Gao Xiaolian had met Wen Kexing before, and had just heard him say “A-Xu”. Immediately realising who this stranger in front of her could be, she asked, “Are you...Zhou…”

“Yes, it is indeed this humble one.” Zhou Zishu nodded. Spying her unkempt and disheveled state, he quickly instructed the waiter to prepare food and a room for her.

Gu Xiang was still staring with wide eyes off to the side. “Master, have you finally…r-r-ravaged him?”

Wen Kexing swept an eye over her, and swept his gaze over Cao Weining, who was simpering in ingratiation as though he was meeting his father-in-law, and remarked, “Don’t think you can be presumptuous just because you have your husband’s family now.”

Then he ignored the young couple, and came downstairs to do up the buttons of Zhou Zishu’s outer robe with care.

The few of them tidied up before they sat down. Zhou Zishu first listened to Gu Xiang chatter about the whole rescue process, welcomed Gao Xiaolian next, before he finally asked gently, “Miss Gao, why are you here alone, and why were you captured by the Black Poison Hag? Where is Hero Gao?”

Gao Xiaolian was silent for a long moment. Then, abruptly, a wail burst forth from her. Sobbing, she choked out, “My father...my father is dead!”

Chapter 62: Equilibrium

Once she uttered these words, the few of them were briefly taken aback. Zhou Zishu sat up slightly straighter, but did not pursue any line of questioning, as though he was turning something over in his mind while he waited for Gao Xiaolian to vent her emotions. He frowned.

Wen Kexing eyed him, and with a very natural gesture, placed a xiaolongbao in the bowl in front of Zhou Zishu with his chopsticks. Glimpsing this out of the corner of her eye, Gu Xiang hastily lowered her head, and pretended not to have seen it out of propriety. A while later, she stealthily raised her head again, her gaze roaming between the two men. She thought about it, felt that the situation was uneven, and placed one in Cao Weining's bowl too.

Cao Weining was instantly overwhelmed with delight by the favour he was shown.

On the other hand, Zhang Chengling was the only one who commiserated with Gao Xiaolian. He could not bear to see her cry, but as he was inarticulate, he did not know what to say. He could only carefully accompany her in her grief, and after a while, finally came up with something to say, “Miss...Miss Gao, don’t be sad, my dad’s dead too…”

Zhang Chengling bit his lip, silently reprimanding himself. It was nonsensical for him to say something like this--just because his own dad had died, did that mean someone else’s dad deserved to die? He started to panic a little. However, Gao Xiaolian, knowing that he meant well, did not take it to heart. She squeezed out a smile for him in thanks.