Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot

"Wuyou, Changle, these are the names your mother gave you, right?"

"How do you know?"

The young boy asked.

Meng Qianqian gently replied, "Because these names are your second aunt’s hopes for you. Only she would harbor such hopes for you."

The people in the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion—how could they give you names with such beautiful meanings?

Not expecting you to rise above others, not hoping you’d rejuvenate the nation, and definitely not wishing for you to be entangled in the whirlpool of revenge. She only wished for you to live a life free of worries, year after year filled with happiness.

Meng Qianqian gazed lovingly at her younger siblings, as if seeing every Shang Family member who would never return. If their family members’ spirits were watching from the heavens, surely their wishes aligned with Second Aunt’s hopes.

So be it, all they needed was to grow up safely. Revenge—it could all be left to her.

"It’s cold outside, come sit inside,"

Meng Qianqian said to the siblings.

The young boy turned to glance at his near-frozen sister. Though reluctant, he still entered the house.

Nanny Wan and the others, who had just been at the gate eating melon seeds, quickly lifted the curtains and stepped forward to serve.

They, ahead of Meng Qianqian, had already learned that the dragon-phoenix twins were back in the manor and had identified their status.

Chen Long was the young lady’s sworn brother. These twins were Chen Long’s younger siblings, and hence also the young lady’s siblings.

Ban Xia hurriedly removed the young girl’s cloak, pinched the sleeve of her garment, and laughed, "Snow has fallen onto it; it’s all wet. I’ll take Second Miss to change into dry clothing first."

The young girl looked toward her brother.

The young boy still had a guarded look on his face.

Ban Xia quickly explained, "Just in the inner room."

Only then did the young boy nod.

Ban Xia led the young girl into the inner room, opened the wardrobe, and smiled at her, "Second Miss, the wardrobe is filled with clothes the young lady prepared for you. Which one would you like to change into?"

The young girl stared in amazement at the wardrobe bursting with luxurious garments and sparkling shoes, and asked in astonishment, "These... all of them?"

"Yes!"

Ban Xia nodded with a smile, "Some were made by the young lady herself; others were purchased from Yanyu Pavilion. The young lady said she wasn’t sure how tall Second Miss had grown or what styles you liked, so for now she procured every popular design in the Capital City. Second Miss, see if there’s one you like. If none suits your fancy, we can temporarily settle on one to change into, and later the young lady will personally take you to Yanyu Pavilion to choose."

The young girl spoke politely, "You choose for me—anything is fine."

Ban Xia lifted a pink rabbit-fur short robe with a pipa lapel: "Second Miss, do you like this one?"

The young girl nodded.

Ban Xia assisted the young girl in changing: "The fit is just right."

The young girl emerged wearing the short robe, and the ginseng soup brewed by Madam Du was ready.

Four bowls, one each for Meng Qianqian, the Miao King, and the dragon-phoenix twins.

The Miao King drained his bowl in large gulps.

The young boy hadn’t touched his.

The Miao King glared at him, "What’s the matter? Do I have to feed you?"

The young boy grudgingly drank the ginseng soup.

The Miao King pointed at his bowl and sternly said, "Not a drop left—finish every bit."

The young boy retorted angrily, "I’m not a dog; do I have to lick the bowl clean?"

Meng Qianqian smoothed things over, "Grandfather, maybe the soup at the bottom of the bowl has cooled."

The Miao King said, "Fine, since you put it that way, I’ll let this boy off this time."

The young boy grumbled, "Enough of this one playing ’good cop,’ the other playing ’bad cop.’"

"Oh, so you’ve picked up on that?" The Miao King gave the young boy’s head a light smack—not painful, but thoroughly humiliating. "Is that how you talk to my granddaughter-in-law?"

"Grandfather."

Meng Qianqian embraced the Miao King’s hand.

The Miao King declared, "A brat like him cannot be spoiled!"

Meng Qianqian said, "This is exactly how I spoil my husband."

Thinking of his own son, who had been spoiled into becoming an unrestrained troublemaker, the Miao King suddenly felt a bit guilty.

Meng Qianqian’s eyes lit up when she saw the young girl in her changed attire: "You look wonderful. Quickly, come drink a bowl of ginger soup to warm yourself up."

The young girl sat beside her brother.

Across from the two siblings sat Meng Qianqian. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Beside the young boy sat the Miao King, deliberately keeping close to him to ensure he could "educate" him at any moment.

The young boy squeezed his sister’s hand and found her hand had finally warmed. His tense expression relaxed slightly.

Meng Qianqian smiled faintly—he made a responsible brother.

Back in the day, his second uncle had cared for his second aunt in this same way. Although Second Uncle couldn’t stay with the two children as they grew up, it was comforting to see that they had inherited his courage and sense of responsibility.

Meng Qianqian looked at the two siblings with gentle eyes: "Wuyou, Changle, I know it’s hard for you to believe, but you truly are children of the Shang Family."

The Miao King firmly declared to them, "You hear that? I didn’t lie to you. You are Shang Wuyou and Shang Changle—not Gongsun Wuyou and Gongsun Changle!"

The young boy responded seriously, "How is this proof? Who is she, and why should we believe what she says?"

Meng Qianqian wasn’t angered by the young boy’s skepticism.

After all, it wasn’t their fault for not believing.