The living room was quiet.
Outside the window, the day had already fully broken. A gentle breeze carried the lingering chill of early spring, softly brushing against the window frame.
The sun climbed higher, its warmth gradually seeping into the room and chasing away the morning cold.
“So, what’s going on with my senior brother?”
The two of them, having reintroduced themselves, had returned to a normal mode of conversation.
Lin Xiangyi picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip.
The tea had long since gone cold, leaving only a faint trace of warmth as it slid down his throat. It reminded him of the scene that morning when he had found the girl.
Soaked clothes. A soft touch. And that delicate little face even in deep sleep.
He shook his head, casting the strange thought from his mind.
He wasn*’t the type to hold prejudice against spirit beings. The cold attitude he’*d shown earlier was merely a defensive measure against an unfamiliar spirit being whose intentions were unclear.
Since this spirit being named “Xiao Ye” had presented his senior brother*’s token, and with no way to contact his master or senior brother, she was currently the only lead he had on his senior brother’*s situation.
As for whether she might have stolen or taken the token by force to find him…
Heh.
That was impossible.
Even ignoring his senior brother*’s terrifying strength, with Shen Ye’*s reputation among spirit beings—oh wait, spirit reputation—there was no way any spirit being would try anything against his grand senior brother.
He continued:
“Say, he’s having problems with his cultivation. Do you know what caused it?”
Since she was his senior brother*’s friend, she probably wouldn’*t hide anything about him, right?
Lin Xiangyi quietly watched the cat-eared girl before him, waiting for her answer.
“Mm…”
When she heard the junior brother ask whether she was the reason his senior brother’s cultivation had gone wrong, Shen Ye roughly pieced together how their master had explained things to the junior brother.
Nice. “Don’t reveal that I’m a spirit being,” huh? Master, you did a great job.
Look at what your fine disciple is calling his senior brother now!
Just thinking about being called a “bad woman” by her junior brother made Shen Ye’s ears inexplicably hot.
That junior brother of hers, who had always been respectful and proper, had actually said something like that after only half a year apart.
I really need to discipline you properly on behalf of Master, Lin Xiangyi.
She secretly shot him a fierce—yet adorable—glare.
Then quickly looked away.
But right now, I’m not Grand Senior Brother Shen Ye…
Shen Ye rubbed her smooth chin, pondering the situation.
From what she could tell, her junior brother only knew that something might have happened to her and that he needed to help.
But as for her spirit being identity and the transformation, he knew absolutely nothing.
In that case, how was she, as his “senior brother’s friend,” supposed to talk her way out of this?
An idea surfaced.
Now that they’d made up, maybe…
She could take this opportunity.
And confess to her junior brother?
The thought she*’d dismissed earlier resurfaced in her mind, and Shen Ye couldn’*t help but shudder.
She was supposed to admit to her junior brother that the cat-eared spirit being standing before him, less than 1.6 meters tall, was actually the grand senior brother he had idolized since childhood?
Ugh.
Just kill me instead.
Shen Ye let out a silent wail inside her heart.
When Shen Ye only let out an “mm” and then went quiet, Lin Xiangyi asked nervously:
“My senior brother… he hasn’t gotten into anything too serious, has he?”
His hand clenched slightly as he hoped to learn something about his senior brother from the girl before him.
Hearing this, Shen Ye snapped back to reality. She looked at Lin Xiangyi, meeting those eyes filled with tension and worry.
He genuinely cared about me. About the senior brother who was so far away.
Facing such sincere concern, a wave of complex emotions surged within Shen Ye again.
Am I really a good senior brother, deceiving and hiding things from my junior brother like this?
She felt that maybe she shouldn’t care so much about saving face, or insist on playing the role of the dignified grand senior brother.
Now that her relationship with her junior brother had eased, perhaps this was the perfect time to explain everything.
She swallowed, her eyes flickering with hesitation and inner conflict.
Should I admit it? Now? Here?
She wavered for a long time. Then, as if she had made a momentous decision, she spoke seriously:
“Xiangyi, actually, I am—”
“You are what?”
