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

Bai Ci recalled Bai Jiheng saying, "He looks cold, but he's not short-tempered with his family." At the time, he thought his third brother was just trying to comfort him, but now, looking at Bai Luochen's expressionless face, he felt that his third brother might really just be stating a fact.

Never mind, I'll just give a quick shout, then lower my head and eat quietly.

"Second Brother," Bai Ci said softly, his voice steady, but the last syllable of his voice was slightly strained.

Bai Luochen's gaze fell on his face, lingered for a second or two, and then she nodded slightly.

He uttered only one simple word: "Hmm."

Just one word, no more, no less, neither too hot nor too cold. Just like his answer to Bai Jiheng earlier—short, bland, without any unnecessary information.

Bai Ci blinked, waited two seconds, and confirmed that Bai Luochen did not intend to continue speaking.

Is that all? Bai Ci thought to himself, his third brother used to say that he was a silent type, so this second brother is probably a silent pot.

But he didn't feel neglected. Bai Luochen's indifference wasn't directed at anyone; it was more like he was just naturally like that—quiet, reserved, and never making eye contact with anyone.

He suddenly realized that his second brother, in this state, probably wouldn't try to make things difficult for him, which was good. He relaxed and reached for the juice jug on the table.

Bai Jiheng's gaze swept between the two of them: "That's it? I was kept up until midnight last night. You were throwing pillows at me and talking back, but why are you so obedient in front of Second Brother? So you only dare to bully me, huh?"

"I've been very well-behaved in front of you."

Bai Jiheng paused in spreading the jam.

"You call throwing pillows 'good boy'?"

"...That's because you provoked me first. I definitely wouldn't have thrown it at anyone else."

Bai Jiheng placed the toast spread with jam onto Bai Ci's plate, feigning impatience: "Now you're quite good at making excuses. Stop focusing on the juice and eat this."

Bai Ci paused for a moment, looked down at the toast on the plate, and then looked up at Bai Jiheng.

"Why are you looking at me? I put too much jam on it, it's too sweet. Here, take it."

Bai Luochen's gaze swept over Bai Ci's reddened earlobes without offering any comment. He picked up his coffee cup, took a small sip, then put it down and continued to quietly eat his barely touched breakfast.

Bai Ci didn't say anything more, obediently lowering her head to eat the slice of toast. The toast was toasted just right, with slightly charred edges, and the jam was freshly made strawberry jam with just the right amount of sweetness.

He took a couple of bites, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards the center of the table.

The Bai family's breakfast is semi-self-service, with a long table filled with porcelain plates of all sizes and silver thermos flasks, and five or six kinds of staple food alone.

Uncle Chen had prepared almost every kind of breakfast he could think of—a plate of fresh fruit, truffle scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes, freshly baked croissants and toast, a small bowl of steaming oatmeal porridge, and several dishes of delicate side dishes that he couldn't name.

Bai Ci's gaze swept back and forth among the plates and cups several times, finally settling on a small white porcelain dish the size of a palm in the corner.

The plate was neatly arranged with seven or eight thumb-sized, red-skinned, white-fleshed spherical objects, cut into delicate hemispheres, and drizzled with a thin layer of honey-colored sauce, which shimmered in the morning light.

He tilted his head and looked at it for several seconds, but didn't recognize it.

"Little Seven, what's that red-skinned, white-hearted thing?"

Xiaoqi flipped through the database: "Cherry radish! A miniature radish variety that looks like a cherry, with a crisp and sweet taste, usually used in salads or as a side dish. But your chef seems to have preserved it in honey, so it's probably a modified preparation. Interested?"

Bai Ci didn't answer, but just glanced at the small dish again.

In his past life, he was a rabbit. For him, radishes were like cream cakes to some humans—not a necessity, but hard to resist. However, he had only recently arrived at the Bai family home, and his second brother was present at the dinner table. He wasn't sure if reaching for something so far away was proper table manners.

