After the typhoon, the air in East Sea City felt exceptionally fresh, tinged with faint moisture. Sunlight bathed the city, and at times, a rainbow of nine colors appeared on the horizon. The sky was cloudless, and the world seemed bright and renewed.
Lin Xiuran walked along the concrete paths of the academy, breathing in the fresh air. Though he wasn't fully recovered, he still felt comfortable all over.
When he reached the academy gate, he thought for a moment. The East Sea Spirit Pagoda was still quite far from East Sea Academy. Walking would save money, but it wasn't very practical.
East Sea Academy was one of the city's landmark buildings, so naturally, there was a soul-powered bus stop at the entrance. Cheap, convenient, and practical—this made it Lin Xiuran's preferred choice of transportation.
However, while he didn't get the bus, he did see the girl who had cared for him not long ago—Ouyang Zixin.
Seeing her, Lin Xiuran instinctively smiled. "Zixin-jie, where are you going?"
But as soon as he spoke, he sensed something wrong. Ouyang Zixin's expression was clearly angry, her eyes giving off a different kind of look than usual.
Unlike her usual gentle demeanor, her voice now carried reproach: "Your brother treats you so well. Why do you still behave this way?"
"I don't understand." The accusation, even coming from Ouyang Zixin, was something he could not accept.
Ouyang Zixin was clearly still angry. Since the bus stop had a few people around, she gave him a cold glance, then grabbed his arm. "Come with me."
Lin Xiuran didn't resist, but his eyes carried a trace of sadness, as if he already anticipated what was about to happen.
Soon, Ouyang Zixin led him to a corner of the academy playground. The typhoon and rain had stopped, but school wouldn't start until the next day. Though some students were returning to campus, very few were present, and on the playground, they were almost alone. Here, Ouyang Zixin's voice grew louder.
"As your brother, Senior Xu has already gone above and beyond for you. You must know, the tickets to the Riot-Period Spirit Ascension Platform are incredibly rare—even your Xu family would find it difficult to obtain just a few. You not only didn't cherish the opportunity but also acted independently, causing your senior to be eliminated!" Ouyang Zixin's tone sharpened further.
"Can you be a little more sensible? What more do you want your brother to do?"
"Heh," Lin Xiuran let out a soft laugh, murmuring under his breath, "It's that line again."
He knew it all too well. So many times, that was the phrase his Xu family parents had repeated to him.
"So, Zixin-jie… it's all because of that?" he asked.
Ouyang Zixin frowned slightly, her voice cold: "I heard from Senior Xu that in the end, he took the blame for you and was scolded by Uncle Xu."
"After that, you still ran away from home? Who are you trying to be responsible to? How did I never realize you were such a selfish person?"
Lin Xiuran looked up, took a deep breath, and tried to explain: "If I told you it wasn't like that, Zixin-jie… would you believe me?"
"You mean Senior Xu lied to me?" Ouyang Zixin responded, exasperated, "Do you really think that's possible?"
Lin Xiuran wasn't surprised by her response. He slowly withdrew his eyes, which had carried some hope, and fell silent, saying nothing more.
Seeing this, Ouyang Zixin could only issue a quiet warning: "Lin Xiuran, try to be sensible from now on. Don't make your brother or parents unhappy. Then, you'll be the good brother of the family—and still my little brother. Otherwise…"
She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Lin Xiuran merely gave a bitter smile and shook his head. Those precious Riot-Period Spirit Ascension Platform tickets were never an investment in him by his Xu parents. It was only a requirement of the family elders. True, the tickets were valuable, but Senior Xu had to pay a favor to the East Sea Spirit Pagoda to obtain even one. Two or three tickets made no significant difference—a matter of formality. The first reason was pressure from the elders; the second was to give Xu Xiaoyan extra protection. Naturally, he had been grudgingly allowed to enter.
Was he being unreasonable? Whether he was or not, in the eyes of Ouyang Zixin and the Xu parents, he was clearly "irresponsible."
Not far away, two figures were watching the scene.
"Brother, why are you doing this?" Xu Xiaoyan asked, confused.
Xu Xiaoyu shook his head and said coldly, "Even if the parents dislike him, he is still part of the Xu family. In the future, he would threaten the family inheritance. What I am doing is already merciful."
For him, using a few tactics in family struggles was natural. Though his parents disliked Lin Xiuran, family succession could not be decided solely by his father, the head of the family. The real power lay with the elder of the family, who had previously intervened to protect Lin Xiuran. This is why Xu Xiaoyu repeatedly framed him.
Xu Xiaoyan still didn't understand. At her age, she naturally couldn't grasp all of this. Her little face wrinkled in concern: "But Second Brother… he's already pitiful enough…"
"Enough!"
Xu Xiaoyu's sudden sharp command startled Xu Xiaoyan, and fear flashed across her face. She looked at her older brother in alarm.
Realizing he had overstepped, Xu Xiaoyu quickly adjusted his tone. After all, Xu Xiaoyan was his sister. Born with exceptional talent and full Spirit Power, she had also displayed a rare star-wheel phenomenon in last year's test. The family paid her special attention.
Naturally, he could not anger his sister. Otherwise, if Xu Xiaoyan complained to the parents, he would be in trouble.
In the family hierarchy, his position was slightly higher than Lin Xiuran's. Though his treatment vastly differed from Lin Xiuran's, he still had a level above him.
"All right, Xiaoyan, your brother was too anxious. Later, I'll take you to drink your favorite barley tea."
Xu Xiaoyu's voice softened, and he reached out to stroke Xu Xiaoyan's smooth hair.
"But remember, you should stay on my side. You must know, all these years, it has been me taking care of you."
Xu Xiaoyan nodded, confused but understanding. Though she pitied Lin Xiuran's situation, she naturally felt closer to Xu Xiaoyu.
After all, Lin Xiuran had been almost absent from her childhood. Xu Xiaoyu had been her companion, taking her out to enjoy treats. Lin Xiuran had been unable to do such things.
Indeed, Lin Xiuran had hardly any pocket money. To save for his first spirit soul, he could barely care for himself, let alone treat Xu Xiaoyan. He even sometimes struggled to buy larger clothes as he grew.
(End of Chapter)