In front of the courtyard of a wealthy household stood a little girl who looked anxious and uneasy.
She was dressed in fine clothes but covered in dirt, and her timid appearance was truly pitiful.
She was none other than Nangong Rou, whom Jiang Zhige had been desperately searching for all day.
Nangong Rou had not left because she disliked Jiang Zhige.
In fact, after witnessing Jiang Zhige braving the snow to go out, she regretted her behavior.
Although Nangong Rou was young, she knew who was good to her and who was not.
Jiang Zhige had been taking care of her tirelessly. How could she vent her anger on him and say such heartbreaking words?
Nangong Rou blamed herself for a while and decided to come out to look for food and share the burden with Jiang Zhige.
However, she was still young and inexperienced. Even after trying hard for a whole day, she had nothing to show for her hard work.
It wasn’t until recently that Nangong Rou concluded: if you want to get good food, you need money.
She started looking for ways to earn money, and after walking for an hour, she finally found a job where she could be a servant girl and never worry about food and clothes. However, she was rejected because she was too young.
Just as Nangong Rou was about to return disappointed, a man with a distinctive personality stopped her.
“Age is not a problem. I can personally train you,” Shen Quan leered, his gaze constantly sizing up Nangong Rou’s young body.
Although Nangong Rou was a little young and dressed like a beggar, she still had the makings of a beautiful woman.
If she were to be trained, she would definitely be a stunning beauty in the future.
Nangong Rou felt uncomfortable being stared at, feeling that the uncle in front of her was a little strange.
In the past, she would have readily agreed, but now that she had received Shen Quan’s promise, she was hesitant.
The steward of the Shen family next to them was heartbroken. She was such a well-behaved girl, and he wanted to persuade her to leave, but he didn’t expect her to fall into Shen Quan’s clutches.
“Rou’er!”
Just as Nangong Rou was hesitating, Jiang Zhige’s voice suddenly sounded from not far away.
“Big brother!” Nangong Rou’s eyes lit up, and just as she turned around, Jiang Zhige rushed over and hugged her tightly.
Jiang Zhige’s eyes welled with tears as he quivered, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t take good care of you…”
A moment ago, he was shrouded in despair, and now seeing Nangong Rou, the feeling of losing and regaining her was truly indescribable.
“Big brother…”
Nangong Rou was stunned, she had only left for a while, what happened to her brother?
Shen Quan’s face darkened upon seeing the situation. He thought Nangong Rou was nice, but he didn’t want to waste food by taking in another mouth to feed like Jiang Zhige.
When Nangong Rou mentioned that she had a brother earlier, Shen Quan had not paid attention. Once inside the Shen household, it was up to Nangong Rou whether she stayed or left.
But now that the siblings had appeared outside the Shen household, if Shen Quan refused to take in Jiang Zhige, it would inevitably lead to a bad reputation.
If Jiang Zhige had any value to offer, then it would be worth it, but he was so thin and gaunt, with a withered complexion, and it seemed that even serving tea and water would be a problem for him.
……..
Inside the Zhengyang Palace, hundreds of strong individuals looked bewildered. It was hard to associate the beautiful woman with heavenly beauty and the beggar-like girl in the light and shadow.
“One of the ten most beautiful women in the heavens, Fairy Nangong, actually chose to become a servant girl to share the pressure of the Demon Emperor?”
“This bond between siblings is truly tear-jerking…”
“Yes, looking back now, Fairy Nangong was only seven years old at the time. She was brought up in luxury and suddenly left her parents. It’s already lucky that she didn’t cry and throw a tantrum. How could we expect her to be as sensible as a beggar like the Demon Emperor?”
Inside the hall, hundreds of strong individuals were shocked by Nangong Rou’s choice to become a servant girl, while others were moved by her sensibility when she was seven years old.
Some felt ashamed for their previous criticism of Nangong Rou’s lack of understanding. After all, she was only a seven-year-old girl at the time. How much could she have known?
Watching herself being hugged by Jiang Zhige in the light and shadow, Nangong Rou gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
“Silly girl! Why didn’t you push him away? He’s a scumbag!”
Nangong Rou believed that she was too kind to Jiang Zhige back then, without any defenses against him, which led to her powerful father being taken advantage of by Jiang Zhige, a vile person.
If it weren’t for her mother’s willingness to exchange the family treasure, she would have already died at Jiang Zhige’s hands.
Moreover, even though Jiang Zhige was treating her well then, Nangong Rou clearly remembered that when they embarked on the path of cultivation, it was mostly her who protected him after her bloodline awakened.
Beside her, Qu Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was unhappy with Jiang Zhige’s act of hugging Nangong Rou, what he was most worried about was Nangong Rou’s emotional reaction.
Now, looking at Nangong Rou’s expression, it seemed that her resentment towards Jiang Zhige had not decreased.
Qu Yun turned his head to look at Jiang Zhige, who was half-kneeling on the ground, and a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes.
What did it matter if he had known Nangong Rou since childhood? Didn’t he, Qu Yun, have a better relationship now?
……
Suppressing his contempt, Shen Quan smiled and said, “Child, you’re her brother, right?”
Jiang Zhige was stunned at the words and looked up at Shen Quan, then turned to Nangong Rou and asked, “Rou’er, who is he…?”
He knew that Shen Quan was definitely not Nangong Rou’s long-lost father, otherwise he wouldn’t have called him Nangong Rou’s brother.
Moreover, Nangong Rou was delicate and pretty and looked nothing like the stubbly man with a pointed chin and big ears in front of them.
Shen Quan frowned slightly. How dare a beggar ignore him?
Nangong Rou was very excited when she heard this and said, “Brother, he is the owner of this mansion. He promised that as long as I become his servant girl, we will never have to worry about food and clothing again!”
She had been hesitant before, but now that she saw Jiang Zhige, she only wanted to ease her brother’s burden.
As long as they could live without worries, what did it matter if Shen Quan was a bad person?
“Servant girl…”
Jiang Zhige’s expression suddenly turned cold as he slowly released his grip on Nangong Rou’s hand.
He ignored Nangong Rou, who was still dreaming of a better life, and walked straight towards Shen Quan, bowing his head and saying, “Uncle, thank you for your kindness, but my sister and I are weak and sickly. If we imposed on your mansion, we would just be inconveniences.”
Jiang Zhige looked up and stared at Shen Quan. Having struggled to survive in dire straits since childhood, he could tell at a glance that Shen Quan was not a good person.
“It’s okay, I have plenty of food and drink in my mansion, and doctors too. Within a month, I will make sure that you and your sister will be as healthy as before.”
Shen Quan’s face stiffened. How could a beggar like him refuse an invitation to his mansion when he could be excited just by being given a bun?
“Uncle, it’s precisely because of your kindness that I don’t want to trouble you.” Jiang Zhige remained unmoved but bent down slightly again.
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