Chapter 64 – Unexpected Discovery
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Han Yan stood at the entrance of the courtyard, completely lost in thought.
He had heard everything Lin Xin said.
He didn’t mean to eavesdrop. He had only returned because he thought Lin Xin might have already fallen asleep.
Lin Xin had looked exhausted earlier, and Han Yan couldn’t help worrying that he might be pushing himself too hard.
But now...
Han Yan’s mind was in complete chaos.
Upper World?
Lower World?
There are actually other worlds besides this one?
He rubbed his forehead, trying to make sense of what he had just heard.
Or does he mean somewhere abroad? Maybe they just call foreign places "Upper World" and "Lower World" because this is an ancient setting?
That explanation sounded reasonable.
At least, he desperately wanted it to be reasonable.
Then there was Lin Xin mentioning his past life.
Han Yan’s expression slowly changed.
Wait...
Was the Lin Xin I know reborn?
Or was he transmigrated like me?
His brows furrowed deeply.
But then another question immediately surfaced.
He knows Zhi Zun.
Han Yan glanced toward the two of them.
If Lin Xin had been transmigrated like him, then how could he already know Zhi Zun?
Unless...
His thoughts became even more tangled.
"Ah..."
Han Yan silently groaned.
There were simply too many questions.
He had always thought he was the only one carrying a secret in this strange world. Now he suddenly discovered that the person beside him might have secrets of his own.
And yet, strangely enough, the thought that bothered him the most wasn’t any of that.
It was what Lin Xin had said about him.
He likes me.
Not the original Han Yan.
Me.
Han Yan’s heart suddenly began pounding so hard that he was afraid someone might hear it from across the courtyard.
His ears heated up.
He quickly covered his chest with one hand.
Why is my heart beating this fast?!
He had heard plenty of shocking things today, yet those three words were somehow enough to completely throw him off balance.
Lin Xin liked him.
The thought kept circling through his mind.
If Lin Xin had his own secrets and was already aware of certain things, should he tell Lin Xin about himself too?
Should he tell him that he wasn’t the original Han Yan?
But then—
Wait.
Han Yan froze.
He didn’t tell me directly!
He had only overheard Lin Xin talking.
If he suddenly walked over and confessed that he knew everything, wouldn’t that make things incredibly awkward?
Han Yan’s face twisted.
Ah! Why am I thinking so much?!
He almost wanted to roll around on the ground from sheer frustration.
After struggling with his thoughts for a while, he finally made a decision.
Whatever secrets Lin Xin had, he wouldn’t force him to reveal them.
If Lin Xin wanted to tell him one day, he would listen.
For now...
Han Yan walked toward him.
"Xin’ger."
Lin Xin, who was still hugging Zhi Zun, suddenly jerked his head up.
His eyes widened.
Han Yan?!
His entire body stiffened.
Did he hear me?
His face slowly turned red.
No, no, no...
He hadn’t even heard Han Yan’s footsteps.
What was he supposed to do now?
Lin Xin quickly loosened his arms around Zhi Zun and looked away, trying his best to act normal despite the panic written all over his face.
Han Yan looked at him for a moment before his gaze landed on Zhi Zun.
"What are you doing here hugging this fatty?"
Before Lin Xin could answer, Han Yan reached over, grabbed Zhi Zun, and pulled him away from Lin Xin.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he tossed the poor animal aside.
"Come on."
Han Yan took Lin Xin’s hand.
"Let’s go. You need to take an afternoon nap. You look tired, and it’s not good for your health."
His tone was so serious that Lin Xin didn’t know how to respond.
The moment their hands touched, Lin Xin’s cheeks became even redder.
He lowered his head, staring at their joined hands.
"Okay..."
His voice came out much softer than he intended.
"I want to go first."
Han Yan nodded and released his hand.
"I need to get more firewood and water. After that, I’ll feed the chicks."
He looked at Lin Xin seriously.
"You just rest."
Lin Xin opened his mouth.
He wanted to say that he could help.
He really did.
But before he could get the words out, Han Yan had already guided him back toward the room.
By the time Lin Xin realized what was happening, he was already sitting on the bed.
Han Yan helped him remove his outer robe before gently making him lie down.
Lin Xin’s entire body became stiff.
His face was burning.
He didn’t dare raise his head.
He simply lay there completely still, pretending to be a corpse.
Han Yan seemed completely unaware of the internal disaster happening beside him.
After making sure Lin Xin was comfortable, he pulled the blanket over him.
"Rest properly."
Lin Xin gave the smallest nod.
"Mm."
Han Yan smiled faintly before turning around.
"Sleep."
He walked toward the door and closed it behind him.
