"Mm."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, a complicated look flashing through her eyes.
"My sister told me many things. She said that if I stayed with the Zhu Clan, if I stayed in Star Luo City, my ending was already decided. Just as Father said, in the end, only one of us could survive. She isn't living any more easily than I am. She envies me... envies me for having you."
Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment, seemingly recalling what had happened that night. Her voice grew softer.
"She said that Father was standing outside the door at the time. He heard everything we talked about."
Lin Xia's heart skipped a beat.
Zhu Zhan was outside the door?
"My sister told me, 'Father won't stop you from leaving. At least, not right now.'"
Repeating Zhu Zhuyun's words, Zhu Zhuqing looked at Lin Xia with burning eyes.
"Then she left. I pushed open the door and saw Father standing in the shadows of the corridor, his back facing me. He stared at that huge family lineage chart and star map hanging on the wall, the symbols of our fate and stood there for a long time."
"He didn't turn around to look at me, nor did he say a single word. But I knew my sister was telling the truth. His silence was his consent."
The carriage fell into brief silence.
Only the rumbling of the wheels and Larvitar's curious cries of "Larvitar?" could be heard.
Lin Xia completely understood.
Zhu Zhan this suffering father and cold-hearted clan leader had ultimately allowed the hidden spark ignited within him that night at the lakeside pavilion by Lin Xia's words, "The stars are not eternal" and "Overturn the chessboard," words so outrageous that even he had not dared dwell on them.
Catalyzed by Zhu Zhuyun's wistful statement, "I'm truly envious," that spark had finally become action.
Or rather consent through silence.
He could not openly break the rules.
He could not bear the charge of betraying the Imperial Family, nor trigger a split within the clan or even a civil conflict.
But he could choose not to see Zhu Zhuqing's escape.
That way, the Zhu Clan could avoid responsibility for directly violating the marriage alliance.
More importantly, deep down, wasn't Zhu Zhan also gambling?
Gambling that Lin Xia the variable would truly grow strong enough one day to overturn the entire chessboard?
Gambling that his younger daughter might use this opportunity to break free from her doomed fate?
Perhaps even.
Leaving a possible escape route for the Zhu Clan in the upheavals of the future.
This silent consent was both compromise and hope.
It was the final straw a desperate father could grasp.
It was also the most merciful and most pragmatic, choice a clan leader could make while caught between family interests and personal emotions.
Lin Xia let out a long, silent sigh.
Complicated emotions churned within him.
Sympathy for Zhu Zhan's predicament.
Sorrow for the fate of the Zhu sisters.
And an immense sense of responsibility that had suddenly been placed upon his shoulders.
Overturn the chessboard...
It seemed that in this immense and burdensome game, one small chess piece had already leapt willingly into his hand.
Lowering his gaze, he looked once more at Zhu Zhuqing.
Her expression remained calm.
Yet beneath that calmness lay volcanic anticipation and the determination of someone staking everything on a single chance.
She had placed all of her hope upon him.
Under Zhu Zhuqing's increasingly bright gaze, eyes that seemed to gather all the starlight in the world, Lin Xia remained silent for a moment.
Finally, he slowly and solemnly nodded.
"In that case..."
His voice regained its usual steadiness, carrying the weight of a promise.
"You can come with me."
A dazzling brilliance instantly erupted in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
It was the ecstasy of surviving when all hope had seemed lost.
The relief of finally breaking free from her chains.
The calm composure she had struggled so hard to maintain completely collapsed in that instant.
"Brother Lin Xia is the best!!"
With a tearful cry, the emotions she had suppressed for so long burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam.
She even forgot her usual restraint and cold demeanor.
Like a swallow returning to its nest, she threw herself straight into Lin Xia's arms.
Her small arms wrapped tightly around his waist.
She buried her face deeply against his chest, her body trembling slightly from overwhelming emotion.
Lin Xia was caught off guard by the sudden embrace.
Instinctively, he raised his arms and awkwardly patted her slender back.
He could clearly feel the tremendous emotional release contained within that small body in his arms.
The warmth of her tears was already soaking through the fabric over his chest.
At this moment, she was no longer the Netherworld Hell Civet burdened by a cruel destiny and cold, distant eyes.
She was simply an ordinary girl who had escaped her cage and finally found someone she could rely on.
Looking at the fluffy little head nestled against him and feeling that complete trust she had placed in him, the tension at the corners of Lin Xia's mouth gradually softened into a smile.
A low, gentle chuckle escaped from his chest.
"Heh..."
The laugh carried a trace of helplessness, but even more, it contained the ease that came from finally settling a matter and a faint anticipation for the challenges that lay ahead.
Larvitar tilted its little head as it looked at the two embracing each other. It seemed to understand something. It waddled over and gently rubbed its hard yet warm head against Zhu Zhuqing's leg, letting out a friendly cry.
"Larvitar, Larvitar~"
The carriage continued rolling steadily down the road, but the atmosphere inside had completely changed.
Zhu Zhuqing's emotions had been like a roller coaster, swinging from tension and determination to overwhelming joy and release. Now, she was finally beginning to calm down.
A little embarrassed, she stepped out of Lin Xia's embrace. Her small face was still flushed red, and traces of tears remained at the corners of her eyes. Yet her dark eyes shone brighter than ever, filled with curiosity and longing for the future.
She carefully straightened her disheveled hair and clothes, returning to her usual quiet demeanor. However, the occasional glance she secretly stole toward Lin Xia revealed the excitement in her heart.
Seeing her like this, Lin Xia felt a warmth in his chest. At the same time, he knew that taking her with him was only the first step. The road ahead would be filled with thorns and hardships.
"Sit."
Lin Xia pointed to the seat opposite him before taking his own seat again.
Larvitar hopped onto the seat beside him and curiously observed Zhu Zhuqing.
"Since you've decided to come with me, there are a few things you need to understand."
Lin Xia's tone became serious.
"First, I won't be able to provide the kind of privileged cultivation resources and environment that the Zhu Clan offers. I don't have the support of a powerful family, nor do I possess the Star Luo Empire's top-tier cultivation manuals and secret arts."
"What I can give you is only the most basic guidance and what I believe to be the correct direction."
"In the end, the path of cultivation depends on your own effort and comprehension. Leaving the Zhu Clan won't change that. In fact, it may become even more difficult."
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhu Zhuqing nodded firmly.
"I understand, Brother Lin Xia. I'm not afraid of hardship. In the Zhu Clan I never truly had any resources to begin with."
Her voice was soft, yet it carried an iron-like determination.
"As long as I can leave that place and decide my own fate, any amount of hardship will be worth it."
"Second."
Lin Xia looked into her resolute eyes and continued.
"Following me doesn't mean you'll immediately escape your identity as a member of the Hell Civet Clan or the fate tied to it. Whether it's Dai Mubai, Dai Weisi, or even your own family, none of them will give up so easily. In the future, you may face dangers and pressures beyond imagination. You need to be mentally prepared for that."
"I know."
Zhu Zhuqing's small hands tightened slightly on her knees.
"I've already chosen this path. I won't turn back."
She paused for a moment before speaking with quiet conviction.
"Danger is better than despair."
---
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