The air turned stiff after the flower-cart mess. The mysterious man, still dusty and messy, suddenly turned toward Xiaoxi. Before anyone could react, he grabbed her ears tightly and pulled.
"You little dumbo! Do you have any idea how much trouble I've gone through to find you?!" His voice boomed. "Running around, causing chaos everywhere, making me chase you like a madman—you troublemaker!"
"YAAAAAA! It hurts, it hurts, let gooo!" Xiaoxi yelped, jumping like a rabbit, trying to push his hands off her ears. "What are you doing?! Who even are you?!"
The man raised an eyebrow, staring at her with disbelief. "You don't know me, little dumbo?"
Xiaoxi froze. Something about his scolding felt… familiar. She blinked at him, tilting her head. "Wait… those words… I've heard them before too but—"
He cut her off with a strict voice, "It hasn't even been fifteen days and you already forgot about us?!"
Xiaoxi's eyes widened as realization slowly dawned. Her lips trembled before she whispered, "Wait… I remember… Are you… my stupid elder brother…?"
The man let out a long sigh, finally releasing her ears. "Finally. Took you long enough, dumbo."
"BROTHER?!" Lianhua shouted so loudly the flower cart man nearby almost fainted. Her eyes darted between Xiaoxi and him, her face still red from their accidental encounter. "Y-your brother?!"
Haoran, however, looked like someone had just poured ice water down his back. His voice cracked in disbelief. "Brother…? You mean… Prince Xiang Yun of Baiyun Kingdom?!
He stared hard at the ragged, dusty man in front of him. "How in the world did he end up in this state? I can't even recognize him!"
The word prince stabbed Lianhua right in the heart. She gasped, pointing at the man who just moments ago had been holding her. "PRINCE… Xiang Yun?!" Her cheeks turned scarlet. "I-I was lying on the ground with… the Crown Prince?!"
Before Haoran or Lianhua could say more, Xiang Yun interrupted with a sharp wave of his hand. "Enough of this nonsense. I'll explain everything later. For now…" He glanced down at himself, covered in dirt and flower petals. "Can I at least get cleaned up first? I'm starving too."
Then, with a perfectly serious face, he turned back to Xiaoxi, his hand once again tugging at her ear. "And YOU. Don't think you're off the hook, dumbo. You're taking me yourself."
"Yaaaaaa! Not again! I'll take you, I'll take you, just let go of my poor ears!" Xiaoxi whined, hopping beside him while everyone else—Haoran, Lianhua, and the passersby—burst out laughing at the ridiculous scene of the mighty Baiyun Prince dragging his little sister by the ears through the street.
The family reunion had officially turned into another palace comedy.