Children shouldn't soak in the bath too long, so the maid, who was timing with a stopwatch, respectfully asked Mianmian to get out when the time was up.
In the mountains, Mianmian had been the youngest of the younger generation, but once she descended to the lower regions, she suddenly became an elder. Her small vanity was instantly satisfied, and her smile hadn't faded since.
The maid gently dried the water off Mianmian's body and wrapped her body and tiny head separately in soft bath towels before carrying Mianmian out of the bathroom.
As soon as they stepped out of the bathroom, Mianmian heard someone else pay her respects.
"Little aunt, your niece-in-law pays her respects to you."
The one who was paying respects was Old Lady Su, who had been in the room putting on makeup. Her short, curly hair was adorned with a golden pearl hairpin, she had few wrinkles on her face, and her whole person had an air of graceful and noble beauty that flowed gently through time.
On seeing her, Mianmian's eyes lit up and she praised with a milky voice, "Niece-in-law is so pretty, prettier than the nephew!"
After speaking, Mianmian instinctively reached into her small bag to pull out a gift for first meeting, but came up empty.
Her big eyes glanced at the small bag placed beside her, and before she could speak, a servant handed over the bag with both hands, "Little grandmother, please."
Mianmian opened the small bag and took out a square little box from inside, then handed Old Lady Su the bracelet that was inside the box.
Joy that she couldn't hold back flashed in Old Lady Su's eyes, but it wasn't because of the bracelet; it was because the little Milk Bun in front of her was just too adorable!
Even if she was of a higher generation, she was still a sweet and cuddly little girl, unlike those two naughty grandsons that made her so angry her blood pressure almost spiked.
She wanted to hug her!
Seeing that Old Lady Su didn't take the bracelet, Mianmian pouted, "Doesn't niece-in-law like Mianmian's gift for first meeting? I picked it out for a long time, you know. If you wear the bracelet to sleep, you'll sleep sweetly every night, oh."
Having said this, she reached into her small bag again to take out something else, thinking of getting the ginseng whiskers.
After all, the big nephew really liked the ginseng whiskers, so this niece-in-law should like them as well, shouldn't she?
Before Mianmian could touch the box with the ginseng whiskers, Old Lady Su carefully apologized, "I like it, I really like it, Little Aunt Mianmian, don't be angry. Your niece-in-law was just so captivated by how adorable you are; it's not because I don't like your gift."
With these words, she finally looked at the green bracelet.
When she saw it, Old Lady Su was stunned.
It turned out to be an imperial green jadeite bracelet of glassy type. At a recent charity auction, a little pendant of the same quality, only the size of a broad bean, was bought by a tycoon from Hong Kong for 300 million.
The reason for such an exorbitant price was not only because nobody wanted to seem ungenerous at the auction, but also because this kind of jade was a rarity that came once in a thousand years.
Old Lady Su had been tempted at the time, considering that a little pendant had nowhere to hang in modern clothing, so she gave up the idea.
Who would have thought that now, Elder Su's granddaughter by his grandson would casually give away such a jadeite to her?
Thinking about what her old man had said, that their little granddaughter did not yet know the decision of her parents to let her stay in the human realm, Old Lady Su felt pained, "Aunt Mianmian, this jade bracelet is so valuable, you should keep it..."
Old Lady Su hadn't finished speaking when Mianmian straightforwardly stuffed the bracelet on her wrist.
"If you like it, I'll give it to you, there are lots more in Mianmian's house."
Old Lady Su was shocked by the unintentional flaunting of wealth by the little Milk Bun. Fearing that the bracelet might fall to the ground, she could only accept it. The little aunt was still young, and she would keep the bracelet in a safe deposit box; later, it could be part of the little aunt's dowry.
Seeing that her niece-in-law had accepted the bracelet and even put it on, Mianmian finally smiled happily. She picked up the strap of her small bag, ducked her towel-wrapped head forward, and attempted to put on the small bag.
When the servant saw this, she gently reminded her, "Little grandmother, the bag hasn't been washed yet, you shouldn't carry it just now."
