"Are you really my cousin?"
"Yes, I am really your cousin."
The woman smiled as she spoke and placed the heavy bag she was carrying directly onto the electric scooter's footboard.
It looked heavy—was it a weapon? With her gear, could it be a hoe or a stick?
"Shall we keep going?"
"Yeah, let's keep going," Xu Lin replied, feeling the sudden weight pressing down on the scooter. Damn, this thing must weigh dozens of pounds!
When they arrived downstairs at his building, they headed towards the entry door. Xu Lin's parents came out, his mom even jogging over eagerly. She finally stopped in front of this newly discovered "cousin" and looked her over carefully. Her eyes quickly reddened.
"Xiaoxue, you haven't changed much since you were a kid."
"Yeah, Auntie, it's been a long time since I've seen you."
"Fifteen years! Of course, it's been a long time!"
"Mom, let's head upstairs first."
"Yes, yes, let's go up. Have you eaten yet?"
"No, I haven't. I've been on the road this whole time."
"I'll make something for you."
Saying that, she pulled her niece along and walked ahead. Xu Lin and his father exchanged glances.
"Dad, do you know what's going on?"
"I have no idea."
"You don't know either?"
"Nope. Your mom only has two sisters and one brother. Her brother already passed away and didn't have kids. Could this be one of your aunts' illegitimate children? ... I don't even want to think about it."
"Let's wait and see," Xu Lin said, still bewildered. He hadn't expected his dad to be just as clueless.
"Where'd you get this electric scooter?"
"A friend lent it to me. I was delivering snacks, and since it was late and there weren't any buses, they let me borrow it."
"Ah, I see. Out of battery? Push it to the garage and charge it."
"Okay."
The father and son went upstairs and found that Mrs. Li had already gone into the kitchen to start cooking, while this newly-introduced cousin, Xue, was sitting on the sofa, sipping hot tea.
"Your name is Li Muxue?"
"Yes, Uncle."
"Where are you coming from? You look like you've had a tough journey."
"I came down from the mountain."
She smiled as she answered, leaving Xu Lin's dad puzzled. Which mountain?
"The mountain?"
"Yes, the mountain."
It was clear she didn't want to elaborate, which made things a little awkward. Xu Lin's dad quickly changed the topic.
"So, why did you come here at this hour?"
"The train was delayed. I was supposed to arrive around eight, but I didn't get here until after nine. Then it took me a while to find this place."
"You could've asked a taxi driver and just mentioned the neighborhood name."
"My wallet was stolen, so I had no choice but to walk and ask for directions as I went."
"Your wallet was stolen? What about your ID and such?"
"I still have those. My wallet only had some cash in it."
"That's good, at least." Xu Lin's dad nodded, then glanced at Xu Lin. "This is my son, Xu Lin."
"I know. My master told me about you two."
"Your master?"
"Yes. I've never met you or Xu Lin before, but I've heard a lot about you."
"I see. I'll go check on your aunt in the kitchen. Xu Lin, chat with your cousin for a bit."
With that, his dad headed to the kitchen, probably to ask his mom for some answers. Xu Lin sat down, pouring himself a drink.
"Aren't you curious why you suddenly have a cousin?"
"Of course I'm curious. I'm waiting for Mom—or you—to explain."
"Alright then, I'll tell you. Our Li family is actually a hidden aristocratic clan. Your mom is the eldest daughter who escaped her duties and married your completely clueless dad."
"Really?"
Xu Lin's eyes lit up. While the explanation sounded a bit far-fetched, it wasn't completely unbelievable for someone like him, who had a system.
"You actually believe that? Haha, just kidding! You're pretty interesting."
"Well, with so many sects and clans in novels, I just figured it's not impossible for something like that to exist in real life too."
"You're not wrong, but as far as I know, it doesn't."
"Really?"
"Really."
She was still smiling, but her constant smiling actually made Xu Lin feel like his cousin might be hiding something. After all, people who show emotions are generally easier to deal with, while those who maintain a neutral expression are often the hardest to read.
Of course, the exception was someone like Chu Qingchan. Despite being an ice-cold beauty on the outside, she was actually a lovable and clumsy lady on the inside.
"So, how's your studying going, Xu Lin?"
"Not bad. I'm usually second in my class—just can't beat the top student."
"Second, huh… I can never beat my senior brother either."
"Senior brother… master? Are you part of some sect or school?"
"I am."
"So you're telling me my mom isn't from an aristocratic family, but you come from a prestigious background and joined a hidden sect? And next, are we talking about spirit awakening or something?"
"Haha, you should really consider writing novels."
Li Muxue laughed heartily for the first time upon hearing his theory, while Xu Lin simply nodded.
"You're right, Cousin. I am a writer. Not for print books, though, just online novels."
"That's impressive!"
"Well, it's just a hobby."
"Still, that's really impressive. I've hated studying since I was a kid. All my knowledge came from my master."
"So, who's your master?"
"I'm a Daoist priestess. Now it makes sense, right?"
"Huh? Really?!"
"Really. I formally apprenticed under a master. I've been at the temple since I was seven. Oh, and by the way, Daoist priests don't necessarily live in Daoist temples; they can live in regular temples too."
"Oh, so when you said you were living on the mountain, this is what you meant."
"Exactly. This time, I came down because my master kicked me out. He said I needed to experience the world and couldn't grow by staying by his side."
"Then you should just stay with us for now. I'm guessing you don't have anywhere else to go, right?"
"Yeah. My master told me a little about my aunts, and your mom was the one I was most familiar with as a kid. So after getting off the train, I asked around and made my way here. But I forgot to bring my ID when I left the mountain."
"If you don't have an ID and lost your wallet, how are you going to find work?"
"Don't worry, I still have my bank card, and I've got some money in my phone too."
"Wait, they let you use a phone on the mountain?"
"Of course, but only during personal breaks or when there's no work to do."
"I see. So, which province is the mountain in?"
"Sichuan."
"Ah, that's pretty far. No wonder you looked so worn out from the journey."
"No, no, I dressed like this on purpose. You know, traveling as a girl can be risky. Your cousin here is naturally stunning, and I didn't want to attract unnecessary trouble."
"Being cautious is good, but don't you know martial arts?"
It was clear this cousin was quite confident in her looks. To be fair, with a face resembling a deluxe version of Athena Chu, she had every right to be.
"Of course I do! I'm the best at external martial arts. That's exactly why I try to avoid trouble—what if I hit too hard and seriously injure someone?"
Hearing this, Xu Lin couldn't help but think of Chu Fengyi, whom he'd just met recently. However, this cousin clearly had a much better personality.
Before he could dwell on it, though, she stood up and patted the bag she'd been carrying.
"What do you think this is?"
"Something long, like a weapon… No, wait. You took the train, so it couldn't have gotten past security."
Li Muxue laughed and unzipped the heavy bag. Inside, instead of weapons or anything strange, there were vacuum-sealed sausages, about twenty or thirty of them. The moment the bag was opened, a delicious aroma wafted out!