The male supporting character was actually myself.

Back then, she was too young to understand. Now, looking at the tense situation between the demon hunters and the demon race, Yan Mingyue couldn't help but sigh. Harmonious coexistence? Easier said than done!

Chapter Four: First Encounter

Yan Mingyue pulled down the wide-brimmed hat with the ribbon bow tied on her head, temporarily setting aside worldly troubles, and walked briskly along the pebble path towards the lake.

My mother used to bring delicious food and spread a checkered cloth on the grass under the tree, where she and her daughter would share the food and enjoy the pleasant picnic.

Nowadays, no one cooks those delicious meals for themselves anymore.

The picnic food box my mother used has been left unused and never used again...

"Such a powerful aura!" Jiang Chen exclaimed as he lay on the tree. With his eyes closed, he sensed in the "scene" that a person exuding a powerful aura was walking towards him.

The little white cat perked up and peeked out, "Is that the female lead walking over in the white dress? She really is very pretty!"

"If you don't have a good brain, no matter how good-looking you are, it's useless."

Jiang Chen muttered to himself, observing the approaching girl through the gaps in the leaves.

As a demon hunter, Yan Mingyue was used to sensing whether there was any danger nearby first.

Unaware of anything amiss, she strolled leisurely along the lakeside path, reminiscing about the joyful times she shared with her mother.

"Host, is there anything I can help you with?" the little white cat asked in a low, sly voice.

Jiang Chen waved his finger, then gently hooked it in the air.

A gentle breeze suddenly arose, swirling past Yan Mingyue as she passed under the tree.

The white peaked cap was lifted by the wind and fluttered to the treetop.

"Huh?" Yan Mingyue realized immediately that she hadn't been able to catch it, and then looked up at the hat hanging on the treetop with some difficulty.

I can't very well climb a tree like this, since I wore a skirt.

If I use magic... won't it frighten the little demons who are cultivating deep in the park?

They're quite pitiful, weak and harmless, yet driven out of their possession of inner cores by the demon-hunting alliance driven by self-interest. If I were to reveal even a fraction of my aura, the nearby lesser demons would likely have to flee in panic, searching for hiding places and becoming homeless.

"Sigh, never mind!"

She tried to reach it on tiptoe but couldn't, and waiting for the wind to blow it down seemed unlikely; there were no suitable tools nearby to borrow, so she had no choice but to give up.

It's just a hat; I'll buy a new one another day.

"Rustling~ Rustling~"

Just as Yan Mingyue sighed and turned to leave, the dense, drooping leaves rustled and trembled slightly before parting to reveal a beautiful face.

"Is this your hat?" Jiang Chen casually took the wide-brimmed hat hanging on the treetop next to him and handed it over. "It was blown up by the wind."

Yan Mingyue: ...

Oh my god! He's so handsome!

He's way more handsome than celebrities!

How can someone be so good-looking?

"Hello? Is this your hat?" Jiang Chen waved the hat in front of Yan Mingyue when she didn't react.

She then realized that she had been stunned by what she was seeing.

What a shame!

"It's mine, thank you!" Yan Mingyue's face flushed slightly as she took the hat and made conversation, "Why were you up in the tree?"

Jiang Chen smiled faintly, "It's very comfortable to lie here and watch the clouds and wind. Would you like to try it?"

"Me?" Her face flushed even more. She looked down at her skirt, which was below her knees, and shook her head. "No, no, it's not convenient today."

The little white cat, perched on a treetop, scrutinized her from head to toe before rubbing its cheek. "Host, her heart is pounding; she's probably already experiencing that butterflies-in-the-string feeling. Keep it up! Conquer her with your devilishly handsome face!"

Jiang Chen jumped down from the tree and stood next to Yan Mingyue, two heads taller than her. He looked down at her and smiled, "It is indeed a bit of a pity. You can try it another day."

"Lying in the tree?" Yan Mingyue's heart beat even faster when she saw his smile. In order not to be discovered, she turned around and stroked the big tree with her hand, saying with reminiscence, "This tree was planted here when I was a child."

My mother doesn't let me climb trees. She says that every flower and tree has a sense of being.

It's already pitiful enough that it's been shaped like this by someone else, how could you climb up on it and stomp on it and pull on it, adding to its suffering?

The way humans should live in harmony with nature is to respect each other and not disturb each other, rather than imposing human ideas on all things in nature. They cannot speak or escape, but they will be very unhappy.

"It sounds like your aunt is a very kind person."

"Yes, I've been taught since I was little not to hurt flowers, trees, or small animals." Yan Mingyue looked at his bright face and felt a sense of relief. The desire to confide that had been suppressed in her heart for a long time rose rapidly.

Since they're just strangers anyway, there's no harm in chatting.

It's much better than dealing with those stubborn old fogies in the league who won't listen to reason.

Ordinary people cannot expect to make friends, otherwise they will be implicated if a demon clan launches a surprise attack.

Meanwhile, the younger generation of demon hunters who are the same age as themselves are bound by their identities and various interests, and can only be comrades-in-arms fighting side by side rather than friends who can confide in each other.

As for her father and other elders, in their eyes she must be a mature, steady, and responsible saintess, and it is absolutely forbidden for her to show any girlish behavior.

But in any case, I am only twenty years old, and I am far from being at the age where I am quiet and serene.

