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

Bai Ci's chopsticks were suspended in mid-air, caught in a dilemma.

While it might seem inedible, Xiaoqi clearly explains the place of origin, cultivation environment, and optimal consumption temperature, proving that it is indeed a legitimate edible ingredient.

You could say it's edible, but nobody touches it at the dinner table.

Everyone else at the table was politely slicing fried eggs, spreading butter, and drinking coffee. Even Bai Jiheng, who was usually the most casual, was elegantly spreading jam on his toast with a knife and fork. No one was tempted to touch the side dishes on the plate.

Bai Ci was extremely conflicted.

He used to be a rabbit, so he could tell the quality of grass at a glance. But now that he's a human, he's only been learning the rules of the human dining table for a few days.

He wasn't sure whether the green leaves displayed on the side of the plate were edible side dishes or purely decorative, like the flowers in the vase. It would be strange and a little awkward if everyone else didn't eat them and he was the only one reaching for them with his chopsticks.

It didn't matter in front of my eldest and third brothers; it wasn't the first time I'd embarrassed myself.

But sitting opposite him was my second brother, who had just returned home.

Upon first meeting, the other person was quiet and aloof, with a cold and aloof demeanor. They ate in silence throughout the meal, appearing very serious, like an ice sculpture sitting there.

It's not that I'm afraid of him, it's just that I don't want to act strangely on our first meeting and make myself seem particularly different.

If the third brother were to tease him again on the spot by calling him a "grass spirit" or something similar, it would be really embarrassing in front of the second brother.

He didn't expect to leave a good impression on his second brother, but at least he couldn't let people think that the youngest of the Bai family was a glutton who even cared about the presentation of the dishes.

Bai Ci forced herself to look away, put down her chopsticks, and lowered her head to seriously nibble on the cherry radish. Her eyebrows and eyes were gentle, and her posture was obedient. She looked extremely well-behaved.

But the craving in my heart could suppress my actions, not my eyes.

My gaze kept drifting uncontrollably towards that plate of smoked salmon.

Beside the fish was a cluster of ice crystal grass, so tender and glistening, so fresh and dewy, that it made his heart itch.

He didn't dare to stare openly, afraid that his actions would be too conspicuous and he would be teased. He could only glance at it quickly while chewing and then immediately look away, pretending that he had been eating seriously.

He thought he had hidden this subtle and brief movement very well, but it was caught by Bai Luochen who happened to look up.

Bai Luochen didn't understand anything about rabbit instincts.

He only noticed that his newly adopted younger brother, ever since the dishes were served, was stealing glances at the salmon every few seconds, a frequency almost as high as the timed sampling in a laboratory.

Following Bai Ci's gaze, on the plate were smoked salmon rolls neatly arranged in a fan shape. The tender salmon meat wrapped around asparagus tips and drizzled with fresh lemon juice made for an exquisite presentation.

I want to eat fish. Bai Luochen made up his mind.

His expression was indifferent. He tapped his long fingers lightly on the table, signaling to the servant waiting beside him: "Take this plate of fish over there."

His tone was objective and calm: "Fish is warming and nourishing, suitable for people with weak constitutions."

After saying that, she deliberately added, pointing precisely at Bai Jiheng: "Anyway, someone is most enthusiastic about taking care of children, so let's add another dish for him."

The servant immediately stepped forward and carried the entire plate of salmon, along with the ice crystal grass on the side, to the other side.

Bai Jiheng instantly understood his implied meaning.

On the surface, these words were an instruction to the servants, but in reality, the phrase "Anyway, so-and-so is most enthusiastic about taking care of children" was directed at him.

He glanced at Bai Luochen, who remained expressionless across from him, and knew exactly what was going on.

So this person was using the delivery of vegetables to mock his earlier behavior? Meddling and worrying, Bai Ci.

Okay, you know Yin and Yang, I'll go with the flow.

