The King’s Displeasure

“······”

Seated next to the familiar spot—or rather, the seat she had always occupied—Bai Qiao coldly, intently stared at Bai Chen. Her mind had already replayed the indignant thought countless times.

‘That’s my seat! I’ve sat there for seventeen years! In just three months, it changed hands?!’

Though it wasn’t a true change of ownership, the person was undeniably different!

“Ah, Xiao Chen, your… friend isn’t feeling unwell, are they? They look a bit pale…” Bai Mother said, a hint of awkwardness in her tone, attempting to diffuse the palpable tension.

“Ah…”

“I’m perfectly fine!” Bai Qiao interjected sharply, cutting Bai Chen off before he could speak.

“······”

The silence descended once more, thick with an unbearable awkwardness. The three of them ate in strained silence.

Bai Qiao jabbed her fork savagely into her steak. Her knife scraped down with deliberate force, and she sawed at it several times, the action fueled by her displeasure. Then, with another furious stab of her fork, she brought a piece to her mouth, chewing it with a dark expression and excessive vigor.

“Er…” Bai Mother managed an awkward laugh. Yet, she found herself unable to muster even a flicker of annoyance or dissatisfaction. Instead, an inexplicable sense of kinship bloomed within her.

There was something uncannily similar about them, she mused. Yet, the Xiao Chen who had returned now, despite no significant changes in temperament or preferences, still felt subtly… different. Perhaps it was merely the lingering tension from recent events.

“What? Is my Qiao displeased?” As was his habit, Bai Chen placed one hand on Bai Qiao’s shoulder, while the other lifted her chin.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?! Mom—Mother is right here!” Bai Qiao hissed, a frantic whisper of warning.

“Oh? Is this King’s Qiao feeling shy?” He clearly hadn’t grasped her meaning in the slightest. Perhaps it was simply that Bai Chen was too accustomed to being a king, subconsciously expecting everyone to revolve around him.

Bai Qiao frantically tried to interject, to stop Bai Chen from saying anything more… but alas, she was a step too late.

“What? Are you not going to withdraw before this King?”

Bai Qiao watched in horror as Bai Mother’s expression suddenly darkened considerably. Then, she turned and retrieved the stick from behind her chair.

Bai Qiao couldn’t help but inwardly break into a cold sweat. After all these years, the stick was still there. She remembered it from her childhood, from before her father had gone abroad to take over the company. Back then, any transgression would often be met with a ‘loving’ discipline from that very stick.

Before her father departed overseas, he had solemnly entrusted that stick… to their mother.

“Have you gone mad since returning?!”

Bai Qiao swiftly grabbed Bai Chen’s arm, pulling his outstretched hand back, taking the blow herself. Though it was barely a sting for Bai Chen, the new consciousness was utterly displeased. He was a King, high and mighty; when had he ever endured such a strike?!

Bai Qiao firmly pushed Bai Chen’s head down, forcing a stiff smile. “Mom… I apologize. Bai Chen hasn’t been home in a while and was just trying to make a joke…”

Bai Mother regarded Bai Qiao with a look of lingering doubt, but ultimately chose to let it go. The face, the preferences—it was undoubtedly Xiao Chen. While many subtle details still sparked suspicion in her, she reasoned, who doesn’t change over time?

Bai Qiao quickly tugged Bai Chen upstairs, practically dragging him to her own room. Downstairs, Bai Mother’s face was a mask of disbelief. To see that girl navigate to Xiao Chen’s room with such familiarity…

Her son… surely he hadn’t brought this girl here countless times already, had he?

“What are you doing?” Abruptly pulled away, Bai Chen’s displeasure was evident. He surveyed the room, a hint of disdain in his voice as he spoke. “This room is far too small, and what even *is* all this…?”

With that, Bai Chen casually kicked the game console lying on the floor.

“You!”

Witnessing Bai Chen kick her cherished possession, Bai Qiao felt her heart truly bleed. Ahhh!

“Xiao Chen, could you please come down for a moment?” a voice suddenly called from downstairs.

“Is that calling me?”

“Mmm…”

“Why should I go down, instead of her coming up to find me?”

“That’s *me*, and she’s also your mother!”

Bai Chen continued to gaze at Bai Qiao, his expression utterly bewildered. After a moment, he finally rose. “Fine, though I don’t quite grasp your customs here, I shall descend then…”

“I’ll go with you!” Bai Qiao quickly stood. It was better to go down together, just in case this one caused any more chaos.

“Xiao Chen, you haven’t been to school in quite some time. Now that you’re back, you should resume attending classes tomorrow, as usual.”

“!”

What in the world is going on?! This Bai Chen… how could *he* possibly impersonate me at school?! Ahhh!

****