Bai Ci withdrew her gaze and continued to nibble on her toast, trying to suppress the rabbit-like instinct deep within her heart with the sweetness of the strawberry jam.

He manages his facial expressions very well, at least that's what he thinks.

Bai Yanzhi put down his coffee cup, his gaze sweeping across Bai Ci's face, then following the direction of Bai Ci's gaze. He said nothing, but simply raised his hand and moved the small white porcelain saucer a few inches closer to Bai Ci.

The plate slid across the table with a very soft sound.

Bai Ci looked up and met Bai Yanzhi's gaze.

"Take whatever you want to eat."

"...Thank you, big brother," Bai Ci said softly.

He reached out and picked up a cherry radish, taking a careful bite. The outer skin was thin and crisp, and after biting into it, a sweet juice burst forth, with a hint of the radish's characteristic spiciness, but softened by the honey, melting into a refreshing sweetness on his tongue. His eyes lit up.

Bai Jiheng, watching from the side, chuckled, "So you've been looking at radishes all this time? You should have said so earlier. I thought you were looking at some kind of delicacy." He raised his hand and pushed the untouched plate of cherry radishes in front of him toward Bai Ci, "Here, you can have mine too. I don't like this anyway."

"...Thank you, Third Brother."

Bai Jiheng waved his hand and continued drinking his coffee. Bai Luochen's gaze swept over the plate of cherry radishes that he had specially pushed for Bai Ci. Bai Jiheng across from him immediately raised his eyebrows, his lips curving into a wide smile, his smugness undisguised.

Meeting his arrogant gaze, Bai Luochen remained unmoved, completely ignoring this childish rivalry.

Bai Ci, munching on a radish, secretly glanced at Bai Luochen. His second brother sat upright, ate with excellent manners, and moved lightly and nimbly—a habit clearly cultivated from childhood.

Before he could look away, the other person suddenly raised their eyes and met his gaze unexpectedly.

Caught red-handed, Bai Ci quickly averted her gaze, pretending to be nonchalant, and calmly took another bite of the radish.

At this moment, the waiter brought out a plate of smoked salmon rolls. The salmon, as thin as cicada wings, was wrapped around tender green asparagus tips, drizzled with lemon juice, and arranged in a neat fan shape on the plate.

Bai Ci's gaze landed precisely on the unfamiliar vegetables next to the fish.

The stems of some kind of plant were tender, fresh, and neatly cut into small sections. The leaves were heart-shaped with finely serrated edges, and the stems were crisp and glistening with dewdrops in the morning light. It was somewhat similar to the alfalfa he used to gnaw on in the mountains, but not quite the same—this one looked more tender, more fresh, and was presented more elegantly.

Bai Ci's chopsticks paused in mid-air for a moment.

"Xiao Qi," he called out in his mind.

"exist!"

"What's that green thing?"

"Ice crystal grass! A high-end side dish ingredient on the market. It can only grow in a constant temperature environment of around five degrees Celsius, and must be eaten within an hour of picking, otherwise the leaves will oxidize and turn yellow. It is rich in nutrients and has a crisp texture. It is said that when you chew it, you will have a faint aroma of mint and green apple mixed together. Simply put, it is a high-end product, very expensive. Only the Bai family would be willing to use it as a garnish, arranging the very top buds so neatly. It is probably more expensive than the alfalfa you saw at the market in the old town last time..."

"Alright, that's enough," Bai Ci interrupted in her mind.

He extended his chopsticks a little further forward, then stopped.

No, I can't show too much interest; that's for plating.

He's becoming increasingly aware of his rabbit instincts. Bai Jiheng caught him staring at the strawberry cake at the banquet last time, and Shen Tinglan still remembers his possessive behavior towards his food at night. If he were to look at this plate of grass with shining eyes now, Bai Jiheng, with his sharp tongue, would probably give him a new nickname on the spot.

Being called "Strawberry Spirit" is embarrassing enough; if he were called "Grass Spirit," he would never be able to hold his head up high again.