Chapter 111: The Favored One
Chen Yin didn’t see Luo Luo the next day either.
It seemed that because of the upcoming celebration, the residents of Qinglian City were busy with preparations. The city was decorated with lanterns and streamers, creating a festive atmosphere.
Chen Yin felt like an outsider, wandering the streets, seeing the busy Azure Foxes but having no one to talk to.
He tried to find Ya Ya and the others to ask about Luo Luo, but they were nowhere to be found.
He had promised Qingmei Niang that he would leave before the celebration. But with the celebration fast approaching, he felt uneasy about leaving just like that.
“Is that girl really alright?”
According to Qingmei Niang, Luo Luo had some trials to complete before the celebration.
He wondered if she was up to the task in her current state.
“…At least, I should say goodbye to her.” Chen Yin thought to himself.
Luo Luo had said she lived near the main hall.
Chen Yin walked towards the hall and saw an elegant pavilion by the water, its architecture standing out from the surrounding buildings.
He knocked tentatively, but there was no response.
“Excuse me.” He gently pushed the door open, only to find that it wasn’t locked.
Without the master-servant contract, Chen Yin could only search the pavilion room by room. He finally found a room on the second floor with the door slightly ajar.
He pushed the door open and saw Luo Luo standing by the window, gazing quietly at the scenery outside.
“Young Master!”
Luo Luo turned around and smiled faintly. “What brings you here?”
“I was worried about you.” Chen Yin said softly after a moment of silence.
…He felt a sense of unease.
The room was too tidy, the bed neatly made, as if Luo Luo hadn’t slept there last night.
It seemed she had been standing there the entire night.
But Luo Luo’s expression was calm and serene, a faint smile on her childish face.
“Thank you for your concern, Young Master, but Luo Luo is fine now.”
Chen Yin noticed the slight redness around her eyes and the hint of bitterness in her smile.
He frowned. “Have you been crying?”
“No.”
Luo Luo smiled softly, lowering her head. “Luo Luo doesn’t cry.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Chen Yin gently reached out and caressed her face, his voice soft.
“Is it because I’m leaving? It’s just a temporary separation. I can come back after the celebration.”
Luo Luo lowered her head silently, then suddenly looked up with a bright smile and took his hand.
“Young Master, spend one last day with Luo Luo.”
Chen Yin didn’t like the word “last.”
He had felt that Luo Luo was acting strangely these past few days, but he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.
“I don’t intend for this to be the last time we spend time together.” He said seriously.
Luo Luo’s lips parted slightly, then she pressed them together.
“…Okay.”
“Young Master will definitely spend more time with Luo Luo, right?” She suddenly gripped his hand tightly.
“Today, let’s go to the Wooden Leaf Illusion Realm.”
“Aren’t you going to invite Ya Ya and the others?”
“No.” Luo Luo clung to his arm. “Today, it’s just Young Master and Luo Luo.”
The Wooden Leaf Illusion Realm, located at the peak of Qinglian City, was a small pocket dimension created by a simple formation.
Although the formation wasn’t powerful, it was still quite complex, creating a unique and separate space within the mountain.
As Luo Luo pulled him into the realm, Chen Yin was greeted by a sea of green.
Leaves everywhere.
Countless trees and plants, their lush foliage covering the entire realm, every leaf a vibrant shade of green, as if freshly washed by rain. It was a calming and serene sight.
Chen Yin was reminded of a movie he had seen in his previous life, Makoto Shinkai’s “The Garden of Words.” The park in the movie had the same pure and vibrant greenery.
“Is this the trial you have to complete?” Chen Yin asked, turning to Luo Luo.
“It’s called a trial… but it’s more like a formality.”
Luo Luo’s feet tapped lightly on the moss-covered stone steps as she turned around gracefully. “There’s no danger in this realm. We’ve been playing here since we were children. We know it like the back of our hands.”
“We just have to reach the end. Come with me, Young Master.”
“Okay.”
Luo Luo didn’t hold his hand this time. They walked one after the other, Luo Luo skipping ahead playfully, while Chen Yin followed at a leisurely pace.
It was like a hidden forest deep within the mountains. Besides the trees and leaves, there was a calm and tranquil pool of water.
They looked more like they were on a leisurely stroll than undergoing a trial.
“Young Master, is Sister Qingying settling in alright?”
“She’s the type who can adapt to any environment. Don’t worry about her.”
“She’s so amazing. She’s beautiful, powerful, and reliable… All men must like women like Sister Qingying, right?”
“Not necessarily. Not everyone likes a cold and aloof ice queen.”
“What about Young Master?”
“What about me?”
