QT: Grace To Grass Counterattack System

The rest were already seated at the table when He Yuan and Cao Xiwang arrived. Cao Feng, now fourteen, looked a lot like the left prime minister. He barely acknowledged them as they entered and just sat there looking stern.

The thirteen year old Cao Luomei was blossoming nicely. Her figure was beginning to fill out and she was metamorphosing into a beauty of nation destroying proportions. She sent He Yuan and Cao Xiwang a blatant look of disgust as they walked closer to the table.

She was especially dissatisfied with this half sister of hers. After all, she wasn't blind and had picked up on the attention she was receiving from the first prince.

"Father," He Yuan and Cao Xiwang said simply as their greeting before seating at the table.

"You could at least show more enthusiasm when seating at the table with us," Cao Long said with a disappointed frown.

"If our demeanor is not good enough for you, father, then we could leave," He Yuan answered and Cao Xiwang's eyes lit up with hope. He didn't want to eat with his father and other siblings, he wanted to go outside with his big sis and eat all kinds of street food and maybe enter a restaurant or two!

"Forget it." The left prime minister said and they all started eating.

He Yuan and Cao Xiwang did not eat much, just a small bowl of rice and a side dish of vegetables. They were going outside later so they needed to keep some space in their stomachs.

Cao Long saw this and his frown deepened. He might not interact with his two youngest much but they had breakfast and lunch with him every now and then so he knew how large their appetites were. Them eating so little now must be to spite him!

What exactly did they hope to achieve? Considering who their mother was, he was already being so good to them so what more do they want? Children shouldn't be too greedy!

Once they finished eating, Cao Long dismissed Cao Feng and Cao Luomei first. He Yuan and Cao Xiwang remained because it was disrespectful to leave without dismissal.

Cao Long cleared his throat. "Second son."

Cao Xiwang stiffened and He Yuan grit his teeth. Even after all this time, they all referred to Cao Xiwang as 'second son', even his own father.

He Yuan had repeatedly called the kid's name whenever they referred to him as second son but they just ignored him every single time and stuck to calling him second son. He felt for the kid.

At least, in his origin world, he could fight with anyone who called him little boy instead of He Yuan but here, who could Cao Xiwang possibly go against?

Even if He Yuan had been tempted to fight them, he couldn't. He was in a woman's body and he had to refrain from doing things that would damage his leaser's reputation.

Cao Xiwang hummed with his head lowered and the oblivious Cao Long continued, "You spend all your time, messing around with medicine books and ingredients with your sister. You're a man, you should focus more in learning from me or Cao Feng."

Cao Xiwang giggled but it wasn't a happy one and then he looked up at Cao Long with slightly red eyes. "I am forbidden from going anywhere near your study, I am forbidden from showing up at your courtyard without being called first, I am forbidden from actively seeking you out.

-How am I supposed to learn from you? As for elder brother, he glares at anything that breathes in the same environment as him, what am I supposed to learn from him? How not to be sociable?"

He Yuan lowered his head and smiled. Cao Xiwang was reserved around others but there were times when he would showcase the little spitfire in him. He liked this Xiwang very much.

Cao Long stared at Cao Xiwang with his mouth open. This second son of his was always so quiet. "If Feng'er glares at you, then it's because you must have done something wrong. Feng'er is always prim and proper, you should learn from him, " He said, ignoring the problem altogether.

Cao Xiwang lost his momentum and lowered his little head in sorrow. He knew his father didn't like him but the constant reminders were still heartbreaking.

He Yuan glared at Cao Long. "Xiwang is still a child of this household, why does he have to grovel at the feet of others in order to be taught?"

The left prime minister smacked the table. "You're the one teaching him nonsense! If you don't take your time, I'm going to move him to a courtyard faraway from yours and forbid him from seeing you!"

When Cao Xiwang turned five, they had to move him to a separate courtyard as it was inappropriate for him to keep staying in his sister's courtyard. The mansion was out of courtyards so He Yuan had gone to coax the matriarch into building the kid a courtyard next to Cao Yuemei's.

