She also noticed the gaze and followed it, only to see a young woman in her early twenties sitting in a seat across the aisle.

The woman was wearing a fairly fashionable polyester shirt, her hair was styled into two shiny braids, her skin was fairly fair, but her cheekbones were slightly high, her lips were thin, and her eyes held a condescending gaze and a hint of barely perceptible doubt.

She looked at Mingzhao, as if trying to identify something...

Li Xiaocao's heart skipped a beat. She straightened her back, turned her body subtly to the side, and used her not-so-plump body to block Mingzhao.

She blocked his gaze and glared back defiantly.

The woman shrank back instinctively when Li Xiaocao gave her a warning look, and then a hint of embarrassment and annoyance flashed across her face.

But she seemed unwilling to give up. Her gaze swept over Li Xiaocao, and then she tried to look at Mingzhao over her shoulder.

Li Xiaocao simply put on a stern face and spoke directly, her voice not loud but fiercely protective: "Comrade, what are you staring at my sister Mingzhao for? What do you want to say?"

The woman was embarrassed by the question "What are you looking at?" and snorted, muttering sarcastically, "What's wrong with me looking at her? Mingzhao, don't you recognize me?"

Mingzhao raised his head as soon as Li Xiaocao spoke, and spread his arms slightly to surround Li Xiaocao.

“I don’t know her.” Mingzhao turned her head, her gaze indifferent as she looked at the woman. Her eyes were devoid of emotion; she glanced at her briefly before looking away, as if the woman were nothing to her.

The man seemed greatly insulted when he heard Mingzhao say he didn't know her.

This utter, dismissive indifference made the woman feel more embarrassed and angry than any angry outburst!

"As expected, you're a mute girl with no one to raise you. Mingzhao, I'm your cousin!"