The moment the door shut, Lin Xin let out a long breath.
He slowly pulled the blanket higher, covering half of his face.
His cheeks were still burning.
I’m really too shy around Han Yan.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Why did he become so nervous whenever Han Yan got close?
Even something as simple as holding his hand was enough to make his heart race.
Lin Xin covered his face with both hands.
Maybe...
His thoughts drifted somewhere he probably shouldn’t have allowed them to go.
Should I study how to handle things in the bedroom?
His ears turned bright red.
Lin Xin immediately buried his face beneath the light blanket.
"Ah..."
He muffled his embarrassed groan.
What am I even thinking about?!
The more he thought about it, the hotter his face became.
Eventually, he curled up beneath the blanket, desperately trying to hide from his own thoughts.
Meanwhile, after making sure Lin Xin was comfortable, Han Yan quietly closed the bedroom door behind him.
He glanced at it for a moment before turning toward the courtyard, his expression becoming thoughtful.
There were still too many questions swirling in his mind, and there was only one person he could ask without making things awkward for Lin Xin.
"Zhi Zun, come out."
Han Yan stood in the courtyard with his arms crossed, his expression unusually serious.
A moment later, Zhi Zun slowly emerged from his hiding place, his fluffy tail swishing behind him.
The bald cat narrowed his eyes at Han Yan, clearly still holding a grudge for being thrown away earlier.
"What do you want, mere human?" Zhi Zun said arrogantly.
"After throwing this ancestor away so roughly, you are lucky this ancestor is very strong. Otherwise, you..."
"I heard what Lin Xin said."
Han Yan cut him off.
Zhi Zun’s mouth immediately snapped shut.
Han Yan stared at him.
"What is this about the Upper World and Lower World? And what did he mean by his past life?"
The questions came pouring out all at once.
He had been holding them in ever since he overheard Lin Xin talking and now that he had Zhi Zun in front of him, he couldn’t stop himself.
He couldn’t bring himself to ask Lin Xin directly.
Not when Lin Xin had clearly been keeping these things to himself.
Besides...
Han Yan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
He couldn’t bring himself to ask Lin Xin about it directly. When he heard Lin Xin admit that he might still be timid, Han Yan couldn’t help but feel that he could relate to him.
He wasn’t any better himself. Even after hearing everything, he still didn’t have the courage to ask Lin Xin about it face-to-face.
Zhi Zun stared at Han Yan for a moment before snorting.
"This ancestor doesn’t know what you are talking about."
He turned around deliberately, presenting his backside to Han Yan.
Han Yan’s eyebrow twitched.
"You don’t know?"
"No."
Zhi Zun’s tail flicked.
"I don’t know anything."
Han Yan stared at the cat’s back.
Then he slowly reached into his clothes.
"I’ll give you the token if you tell me."
Zhi Zun’s ears immediately perked up.
Han Yan pulled out the token and waved it casually in front of him.
"You sly human!" Zhi Zun whipped around, glaring at him.
"You can’t talk it out of Lan Xin, so now you want to bribe this ancestor? Do you think this ancestor will fall for such a cheap trick?"
His voice was filled with righteous indignation.
Unfortunately, his eyes were glued to the token.
Even worse, a tiny string of drool had already begun to form at the corner of his mouth.
Han Yan looked at him in silence.
Zhi Zun quickly wiped his mouth with his paw and pretended nothing had happened.
"This ancestor is not interested."
"You were drooling."
"I was not!"
"You were."
Zhi Zun’s face stiffened.
Han Yan almost smiled, but he quickly returned to his serious expression.
"What do you mean by Lan Xin?" he asked.
"Is that the name he had in his past life?"
Zhi Zun’s eyes narrowed.
Han Yan stepped closer.
"Tell me everything you know about him, and you get the token."
He held the token between his fingers.
"Everything."
Zhi Zun stared at the token, then at Han Yan.
His expression clearly showed that an intense battle was taking place inside his head.
On one side was his dignity.
On the other...
The token.
After a few moments, Zhi Zun finally sighed dramatically.
Fine.
If Lan Xin asked him later how the stinky human found out about his past, he would simply deny everything.
He would deny it to death.
"I suppose this ancestor can tell you a little."
Zhi Zun slowly walked closer.
"But give me the token first."
Han Yan narrowed his eyes.
"You’ll actually tell me?"
"This ancestor keeps his word!"
Zhi Zun puffed out his chest proudly.
Han Yan studied the bald cat for another moment before crouching down.
He carefully placed the token on the ground.
"There."
Zhi Zun’s eyes immediately lit up.
Han Yan pointed at him.
"Now tell me everything."
Zhi Zun glanced at the token and swallowed.
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