The Su Family Manor was vast, and the reception hall specially designed for hosting guests was bustling with a full house.
When Su Chenfei entered with a dirty little girl in his arms, he immediately drew the attention of all the guests.
Wasn't he known as the kind of spoiled brat who'd directly discipline unruly children at public events like banquets? Now returning with a child in his arms, could it be that this little girl was his illegitimate daughter?
After all, just a few days ago, a video of Su Chenfei and a woman in a hotel room had exploded on the Entertainment Circle, topping the trending searches for a long while before it was taken down. The woman in the news even claimed she was pregnant.
With such scandals, yet claiming on Instagram that he wouldn't leave the showbiz—had it been them, how could they have the face to continue acting?
Though that's what the guests were thinking, they didn't dare to say it out loud and still approached Su Chenfei with smiles plastered on their faces, trying to cozy up to him.
"My, if it isn't the Seventh Young Master? It's been so long, Seventh Young Master, you've become even more handsome."
"Seventh Young Master, I bought ten tickets for your last movie premiere."
"Seventh Young Master, did your daughter hurt herself?"
"Step aside." Su Chenfei, never one for patience in socializing, scowled and cursed before asking a servant coming over to attend to him, "Where's my dad? Take me to him, quickly."
The servant bowed his head, "Please follow me, Seventh Young Master."
As Su Chenfei walked away with Mianmian, the guests exchanged glances, growing more certain of their suspicions, and huddled to murmur to one another, "Su Chenfei really thinks he's something, doesn't he? Without the Su family, he'd be out on the streets by now."
"Exactly, he just happened to be born into a good life."
"If it were me, I wouldn't dare bring an illegitimate daughter back home, it's embarrassing."
Mianmian, listening to these people discussing her Seventh Grandchild, immediately pouted. Why did these humans below the mountain enjoy committing verbal sins so much?
It's not right to gossip behind someone's back! Mianmian decided to teach these bad people a lesson for her grandchild!
With a few strokes in the air, she drew a talisman spell, then gently blew on it. Several spells, invisible to ordinary people, flew towards the gossiping bunch in high spirits.
The talisman spells would only take effect on those who liked to talk behind others' backs.
It didn't take long for the one who was discussing the most vigorously to gather evil energy at his forehead.
He himself was unaware, but as he turned around to grab some wine from the table, he suddenly took a nasty fall. Getting up, he realized he'd knocked out his two front teeth, and the pain had him clutching his bloody mouth, screaming in distress.
Seeing the jinxing talisman work so quickly brought a covert giggle to Mianmian's lips. She leaned close to Su Chenfei's ear and whispered softly, "Grandchild, Auntie has punished those bad people for you."
After speaking, her big shiny eyes peered up at Su Chenfei, her small chin lifted in triumph.
Charmed by the little cutie in his arms, Su Chenfei's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly found it easy to ignore the term "Auntie."
Having two nephews at a detestable age back home, he found none as sweetly speaking and adorable as this baby-voiced little girl. So, he took her words about "punishment" with a grain of salt, simply nodding along, "Then you're really awesome!"
Praised by Su Chenfei, Mianmian's smile widened even more, "Mianmian has always been awesome!"
By now, Su Chenfei had spotted his father. As the birthday star of the day, Elder Su was clad in red traditional attire, chatting away with his friends.
"Dad, I'm back," he announced.
Elder Su's face lit up with a smile at the sight of Su Chenfei, "Little Fei, you're back?"
Su Chenfei nodded and said without any politeness, "I have something to discuss with my dad, uncles and senior uncles, so I'll have to borrow my dad for a bit!"
With those words, he took his father's hand and walked towards the inner chamber of the banquet hall.
As soon as they entered the inner chamber, they heard a scolding voice: "Are you stupid or something? Bringing your daughter back home during my birthday banquet, do you want to be on the headlines for a few more days?"
No sooner had he finished than another line followed, "Your brother spent millions a few days ago to suppress the trending searches and control the comments for you, and here you are, wasting all his efforts by showing up with this girl."
After chastising his son for being unreliable, Elder Su turned his gaze to Mianmian.
He had already seen Su Chenfei with a little girl, but he hadn't said anything in front of his old friends, which is why he followed Su Chenfei to the inner chamber.
Don't doubt it, worthy of being a child of the old Su Family, this little girl has a lovely and cute appearance, those little noses and eyes, they also look very familiar.
