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…”
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
