With a crestfallen face, he came down from upstairs, his mind replaying the words of Xingxing refusing him. Xiao Ran walked forward absentmindedly, his body bumping into a rigid object.
"What's going on? Not watching where you're going?"
scolded by a stern voice, Xiao Ran shrank his head and looked timidly at Madam Ye, the elder of the Ye family, standing before him.
Ye Ziyu was not liked by Madam Ye, let alone the child she gave birth to.
"Still dawdling, get out of the way," a servant next to Madam Ye pushed Xiao Ran.
Startled, before he could react, Xiao Ran was pushed to the ground by the outstretched arm.
Landing on his bottom, Xiao Ran, filled with grievances, burst into tears.
Hearing the sound, Ye Ziyu hurried from the dining table to the staircase landing.
Seeing Ye Ziyu rushing over to protect her child, the servant retreated to Madam Ye's side, their pores exuding a plea for help towards Madam Ye.
"Did your bottom get hurt?" Ye Ziyu pulled Xiao Ran up and gently patted the dust off his buttocks.
Xiao Ran grunted, burying his head into Ye Ziyu's embrace.
He was just a child. Usually independent and lively, he still needed the reliance of a parent when wronged.
The commotion at the staircase landing was too loud, drawing Shen Meixiu.
"Mom, are you alright?"
Asking without regard for the facts, her words implied that Xiao Ran had done something inappropriate to Madam Ye.
Xiao Ran nervously clutched Ye Ziyu's hand, shaking his head at her, wronged.
"Be good, tell Mommy what happened?" Ye Ziyu coaxed Xiao Ran gently.
With a look from Madam Ye, the elderly servant behind her immediately stepped forward and sarcastically lectured Ye Ziyu, "Eldest Miss, don't think I'm being nosy, and don't take my blunt words badly. Now that you've returned to the Ye family, you can't be as willful as you were outside. He just bumped into Madam. Fortunately, I was there to pull Madam back in time, otherwise, the consequences would have been dire."
After a lot of nonsense, the person just stood there. Instead, the usually strong Xiao Ran was scared into crying by them.
Ye Ziyu wasn't being overly protective; the truth of the matter wasn't for them to decide.
"Where did you hit? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Shen Meixiu displayed an exaggerated performance.
The person was standing fine, why would they need to go to the hospital?
Ye Ziyu found it amusing to see her feigned distress.
Her disdainful expression deepened Madam Ye's aversion towards her.
"Even if they are young, they need to be educated. At home, one must be upright and proper. Running around is unseemly. If outsiders see it, they'll think the Ye family lacks proper education for its children."
Almost naming names, Xiao Ran nervously hid in Ye Ziyu's embrace, not daring to show his eyes.
Seeing that she couldn't speak, Shen Meixiu used the opportunity to assert her authority over Ye Ziyu, "Ziyu, don't mind Auntie speaking harshly. If children aren't disciplined, they will become a menace to society when they grow up. If you're reluctant to discipline them now, someone else will do it for you later."
Listening to their increasingly exaggerated words, Ye Ziyu scanned them sarcastically, "I appreciate your good intentions, but you all seem to be exaggerating quite a bit. I've been listening for a while and I understand what happened. He just accidentally bumped into Madam. I thought he had committed some unforgivable sin."
Halfway through, she looked directly at Madam Ye's darkening expression without fear, "On behalf of Xiao Ran, I apologize to you. He will learn his lesson and be more careful when walking next time, to avoid colliding with you."
"What? Are you implying that I, an old woman, am being unreasonable and nitpicking?" Madam Ye questioned angrily.
"You've misunderstood. I was worried he might have bumped into something precious," Ye Ziyu said, lowering herself and expressing concern.