Although her words were that of a worried mother, she was calling Bai Yu Yan a stubborn idiot who hadn't learned anything. In fact, the real Bai Yu Yan really didn't know any etiquette as Madame Bai never considered teaching her any of it. If anything, she wanted Bai Yu Yan to always be an uneducated fool so that Chun Hua could always outshine her. Not that she hadn't achieved her purpose but after marrying, Bai Yu Yan suddenly turned to become a completely different person, her manners, dressing sense, everything had changed for the better. Even the hanfu she was wearing was so different but beautiful from the usual ones. Fortunately, Old Madame Bai told her off in front of everyone, making her and Chun Hua look at each other and smile in glee.

Bai Yu Yan indifferently sat on her seat. Speaking back to them would only label her as unfilial and being rude to the elders. So she quietly sat there while sipping the tea. Fortunately, Lu Tong Xiao had made her eat earlier otherwise, in this environment, she doubted she would have any appetite to eat.

Lu Tong Xiao saw these people harping on and on about Bai Yu Yan's lack of etiquette and proper education. Although he had an idea that these people don't treat her well, seeing it for himself, his heart ached thinking about what kind of treatment she had received before their marriage. His jaw ticked as he clenched his fist to control himself from breaking the table in front of him.

"This lord thinks my wife looks lovely." Lu Tong Xiao raised their clasped hands and kissed it in front of everyone like he couldn't get enough of looking at her. And it wasn't a lie. He didn't bother to hide the admiration in his eyes as he looked at Bai Yu Yan with a warm doting smile.

Bai Chun Hua gritted her teeth at Lu Tong Xiao's public display of affection. All afternoon, she had taken extra effort to doll up knowing he would be coming to their home. The dress and jewelry she was wearing were new ones that had cost her three month's worth pocket money. But no matter how she tried to get his attention, he didn't spare her a single glance. Not even once. His eyes never left Bai Yu Yan since their arrival.

She suppressed the raging jealousy in her heart "Your Excellency, it's your grace that you consider it that way. Had it been any other man, I can't imagine what my older sister's life would be like. The rumors about older sister being unmatched to marry you has been spread in the capital like wildfire and to make it worse, she is not a bright lady. So every day I can only pray that her life in Lu manor wouldn't be difficult," she said to Lu Tong Xiao like a worried younger sister. Her eyes silently begging him to look her way.

Unfortunately, Lu Tong Xiao treated her words like air while Bai Yu Yan was actually surprised at how eager these people were to degrade her in front of Lu Tong Xiao. While they appeared like the concerned family, their every word was laced with poison, reminding Lu Tong Xiao of how undeserved she was to get married to the Lu manor. She wondered if her husband was someone who took these words seriously, what kind of treatment she would receive in her husband's home after that day.

Amidst the thought, Bai Yu Yan felt Lu Tong Xiao's warm fingers gently rub the back of her hand. She saw his eyes silently asking her if she wanted to go back home. Fortunately, these people were not her real family so their words had no effect on her. So she shook her head saying no need.

At the dinner table, Lu Tong Xiao kept picking food for Bai Yu Yan.

"Your Excellency, taste this. After knowing that her sister and you'd be coming, she used all afternoon to prepare these dishes," said Madame Bai after getting a nudge from Chun Hua, who was sitting right across Lu Tong Xiao.

Lu Tong Xiao closed his eyes to suppress the growing annoyance from the attention he was getting. The way Bai Chun Hua was ogling at him, he didn't like it one bit. To distract his attention, he turned to look at Bai Yu Yan who was quietly eating her food. Seeing her eat only the rice because her hands didn't reach the dishes that were placed far away from her, he stretched his hand and helped her pick some dishes she liked.

Bai Yu Yan, who was quietly eating her meal, suddenly noticed something crawling up her leg. Startled, she thought it was a bug when she realized it was not a bug but someone's toe. Gradually, it went up her calf towards her knee. Although there was her hanfu between the toe and her skin, she still felt ticklish because of its movement. Swallowing the food in her mouth with difficulty, she turned her head towards Lu Tong Xiao and silently poked him under the table. But to her surprise, the man turned to look at her in confusion. Bai Yu Yan narrowed her eyes and quietly looked under the table.

Sitting across from them, Chun Hua had a shy smile on her lips as she stretched her foot and gilded it across Bai Yu Yan's leg. Occasionally, her eyes darted towards Lu Tong Xiao as her chopsticks played with the food on the plate. The girl had no idea whose leg her toe was flirting with.

As soon as she saw this, Bai Yu Yan bit her tongue to suppress the bubbling laughter. She hurriedly shook her head to Lu Tong Xiao who was still waiting for her answer as to why she poked him.

After a moment, Bai Yu Yan raised her leg and directly stepped on Chun Hua's foot, making her immediately cry out in pain.

"Ahhhhhhh-" she shrieked as her face contorted with the sudden pain.

"What happened?" Madame Bai and the others were alarmed and asked her. Everyone's attention was instantly drawn towards her.

Feeling the immense pain shoot up her leg, she raised her head only to see Bai Yu Yan batting her eyelashes and smiling at her. Only then she understood what had happened. Feeling the shame and anger, she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes before looking at the others and forcing a smile, "A fishbone got stuck in my throat. It's okay now."