V1: Chapter 68: Anyway, She Definitely Won't be Liked by Anyone

A moment of silence followed, then a deafening roar of cheers erupted, punctuated by a cacophony of incredulous voices.

"He... he only used one move!"

"Did you see that?! That boy! He shattered the young nobleman's sword with a single blow!"

"Tsk tsk tsk... that strength, that power, it's unimaginable..."

Prescott grinned, his mouth almost reaching his ears. He had earned three times his usual amount of silver coins, holding them happily in his hands, basking in the envious glances from those around him.

It had been a long time since Liang Lin had received so much cheering. Standing in the sunlight, she basked in the long-awaited applause.

"Bet on him! Bet on him!"

"Tsk tsk, this boy, appearances can be deceiving."

A man with a scar on his face sat on the ground beside her, glanced up at Liang Lin, and suddenly remarked, "Your shoulders are quite narrow, about the same as my daughter's."

Liang Lin paused, a sudden, inexplicable fear gripping her, a feeling that her true gender had been exposed.

"Don't worry, I won't say much. You're very skilled."

The man stood up, brushing the dust off his backside.

"You look a bit like a... young man I saw before."

Hmm?

Could it be another acquaintance?

Liang Lin looked the man up and down, but couldn't recognize him. He had an average face, except for a few prominent scars. Without them, he would be an unremarkable passerby in a crowd.

Seeing Liang Lin staring at him, the man looked left and right, finding nothing amiss about himself.

"Look, your opponent isn't me."

The man pointed to a nearby signboard.

"Lucky for me~ I probably would have had a hard time parrying that attack you just made."

He continued talking without Liang Lin responding.

The sharp whistle blew again.

As expected, Liang Lin once again defeated her opponent in one move.

"Boring."

This time, Liang Lin's sword shattered completely, scattering like stars across the ground. She tossed aside the hilt, not even glancing at the defeated warrior.

"Oh ho, so arrogant."

The scarred man chuckled.

Liang Lin finally replied, repeating her own words, "Because I have the right to be arrogant."

The audience below couldn't sit still. They had all witnessed Liang Lin's arrogance, but they precisely liked this arrogance of the 'young man.'

Perhaps it was a case of admiring strength; as soon as Liang Lin left the sword-fighting arena, she was frantically surrounded by people.

Wow, so many people!

Liang Lin didn't dare look up, clutching her head tightly, afraid someone might be so impulsive as to rip off her cloak and wig.

Liang Lin hurried away, while a constant stream of questions swirled around her.

"Hey kid, how old are you?"

"Young man, that move you just made was so cool! How long have you been practicing?"

"Young man, where do you live? My daughter is 16 years old, do you think you're around the same age?"

"Oh my, my daughter is beautiful as a flower, how about considering our family?"

Liang Lin was in utter agony.

With so many people around, she dared not say a word, only pursing her lips and struggling to walk away.

At the same time, a worry arose in her heart:

What if after the finals, she took off her wig to reveal her identity, but was still blocked from leaving by these people?

No, it seems she needs to find a suitable place to escape.

Liang Lin hurriedly escaped the encirclement.

She walked home alone, her steps light, even tiptoeing, hopping like a little rabbit.

Unconsciously, Liang Lin hummed a nursery rhyme her sister often sang, spinning around twice in place. Finally, she looked somewhat like a sixteen-year-old girl.

People who suppress their emotions for too long will break down.

Reaching a quiet spot, Liang Lin looked around. Seeing no one was around, she pulled off her cloak and wig. Her black hair cascaded down her back and chest like a waterfall. The warm glow of the setting sun enveloped Liang Lin.

Liang Lin crumpled the cloak and wig into a ball, stuffed it into her bag, and slung it over her shoulder. A rare, genuine smile appeared on her face; she felt her life was beginning to change.

She knew it. With her abilities, no matter where she went or what identity she adopted, she would attract attention.

Back home.

Seeing Liang Lin's radiant smile, Liang Di was visibly taken aback for a moment, then smiled back and asked, "Sister Liang Lin, did something... happen today that made you happy?"

"Hmm? Probably."

Liang Lin didn't tell the truth, giving a vague and perfunctory answer, "Some idiot made a fool of himself in swordsmanship class today."

"Hmm..."

Liang Di didn't ask further.

After dinner, Liang Lin returned to her room.

She felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Until midnight, when Liang Lin was almost asleep, she suddenly sat up in bed, her eyes wide like an owl's, and clapped her hands together.

"I know what's wrong!"

Today, Liang Di was unusually quiet, not constantly clinging to her. Usually, there would be conversation at the dinner table and her following her around after dinner, but none of that happened today.

Abnormal! This was too abnormal!

Liang Lin was no longer sleepy. She stroked her chin, gazing at the moon outside the window, lost in thought.

Could it be… a sudden pang of conscience?Did she realize how terrible she had been, deeply regret her actions, and want to correct her mistakes? Hmm… that seemed unlikely.

Liang Lin shook her head, like a jellyfish.

“Then… could it be… she found someone else she can tease?”

That seemed more likely.

“Or did I do something to hurt her…?”

“No way! What do I have to feel guilty about? I was just acting in self-defense! How could someone as shameless as her possibly be sad…”

Liang Lin shook her head again, abruptly falling back onto the bed, lying flat, muttering, “Whatever, it’s better if she ignores me. Let’s keep to ourselves.”

That would be wonderful…

Anyway, how could anyone like someone as awful as Liang Di? Someone like her deserves to love but not loved in return.

Liang Lin gradually drifted off to sleep.

But Liang Di couldn't sleep.

She had been working tirelessly for days, facing countless setbacks, all for Liang Lin's sake.

Right now, she sat in her long-abandoned wheelchair, a thin blanket covering her legs, staring blankly at the moonlight streaming through the window.

"Why don't you let her know?"

Octaville appeared out of nowhere, placing her hand on the back of her adopted daughter's wheelchair. "If you don't tell her, how will she know all the efforts you've made for her?"