“Let’s go, you two little devils…”
Xiamier ground her back teeth, squeezing the words out from between her clenched jaw.
As she turned around, the “anger” swirling in her eyes almost seemed to take on physical form, even the tips of her ears reddening from suppressed rage.
Her left arm held Yiyi securely; the little troublemaker was still savoring the thrill of having just teased her, rubbing her little head against Xiamier’s shoulder with a barely noticeable sly smile at the corner of her lips.
Her right arm gripped a bewildered Yaoyao, the little one clutching Xiamier’s collar with utter trust and a look in her eyes that screamed, “Whatever big sister says is right.”
After all, just now in the tea room, the feeling of “bullying” Mother together with big sister had seemed quite fun.
“The Imperial Garden is so boring,” Xiamier said absentmindedly, not slowing her steps, answering perfunctorily for Bai Ye, who might still be watching from behind.
Yet her feet turned sharply into the corridor leading to her own chamber, the dragon tail behind her swishing across the floor in irritation.
“Mother will take you somewhere much better, I promise it’ll be more fun than the Imperial Garden.”
Yiyi’s heart skipped a beat, sensing that something wasn’t right, but she forced herself to appear calm, tugging anxiously at Xiamier’s skirt: “Xiamier, where are you taking us? Grandma said you were supposed to take us to the Imperial Garden!”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Xiamier sneered, pushing open the carved wooden door to her room, then kicking an inner panel with her foot.
The heavy wooden door slammed shut with a bang.
At the same time, the array runes around the room were triggered; faint golden light flickered at the corners and quickly faded.
“This way, you two won’t be able to run off and tell that old woman on me.”
She plopped the two little dumplings down on the velvet carpet, then locked the door behind her with a loud “click,” the sound of metal striking metal harsh in the dim room.
“Mmph~ Wh-what are you going to do?!”
“Yibao.”
Xiamier slowly bent down, hands on her hips, her gaze fixed coldly on the little one who’d cried the loudest and plotted against her the most in the tea room—her eyes blazing with unconcealed “fierceness” in place of murderous intent.
“Weren’t you so bold just now in the tea room? Daring to tattle, daring to provoke that old woman to hit me, even pinching me and calling me a villain?”
Yiyi shrank back, hiding instantly behind Yaoyao, her little hand clutching Yaoyao’s sleeve tightly.
Her round eyes were full of panic, but she stubbornly retorted: “I-I didn’t! You were bullying me, that’s why Grandma helped me!”
“Oh really?”
Xiamier raised her eyebrows, reaching out to yank Yiyi out from behind Yaoyao, pinning her down on her lap, exposing the little one’s soft bottom to the air in an instant.
“Who was it, crying in Grandma’s arms just now, saying I cursed you, saying I was going to ‘deal with’ you? Who pinched me on purpose, then turned around and blamed me? If I don’t teach you a lesson today, do you really think you can get away with anything just because Grandma’s on your side?”
“Today, Yibao, you’ll learn firsthand how great a mother’s love is!”
Before her words finished, Xiamier’s hand came down in a crisp slap. Pa—!
The force wasn’t great, but it was enough to make Yiyi freeze up, her fake sobs stopping instantly.
She stared blankly, clearly not expecting Xiamier to actually hit her.
In a flash, real tears welled up in her round eyes, her little mouth quivering: “You—you really hit me?! Grandma, help—mmph…”
Yiyi’s cry for help was stifled halfway as Xiamier covered her mouth with one hand, pressing her warm palm tightly against the little one’s lips so she could only make muffled whimpers.
Her tears fell like a string of broken pearls, splashing onto Xiamier’s skirt and leaving a spreading damp patch.
Pa— Pa— Pa!
Three more spanks in quick succession, each sharp and undeniable, echoed around the sealed room, overpowering Yiyi’s muffled crying.
Xiamier’s palm fell on the soft little bottom, making Yiyi’s whole body shudder in pain, her tears streaming even harder.
Tears glistened on her eyelashes, her small face flushed red, but all she could do was kick her legs in vain.
…
“Don’t squirm.”
