After the typhoon, the air in Donghai City was exceptionally fresh, carrying a light mist. Sunlight shone on the earth, and occasionally, rainbows could be seen in the sky. The sky was cloudless, and the whole world was bright.
Lin Xiuran walked on the cement path of the academy, bathed in the fresh air. Even though he wasn't fully recovered, he still felt very comfortable.
He had just reached the school gate when he considered it. The Donghai Spirit Pagoda was still too far from Donghai Academy. Walking there would save money, but it wasn't very practical.
Donghai Academy was one of the landmark buildings in Donghai City, so naturally there was a Soul Guidance Bus Station at the gate. It was cheap and affordable, making it Lin Xiuran's best choice for transportation.
However, instead of waiting for the bus, he encountered the girl who had taken care of him not long ago, namely Ouyang Zixin.
Seeing her, Lin Xiuran subconsciously smiled and said, "Sister Zixin, where are you going?"
But as soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xiuran sensed something was wrong. Ouyang Zixin was clearly angry, and her gaze towards him was very strange.
In stark contrast to her usual gentleness, Ouyang Zixin spoke with a hint of reproach, "Your brother treats you so well, why did you do this?"
"I don't understand." He wouldn't accept such a baseless accusation, even from Ouyang Zixin.
Ouyang Zixin was clearly still angry, but the bus stop was crowded. She glanced at him coldly, then grabbed his arm, saying, "Come with me."
Lin Xiuran didn't resist, but his eyes held a slight sadness, as if he already knew what was about to happen.
Soon, Ouyang Zixin led Lin Xiuran to a corner of the academy's sports field. The typhoon and rainstorm had stopped, but school wouldn't start until the next day. Although some students had returned to school today, very few were there, and those on the sports field were negligible. Here, Ouyang Zixin's voice rose slightly.
"As your brother, I think Xu has already done more than enough. You should know that during the riotous period, even for your Xu family, getting a few tickets to the Spirit Ascension Platform is extremely difficult. Not only did you not cherish this opportunity, but you also acted on your own, causing Xu to be eliminated." Ouyang Zixin's tone became even stronger as she spoke.
"Can't you be a little more sensible? What more do you want from your brother!"
"Heh." Lin Xiuran chuckled lightly, muttering to himself, "That's that again."
He knew that phrase all too well! It had been that phrase countless times; Xu's parents had said it to him countless times.
"So, Sister Zixin, is this all it took?"
Ouyang Zixin frowned slightly and said coldly, "I heard from Senior Xu that he took the blame for you in the end and got a good scolding from Uncle Xu."
"And that's it? You still ran away from home? Who did you do this to? How come I never realized you were such a selfish person?"
Lin Xiuran raised his head, took a deep breath, and explained, "If I said that things weren't like that, would Sister Zixin believe me?"
"You mean Senior Xu lied to me?" Ouyang Zixin said speechlessly, "Do you think that's possible?"
Lin Xiuran wasn't surprised by this answer. He slowly withdrew his expectant gaze, fell silent, and didn't say another word.
Seeing this, Ouyang Zixin could only warn him in a low voice, "Lin Xiuran, be more sensible in the future. Don't make your brother and parents unhappy anymore. That way, you'll be a good younger brother in the family, and still my good younger brother. Otherwise..."
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Ouyang Zixin didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.
Lin Xiuran simply shook his head with a wry smile. The so-called precious spot on the Spirit Ascension Platform during the riot period—Xu Wenjun's parents had never invested in him, so why would they be willing to give him such a spot? It was merely a request from the clan elders. Admittedly, the qualification for the Spirit Ascension Platform during the riot period was very valuable, but Xu Wenjun and the East Sea Spirit Transmission Tower both had to pay a favor to secure this spot. Two spots or three were the same, not much different, and not a huge amount. Firstly, due to pressure from the clan elders, and secondly, to provide better protection for Xu Xiaoyan, they reluctantly allowed him in.
Was he being unreasonable? Regardless, in the eyes of Ouyang Zixin and Xu's parents, he was unreasonable.
At this moment, not far away, two figures were watching this scene.
"Brother, why did you do this?" Xu Xiaoyan asked, puzzled.
Xu Xiaoyu shook his head and said coldly, "Even if my parents dislike him, he's still a member of the Xu family, and he's still a threat to the future family inheritance. I've already been very merciful."
For him, using some methods in family infighting was perfectly acceptable. Although his parents disliked Lin Xiuran intensely, the family's succession was ultimately at stake, and even his father, as the head of the family, couldn't decide with a single word. The elder who truly held power in the Xu family had already stepped in to protect Lin Xiuran more than once. This was why Xu Xiaoyu felt so threatened, which was why he had repeatedly framed him.
Xu Xiaoyan still didn't understand; at her age, she naturally didn't comprehend these things. Her cute little face scrunched up: "But, second brother is already so pitiful..."
"Enough!"
Xu Xiaoyu's sudden shout startled Xu Xiaoyan, causing her to look at her older brother with fear.
Seemingly realizing he had gone too far, Xu Xiaoyu quickly adjusted his mood. After all, Xu Xiaoyan was his sister, and because of her exceptional talent and innate full soul power,
her martial soul had exhibited a star wheel phenomenon, an extremely rare occurrence in the family's history, during last year's testing. Therefore, Xu Xiaoyan was highly valued by the family.
He naturally couldn't upset his sister; otherwise, if she complained to their parents, he would be in trouble.
In the entire family, if there were a hierarchy of favoritism, Xu Xiaoyu was only one level higher than Lin Xiuran, although their treatment was vastly different.
"Alright, Xiaoyan, I was just being anxious. I'll treat you to your favorite ale later,"
Xu Xiaoyu gently comforted her, reaching out to stroke her soft hair.
"But I still hope you'll stand by my side. You need to know that all these years, I've been taking care of you."
Xu Xiaoyan nodded, somewhat bewildered. Although she couldn't bear to see her second brother in such a miserable state, she did want to be closer to Xu Xiaoyu.
After all, Lin Xiuran was rarely home growing up; Xu Xiaoyu was always with her. Even when they went out for nice meals, Xu Xiaoyu always paid.
Lin Xiuran practically missed out on her entire childhood, so how could she possibly be too close to him?
And it was indeed true; Lin Xiuran hardly had any pocket money. Let alone treating Xu Xiaoyan to nice meals, he was so busy saving money to buy his first soul spirit that he couldn't even take care of himself. Sometimes, because he was growing so fast and frequently needed to buy clothes a size too big, he was even reluctant to spend the money.
(End of Chapter)