V2: Chapter 24: The Traitorous Little One

It was a bouquet of flowers, flowers with dewdrops still clinging to their petals. A faint fragrance wafted into Liang Lin's nose, and she froze.

Liang Di looked at Liang Lin nervously, her cute little face filled with unease.

Just a moment ago, Liang Di had reached out her hand. Countless thoughts flashed through Liang Lin's mind:

Liang Di holding a knife, Liang Di holding some kind of poison, Liang Di holding some weapon that could subdue me. 

In short, she considered every wicked idea, but she never expected that what this girl would produce was a bouquet of vibrant, beautiful flowers.

Looking up again, she saw that the Tentacle Girl's blush was even more vibrant than the red roses in the bouquet. She didn't dare look at Liang Lin, but simply presented the flowers to her with both hands.

“Liang, Liang Lin, this is for you. I don’t know if you’ll like it, but… but the book says girls like flowers, so I thought you probably would too. A-Anyway! This bouquet is for you!”

“I…”

This was the first time Liang Lin had ever received flowers as a gift. No one had ever given her flowers before, not even a grown man!

How could I possibly receive flowers?

Liang Lin stood there, flustered. She raised her hand, then lowered it, then raised it again, unsure what to do.

A suspicious blush crept onto her face.

“Wh-what’s wrong? Does Liang Lin not like it?”

Seeing that the other woman hadn’t taken the flowers, Liang Di’s head drooped again, her hand slowly lowering.

“Really, so cheesy.”

Liang Lin snatched the flowers, hugged them to her chest, and brushed past Liang Di.

She took two more steps forward and then stopped.

“Hey, remember to pack your things. We're leaving together soon, just the two of us.”

Liang Lin didn't turn around, probably afraid the other would see the blush on her face.

It wasn't exactly a flutter of the heart, just the shyness of receiving flowers from a girl for the first time.

Once Liang Lin was far away, Liang Di stared blankly down at her empty hands. A satisfied smile instantly spread across her face. She hugged her arms, slowly squatted down, and grinned like a fool.

The novels say that if a girl accepts your flowers, it means she doesn't dislike you, and might even like you a little.

So, Sister Liang Lin probably doesn't dislike me anymore, right? Maybe, slowly, a liking will even grow back?

Sylvester, not far away, scratched her head, not understanding what was happening.

“Liang Di, you and Liang Lin are leaving today,” Sylvester said, walking up and sighing.

Liang Di, who had been squatting on the ground, immediately stood up, cleared her throat, and regained her usual elegance.

She straightened her dress. "Um, Duke Sylvester, thank you for taking care of me these past few days, and for taking care of my sister this past year."

Sylvester waved.

"Oh, what are you talking about? Just helping my nephew, isn't that only natural?" Sylvester revealed a hint of reluctance. "I'm just a little sad to see Liang Lin leave. The border is so far from the capital; who knows when we'll meet again?"

Liang Di pondered for a moment.

"Duke Sylvester, the border has now been completely recaptured. No one will attack again in the short term. You can wait until you've had some time to comeback, then apply to the King to return to your previous city."

Sylvester shook his head.

"No, I've decided to stay here."

"Hmm?" Liang Di was puzzled.

What's so good about the border? It's so dangerous, not prosperous, lacking resources, and not lively at all.

“My brothers and sisters, and their children, all died in this place,” Sylvester said, his voice filled with sorrow. “Then I will stay here. In the end, this place will also bury my bones. Let me die here with my brothers and sisters. I can't bear to leave this place, I can't bear to leave their souls.”

“…”

Hmm?

Why do I feel so uncomfortable hearing these words? Is this empathy?

Liang Di felt very uneasy after hearing these words.

“I understand, Duke Sylvester,” Liang Di bowed to him. “You are also a great man. I hope that under your rule, the border will become increasingly prosperous.”

Sylvester nodded and patted her on the shoulder.

“Liang Di, I think you're a steady child. That girl, Liang Lin, is just too impulsive. But you can't blame her; her personality is shaped by her upbringing. Her emotional intelligence and IQ are indeed a bit low, and she has a sharp tongue, often saying things that offend people. But you can see, right, that she's genuinely kind and innocent. Um… I'll have to trouble you to take good care of her from now on.”

Feeling like he was marrying off his daughter, Liang Di enjoyed this sense of responsibility.

She straightened her back. “Don't worry, Duke Sylvester, I'll take good care of Sister Liang Lin.”

“Okay, then I'll go talk to Liang Lin a bit more.”

Time passed slowly.

Soon, it was noon. Everyone sat around the long dining table, silently finishing their farewell meal.

The separation was imminent, and Liang Lin felt a pang of sadness; she was leaving her only elder.

At the Duke's mansion gates.

“Goodbye… Uncle… Duke Sylvester.”

