Xiamier’s arrogance instantly deflated by half.
The neck she had been holding stiffly just a moment ago slowly retracted, and her eyes darted around, not daring to look at Bai Ye.
Her fingers unconsciously fiddled with the hem of her clothes as she mumbled softly: “Can’t… Can’t I just change…? “
“And I’ve never been like this in front of Little Yibao and the others. You can’t say that about me; I’m being a good mother!”
Hearing this, Bai Ye arched an eyebrow.
She reached out, pinched Xiamier’s cheek, and gave it a gentle shake, the mirth in her eyes impossible to hide: “Oh? So you’re saying it’s my fault? You’re specifically picking me, your own mother, to be stubborn with, is that it?”
T Xiamier’s face instantly flushed crimson.
She reached out to pat the hand away and defended herself with a stiff neck, though her voice was soft and lacked confidence: “I am not! It’s true! In front of Yao Yao and Little Yibao, I’ve always been a gentle and considerate mother!”
Bai Ye couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
She crossed her arms and squinted at her with an eyebrow raised, her teasing tone undisguised:
“Then have you managed to feed them on time? Did you massage them on schedule? Speak!”
Xiamier was choked up by the question, her confidence waning further as she whispered her defense: “That little thing Yibao usually doesn’t even let me touch her. Her temper is incredibly stubborn.”
“Oh, starting to make excuses now?”
Bai Ye lightly tapped her forehead with a fingertip, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
“You can’t even figure out your own daughter’s temper, yet you have the nerve to call yourself a gentle and considerate mother? When you were little, you were even more stubborn than her, and didn’t I still have you wrapped around my finger?”
Xiamier stomped her feet in frustration, her cheeks turning so red they looked ready to drip blood.
Her voice took on a slightly aggrieved tone: “Yibao is a completely different cub in front of you compared to when she’s with me.”
“Oh? How so?”
Bai Ye’s interest was piqued.
She pulled over a nearby chair and sat down, adopting an attitude of listening intently.
“I’d like to hear just what kind of well-behaved child she is in my presence.”
Xiamier pursed her lips, her fingers unconsciously curling the edge of her clothes as she mumbled softly: “In front of you, she obediently goes over, calls you ‘Grandma,’ and even hands you snacks. But in front of me, she’s even hesitant about holding hands, let alone acting spoiled.”
Bai Ye leaned back against the chair, her fingers slowly tapping the armrest.
A teasing smile rippled through her eyes and the corners of her brow: “Then that’s still your fault. Look around—whose daughter dislikes their own mother? It’s just you; you didn’t raise Little Yibao properly.”
Xiamier stomped her feet again, her eyes turning slightly red.
The grievance in her voice was practically overflowing: “You’re being completely biased! Am I really that bad?!”
Hearing this, Bai Ye only raised an eyebrow and then slowly nodded without saying a single word.
“0o.“
Xiamier looked at her mother’s silent admission and nearly lost her breath.
She opened her mouth, wanting to retort but unable to find the right words.
She could only glare at Bai Ye indignantly.
Seeing this, Bai Ye put away her playfulness, sat up straight, and hardened her expression.
Her tone suddenly became several degrees more serious:
“So, from today on, you’d better behave yourself and treat my two precious granddaughters well. Especially that poor little thing Yibao—look at how you’ve bullied her; she was crying so hard in front of me!”
“Oh, I promise to properly beat her to death—er, no, properly treat Yibao and raise her to be plump and fair.”
The moment the words left Xiamier’s mouth, she froze.
She hurriedly raised a hand to cover her mouth, a flash of panic appearing in her eyes.
Bai Ye was stunned for a moment before she couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
The stern face she had been maintaining instantly collapsed.
She reached out and flicked Xiamier’s forehead: “You girl! Not a single serious word out of your mouth! You want to ‘beat her to death’? I think your own skin is itching for a lesson!”
Xiamier clutched her forehead in pain, her face turning even redder as she mumbled her defense: “It was just a slip of the tongue… just a slip of the tongue…”
“It better be! Otherwise, you just wait for your beating!”
“Hmph! I’ll just delete Yibao’s memory, and she’ll be a good baby again. Bai Ye is just a stupid dragon.”
Xiamier kept her head down, her voice as small as a mosquito’s buzz, yet every word drifted clearly into Bai Ye’s ears.
The air went silent for a moment.
The smile on Bai Ye’s face slowly faded.
She stood up slowly, reaching out to pick up the Dragon Crystal staff from the edge of the table.
Her knuckles cracked as she gripped it, though her eyes still held a hint of laughter she couldn’t quite suppress: “What did you say? Say it one more time if you have the guts.”
A chill ran down the back of Xiamier’s neck.
She snapped her head up, meeting Bai Ye’s half-smiling gaze.
She instantly lost her nerve, shrinking her neck and preparing to bolt: “I didn’t say anything! Mother, I just remembered I should go feed Yibao and Yaoyao. I’m leaving now!”
Xiamier tried to dash toward the door, but her wrist was suddenly seized by Bai Ye.
The grip wasn’t heavy, but it left her unable to move.
Bai Ye raised an eyebrow at her, the mirth in her eyes impossible to hide, yet her tone carried a hint of gritted teeth:
“Feeding? Are you sure you aren’t just trying to take the chance to run away? Who was it that just said they’d delete Yibao’s memory? And who called me a stupid dragon?”
Her thoughts exposed, Xiamier’s cheeks instantly turned as red as a ripe persimmon.
She struggled twice with a stiff neck, and seeing she couldn’t break free, she simply started acting like a rascal:
“I didn’t say it! You heard wrong! Mother, you’re getting old, you’ve slept for too long… it’s normal for your ears or head to not be very sharp!”
“Oh?” Bai Ye drawled.
“Getting old? I think your skin is just getting tight, and you’re overdue for a cleaning!”
“No, no, no, I really didn’t say it! If I don’t go now, Yibao will get hungry. I’m leaving!”
Before the words had even finished, Xiamier wrenched her hand free from Bai Ye’s grasp and bolted out the door like a streak of smoke, terrified that a second’s delay would result in a greeting from the Dragon Crystal staff.
Watching her pathetic retreating figure, Bai Ye shook her head, feeling both exasperated and amused.
She set the Dragon Crystal staff back on the corner of the table, the smile on her lips refusing to fade.
She muttered softly: “This little Xia… hmph, I’ll settle the score with you later.”
“Aiah, back to work. There are still so many documents. Sigh, I feel like I’ve returned to my time on the throne. I’m old, truly old.”
Bai Ye gave a light sigh, turned, and sat down at the desk piled high with documents.
As her fingertips brushed over the yellowed scrolls, those long-buried past events surged forth along with the scent of ink.
….
Meanwhile, on Aze’s side, she was currently lying on a lounge chair, eyes closed as she slept.
Suddenly, a broom flew in from nowhere, landing a direct hit right on her head.
With a thwack, a bump was instantly knocked onto Aze’s head.
She rolled off the lounge chair in pain, tumbled a few times on the ground, and then scrambled up while rubbing the spot.
“Ouch! What happened? This is… a broom? Dammit! Which bastard was it?!”
Aze clutched the back of her head, which was throbbing with pain, and looked around while baring her teeth, only to find that there was no one there…
She shouted for a long time, but no one responded.
The more Aze thought about it, the angrier she got.
She simply picked up the broom and smashed it against the ground.
“Don’t let me catch you! If I do, you’re going to get what’s coming to you!”
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