Mommy, don't be afraid, I'll bring you blind boxes and scam you out of a wealthy family to

It was a very calm, yet still somewhat immature voice.

Wen Li turned around blankly along with everyone else.

The crowd parted slightly to the sides, and at the far end, a boy who wasn't much older than her stood there.

He remained calm in the face of the crowd's gaze, as if he were already familiar with this kind of occasion.

Wen Li stared blankly at him.

Is this young man... speaking up for Li Bao?

Shen Yaya also came to her senses. The previous mix of grievance and anger had completely vanished, replaced by a shy demeanor, and her voice softened: "Brother Xiaoshuo..."

He even subconsciously took a step forward.

Wen Li blinked – Brother Xiao Shuo?

She couldn't help but look at the boy walking towards her. So this was the Xiao Shuo brother that Shen Ya Ya had mentioned wanting to "marry".

But what exactly does "marry" mean?

The little dumpling couldn't think of an answer, but the older boy continued to speak.

"She kept walking ahead, keeping a distance from the flower stand, so she wouldn't bump into the vase."

His tone was flat, just like his whole demeanor—very calm.

For a moment, Wen Li thought of Ji Hui.

But soon she realized that this young man was different from Ji Hui: one was just quiet, while the other genuinely didn't want to talk to anyone.

"...Then, she walked away." The boy looked up at the adults around him and said definitively, "I can testify that it wasn't her."

Shen Yaya stared blankly at Wu Shuo, as if she hadn't reacted at all.

"Brother Xiao Shuo..." she began, her voice trembling with panic, "No, it's not like that..."

Wu Shuo glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Since he saw that the vase wasn't broken by Wen Li, he naturally also saw who did it.

The fact that they're only clearing Wen Li's name without publicly naming the real culprit is already a gesture of goodwill.

The servants exchanged glances.

They had already been leaning towards Wen Li, but no one dared to speak up.

Now that the young master himself has come forward to testify, they finally have the confidence to back up their story.

"Miss Wen Li did not go in this direction just now."

"And she was carrying something, something very precious, and she was walking so slowly."

"Miss Wenli is so well-behaved; she always asks if she can get close to vases and ornaments before she sees them."

Observe the scales in the hearts of the guests, and see how they all tip:

"Ah, so it wasn't that kid from the Duan family who did it?"

"Young Master Wu saw it with his own eyes, how could it be false?"

"I knew it, that kid didn't seem like he would lie."

"The Shen family spoke so confidently just now, I really believed it..."

In the blink of an eye, the winds that had been blowing in favor of the Shen family completely reversed.

The Shen couple's faces turned pale and then red.

They were just arguing back and forth, and they really pushed a three-year-old to that point.

Now, it's all backfiring on me.

The two stood there, unable to question the young master of the Wu family in public, let alone admit that they had misunderstood or even framed a child.

Shen Yaya looked at Wu Shuo's indifferent expression, her eyes reddening, and whispered, "Brother Shuo, I..."

Wu Shuo seemed not to hear her and walked straight to Wen Li: "Let's go to the side first."

Wen Li pursed her lips, still somewhat uneasy: "Grandpa Wu..."

"Um?"

The little dumpling whispered, "Pear doesn't want Grandpa Witch to be sad."

Although some people believed Pear Bao, the vase still broke.

Wu Shuo glanced at the shards scattered on the ground, then looked away: "If you didn't do it, Grandpa won't be angry."

Wen Li looked up at him: "Really?"

"Um."

The young man didn't explain much, but Wen Li seemed much more at ease after hearing his words.

She followed the older boy to the other side, leaving the adults' chatter behind.

The garden paths meander and are lined with neatly trimmed hedges.

As I walked, the ground beneath my feet turned into a soft meadow.

The grass grew quite tall, reaching above Wenli's ankles.

The little dumpling's short legs were struggling to move, and wearing a long skirt, she kept tripping over blades of grass, staggering along.

The young man was tall with long legs, and he walked faster without realizing it.

A distance was created between the two.

Wen Li tried her best to run faster, but she couldn't catch up even with her uneven steps.

She gazed at the retreating figure ahead and said in a childish voice, "Brother..."

Wu Shuo immediately stopped in his tracks.

Wen Li was panting, and stretched out her little hand, asking softly, "Brother, can...can I hold Li Bao's hand?"

The boy was taken aback.

He remained silent for several seconds, seemingly going through a mental struggle.

Wen Li thought she had said something wrong and was about to pull her hand back.

Then she saw the young man reach out his hand to her.

Does this mean I agree?

She immediately placed her little hand on it, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

Unexpectedly, the young man's entire face, from his ears to his cheeks, turned red!

Little Wenli was a little curious. Was her brother too hot? The sun was indeed very strong today.

But she felt it was impolite to ask that question, so she swallowed her words and simply held her brother's hand obediently as they continued walking forward.

A gentle breeze swept across the grass, brushing past two small figures, one tall and one short.

This time, they walked together.

They hadn't gone far when they ran into Wu Qiming and Qin Zhiyuan.

Several servants from the Wu family followed behind the two, clearly having learned about the porcelain bottle and hurrying towards it.

When Wu Qiming saw the children, before he spoke, his gaze first fell on the hands that the two were holding.

He paused, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

My grandson has been independent since he was a child, has his own ideas, and doesn't like to hang out with other children his age.

The girl from the Shen family was always sticking to him. Although he didn't show it on his face, Wu Qiming knew that Wu Shuo had long been impatient.

—When have you ever seen him take the initiative to hold hands with someone like this?

"Oh my!" Old Master Wu approached with a smile. "Are you two playing together?"

Wen Li happily raised her two little hands, which were still clasped together, and said, "Brother is speaking up for Li Bao!"

Wu Qiming listened with a smile, then looked at the boy beside him: "Xiao Shuo, is that so?"

Wu Shuo nodded slightly without saying anything.

But that usually expressionless face seemed even redder than before.

Wu Qiming looked at his grandson, then at the two children's little hands that, even so, hadn't let go, and the smile in his eyes grew even wider.

It's rare to see this kid blush...

He suddenly exclaimed "Eh!"

How come I remember Xiao Shuo blushing at the teahouse last time?

That day……

And what was it again?