Chapter 53: Curiosity Beneath the Veil
"Yes, yes, Tianlin is not a child."
Ye Lingling's mood had clearly improved. She could not help reaching out to gently pat Yu Tianlin's head. Her brows curved in a smile and, although her face was hidden behind the black veil, she was undoubtedly smiling underneath.
Yu Tianlin looked a little annoyed. Why did everyone like touching his head? His ahoge was right on top. If someone with sharp perception touched it, they would immediately realize something was off. If the secret of his ahoge got exposed, things would be very troublesome.
Fortunately, Ye Lingling's perception was not that precise, so Yu Tianlin did not force her to move her hand away.
"Hey, Sister Lingling, you just called me Tianlin?"
Once he recovered from the irritation of having his head rubbed, Yu Tianlin suddenly realized that Ye Lingling had addressed him only by his given name, without the surname.
He knew that Ye Lingling normally called every member of the Royal Fighting Team by their full name, including Dugu Yan, who was also a girl. The fact that she suddenly used such a familiar way of addressing him now was quite unusual.
Hearing his question, Ye Lingling's slender hand, which had been stroking his head, paused for a moment. Then she quietly withdrew it and said in a calm tone, "You are younger than me. Is it not alright if I call you that? If you mind, then I will stop."
"It's fine, of course you can," Yu Tianlin replied with a smile. "Everyone close to me calls me that. There are all kinds of nicknames, like Tianlin, Xiaolin, Little Tianlin, and so on. Sister Yanzi calls me that too, so it is only natural if you do as well, Sister Lingling."
Thinking about it, Yu Tianlin suddenly felt a bit miserable.
Aside from Yu Tianqing, it seemed that everyone he knew was older than him. Among the seven members of the Royal Fighting Team, apart from Yu Tianheng, he had to call the other four men "big brother" and the two women "sister."
Only Yu Tianqing in the whole world called him Brother Lin. It made him want to go back to the clan right now and play with Yu Tianqing for a while.
When Ye Lingling heard him mention Dugu Yan as an example, the faint panic in her heart instantly faded.
That is right. Dugu Yan called him that as well, so there was nothing strange about it if she did the same.
Yu Tianlin came back to his senses and asked, "By the way, Sister Lingling, my brother and the others went to Sunset Forest. When will they be back?"
"Sunset Forest is a hundred miles east of Heaven Dou City. It takes one day just to travel there and back. Even if the Spirit Beast hunt goes smoothly, it will still take another day," Ye Lingling calculated softly. "So Yu Tianheng and the others will only be back at the earliest by tomorrow. Tianlin, what are you planning to do?"
"That really is a pity. I only have today off."
Yu Tianlin stood up from his seat, his face showing obvious regret. "Looks like I came here for nothing this time."
"It is already lunchtime. Let me take you to eat something before you leave." Ye Lingling also rose to her feet. "I cannot let you make a wasted trip."
Yu Tianlin considered it for a moment, then thanked her. "Then I will trouble you, Sister Lingling."
He had set out from Thunder Academy after breakfast. After dealing with the matter with Xue Beng at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, it was already past eleven. After half a day, he was indeed starting to feel hungry.
Led by Ye Lingling, the two of them headed to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy cafeteria.
The layout there was similar to that of Thunder Academy's cafeteria, with a main dining hall on the first floor and private rooms on the second floor.
The cafeteria covered a large area, and the interior decorations were magnificent. If one did not know better, they might think they had stepped into a palace.
However, despite the luxurious decoration, there were not many students eating inside. It seemed that most Heaven Dou Royal Academy students did not like dining in the cafeteria and preferred to head into Heaven Dou City after class to enjoy themselves.
Ye Lingling clearly disliked eating in a crowded place. She did not stop on the first floor, and instead took Yu Tianlin directly upstairs, where they booked a private room.
After eating a simple meal, Yu Tianlin was in no hurry to go back.
He had already finished developing Chidori and had nothing special planned for his free afternoon. If he returned immediately, he would just end up bored.
Once they were full, Yu Tianlin leaned back in his chair and asked curiously, "Sister Lingling, you even wear your veil while eating. Isn't that troublesome?"
Indeed, Ye Lingling had not taken off her veil during the meal. She just lifted it slightly and sent the food into her mouth from underneath.
Yu Tianlin did not dislike her wearing a veil, but seeing that she refused to remove it even while eating made him more and more curious about her real appearance.
Now he finally understood what the three members of Team 7 in Naruto had felt back then. It was simple curiosity. Just what kind of face was hidden under those veils and masks?
In response to his question, Ye Lingling merely replied in a soft voice, "It's not troublesome."
From her attitude, Yu Tianlin could tell that she did not want to talk about it in depth.
However, Yu Tianlin had no intention of dropping the subject so easily. He had studied a bit of psychology in his previous life. The way Ye Lingling wrapped herself up so tightly clearly showed that she was closing herself off and did not want to interact with others. Combined with what she had said before about being a burden, it was obvious that she felt inferior on some level.
This could not continue. People on Douluo Continent did not understand these things, and no one would comfort her. If this went on, it could gradually develop into depression, and then it would be truly dangerous.
Now, for some reason, Ye Lingling was willing to talk to him. Yu Tianlin decided he should comfort her himself.
With that thought, Yu Tianlin leaned forward slightly and looked straight into Ye Lingling's eyes.
Her eyes were very beautiful, like a clear lake untouched by dust. Her large eyes seemed to speak when they blinked, her brows were gently furrowed, and her long eyelashes made her look especially cute.
Noticing his intense gaze, Ye Lingling turned her head away in a slight panic. "What is it? Is there something on my face?"
"It's nothing," Yu Tianlin said seriously. "I just think Lingling's eyes are really beautiful."
It seemed to be the first time she had been praised so directly. Ye Lingling looked flustered, not knowing how to respond.
Yu Tianlin continued, "Sister Lingling, why do you always wear a black veil?"
The moment he asked this, Ye Lingling fell silent. She did not answer.
Yu Tianlin felt a twinge of unease. From her reaction, it seemed he might have stepped on a landmine.
After a long silence, Ye Lingling suddenly stood up and said, "Tianlin, would you walk with me for a while?"
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