Chapter 378: No Need to Apologize

Thump thump thump.

The knocking sounded in the gaps of wind and rain, seeming rather abrupt.

"Who?" Luoer, who was closest to the door, turned his head toward the door panel and asked with a frown.

In such an unfamiliar place, on a stormy night, any sound made one especially vigilant.

"It's me," a gentle female voice came from outside the door—it was the lady of the household, La Ling.

She continued, "The rain is heavy and the weather is cool; I've brewed some honey water and want to give you some to warm your bodies and chase away the cold."

Hearing this, Luoer rose, walked to the door, and opened it a crack.

La Ling stood outside the door holding a simple wooden tray; on the tray sat a ceramic pot from which a faint sweet, warm aroma drifted, and beside it were three ceramic cups—two of normal size and one noticeably larger, clearly prepared especially for Bei, a very thoughtful gesture.

La Ling wore a plain smile, her rain‑damp forehead pressed against her cheek, making her look even more sincere: "Have some hot drink; it will feel much more comfortable in this weather."

Luoer glanced at her, then at the pot of honey water, and without immediately refusing the kindness, stepped aside to clear the doorway:

"The rain is heavy outside, come in quickly so you don't get soaked. Thank you very much."

La Ling carried the wooden tray into the room, the warm yellow firelight reflecting on her face.

She set the tray on the only low table in the room, and under Yu Lin's calm gaze and Bei's curious stare, lifted the ceramic jar and carefully poured the steaming honey water, one by one, into the three cups.

The amber liquid swayed in the cups, emitting an alluring sweet fragrance.

Having finished, she straightened up, clapped her hands, and her smile remained unchanged:

"Then I won't disturb your rest; take your time drinking. If it's not enough… there's still more in the pot. Call me if you need anything else."

Having said that, she turned and prepared to leave.

However, the moment she stepped forward, Luoer suddenly rose, took a step in front of her, and blocked her path.

La Ling's steps froze instantly, her smile solidified for a moment, then turned into a perfectly timed confusion as she strained to keep a gentle tone: "Is there… anything else?"

Luoer said nothing, his gaze calmly fixed on her, then reached out and, as if feeling no heat, directly lifted the steaming ceramic jar from the table.

He also grabbed an empty cup from beside him and poured about half a cup of the remaining honey water from the jar into it.

Then he handed this freshly poured honey water to La Ling.

"Please have a sip as well."

The intention could not be clearer.

La Ling's confusion vanished in an instant, replaced by a sense of being offended, suspected, astonished, and a rapidly rising anger.

Her cheeks flushed slightly from excitement, her chest rose and fell, she stared at Luoer with widened eyes, and her voice rose a few pitches, trembling:

"You… you suspect me?! You think I poisoned it inside?!"

She pointed at that cup of honey water, then at the other three cups on the table, her tone full of grievance and anger:

"I braved the rain, kindly brewed water and brought it to you, and you repay my kindness like this?! I didn't expect that doing a good deed would be met with such speculation!"

She snatched the cup from Luoer's hand; because she gripped too hard, a few drops of scalding liquid splashed, burning her fingers, yet she seemed not to feel the pain, only stared rigidly at Luoer.

"Fine! I'll drink it for you to see!" she growled almost, lifted her head, and gulped down the still‑scalding honey water in the cup!

The burning liquid slid down her throat, making her whole face flush rapidly from the heat, and a distinct ring of red spread around her lips.

After drinking, she slammed the empty cup onto the table, producing a muffled "Bang".

Then she glared fiercely at Luoer, and swept her gaze over the silent Yu Lin and the somewhat stunned Bei inside the room:

"I will give you nothing else to eat! Whether the rain stops tomorrow or not, at first light you must leave my house immediately!"

Her words were filled with anger over her kindness being trampled and a firmness born of total outrage.

Having said that, she forcefully pushed Luoer aside, rushed out of the side room without looking back, and soon her footsteps and faint sobs vanished toward the main house, swallowed by the pattering rain.

Watching her silhouette disappear outside the door, and having seen with his own eyes that she drank the water without any problem, Luoer stood silently for a few seconds, then raised his voice toward the doorway and shouted, "Sorry!"

There's no choice; being out in the world, especially in these chaotic times and unfamiliar places, a little caution never hurts.

But this time, it seems I truly misjudged their kindness.

He turned back to sit by the fire, lifted his own cup of honey water that had warmed a bit, took a sip, and noticed Bei watching him with a complicated expression.

Luoer felt a bit uneasy under her gaze, set the cup down, and asked:

"What are you looking at? Do you also think I went too far, right?"

Bei shook his head, his tone not overly reproachful: "Being careful is appropriate. After all… we don't understand them."

She paused, seeming hesitant, her gaze sweeping over the pot of honey water and the three cups, then swallowed the words she had intended to say, turning them into a soft sigh:

"Never mind… perhaps we read too much into it; it's rare to meet someone willing to proactively extend goodwill."

She also lifted her oversized cup, blew on the steam, and slowly drank the sweet, viscous honey water inside.

Luoer suddenly asked:

"Bei, you have that kind of strength, why don't you act like them?"

Bei knew who 'them' referred to in his mouth, and was also fully aware that he knew that he knew.

So she said directly, "Strength should not become a weapon for bullying the weak."

"That's what my father told me."

"And he learned that from his teacher."

Hearing that, Luoer became somewhat interested and asked further, "Who was your father's teacher?"

Bei set down his cup, helplessly spreading his hands: "I don't know; my father died early."

"His teacher also died early, hmm, perhaps that's the fate of those who go against the big fellow."

Luoer: ".........."

"Sorry."

Bei waved his hand: "It's fine."

"Anyway, I don't care about those."

"Never mind, I'm a bit sleepy, I'll go nap for a while."

She stood up to eat and walked off to the side.

Because there wasn't a bed that big, she still slept on the floor today.

Luoer withdrew his gaze from her and fixed it on Yu Lin, seeing Yu Lin's expression was a bit odd, and curiously asked:

"Yu Lin, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Yu Lin took a sip of honey water and said softly:

"Luoer, you didn't need to apologize just now."

The Holy Bible doesn't mention any natural phenomena before the Great Flood in the years of human activity, so every natural phenomenon that appears is a personal setting.