Chapter 18: Little Foodie An Xixuan

An Xixuan’s groggy little head instantly cleared up. His eyes sparkled brightly as he looked at An Xiyan.
“Really, Sister?”

An Xiyan had to hold back a laugh—what a little foodie.

She nodded. “It’s true. So hurry up and drink this bowl of water. Once you’re done, whatever you want to eat, Sister will make it happen.”

“Mm-hmm! Xuan’er will drink it! But, Sister, you can’t break your promise, okay?” An Xixuan nodded solemnly, even taking the opportunity to remind An Xiyan.

This little guy might be small, but he was clever—he absolutely refused to be shortchanged.

An Xiyan chuckled. “Don’t worry, little one. Your sister always keeps her word. If I promise you something, I won’t go back on it.”

With that reassurance, An Xixuan’s big, watery eyes lit up like a starry sky. He quickly took the bowl with both hands and drank it down in one big gulp.
“Gulp gulp gulp…”

After finishing the spiritual spring water, he wiped the corners of his mouth, tilted his head back, and looked up at An Xiyan.
“Sister, I finished it! I want fruit… and fried chicken drumsticks!”

He Lianrong and her son both watched him fondly, relief softening their expressions. Thank goodness the young master was okay—otherwise, they’d have been beside themselves with worry.

An Xiyan took the empty bowl back and gently touched An Xixuan’s forehead. Just moments ago, he had a low-grade fever, but now his body temperature had returned to normal.

“Xuan’er, do you feel any more discomfort?” she asked, even though she was confident the symptoms would be gone after drinking the spiritual water. But still, she had to ask to feel at ease.

An Xixuan obediently shook his head. “Sister, I’m all better now. I don’t feel bad at all. I was dizzy before and felt like throwing up, but now I feel totally fine!”

Then he reached out to hold her soft, delicate hand and continued seriously,
“Sister, I’m better now, so don’t worry. If I ever feel unwell again, I’ll tell you right away.”

An Xiyan listened to her little brother’s grown-up tone and even being the one to comfort her… Her heart melted into a puddle. She almost couldn’t resist scooping him up and showering him with kisses.

She silently thanked her two irresponsible parents for leaving her with such an adorable and sensible little brother to raise.

An Xiyan laughed with pure joy, her beautiful face blooming like a peony in full bloom—radiant and stunning.

“Miss, please stop smiling like that… My poor little heart can’t take it,” Tangyuan suddenly said.

Tangyuan clasped both hands over her chest with an exaggerated look of agony.
“Miss, please… my heart can’t take it!”

He Lianrong gave her daughter a helpless look and tapped her on the forehead.
“You, you really have no sense of decorum. All the rules I taught you seem to have gone right out the window.”

Tangyuan hunched her neck like a scolded kitten and stuck out her tongue, acting coy.
“Mother, my personality is already set. It’s too late to change now. Besides, the young miss likes me the way I am.”

As she finished speaking, she sneakily winked at An Xiyan—Miss, help me out here!

An Xiyan shot her a look that said, Leave it to me, sister.

Then she turned to He Lianrong with a warm smile.
“Aunt Meng, they say a servant reflects their master. Tangyuan’s temperament is quite like mine, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

“Honestly, I love Tangyuan’s lively personality. Without her antics, life would be dull. I’d probably feel something was missing.”

He Lianrong glared at her daughter again. Deep down, she knew Tangyuan’s character was already set in stone—getting her to change would be near impossible.

But… she couldn’t help worrying. They were heading to the capital, to take refuge with the Duke An’s household. That place was filled with power and strict propriety. Just thinking about it made her anxious.

After some thought, she said seriously,
“Miss, you really shouldn’t spoil Tangyuan too much. Her carefree ways might cause trouble. One day, it could lead to a big mess, and you’ll be the one cleaning it up.”

Tangyuan pouted and lowered her head, pretending to be obedient. She snuck a peek at An Xiyan—seeing that her miss’s expression remained unchanged, she felt deeply moved.
Miss still has my back… I’m so touched!

After all, Madam had always told her that her personality was adorable. So why did her mother insist she change?

An Xiyan looked at her and smiled.
“Aunt Meng, don’t worry. As long as Tangyuan doesn’t go around killing or burning things down, I’ll always protect her. She’s my dear sister, after all.”

He Lianrong sighed.
“Miss, you’re too optimistic. We’re heading to the capital—to Duke An’s residence. That’s a household of nobility, where rules and etiquette matter deeply.”

“If Tangyuan keeps being so brash and offends any of those high-born types, you may not be able to shield her. And if you speak up on her behalf, you’ll be seen as someone who disrespects her elders. That kind of reputation will bring scorn from outsiders.”

“Even if you don’t suffer any real punishment, your image will…”

“…will affect your reputation. Those noble families will mock you to your face—and behind your back as well,” He Lianrong finished seriously.

An Xiyan’s expression turned unreadable, her face composed yet clearly deep in thought.

An Xixuan looked up at his sister and, seeing her unhappy expression, instantly panicked. He threw his arms around her waist and cried out emotionally,
“Sis, let’s not go to the capital—please, let’s not go. Xuan’er doesn’t want you to be laughed at… I don’t want that…”

Snapped out of her daze, An Xiyan quickly hugged her little brother back, gently reassuring him,
“Little one, your sister is amazing, okay? Who would dare laugh at me?”

“If anyone does dare to mock me, I’ll shave their heads bald and let others laugh at them! How’s that for a plan?”

Hearing that, An Xixuan finally calmed down. He nodded his little head,
“That’s a great idea, Sister. When the time comes, I’ll hand you the scissors!”

An Xiyan burst out laughing.
“Good, good! You’re such a clever boy. From now on, whenever your sister’s up to no good, I’ll bring you along to cover for me, alright?”

“Mm!” An Xixuan sat up straight and patted his tiny chest with his hand, his expression unusually serious.
“Sis, the two of us together—nothing can stop us!”

An Xiyan felt a warmth bloom in her chest. She reached into her space and pulled out a fried chicken drumstick, handing it to her brother with a smile.
“Here, little one, put on these disposable gloves first, then you can eat this drumstick.”

The moment An Xixuan saw the golden, crispy drumstick, his eyes lit up with joy.

“Okay, Sis! I’ll be very careful and won’t get oil all over my clothes,” he promised earnestly, nodding like a little grown-up.

Then, with surprising dexterity, he slipped on the disposable gloves. Once they were on, he proudly waved his hands in front of his sister to show her he was ready.

An Xiyan chuckled and handed him the drumstick.

Beaming, An Xixuan quickly reached out with both gloved hands and cradled the drumstick like a treasure, nibbling on it bit by bit—just like a little mouse sneaking a snack.

It was unbearably adorable.

Once her little brother had been pacified, An Xiyan finally turned to look at He Lianrong and Tangyuan. She noticed both mother and daughter had their heads lowered, expressions full of guilt and regret.

He Lianrong, especially, was riddled with unease and self-reproach. It was all her fault. If she hadn’t spoken so rashly, the young master wouldn’t have gotten so upset…

“Madam Meng,” An Xiyan called, her tone flat and serious.

He Lianrong jolted and shuddered at the sound of her name, hastily answering,
“Y-Yes, Miss, I’m here…”