The Treasure Under the Pillow, the Most Dazzling Golden Light

Lin Yu stood watching as the fairy-like figure leaned in closer.

A peculiar feeling welled up in his heart.

He tried his best not to overthink it.

With Auntie Qimeng cooperating by adjusting her hair, he effortlessly secured the hairpin for her.

It was his first time using such an accessory, and truth be told…

Getting it perfectly aligned while maintaining elegance was harder than it looked.

Lin Yu fumbled with the angle several times before finally settling on a position he was satisfied with.

[Ding!]

[During the Forbidden Land expedition, you acquired and used the "Phoenix Tail Hairpin" for the fairy!]

[Reward: 20 Sect Contribution Points, 50 Spirit Stones.]

"Done. Does it still feel a bit too low?"

"This is so tricky!"

"Such a simple-looking tool, yet so finicky."

Lin Yu wasn’t exaggerating.

The earlier tension from their close contact had mostly dissipated in the lighthearted atmosphere.

Chen Qimeng covered her mouth with a hand and chuckled.

"Having lived with short hair for so many years, you probably can’t understand the world of long hair, can you?"

"A woman’s daily routine involves so many steps."

"And honestly, I’m one of the more low-maintenance ones."

Hearing this, Lin Yu couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

If she hadn’t taken him in as a "burden,"

Chen Qimeng’s life would likely have been much more carefree.

Sheltering a half-grown boy still in school wasn’t as simple as just adding an extra pair of chopsticks to the table.

Her rough living standards? Lin Yu bore most of the blame.

Having only been reborn a few days ago, he’d been busy navigating between various people and tasks.

But now,

he had finally gathered some initial resources.

From here on out, he’d start making small but meaningful changes—

so Chen Qimeng could truly feel that her years of sacrifice had been worth it.

Empty words wouldn’t cut it.

He needed to take real action.

Lin Yu glanced toward the pillow.

Even with the pillow covering it, the golden glow beneath was unmistakable.

The radiance it emitted far surpassed that of the hairpin—

easily rivaling the foot-soaking tub!

This was the main reason he’d chosen to sit on the bed…

Nothing else in the room shone as brilliantly.

What could be hidden under a pillow?

A recently removed "close-fitting inner armor"?

A strangely styled, flirtatious fairy robe?

Or perhaps… something more risqué?

Whatever it was,

it undoubtedly held both taboo and opportunity.

Still, he needed a plausible excuse to move Auntie Qimeng’s pillow.

After racking his brain,

Lin Yu finally settled on a halfway-decent reason.

"Ugh, holding this position is killing my back."

"Auntie Qimeng, can I use your pillow to prop myself up?"

Given Lin Yu’s height,

propping something behind him would probably make it worse.

But for now, it was the best idea he had.

At least he’d asked first—that counted as basic courtesy, right?

He’d even prepared a backup excuse in case she refused.

Chen Qimeng glanced at the pillow, her expression shifting slightly.

This confirmed it—

she hadn’t forgotten what lay beneath.

To Lin Yu’s surprise,

she deliberated for an unusually long time before finally nodding, as if steeling herself.

"Of course. If it’s still uncomfortable, you can bunch up the quilt too."

Lin Yu: "???"

What kind of reaction was this?

Why did she look like she was saying, "Fine, I give up"?

His curiosity skyrocketed.

Slowly, he pulled the pillow aside—

and uncovered a slightly worn, black-leather notebook, its edges frayed from frequent use.

Just the cover alone hinted at how often it had been opened.

"This… this notebook is…?"

Lin Yu didn’t touch it.

Instead, he turned to Chen Qimeng for an explanation.

She fidgeted with her hands before answering softly.

"I used to jot down my thoughts whenever I had the time."

"Lately, I’ve been too busy to write much."

Lin Yu: "!!!"

A diary?!

What kind of earth-shattering secrets could be hidden inside something glowing so brightly?

Auntie Qimeng’s past?

Memories involving Lin Yu?

Or… both?!

Diaries were private.

Lin Yu wasn’t shameless enough to demand a peek just for some mission.

But then—

Chen Qimeng added,

"If it’s you, Lin Yu…"

"Reading a little wouldn’t hurt."

"Just… not too much. Some entries might have… minor complaints about you."

She hugged her arm awkwardly and laughed.

Demanding to read would’ve been rude.

But if Auntie Qimeng was offering… why not?

[Ding!]

[Suspected to be the fairy’s personal journal—may contain well-kept secrets. Perusing it could yield unexpected rewards?]

"I was going to put it back when I realized it was a diary."

"But now that you mention it, I’m curious how you vented about me in there."

Chen Qimeng clasped her hands together and grinned sheepishly.

Lin Yu flipped to the first page, starting from the earliest entry.

「XX/XX/XX, Thursday, Sunny」

「It’s finally over.」

「All the paperwork is done. I’m single again.」

「It’s like that warm breeze from my hometown—after all these years, it’s finally found its way back to me.」

Lin Yu nodded approvingly at the opening lines.

So this was Auntie Qimeng’s first diary entry after her divorce.

Not bad—her writing style could rival his own as a professional "online author."

At first, he didn’t grasp the gravity of the situation.

Then he reached the middle section.

「Back then, "she" promised to marry me.」

「To give my parents closure for the present;」

「To give myself closure for the past;」

「To give him closure for the future.」

「Everyone got their closure—except me.」

「I’m still me, that naive girl.」

「But "she" became my legal husband… with a hefty dowry.」

「……」

Lin Yu: "!!!"

Wait—

The "she" in quotation marks was Auntie Qimeng’s ex-husband?!

And there was a "him" who needed closure too?!

What in the world was this supposed to mean?!

The sheer, overwhelming revelation hit Lin Yu like a tidal wave.

This… this was the real reason behind Auntie Qimeng’s divorce!

Seeing his shocked and furious expression,

Chen Qimeng idly swirled her feet in the water and said,

"Lin Yu, don’t be upset on my behalf. And don’t resent ‘her’ either."

"This was my choice. I take responsibility for my own life."

"Besides… it’s all in the past now."