Lin Xiangyi, who had been waiting impatiently, pressed on.
“I-I… I*’m just your senior brother’*s friend!”
Flustered by Lin Xiangyi’s reaction, Shen Ye panicked again. She turned her head away, changing the subject like a car slamming on the brakes at a red light.
“Yeah, just a friend!”
She repeated it, as if emphasizing something important.
“Huh? Didn’t you already say that earlier?”
Lin Xiangyi was full of questions.
I checked her spiritual consciousness during the examination earlier and nothing was wrong. Why is she giving non-answers now?
“Ah… um… what I mean is, your senior brother and I are just friends. We never really talked much about his cultivation.”
Shen Ye lowered her head, poking her fingers together, the tips of her ears flushing a slight red from “lying.” She didn’t dare look directly at the man before her.
Ugh… I absolutely cannot admit it.
“I see… okay…”
So she didn’t know what the problem was either?
Lin Xiangyi lowered his gaze.
Seeing the man’s disappointment, Shen Ye quickly tried to reassure him:
“But don*’t worry. When I left, your senior brother was still bouncing around like crazy. I’*m sure whatever cultivation problem he has isn’t a big deal for him~”
After saying that, she gave an awkward laugh and scratched her cheek with her finger.
I’ll just wait until my power recovers, then find Master and see how to change back.
A helpless expression appeared on Lin Xiangyi’s face.
Yeah. It really isn’t a big deal.
He looked at the cat-eared girl before him and sighed inwardly.
That “big deal” has come running over to my place now.
Still, at least he knew his senior brother was probably fine.
Whatever. He’d head back after the exams were over to check on things.
He coughed twice and said:
“Ahem. Well, since your injuries still need me to follow up on, you can stay here with me for now.”
“I’ll find you a decent hotel. The treatment should take about ten days to half a month. Spend that time having fun in River City.”
“But before you go out—”
Lin Xiangyi shot a glance, staring straight at Shen Ye’s face:
“Hide your ears and tail.”
Listening to Lin Xiangyi rattle off his arrangements in rapid succession, Shen Ye stood there dumbfounded, not quite processing it.
Hotel?
He wants me to stay at a hotel alone?
In a place where lots of strangers come and go every day?
Shouldn’t I be staying with you?
Shen Ye’s face visibly paled.
“Oh, and also, the clothes you’re wearing—”
“I—!”
Shen Ye slapped the table suddenly and stood up, startling Lin Xiangyi.
“I want to live with you!”
“…”
“…”
“Ha?”
“You’re not joking, are you?” Lin Xiangyi asked sternly, his expression odd.
Shen Ye pressed her lips together. She could see the seriousness in the man’s eyes.
My junior brother really doesn’t want to keep a spirit being like me in his home.
But I also…
She lifted her gaze and met Lin Xiangyi’s eyes directly:
“No, I’m serious.”
“No.”
Lin Xiangyi refused firmly.
“I want to!”
“No.”
“I want to!”
Shen Ye refused to let it go.
“…”
Lin Xiangyi slapped his hand against his forehead.
Are all spirit beings this ignorant of social norms? Or is this woman always this airheaded?
He collected his thoughts and spoke calmly:
“Look, Xiao Ye, listen to me. In human society, men and women need to maintain distance. We need to avoid suspicion.”
“You know what avoiding suspicion means, right? Avoiding suspicion!”
Oh. So that’s it.
Hearing the man’s explanation, Shen Ye finally relaxed a little.
She released her tension and flopped back onto the sofa.
So that*’s what it was. Her junior brother wasn’*t disgusted by her being a spirit being. It was just because she was a girl now.
But as she came to her senses, she began to worry about the problem at hand again.
Still, I really can’t bring myself to stay at a hotel alone.
A worried expression appeared on Shen Ye’s delicate face. She furrowed her brows slightly, thought for a moment, then said:
“No need for all that.”
“Didn’t I just sleep on the sofa earlier? If you think we need to avoid suspicion, I can keep sleeping here for the rest of the time.”
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