Chương 22: Mutual Concern

The moment Lin Che was knocked away by the virtual beast, time seemed to stretch out. His back slammed heavily onto the metal shelf with a thud that sent chills down one's spine, and the items on the shelf scattered all over the floor.

"Don't be afraid..." He endured the sharp pain in his back, his voice trembling noticeably, but he still tried his best to maintain a steady tone.

The little girl beside him was curled up in the corner, tears welling up in her eyes, whimpering like a small animal.

Just as the Void Beast raised its gleaming forelimbs, a beam of emerald green magic energy streaked through the air like a meteor, striking the Void Beast's torso with a sharp whooshing sound.

Yin Xue's figure swept past like a gust of wind, the tip of her magic wand still shimmering with a faint green light.

"Get out of here!"

Her attack, fueled by rage, was unrestrained. The ant-like dimensional monster didn't even have time to howl before its crimson carapace shattered like fragile glass, and its massive body crashed to the ground.

A scene similar to that in the South Suburb Park played out again: the corpse of the Void Beast turned into dust and gradually dissipated, leaving only a pale purple energy core rolling on the ground with a crisp sound.

Yin Xue didn't even glance at the spoils of war. Instead, she almost staggered to Lin Che's side, her boots scraping against the ground with a screeching sound.

She knelt on one knee, oblivious to the fact that her pristine white dress had spread across the dirty ground, her voice filled with unprecedented panic: "Where are you hurt? Let me see!"

Lin Che leaned against the cold wall, his body still subtly protecting the sobbing little girl.

"It's nothing, just a scratch on her back..." he replied softly, his voice slightly hoarse from the pain.

The impact had made it difficult for him to breathe, but fortunately it was just a physical injury. As long as he wasn't hurt by the Void Beast's tail stinger or jaw teeth, he shouldn't be in any danger.

He tried to move his body to stand up, but the next second he gasped – a sharp pain shot through his back, obviously from bumping into the sharp edge of the metal shelf.

"You call this nothing?! You're clearly injured!" Yin Xue's voice suddenly rose as she quickly moved behind Lin Che and began to check his injuries.

"Don't move!" Trembling fingertips touched Lin Che's back. Yin Xue's pupils contracted sharply when they touched the warm liquid, and then she immediately condensed a soft emerald green light on her fingertips.

"The wound isn't deep, but we need to consider the possibility of future infection and treat it immediately."

Her voice was tense, but her hands moved with unusual gentleness, as if she were handling some fragile treasure.

Lin Che could feel her magic seeping into his skin, bringing a slightly cool stinging sensation, followed by a soothing healing feeling, and the pain was gradually replaced by warmth.

"Thank you," he said briefly, his gaze unconsciously avoiding the other person's face.

"Why didn't you escape?" Yin Xue asked, biting her lip, her voice trembling noticeably.

"Don't you know how dangerous it is for ordinary people to be caught up in the infiltration of the Void Realm?"

"We need somewhere to escape to," Lin Che said with a wry smile, shaking his head.

"And..."

Lin Che looked down at the little girl in his arms. She was still clutching his clothes tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I can't abandon this child."

Yin Xue's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back.

She wanted to say more, to severely reprimand this guy who didn't cherish himself, but her identity as a magical girl was like an invisible shackle, choking all her concern in her throat.

Now, her identity is that of the magical girl Yin Xue, whom he is meeting for the first time, not Su Yuqing, with whom he spends every day. Excessive concern will only arouse suspicion.

She took a deep breath and smiled, feigning nonchalance: "You're quite brave, but next time you should protect yourself first."

Lin Che looked up at her, a faint smile curving his lips. In a daze, he seemed to see again the figure who had bravely stood in front of Liuli: "You should say that to yourself, Miss Magical Girl."

—You should be more careful.

Yin Xue was clearly stunned, then stomped at him angrily, "You—!" But the words stopped abruptly.

She wanted to argue, to tell him how scared she was, to question why he was so reckless, but when her gaze fell on the wound on his back that had not yet fully healed, she immediately lost her nerve.

"... Fine, I won't argue with you," she said sullenly, but her focus on channeling magic into her hands only intensified.

Silence spread between the two, with only the little girl's soft sobs and the distant roars of the void beasts echoing in the air.

A moment later, Yin Xue withdrew her hand. The wound on Lin Che's back had mostly healed, leaving only a faint red mark.

"Alright, it won't get worse for now." She stood up, her tone regaining its usual businesslike calm.

"I'll stay here to protect you; everything will be fine."

Lin Che frowned: "Stay here?"

"What, worried I can't handle those Void Beasts?" Yin Xue raised an eyebrow, deliberately using a light tone to cover up her unease.

"Don't worry, I'm a professional."

Lin Che stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly said, "Shouldn't you have more important things to do?"

Yin Xue was stunned: "... What?"

"We're definitely not the only ones hiding somewhere." Lin Che pointed into the distance.

"If you stay here to protect us, what will happen to those people?"

"And your companions must be fighting those monsters too, right? What will happen to them if you stay here?"

"I..." Yin Xue's fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt.

She instinctively wanted to deny Lin Che's statement, but reason told her that he was right. Liuli and Ruby were still fighting on the front lines, and if they encountered danger...

A loud noise suddenly came from afar. Yin Xue reflexively looked toward the source of the sound, her body leaning forward instinctively, but she stopped abruptly, her eyes filled with struggle.

"... Are you sure you're okay?" Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, and her expression betrayed an undisguised wavering.

Lin Che leaned against the wall and stood up, protecting the little girl to his side.

He nodded slightly: "I will take the child to a safer place. Don't worry, we can take care of ourselves."

Yin Xue hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind: "... Okay."

She turned to leave, but suddenly stopped, turned back and gave him a deep look.

"You..." She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she only whispered, "... Be careful."

Lin Che nodded slightly: "You too."

He paused, then asked, "By the way, Miss Magical Girl, could you tell me your code name?"

"At a time like this..." Yin Xue bit her lip, "Just call me Yin Xue."

"Well then, Miss Yin Xue, thank you for saving us." Lin Che suddenly gave a sincere smile.

"And keep up the good work!"

Yin Xue was stunned. The smile was so familiar that she could hardly control her emotions.

But soon, a gentle smile appeared on her lips: "You're welcome."

She said no more, but leaped into the air, letting the emerald green light envelop her entire body once more, and flew swiftly towards her companions.

—Idiot, how could there be anything more important than protecting you?

But since this is your wish, since you are cheering me on... I will definitely protect everyone.

Lin Che watched her retreating figure until the green hue completely disappeared from his sight before slowly exhaling and hugging the little girl in his arms even tighter.

—You idiot, you have to come back safe and sound...