Ch. 40 - Whose Stocking Is This?

“Teach me, Senior Brother!”

Lin Qingyue shouted as she ran toward him with her wooden sword.

Su Yan moved fast and blocked her. His speed surprised her.

“How is he so fast?”

She swung again and again, but he dodged everything.

Then he struck her hand with his sword—if this was a real fight, she would’ve lost.

“Don’t feel bad, Junior Sister,” he said kindly. “You’ve just started. One day, you’ll be better than me.”

She looked a bit sad, so he tried to cheer her up.

“Hm.”

She nodded. She promised herself—she would become strong. A woman should be able to protect her man too.

“Keep practicing.”

They trained together in the yard. After a while, Su Yan got tired and rested. Lin Qingyue kept practicing alone.

Soon, she was out of breath. She dropped her sword and went to check on him.

“Senior Brother, are you asleep?”

It was noon. Everything was quiet. She was about to leave when she paused.

“Now’s my chance.”

She wanted to know what really happened last night. If he and Master did something, maybe she’d find a clue in his clothes.

She walked in carefully. He was asleep.

Quietly, she went to his wardrobe.

“His clothes from last night… let’s look.”

She sniffed them—his scent… and Master’s? Just sweat. Nothing strange.

“Maybe I was overthinking.”

She felt better, holding his shirt and blushing a little.

Then she realized that she was sneaking in, smelling his clothes…

“Ugh, I look like a total creep.”

If he woke up and saw her, her good-girl image would be gone.

“I should go.”

She slowly dropped the shirt, but then her eyes landed on a wooden box nearby.

“What’s this?”

She saw a wooden box and got curious.

“A gift box? Who’s it for?”

She knew she shouldn’t look, but couldn’t help herself. She opened it slowly and found…

“A sock?”

She blinked. It looked strange but was clearly made for a foot.

A woman’s foot.

“Why is he keeping a used stocking?”

Then she noticed something else.

“It’s torn… and already worn. Whose is this?”

Her face changed. A stocking was private—especially this white, soft, ripped one.

Who gave it to him? Why would he keep it?

“He’s hiding it like a treasure… Who gave it to him!?”

Her mind went wild. When would a woman give a man a stocking?

After… something intimate.

She pictured them together, rolling around, tearing it during… that.

And after, the woman gives it to him to remember her by.

Her heart sank. Thinking about a pure, sweet Senior Brother with someone made her stomach twist.

“No… maybe I’m overthinking again.”

He seemed too innocent for that.

Then—

“Junior Sister? When did you get here?”

Su Yan woke up, yawning, then froze when he saw her.

“What’s that in your hand?”

He walked closer. His heart jumped when he saw what she was holding.

She stared at him, face calm but her eyes were like a storm.

“Care to explain why you have this?”

He panicked. A guy hiding a woman’s stocking? It looked bad. She probably thought he was a creep.

He scratched his head. “It’s not what you think! I don’t have a weird hobby. I got it from some merchant…”

“Really?” she asked. Then she smiled slightly.

“Then give it to me.”

She was testing him. If it meant nothing, he should give it to her, right? He wasn’t going to wear it.

If he refused, she’d know he was lying.

He paused. It was just a stocking—he could give it up.

But if it was from the Master? That could cause problems.

He quickly asked in his head,

“System—is this Master’s real stocking or a copy?”

[No worries—gift pack items don’t yank originals.]

Relief. “If you like it, it’s yours.”

No use to him—might as well.

“Thanks, Senior Brother.”

His quick offer softened her. No pause—maybe she’d misjudged.

She left. He wiped his brow—crisis dodged.

Wait, something’s off.

“Why was she in my room?”

Head full of question marks.

…

Post-wash, Lin Qingyue opened the box. The white silk felt soft, slick, light and perfect.

“No wear, no smell—I got it wrong.”

Fingering it, guilt hit. Her daytime antics—shameful. She owed him. How?

“He likes this.”

Or he wouldn’t have bought it. She eyed the silk, then her pale feet.

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