Xiao Yi looked down, furrowing his brows slightly.
“Feeling better?”
Duoduo felt embarrassed, covering the soiled spot with her hand, and nodded gently.
“I heard the Grand Tutor punished you again?” Xiao Yi asked with mild amusement.
Duoduo hung her head and replied weakly.
“The Grand Tutor said my handwriting is too poor.”
“He made me copy it ten times and turn it in tomorrow.”
A flicker of light passed through Xiao Yi’s eyes.
“I recall tomorrow is the Imperial Academy’s day off.”
Duoduo looked up, her face full of grievance.
“Yes! That’s exactly what I told the Grand Tutor!”
She deflated as she spoke.
“But the Grand Tutor said others can take the day off, but I can’t!”
Duoduo turned to Xiao Yi with a look of accusation.
“Father, do you think I did something wrong, and the Grand Tutor is deliberately targeting me?”
A smile crept into Xiao Yi’s eyes.
“What do you think?”
Duoduo indeed began to ponder seriously.
Xiao Yi said nothing, simply watching her.
After thinking for a long while, she finally shook her head in frustration.
“I can’t figure it out, but I think the Grand Tutor shouldn’t be so idle as to pick on me specifically.”
Xiao Yi rarely saw Duoduo so disheartened.
He touched the tip of his nose and cleared his throat softly.
“The Grand Tutor once taught me.”
Duoduo’s big eyes widened as she failed to grasp his meaning.
Xiao Yi guiltily averted his gaze.
“I gave you your early education,” he reminded her again.
Tilting her head, Duoduo followed his words and thought carefully.
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck her.
“Oh! I get it!”
She straightened up, her face a mask of disbelief.
She recalled that the Grand Tutor had once asked who taught her first.
She had said, “My Father taught me a little.”
Since the Grand Tutor had taught Xiao Yi, he surely knew that Xiao Yi could also write with his left hand!
So of course the Grand Tutor had guessed that her homework was also done with her left hand.
Duoduo was stunned.
“Father! You knew all along that the Grand Tutor would figure out I’m left-handed!”
“Father! No wonder you told me to hide it! You already knew he’d see through me!”
Faced with her accusations, Xiao Yi deliberately stiffened his expression.
“That’s because you’re too foolish—the Grand Tutor saw through you in no time.”
Duoduo grew angry. She let go of the stain she had been covering and stepped out of Xiao Yi’s embrace.
“Father, do you find it amusing to toy with me like this?”
Xiao Yi nodded honestly.
“Amusing, yes. But compared to me back in the day, you fell short.”
“I fooled the Grand Tutor for a whole year before he guessed.”
“You’ve only been there a few days, and he saw right through you!”
Xiao Yi shook his head in deliberate disappointment.
“Hmph! I’m angry now!”
Duoduo stomped her foot in a huff and ran out.
Xiao Yi burst into laughter at her childish antics.
Midway through his laugh, he froze.
How long had it been since he had laughed so heartily?
It felt so long that he couldn’t even remember what it was like.
Xiao Yi sank into thought.
In truth, it wasn’t just Duoduo who was changing—he was, too.
No matter how much he denied it, he couldn’t change the fact.
Yet, he didn’t seem to mind this change.
A smile spread across his lips.
He lowered his head, his chest vibrating as he chuckled softly.
Xiao Yi felt the pent-up emotions in his heart slowly dissipating.
Suddenly, he noticed a strange smear on his chest.
His smile vanished instantly.
The next second, he stood up and strode quickly into the inner room to change his clothes.
No wonder Duoduo had bolted so fast!
Xiao Yi finally realized—he had fallen right into Duoduo’s trap!
Duoduo dashed out of the study. Hearing no sound from Xiao Yi, she finally stopped.
Lüdou caught up, looking puzzled.
“Princess, why were you running?”
“Did the Prince scold you?”
As Lüdou spoke, she noticed Duoduo’s reddened eyes and nose.
“Princess, have you been crying?” she asked, her heart aching.
It must be that the Prince had scolded her again.
The Princess worked so hard—why couldn’t he see that?
She was still so young; even if she made a small mistake, did it warrant such strictness?
Seeing Lüdou’s misunderstanding, Duoduo waved her hand dismissively.
“It’s nothing. Father didn’t scold me.”
Thinking of that stain, Duoduo felt a twinge of guilt.
But then she remembered how her Father had tricked her, and her confidence returned.
Hmph!
She and her Father were even now!
With that thought, her mood lifted, and she cheerfully pulled Lüdou along as they skipped back.
In the courtyard on the other side of the Prince of Pingyang’s residence, Madam Su listened as the maid relayed Su Xian’s words. Furious, she smashed the teacup in her hand to the floor.
“Grandmother!” Yunmeng gasped in shock.
The tea splashed, staining the hem of her dress.
“Grandmother, my skirt is ruined!” Yunmeng pouted.
Madam Su was burning with anger.
“Go fetch your Third Sister!”
Yunmeng grumbled, “Why do you want her?”
“Go now!” Madam Su shot an irritated glare at Yunmeng.
Knowing her grandmother was upset, Yunmeng reluctantly walked out.
Soon, Yunxi followed Yunmeng inside.
“Grandmother, you wanted to see me?” Yunxi greeted her with a bow.
Madam Su forced herself to suppress the displeasure on her face, trying to squeeze out a smile.
But her fury was too strong, and the muscles in her face twitched, making it look ghastly.
Seeing her grandmother’s twisted expression, Yunxi felt a flicker of fear.
She twisted her handkerchief in her hands and lowered her head.
After struggling for a long time, Madam Su still couldn’t manage a smile, so she gave up.
“You get along well with your aunt. Go spend more time with her.”
“She has no children of her own, so she’s bound to be close to you.”
“You’re about to be betrothed. If your aunt can help, your future will be happier.”
“Your brothers and cousins will benefit too.”
At the mention of marriage, Yunxi’s face reddened.
Ever since she came of age, marriage was the thing she heard about most.
Her parents had preferred to marry her into a family of equal standing, so she wouldn’t face too many complications.
But her grandparents leaned toward marrying her into a high-status family.
Weren’t they thinking about her aunt?
They wanted her to follow in her aunt’s footsteps and bring glory to the family.
Yunxi understood this well because her mother had explained every twist and turn to her clearly.
Yunxi wished for her family’s well-being. Since she had to marry someone anyway, if it could help her family, she saw no problem with it.
She remembered telling her mother this, and her mother had looked at her with a deep sigh.
After that, her mother had started preparing her dowry generously.
“Go! Go and cheer up your aunt. Tell her tomorrow you want to go shopping!”
