Chapter 139: Lin Xiaolu's Determination

"So this is the explanation you're giving? You lot have been whispering to each other whenever you have nothing to do, and it turns out you were discussing this kind of thing?"

The next evening, in the living room of the secret base. Under the glow of bright lights, Senior Cuique crossed her arms and said in a bad mood, "You jumped to such a rash conclusion and then went straight to Bai Mei to talk nonsense? Why didn't you say I'm your real mother?"

"Eh? Is that even a possibility?" Lin Xiaolu exclaimed in shock.

"Hmm?" Senior Cuique said with a reproachful tone.

"Waaah..."

Warned by Senior Cuique again, Lin Xiaolu could only slump onto the sofa, looking dejected, and said, "Alright, alright, I was wrong."

Just now, she had been scolded by Senior Cuique without any regard for her feelings.

Senior Cuique first asked Lin Xiaolu seriously: exactly how she could have reached such an absurd conclusion. After listening to Lin Xiaolu's explanation of her reasoning, she mercilessly pointed out several logical flaws, speaking until Lin Xiaolu was completely unable to refute her, even feeling utterly ashamed.

What Senior Cuique said sounded reasonable; could it really be that she was wrong? That would be too embarrassing.

Lin Xiaolu thought with a frown.

While she was being lectured here, the other two girls were also sitting nearby. Bai Jingxuan was looking at her nose and her nose at her heart, lowering her gaze as if feeling guilty; Xia Liang was covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking constantly, as if she would burst out laughing at any second.

"Hey, you over there, don't gloat either."

Noticing Xia Liang's action, Senior Cuique glanced sideways, raised her chin slightly, and said, "You are clearly different from them; why are you joining in on these two children's nonsense?"

"I'm older than her," Lin Xiaolu muttered quietly.

"I wasn't asking you," Senior Cuique said, rubbing her forehead.

So Lin Xiaolu closed her mouth, feeling a bit aggrieved.

"Nonsense? No, I'm not."

On the other side, Xia Liang spoke with a smile, her gaze innocent and pure: "I think Xiaolu's guess makes a lot of sense; she convinced me."

"She convinced you?" Senior Cuique's cold, clear voice showed a slight fluctuation.

"Isn't it? Little Senior, could it be that you're shy?"

Xia Liang looked completely innocent, staring at Senior Cuique as if she knew nothing at all: "I think it's unnecessary; we all support you and Uncle in pursuing your own happiness—Ouch!"

Before she could finish speaking, she got a sharp rap on the forehead, instantly swallowing the remaining syllables she hadn't finished.

"You are now Bai Mei's accomplice; go sit over there."

Senior Cuique withdrew her hand and pointed to the empty seat beside Lin Xiaolu: "Today I'm going to have a serious talk with you all."

"Ah... I've been knocked out; I need a hug and comfort before I can stand up and walk," Xia Liang said. She didn't get up to move, but instead slumped on the sofa, weakly holding her forehead.

"Do you want another one?" Senior Cuique put her hands on her hips.

"Oh."

So Xia Liang obediently sat down next to Lin Xiaolu.

After finishing with Xia Liang, Senior Cuique finally turned her gaze to Bai Jingxuan, looking at the girl who was huddled there like a helpless little animal.

Seeming to notice Senior Cuique's gaze, Bai Jingxuan buried her head even deeper.

Only she knew that her problem wasn't just spreading rumors, but also going to the Special Strategy Bureau and spouting nonsense, causing quite a bit of trouble for the Director and everyone else.

Since Senior Cuique now knew what she had said to Director Uncle that day, there was no reason for her not to know how she had acted shamelessly at the Special Strategy Bureau back then.

Thinking of this, Bai Jingxuan dared not look up and meet Senior Cuique's gaze at all.

Seeing this child's reaction, Senior Cuique's already somewhat depressed mood became even more complicated; she couldn't help but feel a headache, followed by a silent sigh.

She really couldn't figure out what to do with Bai Jingxuan; due to the other's somewhat delicate psychological state, she didn't even want to say words of reprimand, fearing she might trigger the child somewhere again.

And Senior Cuique's somewhat prolonged silence also caught Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang's attention; the two looked at Senior Cuique and Bai Jingxuan with some suspicion, also sensing the subtle atmosphere between them.

"You... don't learn bad habits from these two seniors."

After a long silence, Senior Cuique finally squeezed out these words from her mouth: "Reflect on this properly."

— "Huh? That's it! You're biased!"

"Unfair, unfair! Oppose differential treatment!"

Seeing Senior Cuique's attitude toward Bai Jingxuan clearly soften, with words that were far from reprimands and instead sounded more like comfort, the two girls nearby immediately began to complain loudly in dissatisfaction.

Expecting their reaction, Senior Cuique turned back to look at them and said calmly, "Do you also consider yourselves 11-year-old children?"