Mianmian blinked her eyes, "But Mianmian is used to carrying the small bag."
At this point, Old Lady Su reached out, "Little grandmother, let your niece-in-law carry you, is that alright?"
Mianmian nodded, released the suspenders, and stretched out her little hand towards Old Lady Su.
Old Lady Su gently embraced Mianmian in her arms, her eyes curving into a smile. The freshly-bathed Milk Bun was fragrant all over, and holding her felt like pure bliss.
She signaled the servant to follow with the small bag and walked towards the wardrobe in the Princess Room.
Another servant quickly opened the door to the wardrobe.
In the hundred square meter space, many little girls' dresses hung, each one featuring the colors that children's clothes should have.
These dresses were all limited edition pieces that Old Lady Su had carefully chosen when selecting clothes for her two grandsons earlier this year, fantasizing about dressing up her granddaughter.
Now, while the granddaughter was not yet awaited, a little Milk Bun auntie had arrived, and there were some pretty dresses suitable for a three-year-old's size.
Among the many lovely clothes, Mianmian chose a sky-blue puffy dress, primarily because the dress also came with a white bunny crossbody bag.
Once dressed, she stood in front of the mirror and twirled several times, extremely happy!
Her mom liked making her traditional Chinese dresses, and this was her first time wearing this style of little dress, feeling like she really looked as beautiful as a little fairy.
After twirling around, Mianmian turned her head to look at Old Lady Su, her big eyes blinking expectantly.
Old Lady Su pursed her lips and smiled, "Mm, our Aunt Mianmian has such great taste, this dress is so pretty!"
No sooner had she spoken than a servant outside reminded, "Old Lady, Elder Su says the banquet is about to start."
Upon hearing the word banquet, Mianmian's eyes lit up. Dad and mom had mentioned the banquet with lots of delicious food, and it was finally about to begin. After eating, she could go home!
Looking at herself in the mirror with her hair down, she touched her hair, "Auntie, could you help Mianmian braid her hair?"
Old Lady Su walked over with a smile and braided Mianmian's hair into a princess style.
Mianmian was even happier, put everything from the cloth bag into the little bunny bag, and happily followed Old Lady Su to the Banquet Hall.
To facilitate announcements and activities by the host family, the Su Family's Banquet Hall was designed with two levels, featuring a platform much higher than the first floor.
At this moment, Mianmian was held by Old Lady Su and stood on the platform.
"Aunt Mianmian, that tallest one over there is your grand-nephew Su Chenjin. He has loved money since he was young, so he's now in charge of all the Su family's business," Old Lady Su said, holding Mianmian and introducing her cheerily.
The description "the tallest one" made it easy to spot Su Chenjin. Despite the distance across two floors making the details of his face unclear, his appearance was undeniably handsome.
She wanted to call out to her grand-nephew, but was afraid that a loud voice would not befit a lady, so she asked her aunt, "When will my grand-nephew come up?"
Old Lady Su explained, "He'll come up in a bit. The Elder said, when your four nephews arrive home, he will have them pay their respects to you together."
Mianmian thought about it and decided it made sense; having them line up and greet her one by one would be neater and she wouldn't have to rummage through her small bag that many times. But why did they have to come from outside when the Su family's house was so big?
"Why don't my grand-nephews and nieces live with you?" Mianmian asked the question innocently.
Listening to the naive words of the little aunt, Old Lady Su sighed, "They are too busy with work, so they don't come home often. The second is an artist and used to live at home, but a few days ago the twin grandsons suddenly started throwing a fuss saying there were ghosts in the house, insisting on moving out, and now they haven't come back since moving."
Mianmian listened and said earnestly, "Then Mianmian will help you check for ghosts later. Mianmian is good at dealing with ghosts."
After saying this, she even waved her little fists around.
As she thought about catching the ghosts and then going back to the mountains right away, five tall and handsome men with different looks walked in through the door.
The long-awaiting Elder Su cracked a slight smile; it was time to introduce these rascals to their auntie.
