It had been two days since Jiang Yuanxi sent out her letter.

She waited and waited, but her third brother’s reply never came.

Bored out of her mind, Jiang Yuanxi took advantage of Madam Chen’s distraction, secretly grabbed a picture book, and sneaked into Jiang Yuanwu’s courtyard.

“Second Brother.”

Jiang Yuanwu heard her voice and immediately put down his spear.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, afraid that the smell would make his little sister uncomfortable.

“Come here, Yuanxi. Let me hug you.”

Jiang Yuanxi ran over, and Jiang Yuanwu lifted her up, spinning her around in the air.

The sudden feeling of weightlessness was both familiar and strange. Excited, Jiang Yuanxi shouted, “Flying~”

At that moment, a book fell from her arms.

Jiang Yuanwu set his sister down on the table and curiously picked it up.

The cover had large characters written on it:

“A Few Stories About Me and My Neighboring Brother.”

It didn’t look very proper.

Jiang Yuanwu frowned. “Yuanxi, where did you get this book?”

Jiang Yuanxi glanced around, then hugged her little finger and started nibbling on it.

“I… I found it.”

Her guilty expression made it clear that she was lying.

[I found it in Fourth Brother’s box under his bed, hehe.]

[There were a bunch of them! Stories about a flirtatious lady, a young widow from the neighboring village… Fourth Brother told me not to let anyone else know, but I just took one randomly.]

[Fourth Brother said that I must never tell the other brothers.]

Jiang Yuanwu gripped his spear tighter, his aura turning dangerous.

At the academy, Jiang Yuancheng suddenly sneezed.

The sun was shining brightly, but he suddenly felt a chill on his back.

To avoid further questioning, Jiang Yuanxi quickly changed the subject. “Second Brother, I want to listen. Read it to me.”

Jiang Yuanwu took a deep breath and opened the book.

“One day, Old Wang from the neighboring village…”

Page after page, Jiang Yuanwu read without any change in expression.

But if one looked closely, they’d see his ears turning red.

Occasionally, Jiang Yuanxi would interrupt.

“Second Brother, you skipped a part in the middle. And half a page in the front—you flipped over it!”

“…That… that part, Brother doesn’t know those words.”

The short half-day felt like an entire century.

Finally, he finished reading.

Jiang Yuanwu wiped the sweat from his forehead.

At that moment, he wished nothing more than to pin Jiang Yuancheng to the ground and beat him up.

Jiang Yuanxi sighed. She felt like today’s story wasn’t as interesting as when Fourth Brother told it.

Second Brother didn’t recognize too many words, so sometimes he skipped several pages at once.

“Second Brother, what is a child snatcher?”

Jiang Yuanwu patiently explained, “They are bad people who kidnap children and sell them to places with no food or meat to eat.”

Jiang Yuanxi seemed to understand a little. “Then… what do they look like?”

What do they look like?

Kidnappers come in all shapes and sizes—how was he supposed to explain that?

Jiang Yuanwu had a sudden idea and thought of someone.

“A pale-faced man, wearing blue robes, and when he smiles, he has dimples.”

After telling the story, Jiang Yuanxi sneakily put the book back and went to sit at the gates of the Grand Duke’s Mansion, waiting.

[It’s been two days since I sent the letter—why hasn’t Third Brother come back yet?]

She had seen all her other brothers except for Third Brother.

The little girl propped her chin up, longing for her brother’s return.

Just then, a pair of boots stopped in front of her.

Jiang Yuanxi looked up. The sunlight was so bright that she squinted.

She had to raise a hand to block the glare before she could see clearly.

When she saw the person standing before her, her eyes lit up.

[Wow, such a handsome brother!]

Jiang Yuanran suddenly lowered his head.

There was no one else around.

The little girl in front of him hadn’t spoken, so where had that voice come from?

However, the fair, chubby little girl sitting on the doorstep looked extremely adorable.

[Haha, the handsome brother is looking at me.] Jiang Yuanxi examined him up and down.

[He’s handsome, but still not as handsome as Big Brother.]

Big Brother?

So, this was his little sister?

Was that… her inner thoughts he had just heard?

Jiang Yuanran crouched down and took out a piece of malt candy.

He was afraid of scaring his sister, so he put on a smile.

A pale face, blue robes, dimples when he smiles.

Wasn’t that exactly how Second Brother described a child snatcher?

Jiang Yuanxi immediately stepped back through the doorway and retreated a few steps.

Just as Jiang Yuanran was about to speak, the little girl suddenly let out a loud, crisp scream.

“Ahhh! Mother! The handsome brother is trying to steal a child!”

“A child snatcher!”

She turned and ran as fast as she could.

Jiang Yuanran stood there in shock.

Behind him, Qingfeng was holding back laughter, covering his mouth.

The young master had wanted to tease his little sister, but instead, she mistook him for a kidnapper.

Hearing the laughter behind him, Jiang Yuanran turned around with a cold expression.

“What are you laughing at? Do you have such an adorable little sister?”

Qingfeng: “…”

Jiang Yuanxi’s screams alerted the entire household.

Everyone rushed to the gate with brooms and whatever else they could grab.

But when they saw the person behind their young lady, they were both shocked and delighted.

“Third Young Master!”

“Hmm?” Jiang Yuanxi turned her head.

Tears still clung to her face. “W-what? Th-Third Brother?”

Jiang Yuanwu, who had been running with his spear, froze when he saw the person he least wanted to meet.

Jiang Yuanran took Jiang Yuanxi from Chun Zhi’s arms.

“Yuanxi, tell Third Brother—why did you think I was a child snatcher?”

Jiang Yuanxi pointed at Jiang Yuanwu behind him.

“Second Brother said so.”

[Second Brother said child snatchers wear blue robes, have dimples when they smile, and are pale-faced.]

Hearing this, Jiang Yuanran’s face darkened.

Behind him, Jiang Yuanwu awkwardly rubbed his nose.

Jiang Yuanran’s return delighted Madam Chen, who personally prepared a feast.

Jiang Yuansheng also took leave from the academy to join them.

At the dinner table, Jiang Yuanwu and Jiang Yuanran kept glaring at each other.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuanxi looked at the neatly lined-up brothers, her eyes curving into a happy smile.

[I have so many handsome brothers. If I ever need to fight someone, I’ll just call them to help me.]

Fight?!

Madam Chen’s hand trembled as she held her chopsticks.

Her sweet little daughter—how did she become a street thug?

She quickly corrected her. “Yuanxi, girls shouldn’t fight.”

Jiang Yuanxi looked at her beautiful mother and obediently nodded. “I won’t fight, I won’t fight.”

Madam Chen finally felt relieved.

[I’ll just have my brothers fight for me—to beat up bad guys and kidnappers!]

Madam Chen: “…”

Jiang Yuanran turned and shot Jiang Yuanwu a sharp glare.

Jiang Yuanwu snorted.

And so, the chaotic but loving Jiang family continued their lively days.