That slap from Mù Fěi even startled Director Chu.
“Teacher Mù, let’s talk things out calmly. She’s still just a child…” he said with a forced smile, though inwardly he was grumbling. For the past two years, Mù Fěi had been marketing herself as someone “gentle as a chrysanthemum, detached from worldly strife.” How come she had two faces in private?
As a bystander, he really didn’t think Yun Xiaoyu had done anything wrong. Even if she had, she was only three and a half years old. Couldn’t they reason with her or scold her instead of slapping her right away?
Director Chu glanced at Yun Xiaoyu. The little one’s face was swollen. It was heartbreaking.
What a sin!
“Director Chu, you don’t understand. A sapling won’t grow straight without pruning. Educating children requires strictness; otherwise, what if they turn bad? Don’t you agree?” Mù Fěi said with a slight smile.
Director Chu could only laugh awkwardly. “Yes, yes, yes…” Seeing that Mù Fěi seemed about to lose her temper again, he quickly added, “Ah, Ming Zhi, why don’t you take your little sister to ice her face? It’s a good chance to get to know each other!”
Kitchen.
Under the strange gaze of the maid, Ming Zhi repeated, “Auntie, give me some ice.”
The maid rolled her eyes, reluctantly took out some ice, slammed it onto the countertop, and walked away.
“Is this really necessary… a little bastard from the orphanage really thinks she’s a young lady now…”
Hearing her muttering, Ming Zhi frowned.
Was this how the Yun family’s servants treated Yun Xiaoyu?
What nonsense!
The maid hadn’t even given her a towel. Ming Zhi found the rags dirty, so she simply took off her jacket and wrapped the ice in it.
The hem of her clothes was gently tugged. “Sister is silly. The clothes will get wet.”
“Oh, you know quite a lot,” Ming Zhi raised an eyebrow. “Who told you to call me sister? Don’t go claiming relatives randomly!”
We’re mortal enemies, okay?!
Although she despised the future villain, Ming Zhi couldn’t bring herself to bully a three-and-a-half-year-old child.
Resigned, she helped Yun Xiaoyu ice her face.
“Does it hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
“Your mouth is the toughest part of you, isn’t it?” Ming Zhi said irritably. “So young and already saying one thing while meaning another. If it doesn’t hurt, why are you crying?”
Yun Xiaoyu was taken aback. She touched her cheek with her small hand and felt warm liquid.
“No, I’m not crying,” Yun Xiaoyu said seriously in her childish voice. “My eyes are peeing.”
Ming Zhi couldn’t help but laugh. Huh, the villain was actually quite cute as a child…
Wait… vocal! What kind of bewitching spell had Yun Xiaoyu cast on her?
She had only known Yun Xiaoyu for a few minutes and was already starting to find her cute!
Ming Zhi scanned Yun Xiaoyu from head to toe, seriously suspecting she had some kind of soul-snatching buff.
After icing for a while, Yun Xiaoyu’s face was finally less swollen.
But Ming Zhi’s jacket was now a mess, stained everywhere with water from the melting ice.
Ming Zhi thought about just throwing it away, but Yun Xiaoyu hugged the clothes.
“Sister, I’ll wash it for you.”
“Do you know how to use a washing machine?” Ming Zhi looked at her doubtfully. A three-and-a-half-year-old villain probably wasn’t even as tall as a washing machine.
Yun Xiaoyu tilted her head. “Why use a washing machine? Aren’t clothes supposed to be washed by hand?”
“Who told you that? The washing machine is one of the greatest inventions for lazy people!” Ming Zhi retorted.
“Mommy said so,” the little one replied, her eyes clear and innocent.
Ming Zhi was stunned.
A few minutes later.
Watching Yun Xiaoyu standing on a small stool, huffing and puffing as she washed her jacket, Ming Zhi felt completely dazed.
What kind of status do I have that the big villain is actually washing clothes for me…
Ah, bah!
Is that the point?
The point is, why is a three-and-a-half-year-old child washing clothes by hand?!
