The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

Bai Ci glanced at the chair, which was right next to the main seat and the closest seat to Bai Yanzhi at the main table. When he sat down, he could faintly smell the clean, light scent of snow-white fabric from Bai Yanzhi's sleeves, which made him feel at ease.

Bai Jiheng sat down to Bai Yanzhi's left, and Shen Tinglan sat next to Bai Jiheng, facing Bai Ci across the entire round table.

Bai Ci looked up and met Shen Tinglan's gaze. Shen Tinglan picked up the freshly poured champagne on the table and raised his glass slightly towards him, so subtly that only Bai Ci could see it. He then looked away, lowered his eyes, took a small sip, and remained calm, as if nothing had happened.

Bai Ci lowered his head, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curving slightly, then quickly smoothing it out, pretending to be serious.

Bai Yanzhi noticed his movement, glanced at his slightly reddened ear tips, then looked away without making a sound, and picked up the teacup in front of him.

Several more guests took their seats at the main table: two uncles from a branch of the Bai family, an elder who had a long-standing family friendship with the Bai family, and an elderly man with gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses. Bai Ci heard Bai Yanzhi introduce him in a low voice as Zhong, the Bai family's legal advisor for many years.

Each time someone sat down, Bai Ci was led by Bai Yanzhi to meet them. His social routine was very fixed: stand up, nod, say "Hello," then sit back down and continue to sit upright. Bai Jiheng watched him mechanically repeat this three times and couldn't help but chuckle. Bai Ci immediately turned his head and glared at him before he stopped.

As the guests took their seats, the orchestra's string music flowed gently down from the second-floor corridor. Waitstaff carried appetizers out from both sides of the corridor, the silver plates gleaming warmly under the lights.

Bai Ci looked at the plate that was gently placed in front of him. When the waiter lifted the lid of the plate for him, he bowed slightly, his actions more careful and respectful than when he treated other guests.

He suddenly remembered that afternoon in the old town market, he was squatting in front of a children's clothing stall looking for a 38-yuan sweatshirt, and the stall owner's words, "Buying clothes for your little brother?" were still as clear as if they were just a second ago.

Now, he sits under the most dazzling crystal chandelier atop Qinglu Mountain, wearing Bai Jiheng's custom-made clothes, with priceless enamel cufflinks on his sleeves, and in front of him are exquisite appetizers whose names he doesn't know.

In just half a day.

"What are you spacing out for?" Bai Yanzhi asked softly.

"It's nothing."

Bai Ci snapped out of her daze, shook her head slightly, picked up the silver knife and fork beside her, and tried to enjoy the food in front of her.

He wasn't very good with a knife and fork, and after trying to cut it twice without success, he simply gave up, secretly used his fork to pick up the whole piece, and stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks bulging.

Bai Yanzhi caught a glimpse of his actions out of the corner of his eye and smiled faintly.

He didn't correct or offer any advice. Instead, he quietly moved the pre-cut appetizer in front of him to Bai Ci's side, then took the other person's difficult-to-cut plate, neatly re-cut it, and silently moved it back.

The entire set of movements was fluid and natural, and it seemed that no one around noticed.

Bai Ci stared blankly at the food in front of her, which had suddenly become neat and uniform.

He looked up at Bai Yanzhi, who was holding a glass of red wine and nodding to an elder at the next table who came over to offer a toast. His profile was cold and composed, as if nothing had happened.

Xiao Qi's voice carried a hint of emotion: "Bai Bai, your older brother is really something. He doesn't say a word on the surface, but he's already chopped up the appetizers for you. This kind of brother who gets things done quietly, I really, I declare, from now on, I'm not calling him a miser anymore."

"...Didn't you already change your tune?"

"This is a formal, official, permanent, and irreversible change of heart. Although he was indeed very stingy before, he behaved so well tonight that I have to give him extra points."

