Lin Tianba shook his head but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to make a final decision. He decided to wait a little longer.
If there was no turnaround by the end of the month, then he’d have no choice but to go through with it.
Having gone a full night without rest, he looked utterly worn out. Combined with his injuries, he cut a pitiful figure.
With hollow eyes, he dragged himself back to his pigsty of an apartment, not even bothering to go to the hospital…
While Lin Tianba was resting, Luo Yao, who was at her estate, received a message.
[Boss, it’s done. Lin Tianba is finished this time.]
A pleased expression crossed Luo Yao’s face.
She thought how happy Ran would be when he heard the news.
She would always be there to protect him.
Monday arrived, and the world resumed its usual rhythm. Lin Ran was invited out by Wu Zhishang.
An hour earlier, Wu Zhishang had happily attended what he considered an unexpected date.
Chen Qingtian had taken the initiative to reach out to him, asking to meet. Wu Zhishang had even wondered if he was dreaming.
Sitting across from each other at the address Chen Qingtian had sent, Wu Zhishang couldn’t help but overthink.
He knew he was just a nobody, unworthy of someone like Chen Qingtian. But what if there was a chance?
What if she genuinely appreciated his endearing cluelessness?
What if she wasn’t just using him to get close to Lin Ran?
What if she, like Lin Ran’s wife, had a thing for puppy-like guys?
What if…
“What’s on your mind?” Chen Qingtian’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Wu Zhishang tensed up immediately.
His grip on the coffee cup faltered, and he shook his head. “Just thinking about work stuff.”
“You’re out with me, and you’re thinking about work? Am I not pretty enough?”
Wu Zhishang flushed, remembering the first time he’d seen Chen Qingtian at the Pangu Hotel, swaying with her in the middle of the dance floor.
“So… what did you want to talk to me about?”
He still refused to believe Chen Qingtian was here for romance—because he knew he wasn’t good enough.
Chen Qingtian nodded. “I need you to help me arrange a meeting with Lin Ran.”
Wu Zhishang felt like he’d been doused in ice water. His heart sank.
“Lin Ran is married. What are you trying to pull?”
“Married? But he’s only twenty-three!” Chen Qingtian looked genuinely shocked.
Seeing her reaction, Wu Zhishang thought, Just as I suspected. She’s after Lin Ran.
“Yeah, and my sister-in-law is an amazing woman. I suggest you drop whatever ideas you’re entertaining.”
It took Chen Qingtian a moment to recover. She stared blankly before speaking.
“We’re friends, aren’t we? Last time you got dumped, I was the one who got drunk with you. The way you’re talking to me now makes me feel like you’re biting the hand that fed you.”
Wu Zhishang replied matter-of-factly, “If you weren’t lusting after Lin Ran, we could still be friends. But now, I have to shut you out—for his sake and his wife’s.”
I have to protect the best version of Lin Ran for my sister-in-law, he thought.
His bluntness wasn’t surprising—he and Lin Ran got along precisely because they shared similar personalities.
Chen Qingtian was so angry she laughed.
“Oh, wow. So this is how you see me? Some homewrecker?”
“Aren’t you?” Wu Zhishang shot back.
“I! AM! NOT!” she roared, then paused.
Don’t lose your temper. Stay calm. I’m Chen Qingtian, a public figure. I have to maintain my dignity.
Wu Zhishang pressed, “Then why do you want to meet Lin Ran?”
Chen Qingtian took a deep breath, recomposing herself into the poised celebrity she was supposed to be.
“I have something important to discuss with him. Just help me set up a meeting, and I’ll give you ten grand.”
Wu Zhishang scoffed. “Do I look like the kind of guy who’d sell out his brother for money?”
Ten grand? Seriously? My sister-in-law hands out checks like candy.
Chen Qingtian fell silent for a moment.
“Then what will make you help me?”
Wu Zhishang crossed his arms. “Tell me the real reason. If I’m convinced you’re not a threat to Lin Ran’s happiness, I’ll consider it.”
“You really think so little of me? That I’d stoop to being a mistress?”
“People aren’t always what they seem. You’ve been acting suspicious from the start—always fishing for info about Lin Ran.”
For some reason, seeing Wu Zhishang’s stupidly earnest face made Chen Qingtian want to mess with him.
“Fine, you got me. What if I do like Lin Ran? What then?”
Wu Zhishang immediately bristled.
“Oh, hell no! You think you can just waltz into his marriage? Sure, you’re decent-looking, but you’re nothing compared to my sister-in-law. Lin Ran loves her—truly loves her.”
“And let me give you some advice: being a mistress isn’t glamorous. You’re like an uninvited stray, barging into someone else’s life without a clue.”
“Love isn’t built on other people’s pain. What you’re chasing isn’t romance—it’s moral bankruptcy. You’re like a rat in the shadows, too ashamed to face the light.”
“So let me leave you with two words: Don’t.”
Chen Qingtian trembled with rage but forced herself to stay composed.
“‘Don’t’ is one word.”
Wu Zhishang smirked. “Oh, wow. You can count! I thought you’d go for the third.”
That was the last straw. Years of etiquette training and public image discipline crumbled in an instant.
“YOU! LITTLE! SHIT!” she screamed, hurling her coffee into his face.
This bastard is insufferable!
Wu Zhishang wiped the coffee off his face. “Bit bitter. Not as sweet as Lin Ran and my sister-in-law.”
Chen Qingtian stared at her empty cup in disbelief.
What did I just do? She glanced around frantically—thankfully, no one had seen. Her reputation would’ve been ruined.
As Wu Zhishang stood to leave, Chen Qingtian panicked.
“Wait! You can’t go yet. I’m not done.”
Wu Zhishang turned back, raising an eyebrow. “What? Trying to redeem yourself? Won’t work. I’m not helping you meet Lin Ran.”
Chen Qingtian took another deep breath, though her voice still shook.
“Relax. I’m not into Lin Ran. I need to talk to him about something else.”
“Sure. ‘Something else.’ Like being his side piece,” Wu Zhishang muttered.
“You—! Ugh, fine. I’ll tell you the truth, but you cannot tell anyone. Actually… what I have to say is in the next chapter…”
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
For the sake of his unrequited love, his ex-girlfriend abandoned him at the altar, indirectly causing the death of his parents. Just when he thought his life was plunged into darkness, a clueless yet beautiful girl unexpectedly took him in. Looking back, he realized how many hidden gems had always been by his side. A childhood friend who had secretly loved him for over a decade, a stunning but socially clueless school beauty, a mischievous and playful girl who lived for chaos... His ex, filled with regret, pleaded: "I was wrong—can we go back to how things were?" Before he could respond, the girl stepped in front of Ye Shuang and coldly declared, "If you didn’t cherish him, then he’s mine now." Also known as: "After Losing My Job, I Was Picked Up by a Hidden Gem," "The School Beauty I Raised," and "Oh No, I’m Surrounded by Rich Girls."
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