Mianmian was particularly excited to see her grandnephews and grandnieces, but she didn't forget her mother's teaching to be a cute little lady, so she covered her mouth with her hand to hide a smile, revealing a small white tooth.
As she smiled, she noticed her seventh grandnephew, Su Chenfei, waving at her and lifted her little hand to respond.
The warm interactions between the young and the old caught the attention of Su Chenfei's five older brothers. All who had been keeping an eye on their little brother and knew about his recent negative press were unanimous in confirming: their brother really had an illegitimate daughter!
The Su Family brothers, believing they had uncovered the truth, collectively reprimanded Su Chenfei, "You, when you were 17 and rebellious is one thing, but how did you actually end up with an illegitimate daughter?"
"How does this reflect on our family's reputation?"
"Exactly, you just can't give anyone peace of mind. Wait until elder brother teaches you a lesson."
Although Su Chenfei was verbally chastised by his brothers, he wasn't upset at all. Instead, he still smirked and sauntered over to his eldest brother, Su Chenjin, "Big brother, when did you get here? Dad told me to meet you at the door, how come I didn't see you?"
Su Chenjin's handsome face remained expressionless as he stared at his incompetent younger brother and spoke sternly, "Bringing an illegitimate daughter to an event like this? You've really grown some nerve! Wait until the banquet is over, then we'll settle this!"
Su Chenfei touched his nose.
Honestly, he was a little afraid of his elder brother, Su Chenjin.
But the thought of his elder brother, too, misunderstanding his relationship with Mianmian's Little Auntie, made Su Chenfei want to laugh.
No, it wasn't just the elder brother— the others were mistaken, too.
Now that was exciting!
Su Chenfei was getting thrilled.
His brothers, who each thought they were unrivaled in their chosen fields, looked down on him, a brother who had spent four years in the Entertainment Circle without making much of a name for himself. How would they react when they found out Mianmian's Little Auntie's identity and have their faces smacked to the ground in realization?
Their feelings would surely be much more complicated than his, who had known from the start.
Hahaha!
Su Chenfei waited to see his brothers' faces change and put on a sulky expression as if rebuked, "I met her at the entrance, she asked me to take her home. She's so cute, I couldn't really refuse."
Meanwhile, as the brothers talked, in a corner of the Banquet Hall, sisters Lin Mei and Lin Rou were also chatting.
"Rou Rou, you have to help me teach Su Chenfei and his illegitimate daughter a lesson," Lin Mei handed her son over for Lin Rou to see. "Look at my son, beaten up by that illegitimate girl."
Hearing her sister say this, irritation surged in Lin Rou. "Sister, can we not talk about this here?"
There were people everywhere, and talking like this meant targeting the Su Family members. Did her sister really have no idea?
Seeing Lin Rou's timidity, Lin Mei scoffed, "I've always thought your Master had poor judgment. If he had taken me as his disciple, that would have been better. If I were you, I would've already had Su Chenjin's child and married him by now; no need for all this trouble."
Lin Rou knew that Lin Mei was jealous of her and regretted that Lin Mei had overheard her phone call with her Master last time. At the same time, she was a bit infuriated.
After all, her metaphysical talent was indeed not high, and she hadn't even opened her Yin Yang Eyes yet, so she couldn't see Ghosts.
But Lin Rou wouldn't share this with Lin Mei, and with a cold laugh, she said, "With my Master's help, Chenjin has truly fallen in love with me, respects me. He's a perfect gentleman, not wanting to touch me before marriage—do you think he's like that scumbag ex-husband of yours who got you pregnant before marriage?"
Lin Mei felt provoked by Lin Rou's retort and became angry.
"What genuine feelings? Wasn't it just a spell you cast on him? That's hilarious."
Lin Rou really didn't want to argue about this here and so said, "Fine, after the engagement announcement, I'll take care of it for you."
She glanced at Su Chenjin, not too far away.
This was the man she fell in love with at first sight, so what if she used a little trickery to get him? Others didn't even have the chance!
Lost in admiration for Su Chenjin's looks and physique for a moment, Lin Rou warned her sister, "Sister, don't go blabbing everywhere. If people find out, it won't be good for you or me."
