Jiang Shuqin and the others hurried over in a rush.
They searched all the way to the lakeside.
When Lin Li saw Jiang Shuqin's figure, his gaze flickered slightly.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
Didn't Lin Xuan want to leave the Lin family to gain Jiang Shuqin's attention?
Didn't he manage to win over the eldest sister's affection?
Well, Lin Li would turn Lin Xuan's previous efforts into ashes.
"Brother, just go back. I've always seen you as my brother, and the eldest sister misses you too," Lin Li suddenly grabbed Lin Xuan's hand.
Then, he made a move as if he was pushed by Lin Xuan, falling backward.
With a loud splash, Lin Li fell into the lake.
Lin Xuan's lips twitched. It seemed the Lin family members had arrived, putting on this act with him.
Sure enough, Jiang Shuqin and the others' frantic cries came from behind, "Li'er!"
Lin Li couldn't swim and flailed in the water.
Lin Qingwan jumped into the lake and saved Lin Li.
They arrived just in time, and Lin Li only choked on a few mouthfuls of water.
"Mom, eldest sister, second sister," Lin Li said weakly, "I'm fine. I accidentally fell into the lake myself; it has nothing to do with Brother. Don't misunderstand him."
"We all saw it! Li'er, he knew you couldn't swim, yet he still pushed you into the lake. He wanted you dead, do you understand? If he wasn't deliberately doing this, why didn't he jump in and save you immediately? He knows how to swim!"
"Even after he treated you like this, you still defend him!" Jiang Shuqin exclaimed in a panic.
What if they hadn't arrived in time, and Lin Xuan didn't save Li'er? Would Li'er have drowned?
Jiang Shuqin felt a wave of fear.
Lin Qingwan wore a face full of disappointment.
She truly ached for Xiao Xuan's experiences, but his jealousy was too intense. She knew he couldn't tolerate Xiao Li, but she never expected him to push Xiao Li into the lake.
Lin Qingyan looked utterly disgusted, "Lin Xuan, didn't you cut ties with the Lin family? Why are you showing up at Xiao Li's birthday party?"
Lin Li pursed his lips and said, "Second sister, I invited Brother here. We used to celebrate birthdays together, so I invited him this time."
Jiang Shuqin, frustrated, said, "Li'er, how can you be so stubborn!"
"He never treated you well, yet you still see him as your brother?"
"But, Mom," Lin Li said dejectedly, "Brother was originally the sole heir of the Lin family. I, an outsider, took his place. I'm sorry to Brother."
"If it weren't for my existence, you wouldn't have conflicts with Brother, and he wouldn't have left the Lin family. Originally, I planned to return the Lin heir's identity to Brother, but I couldn't bear to part with your love for me, Mom."
Jiang Shuqin hugged Lin Li with affection.
Indeed, Li'er never felt secure in the Lin family and had been living in constant anxiety all these years.
Jiang Shuqin couldn't help but feel resentment towards Lin Xuan in her heart.
She had abandoned him already, so why did he have to return?
If he hadn't come back, Li'er wouldn't be so insecure, nor would he keep getting hurt.
Jiang Shuqin deeply regretted that she should have strangled Lin Xuan to death back then.
"Li'er, don't think too much. You'll always be my son, Jiang Shuqin's son. And you're my only son."
"Thank you, Mom," Lin Li said with heartfelt gratitude.
Lin Qingwan stepped forward, frowning, "Xiao Xuan, this time, you're in the wrong. You should apologize to Xiao Li."
"Heh," Lin Xuan scoffed, "Lin Qingwan, is this what you call compensation? Assuming it's my fault from the start?"
His tone was mocking.
His eldest sister was the most duplicitous.
Every time she claimed she wanted to compensate him and be good to him, he wouldn't believe her.
Of course, even if it was true, he didn't care anymore. He didn't need this so-called family affection anymore.
Lin Qingwan frowned.
Xiao Xuan still wanted to quibble, even now?
"Xiao Xuan, I just saw everything with my own eyes. This is a matter of principle. Even if I want to be good to you, I can't shield you," she said.
"Xiao Xuan, get rid of your bad habits. It won't do if you treat others like you do with Xiao Li. The family won't be able to protect you, and you might end up in jail."
"I'm doing this for your own good, Xiao Xuan."
Jiang Shuqin impatiently said, "Wan'er, why are you saying so much to him? If he could change, he would have already!"
"He's rotten to the core. This time, we can't protect him. We must teach him a lesson. Call the police, right now!"
Lin Li's lips curved triumphantly.
It had always been like this from a young age. He only needed a small trick to make Lin Xuan be scolded by everyone in the Lin family.
"Clap, clap, clap—"
Lin Xuan clapped his hands, "Bravo, truly a masterpiece. You really are a united family!"
"But there's an interesting video here. Want to see it?"
Lin Xuan played a video.
The video was silent, showing only the footage of the quarrel between Lin Xuan and Lin Li by the lake.
It was clearly evident.
Lin Li had grabbed Lin Xuan's hand, and Lin Xuan hadn't exerted any force on Lin Li.
So, it was entirely Lin Li who fell into the lake himself.
Lin Xuan only felt regretful. The surveillance camera lacked sound, or else they would have seen Lin Li's true nature.
By the way, this surveillance camera was too crappy—it malfunctioned at the crucial moment.
Lin Li's face stiffened.
How did Lin Xuan get this video? His eyes were fixed on Lin Xuan's chest.
Damn it!
He hadn't noticed Lin Xuan wearing a surveillance device!
Lin Qingwan's face was full of guilt, "Xiao Xuan, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you."
Just now, she and her mother had assumed Xiao Xuan was at fault from the start.
She had caused Xiao Xuan so much pain like that.
"Brother, I'm sorry. It was my fault. If I hadn't fallen into the lake myself, Mom and the others wouldn't have misunderstood you. Luckily, you brought the surveillance camera, proving your innocence," Lin Li said softly.
"Enough, what's there to apologize for?" Jiang Shuqin sneered, "This time, it was a misunderstanding. What about the past? Hasn't he hurt you enough before?"
"Li'er, forget about him. Let's go change our clothes. We can't delay your birthday party."
Jiang Shuqin helped Lin Li leave.
"Xiao Xuan..." Lin Qingwan was still full of guilt.
"Sister, don't mind him. You're all wet, hurry up and change clothes, or you'll catch a cold," Lin Qingyan dragged Lin Qingwan away.
Lin Xuan walked into the banquet hall indifferently.
At that moment, a Maybach stopped in front of the Imperial City Hotel. Amongst the luxury cars, it wasn't particularly noticeable, but it was the extraordinarily flashy license plate with a string of nines that caught attention.
Many in Yundu City recognized this plate.
A servant from the Lin family excitedly ran to Lin Chang and Jiang Shuqin, "Master, Madam, a Maybach just parked at the hotel entrance."
Jiang Shuqin frowned, "Isn't it just a Maybach? Why are you so excited?"
"Madam, that's Su Hua's car from Su Corporation!"
] [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!"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
