Chapter 20
The study in the City Lord's Mansion was filled with a cold and solemn atmosphere with invisible pressure, which was completely different from the extravagant and decadent atmosphere of the Bone-Erosion Nest.
Lin Yao sat on the cold carved wooden chair, his body still trembling slightly, as if he had not yet fully recovered from the shock.
He lowered his head, his silver hair draped softly over his shoulders, covering most of his face, leaving only his pointed chin and tightly pursed, bloodless lips visible.
The fragility and sadness that penetrated deep into the bone marrow permeated the air like a silent tide.
Qin Feng sat next to him, his posture straight as a pine tree, still with that cold look that kept people at a distance.
But his hands on his knees curled up slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Seeing the people around him like this, he felt like a piece of ice was stuck in his chest, cold and stuffy. He wanted to say something, comfort? Explain? But he was not born with the ability to speak well, especially in such a complex emotional situation, words seemed so pale and powerless.
He could only stiffly take out a clean handkerchief with a cold scent of pine and cypress and silently hand it to Lin Yao.
Lin Yao didn't look up, but his long eyelashes trembled, and a crystal teardrop fell silently on the smooth dark wooden floor, leaving a small dark mark.
He stretched out his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly, and took the handkerchief, but did not wipe it. Instead, he held it tightly in his palm, as if it was the only piece of driftwood he could hold on to.
Qin Feng's Adam's apple rolled, but he couldn't say anything. The only thing left in the study was a crushing silence and the faint hum of the city outside the window.
Time passed slowly in suffocating silence.
Finally, the heavy carved wooden door of the study was silently pushed open. Qin Lan walked in, followed by Qin Mu, whose face was gloomy and his eyes were filled with resentment and unwillingness.
Qin Lan sat down in the main seat, her eyes as sharp as a knife. She first swept over the silent Qin Feng and the fragile Lin Yao, and finally fixed on Qin Mu, with scrutiny and unquestionable majesty.
"Speak." Qin Lan's voice was not loud, but it struck everyone's heart clearly. "Mu'er, you accused Feng'er of stealing your love and forcibly taking your person. Now, explain it clearly in front of me."
Qin Mu immediately took a step forward like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his face instantly changing to a mixture of grievance and anger. "Mother, you have to make the decision for me. Yaoyao and I just went to the Bone Erosion Nest to relax, and our friends urged him to go on stage and play. It wasn't a big deal, but my brother..."
He pointed at Qin Feng, his voice suddenly rising, filled with accusations. "He broke in without any reason, and even used his spatial ability to forcibly take me away. Isn't this just stealing someone's love?! Just because he's an S-rank and the future heir to the city lord, does he have the right to bully me like this?!"
He spoke with great emotion, downplaying his actions in the bar as a joke by his friends, twisting Qin Feng's rescue into a robbery by bullying.
He knew his eldest brother's most fatal weakness - he was not good at speaking, especially in situations like this where he needed to make excuses.
Qin Mu, who has been in the social world since he was a child, is best at distorting right and wrong and inciting emotions.
"Yaoyao!" Qin Mu suddenly turned to Lin Yao, a loving expression on his face. His voice became extremely gentle, with just the right amount of regret. "I know I scared you tonight. It's my fault. I was momentarily bewildered and listened to the instigation of those bad friends. But my feelings for you are true."
He took a step forward, trying to get closer to Lin Yao. "Look, from the moment I brought you back from D City until now, when have I ever forced you? I have always respected you and given you time, because I love you. I am willing to wait for you, even if it takes a lifetime! Yaoyao, come back to me, okay? Big brother...he doesn't understand what love is at all. He just feels sorry for you."
Qin Mu's performance was superb; his eyes, tone, and posture were all filled with affection and remorse.
He was sure that Lin Yao, a simple, fragile fool who could be easily deceived by him from Lu Cheng, would be moved by his true confession and fall to him again when he was isolated and helpless.
Lin Yao raised his head, his blue eyes filled with tears, and his gaze shifted between Qin Mu and Qin Feng, full of struggle and hesitation.
His lips trembled slightly, as if he was really touched by Qin Mu's affection.
He looked at Qin Mu, with a hint of softening in his eyes.
Qin Mu was overjoyed and was about to add fuel to the fire...
Suddenly, Lin Yao's body flinched violently. He seemed to have remembered something extremely terrifying, and his blue eyes, which had just softened, were instantly filled with immense fear.
Those tangible, greedy gazes on the bar stage, ready to devour him alive, resurfaced before his eyes. If it weren't for Qin Feng... if he hadn't appeared in time... what would have happened to him?!
“No…don’t…”
Lin Yao murmured with a tearful tone, and almost instinctively, he stretched out his hand and tightly grasped the sleeve of Qin Feng next to him.
His knuckles turned white from exerting so much force, and he quickly retreated behind Qin Feng's tall body like a frightened animal, seeking the only shelter he could find.
He didn't even dare to look at Qin Mu again, as if the other party was some kind of monster.
This one action is worth a thousand words.
Qin Lan's eyes instantly became extremely sharp. She looked at her son Qin Mu's instantly stiffened face, then at Qin Feng, whose sleeve was tightly grasped by Lin Yao and whose body was obviously stiffened for a moment but did not shake off, and finally fell back to Lin Yao's face full of fear, helplessness and absolute dependence.
