Chapter 272: I Know, Do You Know?

Chapter 272: I Know, Do You Know?

Lin Nuo had come to a new understanding of the daughters from noble families.

In the eyes of ordinary folks, these ladies were supposed to be reserved and dignified, and it was absolutely unbecoming for them to barge into a man’s quarters without invitation.

But here they were, swarming in like bees, completely tossing manners to the wind.

Lin Nuo couldn’t help but think—if the roles were reversed, he could yell “Pervert! Lecher!” and the servants would come rushing in to chase them away.

But no, he was the man, and they were the women. If he shouted, the servants would probably just respond with “Get lost, you drama queens!”

“You all really are quite casual about this.”

Lin Nuo sat down helplessly, feeling a bit parched, and decided to have a cup of tea to calm himself.

Great, lukewarm tea again.

Noticing Luo Yi nearby, he recalled the incident at the inn where she had blown a kiss, and he managed to suppress the urge to react, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

After all, it wasn’t exactly the most dignified thing to remember.

Here he was, in what should be a man’s room, but it was filled with the scents of various ladies.

Whether it was the fragrance of cosmetics or a mixture of perfumes, the air was thick enough to make Lin Nuo choke.

Luo Xiaoxue detected that the scent on Lin Nuo and the one on Ruo’er were surprisingly similar, and she turned to ask:

“Master Lin, I’m quite curious, do you and Miss Li use the same perfume? The fragrance is almost identical.”

However, before Lin Nuo could reply, Ruo’er jumped in:

“Not at all! It’s just that I slept with the young master last night~ I specially took a fragrant bath~ But it backfired, huh? The young master still prefers my original scent~”

The innocent and sweet Ruo’er had just dropped a bomb.

Saying they slept together was one thing, but claiming Lin Nuo liked her original scent was another.

In reality, Lin Nuo only thought her fragrant bath was overly deliberate; he honestly preferred her natural scent.

But the others didn’t know that. To them, those words sounded like Lin Nuo had made Ruo’er try out various perfumes and then decided that her original smell was better.

Luo Xiaoxue was naturally taken aback, her voice trembling slightly:

“Master Lin, your maid… she… she shares your bed?”

Lin Nuo: “…”

The conversation seemed to be heading in a strange direction; he had the nagging feeling that Luo Yi was looking for a maid for his own enjoyment.

Lin Nuo replied: “I know what you’re implying, but if I wanted to have fun, I could easily arrange for a carriage full of them to switch out every day.”

“Carriage? What carriage?”

Luo Xiaoxue picked up on the word “carriage.”

“A luxurious carriage that can hold dozens of boxes of bread.”

Lin Nuo explained it more simply, considering this world of spirit cultivation didn’t have vehicles like those in the modern world.

Now she understood, a carriage that could fit dozens of boxes of bread was indeed spacious.

“But would you actually sleep in the same bed with a maid? It’s simply not right,” Luo Xiaoxue pressed on.

“There’s a reason for everything; I don’t need to explain more to you.”

Lin Nuo waved his hand in response.

Among the four of them, the reactions varied: Luo Xiaoxue > Su Kexin > Liu Shuqin > Qin Shili.

After all, Luo Xiaoxue wasn’t from a sect, and she had royal status, so her understanding of social hierarchies was deeply ingrained. A maid sharing a bed with her master was definitely not typical of a regular master-servant relationship.

She couldn’t help but wonder if the life of the hero Lin Nuo was really this chaotic, casually sharing beds with his maid.

This maid was a white fox, surely not an ordinary individual.

“Miss Luo, no need to be surprised. My junior brother gets along well with Ruo’er, like how a brother treats his sister. Sharing a bed now and then isn’t a big deal,” Liu Shuqin explained with a light laugh, seeing nothing unusual in Lin Nuo and Ruo’er’s relationship; she thought maybe Ruo’er was brought here because Lin Nuo worried she wouldn’t sleep well in the servants’ quarters.

Qin Shili shared a similar sentiment, or perhaps she just didn’t think much of Ruo’er.

Qin Shili was primarily concerned about Liu Shuqin since someone like Lin Nuo naturally favored mature women.

What’s more, Liu Shuqin had a bit of cunning in her, a potential rivalry in the mix.

Qin Shili responded coldly:

“She has already shared the same bed with Lin Nuo, so there’s not much to be concerned about. You could view it as part of their training—nothing inappropriate about it.”

Then, she turned her gaze to Lin Nuo, switching the topic:

“By the way, what brings you to search your room so early?”

“The Lin family lost the Mist Spirit Bracelet, and they are searching for it, which is why I ended up being searched too.”

“Typically, the guests should be suspected first, but they didn’t search any guests, at least not around where I was.”

Qin Shili replied, having pieced together a clue of what was going on.

As Lin Nuo had mentioned searching everyone, the news of the Mist Spirit Bracelet being found had coincidentally arrived, too coincidentally if you asked him.

Accusations like this were all too common, yet still practical.

Qin Shili: “Have they searched everywhere?”

Lin Nuo nodded: “Yes, they searched everywhere. I’ve never even seen that Mist Spirit Bracelet, so how could it possibly be in my room?”

“True, I worry that there might be many more misunderstandings to come.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. If you stand tall, you needn’t fear shadows. What’s there to be concerned about?”

Lin Nuo went on, feeling no anxiety as a villain; having a bad reputation seemed preferable to being misidentified as a great hero or knight.

“You mentioned going to your brother’s place to check on the Mist Spirit Bracelet situation, really?”

“What? Is that true?” Lin Nuo questioned back.

“Well, now I know.”

In just a few short words, Qin Shili understood this was merely a perfunctory exchange.

Lin Fei had a tendency to speak pleasant nothings yet keeping the real situation to himself, and Lin Nuo naturally reciprocated with similar insincerity.

Dealing with people like this required matching tactics, following Lin Nuo’s principle: “Aim for the skies, walk through the abyss,” which was a quality one must have as the strongest.

Lin Nuo and Qin Shili were like two chess players, leaving the other ladies in confusion.

Could these two be hiding something from everyone?

“Shili, do you really know the thoughts of my junior brother?” Liu Shuqin inquired of Qin Shili, who coldly replied:

“I naturally know, but what about you? Do you know?”

“I do know as well.” Liu Shuqin refused to back down.

“Then you’re quite impressive.”

“Likewise.”

The surface politeness and seemingly normal conversation hid an undertone of tension.

Whoever understood Lin Nuo better occupied the upper hand.

Just then, a delicate sound of footsteps approached from outside, and a frail figure appeared at the door.

Xia Hanmo, Lin Nuo’s mother.

“Nuo’er, I heard the Lin family lost the Mist Spirit Bracelet and even searched your room. Someone got hurt—are you alright?”

Xia Hanmo expressed her worry, and thinking of someone getting hurt made her anxious for Lin Nuo, fearing he might have suffered again.

“I’m fine, they didn’t find anything, and I wasn’t the one hurt.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Xia Hanmo relaxed a little; as long as Lin Nuo was okay, that was what mattered most.

But looking at this situation, she was concerned about what other moves those individuals might still make.

Now she noticed there were five ladies in Lin Nuo’s room.

In addition to Su Kexin and Ruo’er, there were three others she had never met.

Each one was stunningly beautiful, like celestial beings, and for a moment, she thought she might be seeing things.