Time Never Fades True Beauty

Did we win?

We should have.

I successfully helped Xia Muzhu avoid the tragic scenes in that lewd story.

She’s fine now.

Not a single scratch on her.

Not even humiliated.

So, this battle against fate...

I won, right?

No.

No.

Lin Yu frowned.

Win?

He turned back to look at the man lying on the ground, the man’s almost manic screams echoing in his ears.

“That blond-haired punk comes to your house every night, only leaving around nine or ten o’clock!”

“Do you think I don’t know?”

“Do you think I don’t know what they’re up to?”

The crazed roars seemed to ring right next to Lin Yu’s ear. Listening to those words full of anger and resentment, his eyes went blank for a moment, sinking into a whirlpool of thoughts.

If everything this man said was true...

That would mean...

From the moment I decided to help Xia Muzhu avoid this second sordid chapter, I was already, under the pull of fate, quietly pushing all of this to happen?

In other words...

If it weren’t for me,

this guy in front of me wouldn’t have ended up like this—mad and broken.

Xia Yueshan wouldn’t have been beaten until his face was covered in blood.

Xia Muzhu wouldn’t have nearly been assaulted.

None of today’s events would have happened at all?

Lin Yu suddenly felt a bit amused.

Looking back at all the painstaking efforts over the past month and a half, all the struggles and attempts, he found it hilarious—so funny that it was almost unbearable.

He couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud, following the feelings deep inside.

But quickly, the corners of his mouth twitched twice, and the smile on his face instantly twisted into an expression of collapse, on the verge of tears.

It was a kind of self-mockery after being toyed with by fate, a collapse born from utter helplessness.

Xia Yueshan sat on the sofa, inexplicably excited. While having his wounds bandaged, he kept glancing at Lin Yu’s back, and Xia Muzhu scolded him more than once for it.

Once the simple bandaging was done, he jumped up eagerly and rushed over to Lin Yu’s side, whispering excitedly:

“Lin Yu ge!”

“Did we win?”

As Xia Yueshan spoke, he raised his index finger high, his bright black eyes shining with excitement, as if they had just won a great battle.

Lin Yu had already composed his expression when he heard Xia Yueshan’s footsteps approaching.

Looking at Xia Yueshan’s eyes full of eager excitement, he forced a stiff smile, controlling the tremble in his mouth, and lightly patted his head:

“Mm.”

“You successfully protected your sister.”

“You won.”

Xia Yueshan smiled even wider. Just as he was about to say more, a flurry of footsteps sounded outside the door.

Lin Yu turned his head and saw a group of police officers standing at the entrance, dressed in uniform, holding batons and riot shields, all ready for action.

Behind the police, there was a woman shrinking back nervously, peeking around cautiously.

Lin Yu recognized her at a glance. She was the neighbor living in the Xia Muzhu building. It seemed that the commotion caused by Xia Yueshan was so loud that she upstairs found something amiss and decided to call the police.

After a brief exchange, as expected, everyone was taken to the police station to give their statements.

Once Lin Yu finished explaining everything he needed to, he didn’t wait for the Xia Muzhu siblings and chose to leave immediately.

He hailed a taxi at the police station’s entrance, opened the door, and bent down to sit in the back seat.

At the same time, the figures of Xia Muzhu and her brother Xia Yueshan also appeared at the police station’s entrance.

Xia Muzhu’s eyes were still red-rimmed. After all that had happened, her eyes were even more swollen, and she looked far less beautiful than usual.

She stood beside Xia Yueshan, never taking her eyes off him. From time to time, she reached out to touch the white bandages on his forehead and neck. Just watching her, one could tell she was probably nagging him about whether he was still in pain or if he felt uncomfortable anywhere.

Xia Yueshan, as usual, remained oblivious to the charm of this stunning beauty. His face showed a hint of impatience, and when Xia Muzhu reached out to touch the bandage on his forehead, he turned his head away, clearly annoyed by her fussing.

Through the taxi window, Lin Yu watched the two of them walk out of the police station. Exhausted in both body and mind, he finally revealed a faint, knowing smile.

Forget it.

What does it even mean to win or lose?

As long as they’re both okay...

...

Time is undoubtedly the cruelest poison in the world for women. It turns their once supple skin loose and saggy, distorts their previously curvy figures, and easily steals away the youth they consider their greatest treasure.

But for some women, time is nothing more than an eyebrow pencil—it doesn’t harm them at all. Instead, it adds a unique, mature charm.

Tang Manman's mother is such a woman.

Even though her daughter has already grown several centimeters taller than her, she remains captivating.

Her skin is tight and fair, her perfectly shaped oval face free of any excess flesh. Her naturally bright red lips and beautiful peach blossom eyes hold a depth of experience and maturity that Tang Manman lacks.

Time seems to have left only its best marks on her.

It’s as if she has been specially favored by heaven.

Untouched by the harsh blade of time.

“Is that really so?”

Tang Yun sat on the sofa, her unpainted eyebrows tightly knit, her expression extremely serious.

“That’s exactly the kind of auntie she is!”

Sitting opposite her on the sofa, a clear-eyed young boy spoke indignantly:

“Those two times when the hero saved the beauty, it must have been Lin Yu orchestrating everything behind the scenes!”

“Just to win Manman’s favor!”

“Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence?”

“Both times Manman was bullied, he showed up at exactly the right moment!”

“That’s right!”

“And there’s more!”

At this point, the boy’s face lit up with excitement as he exclaimed loudly:

“Auntie, you didn’t see it!”

“Before Lin Yu appeared, those bullies were really vicious!”

“The moment he showed up, those guys suddenly became even more cowardly than quails—none of them dared to fight back or even curse!”

“And every time the bad guys came in groups, Lin Yu would be there all alone.”

“In that case, they didn’t resist at all. Don’t you think Lin Yu arranged this whole act?”

Tang Yun didn’t say anything, but the furrow between her brows deepened noticeably, clearly showing she trusted Yu Kai’s reasoning deeply.

After a moment of thought, Tang Yun nodded. The serious look on her face softened, replaced by a gentle, elder’s smile as she said to Kai,

“Thank you for telling Auntie all this.”

“Auntie knows everything now.”

Yu Kai nodded eagerly, his excitement bubbling over as he said,

“Auntie, you have to warn Manman to keep her eyes wide open—she absolutely mustn’t be fooled by those villains!”

“I understand.”

Tang Yun’s expression turned solemn as she nodded. She glanced up at the clock on the wall, then stood and said,

“It’s getting late. Auntie will head back now.”

“Thank you for telling Auntie all this.”

“No need, no need.”

“Auntie, let me see you out.”

Yu Kai said with a courteous smile.

After leaving Yu Kai’s home, Tang Yun looked out at the crowded streets filled with cars. She slowly exhaled a long breath, squinting her beautiful, enchanting eyes softly as she murmured,

“Lin Yu...”