"What? What are you talking about?"
Li Lin was caught off guard by how sharp Zoe's sense of smell was. She could even detect Sona's presence on him.
Still, Li Lin remained calm, knowing that panicking would only make things worse.
"Are you a bloodhound or something? How could you smell a woman on me?" He feigned nonchalance. "While you were busy stuffing yourself, some noble ladies did ask me to dance, but I turned them all down."
"Liar! Cheater!" Zoe shouted, drawing the attention of some nobles who had been enjoying Sona's performance. "This time, I'm really, really, really mad!"
"Zoe…"
Before Li Lin could respond, Zoe conjured a portal with a wave of her hand and jumped through it.
Their loud exchange had attracted quite a few onlookers, and this open display of magic stirred murmurs among them. Even Sona had stopped playing, casting a worried glance in their direction.
Although many people knew Zoe's identity as the Twilight Star Spirit, there was still a mix of fear and respect for her that most were reluctant to openly show.
Led by the king, the crowd approached the now-distracted Li Lin.
"What happened?" Jarvan III asked with concern.
Instead of being upset over the disruption, the king was more worried about why the two of them had suddenly quarreled.
"My apologies, Your Majesty, for disturbing you and everyone else." Li Lin crossed his hands and bowed slightly. "There's… a bit of a misunderstanding between me and Zoe. It's difficult to explain right now."
"Kids have their moments. My son used to throw fits with me when he was young," Jarvan III chuckled and glanced around at the crowd.
Since the incident with Viscount Mukenan, no one dared to openly disagree with the king now. Yet, hidden among the onlookers, Eldred's face showed a shadow of coldness, unnoticed by others.
"Depending on a person's temperament and the nature of their conflict, it's sometimes better to give them some time alone, or to talk it out right away," the king advised, signaling to Li Lin with a knowing look.
Li Lin understood instantly. He knew Zoe's personality well, and their issue was simply a matter of jealousy and possessiveness.
She didn't want other women around Li Lin, preferring a world with just the two of them. But he already had Caitlyn. Reluctantly, Zoe accepted Caitlyn, though Li Lin's interactions with other women without addressing her feelings only tipped her cup of jealousy.
If Jarvan III was right, Li Lin should definitely choose the latter approach and go talk to Zoe.
"Thank you for the advice, Your Majesty." Li Lin nodded politely to the crowd in apology. "I'll go speak with her and clear things up. Please excuse me."
"Go, go—resolving misunderstandings is what's important," the king replied, waving him off with a smile as the group watched him leave the grand hall.
The room fell into a hush.
"Ahem… our Sona hasn't finished her performance!"
The king rekindled the festive mood, grabbing a bottle of wine from the long table and taking a hearty swig.
"Ahh, refreshing! The night is young; let's get back to the music!"
Outside Dawnkeep, near a secluded beach by the Sea of Conquerors…
Zoe sat alone on the deserted shore, holding a faintly glowing nightflower in her hands.
The biting sea breeze whipped at her thin garments and sent her long, fiery orange hair—longer than her own height—flying in every direction.
But she didn't care. Even the playful and carefree Star Spirit could feel troubled sometimes.
"Why… why would Li Lin rather go after those plain, mundane women than accept my love?" Her mismatched eyes remained fixed on the fragile, gently glowing purple flower in her hand as she muttered softly.
"Oh, little flower, do you think… I should just give up on this hopeless love?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she shook her head resolutely. "No, no way. I can't give up on Li Lin. He still owes me five dates! I like him; I love him. I'll marry him in this life… or is it that he should be marrying me?"
Of course, the flower had no answers.
Zoe's brief burst of determination fizzled out as quickly as it had come, leaving her slumped on the sand, letting the cold wind brush against her bare skin.
"Maybe I'm a bit mischievous, and I might do things that aren't always right, but I've tried to follow the promises I made to you. I've helped you so much. Why won't you just accept me…"
A deep ache rose in her chest, an unfamiliar pain that seemed to grip her from the inside out.
She didn't understand the words for heartbreak, but that didn't make the ache any less real.
It hurt so much.
