But what she didn’t realize was—Yun Zhonghe was actually feeling a little guilty.
He had lied.
Lin Zhongyu’s so-called “good luck” had nothing to do with him.
All of it came from her own protagonist-level destiny.
Yun Zhonghe only knew about it because he’d played the original game and remembered the plot details.
But this was a perfect opportunity to build a connection with the female lead!
And it’s not like anyone could disprove his claim.
So Yun Zhonghe told himself: “Just this once. Never again.”
Despite his inner scheming, his face remained calm and composed.
He didn’t come off as overly friendly or eager to please.
“Why… are you helping me like this?”
Lin Zhongyu finally found her voice, though her confusion still lingered.
Why was Yun Zhonghe doing this?
What did he want from her?
At that moment, Yun Zhonghe’s gaze shifted slightly.
Lin Zhongyu felt a sudden depth to his presence—as if he had become someone much more serious.
“Ten years ago, there was a beast tide in Cangzhou City,” he began, voice steady.
“It was the kind that only happens once in a thousand years. No one ever expected a Nascent Soul-stage beast to appear in a remote place like this.”
Lin Zhongyu was visibly shaken by his words.
“The entire city went on high alert. All the noble families banded together to fight, but even so, the battle was brutal. The greatest loss was Fairy of Falling Stars, Wu Xueqi. She was at the peak of the Golden Core stage and had a real shot at breaking into the Nascent Soul realm. But to protect the younger generation of cultivators, she faced dozens of Golden Core beasts alone… and fell in battle.”
The Fairy of Falling Stars—Wu Xueqi—was none other than Lin Zhongyu’s mother!
If Wu Xueqi had lived, the Lin family might still be one of the top powers in Cangzhou.
At the very least, they’d be able to rival the Yun family.
But in her absence, the Lin family had long faded into obscurity, leaving only the burden of expectations on her daughter.
Lin Zhongyu hadn’t expected to hear her late mother’s story from Yun Zhonghe of all people.
After a pause, Yun Zhonghe’s expression grew solemn:
“Fairy Wu was the pride of Cangzhou City… and my idol. Her spirit taught me what it means to walk the righteous path. She showed me what a true cultivator should strive to become.”
He clenched his fists, his voice rising with emotion. It was as if he had turned into a righteous hot-blooded young man, burning with ideals.
“She will always have my deepest respect!”
Whether it was all an act or not didn’t matter—Lin Zhongyu was genuinely moved.
In this city, her mother had long been forgotten.
The one who had once saved them all was now just the dead mother of a “useless girl.”
No one remembered her for what she did.
But Yun Zhonghe’s eyes were full of genuine reverence.
Lin Zhongyu’s heart trembled again.
But her confusion only deepened.
“But what does any of that have to do with you helping me…?”
“Because I am a cultivator!”
Yun Zhonghe cut her off, his voice righteous and firm.
“If we can’t even protect the descendants of those who walked the righteous path before us, how can we expect others to uphold justice in the future?”
“As a member of the Yun family, with the power and resources I have—I must do what’s right!”
Lin Zhongyu stared blankly at him.
Who would’ve thought that Cangzhou City’s most infamous playboy was actually someone so loyal and just, someone with such a strong sense of duty and morality?
It was nighttime… so why did his shiny blond hair seem to glow?
But the next second, Yun Zhonghe’s tone suddenly turned cold.
He locked eyes with Lin Zhongyu, and the pressure of his stare made her heart pound.
“I just didn’t expect the daughter of Fairy Wu… to be so weak.”
“Your cultivation hit a bottleneck and that’s it? You give up? Throw away your dignity and wallow in self-pity instead of pushing forward?
“Did you inherit even a sliver of your mother’s courage?”
“If she saw what you’ve become, I doubt she’d be proud. Even I feel disappointed.”
As he spoke, Yun Zhonghe couldn’t help but curl his lips awkwardly.
To be honest, he was kind of forcing it.
But hey—this was a rare one-on-one moment with the female lead.
He had to milk it for all it was worth.
He hadn’t prepared any special lines in advance, so he just winged it and borrowed from the classic tropes in all those web novels he used to read in his past life.
Still, thanks to his solid acting skills, it was pretty convincing.
And Lin Zhongyu was only fourteen—prime age to be emotionally manipulated.
Yun Zhonghe snuck a glance at her reaction.
She stood frozen, like she’d just been struck by lightning.
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
All she could do was stare at him in stunned silence.
His words were harsh.
They cut deep.
But at the same time… they hit something real.
If he didn’t care, why would he bother scolding her like this?
In fact, it had been a long, long time since anyone had corrected her—let alone cared enough to do so.
Even her father treated her with cold indifference.
But Yun Zhonghe’s words… they felt like genuine concern.
Not like Mu Jixue’s gentle comfort.
This was different.
This felt like someone truly giving a damn.
A soft red blush spread across her cheeks.
“Thank you… thank you for… scolding me…”
“Huh?”
Now it was Yun Zhonghe’s turn to be stunned.
“Wait—what?!”
Was the heroine… mentally ill or something?
Why was she blushing after being yelled at?
Was she a masochist or something?
He didn’t remember this being one of her character traits in the game…Apparently, Lin Zhongyu realized how strange her words sounded, too.
She frantically waved her hands to explain:“No! It’s not what you think! I-I didn’t mean it like that! I just… I just… ughhh!”
She completely lost her composure—so flustered she couldn’t even look Yun Zhonghe in the eye.
At this point, one thing was crystal clear in her mind:Yun Zhonghe was absolutely not the bad guy Mu Jixue had made him out to be.
Looking at Lin Zhongyu, who now seemed to have a full-blown “confusion debuff” slapped on her, Yun Zhonghe wore an expression of both bewilderment and resignation.
He let out a soft sigh.
“Still, your performance at the Immortal Alliance today didn’t disappoint me.
You really are the daughter of the Falling Star Fairy.”
“Huh?”
Lin Zhongyu looked up, catching sight of Yun Zhonghe’s warm, approving smile.
A wave of joy surged through her chest—the kind of happiness one feels when getting a perfect score and being praised by their mom.
The comfort flowed straight through her bones.
It felt amazing.
The corners of her mouth rose uncontrollably, and she glanced around nervously, lowering her head while fidgeting with her ponytail.
“I-It’s not really as amazing as you say… I got beaten down in the end… If only I were a bit stronger…”“That’s easy to fix.”
Yun Zhonghe casually raised his hand and tossed a small pouch to Lin Zhongyu.
“There are five supreme-grade Essence Nurturing Pills inside. The spiritual energy in them should be enough for you to break through to Foundation Establishment. I’m also passing down to you the Yun Family’s secret art—the ‘Eight Desolate Sword Style.’ That’s all I can give you. The rest of the journey—you’ll have to walk on your own.”