As if stepping on a fuse, the already smoldering cannon finally exploded.
The little demon king howled, "I can’t guess it again! I won’t guess anymore!!!"
The younger brother had a bad temper and a fragile ego, always erupting in anger at the slightest provocation.
At first, Zong Wenxiu found it hard to adjust, thinking he was difficult to please and had a strange temper. But as he got to know him better, he realized that the younger brother was just tough on the outside but soft on the inside—he was the best brother in the world, the kind who was easy to appease.
Zong Wenxiu patiently sat down beside him and said softly, "I told Madam that you just haven’t been exposed to the lives of ordinary people, so you couldn’t guess. But you’re very smart, much smarter than me. Once you figure all this out, you’ll definitely be way better than me."
The little demon king’s back was still turned, but his ears perked up.
Zong Wenxiu continued, "Madam also said that you have the makings of a great official. If you ever gain power, you could save thousands of people. That’s much more significant than helping just one Lin Yu."
The little demon king immediately turned around, surprised. "Did she really say that?"
Zong Wenxiu nodded. "She did." Although the latter part was a dig at his brother’s pragmatism.
The little demon king snorted arrogantly, "That bad woman, praising me behind my back and trying to keep it from me. Now I know!"
"Uh-huh…" Zong Wenxiu wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling like he was barely keeping up with the lie.
The little demon king was appeased just that quickly.
By the time Xu Wan got into the carriage, the two were already chatting warmly about the day’s exam questions.
However, there was something slightly off.
As soon as Xu Wan got in, she noticed the little demon king looking at her with a smug and triumphant expression, as if she had secretly slipped him a few hundred taels of silver.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked warily.
The little demon king became even more smug, sticking his tongue out at her. "I’m not telling you!"
Xu Wan: "…" You’re insane.
Zong Wenxiu, sitting beside them, grew increasingly uneasy and tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
The joint exam was only between two academies, and the results would be out in three days. As usual, the little demon king felt he had done exceptionally well and was already thinking about slacking off. Meanwhile, Zong Wenxiu felt there were still areas he hadn’t mastered and continued to burn the midnight oil, seeking extra tutoring.
On Xu Wan’s side, there was a wedding banquet she couldn’t avoid attending.
Her half-sister, Xu Lian'er, was marrying Chen Yunyu, the eldest son of Duke Jin's Manor. It was a high-profile union between the Minister of Justice and Duke Jin's Manor, and the event was highly anticipated, with even the eighteenth princess rumored to be attending.
As the elder sister, Xu Wan couldn’t decline, but Zong Jincheng and Zong Wenxiu could skip it. However, as soon as the little demon king heard it was her half-sister’s wedding, he threw down his brush and immediately insisted on going.
"Such a lively wedding banquet can’t be without me!"
Xu Wan didn’t even need to think to know the little brat was up to no good. She rolled her eyes and turned to ask Zong Wenxiu if he was going. Zong Wenxiu said he needed to continue his studies and declined.
In the end, the mother and son, who couldn’t stand each other, sat in the carriage together, their eyes locked in a fierce battle of wills.
Xu Wan warned, "You’ve offended Duchess Jin before. Today’s wedding is a big event. If you cause trouble and anger Duke Jin's Manor, even Grandpa Marquis won’t be able to save you."
The little demon king swung the jade pendant in his hand, nonchalantly replying, "Whatever. I have the Crown Prince backing me. Who dares touch me?"
Xu Wan: "!"
She knew that jade pendant was trouble. The little brat was way too good at pushing his luck.
The little demon king grinned mischievously, leaning in to ask, "What’s wrong? Are you scared? If you beg for mercy now and shout a hundred times, 'I’m sorry, Zong Jincheng, I was wrong,' I might consider letting you off the hook and not causing trouble at the banquet. Otherwise, if something happens, you, as the elder, will bear more responsibility than me, a mere child. Hehehe."
Hehehe my foot, you idiot!
Xu Wan clenched her fist, smiling sweetly as she threatened, "Do you believe that if you dare say one wrong word, I’ll have Cui Liu gag you?"
"Cui Liu?" The little demon king’s face immediately paled.
Xu Wan snorted, "I’ve already switched Cui Liu with Buyan today. If you cause trouble, Cui Liu won’t be as gentle as Buyan."
The little demon king: "!"
This was a major miscalculation!!!
He hadn’t even arrived yet and had already been outmaneuvered. This round was lost faster than ever!
As always, the little demon king knew when to back down. He quickly said, "Stop the carriage. I’m going home to study!"
If he couldn’t cause trouble there, there was no point in going. Better to cut his losses early!
"Too late," Xu Wan replied, now relaxed. "We’re almost at Duke Jin's Manor. If you want to go back, you’ll have to run. The carriage is staying here to wait for me."
The little demon king was furious, shouting in frustration, "Can’t you just buy another carriage?!"
Xu Wan calmly replied, "No, I prefer to be frugal."
"…" He hated her!
Duke Jin's Manor was already grand, but today, with the wedding of their eldest son, the place was decorated in vibrant red, even more lively than usual.
The steward at the door took their gift list and had someone escort them inside. Before they could even enter, they heard a girl’s voice calling from behind, "Sister Xu."
Xu Wan turned around, surprised to see the eighteenth princess, Zhao Rong.
"Greetings, Your Highness." Everyone quickly bowed.
"No need for formalities, please rise," Zhao Rong waved her hand casually, happily running over to Xu Wan and accidentally bumping the little demon king aside.
The little demon king: "???"
Does she have no manners at all?!
Can’t she see I’m standing here?!
Clearly, Zhao Rong hadn’t noticed. She linked arms with Xu Wan and exclaimed, "Sister Xu, I knew you’d be here today. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, I’ve missed you so much."
Xu Wan smiled, "I heard you were coming, so I made sure to arrive early. I didn’t expect to run into you right at the entrance."
Zhao Rong walked with her inside, chatting, "There are so many people here today. My nanny said if I arrived late, even more people would be swarming around to greet me. It’s too noisy. I prefer talking to you, and… Oh, your unpleasant stepson is here too?"
The little demon king’s fists clenched instantly.
Who’s the unpleasant stepson here??
The eighteenth princess’s tone was so annoying. He was the legitimate heir of the Marquis’s household, yet she made it sound like he was some newcomer who had just arrived a few months ago.
Is there no justice in this world?!
Xu Wan smoothed things over, "Many of Jincheng’s friends are here today. It’s been a while since he’s seen them, so it’s a good chance to catch up."
Zhao Rong nodded, "Oh, good. It’s better that he’s not around. I have so many girl-talk topics to discuss with you."
The little demon king: "…"
He had made up his mind.
The eighteenth princess had officially secured a spot in the top three of his grudge list.
