Chapter 8: Who bullied my child? Mother will kill him for you

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Cang Ye said with a smile: “I actually enjoy treating people poorly, and I like bullying little kids.”

“Huh?!”

Su Wan ground his teeth and scrunched his face at Cang Ye.

The small face that had been excited and joyful moments ago instantly flushed bright red, as if waves of hot steam were rising from it.

The Su Family Master refused: “But that boy lives with his mother, so it’s out of the question.”

The Su Family Master turned to Su Wan and instructed, calling out: “Hey there, Su… Su Nine,” momentarily unable to recall Su Wan’s name, he said:

“You will attend to the master’s daily needs. If anything comes up, speak with the steward. Do not be negligent toward the master, understood?”

“Huh?”

Su Wan’s brows furrowed slightly.

He had just been looking for a way to bully and teach this wretched fellow who enjoyed picking on children a lesson, and now…

Was this an opportunity?

Su Wan smiled and nodded, obediently saying: “Yes, Father. I will follow your arrangement.”

“Mm,” the Su Family Master nodded in satisfaction.

Because of Su Wan’s obedience and his mother’s charm, his impression of Su Wan had temporarily improved quite a bit.

The Su Family Master said gently: “Steward,” then turned his head to the other side on the right, asking:

“How much monthly allowance does Little Nine receive? Double it.”

“Oh, very well, Master, it shall be done!” the middle-aged steward said with a bow and a smile.

“But this…”

The Third Concubine’s side immediately grew anxious. She saw that the other women and young masters were also furrowing their brows.

The family estate and the Master’s favor were both limited. If more went to one side, then what they lost would be their own share.

“And what about the eminent monk over there…”

Su Wan’s father then turned his gaze to the old monk, and arranged for maidservants and his son to attend to his lodging.

The treatment could not be lacking even a hair’s breadth compared to Cang Ye’s side.

Once matters were settled, the Su Family Master began to dismiss the gathering.

Su Wan hadn’t heard any statement about Xiao Liu’s matter being dropped, meaning the incident of her crying “demon,” but he didn’t bring it up either.

He knew that whether punishment would ultimately come still depended on the result of the demon-catcher master.

If there really was a demon, then Xiao Liu wouldn’t need to be sold off.

If there was no demon, and she had only been shouting and screaming wildly, then Xiao Liu…

Su Wan furrowed his brows again. Moments ago he had wanted to deal with Cang Ye, but now it seemed he had to ask a favor of Cang Ye instead.

There had to be a demon!

And that required Cang Ye’s help.

Su Wan glanced at Cang Ye, saw him looking back with a smiling expression, then looked at Sister Xiao Liu.

Remembering how good Sister Xiao Liu had been to him, even thinking about buying him a wife earlier…

He gritted his teeth and resigned himself to Cang Ye’s teasing.

From now on, he would just have to win Cang Ye over.

Su Wan was still brooding over his humiliating burden.

Meanwhile, over at the Third Concubine’s side, the concubine suddenly spoke up.

She said: “Wait! There’s still the matter of that fox demon.”

The Su Family Master suddenly frowned.

Su Wan also frowned, thinking to himself, how did his mother’s matter come into this?

The Third Concubine of the Su Family said:

“Just now the eminent monk said that Master Cang Ye had demonic energy on his person, and Master Cang Ye has now proven his innocence. But besides Master Cang Ye, the eminent monk also said another person carried demonic energy — that fox demon!”

The Third Concubine said: “So how does that demon in the Ninth Quarter explain the demonic energy on her?”

Because Qian Yue of the Ninth Quarter was not present, the Third Concubine turned her gaze to Su Wan, to Qian Yue’s son.

Su Wan had just received a reward moments ago, so now was the perfect time to press him down a notch.

The Third Concubine said:

“Perhaps this little whelp isn’t even human. Why not have the masters and eminent monk examine him together, to see if there’s anything wrong with him? Then go look at that fox demon too. One glance at that seductive face of hers is enough to know she’s a fox!”

In the rear chamber, Qian Yue heard someone in the front hall mention her and call her a fox demon. She had been sound asleep and was jolted awake directly.

She furrowed her brows and muttered a curse under her breath:

“Persistent as a ghost. If I weren’t in the mood for some roleplay, I’d have eaten every one of you from top to bottom long ago. The women, swallowed alive. The men… eaten~”

A smile curled at the corner of Qian Yue’s mouth.

Up until now she had only ever been with one man. The moment she came down the mountain and entered the mortal realm, she had been snatched up by Su Wan’s father, then locked away in the manor and toyed with, trampled and played with at his leisure.

Now she truly wanted to cut loose and eat her fill. But her next man had already been decided — Cang Ye.

She would win him no matter what.

…

The front hall.

“Well now~” the Su Family Master frowned, his eyes shifting to Su Wan, the son of the Ninth Quarter.

He was now the center of everyone’s attention.

Cang Ye also turned his gaze to Su Wan, watching him furrow his brow.

Xiao Liu’s brows were tightly knitted as well.

She hesitated, wanting to say something, but right now she had no standing to speak.

What’s more, she was only a servant.

Just yesterday her own matter had required her to beg the ten-year-old Young Master Su Wan for help.

Today, regarding her mistress’s affair, she was even more powerless.

And in truth, if one spoke from the depths of her heart…

As for whether Qian Yue was a fox demon…

Xiao Liu actually believed it too.