Everything is clear now.
Qin Mu's fantastic performance seemed so pale, ridiculous and full of loopholes in front of Lin Yao's instinctive, fear-filled avoidance and shelter-seeking.
What's this about playing around? What's this about a momentary infatuation? What's this about respect? All bullshit! He clearly used coercion to push people into that place. If Qin Feng hadn't appeared in time, the consequences would have been disastrous.
“That’s enough!”
Qin Lan's voice was like ice exploding, carrying the wrath of thunder, instantly crushing Qin Mu's last bit of hope.
"Qin Mu."
Qin Lan stood up, emitting a terrifying aura of a peak-level A-level expert. The temperature in the entire study seemed to drop by several degrees.
"Do you think I'm old and confused?! Is a place like a bar the right place for you?! And you brought people with you?! Pushing them onto the stage for fun?! You've brought shame to the Qin family!"
Qin Mu's face turned pale from the pressure, and he staggered back a step: "Mother... I..."
"Shut up!" Qin Lan interrupted harshly. "I think you've been completely led astray by those bad friends. You don't know your place. From today on, go back to your room and stay there for a month. Don't even take a single step out of here without my order! All your communication privileges are frozen! Reflect on this."
Severe punishment is like pouring ice water over your head.
Qin Mu's eyes were filled with resentment and unwillingness. He glared fiercely at Lin Yao, who was hiding behind Qin Feng with only half of his face exposed. He then looked resentfully at Qin Feng, who remained silent but had become Lin Yao's shelter. Finally, under his mother's cold gaze, he lowered his head dejectedly and was taken away by the guards.
After dealing with Qin Mu, Qin Lan's gaze softened slightly when she turned to Lin Yao, but still carried the majesty and scrutiny of a superior.
"My child, I'm sorry to have frightened you tonight." Qin Lan's voice calmed down. "Mu'er is immature. I will discipline him strictly. You just stay with Feng'er."
She glanced at her eldest son, whose sleeve was still tightly grasped by Lin Yao, his body stiff but not refusing. "Although Feng'er is not good at speaking, he is honest and reliable, with a pure heart. He will protect you and will not let anyone bully you, including himself."
She added, her tone filled with an unquestionable promise: "In City B, no one can exchange resources for you. This is my promise, Qin Lan."
This sentence is both a comfort and a warning, and it is also a clear break from the dirty deal in City D.
Lin Yao raised his tear-stained face and looked at Qin Lan. His eyes were filled with gratitude for surviving the disaster and a hint of cautious trust, but deep down there was still lingering panic and hesitation.
He nodded gently, his voice thin and soft: "Thank you... Thank you, Lord City Lord... Thank you, Young Master Qin Feng..." He still held Qin Feng's sleeve tightly, as if it was his only support.
Qin Lan looked at Lin Yao's dependence on Qin Feng, and thought of the news from City D about Lin Yao's emotional perception ability in the dungeon, as well as the great value he showed when working with Lu Cheng. She quickly made a decision.
"Feng'er," Qin Lan said, looking at her eldest son, her tone full of command. "Lin Yao's ability is of special value to dungeon exploration. It can effectively avoid mental pollution and warn of danger. When you carry out city defense missions or lead a team to explore dungeons in the future, take him with you. His safety is your sole responsibility."
This is a trust in Qin Feng's ability and also the maximization of Lin Yao's value.
A humanoid early warning device that can sense danger and reduce casualties among elite soldiers has far greater strategic significance than a toy kept in a cage.
Qin Feng met his mother's gaze, felt the subtle trembling of his sleeve, and nodded silently. There were no extra words, but they represented the most important promise.
"Alright, everyone, go down." Qin Lan waved her hand and sat back in the main seat. Her eyes regained the depth and calmness of a city lord. "Lin Yao, remember what I said. If you have any difficulties, you can come to me anytime. But..."
Her voice held a subtle warning. "The Qin family's reputation must not be tarnished. I don't want to hear a single word about what happened tonight anywhere."
Lin Yao nodded obediently again, and under Qin Feng's slightly stiff guidance, he left this study room filled with the atmosphere of power.
As they left the City Lord's Mansion, the night breeze was slightly chilly. Lin Yao, still with his head bowed, followed Qin Feng half a step behind, his hand subconsciously tugging at his sleeve.
Qin Feng paused and looked back at the silver-haired boy beside him, who looked particularly thin and fragile in the moonlight.
The tear marks on the other person's face had not yet dried, and there was still a frightened glint in his blue eyes.
"...Don't be afraid." Qin Feng forced out the two words, his voice low and clumsy, "I'm here."
Lin Yao raised his head and met Qin Feng's eyes, which were still cold but seemed less distant. He was slightly stunned. Then, an extremely faint smile with real warmth, like the first wisp of ice melting in early spring, slowly bloomed on his pale lips.
"Um."
He responded softly, but his fingers gripped the small corner of his sleeve even tighter.
New chess pieces and new umbrellas are already in place.
The secrets of the dome core of City B and the more unknown contrasts of the soft-hearted S-class warrior are all beckoning to him.
Under the cover of night, Lin Yao lowered his eyelashes to hide the cold, calculating light deep in his eyes that controlled everything.
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