The Reason for Crying Turns Out to Be Ancient DNA (Bonus Update)

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"Ying'er, are you in your room? I'm back."

Lin Yu knocked on the door, wanting to see what was going on inside.

Ying'er was usually a cheerful girl.

What could have happened to make her hide in her room and cry in secret?

At that moment,

Lin Yu thought back to the WeChat message Ying'er had sent him.

Aside from the teasing tone, could there have been a subtle "cry for help" hidden in it?

As he knocked,

the system's notification chime suddenly rang out.

[Ding!]

[Time-limited Mission Issued: The Array Hall Elder has entered deep meditation but suffered a qi deviation, nearly losing his sanity. The Saint is urgently needed to protect and guide him through this crisis!]

[Time Limit: One hour.]

[Rewards: 150 Sect Contribution Points, 300 Spirit Stones, 1 free draw in the System Mall.]

Deep meditation? Qi deviation?

Nearly lost his sanity?

The sudden mission left Lin Yu even more confused.

What had Ying'er done?

This didn’t sound like an addiction she was trying to handle on her own.

For her, what kind of situation would require Lin Yu's protection to overcome?

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"Ying'er? Are you there?"

Growing anxious, Lin Yu knocked again, waiting for her response.

"Creak..."

The door opened just a crack. The curtains inside were drawn, and the lights were on.

Peering through the gap, Lin Yu couldn’t see Ying'er at first glance.

He knew—

she was hiding behind the door, but this time, she wasn’t just avoiding him.

Every light in the room was on?

This was completely unlike Ying'er’s usual style!

Her room was always dark, even during the day—curtains drawn tight, no light allowed in except the glow from her computer.

What was going on today?

"I'm coming in, okay?"

Lin Yu gently pushed the door open, careful not to hurt Ying'er if she was standing too close.

"Thud!"

The moment Lin Yu stepped inside, Ying'er, who had been waiting by the door, immediately pushed it shut behind him.

When she looked up, Lin Yu’s heart clenched in shock.

Ying'er’s eyes were swollen and bloodshot.

She must have been crying for a long time.

Had she been crying since she sent him that message?

"Ying'er, what happened?"

"Who upset you like this?"

"Don’t tell me you played some weird game and got a bad ending?"

Lin Yu stepped closer, his voice gentle but laced with lighthearted teasing.

Ying'er was usually easy to cheer up.

Besides, his guess wasn’t entirely baseless.

People who fixate on something often let their emotions get tangled up in it.

And the only thing Ying'er ever fixated on…

was her computer.

As Lin Yu ruffled Ying'er’s hair affectionately,

she suddenly lunged forward and clung to him tightly.

"Wahhh… Lin Yu, why did you take so long to come back…?"

Her petite frame melted into his embrace, her head barely reaching his chin.

Hearing her heartbroken sobs, Lin Yu felt a pang of guilt.

Without hesitation, he scooped her up—bare feet and all—and carried her to her oversized, plush gaming chair.

Sitting down, he settled her onto his lap.

"Hey, stop crying, okay? You’re breaking my heart."

"Won’t you tell me what’s wrong?"

Lin Yu grabbed a tissue from the desk and gently wiped the tears from Ying'er’s cheeks.

But who would have thought, the more she wiped, the more the tears flowed, unstoppable.

Fortunately.

Ying'er finally spoke, her voice choked with sobs:

"Wuwu... I stayed up really late last night, you know."

"This afternoon, around three, I suddenly felt so, so sleepy—like I couldn’t keep my eyes open."

"So I lay down for a nap and didn’t wake up until past six..."

"When I opened my eyes, it was already dark outside, and it was raining."

"The room was pitch black, completely silent. I reached for my phone, but there wasn’t a single message."

"I just... I just stared at the dark sky, at the dark room..."

"I felt like the whole world had abandoned me, wuwu..."

"Pretty ridiculous, huh?"

After hearing Ying'er's explanation.

Lin Yu secretly let out a sigh of relief.

So that’s what it was!

Before his rebirth, Lin Yu had experienced this exact feeling countless times.

Loneliness—perhaps a mandatory lesson for every adult.

Even someone as cheerful as Ying'er had moments of vulnerability like this.

Lin Yu didn’t feel like laughing. If anything, he was a little happy.

If anything.

Their Thursday meetup had started as mere curiosity, unrelated to emotions.

But now.

They had taken another step closer to understanding each other, deepening their bond.

Because in that moment when she felt "forgotten by the world."

The first person Ying'er thought to message was him.

"How could I laugh at you? I completely understand how you feel."

Lin Yu responded earnestly, without a trace of mockery.

Ying'er wiped her eyes and stared at him:

"You’re not laughing on the outside... but I bet you are on the inside."

Lin Yu shook his head. "Not even on the inside, I promise."

Ying'er sniffled, her eyes puffy. "Really?"

Lin Yu looked at her adorable expression and couldn’t help it—"I... hahaha..."

Ying'er threw a playful punch. "I knew it!"

Lin Yu: "You made me laugh! Have you seen yourself? You’re like a tear-streaked monkey."

Ying'er: "Hmph!"

With a defiant snort.

She rested her head on Lin Yu’s shoulder.

Her legs curled tightly, as if she wanted to melt into him completely.

As if only this way.

Could she feel truly safe inside.

Neither Lin Yu nor Ying'er spoke, letting the emotions settle in comfortable silence.

"Lin Yu... did I embarrass myself?"

Ying'er fiddled with the hem of his shirt, folding it absentmindedly.

Lin Yu gently stroked her shoulder, his voice tender:

"Of course not. Feeling lonely after waking at dusk is a memory etched in our DNA."

Ying'er lifted her head curiously, her eyes clearer now:

"Are you going to spin a story to cheer me up?"

Lin Yu booped her nose:

"It’s not a story—it’s the truth."

"In ancient times, dusk was when primitive humans gathered."

"That fear you felt upon waking alone? It’s your genes reminding you, 'I’ve fallen behind the group.'"

Ying'er listened intently.

After a moment, a thoughtful expression crossed her face.

"Hmm... sounds like some NPC backstory."

"But I like your... story."

She deliberately paused mid-sentence, then burst into giggles at her own joke.

Her playful, lively demeanor made Lin Yu grin helplessly.

...

(Bonus chapter delivered! Only 346 more "Power of Love" supports until the next bonus update—keep them coming, everyone!)