The next day was Sunday. Xu Mei got up after a surprisingly long sleep of six hours.
Maybe it was a side effect of the electric shocks but, those days, she slept for five to six hours per night, nearly doubling her previous average.
That might have been the reason she felt relaxed the whole day. Her mood was so good that the improvised family reunion didn't bother her a bit. It was apparently the most satisfying one that she had ever attended.
They were having breakfast in the dining room.
Elder Xu was sitting at the head of the table. Xu Manho was at his right, followed by his daughter. On the left, there were Xu Mei and Prime Minister's head assistant, who was used to eating with the Xus more than Xu Mei herself. Xu Manho's wife, Xu Mei's aunt, used to sleep till late, so she was not present. Xu Mei's brother, Xu Ting, was abroad, so he was absent as well.
Their family meals were often like that, with half of the family missing.
«I am really disappointed,» the Prime Minister stated once he finished eating. He joined his hands in front of him and scanned the causes of his disappointment with a grimace.
He looked at Xu Mei and scolded here briefly: «you have to know how to behave on public occasions. If something like this happens again, I will hire an etiquette teacher for you. Understood?»
«Yes, grandfather,» she nodded patiently. Since her falling in the pool was immediately forgotten by everyone, Xu Yanhuo didn't want to lose time with her. There were more prominent problems to solve.
Xu Mei sipped her tea, waiting for the rest of the show. For once, it was not her that was causing damage to the Prime Minister's image.
«Dad, I think you shouldn't get angry. It's not good for your health,» Xu Manho intruded.
«I shouldn't?» the Prime Minister asked, hitting the table with his hand. «And whose fault is it that I am angered? Does anyone at this table actually care about my health?»
«Everything will be fine, eventually. There is no need to worry so much.»
«How are you so sure? Do you even know what has to be done to resolve a scandal like that?»
«People will forget, sooner or later.»
«If they don't forget soon enough, it will impact my position as well. Xiao Bao, you won't leave this very residence for the next month, unless you are ordered by me.»
«Granpa, why?» Xu Bao jumped on the chair, surprised by the strictness the elder showed to her for the first time in her life.
«Dad, Xiao Bao is just a child...»
«Yes, and a spoiled one.»
The Prime Minister put down his cup of tea. His eyes were dead cold, his expression inflexible.
«One month is too much,» Xu Manho tried once again to defend his only daughter.
«You are no better. You froze on the stage. That's something unforgivable for a politician!»
«What should I have done, when I didn't even know what they were talking about?»
«You are nearly fifty, but you have so much to learn. If only Gaoli was still alive...» Xu Yanhuo showed a rare sad expression.
«I won't do it again, grandpa. Please, forgive me for this once!» Xu Bao's eyes where full of tears and her lips were trembling. She looked like a kid about to throw a tantrum.
Xu Yanhuo waved with his hand, impatiently. Then, he turned to Xu Mei once again. The girl straightened her back, ready for the second round of scolding.
«In a few months, we will submit an important law proposal to the Senate. We will need Senator Lin's votes to approve it, so I need you to convince him to side with us just this once.»
Xu Mei stood still, waiting for the rest.
«Thanks to your cousin, we cannot try to conquer more consent with early elections, so we have to wait until the law is passed.»
«You are overrating me, Prime Minister,» Xu Mei uttered. Why did her grandfather think that she could convince anyone to side with him? Furthermore, they were talking about his most fierce opponent, not just anyone.
The other two were staring at the grandfather and granddaughter pair with wide eyes.
Xu Bao looked at Xu Mei with contempt. She didn't know about politics, but it seemed like Grandpa had problems with his underlings and wanted to use Xu Mei to convince them to do their job.
Just imagining her trying to... convince an old senator made her feel cheerful. What did grandpa say? Was it Lin?
Old Senator Lin was indeed one of her grandfather's most trusted men. How come he was making problems?
Xu Bao dispelled those disturbing thoughts, ignoring the faint voice in her mind reminding her that there was another Lin in the Senate. Xu Yanhuo had the majority in the Senate. Even if he had problems with his underlings, he would target one of the smaller parties.
And of course, someone as plain as Xu Mei couldn't possibly reach that Senator Lin.
The Prime Minister instructed Xu Mei for some time more, and Xu Bao was nearly laughing out loud.
Finally, the Prime Minister left with his head assistant, to find the better way to clean his family's name.
Xu Mei stayed at the table, with only her uncle and younger cousin.
YOU ARE READING
Unexpected Gift
RomanceXu Mei is the granddaughter of the Prime Minister. Her father died in an accident years ago, and her mother was chased away from the Xu family. She joined the Insurgents, whose head has an unseen talent for getting information that makes him look li...
