That night.
The Little Demon King tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought he was so overjoyed at having passed the child scholar exam that he couldn’t rest.
Tonight, he was sleeping alone. As he lay there, he replayed in his mind all the times Xu Wan had been kind to him. He buried his head under the covers, quietly practicing calling her by a certain title with all sorts of emotions.
"Mother, mother… mother? Mother! Mother, mother…"
Calm, coquettish, puzzled, angry, joyful, dejected… he tried them all, kicking his legs excitedly under the blankets with each attempt.
The night was deep, and the courtyard was silent.
Buyan, the night watchman, listened to the little rascal’s murmurs from inside the room. While he couldn’t help but roll his eyes, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
He sighed and muttered, "Kids."
Always caught up in their own little worlds.
The next day’s banquet was a flower-viewing event hosted by Duke Jin's Manor.
Xu Lian'er had personally sent an invitation, asking her elder sister Xu Wan to attend and lend her some prestige. Xu Wan had initially planned to feign illness and avoid it, but Minister Xu also sent an invitation, forcing her to go.
Xu Wan had no desire to interact much with this family, nor did she care about the ongoing feud between Xu Lian'er and the Duchess of Jin. However, she wasn’t ready to openly sever ties with the Xu family either. She hadn’t reached the point of burning bridges yet.
"Don’t worry, I’ve got your back," the Little Demon King chimed in, having become quite experienced at defending her. He dressed up grandly early in the morning and joined her in the carriage heading out.
Xu Wan chuckled, "Little brat, you’re getting more and more skilled at backing me up."
The Little Demon King lifted his chin proudly. "Of course! I’ve got looks, money, power, and brains. Anyone would be proud to be seen with me. They’re scared of me, which is why they invited you to the banquet early. If they’d waited until after the exam results came out, my status as a child scholar would’ve been even more impressive!"
"Haha… I’ve never met a kid as confident as you. You act like you’re absolutely certain you’ll pass," Xu Wan laughed, her earlier irritation melting away.
"Of course! The child scholar exam is a piece of cake!" The Little Demon King lifted his chin even higher.
Xu Wan couldn’t resist pinching his cheek. "So adorable, my dear son."
Praise from his "mother" made the Little Demon King even more excited, his smile growing brighter by the second.
Duke Jin's Manor hadn’t invited many people that day. Xu Lian'er had few close friends among the noble ladies of the capital, and many of those who had received invitations didn’t attend. This only highlighted Xu Lian'er's difficult position as a new daughter-in-law in the manor.
Being a bride in a high-ranking family was no easy task.
"Sister, you’ve finally arrived! I’ve been waiting for you," Xu Lian'er greeted Xu Wan as soon as she arrived, reaching out to take her arm. But the Little Demon King was quicker, linking arms with Xu Wan first and forcing Xu Lian'er’s hand back.
Xu Lian'er’s smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "Jincheng, you’re here too! Come in, come in. I’ve prepared lots of delicious pastries just for you."
The Little Demon King ignored her entirely, leading Xu Wan inside without a word.
What nonsense about preparing pastries just for him. If it were true, why had she said "Jincheng, you’re here too" earlier?
Contradictions everywhere.
Xu Wan smiled politely as she walked with Xu Lian'er into the manor, asking courteously, "How have you been lately, sister?"
Xu Lian'er had suffered a miscarriage earlier in the year, but by now, several months had passed, and she had fully recovered. Unfortunately, she had lost the battle against the Duchess of Jin, allowing the Duchess’s illegitimate son, born from a courtesan, to enter the household. Now, she had a lowborn stepson she couldn’t show off.
Xu Lian'er forced a smile. "I’m doing well. The family physician says there’s nothing wrong with my health. As long as I stay relaxed, I’ll soon be able to conceive a proper heir."
Xu Wan smiled. "That’s good to hear."
The two exchanged pleasantries as they took their seats, appearing to be on excellent terms.
Whether the other noble ladies were genuinely friendly or there to mock, seeing the sisters getting along made them view Xu Lian'er in a slightly better light. Such was the power of family unity. As long as outsiders saw the sisters united, they would think twice about bullying Xu Lian'er.
Minister Xu had asked Xu Wan to come simply to bolster Xu Lian'er's standing.
Xu Wan didn’t mind. Since she couldn’t refuse, she might as well accept it gracefully. It didn’t cost her anything. In fact, she was somewhat relieved that the Yangyuan Marquis Manor wasn’t too powerful. If Xu Lian'er had been able to bask in their glory and flaunt it, Xu Wan would’ve been truly annoyed.
"Don’t pay them any attention. We’ll leave as soon as we’re done eating," the Little Demon King suddenly interjected.
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Though he didn’t fully understand the intricate dynamics of these banquets, he could sense that Xu Wan was always unhappy whenever she saw the Xu family or anyone from Duke Jin's Manor.
Xu Wan felt a warmth in her heart and blinked in agreement. "Alright, we’ll leave right after eating. We won’t get involved in their affairs."
During the banquet, Xu Wan excused herself to freshen up.
The Little Demon King sat at the table, idly munching on pastries. With Xu Wan gone, he couldn’t even be bothered to lift his eyelids, wishing he could recite a few poems to drown out the chatter of the noblewomen around him.
"Jincheng, how’s your relationship with your stepmother lately? I heard she hit you on New Year’s Day," Xu Lian'er asked as she sat down beside him.
The Little Demon King rolled his eyes. "That was ages ago. I did something reckless and almost hurt myself. My mother hit me to teach me a lesson."
Xu Lian'er pressed on, "But she shouldn’t have hit you. You’re a precious young master, not some ordinary child. If it were me, I could never bring myself to do that."
Xu Lian'er put on a pitiful act, but unfortunately, it was a trick the Little Demon King had seen through long ago. What a hypocrite.
Ugh…
The Little Demon King wanted to snap back at her, but he had learned to be more tactful. He knew better than to start a fight outright; he’d let her lose her composure first.
He raised an eyebrow and deliberately said, "What do you know about raising boys? Discipline is essential. Hitting is a sign of love. If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t hit me. She doesn’t hit my brother, after all. Oh, right, you wouldn’t know about that. I heard your only stepson is being raised by a concubine. You’ll understand when you have more experience."
Every word hit Xu Lian'er right where it hurt most. She stood up immediately, pointing at Zong Jincheng and nearly shouting, "You little—"
Her maid quickly intervened, whispering urgently, "Madam, calm down! The other ladies are watching. We can’t afford to clash with the Yangyuan Marquis Manor. Remember the purpose of today’s banquet!"
Xu Lian'er’s chest heaved with anger. That brat from the Zong family had struck every sore spot, making her want to slap him right then and there.
How on earth did Xu Wan put up with him?
The Little Demon King feigned innocence. "What’s wrong? Did I say something to upset you? Please don’t take it to heart. I’m just a child—my words shouldn’t be taken seriously."
Xu Lian'er trembled with rage.
The brat kept emphasizing his youth, making it seem like she was the one being petty for getting angry at a child.
But if she didn’t retaliate, she couldn’t swallow her pride.
Xu Lian'er took several deep breaths, reminding herself that she was already surrounded by enemies in Duke Jin's Manor. She couldn’t afford to make another one.
Besides, she had spent a fortune recently trying to win people over. If she could ally herself with the wealthy Yangyuan Marquis Manor, her financial worries would be over.