Conquer the other worlds with abandon, they've fallen in love with me!

The two hadn't walked far when the outline of Holm village came into view.

The village is small, with dozens of households scattered on the hillside. The houses are all built of wood and stone, and they are arranged at different heights.

As darkness fell, several households had already turned on their lights, the orange-yellow light shining through the windows and bathing the surroundings in a warm glow.

Arya's home is a small wooden house located at the easternmost part of Holm Village.

A small patch of herbs grows by the door, its leaves swaying in the evening breeze.

Several strings of dried mushrooms and herbs hung under the eaves, gently rustling together in the breeze.

"We're here, this is it." Arya pushed open the wooden door and stepped aside to let Lin Yu go in first.

The house wasn't big, but it was very clean.

In the very center was a wooden table, on which sat an oil lamp. The wick had just been lit, and the flame flickered before settling, filling the entire room with an orange glow.

A stove was built against the wall, with chopped firewood piled up in the firebox. It hadn't been lit yet, but you could smell the fragrance of pine wood.

In the corner stood a single bed covered with faded floral sheets, on which were some miscellaneous items.

Several strings of dried flowers hung on the wall, along with a small mirror framed in wood.

There was a half-open door on the other side, which should be Arya's bedroom.

"Please have a seat, I'll go prepare the mushrooms." Arya put the basket on the table, turned around and went to the kitchen to get a wooden basin.

Lin Yu sat down at the table and watched Arya busy herself.

She poured the mushrooms into a basin, squatted down next to the stove, and began to sort them, setting aside the good ones and throwing the ones with wormholes into another basket.

The movements were very skillful; with a twist and turn of the fingertips, the mushroom stem was shaken clean of dirt.

"Oh, right, I haven't asked you yet." Arya looked up at Lin Yu:

"You've come all this way from Silla City, are you looking for someone, or is there something else? Maybe I can help."

Hearing this, Lin Yu lowered his eyes, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said, "My family passed away early, and I am all alone at home now."

I heard that I have a distant relative living in this area, so I thought I'd come and visit.

As a result, they couldn't find their relatives and even got lost themselves.

Lin Yu gave an excuse, saying the same thing he had said in the game before.

This way of saying things is always safe; it can win you sympathy without causing unnecessary trouble.

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, Arya paused in her actions.

She looked at Lin Yu, and the wariness in her eyes lessened a bit.

The young man traveled a long way to stay with his relatives, only to find that they were nowhere to be found. Being unfamiliar with the place, he probably didn't have much money left.

"So... what are your plans next? What are the specific characteristics of your relatives? What are their names? Perhaps I know."

"I've confirmed they're not here anymore. I plan to find a place to stay nearby and see if I can find some work," Lin Yu said. "We can't go on like this forever; life has to go on."

Arya lowered her head and continued picking mushrooms, but her mind was in turmoil.

She had never invited a man to her home before, and bringing Lin Yu back this time was already the maximum she could go.

But when she heard about Lin Yu's plight, she felt great sympathy for him.

After hesitating for a moment, Arya mustered her courage and said, "If you don't have anywhere to go for the time being, you can stay here with me."

"Is this... convenient?" Lin Yu asked knowingly.

"What's inconvenient about it?" Arya put the mushrooms she had chosen into the bowl.

"I live alone at home, so that empty room is just sitting there empty."

However, my circumstances aren't great; I eat and use very simple things. If you don't mind, you don't need to pay rent, but we'll have to share our daily expenses.

After she finished speaking, she added, "Don't overthink it, it's just... you saved me, so I have to do something."

"Then I'll trouble you." Lin Yu did not refuse.

Arya smiled and stood up. "Then it's settled." She took the mushrooms she had chosen into the kitchen, then took out half a piece of smoked meat from the cupboard and chopped a small dish of minced meat.

"Today is a celebration of our safe return, and also a welcome back to you." She tied on her apron and glanced back at Lin Yu:

"You can just sit down, the food will be ready soon."

Soon, the sound of chopping vegetables came from the kitchen, followed by the sizzling of oil in a pan.

