Chapter 1: Little one, I am your great aunt
The wealthiest family in Dragon Country, the Su Family, was hosting Elder Su's 60th birthday banquet, and the partially open gates of the Su Manor were bustling with activity. The Butler, accompanied by a team of bodyguards, stood at the grand entrance, strictly verifying the invitations of the guests.
It was July, and without air conditioning at the entrance, coupled with the large number of people, it was incredibly hot.
The Butler had just shooed away two people trying to sneak into the banquet when he suddenly felt a tug on his pant leg.
Looking down, he realized that at some point a little child had appeared at his feet. The child had her hair in a bun and was wearing a dirty Tang-style dress.
Her face was a bit dirty, and she carried a pink cross-body small bag around her waist, looking to be just over 3 years old.
She was asking in a tender and soft voice, "Hello, is this where Su Linsheng's house is?"
"Yes, it is," replied the Butler kindly, smiling, "Little friend, which family's child are you? You should stay close to your mom and dad. And you shouldn't refer to our elder by name, okay? You should call him Grandpa Su."
The little Bun blinked her eyes, "I can't call him grandpa though, that would mess up our family ranks! I'm his paternal cousin, Su Mianmian. Today is Su Linsheng's 60th birthday, and I came here on behalf of my dad to celebrate with him, but I don't have an invitation. Could you please announce my arrival?"
After hearing this, the Butler's smile immediately vanished.
A child not even 100cm tall, claiming to be Elder Su's cousin? How was that possible? The elder had never mentioned having such a young relative with such a senior generational rank!
The Butler said in a stern voice, "Little friend, don't randomly claim to be a relative. You can't enter without an invitation, so please leave at once."
After all, the Su Family was the wealthiest in Dragon Country, and many people were eager to curry favor. But to use a child to play schemes like this during the Su Manor's banquet was indeed going too far.
The Butler instructed the bodyguards to patrol even more diligently to ensure that no one had a chance to take advantage of the situation.
Meanwhile, Mianmian at his feet frowned with an innocent expression.
She was indeed Su Linsheng's paternal cousin! Her mom and dad had told her this themselves! It was written in the family tree, and there was even an ancestral Jade Pendant as proof!
As Mianmian reached into her small bag to get the Jade Pendant and family tree to show to the Butler, she was suddenly pushed.
She barely managed to stay upright and turned her head to see the pusher: it was a scowling little boy. "Little beggar, don't stand at the entrance of my house."
Mianmian frowned, about to speak, when a well-dressed woman appeared behind the little boy.
The woman pulled the boy away and scolded, "Why did you touch her? You'll get filthy, she might even have a contagious disease."
While speaking, the woman handed her invitation to the Butler, "Make sure you're on your toes and don't let this kind of dirty child slip into the banquet."
The Butler glanced at the invitation and suddenly became extremely attentive.
The woman in front of him was named Lin Mei, the sister of the Elder Son's girlfriend, and would be related to the Su Family in the future. So he bowed to Lin Mei, "Rest assured, madam, I will definitely not let any child of unknown origin inside."
Seeing the Butler's attitude change so swiftly, and observing no apparent relationship between mother and son with the Su Family, Mianmian found it odd, "But you're not a member of the Su Family either, so how can you stop Mianmian from entering?"
Lin Mei hadn't expected Mianmian to talk back, "Little beggar, let me tell you the truth, my sister is about to marry the Su Family's Elder Son, so I am the Su Family's aunt, and saying you little beggar cannot enter is certainly within my power."
The boy she was holding went even further, pulling faces, "Little beggar, can't enter, nyeh nyeh nyeh."
Mianmian was getting a bit angry, "I can get in!"
It angered the boy, and he wrestled free of the woman's grasp, raising his hand to slap Mianmian in the face.
Before that slap even landed, Mianmian fought back, slapping him hard in return.
With a smack, the boy clutched his hand and started wailing loudly.
Lin Mei was furious, "You little beggar, are you asking to die? Throw her out this instant!"
"What is this commotion at my front door?" A young man's voice suddenly interrupted Lin Mei's shrill screaming.
Hearing the pleasant voice, Mianmian looked curiously over. The man speaking was wearing sunglasses and a mask, his face entirely obscured.
