The more Meng Chao listened, the more something felt off.
He felt as though he were sitting on pins and needles.
Yet Lü Fanghui's voice grew gentler and gentler, until he sounded almost like a loving father.
"Now, Si Ya has finally obtained the power she dreamed of, but she has also paid a considerable price for it, including with her personality."
Lü Fanghui paused and sighed before continuing. "My daughter's personality truly isn't very good—she is too perceptive and too sensitive. As a 'Sensitive One,' her eyes can see filth that ordinary people cannot, and pierce through the ugliness hidden deep within people's hearts. And she is often hurt by that ugliness.
"To avoid being hurt, she chose to arm herself with an aggressive manner and excessive pride. It is as though her heart was too fragile, so she clad herself in a suit of armor, thick and hard, impregnable, keeping herself battle-ready at every moment.
"A tree that rises above the forest will surely be toppled by the wind. A personality like that naturally brings no benefit. Many people in the circle now call her the 'Queen Bee,' and that is no term of praise.
"As her father, I worry greatly for my dearest daughter. But I also know that if she had not used such a sharp personality to slash apart every hardship on her path to growth, she would have long since been unable to bear the torment and collapsed completely.
"I neither can nor have any way to make my daughter change her personality. I only hope to find someone... whose personality complements my daughter's, someone who can protect and escort her, and lend her a hand at critical moments.
"At first, I found Lin Chuan.
"Back then, Lin Chuan truly was an outstanding young