Beside her stood a girl of about six, with playful little pigtails, eyes bright as amber, and a round, rosy face.
Dressed in a pink cloth dress, she was small and sprightly, her features full of childish liveliness as she craned her head curiously toward them.
The woman stepped forward and bowed slightly, her voice gentle.
"My lord, honored guests, my name is Ah Rou, and this is my daughter, Xiao Wu. We live deep in this forest. We sensed an unusual disturbance in the aura here just now and took a few curious glances. We meant no intrusion. Please forgive us."
Something stirred in Jiang Qingyu's heart. He was rather surprised.
Ah Rou and Xiao Wu. What a coincidence.
The person who should have appeared at Nuoding Academy had actually turned up at the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest.
He instinctively looked down at Jiang Lingtian beside him. His son had tilted his little face upward and was staring unblinkingly at Xiao Wu nearby, still clutching the hem of Jiang Qingyu's clothes, utterly entranced.
Jiang Qingyu looked down at his son and softened his voice.
"Ling Tian, is there something you'd like to say?"
Jiang Lingtian's little face flushed slightly. His grip on his father's clothes tightened, and he spoke quietly but earnestly.
"Dad, I like that girl. She's really pretty."
He pointed a little finger at Xiao Wu nearby.
Jiang Qingyu chuckled and ruffled his hair.
"You like her? Then let me help you go say hello."
He could more or less guess the reason, too.
Following the original course of events, Xiao Wu should have been at Nuoding Academy by now. Since she was still in the Star Dou Great Forest, it was presumably because Ah Rou was still alive, and the mother