Before long, the aroma wafted out.

The umami flavor of mushrooms mingled with the smoky aroma of minced meat and the scent of unknown spices, wafting into my nose with the rising steam.

The stove was already lit, and the firelight reflected off the wooden railings, making the room warm and cozy.

Lin Yu sat at the table, watching Arya carry dishes back and forth between the kitchen and the dining table.

A bowl of mushroom stew, topped with a layer of oil, with minced meat and chopped mushrooms mixed together.

A dish of pickled wild vegetables and a small plate of dark bread, cut into thick slices and baked until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Arya turned and walked to the small table by the window, bending down to reach for the oil lamp.

The skirt was pulled by this movement, the fabric became taut, and the shape of her buttocks became round and full.

The waist tie left a thin mark, and the apron straps were tied into a bow at the waist.

Arya picked up the lamp, blew the dust off the lampshade, and turned back.

Her footsteps were light, the wooden floorboards creaked, and in the light of the oil lamp, her face looked softer than in daylight.

Her hair was loose, draped over her shoulders, and the ends were still a little damp.

The coarse cloth clothes turned a warm orange color in the firelight, and the collar was slightly open, revealing a glimpse of snow-white skin.

Arya placed the oil lamp in the center of the table, sat down, crossed her arms on the edge of the table, and looked at Lin Yu, saying, "Sorry to keep you waiting, come and eat."

"It smells delicious." Lin Yu picked up the bowl and took a sip of the soup.

The mushrooms had a rich flavor, the oil from the minced meat melted on the tongue, and a warm feeling spread from the stomach outwards.

It was indeed delicious. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was hearty and you could taste the care put into every bite.

"Drink slowly, it's hot." Arya picked up her bowl and sipped it slowly.

The two people sat facing each other. The table wasn't big, and there was less than two fingers' width between their knees.

As Lin Yu was drinking his soup, his leg accidentally stretched forward and bumped into something.

It was soft, and you could feel its warmth through the fabric; it was Arya's thigh.

Arya froze for a moment, but didn't pull back; she simply shifted her knee to the side.

The atmosphere suddenly changed a little.

The heater was burning brightly, and the temperature inside the room rose.

Arya's face was abnormally red, whether from the fire or something else.

She lowered her head and drank her soup, her eyelashes drooping, her gaze fixed on the bowl, refusing to look up.

Lin Yu pretended not to notice and took two more sips of soup.

After a moment of silence, Arya spoke: "Um... my handkerchief..." Her voice was muffled, as if she were speaking with a mouthful of water in her mouth.

"Hmm?" Lin Yu looked up.

"Well... my handkerchief is still with you." Arya's gaze drifted for a moment before returning to the bowl.

She wanted to say "give it back to me," but then felt it wouldn't be appropriate to say it.

They just saved me, and now we're living together. It's just a handkerchief; rushing them would seem petty.

Lin Yu understood what Arya meant, of course.

But he didn't really want to pay it back.

I just tried it. Although the effect of that handkerchief has a limited duration, it can be used repeatedly. It can be used again about every 10 minutes.

Moreover, Lin Yu noticed after entering the house that Arya's house didn't have any other items, only this one.

If I return it, I'll lose that ability; I need to find a reasonable reason.

"Actually..." Lin Yu paused, "When my mother was still alive, she also had a handkerchief like this, very similar to yours."

Lin Yu didn't finish his sentence, but he conveyed the meaning. Now it was up to Arya to respond.

Arya paused for a moment.

She looked at Lin Yu, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something to comfort him, but she didn't know what to say.

She certainly wouldn't be so narcissistic as to think that Lin Yu was after her.

She was simply reminded of her mother by the object, and as an outsider, she had no right to say anything about it.

However, she was a bit older than Lin Yu. Looking at Lin Yu's young and handsome face, Lin Yu was reminded of his mother by her handkerchief.

Arya felt something was off. In a sense, if she were eight or nine years older than Lin Yu, she might actually be able to be Lin Yu's adoptive mother.