THIP Chapter 69

When Xi Yan said that, Mu Liuyin paused slightly, realizing that her actions might have been a bit too intimate, enough to cause misunderstandings.

She thought for a moment, then chuckled softly. “Being with you feels like having a little sister. I just ended up remembering these things without even realizing it.”

Her low laughter was like the sound of fine jade being gently struck—pleasant and unexpectedly stirring. Without meaning to, her words tugged at someone’s heartstrings.

Xi Yan pressed her lips together slightly, then ordered two of Mu Liuyin’s favorite dishes before closing the menu. Her eyes lowered as she thought to herself, I’ve remembered your preferences too. But I never saw you as an older brother.

The food they had ordered was brought to the table one dish at a time, but Xi Yan found herself zoning out as she stared at the boy’s strikingly handsome, cool expression.

Seeing Xi Yan watching her silently, Mu Liuyin’s usually indifferent face curved into a gentle smile. “What are you thinking about? Why aren’t you eating?”

Xi Yan snapped out of her daze and smiled. “It’s nothing.”

She picked up her chopsticks and started to eat. Still, throughout the meal, most of their conversation stayed focused on schoolwork.

It left Xi Yan feeling a little disappointed.

After dinner, they didn’t head back to school right away. Instead, they strolled around for a bit. As the evening approached, Mu Liuyin even stopped by a dessert shop and bought her a few delicate and delicious pastries before walking her back to school.

After dropping Xi Yan off and returning to the Ye household, Mu Liuyin took a shower and lay in bed, intending to sleep. But she couldn’t stop thinking about what Xi Yan had said at dinner.

She found herself wondering if she had been too close to Xi Yan. But then she reminded herself—she’d already told Xi Yan that she liked men. There shouldn’t be any misunderstanding.

Even Mu Liuyin wasn’t fully aware that, after so many lifetimes in so many different worlds, she had developed a habit of treating each mission target with a certain kindness. Especially after forming a vague, almost unbelievable suspicion deep in her heart.

In reality, Mu Liuyin was someone who could be quite soft-hearted. Otherwise, she wouldn’t always feel compassion and sorrow for the hardships each mission target endured. And yet, she was also someone capable of being utterly cold. Whenever she was betrayed or harmed by a mission target, she could walk away without hesitation.

Of course, she felt sadness and heartache. But she also always reminded herself—this was just a mission world.

And that’s what the emotional-cleansing serum was for: to erase any lingering feelings she might’ve built up in each world. The memories remained, but they were thin, empty, emotionless—like a dream, something unreal. So emotionally, Mu Liuyin carried no real burden after drinking it.

As night fell, Mu Liuyin lay her head on the pillow, sleep slowly overtaking her.

But over in the school dorm, Xi Yan wasn’t sleeping so soundly.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the word “sister” that Mu Liuyin had casually used earlier at dinner. Slowly, she covered her eyes with her hand.

If Mu Liuyin hadn’t previously told her that he liked men, then every little act of kindness and every word he’d said to her since the first time he helped her—any of those might have made Xi Yan believe that he had feelings for her.

And even though she knew he was gay, even though she didn’t know why he was being so nice to her or whether he had anything to do with her kidnapping, despite all that, she still couldn’t help but develop feelings she knew she shouldn’t have.

Xi Yan’s lips curved into a faint, bitter smile.

This kind of thinking is wrong, she told herself sternly. What I should be doing is studying hard, getting into college, and escaping the Xie family—not indulging in the warmth and care that may or may not be real.

She and Ye Zhuoran were never meant to have anything to do with each other.

Beneath the back of her hand, her beautiful light-colored eyes shimmered faintly, as if covered by a film of tears.

After that day, for reasons even she didn’t fully understand, Mu Liuyin keenly sensed that Xi Yan had started to grow distant from her.

It made her feel… strangely uncomfortable. But thinking it over, perhaps it was better this way. When she left this world, at least Xi Yan wouldn’t be too heartbroken.

After so many missions, Mu Liuyin sometimes couldn’t tell whether her appearance in these people’s lives was saving them from their tragic fates—or dragging them into something even crueler.

More than a week passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was April 5th—Qingming Festival, the day for tomb sweeping and ancestor worship.

Mu Liuyin returned to the Ye family’s ancestral home with her family for the occasion. They didn’t return until after noon.

After resting for a while, she thought of Xi Yan, whose mother had passed away. She wanted to check on her at school, but Xiao Jiu reminded her that Xi Yan had gone to visit her mother’s grave early in the morning and hadn’t come back yet.

For some reason, an image popped into Mu Liuyin’s mind: the quiet, obedient girl standing alone in front of her mother’s gravestone.

Her heart ached a little.

After a moment of silence, she called for the Ye family driver and headed to the cemetery where Xi Yan’s mother was buried.

The cemetery was in a remote area. After leaving the highway, the road turned into a dirt path.

It was raining, and the ground was muddy and hard to walk on. The road was too narrow for a car to drive through.

Mu Liuyin told the driver to stop there, opened the door, and stepped out with an umbrella in hand.

With Xiao Jiu guiding her mentally, she quickly found the girl standing in front of a tombstone.

Xi Yan hadn’t brought an umbrella—when she arrived, it hadn’t been raining yet.

Now, her black hair and clothes were soaked, but she stood there silently, unmoving.

Her pale face was streaked with what might have been either tears or rain, and drops of water clung to her long lashes. One small tremble, and a bead of water slipped down.

Mu Liuyin hurried over, holding the umbrella above the pale girl to shield her from the rain.

When Xi Yan saw her, surprise flickered in her clear, pale eyes. Her lips parted slightly, and her voice was hoarse for some reason. “Why are you here?”

Mu Liuyin’s dark eyes were full of concern. “Good thing I came. Otherwise, were you planning to stand out here all day? Come with me. We’re going home.”

Standing in the rain for a whole day—anyone would be ruined by that.

Xi Yan froze. The boy’s normally calm, detached voice carried a trace of anger, but even more, it was filled with unmistakable concern and worry.

Looking into those worried eyes, she explained softly, “I was just about to leave. Don’t worry.”

Mu Liuyin didn’t believe a word of it. Xi Yan might look gentle and obedient, but she was incredibly stubborn.

Raindrops tapped steadily against the umbrella, growing heavier. Mu Liuyin reached out and took Xi Yan’s cold, rain-soaked hand. Her voice softened. “Let’s go. Now.”

Xi Yan lowered her gaze to their joined hands, then smiled faintly. “Okay.”

The rain did get heavier, and the muddy path was hard to walk on—every step sank into the dirt.

Not long after they started walking, Mu Liuyin handed the umbrella to Xi Yan, rolled up her pant legs, and then crouched down. Seeing Xi Yan’s puzzled look, she said, “Get on.”

When Mu Liuyin lifted her onto her back, the flush on Xi Yan’s ears had already spread to her pale cheeks.

Mu Liuyin walked steadily, each step sure and strong.

The girl, on her back, gently rested her cheek against Mu Liuyin’s shoulder. The two were so close it felt like they could hear each other’s heartbeats.

In that moment, Xi Yan suddenly thought: If only this road never ended. Maybe then… she would never put me down.