Lin Yu didn’t answer, and Xin Yao didn’t ask again. She left quickly, not mentioning the photo, as if nothing had happened.
Oh… well, that’s not right either.
Something did happen.
She took the initiative to add Lin Yu as a contact. Probably because it was hard to say face to face, her first message was: [If I really can’t control it, I’ll come find you.]
As for what she would come to find him for, both of them understood tacitly.
Lin Yu stared at her profile picture on his phone—a very beautiful calico cat, probably one she kept.
He sighed silently to himself.
At least nothing big had happened, and the other party was still rational.
Maybe this was the difference between a young girl and a married woman? He couldn’t help but think. But in reality, everyone’s worldview is always a bit different.
Xin Yao thought Lin Yu was the one who lost out. If she were to make a fuss, it would be too ugly.
Lin Yu looked in the direction of Huanxing Town.
Speaking of which, he should go there to wait for his sister to return.
But given his identity, going there himself might not be good. Besides, Lan Lan was also there.
To avoid awkwardness, he felt it was better to wait at the resort.
The rain poured heavily, but it came and went quickly. The dark clouds dispersed, and a rainbow appeared in the sky, as if cheering for this hard-won victory. Lin Yu didn’t go back to his room. He found a dry spot and sat down. He thought about pulling out his phone to browse, but immediately remembered it was unnecessary since the civilian network wasn’t deployed outside the Nest City. The resort had a local area network, but right now, including him, there were only three people here. He figured that maybe once it was opened up later, it would be livelier.
Shortly after, Xia Yanran found him. When she was far away, her steps were light, but as she approached, they became hesitant. She sat down in the empty seat next to Lin Yu, fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, her gaze drifting toward the distant rainbow, refusing to look at Lin Yu’s face.
“Um, my mom went back to her room to sleep. Thank you for covering her with a blanket,” she said, making conversation, her voice low.
“Mm, it’s nothing. Let her rest well.”
After this brief exchange, the two fell into an awkward silence.
“You…” Xia Yanran suddenly spoke, then stopped. Her cheeks flushed a faint red visibly.
She seemed to have mustered the courage to say something, but when the words reached her lips, they were blocked by a wave of overwhelming shyness.
“Never mind!” She abruptly stood up. “I, I’ll go see what’s for dinner. You stay here by yourself!”
With that, she quickly jogged away, leaving behind a slightly flustered figure.
Lin Yu watched the direction she disappeared in, and a faint smile unconsciously tugged at the corner of his mouth.
This girl… she really is shy.
She had blurted out her feelings impulsively earlier; now she needed time to digest and readjust to this new, breached relationship.
That was fine.
He withdrew his gaze and looked into the distance again.
To give her, and himself, some buffer time.
About an hour later, the faint roar of engines and the noise of a crowd came from afar. The frontline troops began to return to Huanxing Town. Even from a distance, one could feel the atmosphere of victory, but the clamor also carried the exhaustion of survival and the gravity of dealing with casualties. A staff member wearing a Huanxing Town logistics uniform hurriedly found the resort and walked straight to Lin Yu, his attitude respectful.
“Are you Lin Yu? Please come with me to Huanxing Town. Chief Lin has exhausted herself and is resting now. She… might need you there.”
Lin Yu’s heart sank slightly. He immediately stood up. “It’s me. Take me there.”
Passing through the busy yet orderly Huanxing Town, they arrived at the medical area. In a private monitoring pod, Lin Yu saw Lin Mowei. She lay inside the medical pod, eyes tightly closed, her face somewhat pale, a few strands of hair sticking to her sweaty forehead. Her usual valiant demeanor was gone, replaced by the defenseless exhaustion of deep sleep. Her breathing was steady, but a trace of tension from the battle still lingered between her brows. Lin Yu stood quietly by the pod, looking at his sister through the cover. A pang of heartache spread silently. He had thought this trip was just a simple getaway. Who would have thought they’d get caught up in all these incidents? Not only had his sister been forced into battle, but she had also shouldered immense pressure. He gently placed his hand on the cool pod cover, as if trying to dispel the fatigue on her brow.
Just then, the door of the monitoring pod was silently pushed open, and Mu Liuli walked in. She was wearing dark, easy-to-move-in civilian clothes, her hair let down. Her face was expressionless, but when she saw Lin Yu, she paused for a moment, as if she hadn’t expected him to be there. Lin Yu was also somewhat surprised by her arrival.
“Liuli, why are you here?”
