Upon hearing the voice in his mind, Xiao Lin sighed deeply.

It's over. From the looks of it now, the possibility of Fourth Junior Sister being mistaken has been ruled out. In other words, that protagonist is definitely coming to the Flowing Cloud Sect...

Xiao Lin, who truly wanted to be lazy, felt the pressure.

For some reason, he always felt that getting involved with the protagonist wouldn't lead to anything good.

However, after a moment of sorrow, Xiao Lin quickly pulled himself together.

We... no, I, Xiao Lin, don't cause trouble, but I'm not afraid of it either!

If that so-called protagonist wants to come, then let him come!

After all, if the sky falls, Master will hold it up!

Though Master is not tall, his skills are indeed high.

"Ahem."

Having achieved his purpose, Xiao Lin decided to probe a bit more to see if he could get more information. "Why can't I sleep? I'm not really sure... but Fourth Junior Sister always sleeps well, right?"

At this point, someone might ask, aren't they cultivators? Why do they still need to sleep?

This is where we need to consult our experts—cultivators naturally don't need to sleep, but studies in the cultivation world show that the way the spiritual energy of heaven and earth circulates at night is actually more suitable for absorption through sleep. The spiritual energy absorbed through sleep is even purer and more suitable for the physique of cultivator babies, so if conditions allow, cultivators generally go to bed on time.

"Hehe, it's just average." Hearing Xiao Lin's words, Ning Yunmiao, who had been brought back to her senses by the system's reminder, scratched her head.

[What's up with Senior Brother today? He's always praising me. Did he steal my snacks and now feels guilty?]

Thinking of this, Ning Yunmiao showed a wary expression.

Snacks, snacks, snacks, all you think about are snacks! Just wait! I'll steal all the snacks from under your bed later!

Xiao Lin couldn't help but make such a vow in his heart.

"By the way, Senior Brother, what exactly happened with Second Senior Sister hitting someone?"

As expected of Ning Yunmiao, she immediately put aside Lin Aotian's matter and asked, holding Xiaobai, about this obviously gossip-worthy event.

Xiao Lin, who had intended to chat a bit as a prelude, simply explained the situation to her.

"Senior Sister Lu? Spying on Second Senior Sister bathing?"

After hearing Xiao Lin's words, Ning Yunmiao's big eyes were filled with big doubts.

She felt her little brain couldn't quite process it.

"Don't mind these things; it's already been resolved." Xiao Lin waved his hand and said smoothly, "But I did hear something interesting from Uncle Li. Uncle-Master Dongfang encountered a promising talent outside named Lin Aotian. Quite a powerful name, right, Fourth Junior Sister?"

"......"

"Fourth Junior Sister?"

"......"

"Fourth Junior Sister!"

"Ah!"

Hearing the name "Lin Aotian," Ning Yunmiao snapped out of her daze and asked with wide eyes, "S-Senior Brother, are you sure that talent is named Lin Aotian?"

"Yes? Why?"

"Nothing, what... what could it be? Senior Brother, you're acting strange."

Fourth Junior Sister, you're really not good at lying...

Seeing Ning Yunmiao's evasive gaze and lack of confidence, Xiao Lin thought that if it were the old him, he would definitely press further.

But now, being able to hear inner thoughts, he naturally chose to play dumb and continued, "I'm really curious about what kind of person this Lin Aotian is, to catch Uncle-Master Dongfang's eye."

[What kind of person? He's the protagonist... It seems my system isn't malfunctioning, but why? Doesn't this mess up the plot? I just started using my golden finger! Waaa, crying like a storm, I'm going to eat a ton of snacks later!]

Ning Yunmiao lamented inwardly, yet still nodded in agreement, "Yes, I'm curious too."

...Although her expression showed no curiosity, only sadness.

Ning Yunmiao was very sad, like playing Chopin in the rain.

"In that case, shall we go see for ourselves?"

Xiao Lin once again chose selective blindness and gently coaxed.

Adhering to the principle of "if you can't avoid it, face it with a smile," Xiao Lin felt that just in case, he should prepare early.

And as the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. So Xiao Lin decided to take the initiative, check out the situation, and bring Ning Yunmiao along to see if he could gain any unexpected insights from her inner thoughts.

"Sure!"

Hearing Xiao Lin's invitation, the previously secretly sad Ning Yunmiao suddenly seemed to think of something and nodded happily.

[If I observe Lin Aotian, I can get a task reward... Hehehe, it seems that with Lin Aotian entering the Flowing Cloud Sect, it will be more convenient for me to complete the plot advancement tasks. Not bad!]

"Alright, it's settled then."

Curious about what Ning Yunmiao's task reward might be, Xiao Lin was pondering what to say next when he heard a "thud" and immediately turned to see...

A book had fallen to the ground.

The cover prominently displayed the words "Immortal Sect Tragic Romance: The Sword Immortal's Runaway Little Sweetheart."

"......"

"......"

[Oh no!!!! I forgot to put away the novel!!!]

Ning Yunmiao's cute little face instantly showed a look of horror.

Xiao Lin, whose ears were nearly pierced by the voice in his mind, hadn't even had time to react before Ning Yunmiao, with a righteous expression, pointed at the novel on the ground and said, "Senior Brother, look, this is a novel I confiscated from other junior sisters today. You were right, Senior Brother, these junior brothers and sisters are really neglecting their duties!"

[Oh my god! Could I be a genius? So clever!]

"I see."

Xiao Lin nodded, bent down to pick up the novel from the ground, and casually stored it in his storage magic treasure. "Perfect, I'll take it back and keep it with the other confiscated novels for unified management."

[No!!!!!!]

Ning Yunmiao's bright eyes immediately lost their sparkle.

"In that case, I won't disturb Fourth Junior Sister any longer. Farewell."

"Wait... please wait a moment!"

"What is it? Does Fourth Junior Sister want to keep this novel?"

"How... how could that be?"

"Then I'll be off. Sweet dreams, Fourth Junior Sister."

"......"

Ning Yunmiao watched Xiao Lin leave the room, helplessly raising her small hand in a silent farewell.

[Goodbye, my dear novel. I will never forget our intimate moments under the starry sky, the love and youth I never grasped.]

Why are you suddenly into angsty youth literature?

Closing the door behind him, Xiao Lin couldn't help but smile slightly as he stood outside the room.

Even though he could hear their inner thoughts, his junior brothers and sisters were still his junior brothers and sisters, nothing to worry about...

Thinking this, Xiao Lin turned to head back to his room for a good night's sleep.

...only to run into Lu Xingqiu entering the courtyard.

Lu Xingqiu, with his striking white hair.

"......"

"......"

The two of them stood frozen, staring at each other in silence.

Maybe there is something to worry about after all...

Xiao Lin thought expressionlessly.