Chapter 44: You Don't Need to Know Anything

"And what happened afterwards? Did someone eventually adopt you?"

Zhang Xiaolan felt a surge of pity. This child was an orphan, wandering alone since childhood. When she was changing his bandages, she noticed that Ling Xiao's body was covered with scars, old wounds that must have been inflicted over the years. He had undeniably endured much hardship.

Ling Xiao did not speak, only shook his head, rejecting her assumption. Zhang Xiaolan recalled the mark on his wrist, which looked as if it had been branded. Perhaps it was that organization that had 'taken him in' later.

"What is the pattern on your hand? Is it a symbol of some organization?"

Now Zhang Xiaolan steered the conversation into the heart of the matter, eager to uncover more about his story. Yet Ling Xiao remained silent, withdrawing his exposed wrist, clearly refusing to answer.

"They took you in, trained you until you grew up, didn't they?"

Zhang Xiaolan pressed on, unwilling to let go, hoping to hear more from Ling Xiao himself. She had her suspicions but needed his explanation. She was keen to understand how the organization recruited members, how they trained them, and what their operations were.

"You don’t need to know anything. Even if you ask, I won’t answer. Knowing won’t do you any good."

Ling Xiao continued to evade her questions, but when Zhang Xiaolan mentioned being taken in and trained, it seemed as though cruel memories flashed before his eyes. He could not bear to revisit the past, so he revealed his true self, shouting at Zhang Xiaolan. In truth, he was doing it for her own sake; none of this would benefit her.

"Alright, I won’t ask. Please, calm down. If you don’t want to talk, I won’t ask again. Your body hasn’t healed yet—you shouldn’t get so worked up. If your wound splits open, what then? I’ll leave you to rest."

Zhang Xiaolan had been startled by his outburst. Outwardly, he appeared to be a harmless, handsome young man, but his background was so tragic. She wondered if, by probing too deeply, she had touched something inside him that should never be disturbed.

She soothed Ling Xiao’s agitation and wisely stepped out, giving him space to collect himself. Her own eagerness to know his story had gotten the better of her.

Zhang Xiaolan left the room and closed the door. Ling Xiao’s chest heaved, breath ragged from both pain and emotion. Watching her leave, he leaned against the bed and shut his eyes, doing his best not to think.

From that day forward, Zhang Xiaolan never asked Ling Xiao anything else. She and Xiao Lian shared a room, giving her own space to Ling Xiao so he could recover.

Ling Xiao, strong and youthful, was soon able to get out of bed after several days of nourishment. Zhang Xiaolan had given him all her restorative food—how could he not heal quickly?

"Is the meal ready? And Miss’s soup?"

Xiao Lian entered the backyard kitchen. These days, to avoid discovery, Zhang Xiaolan took her meals in her room, a precaution to hide Ling Xiao’s presence.

"Xiao Lian, why has your mistress’s appetite grown so much lately?" Xiao Lian had been coming to the kitchen more often, whether for meals or late-night snacks, which had aroused Haizi’s suspicion.

"Well... Miss has been in good spirits recently, so her appetite has grown. She’s just eating a little more." Xiao Lian gathered the dishes, preparing to take them to Zhang Xiaolan’s room, offering Haizi a ready excuse she had prepared.

"Hmm! I see." Haizi replied with feigned cleverness, startling Xiao Lian. Could he really know everything?