Lin Luo: I Suspect She's Xiao Hong

Lin Luo: "Nothing happened to us."

"But why are you suddenly inviting Hong Chen to the palace? You haven't invited us before in all these years."

Yu Luoyi asked, puzzled.

His doubts were quickly acknowledged by Xue Fu.

The girl with long blonde hair nodded immediately.

For the first time, she felt empty inside, probably because it was also the first time Lin Luo had shown enthusiasm for another girl in front of her.

Lin Luo said helplessly, "I just have some things I want to talk to Hong Chen about."

"Hopefully it's for the sake of the competition."

Xue Qian raised an eyebrow, his expression amused, then pulled his sister away.

Compared to Xue Fu, Xue Qian would much rather see this scene: Lin Luo falling in love with another girl would be a win-win situation for him, so that his sister wouldn't leave him.

Xiong Chumo glanced at Hong Chen, but Hong Chen distracted him with a look. He then buried his head and followed behind Xue Qian and his sister as they left.

Yu Luoyi stood there dumbfounded, but Lin Luo Luoke showed no intention of inviting him.

Let's go.

Lin Luo gestured to Hong Chen in the direction to disembark from the carriage.

Hong Chen lowered his head, conflicted. "I'm going to the palace with you, just to take a look and have some fun. You can't make things difficult for me, you can't ask me things I don't want to talk about..."

Lin Luo: "Since you have so many things to mind, why did you agree so quickly?"

"Oh dear, why are you scaring this little sister?"

Ye Lingling quickly grabbed Hong Chen's hand and led her towards the carriage, comforting her at the same time, "Don't be afraid, there's nothing scary in the palace. With me here, Lin Luo won't make things difficult for you."

"Okay!" Hong Chen's face lit up with a smile again, with a hint of anticipation.

She even jumped onto the carriage before Ye Lingling.

Yu Luoyi stealthily moved towards the carriage, but Lin Luo turned and glared at him. He instantly stopped in his tracks, but then straightened his chest and said, "Lin Luo, in broad daylight, I doubt you'd dare do anything!"

Lin Luo raised his hand to slap Yu Luoyi, who was so frightened that he ran away in a flash.

Inside the carriage, Hong Chen was like a restless dog, unable to sit still. He eagerly and curiously leaned out the window to observe the passing scenery.

Lin Luo had been staring at her for a long time, and Ye Lingling frowned and waved her hand in front of his eyes.

However, Hong Chen did not see this scene, or rather, the red-haired girl's attention was completely elsewhere in the car at that moment.

"The palace must be very big and beautiful, right?"

Hong Chen asked Ye Lingling with delight.

The latter nodded. "Yes, but just looking is enough; staying too long isn't as fun as going outside."

"Hmph, I don't believe it. If it weren't fun, why would they stay inside for so long?"

Hong Chen responded with a pout.

"Them?" Ye Lingling asked, puzzled, wondering who Hong Chen meant by "them".

Lin Luo also looked at the girl in front of him, and Hong Chen, realizing he had let something slip, quickly explained, "I meant... those people who have always lived in the palace."

Ye Lingling was both amused and exasperated. "That's their home. Would you easily leave your own home?"

Hong Chen listened, then shook his head, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes.

For the rest of the time, she stared quietly at the scenery passing by outside the window, seemingly lost in thought, her initial liveliness gone.

Before long, the carriage finally arrived at its destination.

She Long placed the ladder beside the carriage, but Hong Chen habitually jumped down from it.

Lin Luo gave Ye Lingling a wink, and the latter understood, knowing that Lin Luo wanted her to remind Qian Renxue to appear in men's clothing later.

"Wow..." Hong Chen looked up at the Crown Prince's palace and exclaimed, "What a huge house!"

Lin Luo stood behind her, smiling, and asked, "Do you like it?"

"Like!"

She responded without hesitation.

Lin Luo thought for a moment, then refrained from saying anything overly intimate. He walked ahead to lead the way, but the girl suddenly became reserved.

She took small, quick steps and asked softly, "Is it okay to make too much noise here?"

Lin Luo turned to look at her. "Why do you ask that? Is it quiet here?"

Hong Chen shook his head and replied, "I'm afraid you'll kick me out."

Lin Luo was taken aback, then his tone softened. "Don't worry, whether or not I kick them out is up to me."

"Then will you kick me out?"

Hong Chen asked cautiously.

Lin Luo: "No."

She smiled with relief and ran happily ahead of Lin Luo, entering the palace even faster Lin Luo.

Seeing this, Lin Luo shook his head and chuckled.

Once inside the palace, Hong Chen was extremely curious about everything. It wasn't that she had never seen human dwellings before; she was simply curious about what Lin Luo's new home would be like.

Lin Luo let her wander around the palace and then went to see Qian Renxue.

Inside the study, Qian Renxue was talking with Ye Lingling. The woman, who was sitting in her seat, looked up and smiled when she saw her son, whom she hadn't seen for several days.

"You're back? How's life at the academy?"

She stepped forward, cupped Lin Luo's cheeks in her hands, and looked him over from all angles, overjoyed.

"Alright, alright..." With Ye Lingling around, Lin Luo still couldn't get intimate with Qian Renxue.

Sure enough, Ye Lingling was secretly laughing when she saw his embarrassed look.

Qian Renxue didn't care. She treated Lin Luo like a kitten, rubbing his head and pinching his cheeks, patting his chest and pinching his waist, repeatedly checking whether he had gained or lost weight in the past few days.

Seeing the expression on Lin Luo's face, Ye Lingling almost burst out laughing.

Qian Renxue suddenly remembered what Ye Lingling had just said, and she quickly asked, "I heard Lingling say that you brought back a girl, the one named Hong Chen?"

Lin Luo nodded. "Yes."

He then looked at Ye Lingling and said in an unhappy tone, "Hey, I have something to say to her alone. Can we leave for a bit?"

"Tch." Ye Lingling waved her hand dismissively and walked out of the study.

Lin Luo immediately instructed, "Keep an eye on Hong Chen and don't let her wander off."

Ye Lingling: "Understood!"

"Speak, what do you mean?" Qian Renxue stared at her son. Not to mention Xue Fu had an opinion on this, Qian Renxue also disagreed.

Although that girl left a very good impression last time, it's really too presumptuous of you to bring her home right after the start of the semester!

Does she think I don't exist? Or that I have no say in anything?

Lin Luo: "I suspect she is Xiao Hong."

This sentence left Qian Renxue completely dumbfounded.

"What... what did you say? Xiao Hong?"

Qian Renxue blinked. Although she briefly thought of some similarities between the two, forcibly linking a little fox with a human was such a far-fetched way of thinking!

"Have you fallen for this girl? Or are you just obsessed with Xiao Hong?"

Lin Luo frowned. "I have a lot of scattered evidence. If you don't believe me, you can try to find out more indirectly. But I think she has some reason for not being able to expose it, so she probably won't admit it."

Qian Renxue crossed her arms, paced back and forth in the study a few steps, then turned to look at her son. "Since she couldn't reveal herself, how did she manage to find out she was Xiao Hong?"

Lin Luo's lips twitched. "Because... she's still just as naive as she was back then."