Am I the Main Character

Hearing Xia Yueshan's words, Lin Yu nodded subtly to himself.

Being locked up is good—that way, Xia Muzhu would be completely safe...

Well, maybe not entirely.

A mentally twisted freak like that could hold a grudge for ten or twenty years without breaking a sweat.

The best solution would be to find a permanent fix, something that would leave him powerless even if he ever got out of prison!

But for now, he’d wait and see.

Once they knew which prison he’d be locked up in, Lin Yu could arrange for someone to deliver a few well-placed kicks to ensure he’d never dare to think about Xia Muzhu again.

After mentally sentencing that lunatic to a childless fate, Lin Yu nodded at Xia Yueshan and said,

"Alright, I get it. You can go back now."

Tear stains still fresh on his face, Xia Yueshan blinked dumbly for a second before nodding and turning to leave.

But the moment he took a step, something clicked in his mind.

Wait.

Why had he come to find Lin Yu in the first place?

Wasn’t there more to it than just delivering this news?

...

Right!

He was here to drag Lin Yu back to comfort his sister!

Remembering his true mission, Xia Yueshan whipped back around, his dark eyes burning with stubborn determination as he shouted,

"Why should I go back alone?"

"You’re coming with me!"

"Or else you’re not going anywhere!"

With that, he lunged at Lin Yu again, arms flailing like a wild animal.

This time, Lin Yu was ready. He raised a hand and pressed it firmly against Xia Yueshan’s forehead, holding him at arm’s length. No matter how hard Xia Yueshan struggled, he couldn’t break free.

Even immobilized, Xia Yueshan refused to give up. He swung his arms like windmill blades, howling like a martial arts hero from an old kung fu movie.

Did he have no shame, making a scene like this in public?

Lin Yu, however, was starting to feel the embarrassment. Under the weight of curious stares from passersby, his resolve wavered.

Maybe he should just go back with him?

See Xia Muzhu one last time and make things clear.

After spending so much time together, watching her cry and suffer really did tug at his heart...

No!

Lin Yu, you idiot!

You already softened up with the first female lead, Tang Manman—couldn’t bring yourself to say a single harsh word to her. Now you’re doing the same with the second female lead, Xia Muzhu?

What about the third female lead who’s yet to appear?

Or the fourth?

If you keep caving like this, the bad ending is going to slap you right in the face!

Scolding himself internally, Lin Yu steeled his heart. It was time to cut this off cleanly.

"Xia Aodi."

"I’m not joking around."

"This is fate. My bond with your sister has run its course. If we meet again, something terrible will happen."

Lin Yu repeated the same excuse he’d used before.

"I don’t believe you!"

"What fate?!"

"We already beat it once!"

Xia Yueshan pressed his head harder against Lin Yu’s palm, his voice muffled but defiant.

Seeing his unshakable confidence, Lin Yu sighed. To shake him off, he decided to reveal a sliver of the truth.

"Xia Yueshan, you’re underestimating fate. The truth is, I never won."

"Never won?"

Xia Yueshan froze, finally stopping his struggle. He looked up, confused.

"But we protected my sister, didn’t we?"

"How is that not winning?"

"You don’t understand."

Lin Yu’s smile was bitter as he pointed a finger skyward.

"My battle with fate isn’t as simple as you think."

"I wanted to protect your sister, but not by swooping in at the last second like some hero. I wanted to prevent the incident from happening in the first place. Do you get what I mean?"

"From the moment I got close to her, everything I did was to stop that tragedy before it could even begin."

Pausing, Lin Yu let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"You heard it from that lunatic’s mouth, didn’t you?"

"He targeted your sister because of me. He saw me visiting your house at night, assumed things between us, decided I was some lowlife unworthy of her, and thought your sister was... loose. That’s why he acted."

"Do you see now?"

"If I’d never existed, none of this would’ve happened."

"The very thing I tried so hard to prevent was the thing I caused."

"I wanted to change fate, but in the end, I was just its puppet."

Xia Yueshan was stunned into silence. After a long pause, he finally muttered,

"But... we still saved her."

"Doesn’t that count as winning?"

Lin Yu shook his head.

"It wasn’t me who won. It was you."

"If you hadn’t come home unexpectedly and stalled that madman, I wouldn’t have been able to change anything."

"From start to finish, I was just fate’s plaything."

"You were the variable."

Xia Yueshan’s mouth hung open, his mind struggling to process the flood of revelations.

"So, it ends here. My ties with your sister are over."

"It’s heaven’s will. No one can change it. Don’t waste your breath trying to convince me."

"Go back and talk to her. Tell her I don’t blame her. She did nothing wrong—if anything, I was the one who deceived her from the beginning."

Patting Xia Yueshan’s head, Lin Yu seized the chance to slip away.

This time, Xia Yueshan didn’t chase after him. He stood frozen, his mind racing with everything Lin Yu had just revealed.

Fate. Struggle. Loss. Victory...

Had Lin Yu been so crushed by defeat that he’d surrendered to fate?

Watching Lin Yu’s retreating figure, Xia Yueshan felt a surge of disbelief.

Was fate really that unbeatable?

Was there truly no way to fight it?

...

Wait.

A sudden realization struck him.

In their battle against fate, Lin Yu may have lost—but he had won!

Lin Yu had said so himself!

Does that mean...

I’m the protagonist?

The thought sent a thrill through him. His eyes darted around, as if seeing the world in a whole new light.

It was like being the only sober person in a room full of drunks.

Looking back on recent events, Xia Yueshan became more and more convinced this was a classic hero’s journey.

First, a mysterious mentor (Lin Yu) appears, teaches him skills, guides him. Then the mentor either dies, gets imprisoned, or—like Lin Yu—breaks under the weight of failure.

And then comes the protagonist’s rise.

The protagonist will go through many experiences, growing along the way, until finally becoming a peerless master.

Then, the protagonist will either revive a once-great master who has fallen from grace, rescue them from the clutches of the antagonists, or unravel their emotional turmoil, pulling them back from the brink of collapse.

Isn’t that exactly what happened in the wildly popular novel Battle Through the Heavens?

Under the guidance of the old artifact spirit, the protagonist grows stronger, only for the spirit to be captured by the Soul Palace once the protagonist achieves some success. Later, after becoming even more powerful, the protagonist rescues the old spirit.

Looking at it this way, everything I’ve experienced recently is practically a textbook-perfect novel plot!

And from the looks of it, my role in this story is none other than the protagonist!!!

"Fate, is it?"

Xia Yueshan clenched his fists tightly, his gaze blazing with determination.

You may have defeated Lin Yu, but that doesn’t mean you can defeat me!

This time, it’s my turn to face you!

You want to keep Lin Yu away from my sister?

You want to make my sister cry every day?

I won’t let you have your way!