Mu Liuli didn’t answer. Instead, she walked over and sat down on a chair next to Lin Yu, her gaze also falling on Lin Mowei inside the medical pod. The air was quiet for a moment. Finally, Lin Yu broke the silence. “What’s wrong?”
He could tell that Mu Liuli’s current state was different from her usual reticence; there seemed to be a barely perceptible ripple deep in her eyes.
Mu Liuli didn’t answer immediately. She continued to watch Lin Mowei’s peaceful sleeping face. After a while, she said, “Suddenly… I’m a bit envious.”
“Envious?” Lin Yu raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Mm.” Mu Liuli’s gaze didn’t move. “Envious of her… having something she clearly wants to accomplish, and actually putting in all her effort for it, even if the price is great.”
Her words were simple, but they stirred something in Lin Yu’s heart. He understood what Mu Liuli was referring to. Lin Mowei had a clear goal: to fulfill her duties and win victory. For that, she could push herself to her limits, face strong enemies, and bear the immense burden of the Retrospect. This strong “sense of direction” and the “drive” to fight for it were exactly what Mu Liuli lacked.
Lin Yu fell silent. He didn’t offer comfort or encouragement. He knew that Mu Liuli’s emotion right now might just be a momentary fluctuation, influenced by the battlefield atmosphere and Lin Mowei’s fighting spirit. True change required a deeper catalyst, far beyond a few words. What she needed wasn’t empty reassurance, but time, and perhaps one day, finding her own “something to accomplish.” He didn’t point it out unnecessarily. Instead, he also turned his gaze back to his sister. “Yeah… my sister has always been very hardworking, giving her all in whatever she does.”
Mu Liuli glanced at him, something hidden in her eyes. She sat quietly for a while longer, her gaze shifting between Lin Mowei and Lin Yu for a moment, then stood up and left as silently as she had come.
About half an hour later, the indicator light on the medical pod turned from red to green, and the cover slid open. Lin Mowei’s eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes. The initial confusion was quickly replaced by clarity. The first thing she saw was Lin Yu standing watch beside her. Her still somewhat tired eyes instantly lit up, radiating pure joy.
“Xiao Yu!” Her voice was slightly hoarse from just waking, but full of energy.
She wanted to sit up immediately, but her body’s weakness made it difficult.
Lin Yu quickly stepped forward and supported her shoulders. “Sis, slow down. You just recovered.”
Lin Mowei took the momentum and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. She took a deep breath, as if to confirm his existence. “I’m glad you’re okay, and I’m okay too.” Her arms tightened, carrying a fear of loss and a sense of dependence.
After Mu Qingqing told her that the King Beast had appeared in Huanxing Town, she had really been scared. Although she knew the Teacher was also here, she really didn’t know Qin Wuyue’s strength, so it would be a lie to say she wasn’t worried.
Lin Yu’s body stiffened slightly, unaccustomed to such a tight embrace, especially after the subtle moments with Xin Yao and Xia Yanran. But feeling the slight tremor from his sister’s body, he eventually raised his hand and patted her on the back.
“Mm, everything’s fine. We won, sis.”
“That’s good, that’s good…” Lin Mowei murmured, holding on for a while before letting go.
When she lifted her head, her face had regained its radiance, though the fatigue in her eyes hadn’t completely faded.
“Let’s go back. I don’t want to stay here.”
“Okay.”
Maybe they were having a post-battle debrief over there, so no one noticed the two of them sneaking away. By the time they returned to the resort, dusk had fallen, and the setting sun dyed the horizon a warm orange-red. Qin Wuyue didn’t come to dinner; Xia Yanran said she was still sleeping and would eat in her room later. Lin Yu went back to his own room, washed up briefly, and lay down on the bed, thinking about tomorrow. Tomorrow would be his sister’s birthday. What should he prepare for her? In his previous life, this kind of thing hadn’t happened, so he hadn’t made any special preparations, but this time maybe he should do something different. Time passed quietly, his thoughts gradually blurred, and he slowly sank into sleep.
The night was deep and quiet, time slipping by silently. After an unknown period, once Lin Yu had fallen into deep sleep, the door handle of his room—the one whose lock had been fixed just that day—turned slightly.
Click.
A faint sound, and then the door was pushed open a crack. A figure slipped in silently, turning back to gently close the door. In the darkness, only the faint light from outside outlined the blurry silhouette of the intruder. The person’s steps were soft, one by one, approaching the sleeping boy by the bed…