Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Chapter 137 Zhu Zhuqing, the Target!
When the other servants in the mansion met, their gazes toward Zhu Zhuqing were filled with complex emotions.

There was undisguised pity, a cautious distance, and more than anything, a chilling scrutiny and assessment—assessing how much value this second young lady, who had been given a "probationary sentence" by fate, still had to offer even the slightest bit of kindness.

Whispers, like moss in a dark corner, quietly sprouted after Zhu Zhuqing passed by.

"Let's see how long she can stay arrogant..."

"To have such a useless fiancé..."

"The days ahead are probably going to be tough..."

"Shh...keep your voice down, don't let her hear..."

These changes, subtle yet ubiquitous, are like cold needles, piercing that silent little figure again and again.

What chilled Lin Xia to the bone was that the family head, Zhu Zhan, was not unaware of this.

He would occasionally pass by Zhu Zhuqing's courtyard, seeing the slightly messy scene at the entrance, or hearing the servants' disrespectful whispers. But he would only pause slightly, furrow his brow, glance over, and ultimately say or do nothing, leaving without saying or doing anything.

Let things drift.

This is a signal that is more cruel than direct punishment.

It silently proclaimed that in this family that values ​​strength and the value of marriage alliances, a daughter destined for a failed marriage, and possibly even paying the price with her life, was no longer worth the family head's attention and resources.

Her value was largely "consumed" by her family the moment she awakened the Netherworld Cat Martial Soul and was designated as Dai Mubai's fiancée. All that remained was the countdown to the brutal competition.

The servants' snobbishness was nothing more than an instinctive reaction to seek advantage and avoid harm, stemming from their premonition of the cold aura emanating from the center of power.

Lin Xia saw all of this and wanted to change something, but she felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

He could not change the rules of the Zhu family, nor could he shake the ironclad laws of the Star Luo Empire, nor could he shoulder the heavy shackles of fate for Zhu Zhuqing.

Lin Xia leaned against the window of the blacksmith's workshop, gazing in the direction of the Zhu residence, her fingertips unconsciously tapping on the cold metal window frame, producing a soft tapping sound.

Young Gilas seemed to sense his low spirits, nuzzling his cheek with its little head and making a questioning "Yo-ji?" sound.

"We can't help her fight against fate right now."

Lin Xia spoke softly to her companion, as if she were sorting out her thoughts.

"But at the very least, we can't let these filthy maggots stay here and disgust people forever!"

Lin Xia's eyes suddenly sharpened, and a cold light flashed in her dark golden pupils.

He can't change the big picture, but he can intervene in these disgusting "trivial matters."

Thus, Lin Xia became a silent, vigilant shadow outside of Zhu Zhuqing's silent world.

He used his status as a "child" and his special position as the young master of the blacksmiths' association in the Zhu family to begin providing assistance discreetly.

One afternoon, Lin Xia "happened" to be "playing" on a path in the garden when she saw a maidservant carrying a food box that was clearly underweight and contained dishes of inferior quality. The maidservant was walking impatiently toward Zhu Zhuqing's courtyard, muttering to herself:

"...What a hassle, having to travel so far to deliver this lousy food..."

Seeing her chance, Lin Xia, carrying baby Gilas, suddenly "accidentally" darted out of the nearby flowerbed like a truly playful child, crashing straight into the servant woman. "Ouch!"

Caught off guard, the servant woman dropped the food box, spilling the food all over the floor, leaving a mess.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Auntie!"

Lin Xia immediately put on a panicked and tearful expression, her little hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her big eyes filled with innocent apology.

"I...I was playing hide-and-seek with my friends, and I...I didn't see you! I'll make you a replacement! I'll have the kitchen make another one for you!"

Seeing Lin Xia's "terrified" appearance, and remembering that he was an honored guest, the maid could only suppress her anger. Her face turned pale and then red, and in the end, she could only accept her bad luck and went to the kitchen to prepare again while cursing.

Lin Xia stood there "guiltyly" until she saw the maid carrying a much more lavish meal back to Zhu Zhuqing's courtyard, then she left as if nothing had happened.

Young Gilas perched on his shoulder, proudly shaking his little head at the servant's retreating figure.

One morning, Lin Xia "passed by" Zhu Zhuqing's courtyard and saw the maid in charge of cleaning standing with her hands on her hips, saying something to Zhu Zhuqing who was standing at the door holding a few changes of clothes.

"...Second Miss, please take it to the laundry room yourself! I'm busy right now! The golden chrysanthemums in the Eldest Miss's courtyard are blooming, and I need to hurry over to tend to them. If I'm late, can you afford to take responsibility?"

Zhu Zhuqing clutched the clothes, her small face tense, her lips pressed into a pale line. She didn't speak, but her eyes grew even dimmer.

At this moment, Lin Xia, carrying a few dirty clothes, approached like a curious child and asked in a clear voice.

"Hey? Sister, where's the laundry room? My clothes are dirty too, can you take me there? I don't know the way!"

As he spoke, he awkwardly stuffed his several obviously dirtier and harder-to-wash clothes into the maid's empty hands, his face bearing a childlike, irresistible pleading smile.

The maidservant looked at the oil-stained clothes that had suddenly appeared in her hands, and then at Lin Xia's innocent face. She felt a lump in her throat and almost fainted.

She dared to show displeasure to the "disfavored" second young lady, but dared not offend Lin Xia, who had a special status.

She glared at Zhu Zhuqing beside her, as if she had brought this trouble upon herself, and then reluctantly picked up Lin Xia's dirty clothes with one hand, rudely snatched the clothes from Zhu Zhuqing's arms with the other, and stormed off.

Zhu Zhuqing stood still, looking at Lin Xia.

Lin Xia winked at her, gave her a mischievous "you're welcome" smile, and then left as if she had really just happened to get lost.

Zhu Zhuqing watched his figure disappear around the corner, then stood there for a long time, her empty hands clasped in her arms.

In the depths of those cold eyes, in that lifeless, icy pool, a tiny pebble seemed to have been thrown in, creating a barely perceptible ripple.

Lin Xia's actions went far beyond that.

He would "unintentionally" share some exquisite pastries he brought from the blacksmiths' association that were unavailable elsewhere with the cook in charge of Zhu Zhuqing's small kitchen, in exchange for the cook's slight attention to the second young lady's meals.

When Zhu Zhuqing was "isolated" in a corner by the other children (intentionally or unintentionally), he would "just happen" run over with the baby Gilas, breaking the cold silence with the children's play. Although Zhu Zhuqing still did not participate, at least she was no longer the lonely focus.

Lin Xia would even use the young Gilas's extraordinary perception to keep an eye on the movements in Zhu Zhuqing's area late at night to prevent anyone from doing anything worse.

Young Gilas is extremely sensitive to malice; its scarlet eyes gleam with vigilance in the darkness, like the most loyal sentinels.

(End of this chapter)