But the Su Family's butler greeted the man with a smiling face and a bow, "Seventh Master, you're back."
Mianmian heard the butler call the man Seventh Master and chuckled. Dad said that Su Linsheng had seven sons; it seemed that this tall man was the Su Linsheng family's seventh son, Su Chenfei, her seventh grandchild!
"Hello, my dear grandnephew."
Since it was their first meeting and she knew the grandnephew did not recognize her, Mianmian politely took the initiative to greet him, wanting to be a generous and kind elder.
Su Chenfei was taken aback by the greeting, and when he looked down, he realized there was a child standing by his feet. The child's face was a bit dirty, but it did not detract from her delicate and adorable little face.
And those big eyes with long lashes, dark, clear, and filled with the innocent feel of a young child.
Su Chenfei was a bit intrigued and took off his sunglasses and mask to reveal an excessively refined male visage.
He raised an eyebrow and asked Mianmian, "What did you call me?"
"Grandnephew, your dad is Su Linsheng. I'm your paternal aunt by marriage. I'm here to celebrate your dad's birthday." While speaking, Mianmian handed over the family tree to her grandnephew. "Take a look, this is my family's part of the tree."
Su Chenfei was speechless, "Ah, little guy, have you lost your mind?"
Paternal aunt by marriage? That's several generations removed!
Just as Su Chenfei was about to stand up and have the butler check where the crazy child came from, he saw the child take out a jade pendant from her small bag that he was very familiar with.
That jade pendant was a precious item his dad kept in the safe, said to be the symbol of the Su Family. They even had pendants made in the same style for each of the seven brothers, but none of the brothers liked wearing them.
Moreover, his dad often rambled at home that, if their great-great-uncle hadn't entered into mariage with the great-great-aunt's family and lived in seclusion with her, the jade pendant could have been blessed by the great-great-uncle to ward off evil.
With the jade pendant present, could Little Bun's words be true?
But, but, even if Little Bun was adorable, she couldn't really be his paternal aunt by marriage, could she? That was too absurd!
Su Chenfei simply couldn't accept it.
Once Mianmian was sure Su Chenfei had seen the jade pendant, she spoke in her baby voice, "See? Mianmian's not crazy, you are Mianmian's grandnephew."
Upon hearing this, Lin Mei spoke in a tone as if she was very close to Su Chenfei, "Little Fei, this dirty child being confused is a common thing. You mustn't be fooled by her."
While she spoke, there was disdain for Mianmian in her voice.
"What Little Fei? Get lost, I'm not familiar with you," Su Chenfei replied to Lin Mei irritably. After responding, he addressed Mianmian, "Never mind her. Mianmian, right? Come in with me to see my dad, and I'll have him check if these things are real."
Mianmian nodded her head, pleased that she could go inside. That way, she could complete dad's assignment and then go back to the mountain to find mom and dad!
She secured her small bag and just then heard Lin Mei speak again, "Little Fei, how can you speak like that? According to our relations, you and your brother should both call me elder sister!"
Su Chenfei had already stood up by this point, his face still showing disgust, "Elder sister? I don't know how your sister Lin Rou managed to bewitch my older brother, but I, Su Chenfei, will not acknowledge this family connection."
His older brother, usually so sharp, he really didn't understand how he had fallen for a woman named Lin Rou, who was announcing their engagement today.
That woman looked like a white lotus at first glance. He really didn't get how his brother was charmed!
What made it even worse was that his parents actually said it was great that their 30-year-old son was getting married; background and personality of the girl did not matter, and they hoped for a granddaughter in the future. He didn't know if his parents were going crazy over wanting a granddaughter.
Are little girls really that adorable?
To not have a daughter after seven sons, were they so eager for their sons to marry just to get a granddaughter?
Su Chenfei mumbled to himself about his parents' behavior and, looking down, gestured for Mianmian to follow him inside, stepping around Lin Mei.
As Lin Mei watched Su Chenfei take Mianmian into the manor, her face contorted in a flash: Why should Su Chenfei treat her with such an attitude? He's just a third-rate celebrity from the Entertainment Circle. Once her sister takes control of the Su Family, she'll make Su Chenfei lick her boots and see how arrogant he can be!