### Chapter 52: The Female Lead Has Gone A-Wooing!
“Huh? Miss Lin, what brings you here?”
Yun Zhonghe, suddenly called out, turned around, feeling a bit surprised as he saw Lin Zhongyu standing there, looking a tad uncomfortable. She was breathing a bit quick, her cheeks flushed as if she’d seen something scandalous.
Unintentionally, something in Yun Zhonghe’s heart began to stir.
No, no, no! What am I thinking? This is the female lead! Having thoughts about her… am I courting d*ath?
Yun Zhonghe quickly shook off that feeling.
“Is there something wrong? Should we head back quickly? I can get you some recovery pills to replenish your spiritual energy.”
“N-no… I’m perfectly fine.”
Yun Zhonghe: ?
Lin Zhongyu’s gaze darted away, her head lowering instinctively, her face blooming like a ripe tomato.
For some reason, every time she stared at Yun Zhonghe, she recalled what Mu Jixue had said earlier.
Xue’er has already had physical contact with Brother Yun…
The more she thought about it, the more her feelings became tangled, like a ball of yarn stuck in her heart, making her feel utterly wretched.
Finally, she mustered all her courage, channeling every ounce of her strength, and suddenly leapt toward Yun Zhonghe.
“Eh heh!”
With a melodious squeal, she launched herself into Yun Zhonghe’s arms.
Lin Zhongyu wrapped her arms around him tightly, their distances collapsed to an awkward zero.
Yun Zhonghe: σ(っ°д°;)っ
He froze for a second before his eyes shot wide open.
Lin Zhongyu was equally flabbergasted, her round eyes bulging like a bewildered bunny, her pretty face turned into a picture of innocent confusion.
Uh, what am I doing?! This is scandalous! Am I really hugging Brother Yun like there’s no tomorrow? What will he think of me?
Does he think I’m some loose woman? Is he going to be disappointed? What should I say?!
Wahhh! Why did I suddenly lose control like this?
Lin Zhongyu was filled with regret, especially as the silence from Yun Zhonghe made her heart race even more.
What if Brother Yun doesn’t like it when girls hug him?
At that moment, the atmosphere became incredibly tense and awkward. Lin Zhongyu maintained a half-hug position while Yun Zhonghe stood frozen, not daring to move a muscle.
What in the world is happening?
What should I do?!
I don’t know!
Realizing she had jumped into the arms of the female lead, Yun Zhonghe immediately scanned the surroundings, nervously looking for Mu Jixue. He hoped that, in the dark alley, a white-haired ghost wouldn’t suddenly pop out at him, because that would be scarier than any horror movie!
Fortunately, Mu Jixue had been spirited away by Master Youyue.
Phew, no life-threatening worries here! But wait, another question surfaced.
What on earth does the female lead mean by this?
Do not mess with me! I am a pure love warrior, and I do NOT mess with Minotaurs!
Slowly, Lin Zhongyu released Yun Zhonghe, her face still burning, as she took a few shy steps back, softly saying, “In my mother’s hometown, this is the highest form of expressing gratitude. My mother taught me that when you meet someone incredibly important in your life, you should express thanks this way.”
“Huh?”
Lin Zhongyu was making it all up, but she felt she needed an excuse to salvage her dignity.
She gripped her skirt tightly and continued, “I owe who I am today to Brother Yun. You are my benefactor, so I wanted to show my gratitude this way. If I’ve offended you… please forgive me…”
Her head hung low, and her voice was as soft as a whisper.
“U-uh, so this is…” Yun Zhonghe was utterly bewildered.
Is that really a thing in this game?
I don’t remember that.
However, the mention of Lin Zhongyu’s mother, the Falling Star Fairy, only appeared in background info. As for any strange customs from her hometown, Yun Zhonghe had no clue.
But considering this game world wasn’t exactly known for its seriousness, maybe there really are weird customs.
And being someone from Blue Star, hugs aren’t exactly a no-go, right? In some places, kisses are greetings! So what’s a hug among friends?
Let’s not get too carried away, thinking that if a girl shows a bit of intimacy, it means she likes me. That kind of thinking only sets you up for failure!
Besides, I’ve only done a couple of insignificant things. Why would the female lead fall for a yellow-haired guy like me? That just doesn’t add up.
As a yellow-haired dude, it’s already a win if people don’t hate me!
But… Lin Zhongyu really does smell nice.
The fragrance from just now seemed to linger in Yun Zhonghe’s nostrils, reluctant to dissipate.
And this time, it was her who initiated the hug! Unlike the unfortunate mishap with Mu Jixue, this made Yun Zhonghe’s heart skip a beat.
“Nope! Stop thinking too much! The female lead is totally off-limits!”
Realizing he was spiraling into unfounded thoughts, Yun Zhonghe quickly shut that down. He also checked his Book of Prophecy to see if it reacted to the female lead’s unexpected behavior. It showed no warnings, so seemingly, he hadn’t stepped into Minotaur territory—safety achieved!
Maybe the female lead genuinely just wanted to express gratitude.
With this in mind, Yun Zhonghe steadied himself. A smile crept onto his face: “Oh, it’s nothing, Miss Lin. We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends help each other out; it’s the least I could do.”
“Ah… um… y-yeah…”
Her response was a bit stiff, filled with a hint of disappointment, regret, and perhaps unwillingness.
Yun Zhonghe scratched his head, “Did I say something wrong? If I offended you, please don’t take it to heart.”
“Eh? No, no, no! How could I… Yes, we are friends!” Lin Zhongyu quickly nodded vigorously as she realized her slip-up.
What am I doing? Now I’ve made him worry!
Still, she hoped for something beyond friendship.
But it was indeed her eagerness that almost ruined everything.
Reorienting her mindset, Lin Zhongyu donned a simple smile to appear more composed, then cupped her hands: “Brother Yun, now that we are both disciples of the Xuantian Sect, I look forward to your guidance! If you need anything, feel free to send me, Zhongyu.”
Yun Zhonghe bowed in return: “The pleasure’s mine. Please guide me too.”
“Ah, you two! If you’ve arrived, just say so! I thought you weren’t coming back!”
At that moment, Tao Jiu’er’s voice drifted over.
Tao Jiu’er had been waiting for Yun Zhonghe for a while. If it weren’t for his status as the Young Master, she would’ve gone to bed ages ago!
Now, Yun Zhonghe had delayed a whole hour, chatting at the door with Lin Zhongyu, wasting her precious rest time.
Workers of the world unite—no more unpaid overtime!
“Jiu’er, sorry for keeping you waiting,” Yun Zhonghe said, sensing her dissatisfaction as she stood with her arms crossed, clearly not pleased.
When the big sister is unhappy, it’s trouble for the little brother. Though they had a master-servant relationship, they acted more like siblings.
It seems the trope of older sisters bullying younger brothers is a universal one.
When Tao Jiu’er appeared, Lin Zhongyu’s golden eyes blinked with curiosity.
She’d interacted with Tao Jiu’er before; it was actually Jiu’er who had spilled the beans to her earlier. However, she didn’t know much about Yun Zhonghe’s relationship with her.
But now, it felt like, in front of Tao Jiu’er, Yun Zhonghe was a completely different person. He seemed more lively, shedding his typically stoic demeanor.
