I forcefully held back the tears in my eyes, picked up the green bean cake in the bowl, and finished eating it in big bites. Then, I smiled at my father and said, "Father, seeing me eat, he also smiled and used the public chopsticks to add a heap of rice and dishes that I usually liked to eat into my bowl. He said, 'A Ying, eat more. Look at you, how skinny you've become these past few days.'"

I didn't know what to say. I just kept my head down and ate the food Father had put on my plate, swallowing each mouthful as if I could somehow swallow Father's kindness to me and keep it hidden in my heart forever.

"Master, this won't do. Aying is your daughter, and Zhuzhu is also your daughter. How can you only care about Aying and not pay attention to Zhuzhu? It's one thing for the family banquet, but if it gets seen by outsiders, who knows what they might say about you, Master. If they accuse you of mistreating your illegitimate daughter, it could affect your official career..." Suddenly, a sharp voice sounded in my ears. To put it bluntly, even if I closed my eyes, I knew that it was Wei Hong's voice. If it were any other day, I would definitely argue with her, but perhaps due to my rare affection for my father today, I forcibly suppressed my discomfort and continued eating my food without even lifting my head.

"Mother, you shouldn't say things like that. As the saying goes, there is a distinction between the legitimate and illegitimate children. Eldest sister is the legitimate daughter, while Zhu Zhu is just an illegitimate child. It is only natural for father to treat the eldest sister well. Zhu Zhu has never asked to be treated equally with the eldest sister. You shouldn't argue with father over such a trivial matter," Yu Zhu, who was sitting beside Wei Heng, spoke up as Wei Heng's words faded. Yu Zhu's voice was as gentle and weak as always, and she nodded and agreed obediently. As she spoke, she used her fingers to fiddle with the peach-colored handkerchief in her hand, keeping her head lowered. It seemed like she would never dare to lift her head unless someone called her.

After hearing Yu Zhu's words, Wei Heng let out a cold snort from his nose. Then, he glanced at his father out of the corner of his eye and spoke again, "Ah Zhu, Mother knows you have a gentle temperament, but you've always been passive. When will you ever take a stand? Although there is a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, the old master is also your father. He is not just Ayin's father alone. It's one thing if you don't compete or fight for other things, but..."

"Hengniang, please hold your tongue. Aying and Zhuzhu are both my daughters, and I am well aware of my own heart. I would never mistreat anyone. It's just that Aying returned today, and I was thinking about..."

"What's wrong with her coming back? This home has never said she couldn't come back. If she herself doesn't want to come back, why should you, Master, feel guilty? How can a grown girl be seen outside like this? Other people might say things about our Shangshu Residence. If, if it's because of her that our Zhuzhu couldn't find a good husband... I... I... Ah, why is our Zhuzhu so unlucky? A Ying is the legitimate daughter, so it doesn't matter if her reputation is ruined. But our Zhuzhu, such an obedient girl, if her reputation gets tarnished, what will happen in the future? As a concubine-born daughter, she naturally can't compare to A Ying's noble status. How will she ever get married in the future?" As soon as the father finished talking, Wei Heng, who was sitting beside him, dropped his chopsticks and started sobbing. Yu Zhu naturally walked over to her, clutching a handkerchief and wiping away her tears. Seeing Yu Zhu, Wei Heng cried even more intensely, grabbing onto Yu Zhu's sleeve and saying, "Zhuzhu, you are a good girl and make Mother proud. Originally, Mother didn't need to worry about your lifelong matter, but now that A Ying has caused trouble, if you can't get married, what will Mother do? Mother only has one daughter in this lifetime."

I sat in my seat, watching my father's furrowing brow and then turning my gaze to Wei Huan holding Zhu, both crying uncontrollably. There was an inexplicable restlessness in my heart, perhaps it was because of Wei Huan's arrival. The Shang Shu Mansion was becoming more and more devoid of any authority. This kind of farce would happen every few days, and each time it would end with my father compromising. I let out a bitter laugh, picked up the bowl of food in front of me, and poured it into Zhu's bowl. After pouring, it felt like I had let out a sigh of relief. Ignoring my father beside me, I casually threw the bowl onto the table and said, "You guys eat, I'm full. Goodbye."