Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Steward Li!" Luo Hefeng suddenly called out.

Feeling that as the eldest son, he should do something in this situation where his parents were already at each other's throats and unwilling to back down, he decided to take action.

For instance, have the steward send away the Liu family, who were still standing in the dining room, being an eyesore.

Steward Li, hiding behind the pillar, quickly emerged and briskly walked back to the dining table. "Young Master."

"Please escort them out," Luo Hefeng said, gesturing towards Liu Ruo and her two companions, then looked at the framed photo still in Luo Qianjian's hand with a headache. "And take that picture frame away too!"

Luo Chen and He Ruyan, who had just exchanged harsh words, did not speak up to stop him.

However, the "instigator," their beloved son Luo Qianjian, was still unwilling to calm down.

"Aren't we going to leave it at that? I still think that since we're here, let's eat first. The food is getting cold. Fortunately, the cake wasn't damaged; we can still celebrate Dad's birthday." Luo Qianjian smiled faintly.

A deathly silence fell over everyone present.

At this moment, even Liu Ruo felt a strange sense of sympathy for Luo Chen and He Ruyan, having such a son who couldn't read the room.

After about ten seconds, it was Luo Hefeng who spoke again.

"Qianjian, what's wrong with you today?" Luo Hefeng asked in his usual cold voice. "Even if you didn't think much about these 'surprises' when you arranged them, didn't you see how Mom and Dad were arguing just now? And yet, you're still thinking about sitting down to eat together. Are you deliberately trying to upset the whole family?"

Luo Qianjian blinked, feigning confusion that only fueled others' anger. "Does Big Brother mean I did something wrong?"

Luo Hefeng sighed.

Luo Qianjian then looked at Luo Chen and He Ruyan. "Dad, do you also think I shouldn't have brought out Uncle Mu's photo? Mom, should I not have invited Aunt Liu and her family over to celebrate Dad's birthday?"

Luo Chen and He Ruyan: "…"

Would you dare switch the content of your questions with the person you're asking?

In any case, no one in the family looked pleased.

The sixth young master, Luo Shanting, muttered, "Third Brother is really acting strange today, like he's doing it on purpose…"

The picture frame holding the photo in Luo Qianjian's hand fell back onto the dining table.

As for Luo Qianjian himself, he slowly sat down, clutching his chest.

It was a reaction as if he had been heavily struck by his beloved family, both physically and mentally.

"Qianjian?"

"Third Brother! Are you okay!"

Luo Qianjian had always been frail and sickly since childhood, his complexion more often pale than rosy. Now, with his weak demeanor, his exquisite and beautiful face seemed to be covered with a layer of fragile glass, ready to shatter at any moment.

It made people subconsciously fearful, putting aside all other matters for the time being.

"I seem to have done something wrong, I feel so terrible…" Luo Qianjian held his chest with one hand and propped his head on the table with the other, his tone weak.

The dining room fell silent for a second.

Then, Luo Gongyou clicked her tongue and urged, "Steward Li, don't just stand there, quickly escort those three people out, and please call Doctor He over to check on Qianjian."

Steward Li hurriedly agreed and quickly walked to the front of Liu Ruo's family, extending his hand to guide them out.

Liu Ruo looked at Luo Chen weakly. "Brother Chen…"

But at this moment, Luo Chen had no intention of paying attention to her and simply waved his hand dismissively.

He Ruyan snorted coldly.

Steward Li emphasized his words. "Ms. Liu, please."

Thus, Liu Ruo and her family of three were forcibly led out.

In the dining room, the fifth miss, Luo Wenhuan, who had not spoken until now, came to Luo Qianjian's side with a frown, concerned.

Luo Wenhuan then looked at Luo Hefeng and said, "Big Brother, you know your tone is harsh. Third Brother's health has never been good, and you scolded him. What if you provoke something serious from Third Brother, what would you do then?"

Luo Hefeng frowned. "I didn't say anything too harsh… Qianjian, why don't you go back to your room and rest, wait for the doctor to come and examine you."

Luo Qianjian refused; he wanted to stay in the dining room to watch the drama unfold.

"Dizzy, don't want to move…" His voice grew weaker as he spoke, and Luo Qianjian directly laid his head on the table, concealing the suppressed smile at the corner of his lips.

Seeing this, Luo Wenhuan, who had never liked Luo Hefeng, continued her efforts. "Big Brother, look at what you've done to Third Brother! You even said that you suspected Third Brother was deliberately trying to upset the whole family. And you claim you didn't say anything too harsh?"

Luo Hefeng's expression darkened; he disliked being questioned so aggressively.

"Do you think what Qianjian did today was right, Wenhuan? Mom and Dad were arguing to the point of mentioning divorce. As the person responsible for this situation, shouldn't Qianjian be questioned clearly?" Luo Hefeng said coldly.

Luo Wenhuan was unafraid of her elder brother. "Big Brother, you watched Third Brother grow up. What kind of person he is, don't you know? Third Brother could be considered the most easy-going and considerate person in our family. Even if the result wasn't ideal, Third Brother's original intention was merely to prepare a surprise. What's wrong with that? Mom and Dad, what do you think?"

Luo Chen and He Ruyan once again remained silent.

How to put it…

Being exposed was unpleasant. But when the other party's hidden secrets were also exposed, although they were angry at the other party, they felt that Luo Qianjian hadn't done anything wrong either…

Luo Chen sighed. "Alright, what Wenhuan said isn't wrong. Qianjian has always been a good child. Today… although he acted rashly and didn't read the room well, losing some tact, A'Feng, you shouldn't treat your younger brother with the same attitude you use with your subordinates at work. This is home."

