"I’m not asking for your forgiveness. I just feel... I needed to say this and apologize to you. If you ever need anything from me in the future, just ask."
Lin Yan watched him, silent for a long time.
Just as Lin Zhaowu was about to break under the silence, Lin Yan finally spoke.
"I accept your apology. Is there anything else?"
Lin Zhaowu’s head snapped up. "Lin Yan, I came to apologize in all sincerity."
"Yes, I know. And as I said, I accept your apology. Was there something else?"
Lin Yan asked again, his tone unchanged from start to finish.
"You... You still won’t forgive me?"
Seeing Lin Zhaowu press the issue, Lin Yan had to laugh. "All you did was talk behind my back. You’ve apologized, and I’ve accepted. Where are you getting this idea that I haven’t forgiven you?"
’Ever since Lin Zhaowu changed how he addressed Lin Qi, I’ve labeled him as someone not to be trusted.’
’The only reason I even let him into the courtyard was because he shouted that warning from below the Combat Platform—that Lin Wang had already completed his Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing.’
’A reformed scoundrel is worth more than gold? One big, happy family?’
’Impossible.’
’Lin Zhaowu’s apology is nothing more than a calculated move to cozy up to power. He’s just switched his allegiance from Lin Qi to me.’
’In fact, I wouldn’t put it past him to be even more devious. That warning he shouted from below the stage could easily have been part of a scheme.’
’If I had lost to Lin Wang, Brother Hai would have been furious. When he investigated, he would have found out that Lin Zhaowu and the others knew about Lin Wang’s breakthrough to the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing but said nothing to warn me. They would have been implicated and punished. Lin Zhaowu’s shout was likely just a way to cover his own ass.’
’But whether that’s the truth or not doesn’t matter.’
’What matters is that he’s someone I can’t trust, and I have no desire to play nice with him.’
’When I first started my training, I was careful not to offend anyone and tried to be as tactful as possible.’
’After all this painstaking effort, training day and night... if I still have to walk on eggshells around someone weaker than me, someone I can’t even stand, then what was the point of all that training in the first place?’
"I’m going to train now."
Lin Yan’s words cut off whatever Lin Zhaowu was about to say.
"In that case... I won’t disturb you."
Lin Zhaowu lowered his head and walked toward the door. But as he passed Lin Yan, his eyes filled with resentment.
’How dare he? I humbled myself this much, and he still won’t forgive me?’
’Wouldn’t forgiving and accepting me make him seem magnanimous?’
’Doesn’t Lin Yan want to earn a good reputation?’
「Lin Mansion, in the Fifth Branch’s territory. A courtyard at the foot of a mountain.」
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. Someone was at the door.
"Who is it?"
A clear voice called from within the courtyard, and the gate swung open.
Standing behind the gate was a woman in her early twenties. She had a slender figure and wore a simple, cyan-colored dress cinched at the waist. It had no embroidery or accessories, save for a thin, pale cyan cord tied around her wrist, which made her skin look exceptionally fair.
When she saw the figure outside the gate, she froze. "Un... Uncle Qi."
’Lin Mingxi never imagined Uncle Qi would appear at her family’s doorstep. Hadn’t the Third Branch said he hadn’t left their ancestral hall in six years?’
Snapping out of it, Lin Mingxi spoke quickly.
"My... F-Father... is in the courtyard. I’ll go get him."
"Mingxi, no need to call for him. I’ll go see your father myself."
"Oh... A-All right."
As Uncle Qi’s figure vanished from sight, a thoughtful look appeared in Lin Mingxi’s eyes. ’Why would Uncle Qi come looking for Father today?’

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