Auntie System was speaking again!
Jin Lanyue thought about it seriously. Auntie System was a good person, and Daddy had said that Auntie System was good to her.
Therefore, she had to listen to Auntie System’s words.
Thus, she accepted the kite, and then used both of her little hands to yank at it with all her might.
However…
The quality of the kite was simply too excellent. She used both her hands and feet until her little face turned completely red, yet she couldn’t budge it in the slightest.
Jin Lanyue’s little face puffed up in frustration, her chubby cheeks flushing bright red. “Bad kite-y…”
But she was not someone who gave up easily!
Showing off her neat little white teeth that resembled neat rows of rice grains, she took an *”om nom”* bite right out of the kite!
She bit and bit!
She gnawed and gnawed!
When she grew tired of biting, Jin Lanyue let go of the kite to catch her breath. Looking down, she discovered that the kite remained completely whole and undamaged…
Curse it!
She was going to stand up to gnaw at it!
Jin Lanyue sprang up from her small stool with a swift *”whoosh”*. Unfortunately, even though it was just a kite, standing upright it was much taller than her tiny, toddler self. The long tail streams were scattered on the ground, and in her haste, she accidentally stepped on them. Her foot slipped…
*Thud!*
“Ow—” Jin Lanyue fell flat on her back, all four limbs pointing toward the sky. The kite drifted lightly down, covering her entirely. Trapped beneath the kite, she flailed her little hands and feet for a long time, yet she couldn’t manage to push it away.
The second brother stared blankly at his little sister, having absolutely no idea why she had suddenly picked a fight with the kite—and lost, to boot.
Seeing his sister fall, he gasped in fright. He quickly rushed forward to lift the kite away, pulling Jin Lanyue up. “Little Sister, are you okay? Does it hurt?”
“Doesn’t hurt!” Jin Lanyue scrambled up. Taking a stride with her small legs and extending her tiny hands, she continued her “mortal combat” with the kite.
The second brother watched everything in utter bewilderment. His little sister fought the kite with a fierce competitive drive, yet she repeatedly fell into a disadvantage.
The upright kite was a whole head taller than her, so she bounced up with all her might to punch it, shouting, “I will definitely defeat you!”
As he watched, the more he looked, the more he felt his little sister was… just too cute!
The six-year-old second brother clenched his fists. Children of this age were incredibly prone to grand delusions of heroism. “Little Sister, let me lend you a helping hand!”
With that, he cheered and joined the fray. “Ya—ho! Puny little kite, surrender at once!”
“Yay! Brother, we will definitely defeat it!” Jin Lanyue cheered along with him.
The second brother: “With our sibling forces combined, we shall be invincible under the heavens! Little kite, beg for mercy this instant!”
Jin Lanyue clapped her hands. “Yeah, yeah! Beg for mercy, beg for mercy!”
The Kite: “…”
The second brother: “What? You still refuse to admit defeat? Take another move from me—The Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain!”
Jin Lanyue applauded. “Wow! Brother is so amazing!”
The Kite: “…”
The second brother: “Hehe, you flatter me, you flatter me. Watch this move of mine—Ha! The World-Destroying Thunderous Tempest Invincible Punch!”
Jin Lanyue cheered. “Oh my goodness! Brother is the most, most, most awesome person Yue’er has ever seen!”
The kite… the kite tore to shreds.
“Yay! We won!” Jin Lanyue threw herself onto her second brother, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a loud *”smack”* kiss on his cheek.
The second brother’s face instantly turned bright red. Yet, he still pretended to be entirely cool and casual, tossing his head to flick a stray lock of hair off his forehead. “Heh, a puny little kite is nothing more than this. Brought down!”
【Mission Completed.】
【You effortlessly tore the kite to shreds, throwing the pieces right in front of Second Brother’s face. Looking at his dumbfounded expression, you turned on your heel and stalked away in triumph.】
【Reward Obtained: Mastery of Early Education Knowledge (Arithmetic Edition).】
Jin Lanyue only half-understood the meaning, but she put her newly acquired knowledge to immediate practical use, hugging her brother while continuing to heap praises on him: “Brother is so awesome, effortlessly defeating the kite! We can turn on our heels and stalk away in triumph now!”
The second brother’s face was blushing so hard it looked ready to smoke, but he still maintained a forced composure. “Ahem, keep it low-profile, keep it low-profile. We can’t let people discover my identity as a martial arts master.”
“Okay,” Jin Lanyue held up a single finger to gesture for silence. “Yue’er will keep the secret!”
“Then let’s go,” the second brother took her hand, and the two skipped and bounded their way out. “Little Sister, that phrase you used just now sounded so cultured.”
“Auntie Teacher taught me.”
