Chapter 18

Ling Zhongyu didn’t immediately grasp Ling Qingxiao’s intention behind wishing him a swift recovery, but instinctively, he felt those words harbored ill intent. Before he could question further, Ling Qingxiao had already turned away with Luo Han.
Just then, a maid hurriedly ran up from behind, shouting, “Eldest Young Master, please wait!”
Luo Han was about to leave, but her intuition told her there was juicy drama unfolding. She instantly planted her feet, eagerly looking back. Ling Qingxiao paused helplessly, choosing to stay beside her.
The maid rushed through the crowd toward Ling Zhongyu and hastily spoke, “Young Master, please return quickly. Our young lady has fallen ill again!”
Luo Han immediately identified the girl's identity: this must be the vicious cousin, Su Yinyue’s maidservant.
This scheming cousin was truly talented at causing trouble—just when Ling Zhongyu was about to accompany Yun Menghan out shopping, she conveniently fell ill again.
Luo Han instantly switched to spectator mode, excitedly anticipating the unfolding drama. She was curious to see which side the male lead would take: his girlfriend or his cousin.
Upon hearing about Su Yinyue's illness, Yun Menghan showed clear frustration, as this scenario had happened countless times. Each time Yun Menghan and Ling Zhongyu spent private time together, Su Yinyue would become ill, and every single time Ling Zhongyu would inevitably fall into the trap and rush back.
Yun Menghan's large, misty eyes immediately welled up with tears, full of grievance as she looked toward Ling Zhongyu. Ling Zhongyu's heart softened immediately, but at that moment, the maid added anxiously, “Young Master, the young lady coughed up blood! Her meridians were already damaged, and she nearly went berserk during cultivation!”
Instantly, Ling Zhongyu’s balance tipped. He quickly whispered to Yun Menghan, “I'll accompany you next time,” and turned to leave without hesitation.
The maid immediately showed a smug expression. Yun Menghan felt aggrieved, her voice quivering with tears as she called out, “Eldest Young Master!”
Not willing to back down, the maid countered loudly, “Young Master, our young lady is extremely weak. She can't wait any longer!”
What a spectacular scene. Luo Han secretly applauded in her heart.
Yun Menghan had long since had enough. But this time, with Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao present, for some reason, she felt an unbearable sense of shame. She couldn’t hold back anymore. Stepping forward, she seized Ling Zhongyu’s hand tightly and said, “You’re always like this. Can’t you see what’s happening? Why is it that she never falls sick early or late, but always right when we’re about to leave?”
Ling Zhongyu hadn’t expected the usually gentle Yun Menghan to suddenly lose her temper in front of everyone. His expression darkened, and he rebuked, “Meng’er, mind your manners.”
Yun Menghan’s eyes turned red with grievance. The moment she blinked, tears spilled down her cheeks. “You promised to accompany me. Last time. And the time before that. You broke your word every single time.”
Of course, Ling Zhongyu knew that Su Yinyue was faking her illness. But she was his cousin—could he really expose her in front of everyone? Even if he understood, having Yun Menghan call it out so directly put him in an unpleasant position. His face turned cold. “Are you accusing me?”
Yun Menghan froze. “No, I...I didn’t mean—”
Before she could finish, Ling Zhongyu cut her off impatiently. “You say you’re not, but have you ever considered my position? You cling to me, demanding my attention, thinking only of what you want, never sparing a thought for my difficulties.”
Luo Han arched a brow, instantly recognizing the subtle manipulation in his words—twisting the situation to make Yun Menghan doubt herself. But Yun Menghan herself was completely unaware. She stood there, stunned, suddenly questioning whether she had truly been too unreasonable.
“If you had even a little consideration for me,” Ling Zhongyu continued, his tone sharp, “you wouldn’t say something so heartless at a time like this. She’s my cousin, and her health is fragile. Whatever you need, can’t it wait until she recovers?”
“I…” Yun Menghan’s eyes brimmed with fresh tears, guilt weighing heavily in her chest. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Enough, don’t cry.” Seeing her in tears, Ling Zhongyu’s tone softened as he reached out to wipe them away. “I know you’re always sensible. You just got carried away for a moment. But you must understand—she is my cousin, and she will always be my cousin.”
