A Gentleman Does Not Deceive His Own Heart

"We're working hard on that front, but unfortunately, we still haven't made any progress..."

At that moment, Lan Bing suddenly interrupted.

"No. I know Shrek Academy has them. Shrek Academy is stationed on the mother planet, and the mother planet has abundant life energy."

At this point, Lan Bing glanced at Lan Mengqin, and her tone suddenly turned gentle.

"Mengqin, can Mom ask you to get into Shrek Academy in the future and help Mom look for these medicinal herbs?"

Ruo Ye's gaze instantly turned strange. Since when had Lan Bing ever asked their daughter to do something for her? Was Lan Bing planning something?

At that moment, Lan Mengqin had pulled herself together. In a sweet, innocent voice, she said to Lan Bing, "I know, Mom."

Ruo Ye frowned slightly. "Lan Bing, this..."

Ruo Ye had barely gotten two words out when he suddenly stopped.

"Hiss!"

He only felt a sharp pain at his waist. Turning his head, he saw Lan Bing smiling sweetly at him.

"Yeye, what were you going to say? Hurry up and help me up."

"Uh, nothing."

Ruo Ye immediately shut his mouth and reached out to help Lan Bing up. In the next second, Lan Bing actually gave Lin Yuan a slight bow.

"Little Lin, thank you so much this time. You truly saved our whole family. This kindness is like giving me a second life. Everything the Ice Clan possesses is yours to take as you wish."

When Lan Bing said this, her expression was solemn, and the aura of the Ice Clan's clan leader instantly spread out, making it impossible for anyone to doubt the truth of her words.

Lin Yuan turned aside, not accepting such courtesy, his brows tightly furrowed.

"You're too kind, Auntie. Since you say I've given you a second life, how could Uncle Ruo not have given me the kindness of guidance? We both met each other at important crossroads in our lives."

Once he said this, Lan Bing and Ruo Ye looked at each other, and both saw astonishment in the other's eyes. These words from Little Lin... was he really seven?

Before he could finish, Lin Yuan sighed.

"As for the Ice Clan's things, Auntie, I think we should forget it. From the very beginning, I didn't do this for some so-called reward, but to repay a debt of gratitude. If I hadn't succeeded in treating you, Auntie, then in the future I definitely would have found some other way to repay Uncle's guidance."

At this point, Lin Yuan moved his body a little. Aside from his face still being pale, he could already walk normally, so he prepared to take his leave.

"All right, Uncle. Aunt Lan's condition is more or less stabilized now. If there's nothing else, then I'll just—"

Just as Lin Yuan was about to leave, someone suddenly put a hand on his shoulder, and Lin Yuan was pressed back down into his seat.

He looked back and saw that it was Lan Bing, her hand resting on his shoulder, her white teeth showing in a bright smile.

"What's the rush? Listen to Auntie. Treat this place as your own home. Since you've come home, how can you not stay for a meal?"

Lin Yuan said, "You're too kind, really, there's no need..."

"Listen to your aunt. Yeye, go arrange two of the best guest rooms for Little Lin and Qianqiu."

Lin Yuan had just been about to speak when his vision suddenly blurred a little. It was a reaction from having used too much spiritual power earlier, and he subconsciously pressed his temples.

Just then, a soft voice came from beside Lin Yuan's ear.

"All right, just listen to Auntie. Also, your spiritual power is a little weak. Tiandou City—mm, the Ice Clan's place where Aunt Lan is—has a pretty good environment. I'll take you around to recover a bit."

After saying this, Dong Qianqiu glanced at Lan Mengqin, who was lying against Lan Bing. Seeing that she was not paying attention to this side, she immediately released a yellow Soul Ring.

Under Lin Yuan's expression, which looked like an old man on the subway staring at a phone.

Four ice wheels actually appeared beneath the seat he was sitting on, and a handle appeared at the back, making it look exactly like a small four-wheeled cart.

Before Lin Yuan could speak, Dong Qianqiu's eyes curved slightly like crescent moons. She placed her index finger against her lips, her voice very soft.

"Sister Mengqin is having a heart-to-heart with Aunt Lan right now. We can't stay here."

Lin Yuan: ...

"Is this also about men and women keeping proper distance?"

"No. This is about a gentleman not taking advantage of a private room."

"You're a gentleman?"

"That's why I'm taking you, the gentleman, away with me right now."

As soon as she said this, Dong Qianqiu immediately pushed Lin Yuan gently, leaving without making the slightest sound.

After the others had completely left, Lan Mengqin kept acting spoiled with Lan Bing.

"Mom, all of this was Lin Yuan's credit. You can't pretend you didn't see it."

Lan Bing stroked Lan Mengqin's head, her voice gentle.

"You little girl, is Mom such an ungrateful person? Even though Little Lin doesn't want anything, Mom can't give him nothing. In a moment, Mom will go get some heavenly treasures and earthly gems and have them delivered to Little Lin. Besides... didn't you hear that I want you to get into Shrek Academy in the future?"

