"Ahhhh! I’m going to fight you! I’m going to fight you!!"
In the cramped carriage, Zong Wenxiu watched as his brother lunged at Xu Wan like a football. Before he could even scramble to his feet to intervene, his brother was already subdued.
"..." That was way too fast.
Zong Wenxiu, halfway up, sat back down.
Xu Wan was indeed formidable.
"Do you dare try again?" Xu Wan pressed him down as she asked.
The little troublemaker, pinned to the seat, flushed red and gritted his teeth. "Don’t choke my neck... don’t press my elbow... ah, my leg!"
Xu Wan didn’t hold back at all, her grip firm. "No way. If I let go, you’ll just run away. It’ll take me a few breaths to pin you down again."
"A few breaths..."
Wasn’t that just a blink of an eye?
Was she saying that, given the difference in their strength, she could knock him down in just a few breaths every time?
That was way too fast!
The little troublemaker felt insulted again, his face red as he tried to resist, but unfortunately, he was completely immobilized by his wicked stepmother.
"Ugh, you’re just bullying a kid!"
Xu Wan wasn’t bothered by such childish accusations. Instead, she laughed heartily. "Exactly, kids are so easy to bully. Look at him, he can’t even get up. Right, Wenxiu?"
Zong Wenxiu raised his hands in surrender, hoping the two of them would keep him out of their fight.
But the little troublemaker, as if finding a lifeline, quickly shouted, "Brother, save me! I’m your closest brother!"
Zong Wenxiu: "..."
The blade of familial duty cut him deeply once again.
He glanced at Xu Wan, hesitating whether to speak up for his brother.
The little troublemaker pleaded urgently, "Didn’t you promise to always help me? She only asked you to study with me, not to turn against me!"
Reminded of their agreement, Zong Wenxiu quickly stood up. "Madam, I..."
Xu Wan suddenly realized, "So this is how you’ve been sweet-talking Wenxiu. No wonder he’s been doting on you more lately. You little rascal, your tricks are getting more polished."
Zong Wenxiu was stunned.
Sweet-talking him? He didn’t fully understand, but he was terrified his brother might have tricked him again.
The little troublemaker panicked and yelled, "I didn’t sweet-talk anyone! I’m telling the truth! You never asked him to help you against me!"
Xu Wan pinched his ear. "But I also never asked him to help you against me. You’ve secretly won Wenxiu over, huh? Good job, kid, you’ve been stealing from my side."
The little troublemaker winced in pain but still managed to argue, "You’re talking nonsense! He’s my brother, not yours! He’s always been on my side! If anyone’s stealing, it’s you!"
Xu Wan snorted and turned to Zong Wenxiu. "Did you hear that? He didn’t exactly lie to you, but he’s been working hard to win you over. It’s not exploitation, but it’s definitely manipulation. It’s not a big deal, but you should be more careful in the future, or you might end up helping someone count the money after they’ve sold you."
Zong Wenxiu was silent for a moment before nodding. "I understand. Thank you for the advice, Madam."
Xu Wan then let go of the little troublemaker.
Now that the fire was lit in the backyard, the little rascal would be too busy putting it out to bother her.
Sure enough, as soon as Zong Jincheng was released, he rushed over pitifully, calling out, "Brother..."
Xu Wan rolled her eyes.
The kid was pulling out his sweet-talking tactics again. Disgusting.
Zong Wenxiu had seen this act from the little troublemaker many times. At first, he couldn’t help but soften, but now he was building up some immunity and wasn’t so easily swayed.
He shifted further inside, clearly not wanting to engage with his brother.
The little troublemaker, straightforward as ever, thought, "If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain."
He quickly scooted closer, clasping his hands in apology. "Brother, don’t listen to her nonsense. I wasn’t sweet-talking you, I meant every word. We’re brothers. It’s only natural that we care for each other."
Zong Wenxiu’s resolve wavered slightly.
After hearing Xu Wan’s words, he felt like his brother had indeed been manipulating him. But what his brother said also made sense, and he couldn’t tell if he’d been fooled or not.
The little troublemaker pressed on, "Really, sweet-talking is always about getting something. But look, I haven’t asked you for anything. I’ve been so good lately—no lies, no harm to Xu Wan, no disrespect to the teacher. I’ve kept all three promises I made to you."
Zong Wenxiu glanced at him.
His brother did have a point—he had been behaving well recently.
Xu Wan chimed in at the perfect moment, "Weren’t you just asking him to save you?"
With one sentence, she effortlessly shattered all the little troublemaker’s hard work.
The little troublemaker: "!"
Xu Wan! You are my lifelong nemesis!!!
"Madam, we’ve arrived at the Minister's Mansion," Cui Zhi’s voice came from outside.
Xu Wan lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage. Seeing another carriage already parked at the entrance, she asked the guard, "Has Duke Jin's Manor arrived?"
The guard replied, "Yes, they just entered."
Xu Wan nodded and turned to Cui Liu, "Take Wenxiu and Jincheng to the courtyard to play. I’ll go speak with the elders for a while."
"Yes, Madam."
Inside the carriage, the little troublemaker, who would usually be the first to jump out, was in no hurry this time. Taking advantage of Xu Wan’s absence, he launched another round of familial persuasion.
Zong Wenxiu rubbed his temples. "Let’s talk about this when we get back to Yangyuan Marquis Manor. Don’t keep Madam waiting. You promised me you wouldn’t cause her any trouble today."
Zong Jincheng fell silent, filled with regret for coming here in the first place.
Originally, he had been worried that the couple from Duke Jin's Manor might bully Xu Wan. With their grandparents absent, he figured he was the most senior figure from Yangyuan Marquis Manor. Even though he and Duke Jin's Manor both disliked Xu Wan, she still represented their household, and he couldn’t let outsiders disrespect them.
But now, he’d ended up being bullied by Xu Wan instead... Hmph, he should’ve just stayed out of it!
No good deed goes unpunished!
That wicked woman!
The little troublemaker stepped out of the carriage with a sour expression, glaring at everyone in sight, even the guards at the Minister's Mansion.
This place was full of people with the surname Xu—all of them bad!
As he was stewing, Xu Wan’s stepmother, Madam Liu, came out and spotted the Zong brothers. She barely glanced at Zong Wenxiu, immediately showering the little troublemaker with affection. "Jincheng, you’re finally here! It’s been months, and you’ve grown even more handsome. Come, let your grandmother take a good look at you."
The little troublemaker’s face instantly filled with confusion.
Grandmother?
I don’t even know where my mother is, who are you??
