Seeing Old Sir Jiang, the younger ones all sat up quietly.
Old Sir Jiang nodded and walked over to sit down.
His gaze first swept over Lucas Jennings and Azura Loomis.
Azura was a child he had watched grow up. Although her behavior at home had always been commendable, he knew she had her quirks.
But since she wasn’t a family member, he didn’t bother to intervene.
He didn’t inquire into Lucas and Azura’s "fallout" either, but seeing Lucas get closer to Scarlett instead was something he was pleased to witness.
Old Sir Jiang then looked at the two brothers, Adam and Donovan Jennings, before finally resting his eyes on Scarlett Jennings. He then spoke, seemingly casually,
"Just now, Lucas said it’s unnecessary to help those people. What do you think? Why did Grandpa, after reminding them, still specifically send bodyguards to protect them to prevent anything from happening to those kids?"
"Because Grandpa is kind-hearted and can’t bear to see those kids get hurt."
Azura Loomis, knowing how to endear herself to elders, was the first to speak.
Old Sir Jiang just smiled silently upon hearing this and turned to look at the other children.
Adam, though unsure why Grandpa suddenly brought this up, followed Azura’s line of reasoning, adding,
"These families in Sea City are prominent, and many are on good terms with our family. Even the Gibney Family, which isn’t closely tied to us, wouldn’t allow us to stand by if we knew their children were in danger."
The old man nodded slightly at Adam’s words, then turned to Donovan. However, his gaze only lingered for a moment before skipping over his smiling eyes and turning to Scarlett,
"What do you think, Scarlett?"
Scarlett slightly lowered her gaze before speaking softly,
"Because of human nature."
"Oh?" Old Sir Jiang raised an eyebrow, "Explain."
"If the other party heeded Grandpa’s warning and avoided disaster, they might express gratitude afterward. But if they ignored the warning and something happened, they wouldn’t blame themselves for not listening; instead, they’d blame us for not doing enough to stop them. That’s human nature."
Scarlett’s words brought a quiet stillness to the room.
Old Sir Jiang’s eyes were deep, and his face revealed little expression. Donovan said nothing, but there was a complex look in his eyes as he glanced at Scarlett.
Lucas and Adam felt an indescribable emotion.
Azura couldn’t help but speak,
"Scarlett, why would you think that?"
Her tone carried some disapproval and subtle hints of pity,
"Perhaps the people you’ve encountered before weren’t good, so you think human nature is selfish. But those parents at the kindergarten aren’t as you imagine; they are well-mannered and reasonable people, surely not the way you think."
Though she seemed to point out Scarlett’s one-sidedness, her words somehow suggested that Scarlett’s heart was overly dark.
Scarlett just glanced at her coolly, "If someone’s thinking is overly simple and kind, we usually call it being a ’saint.’"
"Pfft!" Lucas couldn’t help but burst into laughter and quickly covered his mouth, giving Azura a mischievous look,
"I’m not laughing at you. I just think the word ’saint’ is great."
Azura’s face flushed right red, and if Old Sir Jiang weren’t present, she would’ve just turned and left in embarrassment.
On the side, Adam couldn’t bear seeing Lucas and Scarlett mock Azura, immediately sending a warning look to the two.
Scarlett couldn’t be bothered to heed his warning.
"In our Taoist Sect, we believe in the inevitability of cause and effect. Even if we have the ability to foresee fate, we shouldn’t interfere with others’ destinies lightly. But once we do, we must take full responsibility."
Old Sir Jiang looked at her, a trace of gratification flashing in his eyes,
"Scarlett is right. If you choose to act, ensure you leave no room for others to attack you. Otherwise, it’s better not to act at all."
He spoke, his gaze slowly sweeping over the children in the room, "These things, you’ll have to learn to see and think for yourselves."
Lucas appeared thoughtful, but Scarlett’s words had undeniably opened up a new world for him.
Human nature, it was something he had never considered.
After that day’s discussion, everyone thought the matter would end there.
But unexpectedly, the next day, Derek Gibney suddenly showed up again, looking noticeably upset,
"After bringing the peace charm to my daughter yesterday, she was fine initially, but by evening, she suddenly began to scream and shout, acting as if she had lost her mind, biting and kicking at family members, becoming... completely unlike my daughter!"
Derek spoke, his eyes slightly red, staring intently at Scarlett and slamming a blood-red talisman, looking as if it had been soaked in blood, in front of Scarlett,
"I thought you actually had skills, but it turned out to be some crooked, evil thing!
Tell me honestly, what is this talisman you gave my daughter?
Why did she go mad after wearing it?
If you don’t give me an explanation, from today on, the Gibney Family and the Jennings Family will be at odds!"
Hearing his words, Scarlett frowned slightly, but before she could speak, Odessa, who heard about the commotion, changed her expression upon hearing Derek’s words and pressed Scarlett,
"Scarlett, what is going on here? How could you intentionally harm someone? If let Adam and Dad find out..."
Before she could finish, Lucas jumped out and interrupted Odessa,
"Auntie! What do you mean by Scarlett deliberately harming someone? Things aren’t even clear yet, and you’re listening to his nonsense!"
He then turned to Derek, angrily,
"Saying my sister harmed your daughter? Absolute nonsense! Yesterday, you were polite asking my sister for help, but now something happens, and you pin it on her?!
Taking such a bizarre talisman and saying it’s my sister’s fault, I think you’re just trying to cause trouble!"
Lucas was infuriated, this moment finally bringing him full understanding of what Scarlett meant by human nature.
Helping people, yet being the first to trouble you when things go wrong!
All that talk about civility and reason, Azura Loomis ought to come here and slap herself.
Derek, though vexed by Lucas’ scolding, was more worried about his daughter’s situation.
Indeed, he didn’t believe Scarlett would dare to do such a thing, but considering his daughter’s condition... saying it had nothing to do with Mystical Techniques, he couldn’t believe it.
Compared to Lucas’ anger, Scarlett remained much calmer. As Derek threw the talisman, she had already inspected it carefully before finally speaking.
"This is indeed the peace charm I gave you."
Scarlett finished, and before Derek could speak, she coldly added,
"But this talisman was clearly tampered with."