At this point, Lan Bing's face filled with teasing.

"I've already sent out the most precious treasure in our family, haven't I? Of course, it depends on whether Little Lin wants it."

"Ah, what does that have to do with thanking Lin Yuan? Wasn't it you who told me to go to Shrek and help you look for food with life energy, Mom? Also, what treasure? How come I don't know about it?"

Lan Mengqin blinked, looking utterly blank, and Lan Bing instantly felt rather exhausted.

"Mengqin, honestly, give your mother a little peace of mind. I graduated from Shrek myself. Even if our Ice Clan doesn't have any, I can still go ask my old classmates for a few portions."

"More importantly, with Lin Yuan's talent, he'll definitely enter Shrek Academy in the future. No one knows a daughter better than her mother. From the moment you came in, I could tell you treat Xiao Lin differently. Don't tell me you want to stay by Mom's side after graduation and watch Qianqiu and Xiao Lin get into Shrek Academy together. Could you bear to let your good friend only play with Qianqiu?"

Hearing this, Lan Mengqin immediately denied it like a rabbit whose foot had been stepped on. She tossed back her snow-white long hair and said proudly, "How is it different? I treat Qianqiu the same—"

All of a sudden, she stopped short.

An image flashed through her mind: inside that vast academy, Lin Yuan was holding a thermos cup, eyes half-lidded and lazy, stepping into Shrek Academy together with Dong Qianqiu, while Lan Mengqin chased desperately behind them.

Qianqiu suddenly seemed a little less lovable...

Lan Mengqin pouted slightly and subconsciously turned to Dong Qianqiu beside her.

"Qianqiu, you won't..."

Just as Lan Mengqin was about to say something, she suddenly felt that the space beside her was empty.

An ominous premonition surged up in her heart.

She whipped her head to the side, only to discover that both Dong Qianqiu and Lin Yuan had vanished.

"Where did they go?"

Lan Mengqin stood there, dazed, staring at the empty space behind her.

"Mengqin, honestly, give your mother a little peace of mind."

Lan Bing covered her face, unable to bear watching.

Her home had been robbed, and she did not even know it.

Tiandou City, Ice Clan territory.

Lin Yuan's face was pale as he looked at the four-wheeled chair made of ice beneath him. His eyelids twitched slightly. With the strange looks people around him kept casting over, even someone who had lived two lives like him could not help but blush with embarrassment.

Lin Yuan glanced at Dong Qianqiu, who was pushing him from behind, and lowered his voice.

"I say, Student Qianqiu, there's no need to run this far, is there?"

Dong Qianqiu blinked her ice-blue eyes.

"Your spiritual power is damaged, so of course you need to sense the mysteries of heaven and earth in an open environment. That way you'll recover faster. Hmph."

Lin Yuan: ...

He had to admit, the scenery in the Ice Clan territory was indeed lovely, enough to refresh the heart and mind.

Eventually, they arrived at an open area.

Dong Qianqiu let go of the handles, came to Lin Yuan's side, hugged her arms, and squatted down. She lifted her head slightly to look at the night sky, the cold, clear icy wind gently blowing through her sea-blue hair.

It had been a long time since she had looked at the stars like this.

"Lin Yuan."

"Mm?"

"Thank you for helping Sister Mengqin heal Mom."

"Heh, it's fine. You already thanked me just now, though I don't mind you thanking me a second time."

Lin Yuan shifted into a comfortable position, lying on the four-wheeled chair like a lazy couch potato, both hands resting on his lower abdomen, his eyes half-lidded.

"Hmph."

Dong Qianqiu shot Lin Yuan an annoyed look, then stood up, clasped her hands behind her back, and walked a few steps forward. She raised her head and gazed at the star-filled sky.

"You told me before that you could hear the voices of the stars... Can you really hear the voices of the stars?"

"More or less."

Dong Qianqiu: ...

She burst out laughing, then came to Lin Yuan's side and stretched out her little pink fist, gently thumping Lin Yuan on the waist. With a soft huff, she said, "What do you mean, more or less? Saying something so vague like that is really awful of you."

After smiling, she fell silent again and murmured to herself, "I remember, deep in my memories, and from what my teachers told me, that when life dies, it doesn't actually vanish. Instead, it turns into stars in the sky, watching us, watching us grow..."

"Then you're overthinking it," Lin Yuan immediately denied.

"...So in the end, there's still nothing at all?" An indescribable sense of loss suddenly entered Dong Qianqiu's voice.

"So you miss your mom and dad?"

The girl behind him was silent for a long time before she nodded gloomily.

"Mm..."

Lin Yuan also lifted his head to look at the starry sky, his eyes still half-lidded. This time, however, he did not use Voice of the Stars. Instead, for the first time, he looked up at the stars from the perspective of a normal person—oh, no, a normal soul master.

Lin Yuan reached out, as if the distant stars beyond reach had become close enough to touch.