“White Knight, I want to be your follower!”
Ye Lian was stunned for several seconds when she heard that.
She had thought Bai Xue wanted to become her companion.
But a follower?
When Ye Lian didn’t respond, Bai Xue, who had just mustered up the courage to speak, lowered her head again, her thoughts in chaos.
‘So it’s a no, after all?’
‘Makes sense. We’re just strangers who happened to cross paths. A request like this really is too much.’
‘Not to mention, the White Knight saved my life. I haven’t even repaid that debt, and now I’m shamelessly asking for even more.’
‘I really am selfish… so selfish and shameless!’
‘But… I don’t want to die.’
Clutching the front of her shirt, Bai Xue bit her lip.
She knew very well that if she missed this chance, there was an extremely high chance she wouldn’t survive.
Her odds of staying alive were less than one percent.
She was only twenty years old—still far too young to say she’d truly lived.
She had her whole life ahead of her, full of promise and potential.
“I’m really capable. I’ve got good stamina and endurance. I can do all the dirty and exhausting jobs!”
Bai Xue lifted her head again and spoke in a voice that was nearly pleading.
This was her one and only chance to live, and she would fight for it with everything she had.
Even if it meant humbling herself or groveling.
As long as Ye Lian said yes, it would all be worth it.
Ye Lian was dumbfounded.
Bai Xue lowering herself like this was completely unexpected.
But Ye Lian didn’t think she looked pitiful.
The adult world was never easy.
Especially not when death was staring you in the face.
While Bai Xue waited for an answer, her eyes turned red with anxiety, her heart a complete mess.
Seeing that, Ye Lian quickly spoke up.
“Don’t be like that. I’ll say yes.”
She had never meant to embarrass the girl—she just didn’t want her own help to feel cheap.
“Really?!” Bai Xue exclaimed, overwhelmed with joy.
Her voice trembled with disbelief.
“Of course. But…”
“Thank you!” Before Ye Lian could finish her sentence, Bai Xue suddenly threw her arms around her in a bear hug.
She was just too happy.
Even as tears streamed down her face, she didn’t care.
In this moment, she felt a deep sense of relief—as if she’d escaped stormy seas and finally set foot on solid ground.
Feeling the girl’s trembling body and warmth, Ye Lian hesitated for a moment before patting her on the back and asking,
“Do you like maid outfits?”
Bai Xue blinked, then gave a shy smile.
“I do, my master.”
Ye Lian had the strange sense that she was being misunderstood—but she had no proof.
The reason she brought up maid outfits was because the only materials she had left were light and flexible—perfect for agile movement.
And they just happened to be black and white, which matched a maid-style design.
Bai Xue shyly let go of her and stepped back to put a bit of distance between them.
A light smile appeared on her face, full of newfound ease.
Gratitude toward Ye Lian was practically overflowing from Bai Xue’s heart.
“Even though you said you want to be my follower, I won’t treat you like one. Hmm, let me think of a better title…”
Ye Lian rested her chin on one hand, just about to come up with a suitable term when Bai Xue cut her off.
“No!”
“Why not?” Ye Lian asked, confused.
It wasn’t like she truly intended to treat Bai Xue like a servant.
Saving her had been nothing more than a casual act.
Bringing her along for a while was also something Ye Lian had already decided on.
“Because you’re not just my savior… you’re also my protector. Saying you’re a follower is just my way of clinging to you for safety. But if I go on pretending I’m your equal… no, if I keep acting like I’m on the same level as my master, my conscience won’t let me.”
Bai Xue spoke with total honesty.
She didn’t care if revealing her true thoughts would earn mockery or contempt.
“You really don’t have to do this,” Ye Lian replied, a little helplessly.
“Then just think of it as me being stubborn, Master,” Bai Xue said softly, secretly letting out a breath of relief.
Being honest was a good quality, but being too honest wasn’t always admirable.
It often had the opposite effect.
People usually preferred beautiful lies over painful truths.
If someone had asked Ye Lian which she liked more, she would’ve said: “It depends.”
But there was no doubt that Bai Xue’s candid confession had pleased her.
‘She’s a good girl—brave, resilient, clever, and sensible. And very honest, too.’
‘She’d make a great wife.’
Ye Lian couldn’t help thinking to herself.
She held Bai Xue in very high regard.
If Bai Xue had acted coy or been too proud to ask for help earlier, Ye Lian would’ve just accompanied her for a while and then walked away without a second thought.
“Is it really not okay?” Bai Xue asked, her tone slightly dejected.
“As long as you’re happy,” Ye Lian said with a wry smile.
‘Now I feel like I’m bullying her or something.’
“That’s great!” Bai Xue finally relaxed completely.
She could tell—Ye Lian had truly accepted her.
***
“Back to the point,” Ye Lian shifted the topic.
“As you’ve probably noticed, I have secrets.”
“Yes!” Bai Xue nodded.
They were both closed beta players, and the White Knight’s power was clearly abnormal.
Ye Lian must have gained some kind of extraordinary power or heaven-defying opportunity.
Bai Xue felt nothing but admiration.
“If my real identity gets exposed, it will bring a lot of trouble,” Ye Lian said seriously.
“I swear I’ll never ask a single thing about your identity, Master! Even if I happen to learn something, I’ll keep my mouth shut!”
Bai Xue raised her right hand in a solemn vow.
If she wanted to survive in this game, she had to rely on Ye Lian.
So no matter what conditions Ye Lian set, whether Bai Xue could fulfill them or not, she would still agree.
“And about my abilities…”
“I won’t leak a single word!”
“I believe you can do it. But still, just to be safe—if anything does happen… I’ll kill you with my own hands.”
Ye Lian’s words were calm but chilling.
Although Bai Xue’s answers had satisfied her, she wasn’t the type to leave crucial things unsaid.