Talulah, I'm still a child.

Miss Black Snake placed her hand on Ziyue's shoulder with a serious expression, almost startling her so much that she jumped out of her skin. Just as Ziyue was wondering whether to knock this strange person unconscious, Miss Black Snake said something even more shocking.

"I am one of your stepmothers who wished to care for you but were no longer there!"

Reluctantly adding "one of," Miss Black Snake suddenly felt a unique emotion, a special feeling that she and Kashina shared, a feeling that only arises after becoming mothers.

But this has left Ziyue completely confused. What does "stepmother" even mean, or even "one of"?

In the other meeting room, Maria, who had passed the test, breathed a sigh of relief. The Rhodes Island interview was more complicated than she had imagined. However, the Doctor was a very nice person, and talking to her was not nerve-wracking. She had heard that the interviewer named Kal'tsit was truly terrifying. Very few people could pass her test, and she had never smiled at anyone except Mei Xue and Amiya.

"Next, Miss Hinterlea."

Upon hearing the Doctor call her name, Platinum, dressed in her uniform, quickly straightened the wrinkles in her clothes, glanced at Maria, and received an encouraging thumbs-up.

Clearly, this cute and lively girl was unaware of the other party's true identity. As the Platinum leader of the Unarmored Alliance, Platinum never dared to claim her hands were clean. She worked hard for the Unarmored Alliance, but she was also well aware that danger was gradually approaching. She knew far too much; she had seen Azure Gold and knew about Black Iron. If she didn't pack her bucket and run away soon, the Unarmored Alliance would not tolerate her. It was only because Roy had a little bit of old friendship that he hinted that she could take advantage of the current situation to recruit people from Rhodes Island to leave the Unarmored Alliance.

Hinterlea has never revealed anything about herself to her family. Even if she leaves, nothing will happen there. The Unarmored Alliance wouldn't implicate her family over something like this; that would be too much trouble and too easy to expose themselves.

As for Rhodes Island? Heh, I heard that the entire board of directors breathed a sigh of relief the day Mei Xue left. The red-haired Sarkaz and the blue-haired Fallen Angel went to greet the Unarmored Alliance in a friendly manner and assured them that no one would come to disturb them.

Should we resort to force? If we can't win, then we can resort to economic exclusion? We can't afford to offend them; they have too many powerful backers, and the business association is not to be trifled with.

This was her only chance to survive, and she had to hold on to it.

"Welcome to Rhodes Island, Platinum... no, Miss Heartlea."

The doctor smiled, already prepared with how to fool the other party.

Chapter 28 felt like a lively dream.

The mountains in the south of the Great Yan Dynasty stretch endlessly, forming a unique landscape. Because of Mei Xue, the south has been considered the domain of fox spirits since ancient times. "Beast of the South" is the earliest name given to Mei Xue in the Great Yan Dynasty, and it is also one of the most widely known names today. Every illustrated book about fox spirits will inevitably mention this phrase "Beast of the South" at the beginning.

The mountains stretch majestically, bright and clear at dawn and dusk in spring and summer, lush and vibrant, while in autumn and winter they are desolate and lonely, covered in snow. The mountains seem to hold secrets, waiting to be discovered, for plum blossoms and snow reside deep within them. Since ancient times, there has been a saying in the Great Yan Dynasty that immortals have built immortal mountains. Countless people have ventured into the mountains in search of immortals and enlightenment, only to end up achieving nothing.

As the spring snow fell, Cecilia curiously surveyed her surroundings in a village nestled among the rolling mountains. She hadn't expected Mei Xue's home to be so deep in the mountains. She was grateful for the help from Nian and Ling when she arrived; otherwise, it would have taken her ages to walk here from Shang Shu.

"These mountain paths haven't been used for who knows how many years. Tsk, they're covered in weeds. I made sure to clear them before I walked on them."

As she spoke, Nian observed Mei Xue's reaction. To be honest, although she had always been confident and assured that there would be no problem, she was now a little worried. When she left, it had been at least several hundred years since then. What if the house had been neglected for many years and changed its appearance?

Mei Xue had only a smile on his face. He was like a child who had come out for a spring outing, curiously looking at the things around him. He had walked this road for hundreds of years and had walked it the most. Every bluestone slab under his feet was laid by his own hands.

As Mei Xue walked lightly, holding Cecilia's hand, the grass on both sides of the mountain path shortened considerably as he passed, just enough to avoid obstructing the way and causing annoyance. It was as if Mei Xue had deprived them of part of their "growth" destiny.

Early spring was still cold, and even with her by her side, Mei Xue still wrapped her little angel up tightly. Wearing a skirt was fine, but she had to wear warm tights and several heat packs. Then she wrapped her scarf and put on gloves. When they reached the halfway point of the mountain, Mei Xue stopped and pointed to a forest at the foot of the mountain in the distance.

"When did that village down the mountain become abandoned?"

"It's been quite a while now. Although it's safe and peaceful in these mountains, and there are no natural disasters, it's really backward. So your sister sent them to a distant place through a dream, and they became the earliest members of Shang Shu."

