Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Chapter 151 Do you want to... go for a walk with me?
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, tears streaming down her face, but her straight back and stubborn eyes silently proclaimed her indomitable spirit.

She did nothing wrong! She will never bow down to baseless accusations!

Lin Xia took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the surging emotions.

He understood Zhu Zhan's intentions, but he could no longer stand by and watch.

He strode past the servants who automatically parted and walked between Zhu Zhan and Zhu Zhuqing.

His appearance instantly attracted everyone's attention.

When Zhu Zhuqing saw Lin Xia, it was as if a small pebble had been thrown into the despairing stillness in her eyes, creating a faint ripple that even she herself did not notice.

"Master Zhu."

Lin Xia's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight, echoing clearly in the silent corridor.

"Please forgive my bluntness. Perhaps there's more to this matter than meets the eye?"

Zhu Zhan frowned and looked at Lin Xia with a complicated expression.

He knew, of course, that Lin Xia had seen through him, but Lin Xia's "nod" in the teahouse made him think that Lin Xia would tacitly agree to this kind of "tempering".

"Young friend Lin Xia, with witnesses and physical evidence, what secrets could there be?"

Zhu Zhan's voice carried a hint of displeasure and a warning that "you shouldn't interfere."

Lin Xia did not back down. She met Zhu Zhan's gaze calmly and spoke with even more earnestness, as if she were truly trying to mediate.

"Master Zhu, you are wise. As the second young lady of the Zhu family, Sister Zhu Qing is born into a life of luxury and has a bright future. Ten gold soul coins are nothing to her, so why would she steal them? That is the first point."

"Furthermore, although Sister Zhuqing is young, she is kind-hearted and upright. Although I have not spent much time with her, I know that she is by no means a thief or a petty thief. That is the second reason."

Lin Xia paused, her gaze sweeping over the shifty-eyed "Mother Zhang," her expression suggestive.

"Besides, there are many people and many eyes in the mansion. While it is certainly distressing to lose valuables, it may not have been done by someone close to us. Perhaps it was an outsider who infiltrated?"

"Or perhaps Zhang Mama herself simply misremembered where she stored it? I dare to ask the master to investigate thoroughly, lest you lose sight of the bigger picture and wrong the Second Miss's innocence, and also chill the hearts of a truly loyal servant."

Lin Xia's words were reasonable and well-founded. They pointed out the logical absurdity, praised Zhu Zhuqing's character, and gave Zhu Zhan a way out, while also implying a warning.

He positioned himself as an observer who was "concerned and confused" and "did not want to see misunderstandings occur," rather than directly challenging Zhu Zhan's authority.

Zhu Zhan's lips twitched uncontrollably a few more times.

He knew, of course, that Lin Xia was lying through her teeth, but he was even more aware that the points Lin Xia made about "disheartening loyal servants" and "damaging the family's reputation" were real vulnerabilities.

His original intention was to "temper" his daughter, not to ruin her reputation, and he didn't want to be accused of being a "muddle-headed patriarch who wronged his daughter."

Especially with Lin Xia, an "outsider," present.

The atmosphere became tense for a moment.

Zhu Zhan looked into Lin Xia's clear yet incredibly determined dark golden eyes, then at his daughter's tear-streaked, stubborn face. In the end, the trace of "acting" deep in his eyes seemed to fade a little, replaced by a deeper weariness and helplessness.

He let out a heavy "humph," the anger he had deliberately created in his voice dissipating, and it sounded more like a helpless signal of ending the conversation.

"Hmph! This matter... will be investigated later!"

Zhu Zhan flicked his sleeves and glanced at Zhu Zhuqing with a complicated look in his eyes. There was a hint of regret in his eyes, but more than that, there was a coldness that said, "You must understand."

"Zhu Qing, you'd better watch yourself!"

After saying that, he stopped looking at anyone, turned around, and strode away from the farce he had orchestrated, carrying a heavy and oppressive aura.

When the main character leaves the stage, the play naturally comes to an end.

The surrounding servants, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon but also with a touch of lingering disappointment, lowered their heads and quickly scattered like birds and beasts.

That "Mother Zhang" slipped away faster than anyone else, afraid of being caught and questioned. In the blink of an eye, the noise subsided, and in the empty corridor, only Lin Xia, Young Gilas, and the small figure who was still standing there, as if all the strength had been drained, slowly squatted down and buried his face deeply in his knees.

Suppressed, whimpering sounds, like those of a wounded animal, emanated intermittently from the small body curled up in a ball, sounding particularly clear and heartbreaking in the silent corridor.

Young Kiras circled around Zhu Zhuqing a couple of times, looking somewhat lost, and then carefully rubbed its little head against her cold arm.

Lin Xia sighed silently and walked to her side.

He didn't speak immediately, but stood quietly, letting the sobbing flow through the air.

After a long while, he slowly squatted down, reached out his hand, and gently placed it on Zhu Zhuqing's slightly trembling, tear-dampened black hair, as if caressing a fragile treasure.

I felt the cool touch of her hair and a slight tremor in my palm.

Zhu Zhuqing's body stiffened abruptly, and her sobbing paused for a moment, but she did not dodge.

"Zhu Qing".

Lin Xia spoke very softly, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"It's too stuffy here, and the air quality is bad."

He paused, sensing that the slight trembling in his hands had subsided a little, before continuing in a gentle, slightly inviting tone:

"Want to... come out for a walk with me? Just the two of us, including Younggiras. Let's go outside and get some fresh air? I know of a special mineral that glows like a star. Younggiras said it wants to take you to see it."

Lin Xia deliberately mentioned Young Gilas and the "glowing mineral," trying to temporarily divert her attention with something novel and "outside," giving her a reason to leave this suffocating environment.

The small, huddled figure remained silent for a long time.

The suppressed sobs gradually subsided, leaving only faint, choked lingering sounds.

Then, Lin Xia felt the little head under her palm nod very slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"……Um."

A barely audible response, thick with a nasal tone, came from between the knees.

Although it was still filled with sadness, it was a clear "agreement".

Lin Xia felt a slight sense of relief, and her tense nerves relaxed a little.

He didn't say anything more, just continued the gentle stroking of her head, patiently waiting.

After a moment, Zhu Zhuqing slowly raised her head, as if she had used up all her strength.

Tears streamed down her small face; her eyes were swollen and red like peaches, and the tip of her nose was also red.

But when those black eyes, washed clean by tears, looked at Lin Xia, although they were still filled with an overwhelming sadness and grievance, they were no longer a lifeless emptiness. Instead, they carried a faint trace of dependence, like a lost lamb finally seeing a guiding light, and... a cautious expectation.

She didn't wipe away her tears, but instead reached out her cold little hand and tentatively and gently grasped the hem of Lin Xia's clothes, as if it were the only piece of driftwood she could hold onto at that moment.

"Yoji..."

The young Gilas came over at the right moment, nuzzled Zhu Zhuqing's leg with its head, and made a gentle whimper.

Lin Xia met her gaze and gave her a gentle smile that was devoid of any pity, only calm and reassuring.

"Then, shall we go?"

He gently took her small, cold hand that was clutching the hem of his clothes and carefully pulled her up.

Her body was still swaying slightly, but she stood firmly.

(End of this chapter)