Chapter 371
I have important things to do!
Zhu Zhuqing watched this scene quietly, and a trace of ice melted from the depths of her cold eyes.
She recalled the first time Lin Xia recognized her, and the first time she felt the thrill of the name Zhu Zhuqing no longer just representing destiny.
Looking at the faint yet genuine smile on Lin Ling's lips, she felt as if she were seeing herself from another time and space.
She silently took half a step forward, standing closer to Lin Xia and Lin Ling. For the first time, her cold cat-like eyes revealed a subtle, almost platonic, sense of recognition towards Lin Ling.
Ning Rongrong's tears finally fell, this time not from anger or pity, but from being touched by the humble yet powerful vitality contained in that faint smile.
She sniffed and whispered to Dugu Yan.
"Sister Yanzi, she...she smiled..."
Dugu Yan gently patted Ning Rongrong's hand, looking at Lin Ling with a complicated expression.
Lin Xia took in Lin Ling's reaction, and that faint smile seemed to have entered the depths of his eyes as well, rippling out a very faint ripple that was almost imperceptible to anyone.
He didn't say anything more, but simply stood up, his movements swift and decisive.
"gone."
He spoke concisely, his voice regaining its usual calm and steady tone, carrying an undeniable air of authority.
He turned around and walked towards the door of the private room with steady and composed steps, as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than a trivial episode in his daily life.
Zhu Zhuqing immediately followed, like his silent shadow, but her gaze lingered on Lin Ling for a moment longer.
Ning Rongrong, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the others also seemed to wake up from a dream and hurriedly followed.
Although Yu Tianheng and the others were still feeling unsettled, they could only suppress their thoughts and follow closely behind.
Inside the private room, only Lin Ling, who was still kneeling on the carpet, and the auction house manager, who stood respectfully with his hands at his sides, remained.
Lin Ling seemed to have been awakened by Lin Xia's departure.
She looked up abruptly, watching Lin Xia's tall figure about to disappear through the doorway. The light that had just appeared in her eyes was instantly overwhelmed by immense panic.
She tried to get up using both her hands and feet, but the long period of curling up and the huge emotional shock left her limbs weak and powerless. She managed to prop herself up a little but then fell back down, the white robe wrapped around her falling loose, revealing her slender ankles and the helpless, stiff white cat tail.
"Wait...wait for me!"
She cried out hoarsely, her voice trembling with sobs and desperate pleas.
Lin Xia stopped at the doorway without turning around.
Zhu Zhuqing stopped. She turned around, her cold gaze falling on Lin Ling's disheveled struggle. There was no disdain, nor did she immediately reach out. She simply waited quietly.
Upon seeing this, Ning Rongrong immediately ran back, squatted down, and carefully extended her hand.
"Lin Ling, come here, let me help you."
Her voice carried an unprecedented gentleness.
Lin Ling looked at the hand extended in front of her, then at Lin Xia's back as she stood at the door, and finally her gaze fell on Ning Rongrong's sincere face.
The panic in her eyes subsided slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she trembled as she placed her hand into Ning Rongrong's warm palm.
Ning Rongrong pulled her up with force and carefully helped her gather her loose white robe to cover her exposed skin. The hustle and bustle of the Tiandou Auction House was left far behind. The dark golden carriage, pulled by four magnificent snow dragon steeds, smoothly and swiftly drove away from the bustling streets of Tiandou City, heading along the winding mountain road towards the tranquil mountain range where the Tiandou Royal Academy was located.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was completely different from when they arrived.
While still spacious and luxurious, it has gained a more somber and subtle feel.
Lin Xia closed his eyes to rest, his posture languid yet exuding an invisible aura, as if what he had just done—throwing away a million gold soul coins at the auction, bidding on numerous treasures, and acquiring a catwoman—was nothing more than an ordinary afternoon stroll.
Zhu Zhuqing sat slightly behind him, still aloof, but her gaze would occasionally fall on the figure huddled in the corner, wrapped in that large, plain white cotton robe.
Lin Ling—the girl who had just been given a name—shrank to almost the smallest ball, tightly wrapped in the robe that carried Lin Xia's scent, as if it were her only armor.
She lowered her head, her long, light green hair falling down, covering most of her face, revealing only her delicate chin and slightly trembling lips.
The white cat tail, no longer stiffly erect, was now tightly wrapped around its legs, which were covered by its robe, with the tip occasionally twitching nervously.
She dared not look at anyone, especially Lin Xia. The enormous shock and unknown fate made her like an over-frightened little animal, instinctively seeking shelter and hiding.
The conversations and gazes of the other passengers in the carriage made her feel an invisible pressure. Only the area around Lin Xia seemed to have a strange tranquility that made her feel a little safe.
Ning Rongrong sat next to Lin Ling, her glass-like eyes filled with sympathy and curiosity.
She wanted to say something several times, but seeing Lin Ling's frightened appearance, she was afraid of scaring her. So she could only whisper to Dugu Yan next to her about what she had seen and heard at the auction, trying to liven up the atmosphere.
The carriage drove into the magnificent gate of the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy and finally stopped in front of the private courtyard prepared for distinguished guests.
It was already evening, and the afterglow of the setting sun gilded the academy with a warm golden hue, but the world in Lin Ling's eyes remained gray and cold.
Lin Xia got off the car first, followed closely by the others.
Lin Ling practically scrambled down from the carriage, her wide robe trailing on the ground. Her bare feet touched the cold stone slabs, causing her to flinch and instinctively shrink back behind Lin Xia. Only half of her pale face and her wary yet bewildered heterochromatic eyes were visible as she timidly surveyed the unfamiliar and vast surroundings.
Lin Xia did not linger and went straight to a secluded cultivation room in the courtyard.
One of the key purposes of his trip—the ten-thousand-year-old whale glue he bought for 500,000 gold soul coins—was lying quietly in his storage soul tool, waiting for his experiment.
He could sense the longing that Bangiras was conveying through the mental link; this top-tier body-tempering item was of great benefit to consolidating the foundation of his martial soul's transformation.
However, after taking only a few steps, he discovered that a string of little tails was trailing behind him.
Zhu Zhuqing followed silently half a step behind him as always, like a loyal shadow.
Ning Rongrong pulled Meng Yiran along, her eyes sparkling, clearly full of curiosity about Lin Xia's experiment with whale glue.
Lin Ling, like a frightened little animal that has found its only support, followed closely behind, afraid of being left behind. Her heterochromatic eyes were filled with unease and dependence.
Lin Xia stopped and turned around.
The golden glow of the setting sun outlined his tall figure and indifferent profile.
His gaze swept over Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Meng Yiran, finally landing on Lin Ling's small face filled with fear.
Lin Xia's voice was calm and even, yet it carried an undeniable power.
"Don't follow me, I have important things to do!" (End of Chapter)