Chapter 72

Even though he suspected that Ling Luo had guessed his true identity, Lin Xiao couldn’t be sure. So Lin Xiao had to keep the pretense going, and continue his indifferent demeanor in front of Ling Luo.

Ling Luo had reverted to being more reserved. The two just strolled along, Ling Luo sometimes pointing out this or that. Otherwise, they were silent.

And that was it…after ambling for a while, they returned to the inn.

Afterwards, sprawled on the bed in his room, taking deep breaths, Lin Xiao felt like he had escaped…

Until the next day, when Ling Luo knocked on his door, inviting him out again.

Lin Xiao wanted to refuse. Walking with Ling Luo yesterday had more tiring than fighting. But looking into Ling Luo’s smiling face, the words died in Lin Xiao’s throat.

Ling Luo dragged Lin Xiao out. Not saying much, Ling Luo acted neither enthusiastic or cold to Lin Xiao, matching Lin Xiao’s reticence. Lin Xiao still couldn’t fathom was Ling Luo was thinking, as he responded lightly to Ling Luo’s occasional conversational forays.

When Ling Luo spotted a restaurant on the road, he pulled at Lin Xiao. “Come on, let’s go eat there?”

Lin Xiao eyed the restaurant. It looked fine and he was feeling weary. Sitting down sounded good. Lin Xiao nodded: “Yes.”

Seated inside, Ling Luo ordered a few dishes. While waiting for the food, Ling Luo kept examining Lin Xiao closely. It made Lin Xiao’s scalp go numb, but he maintained his outer appearance of complacency.

Until finally he couldn’t bare it anymore. He asked Ling Luo, “Why do you keep staring at me? Am I sprouting flowers on my face?”

Ling Luo’s eyes narrowed, but his lips curved up. “I think you’re quite good-looking, so I can’t help but stare. You don’t mind, do you?”

Lin Xiao: “…” What could he say to Ling Luo’s thick face? Upset and unable to articulate anything, Lin Xiao sipped his tea, attempting to ignore Ling Luo.

Seeing Lin Xiao go silent, Ling Luo scratched his nose. But his gaze didn’t leave Lin Xiao’s form and his mouth didn’t lose its smile.

Finally their dishes came. It wasn’t that the restaurant service was slow. It was just that, to Lin Xiao, every minute with Ling Luo felt like a hour.

Lin Xiao started eating immediately, paying Ling Luo no heed.

However, Ling Luo kept putting food in Lin Xiao’s bowl.

Ling Luo’s chopsticks did not stop dropping morsels, until Lin Xiao was forced to look up at him. Ling Luo, holding Lin Xiao’s gaze, said: “Eat more.”

Lin Xiao: “…”

They settled back into a stalemate of silence. However, the stability was broken soon enough.

Yu Weiwei and Yu Zheng entered the restaurant.

There weren’t many seats left, and Yu Weiwei’s eyes lit up when she saw Ling Luo. Quickly making her way over, Yu Weiwei asked, “Ling Luo, may we share a table with you?”

Inwardly grimacing, Ling Luo cast his eyes around the restaurant. If he found an empty place, he planned to tell Yu Weiwei to go sit there. But already a couple of guests had taken the last few spots.

Ling Luo sighed to himself. He nodded at Yu Weiwei. “It’s good.”

Therefore, Yu Weiwei sat down happily, pulling Yu Zheng with her.

Yu Zheng rolled his eyes at his sister’s behavior. It rendered him speechless, seeing her so giddy at sitting at Ling Luo’s table.

Now that there were outsiders there, Ling Luo stopped pushing food on Lin Xiao. The pile in Lin Xiao’s bowl was practically a mountain anyways. Consuming it all was turning into a painstaking effort.

Yu Weiwei tried to engage Ling Luo in conversation. Ling Luo would answer lightly, then go quiet. Yu Zheng just sat there with a blank expression.

