Chapter 32 One Question

Lunch was temporarily suspended.

In a way, Rai couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief to be released from the horrible situation previously.

However, he was unsure if the next one was going to be any better.

Somehow, the South's Li Clan's infamous youngest heir was on his way here. All his siblings knew exactly how their father despised the Li Clan. They weren't exposed too much on the details, but they could somewhat understand that the Li Clan was their adversary. As heirs, they were expected to contend against them in the future, but currently, they were too young to think about it too deeply.

Or so they thought.

One of their heirs was coming here?

They all felt a sort of excitement, Rai even more so.

Who hadn't heard about Li Tian?

Not only was he an heir, but he was also a famous singer! A celebrity!

Having lived in the South, it made Rai even more aware of who Li Tian was. To suddenly be able to meet someone you only kept hearing about, anyone would feel a little anticipation.

Originally, the Zhou Clan heirs wanted to act a little annoyed or appalled at an enemy coming to their home turf even if that wasn't their true emotions, but their father's words changed everything.

"He's coming to take in a temporary assistant, or so they say," Zhou Liuxian said. "He will be staying in the North a while, and is looking for someone to be his guide and attend him."

"Assistant? Guide?" the first son repeated. "He's coming to our Clan for this?"

"Tch," the Clan Head clicked his tongue. "It was Li Xinya's arrangement. I was so focused on Li Yelan that I overlooked the fox in our own backyard. He's more difficult to predict than the Li Clan Head. Branch Head Li Xinya mentioned it being good to increase relations between our young heirs, with Li Tian only being slightly older than most of you."

"So he's picking an attendant from one of us?" the first daughter tried not to appear too enamored, but the stars in her eyes were obvious. Li Tian being hunk was not a secret.

"It's quietly known within the prestigious Clans that Li Tian hates inferior people, how he gets away with that as a singer is baffling, but it makes it difficult for people to work closely with him," their usually stoic father surprisingly explained. "Thus Li Xinya thought someone younger with a relatively similar status would be a good idea. With this, Li Tian would have an attendant, and one of you will be able to learn a few things from him."

𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴? Rai could pick up a few cues from his father's words. His siblings may not have gotten it but he did. Their father was faintly implying that they weren't as exalted as Li Tian was.

How was this possible?

Weren't they all heirs from prestigious Clans? Is there somehow a difference? Is it because Li Tian is a celebrity?

But he was pretty sure father didn't think too highly of a celebrity status.

Being only ten years old and not acknowledged as a proper heir, Rai was never properly taught of the difference between Clans. However, he was clever enough to realize some discrepancies with how his father spoke of the Li Clan. His father, Zhou Liuxian, was a prestigious Clan Head and the most dominating person he knew. Yet somehow he always spoke of the Li Clan with such anger.

If he was so angry with them, as a powerful Clan Head, couldn't he just do something about it?

Now, a mere Clan heir was heading their way, and although his father appeared annoyed by it, he wasn't doing anything to stop it. Rather, he looked somewhat expectant.

Not to mention, the man, Bai Junyi, had immediately gone pale when Rai's father informed him of Li Tian's eventual arrival.

There was definitely something weird going on. Their father had earlier stated that the guest knew the Li Clan heir quite well. Bai Junyi even commended how the Zhou heirs were outstanding and not too far off.

Then why did he appear so terrified?

After informing Bai Junyi on the Li Clan heir's arrival earlier, Zhou Liuxian immediately had him escorted to a different room temporarily to keep him out of sight.

For some reason, he didn't want to send him back just yet.

So now only the father and children were left in the dining room.

"Be on your best behaviors," their father warned. "Although none of you have been in the spotlight yet if any of you are chosen to attend him, albeit temporarily, a lot of attention will be put onto you. You are not to lose face."

The first son, Liuren, grew a little excited at the news. He'd always wanted to put himself out there and show what he was capable of. He looked at his silent second brother unconsciously, and a thought came to him.

"Father, is second brother also required to present himself?"

Zhou Liuxian's lips thinned out with an unsatisfactory frown. "Yes. Now go change into appropriate clothing and be ready when called."

"Yes, Father!" they all answered him and shuffled out from the dining room without eating lunch.

.....

Rai walked out of his room with the best clothes he could find on short notice; a collared blue shirt and a pair of black pants. He made sure his hair was cleaned up and his bangs properly covered his eyes as well.

As long as the visitor, Li Tian, didn't notice how different he looked from his siblings, other than their hair, there should be no mention of it in the coming conversations.

In the first place, why was he required to join them anyway?

Rai was sure his father never wanted him to enter any spotlight. Yet wasn't this basically giving him an opportunity to put himself out there?

Was this really his father's decision?

The man that had hit him black and blue just last night?

Rai rubbed his arm subconsciously.

Without thinking any further, he walked closer to the guest lounge and was the first to arrive, besides his father. Keeping his head low, he stood by the sofa meant for the master of the house without daring to sit down.

