Chapter 37: Let the Fight Begin!

Lu Qingjia looked up and saw Shi Yi holding a food tray, halted at the stair corner, and the person stopping him and speaking was Wei Bing'an.

The two had once often been playmates, but Wei Bing'an, as an illegitimate son of the Marquis of Needle Guo, preferred to befriend other scions of noble families, believing they could help each other in the future.

Consequently, he grew closer to Zhou Jing'an, and Lu Qingjia became distant from him.

Unexpectedly, today they ran into each other at Suijin Pavilion, and Wei even tried to snatch the Shattered Gold Soup that Lu had ordered in advance!

Lu Qingjia didn't hold back: "Wei San! What are you doing? You know I ordered it, yet you still snatch it?"

Tuan Tuan heard and asked her brother, "Who is Wei San?"

"The one who used a beast bell to scare a snow leopard in Wanlingyuan."

Tuan Tuan recalled: "Ah, that villain!"

Wei Bing'an glanced at Lu Er and said without yielding, "So what if you ordered it? I, the young master, am hosting a banquet today and have ordered this Shattered Gold Soup!"

"You, the son of a Vice Minister of Personnel, dare to contend with the Marquis of Needle Guo's household?"

Lu Qingjia snorted, having once been close, he knew the Marquis of Needle Guo's affairs like the back of his hand: "You're just an illegitimate son of the Marquis of Needle Guo; no one listens to you at home. Stop pretending to be a noble scion!"

Wei Bing'an's face flushed a pork‑liver hue instantly: "Shut up, Lu Er! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Bai Jianxing, hearing Lu Qingjia sparring, couldn't stay seated and stepped out to add, "Wei San! We already ordered it! If you want it, order it yourself! Snatching others shows no skill!"

Lu Qingjia grew impatient: "Shi Yi! Bring it over! If you dare place this Shattered Gold Soup on someone else's table, I, the young master, will set Suijin Pavilion ablaze!"

The fifth floor is the top of Suijin Pavilion, with only two private rooms; the spot where Wei Bing'an stood was the entrance to the other room.

As the main door opened, a few dandy youths stepped out: "Wei San! Today you really overreached, even asking us to taste Suijin Pavilion's signature dish."

The youths glanced this way and said, "Looks like we won't dare come to your table again; we can't even get the dishes served."

Wei Bing'an heard and instantly panicked, as if his family's reputation were being stripped before everyone! "Who says it can't be served? Shi Yi! Bring it in for me!"

Shi Yi held the food tray, standing still, daring not offend anyone, yet the Shattered Gold Soup existed as a single portion—what could he do?

"Young masters, calm down, calm down! It's just our modest shop's poor service; please don't be angry, please don't be angry!"

The situation froze for a moment.

Xiao Ningxun glanced at his sister bouncing around the room, who was holding a feather that had fallen from a small plum, holding it high and happily chasing the plum.

Carrying his sister, he thought it best not to interfere and let Lu Er and the others proceed first.

So he sat quietly, unmoving, only perking up his ears to listen to the sounds outside.

Outside, the youths kept arguing, when suddenly a middle‑aged man's voice boomed: "Why make it so troublesome! Men! Surround Suijin Pavilion! Let's see who still dares to challenge the Marquis of Needle Guo's house!"

"Yes!" a servant replied, rushing down the stairs; shortly after, dozens of men dressed as house servants stormed in, encircling Suijin Pavilion inside and out.

Xiao Ningxun, hearing this, realized things were getting out of hand; he scooped Tuan Tuan into his arms, stepped out, and saw the speaker—a man in his thirties, plump, with a face full of flab.

Lu Qingjia and Bai Jianxing recognized the man as Wei Bing'an's uncle, Wei Zhongli.

The two, upon seeing the elder, clasped their hands and bowed: "Uncle Wei. Wei San is being unreasonable; will you still protect him?"

Wei Zhongli snorted, ignoring them; clearly he had come out to back his nephew.

Wei Bing'an caught on: "Uncle! You can still keep him in check. Lu Er, how much silver did you spend on this Shattered Gold Soup? I, the young master, will double the compensation for you, no profit taken!"

He looked up and saw Xiao Ningxun just emerged: "I ask, who are you entertaining here? So it's the mute from Ning Prince's Mansion."

Tuan Tuan widened her eyes: "My brother isn't mute; you're the mute! You bully the snow leopard and Lu Er; you're a big villain! Besides, if my brother were mute, a little bird would fly in and land on your head!"

She thought she sounded fierce, but her soft, mushy childlike voice made everyone burst into laughter.

Wei Bing'an cast a sideways glance at Tuan Tuan: "Again, you wild‑born brat!"

Xiao Ningxun's face darkened: "How audacious! To speak insolently and offend Princess Jiayou?"

Wei Bing'an was startled: "Princess Jiayou? She is Princess Jiayou?"

Tuan Tuan nodded earnestly: "That's right! I am Princess Jiayou!"

Wei Bing'an rolled his eyes, snorted, and, realizing the little girl was a princess, dared not say anything more to Tuan Tuan.

He began to look up and down at Xiao Ningxun: "Now I recall, last time at Wanlingyuan, you seemed to say something—where did Prince Ning's Mansion obtain that miraculous elixir that could make a mute speak?"

As soon as the words finished, a crow flew in through Suijin Pavilion's main door, cawing loudly as it circled the floor, drawing everyone's attention.

Xiao Ningxun's mind sparked; he quickly covered Tuan Tuan's hand holding the plum feather with his sleeve, shielding it from others' view.

The bird fluttered a few circles close to the fifth‑floor ceiling, then swooped over the crowd's heads, tilted its rear, and with a "pop" a stream of milky‑white, bluish‑green excrement landed on Wei Bing'an's forehead.

The dung even steamed, flowing down his forehead.

"Ah! What is that!" Wei Bing'an hurriedly reached to wipe it, only to smear the sticky bird droppings across his face.

"Hahaha…" Everyone burst into laughter.

Tuan Tuan clapped her tiny hands, giggling merrily; Xiao Ningxun glanced and indeed the feather in his sister's hand had vanished.

Lu Qingjia and Bai Jianxing laughed so hard they could barely sit up, pointing at Wei Bing'an's disheveled look: "How! How could it be so coincidental! Hahaha! That's karma! Hahaha, oh my, I can't take it, my stomach hurts from laughing."

Xiao Ningxun hugged Tuan Tuan tightly, kissed her on the cheek: "Tuan Tuan, you're amazing! But, good girl, there are too many bad people here; we won't bother them any longer. Brother will take you home."

Xiao Ningxun, worried for Tuan Tuan's safety, didn't want to make a bigger scene and just wanted to leave quickly with his sister.

Wei Bing'an, enraged and ashamed, relying on his numbers, shouted: "Attack! Beat them! Go! Hit hard! If you break anything, it's on me!"

The house servants rushed from both ends of the stairs toward Xiao Ningxun's group, a dozen people together surrounding the three adults and one child in the narrow corridor.

Xiao Ningxun shouted, "Protect Tuan Tuan!" He placed his sister on the ground, shielding her behind him; Lu Qingjia and Bai Jianxing understood instantly, and the three youths formed a triangle, backs against each other, keeping Tuan Tuan in the center.

Lu Qingjia and Bai Jianxing drew folding fans from their waists, using them as makeshift weapons.

Xiao Ningxun drew a Dagger from his boot and declared, "Let's see who dares to come up!"