Duanti Tian stepped into the imperial carriage and gave Naruto an awkward smile. "Sorry you had to see that. My second brother is always like this. He's never liked me and is always trying to embarrass me. Please don't take it to heart, Naruto."
Naruto smiled. "Heh, I won't. Your brother is interesting. No, I should say both of you are interesting. I'm getting more and more curious about you two."
Duanti Tian froze briefly, unsure what Naruto meant. Still, the words grated on him, and he felt displeased, though he could hardly lash out.
Naruto knew what Duanti Tian was thinking the moment he saw his expression. He smiled. "What, did that upset you? Heh."
Duanti Tian fell silent. Beside him, Duanti Lian hurriedly tugged at Naruto's clothes and whispered, "How could you say that, Naruto? Second Brother was bullying Third Brother, and you're still making flippant remarks. Is that appropriate?"
Naruto shook his head with a smile. "You might think I'm making light of things, but have you ever really considered why Duanmu Fei keeps targeting you? He also acts as though he has a huge grudge against you, but all of that is a show he puts on for everyone else. He's actually protecting you. Do you understand, Duanti Tian?"
Duanti Tian froze again at Naruto's words, while Duanti Lian exclaimed in surprise, "What did you say, Naruto? You mean Second Brother is protecting Third Brother? How is that possible? Second Brother is always setting traps for him and making his life difficult. How could that be protecting him?"
Naruto smiled and shook his head. "Like I said, it's a false impression he deliberately created, making people think he has a serious grudge against your third brother. His reason for doing it is to protect him. I