Ever since Fifth Sister returned to the estate, Teng felt his standing had plummeted. Mother and Eldest Sister used to lavish all their attention on him, but now it had all shifted to Fifth Sister.
Worse still, he had schemed to frame Fifth Sister to win back their favor, only for her to turn the tables on him.
His bottom swollen from a spanking, Teng lay sniffling on Min's bed, playing pitiful. "Mother, Fifth Sister bullied me! Aren't you going to do anything?"
Min shot him a sidelong glance. "You were the one in the wrong to begin with."
Teng said, "Even if I was wrong, Fifth Sister should have reasoned with me and taught me better! What kind of girl hits someone that hard? Waaaah~~ Mommy~~~"
Jian Ruonan reclined on the couch, eating pastries a maid fed into her mouth.
Only after Teng finished crying did she ask in a soft, gentle voice, positively steeped in manipulative sweetness, "Mommy, I hit Teng. Will he hate me now?"
Min glared at Teng and snapped, "He wouldn't dare!"
After shouting at Teng, Min gathered Jian Ruonan into her arms and soothed her softly. "You're siblings born of the same mother. How could you hold a grudge overnight? Mommy knows you only did it for Teng's own good, Nan Nan."
Jian Ruonan huddled in Min's arms, looking terribly wronged. If not for the pastry crumbs still clinging to the corner of her mouth, Teng might almost have swallowed her act.
Teng: !!
This sugary-sweet little schemer was on a whole other level!!
She was even better at pretending than he was!!
Min said, "Teng, if you ever dare do this again, you'll face the family discipline!"
Teng: "..."
Once Min went out, Jian Ruonan lay back down on the couch and continued