Luo Hefeng glanced at Luo Qianjian, who was lying on the table, weak and indeed looking very frail, but still insisted on his own view. "Precisely because I understand Qianjian and know that he's not stupid or ignorant of social norms, I'm even more convinced that Qianjian did this on purpose today."

Luo Qianjian let out a soft sob.

Luo Hefeng paused before continuing, "But, I'm not saying that Qianjian did this on purpose. A normal person wouldn't cause trouble so openly; it's especially true that doing so today wouldn't benefit Qianjian in any way. What I mean is... has Qianjian reached his rebellious phase?"

The other members of the Luo family, upon hearing this conclusion, found it surprisingly reasonable after some thought!

While it seemed a little late for a 21-year-old to be going through a rebellious phase, it wasn't entirely absurd.

Luo Qianjian had followed rules and been understanding for so many years. It was rather normal for him to suddenly become rebellious...

Apart from "rebellion," it was indeed hard to explain how someone who was usually emotionally intelligent and stable could suddenly become so oblivious, completely absorbed in his own thoughts.

The other members of the Luo family all thought the same thing: they could say that Luo Qianjian had acted deliberately today, but his intention wasn't malicious.

Rebellious phases came with great force, and Luo Qianjian might have been completely unaware of it. He simply did what he wanted.

Luo Gongyou pondered, "Could it be because we haven't shown enough concern for Qianjian at home? Rebellious phases seem to occur either due to overly strict parenting or, conversely, a lack of familial love and attention."

Luo Chen and He Ruyan, as parents, fell silent.

They had indeed spent very little time thinking about Luo Qianjian.

To be precise, they didn't spend much time thinking about their children in general, and among them, they paid the least attention to Luo Qianjian because of his calm and unhurried nature. Although he was often sick, there were servants and doctors to take care of him, allowing them to conveniently overlook him.

"Qianjian, is it like this? Are your mother and I not showing you enough concern?" He Ruyan asked.

Luo Qianjian, still lying down, was speechless.

It was somewhat unexpected, yet not entirely surprising—Luo Qianjian hadn't worried that his abrupt and provocative behavior today would bring him trouble.

After all, he was in the Luo family.

The Luo family had plenty of abnormal people and events. Adding one more made things even more "harmonious."

However, Luo Qianjian hadn't expected Luo Hefeng to come up with such a "legitimate" reason—the rebellious phase—to explain his unusual behavior today.

Thus, he no longer felt like pretending to be unwell.

If his loving family said he was being rebellious, he must rebel even more, not disappointing their expectations.

Luo Qianjian sat up straight, his expression returning to normal, neither particularly weak nor showing any sign of sadness.

The other members of the Luo family were surprised.

Luo Qianjian raised an eyebrow slightly. "It's not a rebellious phase, nor a sudden low point in emotional intelligence. I just wanted to invite Aunt Liu's family and Uncle Mu's portrait to dinner. Isn't it better when there are more people and it's lively?"

"Oh, by the way, there's no need to call the doctor. I pretended to feel unwell earlier, just to see you all get anxious. It was quite interesting."

The other members of the Luo family were speechless.

Late-stage rebellious phase, confirmed.

Luo Chen took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "It doesn't matter. The other kids in the family have gone through rebellious phases too. A'Feng suddenly wanted to drop out of high school and live independently, You You refused to join the family business after graduating from university and instead pursued a career in entertainment, Suiyun, Wenhuan, and Shanting also went through awkward phases during their adolescence. Although Qianjian is a bit late, a family should be inclusive..."

"Qianjian, are you really feeling alright? Don't be stubborn about this," He Ruyan said again.

Luo Qianjian couldn't help but laugh. "My family cares so much about me, I'm deeply moved."

The other members of the Luo family were speechless.

They didn't see any signs of being moved, but it seemed a bit sarcastic.

The most obedient child had become the most eccentric in his rebellion.

In confusion, the birthday of Luo Chen, the birthday boy, passed quietly.

It seemed to have calmed down.

However, the next morning, Luo Chen and He Ruyan started arguing again.

They belatedly remembered what they had been arguing about yesterday. The issue of Luo Qianjian's rebellious phase wasn't the root cause.

It was just that the association between Luo Qianjian and the word "rebellious" was so surprising that it had distracted them from the fundamental conflict yesterday!

He Ruyan said, "Luo Chen, you actually dared to keep Liu Ruo by your side for over a decade behind my back! What do you take me for!"

Luo Chen retorted, "He Ruyan! You always liked staying in the greenhouse, weren't you actually spending time with Mu Qing? Those photos were kept in such good condition!"

He Ruyan countered, "You treated Liu Ruo better than anyone. You took care of her entire family, raising her and her children. How could she give birth to a child that isn't yours while under your care? You went to see her every week at a fixed time, didn't you! Fine, you're no different from cheating. Luo Chen, let's divorce!"

Luo Chen replied, "Apart from divorce, what else can you say! Always breaking up when we were young, and now you mention divorce every time we argue after so many years. You're taking advantage of my indulgence, He Ruyan! Alright, let's divorce then, and see who regrets it first!"

He Ruyan exclaimed, "I'll only regret not leaving you sooner! You're heartless and ungrateful!"

The couple started arguing during breakfast, quickly transforming into masters of table clearing once again.

Fortunately, everyone ate their own breakfast separately. They could smash away as they pleased without hindering others from enjoying their meals.

Among the six children, only Luo Qianjian truly managed to eat.

Luo Qianjian finished his breakfast while watching his parents' passionate performance, then sighed. "Dad, Mom..."

Luo Chen and He Ruyan simultaneously stopped their quarrel, and the other young masters and mistresses subconsciously looked at Luo Qianjian.

Then they heard Luo Qianjian ask seriously, "If you two divorce, how will you divide custody of us six siblings?"