Chương 107: Luo Bingli's "Secret Thoughts"

Luo Bingli stood under the lonely street lamp at the park exit, waiting for Lin Che, with whom she had agreed to meet.

She would occasionally look up at the path leading deeper into the park, her expression slightly anxious, her small fists unconsciously clenching and unclenching.

Even those eyes, which usually seemed cold and aloof, were now filled with undisguised worry and anticipation.

Just as she was about to lose control of her emotions and dial the number she had just contacted again, a familiar figure finally emerged slowly from the shadows.

It's Lin Che.

Although he looked tired, his face was a little pale, and his ordinary school uniform jacket was covered in dust, at least he was still standing there safely.

Luo Bingli's tense nerves suddenly relaxed. Almost the instant she saw the figure clearly, she disregarded her reserve and hesitation and ran to meet him.

Lin Che also saw her, forced a smile, and was about to greet her when he saw the girl in front of him suddenly quicken her pace.

Without any warning, Luo Bingli suddenly opened her arms and, like a frightened little animal that had finally found shelter, threw herself into his arms.

"Thank goodness—you're alright—" Lin Che was slightly swayed by the sudden hug. He subconsciously reached out and gently embraced Luo Bingli's petite and soft body.

He could clearly feel the girl in his arms trembling slightly from fear and excitement. Her whispered words, tinged with tears, seemed to be pressed against his chest, each word striking his heart. Lin Che felt an indescribable warmth and emotion welling up inside him. He knew what a harrowing experience the girl in his arms had just gone through.

She had just fought a difficult battle and realized that whether it was Jiying, Jingjue, or that erosion-level Void Beast, they were all enemies that she could not defeat at present.

Although he didn't directly confront the latter two, the oppressive attack stance he adopted as Jiying was enough to instill fear in others.

Even under such circumstances, her first thought was still about her own safety. This pure concern and care deeply moved Lin Che.

He gently and tenderly embraced the girl in his arms, his voice filled with unprecedented tenderness and solemnity: "Yes, I'm fine. It's all because you protected me that I'm alright."

"Thank you very much, Luo."

Upon hearing this, Luo Bingli stiffened slightly, then moved away from Lin Che's embrace a little. Her beautiful eyes were slightly red and swollen from crying, and her expression showed some guilt.

"I didn't actually do anything—I just dealt with some of the weakest monsters; I didn't touch the truly powerful enemies..."

She recalled the overwhelming power that Ji Ying had previously displayed, and how the erosion-level void beast that had left her helpless had been easily slaughtered by him. A deep sense of frustration welled up in her heart.

"That's not how it is." Seeing the girl in front of him begin to doubt herself, Lin Che immediately interrupted her firmly, "You are a hero who protects this city, how can you belittle yourself just because you didn't do well once?"

He reached out and gently wiped away the tears from the corner of her eye with his thumb, gazing at her with utmost seriousness.

"To protect me, you didn't hesitate to expose your most important secret in front of me. This courage and determination are more moving than the outcome of any battle."

And to be honest—when I saw you transform without hesitation to face those monsters in order to protect me, I was truly moved.

Upon hearing his words, Luo Bingli's cheeks flushed slightly. She nodded gently, but didn't know what to say.

They suddenly realized that they were still embracing, and that they were in the middle of an empty park.

Her blush deepened, and she instinctively wanted to let go and create some distance between them.

Lin Che seemed to notice Luo Bingli's discomfort, so he took the initiative to release his arm from hers and pointed to a relatively clean outdoor bench not far away: "Standing here all the time isn't going to work, let's go sit over there and talk."

Luo Bingli hummed in agreement and followed behind Lin Che. As she watched Lin Che walk toward the bench, a strange and indescribable feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.

When he hugged her, she was the one who was shy and at a loss; but when he let go, she was also the one who felt a strange sense of loss and emptiness.

She found herself somewhat craving that embrace, which, though not spacious, made her feel incredibly safe and secure.

Suddenly, the image of Yu Qing's always bright smiling face flashed into Luo Bingli's mind. She shook her head violently, trying to shake off those chaotic and inappropriate thoughts.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable flutter in her heart, and followed Lin Che to sit down on the bench.

To her surprise, after Lin Che sat down, he didn't immediately ask about the extraordinary things that had happened in the park, as she had expected, nor did he show any curiosity or inquiry about her magical girl identity.

He chatted with her about everyday things at school, just like usual, asking if she had any questions about today's lessons, and whether Yuqing had caused any trouble in class. His tone was relaxed and natural, as if the thrilling battle just now, and her identity, were just insignificant little episodes.

This deliberate "normality" gradually relaxed Luo Bingli's tense nerves, but at the same time, it deepened her doubts.

Isn't he even a little bit curious? Isn't he curious about why he became a magical girl? Isn't he curious about what happened afterward?

After a moment of silence, she finally couldn't help but ask, "Lin Che, what is your opinion of me?"

Don't you have anything to say?

Upon hearing this, Lin Che turned to look at her with a mischievous smile on his face: "What do you want to say? Of course I do."

"You look so cute and cool in your battle suit after you transform! Especially when you killed those two Void Beasts and saved me, that was so awesome!"

"I—I didn't mean that!" Luo Bingli's cheeks flushed red again, and she glared at Lin Che with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance.

