NOVEL NEXT Chapter 77: Intentions
Chapter 77: Intentions
The sky had darkened. Xu Lian didn’t open the door, but asked, “It’s late. What brings you here, Miss Lin?”
Outside, Lin Wan remained silent for a moment before speaking quietly. “It’s nothing important. I just wanted to have a private talk with you.”
Xu Lian relaxed slightly. If it was “nothing important,” then the person outside was unlikely to be a demon or some malicious entity in disguise. After all, he wasn’t close to Lin Wan – what reason would she have to visit him late at night unless she had specific intentions?
Slowly, Xu Lian opened the door and saw Lin Wan standing there. Her face was slightly flushed, and she avoided meeting his eyes.
He deliberately glanced toward Lin Wan’s cabin, noticing that its door was wide open, confirming her identity without a doubt.
“Please come in, Miss Lin.”
Xu Lian stepped aside and allowed Lin Wan to enter. His heart warmed slightly, and he began to anticipate what might happen next.
Once Lin Wan was inside, he closed the door and secured the latch. The atmosphere immediately became more intimate.
Lin Wan’s face grew even redder as she caught the intensity in Xu Lian’s gaze. Summoning her courage, she lightly bit her lip and said, “I’ve lived in the Lin household for ten years now without a man to depend on or care for me. Grandpa Fu and my parents are getting more worried every day. When you came to our house as a guest, my family expressed their admiration for you. I have to ask, do you have feelings for me?”
“I do,” Xu Lian replied without hesitation, giving a direct and sincere answer.
Hearing this, Lin Wan’s heart soared with joy and she exhaled a sigh of relief. Her fears of self-deception were dispelled. Finally, she dared to meet Xu Lian’s gaze, her cheeks burning. “I feel the same way about you and am willing to be with you.”
Overwhelmed, Xu Lian was ready to accept her confession wholeheartedly, but he forced himself to calm down. Some matters, he thought, were better discussed openly.
“Lin Wan,” he began seriously, “I understand that my background might play a big part in this. Please don’t let that alone determine your decision to be with me.
“Ever since Gu Yanming captured me and threw me into that dungeon, your father Lin Chengyu has done everything in his power to rescue me. I’ve seen it all and committed it to memory. Therefore, I consider the Lin family to be my friends.
“If the Lin family ever needs help and it’s within my ability, I will do my best to assist them. You don’t have to go that far.
“Think carefully. Is it my background that attracts you, or me as a person? If it’s the former, then there’s no need for this; if it’s the latter, then I have no objections.”
Lin Wan hesitated for a moment before replying, “I admit that your background does matter. The Lin family has some influence in Pingyang County, but we’re not a prominent or powerful family. If we could establish a stable and reliable connection with someone of your stature, it would undoubtedly benefit us.
“But that’s not the main reason. If you were someone I didn’t like, no matter how influential your background, I wouldn’t want to be with you. At the core of it, I truly have feelings for you, and that’s what led me to make this decision.”
Understanding her sincerity, Xu Lian nodded his head. “The conditions here are modest. I’m afraid it might be uncomfortable for you.”
Blushing, Lin Wan replied softly, “It’s fine.”
Now that both of them had expressed their intentions, no more words were necessary.
In this chaotic and unpredictable world, no one knew what the next moment would bring or if they would live to see another day. Everyone lived in the present, not for an uncertain future.
The night deepened.
Maybe there were demons and monsters aboard the ship, maybe there weren’t.
At this point, who had the time or energy to worry? Even if the most fearsome demon appeared, it would simply be ignored.
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Cultivation Stage: Bright Strength Phase, Level 1]
[Skill: Breaking Wind Sword Technique, Volume 1]
[Items: None (1-star longsword, not equipped)]
[Remarks: Lin Wan’s Affection Rating: 70/100]
The next day, Xu Lian received a delayed notification about Lin Wan’s affection rating. Seeing that it had reached 70/100, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of surprise and joy. He hadn’t expected her affection for him to be so high right off the bat.
