371: Chapter 371 You and My Mother...

On the fifth day, Qin Lin took her to the Flower Garden to see the chinese roses Li Ran had planted. Su Han stood in front of the Flower Garden for a long time.

"Pretty."

Li Ran stood nearby, and upon hearing this, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

"Do you like flowers?" Li Ran asked.

Su Han nodded.

"When I used to go on missions in the wilderness, I would stop to look whenever I saw beautiful flowers."

Li Ran plucked a small red chinese rose from the Flower Garden and handed it to Su Han.

"For you."

Su Han took the flower, looked at the chinese rose, and was silent for a moment.

"Thank you."

Li Ran smiled.

Qin Lin looked at the chinese rose in Su Han's hand, then looked at Li Ran.

He felt that Su Han was slowly thawing.

Murong Wan noticed Qin Lin's attention toward Su Han.

One evening, she found Qin Lin in the Bridge; he was looking at a star map.

"I heard you've been going to see Su Han every day lately."

Murong Wan sat down in the chair next to him, holding a cup of tea.

Qin Lin nodded.

"She is integrating into The Ark and needs someone to guide her."

Murong Wan took a sip of tea.

"Your method of guidance is quite unique—bringing different things every day: milk, tea, flowers, spiritual plants. Are you courting her or guiding her?"

Qin Lin looked at her.

"Auntie Wan, you really are jealous."

Murong Wan set down her teacup.

"I already said I'm not. I just feel that you are more attentive to Su Han than you are to me."

Qin Lin reached out and took her hand.

"Auntie Wan, you are my person. Su Han is a passenger on The Ark; it's different."

Murong Wan looked at him.

"How is it different?"

Qin Lin thought for a moment.

"You sleep beside me, and she sleeps next door. That is the difference."

Murong Wan blushed and pulled her hand back.

She stood up, picked up her teacup, and left. She stopped after a few steps without looking back.

"It's fine to be good to her, but you mustn't forget that there are others on The Ark."

She left.

Qin Lin watched her back, the corners of his mouth curled up.

Murong Xue began to observe the interactions between Qin Lin and her mother more frequently.

She didn't do it on purpose; her eyes just caught them.

She saw that the look in her mother's eyes when she looked at Qin Lin was different; it wasn't a mother-in-law looking at a son-in-law, but a woman looking at a man.

She saw that when her mother met Qin Lin in the corridor, her hand would unconsciously smooth her hair. She saw that when her mother spoke to Qin Lin, her voice was much softer than usual.

She told herself this was an illusion, but her eyes didn't lie.

One day, she saw her mother and Qin Lin talking in the corridor.

Her mother's hand rested on Qin Lin's arm; although she quickly pulled it back, she saw it.

She stood at the corner of the corridor, watching her mother's departing back, then looked at Qin Lin.

Qin Lin turned and walked in the other direction. Murong Xue stood where she was, her heart beating fast.

She remembered that when Qin Lin came to see her in the evenings recently, he always smelled of the shampoo her mother used. She remembered the spare toothbrush in her mother's room.

She remembered the tone her mother used when she said, "Qin Lin is a good person." She didn't want to believe it, but there was too much evidence.

She took a deep breath, turned, and returned to her room.

The relationship between Qin Lin and Su Han was growing closer day by day. Su Han began to take the initiative to speak to him.

Not much, just a few words each time.

"Morning."

"The weather is nice today."

"The tea is good."

Qin Lin didn't mind; he knew Su Han's coldness wasn't directed at him.

One afternoon, Qin Lin was looking at the star map in the Bridge, and Su Han walked in and sat down in the chair next to him.

"Qin Lin."

"Hmm."

"Why are you so good to me?"

Qin Lin turned his head to look at her.

Su Han's eyes were very dark and deep, but this time he saw a light in them—not coldness, but confusion.

"Because you are a passenger on The Ark."

Su Han looked at him.

Qin Lin reached out and patted her shoulder lightly.

Su Han didn't dodge; she watched his hand.

His hand paused on her shoulder for a moment, then pulled back.

Su Han lowered her head to look at her own hand, was silent for a long time, and then stood up.

"I'm leaving; you're busy." She left.

Qin Lin watched her back, the corners of his mouth curling up.

He felt that Su Han was slowly drawing closer to him.

That night, Qin Lin went to Murong Wan's room.

Murong Wan was sitting by the window reading a book, wearing that dark blue nightgown.

Qin Lin walked over and sat down beside her, pulling the book from her hands.

"Auntie Wan, I have something to tell you."

Murong Wan looked at him.

"What is it?"

"Su Han came to talk to me today; she initiated the conversation."

Murong Wan's eyes lit up.

"She initiated it?"

Qin Lin nodded.

"Yes."

Qin Lin reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Murong Wan leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Murong Wan looked into his eyes; there was a light in them—not greed, but anticipation.

She reached out and touched his face.

"Qin Lin, you are too good to women—so good that it makes me afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid that one day you will be this good to someone else and forget me."

Qin Lin took her hand.

"I won't; you are different."

Murong Wan pressed her face against his chest without speaking.

Qin Lin hugged her tighter.

That night, Qin Lin stayed in Murong Wan's room until very late.

When he left, Murong Wan was already asleep, her hand still clutching the corner of his clothing.

He gently loosened her hand, pulled the quilt up to cover her shoulders, lowered his head to kiss her forehead, and turned to leave.

...

The Ark continued to cruise through the Central Region's interior.

Qin Lin's daily life was very routine.

During the day, he went to the Bridge to look at star maps and handle affairs; in the afternoon, he went to chat with Su Han; in the evening, he went to Murong Wan's room; and late at night, he went to Murong Xue's room.

He thought he had arranged everything seamlessly, but he didn't know that Murong Xue had already begun to notice him.

Murong Xue saw Qin Lin come out of her mother's room in the corridor; it was very late.

She stood in the shadows without moving, watching Qin Lin close the door and leave.

Then she walked to the door of her mother's room, hesitated for a moment, didn't knock, and turned to leave.

The next morning, Murong Xue intercepted Qin Lin in the corridor.

Qin Lin had just come out of the Bridge, holding a cup of coffee.

Murong Xue stood in front of him, arms crossed, looking at him.

"Qin Lin, I have something to ask you."

Qin Lin looked at her; her expression was very serious, and there was a light in her eyes—not suspicion, but confirmation.

"What's wrong?"

Murong Xue took a deep breath.

"Were you in my mother's room last night?"

Qin Lin looked at her and was silent for a moment.

"Yes."

Murong Xue lowered her hands to her sides.

"When did you two start?"

"It's been a while."

Murong Xue lowered her head to look at her feet.

Her toes were curled, and her nails were painted with pale pink nail polish.

She was silent for a long time, then raised her head to look at Qin Lin.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Qin Lin looked at her.

"I didn't know how to tell you."

Murong Xue's tears fell; she wasn't sobbing, the tears just fell on their own.

She didn't wipe them, just let them flow.

"Qin Lin, you and my mother..."