CHAPTER 118: CHAPTER 118: SHE DOESN’T SPOIL THE LITTLE ANCESTOR AT ALL

"According to Zhao Jing, if His Highness follows the plan to leave in June, there will be a risk of the whereabouts being leaked; but now that the plan has changed, the insider hidden in the Duke Yan Mansion cannot come out."

Li Mu pondered for a moment and said, "Then let’s go through the plan again——"

...

The day before the exam, Tang Xiaobai did not keep the children cramming nervously.

The two girls were given permission to go out shopping, while she took a small bow and dragged Ah Xiao to Tang Ziqian’s martial arts field to practice archery.

Even if one hasn’t eaten pork, they’ve seen pigs run.

Tang Xiaobai, full of confidence, eagerly bent the bow and nocked an arrow as soon as she entered——

"Wait!" Li Mu quickly stopped her, "You haven’t put on the thumb ring yet; it’s easy to hurt your hand!"

Tang Xiaobai looked and was about to let go.

"Don’t move! Let me do it!" Li Mu said, approaching from behind and gently enveloping the little girl in his arms.

The girl’s hair was soft and fragrant, her breathing gentle, so different from his.

Li Mu’s ears warmed, and he took a deep breath, then simultaneously grasped the spot where her hand was holding.

Tang Xiaobai glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw his long eyelashes flutter lightly.

Although everyone was still young, being this close was a bit strange...

"Alright, let go now." Li Mu said.

Tang Xiaobai saw his focused gaze forward and collected herself, carefully letting go.

After she released her grip, the bow and arrow still remained taut in his hand.

But the next moment——

With a "whoosh," the arrow flew out and hit the target.

Impressive!

Tang Xiaobai was about to clap and cheer when a stern voice from the sidelines shouted, "What are you doing!"

Turning her head, she saw Tang Jiaojiao, clad in blazing red, her sash fluttering in the wind, emanating an air of formidable presence, approaching.

Tang Xiaobai coughed lightly and said seriously, "Ah Xiao is teaching me archery!"

Tang Jiaojiao yanked her sister to her side, glaring fiercely at Li Mu, "Why not ask brother to teach you instead of relying on a lowly servant——"

Before she could finish, the young man’s gaze suddenly turned cold and deep, leaving her momentarily at a loss for words.

"Sister!" Tang Xiaobai was not pleased to hear her call the little ancestor like that, "Ah Xiao is nearly out of servitude, so don’t——" Not knowing how to persuade her, whose mouth has she ever spared?

Tang Jiaojiao snorted coldly, "Keep the indenture as a souvenir!" With that, she turned, snatched something from a maid’s hand, and tossed it in front of Ah Xiao with extreme arrogance, clearly meant to insult.

Tang Xiaobai almost wanted to cover her eyes.

Sister’s haughty antagonist behavior was incorrigible...

But just as she was about to cover her eyes, Ah Xiao nonchalantly extended his hand and caught the indenture as if her sister had intentionally thrown it to him.

Tang Xiaobai was momentarily stunned.

Her little ancestor’s reflexes were quite swift...

Seeing the little ancestor casually gripping the indenture without even a glance before storing it away, Tang Xiaobai quickly approached, "Let me see!"

She wanted to see the name on the indenture——

"Mu Jia?" Disdain.

How could such a common name match an exceptionally talented and beautiful young man at all!

However, upon further thought, after the Qin Family’s downfall, who knows how many names he’s changed while wandering...

Alas, so pitiful...

"Once you’ve changed your status, you can’t live where you used to, nor can you be summoned to the inner court anymore, got it?" Tang Jiaojiao cast a disdainful glance at the graceful young man.

What’s with your taste, sister?

The skinny kid who initially only had a good-looking face had now grown into a little sprite, completely unsettling!

Seeing her little sister growing up each day, it was the perfect time to separate them!

Tang Xiaobai thought about the earlier situation and felt this arrangement was fitting, so she nodded and asked Ah Xiao, "What’s your original surname and name? Are you going to change it back?"

Li Mu shook his head, "I don’t remember my original name."

Tang Xiaobai understood; it wasn’t yet time to revert to his original name: "Then what name do you want?"

"Given that you once saved the Second Miss, we can keep your registration at the Duke Yan Mansion with the Tang surname, keeping your current name!"

——Tang Ziqian hadn’t yet reached the martial field when he heard Tang Jiaojiao speaking with such an air of beneficence.

Then followed the Crown Prince’s calm voice, "Thank you, Miss Tang."

Tang Ziqian suddenly wanted to retreat into quiet.

"Brother is here!" Tang Xiaobai noticed him.

Tang Ziqian had no choice but to approach with a smile as if nothing had happened.

Little sister seemed very fond of the Crown Prince’s new name, excitedly introducing it and eagerly asking if it sounded good.

Tang Ziqian nodded with a smile, "Not bad——" he glanced at the Crown Prince, "Ah Xiao is not young anymore; it’s no longer appropriate for him to be with you. Now that he’s moving out, he can follow me from now on!"

Before the words finished, the Crown Prince gave him a deep look.

Tang Ziqian raised his eyebrows defiantly.

What? Does he intend to cling to his little sister forever?

"Brother is right!" Tang Xiaobai immediately agreed, "It’s not much different anyway, since we’ll still be going to school together every day, just like Ah Jin!" She directed the last sentence at the seemingly reluctant little ancestor.

But her sister retorted, "Can he compare to Ah Jin? Ah Jin knows martial arts. What does he know?"

Tang Xiaobai wanted to defend a bit: "After training under brother, Ah Xiao can also learn martial arts in the future!"

Tang Ziqian chuckled, glanced at Li Mu, and said, "If so, tomorrow you can take a trip to Xinfeng for me——"

"We’re going to the academy for exams tomorrow!" Tang Xiaobai reminded.

"Go after the exams." Tang Ziqian remained unmoved.

"Will there be enough time after the exams?" Tang Xiaobai frowned, thinking it would be noon after the tests, and Xinfeng didn’t seem that close?

"If you can’t return, stay a night, or two," Tang Ziqian gave her a sidelong glance, "You don’t think being with me is like being with you, where only studying is required, do you?"

Tang Xiaobai closed her mouth.

Nonsense! She wasn’t that indulgent! The little ancestor clearly had chores at her place!

But... Why was her brother so eager for Ah Xiao to go to Xinfeng?

...

"Your Highness, heading to Xinfeng, considering the movements in the Capital City, stay at most seven days; arrangements have already been made inside the Duke Yan Mansion. If anyone spies secretly, they won’t last three days before revealing themselves!"

"Hmm... If the Second Miss asks——"

"... My own little sister doesn’t require Your Highness’s concern!"

...

August 1st, Huntian Academy entrance exam.

After the exams, with nothing else to do, Tang Xiaobai decided to see Ah Xiao off to the city gate.

Nearing noon, the area around the gate was bustling with activity.

Watching the young man ride away, Tang Xiaobai was just about to get back into the carriage when she inadvertently glanced and saw someone she absolutely did not want to see at that moment, coincidentally coming in from outside the city and passing right by the departing Ah Xiao.

The person reined in their horse, turned back to glance.

Under the sunlight, the gold threads on the deep purple robe gleamed glaringly.