A cup of hot tea was suddenly handed over from the diagonal front, and slender fingers entered Mu Jiulu’s line of sight.

It was Gu Sui.

“Anger harms the body. It’s just children arguing, don’t take it to heart.”

At that moment, Li Fuyu regarded his Sui Gege as light.

Mu Yi, however, raised his head and glanced. “Hmph, hypocrite.”

Mu Jiulu picked up a red date from the fruit plate on the table and threw it over.

“Will you die if you don’t speak?”

Mu Yi felt extremely aggrieved. While Mu Jiulu was looking at Gu Sui, Li Fuyu stuck out his tongue at him gloatingly.

Hehe, Sui Gege is still better to me.

“Yi’er has been spoiled since he was young and speaks without thinking. You don’t need to mind his words.”

Mu Jiulu took the tea cup he handed over and slowly said. Upon hearing this, Gu Sui curved his brows and eyes.

“You care so much about my feelings.”

Mu Jiulu: “……”

It’s over. In a moment of anger, she forgot her current persona.

She, the aloof and ruthless Regent, how could she care about Gu Suizhi’s feelings?

Damn it, these two stinky brats Mu Yi and Li Fuyu were nothing but trouble.

“This King has said, don’t think too much.”

Mu Jiulu shifted her gaze, her voice indifferent. This double entendre made Gu Sui sigh.

In the end, was it telling him to not think too much about Mu Yi’s words, or telling him to not think too much about what she had just said?

“You two, go back and copy the Junze ten times each. Finish copying before the new year and give it to me. Otherwise, hmph.”

Mu Jiulu meted out punishment with a blank expression. Li Fuyu and Mu Yi both let out a wail.

“Imperial Sister!”

“Ninth Aunt!”

Ten times, they wouldn’t be able to rest a single day before the new year.

“Too little? Twenty times then.”

If it weren’t for Gu Sui not being too affected, it wouldn’t be as simple as just copying as punishment.

Mu Yi and Li Fuyu now truly didn’t dare to speak anymore.

After Mu Jiulu and Gu Sui left the banquet hall, Li Fuyu unhappily rolled his eyes at Mu Yi.

“You’re really something, giving me such a big birthday gift.”

“You still have the face to say that. If it weren’t for you, how would this Prince be so miserable!”

“It’s your fault!”

“Your fault, your fault!”

“Your fault, your fault, your fault!”

……

Outside the banquet hall, Gu Sui couldn’t help but look back when he could still vaguely hear the voices inside. He inexplicably found it a bit amusing.

“Their relationship shouldn’t be bad, right?”

What a pity, one is Mu Jiulu’s die-hard fan, and the other is his die-hard fan.

A bit troublesome.

But it’s fine, he believes that as long as he wins over Mu Jiulu, the two little friends can also reconcile.

“No need to mind them, they’ll make up on their own after some time.”

Gu Sui was now completely at ease. He turned around, facing Mu Jiulu, and walked backwards on the pebble path.

“Mu Yi is your biological younger brother?”

Mu Jiulu glanced behind him, and seeing no obstacles, only then nodded.

Gu Sui tilted his head. “Just him alone?”

“Just him alone is troublesome enough.”

Mu Jiulu shook her head and said. Gu Sui laughed.

“I probably know why he has an issue with me.”

“Not important.”

Mu Jiulu suddenly spoke up. Gu Sui asked in puzzlement, “What’s not important?”

Mu Jiulu: “His opinion.”

No one had ever been able to interfere with her decisions. Let alone Mu Yi, even if her father were still alive, he wouldn’t be able to do it.

Gu Sui was backlit, the corners of his lips curved into a shallow arc. The golden sunlight covered the ends of his hair that were blown by the wind. His earnest voice came out.

“It’s important. He’s your family. Having a family member who cares about you is a fortunate thing.”

Mu Jiulu’s eyes slightly froze, falling on the yearning in his eyes. Her heart suddenly tightened, and her speech quickened quite a bit.

