Relying on the invisibility cloak, Inori easily avoided the crowd and carried Chu Lian back to their room.
Since they were covered in blood, Inori deliberately avoided Chu Chu and Li Xiuer. Only Tina noticed their return. She, who had been asleep, woke up, glanced at them, then tilted her head and changed position to continue napping.
Chu Chu, though surprised by Tina's sudden awakening—since Tina usually only woke up under extreme stimuli or when summoned by Chu Lian or her—otherwise, she would sleep continuously until she was hungry or it was her time for night action.
"Why hasn't Sister returned yet? It's already been almost forty minutes, and there's not much time left before we were supposed to go to the hot springs." Chu Chu lay bored on the floor, staring at the lantern-like glass lamp on the ceiling, pouting.
"Maybe the opponent was tougher than expected, so they were delayed. Didn't Chu Lian say they weren't fully confident in handling it?" Li Xiuer, also anxious, couldn't show it. She knew Chu Chu was likely even more worried than she was. However, Chu Chu was hiding her anxiety, perhaps to avoid worrying Li Xiuer.
After all, compared to Li Xiuer's complete lack of combat ability, Chu Chu's strength was formidable among her peers. But compared to Chu Lian and Inori, she was still far behind. Moreover, for this mission, they had assigned Tina to protect the two of them.
One could imagine how conflicted and frustrated Chu Chu felt. Ever since witnessing Chu Lian's strength that night, Chu Chu had been striving to become her most reliable ally. Yet, in this first mission afterward, she hadn't been able to contribute at all.
Even when they encountered Kurosaki Hazuki, she had to stay by Li Xiuer's side to protect her, and watching from the sidelines made her feel powerless and stifled. Li Xiuer could understand this—she felt the same way.
To not be involved in the cultivation world, but to be so fascinated by its affairs… The sentiments of both girls were mutual, though unspoken, as a tacit understanding kept them from voicing their feelings.
The quiet atmosphere continued until the sound of deliberate footsteps approached from outside the door. They looked at each other with delight—they had returned!
"Sister, you're back?" Chu Chu eagerly rushed to greet them, but to her shock, Chu Lian was pale and had to be supported by Inori. "Sister, what happened? Are you hurt?" Chu Chu hurried over, gently taking Chu Lian's arm from Inori's shoulder and supporting her.
"Are you still in pain?" she asked.
Chu Lian smiled weakly and shook her head. "It's not serious. The fight was just intense, so I'm a bit exhausted. I'll recover soon."
"Really? But Sister's body is quite special, after all. Minor injuries shouldn't be a problem..." Chu Chu had been worried, but she suddenly remembered Chu Lian's unique constitution, realizing her concerns were too hasty.
It was only now that she noticed Chu Lian and Inori had changed into new clothes. "Sister, why did you change clothes?" she asked, confused.
"During the fight, our clothes got ruined. We didn't want others to see us like that, so we changed before coming back." Chu Lian laughed, brushing off the question. Inwardly, she sighed in relief, thinking how fortunate it was that Chu Chu hadn't closed the door earlier; otherwise, they wouldn't have had anywhere to change.
While they could have turned to Cai Ya for help, she was with her travel companions, and although they were now fairly close and had learned a lot about each other, some things were still best kept private—for now, at least.
If Ayase were here, she would likely have pulled out her red folding fan, covered her lips, and teased, "You know, it's best to wait until they've all fallen into your harem before letting them in on such things, right?"
These were the thoughts to keep to oneself—no need to say them aloud.
"Sister, why do I feel like you were just thinking about something inappropriate?" Chu Chu said suddenly after helping Chu Lian to the bed and staring at her for a while.
Honestly, for Chu Chu—a girl whose behavior, speech, and treatment of Chu Lian had always been rather inappropriate—to say something like that felt ironic. It was as if their roles had reversed.
"You're overthinking. I was just reflecting on the fight." Chu Lian almost choked at Chu Chu's words, lightly tapping her head as if to dispel her wild imagination.
"Alright, alright, I was just being impulsive. After all, it's not every day I see Sister looking so lost in thought, with a little daydreaming thrown in. So, I spoke without thinking—my bad," Chu Chu admitted, feeling embarrassed.
She didn't even know why she had said such a thing. In her heart, Sister was so sacred. If anything, she still wished she could do what she had that night—holding and licking Chu Lian's delicate lotus feet. How could she have such bizarre thoughts?
This confession revealed who was truly inappropriate. Chu Lian might only have fleeting thoughts, but Chu Chu had both acted on them and still wanted more.
