The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 157

Xu Wan smiled as she finished teasing the little rascal and then arranged for someone to send a message to the Qin Mansion, informing the parents about the situation.

This matter was of great importance, not just some childish mischief. If the Qin family handled it poorly, they might even offend the Great General of Pacifying the West.

The little devil, standing nearby, listened to her arrangements and couldn't help but ask, "Won't they find it strange if you suddenly tell their parents like this? Will they even believe you?"

Xu Wan replied, "Whether they believe it or not, they'll definitely check with Qin Ye. Qin Ye should know very well whether Luo Chen would hold a grudge against him."

"How can you tell…" The little devil's voice trailed off.

That day at the academy, Luo Chen had bowed his head and apologized to Qin Shi, appearing quite sincere. He hadn't lashed out on the spot, but who would have thought he'd hold such a grudge against Qin Ye afterward?

All Qin Ye had done was say two words—cold, heartless, and arrogant as he was.

Yet, somehow, he had managed to offend Luo Chen so deeply.

Though, upon reflection, the little devil realized Qin Ye had also said three words that had infuriated him. That scoundrel…

Xu Wan hummed in agreement, carefully choosing her words. "I think, based on the exam paper I saw half a year ago, Qin Ye is a very smart person. He can see what kind of person Luo Chen is. Or maybe he's even more impressive—he might have anticipated the consequences before he even opened his mouth."

"No way!" The little devil instinctively denied it.

If what she said were true, wouldn't Qin Ye be practically a god?

The young master was unconvinced and felt certain Xu Wan was just talking nonsense.

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Xu Wan chuckled. "Don't get worked up. I haven't interacted much with Qin Ye, so my guess might not be accurate."

The little devil finally nodded in satisfaction. "Hmph, just wild guesses. If he could predict the outcome, why would he have done something like that? Isn't that just asking to offend the Luo family? His father is only a minor official of the fifth rank."

Xu Wan nodded dismissively and casually asked, "How was your outing? Why did you only come back with one lantern?"

The little devil replied, "Oh, we only liked this one, so we didn't buy any others… Wait, won? There are lanterns you can win?"

Zong Wenxiu followed his brother's gaze and looked behind them, where the maids were holding rows upon rows of lanterns, as if they had bought out an entire lantern stall.

The little devil's eyes widened. "Did you buy out the whole lantern stall?!"

"Won them, won them. Didn't you hear what I just said?" Xu Wan raised a lantern in her hand proudly. "This is one I won with your aunt Baili Weihong. It costs one coin to guess, and if you get it right, you can take it home."

"One coin to guess, and you can take it if you're right? Was the stall owner crazy?" The little devil couldn't comprehend it.

Zong Wenxiu also thought the rule sounded like a surefire way to lose money.

But after hearing their mother casually recite one of the riddles, both boys fell silent.

No wonder the stall owner was so confident—the riddles were incredibly hard.

Yet, the two of them had managed to win so many lanterns?

"Let's head home, kids."

Xu Wan and Baili Weihong walked ahead, occasionally turning to chat and laugh with others, their delicate and beautiful faces flushed under the glow of the lanterns hanging along the street.

The little devil stared at her, his dark eyes unblinking.

She was amazing—smart at studying, skilled at solving riddles, sharp at thinking, capable at handling things, and… so gentle in appearance.

Is this what a mother is like?

Zong Jincheng wondered what his own mother might be like. Would she be like Xu Wan?

He then thought, if his mother were like Xu Wan, she might also love and care for him as much as she did for his brother. Then, he would surely be the happiest child in the world.

But his mother… where was she?

Why hadn't she come to see him all these years?

On South Street, the crowd was bustling. Zong Wenxiu, afraid his brother might get lost, held onto his arm as they pushed through the throng.

As they walked, the little devil thought to himself: Once he passed the imperial exams with top honors, he might mercifully consider not sending Xu Wan to the countryside estate. Instead, he'd let her stay at the Marquis Manor, just… far away from him.

By then, the tables would have turned, and it would be her turn to live under his watchful eye. She wouldn't dare to mess with him while staying in the manor.

Yes, that's exactly how it should be!

Zong Jincheng caught up with his brother, and together they bought some more snacks before heading home with their arms full of goodies.

The next morning, the two boys woke up, washed up, and had breakfast as usual before rushing to the study. As soon as they arrived, they saw Xu Wan already waiting there.

The little devil noticed she had changed into a green dress and was sitting in his seat, holding his brush and writing on his paper. Her unsmiling profile looked somewhat cold, completely different from her usual cheerful demeanor.

In ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍the past, the little rascal would have shouted at her to get up, not to sit in his seat, not to touch his brush, not to use his ink, and not to disturb his studies.

But now, he merely reacted mildly, even leaning over awkwardly to ask, "What are you writing?"

Xu Wan looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. She smiled brightly and said, "I wanted to see what the problem was that made your handwriting so messy. But after trying it out, it doesn't seem to be the seat, the brush, the paper, or even your colorful ink."

The little devil's face turned bright red. He stammered, "W-what problem could I have? My priority is to catch up to my brother! Ugly handwriting isn't an issue. In the time it takes to write neatly, I could finish two exam papers. Don't you understand my strategy?"

"Oh… I guessed as much, but I wasn't sure. Still, why are you stuttering? And why is your face red?" Xu Wan reached out and touched his forehead.

She muttered, "You're not running a fever."

Zong Jincheng felt his face burn even hotter. Just before it felt like it might explode, he quickly took the initiative and shouted, "Get up! Don't delay my studies."

Xu Wan stood up and gave him his seat, commenting, "Good lad, you even know to hurry with your studies."

Zong Jincheng clenched his fists, pretending to block his ears but actually using his arms to hide his flushed face. He kept urging, "Hurry up and leave. Teacher Baili will be here soon to start the lesson."

Xu Wan wasn't upset at being shooed away. Instead, she said lightly, "Alright, I'll go then. By the way, there's news from the Qin Mansion. I thought I'd wait until after your lesson to tell you, so it doesn't distract you."

Zong Jincheng: "!!!"

How could anyone focus on studying after hearing that?!

He turned and glared at Xu Wan, finally saying after a long pause, "You just love teasing people, don't you?"

Xu Wan smiled shyly. "You figured me out? It's my only hobby."

Zong Jincheng: "…"

He hated her blatant mischievousness, especially when he was the one being teased.

It only made him angrier.

Zong Wenxiu was also curious. He asked, "Auntie, was the message from Lord Qin or Qin Ye?"

The little devil perked up his ears at the question.

Of course, it couldn't be from Qin Ye, right? That scoundrel wouldn't be so considerate. Even if he knew, he'd probably just say "oh" and be done with it.