Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 576: Fully Prepared
If it were up to Lin Yuhsia herself, she would never want to see that infuriating, clearly-problematic boy ever again.
Let alone wander around a place where he had shown up just yesterday. If possible, she'd rather they never cross paths again—each going their separate ways, minding their own business.
But she also knew that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
As long as Santia–Steven remained in Lungmen, there was no way she could avoid dealing with him. His identity had already been confirmed through contacts in Kazimierz, and the "deal" between him, her father, and her superior had essentially been finalized.
As the person on Lungmen's side who understood Steven the most—and had spent the most time interacting with him—Lin Yuhsia naturally became the most suitable candidate to handle him.
The Rat King hadn't completely given up on his daughter. He wasn't blind—he could clearly see her reluctance about being assigned to receive Steven. But given the importance and secrecy of their deal, she was the only one who could take on the role.
If word got out that Lungmen was secretly stockpiling weapons, the consequences would be impossible to predict. So even as his daughter shot him resentful looks, he pretended not to notice.
Besides, he could tell that Steven's behavior toward her was mostly playful. More often than not, he was just teasing her, never crossing any serious lines or invading her boundaries.
That alone was enough to reassure him that, at the very least, Steven wouldn't do anything truly inappropriate.
And that was exactly why Lin Yuhsia was here.
Steven didn't bother hiding his whereabouts, so finding out where he stayed in the slums wasn't difficult at all.
But even after confirming his location, Lin Yuhsia still couldn't bring herself to go meet him directly. She genuinely feared that his completely unpredictable way of thinking might somehow rub off on her—and that was no joking matter.
So instead, she found an excuse to linger near the ruins of the bar he had blown up the day before, pretending to supervise the cleanup rather than actively seeking him out.
Of course, she hadn't gone so far as to secretly spy on what he did in private. After all, he was still a business partner. Crossing that line would be… awkward, to say the least.
And honestly, it was a good thing she hadn't tried.
If she had witnessed what Steven and Centaurea had been up to in that room… setting aside whether such scenes would've been too much for her to handle, the moment Steven noticed her, things would've gone far beyond simple teasing.
Still, what Lin Yuhsia hadn't expected was that before she could gather the courage to approach him, he would find her first.
"Well, well—if it isn't our lovely Miss Lin. Up so early, playing supervisor already?"
Strolling over casually, Steven waved at her like an old acquaintance.
On the surface, she looked focused on directing the workers clearing the debris. In reality, her mind had been entirely occupied with how she was going to deal with this troublesome guy.
As for why she was here?
Steven understood it perfectly.
There was no way the Rat King and Wei Yenwu would let such an important partner roam freely through Lungmen without supervision. Assigning someone to stay close to him was the most logical move.
And to Steven, that was completely normal.
After all, on their side, the only person they both trusted and who had the ability to handle this was obviously the girl right in front of him.
So really, you couldn't blame him for always picking on this little "mouse." When someone practically delivered themselves to his doorstep like this… it would be rude not to accept, wouldn't it?
Hearing Steven's voice felt, to Lin Yuhsia, like hearing a ghost calling her name.
She shivered involuntarily before turning around with a helpless expression. Forcing down her reluctance, she put on a stiff, almost painful smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Steven… what a coincidence to see you again."
Even as she said it, she didn't believe a word of it. Her eyes already looked half-dead.
If this guy came looking for her on his own, it definitely wasn't for anything good. Most likely, he had already thought up some new way to mess with her. She had zero expectations of any "good news" coming from him.
"A coincidence? I wouldn't say that. I think 'fate' is a much more fitting word, don't you?"
Steven rubbed his chin, watching the girl who practically had "I don't want to be here" written all over her face. His smile only grew brighter.
He loved building his happiness on the reluctant expressions of cute girls—of course, strictly within the boundaries of harmless teasing. He wasn't some actual deranged sadist.
"Yeah… sure. Guess that means we're really fated, huh…"
Lin Yuhsia's eyes turned completely lifeless as she replied weakly, sounding like all her energy had been drained away.
"Hey, don't look so down. I'm not busy like yesterday. Today, I just want to stroll around Lungmen as a traveler—take in the sights, experience the local culture, maybe enjoy some food and entertainment. That shouldn't be too much trouble for you, right?"
Steven chuckled at her expression before dialing back his teasing a little, speaking in a more sincere tone.
"Just treat it like a company-paid day off. A free trip. Not everyone gets chances like this—why so gloomy?"
This time, he really did just want her as a guide.
Probably.
Maybe.
Hopefully… he wouldn't cause trouble.
"Really?"
A hint of life finally returned to Lin Yuhsia's expression. Her eyes regained a faint glimmer of hope. If what he said was true, then it really wasn't that bad.
"Of course it's true. I'm not asking you to do anything difficult. Besides…"
Steven nodded with a perfectly sincere expression.
Then his gaze casually swept over her figure—tracing the elegant curve of her silhouette—before finally settling on her newly changed pair of light black thigh-high stockings.
"…looks like you've already come fully prepared."
Mm.
The most important "equipment" was there.
Today was definitely going to be just fine.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 617: A Bold Guess[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628