After warning Lin Mei, Lin Rou returned to Su Chenjin's side. Just as she was about to act coquettishly with Su Chenjin, Elder Su's voice spread throughout the Banquet Hall.
"Thank you all for the honor of joining the old man's birthday celebration. Before we start the feast, the old man has a piece of joyous news to announce. You rascals, come over here."
Hearing Elder Su's words, Lin Rou lifted a gentle smile, ready to accept the baptism of the guests' gaze.
She was about to get engaged to Su Chenjin, and if nothing unexpected happened, they would marry in two months. Surely all the women here must be dying of envy!
"Leading her by the hand is our family's..."
As Elder Su continued speaking, Lin Rou furrowed her brows. What was going on? Why wasn't he announcing her engagement to Su Chenjin first?
Lin Mei also sensed something was amiss and interrupted indignantly, "Elder Su, today's your birthday, so you should announce happy news. Don't announce anything that would disgrace the Su Family."
Elder Su, interrupted, looked at Lin Mei displeasedly, "And you are?"
Lin Mei put on a smile, "Elder Su, I'm the sister of your son's girlfriend, Lin Mei."
Having introduced herself, she pointed at Little Bun in Old Lady Su's arms and exclaimed loudly, "There might be something wrong with this child here. Just now at the entrance, she hit my child, and his hand is all swollen."
"Everyone present knows the news about the Seventh Grandchild. We are all clear about the girl's background. No matter how much you and Old Lady Su favor girls, this matter shouldn't be made clear and spoken of. As a future relative of the Su Family, I feel humiliated."
When Elder Su heard Lin Mei's reckless speculation about his little auntie's identity, the warm expression on his face faded, "Miss Lin, the affairs of the Su Family are not open to outsiders' criticism."
The surrounding guests all displayed mocking expressions.
Lin Rou and Su Chenjin weren't even married yet, and here was Lin Mei acting so rude. It was laughable.
Receiving the guests' scornful glances, Lin Mei's face went through shades of red and white, "I'm just looking out for the Su Family. She's merely an illegitimate daughter, how much could she affect the Su Family's reputation?"
Elder Su said, annoyed, "Who told you she's the Seventh Grandchild's illegitimate daughter? She is my aunt, Su Mianmian, the Seventh Grandchild's Little Auntie!!"
The entire hall was in an uproar.
Aunt? That little Milk Bun was Elder Su's aunt? Was Elder Su joking?
Suddenly, everyone's gaze gathered on Mianmian.
The small girl with delicate features was lead by Old Lady Su, wearing a blue dress dotted with starlight that made her small face even more exquisite and adorable.
"I heard you calling my aunt a little beggar at the entrance, and you even let your son push her around?! And just now, you had the audacity to interrupt me," Elder Su stared coldly at Lin Mei, "Such rude guests are not welcome in the Su Family."
Bodyguards, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, pulled Lin Mei and her son towards the exit.
Seeing this, Lin Rou immediately pleaded with Su Chenjin, "Chenjin, my sister didn't know about the Little Auntie's status, ignorance is no crime, please persuade your dad to reconsider."
She thought Su Chenjin would agree, yet to her surprise, he replied, "Rou Rou, your sister was disrespectful first. It's better for her to leave."
Lin Rou was very dissatisfied with this response, but she didn't want to lose face in front of everyone, so she ignored Lin Mei's plea for help.
After dealing with the person disrespectful to the little auntie, Elder Su continued, "Our Su Family adheres to proper etiquette. When meeting an elder, one must kowtow. Why aren't you hurrying up, come kowtow to your Little Auntie."
At that moment, Su Chenfei mischievously stood beside Elder Su and, with a couple of stealthy coughs, said to his brothers beneath, "Dad already called her Little Auntie, why aren't you kneeling to pay your respects? Little Auntie is getting impatient."
Mianmian finally found the opportunity to speak, her round eyes brimming with anticipation, "That's right, Mianmian is getting a bit impatient."
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