Chapter 019: Maneuvering Like a Tiger

"And, Uncle and Aunt Foster, along with the other Foster siblings—how is it that you've all come together? Did Aunt Sylvia return to the Foster house first, and then you accompanied her here to visit the Pierces? If that's the case, then..."

Looking at Silas Pierce, who was staring at him from the crowd with an unreadable expression, Leo said, "Then Uncle Silas, what you did was quite wrong."

"We can understand if you went straight to the Foster house instead of returning to the Pierces upon landing. After all, Aunt Sylvia is your fiancée. As the Fosters' future son-in-law, it’s only right to visit them after being abroad for so long."

"However, Uncle, the Foster cousins are one thing—they are our peers and we know them, so a bit of informality is fine. But Uncle and Aunt Foster are prominent figures in Seahaven and our elders. Since they accompanied you to the Pierce residence, you should have called us in advance so we could prepare, rather than being so discourteous in front of our guests."

"Right now, with Mom and Dad out, it’s just my sister and me scrambling to welcome elders who dropped by unannounced. It is truly a lapse in etiquette."

"If only you had called beforehand... never mind, let’s not dwell on that for now."

Leo looked at Silas with a mix of confusion and earnestness. "I wonder if you told my parents about your return? If not, I’ll call them now so they can hurry home."

"Uncle, you really are something. Even if you didn't mention the Fosters coming over, you should have at least called ahead about your return! If I hadn't taken a break from my homework to check my phone, I might not have even known you were back in the country."

"Learning about one's own uncle’s return from the internet... if word got out, people might mistakenly think the Pierce family is divided."

"But then again, this isn't for us juniors to manage. Perhaps you did tell my parents and they were simply too busy to pass it on to us."

"If that’s the case, I apologize for misunderstanding and thinking you didn't notify us. But bringing guests over without a heads-up is still a bit..."

Leo didn't finish the sentence, stopping at just the right moment.

He had played both the good cop and the bad cop so thoroughly that they were left speechless, however much they might be seething inside.

Moreover, the expressions of the group—especially the second Master Foster and his wife, Jade’s parents—were shifting through a kaleidoscope of emotions.

Regardless of whether they had followed Sylvia from the Foster house or not, showing up at the Pierces' door without a word was indeed a breach of etiquette.

They couldn't refute Leo's words, even if his version of events differed slightly from the truth.

But to be called out for being discourteous by a junior in front of so many people—especially other juniors—was naturally humiliating.

Sylvia and Silas weren't faring much better; their expressions froze for a moment.

However, the two of them were more composed.

Looking at Leo, both were inwardly enraged.

What a Leo! Giving them a show of strength the moment they arrived!

Silas gave Leo a long look and said emotionlessly, "We didn't go to the Fosters first; we came straight to the Pierce house from the airport. Somehow news of our return leaked, and we were swamped by reporters. It wasn't easy for your Aunt Sylvia to get away to her own home, so she came with me. Since she is my fiancée, there's little difference whether she comes here or goes to the Fosters first."

"As for Uncle and Aunt Foster and the others, they heard about the reporters and rushed over to help us. They simply came along for the ride."

"Regarding our return, I indeed didn't call your parents beforehand because I wanted to surprise them. However, I did call them the moment I landed. If they didn't tell you, they must have been tied up with work and forgotten."

Quentin and Xenia approached just in time to hear Silas's words.

They looked up at Leo, who was standing at the entrance, with confusion.

The couple then shared a glance.

Hadn't they called Leo an hour ago to tell him about Silas's return and asked him to tell Seraphina? Why did it sound like Silas was implying Leo claimed they hadn't told him?

Though they didn't understand why, Quentin and Xenia wouldn't undermine their son in public.

They would ask their usually sensible son about the lie in private later.

Quentin and Xenia were a short distance behind Silas's group. Silas and the others didn't realize they were there, but Seraphina and Leo saw them clearly from the opposite side.

Yet neither of them changed their expression, seemingly unbothered about being caught in a lie.

This only added to the confusion in Quentin and Xenia's hearts.

Leo wasn't a child who lied, and Seraphina certainly wasn't.

Especially for such a trivial matter—it was completely unnecessary.

So they...

Seraphina's original plan was to keep Leo from standing out so he wouldn't be targeted by Silas and Sylvia, but seeing him finish his piece without giving anyone a chance to interrupt, she suddenly didn't want to stop him.

Leo wasn't the type to push things to the extreme.

For him to say such blunt, unsparing words, it was impossible that he hadn't noticed something was amiss.

Now that he had caught on, nothing she said or did would make much difference anyway.

Oh well, it was better that he knew.

Her original intent was to deal with these two quietly on her own, so that when her parents and Leo later thought of Silas and Sylvia, they would only sigh and realize how deceptive they were—and that their downfall was simply karma.

