Xiao Lin’s face suddenly darkened like gathering storm clouds, an icy chill radiating from his entire body.
“Su Yuyao, you still haven’t atoned for deliberately scratching Luo Luo’s face before, and now you commit such an act again. Has your capacity for tolerance truly been eaten by dogs?”
Su Yuyao felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, hastily kneeling in panic.
“Your Highness, please see clearly. This concubine is wronged. It was truly the little princess who accidentally fell. Your Highness, ask Lord Yun Ying, ask Steward Liu—they must have seen clearly what just happened.”
She urgently turned her gaze toward the two men.
Yun Ying remained expressionless, shaking his head bluntly: “Reporting to Your Highness, this subordinate only saw the little princess suddenly fall, with Concubine Su seemingly reaching out.”Liu Bo repeatedly bowed, his words laced with hidden needles:
“This old servant’s eyes are dim, only vaguely seeing the little princess standing perfectly fine, then somehow falling.” With the little princess being so clever, unless someone secretly tripped her, she would never have fallen so disgracefully on her own.”
Su Yuyao’s knuckles turned white, trembling with rage.
“You… all of you…”
These sycophantic villains had all been bought off by that little enchantress.
Xiao Lin’s eyes held not a trace of warmth,
“Su Yuyao, it seems house arrest was too light, failing to make you repent.
From today onward, receive another month of house arrest for reflection. Without summons, you are not to step beyond your courtyard gate.”
“Your Highness, Your Highness! This concubine is truly wronged!”
Su Yuyao lifted her delicate, tear-streaked face, pearly drops falling continuously, casting a pitiful look toward Xiao Lin.
Men under heaven were most susceptible to her helpless and vulnerable act.
Luo Luo extended her two small hands to tug at her scumbag father’s leg.
Scumbag father mustn’t be fooled by her pitiful appearance—the system said she would try to trick people like this.
Xiao Lin crouched down, speaking to the “little pitiful one” still sniffling on the ground: “Get up. Are you hurt anywhere?”
Luo Luo pouted and shook her head, the tears in her eyes quickly vanishing completely.
“Daddy, Luo Luo doesn’t hurt. Luo Luo wants to bring gifts to Mother.”
Xiao Lin personally helped her up, then picked up the scattered jewelry piece by piece and returned them to the box: “Go ahead.”
With Yun Ying and Xuan Ying openly accompanying her, and elusive shadows lurking in the dark.
The path to the Duke’s estate should be unobstructed.
Luo Luo hugged the box tightly, as if the earlier commotion had never happened, and like a proud little peacock, skipped and hopped toward the mansion gate.
Vermilion Bird Street bustled with crowds, market sounds filling the air.
Stalls lined the street in neat rows, steam rising in wispy white clouds from bamboo steamers holding buns.
Most enticing were naturally the shiny, crimson sugar-coated haws skewers.
The little dumpling Luo Luo spotted them instantly, her dark, bright eyes immediately glued to the largest, plumpest sugar-coated haws skewer in the middle.
“Grandpa!”
Luo Luo called out in her milky voice, standing on tiptoe and pointing toward the tempting stick top, “Luo Luo wants this biggest one!(′つヮ⊂)
The sugar-coated haws vendor had a kindly face, wrinkles filled with smiles.
“Hey! Okay, okay! Grandpa will pick the best and biggest one for you!”
Saying this, he carefully pulled the largest hawthorn berry skewer from the straw bundle.
Luo Luo contentedly accepted this “treasure,” her small hand rummaging through the gold-threaded pouch at her waist.
She actually pulled out a small gold piece.
It was a treasure she had “found” from the treasury of the “scumbag father” she mentioned.
“Grandpa, Luo Luo will use this to exchange for the sugar-coated haws, okay?”
Her chubby little hands held out the gleaming gold piece toward the old man.
The old man’s cloudy eyes widened suddenly, his thin, trembling hand taking the heavy gold.
“Oh my heavens!”
His legs weakened, nearly kneeling on the spot.
“This won’t do, absolutely won’t do! This old man’s single skewer of sugar-coated haws only costs two mace of silver.”
The old man hurriedly tried to return the gold ingot to Luo Luo.
But Luo Luo shook her little head like a rattle drum, crisply saying: “Grandpa is thin, his back is bent. You should go home and rest properly. If you keep selling sugar-coated haws, you’ll get tired.”
“Oh, what a filial child,”
The old man looked at this exquisitely beautiful yet sensible little doll, then at the gold in his hand, and trembling, shoved the entire straw bundle filled with sugar-coated haws into the arms of Luo Luo’s guard, Yun Ying.
“Good child, take all of these.”
Luo Luo’s eyes “sparkled” brightly, staring incredulously at the crimson-filled bundle.
“Grandpa is giving all these… to Luo Luo?”
“Mm, all for you,”
The old man wiped the corner of his eye—the one tael of gold this young lady casually gave could buy his sugar-coated haws for ten years and still have plenty left.
Thus, the little princess of the Regent’s Manor, leading Yun Ying who carried the huge sugar-coated haws bundle, paraded through the streets straight toward the Duke’s estate.
“Hehe, Luo Luo has so many sugar-coated haws skewers, can eat for many, many days.”
The little one held two skewers in each hand, nibbling from both sides simultaneously, glossy syrup smeared all over her face, exactly like a greedy little calico cat.
Arriving at the Duke’s estate’s magnificent vermilion lacquered gate.
Luo Luo lifted her chubby little hand, randomly wiping her face with her soft sleeve.
Must tidy up a bit before seeing Mother—Mother likes cleanliness the most.
(,,◕ ⋏ ◕,,)
Feeling she had wiped her “little face” clean and shiny, Luo Luo stood on tiptoe and “knock knock knock” rapped the door ring.
“Hello? Anyone there? Luo Luo came to find Mother!”
It was the same two servants who opened the door last time, but this time their lazy expressions had completely vanished, replaced with twelve parts enthusiasm.
Yesterday, the princess had specifically instructed that if this little master came again, she should be directly brought into the estate!
One servant blurted out: “Oh, it’s you, little beggar…”
Xuan Ying behind him stepped forward, his icy voice filled with displeasure: “How dare you! This is the precious little princess of the Regent’s Manor!”
The servant shuddered, instantly drenched in cold sweat, his voice cracking: “Lit… little princess? This lowly one deserves death! This lowly one’s dog eyes are dim, failing to recognize your noble arrival.”
The two hurriedly bowed, deeply saluting Luo Luo in apology.
Luo Luo imitated an adult’s manner, hands behind her back, nodding quite “magnanimously.”
“Mm, Luo Luo is broad-minded and won’t fuss with you. Quickly inform Mother that Luo Luo is here.”
“Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for your magnanimity, little princess! This lowly one will immediately report to the princess!”
One servant scrambled and stumbled toward the inner courtyard.
Before long, Pei Qingci emerged wearing a moon-white Soft Mist Silk long dress.
Seeing the “little calico cat” at the door eagerly watching her, the corners of her lips uncontrollably curved up, tinged with a gentle smile.
“Luo Luo? Why did you come at this time?”
“Mother!”
ε==(づ′▽)づ