On that Saturday, Lin Yun went out alone, dressed in casual clothes.
On a day when he didn’t need to commute, he unusually chose to drive, heading alone to the central commercial district of Luoming.
He had subtly mentioned the incident in the apartment elevator to Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang before, but whether they genuinely didn’t know or were pretending not to, they showed no reaction either way.
However, that night, when he tutored Lin Xiaolu as Cui Que, her distracted expression left a lasting impression on him.
Thinking carefully, according to the promise he made when he took Lin Xiaolu to school, it was time to have a proper talk with his daughter—at least to tell her about An Ya, rather than keeping her in the dark.
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Yun silently turned the steering wheel. After turning at an intersection and driving a bit further along the road, his eyebrows suddenly twitched.
Because he could feel a magical reaction from the Heart Flower he carried with him.
This was a sign that the spell he had set up earlier had been triggered.
Back when he first encountered Mo Ke, due to its suspicious behavior and unclear motives, Cui Que had secretly placed a tracking spell on it to monitor its movements.
Later, although Mo Ke proved itself to be a consistent fool through its actions, considering it usually accompanied Lin Xiaolu, Cui Que didn’t remove the spell, ensuring he could locate them in case of an emergency.
Lightly touching the Heart Flower, azure magic gradually surged from Lin Yun’s extended hand. His adult male palm became ethereal, and within the illusion, a small hand mirrored the gesture, resting on the fragmented gem flower.
A sensation immediately arose in his mind—the spell he had cast was right behind him.
Why is Mo Ke following me?
Feeling quite puzzled, Lin Yun didn’t show it. Instead, he released the Heart Flower, letting everything return to normal. He pretended not to notice and continued driving.
Shortly after, when the car stopped at a red light, he noticed a pink head poking out from the side of the window.
He didn’t need to look closely to know that the head belonged to Mo Ke; there was no need to guess.
At that moment, Mo Ke clung tightly to the window with its paws, its cat eyes wide open, its face pressed against the glass, looking quite comical.
For some reason, a phone was hanging around its neck, and the model seemed similar to Xia Liang’s. Fortunately, the fairy’s cognitive disruption was comprehensive; otherwise, pedestrians might have been terrified by a floating phone in mid-air.
Lin Yun continued to feign ignorance, glancing at Mo Ke outside the window with his peripheral vision. After careful observation, he finally confirmed one thing: the phone around its neck was indeed Xia Liang’s.
In other words, its current inexplicable behavior was undoubtedly connected to Xia Liang.
Considering what he saw in the elevator that day, which went straight to his floor, he couldn’t help but suspect: Was it Xia Liang that day?
What is she up to?
Imagining Xia Liang’s smiling face, Lin Yun couldn’t fathom her intentions at the moment. However, since he wasn’t doing anything that needed to be hidden, he didn’t mind her little schemes.
After all, he had said before that as an adult, he should tolerate a child’s minor whims.
Thus, Lin Yun continued driving toward his destination, unaware that two girls were following him in a taxi several hundred meters behind.
—
“—We’ve caught up to the target.”
Staring at her phone screen, Lin Xiaolu frowned. “Mo Ke has already checked through the car window; it’s definitely him inside.”
“I mean… is this really necessary?”
Not only was she dragged along, but her phone was also forcibly taken. Xia Liang felt helpless. “Even if your dad is really going to meet another woman, it’s his freedom, right?”
“I didn’t say I was going to interfere.”
Lin Xiaolu muttered under her breath, “After all, he was so close with another woman at Mom’s funeral. Now, if he’s just going on a date, what difference does it make?”
“But earlier, you were saying this behavior is an affair…”
“Ah, seriously! I misspoke, okay? Don’t nitpick at a time like this!”
Pouting and denying it, Lin Xiaolu quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, what we’re focusing on now isn’t that he’s going on a date, but who he’s planning to meet!”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Seeing Lin Xiaolu’s reaction, Xia Liang teased with a smile, “So, if the person is someone you don’t care about, it’s fine if they end up together, right?”
“…I don’t care,” Lin Xiaolu said stubbornly.
“Then, what if it really is Sister Hong Si Yu who came to our house the other day?”
“I’ll expose her true intentions for approaching us to Cui Que, let her know that woman… um, um?” Lin Xiaolu belatedly looked up. “What did you just say?”
“Sister Hong Si Yu?”
“I don’t care how you call that woman; I’m talking about the phrase before that!” Lin Xiaolu corrected.
“The other day?” Xia Liang blinked innocently.
“Don’t try to fool me; you said ‘our house,’ right?” Lin Xiaolu widened her eyes.
“Yes, I did.”
“Well, I’ve corrected you many times, telling you it’s my house. You’re really pushing it!”
“Can’t I? I really wish we could be like a real family.”
Xia Liang teased softly, “That way, I can call you sister. How about it, Sister Xiaolu?”
“Don’t be so mushy.”
Giving her a disdainful look, Lin Xiaolu sighed, “Anyway, my house is my house, and your house is your house. These concepts can’t be mixed up.”
With that, she continued staring at her phone, closely monitoring Mo Ke and her father’s movements.
The car fell silent for a moment.
The driver in front could actually hear the conversation behind him, but such obvious family ethics issues were clearly not something he could comment on. He tried hard to tell himself not to meddle in others’ family affairs and also remained silent.
“Xiaolu.”
Xia Liang watched beside Lin Xiaolu for a while, then suddenly called her name. “You know, if your dad’s date isn’t that sister, but as you said, it’s…”
“It won’t be.”
Cutting her off directly, Lin Xiaolu stared at her phone without looking up, preventing Xia Liang from seeing her expression. “I have to believe in Cui Que; it won’t be.”
“But just a few days ago, you were doubting it yourself?”
Lin Xiaolu didn’t speak.
Because she didn’t know how to answer that question.
In fact, until she ran out of the house chasing after Lin Yun, the possibility she least wanted to face had been lingering in her mind. But at this moment, she had somehow calmed down.
Cui Que’s past words and actions surfaced in her mind, gradually restoring her confidence: the magical girl she admired wasn’t the type to recklessly interfere in others’ families.
Even though, deep down, she had a tiny bit of hope: if she were to have a stepmother, maybe…
So, this tailing wasn’t so much about catching him in the act as it was about giving herself closure.
Looking at the red and blue dots on her phone representing their positions, Lin Xiaolu remained silent for a long time.
She knew that no matter what thoughts she harbored, the true answer lay ahead.
(End of Chapter)
