Side Story 4: The Making of Childhood Sweethearts

Side Story 4: The Making of Childhood Sweethearts

Since that "gratitude for the steamed bun," a peculiar sight has appeared at the Royal Academy.

Previously, Pei Niannian was followed by a group of animals.

Now, she has a little "tail" following her around.

...

Afternoon, in the study.

"Ugh! I'm not writing anymore! Who wrote the Book of Rites? Why is it so long?!"

Pei Niannian threw down the calligraphy brush, slumped into the chair, and let out a desperate wail.

Master Sun punished her by making her copy the Book of Rites ten times because she put a hedgehog in the inkstone to bathe yesterday.

This was torture for Pei Niannian, who couldn't sit still.

"Sister Niannian, have some water."

A pale, thin but bony little hand handed over a cup of warm tea at just the right moment.

Xiao Bai was wearing a faded blue long robe. Although he was still thin, the bruises on his face had disappeared, revealing a delicate and handsome face with a touch of sickly beauty.

"Xiaobai is still the best."

Pei Niannian gulped down her water, looked at the stack of white paper, and sighed again.

"I'll write it for you."

Xiao Bai put down his teacup and picked up the calligraphy brush that Pei Niannian had just dropped.

“You?” Pei Niannian looked at him suspiciously. “The teacher recognizes my handwriting. My handwriting… cough cough, it’s rather cursive. Yours is too neat; it’ll be easy to see through at a glance.”

Xiao Bai smiled slightly, a subtle glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

He picked up his pen and began to write on the paper.

Instead of his usual elegant and delicate calligraphy, his wrist trembled slightly, and his brushstrokes became wild and uncontrolled.

In the blink of an eye, a line of words appeared on the paper.

The handwriting was crooked and grotesque, and even the habit of omitting a stroke in the character "德" was imitated exactly!

"Wow?!"

Pei Niannian was so startled that she jumped up from her chair, picked up the paper, and looked at it from left to right:

"Xiao Bai! You're amazing! This is just as ugly as... ugh, just as wild as what I wrote with my eyes closed!"

How did you do that?

Xiao Bai lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing the deep obsession in them, and spoke softly:

"I've been practicing my sister's calligraphy these past few days."

"Waaaaah, Xiaobai, you're so great!"

Pei Niannian was so moved she almost cried, and gave him a bear hug: "From now on, you're my little brother! If anyone dares to bully you, I'll unleash the dogs on them!"

Xiao Bai was hugged by her, his body stiffened for a moment, and then a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

...

It's not just about doing homework.

Xiao Bai displayed astonishing talent in the great undertaking of "pranking the teacher".

Pei Niannian only knows simple and brutal physical attacks (releasing snakes and wasps).

Xiao Bai is skilled in magical attacks (psychological warfare).

“Sister Niannian, it’s too easy to be discovered if you apply glue directly to the chair.”

As Xiao Bai helped her grind the powder, he offered suggestions in a soft voice:

"Master Sun loved drinking that pot of 'Pre-Rain Longjing' tea the most. If we dried the squid's juice, ground it into powder, and mixed it into the tea..."

"This powder is colorless when it comes into contact with water, but if you drink it for half an hour, your teeth and tongue will turn black and cannot be washed off."

Xiao Bai smiled with an innocent and harmless expression:

"Wouldn't it be even more interesting if the tutor went to teach the prince and opened his mouth with a mouthful of black teeth?"

Pei Niannian's eyes lit up as she listened, and she slapped the table in admiration:

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Little Bai, how did you develop such a brain? You're way smarter than all my monkeys!"

Xiao Bai smiled, concealing his achievements and fame.

...

All of this was seen and heard by another person sitting in the corner.

Pei An held his little wooden sword, watching the scene of "sisterly affection and brotherly respect" over there with a blank expression.

His ears twitched slightly.

In his auditory world, Xiao Bai's heartbeat was very steady, and even when he was telling Pei Nian those dirty tricks, his breathing didn't falter at all.

What does this tell us?

This shows that although the boy is young, he is very cunning, lies without blushing, and harms others without flinching.

What alarmed Pei An the most was—

Whenever Pei Niannian hugs Xiao Bai or praises him, Xiao Bai's heart rate increases instantly and his blood flow accelerates.

"Tsk."

Pei An frowned, mentally labeling this "hostage"—

The aroma and flavor of tea.

She's clearly full of bad intentions, but she pretends to be an innocent little flower in front of her older sister.

She often says things like "Sister, I'm scared," "Sister, help me," or "Sister, you're so amazing."

Taking advantage of her sister's sympathy, she gradually encroached on her sister's territory.

This is not a good person.

This is a wolf cub in sheep's clothing.

"An'an, why are you staring at Xiaobai?"

Pei Niannian noticed her younger brother's gaze and protectively said, "Don't scare him, he's timid."

Pei An: "..."

Are you timid?

When I was teaching you how to poison someone, he didn't even blink.

Pei An stood up and walked over to the two of them with his cool, short legs.

He didn't expose Xiao Bai (because his sister definitely wouldn't believe him), but instead stepped directly between the two of them, forcefully pushing Xiao Bai aside.

"sister."

Pei An spoke coldly:

"Father said that men and women should not touch each other."

"and……"

His phoenix eyes, seemingly capable of seeing into people's hearts, swept coldly over Xiao Bai, and he said meaningfully:

Stay away from people who are too detached from reality.

"Be careful not to get sold out while still helping the seller count the money."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Bai's eyes instantly reddened, and he looked timidly at Pei Niannian: "Sister Niannian...did I do something wrong? It seems the young master doesn't like me..."

Seeing his aggrieved look, Pei Niannian's heart broke, and she immediately turned to glare at Pei An:

"Pei An! How dare you speak like that! Xiao Bai is such a good boy, how could he be so cunning? Go stand in the corner as punishment!"

Pei An: "..."

He looked at the "little white flower" hiding behind her sister, giving him a provocative smile.

He clenched his fist silently in his heart.

This green tea... her level is too high!

Looks like I'll have to be careful around this wolf for my sister from now on!