There was an eerie silence between them, but Rai wasn't in any place to break it.

Not long after, his other siblings came in one by one and also went to stand by the sofa in perfect order according to age.

By being the third child, Rai stood in the middle of all five of them, making him feel more awkward than ever. With his ebony black hair contrasting to the other's brunette, he stood out like a sore thumb.

If this wasn't for a sudden meeting with a Li Clan heir, he would have been immediately berated and put in place; the corner of the room.

Zhou Liuxian ignored his children and focused solely on the mini-tablet in his hands. On it was all the information sent from the Li Corporation North Branch.

His eyebrows scrunched together, deep in thought on the current circumstances.

He had never actually met the youngest Li Clan heir before. The stories he heard were hopefully true and that he was nothing but a brat, but if he turned out to be half like his older brother, or worse yet, his mother, then it would be a problem to worry about.

Even a quarter would be something to think about.

Anything less would be just enough. Enough to teach any of his children a little bit on being an heir to a powerful family without being too imposing on them.

Seconds later, a knock came from the door.

Their butler entered and said, "Master Liuxian, Young Master Li has arrived."

Zhou Liuxian fixed his expression and stood up. "Show him in."

Moments later, the air suddenly felt heavy as a young man in his prime walked through the door, bringing with him an aura of absolute pride and supremacy. His chocolate locks were untamed as usual, giving him a wild esthetic, coupled with his sharp eyes that pierced the world as if they knew no danger. It didn't matter that he had walked straight into the territory of a rival, his strut showed nothing but complete tyranny.

It made Zhou Liuxian's lips slightly lower in a frown which he quickly corrected.

"Welcome, Li Tian-"

"Li 𝘟𝘪𝘢𝘰 Tian," the young man suddenly corrected him. "I've come with the status of Li Xiao Tian, not Li Tian."

Zhou Liuxian's palms unnoticeably trembled, but he wasn't the only one. All of his children had reacted as well, but all for different reasons.

There was one thought that was similar though, and it was that this man was a force to be reckoned with.

𝘟𝘪𝘢𝘰 𝘛𝘪𝘢𝘯... Rai unknowingly started to look at the stranger with a new light.

"Of course," the Clan Head chuckled as if nothing happened. "Take a seat and we shall discuss a bit further."

They both sat down accordingly but the way Li Tian sat exposed how little he thought of the meeting.

Ignoring his behavior, the Zhou Clan head spoke first with a smile, "Pardon me asking but this old man can't help but wonder. Is the issue of acquiring a close assistant your personal decision or..."

"It was both mine and my uncle's," the guest answered with boredom.

"Then I'll get straight to the chase. These five are my children," he motioned for his children standing close by. All of them but Rai stood proudly as Zhou Clan heirs. "Unfortunately they're still very young, with only the eldest being old enough to attend you."

"Hmmm..." Li Tian's gaze passed by each of the youngsters standing in front of him. He held back his disgust at the sight of them and clicked his tongue. "Age doesn't matter when it comes to a prodigy."

"That's true, but it does influence one's maturity," Zhou Liuxian replied sophisticatedly but he was actually fuming on the inside. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵, 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘯𝘵.

However, his children thought otherwise.

𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘭!

Everything about him just radiated a coolness that overwhelmed them. His looks alone were outstanding, but the charisma he paired it with was something else. At their age, the only other person they've seen with just as much or more charisma would be Yingxue.

"Tell our guest about yourselves," the Clan Head waved his hand and Li Tian didn't stop him.

The first son was the first to step up to the plate, repeating everything he had said once before to their previous guest, Bai Junyi.

Only this time, he did it with much more vigor.

Bai Junyi and Li Tian obviously represented two different things. The former was someone to increase his self-esteem and a rare chance to boast, the latter on the other hand, represented an opportunity to actually take him out into the world. It didn't matter if it was a rival clan member. His own father was reluctant to release them of his own accord. How was he supposed to prove himself the best candidate for future Clan Head otherwise?

Li Tian listened but made no reaction. He merely waved his hand to hear the next person. Obviously, he didn't like the first son, but he didn't allow himself to show it. After all, this was supposed to be the first time they've ever met. To suddenly show strong dislike would be fairly suspicious.

The first daughter stepped out next to introduce herself as well as her many achievements. Unlike the first son, her achievements actually felt more like her own, as she didn't rely solely on the clan for getting ahead. She had a smart brain and studied to get this far.

Of course, the clan still helped her garner more attention than normal students.

Being the only girl and also having the small layer of baby fat still stuck to her cheeks made her more adorable than any of her brothers. While she was still only eleven years old, the bright look in her eyes was undeniable.

Unfortunately, this was in front of Li Tian they were presenting.

Being cute or 'special' didn't work on him.

He waved his hand for the next person.

