Chapter 368: Panic! The Harem Drama is Back?!
Today in the pavilion, Lin Zhongyu’s confession left Yun Zhonghe speechless for a while.
The afternoon cultivation sessions weren’t going well at all. Xing Bu kept teasing Yun Zhonghe endlessly until finally, Yun Zhonghe locked her up inside a Magic Cube to get some peace.
Yun Zhonghe’s mind was a chaotic mess!
He had originally agreed to be an assistant merely to help Huáng Àotiān and the other leading ladies hook up, but what did he end up with? Utter chaos!
Book of Prophecy, do something! You were the one who suggested a clear path back then.
He was starting to doubt if he had made the right choice now.
He wondered what would actually constitute the right way forward.
With his head full of tangled thoughts, Yun Zhonghe decided he should probably just go back home and get some rest. Being in bad shape and forcing himself to train only makes his efficiency worse and worse.
“Yun Zhonghe! Welcom—welcome back!”
On his way back, Yun Zhonghe suddenly heard Ming Rui’s cheerful voice.
Looking up, he saw Chen Leling and Tao Jiu’er waiting for him along the path.
“Chen Leling?!”
Yun Zhonghe froze, then hurried over.
Tao Jiu’er smiled: “Welcome back~Young Master, you must be tired from training.”
“Ah, ah… I’m back. Are you two here to pick me up?”
Yun Zhonghe was actually quite worried. Bringing Chen Leling around the sect like this, wouldn’t it attract attention?
Tao Jiu’er said, “At home, she kept asking me ‘Isn’t Yun Zhonghe here? Isn’t Yun Zhonghe coming back?’ So I couldn’t take it anymore, and brought her out.”
Chen Leling looked slightly pouty: “It’s getting… evening, you know?”
It seemed she had noticed the pattern of his return at night.
Yun Zhonghe laughed, “I’ve been busy lately, can’t promise to be on time. Jiu’er is at home, keeping you company, though.”
Chen Leling clenched her tiny pink fists, a fierce and determined look on her face. She shook them in the air with a serious expression, causing slight ripples: “Good Yun Zhonghe!”
“Well, er… it’s good to hear that.” It genuinely made Yun Zhonghe feel grateful to be so adored by Chen Leling.
Jiu’er wasn’t bothered: “This child really likes you a lot, Young Master.”
Indeed, being stuck to like that was rather gratifying.
Whether it’s a girl or any other creature, he guessed it’d probably feel the same.
Tao Jiu’er explained, “In short, seeing how much she wanted to find you, I just brought her here directly.”
Considering that it was Jiu’er who brought her out, Yun Zhonghe figured everything should be fine. Jiu’er always gets things done reliably.
Even though Chen Leling’s identity issue had been sorted out, Yun Zhonghe still thought it would be best to keep Chen Leling out of sight as much as possible just in case.
Not because she wasn’t beautiful enough, but because she stood out too much.
Who doesn’t love big things?
Thankfully, most disciples were currently focused on the big competition, so fewer would be wandering around outside.
That made things safer for him.
Probably considering this, Jiu’er decided to bring Chen Leling out for some fresh air lest she got bored cooped up at home.
And so, both of them ran out to greet Yun Zhonghe like they were welcoming a hardworking husband home from work, bringing a warm and harmonious feeling.
The scene reminded Yun Zhonghe of bittersweet times.
Maybe it was because Lin Zhongyu’s bold actions today. He was slowly learning to open up, just like a piece of wood being carved.
Each name—Mu Jixue, Lin Zhongyu, Su Xiaoxiao, Tao Jiu’er—held important places in his heart.
Yun Zhonghe couldn’t quite articulate what these feelings meant, except that they definitely weren’t negative.
“Ugh… Yunny, Yunny!”
Just as Yun Zhonghe drifted off in thought, Chen Leling gracefully approached him and started circling around him, like some kind of pet.
Indeed, she acted exactly like one sometimes.
In the end, the three of them walked home together.
As they headed back, Yun Zhonghe warned Chen Leling and Tao Jiu’er again about staying indoors.
“If anything weird starts spreading, it’ll be trouble.”
“We can’t just lock her up forever, right? That would be too sad for her.”
Though Jiu’er could be strict in her teachings, she truly cared about others’ thoughts.
Yun Zhonghe understood.
He remarked, “Feels quite similar to having a cat, deciding whether to keep her caged or let her roam.”
Right then, Chen Leling seized onto the word and repeated it: “Kitten…”
She had recently been reading a picture book with Tao Jiu’er and picked up the word.
Tao Jiu’er quickly reassured: “Oh, sorry, we don’t think of her as a small animal.”
“Mew…!”
Chen Leling suddenly meowed like a kitten.
Yun Zhonghe and Tao Jiu’er were taken aback.
Chen Leling meowed, “Meow~”
So adorable!
Tao Jiu’er agreed, holding Chen Leling and petting her as if she were a cat: “Leling, you’re so cute~~~”
Jiu’er was practically floating hearts above her head.
Yun Zhonghe was also charmed by this playful moment. The elegant lady suddenly acting cute and meowing, what a perfect mix that was.
It was impossible not to be swayed instantly.
Tao Jiu’er nuzzled Chen Leling and kept repeating, “It’s nice, it’s nice…”, as if she were a doting older sister even though their positions seemed reversed.
Chen Leling didn’t seem to mind being cozy with Tao Jiu’er, contentedly purring like a little animal.
Just watching them interact improved their mood considerably, washing away any of his earlier worries.
But then Chen Leling suddenly ran to the roadside and squatted down.
“What are you doing, Leling?” Tao Jiu’er asked curiously.
Chen Leling replied, “Grr… Ow-ah~”
Then she stood up and presented him with—
“Dandelion… Here you go.”
It was a small yellow dandelion.
Chen Leling handed it to Yun Zhonghe.
Tao Jiu’er smiled, “Is this a gift for Young Master?”
Chen Leling nodded vigorously, “Yep, a gift…”
She had noticed Yun Zhonghe’s downcast expression earlier and wanted to cheer him up.
Chen Leling was such a good kid… Her warmth was heartwarming.
Yun Zhonghe happily accepted the dandelion, grateful for her thoughtful gesture, even if it was only a tiny flower.
Over there, Tao Jiu’er pouted enviously, “Oh, how lucky, Young Master, to be loved so much.”
He didn’t understand whether she envied receiving gifts from Jiu’er or…
Yun Zhonghe sighed, “Well… better put this in a cup of water when we get home.”
He used to live alone, so nothing much was in the house. Now with two beauties, he felt the need to add a bit more decoration.
Chen Leling snuggled against him, whining playfully, “Wan~ Head scratch please~ I want~”
“That’s great, great. It’s so nice to see you being so direct.”
Seeing her beg for head scratches, it constantly stirred his protective instincts.
Chen Leling relaxed contentedly under Yun Zhonghe’s gentle touch.
“Ah… That, Yun Zhonghe.”
Halfway through, Chen Leling seemed to recall something and looked at him.
“What?”
“I… like, Yun Zhonghe!”
“…Oh, oh…”
Suddenly being confessed to was a bit embarrassing.
Yet, it was distinctly different from how he felt when Lin Zhongyu confessed.
Before Yun Zhonghe could even process it, Jiu’er narrowed her eyes.
Suddenly, a cold breeze swept past him from behind.
