Minister Zhuo looked a little surprised and asked, "Right now?"
The attendant nodded.
So, he stood up and said to them, "Wait a moment, I'll step outside for a bit."
"What's the matter?" Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu looked a little uneasy.
"It's nothing, Mother." The Prime Minister gave her a reassuring look and went out.
Grace also found it strange. What was going on?
Their questions were soon answered.
Because Minister Zhuo was only gone for a moment before he came back.
When he returned, he brought someone with him.
That person was tall and slender, wearing a smile and dressed in a strange outfit of vermilion mixed with purple—a color most men would never dare to wear.
But he managed to pull off that difficult color perfectly. He was so dazzling, you couldn't look away.
He was holding a medium-sized bundle, still smiling, with dimples faintly showing on his face.
Grace stared at him with her mouth open. Why was he here?
Wasn't he supposed to have gone back to his hometown?
"Dowager Lady, Madam." Evan Xiao bowed to Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu and Lena, holding up the bundle. "I brought these pastries from my hometown. I thought they'd spoil if I kept them too long, so I hurried over to deliver them. Sorry for the intrusion!"
It took Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu a moment to react. She chuckled and said, "So the General really did go home?"
"Yes."
"But the New Year isn't over yet—why did you come back so soon?"
Evan Xiao replied, "I don't really have any family left. It doesn't matter where I spend the New Year."
Such a man... what a pitiful fate.
Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu's heart softened. She said, "If the General doesn't mind, why not stay and have New Year's Eve dinner with us!"
"How could I?" Evan Xiao replied politely. "I'd be imposing!"
"Imposing? No way! Having the General join us for New Year's is an honor! Quick, someone get the General a chair!" said Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu.
"Yes, ma'am!" The servant hurried to fetch a chair.
"No need!" Evan Xiao stopped the servant.
Everyone understood—after all, it's New Year's. Who spends it at someone else's house?
Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu was about to say a few polite words, like thanking him for bringing pastries during the holidays and telling him to be careful on the way home because it was getting dark, when Evan Xiao interrupted, "I'll take care of it myself."
I'll take care of it myself?
Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu: "..."
Minister Zhuo: "..."
The General strode over on his long legs and fetched a chair himself in just a few steps.
He put the chair right between Grace and Jason Zhuo and said, "I'll just sit next to Jason!"
It took Jason Zhuo a moment to react, then he quickly said, "Oh!" and scooted his chair over.
There weren't that many people in the Zhuo family, and the round table was huge. Even if you added three or four more chairs, there'd still be plenty of space.
So Evan Xiao sat down comfortably, with Jason Zhuo on his left and Grace on his right. There was plenty of room.
Minister Zhuo's eye twitched.
Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu swallowed her words and just chuckled.
Grace glanced at Evan Xiao.
He looked perfectly at ease, not embarrassed in the slightest.
He even asked the Zhuo family's maid to open one of the pastry bundles he brought and put them on a plate for everyone to try.
The pastries didn't look fancy—kind of like big blocks of mung bean cake.
Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu had tasted all kinds of pastries in her life.
Now that she's older, she usually doesn't care for these anymore.
But Evan Xiao stood up and handed her one himself.
So she had no choice but to accept it and took a small bite.