After pacifying Yun Menghan, Ling Zhongyu pulled out his golden spirit jade token and handed it to her. “I can’t accompany you to choose a magical artifact, but take this. Whatever catches your eye, just use my token to pay for it.”
Overwhelmed by both gratitude and self-loathing, Yun Menghan felt a deep sense of shame. The young master was always so good to her, yet she let herself be consumed by doubt and jealousy. How could she have been so foolish?
Luo Han, watching from the sidelines, smiled knowingly—what a perfectly executed performance. She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she had the distinct feeling that when Ling Zhongyu wiped Yun Menghan’s tears, his gaze flickered in their direction.
Or rather, not at her, but at Ling Qingxiao, standing just behind her.
Was this...a show of dominance? A challenge?
After handing Yun Menghan a jade token with a spending limit of fifty thousand spirit stones, Ling Zhongyu still didn’t seem satisfied with his display of devotion. His dark eyes locked onto Yun Menghan’s, and he declared with deep sincerity, “Meng’er, my love for you is real. No matter what anyone says, you must remember: no one in this world will ever love you more than I do. I swear it.”
Ah. So Luo Han hadn’t been mistaken after all. This was, without a doubt, directed at Ling Qingxiao.
She shot him a quick glance, but the so-called Celestial Emperor remained as composed as ever, his face as impassive as a jade sculpture, betraying not a single hint of emotion.
Luo Han sighed inwardly, what a pity. Then, without hesitation, she summoned her Heavenly Dao interface.
Time to see if the male lead’s oath held any truth.
With her veil concealing her upper body movements and the Heavenly Dao panel visible only to her, no one found her actions suspicious—though they did think her behavior a little strange.
Ling Qingxiao had been forced to listen to this utterly meaningless conversation. In his eyes, every word exchanged between Ling Zhongyu and Yun Menghan was a complete waste of time. Time that would have been far better spent cultivating.
And then, Ling Zhongyu abandoned Yun Menghan to go tend to Su Yinyue. In Ling Qingxiao’s view, this was simply trading one pointless endeavor for another. If not for Luo Han’s interest, he would have left long ago.
He noticed Luo Han glance at him out of the corner of her eye—curious, perhaps a little amused—before lowering her head to press a few spots on her panel, barely stifling a laugh.
Though he didn’t know what she had seen, it wasn’t hard to guess—it had to be something about Ling Zhongyu and Yun Menghan.
To his own surprise, he found himself in a lighter mood. With a resigned look, he said, “Enough. It’s time to go.”
Luo Han, satisfied, hummed in agreement, put away her panel, and left with Ling Qingxiao. By this time, the male lead had already bid his deeply affectionate farewell to the heroine and rushed off to check on his cousin.
Left standing alone, Yun Menghan felt drained. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luo Han looking at something, clearly amused, while Ling Qingxiao—yes, the infamous and aloof second young master—glanced at Luo Han with an expression that could only be described as...the faintest trace of amusement.
Yun Menghan froze, as if struck by lightning.
Did...did he just smile?
Something inside her cracked. A sudden, overwhelming panic surged through her, and before she knew it, she had blurted out, “Second Young Master!”
Both Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao paused mid-step and turned back to look at her.
Ling Qingxiao’s voice was cold, utterly devoid of emotion. “What is it?”
Tears welled in Yun Menghan’s eyes. The pain in her chest—far stronger than when Ling Zhongyu had left her just moments ago—nearly suffocated her.
“I...I’m scared to go alone. Will you accompany me to choose a magical artifact?”
Now? She wanted him to stay now?
Luo Han raised a brow and shot Ling Qingxiao a knowing look. So that was her plan. No wonder Yun Menghan had let Ling Zhongyu leave so easily—she thought she had Ling Qingxiao in the palm of her hand, ready to move at her command.
Luo Han had been about to excuse herself when Ling Qingxiao, in an utterly detached and merciless tone, replied, “No. I need to take her to receive her command token. And then escort her to class.”
Luo Han blinked. Wait.
He...rejected her?
She had been certain that Ling Qingxiao would dote on the heroine without question, bending to her every whim. After all, later in the story, even when she wavered between multiple men, he endured it all without complaint.
But it seemed that at this point in the timeline, his feelings for Yun Menghan were still at the level of senior brother and junior sister—nothing deeper.