Cao Xiwang looked horrified at Cao Long's words but He Yuan was calm. The reason he wanted Cao Xiwang next to him in the first place was because the child was young and could be easily influenced.

Now, even if the kid was still young, he wasn't stupid and if they needed to see each other, Xiwang could easily knock out the guards with paralysis dust and gain his freedom.

He Yuan kept silent all the same. Even though this wouldn't really separate them, he didn't want the kid to be sad.

Seeing as he gained the upper hand, Cap Long raised his chin a little to appear more imposing. "Cao Yuemei, you're very much aware that the first prince and Luomei are quite and close and if nothing goes wrong, an engagement party would be held next year when she officially turns fourteen."

Where is this going? He Yuan was confused. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Your sister told me that you have been trying your best to get the first prince to notice you, showing up whenever they take walks around the mansion," Cao Long said.

And then he sneered disapprovingly at He Yuan. "Cao Yuemei, throwing yourself at a man like this, have you no shame as a noble lady? Why are you hell bent on ruining the Cao family's image?!"

He Yuan was dumbfounded. When did he throw himself at Yu Ming? Whenever the first prince showed up, Cao Luomei made it her mission to take him around every nook and cranny of the Cao mansion in order to show off to others.

It was inevitable that they would run into him and Cao Xiwang in one of the pavilions. After all, he needed to teach Xiwang and it was inappropriate for them to learn together in each other's courtyards.

Why didn't Cao Luomei complain that Xiwang was also throwing himself at Yu Ming then? She was clearly looking to make trouble!

"Father, I have no idea of what you're talking about. Rather than this, shouldn't you be more worried about Cao Luomei? Whether they're about to be engaged or not, it is inappropriate for a male of marriageable age and an unmarried female to always be together.

-What if Cao Luomei loses her chastity and brings disgrace to the Cao family?"

Cao Long smacked the table with a reddened face. "Cao Yuemei! How could your thoughts be so impure? You've always been against Luomei since childhood but I didn't think you would go this far. Luomei lost her mother before she even got to know her, why can't you be more considerate?!"

He Yuan and Cao Xiwang stared at Cao Long as if he had two heads. Was something wrong with this man's brain? Cao Long lost her mother but what about them?

"Father, even if you want to be biased, you can't overdo it. I lost my mother at a young age too and just like Cao Luomei, Xiwang lost his mother before he even got to know her. Why can't you be more considerate?"

"Because your mother was a bad woman!" Cao Long exploded.

Cao Xiwang's eyes widened and He Yuan held his little hand under the table before scoffing at Cao Long. "If you were a good man, Cao Luomei's mother would not have runaway from you."

Cao Xiwang whipped his head so fast to stare at He Yuan, he almost got whiplash. He had to bite his inner cheek to stop himself from bursting into laughter. His big sis was too good. Too good!

Cao Long held his chest, heaving with a constipated look on his face. "GET. OUT!" He roared.

He didn't need to tell them twice. It was better not to be here and face his wrath so He Yuan and Cao Xiwang scrambled to their feet and rushed out of the courtyard.

Once they got outside, Cao Xiwang could no longer hold himself. He burst into a fit of childish laughter, rolling on the ground and getting his robes dirty.

He Yuan was infected by the kid's laughter and ended up laughing too. 888 just shook his head helplessly at his host. Sooner or later, his mouth was going to get him into trouble.

Once they were calm, He Yuan sent off Cao Xiwang with his personal servants to get changed and then they left the Cao mansion.

They first went to sell off a few bottles of medicine they'd made together. After realizing that Cao Long didn't care for him, Cao Xiwang had declared that he didn't want to spend the Cao family money anymore and would pay off whatever he would indeed use once he grew up and broke free of them.

The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon touring the streets of the capital and stuffing their faces with food.

He Yuan was quite contented as he watched Cao Xiwang hop from one store to the other happily. If only every task realm could have a Cao Xiwang.

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