He only watched impassively, not telling him he could leave at any time and wouldn’t starve, nor did he channel true energy to him again.

He coldly watched when this youth would finally be unable to endure and demand what he wanted from him. After all, though this person knew nothing about him, he had intentionally or unintentionally revealed his identity as offspring of a wealthy family—a starved camel is still bigger than a horse, isn’t it?

He knew this person also harbored secrets, even though this was still a half-grown child.

He just didn’t want to probe—it had nothing to do with him.

For instance, he’d once suspected this person was female.

That was not long after he’d known him. That night when the child returned, something had obviously happened. His eyes clearly lacked their usual joy, and he didn’t talk to him. After giving him food, he sat back on his straw mat and hummed tunes in a low voice.

His heart stirred, wanting to ask what was wrong, but feeling it was meddling, he stopped.

That child sang and hummed, his voice sounding increasingly soft and sweet, just like a young lady.

He was slightly shocked. Though he’d been silently eating, he gradually stopped and unobtrusively looked over.

The youth was slightly raising his neck—his throat was smooth, not like most men’s obvious adam’s apple. Though his skin wasn’t white, it was extremely delicate. As he raised his neck, blue veins under the fine skin appeared and disappeared, slowly flowing.

If not for his speech and behavior showing no trace of feminine manner, he should have suspected long ago.

He smiled coldly in his heart and suddenly spoke directly to test: “Why are you disguised as a man?”

“How did you…” The youth was obviously startled, then stared at him warily and angrily said: “You’re talking nonsense! I’m a genuine man. If I were a woman and we’ve been living and sleeping together, with you shouting like this—if people knew, how could I ever marry?”

This person might not have noticed, but Lian Yu immediately sensed contradiction in these words. But he couldn’t strip off his clothes to look—if male, fine, but if this person truly was female, wouldn’t he have to marry her?

But if “he” really was female… he suddenly tightened his brow. Why would “he” do such hard men’s work, and even take on extra work for him? What exactly was “his” intention?

This question stuck in his heart for several days. Handsome’s attitude toward him also became unfriendly, always watching him warily. At night he no longer talked much to him, but still persisted in bringing food back.

Until one particularly hot night, he woke to find that youth had gone out, probably to bathe. He also went out, wanting to find a lake to wash his sweat-soaked body.

He knew those miners all bathed in the nearest rivers and lakes. Disgusted, he deliberately went far away.

When he found a small lake in a secluded place, he discovered the youth’s clothes by the lakeside. Looking from afar, that boy was leaning against the lake edge resting, face covered with a cloth towel… his upper body thin and uncovered… finally answering the question in his heart.

“Who’s there?”

That youth suddenly shouted loudly. Remembering this person’s wary looks these past days, he immediately used lightness skills to leave. He had no interest in men, much less any intention toward this scrawny child.

Every day, missing A Luo, wanting to avenge A Luo, wanting to return to the palace yet also feeling weary of the journey coexisted.

However, during these days, he finally vaguely understood some things.

If he could start over, he would bear everything himself and never tell A Luo the slightest bit about what Xiao’an wanted him to do. From the moment he made that request to Xiao’an, he should have understood he’d inevitably be covered in blood and rain thereafter.

Mother had instructed him to keep a kind heart, but for him, that would be such a luxury.

He thought time would just pass like this.

But one day, there was a turning point.

That was one night three months later when Handsome still hadn’t returned even very late.

Though he occasionally went out to watch those people excavate, most of the time he stayed in the cave, avoiding all human contact while mastering the routine here. Even those supervisors doing later processing would be asleep by now—where had that child gone?

Perhaps it was hunger keeping him awake. Finally, feeling slightly irritated, he leaped up and went out to look for him.

He thought that no matter what this person’s intentions, he had at least shown him kindness.

He considered first searching the riverway, and if he couldn’t find him, going to other workers’ cave dwellings. These caves were scattered around nearby mountainsides but not closely clustered—he planned to search them one by one.

He searched the riverway area for a long time, sweat soaking his clothes, but still couldn’t find anyone. Just as he was about to go to other cave dwellings, he remembered one place and immediately used lightness skills to rush there.

Indeed, by that small bathing lake, he found him.

That child was leaning crookedly against a rock, eyes half-closed in a drowsy state, with an empty wine bottle and clean oil paper at his feet.

Unlike usual, today there was only one portion of food.

Lian Yu’s heart sank. He kicked him with his foot. The youth opened his eyes, looking at him with some impatience: “Oh, it’s you. What’s wrong?”

“Where’s my food?”

He’d intended to ask “why are you here?” but what came out was a sarcastic question.

The youth suddenly smiled, his eyes actually showing some cunning light. He swept away his previous drowsy state, looking up and staring at him with a smile: “Stone, so you do care. I thought you didn’t. So you also need people to be kind to you. What—when I didn’t return, you got worried and came looking for me everywhere?”

He immediately understood—while he’d been waiting to see this person’s show, this person was doing the same, and had struck first.

A feeling of having his inner thoughts seen through suddenly surged from his heart. He laughed coldly, his gaze sweeping over the person opposite like a knife.

But the youth seemed unaware, saying flatly: “I wanted to tell you that day, but words without proof are empty. Stone, you always thought I wanted something from you—I don’t. But even if I’m willing to treat you well, you never give me any response. What right do you have to think I’ll always treat you well?”