“Xiao Xiazi, get over here and explain to my good granddaughters! Who am I?”
Bai Ye turned her head and glared at Xiamir, her tone carrying an unquestionable authority.
Xiamir dared not be negligent and hurried over to Yiyi’s side, rubbing her hands together as she patiently explained: “Yibao, Yaoyao, she really is your grandmother—your mother’s mother. Ever since I became the Dragon Empress, she’s been asleep until now, so you’ve never met her before.”
“Really?”
Yiyi’s brows furrowed even tighter, her eyes still filled with suspicion.
“Then why did you just wake up now?”
“Because Grandma sensed your existence,” Bai Ye took over, her voice still gentle.
“You are the purest bloodline of the dragon clan. Grandma woke up just to protect you and watch you grow up.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Yiyi suddenly raised her head, a flash of sharpness in her clear eyes, her tone carrying a child’s frankness and wariness: “Then, does that mean Xiamir is useless now?”
The opportunity had come! She abruptly let go of Xiamir’s sleeve, twisted her little body, and threw herself at Bai Ye, putting Yaoyao down from her arms.
She wrapped her arms around Bai Ye’s leg, pouted, and tears welled up instantly, rolling down her cheeks like beans: “Grandma, Xiamir abuses me, wuwuwu, she bullies me~ You have to stand up for me~!”
This sudden reversal left Xiamier completely petrified, the smile at her lips frozen like a stone: “Yibao! Wha—what nonsense are you spouting? When have I ever abused you?”
Bai Ye lowered her head to look at the little one crying in her arms, her soft little hands clutching tightly at her sleeve, eyes as red as a little bunny.
Her heart immediately turned to mush.
She raised her head and glared at Xiamier, her gaze instantly cold, the Dragon Clan’s supreme pressure surging forth: “Xiao Xiazi! How dare you abuse my good granddaughter?!”
“Injustice, Mother!” Xiamier was so frightened she waved her hands wildly, nearly jumping up.
“I can’t even love them enough—how could I possibly abuse them? Yibao, tell Grandma, how did Mother bully you?”
“I don’t care~ She just abuses me!”
Yiyi buried her head in Bai Ye’s robes and cried even harder, her voice unreasonable and stubborn as only a child’s could be.
Bai Ye was naturally protective.
With Yiyi’s crying, her temper flared and she wouldn’t allow Xiamier to defend herself.
She grabbed Xiamier by the back of the collar, like picking up a chick, and dragged her to the corner of the tea room.
Without another word, she raised her hand.
Pa—!
A crisp slap resounded, followed by Xiamir’s miserable wail: “Aah—Mother, please show mercy! I really didn’t abuse her!”
“Still daring to quibble?”
Bai Ye showed no mercy, scolding as she struck.
“My good granddaughter is so well-behaved—why would she cry for no reason? It must be you, as her mother, being irresponsible! Making things hard for the child, not knowing how to love!”
“Ow—ow, it hurts! Mother, I was wrong! I won’t dare do it again!”
Xiamier begged for mercy as she was beaten, her dragon tail twitching with pain.
She dared not fight back, and could only glare at Yiyi, grinding her teeth.
“Yibao, you little rascal! You actually framed your mother! Aaah—!”
Yiyi, sprawled beside Bai Ye’s legs, secretly lifted her eyelids to peek at Xiamir’s sorry state.
She couldn’t help but sneak a smile at the corner of her mouth, though the tears still kept falling.
Not forgetting to add another blow, she muttered, “Grandma, see, she’s still fierce with me~”
“Still dare to be fierce to my granddaughter?”
Bai Ye’s anger rose even more, and she struck with even greater force.
…
“Yibao—! Aaah—!” Xiamier was in such pain that tears nearly came out, hating this clever little rascal to her bones.
Yaoyao, watching her big sister and grandmother “join forces” to deal with their mother, also grew excited.
She ran up to Bai Ye, waving her little fists and shouted, “Go Grandma, beat up the bad mommy!”
“Alrighty!”
Bai Ye was encouraged by the little one’s cheer and struck even harder.
“Watch me properly teach this disobedient mother a lesson!”
“No, Mother! Yaoyao, you’re helping your sister frame your mother too?! Oww—it hurts so much!”