“Do you like Sister Qingying?” Luo Luo blinked and turned to look at him.
Chen Yin was silent for a moment, then shook his head slowly. “Liking someone isn’t such a simple and frivolous matter.”
“She tried to kill me the first time we met. I’m not stupid enough to like someone who wants me dead.”
“Even now, she’s just a traveling companion at best, not even a friend.”
“The only reason I’m keeping her around, besides being kind enough to let her tag along, is because her skills as a member of the secret division might come in handy.”
…Of course, there was another reason.
Teasing her was quite fun.
But he kept that thought to himself. It wouldn’t be appropriate to corrupt a child.
Luo Luo’s eyes flickered as she listened, her tail swishing back and forth. She turned away, lost in thought.
Chen Yin was puzzled. Why was she suddenly so concerned about Qingying?
“Young Master.”
“Hmm?”
“Liking someone… shouldn’t be a simple and frivolous matter, right?”
“It can be simple, but it shouldn’t be frivolous.”
…Although I’m not exactly one to talk. Chen Yin thought to himself.
“Then,” Luo Luo looked up at him, “do you have someone you like, Young Master?”
Chen Yin thought for a moment and answered seriously, “Yes.”
“Is it your Junior Sister?”
“Yes.”
“And your Senior Sister?”
“Yes.”
“And maybe Sister Luo from the Heavenly Net Sect?”
“…”
Chen Yin finally couldn’t resist and ruffled her hair. “Why are you so curious today?”
Luo Luo didn’t resist, letting his hand play with her hair.
“I’m just curious.”
“You wouldn’t hate Luo Luo for being curious, right?” She clung to his arm playfully.
Chen Yin sighed, a mixture of exasperation and affection in his voice. He gently flicked her nose.
“Spoiled brat.”
Luo Luo’s eyes lowered slightly.
“If only Young Master could spoil Luo Luo every day.”
“Grow up quickly. When your mother finally lets you leave the city, I’ll take you on a trip around the world and spoil you every day.” Chen Yin said casually.
The stone path crossed the surface of the pool, the stones like stepping stones emerging from the water.
Luo Luo hopped from one stone to another, her light blue shoes barely making a sound.
“Young Master, do you think Luo Luo can swim?”
“Probably… yes.” Chen Yin blinked.
Canines were natural swimmers, right?
“What if Luo Luo can’t swim?”
“Then don’t go into the water.” Chen Yin chuckled, unsure why she was asking such strange questions.
Luo Luo suddenly stopped, standing on a stone in the middle of the pool.
She turned to him, her delicate figure as ethereal as the mist, her eyes fixed on him.
“I can’t help it.”
She smiled brightly, revealing her adorable fangs. “Because Luo Luo is spoiled, remember?”
The next moment, Chen Yin’s eyes widened in shock.
Luo Luo simply let herself fall backward into the pool, her arms outstretched.
Splash.
Water droplets sprayed into the air, and bubbles rose to the surface.
In the dark depths of the pool, only the shimmering water and the gently swaying water plants were visible.
Luo Luo opened her eyes calmly, gazing at the reflection of the sky on the water’s surface.
She was waiting.
Waiting for someone to respond to her childish whims and playful demands.
Then, her eyes widened slightly.
A dark figure broke through the surface of the water, shattering the reflection of the sky.
A hand reached out and grabbed hers.
Pulling her into a tight embrace.
“Whew… you silly girl.”
On the bank of the pool, two soaking wet figures sat side by side.
Chen Yin wrapped a towel around Luo Luo, drying her wet fur, and grumbled, “Why did you jump into the pool? Was it too hot?”
Luo Luo snuggled closer to him, letting his large hand ruffle her head, hair, and fur.
After a moment, she shook her head like a puppy shaking off water, scattering droplets everywhere, then turned to him with a carefree grin.
“Young Master said it yourself. Luo Luo is a spoiled brat.”
“You little rascal…” Chen Yin was both exasperated and amused.
This definitely wasn’t part of the trial. She was clearly just trying to get a rise out of him.
Truly, the favored child knows no fear.
Chen Yin couldn’t bring himself to scold her. He just rubbed her head with the towel, his voice gentle yet firm:
“You silly girl, always causing trouble for me.”
Luo Luo suddenly fell silent, like an obedient puppy, letting him dry her fur.
After a while, she suddenly said, “Young Master.”
“Do you know?”
His hand froze.
She said it so casually, so naturally, as if it were just a normal part of their conversation.
Like a gentle rain falling into a still pond, creating tiny ripples.
“Luo Luo…” she smiled softly, her lips pressed together.
“I think… I’m falling for you.”
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