Bai Jiheng picked up the serving chopsticks and specifically chose the thickest and most beautiful piece of fish from the plate, placing it on Bai Ci's plate, his competitive spirit palpable.

"See, your third brother is the most honest one." He put the serving chopsticks back in the holder and deliberately clicked his tongue twice: "Unlike some people, who just talk the talk but don't actually do anything. Come on, try some."

Bai Jiheng was secretly pleased. Feeding someone personally was much more reliable than his aloof and pretentious second brother, who only knew how to use servants to run errands.

Bai Ci obediently thanked him in a low voice, her fingers tightening slightly as she held the chopsticks.

But staring at the oily and delicious fish on the plate, he had no appetite at all.

His eyes and heart were filled with the cluster of fresh, tender green ice crystal grass beside him.

He remained frozen in place, unable to put down his chopsticks.

Bai Jiheng looked on in confusion and casually joked, "What? Are you waiting for me to remove the bones for you? This fish has no bones, so eat it without worry."

Before Bai Ci could respond, Bai Luochen across from her had already put down his knife and fork, picked up a napkin, and leisurely wiped his fingertips.

His tone was calm, and his words were precise and to the point: "It seems he doesn't like it much."

Bai Jiheng was immediately cornered and turned to look at him: "He hasn't even touched his chopsticks yet, what's your rush? Shouldn't you take your time before eating?"

"He's been holding it in his mouth for ages, not touching it at all. How long is he planning to do that?"

"This is called savoring the moment. Good food is worth waiting for, you know?"

With this back and forth, the atmosphere at the dinner table instantly became subtly tense.

Caught between the two, Bai Ci, fearing they might really get into a fight, steeled her resolve and decided to stop hiding.

He put down his chopsticks, his cheeks slightly flushed, and pointed to the ice crystal grass on the side of the plate: "No... it's not that I don't like the fish that Third Brother picked up, I just want to eat this."

Bai Jiheng looked in the direction he was pointing.

A clump of lush, vibrant ice crystal grass, used for plating.

He was silent for a moment, then spoke again with a helpless tone, as if asking, "What am I even expecting?": "So, all this time, you've been sneaking glances at this?"

"……Um."

"Not fish?"

"Fish is fine, but I'd rather eat that grass."

Bai Jiheng turned to Bai Luochen: "Alright, we both got it wrong. I picked up a piece of fish to show off, while you brought out the whole plate of fish to flaunt, but all you got was the grass on the side of the plate."

Bai Luochen picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, and said nothing.

Bai Yanzhi, who had been silently observing from the sidelines and hadn't gotten involved in the competition from beginning to end, put down the electronic presentation in his hand and picked up the serving chopsticks.

He picked up a small piece of the tenderest ice crystal grass from the edge of the salmon plate and put it into Bai Ci's bowl.

"Eat as much as you want. You can eat whatever you want at home."

"...Thank you, brother."

"Um."

Bai Jiheng watched his elder brother deftly retract the serving chopsticks; his movements were truly swift.

Looking at Bai Ci's eyes shining as he picked up the grass, he let out a sigh with mixed feelings: "Fine, I won't take care of your breakfast anymore, since your older brother will cover for you."

Bai Ci looked up from the edge of the bowl and added earnestly, "Toast too."

Bai Jiheng paused for a moment, then suppressed a smile: "Okay, I'll put two patches on for you tomorrow."

Bai Ci lowered his head, picked up a piece of ice crystal grass, and put it in his mouth.

It's crisp and refreshing; the moment you bite into the stem, a burst of sweet juice melts on your tongue, with a slight minty coolness, and the finish is the clean, fruity aroma of apple.

Then he reached out with his chopsticks, picked up the salmon roll that had been neglected on the plate for a while, quietly put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.

...It's alright, but not as tasty as grass.

Bai Jiheng watched as he finally ate the piece of fish. His lips twitched, but he ultimately said nothing, turned his head away, picked up his coffee cup, and took a big gulp.

It's cold, damn it.