Chapter 216 (2/2)

The voice was getting closer The last feords were spoken just outside her door

Lan Jue, by this point, was holding her hand in his For a moment the two of them were in a daze, unsure of what to do It was the first time they’d encountered an interruption, especially under such clandestine circumstances, and both were at a loss

Knock, knock, knock!

Lan Jue reacted first, pulling Qianlin in to his ar quietly in her ear “Answer the door, I’ll hide” He nudged her towards the voice, and she obliged

As her hand gripped the doorknob, she unconsciously turned back Lan Jue was already gone froht

She pulled open the door

Her mother, Bai Xiao , stood outside In her hand she bore a tray, upon which was a glass of gently stea milk, and a cookie

“Qianlin, are you alright? Why is your face so red?” She walked in to the room, concern written on her face

“I’m fine,” she replied hastily “My face is red? Probably because I just took a shower, so I’m still a little hot”

Bai Xiao placed the treats she’d bought on a nearby nightstand She gave her daughter the once over, her face skeptical Her eyes narrowed as she noticed so on the floor

“Ah, darling, your floor is so dirty!”

Qianlin gulped “Really? Yeah I guess so I’ll clean it up”

Bai Xiao nodded “Go get a cloth”

Qianlin entered the bathroom connected to her room Her heart beat like a dru, and he could be found at any moment

She pulled open the bathroom door Lan Jue was nowhere to be seen

As Qianlin left to find a rag, her mother furtively rushed to look under the bed Then the writing desk Then the closet

Qianlin returned in tis She blinked “Ma, what are you doing?”

Bai Xiao shut the closet door, s to see if you need any new clothes! It seems like you prefer white clothes these days I see it s”

“Yeah,” she replied, nodding her head

“Ai-you, ” Bai Xiao whined “Ma to use your restroo for the door while covering her belly

Qianlin dropped in to a squat and begun cleaning up the dust on her floor Tiny beads of sweat had begun to form on her brow She mustn’t fall for her trap! How could she face her ht…

After a short while Bai Xiao reappeared froht dear, o to sleep early, I’ll leave you to yourself”

“Thanks mom You make sure to rest, too” Qianlin followed her mother to the door

Once her mother was outside, and the door locked behind her, Qianlin breathed a long sigh of relief

Just as she was about to call out for Lan Jue, a finger pressed against her red lips The Soulcaller gem warmed

“Shh”

Qianlin, wide-eyed, turned her head to look to the side She spied Lan Jue, flickering in an undulating aura of blue light He’d just crackled out from the nearby wall socket

Her wide eyes looked at him incredulously

Bai Xiao was outside her door, ear pressed to the wood She waited patiently for so was ah suspicion was still clear on her face

Lan Jue was back to normal shortly afterward, fully extricated from the power socket

“Alright, she’s gone” It was Lan Jue’s turn to sigh “Your mother must have been a forensic detective in a previous life She has the eyes of a hawk”

Qianlin stuck her tongue out at hiator A shrewd one But how in the world did you get in to a power socket?!”

“Lightning is my discipline,” he explained “Part of that is I can beco By virtue of the transformation I can follow any electrical or power line”

“That’s a,” she said “But, that h the socket, there’s no need for the ”

“Hack, cough, ehm!” Lan Jue’s mind filled with memories of the one time he’d done just that He stuttered over himself as he answered “I-impossible, see, cuz, your house has protective e protectors and the like, right? I can only stay changed like that for a short tio”

“Really” Zhou Qianlin fixed hiaze

Lan Jue looked like the very avatar of truth and et on with this check” He snatched up her hand

Qianlin felt a tingle go through her arht him

After a few minutes Lan Jue relinquished her hand Noas his turn to be shocked

“Your cultivation is progressing very quickly… unnaturally so Fro, and first-ranked too It’s not a terribly difficult landmark to reach, but in only a few days? To improve so quickly, without any outside forces to help… it’s inconceivable”