Through the mories, Leslie was able to grasp the strained relationship between Charlene and her parents.
A complicated web of emotions tangled in the unfortunate young lady as her feelings toward her family had a mixture of love and hatred.
After scouring the mories she had just recently gained, Leslie still was not sure why Old Madam Li treated Rowan harshly. All of her attention went to Geoffrey, her second son.
'What leads to the huge difference in treatnt?'
Because of this, Rowan beca a pushover. He didn't have the dignity of the eldest son that most firstborn males of high society possessed.
If Old Madam Li and Geoffrey demanded Rowan to do sothing, he would do it without fail even at the expense of his own little family.
Geoffrey's eldest child was a daughter, Gladys. She was of the sa age as Charlene. She was as malicious as her father.
Throughout the years, Charlene had to endure different kinds of bullying caused by Gladys. Rowan did little to protect her because Old Madam Li and Geoffrey insisted that the tornt was just children's play.
Charlene was constantly disappointed in Rowan, a father who couldn't keep her safe. She wanted to get out of the Li family's ancestral ho but, her parents always told her to be patient with Gladys.
In the end, she succeeded, all due to Calix picking her as his bride.
Pressing her lips hard, Leslie kept her gaze on Rowan. He was talking to Calix and Vernon. At the sa ti, Lucille shared a conversation with Bianca. The won mostly chatted about children.
'Before her accident, what had happened?'
The novel briefly ntioned that Charlene fell from stairs at the Li family's ancestral ho. It was the incident that pushed her into a coma.
Most of Charlene's injuries were superficial. Unfortunately, the back of her head bumped into a sharp corner of a cabinet.
'Pendant. She told to find her pendant.'
Leslie rembered the first ti she t Charlene. The latter requested her to find two things, one of them was a pendant.
According to Charlene, the pendant should be with the one who pushed her down the stairs. It ant the perpetrator.
The second thing to find was...
"...huh?"
Leslie blinked. Confusion washed over her heart as she stared blankly at the dining table.
'What's the second thing? She has told before.'
Leslie was appalled once she realized that she couldn't rember the particular mory. She only recalled that she understood why Charlene wanted her to look for the second item.
Sothing like...
'No... I can't rember it.'
Horrified, Leslie shook her head a few tis. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten one of Charlene's requests.
'Mimo... It should know, right?'
Caught in her trance, Leslie didn't notice that Calix was subtly looking in her direction. He parted his lips slightly, seemingly wanting to speak but, he knew he needed to keep up the facade.
During that ti, Old Madam Xu cleared her throat after taking a sip of her tea. When she spoke, her words were directed to Calix despite looking at Rowan and Bianca.
"Even though the children got married in a hurry, Calix still should visit the bride's ho on the third day. Because everyone might be busy during the day, how about having dinner together?"
Calix abruptly withdrew his gaze from Leslie. He looked at Old Madam Xu and Rowan back and forth before saying, "I understand, Grandma. I'll pay a visit to... Charlene's ho tomorrow."
Calix almost said Leslie's na instead of her legal one Charlene.
"I'll inform my mother, Old Madam Xu. Having dinner together like right now is a good choice," Rowan also agreed. He was actually secretly happy inside.
Calix's visit to the bride's maiden ho would show that he was serious about marrying his daughter Charlene. The people of the Li family couldn't wag their poisonous tongues like they had been doing.
"Send my regards to your mother," Old Madam Xu's smiling eyes had a flicker of coldness, "We're all getting older. She should tone down her bad habits, isn't it?"
Rowan montarily froze because laughing awkwardly. Bianca and Irene said nothing. They didn't expect to hear Old Madam Xu talking bluntly about the Li family's matriarch.
Dinner ended around nine. Everyone was served with desserts at the end of the main al. Despite sharing conversations for hours, the Li family still seed to be uncomfortable with the Xu family.
"I won't send you off to the door. My old body can't take it anymore," Old Madam Xu rose from the seat with Vernon's assistance.
Staring at Rowan, she said, "Charlene is the daughter-in-law of the Xu family. We have never treated our sons or daughters-in-law differently than our own children. So, don't worry about your daughter."
Old Madam Xu's words were a jab at the Li family's practice. She knew full well how hostile Old Madam Li could be, no matter if it was her own child or the child's spouse.
In this case, Rowan and Bianca.
Rowan was stunned. He almost stuttered, "...thank you, Old Madam Xu. I'll entrust Charlene to Calix. I really, really appreciate your benevolence act."
Next to him, Bianca looked down ashadly. Irene worriedly held her mother's hands.
"It's nothing to thank about. See you again."
Old Madam Xu waved one hand, telling Rowan not to fret about it. She slowly walked out of the dining room, assisted by one of the maids. Vernon had returned to his seat.
Rowan shifted his gaze to Calix. Smiling faintly, he asked, "Calix, can we talk in private? I have sothing to tell you."
Calix nodded. He briefly glanced at Leslie. Her attention was also on her father.
"We should go to the balcony then, Father. Follow ."
Rowan stood up, leaving his wife and daughter to Vernon and Lucille. His new son-in-law brought him to a balcony near the dining room. The majestic night view of the courtyard greeted them.
"Father, what do you want to tell ?" Calix gestured at the bamboo chair sitting under the extended roof, "It is about Charlene?"
Rowan bit his lower lip. He quietly sat opposite Calix, pondering how should he bring up the matter.
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