"Ugh..." Lin Xiaolu hated being treated like a child by others the most, so upon hearing this sentence, she immediately fell silent.

"If Little Senior approves, I can be," Xia Liang said, completely unconcerned about these things, and puffed out her chest with considerable confidence.

Possessing the most obvious curve among the four, her action of puffing out her chest immediately caught the attention of Lin Xiaolu beside her, making Lin Xiaolu widen her eyes slightly. Kan Shu La

Hearing Xia Liang's words and connecting them with the scene before her, somehow, the thought in her heart instantly turned into words that tumbled out: "On what grounds are you 11?"

"On what grounds can't I be 11?" Xia Liang widened her eyes in return.

"A precocious girl trying to act young! Don't say 11, even saying you're 15 would be believable!" Lin Xiaolu accused sternly.

"Oh, you're jealous?"

Lin Xiaolu's words instantly made Xia Liang reveal an understanding smile, narrowing her eyes slightly: "Indeed, after all, I'm not like someone whose height is about to be surpassed by a real 11-year-old."

"Huh? What do you mean by a 'real' 11-year-old? Little Xuan is clearly taller than a normal 11-year-old girl!" Lin Xiaolu argued with reason.

"So you're shorter than a normal 14-year-old then," Xia Liang said, quite at ease.

"Height is something... there's no unified standard for such things, right! Senior Cuique is even shorter than me! And she's an adult!" Lin Xiaolu pointed at Senior Cuique.

"Little Senior... hmm, seems that's indeed the case," Xia Liang said, looking troubled.

"Stop it, you two, stop it."

Seeing that the topic of the two bickering had somehow led back to herself, Senior Cuique stopped them in time: "Don't forget your current stance; even if I am just your senior right now, I still hope that when you make mistakes, you show basic Fundamental respect to the person involved."

"Yes—"

Xia Liang drew out her tone in agreement, but before two seconds of being well-behaved had passed, she changed her tune: "Then I have one last question; after I ask it, you can do with me as you please."

"I'm not some cruel executioner; don't speak so frighteningly."

Senior Cuique frowned slightly: "Ask away."

"I want to be a clear-headed ghost, Little Senior. How exactly did this news reach you?"

Xia Liang propped her cheek, her gaze toward Senior Cuique carrying a hint of inquiry: "Lin Xiaolu should have only told me, Xiaoxuan, and Moke. Neither Xiaolu nor I would blab, and such a well-behaved child as Xiaoxuan wouldn't either. Could Moke have turned traitor?"

"Right! Why would Senior Cuique know!"

Lin Xiaolu, who had only just realized this, suddenly flew into a rage: "That Moke! Selling us out just to suck up! I'll go grab him right now and confront him!"

With that, she stood up directly from the sofa and headed for the second floor to find Moke.

"Stop. I said stop." Senior Cuique quickly reached out and pulled her back, somewhat helplessly saying, "Don't go up and add trouble for Senior Nini. It wasn't Moke."

"Not Moke?"

Lin Xiaolu's expression, which had still held anger, instantly calmed down. She blinked in confusion: "Then who could it be?"

Her gaze swept over to Xia Liang beside her, but saw Xia Liang shake her head; her gaze then turned toward Bai Jingxuan in the distance, but she withdrew it before Bai Jingxuan could react; finally, she pointed at herself, her white tiger teeth showing between her lips stretched wide in shock: "Could it be—"

—"Yes, it was me."

Bai Jingxuan raised her hand, cutting off Lin Xiaolu's words.

She held her right hand high to show her presence and said in a small but clear voice: "It was me who said it."

After thinking for a moment, she seemed to feel this explanation wasn't specific enough, so she added: "I slipped up and told Dad."

These words caused everyone's gaze to focus on her.

"D-Dad?"

Lin Xiaolu first repeated the word with some confusion, clearly very puzzled. Because she knew Bai Jingxuan had previously lived in the Fuli Academy; although it was cruel, the word "Dad" shouldn't appear in her mouth at this time.

However, as she gradually figured it out and worked backward based on her guess, she quickly understood who the "Dad" in Bai Jingxuan's mouth referred to.

Due to her shock, her mouth, which hadn't been closed to begin with, opened even wider: "The Dad you're talking about is... ah? So you've all secretly discussed this far already?"

Seeming to realize this image wasn't good, she quickly covered her mouth again, but the look of horror in her eyes didn't diminish at all. She looked at Senior Cuique, feeling both joy and worry in her heart: "Does this mean..."

Senior Cuique did not refute her.

It wasn't that she didn't want to refute, but rather she simply hadn't heard clearly what Lin Xiaolu was saying.

Bai Jingxuan's words were no less shocking than the impact she had caused Senior Cuique earlier in the Director's Office, and this time, saying that word in front of Lin Xiaolu carried far more destructive power than back then, causing her breathing to briefly stop.

"... Explain again, how is he your Dad?"

