While Leslie, Calix and Irene were clearly enjoying the flavorful Thai cuisine, the rest couldn’t stop looking from the dishes to the husband and wife. The intensity of Old Madam Li and Gladys could easily rival one another.
"Seems like Charlene needs help when eating," said Old Madam Li after swallowing down her bite of rice. Her eyes were locked on Leslie and Calix, "Charlene, you have private nurses, right? Why didn’t you bring them here to assist you?"
Old Madam Li’s jaw almost dropped the mont she witnessed Calix feeding Leslie soup. He also picked and sliced the dishes she wanted to eat, making sure they were small enough for her to eat.
Pretending to focus on eating, Gladys opened her ears wide. An intense fla of jealousy burnt her from the inside the longer she was forced to witness Calix treating Leslie so well.
Urgh!
Why couldn’t that be her?!
Calix pulled the soup spoon from Leslie’s lips once she ate it all. Both of them exchanged glances before they collectively looked at Old Madam Li.
The Li family’s matriarch sounded as if she was worried about her eldest granddaughter but, the reality was far from it. Everyone present in this dining room noticed the obvious dig in her words disguised as concern.
"The nurses will only help when I’m away, Grandmother-in-law," Calix answered on Leslie’s behalf. A smile was plastered on his face, "Charlene can eat by herself now but, what to do? I just want to pamper her every ti I can."
Calix’s aning was clear. The private nurses’ assistance wasn’t required as long as he was with Leslie. He also boasted about their good marital relationship.
Leslie stifled her laughter. She was fully aware that Calix would stop at nothing if it ant he could brag about their marriage. Especially to do it in front of the Li family who detested her.
Old Madam Li’s expression froze. Clenching her jaw, she pretended to smile at Calix and Leslie. Her stomach twisted in anger.
Gladys kept darting her eyes from Old Madam Li to Leslie. She knew that their grandmother didn’t feel good seeing the latter all happy and chummy with Calix.
Exhaling a sigh, Old Madam Li refrained from showing her irritation. She continued faking her concern about Leslie and Calix.
"Calix, your grandmother here doesn’t an anything bad ah. You’re the esteed young master of the Xu family. What will people say if they see you like this? It’s good to pamper your wife but, you still have to think of your image."
Old Madam Li wondered how the Xu family raised their sons.
From Andrian to Vernon and Calix, all seed loved to openly shower affection on their wives and children. They were different than the rigid deceased Old Master Xu.
Such a loving act was crude in the backdated old lady’s view.
As if he didn’t care about what Old Madam Li was preaching, Calix started deboning the fish for Leslie. Words flowed out of his mouth, his tone remaining casual.
"Grandmother-in-law, I don’t bother with dumb people who badmouth others behind their backs. Still, they know better than not to offend ."
Old Madam Li’s eyes twitched. She knew Calix was speaking the truth. Only foolish people dared to upset him, the heir of the prominent Xu family.
"Haha... hahaha! We’re just amazed to see you being so helpful to your wife," Geoffrey laughed awkwardly. He nervously glanced from his mother to Calix, "Anyway, why don’t you tell us about Charlene’s recovery? There’s so much we wanna know."
"Y-yes, please tell us," Deena was forced to support Geoffrey under her husband’s pressuring gaze, "Charlene was in a coma for months. When did you wake up, Charlene?"
Gladys bit her lower lip. She wanted to see Old Madam Li berating Leslie but, her wish wasn’t fulfilled. She begrudgingly stared at the husband and wife.
The sight of Leslie smiling so happily and enjoying a princess treatnt from Calix fueled more into Gladys’ jealousy. Flaming lava of envy continued gushing out from her heart.
Ignoring the pure disdain in Old Madam Li’s eyes, Leslie answered Deena’s questions. Everyone’s eyes were on her.
"I woke up around one month into our marriage... Hehe, I was shocked to know I got married to Calix," Leslie chuckled, expressing her delightful feelings, "After all, we regretted our breakup years ago..."
A pin-drop silence shrouded the entire dining room following Leslie’s statent. Aside from Irene, everyone else almost had their eyes popping out of their sockets – Rowan and Bianca were included.
"...what do you an?"
Unable to believe what she had just heard, Old Madam Li’s whisper broke the silence. She thought her ears were playing so tricks. Shock flashed in her enlarged eyes.
Geoffrey, Deena and Gladys shared the sa sentint. Rowan and Bianca also couldn’t believe their ears.
All of them couldn’t tear their eyes away from the husband and wife upon the shocking statent.
Laughing softly, Calix rrily replied to Old Madam Li, "Charlene and I were in a relationship before. We thought we weren’t compatible so, we parted ways. But, I actually still love her. I’m thankful that she also still loves ."
Calix shifted his eyes from Old Madam Li to Leslie. The twinkle in her eyes softened his smile. The husband and wife exchanged a loving look as if they were the only people in this room.
"Calix... you and Charlene... were a couple before?" Rowan spoke for the first ti. His voice trembled from uncertainty, "Didn’t you... say you only like her from afar?"
"I’m sorry, Father-in-law. I planned to keep it hidden until Charlene agreed to reveal it," responded Calix, not sounding remorseful at all, "We were in a relationship years ago but, we decided to hide it. We broke up before we told our loved ones about us."
Calix’s words distraught Rowan and Bianca. None of them expected to hear this revelation.
Irene said nothing. She had already learned this fact during her first ti eting Calliope more than a week ago.
"...aren’t you two just pulling our legs?"
Geoffrey’s twisted brows almost rged into one. Like everyone else, he didn’t believe Calix’s claim.
"Why should we lie about such an important matter?" Calix threw a question back at Geoffrey. Raising his brows, he said, "Just because we kept our relationship secret back then?"
"This is..."
Knock! Knock!
The sudden knocking sound interrupted Geoffrey. He begrudgingly looked at the door. The attendant from before stepped inside.
"Mr. Xu, the final guest has arrived."
The attendant’s words cast confusion on everyone aside from Calix, Leslie and Irene.
"Do you invite your parents along, Calix?" Old Madam Li glanced at the door, changing the topic in the process, "We should have waited for them instead of eating first."
"Not my parents," Calix denied Old Madam Li’s guess. His smile widened, "It’s soone from the Xu’s legal team."
"...legal team? For what?"
Rowan stuttered, sensing sothing sinister from the way Calix smiled. Instead of getting answers from the young man, Leslie was the one who responded to him.
"To ensure no one from the Li family will bother again. I’m cutting ties with all of you here."
Leslie’s remark stunned everyone.
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