Chapter 48
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Chapter 48: Another Side of Lin Xin
As the setting sun cast long shadows, at the grand entrance of Shouchun Garden, Lin Xin, tall and exquisitely beautiful, fixed an unblinking gaze upon Zhou Luo beside her.
Her clear, lovely eyes were filled with an utterly serious and solemn expression.
Under her scrutiny, however, Zhou Luo maintained a smile throughout, his posture respectful and humble.
A flicker of confusion passed through Lin Xin’s eyes, but she said nothing, turning to walk in the direction leading to the core area.
Behind her, Zhou Luo let out a long sigh of relief.
In these times, facing a woman of such haughty temperament, unpredictable moods, and superior status was truly subjecting him to great pressure.
Putting his thoughts aside, Zhou Luo returned to Zhou Garden.
Within the manor, since Lin Qing Han had just given birth not long ago, the women were taking turns caring for her.
Even though there were maids, they still preferred to take personal responsibility.
This scene of such deep sisterly affection even touched Bai Zhi Yan, and she too joined in.
Though Lin Qing Han repeatedly emphasized that she didn’t need such meticulous care, she was unable to resist their enthusiasm.
Zhou Luo arrived at the room’s doorway and saw Lin Yi Yi chatting with Lin Qing Han about secrets of the boudoir; he quietly withdrew.
Just after stepping back, he bumped into the approaching Bai Zhi Yan.
Meeting each other, Zhou Luo nodded in greeting and inquired with concern, "You should be accustomed to this place by now?"
Although he had promised to send her away, it was certainly impossible in the short term.
Bai Zhi Yan nodded gently.
Zhou Luo asked no more and turned to leave.
"Actually…" Bai Zhi Yan spoke up suddenly at that moment.
Zhou Luo turned back, puzzled.
Bai Zhi Yan lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum, "Could you… sleep in my room tonight?"
Recently, Zhou Luo had been accompanying Lin Qing Han, who had just given birth, so he hadn’t gone to her room to sleep, causing her to suffer insomnia during this period.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Although the atmosphere in Zhou Garden was harmonious and everyone was very friendly, it was still an unfamiliar environment.
Once she had become accustomed to Zhou Luo’s presence, the sudden solitude inevitably left her feeling empty inside, lacking a sense of security, with her heart unsettled and random thoughts wandering.
Zhou Luo was taken aback for a moment.
Was it possible this little woman had been won over by him?
He didn’t speak. Bai Zhi Yan, her ears growing redder by the second, also realized how improper her words sounded and hurriedly added, "Forget I said anything."
Then, she walked into the room.
Zhou Luo was lost in thought.
That night, he went to Bai Zhi Yan’s room.
Seeing him appear, a faint smile flickered at the corner of Bai Zhi Yan’s mouth, then she lay down on the bed with practiced restraint.
Zhou Luo assumed she intended to offer herself tonight.
But when he lay down, he discovered that this little girl had actually fallen asleep not long after, and her face even wore a smile, sleeping quite sweetly.
Zhou Luo was speechless.
Had he turned into a sleeping pill? Yet leaving such a stunningly curved beauty untouched was truly torturous.
So he secretly left the room and slipped into Lin Lan’s bed.
After all, their two rooms were quite close to each other.
The next day before dawn broke, Zhou Luo returned to Bai Zhi Yan’s room, pretending he had never left.
He had just lain down when Bai Zhi Yan suddenly hugged him, even putting a leg over his body, very close to a certain part.
Zhou Luo gave a bitter smile.
Fortunately, he had already handled matters.
…
After breakfast, Zhou Luo went back to the alchemy room at Shouchun Garden.
To his surprise, Lin Xin was already at the furnace early, refining potions.
As for Master Lin Zhi Shou, he wasn’t in the room.
He cautiously pushed open the door and walked in, trying not to disturb this Third Young Lady.
At the furnace, Lin Xin didn’t notice anyone appearing; she was intensely focused, carefully watching the liquid at the bottom and guiding them to blend together.
Zhou Luo silently approached one side and studied her.
Under the firelight, Lin Xin’s fair, delicate face lost its usual arrogance, making her, who was normally unapproachable, seem just like an ordinary woman.
Especially her intense focus and seriousness during the refinement, along with her rigidity in every tiny movement, showed Zhou Luo a different side of her.
Her slender fingers danced between the liquid and the flames, her eyes sharp and passionate, as if only she and the furnace existed in the whole world.
Only when a light fragrant aroma of potion emerged did Lin Xin stop moving.
Just then, Zhou Luo glimpsed the corners of her lips lifting slightly, as if she smiled.
But after the refinement succeeded, Lin Xin noticed Zhou Luo’s presence and instantly turned frosty-faced, returning to her haughty, aloof self.
"When did you come?" she asked coldly.
"I just got here," Zhou Luo replied.
Lin Xin didn’t look at him anymore; she retrieved the potion from the furnace, totaling seven pills.
Seven pills from one furnace—it seemed she was about to break through too. Zhou Luo silently thought.
A short while later, Lin Zhi Shou appeared in the alchemy room.
"You all came so early?" he sounded quite surprised, then added approvingly, "Hard work is commendable. The revival of the Family’s Alchemy Division rests on you all."
With that said, he began teaching the two of them.
…
Zhou Garden lay to the east of the core area. Unknown whether deliberately arranged by the family, the nearby estates mostly housed family members under the Great Elder’s faction.
Now, in the main building of one such estate, an uninvited guest appeared.
He was a middle-aged man in a splendid robe, a smooth, translucent jade pendant hanging at his waist. His chiseled face held a steady, piercing gaze, seeming to see through hearts.
Wearing a smile, he clasped his hands toward the imposing, noble middle-aged man ahead and said, "Brother Dao Ming, I still need your help with this matter greatly."
"Just what is that woman’s identity that you’d go so far?" the other man asked doubtfully.
"No special identity at all. She was supposed to be sold to one of my clients, but now she’s fallen into another man’s hands, so we must retrieve her," the middle-aged man replied flatly.
"But she’s Zhou Luo’s woman," the man said hesitantly.
He was named Lin Dao Ming, a top-level first-level rune-making cultivator, with solid status in the family and also being of the Great Elder’s faction.
Zhou Luo was someone the Great Elder aimed to protect. If Lin Dao Ming acted rashly, it would certainly displease the elder, and facing blame later could prove awkward.
Moreover, their relationship was only ordinary; asking him to risk offending the Great Elder for this was utterly unacceptable.
Hearing these words, the middle-aged man smiled and said, "Just let me stay a few more days, that will do."
"What if the family finds out by then?" Lin Dao Ming asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Brother Dao Ming, don’t worry. Zhou Luo is just a Qi Refinement level two youngster, and Zhou Garden has no strong cultivators. After it’s done, you just need to shield me a bit until the heat passes."
"Anyway, she’s only an outsider woman; likely, the family won’t care, and even Zhou Luo won’t bother."
"If Brother Dao Ming helps out, this bottle of wood spirit potion will be yours."
With that said, the middle-aged man offered a jade bottle into the other’s hands.
Lin Dao Ming looked startled and quite tempted.
Wood spirit potion—this was a top-level first-level pill, extremely beneficial for cultivators with wood spiritual roots.
And he himself possessed wood spiritual roots.
"Seven days. Then you must leave," Lin Dao Ming uttered gravely, slipping the bottle into his robe.
"That’s only natural," the middle-aged man said with a faint smile.
