"Qing Lin, did you sleep well last night?"
As Qing Lin emerged from her room, Gu Changqing gently rubbed her head, asking softly.
"I'm sorry, I..."
Qing Lin instinctively began to apologize, feeling guilty for waking up late.
"Hm? There's no need to apologize. Did you forget what I told you?"
Gu Changqing reached out and gently pressed a finger to her soft lips.
"I woke up late..."
Qing Lin's face flushed red as she stammered, her expression filled with embarrassment.
"Haha, I thought it was something serious. Qing Lin, from now on, you should eat well, drink well, and sleep well. There's no harm in sleeping a little longer. If you want to sleep in, go ahead—no one will blame you, and you certainly don't need to apologize to anyone for it."
"Come on, let's go get some breakfast. I'll take you all to the desert today."
Gu Changqing lightly pinched her delicate cheek, then led her by the hand towards breakfast.
"Brother..."
Suddenly, Qing Lin softly called out.
"Huh?"
Gu Changqing paused, surprised, and turned to look at her.
"Brother..."
Facing Gu Changqing's curious gaze, Qing Lin nervously clenched her hands, her small body trembling. She called out to him cautiously, fear and unease filling her voice.
She was terrified that Gu Changqing was just deceiving her—that once she called him "brother," he would laugh at her, belittling her for being unworthy. Just uttering that single word seemed to drain all her strength.
She looked up at him with emerald green eyes brimming with hesitation, her whole being trembling, both in fear and in anticipation.
"Hahaha..."
As expected, Gu Changqing suddenly burst into laughter.
Qing Lin's fragile heart, already scarred by countless wounds, sank into despair. The light in her emerald eyes dimmed, and she was overcome with sadness.
"Qing Lin, you finally believe in me. That 'brother' was beautiful to hear—truly beautiful!"
Gu Changqing suddenly pulled Qing Lin into his arms, holding her close like a cherished treasure, his voice filled with joy.
"You're not making fun of me?"
Qing Lin bit her lip, her voice trembling. Her once-dimmed eyes now glimmered with hope again.
"Make fun of you? You silly girl! Say it again—call me brother!"
Gu Changqing playfully tapped her small nose and gently scolded.
"Brother...!"
Qing Lin threw herself into his arms, clutching him tightly, her voice breaking into sobs.
At last, she knew for certain—Gu Changqing wasn't deceiving her or mocking her. She really had a brother.
"Alright, alright, if you keep crying, you'll turn into a little kitten. And if you faint from crying too much, I won't feed you breakfast!"
Gu Changqing teased as he gently stroked her hair.
"Brother..."
Qing Lin squirmed in his arms, her face flushed with embarrassment, though her eyes sparkled with happiness.
"From now on, Qing Lin will be known as Gu Qing Lin. You may address her as Lady Qing Lin or just Qing Lin. When you see her, show her the same respect you show me. From this day forward, Qing Lin is your third master. Understood?"
Gu Changqing spoke with seriousness, addressing Liu Mei and Xue Lan as he officially introduced Qing Lin as his sister.
"Brother..."
Qing Lin was moved, her eyes glistening with gratitude as she looked at Gu Changqing.
"Lady Qing Lin!"
"Qing Lin, congratulations."
Liu Mei and Xue Lan both rose to their feet, offering sincere congratulations to Qing Lin. Though they didn't fully understand why Gu Changqing was so fond of Qing Lin, knowing her difficult past, they couldn't help but feel happy for her.
"Just call me Qing Lin..."
Qing Lin, overwhelmed by their kindness, stood up nervously, her face flushed red with embarrassment.
"Haha, Qing Lin, sit down. Don't worry about them."
Gu Changqing chuckled as he gently pulled her back into her seat and ladled some hot soup into her bowl to warm her stomach.
"Thank you, Brother."
Qing Lin held the bowl of hot soup carefully, sipping it like it was a treasure.
"Master, if Lady Qing Lin is the third master, then who is the second master?"
Liu Mei peeled a magical beast egg and handed it to Gu Changqing, smiling as she asked.
Xue Lan also looked at him curiously, while Qing Lin perked up her ears, listening intently.
"My elder sister, Gu Xun'er. I'll introduce her to you all one day."
Gu Changqing smiled as he answered, a warm, gentle expression crossing his handsome face.
"Gu Xun'er... A name as beautiful as the person herself. I can tell she's an elegant woman just from the name."
Xue Lan's eyes sparkled as she remarked.
Both Gu Changqing and Liu Mei looked at her in surprise. Who would have thought that someone as wild as Xue Lan would know literature so well?
"What? Just because I'm a mercenary, does that mean I can't read?"
Xue Lan's face flushed as she responded defensively.
"Oh? 'The Domineering Dou Emperor Fell in Love with Me'? 'My Arrogant Dou Sect Lord'?"
Gu Changqing suddenly understood, his face full of mischief. These were the books he'd glimpsed in her room before, but he hadn't thought much of it at the time. Now it made sense.
"Ah! Stop talking!"
Xue Lan covered her face in embarrassment, grabbing a bun and shoving it into Gu Changqing's mouth to silence him.
"Eat, eat, eat!"
Liu Mei laughed heartily, while Qing Lin couldn't help but lower her head, hiding her amusement.
After breakfast, Gu Changqing visited the Mo Tie Mercenary Group and brought out the little Amethyst Winged Lion King. With Qing Lin, Liu Mei, and Xue Lan in tow, they set off into the desert in search of the Green Lotus Core Flame's location.
There were still nearly three years before Xiao Yan would arrive in the Tagore Desert. Queen Medusa would claim the Green Lotus Core Flame six months before his arrival. This meant that, for now, the flame still resided in the desert, untouched by her. She might not even know its exact location yet.
Of course, it was possible that she already knew, but hadn't taken it for some reason.
In any case, the chances of finding the Green Lotus Core Flame in the desert were still quite high.
However, just as Gu Changqing planned to head east into the desert following his original route, Qing Lin suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Brother, there's danger."
Qing Lin shook her head, looking fearfully towards the east.
"Danger? What kind of danger?"
Gu Changqing asked, surprised.
In theory, Queen Medusa shouldn't appear here at this time. Even if she did, she wouldn't pose much of a threat to him. Still, seeing the seriousness on Qing Lin's face, Gu Changqing couldn't help but feel curious.
"Brother, I can sense a very strong presence in that direction. It appeared about half a month ago and hasn't left. It's still there now. The aura feels similar to mine, but much more powerful and violent, like it's searching for something. Even the city lord's power doesn't compare to it. If we go that way, we might run into serious trouble."
Qing Lin gripped his hand tightly, her face full of concern.