Chapter 21: Junior
“My name is Luo Ling,” Luo Ling extended her hand. “Thank you for saving me. It would have been troublesome otherwise.”
“You’re welcome, you’re welcome…”
An Yu shook Luo Ling’s hand, chuckling awkwardly.
She hadn’t done anything, just shouted a few words from the sidelines.
However… Senior’s grip was surprisingly strong.
After letting go, An Yu secretly rubbed the sore spot between her thumb and index finger, wincing slightly.
She didn’t know that Luo Ling had been deliberately holding back.
After returning to her original form, Luo Ling’s monstrous strength had returned. Conversely, she could no longer use the Puppet Ballad’s abilities.
However, the Spores she had planted earlier still existed; they wouldn’t disappear with her transformation.
“Even if you’re on leave, don’t wander around alone. It’s dangerous for a young girl like you to be outside,” Luo Ling said with concern. “There are many bad people out there.”
And many Grotesqueries.
If this cute freshman had arrived a little earlier, she might have run into the Forgotten River Child.
Facing an ordinary person, the Forgotten River Child would definitely possess them without hesitation. If that happened… An Yu’s fate wouldn’t be much better than the two unfortunate doctors in front of the morgue.
“Thank you for your concern, Senior. Actually, I’m here to…”
Touched by Luo Ling’s concern, An Yu almost revealed her purpose. “I just came out for some fresh air… ahaha…”
Luo Ling could hear the underlying meaning, but she wasn’t interested in the extracurricular activities of a truant schoolgirl.
It was just a chance encounter; they might not even meet again.
Nodding slightly at her junior, Luo Ling hurried home.
She had promised to be back by noon in her note and couldn’t keep her sister waiting.
Watching Luo Ling’s receding figure until she disappeared from sight, An Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Good, good, I didn’t expose myself…”
Then, she took out a compass, examining it closely, her pretty brow furrowed.
“Strange, why did the Grotesquery’s reaction disappear? I finally encountered a weakened Grotesquery… Sigh, another lost Sacred Relic.”
After searching the area several times with no results, An Yu could only give up.
She had finally mustered the courage to act alone, and this was the result…
An Yu sat dejectedly on a stone bench by the roadside, taking out a three-inch bone dagger and stroking it gently. Memories surfaced in her eyes, and she sobbed softly.
“I’m sorry, Teacher, I’m still too weak…”
…
At noon, when Luo Ling returned home with a bag of stationery, she saw her sister pacing anxiously.
As soon as Luo Ling opened the door, Su Wan rushed over, taking the bag from her hands and scolding her worriedly.
“Xiao Ling, how could you just leave a note and go out? I could have gone with you to buy stationery…”
Su Wan had taken leave these past few days specifically to help Luo Ling prepare for her return to school.
“Sister, I’m not a child anymore. Besides, I wrote in the note that I’d be back by noon,” Luo Ling said with a smile.
“You just recovered from your illness. I was worried you might have an accident on the road… Did anything happen?” Su Wan walked around Luo Ling, checking for any injuries.
Luo Ling had cleaned herself up before returning.
However… she found it strange that her sister didn’t seem to care much about her changed appearance.
Even though Luo Ling had returned to her normal form, her sister didn’t comment on it.
…It seemed her sister had truly accepted everything she had said.
Luo Ling’s eyes flickered, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
“Aiya, Sister, I’m really fine. Have you made lunch yet? I’m starving.”
This was a lie. She wasn’t hungry at all.
After awakening, Luo Ling had lost her normal appetite. Only when holding a Sacred Relic would she feel a craving, a “hunger.”
“Oh, I was so worried I forgot. I’ll go make lunch now.”
Su Wan patted her forehead and hurried to the kitchen.
Her light steps showed that her mood had improved considerably.
The familiar warmth allowed Luo Ling to temporarily forget everything she had just experienced, the other side of the world, the cruel reality of Awakened Ones and Grotesqueries.
However…
Luo Ling reached into her pocket for the item Ji Ying had given her at the last moment, intending to take a look. Just then, Su Wan’s voice called out.
“Xiao Ling, come and help!”
“Okay!”
Luo Ling quickly withdrew her hand, stood up, and went to the small, shabby kitchen, expertly picking vegetables as she always did.
The sizzling of the wok and the pungent smell of oil filled the air. Her sister, her face covered in soot, was stir-frying a few pieces of meat, black smoke rising from the stove.
This was the life Luo Ling was familiar with.
Perhaps in the near future, she would drift further and further away from this warmth…
But at least for now…
“Sister, do you want to live in a big city?”
“Of course, that’s why you have to study hard, Xiao Ling. When you get a job and earn money, Sister can enjoy life.”
A bright smile appeared on Su Wan’s tired face, the marks of time clearly visible.
“Okay.”
Luo Ling nodded.
She was now an Awakened One and could use her abilities to earn money.
Yes, although Luo Ling herself couldn’t escape the Puppet Ballad, nor could she abandon Ji Ying, who was trapped by it, Su Wan could.
Saving enough money for her sister to leave Jiangcheng County, this place of danger… was undoubtedly the best choice.
Before that, Luo Ling needed a convincing reason for her sister to leave, an opportunity for her to leave without worry.
“Sister, I want to live in the school dormitory,” Luo Ling put down the vegetables and said seriously. “The academic workload in my senior year is heavy, and our home is a bit far from school, half an hour by bike. It’s inconvenient.”
Su Wan was taken aback, a worried frown appearing between her brows.
“That’s true, but the dormitory fees—”
“The school has subsidies, it doesn’t cost anything.”
She could just go and do manual labor. With her current strength, she could probably work a truck to its limits.
“Really? But, can you… manage on your own?” Su Wan was still hesitant. After all, Luo Ling had always grown up under her care.
This… was the first time she would be leaving her side, and it was Xiao Ling’s own suggestion.
For some reason, Su Wan felt a sense of loss.
“Don’t worry, Sister, I’m a grown-up now, I can take care of myself…”
Luo Ling lowered her head, trying to hide her expression.
Only when she was independent enough could her sister feel at ease.
Could she escape.
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