Chapter 338 Persuasion

"When do we ever need to be polite to each other?" Si Yanxiao's gaze darkened slightly as he spoke indifferently.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran raised her eyes to meet the gaze directed at her superior, Yan Xiao. She then raised her brow slightly, a hint of surprise showing in her clear eyes.

Because of Bai Zhuwei's matter, the two still have a rift, and when he said this, they instantly felt a little lost.

There was no need to make a fuss about her being sick; in fact, he was specially sent to take care of her. Even if she was injured, as long as her spiritual energy was abundant, her wounds could heal on their own.

Moreover, this was a location I had specifically chosen, a place blessed with outstanding people and auspicious energy, permeated with natural spiritual energy. To me, it was like a stable 'treasure trove,' second only to the 'Purple Bamboo Forest' where I cultivated in my previous life.

Although the recovery is a bit slow, the effect is excellent, and there's absolutely no need for such trouble.

Si Yanxiao's appearance made her feel a little uncomfortable. She had finally managed to have some peace and quiet here for a while, but she didn't expect to be back in the same place because of a fever.

Si Yanxiao noticed a hint of unease flash across her face, a sense of helplessness, and a slight glint in her eyes, instantly creating an awkward atmosphere.

"you……"

"I……"

The two spoke one after the other, and surprisingly, they stopped at the same time. Jiang Ran stretched out her hand and gestured slightly, "You go first."

Si Yanxiao pursed his lips slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then, without refusing, explained, "I know you have a lot of grievances against me about Bai Zhuwei, but the situation at the time was really not what you think!"

After Jiang Ran left that day, he couldn't wait to explain, but Jiang Ran deliberately avoided him, so he had no chance to clarify.

During that time, he reflected on his actions. Later, with Gu Nan's guidance, he clearly realized what Jiang Ran cared about and understood the seriousness of the matter.

He paused slightly before continuing, "I apologized on her behalf not to side with her, but because she has always been very hostile towards you, and I was worried that she might say something that would offend you. I didn't expect you to misunderstand me."

Jiang Ran saw that he was eager to explain, her eyes flickered, and a hint of surprise flashed across her face.

Who would have thought that Si Yanxiao, who is always decisive and arrogant, would one day be so eager to explain something?!

Si Yanxiao noticed that Jiang Ran was silent with her eyes downcast, and assumed that she was still bothered by it, so he quickly spoke up and firmly stated his position.

"Besides, the past is the past, but she just keeps bringing it up."

As Jiang Ran listened, her fingers unconsciously curled slightly, rubbing them back and forth. Then she looked up at Si Yanxiao with a serious expression and said in a calm tone, "Is she the only one who's holding on to this?"

Si Yanxiao was taken aback by her sudden question and was about to respond when he heard Jiang Ran speak again.

"Isn't it because you indulge her that she dares to be so unscrupulous?"

The sarcasm in his words was obvious. Si Yanxiao pursed his lips slightly, and a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

When he first woke up, he was indeed biased towards Bai Zhuwei, even going so far as to oppose the old man for her sake. He also harbored prejudice against Jiang Ran, finding fault with her in various ways. However, after what happened later, he saw through Bai Zhuwei's facade.

From hiring someone to kidnap him and vehemently denying it, to wrongly framing Si Jiliang and sending him to prison, every single incident was a reminder to him...

In the six years since, everything has changed.

Si Yanxiao knew that Jiang Ran was subtly mocking him. He lowered his gaze slightly and did not refute her sharply as before. Instead, he replied in a low voice, "I admit that I was wrong before."

Jiang Ran was shocked to see him admit his mistake so readily.

Then Si Yanxiao continued, "I didn't expect her to change so much; she's completely different from before."

"I was in a coma for six years, and when I suddenly woke up, I was told that I already had a family. I couldn't accept such a big difference, which is why I have so much resentment towards you..."

As Jiang Ran listened to him bring up the past, her lips pursed slightly, a hint of conflict flashing across her face. Then she said in a deep voice, "Why bring up these things out of the blue?"