She wanted to talk to someone about her troubles and her longing for her mother, and she needed someone to listen to her occasional complaints. The handsome, gentle stranger in front of her seemed like a good match.

"How easy is it for humans to live in harmony with nature..."

"Once there's profit involved, everything becomes distorted..."

"Life is too stressful these days, sometimes I really want to just quit and not care about anything..."

…………

Having finally found a safe haven, Yan Mingyue poured out all her grievances. Before she knew it, half a day had passed, and the sun began to set, casting its golden afterglow.

"I'm so sorry!" She looked at the shimmering lake and suddenly realized that she might have said too much. She quickly apologized, "I didn't mean to convey any negative emotions to you. I just felt very relaxed and comfortable chatting with you, so I said so much."

Hopefully, this won't spoil your wonderful spring outing.

Jiang Chen sat down next to her, tossed the small stones in his hand into the water, shook his head and laughed, "Of course not."

Being able to listen to you and help you relieve stress is pretty good, I think.

However, the relationship between humanity and nature is an inevitable trend, and it is difficult for individuals to completely reverse or change it.

Humanity's rapid expansion and development will inevitably harm the interests of nature.

Who can stop social progress?

You can't, and neither can I.

But avoidance is not the solution. True harmony can only be built when human society develops to a certain stage and technological progress no longer requires large-scale environmental destruction.

Fortunately, many people have already noticed the effects of environmental degradation, and isn't this park a way to remedy the situation?

“But the spiritual energy…” Yan Mingyue almost blurted out that “the spiritual energy has been destroyed,” but fortunately she stopped herself in time and corrected herself, saying, “After all, it’s different.”

How can man-made and natural be the same?

Deprived of spiritual nourishment and frequently hunted by humans, those lesser demons could only cower in small corners, barely surviving.

Chapter Five: The Fox Demon's Dilemma

She knew in her heart that while she was talking about humans and nature on the surface, she was actually discussing the conflict between humans and demons.

Jiang Chen had already gained a basic understanding of this leading lady from their brief contact.

She is intelligent and thoughtful, not a naive and love-struck fool, but she is still young and carries too much on her shoulders. Deep down, she does not want to go to war with the demon race, and she is well aware that the demon hunters are driven by profit and are not on the side of justice.

However, there was no one around to comfort her and alleviate her doubts and worries.

In the original storyline, when the male and female leads first met, Yan Mingyue played the role of a mature older sister. Ye Xuan, who was cynical and resentful, complained and cursed Ye Xuan as a useless gigolo, which aroused Yan Mingyue's protective instincts, which shone with maternal radiance, as she already felt guilty.

In the ensuing contact and abusive relationship, she was gradually and forcibly brainwashed and bewitched by the protagonist.

Overwhelmed by the burden, Yan Mingyue simply abandoned everything and eloped in pursuit of "freedom" and "love".

"This is a typical case of a good girl being led astray." Jiang Chen concluded in his mind and decided to save the female lead.

Thinking of this, he smiled slightly and said, "But at least we've already taken remedial measures, which is much better than continuing to destroy things. It's just a pity for those wild animals, many of which are already on the verge of extinction."

"Yes." Yan Mingyue's mind flashed back to the image of demon hunters killing innocent little demons, and her heart was filled with heaviness and guilt.

Even though she was a saintess, there was nothing she could do. After all, in recent years, a highly profitable chain had been formed from the extraction of demon cores to the development of finished products. Even the clan leader could not resist the drive of profit and power.

The demon hunters have long been inseparable from the human world of power and money.

What else can I do besides protest?

Even the demon race's leader—the only ancient nine-tailed fox that has survived to this day—has temporarily retreated from the limelight and hasn't appeared for a long time. How can I, as one of the very few opponents, resist the crushing force of the giant wheel of interests?

"But that's precisely why we can't give up." Jiang Chen said meaningfully, "One person's energy in protecting the environment is limited. If we persist and more people join in, we'll eventually find a solution."

Otherwise, once you give up, there's even less hope.

Yan Mingyue looked at his handsome profile, but her heart was still filled with pessimism.

There's still hope for protecting nature, but the situation of exorcising demons and demons... it's a matter of life and death, and it's not so easy to ease up.

"Let's add each other as friends. You seem to be under a lot of pressure. If you have any unpleasant things to say, you can use me as a confidant." As it was getting late, Jiang Chen took out his phone, showed his QR code, and handed it over.

Yan Mingyue hesitated for a moment.

It's not that she doesn't want to make friends, but rather that she doesn't want to implicate ordinary people because of her special status.

He's a really nice and gentle person, a great confidant...

After hesitating for two seconds, Yan Mingyue took out her phone, scanned the QR code, and added him as a friend. "Um, my job is a bit special. Unless it's something urgent, just leave a message when you need to contact me."

"Sounds like a confidential job?" Jiang Chen chuckled and teased, "I'm quite free, there's almost never a time when it's inconvenient for me. You can come to me anytime you want to talk or vent."

"Thank you for listening to all my rambling." She smiled shyly. "It feels so good to have said what I've been holding in for so long. Thank you!"

The two said their goodbyes politely, and Yan Mingyue looked back long after she had walked a distance, reluctant to part.

Since being marked as a saint at birth, she had never had such a conversation without any worries or barriers. Today, she was able to speak her mind freely and felt so relieved that she couldn't help but smile slightly.

What a lovely afternoon!