Little Yuanyuan finally realized the seriousness of the situation, too shaken to continue eating her bread.

Gao Zhou, however, recognized Shen Ji and greeted him warmly, “Hey, little brother, it’s you! What a coincidence!”

“Hello,” Shen Ji responded politely with a nod.

Yu Mingxi set his book aside, “I remember you.”

“Want some chips?” Yu Yingze had already extended the bag toward Shen Ji.

Completely out of the loop, Yu Jinxiao felt like the odd one out. Why did everyone seem to know this kid except him?

His eyes narrowed dangerously as he glanced at Gao Zhou, silently demanding an explanation.

After so many years of working with You Jinxiao, Gao Zhou quickly understood the message behind his look. Leaning in, he whispered, “This is the boy Miss Yuanyuan befriended at the amusement park.”

Oh, so they hadn’t known each other long. Then why did they seem so familiar?

Recovering from her shock, Yuanyuan noticed the fallen piece of bread on the ground and, feeling heartbroken, moved to pick it up.

Shen Ji quickly stopped her, his surprise clear. “It’s on the ground; you can’t eat that.”

“But if I blow on it to clean off the dirt, it should be okay…”

“No, it’s not.”

“Okay,” Yuanyuan pouted, her head hanging low.

Lunch was set up on the table—desserts, snacks, even some steak, cheesy baked sweet potatoes, and pasta that Gao Zhou had driven to pick up.

After seeing his own meager lunch compared to the feast before him, Shen Ji felt like he had entered a different world.

A simple picnic had somehow turned into a gourmet outing, complete with a tent and every imaginable accessory. Even the meal had been prepared with extravagance.

Yuanyuan looked every bit like the pampered little princess she was.

“Daddy, brother Shen Ji hasn’t had lunch yet. Can he join us?” Still trembling from her earlier nerves, Yuanyuan bravely asked, clinging to Shen Ji as if afraid he might disappear.

“No, it’s okay,” Shen Ji quickly declined and tried to step away.

“But brother Shen Ji’s uncle and aunt are already having lunch, aren’t they?” Yuanyuan added innocently, not realizing the weight of her words.

Yu Jinxiao didn’t quite catch the meaning, but Yu Mingxi and Gao Zhou understood perfectly.

They remembered the situation at the amusement park all too well—Shen Ji’s aunt and uncle were anything but kind. It was obvious they brought him along as a servant and hadn’t even bothered to prepare lunch for him.

“Sit and eat with us,” Yu Mingxi said, placing a hand on Shen Ji’s shoulder, urging him to join them.

Despite Yu Mingxi’s frail appearance, like that of a delicate glass figurine, Shen Ji couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

The moment he sat down, Yuanyuan joyfully claimed the seat next to him and offered him a big drumstick.

“Brother Shen Ji, eat this big chicken thigh!” she said, her own mouth still full of food. “Oops, I mean big chicken drumstick!”

Shen Ji’s stomach had been growling for a while, but looking at the greasy drumstick, he hesitated before carefully taking it, using a napkin to avoid touching it with his gloves. “Thank you.”

He worried that the grease might stain his gloves or leave a lingering smell, which would undoubtedly cause problems for him later.

“Gloves might make it hard to eat. Here, use these disposable gloves instead,” Yu Mingxi kindly offered him a pair of clean, transparent gloves.

Shen Ji glanced at his own hands, then at the people around him. After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head. “No, it’s fine like this.”

Yu Mingxi assumed Shen Ji was hiding something beneath his gloves and chose not to press the issue further.

Yuanyuan, engrossed in her food, didn’t forget to share. After finishing her drumstick, she eagerly passed Shen Ji a wing and a small roll.

Just as Yuanyuan was happily gnawing on her food, a soccer ball came flying out of nowhere, smashing into her arm.

The chicken wing in her hand flew into the air and landed unceremoniously on the grass.

“My chicken wing… wuwuwu…” Yuanyuan wailed, devastated.

The soccer ball rolled to a stop beside the table, and suddenly, the air grew heavy with tension.