Xi was not in good physical condition, so she walked at the very back. But Mei Xue's pace was not fast either. Occasionally, she would stop and point to a certain mountain peak, telling Cecilia what beautiful flowers and plants there used to be, or what kind of scenery there was.

Although he didn't say it, everyone knew that this was a deliberate way to give Xi time to relax and rest, so as not to make her too tired.

"After all, if they stay in these mountains and fields and can't keep up with the pace of the outside world, they will be left behind sooner or later."

As Ling spoke, he seemed to be implying something, but Mei Xue didn't think much of it. He nodded and then reached out to help Cecilia wrap her scarf. He still didn't quite understand why the little angel was so insistent on wearing a dress, but oh well, his little sister could wear whatever she wanted.

“That makes sense, Cecilia. Come, look over there.”

Mei Xue pointed to the grove of trees that had not yet sprouted new buds. Cecilia could not see that far with her limited vision, but Mei Xue simply touched her halo lightly, and a grove of trees appeared before the little angel's eyes.

Then the gears of time seemed to turn back. The heavy snow retreated from the sky, and the withered and rotten leaves were reattached to the trees, turning green again, becoming new buds, and then disappearing.

This cycle repeated dozens of times, and the forest gradually shrank, with each tree turning back into a seedling, a seed, and a fruit, before disappearing, until finally the ruins buried deep in the soil reappeared, the collapsed walls and crumbling houses were restored, and everything was harmonious except for the absence of people.

"That is……"

"A village I used to visit often a long time ago, a wonderful place."

Mei Xue simply wanted to tell Cecilia that he wasn't the only one who had been to that village; Ling, Xi, Nian, and others had also been there.

Where are the people there?

"They've moved away. Okay, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's keep going up, and we'll reach our destination after we pass through the bamboo forest ahead."

The last bamboo grove had lost its winter appearance; the bamboo remained lush and green. Mei Xue hadn't thought too much about it when she planted it, so she planted a variety of species. Fortunately, apart from a lot of fallen leaves, there wasn't much else to worry about. Mei Xue even became interested and wasn't in a hurry to leave. She took out a hoe from the tail and casually dug out a few winter bamboo shoots, stuffing them into the tail to cook some vegetables later.

Everything outside was interesting to Cecilia, and digging for winter bamboo shoots was also a novelty. The three sisters, Nian and Xi, exchanged glances. They had eaten winter bamboo shoots here many times before, and it seemed that they would be able to taste the long-lost flavor today. They were in for a treat.

"This bamboo grove hasn't changed much. Tonight we'll have stir-fried winter bamboo shoots with cured pork."

Mei Xue casually stuffed the hoe back into the tail and led Cecilia deeper into the valley.

This bamboo grove isn't actually that big. Of course, you can't blame the leader for using this place as his training ground all day long, nor can you blame the girl who likes spicy food who always carries a hoe to pull all the winter bamboo shoots clean. It's just that someone is taking care of it all the time. Mei Xue can tell that the bamboo around the outer edge has been deliberately cut down, and even the roots have been pulled out, so the soil in that area is relatively flat.

It's likely that someone came to maintain it many years ago, trying to preserve its original appearance as much as possible. But after a thousand years, it's impossible to say that there haven't been any changes.

After walking a few more steps, Cecilia and Meixue suddenly found themselves in front of a large house. Cecilia estimated it to be much larger than her original home. Although it was only one story, it had a fence and a gate, which was exactly the same as Meixue remembered.

"Nothing has changed at all."

Looking at the home where he lived as a child, even Nian, with his unreliable nature, couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic. Although Xi didn't say a word, you could see that sense of longing in her eyes.

A thousand years ago, a family of thirteen spent each day in this noisy way. Mei Xue taught them about life, that there was nothing wrong with being human, to cherish every day, and to enjoy every minute of being alive.

"Is this my brother's old home?"

Cecilia was a little curious. Although the bamboo house was beautiful, it was still a bit different from what she had imagined. Of course, when she thought that this was Mei Xue's home, the little angel's eyes automatically added a beauty filter to the place.

"Yes, let's go in."

Mei Xue smiled, seemingly switching from her previous innocent and obedient nature to a mature and steady one. After all, he was the master of this house, and he had to be mature when he was here.

Although it looks unchanged, Mei Xue can tell that something is wrong. It's too new. Someone must have been here or even lived here for a long time. Otherwise, a house that was hastily built back then could not have withstood the ravages of a thousand years. There are many signs of recent repairs.

"Did my second sister and the others come by?"

"Yes, your second sister seems to have come here once about sixty years ago, and your second brother... seems to have just left a few days ago."

Mei Xue could tell these things with just a glance. After all, no matter how much you try to cover up the traces, once someone has been here, they have been here. Fate cannot be easily concealed.

"He actually came here last year?"

"No, he just left last year. He had lived here for about several decades before that."

