Let me explain, it's not what you think.

Yu Ning was not holding a child in her arms.

Lu Chen opened his mouth, but before he could speak, he saw Yu Ning walk around the table and to the door. She glanced at him and then reached out to close the cave door.

Then she raised her hand, her fingertips glowing with a faint light, and gently touched the door.

A transparent barrier silently spread out, enveloping the entire cave.

Lu Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

The spiritual light was condensed and did not dissipate, the spiritual power was profound and long-lasting, and the barrier was set up smoothly and in one go. This was something that a Foundation Establishment cultivator could not do!

"You...you're not in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"

Yu Ning turned around and looked at him. There was no panic or evasion in her almond-shaped eyes, only a calm that bordered on indifferent composure.

"I reached the Golden Core stage before I even got married."

Lu Chen felt a buzzing in his head.

"Why keep it a secret?"

"Because I don't want him to know that I'm much stronger than him." Yu Ning's voice was calm.

"I don't want to overshadow his brilliance, so he doesn't know that I'm stronger than him, he doesn't know that he married someone of a higher level than him, he knows nothing at all."

She took a step closer and looked up at Lu Chen's face.

"Just like he didn't know... Bao'er wasn't his."

Lu Chen took a step back, pressing his back against the door.

"What nonsense are you talking about..."

"Senior brother, how long are you going to keep up this act?"

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat.

Yu Ning didn't press him; she simply stood there, quietly watching him. Her almond-shaped eyes held no questioning, no anger, only a certainty that seemed to see through everything.

"Your nose."

Lu Chen subconsciously touched his nose.

"Bao'er's nose is exactly the same as yours. I've seen many people, but I've never seen that shape before. Except for you and Bao'er."

Lu Chen's hand froze in mid-air.

"And that day at the dinner table, when Senior Brother Wang talked about his affairs, your face changed instantly. Others didn't notice, but I did. You were trembling."

"And that time I saw my master's wife..."

She approached step by step, each step unhurried and deliberate, as if she had rehearsed it countless times.

"Later, Senior Sister Jiang moved in with you. A woman who had just divorced, instead of going back to her parents' home or staying in the place arranged by the sect, she chose to stay in the cave of a single junior brother. Tell me, why?"

Lu Chen remained silent.

"Later, Bao'er grew up and looked more and more like a person. Senior brother, do you think it's better to wait until people realize the truth on their own, or is it better for me to bring the child here now?"

She stopped and stood in front of him, so close that he could smell her sweet, milky scent.

"I checked your information. Five elements spiritual root, escaped from the Joyful Union Sect, which perfectly matches what that woman said."

"Senior brother, you're that demon, aren't you?"

Lu Chen leaned against the door, feeling as if all his strength had been drained away.

"Yes."

Even if he wanted to deny it now, Yu Ning wouldn't believe him.

"Now you have your answer, you can leave."

Lu Chen immediately ordered him to leave.

But Yu Ning ignored him and suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Senior brother, I know I did something wrong, but now that it's done, I actually feel relieved."

"For the past three years, I have been living in agony, constantly filled with fear! This state of mind has continued, and slowly, my fear has even overwhelmed my emotions!"

Now that I'm finally free, I ask for nothing more than a place to stay.

Yu Ning knew Lu Chen all too well: righteous, loyal, and soft-hearted.

So as long as she acts pitiful and obedient, he definitely won't leave her to die, although he himself didn't exaggerate to that extent!

"I don't need you to marry me, I don't need your acknowledgments, and I certainly don't need you to turn against anyone for me. I just want him... to have a blood relative!"

Yu Ning sounded pitiful.

Little did she know, Lu Chen was now completely immune to her tricks.

Because Jiang Huaiyu also said the same thing.

"Leave the child here, you can leave on your own." Lu Chen remained indifferent.

"Senior brother, aren't you trying to kill me? He's a piece of my flesh and blood, how can I bear to let him grow up without me?"

Lu Chen frowned upon hearing this.

"I understand your difficulties, but if you're with me, it will cause me a lot of trouble, so it's best if we don't appear together!"

Yu Ning frowned.

Lu Chen is clearly a soft-hearted man, and in theory he shouldn't refuse my request, so why is he so cold now?

"Then why did you agree to let Senior Sister Jiang stay?"

"She...she insists on staying, and I can't do anything about it!"

"Acting first and informing later? It seems my intelligence was wrong."

"What intelligence?"

"Since Senior Sister Jiang isn't leaving, then I won't leave either. Anyway, my cultivation level is much higher than Senior Brother's, so there's nothing you can do about it!"

Seeing that pitying her was useless, Yu Ning became spoiled and willful, but her demeanor remained pitiful.

"???"

Lu Chen was somewhat bewildered.

"Yu Ning, you're not usually like this! You're usually so well-mannered and gentle..."

"I don't know when it started, but I've been like this ever since I gave birth to Bao'er," Yu Ning explained.

"The more afraid I am, the more I want to do everything well, so the me that my senior brother usually sees is not my true nature."

"..."

"Then why are you clinging to me? Don't you know me...?!"

"Because...because no matter who I ask, it's not as good as asking you, senior brother, because only you can perfectly solve the problem!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen closed his eyes in despair and leaned back in his chair.

"If you don't say anything, then I'll take that as your agreement! Well... I'll go rest now!"

Seeing that Lu Chen did not express his opinion, Yu Ning stayed there and returned to her room at lightning speed.

Lu Chen still didn't make a move. With things developing like this, he couldn't even imagine what would happen if he were exposed.

His relatives and friends have been incredibly supportive and kind to him. It's fair to say that without them, Lu Chen wouldn't be where he is today!

And now...

Instead, they live in misery!

Although these were not his faults, Lu Chen still felt uncomfortable thinking about them.

He even thought he might as well just die.

He returned to his room in a daze, fell asleep immediately, and didn't bother with cultivation.

Right now, all he wants to do is escape everything!