Chapter 289: Everyone is a Sister Complex
The Dragon Lady entered the house, adeptly switching her shoes, and before she could say a word, the little girl from the second floor rushed out, leaning over the railing and poking her head down to wave at the two below.
“Sister Zhao!”
The Dragon Lady looked up at the ten-year-old girl, patting her backpack. “Go get ready; today’s a test on your third unit. I’ve already talked to your mom—if you score above eighty, she’ll grant you a little wish. Below eighty, but above seventy, no reward, but no punishment either. But get below seventy and, oh boy, you’re in deep trouble.”
“Ah~” The little girl’s face fell instantly, looking pitiful. “Why is the test happening so soon?”
“I told you two days ago about today’s plan! You didn’t forget to study, did you?”
“No, no, absolutely studied… hehehe.” Jiang Yutong shook her head vigorously, her adorable face breaking into an awkward grin. “I’ve been studying hard these last few days! Sister can vouch for me!”
Speaking of herself, Nightmare turned to the Dragon Lady, their eyes locking for a moment before she chuckled, “I can testify for Xiao Tong. She’s played games all day and hardly studied. I bet she’ll score below seventy this time.”
“Sister!”
“Hahahaha, just kidding! Xiao Tong has actually been studying really hard these past few days.” As she spoke, the Dragon Lady strolled toward the kitchen, tossing back, “I’m going to cut some fruit. Xiao Tong, the teacher’s here! Why are you still in your pajamas? Go change!”
“Okay, okay! Sister Zhao, wait for me!”
The Dragon Lady stepped deeper into the house, her gaze drifting toward the kitchen.
For some reason, this girl named Jiang Qingzhou gave her a weird feeling.
The girl didn’t emit any strong aura; she seemed like a normal person. Yet, there was this faint, almost negligible hint of bl**d energy about her.
If it weren’t for her prolonged tailing of Bai Yu, making her particularly sensitive to bl**d energy, she might not have noticed it.
A girl so young, yet with this bl**d energy—what could that possibly mean?
The Dragon Lady kept this thought to herself, pretending not to notice.
What was up with Jiang Qingzhou remained a mystery. Perhaps she had some little secret—like, say, she’d harmed someone. She couldn’t be bothered with such matters as long as they didn’t mess with her.
As she went upstairs, Jiang Yutong had just finished changing.
The little girl looked around, “Where’s my sister?”
“In the kitchen preparing fruit.”
Before the Dragon Lady could finish, Jiang Yutong pulled her into her room and mysteriously shut the bedroom door, lowering her voice, “Teacher, can you do me a favor?”
“What kind of favor?”
“Well, you see, my sister has been acting strange lately. She goes out every night for ages, sometimes not coming back until really late, and she even climbs out of her window!”
Jiang Yutong urged the Dragon Lady to sit and whispered in her ear, “She even told me to keep it a secret from Mom and Dad, so I have to cover for her.”
“And sometimes she talks to herself, saying things I can’t understand. It’s like she’s changed a lot recently.”
“But usually she doesn’t have any issues, so I’m starting to think she might be seeing a boyfriend outside!”
When she said this, the little girl’s tone and expression were serious, like a tiny adult.
“Her boyfriend seems like a bad person. Otherwise, why would she always be out so late? Dad says he’s scared she’ll get tricked outside and doesn’t want her going out anymore. He even put security bars on her window!”
“But she still snuck out last night! I was wondering if you could maybe talk to her, Teacher? She’s so young and doesn’t understand anything; what if someone tricks her? She’s so easy to fool.”
Just as Jiang Yutong was about to continue, the Dragon Lady interrupted her, placing her backpack aside and purposefully raising her voice a bit, “Xiao Tong, today’s test isn’t too hard; it’s all from the stuff I’ve taught you. As long as you’ve studied hard these days, you’ll definitely get over eighty.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than footsteps were heard coming up the stairs.
A moment later, Nightmare pushed the door open, carrying a plate of cut fruit.
“Don’t rush into the test just yet. Teacher, you can give her another ten minutes to solidify her knowledge and maybe have a snack.”
“Mm.”
The Dragon Lady picked up a piece of watermelon on a toothpick, glancing over at Jiang Qingzhou while munching.
Why did she feel like this girl was involved in more than just “innocent puppy love”?
As Nightmare prepared to leave, the Dragon Lady spoke again.
“Now’s the time to stop. Consider your actions—are they worth the concern your family has for you? Be present and don’t wait until you regret not appreciating your wonderful life.”
“If you keep this up, you’re not just destroying yourself, but also this lovely family.”
“I think your family’s atmosphere is pretty great.”
She felt quite reflective lately. In the past, she wouldn’t have bothered to say a word to Jiang Qingzhou. She would let her do as she wished and deal with the consequences alone.
But now, her perspective had changed; if she could give advice, she would.
As for everything else, well, that was fair game.
Nightmare paused for a moment, glancing back at the Dragon Lady.
“What the teacher said makes sense; I will think about it.”
Though she said that, her brows furrowed tightly as she turned away.
Had her identity been revealed, or had Xiao Tong said something to the Dragon Lady?
The atmosphere in the room felt uncomfortably tense, at least for Jiang Yutong, who blinked uncertainly between the Dragon Lady and Nightmare.
Was this way of trying to persuade a bit strange?
As soon as Nightmare left, she gently tugged on the Dragon Lady’s sleeve. The Dragon Lady shook her head, signaling her to stay silent and focus on her studies.
At that moment, just on the other side of the door, Nightmare leaned against the doorframe, her gaze deep and contemplative.
·
·
Three days quickly passed.
During this time, Bai Yu had not been teaching Zhao Mingyue and Feng Xi how to fight; instead, she stayed at home studying the effects and benefits of faith power on her body while also preparing for the Ghost Gate business.
She needed a coordinate, so she wouldn’t get lost within it.
And, she needed someone to ensure Zhao Mingyue’s safety.
