Chapter 16: The Secret Identity Had Been Exposed Long Ago

“Senior Brother.”

“Hmm?”

“Were you… crying just now?”

Lin Xiao’s hand stopped as he bandaged Xiao Luoyi.

His ears felt a bit hot.

“…No.”

“I saw it all.”

She poked Lin Xiao’s cheek.

“Were you crying for me?”

Lin Xiao didn’t respond.

After a long while, he let out a low “Mm.”

Xiao Luoyi watched him with a faint smile, quietly staring at his face.

Being stared at like this by his junior sister, Lin Xiao felt a little embarrassed.

“I’m sorry…”

He decided to come clean.

“Junior Sister, actually, I lied to you. There was never any sweeping monk. I am Yu Lao, Yu Lao is me.”

“I know.”

Xiao Luoyi replied very directly.

Lin Xiao froze, turned his head, and met Xiao Luoyi’s gaze.

“I knew it was you.”

“From that thunderstorm night, when you carried me out of the warehouse, I saw the birthmark on your wrist. It’s shaped like a petal, very unique.”

Lin Xiao opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a single word.

“Also,” she continued, “the scent on you, like sunshine and grass…”

“Brother can change his clothes, disguise his voice, imitate his gait, but his scent cannot be changed.”

“You… why didn’t you expose me?”

Xiao Luoyi blinked.

“Brother must have his reasons for doing this.”

She paused, then added, “Besides, when Brother wanted to tell me, I wouldn’t need to expose you. Like now.”

Lin Xiao gave an awkward smile, feeling like his earlier convoluted behavior made him look like a clown.

He took a deep breath, carefully helped her sit on a relatively flat rock nearby.

From his storage pouch, he pulled out several herbs and a roll of clean bandages.

“Bear with it.”

His movements were very gentle, afraid of hurting Xiao Luoyi.

He carefully peeled off the temporary bandage on her abdomen.

When he saw the shocking wound, his hand still trembled involuntarily.

“About that… osmanthus cake.”

“Hmm?”

“It was too sweet.”

Lin Xiao said while rinsing the edge of the wound with clean water.

“It was so sweet that I had nightmares that night. In the dream, two burly men held me down, and you were beside me saying, ‘Someone, feed the young master some sugar.'”

Xiao Luoyi was stunned.

“Brother doesn’t like it?”

“It’s not that I dislike it.”

Lin Xiao glanced at her quickly, then lowered his head to mash the herbs.

“But next time… you can use less sugar. ‘A few’ doesn’t mean dumping the whole jar.”

“If I eat like that a few more times, I might get diabetes… Oh, that’s a mortal disease caused by eating too much sugar.”

“Then Brother can teach me how to make it.”

Xiao Luoyi immediately replied.

“That’s not impossible.”

Lin Xiao agreed without thinking.

He finished treating the abdominal wound and began to check the scrapes and bruises on her arms and legs.

Then he cleaned the blood stains from her face.

Xiao Luoyi remained quiet, just watching him.

“Oink oink…”

Perhaps the Little Flower Pig felt these two were being overly affectionate.

It shook its head and waddled out.

Behind it, the sturdy Mother Beast also slowly walked out, following the Little Flower Pig.

The Little Flower Pig ran to Xiao Luoyi’s feet, nuzzled her, then looked up at Lin Xiao and oinked a few times, its little bean-like eyes sparkling.

Lin Xiao was wondering what the pig wanted when he heard Xiao Luoyi say softly, “It says it wants more berries.”

Lin Xiao was startled and looked at her.

“You can understand it?!”

“A little.”

Xiao Luoyi patted the Little Flower Pig’s head.

“I can roughly understand the calls and emotions of some demon beasts. I’ve been able to since I was a child.”

She paused.

“I don’t tell just anyone. But Brother is not just anyone.”

Lin Xiao was slightly surprised, but on second thought, it made sense.

In the game, Xiao Luoyi indeed had a hidden setting where she could understand the language of beasts with higher intelligence.

It was said to be related to her background and bloodline.

He pulled out the last few ugly-looking berries from his storage pouch—scattered leftovers from when he had prepared berries for the Little Flower Pig earlier.

He gave one to the Little Flower Pig, then tentatively offered one to the Mother Beast.

The Little Flower Pig took whatever was offered, eating happily.

The Mother Beast seemed to think the berries were too small; it didn’t eat them.

It just looked at Xiao Luoyi, then at Lin Xiao, and snorted.

Xiao Luoyi watched this scene and helped translate, “It says thank you. Thank you for treating its child’s wound earlier.”

“You’re welcome.”

Lin Xiao nodded, hoping the Mother Beast would understand.

After dealing with all the wounds, Lin Xiao sighed in relief.

He looked at Xiao Luoyi, who, though weak, had shining eyes, for a moment.

Then he cupped her face in both hands.

“Xiao Luoyi.”

He called her full name for the first time.

“Listen to me.”

“From now on, you must take better care of yourself. Don’t face danger alone.”

“Run when you can’t win. Fight back when you’re bullied. And when you have problems you can’t solve, you can also… come to me to discuss.”

“I really thought… you were dead just now.”

Xiao Luoyi’s eyelashes fluttered.

She looked at the disheveled reflection in his pupils.

After a long while, she nodded softly.

“Okay.”

The two stared at each other like that, the atmosphere turning a little awkward again.

The Little Flower Pig started “oinking oinking” beside them, interrupting their gaze.

Xiao Luoyi smiled.

“It says the berries are tasty, and it wants more.”

Lin Xiao’s face showed helplessness.

He let go of her face and spread his hands.

“All gone. I’ll bring more next time.”

With that, he didn’t linger.

He carefully lifted Xiao Luoyi horizontally, and Xiao Luoyi naturally reached her arms around his neck.

This position could best avoid touching the wounds.

“Hold tight,” he murmured, then turned and walked step by step toward the cave exit.

Xiao Luoyi leaned against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

“Brother, Brother, I killed such a huge demon beast… Does that mean I’ve mastered the technique you taught me?”

“It counts.”

Lin Xiao was certain.

“It absolutely counts.”

After a pause, he added, his tone helpless and resigned, “From now on, you’ll be my big shot. I’ll handle sweeping and cooking. You handle the fighting and protecting me.”

Xiao Luoyi let out a chuckle, neither confirming nor denying.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something,

“Brother, Brother, that spike.”

“What?”

“That thickest spike.”

She glanced back at the spike still stained with blood on the ground.

“Help me bring it, okay?”

“What do you need that for?”

“A souvenir.”

Lin Xiao didn’t ask further, nor dared to ask.

He bent down and picked up the blood-soaked spine spike.

Thus, holding her in one arm and the spike in the other, he walked step by step toward the hazy moonlight outside the cave.

The Little Flower Pig oinked and followed a few steps, but was gently caught by the nape by the Mother Beast and dragged back into the shadowy depths.

The Mother Beast watched the two leave, letting out a low whine, but didn’t follow.