A Daughter Has Grown in the Lin Family

Li Yao couldn't keep meditating after about four hours.

If he pushed on, his head would start to ache.

The Meditation Technique worked like installing a running program in one's spiritual world—when it ran, it consumed most of your mental "processing power," constantly training your spiritual awareness while expanding its limits.

The process was slow and tedious, requiring years of persistence.

Without determination and perseverance, no one could become a great mage.

After finishing his meditation, Li Yao tidied up and went to sleep. The next day, aside from feeling refreshed and clear-headed, there wasn't much change—oh, except that during class, he could focus easily and remember what the lecturer said without effort... It seemed meditation mainly developed brain capacity.

The "Detailed Explanation of the Meditation Technique" emphasized its importance as the foundation for mages; even High-Rank Mages took basic training seriously and never dared slack off.

Li Yao kept that in mind.

Over the next two days, Lin Xiaowei didn't contact Li Yao, and the messages he sent her vanished without a trace—not even a ripple.

When Zhou Tian's day off came, Li Yao packed his bags and went home.

He went to school in the same province, but his home was in a county under the provincial capital, a three-hour bus ride away.

After a bumpy ride home, Li Yao had dinner with his parents and chatted for a while. When the topic of the Lin family came up, they both sighed with regret.

His Mom, Zhang Yufeng, sighed. "Such a nice girl, gone just like that. What are you going to do from now on?"

Li Yao: "???"

How the hell did this get dragged onto me? And "what am I going to do"... we weren't even a couple!

His Dad, Li Jianguo, rubbed the stubble on his chin. "That's right, Da Yao. When are you finding someone new? You're not getting any younger, you know."

Hmph.

Men really are all pigs' trotters!

Just a moment ago, they were treating Lin Xiaowei like a daughter-in-law, and now they're rushing him to find a girlfriend. It hasn't even been that long since Lin Xiaowei left! Ah, wait...

Could it be that Lin Xiaowei had been hanging around him because her family was pressuring her too?

Very possible! Li Yao was good-looking—fair-skinned, refined, with a clean, handsome face, especially sharp in a white shirt. When he and Lin Xiaowei were together, plenty of people thought they were a couple, and when asked, they'd just smile and say nothing—guess all you want! But in private, they both found each other pretty annoying.

So why did they stick together all the time? Was it friendship?

Or obligation?

No. Li Yao just liked the face of hanging out with a girl.

And Lin Xiaowei was probably using him as a shield!

It all clicked in Li Yao's mind, and he decided he'd definitely ask Lin Xiaowei about it next time! After barely managing to get through his parents, he fled the house and headed to Lin Xiaowei's place.

It was Saturday. He'd come home early in the morning, eaten lunch, and headed out, so by the time he reached Lin Xiaowei's house, it was still early. He knocked, and a girl's voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

That was Lin Xiaowei's younger sister, Lin Xiaoxi.

Li Yao replied, "It's me, Li Yao."

After a moment, Lin Xiaoxi opened the door from inside and looked at him suspiciously. "What are you here for?"

Nothing!

Li Yao kept a straight face. "Just... dropping by, to see your uncle and aunt."

That excuse was a bit weak.

But he couldn't exactly say... Your sister asked me to check in and send her some little videos.

That'd scare the hell out of people! Or Li Yao might end up hauled off to Green Mountain Mental Rehabilitation Hospital.

Yet Lin Xiaoxi seemed to understand something and nodded. "You're pretty thoughtful. Too bad you didn't put in the effort when my sister was around. Now... why bother?" As she spoke, she went back to the living room sofa, picked up her phone, and scrolled through it with a gloomy expression. "Make yourself at home. You're familiar enough that I won't bother entertaining you."

Li Yao: "..."

What kind of story did you just cook up in your head?

It felt like

those few words had hinted at something huge!

Li Yao stared with dead-fish eyes, found a spot to sit, and pulled out his phone, pretending to browse the news while actually filming a video.

He had to admit, both Lin sisters were real beauties.

The older sister, Lin Xiaowei, had long legs and a full, graceful figure, able to switch effortlessly between mature charm and lively youth.

The younger sister, Lin Xiaoxi, was a bit on the skinny side, but she still had curves where it counted—chest and hips—just with a mischievous, quirky vibe, pure teenage girl style.

Each had her own charm.

And...

Their legs were long and nice to look at.

Li Yao got a little lost staring.

Lin Xiaoxi suddenly shot him a wary look. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Li Yao's heart skipped a beat, but his face stayed perfectly still as he put down his phone. "Nothing much."

Lin Xiaoxi eyed him suspiciously. "Really?"

Li Yao: "Nope."

Negative emotion from Lin Xiaoxi: +222...

Fine, back to playing on his phone.

When Uncle and Aunt Lin got home that evening, Li Yao chatted with them for a good while. They warmly insisted he stay for dinner—after all, with their daughter gone, this young man still came by to see the old folks; that showed real kindness. They were genuinely pleased. Li Yao, who often mooched meals here anyway, didn't stand on ceremony.

While Uncle and Aunt were busy in the kitchen, Li Yao discreetly filmed a short video of the three of them together in one frame.

Whew, the task was finally done.

After a pleasant meal where everyone enjoyed themselves, Li Yao took his leave to head home.

Uncle Lin tapped Lin Xiaoxi on the head. "Go on, see your Brother Li Yao off. All you do all day is play on your phone!"

Lin Xiaoxi: [○｀Д´]○!

Why do I have to see him off!

And phones are so fun—why can't I play with mine! But a father's authority was absolute, so Lin Xiaoxi eventually rubbed her slightly red ear and, with a face full of reluctance, escorted Li Yao downstairs.

The apartment complex was a bit old, with plenty of residents.

Under the night sky, many windows were lit up, figures moving inside as they unwound from the day's fatigue. Amid the glow of a thousand homes, everything felt peaceful.

Li Yao's mind was calm.

He kind of liked this state of things.

Lin Xiaoxi walked beside him with her hands behind her back. "You're pretty sad my sister's gone, aren't you?"

Li Yao: "...Yeah."

Lin Xiaoxi: "Do I look like her?"

Li Yao nodded. "Pretty similar."

Lin Xiaoxi: "But we could never happen. You're not my type."

Huh?!

What the hell was all this about?

His face darkened on the spot. Was this little girl seriously over-dramatizing herself that much?

Lin Xiaoxi gazed into the deep night sky, her voice distant. "It's not that you're bad or anything. It's just that I'm not into boys."

Whoa?!

Sounded like he'd just learned something huge.

Li Yao shook his head. What a mess!

He said, "You... you're way too dramatic, aren't you? The drama queen herself? I just came to check on you and Uncle and Aunt—nothing else."

Lin Xiaoxi shook her head. "It's okay, I get it. I hope you can move on soon and find someone more right for you."

Li Yao was about to lose his mind.

I can't explain myself, can I!

He pressed his lips together and forced a change of subject. "By the way, I noticed Uncle and Aunt seemed pretty weighed down by something. Has your family... had any trouble lately?"

Seedlings need extra watering, care, and attention—everyone gets that, right~