Xia Qingyu looked a little surprised at Bai Yuqi's sudden appearance but still nodded and offered a soft smile, "Young Master Bai, good morning."
"Good morning, good morning~" Bai Yuqi waved with a grin, "My benefactress, I rushed over as soon as I woke up. Pretty considerate, right~"
"I've always been confident in Young Master Bai's efficiency," Xia Qingyu said with a smile. "Since you're here, how about we have breakfast together before discussing further matters?"
"Alright." Bai Yuqi readily agreed, as he was indeed still hungry.
The Xia family typically ate breakfast in shifts. Xia Qingyu and Xia Honglang, who had to leave early, usually ate together. If Xia Qingtian was home, she would have breakfast with Aunt Liu and Xia Shang, and finally, the sleepy-eyed Miao Tong would eat whatever he pleased, often zoning out during breakfast, much like Xia Shang sitting next to him.
Both brothers were morning laggards.
"You two look so alike!" After eating a bit, Bai Yuqi had enough energy to observe the people at the table. He looked at Miao Tong, then at Xia Shang, "Are you brothers?"
"Yeah, we look alike, don't we!" Miao Tong had gotten quite familiar with Bai Yuqi on the boat and eagerly chimed in, adding a compliment about his own looks, "We're both rare handsome men, right?"
Xia Shang, clearly not accustomed to being scrutinized, glanced at Miao Tong with a flustered and complex expression before quickly lowering his head.
"Resignation and... shyness?" Miao Tong meticulously interpreted Xia Shang's expression.
"You're very close this time," Xia Qingtian chimed in. "There's also a hint of anger."
"Oh dear, still a little off," Miao Tong scratched the back of his head and continued eating.
Bai Yuqi's gaze swept over the brothers, Miao Tong and Xia Shang, then landed on Yu Yinyin, who was nervously eating. "This is a new face. Which family's young lady is she?"
"N-no, I'm not..." Yu Yinyin's heart fluttered when Bai Yuqi spoke to her. When he mistook her for a noble lady, she became even more flustered, accidentally knocking over her cup, spilling milk.
Nervous and anxious, Yu Yinyin's cheeks flushed even redder. "S-sorry! Sorry!"
"It's alright, it's alright." Xia Qingtian immediately handed her a tissue and said to Bai Yuqi, "Her name is Yinyin, she's my friend. She's quite shy, don't tease her."
Hearing this, Bai Yuqi grinned at Yu Yinyin and said, "I was too abrupt. My apologies, my apologies."
Meeting Bai Yuqi's smile, Yu Yinyin's heart beat even faster. She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, her earlobes burning.
Bai Yuqi found it a bit odd but was quickly drawn back to Xia Qingyu. "Sister Qingyu, you were halfway through answering my question last time before that classmate Nie Qingkong pulled you away."
Upon hearing Bai Yuqi mention Nie Qingkong, Xia Qingyu's eating paused slightly. She then looked at Bai Yuqi and said, "Young Master Bai, please proceed."
"Do you have any relatives named Liu?" Bai Yuqi's question hung in the air.
At the dining table, except for Yu Yinyin, who was quietly huddled like a quail due to her shyness and panic, everyone else looked at him with complex expressions.
Xia Qingyu was about to answer when Xia Qingtian spoke first, "Young Master Bai, why the sudden question?"
Bai Yuqi worked as a private investigator; he wouldn't suddenly ask such a question as mere small talk. If he inquired deliberately, there must be another reason.
"It's nothing. I just think Sister Qingyu resembles someone I've met before, and I was curious," Bai Yuqi said with a chuckle.
"Perhaps I just have a common face," Xia Qingyu, hearing Xia Qingtian's response, became more cautious.
"Then you're truly humble. You have a common face? You've raised the standard for common looks all by yourself! Give ordinary people a chance to live! Right?" Bai Yuqi, understanding from the sisters' responses that he wouldn't get a straightforward answer, chuckled and tried to draw in the others at the table to support him.
"Why are you looking at me? Didn't I say it? We brothers are rare handsome men, definitely not common-faced," Miao Tong shrugged.
Getting no satisfactory response from Miao Tong, Bai Yuqi bypassed Xia Shang next to him and looked at Wen Jiu, who was engrossed in eating and didn't seem inclined to engage. He then looked at Xia Qingtian, and finding it difficult to deem Xia Qingtian's looks as common, Bai Yuqi's gaze shifted back towards Xia Qingyu and Xia Honglang.
Xia Honglang, his mind occupied with company matters and his wife upstairs with a cold, paid no attention to Bai Yuqi.
Bai Yuqi could only return his gaze to Yu Yinyin.
Yu Yinyin noticed Bai Yuqi's gaze and continued to shrink into a quail-like posture.
Bai Yuqi: This is... awkward...
Fortunately, the others weren't intent on seeing him embarrassed and smoothly changed the subject with cheerful chatter.
After finishing his meal, Xia Honglang was the first to leave. He checked on Aunt Liu before departing the Xia residence.
Xia Qingyu also went to school, leaving with Xia Shang.
Miao Tong continued his task of openly tailing Xia Qingtian, lounging on the sofa and playing with his phone.
Wen Jiu wandered around the Xia family garden, basking in the sun and aiding digestion.
Bai Yuqi and Yu Yinyin were called into the study by Xia Qingtian to discuss the day's affairs.
Yu Yinyin's matter was simple: a compensation of 200,000 yuan.
The crucial part was how to prevent Yu Linwan from making exorbitant demands, taking further advantage of Yu Yinyin, or setting even more unreasonable conditions. The choice of who would go to pay the money was therefore very important.
Xia Qingtian herself could not step forward. Given her past conflicts with Yu Linwan and Mo Jianing, if those two knew Xia Qingtian was involved, Yu Yinyin's life would be ruined. Hence, she had invited the young master of the Bai family, Bai Yuqi.
He was the perfect person to act as the representative.
After briefly explaining the situation, Xia Qingtian directly transferred 250,000 yuan to Bai Yuqi's account.
"Twenty thousand is for the compensation, and five thousand is for your trouble," Xia Qingtian said with a smile. "I'll have to trouble Young Master Bai to play the role of a knight in shining armor and accompany Yinyin on this trip."
"No problem, it's a small matter." Bai Yuqi agreed readily and left with Yu Yinyin.
Seeing Bai Yuqi's ostentatious red sports car, Yu Yinyin hesitated slightly. However, seeing Bai Yuqi already waiting for her in the driver's seat, she braced herself and got in.