Chapter Eighteen: A Measure of Courage

The cloak was once again drawn tightly around Lian’s shoulders, her sharp eyes sweeping the surroundings from beneath the hood as she followed closely behind Li Le, appearing for all the world to be obedient and reserved.

Li Le, on the other hand, had already pulled back her own hood as she stepped through the doorway, letting her black hair cascade freely. When she caught sight of the old man smoking in the elderly chair, a gentle, slightly bashful smile graced her beautiful features, making her look even younger.

Lian’s attention shifted to Li Le. She hadn’t managed to stop her sister’s action and could only watch, dumbfounded, as Li Le shifted expressions with astonishing speed, the words on her lips swallowed with difficulty.

The old man reclined in his chair, eyes half-closed in leisure as he puffed on his pipe, his white beard trembling with each motion—a picture of contented idleness.

At the sound of footsteps, he lazily lifted his eyelids. His gaze was sleepy and unhurried, but when he saw Li Le’s smiling face and the wary Lian, he was clearly taken aback.

He stared for a moment, even rubbing his eyes. His wrinkled face turned behind him instinctively, but seeing only two adolescents and not a trace of Bai Ye, he jolted upright.

“Nonsense!” The old man sprang up as if pricked, forgetting even his pipe, which he set aside.

Though he was small and thin, with a beard of white, his movements were nimble and quick—he should have looked graceful, but at this moment, even his surprise made his beard tremble.

Lian had never witnessed such a scene and stood stunned, but she remembered Li Le’s instructions and kept silent.

At the same time, her wariness eased, for she sensed no malice from the old man.

Li Le noticed his flustered and worried reaction and couldn’t help a faint, knowing smile. As she suspected, this old grandfather must be very familiar with Brother Bai—perhaps even close.

The last time she visited with Brother Bai, the old man’s words had been rather sharp, but the concern beneath them was unmistakable to Li Le.

And thinking about it, it made sense. With Brother Bai’s temperament, anyone he trusted to handle a shipment of mysterious life-and-death mushrooms must be reliable.

Just now, the old man’s instinctive reaction to seeing them only confirmed her guess.

Of course, Li Le would never entrust all her hopes to someone else. If the old man’s reaction had been even slightly off, she would’ve pulled Lian away without the slightest hesitation.

But clearly, things hadn’t reached the worst-case scenario she had anticipated.

The old man studied Li Le and the obviously younger Lian with careful eyes; though still tense, he managed to calm himself a little. Pacing back and forth, he huffed, his beard bristling as he scolded:

“This is sheer foolishness! That boy usually seems so dependable—how could he let two youngsters go out on their own…”

His words were stern with anger, but beneath them lay unmistakable concern and alarm.

Seeing the old man’s agitation, Li Le’s eyes flickered with surprise; perhaps this grandfather was even closer to Brother Bai than she’d thought…

This was both a blessing and a complication. With this connection, she could negotiate with the mysterious old man, but he might always see her as a junior, never taking her words seriously, and perhaps even interrogating her thoroughly.

That was not what she desired.

In a flash, Li Le made her decision. She adjusted her expression, letting her brows and lips settle into a more reserved line. Her spine straightened, and her whole posture subtly shifted.

These were little tricks she’d learned in her previous life, attending various functions by her father’s side.

She hadn’t expected to use them here.

Li Le sighed inwardly, but her gaze grew deeper, her dark eyes taking on an inscrutable glint.

Lian, beside her, was the first to notice the subtle change in her sister’s aura. Though she knew Li Le’s strength was still limited, she couldn’t help but feel her sister was suddenly powerful—a contradictory impression that made her seem unfamiliar.

If someone from the modern world had witnessed this, they would have recognized it as an assertive stance, a manifestation of supreme self-confidence.

Li Le had been well-born, her upbringing and education vastly different from many in this world who barely scraped by. When she concealed that difference, it was easy to overlook; but when she let her confidence show, the cultivated poise and gravitas stood out as strikingly out of place in this foreign land.

Her lips remained pressed in a faint line, her expression serious and calm as she spoke:

“Lian and I are here today at Brother Bai’s behest. As for why he sent the two of us… grandfather, perhaps you should hear us out before asking questions.”

Li Le’s voice, carefully trained, was measured in both tone and volume—like a cool stream of water. It settled Lian’s nerves and, even more, dampened the old man’s anger. He looked at her with a flash of surprise in his eyes, the sharpness of intellect revealed as he said,

“…Little girl, you’ve got some nerve.”