After that emotional reunion, Madam Liu, also known as Meng Yuying, gently guided Liu Rouran into the house, saying they should have a small celebration to welcome her home.
Liu Rouran had assumed it would be something simple, maybe a slice of cake, some polite clapping, and done.
She didn't expect much. After all, they all looked like extremely busy people. Even now, they were still wearing formal clothes as they welcomed her home.
Wasn't today Sunday?
But apparently, there was no such thing as a day off for people who lived to swim in wealth.
As she followed them into the house, her eyes shifted toward each sibling.
Through a brief introduction, Liu Rouran finally learned all of their names.
Liu Zeyan had told her he was the eldest brother, but it turned out he wasn't the firstborn.
That title belonged to Liu Qianyu, the eldest sister.
The moment Liu Rouran saw her, she couldn't help but think that Liu Qianyu looked like she stepped off the cover of a magazine.
Liu Qianyu was almost as tall as the brothers, probably around 1.80 meters, maybe even more.
She wore a sleek maroon bodycon dress, paired with a white blazer draped over her shoulders like a cape.
Jewelry adorned her body so generously that Liu Rouran could hear the soft clinking of metal each time she moved.
Liu Rouran stared at her for a bit too long, mesmerized, until Liu Qianyu suddenly turned to look her way.
Liu Rouran held her breath, not daring to even blink.
Liu Qianyu's phoenix eyes locked onto hers, calm but intense, like a hawk eyeing a little mouse.
Rouran swallowed hard.
Was she staring too much?
Did Liu Qianyu think she was being rude?
But then something unexpected happened, a smile bloomed across Liu Qianyu's face.
It looked so bright and beautiful, so bright that her eyes curved into little crescent moons.
"Ranran, what's your favorite color?" she asked, her tone casual as she slowed down to walk beside her.
Liu Rouran blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. Still, she answered, "Umm … baby blue."
Liu Qianyu nodded and smiled again. "Got it."
Rouran stared at her with a puzzled look on her face. That's it? What kind of question was that?
Maybe … she was just trying to start a conversation?
A sisterly conversation.
Sister … that word still felt a bit odd to her and this was the first time she'd ever spoken nicely with a sister.
Back in the Jiang family, her interactions with Jiang Rouyan were always filled with fake tears, screaming, and Zhao Lihua's constant scolding.
She couldn't even remember ever exchanging simple words like, 'The weather feels nice today,' or 'What ice cream flavor do you like?'
So now, as Liu Qianyu spoke to her in such a friendly tone, Liu Rouran felt something strange fill her heart.
Was this … excitement?
She had made up her mind to act like a tough, no-nonsense kind of woman, but now she was getting excited just because her sister talked to her?
Unbelievable.
Still … whether Liu Qianyu was truly kind or just being polite at the beginning was something Liu Rouran would only find out with time.
For now, she had to stick to the plan.
Act cool. Act untouchable.
She could still be a gangster, right? Even if she hugged Madam Liu just now?
'Gangsters can love their moms too!' she told herself. There's no rule against that!
"I hope the food's not too simple for you," Madam Liu said gently, leading Liu Rouran toward the dining table.
There was a nervous look on her face, like she was afraid her long-lost daughter wouldn't like the food and hate her.
Meanwhile, Liu Rouran froze like an ice sculpture.
Simple?
Where exactly was the simplicity?
All she saw was a mountain of food, dish after dish, arranged in perfect harmony, more than enough to feed a small army.
There were golden roasted Peking ducks glistening under warm lights, bamboo baskets filled with delicate xiao long bao, glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaves, sweet and sour fish with elegant knife cuts, spicy Szechuan chicken, stir-fried abalone, bowls of shark fin soup, and more.
It looked like something out of a five-star restaurant.
No, ten stars!
Old Master Liu cleared his throat. "If these aren't to your liking, we can always eat somewhere else."
Liu Rouran almost dropped her jaw.
Eat somewhere else?! With food like this?
Back at the Jiang house, she had never even sat at the dining table.
While they enjoyed rich, fragrant meals, she was told to eat in the kitchen with the maids and staff.
It hadn't been the worst thing because she liked the kitchen staff. But sometimes, she'd peek into the dining room and wonder what those dishes tasted like.
