By late evening, the Li household was calm again. The dishes had been cleared, the younger ones had washed up, and the smell of tea drifted from the study.
Li Jian sat behind the low desk, pouring a steaming cup of tea for himself. Liu Xiong lounged by the window, clearly there just to watch the fun.
One by one, the children arrived. Yujian came first, followed by Cheng and Jingsheng, who looked like they'd step out of an ice bag. Yuhan, Zhang and Jingxuan strolled in together, still giggling over some private joke, and Juanxin came in last, padded in with Fluffy trotting at his side, the fox's tail swaying lazily.
Fluffy didn't want to come since Shiny refused to come as well, but Juanxin insisted that partners should stay together.
They sat in a semi-circle, each with cushions that Li Jain set up prior to their arrival. Liu Xiong leaned lazily against the window, observing them with interest.