“So, you still mind what he said?”

Gu Sui shook his head and said firmly, “Perhaps I would have before, but now, I will only make him accept me.”

After a long gaze, Mu Jiulu slowly spoke, “That may not be as easy as you think.”

Gu Sui smiled. “It’s alright.”

No matter how difficult, he had shouldered through. This time, he doesn’t want to miss her again.

*

The two walked along the pebble path in a circle and returned to the entrance of the banquet hall. It still hadn’t quieted down inside.

Gu Sui was a bit surprised. “Still arguing?”

Listening carefully, he felt something was off.

“Li Wenxin, return my things to me, otherwise don’t blame me for being impolite to you!”

“Why? Mother said it was given to me.”

“That’s my father’s dowry. She dares to bestow it to you and you dare to take it?”

“Then go talk to Mother about it. Anyway, this jade pendant is now mine.”

“Ptooey! Who do you think you are? A mere illegitimate son, you think you can bully Li Fuyu?”

“Your Highness jests. How could I bully Big Brother?

Mother merely saw that Big Brother wasn’t using this jade pendant and it was just lying around. Seeing that I’m considerate, she gave it to me.

Now Big Brother insists on snatching it back from my hands. Your Highness, how do you expect me to explain to Mother? Losing an item gifted by an elder is a grave offense. I dare not do so.”

Li Fuyu and Mu Yi are the kind of people who, although spoiled, are frank and straightforward.

Encountering someone like Li Wenxin who is both pretentious and hypocritical is like hitting a soft nail. Having to consider etiquette, they always find it hard to deal with him.

Gu Sui couldn’t stand listening anymore. Mu Jiulu watched as he kicked open the door with one foot.

“Just because he’s not using his things, you can take them? Then I see your mouth is also idle. Why don’t you call me ‘Father’ and let me hear it?”

The voice containing light anger came from the doorway. Li Wenxin was obviously stunned for a moment, then said arrogantly,

“Who are you?”

Li Wenxin wasn’t there when Li Fuyu brought him in earlier, so he didn’t know who he was.

“Your father!”

At this moment, there wasn’t a hint of a smile on Gu Sui’s face. His originally gentle eyes became much sharper.

He didn’t waste words at all. Seeing the jade pendant clutched in his hand, he directly stepped forward and grabbed his wrist, forcefully snatching it away.

“Hold it well.”

Gu Sui handed that white jade pendant to Li Fuyu. After Li Fuyu took it and held it to his chest, the toughness he had been pretending to have instantly diminished by more than half.

“Sui Gege!”

He directly hugged Gu Sui, sobbing as he called out. Mu Jiulu, who was following behind Gu Sui, gloomily looked over.

“Mu Yi, pull him away.”

Mu Jiulu said expressionlessly. Mu Yi was still in shock from Gu Sui directly taking action. Upon hearing this, he dazedly let out an “ah” sound, only reacting belatedly to what his Imperial Sister wanted him to do.

After Mu Yi pulled Li Fuyu away, he saw his tear-stained makeup and disgustedly handed a handkerchief over.

“Why are you crying? Weren’t you very domineering with me? The moment he mentioned your mother, you chickened out. How many things has he snatched from you and you still haven’t learned your lesson?”

After wiping his face, Li Fuyu directly threw the handkerchief back at him, glaring at him in exasperation.

“You’re the one who chickened out. I was just too lazy to pay attention to him before!”

Li Wenxin didn’t expect the jade pendant he had finally gotten his hands on to be snatched away so easily. His wrist even had red marks, making him hiss from the pain.

He raised his hand, pointing at Gu Sui, and shouted in anger and humiliation,

“You wait, I’m going to tell my mother!”

Gu Sui glanced over. Just as he was about to use action to teach him how to behave, Mu Jiulu suddenly spoke up beside him.

“This King would also like to have a good talk with Li Changtong about when Minghua Junzhu’s dowry became her things, that even an illegitimate son dares to casually take it.”