Luo Han found herself unexpectedly pleased. It seemed this demon still had a conscience after all.
She nodded in agreement, then suddenly realized—“Wait. Class?”
Ling Qingxiao, are you even human? Luo Han had been traveling nonstop all morning and had just arrived at Zhongshan. She hadn’t even figured out the roads yet, and now he expected her to attend class?
“Your foundation is too weak, yet you're always making excuses,” Ling Qingxiao calmly and rationally calculated the time for her. “It’ll take you exactly one incense stick's worth of time to pick up your visitor token, including lining up. Then another incense stick to reach your class via sword flight. You'll arrive precisely in time, with half an incense stick left to preview your lesson materials.”
“...Isn’t this considered child abuse?”
“Abuse is defined as physical or psychological harm. I don’t see either here.”
As their voices gradually faded, Yun Menghan stood alone, wrapped in an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
Why had she been so certain that Ling Qingxiao would accompany her just now? When Ling Zhongyu had left, she had felt disappointed but not truly hurt. She had subconsciously thought that as long as Ling Qingxiao was there, he would accompany her. After all, choosing magical tools with Ling Qingxiao was even more reassuring than with Ling Zhongyu.
But now, the Second Young Master had rejected her.
Ling Qingxiao, who had always indulged her, protecting her like spring rain nurturing a plant for the past seven hundred years, was no longer willing to shelter her.
Yun Menghan felt a sudden wave of sadness as she turned back, staring longingly at Ling Qingxiao’s departing figure. He stood beside another woman, both dressed in pure white robes, ethereal and dazzling. Even their mere silhouettes looked so harmonious and enviable.
Why?
If Ling Zhongyu was a blazing, vibrant sun, then Ling Qingxiao was like the moon above an icy river, or snow atop a lofty peak—so flawless it made one shrink back with awe. At least with the sun, one could fantasize about reaching it if one tried hard enough. But the moon remained distant, forever cold and unattainable.
Ling Qingxiao was too perfect, too distant.
Countless female immortals at Zhongshan admired Ling Qingxiao from afar, but none ever dared to approach him, much less pursue him. He was so impeccable that standing beside him brought no joy, only a constant feeling of inadequacy.
So Yun Menghan had given up early on. Everyone envied her closeness with Ling Qingxiao, his constant indulgence, and quiet support. Yet she alone knew the truth—she had never truly gotten close to him.
When Yun Menghan first arrived at Zhongshan, she didn't even recognize the Ling family's two young masters. She had once seen an incredibly beautiful young immortal injured during a mission and, out of kindness, given him a healing leaf from her true form. Only afterward did she discover that immortal was Ling Qingxiao, the famous Second Young Master of Zhongshan.
From that day forward, Ling Qingxiao silently supported and protected her, solving countless troubles for her without ever saying a word or expecting thanks—like rain nourishing a plant without recognition.
He wasn’t just beautiful like a deity; even his virtues were flawless and noble. In comparison, Yun Menghan felt like moss in the shadows—humble, trivial, and ugly.
In the end, she chose Ling Zhongyu. Only around him did she experience joy and sadness, laughter and tears. That was her human world. With Ling Qingxiao, she was content to remain just friends, watching from a safe distance as he ascended ever higher, creating miracles she could only admire.
Yun Menghan believed Ling Qingxiao would forever stand upon his high pedestal, untouched by mortal feelings or worldly desires. But today, she had seen him smile at another woman.
In that moment, Yun Menghan realized she'd lost her chance to ever stand by his side.

Author’s Note:
To properly write the abuse and emotional manipulation between the original male and female leads, I studied many novels about toxic relationships, researched PUA (Pick-Up Artist) techniques, and even watched compilations of notoriously manipulative characters. I am no longer the author I once was.
This chapter showcases Ling Zhongyu’s manipulative behavior toward Yun Menghan to expose the twisted nature of this "dominant, possessive love." Strip away the veneer of romance, and it's clearly unhealthy, a manipulation, a degradation, a form of destruction.
I sincerely hope that if any of my readers encounter a partner who constantly belittles them, manipulates them emotionally, or tries to control them with guilt, you will have the courage to tell them to get out of your life immediately.