"Mmm…"
As her injuries healed, the little girl in black, who had been unconscious on the ground, stirred and slowly opened her eyes.
And the moment she saw Lin Yu standing before her, her eyes widened with shock. She sat up suddenly and quickly moved a few steps away from him, eyeing him warily.
"Who… who are you?"
"Who am I? I should be asking for your name. Don't you remember? I just saved you."
Seeing how tense the girl was, Lin Yu couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"You saved me?"
The girl in black blinked, confusion clouding her expression as she tried to recall her memory. It did seem like she had seen this guy earlier—yes, it was him who had stopped the people chasing her…
Realizing this young man had saved her life, her body gradually relaxed, though she remained cautious.
"Where are the ones chasing me? Did you drive them off?"
She glanced around, but there was no trace of the people who had been after her, which made her suspicious.
"Sort of. They won't be troubling you ever again."
Lin Yu smiled but didn't give a direct answer.
But hearing his words, the girl froze. She had understood the implication—he had killed them.
"By the way, you still haven't told me your name. I'm Liángchén," Lin Yu introduced himself with a mischievous smile, giving her a small, playful bow.
"I'm Zhu Zhuqing."
After a moment of silence, the girl in black, Zhu Zhuqing, finally responded.
"Zhu Zhuqing, huh? That's a beautiful name…"
Lin Yu smiled, about to compliment her name when something clicked in his mind.
Wait! Her name is Zhu Zhuqing.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"What?! Cough… Did you just say you're Zhu Zhuqing?!"
"Yes, I'm Zhu Zhuqing. The one you've probably heard about."
Zhu Zhuqing's tone remained cool and indifferent. Since her identity had already been exposed in the livestream, she wasn't surprised that Lin Yu knew her name.
No way! I ran into her here?!
Finding out that the girl in black was none other than Zhu Zhuqing, Lin Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
One of the reasons he'd chosen the Ghostly Duke Mansion over the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, Heaven Dou Empire, or the Star Luo Empire was because of Zhu Zhuqing.
His original plan had been to join the Ghostly Duke Mansion and figure out a way to get close to her afterward.
But now, fate had delivered her right in front of him… Lin Yu found himself overwhelmed with complex emotions.
However, now that he knew she was Zhu Zhuqing, there was no point in hiding his identity any longer.
He had already decided that one day, he would come find her.
And at this point, with his strength, there was no one left on the Douluo Continent who could pose a real threat to him.
Revealing his true identity was just a convenient strategy for moving through the continent now, not a necessity for survival.
Since his face was already disguised by the Mirage Dragon Pearl attached spirit bone, revealing his real name wouldn't compromise him entirely.
"So, your name is Zhu Zhuqing. Well, I'll be honest—I've been lying to you. My name's not Liángchén. It's Lin Yu. I was planning to go to the Ghostly Duke Mansion to find you. I never expected we'd meet here!"
Lin Yu took a deep breath and looked at Zhu Zhuqing, deciding to come clean.
"You're Lin Yu?!"
Zhu Zhuqing's head shot up, her face a mix of shock and disbelief.
"You… You're about the same age as me?"
Lin Yu: "..."
"And why can't I be the same age as you?"
He gave her an exasperated but amused smile.
"Because…"
Zhu Zhuqing wanted to explain but, after opening her mouth, realized she had no idea what to say.
In her mind, Lin Yu was someone who had aced the first Q&A and received a reward for his success—a reward that gave him insight into the past, present, and future of the Douluo Continent. That's why he was able to answer so many of the questions correctly later on.
But that didn't mean he had to be older.
And yet, seeing that Lin Yu was around the same age as she made her head spin.
"You wanted to come to the Ghostly Duke Mansion to find me? Aren't you afraid of the danger?"
After a long pause, Zhu Zhuqing finally asked another question, her cold expression faltering.
"Danger? There's no danger left on the Douluo Continent for me."
Lin Yu flashed a confident grin.
"You might not believe me, but I came to see you because I now have the strength to protect you. I could even take on all the Titled Douluo in the Star Luo Empire, and still manage to get us out of there!"
Seeing Lin Yu's absolute confidence, Zhu Zhuqing's cold demeanor softened, and her eyes clouded with confusion.
"Why do you want to protect me? You don't even know me. Is it just because you've seen my future?"
The fact that Lin Yu was willing to go so far to protect her left Zhu Zhuqing feeling deeply conflicted. She couldn't comprehend why a stranger would be so kind to her, especially when she had been raised in an environment devoid of affection, where the power struggle reigned supreme.
"Do I need a reason?"
Lin Yu shrugged nonchalantly.
"No, there's no specific reason. I'm just following my heart."
"I've seen the future of this continent. Without that mysterious livestream or me, this land would be doomed to devastation."
"I've seen the fate of the world and your fate as well. And honestly, I couldn't just stand by and watch. I have the power to change things, so I decided to act."
Zhu Zhuqing gazed into Lin Yu's eyes, and seeing nothing but sincerity there, she finally let her guard down. The complicated emotions in her eyes began to fade.
That's right—sometimes, you just have to follow your heart.
Like her, in her struggle against her elder sister Zhu Zhuyun, she could have chosen to live a peaceful life, even if it meant giving up on becoming a soul master.
But she had chosen to fight back because she refused to surrender.
In the end, it all came down to listening to the voice inside.
If this person was willing to save her, then he must mean no harm.
And if that was the case, there was no need to remain so guarded.