Xiao Hu lay on the floor, clutching the cup he had just thrown and caught, his eyes darting in surprise at the pair of feet that had suddenly appeared. Then his gaze followed the legs upward, and he stared blankly at their owner.

Lin Xi!

It was Lin Xi!

The very Lin Xi who had been missing for quite some time!

It was her!

At that moment, Lin Xi, standing at the door of her own home, was also staring at him with curious eyes. After a long while, she crouched down and looked at Xiao Hu on the floor, then slowly smiled and reached out a hand toward him. “You’re the one Yueyue arranged to protect me, aren’t you?”

Her voice was unusually gentle, like a soft spring breeze.

Where the wind passes, all things come to life.

And she herself carried a faint, delicate fragrance that blended seamlessly with that tender spring breeze, making it almost intoxicating.

The unnamed male operative who had been silently tracking and guarding Lin Xi for so many days couldn’t help but feel as if he’d drunk strong liquor—his once-still heart was suddenly stirred by a little deer, galloping wildly around inside him.

Lying motionless on the floor, only his hand seemed to be driven by some unseen force, automatically resting in Lin Xi’s palm. “Hello, my name is Lu Hu. Feng Ge and Sao Zi sent me to protect you.”

As their palms touched, the little deer in Xiao Hu’s heart began to leap even more joyfully, as if he were drunk.

Lin Xi smiled softly, gave Xiao Hu a gentle tug, and pulled him to his feet—though inwardly she couldn’t help but tease: “Such a dazed fellow—he even needs her to give him a good pull to get up after falling! Sent to secretly guard her? Are you serious?”

Even so, she was still quite pleased. Especially since this person had been arranged by Ming Yue.

“Hello, my name is Lin Xi.” Lin Xi, as if going through the motions, briefly and clearly introduced herself to the still-dazed Xiao Hu.

Xiao Hu just stood there, staring blankly at her face, a silly grin playing on his lips, still clutching that poor cup in his hands.

Lin Xi raised an eyebrow, withdrew her hand with a hint of resignation, and turned to walk into the house. “Come on in and have a seat—don’t just stand there like a fool at the door. It’s the middle of the night; someone might complain again.”

“Oh… oh…” Xiao Hu was several beats behind.

It wasn’t until Lin Xi had already gone inside and picked up her phone to call Ming Yue that he finally, dazedly, grabbed his blanket and shuffled into the house.

He could still smell the lingering fragrance of her passing.

Soon after, Ming Yue’s call connected. Lin Xi spoke concisely and directly to the other end: “Yueyue, you can come back now—I’m fine, I’m at home.”

“Sister Lin Xi?”

Ming Yue sounded incredulous on the phone.

Lin Xi nodded slightly. “It’s me. Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine—nothing’s wrong at all. It’s cold outside, so hurry back before you catch a chill.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Ming Yue hung up.

Clearly, she was already on her way over.

Lin Xi put down the phone and casually tossed it back onto the table, then asked the still somewhat dazed Xiao Hu by the sofa, “What would you like to drink? A soda? Tea? Coffee? Or just plain water?”

“Anything’s fine,” Xiao Hu said shyly with a smile.

Lin Xi thought for a moment, then said, “Since Yueyue likes jasmine tea, I’ll brew some jasmine tea. Why don’t you sit down and rest for a bit? It won’t take long.”

With that, she turned and slipped into the kitchen, moving with practiced ease and a graceful, flowing presence.

Once again, Xiao Hu’s heart was filled with fluttering excitement, his heartbeat racing out of control, his face flushed bright red—hardly the image of the fearsome little demon king by Jiang Feng’s side, the one who could kick someone half to death with a single kick.

His reflexes were still painfully slow.

End of Chapter 117: Counterattack 43