuzhen, whose expression was clearly defiant.

Wen Ningchen walked timidly toward the center of the hall, first offering courtesies to everyone present, then nervously retreating to a corner of the room. Li Yuzhen, however, didn't offer any bow; ignoring Wen Ningchen entirely, she walked straight to her own seat and sat down.

From the moment Wen Ningchen appeared in the room, every eye was fixed on him. All manner of gazes were present—anger, pity, heartache, indifference—every possible expression existed. Of course, the most unmissable gaze belonged to Old Master Wen.

Since Wen Ningchen’s entrance, Old Master Wen’s eyes had been locked on him, filled with such blinding rage that it seemed he wished he could devour Wen Ningchen whole. The Old Madam beside him first swept a look over Li Yuzhen, then turned to Wen Ningchen and spoke softly, “Jie’er. Let’s eat first. We can discuss matters later. This is the first time the entire family is dining together since Xuan’er’s wife married into our family. Don't let these matters spoil the mood.” With that, the Old Madam stood up, leading the way.

Since the Old Madam had spoken, it was inappropriate for Old Master Wen to continue his anger. He merely nodded and followed the Old Madam into the dining hall, with the rest of the family trailing behind.

When the Wen family dined, seating arrangements were strictly based on seniority. Those of Old Master Wen’s generation and the Old Madam sat at one table. Lin He’s table was for Wen Ningxuan’s siblings. Lin He was seated directly next to Wen Ningxuan; next to Lin He was a young girl whom Lin He had met a few times but couldn't immediately place.

After taking her seat, Lin He felt that although the Wen family seemed numerous in general, sitting down for a meal made the number feel even greater—the adults and children filled three or four large tables. Despite the crowd, the mealtime was utterly silent; even the sound of chewing was inaudible.

This was Lin He’s first time dining in the main house, and she felt profoundly uncomfortable. She almost dared not eat. In both her previous life and this one, when she was at her parental home, Lin He had no concept of dining etiquette. Since marrying into the Wen family, she had always eaten with Wen Ningxuan, adhering to no strict rules—she simply ate as comfortably as possible.

But eating here put her in a difficult position. Frankly, she didn't know how to proceed. Eating would inevitably produce some sound, yet no one else was making any. If she were to make a mistake, it would be mortifying, and worse, it might reflect poorly on Wen Ningxuan.

Furthermore, having just eaten a meal at home, Lin He wasn't truly hungry. She held her chopsticks, managing only to pick up the dish closest to her and place it in her bowl, but she never brought it to her mouth.

Wen Ningxuan, noticing Lin He’s tension, chuckled softly. He casually picked up some of her favorite dishes and placed them in her bowl, murmuring quietly, “Eat. Pay no mind to anyone else.”

Lin He glanced at Wen Ningxuan, nodded, and arbitrarily brought whatever she had picked up in her bowl to her mouth. Because her mind was elsewhere, she had no idea what she had chosen until it reached her tongue—it was a chili pepper. She nearly cried out from the heat, but with such a large company present, spitting it out was impossible. She could only grit her teeth and swallow it down.

Just as she managed to swallow, a cup of tea was passed to her from the side. Lin He assumed it was from Wen Ningxuan and took it without thinking, drinking it down. Only after finishing did she realize it had been passed by the young girl seated right beside her.

Lin He finally remembered: this girl was Qing Xin, the daughter of Concubine Luo, whom Lin He had met a few times but never spoken to. After drinking the tea, Lin He smiled gratefully at Qing Xin.

Qing Xin playfully winked and whispered very quietly, “Second Sister-in-law, you’re not used to eating here, are you? After a few more times, you’ll get the hang of it. You aren't supposed to really eat here anyway; just sit quietly. If you’re truly hungry, just eat something in your own courtyard first, then come. See, I ate something before coming today.”

Lin He was surprised by the little girl’s words. She hadn't known Qing Xin possessed such a mischievous side privately. In the few times Lin He had seen her, Qing Xin always stayed behind her mother, never speaking, appearing demure and quiet. Lin He had assumed she was just another typical delicate young lady from a noble house, but it turned out she was quite playful.

Seeing Lin He looking at her with surprise, Qing Xin winked again. “Second Sister-in-law, you don’t recognize me? I’m Qing Xin. I’ve met you a few times with my mother. Don't you remember? Though, it’s understandable; my mother usually doesn't let me out much, so you wouldn't know me.” As Qing Xin spoke, she hung her head slightly, looking somewhat wronged.

Lin He quickly waved her hand and whispered, “I do remember you. You are Concubine Luo’s daughter, Qing Xin. I remember.”

“Really? Second Sister-in-law, you remember me?” Qing Xin looked up, her face alight with joy.

This girl was truly a child. Lin He wasn't that important, so why would it matter if she remembered her? Yet, the girl seemed genuinely delighted. Lin He smiled and nodded affirmatively.

Seeing Lin He nod firmly, Qing Xin immediately burst into a quiet, happy giggle. “Second Sister-in-law, you eat first. We are not allowed to speak during meals in our family. Grandmother and Father will scold us if they see us. When things settle down later, I’ll come to your courtyard to play, okay? Oh, right, Second Sister-in-law, can I come to your courtyard to visit?”

Though Lin He wasn't particularly fond of Concubine Luo, she rather liked this girl. Moreover, Lin He couldn't refuse. Smiling, she nodded, “Yes, if you have time, you can come anytime.”

Hearing this, the little girl smiled happily again, nodded to Lin He, and fell silent, sitting at the table and carefully picking at the food in front of her.

By the end of the meal, Lin He felt as though she had broken into a sweat. No wonder Wen Ningxuan had insisted she eat in her own courtyard first today. Fortunately, she had, or she might have starved tonight. Lin He had initially thought the strangeness of the meal was due to Wen Ningchen’s incident, but judging by Qing Xin’s tone, every meal seemed to be much the same. Sigh, could this even be called eating? What a miserable existence.