She'd wonder what it felt like to be allowed to eat with her family.
Now here she was, staring at a table full of food just for her.
"What do you think, Ranran? Do you like it?" Madam Liu's soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Liu Rouran wanted to nod quickly, but she slowed down so she wouldn't look too excited. "The food looks amazing. I want to try it."
Madam Liu's smile grew slowly, warm and radiant, bright enough to rival the sun. "Then let's try them all," she said cheerfully.
She gently guided Liu Rouran to one of the seats at the head of the long dining table.
Liu Rouran paused, confused.
'Wait … this is the seat for the head of the family, isn't it?'
Why was she sitting here?
Why wasn't anyone saying anything?
Shouldn't one of her siblings shout at her for taking the wrong seat?
However, when she looked around, none of them seemed bothered.
Old Master Liu was busy calling for the housemaids, asking them to help fill Rouran's plate with food from the table.
She sat down slowly, stiff as a board. She didn't even dare blink, just quietly glanced at everyone to see if someone would speak up.
But they didn't.
Maybe … maybe it was okay.
Maybe, just for today since it was her welcome day, she could sit in that seat.
Maybe tomorrow, they'd tell her to move. Maybe they'd remember she was still the girl who grew up in an orphanage, eating leftovers.
She didn't know if they would still treat her this kindly tomorrow, but for now, Liu Rouran chose to enjoy the moment in front of her.
"Here you go, Ranran," Madam Liu said softly as she placed a piece of duck onto Liu Rouran's plate, smiling gently. "Eat slowly. There's plenty more in the kitchen if you're still hungry."
Liu Rouran instinctively lowered her head, touched by the gesture, but quickly straightened her back as she suddenly remembered that she had to look tough and brave!
"Thank you, Madam Liu," Liu Rouran said in a flat tone.
She even tried to hold back a smile, worried she might look foolish if she seemed too happy.
But the moment she saw Madam Liu's expression falter, like someone had just stabbed her in the heart, Liu Rouran immediately panicked on the inside.
'Was I too cold? Did I go too far? Gangsters aren't supposed to hurt their mom's feelings! Right?'
She opened her mouth, about to say something, when Madam Liu quietly asked, "Why are you calling me 'Madam'?"
Liu Rouran blinked slowly.
Why was she calling her that? Well … because she was the madam of the family, wasn't she?
"Did I use the wrong title?" she asked carefully.
Not long after, another vision hit her.
[Liu Jiuhan slams the table, shouting, 'OF COURSE THAT'S THE WRONG TITLE!']
Liu Rouran jolted in her seat as the vision faded.
Why was her third brother yelling at her? Was he mad at her too? What was she supposed to call her?
She was still trying to make sense of it, until the prophecy came to life.
BANG!
Liu Jiuhan, her third brother, slammed his hand on the dining table so hard that the plates rattled.
"OF COURSE THAT'S THE WRONG TITLE!" he shouted, exactly like in her vision.
Liu Rouran's eyes went wide as he stood up, pointing straight at her like she'd just committed a terrible crime.
Oh no.
'Is this it? Are they finally going to snap at me?'
She had expected something like this to happen at some point, but now that it was actually happening, she panicked.
She'd been abused and yelled at plenty of times by Zhao Lihua before, but her physic wasn't that different compared to Liu Rouran's, so she could still handle it, even if it hurt.
But this family? All of them were taller than her, especially her brothers.
They were over 1.85 meters tall, and Liu Jiuhan looked like he could carry a grown man with one hand.
If they hit like Zhao Lihua did to her … it would definitely hurt more.
A smart gangster always knows when to run, right?
Liu Rouran pushed her chair back slightly, getting ready to run away, but froze when Liu Jiuhan shouted again.
"YOU SHOULD CALL HER 'MOTHER!' NOT 'MADAM!'" He pointed again, more passionately than before. "AND YOU SHOULD CALL ME GEGE[1]!"
Liu Rouran stared at him, completely stunned.
Was he … angry? Or … was he just making a demand?
She couldn't tell.
Before she could process it, Liu Zeyan reached out and tugged Liu Jiuhan back into his seat.
"Sit down," he said calmly. "You're scaring her."
[1] Big Brother