An unknown amount of time passed.
The young Shenhe slowly opened her eyes.
The intense pain in her body instantly caused a thick layer of hostility to well up once more in her gaze.
Shenhe instinctively looked towards her side.
With the intention of using her only movable part—her mouth—
to bite any creature that approached her.
Who would have thought, the moment Shenhe opened her mouth to bite the person beside her,
a deboned squab stuffed her mouth full.
"Delicious, right?"
Lin Mo said gently.
Shenhe immediately recognized that voice.
Wasn't this the man who had saved her from the monsters?
Only then did she realize.
She was inside a cave.
Currently lying in a man's arms, warming herself by a campfire.
Shenhe subconsciously lifted her head.
She looked towards Lin Mo with wide, pleading eyes.
Although her gaze still held a sharp edge,
paired with the squab dangling from her mouth, she looked utterly adorable.
"Want to ask something?"
Lin Mo asked curiously, adding proudly, "Want to ask me how this roast squab is so delicious?"
"This isn't just any ordinary pigeon, you know."
"It's from Mondstadt."
"A pigeon raised by a child left behind by his parents."
"For that child, the pigeon represents the family he misses." As Lin Mo spoke to this point,
he also took a big bite of the squab, chewing the meat while smiling and saying, "Eating the squab means the missed family is eaten too." "Little one."
"Do you want to eat the squab, forget the family that abandoned you, and stay by my side from now on?"
At that moment.
Shenhe's tears involuntarily slid from the corners of her eyes.
She remembered the village that had cast her out.
She remembered the father who had personally pushed her towards the monsters.
The tangled emotions of longing and resentment,
seemingly further influenced by the baleful aura of her Lonely Fate.
Without the slightest hesitation, Shenhe bit down hard, tearing off a large piece of the roast squab.
"Mhm, that's more like it~"
Seeing Shenhe's decision,
Lin Mo nodded in satisfaction, gently stroking her snow-white short hair.
However...
Since Shenhe was covered in wounds and even eating was difficult,
Lin Mo took the squab with his other hand and patiently fed it to her mouth.
Soon, the deboned roast squab was completely devoured by Shenhe, who even sucked on Lin Mo's fingers afterward, seemingly wanting more.
"Alright, all gone now."
Lin Mo laughed. "If you want more, I'll take you to Mondstadt's bridge sometime to catch another one." "Aren't you afraid of me?" Shenhe asked coldly.
"Hm? Why should I be afraid?" Lin Mo smiled.
Shenhe lowered her gaze, her voice trailing off:
"My fate is Lonely and Baleful, I easily harm those around me."
"Whether evil spirits and monsters, or people with ill intentions, they are all drawn to me, bringing disaster." "If I stay with you, I will bring you harm."
At this point, Shenhe bit her lower lip lightly, saying unwillingly, "I can stay in this cave to recover by myself. You should leave. I don't want to harm my savior."
Seeing the reluctant look in Shenhe's eyes—forced to send him away out of fear of hurting him—a smile couldn't help but appear at the corner of Lin Mo's mouth.
"Have you never considered that I might be a person with ill intentions too?" Lin Mo said with a mischievous grin.
Shenhe lifted her gaze again.
She looked at Lin Mo, her eyes full of confusion. In her eyes, the gentle, handsome, and sunny Lin Mo was still her savior. He didn't look at all like someone with ill intentions.
"Alright, stop overthinking."
Lin Mo laughed and ruffled her white hair, smiling as he said, "I simply think you're a very pretty, very cute little girl, and I want you to stay by my side, that's all." "Don't worry, I'm strong."
"If you encounter danger, evil spirits, or people with ill intentions again,"
"I will protect you with the sword in my hand." As Lin Mo spoke,
he proudly patted the Dull Blade at his waist.
"You... you don't mean to make me your child bride, do you?" Shenhe asked, her gaze puzzled and uncomprehending.
"Huh?"
Lin Mo was taken aback.
It seemed... Liyue really did have such customs.
Raising a young girl, and when she comes of age, she becomes the man's wife.
But Lin Mo hadn't thought of that.
He was simply, for the sake of the mission, finding an opportunity to bring Shenhe to the Adeptus Cloud Retainer, nothing more.
Lin Mo's silence,
in Shenhe's eyes, was tacit agreement.
But surprisingly, Shenhe felt no disgust or resistance.
After all, she was a full nine years away from adulthood.
If Lin Mo truly had such intentions,
that meant he would have to keep her by his side for a full nine years.
For the next nine years,
Lin Mo would have to fend off the monsters attracted by her special fate for her.
Face the calamities brought by her Lonely and Baleful Fate for her.
If Lin Mo could do that,
then his feelings for her could truly be said to be as clear as the sun and moon.
At the very least, he would be more worthy of closeness than the father who pushed her towards the monsters.
At that moment, seeing Shenhe lost in thought like this,
Lin Mo guessed she might have misunderstood something.
But it wasn't important.
What mattered was that the hostility surrounding Shenhe had temporarily subsided, which put Lin Mo's mind much more at ease.
In the days that followed,
Lin Mo focused on caring for the injured Shenhe.
For two months,
Lin Mo would go out hunting during the day.
At night, he would carry her on his back, taking her to bathe under a waterfall.
Through this period of time together,
Lin Mo finally realized just how absurd Shenhe's fate was.
Evil spirits, resentful wraiths, and similar malevolent beings appeared no less than three times.
On one occasion,
Lin Mo was out hunting.
A member of the Treasure Hoarders somehow passed by the cave where Shenhe was recovering.
The moment he saw Shenhe, bandaged and wounded, for some reason, the wicked thoughts in his heart were infinitely amplified, and he immediately wanted to commit that beastly act against her.
Fortunately, Lin Mo returned just in time.
With a single slash, he sent that scum flying dozens of meters away.
After that incident,
Lin Mo became even more cautious.
He rarely left Shenhe's side.
He even used some elemental energy to set up a simple barrier around the cave entrance.
Time passed day by day.
Shenhe's injuries gradually healed.
Her originally pale little face also regained a touch of rosy color.
On this day,
Lin Mo carried Shenhe on his back as usual, heading towards their usual bathing spot by the waterfall.
"Big brother Lin Mo."
Shenhe, resting her chin on Lin Mo's shoulder, suddenly spoke softly.
"Hm? What's up?"
Lin Mo responded casually.
"Thank you."
Shenhe's voice was very soft, but exceptionally sincere.
Lin Mo was slightly startled, then smiled.
"What's there to thank me for? Taking care of a little beauty like you is my pleasure."
Shenhe didn't respond, just tightened her arms around Lin Mo's neck a little more.
After a long while, she spoke again:
"Big brother Lin Mo, can I really... stay by your side?"
"Of course."
Lin Mo answered without hesitation.
"But my fate..."
"Leave your fate to me."
Lin Mo interrupted her, his tone firm.
"I've said it before, I'm very strong. Strong enough to change your fate."
Shenhe fell silent again.
But this time, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
She buried her face in Lin Mo's neck.
Inhaling the warm, reassuring scent unique to him.
For the first time,
She felt that perhaps her fate wasn't entirely hopeless.
Perhaps,
This man before her really could become her salvation.
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T/N:
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