The four formed a truly wonderful circle…Yu Weiwei just went on chattering, Ling Luo responding intermittently. Now that the weight of all Ling Luo’s attention no longer rested on him, Lin Xiao’s tension was gradually relieved.

After finishing their meal, Ling Luo grabbed Lin Xiao, planning to continue their walk. But Yu Weiwei followed them. To Ling Luo’s irritation, it seemed the street was too wide to shake her off. In the face of his indifference, she continued talking away.

The four walked along together.

Suddenly, in front of them appeared a woman perfect in appearance and demeanor. Lin Xiao blinked. Huangfu Ling. Destined to be ranked second in Ling Luo’s harem.

And this girl, not yet belonging to Ling Luo, happened to be whom Yu Zheng liked.

Yu Zheng visibly perked up, seeing Huangfu Ling. He rushed to her side, saying with a grin: “I didn’t expect to meet you here. What a coincidence. It’s been a long time, how are you doing?”

Startled by Yu Zheng’s sudden advance, Huangfu Ling took a moment to respond. “Very good.” Her tone was cold, not hiding her clear disinterest in Yu Zheng.

To a bystander, it was amusing. As much as Yu Zheng had disdained Yu Weiwei’s behavior towards Ling Luo, now Yu Zheng was acting the same way to Huangfu Ling.

While Yu Zheng tried to engage Huangfu Ling, Ling Luo once again pulled at Lin Xiao, to try and go around. Ling Luo’s shoulder rubbed against Huangfu Ling’s and she turned to look at him. But was blocked by Yu Weiwei…

Yu Weiwei knew her brother had always liked this woman, but to Yu Weiwei, Huangfu Ling was nothing but a threat. When Yu Weiwei saw Ling Luo pass by Huangfu Ling, Yu Weiwei instantly moved her body between them.

Huangfu Ling only gave Yu Weiwei a brief scan before turning her head. Registering that Yu Zheng was still blathering at her, she said, “I’m sorry, please excuse me. I still have errands to go on…”

“Oh. Right.” Yu Zheng gave way to Huangfu Ling.

Huangfu Ling walked away without a backwards glance.

Yu Zheng hung his head, disheartened.

……

That day, after Yu Weiwei insisted on following Ling Luo, Ling Luo had given up and impatiently gone back to the inn. When they arrived, and Lin Xiao went to go upstairs, Murong Xue happened to be coming down.

…Lin Xiao moved to the side.

He didn’t want to be involved anymore. He was distraught enough, why cause himself any more trouble?

Murong Xue, who had always been searching for Ling Luo the past few days and getting rejected, caught Ling Luo with that woman beside him.

Murong Xue had finally gotten rid of Xing Xuanxuan, and now some other girl was trying? Murong Xue’s mouth made a smile, but her eyes dripped with contempt. Let that woman give her best, Murong Xue believed in the end Ling Luo would belong to only her.

Ling Luo trained in the Medicine Pavilion, spending days and nights with her. Spend enough time with someone, how could feelings not grow? Murong Xue finished descending the stairway, and went over to pull at Ling Luo’s sleeve, talking to him.

With Ling Luo hemmed in both sides by women, Lin Xiao took the opportunity to disappear into his room. Fortunately, there were only two days left until the assembly finally started. Lin Xiao didn’t know if he could handle any more interactions with Ling Luo. His heart wouldn’t stop pounding, and he kept fearing that he wouldn’t be able stop himself from blurting the truth to Ling Luo.

If he told Ling Luo now…he would be destroying Ling Luo’s chance to get high results at the assembly…and he would be guilty of yet another sin.

Maybe because of Murong Xue and Yu Weiwei, Ling Luo did not come to find Lin Xiao any further that day. So Lin Xiao slept peacefully that night.

……

Now it was just one more day before the assembly began.

Lin Xiao was unsure if he should keep on his face mask, and not attend with his true face. Even though he also thought that Ling Luo already knew who he was. On the previous outings Ling Luo had probably been teasing him.

