A Family Dinner and Lingering Questions

Perched on the living room sofa, Bai Xia found the plush cushions beneath her oddly unsettling, as if she were sitting on pins and needles. She dared not relax in the slightest.

Her spine was ramrod straight, and her hands rested primly on her knees. She sat beside Mo Bai like an attentive primary school student, silently listening as he chatted casually with his parents.

Under the warm, amber glow of the lights, she could distinctly catch the faint, comforting scent of Mo Bai beside her. She also felt the benevolent, curious gazes from Mo Hongyi and Bai Ruoxi opposite them.

Even amidst this warmth, Bai Xia felt utterly ill at ease.

‘Damn it… why isn’t Mo Bai shielding me a little?‘ she thought.

Bai Xia felt her cheeks flush crimson, almost steaming with heat. Yet, in front of his parents, she didn’t quite dare to hide behind Mo Bai. She could only lower her head slightly, allowing her snow-white hair to curtain part of her burning face, her fingers unconsciously tracing the fabric’s texture on the sofa.

After all, Mo Bai had mentioned at the outset that his parents were eager to meet her.

If she appeared too timid and evasive, wouldn’t she be letting down Mo Ge’s good intentions and making his aunt and uncle think she lacked proper manners?

Mo Ge had helped her so much; she ought to make an effort to be more presentable.

With this thought, Bai Xia took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for a momentous decision. Her fingertips pressed firmly into her palms, forcing herself to lift her still-flushed face. Yet, her slight awkwardness did not escape the discerning eyes of the couple.

‘The little one is quite shy,’ Bai Ruoxi thought.

Bai Ruoxi and Mo Hongyi exchanged a knowing look, the amusement in their eyes deepening. They naturally saw the girl’s nervousness, but her earnest efforts to appear presentable, to avoid embarrassing Mo Bai, only made her seem more genuine and endearing.

“Bai Xia, your uncle and aunt have sorted out your identity for you. What are your plans for the future?” Mo Hongyi asked, pouring the girl a cup of tea. He gently pushed the warm cup towards her, his tone gentle yet imbued with the concern unique to an elder.

While they were fond of the girl before them, bringing Bai Xia home this time served a greater purpose than just meeting her. It was also to confirm certain matters. If Bai Xia truly chose to continue with Mo Bai, the challenges she would face in the future were beyond her imagination.

“This…”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Bai Xia paused. Her small hands cradled the warm teacup, and she looked helplessly towards Mo Bai, her ruby-like eyes reflecting obvious panic.

‘How should I put this? Should I tell them the truth?’ she wondered.

In truth, the moment Bai Xia cast a pleading glance at Mo Bai, Mo Hongyi and Bai Ruoxi had already received the answer they most sought. Nevertheless, they were still eager to hear the girl’s thoughts directly from her own lips.

“It’s alright, just say whatever comes to mind. Treat this place like your own home,” Bai Ruoxi encouraged gently, for it was indeed the truth. “Mo Bai told me that you want to stay with him in the future. Is that true?”

Given that Bai Xia had consumed Mo Bai’s blood, it was virtually impossible for her to leave him in this lifetime. Coupled with their genuine fondness for this innocent and diligent child, if Bai Xia was willing to stay with Mo Bai, she would, in a sense, become a daughter-in-law of the Mo family. This was precisely what Bai Ruoxi wished to see.

The direct question from Mo Bai’s mother made Bai Xia’s face flush instantly, even her tiny ears, hidden by her hair, turned a delicate crimson.

Though somewhat difficult to articulate, Mo Bai’s mother was not wrong.

‘But if I say that, will Uncle and Aunt think I’m the kind of opportunistic woman who’s only with Mo Bai because I covet the Mo family’s wealth?’ she worried.

Bai Xia lowered her small head hesitantly, then turned to look at Mo Bai beside her. Only after receiving his affirming gaze did she look back at Mo Bai’s parents, her eyes now filled with a newfound resolve. After all, she truly couldn’t leave Mo Bai.

“Mo Ge has helped me so much and even given me a job. If nothing unexpected happens…”

Bai Xia paused, her snow-white teeth gently biting her lip as she carefully weighed her words. Finally, with a blush, she said,

“I should be staying with Mo Ge indefinitely.”

Mo Hongyi and Bai Ruoxi were, of course, aware that Mo Bai had arranged for the girl to be his “little maid.”

The two exchanged a glance, a knowing smile flickering in their eyes. This was hardly an employment relationship; it was clearly their son’s subtle way of marking his territory early on.

“Good, good, that’s wonderful,” Bai Ruoxi said, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. The more she looked at the white-haired girl, the more she found her pleasing.

Mo Hongyi, though silent, also nodded with a smile. However, while the couple was very fond of this little Blood Princess, it didn’t mean they harbored no other intentions regarding Bai Xia.

Even with the girl’s identity as a Blood Princess revealed, they couldn’t fathom why an ordinary Blood Princess would warrant the attention of [Starfall].

If there was anything special about the girl, it was perhaps her appearance. As an otherworldly being, she looked almost entirely human, and exceptionally beautiful at that.

Unfortunately, humanity still knew very little about otherworldly beings, and even less about humanoid ones. They only knew that such beings possessed extremely high intelligence, unique abilities, or immense power.

Yet, an individual like Bai Xia, whose appearance was almost indistinguishable from a human’s and who even seemed excessively “harmless,” was extremely rare in their records.

Extremely high intelligence? Apparently not.

Unique abilities? Apparently not, either. After all, Blood Princesses inherently gained energy by drinking blood.

Formidable strength? Even less likely. While strength didn’t directly correlate with physique, they had seen the surveillance footage from the interrogation room. Bai Xia’s strength, when converted to an Awakened realm, was at most in the Second Realm.

So, what exactly was special about Bai Xia that made [Starfall] pay such close attention to her?

[Starfall] had always been a thorn in the Alliance Council’s side. If they could seize this opportunity, they might be able to follow the clues and uncover something about this mysterious organization.

‘Forget it… there’s no rush for this,’ Mo Hongyi thought.

After all, this was Bai Xia’s first time visiting their home; asking too many questions might scare the child. Mo Hongyi exchanged a look with his wife, and they tacitly steered the conversation towards a lighter topic.

“Let’s go wash your hands first. The chef has prepared many delicious dishes today; you must eat plenty.”

“Yes, let’s get ready for dinner. Mo Bai, why aren’t you taking Bai Xia to wash her hands?”

The couple tacitly stopped probing, beginning to invite Bai Xia to dinner. As for other matters, they would wait until Bai Xia was a little more familiar and relaxed before slowly delving into them.

“Alright, let’s go, time to eat.”

Mo Bai ruffled Bai Xia’s small head, then took her hand and rose, walking towards the dining room.

Perhaps due to the overly intimate gesture in front of Mo Bai’s parents, a blush quietly crept onto Bai Xia’s face again, making her instinctively want to pull her hand away. However, Mo Bai gripped it even tighter.

The young man turned his head to look at her, a playful smile in his eyes. He whispered in a voice only they could hear,

“You promised me, be good at home.”