Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River; Do Not Bully the Poor Young Man

"What a disaster," Deng Tianxin complained with tragic indignation. "I, a dignified disciple of the Saintess, am actually being bullied by two women working together. If this gets out..."

"And what if it does get out?" Liu Erlong's finger hovered just above his cheek, ready to poke him again at any moment.

Deng Tianxin opened his mouth, only to find he couldn't think of a single intimidating consequence.

If it got out, people would only say a seven-year-old boy was being teased by two young women, and they might even add that the brat didn't know how lucky he was.

Deng Tianxin looked at the two women and thought for a moment before saying, "The river flows east for thirty years, then west for thirty years; do not bully a youth because he is poor!"

The room went silent for a full two seconds before Liu Erlong was the first to break.

She leaned against the bedpost, laughing so hard she couldn't straighten her back, tears shimmering at the corners of her eyes. She repeated that line about the "youth being poor" intermittently, laughing harder with every utterance.

Tang Yuehua wasn't doing much better; she covered her face with one hand, her carefully maintained image of grace completely collapsing in that moment.

"Where... where did you learn such phrases?" Tang Yuehua finally managed to stop laughing, pressing a silk handkerchief to the corners of her eyes, her voice still carrying an uncontrollable tremor.

Deng Tianxin felt even more ashamed and indignant at their laughter. His little face flushed red, and he stiffened his neck to hold his ground. "This is a timeless classic! 'Do not bully a youth because he is poor'—I am destined to become a god! You're bullying me now, but just wait until I become the God of Love; I'll make you knead my shoulders, pound my legs, and bring me foot-washing water!"

If he hadn't said it, it would have been fine, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Tang Yuehua, who had just steadied herself, doubled over in laughter again. She pressed her forehead against Liu Erlong's shoulder, her entire body trembling with mirth.

Liu Erlong was laughing so hard she was gasping for air. It took her a long time to catch her breath, and she leaned down to plant a kiss on Deng Tianxin's face, accompanied by a crisp pop.

"Fine, this sister will wait for you to bring me foot-washing water." After saying this, Liu Erlong made another pop sound, planting a second kiss on his other cheek.

"I said you were going to bring it to me!" Deng Tianxin struggled to correct her.

"Alright, alright, whatever you say." Tang Yuehua finally lifted her head from Liu Erlong's shoulder, wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, and leaned down to press a light kiss on Deng Tianxin's forehead.

Deng Tianxin, kissed into a state of utter despair, slumped into Liu Erlong's arms, finally understanding the situation.

In this room, his threats were no more effective than a kitten's meow; they served no practical purpose other than making these two women find him even more adorable and wanting to squeeze him.

Dammit, when he grew up, he would definitely make them howl.

"Alright, it's settled then. We'll send you back," Tang Yuehua said, looking at Deng Tianxin.

Liu Erlong nodded, giving Deng Tianxin no chance to refuse.

"I'll go downstairs to order some food; you two go wash up," Liu Erlong said as she walked toward the door.

Deng Tianxin sighed and went to wash up with Tang Yuehua.

While they were washing, Deng Tianxin looked at Tang Yuehua and suddenly asked, "Sister Yuehua, you like Uncle Tang Hao, don't you?"

The comb in Tang Yuehua's hand nearly fell into the basin. She quickly steadied her wrist and set the comb down beside the washstand.

She turned to look at Deng Tianxin, her expression still the usual gentle and composed one, but the momentary panic had been keenly captured by Deng Tianxin.

"Why would Tianxin suddenly ask that?" Tang Yuehua crouched down, took Deng Tianxin's small towel from the rack, dipped it in warm water, and wrung it out, helping him wipe his face with natural, practiced movements.

The towel covered most of her face, hiding her currently unnatural expression.

"The Second Brother is my own brother; how could I have such thoughts about him? What kind of messy things are running through that little head of yours all day?"

Her tone remained that of someone coaxing a child—light, airy, and tinged with a helpless smile—sounding absolutely flawless.

Deng Tianxin smiled and said, "Sister, you can't lie to me. Based on my observations over this period, you actually like Uncle Tang Hao, right?"

Tang Yuehua's hand holding the towel hung in mid-air, and water droplets fell from her fingertips into the basin one by one.

She looked at the little boy who only reached her waist. Those round, bright eyes held not a shred of childish innocence or ignorance, but a clarity that far exceeded his age.

That gaze made her feel as if she were standing naked under a spotlight, with every secret hidden in the depths of her heart illuminated clearly.

After a brief moment of panic, Tang Yuehua took a deep breath and, conversely, calmed down.

She placed the towel on the washstand and looked at Deng Tianxin face-to-face.

This feeling of being seen through was unfamiliar and strange.

Even though the other party was only a seven-year-old child, she felt that any attempt at concealment would be futile.

"How did you know?" Tang Yuehua's voice was very soft, devoid of the gentle tone she used to coax children, replaced by a seriousness she had never shown in front of others.

She didn't admit it directly, but the counter-question itself was an admission.

"First, the way you look at Tang Hao is wrong." Deng Tianxin held up a finger, his tone as certain as if he were answering a teacher's question in class. "A normal sister looking at her brother should have eyes filled with peace and trust, occasionally annoyed by his sloppiness or lack of grooming. But every time you look at Tang Hao, you freeze for a second, then look away, only to sneak a peek again a moment later. That look of wanting to see but not daring to—that is definitely not the reaction a sister should have toward her brother."

Tang Yuehua's hands unconsciously gripped the skirt over her knees, her knuckles turning slightly white.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Deng Tianxin didn't give her the chance.

"Second, your attitude toward Uncle Tang Hao is too deliberate. Over the past half-month, you've given your gentleness to everyone: serving food to Tang Xiao, pouring tea for Liu Erlong, kneading my face and legs—everyone thinks Sister Yuehua is so kind."

"But only toward Uncle Tang Hao, you are cautious even when handing him a cup of water. You don't take the initiative to speak, you don't take the initiative to get close, and if you accidentally touch his fingers, you pull back immediately, as if you've been burned."

"You wouldn't be this deliberate if you truly didn't care about someone. The more you avoid suspicion, the more it shows there's something on your mind."

"Third, your attitude toward Sister Liu Erlong is very subtle." Deng Tianxin held up a third finger, a meaningful smile appearing on his small face. "I know Uncle Tang Hao has a good impression of a certain sister; he's been finding excuses to talk to her these past few days and even brought her fruit twice. That sister doesn't react much, but every time you see them talking, your expression is very strange."

"It's not the kind of strange that comes from jealousy, but the contradictory expression of someone who knows they are jealous but feels they have no right to be. You clench your handkerchief and bite your lip, pretending to look at the scenery, but in reality, your ears are practically perked up like a rabbit's."