I Have Decided to Go Look for My Father

Aunty Mei showed Lin Xi to the dining room.

Lin Xi thought the dinner that Aunty Mei was talking about was just a few regular dishes. Lo and behold, the second that she walked inside of the dining room, Lin Xi thought she was looking at the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast.

“… …” Just the two of them plus Grandma Mei. Were they overdoing it a bit with this much food?

Seeing the surprised look o Lin Xi, Aunty Mei quickly explained, “It was my first time cooking for Little Miss Xin and I didn’t know what you like. So I made a little of everything.”

Truth was, when she was preparing dinner, Aunty Mei wanted to make everything for Lin Xi and inadvertently made all the dishes that she was good at.

“Just pick the ones that you like.

“What do you usually like, Little Miss Xi?” asked Aunty Mei.

“I can do anything,” said Lin Xi.

“Ah, you are not a picky eater. That is wonderful.”

Lin Xi, “… …” What kind of filter is that?

“Anything you like in particular?” asked Aunty Mei again. “Do you prefer sweet or savory dishes?”

Lin Xi thought about it some and said, “Sweet.”

“Can you eat spicy food?”

Lin Xi shook her head.

“What about sweet and sour?”

“Yes.” Lin Xi nodded.

Aunty Mei smiled and said, “little Miss Xi’s taste is exactly the same as that of Old Sir.”

Lin Xi didn’t know who was this “Old Sir” that she was referring to but she certainly seemed to have some knowledge of herself and Gu Shao.

Did they know each other from before?

Lin Xi thought to herself as she ate.

That being said, Aunty Mei’s cooking was amazing. Lin Xi felt that her cooking was even better than those of the 5-star chefs that Song Kexin had hired in the past.

***

On this end, seeing that Lin Xi enjoyed her cooking, Aunty Mei’s smile deepened.

When neither Gu Shao nor Lin Xi were paying attention, Aunty Mei pulled up her cellphone and snapped a picture of Lin Xi.

After dinner, Gu Shao went over to his study for a call and Lin Xi stood up to help with the dishes.

Aunty Mei stopped her right away.

“No, no, little Miss Xi. Let me.”

“It’s alright. I can at least help you bring them into the kitchen.” Lin Xi was well aware that she was staying under someone else’s roof.

Seeing that Lin Xi had already picked up the bowls and dishes and walked into the kitchen, there was not much more that Aunty Mei could do to stop her.

That being said, she took the opportunity to snap a few more pictures of Lin Xi.

***

By the time the kitchen was picked up, Aunty Mei returned to her room, pulled out her cellphone, located the pictures that she took earlier and quickly sent them over to the one who had been clutching on his cellphone and waited for the past hour.

One text from Aunty Mei and it was a like a bomb had been dropped at the other Gu’s place.

At Gu’s house.

Old Mr. Gu, who had been waiting all night long with his cellphone, perked up all of a sudden and sat up straight when he received the text.

“I got it. I got it. Let me check out our little princess.”

Hearing his words, the two young boys around the same age as Lin Xi also tossed away the games that they had been playing and ran over excitedly. “Grandpa, are they pictures from Grandma Mei? Let me see. Let me see.”

Next to them, even the usually calm and steady Big Brother Gu scooted over Old Mr. Gu curiously.

The few of them stuck together and waited for Old Mr. Gu’s ancient cellphone to spin a few times before a picture finally loaded up.

“So this is Xiao Xi?”

“Let me see.”

“She’s so pretty!”

“Of course. She’s one of ours!” His cellphone in hand, Old Mr. Gu’s happiness was uncontainable. He acted as though Lin Xi was standing right in front of him.

“She looks quite like Second Brother,” said Gu Feng, the oldest of the Gu’s as he nodded.

His words earned him a stare from Old Mr. Gu. “My granddaughter is so cute. She doesn’t look like the jerk Gu Shao at all!!”

“She does, kind of, look like Second Uncle,” said Gu Yanxiao.

He, too, got a stare from the old grandfather.

“Nope. Xiao Xi looks like your grandmother.”

“But Grandma didn’t have dimples. Look, Xiao Xi has a dimple here.” Gu Chenyi, too, pointed at the not-so-obvious dimple on Lin Xi in the picture.

Old Grandpa insisted on what he had said. “She got that from me.” All in all, it had nothing to do with that jerk.

Having said that that, Old Grandpa hrumphed in a dramatic way and said, “This Gu Shao, he didn’t even tell me after he found his daughter. I’d still be in the dark had I not pulled it out of Wang Wu!”

As much as he was griping about Gu Shao, Old Grandpa wasn’t able to contain the smile on him.

Even Gu Feng couldn't help but smiled secretively when he heard Old Mr. Gu’s words. Aunty Mei had been working for them over dozens of years and was almost like a butler. Of course they would have noticed that something was going on when his second brother asked for her.

“Grandpa, grandpa. Looks like Grandma Mei had just sent something else. Go look at it.”

“I know. Can’t you tell I am doing just that?”

“Just click on the picture again and it will bring you back out.”

“Can you upgrade to a faster cellphone, Grandpa?” The four of them were anxious all over again as they stared at the cellphone when it downloaded the new picture.

Finally, another picture of Lin Xi appeared on the cellphone.

“She’s even prettier from this angle!”

“Hurry up. Hurry up. There are more pictures. Just swipe left.”

Another picture appeared.

This one, however, was one of Lin Xi carrying the bowls and dishes toward the kitchen.

Old Mr. Gu frowned. “What is Aunty Mei doing? How could she let Xiao Xi clean up? I am going to have a talk with her. We can always send more help over if they need.”

All three other men next to him nodded in agreement.