"Alright, I'm going to rest for a bit. We still have time for the hot springs later." Chu Lian waved her hand, motioning for Chu Chu to leave.
Chu Chu glanced at Chu Lian, then at Inori, who had remained silent by her side. Pouting in displeasure, she turned and left. As she exited, she pulled the door shut with a loud "bang," clearly expressing her dissatisfaction.
With a faint smile, Chu Lian covered her mouth and began coughing soon after Chu Chu left. A few drops of blood seeped between her fingers, but Inori quickly wiped them away with a handkerchief before they could stain her clothes.
"Why didn't you tell her the truth, Lian?" Inori asked softly.
She knew Chu Lian's injuries were far more serious than they appeared. Throughout her battle with the burly man, she had been on the defensive and had taken several blows from his spear. That final kick had badly injured her internal organs.
Even with her protective energy and unique physique, she wouldn't fully recover for at least two or three days. During this period, her strength was reduced to a quarter of her usual power—barely enough to fend off a few ordinary men, but insufficient for any serious combat. If Chu Chu knew, she would undoubtedly worry, and it might distract her from protecting Li Xiuer.
"Because I don't want her to worry. I'm her Sister—I have to be the one giving her a sense of security," Chu Lian replied with a shake of her head. No matter what, she wouldn't tell Chu Chu the truth; she couldn't bear to make her worry.
"As a sister, you're quite capable," Inori murmured. From the moment she had opened her eyes, she had been alone and didn't understand these kinds of emotions.
However, she could sense that whenever Chu Lian spoke about Chu Chu in private, an aura of warmth and affection radiated from her—a tenderness akin to what Inori had once seen between a mother and daughter.
"If I were truly capable, I wouldn't have led her into danger. I wouldn't force her to do things she dislikes, and I certainly wouldn't punish or discourage her from time to time." Chu Lian's smile was tinged with bitterness. She had always tried her best to be a good sister, but she knew she still wasn't good enough. Life, after all, rarely went as one hoped.
"Perhaps it's not your fault, but fate's design. If not for these circumstances and the unexpected enemies, we would be leisurely enjoying our trip right now," Inori said, gently cradling Chu Lian's head in her lap and taking in the fragrance of her hair.
"Fate is different for everyone. For me, it means dragging the people I care about into danger. I hate this feeling, but I can't escape it. It's as if my fate is sealed—either cursed to loneliness or doomed to be burdened by the heavens." Chu Lian shook her head, her voice beginning to choke with emotion.
Ever since Dark Chu Lian had gone dormant, she had been suppressing the negative emotions from this event. Now, she could no longer hold them back, and tears began to flow.
"I hate my powerlessness, I hate fate's cruel twists, and I hate that they won't even spare the people around me. This isn't over—I'll break these chains myself, I swear…" As Chu Lian spoke, more blood trickled from her lips. But neither she nor Inori wiped it away this time; they let it fall, as if sealing this vow with blood.
After weeping quietly in Inori's arms for a while, Chu Lian pulled away, embarrassed as she noticed the wet patch of tears on Inori's light pink dress, just above her collarbone.
"I'm sorry… I lost control just now," Chu Lian muttered apologetically.
"It's fine. As long as you let it out, that's what matters. Keeping everything bottled up is the hardest thing," Inori reassured her, though her words also seemed to be directed at herself. Perhaps, she too needed to cry someday?
"Yes, now that I've cried, everything's alright," Chu Lian said with a soft, relieved smile. Her delicate, tear-streaked face was so adorable that it made Inori's heart flutter. Overcome with emotion, she leaned down and kissed Chu Lian on the lips.
Chu Lian's eyes widened in surprise, but then she closed them and relaxed into the kiss, savoring this rare moment of peace and warmth.
Outside the room, Chu Chu, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, walked away in a daze. The words she had overheard hit her too hard.
"Sister, soon, I'll show you that I'm no longer someone who needs your protection. I can protect you too…" Inside her, the sealed lightning energy stirred restlessly, responding to her resolve.
"Xiuer, please don't tell them about what we overheard, alright?" Chu Chu whispered to Li Xiuer as she sat down beside her.
"Chu Chu, do you think they won't already know?" Li Xiuer responded with a question that left Chu Chu silent.
How could they not know? Chu Lian might be too injured to sense anything, but Inori definitely would have known from the start. After all, it was Inori who had initiated the conversation.
"Inori, I owe you a favor..." Chu Chu turned to look back in contemplation.