The Yun family is wealthy, with several servants. Isn’t it absurd to make a child wash clothes by hand?!
The jacket was thick when wet, and Yun Xiaoyu’s hands were tiny. She could only wring it out bit by bit, using all her strength, while providing her own sound effects: “Heave! Ho! Sister, am I amazing?”
Her tender little face bloomed with a bright smile, proud as if she had earned a little red flower.
Ming Zhi felt a bit uneasy inside.
From the perspective of the original plot, of course, she hated Yun Xiaoyu to death.
A villain who took pleasure in destroying others’ lives—wasn’t that hateful?
But suddenly realizing that the villain had a pretty miserable childhood, Ming Zhi now felt conflicted.
“Sister, Little Yu will do magic for you~” Yun Xiaoyu’s soft, milky voice pulled Ming Zhi out of her inner turmoil. She saw Yun Xiaoyu pull out a bubble wand from who-knows-where, dip it in the soapy foam from the laundry detergent, puff up her cheeks, and blow hard.
A few scattered little bubbles floated in the air, popping with a plop before even two seconds had passed.
Yet Yun Xiaoyu was overjoyed, her dark eyes sparkling. She stared at Ming Zhi for a long moment before asking in confusion, “Sister, why aren’t you happy yet?”
Ming Zhi: …So, Yun Xiaoyu was blowing bubbles like a silly goose to cheer her up?
She turned her face away. “Hmph, what’s so fun about this? Yun Xiaoyu, who still plays with this kind of bubble-blowing nowadays! Haven’t you seen a bubble machine? It’s electric, blowing bubbles faster and more than you can by hand!”
Yun Xiaoyu giggled foolishly. “Wow, Sister is so amazing! I’ve never played with one before.”
“……”
Argh, damn it, why was the villain such a country bumpkin when she was little?!
“Stop washing.” Ming Zhi felt both annoyed and angry, though she didn’t know why she was so agitated.
“No!” Yun Xiaoyu was stubborn, her voice still milky. “Little Yu washes her own clothes, and Sister’s clothes too!”
“……”
Ming Zhi felt like she was under a spell—otherwise, why would she be infected by Yun Xiaoyu to the point where her eyes felt like they wanted to pee?
She sniffled and tossed out expressionlessly, “Suit yourself.”
Ming Zhi wanted to go outside for some fresh air. Just as she reached the door, she overheard a conversation in the hallway:
“So annoying, when are we finally going to send that brat away?”
“Honey, don’t worry, I’ve already found a new home for her.”
Ming Zhi’s pupils contracted.
She was very sensitive to voices, and even through the door, she could tell it was Yún Fēng and Mù Fěi, that wealthy couple!
Yún Fēng lowered his voice. “I’ll send her to the Xu family tonight! Their son has autism—he’s a lost cause for life. They’d be thrilled to have Yun Xiaoyu as their child bride!”
Mù Fěi complained, “What resources does the Xu family have?! I thought we were giving her to Director Wang in the industry. I want a role in his new film!”
“Honey, the Xu family is the biggest investor for Director Wang’s new film this time. I’m killing two birds with one stone!”
“You jerk, it’s all because you went bankrupt. I’ve been out of the industry for years and still have to go back to acting to make money…”
They were actually planning to give Yun Xiaoyu away?
Ming Zhi was full of question marks.
Seriously… you decide to raise her, then decide to give her away just like that? You wouldn’t even treat a cat or dog this casually!
That Director Wang is notoriously known in the industry as a complete pervert, and there have even been scandalous rumors about him harassing child actors.
As for the Xu family… Ming Zhi’s heart sank. If she remembered correctly, the Xu family’s autistic son would grow up to become a sociopathic serial killer in the future!
Ming Zhi was furious. Fine, fine, if that’s how they want to play!
She flung the door open and shouted downstairs at Director Chu, “Director Chu! I love my sister so much! If she’s not part of tomorrow’s live stream, I won’t participate!”