Skinwalker Belle – Chapter 127 – The Her of the Past

The girl in her arms was still trembling slightly, an uncontrollable aftereffect of her cathartic weeping.

Warm tears mixed with snot stained Lin Fan’s smooth chest and shoulders without reservation, sticky and a little messy.

Yet Lin Fan felt no disgust, only gently stroking Sun Jing’s back.

She knew very well that for someone who had long been under high pressure and self-doubt, such an unreserved emotional release was more effective than any comforting words.

Sure enough, after a few more minutes, Sun Jing’s sobs gradually subsided.

She lifted her head from Lin Fan’s embrace, a little embarrassed. Her pretty face was flushed from crying, and her eyes were swollen like two walnuts.

“I… I’m sorry, Lei Jie… I…”

Sun Jing’s voice was still thick and nasal. She frantically tried to wipe the mess off Lin Fan’s body with her hands, only to feel that her own hands weren’t clean either.

“Silly girl.”

Lin Fan smiled, her voice full of affection.

She raised a hand and gently wiped the tear stains from the corners of Sun Jing’s eyes with her fingertips.

“There’s no need to say sorry to your big sister.”

“It’s good that you cried it out. Let out all the grievances in your heart, and you’ll feel lighter from now on.”

She took Sun Jing’s hand and sat back down on the edge of the bathtub, turning on the showerhead.

Splash…

Warm water poured down again, washing over their bodies.

As Sun Jing watched the water wash away the tear stains on Lin Fan’s chest, her cheeks burned hot again, her heart filled with guilt and immense gratitude.

This big sister, who had descended like a goddess, was not only awe-inspiringly powerful but also heart-meltingly gentle.

She… how could she be so good…

“Alright, don’t just stand there in a daze.”

Lin Fan turned around, her back to Sun Jing. Her magnificent, long silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, shimmering with a dreamlike luster under the light.

“I’m done washing my hair. Time to wash my body.”

Sun Jing’s heart skipped another beat as she gazed at that smooth, beautiful back.

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On an impulse, she spoke.

“Lei Jie… I… can I wash your back for you?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she startled herself, her face instantly blushing to the roots of her neck.

Wasn’t… wasn’t this too presumptuous?

Lin Fan also seemed a little surprised. She tilted her head slightly, a hint of inquiry in her rainbow-colored eyes.

Flustered by her gaze, Sun Jing waved her hands and hurriedly explained.

“I… I don’t mean anything else!”

“It’s just… when I was at the hospital, I often helped patients with mobility issues wash up…”

“I… I just thought, it’s… it’s normal for a younger sister to wash her older sister’s back, right…?”

By the end, her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

Seeing her flustered yet hopeful and adorable appearance, the smile in Lin Fan’s eyes deepened.

“Alright.”

She turned her back again, presenting her completely unguarded back to Sun Jing.

“Then I’ll have to trouble my dear little sister.”

Having received permission, Sun Jing’s eyes lit up instantly, as if she had been granted some monumental gift.

She nodded vigorously, picked up the nearby body wash and bath sponge, and carefully worked up a rich lather.

Then, she gently, reverently, spread the soft foam across Lin Fan’s back.

Warm, soft palms, carrying a fine lather, glided over smooth skin.

The pressure was just right, neither too light nor too heavy.

Sun Jing’s technique was very professional. From the shoulders to the waistline, every inch of skin was tended to with gentle care.

Steam filled the bathroom, which was so quiet that only the sound of running water and the soft squishing of foam could be heard.

Lin Fan closed her eyes, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.

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However, as Sun Jing’s hand slid over her shoulder blade, Lin Fan’s body stiffened for an almost imperceptible moment.

What a familiar feeling…

These hands…

This warmth…

This careful, almost fawning and adoring motion…

In a daze, it was as if time and space had become disordered.

Her consciousness was pulled back to a long time ago, to another steamy bathroom.

Only back then, she was the one holding the washcloth, acting with such care.

And the person before her was filled with explosive power and a wild beauty.

That was Lei Li.

The real Lei Li.

And she was “Chen Yao,” frail in body, but full of calculation and pretense in her heart.

Once upon a time…

These hands were her own.

This humble posture was her own.

Now, the roles were reversed.

She had become “Lei Li,” the one high above, enjoying the service.

And the simple, kind-hearted girl behind her, full of adoration, was so much like the perfectly disguised self she once was.

An inexplicable emotion quietly welled up from the depths of Lin Fan’s heart.

It was a very unfamiliar feeling.

Not possession, not calculation, but an… impulse to protect.

She wanted to protect this silly girl behind her, the kind who would help count the money after being sold.

The moment this thought appeared, Lin Fan’s pupils contracted abruptly.

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No…

That’s not right.

This isn’t my emotion.

Is this… Bai Lu’s kindness?

Or is it Lei Li’s protectiveness towards the weak?

These damned memory fragments… these feelings that don’t belong to me…

Lin Fan’s gaze instantly turned sharp.

She was Lin Fan!

The monster who, after her rebirth, had abandoned all humanity in the apocalypse, surviving only by devouring and disguising!

Kindness? A protective instinct?

These things would only become her weaknesses, stumbling blocks on her path to the apex of the post-apocalyptic world!

She abruptly clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, using the pain to remind herself to stay clear-headed.

That nascent, warm protective urge was ruthlessly snuffed out by her, suppressed by cold reason.

It was merely a lingering remnant.

The final, unwilling struggle of the Skins she had devoured.

She would absolutely not be influenced by these things.

Besides…

Lin Fan’s thoughts raced, instantly finding the most perfect, most beneficial explanation for her actions.

She had never planned to turn Sun Jing into a Skin in the first place.

A Healing ability that she couldn’t use on herself was worthless to her.

A living, fourth-level healing Evolved being who was utterly devoted to her, a top-tier support who could instantly restore the team’s health…

Sun Jing’s value was far greater than that of a useless Skin.

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Therefore, protecting her was the logical thing to do.

Treating her well like a sister, binding her to her side with the strongest chain of all—”familial love”—and making her willingly devote everything to her…

This was the most correct, most logical choice.

Yes.

That’s it.

Lin Fan convinced herself of this in her heart.

That flicker of emotion she had forcibly suppressed was repackaged with cold logic, transformed into a perfect, profit-maximizing investment.

Having figured this all out, Lin Fan’s tense body relaxed again.

She even let out a comfortable sigh.

“Jing, with skills like these, it’s a real waste you’re not opening a bathhouse.”

Her voice held a lazy smile, betraying no hint of anything unusual.

“Ah?”

Sun Jing, behind her, froze for a second, then her cheeks grew even redder.

“Lei Jie, you’re teasing me again…”

“I’m not.” Lin Fan turned around, her rainbow-colored eyes sparkling in the mist. She reached out a finger and gently tapped Sun Jing’s nose.

“From now on, I’m entrusting my back to you.”

“My… little sister.”

“Mhm!”

Looking at the undisguised affection and trust in Lin Fan’s eyes, Sun Jing nodded with all her might.

Her heart was filled to the brim with emotions called “happiness” and “responsibility.”

She didn’t notice at all.

From an angle she couldn’t see, the corners of Lin Fan’s mouth curved into a cold, perfect arc.