She Hugged Others… Not Me

Lin Yuan slipped quietly into his room, heart still heavy from his dream… and the soul massage.he needs to find and check her.

> *Where's Tearlume?*

He looked around—and then spotted her.

Near the window, little Tearlume wobbled on her hands and knees, barefoot and trying to crawl across the wooden floor.

She wore a new white dress—freshly tailored, adorned with tiny fresh flowers that shimmered in the light. The petals swayed with every movement, as if they were alive.

She looked like a flower that had somehow become a baby.

> "She's learning to crawl?" Lin Yuan blinked. "In that dress?"

Sect Leader Yuexian stood nearby, smiling faintly.

> "Doesn't she look like a blossom that accidentally became a child?" she said softly.

She knelt beside Tearlume, brushing a hand across her back. The flowers responded—glowing faintly.

> "These flowers… they've attached themselves to her aura. She's nurturing them without meaning to. A rare trait."

Then she tilted her head.

> "But look closer. You see that?"

Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes.

Beside Tearlume, the air shimmered—just faintly. A ripple, like heat rising off stone.

> "Is that… another baby?"

> "Invisible. But present," Yuexian whispered. "We can track her through spirit resonance. She's nearby."

Lin Yuan nodded slowly. But his attention was drifting.

Something was strange.

The Sect Leader looked too beautiful tonight. Her skin glowed like snow under moonlight. Her voice was softer. Her robes were pale white, embroidered with clouds and thread-of-silver.

And…

> *She smells like my mother.*

His heart skipped.

The hairstyle. The posture. The scent. The dress…

Only one thing was missing.

He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a delicate, crystal-blue hairpin carved from Divine Glacier Ice.

> "Here," he said quietly, stepping forward. "My father bought this for my mother. He bought two—one for her, one for me. Back when they thought I'd be a girl."

He held it out to her, careful.

> "It's a Divine Glacier Ice hairpin. You can wear it. Or give it to someone else. Just don't sell it."

Sect Leader's eyes widened.

> "You're serious? This is real… Divine Glacier Ice. Don't tell me—does it contain Moon Holy Stone?"

> "If you want to sell something, sell the Moon Holy Stone," Lin Yuan muttered. "Not the hairpin."

She clutched it in both hands, eyes misty.

> "I don't sell gifts," she whispered. "And this… this is the most valuable gift I've ever received. A true family heirloom. No one has ever given me something like this."

Lin Yuan looked away.

> "Don't be so emotional," he muttered, ears red. "I'm just heading out. I broke Rina's heart earlier, and I don't want to see her. Can you… give her something from me?"

> "What would you give her?"

> "A battle dress."

> "How many sprite stone do you have left?"

> "Not enough. "

> "Then go earn more."

> "Fine. Just give me Xiaoluan. I'll take both babies."

Yuexian turned to the corner. Xiaoluan, invisible again, was nibbling the edge of a pillow—completely unbothered. The Sect Leader scooped her up—and winced as the tiny dragon bit her wrist.

> "Hey, don't force her," Lin Yuan said, gently peeling Xiaoluan off. "Her teeth are still weak."

He bowed. "Sorry. She's still learning."

> "It's alright," Yuexian said warmly. "Her poison isn't even strong yet. Come, bite me again, little one."

Xiaoluan obeyed—then collapsed, drained.

> "Go do what you need to do," the Sect Leader said, smiling. "I'll take care of the rest."

---

Mission Hall – Rat killing order.

Lin Yuan took a rat extermination mission.

> "One order grants you access to a hundred-mile rich field," the elder at the counter said with a wink. "Good luck."

He nodded and teleported there with the babies—immediately storing them in a pocket realm for safety.

Drawing the new bow gifted by Lady Fangyuan, he began hunting.

Silent. Swift. Lethal.

Meanwhile, Lady Baihua had gone underground, wiping out rat nests by the dozens.Other go to market.

By noon, the field was half-cleared—and Lin Yuan was starving.

On the way back, Lin Yuan passed the Sect Leader's private courtyard.

He paused.

> *Didn't she build the Sun-Moon energy array here?*

He stepped inside.

A girl sat quietly on a stone platform, playing a shining jade flute. A green bird perched on her shoulder. Her melody was slow… sad.

When he entered, she stopped and looked up.

> "Who are you?"

> "Disciple of the Sect Leader," Lin Yuan said calmly, showing her the token.

> "You came to cultivate?"

> "Yes. I have a Sunfire Seed. I want to try absorbing the Sun Holy Stone."

She eyed him. "You have the Sect Leader's permission?"

He held the token closer.

She took it, inspecting it without blinking.

> "This is real," she murmured. "You've taken followers before."

Lin Yuan didn't respond.

> "Where is she?"

He turned around and walked out.

---

The girl lowered her flute.

> "Why are you hiding from her?" she whispered. "You can talk to me if she hurt you."

A faint voice responded.

> "I don't know," said Rina.

> "I had high hopes in her. She was calm, kind. I told her everything. She even joked with me to make me smile."

> "I tried to hug her—without thinking. She pushed me away. Said she had touch issues."

> "But I've seen her hugging slaves. Pregnant women. Little girls…"

> "She apologized, then the Sect Leader hug her and took her away. But after that… nothing."

Sect leader"She offered to give me anything. If I want to break our connection.Next morning I want to meet her,sect leader say she is busy."

> "This morning sect leader let me cultivate here. But she never came back."

> "Now… I don't know how to face her."

The flute girl said nothing.

Then—

> "If you want to break your bond with her… I'll help you."

---

Lin Yuan returned, exhausted.

Qingxiu greeted him with a grin, holding a bottle.

> "Brother! Sect leader fixed your spiritual gourd. But I need funds…"

> "Here," Lin Yuan sighed, giving her his last spirit stones. "Take it all."

Now completely broke, he walked to the waterfall and stepped under the crashing stream.

The pressure nearly crushed him.

> *Pain… but growth. When the wounds heal, they make me stronger.*

---

Later, he met Lady Baihua at the market. She handed him a pouch.

> "Seventeen high-grade spirit stones," she said. "Go buy yourself something nice."

He nodded and bought a Soul Fruit for himself, and food for the refugees and children.

Then, over dinner:

> "We need money," he said plainly.

> "Let's make a kingdom!" Xiaohu declared, full of rice and fire.

> "How?" Yuexian asked dryly.

> "Bread," Qingxiu said. "It's cheap. Nutritious. Easy."

Lin Yuan paused.

> "That's… actually a great idea."

> "We also need our own house," Xiaohu added. "People are gossiping that we're freeloading off the Sect Leader."

> "Let them," Yuexian said. "I sold 800ml of my strongest poison today. 800 high-grade spirit stones."

Everyone froze.

Three hands flew up.

> "Give it to me!"

Lin Yuan sighed.

> "You two handle it."

> "I need more," Qingxiu said.

> "I only need 200," Xiaohu murmured. "I want to save more demon blood children."

Everyone fell silent.

Then nodded.

> "Alright," Lin Yuan said, smiling faintly. "Let's build something together."

They went to bed that night—poorer in stones.

But richer in something else.

> *Hope.*

---