Unbidden, tears welled up in her eyes, a sadness too heavy to brush aside. Yet she forced herself to hold them back, using her magic to disperse the tears before they could fall.
People should be happy no matter what...
Magic couldn't cure heartache, so Zoe could only console herself.
Suddenly, she sat up, holding the now dimmed night-blooming flower in her hands, frustratedly tearing off its petals one by one and letting them fall carelessly to the ground.
"Hmph, if he doesn't come looking for me, I'll just ignore him forever!" she huffed, grumbling to herself.
But then, as if realizing something, a troubled expression crossed her face.
But... I didn't tell him where I am. What if he really comes looking for me and can't find me...
"Maybe I should leave him a note?" The thought popped into her mind but was quickly dismissed as she shook her head. "No way, that'd be way too easy for him!"
Just as she was pondering a way to test if Li Lin was really willing to find her without revealing her location, that familiar voice suddenly called out from a distance: "Zoe!"
"Li Lin..."
Zoe instinctively wanted to turn her head and almost burst into tears.
But she quickly composed herself, putting on a cold, indifferent face, acting as if she hadn't heard his call.
Wearing his battle armor, Li Lin crossed the distance of hundreds of meters in a single breath, thanks to a few "blinks."
He had been searching all around Dawnkeep for her, even deploying storm bots and drones to track her down, almost convinced she'd gone back to the celestial realm in anger.
Thankfully...
"Zoe... I'm sorry."
Li Lin's armor shifted back into the form of regular clothing as he took a few steps toward her.
But as golden light surged around him, he found himself back at his starting point, unable to close even the slightest gap to the little girl not far away.
He sighed helplessly, admitting his mistake outright, "I know it's my fault. I went to see Sona..."
But before he could explain further, Zoe jumped up, teeth gritted, glaring furiously at him. "Ha! I knew you went to see that... cow!"
"Uh..."
Li Lin scratched his head; her reaction was unexpected, though understandable.
Even though she was putting on a strong front, he could still sense the sadness in her heart.
"Oh, so you like them bigger, huh?"
Zoe snapped her fingers, transforming into the teenage form she'd once shown in her room.
"Well, how about now? Does this version of me finally meet your approval?"
It's not an explanation of why I saw Sona that she wants. It's why I never accepted the feelings she's shown me...
Li Lin sighed again and tried to step toward Zoe, who stood just a few strides away.
This time, she didn't use a portal to send him back.
"Of course, you like—"
Before she could finish, Li Lin pulled her into a tight embrace, stunning her into silence.
"I know you don't want to hear me apologize, but I still need to say I'm sorry."
Li Lin's voice was low, full of regret. "I know you have feelings for me and that you've sacrificed a lot for me, but I've never accepted them.
"There are... well, a lot of reasons for that."
He released Zoe, exhaling heavily. "Actually, Caitlyn also knows how you feel about me, but I haven't found the right way to talk to her about it. I don't even know how to bring it up—that's on me.
"Though Caitlyn's part of the reason I haven't accepted your feelings, she isn't the main factor."
Li Lin looked sincerely into Zoe's eyes, still wide with shock. "You've probably heard that everywhere in the world, it's illegal... all places have unspoken rules. You can't have feelings for someone who's, well... a child."
"But, but I'm over a thousand years old!" Zoe protested, clearly upset. "I'm not some little kid!"
"But you still have the heart—and the look—of a child, and it's... well, it's just... hard to explain. I know your age, but... I still have trouble with it."
Li Lin rested his hands on her shoulders. "I'm not rejecting your feelings. Honestly, Caitlyn's situation is complicated, but aside from that... it's not like we couldn't..."
Before he could finish, Zoe surprised him by holding his face in her hands and closing her eyes, leaning forward.
Feeling her warm, soft lips, Li Lin's eyes widened, drawing in a sharp breath.
The scent of her, intoxicating, filled his senses.
I... I just got kissed?!
Unfamiliar with kissing, especially the French kind, Zoe only briefly pressed her lips to his.
After a few seconds, her cheeks blushing deeply, she pulled away.
"That was my first kiss, so you better take responsibility from now on!"
[End of Chapter]
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