After all, Qian Yue was truly too alluring, bewitching, and skilled at play.

Too adept at seducing men into doting on her.

They were women who shared the same bed, and as her servant, Xiao Liu knew her mistress’s true nature best.

She wasn’t like ordinary respectable women who were shy and restrained.

Even compared to the Su Family’s household courtesans…

She was far too wanton, licentious, and seductive.

It was hard to believe she wasn’t… the legendary fox demon. Wasn’t possessed by the fabled fox spirit.

Except…

Xiao Liu’s brows stayed tightly knit as her gaze fell on Su Wan.

She murmured: “The lady is a good person. Aside from being a bit seductive, there’s nothing else… no cruelty or malice toward anyone.”

The normal self-defense and counterattacks of household infighting were naturally excluded by Xiao Liu’s judgment.

“Cough!”

The Su Family Master doted on his concubine and was unwilling to summon Qian Yue out directly for a confrontation.

Even if Qian Yue were a fox demon, he hadn’t died yet, and he could still enjoy the pleasures of a different race. He had more or less accepted it.

The Su Family Master chose to shift the pressure onto his son, asking: “Su Nine, you tell me — do you believe your mother is… is a fox demon?”

“Huh?”

All the men and women in the manor turned their gazes to Su Wan.

Su Wan felt the pressure surge upon him.

He gritted his teeth and suddenly said: “No!”

Su Wan walked three steps out into the open, stopping in the center of the Su Family crowd.

He turned his head back to look at Cang Ye and asked:

“You said earlier —”

“Cough! Show some respect!” the Su Family Master scolded.

Cang Ye chuckled softly and raised his hand, waving it gently to indicate it was fine.

Su Wan continued, saying:

“The master said earlier that Moon Fragrance Foxes are all female, with no males in existence. Is that correct?”

Cang Ye smiled and nodded, saying: “Correct.”

Su Wan gritted his teeth and nodded firmly again.

This was the first time as a concubine’s son that he had stolen the spotlight before the entire family.

After nodding, he said again: “Then… may I ask, as my mother’s child, am I a young master, or a young miss?”

“Well…”

Some were puzzled.

As for those on the side of the family Madam, she murmured, recalling something: “When I delivered the baby, I saw it. He had the equipment of a boy.”

The Madam furrowed her brow.

Su Wan’s face flushed crimson as he nodded and said:

“Yes, I am a boy. So Mother cannot possibly be a… Moon Fragrance Fox. She cannot possibly be of the demon race! Perhaps some similar demonic relic or something has simply lingered on Mother’s person, just like with Cang Ye.”

“This boy’s logic is rather clear.”

One of Su Wan’s older brothers offered praise.

Though they weren’t familiar with each other, and their factions were arguably hostile, as an adult he still acknowledged the merit of his younger brother, who was just a child.

Su Wan glanced at that brother — his third brother, a slave trader who was developing the “thin horse” business for the family.

He shot his third brother a small smile, which added more courage to him, and said:

“So I suggest we invite Mother out. Then let… Master Cang Ye take a look.”

Su Wan thought to himself:

‘If Mother really is a demon, she can naturally produce some demonic hair or such and bluff her way through it just like Cang Ye did.’

‘And if she isn’t… Cang Ye can also help verify her innocence. But if she is, and Cang Ye discovers her true identity…’

‘Perhaps… he could help me cover it up. At least he’d be more reliable than that old monk over there. Because he needs something from me — he wanted to take me as his disciple earlier, didn’t he?’

Su Wan furrowed his brows, then knelt down and bowed to Cang Ye, saying: “I beg the master to help prove my mother’s innocence. I’m counting on you!”

Su Wan pressed his head to the ground in a kowtow.

He was only a child, kowtowing to an adult…

It wasn’t shameful.

Besides, the other party was a demon-catcher master.

Cang Ye glanced at Su Wan, then turned his gaze toward a certain spot in the rear chamber.

There, at the passageway entrance, a woman emerged with a yawn — her figure swaying with enchanting, ostentatious grace — and she said:

“Why has my child knelt down? Who has been bullying you?”

Qian Yue knelt gently to Su Wan’s right, then smiled tenderly as she pulled Su Wan up.

She softly brushed and wiped the stray hairs from Su Wan’s forehead, then blew a gentle, warm, fragrant breath over his forehead and little hands.

“Hoo hoo hoo~ hoo hoo hoo~”

Qian Yue tenderly helped Su Wan dust off his clothes, then cupped his face with a smile and said:

“Who bullied my child? Tell Mother~”

‘Kill him!’

The vixen Qian Yue’s eyes flashed with murderous intent, yet her face wore a charming, delicate, and frail smile.

“Be good~”

A single soft “be good” drifted into Su Wan’s ears, and instantly it made Su Wan…

Tumble into his mother’s embrace.

“Mother~” Su Wan lay in her arms, sobbing softly, releasing all his pent-up pressure.

He felt that his mother’s embrace was truly fragrant, truly soft — the very image of the most wonderful home.

Qian Yue sat on the ground holding Su Wan as he rested, her skirt of white and red spreading out across the floor.

She cast her gaze over the crowd in the room, sweeping lightly across all the men and women present.

Then she tilted her head with a gentle, bewitching smile and said: “This humble one~ has proof. I wonder if the master…”

Qian Yue’s gaze landed on Cang Ye as she licked her lips with a seductive smile and asked:

“Would you be willing (would you dare) to take a look?”