"You... What are you doing? Don't you know there's a difference between men and women?"
Inside the room, Caitlyn, her delicate face already blushing, withdrew her hand from Li Lin's, pouting her cherry blossom-colored lip in dissatisfaction.
However, Li Lin, engrossed in his alchemical-tech-lit room, didn't notice her expression, thanks to the dim lighting.
By the time he took something out of the drawer on his workbench, Caitlyn had taken a deep breath, calming her emotions and restoring her overheated cheeks to a more normal level.
"What is this?"
Seeing a delicately crafted small box in Li Lin's hands, Caitlyn's slender eyebrows raised with curiosity.
A speculation crossed her mind, but unsure, she didn't voice it. Her heart, however, couldn't help but skip a beat with excitement.
"A gift, something you've always wanted, right?"
Li Lin grinned, slowly opening the box.
In the small exquisite box lay a meticulously crafted mechanical wristwatch in Caitlyn's favorite violet color. Unlike Li Lin's watch, this one was more delicate and miniaturized, with a strap made of high-quality genuine leather.
Caitlyn's breath hitched slightly, and her eyes filled with incredulity.
After a moment, unable to contain herself, she exclaimed, "Wow! Is this for me?"
Li Lin smiled, nodding silently, expressing his affirmation.
"You're really amazing, Li Lin!"
Caitlyn was overjoyed, but following her family's etiquette, she didn't show too much excitement. As she extended her hand to pick up the watch for a closer look, a sudden thought made her freeze.
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Li Lin noticed her reaction, asking with a hint of nervousness.
"No." Caitlyn's lips parted slightly, and she shook her face, "I really like it..."
Before Li Lin could react too much, she, a bit shyly, lowered her eyelids and handed her left hand to him.
"Can you, um, put it on for me?"
As if afraid Li Lin might misunderstand, Caitlyn quickly added, "I just don't quite know how to put it on..."
Someone as logically meticulous and with an exceptional learning ability like Caitlyn, not knowing how to put on a watch...
Li Lin scratched his head.
Why did she seem a bit strange recently? Could it be... she's starting to like me?
No, no, this must be one of life's three illusions!
Li Lin quickly suppressed his chaotic thoughts, placed the gift box on the table, and picked up the watch, unfastening its strap, taking a deep breath.
In the dim light of the alchemical lamp, Li Lin suddenly noticed an unusual pink hue on Caitlyn's exposed forearm. His gaze followed her arm, gradually moving upward, finally stopping at her shy face almost buried in her chest.
Something's not right, very not right...
This doesn't seem like one of the three illusions...
But we've only known each other for a little over a month...
She didn't show any interest in Jayce, who's been around for so long, and how could she possibly like me?
Even though we're similar in age, and my appearance has improved since recovering from malnutrition...
Li Lin shook his head almost imperceptibly, with a bitter smile.
Even if his speculation was true, and Caitlyn did like him, he wouldn't expose it now.
At least until he made a name for himself and could stand on equal footing with the Kiramman family...
Seeming to sense that Li Lin hesitated for too long, Caitlyn couldn't help but urge, "Hurry up, my arm is getting sore."
"Okay! okay!"
When putting on a watch for someone else, there's inevitably skin contact.
Despite Caitlyn's frequent hunting expeditions, her skin remained delicate and tender... and warm.
A faint fragrance wafted from her, occasionally teasing Li Lin's nostrils, plucking at his heartstrings.
During the time it took to put the watch on her wrist, it seemed as if time itself had stretched infinitely, creating a prolonged moment. It felt unusually long, not just for Li Lin, but especially for Caitlyn.
Only the ticking movement of the second hand reminded them that time was still flowing in its usual course.
Both of them remained silent, an unspoken agreement to maintain the ambiance that might seem ambiguous to an outsider.
"...Cough, it's done," Li Lin finally broke the silence after a while.
After Li Lin fastened the watch strap and withdrew his hand, he cleared his throat softly to bring Caitlyn back from her reverie.
"Hmm..." She made a soft sound, as if reluctantly withdrawing her arm, then lifted her wrist.
In the refracted glow of the dim light, the violet-colored watch seemed to radiate a dazzling celestial hue, momentarily captivating Caitlyn.
"It's really beautiful," she murmured.
Immediately, her sparkling eyes turned to Li Lin, and a subtle smile curved her lips. "Thank you, Li Lin. I really like it."
"As long as you like it," Li Lin responded to Caitlyn's smile. However, he swiftly changed the subject, "But, are you satisfied with just this?"
Caitlyn was momentarily puzzled. "...Huh?"
Before she could react and question why Li Lin was disrupting the atmosphere, he walked to a corner of the room where a white cloth-covered shelf stood.
Turning back, he wore a faint smile. "Have you forgotten? Back then, you wanted more than just a watch."
"You... really?!" Caitlyn inhaled sharply.
She vividly remembered the gift she desired that day, but she hadn't expected Li Lin to actually deliver, and with such speed.
"Your sniper rifle took me almost a whole day to make," Li Lin revealed.
With that said, he unveiled the white cloth from the shelf. A sniper rifle, about 1.2 meters long, with an overall dark red color and a peculiar appearance, came into Caitlyn's view.
The rifle had a slender body with a manually switchable mechanical sight that could be adjusted to a maximum of 8 times magnification. In the middle of its body, there was a spherical recess containing a round and dim Hextech energy crystal.
The most peculiar part was its barrel. Unlike common rifle barrels, this sniper rifle's barrel consisted of three seamlessly fitted metal cones, forming a perfect one-third conical structure.
At the top, only the sharp vertex of the cone was exposed, and there was no "muzzle" to fire bullets, leaving Caitlyn puzzled.
However, she didn't voice her question. Since Li Lin personally crafted the rifle for her, it must have its special features.
Caitlyn lifted the sniper rifle and felt its weight, just a bit heavier than the Bilgewater Mauser rifle her father gave her.
She explored the rifle's body and quickly found a knob just below the Hextech crystal recess that could be pulled.
Glancing at Li Lin, encouraged by his gaze, she gently turned the knob.
Instantly, the energy crystal in the rifle's recess activated, emitting a dim blue light. Simultaneously, the three one-third cones at the muzzle rapidly separated and rotated.
One-third of a metal cone was at the top, and the other two were at the bottom, forming a symmetrical triangular shape, revealing a glowing hole connected to the body of the rifle.
At the same time, blue electrical arcs danced between the cones, and an energy sphere emerged from the opening, hovering where it had just emerged.
Clearly, this was an energy weapon.
"Oh, gears turning smoothly! Is this Vishlaa's Hexlyene Caliver? Have you modified it?" Caitlyn exclaimed.
The Hexlyene Caliver was manufactured more than a decade ago and was Piltover's first attempt to invent an energy weapon using Hex crystals as the power source. It was specifically designed for enforcers. However, due to serious safety issues, production of this energy rifle was halted, and all rifles were sealed.
Li Lin, of course, knew about this low-quality weapon. It was in the Kiramman family's library, collecting dust on the top shelf.
It's no wonder Caitlyn mistook it; after all, this sniper rifle looked very much like the Hexlyene Caliver.
But for Li Lin, he would never use such a trashy weapon to deceive Caitlyn.
With the assistance of the skills "Mechanic Initiation" and "Data Mind," Li Lin had spent a long time researching and designing the blueprint for this rare-quality laser sniper rifle.
It was just that, due to the lack of time and a Hex crystal, he had only recently had the opportunity to create it during these three days.
"No, more accurately, this rifle is my own design, made specifically for you," Li Lin smiled.
"I named it... Crimson Steel."
(End of the Chapter)
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