Chapter 44: If You Curse Me, I'll Hit You

Ji Tianxin did not overthink it. Since the gift was for her, she simply accepted it. After all, it didn’t cost her anything.

Duan Yu bent down with a smile, wanting to pat Ji Tianxin’s head, but thinking better of it, he remained at her eye level. “Whose family is this little girl from? How come I’ve never seen you before?”

Sikou Yan, witnessing this scene, furrowed his brow even more. Lin Si glanced at his master, puzzled, unable to figure out what was displeasing the prince.

Sikou Yan let out a cold snort through his nose. Sooner or later, this girl would be tricked and sold off.

Ji Tianxin played with the little rabbit in her hands, then hugged it to her chest. Looking up, she found a face leaning in close to hers. She blinked. “I haven’t seen you before either.”

Duan Yu burst out laughing. Rarely did anyone speak to him in such an indifferent way, and instead of being offended, he found it amusing.

He was about to say something when—

“Brother Yu!” A young girl’s voice rang out. In the next instant, a lively figure leaped into Ji Tianxin’s line of sight.

Duan Yu’s expression darkened at once.

The girl immediately clung to Duan Yu’s arm. “I saw you leave earlier and have been looking for you everywhere.”

Duan Yu withdrew his arm and scolded her softly, “What kind of behavior is this on a public street!”

The girl let go, sulking, but still stood close to Duan Yu. After all, they were already betrothed—what was there to be ashamed of?

But soon her attention turned to Ji Tianxin. She had just seen Brother Yu laughing and joking with this little girl, yet he turned stern with her. The thought made her feel indignant.

“Suqing.” Ji Tianxin called out, then started to walk away.

“Stop right there!” The girl’s shout halted Ji Tianxin in her tracks.

“Whose family are you from, running around at such a young age with no parents to discipline you? How ill-mannered,” the girl—Shangguan Yuner—sneered. She already disliked this little girl. She was so pretty even at such a young age—what would happen when she grew up? Besides, Brother Yu had smiled so kindly at her just now. Why should she accept that?

“Yuner!” Duan Yu chided, a hint of anger in his voice. This little girl was still so young, and she hadn’t done anything wrong—why was Shangguan Yuner picking on her?

Shangguan Yuner was startled into silence, lowering her head in grievance, her lips pouting, but her eyes still glared fiercely at Ji Tianxin.

“You’re scolding me?” Ji Tianxin turned around slowly, fixing her gaze on Shangguan Yuner.

Suqing hesitated. She wasn’t sure if that counted as scolding. It probably did.

She couldn’t help but light a candle for Shangguan Yuner in her heart. Though her master’s memory wasn’t great, she was very vengeful.

“Don’t take it to heart, little sister,” Duan Yu tried to smooth things over. “She didn’t mean it.”

But as Duan Yu was speaking, Ji Tianxin had already taken two steps forward, stopping right in front of Shangguan Yuner.

Then she raised her hand—smack!

Though she was too short to reach, everyone heard the crisp sound of a slap.

Shangguan Yuner’s head was knocked askew by the blow! Her left cheek instantly swelled and reddened, looking both comical and painful.

“You! You hit me! How dare you hit me!” Shangguan Yuner clutched her face, glaring at Ji Tianxin with red-rimmed eyes.

Ji Tianxin withdrew her hand, tucking even her fingertips back into her sleeves.

She spoke in a slow, languid tone, “You scolded me, so I hit you.”