Liang Lin waved to her uncle.

Sylvester smiled, tears welling in his eyes, waved back, stepped forward, straightened his niece's collar, and whispered, “Take care of yourself, don't be so reckless again.”

“Okay, I know.”

Liang Lin nodded vigorously.

Behind her, Lionel and Gardner impatiently called out, “Are you done yet? Why are you delaying the process? Hurry up, it'll be terrible if we can't find a hotel after dark.”

“Why are you in such a hurry? It's not like we're rushing to be reborn.” Liang Lin retorted without hesitation, but Liang Di gently tugged at her sleeve, signaling her not to be so impatient.

Liang Lin muttered a couple more words under her breath and snorted.

“Goodbye.”

Goodbye, Uncle.

Goodbye, Border.

"What's that thing hanging on your arm?" Lionel asked, pointing to the basket on Liang Lin's arm just before boarding the carriage.

Liang Lin casually replied, "Oh, I already said I was going upstairs to pack my clothes. Isn't it normal for girls to have a lot of clothes?"

"Heh, you women are so troublesome."

Lionel snorted, seeing how natural the other woman's expression was, and didn't take it seriously, boarding the carriage with Gardner. Liang Lin and Liang Di sat in the back carriage.

As for what was in the basket…

Of course, it was Liang Lin's adorable baby!

Actually, she could have just taken her out directly, but she was worried that those two old men might have some bad intentions towards Carol. Although she was confident she could ensure her child's safety, she thought it best to be cautious, so she put Carol in the basket.

"Sister Liang Lin, are those really clothes in there?"

Liang Di, so clever, stared longingly at the basket and asked Liang Lin in a low voice.

"Yes, it's clothes."

Liang Di looked disappointed again.

"So what if it's not clothes? Should I open it for you now? Aren't you usually so smart? Why would I open the basket now? We'd have to wait until the hotel!" Liang Lin said irritably.

Liang Di's eyes suddenly lit up; she wagged her tail like a rewarded puppy.

"Really? Really? Really? Is it really okay?!"

If she were a puppy with a tail, it would probably be wagging like a propeller by now. She clung tightly to Liang Lin, looking rather adorable.

Liang Lin impatiently pushed the other person away.

"Don't get so close to me, okay? There are seats across the way. Why do you insist on sitting with me? This carriage is so big, and it's just the two of us. Why do you have to squeeze in with me? I'm uncomfortable. Go away."

If it were before, Liang Di would definitely have been sad, but the thought of seeing her daughter soon made her not sad at all. She happily went to the other side, even humming a little tune. She kept glancing at the basket every minute, her eyes constantly switching between Liang Lin and the basket, she was practically overwhelmed.

"....."

This person wasn't doing anything, just sitting there quietly, yet Liang Lin felt like her eyes were being disturbed.

How could she have become so dull-witted after a year apart?

Because she hadn't slept well the night before, Liang Lin wanted to catch up on sleep.

How could she fall asleep so easily with such a busy person in the carriage?

"What's her name? Does she have a name? If not, I'll give her one later, Sister," Liang Di asked excitedly.

Liang Lin: "....."

Damn it, I was just about to fall asleep, and you woke me up with that one question.

Liang Lin replied impatiently, "Yes, she has a name, Carol. You don't need to name her; we already have. We've been calling her that for almost a year."

"Oh..." Liang Di clapped her hands. "Carol is a really nice name. Is she a girl?"

Ugh~

Why does this person seem to be asking pointless questions? The name Carol is so obvious; she's a girl. Why does she have to ask? Isn't this just making conversation for no reason?

So annoying.

Liang Lin impatiently turned her head away. "If you're bored, just take a nap like me, okay? Or you can open the window and look at the scenery, don't disturb my sleep, okay?"

"So noisy."

Waaah, I got scolded by my Sister, I'm so sad.

The former vicious beauty has become a loyal little dog, the kind that cries and sheds tears whenever she's scolded.

The contrast is huge.

The old Liang Di was so much better; I didn't feel guilty after scolding her. Now, every time I scold her, she puts on that show, making me feel like my conscience has been severely damaged.

That's what Liang Lin thought.

The car bumped along the way, and in the evening, they arrived in the neighboring city.

Liang Di got off the car excitedly. However, she dared not let her eyes fall on the basket again. With so many people around, she didn't want others to notice her unusual behavior. If everyone paid attention to the basket, it would be troublesome.

"Let's stay here."

It was a luxury hotel.

To be honest, Liang Lin had never stayed in a luxury hotel before. She always stayed in ordinary inns when she traveled. Staying in a luxury hotel would be too conspicuous and attract too much attention.

The security at the luxury hotel was excellent. Several burly soldiers stood guard at the entrance, all with muscular builds and menacing faces.

Once inside, Liang Di had just put her things in her room when she eagerly knocked on Liang Lin's door.

