Mo Xingchen saw this and immediately reached for the remaining roast chicken, mimicking Wen Bai's action and taking a big bite.
The next moment, Mo Xingchen realized that his previous way of eating must have been wrong; eating like this today was simply delicious!
The two of them, engrossed in their meal, did not notice the worried and pained glances from Father Wen and Mother Wen.
The young children had clearly been subjected to inhumane treatment after their ordeal and were ravenously hungry.
Wen Jue was relatively normal, but Wen Bai…
It was known that the Wen family's breakfast table was devoid of any meat, not even meat buns, because not only did Wen Jue dislike them, but Wen Bai also did.
This had once caused Mother Wen great concern, as both Wen Bai and Wen Jue grew much slower than ordinary children.
Mother Wen had never seen Wen Bai gnawing on a roast chicken.
Mother Wen said gently, "Darlings, Xingchen, eat slowly and don't choke. No one is going to snatch it from you."
Wen Jue, having observed the entire scene, turned away silently and asked Fuqi to serve him another bowl of nourishing porridge.
While the house was filled with warmth and joy,
On the other side, three servants whom Mother Wen had asked to leave the Wen family departed after receiving their monthly wages.
They left in three different directions.
As soon as these individuals were gone, Ling'er appeared at the back door of the Wen residence with three other people.
Those three followed their respective directions, while Ling'er turned back to the main house to inform Mother Wen of the matter.
Two of the servants had already decided what they would do that night.
One was Wen Bai's personal servant, who had received many rewards and had accumulated a considerable sum of money. He planned to start a small business.
The other servant, while not as wealthy as the young masters' personal attendants, had also saved a decent amount due to the Wen family's generosity and his own frugality. He intended to return to his hometown and live a comfortable life, no longer striving in the outside world.
After all, such an incident could not be kept secret in Jianglin. As soon as any hiring manager inquired, they would learn that the young masters had been lost under their watch.
At least here, they would have no opportunity to serve wealthy families again.
As for Ah Da, he had a more unconventional plan.
Having served in the Wen family for so long, accompanying the young masters and even witnessing grand occasions with the lord and madam, he had seen a lot.
He deeply believed that only by residing in wealthy families or establishing connections with them could he have a chance to change his fate.
After all, associating with those poorer than himself, toiling day and night for meager wages, would ensure he never had a chance to rise in life.
He had already made his plan.
Ah Da spent a significant portion of the money he had saved in the Wen family to buy two sets of high-quality fabric popular among young gentlemen from a ready-made clothing store.
He stood before the bronze mirror, gazing at his youthful and dashing reflection, as if he were meant to wear such fine clothes.
He took out the jade pendant Wen Jue had given him and casually hung it on his waist.
Many people in Jianglin knew him, so he had to get far away from here.
Ah Da found a decent-looking carriage and drove it himself towards the outskirts of the city.
Ah Da intended to find an opportunity to become a master and forge a good future for himself.
He stopped at a teahouse several tens of miles away. It was an excellent resting spot, with no other suitable inns or lodgings for dozens of miles in either direction. Travelers usually made a brief stop here.
He sat in the carriage from a distance, not getting down.
He watched as luxurious carriages, one after another, stopped.
Until, from a delicate carriage, a girl who looked incredibly innocent alighted.
It was time.
Ah Da tidied his robes and prepared to dismount.
But as he bowed to get out of the carriage, he felt something trickling from his nose.
He reached up to touch it in a daze.
It was blood; he was having a nosebleed.
He quickly grabbed a piece of cloth to cover it and tilted his head back.
How could he be having a nosebleed at this moment!
In his panic, some blood dripped onto his robe. While trying to stop the bleeding, he lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked towards the teahouse.
His nosebleed continued even after the girl got back into her carriage and the carriage had driven away.
In his rage, Ah Da threw the cloth aside and cursed.
In his anger, he felt blood rush to his head.
He did not notice that blood was also starting to flow from the corners of his eyes.
…
"Wen Jue, what are you smiling at?" Mo Xingchen followed Wen Jue's gaze to a tree and asked curiously.
"When did I smile?" Wen Jue replied.
"Just now, I saw you smiling… sort of…" eerie.
Mo Xingchen stopped mid-sentence.
He seemed to recall an unpleasant memory and quickly shut his mouth.
Wen Jue then softly asked his attendant standing nearby, "Fuqi, what time is it?"
"Young Master Wen Jue, it is Shen Shi."
Upon hearing the answer, Wen Jue unconsciously curved his eyes slightly, his expression one of pure delight.
Mo Xingchen shivered. Wen Jue had smiled just like that a moment ago.
He dared not look at Wen Jue and turned his gaze elsewhere.
Wen Bai was currently devising a plan to win over Mo Xingchen with System 001.
Holding a small fruit plate, he ate while watching Mo Xingchen, appearing to be lost in thought.
Mo Xingchen's gaze met Wen Bai's, who had been staring at him the entire time. It was frightening!
Mo Xingchen's heart fluttered, and he silently stood up, turned his back, and averted his eyes again.
Then, he saw Mother Wen approaching with a long-bearded elder carrying a wooden box.
Mo Xingchen's heart tightened!
It was… a doctor!
He often suffered from stomachaches at home and would be subjected to the doctor's ministrations and bitter medicine every so often.
Seeing this entourage, Mo Xingchen felt as if he were facing a great enemy, his heart filled with dread.
This expression of his could not be hidden and was completely observed by Wen Bai, who had been watching him.
System 001 was still saying, "... the quickest way to gain a human's trust is to intervene when their willpower is weakest, be it through fear, emotional instability, or experiencing a major upheaval..."