Chapter 14: Lanmo’s Comfort.

“Xiao Xi”.

A soft call suddenly sounded from the side. Lin Yuxi’s entire body stiffened, her heart skipping a beat. She used every last bit of strength she had left to slowly lift her heavy eyelids, which felt as if they were weighted with lead. She looked dazedly toward the source of the voice.

Lan Mo stood not far away, her brows furrowed with obvious anxiety. Her steps were hurried and unsteady as she rushed toward Lin Yuxi.

“Little Mo…” Lin Yuxi subconsciously called out. Her voice was terribly dry and hoarse, each word carrying unmistakable weakness. She endured the overwhelming fatigue and soreness flooding through her limbs, slightly straightened her spine, and forced herself to stand upright again. Almost at the same moment, Lan Mo had already hurried to her side.

“Little Xi, are you okay? I saw a lot of… blood just now.”

Lan Mo’s words suddenly stopped halfway. When her gaze fully landed on Lin Yuxi, her pupils shrank sharply and her breathing halted for an instant. She froze in place, staring fixedly at the person before her without blinking. Even her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

“Little Xi… you…”

Lan Mo’s voice also turned hoarse, trembling uncontrollably. It was laced with suppressed anger and heartache that was almost spilling from her eyes.

“This… what exactly happened?”

Following Lan Mo’s gaze, Lin Yuxi lowered her head and only then noticed that her clothes were already covered in dark, dried bloodstains.

Seeing Lan Mo tightly covering her mouth with knuckles turning white, and the tears quickly welling up in her eyes, all the exhaustion and helplessness in Lin Yuxi’s heart seemed to be forcefully pushed down in that instant.

She hurriedly tugged at the corners of her mouth, forcing out a pale, strained smile, and gently comforted her:

“I’m fine, little Mo. I just accidentally fell off the bed this morning. It was only a little blood, nothing serious. Don’t cry…”

Hearing this light, casual explanation, Lan Mo only shook her head gently. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, showing no sign of relief.

“Little Mo, I’m telling the truth. I… mmph—”

Before she could finish speaking, Lan Mo suddenly stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. She buried her face gently into Lin Yuxi’s neck, her arms wrapping around her tighter and tighter, as if trying to give her the most silent yet strongest comfort in this way.

Lin Yuxi froze for a moment. Her hands hanging in the air stiffened briefly before she slowly raised them and gently wrapped them around Lan Mo’s waist, carefully returning the hug.

Feeling the real, warm body temperature of the person in her arms, the grievances she had been desperately suppressing in her heart finally surged up uncontrollably. Her nose stung sharply, and hot tears slid down from the corners of her eyes, dripping onto Lan Mo’s shoulder.

The embrace was quiet and long. Just a few short minutes felt like both an instant and an eternity. Only when the turbulent emotions in Lin Yuxi’s heart gradually calmed and both their breathing had steadied did Lan Mo loosen her hold slightly and speak first, breaking the silence.

“Little Xi, don’t hide it from me, okay?” Lan Mo’s voice was as soft as a feather.

“…Mm.” Lin Yuxi buried her face in Lan Mo’s shoulder, her voice muffled and slightly hoarse from crying.

“Knock knock—”

Two abrupt knocks suddenly rang out, harshly shattering the brief warmth between them.

Lin Yuxi’s heart tightened. She quickly and gently pulled away from Lan Mo’s embrace, her pulse jumping violently.

Could the lord be back?

The thought had barely flashed through her mind when she hurriedly walked to the door, reached out to grasp the cold doorknob, and gently pulled it open.

“Click—”

The crisp sound of the turning knob was especially clear in the quiet room. The moment the door opened and the figure outside came into view, Lin Yuxi froze in place.

The person standing at the door was not Lord Jun Linqiu.

Instead, it was a woman wearing a neat dark suit, with thin-framed glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. She had a tall, slender figure and long black hair falling over her shoulders. Her temperament was calm and capable.

When the door opened, her gaze did not fall on Lin Yuxi. She kept her eyes lowered, quietly looking at the notebook in her hands as she stepped inside with steady, measured steps.

As the woman approached, Lin Yuxi finally snapped back to her senses. She quickly stepped aside to make way and stood silently to the side, her eyes filled with surprise and doubt as she watched the woman walk straight into the room.

The newcomer kept her head lowered at her notebook the entire time, walking forward slowly. She would occasionally pause to quickly jot something down with her pen. Only when she reached a spot two or three meters away from the coffee table did she stop.

She gently placed the notebook on the nearby table, then slowly swept her gaze across the entire house before finally landing on Lin Yuxi and Lan Mo.

Her eyes paused on Lin Yuxi for a brief second before moving away. Then, in a calm and steady tone, she spoke:

“You few are the maids who arrived here yesterday.”

Few?

Lin Yuxi subconsciously glanced at Lan Mo beside her, then followed Lan Mo’s gaze toward the deeper part of the room. Only then did she notice that Chen Ya and Yuan Sisi had already come out from the inner rooms at some point and were standing quietly not far away.

Without waiting for anyone to answer, the woman continued in the same businesslike, calm tone, completely unconcerned:

“Lan Mo, Chen Ya, Yuan Sisi. You three were assigned here yesterday to serve the lord as maids. My name is Yilin. I am the lord’s deputy. You may address me as Adjutant. Previously, I served as the lord’s personal attendant for a period of time. This time, on the lord’s orders, I have come specifically to inform you of the detailed duties you will be responsible for in the future, as well as the rules you must follow.”

After reading out the names, Yilin had deliberately omitted her. The gazes of the others all turned toward her at the same time. She slightly tilted her head, feeling an indescribable emotion in her heart. However, being treated differently like this did not surprise her.

Just as she lowered her head, a wave of warmth suddenly came from her palm. Turning her head, she saw that Lan Mo had already moved to her side at some point and was tightly holding her hand, her face full of worry.

“I’m fine, little Mo.”

She gently squeezed back, forcing a smile to show that she was okay, then turned her gaze back to Yilin.

“Who among you is Lan Mo?” Yilin asked, her eyes sweeping over the two of them.

“I am.” Lan Mo hesitated for a moment before raising her hand slightly.

“Come with me.” Yilin nodded and turned toward the long table opposite the open kitchen.

Only after Yilin sat down at the long table did Lan Mo hesitantly follow.

“Little Xi, I’ll go over there for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”

“Mmm.” She nodded gently, yet a strange sense of discomfort rose in her heart. She felt as if she had become the one being taken care of by Lan Mo. Clearly, she had been the one taking care of little Mo before.