265. Poison In It

In a classical room filled with a fragrant aroma.

The sound of the zither gradually faded away.

No matter whether Zhu Zhuqing hinted or directly stated her feelings, The noblewoman still remained calm and composed, with a loving smile on her face,

Covering up the unusual coldness in the household.

"Zhuqing, what are you saying? How could Zhuyun deliberately make you go hungry?"

"But mother, Zhuqing hasn’t eaten enough..."

Tears welled up in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, and her stomach growled.

"Haven’t I told you to eat more?"

The noblewoman looked at her with a hint of blame, gently rubbing her little face.

"I..."

Zhu Zhuqing’s small cherry-like lips opened and closed.

She didn’t know how to explain, as her mother didn’t believe her.

"Alright, don’t look so sad."

The noblewoman gently rubbed her daughter’s head and softly said:

"If you're still hungry, go to the kitchen and see if there's anything left."

"Okay, thank you, mother."

Zhu Zhuqing lightly nodded her head.

"Go ahead."

The noblewoman watched Zhu Zhuqing's small figure leave.

The smile on her face slowly faded, as if nothing had happened.

She continued to play the strings in front of her.

It didn’t matter which of her two daughters won, they were the same in the end.

Listening to the zither sound once again,

Zhu Zhuqing’s steps gradually slowed.

That familiar feeling of fear crept up again, even though nothing had changed.

Her mother was still so gentle,

Yet Zhu Zhuqing couldn’t shake off the strange feeling.

Clutching her stomach, she hurried to the kitchen, but was sorely disappointed.

It was empty.

Aside from some raw ingredients, there was almost no prepared food.

Gurgle~

Zhu Zhuqing clutched her stomach, clenched her small fists, and left feeling dejected.

She ignored the greetings around her.

After a while,

Reflected in her downcast eyes was a perfect pair of legs.

Long, slender, and wrapped in leather pants.

"My dear little sister..."

Hearing the familiar voice beside her, Zhu Zhuqing immediately raised her head.

She saw the short-haired girl in front of her, eyes full of mockery.

"Sister..."

Zhu Zhuqing called out softly, on the verge of tears.

"Sister, why did you do that? Zhuqing doesn’t want to compete with you."

"It’s not up to you!"

The teasing in Zhu Zhuyun's eyes faded, replaced by seriousness and coldness.

"If you don’t fight, you’ll die!"

"..."

Zhu Zhuqing bit her red lip, shaking her head, and tears slowly flowed down.

Zhu Zhuyun frowned and said:

"Today’s incident was just to teach you a lesson, understand?"

"Sister, I don’t understand..."

Zhu Zhuqing was very resistant to this.

But Zhu Zhuyun had long accepted reality.

In a cold voice, she said, "It’s alright, after a few more experiences, you’ll understand."

"Sob... I don’t want to."

Zhu Zhuqing didn’t want to go through such things again.

It felt like everyone was wearing masks, making it hard for her to see the malice hidden behind them.

"Alright, sister has to go to the academy now."

Zhu Zhuyun casually took out a small bundle and placed it in Zhu Zhuqing’s arms.

"Train hard and try to surpass me."

"Heh, although it’s unlikely, you can’t just wait to die, right?"

After finishing,

Zhu Zhuyun turned and walked away without looking back.

"Here’s a piece of advice—be careful when eating in the future."

Zhu Zhuqing sobbed softly,

Hugging the small, still-warm bag of fish balls in her arms, she returned to her room alone.

Sitting at the table, she rested her head on her arms,

Her small body trembling as she cried for a long time.

Her stomach's growling forced Zhu Zhuqing to lift her head again.

Looking at the still-warm contents of the bag before her,

Recalling Zhu Zhuyun’s warning,

She hesitantly reached out her hand, but quickly pulled it back.

And at that moment,

The space in front of the table began to ripple, and a pitch-black figure slowly appeared.

Through her tear-filled eyes, Zhu Zhuqing could only stare in confusion.

Until the figure fully materialized.

A chilling, evil aura surged towards her, with six wings drawing attention.

Long silver hair slowly drifted out from the space.

The figure was tall and slender, with a pale complexion.

Blood-red eyes, like rubies, swept over her, carrying a hint of irritation.

As the long black tail touched the ground,

Cold blood-colored eyes met tearful ones.

Qian Renjue paused, noticing the small girl, his eyebrows slightly raised.

In a low, soft voice, he said:

"Not adjusting well? Is she a key figure in the plot this time?"

"..."

Zhu Zhuqing forgot to cry, forgot her hunger.

She simply stared blankly at the ‘demon’ who had appeared out of nowhere.

Qian Renjue lowered his gaze, staring at the little girl in front of him.

After a brief thought,

Given the timeline, it wasn’t hard to guess the girl’s identity.

With her seven-level spirit power and approximate age,

But with past experiences, Qian Renjue cautiously asked:

"Where is this?"

In his martial spirit form, his whole body exuded darkness.

"..."

Zhu Zhuqing didn’t answer.

Her trembling lips failed to utter a word.

"?"

Qian Renjue took two steps forward, the blackness around him slowly receding.

He retracted his wings.

Returning to his sunny appearance of golden hair and purple eyes, the two stood silently for a moment.

The stiffness on Qian Renjue's face faded.

He asked again, "Little girl, what’s your name?"

"..."

Zhu Zhuqing pursed her red lips,

Glancing nervously at the black tail behind Qian Renjue, she hesitantly opened her mouth.

"Zhu Zhuqing."

Just as expected!

Qian Renjue thought to himself.

He gazed at the tear-streaked Zhu Zhuqing, deep in thought.

Gurgle~

Suddenly, a sound echoed.

Zhu Zhuqing came back to her senses, immediately clutching her small belly.

But then, she looked confused.

It didn’t seem like the sound came from her stomach.

Puzzled, she raised her head, and the sound of a grumbling stomach echoed again.

With a strange look in her eyes, she glanced at the boy in front of her.

"Uh..."

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Qian Renjue’s face.

After being busy all morning, he hadn’t even had a sip of water. Now, he was indeed hungry.

"Who...who are you?"

This small interruption eased some of Zhu Zhuqing’s fear.

She stared warily at Qian Renjue, mustering the courage to ask.

"At the moment, I wouldn’t count myself as a bad person to you."

Qian Renjue said ambiguously, his tone unclear.

He took a step toward the table.

Zhu Zhuqing became anxious:

"What...what are you trying to do? Don’t come any closer! I’ll call for help!"

"Relax, I won’t harm you."

Qian Renjue sat across from Zhu Zhuqing, smiling gently.

He looked at her curiously.

Something must have happened earlier that made her cry.

He glanced at the still-warm fish balls on the table.

With a smile, Qian Renjue said:

"Mind if I eat a bit?"

As he spoke, he reached for the bag.

"Wait!"

Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly stopped him.

"What’s wrong?"

Qian Renjue looked at the little girl in front of him, her black hair and soft brows,

She seemed so delicate.

"This...this was given to me by my sister. It might be poisoned."

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head in disappointment,

Her voice filled with grievance.

"Really..."

Qian Renjue paused, then smiled knowingly, popping a fish ball into his mouth.

"The taste isn’t bad."

"You..."

Zhu Zhuqing stared at Qian Renjue in confusion.

Wasn’t he afraid?