"I mean, you don't want to ask me about me—being a magical girl?"

Lin Che's smile gradually faded. He looked into Luo Bingli's eyes, which held a hint of tension and expectation, and slowly but firmly shook his head.

"Luo, that's your secret, isn't it?" His voice was gentle yet earnest.

"I don't intend to pry into it, I don't intend to ask you what exactly happened, and I won't ask Yuqing if she knows about it."

"However," he changed his tone, becoming extremely solemn, "I will absolutely protect this secret for you and will not let anyone else know."

Luo Bingli looked at Lin Che with a sense of contentment, and seeing the undisguised concern in his eyes, an indescribable warmth and joy welled up in her heart.

Lin Che's lips curled into a slight smile as he continued, "However, although I won't ask about your secrets, there's one thing I still want to know."

"What's your magical girl codename? After all, I can't not even know the codename of my savior, right?"

Upon hearing the words "savior," Luo Bingli's eyes dimmed slightly.

She was about to speak, explaining that the one who truly solved those problems was the incredibly powerful, dark-skinned knight "Silent Shadow" who appeared later, and that she herself didn't have the ability to do so much.

But just as she was about to speak, Lin Che seemed to see through her thoughts, raised his hand, and stopped her with a gesture.

He slowly shook his head, his eyes gentle yet firm: "Student Luo, no matter what happened before, or who else appeared later."

"In my eyes, you are the hero who saved me."

These words brought tears to Luo Bingli's eyes again, an overwhelming sense of happiness from being completely trusted and affirmed overwhelmed her like a surging tide.

She sniffed, trying to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. Her voice was slightly choked, yet she uttered the name she had never mentioned to "ordinary people" with perfect clarity:

"My code name is Liuli (琉璃)."

"Liuli?" Lin Che smiled gently.

"It's a beautiful song, it suits you perfectly."

Hearing the praise for her codename and seeing the smile on Lin Che's face, Luo Bingli could no longer suppress her strong emotions. The next moment, without giving herself any chance to hesitate or back down, she opened her arms again and hugged Lin Che tightly, tightly.

"Thank you, Lin Che—really, thank you."

After parting ways with Lin Che, Luo Bingli walked lightly, almost floating, toward her home.

The night breeze brushed her cheeks, carrying a slight chill, but it couldn't dispel the burning, almost overflowing joy in her heart.

Although Lin Che knew her secret of being a magical girl, she felt no worry or unease, but rather a sense of peace and joy.

That was a secret she and Lin Che kept together, and the thought of it made her cheeks flush even more.

Furthermore, Lin Che doesn't even know that Yu Qing is Yin Xue. In this respect, isn't he more...

A little bit more "special"?

This slightly cunning thought brought a rare, sweet smile to her usually aloof face.

But soon, that smile was replaced by a determined expression. She clenched her small fists, and a strong belief welled up in her heart.

I must become stronger as soon as possible!

He must be strong enough to live up to Lin Che's affirmation and trust, and also live up to Senior Xing Shuang's expectations!

Just as she was making up her mind, her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket, interrupting her thoughts.

She took out her phone and saw a message from Su Yuqing on the screen, asking if the previous distress signal from the Bureau of Extraterrestrial Intelligence was genuine and whether she was injured.

Luo Bingli paused slightly, and her expression became more serious.

Just like her, Yuqing remembered Senior Xingshuang's instruction to "ignore the signals from the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs for the time being," which is why she didn't take action but instead asked her about the specific situation. She quickly replied with a message saying "I'm fine, don't worry," and then began to seriously think about how to explain everything that happened tonight to Yuqing.

About the Apostles of the Void Realm, about Mirror Lord, about the mysterious black knight "Silent Shadow"— This crucial intelligence must be shared with Yuqing without reservation; they are partners fighting side by side, and information sharing is essential.

As for how this infiltration of the Void Realm was resolved, we must tell you the truth: Ji Ying suddenly took action and dealt with the most powerful Corrosion-level Void Beast.

But—there was one thing that troubled her.

That is, how should she explain to Yuqing why she didn't immediately notify her by phone the moment the infiltration of the virtual world occurred, so that she could come and provide support?

Should he tell Yuqing that Lin Che was right next to him and the situation was critical?

In her haste to save him, she transformed herself right in front of him to fight the enemy. After that, until the infiltration of the virtual world was completely over, she didn't have any time to think about informing Yuqing.

Doesn't this just tell Yuqing directly that Lin Che already knows the secret that she is the magical girl Ruri?!

If Yuqing knew about this, what would she think? Would she also impulsively tell Lin Che her secret that she was also a magical girl named Yin Xue?

A strange sense of panic and reluctance welled up in Luo Bingli's heart.

Although she felt somewhat guilty for keeping this from her best friend— But she really wanted to—really wanted to keep this secret, which belonged only to her and Lin Che, for as long as possible.

She took a deep breath, her fingers flying across the phone screen as she sent the edited message, trying to make her reply sound natural.

The phone vibrated again immediately after the message was sent, indicating that another new message had been received.

She subconsciously assumed it was Yuqing's reply, and wondered why the other party had responded so quickly.

However, when Luo Bingli saw the message content and sender displayed on the screen, her pupils suddenly contracted.