Xu Lian'er calmed herself for a while before sitting down with a forced smile. "You child, your words are always so sudden. How could my lowly-born illegitimate son compare to you? A child of such filthy origins, even if I were to beat him to death, no one would dare say a word against it."
The Little Demon King clenched his fists, glaring at Xu Lian'er.
He hated it when people treated illegitimate children as less than human.
Because his older brother had been bullied and mocked like that before. If it weren't for their mother's efforts to have Baili Weihong recognize Baili Xi as her godson, his brother would still be the kind of illegitimate child Xu Lian'er spoke of—someone who could be insulted and beaten at will.
The Little Demon King narrowed his eyes and glared at her. "Are you done? If you're done, move aside. I need to find my mother."
Xu Wan had been gone for a long time, and he was worried something might have happened to her. Of course, another reason was that he was beginning to understand Xu Wan's earlier displeasure. Xu Lian'er's attitude was indeed irritating the more you saw it.
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Meanwhile.
Xu Wan had just finished freshening up when she was cornered.
Chen Yunyu, her brother-in-law.
Xu Wan glanced around. Aside from her and Cui Zhi, there was no one else in sight.
Chen Yunyu stepped forward with a smile and asked, "Sister-in-law, it's been a while. How have you been at the Yangyuan Marquis Manor?"
Xu Wan forced a smile. "I've been well, thank you for your concern."
She tried to step around him, but Chen Yunyu persistently blocked her path again and asked, "Are you avoiding me?"
Xu Wan: "..."
Yes, because it's not like I can tie you up and beat you, can I?
She just wanted to live a peaceful life, not get caught up in endless conflicts.
Cui Zhi, standing beside her, reminded him, "Master Chen, please behave yourself."
Chen Yunyu paid no attention to Cui Zhi, staring directly at Xu Wan. "I am the eldest son of Duke Jin's Manor, a fourth-rank official, and I will eventually inherit my father's title, becoming the next Duke Jin."
Xu Wan remained expressionless, not even looking at him.
Chen Yunyu grew more impatient. "Surely the position of the mistress of Duke Jin's Manor is better than being a widow in a declining marquis manor?"
Xu Wan looked up, her gaze sharp. "Brother-in-law, you should watch your words."
Chen Yunyu scoffed at Cui Zhi. "A rundown marquis manor—what does it matter if I say it in front of their people? You're clever, Xu Wan. You must have realized my feelings for you by now. Stop pretending to be oblivious. Instead of being a widow in the marquis manor, why not become my wife, the future mistress of Duke Jin's Manor? I know how your sister has wronged you. I can demote her to a concubine or even divorce her."
"You!" Cui Zhi was so furious she wished Cui Liu were here to slap him twice. This scoundrel not only shamelessly tried to steal her mistress but also repeatedly insulted their marquis manor as a rundown household. He deserved a beating.
The Little Demon King came looking for Xu Wan and overheard this conversation. His eyes widened, and his usually sharp mind suddenly went blank.
What... what did he just say?
That Chen guy wanted his mother to remarry into Duke Jin's Manor?
That scoundrel!
He actually wants to steal my mother!
The Little Demon King had a fiery temper. He picked up a stick from the ground and charged forward, shouting, "I'll beat you to death, you scoundrel!"
Chen Yunyu, seeing him approach with a stick, immediately cried out, "Zong Jincheng! What are you doing? This is Duke Jin's Manor! How dare you cause trouble here!"
Chen Yunyu was a frail scholar and had no servants with him. He fled in panic as the Little Demon King chased him with the stick.
As he ran, he shouted back at Xu Wan, "The marquis manor sent you the betrothal letter at the end of November. If it had been just one month later, when we held the plum blossom viewing banquet at our manor, I would have met you. Then I would have married you, not your sister. We only missed each other by a little, or we would have been destined to be together."
"Shut your mouth! I'll beat you to death!" The Little Demon King was furious, chasing him and swinging the stick wildly.
The commotion grew too loud, and people outside began to gather. Chen Yunyu finally fled out of sight.
The Little Demon King was seething. He shouted, "Buyan, Buyan, why didn't you come out just now? I'm so angry, I want to smash that scoundrel's mouth!"
Xu Wan was still processing Chen Yunyu's words. He had said that if it had been just one month later, he would have married her.
Chen Yunyu might have a decent reputation in the capital, but his true nature was far from honorable. If she had been deceived into marrying into Duke Jin's Manor and later discovered his affairs with courtesans and mistresses, she would have likely left, even if it meant being divorced.
"How terrifying..." Xu Wan shook her head, the thought becoming more horrifying the more she dwelled on it. She felt even more relieved that she had decisively chosen the Yangyuan Marquis Manor. Any hesitation would have been disastrous.
She sighed in relief. "Let's go, Jincheng. We're never coming back to Duke Jin's Manor."
Chen Yunyu had dared to say such things in front of Cui Zhi. Who knew what he might do next? That madman—she needed to stay far away from him.
"Is that it?" The Little Demon King was still fuming, his sleeves rolled up and ready for a fight.
Xu Wan smiled and patted his head. "Calm down first. Don't let anger cloud your judgment. It could lead to mistakes."
"Hmph." The Little Demon King was still upset.
The banquet hadn't even started, but Xu Wan went to inform the host that there was an emergency at home and they needed to leave early.
As the Little Demon King watched her back, he remembered a time when she had asked him, "What would you do if someone kept bothering you, but if you hit them, they'd just bother you more?"
He had replied, "Then I'd hit them secretly, so they wouldn't know it was me. I'd have Buyan do it. He'd never get caught."
That time, they had just returned from seeing Chen Yunyu... That scoundrel had been harassing his mother for so long. He deserved to be beaten to death by Buyan.
The Little Demon King, his face dark, ordered, "Buyan, go smash Chen Yunyu's mouth. Do it quietly. Don't let anyone know it's you."
Buyan: "...?"
Another mission? Is this for real?
The Little Demon King tilted his head and said firmly, "Go now. Don't let my mother find out."
"Yes," Buyan replied and left.
Xu Wan noticed nothing unusual. She returned and took the Little Demon King's hand, leading him to the carriage. On the way, she pinched his angry cheeks and said, "Alright, alright, look how upset you are. I'm not even that angry."
The Little Demon King, his face still dark, said, "That's because you're patient. I'm not. I just want to punch him."
Xu Wan chuckled. "Kid, you might be good at fighting with kids your age, but he's an adult. Even if Chen Yunyu doesn't know martial arts, with his height and build, one punch from him would be too much for you."
The Little Demon King snorted. "That scoundrel only dares to cause trouble when my father's not home. When my father returns, he'll kick him straight out the gate!"
"Haha..." Xu Wan laughed again.
Honestly, the mental image was quite satisfying. Zong Zhao was a martial arts champion, even more skilled than Buyan. If Buyan was already formidable in a fight, Zong Zhao could easily take down Chen Yunyu.