Compared to her unease, Si Yanxiao was much more composed, and replied in a low voice, "I said all this just to show you that I misjudged her before, and there is no possibility between her and me anymore!"

"In that case, would you be willing to continue spending time with me?"

Jiang Ran heard Si Yanxiao's tone suddenly soften, and upon listening more closely to the content, her heart skipped a beat. She looked up and met Si Yanxiao's hopeful gaze.

Suddenly, a strange feeling filled my heart, and I hurriedly looked away.

Meanwhile, Si Zuochen and Si Youlin were standing close to the door, carefully eavesdropping on what was happening inside.

They had come early in the morning to visit and see how things were going and if there had been any improvement, but they didn't expect to overhear their father's heartfelt words. They immediately stopped in their tracks to avoid becoming a third wheel.

"What are you doing, sneaking around like this instead of going inside?"

The two were so focused on eavesdropping that they didn't notice when Zhou Jinyan appeared behind them. Fortunately, when they saw the two acting strangely, they didn't make a fuss. Instead, they leaned close to the two and asked in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Si Zuochen and Si Youlin were startled. Si Zuochen quickly covered Zhou Jinyan's mouth and made a 'shh' gesture.

A look of confusion crossed Zhou Jinyan's face, but she still nodded slightly to indicate that she understood.

Si Zuochen then released his hand, and the three of them looked inside together.

Jiang Ran looked surprised, and Si Yanxiao did not urge him. Zhou Jinyan saw that his expression was inexplicably warm, and a look of shock flashed across her face.

He immediately exclaimed in surprise, "What's going on? What are they doing?"

Hearing that Zhou Jinyan's voice was a bit loud, Si Youlin turned around and glared at him angrily, made a shushing gesture, and then whispered back, "Look behind you, don't ask!"

Zhou Jinyan was surprised to be disliked by a child. Her pupils dilated in surprise, and she was about to retort when she suddenly heard Jiang Ran's voice from inside.

"Okay, let's give it a try then..."

Although Si Yanxiao did not say it explicitly, his meaning was quite clear.

She didn't think she had much interaction with Si Yanxiao, and even if their relationship had improved, it was only recently. But when Si Yanxiao mentioned it, she suddenly realized that, without knowing when it started, they had both been trying to make changes to accept each other.

The concession he made this time was a compromise.

Jiang Ran's heart softened, and she continued, "However, the reason I agreed was not because of you, but because of Achen and Alin."

The twins have been with her here for so long, ostensibly to learn metaphysical arts in case of danger.

But she actually saw through what was going on in their minds, she just didn't point it out.

Although they had intended to retire from public life, the matter behind the scenes was still unresolved. The people behind the scenes had repeatedly plotted against them using evil magic, and ordinary people like them were completely unable to guard against them.

He couldn't bear to watch them get into danger, so after a moment's thought, he readily agreed.

Seeing that she agreed, Si Yanxiao smiled slightly and replied softly, "Okay."

On the other side, upon hearing the happy ending, Si Zuochen and Si Youlin's faces lit up with joy. They turned to look at each other, then clapped hands, unable to hide their excitement.

Hearing the conversation inside, Zhou Jinyan instantly realized that they had made up inside while they were just spectators outside.

His brow furrowed suddenly, and he coldly rebuked, "Nonsense!"

He then pushed open the door and went in. Si Zuochen and Si Youlin noticed his movement and were about to reach out to stop him, but they were too late.

The two looked at each other, their expressions instantly turning grim, and hurriedly followed behind.

Hearing the sound, Jiang Ran and Si Yanxiao turned around. Before they could ask anything, Zhou Jinyan questioned them sharply, "What's going on? How come you two are getting along so well?"

"So I'm just a brick, moved wherever I'm needed?"

Upon hearing this, a look of confusion flashed across Jiang Ran's face. Si Yanxiao frowned and said softly, "I'll go take care of it."

Before Jiang Ran could reply, he stood up and walked up to Zhou Jinyan, warning her in a low voice, "Shut up!"

After saying that, she reached out and pushed him, pulling him directly outside.