I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

Without much thought, she said firmly, "I may be very scared, but I will comfort him, and if he is willing, I will not abandon him."

"That's right. Like I just said, it's normal for men to like appearances and it's also normal for them to be afraid. But true love can't be defeated by these fears."

"True love transcends fear."

"However, your aunt hopes that you won't let love cloud your judgment, just as I don't want you to feel inferior."

"Humans are filled with many emotions: kinship, friendship, and love."

"It's not just romantic love, but also family and friendship. People who truly care about you won't care about your snake tail. No matter how your appearance changes, you are still you, unless your heart is also demonized."

"I don't know how!" Kiyohime quickly said.

"Yes, Auntie believes you. Otherwise, why would Auntie tell you all this?" Bai Qingyu said with a smile. "I just hope that you will always keep your heart pure and not let love cloud your judgment."

"You need to stay rational about Anzhen. Once you've calmed down, your aunt will tell you a secret about Anzhen."

"secret?"

"Yes, it's a secret, but I can't tell you now."

Bai Qingyu had a well-thought-out plan. Once Qingji arrived in Tongzhou, he could easily coax and deceive her, making her forget Anzhen with ease.

Bai Qingyu was furious at the thought of An Zhen.

They're more trouble than they're worth.

They were already in such a state of utter despair, was it really that hard to say a final goodbye and let Kiyohime give up on this idea?

That sounds nice, they say they don't want Kiyohime to commit suicide, they want Kiyohime to live a good life.

Bah, what utter nonsense.

At the time, I thought I didn't understand love, but now I realize that this guy was just a jerk, selfish and self-serving.

With her around, would Kiyohime have committed suicide?

However, that kid was clinging to a last shred of hope, regretting his actions, not wanting Kiyohime to forget him, and thinking he would have another chance in the future, so he deliberately said that.

His intentions are despicable.

"To be honest, I have raised many children, one of whom is similar to you. She is also a snake demon or a dragon."

"But she's living a very happy life; she even adopted a little green snake."

Bai Qingyu and Qingji briefly explained the situation in Tongzhou, changed the subject, and talked about some interesting things to ease her tension before finally speaking.

"Alright, it's getting late. Let's pack our things and get ready to go."

Say goodbye to the past and start a brand new life.

"Kiyohime, try to accept yourself. Starting today, you will be a completely new you!"

Bai Qingyu patted Qingji on the shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up with a fist.

"Yes, I understand, Auntie!" Kiyohime was clearly much better and was no longer the pitiful and heartbreaking girl she once was.

She sincerely felt that meeting Bai Qingyu was the greatest luck of her life.

They didn't mind her lowly status, her frequent crying, or her stunted growth; they even kept encouraging her.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't moved.

After entering the courtyard, they returned to Kiyohime's room.

She didn't actually have much to pack; there was practically nothing left in the entire compound.

Seeing that Kiyohime wanted to take the wooden box under the bed, Bai Qingyu quickly stepped forward.

"Forget about all that, have you forgotten? Time to start a brand new life!"

"There's nothing in here." Kiyohime opened the box, which contained some of her little things, such as some embroidered items, unfinished insoles, and shoes.

"I burned all the letters Anzhen gave me."

Now it was Bai Qingyu's turn to feel awkward, as she thought Qingji still wanted to take the things Anzhen had given her.

Surprisingly, Kiyohime was able to make up her mind to burn the paper kites and letters that Anjin had given her.

"This is the right decision. Let bygones be bygones."

"Ok!"

Kiyohime tidied up her clothes and blankets, which were then put away in Bai Qingyu's storage ring.

Fortunately, Kiyohime mostly wears skirts, so even a snake tail is wearable.

Finally, what remained were some cosmetics and gold and silver jewelry, which are normal items for girls, and Bai Qingyu herself also had them.

"Let's forget about these. I'll make better ones for you when we get back. I need to make a new batch anyway."

Putting the rouge and powder back, Bai Qingyu remembered the rouge that Xiao Yao and Yu Zhuan Jin had ruined.

"Does Auntie know how to make this?"

"Of course! I made all of them myself."

"That's amazing."

"It's alright, it's better than these anyway. At least it doesn't harm the skin and can even make the skin better."

After packing her things and leaving the room, Kiyohime locked the door and the courtyard, her eyes filled with emotion.