Bai Ci looked down at the neatly cut food in front of her, picked up a piece with her fork, put it in her mouth, and chewed it slowly. The appetizer had a light flavor, with a hint of lemon juice and the rich aroma of olive oil. It was a taste she had never experienced before, and it was unexpectedly refreshing and delicious.

He suddenly remembered something and asked himself, "What was that nickname you gave him before, with several words added to the prefix?"

"Four...four...'Super,' 'Invincible,' 'King'...what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Bai Ci took a bite of food, her eyebrows curving into a smile. "I just think he was really invincible today."

Midway through the banquet, Bai Yanzhi rose from his seat to chat with several elders at a neighboring table. Bai Ci sat alone at the main table, having already eaten most of his main course. He was intently working on his steak when suddenly the chair beside him was pulled out.

Bai Jiheng walked around from the side and plopped down on the floor.

"My older brother asked me to keep an eye on you."

"I don't need to watch over it," Bai Ci said, forking a piece of steak and stuffing it into his mouth.

"Yes, yes, you don't need it. It's my brother who thinks you need it, I'm just following orders." Bai Jiheng picked up his wine glass and took a sip, his gaze sweeping over the crookedly cut steak on his plate. He couldn't help but scoff, "Cut it so ugly, no wonder my brother wanted to change it for you."

Bai Ci paused, "You saw everything?"

Everyone at the table was watching, but no one dared to say a word.

Bai Jiheng put down his wine glass, took the knife and fork from his hand, and deftly cut the remaining steak on his plate into even small pieces.

"Shen Tinglan saw it too. You can ask him if you don't believe me."

Bai Ci subconsciously looked up at the other side of the table. Shen Tinglan's gaze was elsewhere, his expression indifferent, but the moment their eyes met, the corner of his mouth twitched very slightly.

"Okay, he saw it too," Bai Ci muttered softly.

"There's nothing shameful about it." Bai Jiheng put the knife and fork back on his plate, speaking gently. "You've never cut steak for anyone else in your life, you're the first. You can be proud of yourself for a while."

Bai Ci looked down at the neatly arranged pieces of meat, forked a piece, put it in her mouth, and softly responded, "Mmm."

"Oh, right." Bai Jiheng suddenly remembered something and casually said, "Zhou Yan asked me to tell you that he has to leave early due to official business. Huang Mao's case is still missing a signature from the parties involved to close the case. He'll come to St. Andrews to get it from you another day."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips. "He also told me to tell you to wear the brooch carefully and not to be reluctant to part with it. Once you give something away, it's yours; you don't need to return it."

"He's rarely generous," Bai Jiheng added. "If you really return it to him, he'll remember it for the rest of his life."

Bai Ci subconsciously raised her hand and touched the Ethelie brooch on her collar, replying in a soft voice, "I'll wear it carefully."

Bai Jiheng glanced at him, a half-smile on his face: "You seem to listen to him quite well."

Bai Ci put her hand down and said seriously, "He said it was from his collection, but he never had a chance to wear it. He specially gave it to me, so I can't lose it."

He bit his fork, his gaze inadvertently drifting across the table and landing on Shen Tinglan across from him.

Shen Tinglan sat there alone, the red wine in front of him barely touched. People came and went around him, toasting, exchanging pleasantries, exchanging business cards, the noise never ceasing. Countless people passed by him, but no one dared to stop and strike up a conversation.

Bai Jiheng leaned closer, followed his gaze, and immediately chuckled, lowering his voice to say, "Don't look. With that plague-like face, who would dare go near him?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Tinglan across from him suddenly raised her eyes slightly and gave Bai Jiheng a nonchalant glance.

Bai Jiheng remained expressionless, picked up his wine glass, took a slow sip, and pretended that nothing had happened.

Bai Ci quickly averted her gaze, a thin layer of heat rising to her ears, her heart tightening slightly. She hastily shifted her gaze to the side, but over several tables, she unexpectedly caught sight of a figure she didn't want to see.

His movements paused for a moment.