Chapter 83: An invitation to a banquet

Lin Feng put down his phone, his expression dazed.

For a long time, he sat in silence, gazing at the bright moon hanging above the trees.

He had thought that as long as he apologized, he could put the matter behind him. But... why did his heart still feel heavy?

’Lin Feng, are you still there? You appeared earlier, didn’t you?’

The wind brushed past his cheeks, and the leaves rustled softly overhead. No one answered him.

Just then, something landed on his shoulder.

Lin Feng lowered his head in surprise and found a little bird perched there. It flapped its wings and tilted its tiny head at him before gently rubbing its head against his chin, as though trying to comfort him.

Lin Feng blinked.

He had always thought birds slept at night. Why was this little fellow still awake?

He raised a slender finger and gently tapped its forehead.

"It’s late. Go to sleep, little one."

The bird blinked at him once before fluttering away.

Watching its tiny silhouette disappear into the night, Lin Feng let out a quiet sigh.

Perhaps because they still considered him part of their family bloodline, the Lin family had accepted his apology without making things difficult for him. Of course, Lin Xiaoxiao was clearly an exception.

But the Tang family...

Aside from the initial turmoil that had sent their stock prices plummeting before they recovered, the damage they had suffered was nothing compared to the blow dealt to the reputations of the Bai and Lin families.

In truth, there was only one person in the Tang family who had genuinely suffered.

It wasn’t even the result of deliberate malice or outright verbal attacks. Rather, it was those seemingly harmless remarks, spoken with a hint of schadenfreude. People said them without a second thought, never realizing that when such words were repeated over and over, they could slowly wear away at someone’s self-confidence.

Lin Feng lowered his eyes and sighed again.

Whether his apology would be enough or not, it was still a place to start.

If he continued avoiding the matter, how would he ever know what he could do to make amends to Uncle Tang?

With that thought, Lin Feng rose and returned to his room.

On a nearby treetop, a little bird nestled in its nest lifted its head, watching the boy’s retreating figure. His reflection glimmered in its tiny eyes.

Then, as though remembering the boy’s words, it tucked its head beneath its wing and fell asleep.

....

The following days passed peacefully, and Lin Feng gradually settled into life with the Bai family.

Although the Lin family had accepted his apology, no one had asked him to return. Meanwhile, the Bai family showed no intention of letting him move out.

Wei Ranmiao had become especially strict about his diet. Even his two cousins refused to let him join them for a morning jog when he first suggested going out with them.

Lin Feng could only smile helplessly and explain, again and again, that light exercise would do him no harm. On the contrary, he needed to exercise to improve his health.

In the end, he was allowed to jog around the neighborhood with Bai Jianning every morning. Even then, Bai Jianning wore smart glasses to monitor his heart rate throughout their runs.

In just a few days, Lin Feng had gone from an ordinary member of the household to a precious antique porcelain that everyone in the Bai family was afraid to handle too roughly.

It wasn’t entirely their fault.

From Grandpa Bai and the Bai couple to the Bai siblings, every member of the family was strong and in excellent health. They were so energetic that they always seemed to have energy to spare.

Now, with a delicate little weakling among them, they couldn’t help worrying that their usual habits might be too much for him.

Just as Lin Feng was wondering when he should ask his grandfather whether it was appropriate to meet with the Tang family, an invitation to a birthday banquet arrived.

He picked up the invitation and turned it over in his hands.

"The Wei family? Why did they invite me?"

Lin Feng searched his memories but couldn’t recall being particularly close to anyone in the Wei family.

Wei Ranmiao shook her head. "Wei Yue gave me this invitation at the charity gala. She said her son’s birthday banquet would be held next week and that she would be delighted if you could attend. She said that your mother used to be her friend, so she considers you her nephew. She said she would like to see how you are doing."

Only then did Lin Feng understand.

He nodded. Since the invitation came from an elder who had been a friend of his mother, it would be impolite to refuse without reason.

He turned to his aunt with a gentle smile. "Then I will trouble Auntie to let Aunt Ye know that I will be attending."

"Are you sure you want to go?" Wei Ranmiao studied him seriously. "Until now, we could decline invitations on your behalf. But once you show up at this banquet, it will mean you are returning to our social circles. After that, there may be invitations that will not be so easy to refuse."

Lin Feng nodded without hesitation.

"I have rested for long enough. I cannot keep hiding forever." He paused, then smiled sheepishly. "Besides, I can always use my health as an excuse to decline. I’m sure no one will insist on making me attend if I give that reason. I will have a much easier time than Auntie."

Wei Ranmiao could not help laughing. She reached out and patted his arm.

"All right, then. I will accept the invitation for you. We have a week to prepare your outfits and accessories. You and Jianning will come with me."

"Me too?"

Bai Jianning had just changed out of her school uniform when she heard those words. Her face immediately fell.

Wei Ranmiao remained unmoved.

"Of course. Didn’t I tell you that you will be taking private lessons? You should be grateful that your mother is willing to personally teach you. Now, your first lesson will be learning how to choose the right outfits for banquets."

Bai Jianning’s expression grew even more miserable.

Lin Feng watched the exchange with a faint smile.

And so, accompanied by his aunt, Wei Ranmiao, and his cousin, Bai Jianning, Lin Feng stepped into a shopping mall for the first time in this life.

Lin Feng tried to appear calm, but his wide amber eyes could not help but look around, his eyes lighting up with wonder.

Bai Jianning’s private lessons began the moment they arrived at a high end clothing store.

"It would have been better to visit the top custom tailors in the capital," Wei Ranmiao explained to the two youngsters.

"Unfortunately, we only have a week, which is far too short a notice. Remember this, whenever you are hosting an important banquet, you need to plan ahead. Invitations should be sent out at least two weeks in advance, preferably a month, so your guests have enough time to arrange their schedules and prepare their outfits."

Lin Feng and Bai Jianning nodded obediently.

Wei Ranmiao paused, her gaze lingering on the boy.

Why was Lin Feng nodding so seriously, too?

But when she saw the bright expressions on both the boy’s and the girl’s faces, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

Perhaps her daughter might find these lessons more interesting if she studied together with her Third Brother.

Lin Feng himself seemed very interested.