She said she was welcoming a brand new life, but when it really came time to leave, she still felt a little sad. After all, this place held more than ten years of her memories, every little detail, joy and sorrow, all in this little courtyard.

"Let's go."

Bai Qingyu reached out his hand, and Qingji took it.

Kiyohime felt no worry or fear about traveling alone to a completely unfamiliar place.

She had complete trust in Bai Qingyu.

As they soared into the sky, the scenery below blurred rapidly as they flew by. It was the first time Kiyohime had experienced the feeling of flying. Her mouth was slightly open as she stared intently at the ground below, unconsciously tightening her grip on Bai Qingyu's hand as if afraid she would fall.

·

They chatted and laughed along the way, which eased Kiyohime's fear, and soon they arrived over Tongzhou.

It gradually descended and landed in Tongzhou, arriving in front of the courtyard.

Bai Qingyu pointed to the three large characters of Shenhuangju.

"This is our home. Don't worry about that plaque; it was a gift from a prince in the city."

Kiyohime held Bai Qingyu's hand even tighter than when they were flying in the sky; she was nervous. Bai Qingyu told her that there were many children in the courtyard, but she only knew Bai Qingyu and didn't know the others. She didn't know if her sisters would welcome her arrival.

In a short time, Kiyohime thought about many things: what if they didn't welcome her? What if they ignored her? And if they did welcome her, how should she introduce herself...?

"Don't be nervous. As I said, everyone in the yard except your sister Zhentian is my child. We're all family, so it's okay."

They opened the vermilion gate and entered the courtyard.

Kiyohime's snake tail slithered gently, one hand holding Bai Qingyu's hand as she followed behind.

As soon as you enter, you can hear the sounds of children playing.

Unlike outside, once you enter the courtyard, all the noise disappears, as if you've entered a completely different world filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. The layout of the courtyard, every flower and every blade of grass, is so beautiful.

As Kiyohime walked through the corridor, the first thing she saw was a group of girls gathered together, making a racket and doing something noisy.

At this moment, Bai Qingyu coughed, and everyone's attention was immediately drawn to him, turning around to look in his direction.

All eyes suddenly turned to her, and Kiyohime panicked, forgetting all the words she had prepared beforehand.

"Stop teasing the little princess, I have something to announce."

Bai Qingyu stepped forward and said, "Welcome to our family's newest member, Qingji."

He took Kiyohime's little hand and led her over to meet everyone in the courtyard.

From the mischievous and naughty Xiaoyao to the confident and smiling Shuten-dōji.

Come to think of it, when Xiaoyao first arrived, she was much shyer than Qingji, the kind who would almost cry from fright. How come she's slowly turning into a mischievous and naughty person now?

It wouldn't be accurate to say she's mischievous; in short, compared to the quiet Xiao Yao of the past, she's become much more naughty now, and has gradually corrupted Yu Zhuan Jin.

"The last one is her."

He took the baby from Shinten's arms.

"I haven't named this child yet, but she'll be your little sister."

Kiyohime looked at the energetic child in Bai Qingyu's arms and exclaimed, "So cute!"

"Isn't Xiaoyao cute?"

Xiao Yao came closer, her smile radiant.

“Xiao Yao is cute too.” Kiyohime returned a smile.

"Mommy, Mommy, Sister Qingji said I'm cute!" Xiao Yao's little braids swayed back and forth, and the bells on her body jingled.

Bai Qingyu wanted to cover her face.

When did this girl develop this personality?

"Okay, okay, you're cute."

She could only comfort herself by thinking that Xiaoyao was still young and that things would be fine once she grew up a bit more, and she could go back to being that quiet and gentle little girl.

After going back and forth, Kiyohime wasn't so nervous anymore.

Just as Bai Qingyu said, a good environment will help people integrate quickly and will not make them feel too nervous.

While Kiyohime was getting to know everyone, Bai Qingyu handed the child to the little snake and let them chat together, then pulled Zhen Tian aside.

Sitting at the stone table, Zhen Tian kindly poured her a cup of hot tea.

"What's wrong, sister? You seem to have something on your mind."

"I do have some worries, because I just realized that we don't have any extra rooms to live in."

"Isn't there another room that can be used as a storage room? If we tidy it up and put some furniture in it, it can still be lived in, right? I think that room was originally a guest room."

“I know, but the problem is, Kiyohime is here, and other demons will be coming soon.”

Bai Qingyu propped her face up with one hand, looking helpless.