Chapter 146: Isn't This Returning Kindness with Enmity?

"Of course." Lin Jingyue raised her head, looking as if to say, "Who else could it be but me?"

"What about Song Shiyun?" Since the old man was back, Song Shiyun must have brought him.

"Girl." Before Li Chengxi could answer, Elder Huo’s voice rang out from behind.

Lin Jingyue turned around with a beaming smile. "Master, you’ve finally returned."

"You’re being so sycophantic; have you not finished your assignments?"

"…Master, please, don't be so harsh." Lin Jingyue’s smile stiffened. "The book you gave me was so thick—even if I were a genius, I couldn't handle that!"

"…Stop with the glib talk. I’ll test you in a while."

"..."

Song Shiyun raised an eyebrow, gloating. "So, you have your days too."

"Hmph, you don’t even have that opportunity." Was Lin Jingyue the type to let herself be at a disadvantage? Of course not.

The two exchanged sharp barbs before sitting down to talk properly. As Elder Huo and Song Shiyun were about to introduce Li Chengxi to Lin Jingyue, Li Chengxi mentioned the incident regarding his life being saved.

"You brat, my apprentice saved your life, and you think a house settles the debt?" Elder Huo squinted at him.

Li Chengxi: "..." As expected, they were cut from the same cloth.

After a brief joke, Elder Huo moved on to other topics, noting that a Western-style house in Shanghai was quite valuable.

"The point is to establish your own boundaries. Don't go around saving people at random, or you'll have days of regret ahead," Elder Huo said meaningfully.

Lin Jingyue paused, her eyes filled with a faint smile. "Thank you for the advice, Master. I understand."

Li Chengxi: ... Was it really okay for this master and apprentice to be talking about ignoring people in distress right in front of him?

"Teacher, I have a few words I'd like to share with my junior sister," Song Shiyun said suddenly once they had finished their discussion.

Elder Huo glanced at him. "Ask her."

"Junior sister, may we step aside for a moment?"

"Sure." Lin Jingyue’s gaze deepened. She had an inkling of what Song Shiyun wanted to say.

The two walked to the next room, where Lin Jingyue leaned against the wall. "Are you and Li Chengxi very close?"

"Is that important?" Song Shiyun raised an eyebrow.

"A little."

"We are quite close." Song Shiyun thought for a moment and answered truthfully.

Lin Jingyue nodded in realization. "What did you want to talk to me about? Go ahead."

Song Shiyun was silent for a moment before looking at her intently. "Some things are not as simple as you think. Don't be impulsive. I will—"

"Pfft." Before he could finish, Lin Jingyue interrupted him with a scoff. "Song Shiyun, are you trying to tell me how to do things?"

Song Shiyun knew she was angry and felt somewhat helpless. "That's not what I meant. The old man..."

"He’s worth nothing!" Lin Jingyue’s expression turned gloomy.

"..." Although he felt speechless, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction.

"I’m not afraid of him, and don’t mention him in front of me again. It makes me feel sick enough to lose my appetite for three days. If you’re here to talk about him, don’t bother. It’s just... nauseating." Lin Jingyue made no effort to hide her disgust.

If Old Man Song and that woman ever crossed her path, she would definitely give them a few slaps—if not, she wouldn't be Lin Jingyue.

Song Shiyun had several thoughts, but he decided not to voice them. "How did you find out about your background? Did Auntie tell you?"

"I looked it up myself. I'm that smart," Lin Jingyue said, glancing at him and spewing nonsense.

"..."

"Alright, enough of the talk I don't like, or I'll tell the old man to deal with you."

"…Very well." Song Shiyun smiled helplessly, his gaze toward Lin Jingyue full of gentleness.

After they returned, Lin Jingyue stayed for a little while longer before leaving. Shortly after she departed, Song Shiyun and Li Chengxi also stepped out.

As they strolled down the street, Li Chengxi suddenly remarked, "Elder Huo is very protective of his apprentice."

Song Shiyun glanced at him with a warning look. "Don't you dare set your sights on Jingyue. She is your savior; one should not repay kindness with malice."

Li Chengxi’s mouth twitched. "Malice? Don't the ancients say that if someone saves your life, you should repay them with your hand in marriage?" Lin Jingyue was truly an interesting girl.

"That would be repaying kindness with malice. You aren't good enough for her."

"Hey, my temper—I'm not good enough for her?" Li Chengxi was so angry he laughed.

"Yes, she deserves better." To be fair, although he didn't like Jiang Xun either, he would choose him over Li Chengxi—at least that face was easier on the eyes. He gave the indignant Li Chengxi another look before sauntering off.

Li Chengxi was left standing in the wind, feeling disheveled. He wasn't arrogant, but in the capital, he was considered top-tier. How could he be looked down upon like this? Although Lin Jingyue was indeed excellent, he wasn't bad either, was he?

Meanwhile, as Lin Jingyue was cycling back, she encountered a half-dead person on the road. It looked as if someone had killed them and dumped the body. She followed her master's advice to the letter—ignoring the dying person—and sped past on her bike.

The person on the road gasped, "Save... me."

Her hand moved weakly before finally slipping into darkness.

Lin Jingyue hummed a song, riding away without a shred of guilt. However, a moment later, she returned. It wasn't that her conscience had kicked in...

She came back, checked that no one was around, and quickly tossed her bike into the bushes—in reality, she stored it in her space—then she pulled the person on the ground into the space as well. She grabbed a large broom, swept away the traces on the ground, and ducked into the bushes, vanishing into her space a moment later.

A few moments later, five or six men rushed onto the road, all carrying weapons.

"They should be around here. Search!" the leader said with a grim expression, waving his hand.

"Boss, there are bicycle tracks here," one of the men discovered.

"They must have come from the city."

They followed the tracks for a while but found no clues. The tracks leading back had been swept away by Lin Jingyue.

"He's injured, he can't have gone far. Go into the mountains and search! He cannot be left alive!" the leader growled, filled with malice. "Split up!"

Inside the space, Lin Jingyue frowned deeply as she looked at the woman who had fallen into a deep coma. That’s right, it was a woman—a woman cross-dressing as a man. She had only realized it when she tossed her in.

The woman was on the verge of death. Since the people outside were still searching and might return, she wasn't in a hurry to leave. She knelt beside the woman to check her injuries. A gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Lin Jingyue’s brow furrowed even further. This was bad; even if she saved her, she might never be able to... She sighed. "It's a good thing you ran into me." Otherwise, she would have lost her life. She would just treat it as a good deed for the day.

She carried the person to the warehouse area, took out a medical kit, and began the surgery. After a long time, she finally managed to save the woman's life.

Lin Jingyue wiped the sweat from her forehead, checked the outside, and then snuck out. She pedaled her bike so hard it seemed to spark, disappearing in a flash.