Faced with all that scolding and hitting, Lin Yuan felt not the slightest stir in his heart.
If anything, he thought the little girl throwing a tantrum before him was childish from head to toe and hardly threatening at all.
Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.
Bibi Dong had turned back halfway and was just returning. As soon as she reached the doorway, she heard every sound inside the room.
When she saw Lin Yuan sitting on the floor, Bibi Dong flew into a rage.
She strode into the room, her beautiful face dark with icy fury.
"Qian Renxue! What are you doing?!"
Bibi Dong scooped Lin Yuan up from the floor and held him protectively in her arms, then immediately scolded Qian Renxue sternly.
Looking at the daughter who always reminded her of Qian Xunji, Bibi Dong shook with anger. She even raised her right hand, about to slap Qian Renxue hard across the face.
Qian Renxue stood frozen in place, not trying to dodge.
She bit her lip fiercely. Tears welled and spun in her eyes, but she held her head high, stubbornly refusing to let them fall.
At the critical moment, just before the slap landed,
Lin Yuan wobbled to his feet in Bibi Dong's arms.
He stretched out his chubby little hand, walked over, and tugged at the hem of Bibi Dong's clothes.
Meeting Bibi Dong's startled gaze, Lin Yuan spoke in his babyish voice.
"Mother."
"I fell by accident just now. Big sister was trying to help me up."
At those words,
Bibi Dong froze, her raised right hand suspended in midair.
Across from her, Qian Renxue was completely stunned too, her big, hostile eyes opening wide.
Qian Renxue had never imagined that this child she had always hated, and had just pushed moments ago, would speak up for her now!
Looking at his tender little face, so earnest despite his young age, Qian Renxue thought his eyes were especially bright.
At the same time,
Lin Yuan turned and stretched out his little hand, taking Qian Renxue's slightly trembling hand in his.
Feeling the warmth in her palm, Qian Renxue stiffened and forgot to pull her hand away.
Seeing Lin Yuan speak up on his own and take Qian Renxue's hand, Bibi Dong found that the towering fury in her heart had simply vanished.
She slowly lowered her hand, looked coldly at Qian Renxue, and warned her,
"Don't bully him again."
After leaving her with those words, Bibi Dong said nothing more and turned to leave the room.
The room fell quiet once more.
As soon as Bibi Dong was gone, Lin Yuan let go of Qian Renxue's hand and scurried on his little legs over to the cabinet beside his bed.
He rummaged around for a while, then pulled out a good number of exquisite, delicious pastries.
Hugging the pastries, Lin Yuan ran over to Qian Renxue and offered them all to her.
"Big sister, have some."
"Mother made these herself. They're really sweet."
Qian Renxue looked down at Lin Yuan, his face full of innocence, and at the treats he held out to her.
In an instant, the softest place in her heart was quietly touched.
The tears in her eyes nearly spilled over. She gritted her teeth, turned around, and ran out of the room without a word.
Time flew by, and several years passed in the blink of an eye.
Lin Yuan turned five, while Qian Renxue grew to be nine.
As she grew older, Qian Renxue became ever more beautiful.
Her brilliant golden hair fell over her shoulders, and not a single flaw could be found in her delicate features.
Every gesture carried the graceful air unique to the nobility.
She had grown much taller, too, with a pair of long, straight legs. As she walked through the Pope's Palace, she was so pretty and adorable that countless people couldn't help staring.
Even so, Bibi Dong's attitude toward her remained unchanged.
Though Bibi Dong still doted on Lin Yuan and wished she could place the finest things in the world before him, she remained indifferent to Qian Renxue and sometimes didn't exchange more than a few words with her all year.
Seated upon the Pope's throne, Bibi Dong had plans for the future and the greater scheme taking shape. Yet she had also learned to keep herself tightly restrained, concealing her true strength deep within.
Over those years, Lin Yuan's performance had completely shocked the Spirit Hall's higher-ups.
He displayed an astonishing talent that sent chills down people's spines.
Though he was still too young to awaken his Martial Soul, his physical abilities alone far surpassed those of children his age. He was even more frightening than some adults who had already awakened their Martial Souls.
Naturally, this was inseparable from the massive resources Spirit Hall poured into him.
With Bibi Dong's full support as well, all kinds of precious medicinal baths and rare treasures were sent to Lin Yuan's room in an endless stream.
Drawing on the overbearing power of the Nine-Nether Ao Bloodline within him, Lin Yuan continually absorbed the medicinal energy, frenziedly strengthening his bones and muscles.
At the same time, Bibi Dong set aside a great deal of time each day to personally train Lin Yuan.
From techniques for exerting force to combat awareness, she devoted her heart and soul to teaching him.
Whenever Lin Yuan trained until he was drenched in sweat on the practice grounds,
Qian Renxue would often hide in the shadows behind one of the thick pillars outside.
Watching her mother teach Lin Yuan with such care filled her with resentment and heartache, but she no longer went looking for trouble like she had at three.
Lin Yuan had actually noticed long ago that Qian Renxue was hiding nearby, secretly watching.
He continued training without showing it, though he understood perfectly well that the girl was hurting inside.
Until one day,
Qian Renxue was training alone in her practice room.
Desperate to catch up with her monstrous little brother, she was merciless with herself, pushing her Soul Power far beyond its limits.
Then, with her energy thrown out of balance, she accidentally injured herself. Her meridians were damaged, and the muscles in her calf were badly strained.
Qian Renxue collapsed to the floor, drenched in cold sweat. She clenched her teeth against the unbearable pain, yet couldn't make a sound.
Lin Yuan happened to be passing nearby and sensed that something was wrong inside the room.
When he learned Qian Renxue was injured, he didn't hesitate. He ran straight back to Bibi Dong and asked her for a box of the finest healing ointment.
Holding the ointment, Lin Yuan hurried over to Qian Renxue's room and offered it to her.
When he opened the door and saw Lin Yuan walk in with the ointment, Qian Renxue froze.
Leaning against the wall, she furrowed her brows and asked him warily,
"What are you doing here?"
Lin Yuan crouched in front of her and opened the jade box. Looking at her pain-pale face, he earnestly said,
"Big sister's hurt. It hurts me, too."
"When I see you in pain, I feel sad."
Qian Renxue was stunned.
Then Lin Yuan reached out, scooped up some of the fragrant ointment, and carefully applied it to Qian Renxue's injured calf.
Lin Yuan's touch was gentle. Combined with the ointment's miraculous effects, it instantly eased Qian Renxue's tense nerves, bringing her a sense of relief she had never felt before.
Looking at Lin Yuan crouched before her, his face utterly focused, Qian Renxue's eyes grew hot.
At last, unable to hold back the warmth swelling in her heart, she slowly raised her hand and gently touched Lin Yuan's head.
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