Su Hua appeared at the door.
She was wearing a white strapless maxi dress, her eyes glistening with a watery sheen, her cheeks slightly flushed, exuding an alluring charm.
Jiang Qing immediately lowered her head.
This version of Su Hua was simply too seductive—even as a woman, she didn’t dare look too long. Young Master Lin must have been utterly bewitched by her.
"You’d better have a good reason for being here," Su Hua’s voice was icy.
"Madam Su," Jiang Qing didn’t dare delay and quickly reported the urgent matter.
"It’s like this—Jiang Shuqin went to Tianmu Group to slander Young Master Lin. She called him an ungrateful wretch, accused him of beating his father and younger brother, and even claimed he bribed the police to cover up his crimes. Now, people online are hurling abuse at Young Master Lin."
Jiang Qing summarized the situation concisely.
Su Hua’s captivating eyes narrowed dangerously, radiating an intense threat.
"Hah—"
She let out a low, cold laugh. "How bold."
Jiang Qing stood still, awaiting Su Hua’s orders.
Su Hua parted her red lips. "Clear Xuan’s name. And since Lin Chang and Lin Li have already been dealt with by Xuan, Jiang Shuqin, as their mother, shouldn’t be an exception."
Her tone grew colder. "Have her captured and tortured thoroughly—just make sure she doesn’t die."
The Lin family, in Su Hua’s eyes, were nothing more than playthings for Xuan.
She refrained from wiping them out for another reason.
After all, they were Xuan’s blood relatives. She feared that if Xuan ever regretted his actions and sought reconciliation, her having killed them would make him hate her.
As long as they didn’t threaten Xuan’s safety, she wouldn’t act rashly.
To Su Hua, the Lin family were mere ants—perfect for Xuan to toy with.
Revenge was always sweeter when taken by one’s own hands.
"Understood. I’ll handle it immediately," Jiang Qing replied.
"Unless it’s an urgent matter related to Xuan, don’t disturb me," Su Hua said coldly.
These days, she only wanted to enjoy her time alone with Xuan, free from interruptions.
"Yes."
Jiang Qing nodded.
"Oh, Madam Su, when will you return to the company?" Jiang Qing asked.
"Probably in two days," Su Hua answered.
She would have loved to keep Xuan locked in Night Garden forever—away from the prying eyes of other women, sheltered under her protection.
But she couldn’t.
Xuan would resent her for it.
She didn’t want him reverting to the person who once desperately tried to escape her.
Two days.
Jiang Qing silently lit three imaginary candles for Lin Xuan in her heart.
Young Master Lin, you’re on your own.
Wait—no.
A thought struck her, and Jiang Qing’s face twisted into a pained expression.
She should worry about herself first.
With Su Hua away, her workload had doubled. A mountain of tasks awaited her at the company.
Su Hua returned to the bedroom.
Lin Xuan sat on the bed in his pajamas, staring helplessly at the chains around his wrists and ankles.
Just how long did Hua Bao plan to keep this up?
Was she seriously aiming for seven days and nights?
He had noticed how much she loved the sound of the chains—each clink seemed to excite her even more…
Su Hua climbed back onto the bed, pinning him beneath her.
"Xuan, have you learned your lesson these past few days?" Her voice was teasing, laced with seduction.
"I have," Lin Xuan nodded vigorously.
How could he not?
From now on, if he couldn’t handle something himself, he wouldn’t dare seek help from anyone else—he’d go straight to Hua Bao.
Otherwise, if she found out and got angry, the consequences would be unbearable.
The punishment these past few days had been seared into his memory.
A thought brightened Lin Xuan’s eyes.
"Hua Bao, does this mean you’re going to stop chaining me up?"
"What are you thinking, Xuan?"
Su Hua’s red lips curled as she leaned close to his ear, murmuring, "Xuan, let’s continue, hmm?"
Lin Xuan: "!!!"
Again?!
He’d already been drained dry earlier.
Seeing his expression, Su Hua chuckled. "Don’t worry, Xuan. I’m just teasing."
She climbed off him, unlocked the chains, and nestled against his chest, her body curling into his.
Su Hua’s mind drifted back to the first time she and Lin Xuan met on that deserted island.
It was her most cherished memory—just the two of them, relying on each other for survival.
But it was also the source of her deepest pain.
The hurtful words Xuan had spoken on that island still echoed in her mind.
Even though she knew he had only approached her to survive—that his kindness had been calculated, not genuine—she couldn’t bring herself to resent him.
All she felt was agony.
She was terrified that Xuan would regain his memories.
If he remembered the past, he would leave her without hesitation.
Maintaining the status quo was all she could hope for.
Lin Xuan sensed the melancholy radiating from Su Hua and gently stroked her back. "Hua Bao, what’s wrong?"
"Xuan, you’ll stay with me like this forever, won’t you? You won’t despise me or leave me, right?" Su Hua lifted her gaze to meet his.
"Of course," Lin Xuan answered without hesitation.
In this lifetime, even if Su Hua tried to drive him away, he wouldn’t go.
A shadow flickered in Su Hua’s eyes.
Xuan…
You said it yourself.
No disgust. No abandonment.
Don’t lie to me…
Meanwhile, the intelligence network’s report had been delivered to Jiang Qing’s phone.
As she scanned the documents, her brows furrowed.
She had known Young Master Lin was neglected by his family, but she never imagined his life had been so harsh.
A monthly allowance of 400 yuan, no help with tuition—despite being underage, he had to wash dishes and wipe tables at restaurants after school just to scrape by.
No wonder Su Hua had secretly arranged jobs for him back then.
With the evidence in hand, Jiang Qing began orchestrating the public clarification.
At the Su family estate, the steward hurried to Old Master Su with his phone.
"Master, we have a problem."
Old Master Su cast a calm glance at him and leisurely sipped his tea.
"Old Chen, haven’t I told you? A peaceful mind leads to a long life. No matter what happens, stay composed."
Old Master Su was in his health-preservation era.
With a grandson-in-law secured and hopes of great-grandchildren on the horizon, he needed to stay in good shape—preferably long enough to see those great-grandchildren marry.
"Yes, yes, yes," the steward agreed outwardly, though inwardly he scoffed.
Call me panicked? Let’s see how calm you stay after this.
"What is it?" Old Master Su continued savoring his tea.
The steward replied, "I overheard the servants discussing Young Master Lin’s situation, so I checked online. Turns out, he’s really being cyberbullied."
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!
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
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."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
