She smiled warmly at Yu Holea and guided her to one of the chairs at the table.
Yu Holea sat down slowly, still unsure. "I… I haven't served tea yet. Shouldn't I..."
Mrs. Qiao chuckled along with Mr. Qiao. They both waved their hands as if brushing the idea away.
"No need to worry about rituals," Mrs. Qiao said kindly. "We know you respect us. That's enough."
Mr. Qiao nodded. "And we know this beast didn't even let you eat."
He shot a look at Qiao Jun, who was now sitting in a corner, pretending to be very busy staring at the ceiling.
Mrs. Qiao turned to the servants and called out, "Bring out the dishes she likes. She must be starving."
In just a few minutes, the entire table was filled with Yu Holea's favorite dishes. The smell made her stomach growl loudly, and everyone heard it.
Her cheeks turned pink, but she couldn't stop smiling.
She started eating, first the dishes that were light, then the richer, spicier ones. She even reached for some dessert.