"Sister Liang Lin, I'm here!"

Liang Lin opened the door.

Sigh.

Alright, alright, let her see her quickly. If she don't see her now, I won't be able to sleep all day.

But before seeing her, Liang Lin pointed at Liang Di's nose and warned her.

"I'm telling you, you can only look, but you can't touch or hold my child. And after you take one look, leave immediately. I need to sleep. Don't take my child to your room, understand?"

"Okay..."

It's okay, just seeing her child is enough for Liang Di.

Liang Lin opened the basket.

Carol hadn't made a sound the whole way; anyone who didn't know better would have thought she was asleep. But as soon as the lid was opened, you could see her big, watery eyes, just like Liang Di's, wide open.

The moment she saw Liang Lin, she grinned.

Liang Lin's heart melted instantly. She exclaimed inwardly again, "My daughter is so damn cute!"

She reached out and picked Carol up from the basket, holding her tightly in her arms as if afraid Liang Di would snatch her away.

Liang Di craned her neck, looking at the child in Liang Lin's arms.

The moment Liang Lin turned around, Liang Di's eyes met those of the child in her arms.

Two identical pairs of eyes collided, and both, one big and one small, were startled, staring blankly at each other without saying a word.

Hmm?

What kind of trouble are these two up to?

Liang Lin looked at Liang Di, then at Carol.

Suddenly....

"Yaa... ah! Hug!"

Liang Lin: "?!"

"Fine, fine, you little traitor! You want someone else to hold you while you're in my arms? I've wasted the past year raising you!" Liang Lin said indignantly.

Liang Di couldn't help but reach out to pick up Carol.

"What are you doing?"

Liang Lin dodged her, pulling Carol tightly into her arms. "I told you, you can only look, not touch. Have you forgotten?"

"Uh… I'm sorry, it was just a subconscious..."

Liang Lin pinched the child's cheek hard. "You little brat, really! You're always siding with outsiders and bullying your own people. I'm your mother, why are you taking the side of others?!"

I'm so angry!

Even if the two of them are blood-related mother and daughter, she still has to side with me. We spend more time together!

Liang Lin felt incredibly wronged, as if betrayed by her beloved.

Then, something even more devastating happened.

To avoid the tentacle lady's outstretched hand, Liang Lin had her back to Liang Di.

Carol, nestled in Liang Lin's arms, leaned on Liang Lin's shoulder and pointed to Liang Di behind her, calling out indistinctly, "Ma, Mama."

In an instant, the room fell into a deathly silence.

The smile didn't disappear; it simply moved to someone else's face.

This time, Liang Lin couldn't laugh at all.

Liang Di, on the other hand, forced a smile, secretly chuckling. Seeing Liang Lin's pale face, she dared not laugh out loud, only managing to suppress her laughter by recalling all the sad things in her life.

"Sister Liang Lin, our daughter is so smart, she even recognizes her people!"

"Smart? That's what you call smart? I think she just can't tell good from bad!"

Jealousy can distort a person's appearance, and Liang Lin was no exception. Her entire face was contorted into an indescribable shape.

"Alright, alright, you've already seen her. Now you should leave. Don't think that just because Carol called you 'Mama,' I'll make her recognize you as her mother. I was planning to abort her, but then this happened, and nobody told me! Damn it, carrying a tentacle child for four months!" Liang Lin let out a hollow wail.

Seeing Liang Lin's increasingly broken expression, Liang Di didn't dare stay any longer. She could only reluctantly wave goodbye to Carol, mouthing "I'll come see you again next time," before walking towards the door.

"Alright, alright, Sister Liang Lin, you should rest. I'm going back now. I need to rest too."

At the door, Liang Di paused.

"Sister Liang Lin, you can get a good night's sleep tonight. I think they won't target you again anytime soon."

"Huh?" Liang Lin was confused.

Wouldn't it be better to strike sooner rather than later? Why wouldn't they strike again anytime soon?

"Springhall has already failed once, which means their plan has been exposed. They know you know, so you'll definitely be on guard for a while. While you're on guard, your combat power is still so high, they definitely won't risk striking again. They'll wait until you lower your guard a bit before making their move," Liang Di explained.

Sigh, her simple and foolish Sister! She can't even understand something this simple. It seems she's put all her intelligence and emotional intelligence into her combat power.

"Okay, I understand, but it's still better to be careful. I'll be extra careful when I sleep these next few days." Liang Lin put Carol on the bed.

Liang Di had already pushed the door halfway open when she heard this, and blurted out:

"If Sister Liang Lin isn't comfortable staying alone, then I can move in and sleep with you~"

Huh?

Liang Di: "..."

Oops, I accidentally revealed my needs.

The two of them were speechless.

Liang Di regretted it; she was worried that Liang Lin would think she was being inappropriate.