Ye Zhi narrowed her eyes. The smile faded from her face. “Has it never occurred to you that your excessive concern for him might be the result of that kind of manipulation?”

Tong Hua’s face twitched. Although she’d grown up pampered and had never really known hardship, her family had remained relatively peaceful under the stewardship of her eldest uncle. There had never been any life-or-death power struggles.

That didn’t mean she was some fool who could be manipulated at will. 

Heart Core Chosen Ones all seemed to be like this. They had seen too many disgusting things, to the point that they never hesitated to judge people from the darkest possible angle, just as those of the Aether Path were inclined to trust absolutely in what they saw, convinced that their own perception was the complete truth. 

Pot, meet kettle. They were all the same in the end. 

Still, as a friend, even if only a self-proclaimed one, Tong Hua felt she had to defend him. “Isn’t it possible that he doesn’t have any ulterior motives?”

A look of pity appeared on Ye Zhi’s face. “Then you’re in an even worse position.”

You throw yourself...