"Yes, I remember now," Lin Xuan sneered. "I remember everything that happened during those two months."
The last glimmer of hope in Su Hua's eyes was completely extinguished.
Her steps faltered slightly.
He really remembered…
Lin Xuan continued, "I remember our first meeting—when you tried to kill me."
"I remember how I tried to talk to you, and you responded with nothing but disdain."
"And I remember how you killed your uncle, covered in blood, then dismembered his body."
His words pierced Su Hua’s heart like sharp blades, just as they had on that island, leaving it bleeding and raw.
Su Hua clutched her chest, her face twisted in agony.
Seeing her like this, Lin Xuan nearly rushed forward to hold her—but he couldn’t.
Not yet.
He couldn’t let Zhao Long suspect anything.
He couldn’t even give Hua Bao the slightest hint. She had been Zhao Long’s subordinate for over a decade; he knew her too well. If he noticed any emotional irregularity, everything would unravel.
They would both be in danger.
He had no choice but to let Hua Bao suffer a little longer.
After this was over, she could lock him in a dark room for all he cared.
Clenching his fists, Lin Xuan suppressed his urge and pressed on. "Su Hua, you knew I despised you. You knew I loved Qin Ruoyao. Yet you still trapped me by your side, even erasing my memories."
"You disgust me."
Disgust…
Su Hua’s pupils trembled violently.
It had been so long since she last heard her A-Xuan call her disgusting.
Those days on the island had been the happiest time they’d shared—the time she fell in love with him.
She was the one who made him lose his memories, but she had also buried the painful parts, only keeping the moments he was kind to her.
She even convinced herself that his memory loss was due to a fever.
"Su Hua, I’ll say it again," Lin Xuan sneered. "A woman as ruthless as you—I never wanted to be with you."
"I refuse to be your plaything anymore."
Plaything…
So that’s how he saw her all along.
A bitter smile curled at Su Hua’s lips.
Of course.
It was all an act.
"A-Xuan," she whispered, her voice fragile. "I never treated you as a plaything."
"Really? Then why did you restrict my freedom?" Lin Xuan scoffed. "When I was with Qin Ruoyao, you interfered relentlessly. You locked me up day after day. If that’s not treating me like a plaything, what is?"
Su Hua’s face paled.
It was just her possessiveness—her fear.
She loved him. She never saw him as a plaything. She was only terrified he would leave her, terrified he would love someone else.
Wang Ba studied Lin Xuan’s icy demeanor, finding no trace of pretense.
His heart pounded with uncertainty. Were these Lin Xuan’s true feelings, or was it all an act?
If it was real… then their golden goose was lost.
Please, let the boss be acting.
Please, let the boss be acting.
Wang Ba repeated the plea in his mind.
Zhao Long chuckled from the side. "Ling, see? This is what men are like."
"Anyone can betray you. Anyone can break your heart. The only way to avoid pain is to feel nothing."
"So, Ling… come back to the Shadow Organization."
Wang Ba’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.
Ling? The Shadow Organization?
Holy shit!
Was Su Hua actually that legendary assassin, Ling?
Rumors said Ling had been carrying out missions since she was ten, never failing a single one—no matter how impossible.
She was an internationally feared killer.
But she had disappeared for years.
Many speculated she’d died on a mission.
Come to think of it, the timing of her disappearance matched Su Hua’s return to the Su family…
To think Su Hua had such a hidden identity!
Wang Ba was even more in awe of his boss.
To make the world’s most ruthless assassin fall head over heels for him—Lin Xuan was truly a legend.
Did he have some secret technique for seducing women?
Wang Ba wouldn’t mind learning. Maybe he could charm a powerful woman too—for the sake of the Golden Dragon Gang, of course.
Not for himself.
Honestly, though…
With a backer like Su Hua, why not just live off her wealth?
Why work so hard to build his own power? Seemed like unnecessary trouble.
Wang Ba shook his head.
His boss was an idiot.
Zhao Long smirked at the agony on Su Hua’s face.
"A-Xuan," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Was all your kindness… just a lie?"
Lin Xuan didn’t answer.
Remembering his past tenderness, Su Hua clung to a sliver of hope. She repeated the same question she’d asked on the island:
"Was there ever… even a single moment… when you truly cared for me?"
"Yes. For over a year, I tried to love you. I tried to be sincere." Lin Xuan’s voice was cold. "But after regaining my memories, I took it all back."
Su Hua’s fists clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms.
She almost wished he’d said no—then she could be sure this was all an act.
But he admitted it… and said he’d taken his feelings back.
A dark crimson haze began to cloud her vision.
Lin Xuan couldn’t bear to look at her.
If he saw her pain, he might break—pull her into his arms and reveal the truth.
But it wasn’t safe yet.
He had to endure.
One of Zhao Long’s subordinates leaned in and whispered, "Boss, time to add fuel to the fire."
Zhao Long grinned.
Indeed, it was time for the next step.
Even if Ling loved Lin Xuan beyond reason, seeing him with another woman would shatter her completely.
"Mr. Zhao," Lin Xuan said stiffly, "I’ve said everything you wanted. Will you let me go now?"
"Oh no, no. There’s one last scene to play out." Zhao Long smirked.
Another one?
Lin Xuan’s brows furrowed.
A terrible premonition coiled in his gut.
Zhao Long loved to toy with people’s emotions—his methods were cruel and cunning.
What else did he have planned?
With a snap of his fingers, Zhao Long signaled his men.
Immediately, a subordinate ushered in seven or eight stunningly beautiful women.
] [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!"
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
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!
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."