Lin Wan, who had left her long hair down for years, had now styled it into an elegant updo, symbolizing a shift away from her status as a dependent member of the Lin household.
The two of them stepped out of the cabin and went to the deck to fetch water for the dishes and start a fire to prepare breakfast.
Qin Liu, sporting dark circles under his eyes and yawning incessantly, arrived on the deck. Noticing Lin Wan’s hair tied up, he instantly understood the situation. As his gaze shifted to Xu Lian, he felt a pang of envy mixed with a hint of melancholy.
He knew very well that someone like Lin Wan – a lady from a cultivator’s family – could never take a grave robber like him seriously. Making her laugh with his stories of tomb robbing adventures the previous day was likely the best he could ever achieve. Beyond that, it was clear that only someone like Xu Lian, with his status and background, could be her ideal match.
“Well, it looks like we’re in for a treat – we’ll get to taste Miss Lin’s cooking today,” Qin Liu remarked with a wry grin, approaching them without bothering to wash up.
Lin Wan chuckled softly. “The conditions here are quite simple. I’m just warming up some dried rations and roasting some jerky. It’s hardly what you’d call cooking.”
The limited resources on board were indeed obvious. Xu Lian nodded in agreement and then reassured her, “No worries. Once we reach the next town, Miss Lin, you’ll have to show us your true skills.”
He hesitated briefly before formally addressing her as “Miss Lin”. She had requested that their relationship remain discreet, and he respected her wish by avoiding terms like “Sister Lin” or “Wan’er”.
Qin Liu noticed the peculiar choice of address, his gaze momentarily curious, but he chose not to comment. After all, it wasn’t his business.
Soon, the group neared Green Bamboo Town.
Xu Lian climbed the mast for a better view and spotted the location of Stone Town. Without hesitation, he decided that it was time to disembark.
Lin Wan and Qin Liu had no choice but to follow as he leapt into the water with a series of splashes.
Once they reached the shore, they began to make their way towards Stone Town.
“Isn’t your home in Green Bamboo Town?” Lin Wan asked, confused.
“I have another home in Stone Town,” Xu Lian replied calmly.
Lin Wan quickly understood and didn’t push any further. She understood her position well, as her mother, Hua Rongjun, had often reminded her: don’t vie for status or demand conditions – it’s meaningless. As long as Xu Lian remembered her kindness, that would be enough. In the art of relationships, striving without striving often yielded the best results.
After crossing two mountain ridges, they arrived at Stone Town.
Xu Lian avoided taking Lin Wan and Qin Liu directly to Xiao Mei’s house. Instead, he left them at a tea stall and headed to Xiao Mei’s place alone.
When he arrived, Xiao Mei’s reaction was exactly as he’d anticipated. Overjoyed, she ran up to him and threw her arms around him in an emotional embrace. “Husband, you came to see me?”
“Mm.” Xu Lian felt a pang of guilt and tenderness – he hadn’t seen her in over ten days.
Besides Xiao Mei, there were only three other women at home. Her father, Xu Changhe, was working as an overseer in the mines, a relatively easy job that required no intervention or favors from Xu Lian.
The three women watched the couple with knowing smiles.
“Go on now,” one of them said teasingly. “We won’t keep you here for lunch.”
“Off you go.”
Having experienced similar situations themselves, they understood perfectly. The joy of reunion after a long separation was too precious to be wasted in idle chatter.
After handing over the gifts, Xu Lian didn’t waste any time. He rented a carriage and left with Xiao Mei, heading back to the small courtyard house he had purchased.
The courtyard was immaculate, clearly kept clean and well maintained. Xu Lian’s heart ached at the thought of Xiao Mei sweeping and tidying up every day, eagerly waiting for his return. The torment of such longing must have been unbearable.
He said no more. Taking her hand, he led her into the inner room where words were unnecessary for what came next.