Chapter 24: Commander, What Else Do You Want?!
Xu Bai’s expression softened as she raised her head slightly, speaking in a low voice, trying to avoid her usual tone.
“It’s okay. My home is nearby.”
It wasn’t a lie; her former residence with Sister Neily wasn’t far from here.
“Nearby? Do you need me to escort you?” Lin Yan immediately realized her words were inappropriate. This was a little girl half her age, not one of her usual peers. She quickly corrected herself. “Ah, then… be careful.”
“Mm-hmm.” Xu Bai nodded vigorously.
She had been wondering how to respond if Lin Yan offered to escort her, but thankfully, Lin Yan had changed her mind.
The surrounding Garrison Knights chuckled at their commander’s awkwardness, making Lin Yan blush.
The Garrison Knights had completely relaxed their guard, at least outwardly.
But Xu Bai, familiar with these former comrades, didn’t dare lower her guard, keeping her eyes downcast to prevent her gaze from revealing anything.
“Commander, you’re a woman too. Why not just escort her home?” The adjutant standing beside Lin Yan suggested, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Lin Yan froze. He was right. She was a woman; why was she being so cautious? No one here knew her anyway!
Besides, she couldn’t possibly harm such a small child, even if she wanted to!
After a moment of thought, Lin Yan scratched her cheek.
“Then… I’ll escort you home. Just escort you. I won’t do anything else!”
Her solemn declaration elicited another round of laughter from the Garrison Knights, her blush deepening.
“What else did you have in mind?!” Xu Bai thought incredulously, quickly schooling her expression, maintaining her timid demeanor.
Could Lin Yan be a…?
She hadn’t noticed anything like that before. She only knew that Lin Yan was popular with young women, with a large following, or rather… fans?
Admittedly, Xu Bai didn’t know Lin Yan well. Their encounters had always involved physical confrontations, with little conversation.
Now, seeing Lin Yan without her usual scowl, Xu Bai had to admit her popularity wasn’t unfounded.
However, Xu Bai wanted to avoid further interaction with Lin Yan. Another incident like the earlier one might expose her true identity.
At least for now, there could be no connection between “Xu Bai” and “Bai.”
“No, thank you. I can go home by myself.”
Xu Bai shook her head, then, after a moment of hesitation, forced a smile. “Thank you… big sister.”
“Big… sister…”
Hearing Xu Bai’s soft “big sister,” Lin Yan felt a strange warmth in her chest, a hint of joy in her expression.
“How nice…” Lin Yan sighed, her gaze softening, the fatigue in her eyes fading slightly. “Little girls are the cutest after all.”
Xu Bai’s eyelashes fluttered. Hadn’t she heard that somewhere before?
“Ahem, Commander Lin, please behave yourself,” the adjutant coughed pointedly.
“Don’t worry, I know my limits.” Lin Yan waved her hand dismissively, regaining her composure.
She smiled at Xu Bai. “Little girl, since you called me big sister, I won’t let you down.”
She then drew a beautifully crafted dagger from her waist and offered it, sheath and all, to Xu Bai. “This is a small gift from your big sister. It’s much better than that little toy you have. You can use it to kill any bad guys who try to do anything to you!”
The adjutant thought, Aren’t you the one with potentially bad intentions?, but he kept silent.
Xu Bai hesitated, then accepted the dagger.
Her current dagger was a standard-issue one she had grabbed when she left, durable but of inferior quality, and its blade was now chipped from long use and the fight with Ice Lily. It was barely functional.
The dagger Lin Yan offered was no cheap trinket. Xu Bai recognized it as one of Lin Yan’s personal weapons. Although not a legendary artifact, it was a high-quality blade.
Xu Bai didn’t want further entanglement with Lin Yan, but she desperately needed a good dagger.
“Thank you, big sister.”
Having dropped her pretense, Xu Bai delivered the endearment more smoothly. Lin Yan, clearly pleased, nodded with satisfaction.
“It’s getting late. You should go home now.” A cheerful smile spread across Lin Yan’s face as she tapped Xu Bai’s nose gently. “Don’t come back here, okay? It’s dangerous.”
Xu Bai nodded slightly, clutching the dagger, pulling her hood over her head, and quickly leaving.
Lin Yan watched her go, her smile fading as she sighed.
“Uncle Lin, follow her. I left a trace of my aura on the dagger.”
Uncle Lin was the adjutant who had been teasing her earlier. He was a family steward, his position as adjutant arranged by her family.
“Miss, but…” Uncle Lin seemed surprised.
“Don’t you find it strange? A little girl with a standard-issue weapon, here at a time like this?” Lin Yan said softly, her gaze still fixed on the direction Xu Bai had gone.
“And her movements were too practiced. The way she drew and sheathed the dagger… I thought it was my imagination at first, but now I think I was right.”
“Moreover, she accepted my gift without much hesitation. A bit too readily for a stranger.”
What Lin Yan didn’t say was the unsettling sense of familiarity she felt towards the girl, and the strange warmth that had bloomed in her chest when the girl called her “big sister.”
Who was she…?
“Miss, but you just said…”
“No, she clearly meant me no harm,” Lin Yan shook her head before Uncle Lin could finish. “But she’s hiding something, and I’m curious. Besides—”
A smile suddenly appeared on Lin Yan’s face. “Even if I’m wrong, it’s no big deal. I’m just asking you to follow her. And I did give her my dagger, didn’t I?”
Uncle Lin nodded, looking at the young woman he had raised, now capable and independent, a warm smile on his face.
“You’ve grown, Miss… Alright, I’ll follow her.”
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