She turned to face Bai Jingxuan and spoke, trying hard to ask calmly as usual, but her tone had already subtly gone off-key.

"B-Because! When I called him that, Dad didn't deny it!"

After mustering the courage to speak, Bai Jingxuan's voice grew much louder; she raised her volume and said in a voice everyone could hear clearly: "Dad accepted it! He even gently asked me who said it! So I told him!"

This time, both the volume and the content were clearly transmitted to Senior Cuique's ears.

She stood there like a statue, her face still bearing a cold and indifferent expression, but both her movements and her gaze had completely stiffened.

After remaining silent for a long time, she finally slowly turned her head to the side, her line of sight moving toward Lin Xiaolu, and finally locked onto Lin Xiaolu's burning gaze.

"Things aren't what you think." Senior Cuique spoke dryly.

"I understand! I completely understand!"

Lin Xiaolu spoke somewhat excitedly: "Senior Cuique, you don't need to worry about my opinion; I support you!"

"Although I actually don't hope to have a stepmother, but if Senior Cuique you have such thoughts, I, I'm not completely unable to accept it!"

"My mom visited me in a dream a few days ago; in the dream she handed me over to your hands. I feel the meaning is that she supports you becoming my mom!"

—What on earth is this girl talking about?

The corner of Senior Cuique's mouth twitched slightly, but she knew getting excited now would be useless, so she continued maintaining a steady tone: "No, it really isn't what you think. I have no intention of getting married at all..."

"It's because, back when you and my mom both liked Dad, you chose to step aside, right?"

For some reason, Lin Xiaolu wiped her eye corner, her tone slightly choked: "I've figured it all out completely. The past, the things between you, my mom, and Dad, I understand it all now."

"Senior Cuique and Mom were once teammates, and both were childhood sweethearts with Dad, but in the end, there was a divergence in feelings. Because you were too gentle, you must have chosen to step aside back then, right?"

"You sacrificed your own emotions, so you chose to go to the Magic Kingdom. And because Mom passed away, you wanted to return to the city where you once lived to protect it."

"Precisely because of this, you've never married, always remained single, and even though you've reached this age, you're still... truly, you've worked hard."

"Although there's still a tiny bit of unwarranted resentment in my heart, I feel I shouldn't stop you from choosing your own happiness; I should support you!"

Speaking to the end, for some reason she moved to hold Senior Cuique's hand emotionally and said deeply:

"So, no need to worry about my opinion anymore! Freely pursue your own happiness!"

Watching Lin Xiaolu hold her hand, Senior Cuique felt her vision become slightly blurred.

What on earth is this girl saying? What exactly is she trying to express? Come to think of it, isn't the person she's talking about somewhat familiar?

Her mind was filled with chaotic thoughts, but she knew it was far from time to admit defeat; the more critical the moment, the more she should remain calm and let the rumor end with a wise person.

So, how exactly should she explain? What reason could bypass Lin Xiaolu's strange logic and make her believe again that "Lin Yun" and "Senior Cuique" had no emotional entanglement?

In an instant, Senior Cuique launched a brainstorming session solely within her own mind, quickly searching for suitable plans and reasons.

—"Xiaolu, this won't work. Little Senior, she isn't resisting exposing this emotional relationship to you guys."

But before Senior Cuique could come up with new words, Xia Liang beside her suddenly spoke.

She wore a kind, understanding smile on her face, like a pure Cupid: "If you ask me, she's actually just not ready yet to accept the identity of 'Mom' like that. She isn't ready to accept a daughter like you."

"Accept me... as this daughter?"

As if seeing a new continent, Lin Xiaolu repeated what Xia Liang said: "Is there a problem with that?"

"Of course there's a problem."

Xia Liang clasped her hands behind her back, her face full of smiles: "So, you have to make her feel that becoming your mom isn't a bad thing and won't become a burden for her."

Lin Xiaolu was stunned.

She understood what Xia Liang wanted to express.

She looked again at Senior Cuique, whose gaze was now dazed, and instinctively opened her mouth, but only felt her mouth and throat dry in that instant.

Her lips closed gently, then opened again, her tiger teeth tapping lightly with her movement. Then, a consonant that was neither flat-tongued nor retroflex emerged from her mouth.

"Mom, Mom."

Just like that, riding the momentum of the moment, she cried out a word she herself found hard to believe.

"Mom!"

Bai Jingxuan, standing nearby, seemed to realize something as well; she trotted over to Senior Cuique's side and called out thus.

"Mom!"

"Mom!"

The two girls, one large and one small, gathered around Senior Cuique, crying out this same word again and again.

Sandwiched between them, Senior Cuique remained silent, letting them repeat the most common word in human language as if they were children just learning to speak.

She did not look at Lin Xiaolu, nor at Xia Liang, nor at Bai Jingxuan. Her gaze stared straight into the distant void, as if seeing a vast galaxy of stars, or as if seeing an endless abyssal ocean.

Leaving only emptiness behind.

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