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Inside the silent room, its curtains hanging low.
Zhu Luoxi gazed at Zhu Mobai, half his body swathed in bandages. Her eyes reddened, a blush of rouge quietly spreading at their corners, as though holding a thousand grievances. Her crimson lips parted. "Brother, I just can't accept this!"
Her words still trembled in the air when Zhu Mobai's broad black sleeve brushed lightly past the Chi-Patterned Jade Hairpin in her hair, and he tenderly stroked her locks.
Gauze was wrapped around his jade-pale fingers, yet he still tapped her brow gently with the handle of his Jade-Bone Fan, his every movement full of affection.
A smile played at Zhu Mobai's lips. "Look how old you are, and you're still such a crybaby. Just look at you-a pear blossom drenched in rain."
"We already fought remarkably well. We only lost five matches this time and placed seventh. Last time, we were sixteenth."
Stubborn defiance threaded through Zhu Luoxi's choked voice. "But the Five Mountains Academy clearly has the Chen Clan backing it, and so does the Qing Lin Academy."
"Qing Lin deliberately lost to the Yellow Emperor, yet Five Mountains went after us!"
In this tournament, the Ping'an Academy had lost only to the Three Great Academies, Qing Lin, and Five Mountains.
Moreover, they had faced the Yuesi Academy and the Canghui Academy early on, when both opponents were at their absolute peak.
The dark-gold cloud pattern between Zhu Mobai's brows flickered in the wavering lamplight. It was not that he felt no resentment, but soothing his precious little sister came first.
Amid curling wisps of steam from the tea, his gaze settled on his sister's slightly pursed, cherry-red lips. "Then what do you propose? Should the Chen Clan go easy on us? Didn't