Chapter 35: Backbone
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“What are you staring at?!”
Jolted by the cold and aloof voice, Lin Yao glanced in front of him, only to discover that the face of the Ice Snow Princess was filled with disgust.
She had sensed Lin Yao’s glance earlier and was smart enough to read Lin Yao’s mind by looking at his perplexed expression.
“Do you think I gave you the nutrition drinks because I’m in love with you?”
“Uh…”
Upon seeing that Lin Yao was speechless, she snorted coldly.
“Don’t overthink. Those people care about you very much. I gave you the drinks because I didn’t want them to worry.”
As she spoke, she pointed to the surrounding children. Lin Yao glanced at the children and realized that they were indeed looking at him with worried expressions.
Obviously, these children were grateful people and could sense the kindness Lin Yao treated them with. They were worried about Lin Yao after seeing him train to the limit for the past few days.
“Oh, you gave me the nutrient drinks because of them. I see. This is the Ice Snow Princess that I know.”
Shaking his head, Lin Yao thanked Yan Yan for her kindness but declined the nutrient drinks.
“There’s no need to. I told you, It’s because I’ve been training too much. I will take note of it during my subsequent visits here.”
Lin Yao did not want to accept the nutrient drinks from Yan Yan, although he still lacked some resources. He still had a backbone after all.
His declination made Yan Yan frown slightly.
“Do you feel ashamed to accept nutrient drinks from a girl?”
“No, it’s not about you. I wouldn’t casually accept resources from anyone else either.”
This was not an excuse, but Lin Yao’s real line of thought. Although he had accepted some resources a few days ago, those resources were of a different nature.
He regarded his family as his own. His family wanted to groom him, and Lin Yao was also prepared to support his parents financially in the future. Therefore, he’d accepted the resources from them with peace of mind.
The same could be said for the resources given to him by the country and the city. He was part of the country’s population and intended to strive to protect mankind. Therefore, he could accept the resources with peace of mind.
When Chief Shi had tried to give him the spar of light, Lin Yao had declined immediately. He had eventually accepted it because Chief Shi had pressed on by using her status as a senior. Furthermore, Lin Yao also planned to join the Abnormal Ability Department after graduation.
Therefore, he would only accept resources if he could show grat.i.tude in the future. It went against his character to take something without making a contribution in return.
He and Yan Yan were not related to each other. Naturally, he would not accept her nutrition drinks.
Upon seeing Lin Yao’s firm expression, Yan Yan knew there was no chance of a compromise. Therefore, she immediately took the nutrient drinks, turned around, and left.
However, before leaving, Lin Yao heard a cold, shunning voice.
“You were in such a dilemma earlier. After finding out that it was a misunderstanding, you’re now troubled about choosing between me or Xiaoxue, right? Humph! What a fickle-minded playboy! When a girl treats you slightly better, you let your imagination run wild. That kind of man is the worst. Don’t think you can gain my favor by rejecting me and acting cool. Give it up. Only a person like Xiaoxue would put in a good word for you.”
“What?!”
Lin Yao was completely stunned by what Yan Yan said before her departure. He then realized something shortly. Yan Yan could sense that Lin Yao had misunderstood her. However, she was a very proud person and was unaware that Lin Yao was struggling between focusing on martial arts and entering a romantic relationship.
She thought that Lin Yao could not decide between choosing her and Qin Xue. Her last remark was a warning for Lin Yao not to carry on engaging in one-sided wishful thinking.
Lin Yao did not know whether to laugh or cry upon hearing this.
“Are you that confident that your favor will be accepted by others?”
In response to this, Yan Yan, who was walking, did not get angry. Instead, she turned around and smiled at Lin Yao.
“It’s not about self-confidence. It’s a fact.”
Her words were very arrogant, but when he saw the cold and aloof Yan Yan suddenly smile widely, an image of ice and snow melting and the warm, sweet-scented sun rising left Lin Yao somewhat speechless.
She might not have a pleasing personality but she was truly beautiful, especially when her cold face smiled. This beautiful scene of snow and ice blooming was enough to melt the hearts of countless people.
Lin Yao admitted he had been shameless when he had hesitated slightly earlier. Everyone had a soft spot for beauty. Lin Yao was not a saint. Of course he would feel tempted.