Xiamier was on the verge of tears, feeling like her luck today was worse than in eight lifetimes—betrayed by her own daughters and beaten up by her own mother.
In the tea room, Xiamier’s screams, Yiyi’s fake crying, Yaoyao’s cheers, and Bai Ye’s scolding all mixed together, making the place as lively as a marketplace.
Even the fragrance of dragon saliva tea was overwhelmed by this “uproarious chaos.”
No one knew how much time had passed before Bai Ye finally tired herself out, released Xiamier’s collar, and clapped her hands.
“Alright, I’ll let you off this time! If you dare bully my granddaughters again, just see what I’ll do to you!”
Xiamier collapsed onto the floor, rubbing her reddened back, eyes rimmed red with grievance.
Looking at Yiyi and Yaoyao’s victorious expressions, she trembled with anger all over.
“Yibao, Yaoyao, you two little rascals… just you wait!”
Yiyi immediately hid behind Bai Ye, poked her little head out, and made a face: “With Grandma here, I’m not afraid of you!”
Bai Ye held both little ones proudly, shooting Xiamier a triumphant glare: “That’s right! With me here, who dares touch a single hair on my good granddaughters? Now hurry and bring us some lotus seed pastries and honey water, or I’ll keep beating you!”
“Yes, yes…”
Xiamier dared not complain and could only scramble up, hurrying to prepare the food, secretly vowing in her heart.
When Bai Ye isn’t around in the future, she would “teach” these two little rascals a proper lesson!
Bai Ye gently nudged Xiamier’s dragon tail with her toe, her tone playful yet commanding: “So slow—are you trying to starve my granddaughters?”
Xiamier stumbled, still clutching her burning back, glaring resentfully at Yiyi who was pulling a face from behind Bai Ye, muttering under her breath, “I’m going, I’m going… you two heartless little things…”
Just as she reached the tea room door, Yiyi suddenly called out in her crisp voice: “Grandma! Xiamier glared at me just now!”
Bai Ye’s face immediately darkened, and she called out to Xiamier’s retreating figure, “Xiao Xiazi! I’ll settle this with you later! Now hurry and get the food!”
“Injustice—!” Xiamier howled, running even faster, her dragon tail nearly becoming a blur.
Bai Ye bent down and patted Yiyi’s head, her voice fierce but indulgent: “Yibao, if Xiao Xiazi ever dares bully or mistreat you again, remember to tell Grandma—Grandma will beat her so hard her own mother won’t recognize her!”
Yiyi immediately wrapped her arms around Bai Ye’s neck and nuzzled against her, her eyes sparkling: “Grandma loves me best!” She then turned to Yaoyao and whispered, “Yaoyao, from now on you have to listen to your big sister—not to Xiamier. Or else, Big Sister won’t play with you.”
Just then, Xiamier returned with the tray.
The lotus seed pastries were golden and glossy, the honey water steaming sweetly, and there was even a small extra plate of delicate pink peach blossom cakes.
She put the tray on the table with a huff: “Here you go, ancestors, the food’s here! I even added peach blossom cake for you. If you’re still picky, I’m really not doing this anymore!”
Yiyi’s eyes lit up and she reached for the peach blossom cake, but purposely “accidentally” pinched Xiamier’s hand.
It wasn’t hard, but the provocation was obvious.
“Who asked you to be nosy? I’ll only eat the lotus seed pastries that Grandma told you to bring!”
Xiamier gasped at the pain and was about to snap, but saw Bai Ye casting a cold glance her way: “Xiao Xiazi, what are you glaring at? So what if my granddaughter touches you? Still daring to bare your teeth?”
“I didn’t!”
Xiamier stomped her feet in grievance, her dragon tail swishing furiously on the floor behind her.
“She did it on purpose!”
“Grandma, look!” Yiyi immediately put her little hands behind her back, pouting and letting her eyes redden at once.
“Xiamier is falsely accusing me! She just doesn’t want me to eat the treats!”
Right away, Bai Ye grabbed the cold tea cup on the table, threatening to throw it: “Xiao Xiazi, you’ve grown bold, huh? Falsely accusing my granddaughter?!”
“No, no, Mother! I was wrong!”
Xiamier shrank back in terror, nearly bumping into the screen behind her.
“It was my mistake! Yibao didn’t pinch me!”