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Chapter 517 Malice Between Children

When Madam Gu heard the Countess mention Chu Ruohan's noble status, and considering that today was her grandson's full-month celebration...

You can't just ruin your own event in front of everyone and make yourself a laughingstock.

She snorted, which was taken as tacit agreement with the Countess's statement.

She lowered her head to focus on comforting the crying child in her arms, muttering, "He's just a child, he doesn't understand."

His tone was no longer as aggressive as before.

Lu Ge'er then straightened up and greeted Madam Gu and the other elders in order.

He took a brocade box from the servant who accompanied him, held it with both hands, and said to Madam Gu, "Grandmother, this is a small gift that I have prepared for my younger brother."

Madam Gu took the brocade box, opened it, and found a traditional Chinese ink painting inside.

The painting depicts several stalks of green bamboo, fresh and elegant. Although the brushwork is slightly immature, it is quite charming.

"This was drawn by my grandson himself, wishing my younger brother good health, peace, and continuous advancement in his career," said Brother Lü respectfully.

Upon seeing this, everyone praised him again, saying that not only was Brother Lü good at studying, but he also painted with great talent.

Madam Gu finally showed a genuine smile and said to everyone, "This child is just messing around."

Lu Ge'er then turned to Chu Ruohan and said, "Aunt, Grandmother, and elders, I would like to take Lan Jie'er to play with Xuan Ge'er and the others. I will take my leave now."

Chu Ruohan nodded gently: "Go ahead and take good care of your sister."

"Yes, Aunt." Lu Ge'er replied, bowed again, and then withdrew.

From beside the artificial hill in the backyard came the sounds of children making noise and crying.

Lü Ge'er led Lan Jie'er to follow the sound, and after passing a clump of lush banana trees, they saw a scene that infuriated him.

Two-year-old Xuan was pushed to the ground. His fair little hands were scraped against the rough stones, and the skin was broken and bleeding.

He was surrounded by five or six children of similar age, and the chubby boy in brocade clothes was pointing at him with a smug look on his face.

Xuan-ge'er didn't understand verbal humiliation; he only knew the pain and sat on the ground, crying loudly.

The maid, Meizi, was sweating profusely with anxiety. She scooped Xuan-ge into her arms and glared angrily at the group of children.

"Who are you young masters and ladies? Why are you bullying our young master Xuan!"

A maid behind the chubby boy in brocade immediately stepped forward, hands on her hips, and said, "What are you yelling about? It's just children playing around. It's his own fault for being so weak and falling. Don't blame our young master."

"that is!"

The chubby boy puffed out his chest and imitated the tone of an adult, but the words he uttered were extremely vicious.

"You're just an adopted child, how are you any different from a servant in the manor? My mother said that in a few years, when the Duchess of Zhenguo gives birth to her own son, you'll be sent back!"

Xuan-ge'er didn't understand any of this, he just cried even harder.

Her little hands gripped Meizi's clothes tightly, and she choked out, "Grandma Mei, oh...it hurts, it hurts so much..."

"You!" Mei Zi trembled with anger. She knew these children were guests today, and she couldn't hit or scold them.

She could only turn to the servants who stood by and did nothing, and scold them, "What are you all doing? We are people of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. If the madam finds out that your master is bullying our young master like this, she will definitely not let you off!"

"Oh, what a show of power!" a maidservant said sarcastically. "So what if it's the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"

"You're bullying a bastard with no parents? Do you think the Duchess would kick us guests out for his sake?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding servants began to chuckle.

"shut up!"

A sharp, cold shout brought the noise in the room to an abrupt halt.

Everyone turned around and saw Brother Lu standing there with a somber expression.

Although he was young, the coldness in his eyes made even the adult servants tremble.

He ignored the servants and walked straight up to the chubby boy in brocade robes, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Lan Jie'er ran over to Xuan Ge'er's side and her eyes immediately welled up with tears when she saw his little hands that were bleeding.

She bent down and, imitating her aunt, carefully breathed on Xuan-ge'er's wound.

"Don't cry, Brother Xuan. I'll blow on it for you and it will stop hurting."

The chubby boy in brocade robes felt a little uneasy under Lu Ge'er's gaze, but he still mustered his courage and said, "What are you looking at? I didn't say anything wrong!"

"What's your name?" Lu Ge'er's voice was completely flat.

"My name is Wang Shuo, and my father is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel!" The chubby boy brought up his family background, as if it would give him more confidence.

Lu Ge'er nodded, his gaze sweeping over every child present and the servants behind them, memorizing their faces one by one.

"Very well." He spoke slowly, "Do you dare to repeat what you just said in front of my aunt?"

Wang Shuo was taken aback, his imposing manner immediately diminishing by three points. A child behind him whispered, "His aunt is the Duchess of Zhenguo... My mother says she's incredibly powerful..."

"What, you're scared now?" Lu Ge'er's lips curled into a cold smile, full of disdain. "You're quite good at gossiping behind people's backs, but when you're in front of the person in question, you become a coward?"

"Who's the coward!" Wang Shuo, provoked by him, immediately blushed. "Fine, I'll go! I'm not afraid of you!"

"Yes, let's go!" The other children chimed in.

“Okay.” Lu Ge’er turned around and said to Mei Zi, “Sister Mei Zi, hold Xuan Ge’er tight, let’s go.”

He then looked at the group of ignorant children and said coldly, "Follow me. Today, we'll go to the flower hall and discuss this matter properly in front of all the elders."

After saying that, he led the way, his small body standing straight, step by step towards the flower hall filled with guests.

A group of children and their terrified servants formed a peculiar procession, following a boy who was only a few years older than them.

The harmonious atmosphere in the flower hall paused for a moment after Brother Lu left.

But it was quickly enveloped again by the joy of the full moon celebration and the laughter and chatter among the guests.

Madam Gu, holding her grandson who had finally stopped crying, was showing off to the other ladies the resemblance between her grandson's features and her own husband, a smug smile on her face.

Just then, the light at the entrance of the flower hall suddenly dimmed.

A maid rushed in, her voice trembling, "Madam, ladies, Young Master Lu, he..."

Before she could finish speaking, everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice.

Lu Ge'er stood at the door with a cold expression...