"Young Master Lin, don't misunderstand," Butler Wang hurriedly stepped forward to explain. "Miss and Young Master Huo aren’t the kind of relationship you’re thinking of."
"Then tell me, what kind of relationship are they?" Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow.
Butler Wang replied, "They’re just ordinary friends, nothing more intimate than that."
Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "I actually think they’re barely even friends."
Butler Wang was taken aback.
Was that really how Young Master Lin saw it?
"Then what did you think I’d assume, Butler Wang?" Lin Xuan asked with a smirk.
Butler Wang said, "I thought you might suspect there was something ambiguous between Miss and Young Master Huo."
Lin Xuan said seriously, "Hua Bao has only ever liked me, only ever been ambiguous with me. As for other men—"
He chuckled, a faint smile curling at his lips. "She wouldn’t spare them a second glance."
Butler Wang: "..."
Young Master Lin’s words were quite self-indulgent.
But he wasn’t wrong. Miss was completely devoted to him, with no mind for other men.
"Young Master Lin," Butler Wang couldn’t resist pouring cold water on his confidence. "Young Master Huo seems quite fond of Miss. Aren’t you worried he might steal her away one day?"
"Butler Wang, I’m not bragging, but even when I resisted Hua Bao, she never gave up on me. Now that we’re in love, how could she possibly be swayed by this so-called Young Master Huo?" Lin Xuan declared confidently.
In his past life,
he hadn’t left the wedding with Hua Bao. Instead, he married Qin Ruoyao as planned.
Even then, until the day they died together, Hua Bao had never been with another man.
So, if she hadn’t cared for Young Master Huo in that life, she wouldn’t in this one either.
"You’re right," Butler Wang nodded in agreement.
No wonder Young Master Lin was so sure of himself.
"By the way, Butler Wang," Lin Xuan inquired, "how’s it going with the one you fancy?"
"Well..." Butler Wang coughed lightly, a little embarrassed. "We haven’t made it official yet. Still in that ambiguous stage, but it’s close."
"Not bad," Lin Xuan grinned. "Keep at it, Butler Wang. Try to win her over soon."
"I’ll do my best," Butler Wang chuckled.
At 5 p.m., Su Hua returned to Night Garden. As she entered the villa, a gardener muttered nervously, "Oh no, Miss is back. What do we do?"
"Don’t worry, maybe she won’t pursue it."
"But Young Master Lin is bound to ask about Young Master Huo. Once he does, Miss will know someone leaked the information. She’ll definitely have Butler Wang investigate."
Hearing this, the servants grew anxious.
Butler Wang had seen exactly who told Lin Xuan about Young Master Huo.
All they could do was clasp their hands and pray—hoping Miss wouldn’t kick them out of Night Garden once she found out.
During dinner, Lin Xuan didn’t mention Young Master Huo once.
After eating,
Su Hua settled onto Lin Xuan’s lap. The faint, sweet fragrance unique to her filled his senses.
"A-Xuan, what’s on your mind?"
Su Hua could tell he’d been holding back something since she returned.
"Hua Bao, I was wondering..." Lin Xuan began. "Have you ever liked anyone before? Even just a little bit?"
"Yes," Su Hua answered without hesitation.
Lin Xuan’s tone turned sour. "So Hua Bao did have feelings for someone else."
Of course—childhood sweethearts. How many of those stayed purely platonic?
Especially since Young Master Huo had once saved her life.
"I’ll tell you who it was," Su Hua whispered against his ear, smiling. "It’s you. From beginning to end, you’re the only man I’ve ever loved."
Lin Xuan: "...Hua Bao, I meant before now."
Su Hua’s eyes curved playfully. "I fell for you years ago. Doesn’t that count as ‘before’?"
Lin Xuan: "..."
Well, he had no comeback.
But why did he feel so smug about it?
Butler Wang watched Lin Xuan, raising an eyebrow.
The hardest thing about this man was his mouth.
Look at him—claiming not to care, yet asking all these questions. He was clearly bothered.
Butler Wang smiled to himself.
A little jealousy wasn’t bad.
It proved Young Master Lin truly cared for Miss.
"Also, Hua Bao," Lin Xuan pressed. "Aside from me, is there any other man who left a deep impression on you?"
"Yes," Su Hua nodded.
"Who?" Lin Xuan pressed.
Su Hua: "Grandfather and Butler Wang."
Lin Xuan: "..."
He’d expected her to say Young Master Huo.
After a few more questions, Su Hua still hadn’t mentioned the so-called Young Master Huo.
Lin Xuan was pleased.
After dinner, Su Hua went upstairs first.
"Butler Wang, see?" Lin Xuan grinned. "Hua Bao doesn’t even remember this Young Master Huo. She doesn’t care about him at all."
"Young Master Lin," Butler Wang couldn’t resist dousing his arrogance again. "When couples ask these things, who in their right mind would admit to a childhood sweetheart like Young Master Huo? Most would hide it tight."
"Damn it, Butler Wang, if you’ve got nothing useful to say, then shut up," Lin Xuan glared.
"Understood," Butler Wang sealed his lips with an imaginary zipper.
Lin Xuan scoffed. "Seems this Young Master Huo does have feelings for Hua Bao. But if he dares show his face and covet her, he’d better be ready for what’s coming."
He cracked his knuckles, rolling his wrists.
"Young Master Lin," Butler Wang couldn’t help warning. "He’s one of Miss’s most capable subordinates, and his own influence is strong. Dealing with him won’t be easy."
"Don’t worry. I have my ways," Lin Xuan smirked coldly.
Hua Bao was his greatest weapon.
Shang
"Boss," a subordinate rushed in, head bowed nervously. "Forgive me—the assassination mission failed."
"What? Again?" Zhao Long’s eyes widened.
This mission targeted a high-ranking official in Malaysia. Success would’ve secured their protection within the country—and a hefty reward.
Shang had been crippled by Ling and Lin Xuan’s joint attack. They desperately needed a safe haven to recover—and the payout.
He’d sent his best men.
Yet, the target proved tougher than expected!
Tired and sleepy, folks. Goodnight!
Thanks to 15ww51 for the character summons!!
And to Mie-la’s Dog, Ye Huahua, and other sweethearts for the gifts.
Uu.
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
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?
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...