She had intended to carry the burden alone.

Now, that seemed unlikely.

In her past life at this time, she was also home on leave, but she was always in her soundproofed practice room composing. No one disturbed her, so she wasn't the first to know about Silas and Sylvia's return, let alone the scene when they entered the house. Naturally, she didn't know if Leo had ever spoken like this then.

As things stood...

It was good for her parents and Leo to be suspicious; they would be more guarded.

Though even if they knew nothing, she had enough confidence to keep them safe.

Still, she didn't plan on letting them participate in the takedown.

Even with her now-resolute will, the memories of the past were still suffocating. That past was too heavy; it was enough for her to bear it alone.

"What's everyone doing crowding around here?"

Xenia walked over and looked at Seraphina, feigning anger. "Sera, your uncle and Aunt Sylvia haven't been home for years; how can you block them at the door the moment they arrive? Moreover, there are guests here. You two are being far too rude. That's not how I raised you."

"It really was our mistake," Seraphina admitted dutifully.

Then she added, "But Mom, you can't be mad at us. Leo and I haven't seen Uncle and Aunt Sylvia for years, and since we didn't know they were coming today, we were just too overwhelmed to react when they suddenly showed up."

"Besides, we've never met guests like Uncle and Aunt Foster who drop by without a word, so we didn't know how to handle it. That's why we're all standing here..."

Since Leo had already spoken up to irritate them, she certainly wouldn't undermine him. Not only would she support him, she would add fuel to the fire.

Having finished, she offered an apologetic smile as if blind to the Fosters' darkened faces. "Uncle and Aunt Foster, please don't be angry. I didn't mean to criticize your manners. I've truly never dealt with this before and didn't know the procedure. I apologize for the embarrassment."

The two Fosters: "..."

The others: "..."

Finnian: "..." (Hahahahaha!)

He really wanted to burst out laughing!

It was his first time seeing his second uncle and aunt so utterly shut down.

He felt incredibly satisfied—serves them right for always making trouble for him at the office!

He had dropped his work and rushed here from the office because his parents, who were traveling, heard the news of the return. They told him to hurry to the Pierces' to make sure the other Fosters didn't make fools of themselves.

Exactly. Since he joined the company after graduation, his father taught him for one month and then became a hands-off boss, taking his wife on a world tour!

Leaving him to fend for himself!

He even had to keep an eye on the whole extended family to stop them from causing trouble for the Fosters.

Thinking about it made him weary.

The second Mistress Foster, Li Xiaoyan, said with a stiff face, "Coming without notice was indeed our oversight, but things were urgent and we didn't have time. Besides, I thought with our families' deep bond, and entering alongside Silas and Sylvia, I didn't need to use the formalities I'd use for outsiders..."

"But regardless, we were indeed discourteous this time."

This was a subtle jab, implying the Pierces—or specifically Seraphina and Leo—were making a mountain out of a molehill.

She was suggesting that she treated the Pierces as family and thus skipped the formalities, yet the Pierces were being petty. She was questioning if the Pierces didn't value the bond as much as she did.

Everyone present was a veteran of social games; how could they not hear the subtext?

Quentin remained silent, and Xenia's expression stayed unchanged, offering an elegant smile. "It's not a huge deal. Let's not stay crowded here."

"Sera and Leo were raised with a rather traditional education and don't know how to be flexible. They thought guests who arrive without notice are rude. I'll teach them better in the future—let them know that for close friends, dropping by unannounced isn't a breach of etiquette at all."

Li Xiaoyan's face turned crimson.

What a Xenia! She was actually using sarcasm against her!

Just as she was about to speak, Xenia gave her no chance. "Everyone, inside. Silas and Sylvia have been on a long flight and were swamped by the media. They must be exhausted now that they're home."

Then she instructed: "Auntie Du, have some tea and snacks prepared. We rarely have so many guests; make sure there are plenty of pastries in flavors these children like."

"Also, have someone take Silas and Sylvia's luggage to the rooms I had prepared for them."

"Silas and Sylvia have been abroad for so many years; we should celebrate their return. Since the second Foster Master, his wife, and the youngsters are here, have the kitchen prepare dinner. We'll all eat together—the more, the merrier."

...

Xenia's maneuvers were comprehensive and flawless—truly like a tiger in a hunt.

Neither Li Xiaoyan, Sylvia, nor anyone else could get a word in.

Though they were dying of frustration inside, they had to outwardly thank Xenia.

Because she had considered everything, including having rooms ready for Silas and Sylvia.

Seraphina and Leo shared a look and sat on the sofa.

They were content to be quiet spectators.

Because they weren't needed at all.

Look at them—every one of their faces looked as if they had just swallowed a fly.