Lin Xuan's thoughts suddenly drifted away.
Why did he feel that a certain part of Hua's body had gotten much bigger than before...
Ahem—
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Lin Xuan hastily reined in his imagination.
Where exactly was his mind wandering off to?
Su Hua noticed Lin Xuan's gaze and raised an eyebrow, asking, "What were you just looking at, Xuan?"
"Nothing." Lin Xuan quickly averted his eyes, not daring to look at Su Hua anymore.
"I know what Xuan is wondering about."
Su Hua smiled enchantingly. "That place is indeed different from before."
"Does Xuan want to know the reason?"
Lin Xuan had a sneaking suspicion that the reason Hua was going to give wouldn't be anything decent.
"Hua, let me help you get dressed quickly. I'll take you out for some good food later," Lin Xuan said, changing the subject.
How could Su Hua let Lin Xuan off the hook so easily?
"Let me tell Xuan the reason. It's because Xuan..."
Su Hua's red lips pressed against Lin Xuan's ear. With a faint smile, she whispered two words.
...
Lin Xuan: "!!!"
"Hua."
Lin Xuan abruptly stood up from the bed.
He seriously suspected that Hua was the reincarnation of a wanton playgirl.
Otherwise, how could a domineering female CEO like Hua say such things?
Lin Xuan didn't even dare to look up at Su Hua. He kept his head down and helped her put on her clothes.
A hint of amusement flashed through Su Hua's eyes.
Xuan was really so fun to tease.
After Lin Xuan finished dressing Su Hua, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hua, it's getting late, and it's already time to get off work. Let's go eat," Lin Xuan said.
"Okay." Su Hua's eyes curved into a smile. "I'll have to trouble Xuan to carry me there, though."
"Hua," Lin Xuan coughed and said, "It's not a good idea to be so intimate in broad daylight with everyone watching."
"Alright then, I'll walk by myself." Su Hua looked as if she had given up on the idea of having Lin Xuan carry her.
She stood up from the bed, but after taking barely two steps, her legs gave out, and she collapsed into Lin Xuan's arms.
If Jiang Qing had seen Su Hua's actions, she would definitely be secretly roasting her in her heart: Boss Su, you're really good at pretending and acting. It's a real pity you didn't go into show business.
If she didn't know Boss Su well enough, even she would probably be fooled by her.
"Hua, are you okay?" Lin Xuan asked nervously.
Su Hua pursed her lips and said, "Xuan, I didn't do it on purpose. My legs are just too weak; I can't walk."
Lin Xuan's eyes shifted guiltily.
Hua had just been thoroughly exhausted by him; it was completely normal that she couldn't walk.
"Hua, I'd better carry you," Lin Xuan said.
He glanced at the time on the wall. The Su Group's off-work time was five-thirty, and it was already six o'clock.
Most of the employees had already left, so there shouldn't be many people to bump into him carrying Hua.
Thinking this, Lin Xuan felt a bit relieved.
Su Hua stayed contentedly in Lin Xuan's arms, a flash of triumph in her eyes.
Lin Xuan carried Su Hua out of the office.
As soon as he pushed the door open.
Jiang Qing's gossipy gaze landed on Su Hua and Lin Xuan. The look she gave Lin Xuan even carried a hint of admiration.
Lin Xuan frowned.
What was with Secretary Jiang's look?
"Secretary Jiang," Lin Xuan asked in confusion. "Isn't it past working hours? Why are you still at the company?"
Jiang Qing shot a resentful glance at Su Hua.
Wasn't it all because of Boss Su? After Young Master Lin rejected her gift, Boss Su was in a bad mood and demanded that all employees work an hour of overtime. Meanwhile, she herself ran off to have a good time with her boyfriend.
Furthermore, Boss Su was so focused on dating that she went on strike. Naturally, the unfinished work fell on her, the secretary, to complete.
Alas, who could blame them? Boss Su was the boss, and they were just miserable wage earners.
Fortunately, Boss Su paid a generous amount for overtime, so the employees basically had no complaints.
Su Hua gave Jiang Qing a warning look, and Jiang Qing instantly understood what she meant.
Fine.
Boss Su was trying to establish the image of a good boss who didn't exploit her employees in front of Lin Xuan.
"Young Master Lin," Jiang Qing replied, "there were some sudden tasks in the company that needed our urgent attention. We all volunteered to stay behind for overtime. Yes, we are all volunteers."
Su Hua withdrew her icy gaze from Jiang Qing.
Jiang Qing was quite tactful. Keeping her around wasn't such a bad idea after all.
Jiang Qing was completely unaware.
Because of that novel about a female secretary sleeping her way to the top, Su Hua had been letting her imagination run wild and was preparing to send her off to Africa. However, thanks to her speech about voluntarily working overtime, she was allowed to stay.
"So that's how it is," Lin Xuan nodded. "Well, Secretary Jiang, you've worked hard all day. Finish up early and go home to rest."
"Thank you, Young Master Lin," Jiang Qing nodded respectfully.
Su Hua clenched her fists.
Was Xuan showing concern for Jiang Qing?
Su Hua shot Jiang Qing a look full of hostility.
Lin Xuan carried Su Hua into the elevator.
Jiang Qing rubbed her neck, her face full of confusion.
Why did she just have the feeling of being subjected to death by a thousand cuts? How bizarre.
Because the CEO's private elevator happened to be under maintenance, Lin Xuan entered the regular employee elevator.
There were currently six employees riding the elevator.
As soon as Lin Xuan walked in carrying Su Hua, the employees' eyes instantly snapped toward them.
Holy crap!
Young Master Lin was actually carrying Boss Su out!
The expression on Boss Su's face... it was their first time seeing it. They were all in their thirties and forties, and most of them were married.
The lingering passion on Boss Su's face, along with the fresh hickeys on her neck, made it self-evident what Boss Su and Young Master Lin had just been doing.
The employees kept stealing glances at Su Hua and Lin Xuan.
Whenever Lin Xuan looked their way, they hurriedly averted their eyes, looking up at the ceiling, staring at the floor, or checking their phones—looking anywhere but at Lin Xuan and Su Hua.
Lin Xuan swept his gaze around the elevator and frowned.
Wasn't work over? Why were there still so many employees around?
Moreover.
He couldn't shake the feeling that ambiguous stares were falling on him and Hua. But when he looked over, they were either playing on their phones or staring at the elevator doors. Not a single person was looking at them.
His senses must have been mistaken.
Lin Xuan felt uneasy.
Having so many people watch him carry Hua was quite embarrassing, especially since Hua's cheeks were currently flushed...
Those employees were going to the eighth floor, the sixth floor, and the fifth floor. They had originally pressed the buttons.
However, when the elevator stopped at their respective floors, not a single one of them got off.
One employee even muttered pretentiously, "We are all clearly heading to the first floor. Who pressed so many buttons randomly? How immoral."
Lin Xuan frowned.
Why did he feel like something was really weird...
Quite a few employees also secretly snapped photos of Su Hua and Lin Xuan.
Many people saw the photos in the company group chat and rushed to the first-floor lobby to wait.
"Ding."
The elevator finally stopped at the first floor.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
