I startled, instinctively looking at An Jin. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his chin towards my sister’s back, whispering, “Xiao Ya, could the strange man you’re talking about be—him?”
Princess Jiang Yunqiao of Southern Rui approached us with a smile, followed by General Shen, tall and imposing, with a parrot on his shoulder.
My sister glanced back and jumped behind me, shrieking, “It’s him! I can’t believe he followed me here…”
Jiang Yunqiao looked confused. I was about to explain when my sister, feeling safe, jumped from behind me and glared at General Shen. “What are you trying to do by following me?”
General Shen’s eyebrows moved, a rare occurrence. The parrot spread its wings and called out, “What? What?”
My sister was aggressive, but General Shen remained expressionless.
She took a big step forward. “What, dare to do but not dare to speak?”
General Shen coldly replied, “Self-flattering.”
The yellow parrot enthusiastically nodded. “Self-flattering! Self-flattering!” Its sharp voice drew everyone’s attention.
My sister’s face turned red; she wanted to teach him a lesson, but I hastily pulled her back.
Jiang Yunqiao was stunned. “Who is this…”
“My sister,” I sighed, knowing we’d lost face. “I’m truly sorry, Your Highness, General Shen.”
My sister looked at me in disbelief. I nodded solemnly. She lost her confidence but muttered, “Can’t a general be a lewd man…”
An Jin and I mourned our lost dignity for a while. Jiang Yunqiao suddenly turned to General Shen: “No wonder you were late… were you following a young lady?”
General Shen maintained his statue-like expression and moved his lips. “Didn’t know the way.”
“Lost again?” Jiang Yunqiao shook her head. “Danding, when will you fix this habit?”
It turned out that the seemingly tall and cold General was directionally challenged and had genuinely gotten lost on the streets of Yanfeng City. Hearing my sister tell the sedan chair driver about going to White Crane Plain, he followed her.
This left me stunned. My sister, embarrassed and angry, shrank behind us, mumbling: “Such a big man and can’t even find his way, useless…”
General Shen glanced at my sister behind me. “Unreasonable.”
The yellow parrot enthusiastically nodded: “Unreasonable! Unreasonable! Ugly girl causing trouble!”
Thus, this mouthy parrot successfully offended my sister again.
