After sending Ganyu to Yuehai Pavilion, Jiang Yan returned home by the harbor.
At this hour, Ningguang and the others were probably already awake.
The moment he entered, he saw the three little ones sleepily lining up in the bathroom, taking turns washing up.
"Mmph! Shifu! You're back—mmph!"
Ningguang was brushing her teeth. Hearing the door open, she turned around and spoke in surprise, words muffled by toothpaste.
"Finish brushing before talking."
Jiang Yan reminded her casually.
Then he headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the little ones.
After washing up, Ningguang gave the sink over to Beidou, then pattered into the kitchen and ran up to Jiang Yan.
"Shifu, where did you go so early?"
Even after washing her face, little Ningguang still looked sleepy.
Probably because she had just woken up.
She hugged Jiang Yan's arm tightly, unusually clingy.
"Your master had something to do earlier, and I also took your Mistress to Yuehai Pavilion."
Jiang Yan smiled as he bent down and picked Ningguang up.
At the same time, the Chicken Talisman lit up in his mind.
The pots, bowls, and utensils around the kitchen floated into the air as if invisible hands were moving them.
Feeling the soft, warm little body in his arms, Jiang Yan's mood lifted instantly.
This was when little Ningguang was at her cutest.
Still half-asleep, she rubbed her tiny face against him like a kitten seeking comfort.
Her adorable behavior nearly melted Jiang Yan on the spot.
He gently pinched her cheek and said softly,
"Be good. Go help Beidou and Shenhe change out of their pajamas."
"After breakfast, I'll take you to see Mistress."
"Mistress?"
Little Ningguang's brain finally booted up.
"Mistress already went to work?"
She looked up at Jiang Yan curiously.
"Yep."
Jiang Yan smiled.
"Your master and Mistress went out to handle something today."
"So I dropped her off directly at Yuehai Pavilion."
"Later, after breakfast, you'll need to bring her some food too."
Hearing this, Ningguang nodded.
"Okay~"
She answered softly.
Jiang Yan set her back down.
Ningguang immediately ran upstairs with the freshly washed Beidou and Shenhe to change clothes.
Not long after, breakfast was ready.
The three little ones came downstairs in fresh outfits.
Today, all three wore small patterned dresses.
Their cute, slightly clumsy appearances made them look irresistibly adorable.
Cloud Retainer's craftsmanship truly deserved praise.
Each dress was tailored precisely to suit the girls.
Not only did they fit perfectly, but they also matched each child's temperament beautifully.
Jiang Yan was extremely satisfied.
"Your Martial Aunt made these for you?"
he asked.
"Mhm! Martial Aunt measured us very carefully!"
The three girls spun around proudly, showing off the dresses.
"Excellent. They look great!"
Jiang Yan gave generous praise and a thumbs-up.
"We'll have to ask your Martial Aunt to make more dresses later."
He smiled at the three little ones.
"Alright, eat first. Afterward, we'll go see your Mistress."
"Today, make sure to learn well from the uncles and aunties at Yuehai Pavilion."
Ningguang, Beidou, and Shenhe sat obediently in their chairs.
While eating, they nodded seriously.
"Got it, Shifu!"
the three little girls answered together.
After breakfast, Jiang Yan brought the trio to Yuehai Pavilion.
But Yuehai Pavilion was far from peaceful today.
In the administrative area of the Eight Trades, a crowd had gathered, shouting loudly.
"Give us our money back!"
"How could your Eight Trades do something like this?!"
"Aren't you afraid of karmic retribution?!"
Anger filled the crowd's faces.
They shouted relentlessly.
"Everyone, please calm down…"
A young woman in Eight Trades uniform tried desperately to raise her voice.
But her words were drowned out.
Instead, the crowd only grew more agitated.
"Get down here!"
"Bring your leader out to meet us!"
People yelled furiously.
Some even became violent.
One especially enraged man hurled an egg toward the woman.
Clearly, she had not expected it.
She instinctively shut her eyes in fear.
But the egg suddenly froze in midair.
It stopped just inches before her face, as though an invisible barrier protected her.
Bang!
A figure descended from above with three small companions.
"Ningguang, take Beidou and Shenhe inside Yuehai Pavilion."
Jiang Yan said gently.
"Go ask your Mistress what happened."
"Okay!"
The three little girls understood immediately.
They hurried inside Yuehai Pavilion.
"You alright?"
Jiang Yan asked the uniformed woman beside him.
"I-I'm fine…"
Her voice still trembled with lingering fear.
"Th-Thank you, Lord Tianquan."
Jiang Yan nodded, then turned toward the crowd.
The moment he arrived, the disturbance had gone silent.
They stared at him.
And Jiang Yan stared back.
"What?"
His voice was calm.
"The moment I arrive, you all suddenly lose your voices?"
He looked over the crowd coldly.
"Go on. Don't stop."
"Want to try throwing one at my head too?"
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