Dinner went relatively well. Lu Jiaxin was as genuine as one could get. She made sure no one was left out, her warmth neither forced nor performative, and she listened with the kind of attention that made people feel seen rather than inspected.
The atmosphere was unexpectedly good.
Even the livestream chat seemed momentarily unsure of how to behave.
[Why does this feel like a family dinner suddenly]
[This is not the drama I was promised but I am strangely healed]
Lu Jiaxin laughed softly at Wu Shiyun's complaint about village life, nodded seriously when Jiang Shuyue talked about nearly falling into a well, and praised the food with sincere enthusiasm that made the cooking team visibly relax.
No one was overlooked. Not even Shen Xiyu, who had quietly retreated into polite silence.
[She remembered everyone's name??]
[This is why she was the national sweetheart, I get it now]
