Upon hearing Lan Zhao's words, Yao Guanglin stumbled slightly, a flicker of disappointment crossing her eyes. Did he hate her that much? He wasn't like this when they were children. Was it because of Jiang Xin...?
"I'm sorry..." Yao Guanglin glanced apologetically at the group, then said to Su Lianyi and the others, "Let's go."
With that, she turned and left without looking back. Su Lianyi glared at Lan Zhao and then followed Yao Guanglin away.
"Senior sister..." Su Lianyi looked at Yao Guanglin with heartache and shook her head helplessly.
"That Lan Zhao is really going too far, he must be blind," Shangguan Qing in the group said indignantly.
"Exactly, what is it about our senior sister that makes her inferior to Jiang Xin?"
"In my opinion, Lan Zhao is completely bewitched by her."
Yao Guanglin was slightly taken aback. She understood that she was indeed inferior to Jiang Xin; she wasn't as beautiful, her family's wealth was less, and she had such an outstanding older brother…
"Alright, let's all keep quiet."
The group then hesitantly changed the subject.
——
"Is that your fiancée?" Xiao Huang'er glanced at Lan Zhao and asked.
Lan Zhao nodded: "However, that won't be the case for long."
"I think that woman was more suitable for you, but what you just said really hurt her."
Lan Zhao didn't respond to her words, her gaze fixed on the direction where Yao Guanglin had disappeared, lost in thought.
Seeing the group leave, Jiang Xin snorted coldly and glared resentfully at Lan Zhao behind her.
Lan Zhao, realizing what was happening, quickly stepped forward and patted Jiang Xin on the shoulder: "Xin'er, don't overthink it. Actually, I'm not..."
"Alright, I don't want to hear what you're saying right now." Jiang Xin interrupted him, angrily turning her back to him.
At this moment, Feng Yu and Jiang Ling noticed the bird on Lan Zhao's shoulder. "Lan Zhao, what's with this bird?"
"I just saw this over there in the bushes. I don't know why it keeps following me," Lan Zhao said without changing his expression.
Jiang Xin also turned around curiously to look at Xiao Huang'er. What kind of bird was that? It was crimson red all over and looked a bit like a miniature phoenix. It was quite beautiful.
But Feng Yu suddenly grabbed Lan Zhao's hand and examined it, looking at him with suspicion: "The poison in your body has been cured?"
Lan Zhao nodded: "My aunt gave me a Saint-level antidote pill before, so..."
Jiang Xin frowned. "You, Lan Zhao! How come I've never heard of him having any Saint-level pills? He would have given them to me long ago."
"Is Grandmother alright?" Feng Yu asked without any suspicion.
"My aunt is doing well."
"That's good. I'll go back to the Lan family with you when the academy has a holiday," Feng Yu said after thinking for a moment.
"good."
At this moment, Jiang Xin stepped forward, her face no longer showing anger but full of smiles: "Lan Zhao, this bird is so beautiful!"
Little Phoenix glanced at her haughtily and said leisurely, "It's none of your business how good-looking I am!"
Although Jiang Xin didn't hear what Xiao Huang'er said, she saw its arrogant and disdainful eyes and was stunned for a moment. Even Feng Yu and Jiang Ling noticed this.
"This bird is so intelligent, it seems to understand what we're saying." Feng Yu looked at Xiao Huang'er with curiosity, and Jiang Xin liked it even more after hearing this.
"Lan Zhao, can I touch it?"
Jiang Xin's tone softened. In the past, Lan Zhao would definitely give her the bird. As she spoke, she reached out to Little Phoenix, but Little Phoenix suddenly flew to Lan Zhao's other shoulder and refused Jiang Xin's touch.
"Get away, you ugly woman, don't touch Xiaohuang'er!"
Jiang Xin froze on the spot again, and Lan Zhao was also embarrassed and at a loss for what to do.
"Heart, it might be a little shy around strangers, hehe..."
Jiang Xin's face instantly fell, but Lan Zhao had no choice. After all, the person on his shoulder was a great-aunt, and he dared not go against her wishes.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Ling quickly joked, "Xin'er, this little bird is probably female, and you don't like females."
After saying that, he reached out to touch Xiao Huang'er, but Xiao Huang'er glared at him haughtily and avoided his touch.
Jiang Ling: ······
"Hey, you little rascal!"
"Look, Xin'er, it won't let me touch it." Jiang Ling said with a helpless smile, his gaze falling on Feng Yu: "Brother Feng, why don't you give it a try?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Huang'er glanced at Feng Yu out of the corner of her eye. This guy was her mother's cousin, and he had helped her mother back in the Nine Nether Forest. It wouldn't hurt to let him touch her.
Feng Yu smiled and said to Xiao Huang'er, "Little one, I know you can understand what we're saying."
After saying that, she gently stroked the little phoenix's feathers with her fingers. This time, the little phoenix did not dodge. The corners of their mouths twitched slightly. Jiang Xin suddenly felt that she was being targeted by this bird. In order to verify her thoughts, she went forward to grab it again, and sure enough, the little phoenix dodged it again.
Jiang Xin's face darkened, and she glared angrily at Xiao Huang'er, also growing to dislike Lan Zhao as well.
"Alright, let's leave the Purple Forest first."
Seeing this, Feng Yu said helplessly.
"good."
Throughout the journey, Jiang Xin treated Lan Zhao as if he were invisible, which greatly annoyed Lan Zhao. He glanced at the little phoenix on his shoulder.
"Little Phoenix, why don't you like Xin'er?"
"Then why do you like her?"
Lan Zhao was slightly taken aback. Why did he like her? "She saved me when I was little..."
"She ruined my mother!"
Upon hearing this, Lan Zhao frowned, clearly not believing Xiao Huang'er's words.
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