Meng Shuping jumped out of his skin. "Whoa! Another one appearing out of nowhere?"
He turned around to see a beautiful girl of thirteen or fourteen standing there with a smile, her hand firmly grasping Meng Ziyun's arm.
Meng Jiayun glanced at Meng Shuping. Was that him speaking just now?
Seeing Meng Jiayun interfering, Meng Ziyun was furious. She yanked her hand back forcefully. "Meng Jiayun, I'm disciplining him. What business is it of yours?"
Meng Jiayun said with a half-smile, "Third Sister, he wasn't wrong. Why hit him?"
Meng Shuping couldn't help but chime in, "Exactly, exactly. Hitting people at the slightest disagreement, and still calling others barbaric? I'm nowhere near as bad as her."
Jinzhan, standing nearby, struggled to suppress her laughter.
Meng Jiayun looked at Meng Shuping in surprise. Did he just speak? She hadn't seen his lips move.
Seeing the two of them verbally attacking her—one openly, the other in his thoughts—Meng Ziyun's delicate eyebrows shot up, fuming with anger. She snorted and slapped Jinzhan across the face, then declared arrogantly, "I'll hit whoever I want. What's it to you?"
Meng Jiayun fumed, "You—!"
Seeing her reaction, Meng Ziyun felt triumphant. "What about me? If you have the guts, stand up for her too!"
As if she hadn't noticed—among those who had laughed at her was that brat. That slap wasn't undeserved.
Jinzhan cupped her cheek, a look of disbelief on her face. What did the conflict between Meng Ziyun and Meng Shuping have to do with her? Why take it out on her?
Meng Shuping was stunned. Although Jinzhan was usually unpleasant, seeing her slapped by Meng Ziyun still made him angry. He couldn't help but complain to himself, "Is she out of her mind? Does she have rabies? Why is she biting everyone she sees?"
"Calling her barbaric is spot-on. Those who know might say she's a young lady of the estate; those who don't would think she's a common shrew!"
"How come, raised in the same noble household, she isn't as gentle, kind, and cultured as this young lady? Did she have a genetic mutation?"
Meng Jiayun, initially furious, felt her anger subside a bit upon hearing Meng Shuping's inner praise. She smiled again and said, "Third Sister can bite whoever she wants."
Then, she turned to Jinzhan, "Remember to get some medicine later. I heard that after an animal scratches you, one might go mad!"
Meng Shuping chuckled, "Pfft—insulting someone without using vulgar words. This girl really knows how to insult someone elegantly."
Being ganged up on by the two of them, Meng Ziyun was livid. "You—hmph! Just you wait! I'm going to tell Grandmother about this!"
Meng Shuping sneered, "Wow, how old is she, still running to tattle to the adults? Is she still nursing? I'm so scared!"
Meng Jiayun burst out laughing.
Meng Ziyun, infuriated by that mocking tone, could no longer hold back. Her chest heaved with anger as she lunged at Meng Shuping.
Meng Shuping hadn't expected Meng Ziyun to go after him right after making threats. He dodged quickly, "Whoa, she's so sneaky! Distracting me with threats while trying to scratch me. Good thing I'm quick on my feet and dodged fast, or my face would be ruined!"
"Haha, come and get me! Haha, can't catch me!"
Meng Ziyun's anger intensified. Meng Shuping had better not let her catch him, or she'd scratch his face beyond recognition and see how he'd show himself in public.
The two of them chased and dodged around a tree. Others wanted to intervene, but Meng Ziyun was too fierce, and they might get scratched accidentally, so no one could do anything to help.
Just then, a sharp command rang out, "Stop!"
Seeing Meng Shuyi approach, the servants quickly bowed to him, "Eldest Young Master."
Meng Jiayun said delightedly, "Eldest Brother?"
Meng Ziyun also stopped instantly and calmed down. She turned to face Meng Shuyi nervously and murmured meekly, "Eldest Brother."
Meng Shuyi's eyes swept over Meng Shuping before settling on Meng Ziyun. He said sternly, "What are you doing?"
Under Meng Shuyi's gaze, Meng Shuping's back stiffened and he immediately lost his nerve. He lowered his head slightly, staring guiltily at his toes, not daring to move.
When asked, Meng Ziyun felt wronged and quickly tattled, "Eldest Brother, the two of them ganged up to bully me!"
Meng Jiayun retorted immediately, "You hit someone first, and I stopped you."
Meng Ziyun said angrily, "Didn't you insult me?"
Meng Jiayun replied, "So hitting someone was the right thing to do?"
Seeing them argue endlessly, Meng Shuyi raised his hand and pointed at a servant randomly, "You, tell me what happened."
The servant recounted the conversation among the three in detail. After hearing the story, Meng Shuyi was displeased. He looked sternly at Meng Jiayun, "Insulting your own sister? Is this how we taught you to behave?"
Hearing Meng Shuyi criticize her, Meng Jiayun immediately admitted her mistake obediently, "Eldest Brother, I was wrong."
Meng Shuyi said, "Copy the family rules ten times when you return. Don't do this again."
Meng Jiayun could only resign herself to her fate, "Yes."
Seeing Meng Jiayun punished, Meng Ziyun felt triumphant. But before she could revel in it for long, Meng Shuyi turned to her, "You too. What kind of behavior is it for a young lady to be hitting people? Copy the family rules ten times as well when you return, and temper your attitude."
