Seeing the tension between his younger brother and Chen Yunyu, Zong Wenxiu was afraid that his brother might lose his temper. He kept reminding him in his ear not to act impulsively and to avoid causing a scene.
The little troublemaker, Zong Jincheng, quickly wiped the cold expression off his face and replaced it with a sweet smile. "Are you really curious about how I earned the title of the top troublemaker among the four young scoundrels?"
Chen Yunyu was momentarily stunned by his sudden smile but quickly recovered and replied with a smile, "Yes, I'd love to hear about your heroic deeds."
Zong Jincheng's smile grew even sweeter. "Oh, it's nothing much. I just enjoy setting off firecrackers with friends. Once, a firecracker landed near a brothel and ended up burning the whole building down. It was quite a sight—people running out half-naked. Quite the spectacle!"
Zong Wenxiu: "......"
Brother, you actually did something like that? That sounds terrifying.
Madam Liu and Xu Lian'er both twitched at the corners of their mouths, surprised that Xu Wan had taken on such a troublemaker as her stepson. He was truly a hot potato, and Xu Wan's seemingly glamorous life must not be as easy as it appeared.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yunyu's expression changed instantly, as if he had recalled something unpleasant. His face grew darker and darker.
He stared intently at Zong Jincheng and said, "So, it was you who started that fire."
Damn it, that day was something he would never forget.
He had thought it was just an accidental fire, but it turned out to be the doing of this little rascal!
Zong Jincheng smiled sweetly. "That's right! After the brothel caught fire, we even hung around the entrance for a while and saw quite a few familiar faces. Hmm, have I met you before? You look familiar."
"No!" Chen Yunyu immediately denied loudly.
Xu Lian'er was startled by the sudden outburst and quickly asked, "Husband, what's wrong?"
Chen Yunyu clenched his fists, trying to calm himself down, and then forced a smile. "You must be mistaken. As the legitimate son of Duke Jin's Manor, how could I possibly have been to a brothel?"
Zong Jincheng innocently replied, "But I never forget a face. My memory has never failed me. I’m sure I’ve seen you before. Let me think where it was..."
Chen Yunyu, who had just relaxed his fists, clenched them again and interrupted, "Enough! Let’s not talk about such a filthy place. It’s almost time for dinner."
Seeing Chen Yunyu's agitation, Zong Jincheng felt much better.
Indeed, it’s much more satisfying to see someone else get worked up than to lose your own temper. Why had he always insisted on clashing head-on with others before?
Zong Jincheng, as if he had discovered a new world, felt increasingly pleased and even began to hum a tune.
Zong Wenxiu noticed that Chen Yunyu's expression was growing uglier, and the humming sounded more and more like a provocation.
Before coming here, his brother had said he was worried that Xu Wan might be bullied and that it would bring shame to the Marquis’s household. But before anyone could even think of bullying Xu Wan, his brother had already taken the initiative and managed to ruffle Chen Yunyu’s feathers. His skills were truly impressive, and Zong Wenxiu once again felt both ashamed of his own inadequacy and deeply impressed.
When Xu Wan arrived, she saw this scene: Madam Liu and Xu Lian'er were desperately trying to engage Chen Yunyu in conversation, while Chen Yunyu looked as if he had been hit by a truck. Zong Jincheng was humming a tune nearby, and Zong Wenxiu was nervously fidgeting.
Xu Wan smiled and asked, "What’s going on here? Did I miss something?"
Did Zong Jincheng actually manage to put Chen Yunyu in his place?
He had that kind of ability?
Zong Jincheng wagged his tail happily and threw her a triumphant look, as if to say, "Why don’t you come over and thank me properly?"
Upon hearing her voice, Chen Yunyu quickly stood up, his face a mix of red and black. He stammered nervously, "Sister... Sister-in-law, you’re here. Please, take a seat. We were just waiting for you and father to start dinner."
Xu Wan found Chen Yunyu’s behavior a bit odd but didn’t dwell on it. She replied, "Father isn’t feeling well, so he might be a bit late."
Madam Liu said, "Then I’ll go check on him. Lian'er, Wan'er, you two take care of Yunyu and the children here."
After Madam Liu left, Xu Wan asked, "What were you all talking about just now?"
Zong Jincheng said casually, "He asked me how I became the top troublemaker in the capital, and I told him I set off firecrackers and burned down a brothel..."
"Jincheng!" Chen Yunyu interrupted before he could finish. "Let’s not talk about that anymore. In front of your mother, let’s discuss something else. How’s your studies going? Have you memorized the Thousand-Character Classic yet?"
Zong Jincheng proudly raised his head. "Child’s play! I memorized that ages ago!"
The two of them began to chat back and forth. Chen Yunyu, after all, was a fourth-rank official who had risen through the ranks by passing the imperial examinations. He was well-educated and managed to keep up with Zong Jincheng, occasionally praising him for how quickly he was learning. Soon enough, Zong Jincheng was completely swept up in the compliments.
Xu Wan knew exactly what kind of person Zong Jincheng was. He didn’t have any real grudge against Chen Yunyu—it was just a minor clash. After a few compliments, he would forget all about the earlier incident.
However, what was strange was that while Chen Yunyu was talking to Zong Jincheng, he kept glancing in Xu Wan’s direction.
At first, she thought he was looking at Xu Lian'er, but when even Xu Lian'er started glaring at her, Xu Wan finally realized something was off.
...Could it really be that cliché?
The jealousy in Xu Lian'er’s eyes was almost palpable, and even Xu Wan felt a bit overwhelmed. She couldn’t help but shift closer to Zong Wenxiu.
She leaned on the table, resting her forehead in her hand, and muttered under her breath, "This Chen Yunyu is really something."
No wonder he had stood up for her earlier and scolded Xu Lian'er. Now that she thought about it, his bringing over the pastries was just another way of trying to curry favor.
In her previous life, Xu Wan had been too busy climbing the social ladder to bother with romance. In this life, she had married early and hadn’t even met her husband, so she had never given much thought to matters of the heart. But now, she realized she was in trouble.
What a mess. What an absolute mess.
After mentally cursing, Xu Wan felt like leaving immediately. But remembering Minister Xu’s demeanor, she knew there was no way she could walk out of this door.
She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.
Xu Lian'er, sitting beside her, gritted her teeth and asked, "Sister, when do you plan to return home today?"
Xu Wan replied with a sense of despair, "You might not believe me, but the truth is, I want to leave right now."
Xu Lian'er: "......?"
Why wasn’t she following the script?
The anger in Xu Lian'er’s eyes softened slightly, and she pretended to be concerned. "Sister, are you feeling unwell?"
Xu Wan nodded repeatedly. "Yes, I’m barely holding on."
If it weren’t for the fact that she couldn’t defy Minister Xu’s authority, she would have bolted before even entering the hall.
But even though her words didn’t carry much weight, if Xu Lian'er were to suggest letting her leave, Minister Xu might agree.
This place was so uncomfortable that she didn’t want to stay a second longer.
Xu Lian'er quickly said, "Then I’ll speak to Father and let you return home to rest. You mustn’t overwork yourself and fall ill!"
Xu Wan, almost tearful with gratitude, replied, "Good sister, my health is in your hands!"