Jiang Linzhi took a couple of steps over. “Why are you hiding behind the haystack?”
“Here.” Jiang Chuling nodded toward Jiang Chuyun, who was smiling sweetly in front of several siblings. “Avoiding trouble.”
Jiang Linzhi snorted coldly. “Mom and Dad must have lost their heads—their own daughter is only waist-high, and they’re off pitying Fourth Uncle’s girl instead.”
That felt satisfying to hear. Jiang Chuling put her hands on her hips. “Exactly, exactly! She has her own dad and her own grandmother to dote on her—why should we feel sorry for her?”
Jiang Linzhi raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh? Our family’s ‘dutiful daughter’ finally figured that out? That’s rare! Didn’t you used to lecture me with all that talk about filial piety?”
“Brother!” Jiang Chuling couldn’t help jumping up to hit him. “I only saw Jiang Chuyun’s true colors this time—she actually wanted the birthday crown you and Mom and Dad gave me!”
She’d said she was just borrowing it, but nothing she’d borrowed before had ever been returned.
Jiang Linzhi frowned. “That crown is worth 180 million—how does she have the nerve to ask you for it?!”
The main diamond on the crown had been bought by Dad at an auction. The dozen or so smaller diamonds were personally selected by Mom on a trip abroad. The design had been created by Big Brother, and he and Jiang Linzhi had split the cost of having a craftsman make it!
To give his little sister such a precious and meaningful tenth birthday gift—one full of the family’s love—and Jiang Chuyun actually had the audacity to ask for it?!
“She sure does!” Thinking about all the things she’d given away before made her heart ache. “If she hadn’t been so unreasonable, I wouldn’t be hiding from her like she’s a plague!”
Jiang Linzhi’s face darkened. Unlike their parents, he didn’t care about “family bonds” at the expense of fairness. How could he let an outsider bully his own?
But before Jiang Linzhi could exert some Fourth Brother authority and teach Jiang Chuyun a lesson, Second Brother and Third Sister showed up together with the others.
“Fourth Brother’s here too.” Jiang Linwen from the second branch was the second eldest in the family, only half an hour younger than Big Brother.
It was said that Second Aunt had gone into premature labor with complications and had been in labor for a long time at the hospital. As a result, Second Brother had always been frail and had spent half a year in an incubator after birth.
“Second Brother, Third Sister.” Jiang Linzhi saw their serious approach and instinctively moved his sister behind him. “What’s this about?”
Jiang Linwen, always gentle and refined, said mildly, “Nothing major. Chuyun said that Little Seven and the new nanny deliberately bullied her, so we came to ask what happened.”
“Bullied?” Jiang Linzhi let out a bitter laugh. “My sister is only ten. Two little kids having a squabble—you call that bullying?”
Jiang Chuling shot an impatient look at the short, plump girl across from her.
She didn’t dare tattle to the adults for fear of consequences, so she went to her cousins instead to badmouth her!
Jiang Chuyun was really something.
Jiang Chuyu from the third branch said, “Fourth Brother, two little girls that young couldn’t have had a real falling-out. But don’t forget there’s a nanny in between stirring up trouble! They used to get along so well—going to and from school together. How could that nanny come and suddenly break up their friendship?”
Yeah, right!
Jiang Chuling cursed under her breath. They got along before because she alone had been making concessions. Now that she couldn’t stand it anymore and they clashed, who was the one benefitting? It was obvious!
“Who?” Jiang Linzhi, worried his sister might be led astray by a scheming nanny, turned to ask her.
“It’s her!” Before Jiang Chuling could answer, Jiang Chuyun eagerly pointed toward the edge of the racetrack. “I saw her come here with Seventh Sister!”
Soon, Qiuyun was summoned to the racetrack.
“Miss, the temperature is just right.”
Thinking Jiang Chuling was thirsty, Qiuyun deftly poured a slightly cool, refreshing fruit drink into a cup and handed it steadily to her young mistress.
The cup was filled to about seventy percent. Her posture was graceful and obedient. Though she was serving someone, there was no hint of servility—every movement was natural and pleasing to the eye.
“Thanks.” Seeing the pretty Sister Xiaoqiu lightened the gloom in Jiang Chuling’s chest. A sip of the drink smoothed her mood considerably.
Jiang Linzhi also sized up his sister’s new young nanny.
She was… stunning, to be fair—even prettier than some internet celebrities he knew. And she wore no makeup. Her hair was neatly pinned up with a wooden hairpin, and she wore the household’s plain black maid uniform with her head slightly bowed. The overall impression was that of a gentle, elegant beauty from the Jiangnan region of the Republican era—not the kind of seductress who would lead his sister astray.
Looking at the bag she carried, it held a small fan, a parasol, cold and hot drinks, energy bars, wet wipes—it was clear she took good care of his sister.
Jiang Linzhi’s wariness eased slightly. “So you’re the new nanny?”
“Yes.”
Qiuyun looked up, quickly scanned the young masters and misses present, then lowered her gaze, landing on Jiang Chuyun, who was watching the scene with a smirk. She already had a good guess of what was happening.
“Then tell us—why did you instigate Little Seven to bully Chuyun this morning?” Jiang Chuyu asked, acting as the righteous voice.
The questioner was about fourteen or fifteen. Qiuyun had a rough understanding of the Jiang family’s young masters and misses.
“In answer to Sixth Miss, Miss Chuyun came to play with our miss this morning. They had a very good time. Nothing like ‘bullying’ happened.”
“She’s lying again! She’s making things up!” Jiang Chuyun’s eyes widened as she shrieked.
Jiang Linzhi glanced at the noisy little pest, then asked his sister, “Is that true?”
“Yes!” Jiang Chuling nodded firmly. “I had a really good time. I didn’t have any argument with Cousin Chuyun. I don’t know why she’s saying I bullied her.”
After all, she really was happy.
“You did bully me!” Jiang Chuyun, still a child with limited vocabulary, got flustered and rambled, “You and your nanny ganged up on me! And you talked nonsense about giving me a birthday gift! You said that even if I went to Uncle, I’d have no case! You just took advantage of me not having a mom and deliberately bullied me!”
Qiuyun chose that moment to look appropriately surprised. “So that’s what Miss Chuyun is talking about. I thought when our miss said she would give you a birthday gift, that matter was settled.”
Jiang Chuling was quick to pick up on Sister Xiaoqiu’s cue. “That’s right, Cousin Chuyun. You wanted the crown my parents gave me. I told you it was a gift from them, full of their love for me—how could I pass that on to someone else? So I promised to give you a new one for your birthday. I thought we were done with it.”
She tugged pitifully at her brother’s sleeve. “I never imagined you’d go make such a fuss in front of Second Brother and Third Sister~”
Playing the victim? She knew how to do that too.
Before, whenever Jiang Chuyun played the “I’m the only kid without a mother” card, everyone—adults, kids, aunts, and uncles—would side with her.
But today, it seemed that trick wasn’t working anymore.