Xiamier pinned her twisting waist, her voice as cold and hard as iron.
“Now you’re scared? Why didn’t you think of the consequences when you framed me and got your grandma to spank me?”
She let go of Yiyi’s mouth, and the girl instantly burst into loud, snotty sobs, not daring to call for “Grandma” anymore, only choking out pleas: “I was wrong… Mother, I was wrong… I won’t do it again… please stop hitting me…”
“Wrong? Too late!”
Xiamier’s voice was as icy as steel, and her palm showed no mercy as it came down again.
Pa— Pa— Pa!
The crisp slapping sounds reverberated densely throughout the room, each one strong enough that Yiyi’s little bottom quickly turned as red as a ripe cherry.
She howled as if her heart would break, tears and snot streaming down her face, her little hands clutching Xiamier’s pants so tightly her nails nearly sank into the fabric, her body shaking violently with each sob: “Mother! I was really wrong! I’ll never lie again! I’ll never tattle again! Please stop hitting me!”
On the side, Yaoyao was trembling with fright, running to Xiamier’s feet, hugging her leg and crying loudly: “Mother, big sister! Wuwuwu, let big sister go! Yaoyao will listen to you from now on! We’ll never be naughty together again!”
Yiyi’s sobs were hoarse and desperate, her small body convulsing with every cry:
“Wuwuwu~ Mother, let me go, I was wrong, I won’t dare do it again… I’ll go confess to Grandma right now, just please stop spanking me, wuwuwu~”
Her red bottom quivered slightly in the air, every sob tugging at the pain that hadn’t faded.
Xiamier finally paused, looking at the pitiful little figure on her lap.
The chill in her eyes faded a bit, but her authority remained: “Now you want to confess? Why didn’t you think of this when you were showing off your cleverness in the tea room?”
She released her grip from Yiyi’s waist, and Yiyi immediately collapsed weakly onto the carpet like a boneless kitten, clutching her burning bottom, tears still streaming as she pleaded brokenly: “I—I’ll go now… I’ll tell Grandma it was me who lied and framed Mother… that I pinched you on purpose… please don’t hit me anymore…”
“Hurry up then. And if you dare lie again when you get there, Yibao, don’t even think about keeping your little bottom!”
Xiamier’s voice carried the weight of a final warning, her dragon tail brushing lightly over the floor, leaving a faint trace behind.
Yiyi trembled in fear, scrambling up from the carpet, still clutching her hot little butt.
Tears still streaked her face, but she dared not delay, staggering towards the door.
Yaoyao followed right behind, tightly gripping Yiyi’s sleeve, her cheeks still wet with tears, muttering softly as they ran: “Sis, slow down, don’t fall…”
“Yaoyao, help me rub it later… wuwuwu.”
Yiyi’s crying was thick with sniffling.
She hobbled to the door, stood on tiptoe to open it, and walked out.
A short while later in the tea room, Bai Ye sat leisurely sipping Longyan Tea.
Looking up, she saw Yiyi clutching her bottom, weeping as she walked over with Yaoyao.
She set down her tea cup, her smile vanishing in an instant as she hurried to greet them: “Oh my, precious ones, what happened? Who bullied you?”
“Um… Grandma, I was wrong, I won’t lie anymore, wuwuwu~ it’s my fault, Mother never bullied us, I just—I just wanted to see her make a fool of herself, wuwuwu, my butt…”
Yiyi flung herself into Bai Ye’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, her burning bottom accidentally brushing against Bai Ye’s arm.
The pain made her suck in a sharp breath, her tears pouring out even faster.
“There, there, don’t cry, precious, don’t cry, Grandma will rub it for you.”
Bai Ye quickly gathered Yiyi into her embrace, her fingertips gently resting on the reddened spot, touching her as softly as if she were handling a priceless treasure.
“Eiya~ I wrongly accused little Xia Zi. You mustn’t do this again, alright? Look at your fair little bottom, all red from the spanking now.”
Yaoyao snuggled close, patting Yiyi’s back and softly comforting her: “Sis, it won’t hurt once Grandma rubs it. We’ll never lie again from now on.”