Thinking it over, Lin Xiao prepared himself to go to Ling Luo and confirm he was Lin Xiao. But going to leave his room, someone knocked twice.

“Open the door. It’s me.”

Lin Xiao’s eyes flickered. Why was it every time he was thinking of Ling Luo, there Ling Luo promptly appeared?

The door popped open and Ling Luo walked in.

He closed the door behind him, and without speaking, sat down on a stool.

Looking at Ling Luo, Lin Xiao couldn’t fathom what he wanted.

“You…”

“You know, you’re really disappointing. How long are you going to hide from me?” Ling Luo heaved a sigh, tone grieved.

Everything Lin Xiao had been planning on saying caught in his throat. Ling Luo really did already know. About his parents too? Lin Xiao opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Finally, all he said was: “Sorry.”

Lin Xiao bowed his head, missing the smirk that flashed across Ling Luo’s face.

“Doing this, you think just an apology is going to fix it?”

Lin Xiao closed his eyes. He didn’t expect Ling Luo’s forgiveness and he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He would confess to Ling Luo his unpardonable sin and ask Ling Luo to kill only him.

Ling Luo was faster however, saying, “How much longer do you intend on doing this? I’ve pretended not to know you, and still you were so cold to me! And now all you have to say is ‘sorry’?”

…The lines of Lin Xiao’s thoughts and Ling Luo’s thoughts were not meeting.

From bracing himself for death, to realizing Ling Luo had not yet found out about his parents, Lin Xiao felt tortured. Sadness and fear were pressing down, and all he could do was stare at Ling Luo in a daze.

Ling Luo, on the other hand, was feeling delighted. He hadn’t seen Lin Xiao in a few months, and he had missed Lin Xiao more and more as the days had gone by.

There had that familiar-seeming stranger. And then when Ling Luo had touched him, felt that pleasing body, coupled with Lin Xiao’s reactions, it had confirmed to Ling Luo that it was indeed Lin Xiao.

After walking out together for a couple of days, Ling Luo had thought that Lin Xiao would take the initiative to confess. Unexpectedly, Lin Xiao had maintained the pretense. In the end, Ling Luo had to be the one to end it.

Seeing Lin Xiao frozen there, Ling Luo considered that in their time apart Lin Xiao had only grown lovelier. He couldn’t help himself, he got up and wrapped Lin Xiao in an embrace.

It had been too long since he’d been able to hold Lin Xiao. Ling Luo enjoyed the soft feelings.

Yet, in his arms, Lin Xiao’s body was stiff.

Lin Xiao’s heart was dying of guilt. Ling Luo’s warmth towards him just made things worse. Lin Xiao’s eyes wanted to shed bitter tears.

Being in a panic for so long, not being to sleep at nights, always seeing the faces of Ling Luo’s parents before him, Lin Xiao was on the verge of collapse. And now Ling Luo’s strong arms were encircling him.

He really was about to cry.

Miserably, Lin Xiao recalled that in the last life he and his family had died by Ling Luo’s hand. But at least in that life, Lin Xiao’s hands hadn’t been stained with innocent blood.

And he still didn’t know what had happened to Huangfu Shan. He might be responsible for her death too…

Lin Xiao blinked his tears away. He was a man, he had to act like one. What was death? He wasn’t dead yet. Just as long as his family weren’t dragged into it…

Because the fault only lay with him.

Breaking out of Ling Luo’s hold, Lin Xiao reluctantly smiled at him. “I didn’t think you recognized me. Are you ready for the assembly tomorrow?”

Ling Luo nodded, immediately missing the sweetness of Lin Xiao’s body against his. Still, he returned Lin Xiao’s smile and releasing his cultivation, said: “You feel the change?”

Astonishment washed over Lin Xiao’s face.

Prefecture-level, first-level.

Ling Luo was already first-level…