The flower tea was soon ready.

Lin Xi carried the cups into the living room and poured the first one for Ming Yue, whom she had forcibly pushed onto the sofa. “It’s chilly at night—here, have some tea to warm yourself up.”

Ming Yue took the cup without asking a single question.

Lin Xi then poured cups for Jiang Feng and Xiao Hu, who was standing behind Jiang Feng. Though her face still wore a pleasant smile, it wasn’t as bright as when she was with Ming Yue.

“Sister Lin, where did you go just now?”

Ming Yue took the steaming cup and got straight to the point, no beating around the bush. Her eyes were sharp as ever, locking onto Lin Xi’s gaze so tightly that there was no way for Lin Xi to evade.

Lin Xi didn’t say a word. She smiled, tidied up, poured herself a cup of tea, and sat down beside Ming Yue. “Just wandered around a bit.”

“Wandered around? Just like that?”

Ming Yue lifted the cup of flower tea and took a gentle sip.

Lin Xi nodded. “Yeah, just wandered around.”

“Sister Lin, do you think I’m stupid, or easy to fool?”

“I don’t think you’re stupid at all, Yue Yue—and certainly not easy to fool.”

“Then why did you…”

Ming Yue was quite agitated.

But before she could finish her sentence, Lin Xi slipped a pastry into her hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. “Ming Yue, don’t worry about me—I’m fine, and I haven’t run into any danger. As for why I didn’t tell you where I’ve been these past few days…”

Lin Xi took Ming Yue’s hand and gave it a light tap on the back. “Everyone has secrets, right? Just think of this as my little secret, okay?”

“Sister Lin!”

“Yue Yue!”

The two of them froze in place.

One had a pouty little face, clearly sulking; the other wore a forced smile, trying to appease Ming Yue—and even shot a pleading look toward Jiang Feng, who was standing by Ming Yue’s side.

Jiang Feng merely curled his lips slightly, saying nothing. He figured he was just too clueless to understand Lin Xi’s desperate plea for help.

After all, he knew exactly how he ranked in Ming Yue’s heart.

Right now, in Ming Yue’s eyes, he couldn’t hold a candle to Lin Xi. As long as Lin Xi was safe, the wisest thing to do was to keep out of their business altogether.

Sure enough.

After several attempts to communicate through eye contact, seeing that Jiang Feng still didn’t react, Lin Xi gave up on him and decided to try explaining everything to Ming Yue herself.

As for Xiao Hu, standing behind Jiang Feng…

He was holding that fragrant cup of flower tea, staring blankly over Jiang Feng’s shoulder. Before his eyes floated countless tiny pink bubbles, and behind those bubbles, the woman seemed to glow from within—like a celestial being from heaven. It was as if his visual system had automatically applied a special filter to the person in front of him.

No one else could see that filter. Only he could.

Meanwhile, Jiang Feng was avoiding Lin Xi’s gaze.

When he suddenly caught sight of this dazed idiot behind him, he nearly flew into a rage and kicked the poor guy right off his feet.

The conversation in the living room continued, but there was no real progress. Ming Yue kept probing for answers, while Lin Xi kept dodging and hiding.

In the end, both sides made concessions.

Ming Yue said seriously, “Sister Lin, I won’t press you about this anymore, and I’ll respect your secret. But at least tell me—will what you’re hiding affect your safety?”

“Don’t worry,” Lin Xi assured her. “Not only will it not endanger my life, it’s actually something really, really good for me.”

She spoke with absolute conviction. Then she set down her teacup, firmly grasped Ming Yue’s hand, and said earnestly, “And I probably won’t keep this a secret from you for much longer. Trust me—if things go smoothly, I’ll tell you everything in due course, okay?”

End of Chapter 118: Counterattack 44