CHAPTER 100: A NEW HIDDEN ROUTE TRIGGERED!

Zhao Yiming went home soon after confirming that Mr. Wu and his wife were safely settled in the secure house.

Just to be sure, he even hired a professional construction team through the system to quietly repair the old couple’s antique shop—though he didn’t tell Mr. Wu yet.

After all, that old man was full of pride. If he knew Zhao was behind it, he’d probably throw a fit and try to punch him.

But since today was finally a slow day with no urgent quests, lawsuits, or screaming tenants, Zhao decided to spend time with Su Meilin. It sounded like the perfect way to unwind.

However, just as he finished parking his car, the system suddenly chimed in:

[A hidden route has a chance to open!]

[Find Su Meilin as fast as possible and give her the item: ’Su Meilin’s Handkerchief’.]

Zhao Yiming blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"

He quickly opened his system storage and, sure enough, found the item—a soft purple handkerchief embroidered with jasmine flowers.

It looked delicate, feminine, and nostalgic, like something handmade with love. He held it in his palm, frowning.

"Now the problem is... where is she?"

He took out his phone and tried to call her as he left the parking lot in a hurry to get inside the apartment building.

However, before he reaches the lobby. The phone was cut off as he stopped.

Only to be greeted by a cold, automated woman’s voice: "The number you are calling is currently unavailable."

Zhao’s brows furrowed.

"Don’t tell me something happened..." he muttered, slipping the handkerchief into his pocket and starting to text her when he suddenly heard something.

A soft, stifled sob.

His head snapped toward the garden beside the lobby.

He recognized that voice immediately.

He slowly approached her, his steps silent, not wanting to startle her. She didn’t even seem to notice his presence at first.

Her face was buried in her hands, body trembling, and it reminded Zhao Yiming of the second time he ever met her, back when she had cried alone in the garden, cheeks red and heart shattered, grieving her cruel husband in silence.

And now here she was again.

’Is she still crying about the same things... even after all this time?’ he thought bitterly. ’Why does she always have to cry alone like this?’

Without saying a word, Zhao Yiming sat beside her on the bench. The quiet wind rustled through the trees above, blossoms drifting down like soft pink rain. He reached out gently and touched her shoulder.

Su Meilin jolted slightly, her tear-streaked face snapping toward him in surprise. "Y-Yiming...?"

Her eyes widened, and she quickly turned her face away, rubbing at her swollen cheeks with the back of her hand like a guilty child caught doing something wrong.

"Did something happen, Meilin?" he asked, voice soft, patient.

She shook her head too quickly. "N-No! The... dentist pulled my tooth earlier! That’s all... it’s just painful."

Her voice trembled. That lie was weak, and both of them knew it.

Zhao Yiming didn’t press her immediately. He simply looked at her, then sighed. "Meilin... we’re in a relationship now, right?" he said, his voice lowering as he leaned forward. "Don’t you trust me?"

"I do!" she replied quickly, straightening her back and waving her hands.

"It’s not like I’m hiding something, really, you don’t have to worry. You already have so much on your plate, I don’t want to add more."

But even as she said that she gripped the hem of her skirt with white knuckles, her whole body tensed like a cornered rabbit. It made something heavy settle in his chest.

He said nothing for a moment, only pulled something from his pocket and held it out to her.

The soft purple handkerchief.

She blinked and took it carefully, as if the fabric itself was too delicate to touch, and then pressed it gently to her cheek.

"Meilin," he said, "when you don’t share your burdens with me, they don’t disappear, they just become heavier... for both of us."

He reached up and wiped away a tear that had escaped her lashes with his finger. "We’re a couple now, aren’t we? So from now on, your pain is my pain too."

She bit her lip, her tears flowing faster now, though she tried to hold them back.

The wind passed again, scattering a few petals across the ground. The only sounds were her quiet sobs and the wind rustling through the trees.

Finally, she whispered, "It’s... my father. He asked for my inheritance. But not in a normal way... he was cruel, belittling me, treating me like I was nothing."

Her voice broke again. "He’s worse than Jin Haolong, Yiming. At least Haolong didn’t pretend to love me."

Zhao Yiming’s jaw tightened, his hands clenching into fists beside him. "And the slap...?"

She nodded slowly, not meeting his gaze. "I said no. I told him I wouldn’t give him anything, and that I didn’t want to be his daughter anymore." Her shoulders shook. "And he hit me across the face."

He took a deep breath through his nose. His chest felt like it was burning. A man like that... how could he still call himself a father?

"He even told me to fight for Jin Yuexin’s part," she said with a little more strength now, though her tears didn’t stop.

"Said I should take all of it for myself. That I was stupid to leave it behind."

Her voice cracked, and then she looked up at him with teary purple eyes. "I told him no. I told him I didn’t want to live like that. I told him I wanted to cut him off... I’m not a bad daughter, am I?"

Zhao Yiming’s heart clenched. He reached out and placed his hand gently on her head, rubbing softly.

"No, Meilin... you’re not a bad daughter. Some people just don’t deserve the title of parent. And cutting ties with someone who hurts you, it doesn’t make you bad. It makes you human."

Her eyes filled with warmth as she stared at him, her lips trembling before she launched herself into his arms, hugging him tight.

"Thank you... thank you, Yiming," she whispered, clinging to his chest.

He rubbed her back softly, not saying anything more. In his heart, something bitter churned. Not because of her, but because he saw himself in the mirror of her pain.

He had been a bad father once, too... and now, more than ever, he wondered what Yaya thought of him. Would she look at him the same way Meilin looked at her father?

He didn’t know.

But he knew one thing—he would never let Meilin suffer like that again.

Then, suddenly, the system chimed in:

---

[You have successfully entered a new Hidden Route!]

[Route Unlocked: Breaking Free From the Chains of the Past]

[Complete this route to earn major rewards and unlock new relationship developments.]

[This route has multiple endings depending on choices and support given to Su Meilin.]