The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Chapter 4: 4. Lin Zhaoyue (Lite Ver.)

Following the traces of her aura he vaguely sensed through the memories of the original owner, Lin Xuan eventually arrived at a quiet lake within the estate.

The noise of the awakening ceremony could no longer be heard here.

The water reflected the afternoon sunlight like a sheet of polished jade.

Sitting on a smooth stone by the shore was the small figure.

Her shoes had been set aside neatly beside her, and her bare feet were dipped into the cool water. Every now and then she gently waved them about, sending small ripples spreading across the lake’s surface.

For the first time since the ceremony, she looked like an ordinary child.

Lin Xuan stood there silently for a moment before speaking.

"Zhaoyue."

His voice was soft.

The girl immediately turned around.

For a brief moment, surprise flashed across her face.

Then it was replaced by something else.

Fear.

Lin Xuan stopped where he was.

The sight stunned him.

Fear?

She was afraid of him?

Despite searching through the memories he had inherited from the original Lin Xuan. freewebnoveℓ.com

There were no memories of beatings or abuse.

If anything, the original Lin Xuan had cared deeply for this daughter. Most of his memories involving her consisted of teaching her, accompanying her, or quietly feeling proud of her achievements.

Then why? Why would she look at him like that?

The fear vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared, but Lin Xuan had already seen it.

He knew he hadn’t imagined it.

The little girl quickly stood up and lowered her head.

"Patriarch..."

Her voice was unusually quiet.

"What are you doing here?"

The title made Lin Xuan frown.

Instead of answering immediately, he walked over and sat down on the grass beside the lake.

The movement seemed to catch Lin Zhaoyue off guard.

After all, it was not every day that the Patriarch of the Lin Family sat on the ground like an ordinary person.

Lin Xuan stared at the rippling water for a few moments before speaking.

"Who’s the Patriarch?"

Lin Zhaoyue blinked.

"What?"

Lin Xuan turned his head toward her.

"Am I not your father?"

The young girl’s body stiffened and for a moment, she simply stared at him.

The wind brushed past the lake, carrying with it a silence that felt strangely heavy.

Lin Xuan watched her carefully.

The inherited memories told him that she used to call him Father when she was younger.

Somewhere along the way, that had changed.

Patriarch.

A title that created a clear boundary between them.

The more he thought about it, the less he liked it.

"I asked you a question."

His voice softened.

"Am I not your father?"

Lin Zhaoyue lowered her gaze.

Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the edge of her sleeve.

"You are."

"Then why are you calling me Patriarch?"

The question left her momentarily speechless.

Lin Xuan noticed the conflict in her eyes and felt an inexplicable ache in his chest.

The child before him seemed less like a daughter speaking to her father and more like a subordinate facing her superior.

The silence between them lingered for a few moments before Lin Zhaoyue finally lowered her head and spoke.

"Father."

A polite smile appeared on her face.

Lin Xuan immediately sensed that something was off. The word was correct, and so was the smile, but neither felt natural. It was as though she were responding to an expectation rather than speaking from her heart. Nevertheless, he chose not to point it out. Some things could not be rushed.

"Come here," he said, patting the grass beside him.

Lin Zhaoyue obediently moved over and sat down at his side.

The lake rippled quietly before them. Neither spoke for a while, allowing the peaceful atmosphere to settle between them. As Lin Xuan watched the sunlight dancing across the water, a memory surfaced from the original owner’s recollections.

"If I remember correctly, the family possesses a rather rare medicinal herb that can improve—"

"No, Father."

The interruption came so quickly that it caught him by surprise.

Lin Zhaoyue turned toward him with unusual urgency. "I’m fine. I don’t need that herb."

For the first time since arriving at the lake, her composure cracked slightly.

Lin Xuan looked at her in silence, the speed with which she rejected the idea suggested that she had anticipated the conversation long before it happened.

A trace of guilt rose in his heart.

Ever since witnessing her awakening, he had instinctively searched for ways to solve the problem.

Whether it was rare herbs, secret techniques, or opportunities hidden within the system, his thoughts had revolved around improving her cultivation prospects.

Yet he suddenly realized that nobody had actually asked what she wanted.

Everyone else had treated the awakening result as a disaster. He had done the same.

Perhaps he had been no different from the clan elders who viewed her worth solely through the lens of talent.

Lin Xuan quietly shook his head and let the topic drop.

"Very well. Then we won’t talk about herbs."

The tension in Lin Zhaoyue’s shoulders eased slightly, and a flicker of surprise appeared in her eyes.

After a moment, Lin Xuan asked, "Tell me, Zhaoyue, what do you enjoy doing?"

The question clearly caught her off guard.

She blinked several times before looking away toward the lake.

No answer came immediately.

Lin Xuan found himself oddly unsurprised. From the fragments of memory he had inherited, he knew that Lin Zhaoyue had always been regarded as a prodigy.

The clan praised her intelligence, the elders praised her maturity, and her peers envied her accomplishments. Everything in her life seemed to revolve around cultivation and the expectations attached to her talent.

In such an environment, there was little room for a child to think about what she personally enjoyed.

When she finally spoke, her voice carried a hint of uncertainty.

"I like reading."

Lin Xuan smiled.

"Only reading?"

Lin Zhaoyue thought for a moment.

"I also like sitting here."

Her gaze drifted toward the water.

"The lake is quiet. Nobody comes here very often."

For the first time since they had met by the shore, Lin Xuan saw something genuine in her expression.

It was not the mature composure she displayed before the clan, nor the polite smile she used when speaking to adults. It was a simple fondness that seemed appropriate for a girl her age. freeweɓnøvel.com

Watching her, Lin Xuan felt the knot in his chest loosen slightly.

Perhaps the cultivation world had already taken many things from this child.

At the very least, he did not want it to take the rest.