Mei Xue gently shook her head, correcting Xi's guess. Looking around, she saw that the layout of all the rooms, the furniture arrangement, and even the paintings on the walls were still the same as before, as if nothing had changed.

"This house was probably built by him too. The original houses wouldn't have lasted that long, but they were built exactly the same way..."

"After all, for that terrible chess player, this is the most peaceful place in his memory, and he remembers every detail very clearly."

Ling sighed softly. The turmoil decades ago had taken away one of their younger sisters forever. Perhaps back then, that second brother, who was a terrible chess player, had returned here. He had to wait, wait for a miracle that might never come, and also think about how to make up for his miscalculation.

Both Nian and Xi can imagine how desperate and heartbroken the second brother will be when he returns here, clinging to the last glimmer of hope to see Mei Xue, and when he finally changes everything and sees the dilapidated state of his home. His obsession has gone too far and he has become a demon. He values ​​his family too much and hates his own miscalculation too much.

"These paintings... tsk... the imitation is far too crude. Has he even learned my methods?"

Xi looked at the painting on the wall, which wasn't particularly outstanding. It was her first work from childhood, and it had nothing remarkable about it, but Mei Xue had still specially hung it on the wall as a form of recognition.

"Not only that, there's also the character '颉' (jie). The couplets at the door were newly changed. He's actually spending the New Year here. He's deliberately avoiding me."

Mei Xue gently wagged her tail, and the surrounding time and space were quietly replaced. She captured a moment of a past historical fragment from a thousand years ago and fixed it forever in this moment. This is the home that everyone is familiar with.

(If you knew you'd get beaten up if you saw me, who wouldn't avoid you?)

Nian and Xi thought to themselves, no matter if it was their eldest brother, second brother, eldest sister, or second sister, how many of them were not afraid of Mei Xue? They were all beaten by that ruler since they were little. Especially back then, Mei Xue thought, "Anyway, these are all thick-skinned people, so I can hit them as much as I want." Except for Xi and Jie, who were a bit weaker, the rest of them were all severely beaten.

"This place is so big, and oh, it smells of flowers."

"That's because of the backyard. Although it's not yet the time for peach blossoms to bloom in March, the plum blossoms are all in bloom right now."

Mei Xue led Cecilia into the house, while Nian and Xi didn't follow this time. They planned to check if their rooms were still the same as before.

"Brother, who are all these rooms for?"

"Well... consider this your other older brothers and sisters. Look here, this is your older sister's room, but she always likes to write all over the walls, it's really dirty."

"I was just feeling inspired to write poetry!"

In front of Cecilia, Ling still wanted to maintain her authority as the eldest sister.

"I'm just itching for a beating!"

Mei Xue shut Ling up with a single sentence, then pointed to another room not far away.

“That used to be my bedroom, and next to it is where your sister Jie lived.”

"Sister Jie?"

"You'll meet someone who has beautiful handwriting later."

The little fox gently stroked Cecilia's head. These words made Ling momentarily forget the wine jug in her hand, almost spilling the good wine. She knew that Jie had long since died and completely returned to the chaos, and it was impossible for him to appear!

"Oh, what about over there?"

"That's... well, we'll meet him in a while, and you'll get to know him then too."

Besides Cecilia, Mei Xue only brought the three Ling sisters on this trip home. Lin Qingyan, Du Yaoye, and others naturally stayed in Shangshu to pack their things and prepare to go to Yumen. Especially Du Yaoye, since she wanted to revive Xingyu Escort Agency, no, Xingyu Logistics, she needed to have her own group of good people. Zheng Qingyue's generation was too old, but Yumen, a place of martial arts and chivalry, could provide many helpers.

"Yumen?"

"Yes, Yumen, I can also take you to Longmen for a visit later."

The little fox swayed its tail gently. When it mentioned Yumen, a trace of sorrow flashed in its eyes, but when it mentioned Longmen, it was extremely happy. The days it spent living in Longmen were an extremely precious and happy experience for it.

“I know about Longmen. Sister A-Neng told me about it.”

Cecilia's eyes lit up immediately. Since they were both Sarkaz, and Cecilia was cute and loved by Mei Xue, the little angel was very popular on Rhodes Island. In particular, her fellow Sarkaz, such as Remian and Exusiai, were very close to her. After learning about Cecilia's special circumstances, they did not reject her at all, but instead took good care of her.

What did she say?

"Hmm, she said that back in Longmen, the person she was most afraid of was Sister Chen, and there's lots of delicious food too. She also said she'd take me racing, but brother, what does 'racing' mean?"

"..."

Mei Xue hesitated for a moment, then smiled after thinking about it.

"It means tying your sister Aneng up with a rope and dragging her behind the car, making her run alongside it!"

(That Exusiai is probably going to have a tough time now.)

Ling subconsciously shivered. She suddenly realized something: Mei Xue's protectiveness towards Cecilia seemed a bit excessive. This little fox never cared who the other person was when she was protecting her own.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go to the kitchen and see if it's okay. Let's have dinner here tonight!"

"Great!"