CHAPTER 99 - Caitlyn's Suspicions

Caitlyn smiled and nodded at Colin. "Ahem..."

He nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead and cheeks with a handkerchief pulled from his pocket, then approached Caitlyn and Li Lin, shaking hands with them.

"Apologies for my rudeness," he awkwardly chuckled.

Li Lin quickly intervened, offering Corin a way out, "It's understandable, as a father caring for his daughter."

"Hmm... I've seen your achievements in the newspapers. Who would have thought a 17-year-old could be so accomplished?" Corin mused. "Apart from being an inventor, leading enforcers to eliminate a notorious chem-baron, and even taking down a mage aiding the criminals. I believe 'Guardian of the Future' suits you well."

Corin's praise, especially the last sentence, made Li Lin feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Let's skip the 'Guardian of the Future.' I'm just an ordinary mechanic," he modestly replied.

Sensing Li Lin's discomfort, Caitlyn changed the topic skillfully. "By the way, where do you both live? The northern part of Piltover, though not vast, has its charm. I've never seen Orianna around."

Upon hearing this, Orianna, standing behind Colin, had something to say.

"Hmph!" She let out a displeased sound, saying, "Dad opened a Hextech Prosthetics workshop on the main commercial street. He never lets me venture beyond that area."

Orianna had shared this information with them earlier, but saying it again in front of her father embarrassed him.

"Cough, Anna, it's for your safety. And as compensation, don't I often take you to the grand theater?" Corin scolded, glancing at his daughter. However, Orianna ignored him, casually sipping her softdrink, avoiding eye contact.

Li Lin silently listened to their conversation, his thoughts wandering. He remembered how Corin's strict control over Orianna's movements had fueled her desire for adventure.

In the background, a severe alchemical accident had occurred in Zaun, leading to disagreements between the two once again. Orianna secretly brought supplies to aid the citizens and repair the breathing apparatus at the undercity. She even gave her own breathing filter to a child struggling to breathe.

As a result, she contracted a severe illness due to the toxic alchemical gases. Her lungs deteriorated rapidly. Despite Colin, a genius prosthetics craftsman, designing artificial mechanical lungs for her, her condition worsened. The corrosive gas spread throughout her body.

In desperation, Orianna purchased a Hextech crystal from a chem-baron, turning it into a Hextech core to replace her heart. She then transplanted it into her father, saving his life.

Thinking about this, a hint of worry flashed in Li Lin's eyes. While his influence could prevent future alchemical accidents in Zaun, unforeseen events were inevitable.

Moreover, he couldn't pinpoint when the gas leakage incidents involving many heroes in the background occurred.

After pondering for a while, he looked at Corin, who was conversing with Caitlyn, and intervened, "Mr. Reveck, forgive my presumptuous words, but it seems Orianna isn't content staying at home..."

Corin furrowed his brows, his wrinkles becoming more apparent, exchanging a perplexed glance with Li Lin.

"Cait often complains about not having close female friends. How about this? Let Orianna accompany her outside," Li Lin suggested.

Before he could finish, Caitlyn immediately turned to look at him. The gem-like eyes carried a hint of confusion, as if saying, "When did I say that? I don't recall."

Not only Caitlyn, but Orianna also stared at Li Lin in surprise. They had no idea about the possible future events.

Now, Li Lin couldn't explain his intentions to them. Even if he did, he could only come up with a reasonable excuse.

Facing their different expressions, Li Lin persevered, "This way, it solves Cait's problem of finding a friend, and Orianna won't have to stay cooped up at home. It's a win-win, don't you think?"

"Well, this..." Corin rubbed his chin, looking conflicted.

Fortunately, Caitlyn reacted swiftly. Her rosy lips gently parted, and she mouthed to Li Lin, "We'll settle the score later." Then, she turned back and smiled, offering her assistance:

"Li Lin is right. Even if you want to protect Orianna and keep her indoors, it's not the right approach. I've had professional combat training, and I can teach her how to handle danger. Besides, exposing her to the world would do her good."

Corin's furrowed brow relaxed slightly as he seemed intrigued by Caitlyn's words.

Quickly, Li Lin signaled to the surprised Orianna, who was still lost in thought.

"Oh, yes, Daddy! With Caitlyn taking care of me, nothing unexpected will happen. And I won't go to any dangerous places," she pleaded, tugging lightly at her father's sleeve.

After contemplating for a while, Corin sighed, turned around, and looked at his daughter seriously, "Can you guarantee that you won't go to dangerous places?"

Orianna first looked puzzled, then her face lit up with joy, and she almost jumped, "Of course! I promise!"

"Alright..."

Corin turned back to glance at Li Lin and then exchanged a meaningful look with Caitlyn.

"Well then, Miss Kiramman, please take good care of my daughter."

...

...

After exchanging pleasantries with Colin and his daughter, Li Lin and Caitlyn bid them farewell.

Once they were at a distance, Caitlyn's smile disappeared, replaced by the stern expression she wore when interrogating criminals. Her eyes carried a questioning look.

"Spill it. What's the truth behind making me take Orianna out? Don't tell me you have eyes on that young girl; she's barely thirteen!"

Before Li Lin could explain, Caitlyn continued to press, "You better not forget, she's just a kid!"

Caitlyn's lips curled slightly, not into her usual warm smile but a chillier expression. It felt as if she could send him straight to jail with a single word.

This life, it seemed, was getting more complicated.

Under Caitlyn's scrutinizing gaze, Li Lin's throat involuntarily twitched, and he nervously began to explain:

"Don't you think Orianna is eager to explore the outside world?"

Caitlyn's gaze grew more dangerous, clearly dissatisfied with this explanation.

"On Progress Day, she was willing to risk herself to help the enforcers by giving her breath filter to them.

"Imagine if, one day, she couldn't resist her curiosity about the outside world, sneaked out, and ended up in Zaun. What do you think she would do?"

As he spoke, Caitlyn raised a skeptical eyebrow.

It seemed to make sense...

Seeing the skepticism fade a bit from the girl's expression, Li Lin seized the opportunity to continue, "So, my actions were merely a preemptive measure to avoid potential risks and save a curious girl from the outside world."

Caitlyn tilted her head, still skeptical, but her attitude was not as confrontational as before.

"Fine. I'll let this pass for now."

After a brief pause, she asked, "You really don't have any improper thoughts about that young girl?"

"Absolutely not!"

Suddenly, it dawned on Li Lin that the main universe's background story had been cut by more than half. The narrative was disjointed, and he couldn't comprehend what happened.

(End of this chapter)

=========================================================

DROP THEM POWER STONES AND KINDLY LEAVE REVIEWS AS WELL!

SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS

PAT REON.COM/TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).