The entire time, Zhou Liuxian had his eyes glued onto Li Tian's every expression. He was surprised to see how the young heir acted with his children. He expected more reactions whether they be good or bad coming from this infamous lad. Was he really serious in taking up a mantle in the North Li Corporation?

𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘠𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘟𝘪𝘯𝘺𝘢... He couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

Next up was Rai.

Although he literally wanted to disappear from the scene, he was still required to say something about himself as the second son.

𝘏𝘮𝘮? Although subtle, Zhou Liuxian could swear he saw a reaction from Li Tian. It disappeared almost instantly but with his eyes completely focused on Li Tian, it was almost impossible for him to miss anything.

"I am the second son, Zhou Leixue. I am nowhere near as excellent as my older siblings and have still failed to meet the expectations of my father," Rai said respectfully. He wanted to end it at that but he could feel that having nothing good to say about himself would give his father shame. In front of someone from the Li Clan, that would definitely be bad. So he decided to repeat the only good thing his first brother said about him. "M-my only good quality is listening to orders..."

Suddenly there was an eerie shift in temperature in the room.

But before it could develop any further, Li Tian waved his hand for the next child.

The remaining two children were merely pleasantries at this point. It was almost meaningless for him to take in an attendant so young.

After all of them had finished their introductions, they waited for Li Tian to speak his mind. In their hearts, they expected around the same reaction the previous guest Bai Junyi had, full of praise.

To their disbelief, the next words that came out of his mouth were, "I'm disappointed. I expected a little bit more."

Zhou Liuxian expected as much. The Li Clan was a prideful entity and Li Tian was even more so. He'd be warier if any sort of flattery was uttered instead.

"They may not have achieved much yet but they are still young and full of potential," Zhou Liuxian said nonchalantly. In truth, one of his children coming under Li Tian was actually a good thing, whether for good intentions or bad. It didn't matter if it was either his first or second child. In his mind, his third child was never even an option. "They can grow alongside you."

Li Tian pursed his lips and spoke, "You're not wrong, but you're also inaccurate. What I need is an attendant, not a disciple. I'm not going to be present in the North forever. I don't care for their potential in the future. I need it now. The only thing useful I've heard so far is your second son saying he's good at following orders."

"What?" the first son couldn't help but exclaim.

Rai trembled at the sudden attention he got. How was he to know his simple words of undermining himself copied straight from his older brother would cause such a scene.

"Leixue?" Zhou Liuxian raised an eyebrow. Even if he wanted his children to achieve great things, this son of his was not apart of it.

His pride wouldn't allow for it.

If not for Li Xinya specifying ALL his children, he never would even be brought out.

Keeping his head low and face covered, Rai hurriedly clarified, "Although I am good at following orders, I am very clumsy and make mistakes that would be a handicap for you. I'm sure my brother, with his experience working in the student council, can serve you better."

"It's true!" the first son quickly added. "I've had great success in managing the masses and giving orders to my own subordinates. Leixue is always getting things wrong and being a liability with everything he doe-"

"Enough!" Li Tian suddenly thundered. No one could tell what he was thinking, but a huge frown had formed on his face. It made him look like a dissatisfied king.

Everything remained silent for a moment. Zhou Liuxian said nothing and decided to let his kids experience what the presence of a proper heir should feel like.

The media and rumors all pointed to Li Tian being a spoiled brat and a wastrel, which were all technically true. But upon this meeting, Zhou Liuxian realized that even if that were the case, the brat was still an heir to the Li Clan and the son of the one and only Li Yelan. There was no way he was completely unbecoming.

Perhaps his brilliance was overshadowed by his other siblings, but that didn't negate the fact he was still a proper heir. He didn't know what Li Tian was like back in the South, but he was definitely acting his part up in the North.

Unless Bai Junyi lied to him about this heir's personality, Li Tian must have gone through some change on the way here.

All these speculations were made in a matter of seconds as Zhou Liuxian observed the Li Clan heir.

Li Tian let out a sigh and looked at the Clan Head. "I'll give them one last opportunity. I'll only ask one question. Whoever gives me the answer I'm most satisfied with will be taken with me."

The youngsters perked up and focused.

"An answer you're most satisfied with?" Zhou Liuxian chuckled as he heard it. Being an old goat, he immediately understood what the heir was implying. "Meaning regardless of whether the answer is right or wrong, as long you like it they will be chosen."

The Li Clan heir gave a notorious smile. "Correct. The question is simple. Even an idiot can answer it."

His smile, even when being condescending was just mesmerizing.

"Ask away. I will sure to give my best answer," the first son said confidently.

"I'll do my best as well," the only daughter chipped in, not wanting to miss working with the young man.

"Heh," Li Tian smirked as his gaze landed on each and every one of their expressions. Even the little ones had a little excitement written. Unfortunately, they weren't even to be considered.

With a cocky smile still playing on his lips, he spoke lightly, "Alright. Answer me this... What is your favorite food?"

.....