As Elder Su eyes Mianmian, she also tilts her little head, sizing up her big nephew.
The big nephew in the photos from his childhood was chubby and round, but now, why has he become so thin?
As the elder and the young girl gaze at each other, Su Chenfei carefully chooses his words, thinking to put Mianmian down to stand on the ground, yet feeling it inappropriate to speak with her like that, he simply places Mianmian onto the table and helps her stand steady.
"What are you doing? Sitting a child so high, she could fall!" Elder Su hurriedly stretches out his hand, protecting Mianmian by her side.
Elder Su and Old Lady Su had kept having children in their youth, simply longing for a sweet little angel in the house, only to have sons one after another. Urging their sons to marry and have granddaughters, the second son did complete the task of getting married, yet ended up having two grandsons.
Such a waste of the beautifully prepared Princess Room!
It was their youngest son who came through, bringing back this adorable little granddaughter, right?
Elder Su pats his hands with a smile across his face and affectionately calls out, "Good child, I am your granddad, call me Granddad. Granddad has a meeting gift for you!"
Upon hearing this, Mianmian frowns and pouts her little mouth, "That's not right, you're not my granddad. I'm your Aunt Mianmian."
Elder Su is stunned, then gives Su Chenfei a kick, "Look at you, dropping out of school to mess around in the Entertainment Circle, what have you taught your child?"
Touching his nose, Su Chenfei was about to speak, but Mianmian beats him to it, "Big nephew, you can't hit your seventh grandchild; Mianmian likes the seventh grandchild."
"Also, big nephew, are you not eating properly? That's why you've become thin, not like when you were three years old, wearing a bellyband, looking chubby and cute."
When Elder Su hears 'wearing a bellyband at three years old,' he is reminded of the first family photo taken after the founding of the country. Back then, his great-great-grandfather was still alive, and the family was happily living with four generations under one roof.
But at this moment, Elder Su doesn't regard the little girl as a relative given how far-fetched it all seems.
So he continues to scold Su Chenfei, "Why do you tell your daughter everything? At her age, she's not behaving properly, and now you're using your daughter to make jokes with me."
Su Chenfei protests his innocence, "Dad, on my honor, I haven't messed around with any women. I'm still a virgin. This child, I found at our doorstep holding a Jade Pendant like yours, claiming to be your aunt, so I brought her in."
Upon hearing about the Jade Pendant, Elder Su immediately turns to look at Mianmian.
By now, Mianmian has taken everything out, the family tree, a letter from daddy, and that 'Su'-engraved Jade Pendant, handing them one by one to Elder Su, "Big nephew, take a look quickly, Mianmian really is your paternal aunt."
Elder Su first takes the Jade Pendant, examining it carefully.
As a child, he was naughty and once cracked his great-uncle's Jade Pendant. In his hand, the Jade Pendant indeed had a crack crossing through the 'Su' character, in the exact same spot.
This means that what the little girl in front of him says is the truth.
Elder Su can't help but calculate the present age of his great-uncle.
When his great-uncle married into the Jiang Family of the Dark Sect at the age of 20, he was only 7 years old. No matter how you calculate it, his great-uncle would be 73 years old today. How could he have such a young daughter?
Could she be adopted? But even if adopted, she should be considered a granddaughter, right? He is celebrating his 60th birthday; it feels a bit odd to call such a young baby his aunt.
Elder Su puts down the Jade Pendant, doesn't look at the family tree, and opens the letter instead.
The letter is indeed in his great-uncle's brush handwriting, addressing him by the nickname he had in his childhood, Gou Dan.
After reading every word, Elder Su is dumbstruck.
The letter speaks of an impending disaster that had befallen the Jiang Family, including his great-uncle, who are all now in slumber. The little auntie, unaware of this, needs to be taken in and well cared for.
This matter would also be beneficial to the Su Family, as their prosperity had drawn the attention of malevolent forces, and they too would face calamity.
The little auntie could help them weather the crisis.
Likewise, the Su Family should help the little auntie be liked by many, amassing faith and merit so that his great-uncle's family could awaken sooner.
Elder Su looks at the little girl with her dirty little face and innocent big eyes, feeling a pang of pity. The little auntie doesn't know yet that her immediate family is asleep and that it takes so much to wake them up.
She would surely cry if she knew, right? Even if there were no benefits for the Su Family, he would willingly take care of the little auntie!