Meng Ziyun pouted but didn't dare say more. She reluctantly said, "Yes."
Finally, Meng Shuyi turned to Meng Shuping. At this, Meng Shuping jumped and tensed up. Was he going to be punished too? He hadn't said anything wrong, had he?
However, instead of punishing him as Meng Shuping had feared, Meng Shuyi spoke to him in a rather gentle tone, "You must be the Fifth Brother who just returned to the estate, right?"
Meng Shuping straightened his back, almost biting his tongue, "Y-yes."
After speaking, he felt even more awkward. He could only force a stiff smile, not daring to meet Meng Shuyi's eyes.
Seeing how nervous Meng Shuping was, his voice trembling, Meng Shuyi softened his expression and said gently, "Let's go together."
Meng Shuping was stunned. No way? He had carefully chosen this timing just to arrive quietly and unobtrusively. Now everything was ruined. How unlucky could he be?
Meng Ziyun was very dissatisfied, "Eldest Brother, why are you only punishing us and not him?"
Meng Shuyi retorted, "What did he do wrong?"
"He..." Meng Ziyun paused, unable to think of any reason, and finally said, "...He insulted me in his thoughts!"
Meng Shuyi looked at her incredulously, as if she were a fool, "You want to control what people think in their minds?"
Meng Shuping also looked at her speechlessly, "Is she right in the head? I did insult her in my thoughts. Come hit me if you dare!"
Meng Jiayun laughed behind her handkerchief, "Third Sister, you're overstepping. Haven't you ever insulted someone in your thoughts?"
Facing everyone's looks as if she were an idiot, Meng Ziyun had no way to defend herself. She was humiliated and angry. Meng Shuping had clearly insulted her in his thoughts, so why couldn't anyone else hear it?
Since she had no grounds, no one stood by her. Meng Ziyun could only stomp her foot in anger and follow everyone to Zhuwei Tower.
On the way, Meng Shuyi asked Meng Shuping with concern, "Have you been settling in well these past two days in the estate?"
Meng Shuping quickly nodded, "Yes, I'm used to it."
Meng Shuyi added, "Don't hold back in your own home. If anyone bullies you, don't be afraid of them—just do what you need to do."
Meng Shuping nodded again, "Yeah, got it."
Meng Shuyi sighed and asked Meng Shuping, "Fifth Brother, do I seem that scary?"
Meng Shuping instinctively nodded, "Y-yes."
As soon as he said it, he realized his mistake and quickly shook his head, "N-no, not at all."
"Pfft—" Meng Jiayun burst out laughing, "Eldest Brother, I told you you're usually too strict. Look, you've scared Fifth Brother so much he's walking all stiff and clumsy."
Meng Ziyun snorted disdainfully, looking down on Meng Shuping. After all, he was raised in a humble background—so timid and provincial.
Only then did Meng Shuping realize something was off. He quickly adjusted himself and resumed a normal walking posture.
Meng Shuyi didn't have much choice either. To keep everyone in line, being too soft certainly wouldn't work. But now that he was strict, everyone was afraid of him.
Finally, they entered Zuiwei Tower. Meng Shuping let out a sigh of relief—what an ordeal!
But before he could finish sighing, he noticed everyone in the room suddenly turning their eyes toward them. Meng Shuping shuddered and subtly slipped behind Meng Shuyi.
"Eldest Brother!" Seeing Meng Shuyi enter, Meng Shuchun happily came forward to greet him, immediately spotting the figure hiding behind Meng Shuyi. "Hey, Fifth Brother, you came with Eldest Brother?"
Then he pulled Meng Shuping out from behind, "In that case, I don't need to introduce you to Eldest Brother, right?"
Without Meng Shuyi blocking him, Meng Shuping was instantly exposed to everyone in the room. Under so many scrutinizing gazes, his scalp tingled with anxiety.
"Ahhh, save me, save me!" he mentally screamed.
Meng Shuchun looked at Meng Shuping puzzled, "Fifth Brother, what's wrong?"
Meng Shuping put on a calm face despite his nerves, "Nothing's wrong."
Seeing that he was really fine, Meng Shuchun relaxed, "Come on, come on, let me introduce you to the other brothers and sisters."
Before leaving, he turned to Meng Shuyi, "Eldest Brother, please have a seat first. I'll take Fifth Brother to meet everyone."
Meng Shuyi said, "Go ahead."
And so, Meng Shuping was dragged, wide-eyed with panic, to another group of people. Meng Shuchun enthusiastically introduced them, "Fifth Brother, this is your Fourth Brother Meng Shuchen, our Seventh Brother Meng Shuxin, Eighth Brother Meng Shuyu, Ninth Brother Meng Shuqin, Tenth Brother Meng Shujian…"
After introducing all the brothers, he moved on to the sisters, "This is our Third Sister Meng Ziyun, Fourth Sister Meng Jiayun, Fifth Sister Meng Luyun…"
Meng Shuping was led around in a daze, his face nearly stiff from forced smiling. In reality, he couldn't remember a single name—there were just too many! Roughly estimating, there were over twenty.
He went through the motions, responding to everyone's greetings, and finally escaped to his seat like he'd just survived something terrible.