“Oh oh, then when I’m as old as you, I want to be that cultured too!”
“But… Brother, aren’t you older than Yue’er?”
“Uh, this, that… I-I was just testing your arithmetic skills!”
“Oh… then did Yue’er pass the test?”
“Passed, passed. You have to help me keep the secret, okay?”
“Okay!”
The next day at the hour of Mao.
“Yue’er, you can’t sleep in anymore, it’s time to go to school.” Exactly like yesterday, Jiang Xiyue entered the room and scooped up Jin Lanyue, who was still fast asleep on the bed.
Jin Lanyue’s cheeks were flushed a lovely pink from sleep, and her chubby little face even had lines pressed into it by the pillow. She rubbed her eyes, pouting her lips as she reached her arms out for her mother to hold her.
“Aiya, my poor little Yue’er,” Jiang Xiyue rubbed her soft, tender cheek with heartache. “Next time, I’ll have them swap this out for an even softer pillow.”
Jin Lanyue rested against her mother’s shoulder and let out a yawn, murmuring sleepily, “Mommy… sleepy…”
“Mommy knows Yue’er is sleepy, but Yue’er has to go to school. You can’t stay in bed.” Jiang Xiyue carried her over to the dressing table to tie her hair into little buns.
Jin Lanyue’s small head nodded up and down. Every time her head was about to tip over, she would use her small hands to diligently prop it back up. “Woo… okay…”
It was another ordinary day.
Except that when she was heading out the door, the second brother clenched his fist at her with lingering excitement. “Little Sister, let’s go act righteously together again tonight!”
Jin Lanyue fired up, clenching her fist in return and straightening her little arm like a tender lotus root. “Charge!”
“What kind of riddles are you two speaking in?” the eldest brother asked in confusion.
“It’s a secret!” the second brother said, acting mysterious.
The eldest brother looked back at Jin Lanyue. Jin Lanyue mimicked the mannerisms of an adult, holding up a fair, chubby little finger. “Shh, shh.”
She smiled happily, her eyes crinkling shut with joy.
The eldest brother was amused by her too, following along by gesturing “shh.”
Jiang Xiyue watched these three children with a smile, shaking her head as she handed Jin Lanyue over to the Marquis of Beiding. She planted a kiss on her cheek and stuffed a box of pastries into her hands—this time, it was a double portion meant for two.
“Thank you, Mommy, mua~” Jin Lanyue hugged her mother’s neck to kiss her, then waved her hand. “Goodbye, Mommy!”
The journey went smoothly all the way.
Until Jin Lanyue spotted Qu Zijin standing outside Wenhua Hall, waiting for her.
Her short legs instantly lost the ability to walk, and her tiny head was filled with an awful sense of foreboding.
But it seemed like there was no escaping it, woohoo…
Slowly, ever so slowly, she shuffled forward with tiny, turtle-like steps, finally moving into Qu Zijin’s line of sight.
Qu Zijin’s eyes instantly lit up upon seeing her. “Master!”
He strode right up to Jin Lanyue. She silently tilted her head back to look at him, listening as he introduced with great excitement: “This student was deep in thought yesterday. In order not to waste your natural talent, Master, I stayed up all night to write ten sets of exam papers for you!”
T-ten sets?!
Jin Lanyue blankly lowered her head again, extending her two little hands and spreading her ten fingers. She began counting them one by one.
One, two, four, five… that didn’t seem right.
One, two, three, four, five… what came after five again?
She thought sorrowfully that regardless of the order, this must be a very, very big, and very terrifying number!
Qu Zijin was still enthusiastically explaining what kind of questions he had come up with and what his intentions were.
Until he suddenly noticed that Jin Lanyue hadn’t made a sound this entire time?
Lowering his head, he happened to meet a pair of large, watery eyes that resembled pristine grapes.
Jin Lanyue pouted her small mouth, looking up at him with an immense sense of grievance.
She reached out her small hand, piteously tugging at the hem of his robe. Her babyish voice sounded like it was about to break: “G-Grand Tutor, this little one doesn’t want to write ten sets of papers, boohoohoo…”
Caught entirely off guard by her tear-brimmed eyes, and seeing her looking so piteous as if she were about to burst into tears, Qu Zijin was momentarily at a complete loss, not even knowing where to put his hands.
Had he… done something wrong?
He spoke up with some bewilderment: “Actually, there’s no need to finish ten sets in a single day…”
Even though his initial plan had been ten sets a day, ten sets every day, ten sets of exam papers each and every day for three hundred and sixty-five days a year.
His master must absolutely never lose to anyone else!
But now, seeing his master looking as though she were about to shatter into pieces, he began to reflect on whether he had been too hasty.
After all, his master was still just a tiny toddler…
She was only three years old!