Lin Yu acted just like yesterday.
He didn’t stop Aunt Qi Meng from crying.
Instead, he silently took a tissue from the box beside him, sat down next to her, and handed it to her.
Chen Qimeng: "Xiao Yu, I just..."
Lin Yu: "I understand. Being betrayed by a close friend, not knowing why she would treat you like that—it hurts."
Hearing this,
Chen Qimeng’s tears became even more uncontrollable.
Drip, drip—like a faucet being gradually turned, the teardrops fell faster and thicker.
"Xiao Yu, I... I really can’t figure it out..."
"Did I do something wrong? Was I not good enough as a friend?"
"So... that’s why she..."
"If it weren’t for you noticing, Xiao Yu..."
The tissue was already in Chen Qimeng’s hand,
but she didn’t even think to use it.
Lin Yu took out two more, gently wiping her tears as she poured out her heartache.
This time, the pain was even sharper than yesterday,
when she had spoken about her ex-husband.
She started talking about her life after the divorce,
how she had lived alone,
the female friends she had met,
and the many times she had been deceived.
Only then did Lin Yu realize—
he knew far too little about this woman who had given him her whole heart.
He Jing wasn’t the first.
She was just one of the rare trusted friends in a life filled with distrust.
And when a friend like that betrayed her, the wound cut deepest.
"Xiao Yu, I know I’m not a smart person. I rarely trust others..."
"Do you understand? I’m not afraid of being deceived..."
"I’m just afraid that the one person I finally let myself believe in... was lying to me all along."
"I’m sorry, Xiao Yu... I was supposed to buy you clothes today, but..."
Hearing her last words,
Lin Yu almost laughed in exasperation.
"Chen Qimeng, is this really the time to worry about that?"
"Can’t you start thinking about yourself for once?"
Chen Qimeng froze. "...Huh?"
Being called by her full name suddenly
actually made her stop crying.
Seeing that she had finally calmed down, Lin Yu quickly changed the subject to keep her from sinking back into sorrow.
"What I mean is, you’re always worrying about what others think, what others need."
"But have you ever stopped to ask yourself—are you happy? What do you need?"
Chen Qimeng lowered her head in confusion.
After a moment,
she looked back at Lin Yu:
"Xiao Yu... do you think I’m too meddlesome?"
Lin Yu: "???"
Was that what she got from what he said?
How did she even interpret it that way?
At first, seeing her so heartbroken today,
Lin Yu had planned to quietly stay by her side, offering comfort when needed.
But now he realized—
Aunt Qi Meng didn’t seem to have any concept of "thinking for herself."
Her self-sacrificing nature was practically carved into her bones.
And wasn’t that exactly why every opportunistic leech came sniffing around?
"Aunt Qi Meng, that’s not what I meant. What I meant was... are you done crying?"
Chen Qimeng hurriedly wiped away her lingering tears and nodded firmly.
These past two days had been strange.
She kept tearing up in front of Xiao Yu.
And then... out of nowhere, he called her by her full name.
The next moment,
Lin Yu continued:
"If you’re done crying... how about a foot soak?"
"Let our ever-giving Chen Qimeng experience what it’s like to be pampered for once."
With that,
he slipped into the same pink size-37 slippers from yesterday and headed to the bathroom to fetch hot water.
Soaking their feet together was something they had agreed on the day before.
Hearing this, Chen Qimeng quickly stood up:
"Let me do it, Xiao Yu, you shouldn’t—"
Lin Yu cut her off. "Sit. Wait for me."
His firm tone left no room for argument, and Chen Qimeng obediently sat back down on the bed.
Watching Xiao Yu shuffle uncomfortably in the too-small slippers,
Chen Qimeng quietly thought to herself:
Maybe... she should keep a pair of slippers in her room just for him?
But then she hesitated—
Wouldn’t that be a little... odd?
A few minutes later,
Lin Yu returned with the foot-soaking tub and set it by the bed.
Chen Qimeng, out of habit, moved to fetch the chair—
only for Lin Yu to say:
"I’ll get it. Today, you stay on the bed."
Chen Qimeng: "Xiao Yu, there’s no need, I— Wait, the stool is too low."
Mid-protest,
she noticed Lin Yu had brought out the small bathroom stool
and was already seated across from her, perfectly positioned.
Lin Yu tested the height of his hands in the water.
Just right.
"Aunt Qi Meng, put your feet in."
"I told you—today, you get to be the one taken care of."
"I’m not soaking mine today. This is just for you."
Chen Qimeng: "!!!"
Xiao Yu... washing her feet?
This was unacceptable!
How could she let him do something like this?
"No, no, Xiao Yu, you sit here instead!"
"I’ll get the chair, you really shouldn’t—"
"Xiao Yu, my— my feet!"
Lin Yu wasn’t about to let Chen Qimeng escape.
The [Joyous Phoenix-Toe Technique], tailor-made for the "acting sect master,"
would never see the light of day if he waited for the "right moment" with someone like her.
With Chen Qimeng’s personality...
he might as well wait for the next lifetime.
Sometimes, a little firmness was necessary.
And besides—
After crying for a long time, Chen Qimeng felt restless and decided to relax in a rather unconventional way...
Not something to be encouraged, but based on his past experiences, it did work.
"Auntie Qi Meng, don’t blame me later if you end up sitting in a bucket, okay?"
"I’d rather not change clothes. I think staying steady on the bed is better."
"You know I’m pretty good at massaging, don’t you?"
"After worrying about others for so many years, can’t I just indulge a little?"
Chen Qimeng’s feet were suddenly grabbed, and her cheeks flushed instantly:
"X-Xiao Yu… You really don’t have to massage me. Just soaking in hot water is fine."
No massage?
Since when do you call the shots?
He hadn’t actually planned to massage her at first.
But since she complained about him being too controlling…
Well, now he had to offer the gift of love…
And if that didn’t work? Then worship it is!
As soon as her feet touched the water,
Lin Yu made sure Chen Qimeng had no intention of running away.
He wasn’t in a hurry to start.
There’s a reason foot spas have you soak first before the massage.
If he was going to provide the ultimate indulgence, every detail had to be perfect.
Watching her fair ankles peek above the water’s surface,
Lin Yu couldn’t help but fall into thought…
Back when Little Chi teased him about his peculiar tastes, he’d stubbornly denied it.
But ever since acquiring the skill [Pleasure Steps to Attract the Phoenix],
He’d gradually come to realize…
The feet of his fellow sect members—iiOiiO—were actually quite aesthetically pleasing?
Damn it.
System, give me back my dignity!
Chen Qimeng had no mind to guess what the silent Xiao Yu was thinking.
Right now, she was preoccupied with another question:
Was there something wrong with her?
She’d been so heartbroken just moments ago.
Yet the second Lin Yu grabbed her feet, she…
…
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
