A carriage stopped in front of a restaurant, and a woman stepped down holding a baby.

Jiang Yuanxi stared at the grand restaurant before her, drooling.

“Mother, let’s go in quickly!” She tugged at Madam Chen’s hand.

She didn’t notice the guilt on Madam Chen’s face.

The waiter led them to a private room. Jiang Yuanxi eagerly pushed open the door.

A wave of strong perfume hit her, accompanied by the sight of women dressed in bright, colorful clothing.

Jiang Yuanxi’s face turned green.

She bolted.

【Mother, how could you set me up like this!】

Even Madam Chen couldn’t stop her. The little girl disappeared into the crowd in an instant.

Chun Zhi sighed, “Miss sure runs fast.”

Chun Tao quickly suggested, “Madam, should I go after her?”

These days, Chun Tao followed Jiang Yuanxi closely, fearing she might get into trouble again.

Madam Chen shook her head.

Since the last incident, both the Emperor and her husband had arranged for guards to secretly ensure their daughter’s safety.

There was no need to worry.

The noblewomen present sighed when they saw the little girl run away.

But as long as Jiang Yuanxi’s mother was here, they could still build a good relationship. That way, meeting the little princess again would be a piece of cake.

Jiang Yuanxi ran out of the restaurant without stopping.

“Uncle, it’s you!”

She stood in front of a stall selling braised meat, grinning at the vendor.

This uncle was the best—last time, he even gave her some braised meat to eat.

Wang Laowu took a deep breath.

Damn it, what kind of wind blew this little ancestor here again?

Before Jiang Yuanxi could speak, Wang Laowu quickly sliced a piece of high-quality beef, wrapped it up, and handed it to her.

“Girl, Uncle is giving this to you. Now, go somewhere else, okay?” His voice trembled slightly.

Jiang Yuanxi clasped her hands behind her back.

“But Mother says I shouldn’t take things for free.”

She glanced at Wang Laowu. “Uncle, want a fortune reading? I’m really good at it!”

Wang Laowu nearly knelt down before her.

Last time, because of her words, he lost his wife. Who knew what she might say this time?

Wang Laowu quickly cut off a pig’s ear and stuffed it into her hands.

“Ancestor, please, just take it and go. It’s a gift, no charge!”

Jiang Yuanxi hesitated but finally hugged the beef and pig’s ear tightly.

“Alright, but you said it—no charge!”

The vendor pressed his hands together in prayer.

“No charge, no charge. Just please, let me be!”

Jiang Yuanxi happily carried her food away.

After a few steps, she suddenly turned back.

Wang Laowu’s heart clenched.

“Uncle, actually… your ex-wife is pregnant. And the baby is yours.”

She couldn’t take things for free. If her mother found out, she’d get a spanking.

Wang Laowu collapsed to his knees, wailing.

“Ancestor, why didn’t you say so earlier?!”

When he found out his wife had cheated, he immediately threw both her and her lover out.

But now, it turned out the child in her belly was actually his!

His wife wasn’t his anymore, but the child was his.

And worst of all, he had already driven her away.

“What sin have I committed in this life?!”

The nearby vendors hurriedly packed up their stalls and closed shop.

The once lively street became eerily quiet, leaving only confused customers behind.

Some were troubled, while others rejoiced.

An old man suddenly knelt before Jiang Yuanxi, tears streaming down his face.

“Thank you, young lady! Because of your words, I was able to recover my wife’s remains.”

Talking about it, the old man grew furious.

That old scoundrel Wang had been obsessed with his wife his whole life.

Even in death, he couldn’t let her go.

He left a will instructing his descendants to dig up her remains.

In a fit of rage, the old man led his family to dig up the old scoundrel’s grave instead.

“Little girl, I have no way to repay your great kindness. Tell me, what do you want? Just name it!”

Jiang Yuanxi blinked.

“No need to thank me. Mother says I shouldn’t take things from others.”

She poked her fingers together, sneaking a glance at the old man’s right hand.

The old man understood immediately.

“All these candied hawthorns are for you!”

Taking things for free wasn’t right.

“In that case, old man, let me give you another fortune reading—”

The old man quickly plucked a stick of candied hawthorn and shoved it into Jiang Yuanxi’s mouth.

“Benefactor, no need for more words!”

He wanted to live a long life.

He turned and ran as fast as he could.

Jiang Yuanxi: ……

She was just going to tell him—his granddaughter-in-law was pregnant.

Why did he run so fast?

Grown-ups were so hard to understand.

Jiang Yuanxi carried her candied hawthorn and strolled down the street.

People passing by looked at her curiously.

“You… are Jiang Yuanxi?” A voice rang out, sounding rather displeased.

Jiang Yuanxi followed the voice and looked up from a pair of red boots.

A young woman in fitted warrior’s attire stood before her, holding a whip.

Jiang Yuanxi took a bite of her candied hawthorn. “I am. You are?”

Sima Pingting circled around her.

“I heard the noblewomen of Shengjing really like you.”

Jiang Yuanxi waved her hands.

“No, no, I don’t like them. Their red lips are terrifying!”

She didn’t want to be the first child in Yufeng to get kissed to death.

“The Grand Princess is pregnant, Lady Zhou is pregnant…” Sima Pingting listed several names. “Is that all you can do?”

Jiang Yuanxi ignored her and continued eating.

She stuffed half a pig’s ear into her mouth, her cheeks bulging.

“Hey, are you even listening to me?!” Sima Pingting snapped, annoyed at being ignored.

She swiftly drew her whip.

At that moment, Princess Jun Yun and the Third Prince, Jun Mocheng, were leaving the palace and saw the scene unfold.

Jun Yun immediately lifted the curtain of her carriage and jumped out, shielding Jiang Yuanxi behind her.

“What are you yelling for?!”

All of Shengjing knew that when it came to being arrogant and domineering, Princess Junyun and the Prime Minister’s daughter, Sima Pingting, were equally matched.

Jun Mocheng observed the situation from inside the carriage.

“You dare not greet a princess?” Jun Yun stared at Sima Pingting.

Unwillingly, Sima Pingting bowed. “Greetings, Princess.”

The royal princess wasn’t someone she could afford to offend.

She put away her whip but glared at Jiang Yuanxi.

Just a wild princess, yet she dared to ignore her.

Next time, she’d make sure Jiang Yuanxi paid.

After she left, Jun Yun turned around.

“Jiang Yuanxi, stop pretending. I know you’re smart.”

【Of course, I’m the smartest in my family! Ah, pig’s ear is so tasty.】

Princess Jun Yun was impatient. “Why are you out alone? Never mind, I’ll be generous and take you back.”

Inside the carriage, Jun Yun held back her irritation.

“You’re a princess! You represent Yufeng’s royal image! How can you behave like this?!” Eating street food was bad enough, but she had no table manners at all.

Jun Mocheng understood his sister—she might be arrogant, but she valued royal dignity.

Sometimes, he found it strange how she could be both unruly and disciplined.

“Third Brother, say something!”

Jun Mocheng: Why drag me into this?

Jiang Yuanxi had saved their fourth brother—whatever she wanted to do was fine.

“She’s still young. She doesn’t understand these things yet.”

Princess Jun Yun: “Then I’ll ask Father to send her to school!”

Jiang Yuanxi, chewing on her pig’s ear, suddenly froze.

School?

Why school?!