However, unlike ordinary youths, he would not focus on love and romance. Therefore, he did not explain himself further to Yan Yan.
It was not necessary. He would not be spending the time and effort to woo Yan Yan and Qin Xue. Therefore, he did not bother arguing or explaining.
He did not have that desire. Thus, he was very firm.
Yesterday’s misunderstanding was also the reason that Yan Yan had a bad att.i.tude around him today. However, Lin Yao had asked Qin Xue that question, not her.
The lively and kind-hearted Qin Xue answered Lin Yao, “She’s not posing. That’s a reporter. She came to look at the situation in the orphanage.”
“Oh.”
Lin Yao was not concerned after discovering that she was a reporter. There was not much news around this place, but the government wanted to express its concern for this vulnerable group. Therefore, it was not a novelty for reporters to visit an orphanage. Sometimes, even prominent leaders and wealthy people would visit the orphanage.
After understanding the situation, Lin Yao got ready to a.s.sist the children. However, he did not notice the hesitation on Qin Xue’s face when he was about to leave. She seemed like she wanted to ask Lin Yao to stay behind.
However, before she could speak, Yan Yan’s voice, which was filled with slight surprise, was heard.
“You’ve broken through and become a martial artist?”
As soon as this question was asked, Qin Xue’s expression changed before Lin Yao could respond.
“You are already a martial artist!”
“Well, my hard work in the past few days finally paid off. You guys don’t need to feel anxious. I’m certain you will eventually become martial artists too.”
After explaining politely to Qin Xue, Lin Yao turned to Yan Yan. However, he didn’t have any kind words for her.
“I’ve achieved a breakthrough because I was lucky, but please rest a.s.sured. I didn’t go all out because I want to woo you.”
Although he did not explain about the misunderstanding yesterday, Lin Yao was still feeling slightly cross. Besides, this woman had already misunderstood him several times in a row. Therefore, Lin Yao didn’t mind retorting a little.
“Humph. It’s good that you know your own limits.”
Qin Xue had just come back to her senses from the shock of Lin Yao’s breakthrough. However, the strange expression on her face did not go away. As she observed the communication between Lin Yao and her bestie, she looked even more upset.
When she turned around and glanced at Lin Yao and Yan Yan repeatedly, Qin Xue seemed to be seeing sparks coming from the two of them.
“What’s wrong, Xiaoxue?”
Yan Yan no longer looked that cold when she spoke to this kind-hearted bestie of hers.
“N-Nothing… The two of you seem to be getting along quite well… Ha ha.”
Yan Yan snorted coldly when she looked at Xiaoxue, who was smiling.
“That’s not true. I’m really annoyed by this playboy. If you accept him, you have to take his hand, but… As you said, he’s indeed a kind person.”
“Oh.”
Lin Yao was already used to taking care of the children in the orphanage. The only difference was the arrival of this reporter.
She was a rather young reporter who looked like a fresh graduate and was asking questions diligently. However, the atmosphere was very peaceful in the orphanage, and there were no major events. Therefore, there would not be any sensational news. This also made Wenwen feel vexed. She had just become a reporter and she wanted to make it big career-wise. How was she going to get news in such a peaceful and quiet place?
Finally, when she turned the camera to the Lin Yao, Qin Xue, and Yan Yan trio, she imagined that there was a cliche love triangle between them. However, she had just become a reporter and she still had some morals. Furthermore, this trio was neither prominent characters nor public figures. It would be pointless to fabricate such news.
‘Sigh… This is another wasted trip.’
Reporter Wenwen felt that her efforts had been in vain, but Lin Yao felt very relaxed. After breaking through to become a martial artist, Lin Yao was no longer stressed and he felt much more relaxed when he visited the orphanage again.
The only downside was that his day was filled with training. As he had not used the vital energy seeds to stimulate his body, he felt sleepy on his way home and did not bother looking when he stepped on something.
As Lin Yao headed home, Yan Yan was also taking Qin Xue home.
On the way, Yan Yan could not hold her tongue and said at last, “Didn’t you say yesterday that you would accept that guy’s confession today? Why didn’t you do so?”