"Have you heard?"
"They say Young Master Huo has feelings for the young lady. Their families even arranged a marriage pact when they were children. Now that he's back, he might try to take her away."
"Don't worry, Xiao Li," a maid named Little Hong said confidently. "The young lady is so devoted to Young Master Lin—she wouldn’t even glance at another man. So, I don’t think Young Master Huo poses any threat to him."
"Besides, in terms of looks and ability, Young Master Lin is far superior. With someone like him around, how could the young lady ever be interested in Young Master Huo?"
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow.
So, this so-called Young Master Huo had returned so soon?
Well, he’d have to meet him properly then.
"Ahem." Lin Xuan deliberately cleared his throat.
The maids froze when they saw him.
They had just been discussing Young Master Huo right in front of Young Master Lin—even mentioning the arranged marriage between him and the young lady.
They were doomed.
"Young Master Lin," they greeted nervously.
Lin Xuan walked past them calmly, then suddenly stopped and turned around.
Cold sweat broke out on their palms.
He was stopping to punish them…
"What’s your name?" Lin Xuan asked one of the maids.
"Young Master Lin, I—I’m Little Hong," she stammered.
Lin Xuan said, "I’ll have a word with Butler Wang and tell him—"
Little Hong’s heart leapt.
Was he going to have her fired?
Thud!
Before Lin Xuan could finish, Little Hong dropped to her knees.
"I’m sorry, Young Master Lin! I shouldn’t have gossiped about the family. I know I was wrong, and I swear it won’t happen again. Please give me another chance!"
She even kowtowed.
The other maids trembled in fear—they had joined in the discussion too.
The Night Garden paid well, the young lady was kind, and Young Master Lin treated them fairly, unlike other employers who deliberately made things difficult.
They couldn’t afford to lose such a good job.
Lin Xuan frowned. "When did I say I was punishing you?"
Little Hong replied, "We were talking about Young Master Huo… and the arranged marriage with the young lady."
Lin Xuan chuckled.
"Do I really seem that petty?"
Little Hong was stunned.
So… he wasn’t going to punish her?
Lin Xuan continued, "I just wanted to say—you were right. Hua only has eyes for me. No other man stands a chance. So if Young Master Huo still has feelings for her, he’ll just be a clown, no threat to me at all."
"And one more thing—you were right about that too. I, Lin Xuan, am indeed exceptional in both looks and ability. With someone like me around, no other man could ever catch Hua’s attention."
Little Hong: "…"
Was it just her, or was Young Master Lin being a little full of himself?
Then again, men always seemed to compete, especially when it came to love rivals.
Well, not that Young Master Huo even counted as one—the young lady didn’t spare him a second glance.
"I asked for your name," Lin Xuan added, "because I planned to tell Butler Wang to give you five times your usual bonus this month."
Little Hong: "!!!!"
Not only was she not punished—she was getting a huge bonus?!
She couldn’t help but think…
Maybe she should praise Young Master Lin more often in front of him. Things like "the young lady only has eyes for you" or "you’re far more outstanding than other men."
The other maids looked at her enviously.
If only they had sided with Young Master Lin earlier—they could’ve gotten a bonus too.
After settling the matter, Lin Xuan left the villa.
Before he could get into his car, he ran into Butler Wang.
"Young Master Lin, where are you headed?" Butler Wang asked curiously.
Lin Xuan replied, "Yundu City First Central Hospital. The Jiang family asked for me."
Butler Wang looked puzzled.
Since when did Young Master Lin have dealings with the Jiang family?
Lin Xuan closed the car door, started his Lamborghini, and drove straight to the hospital.
Inside the hospital…
"Eldest Cousin, Second Cousin, you’ve been watching over Grandpa for so long—you must be hungry. Let me go buy you something to eat," Lin Li offered.
Jiang Manting said, "Cousin, there’s no need to trouble yourself. I’ll have someone else handle it."
"It’s no trouble. I don’t have anything else to do right now. You two wait here for the miracle doctor—I’ll be back soon."
With that, Lin Li left the ward.
Jiang Yutong scoffed. "What a show-off."
Jiang Manting sighed. "He’s quite well-behaved and thoughtful. Why do you dislike him so much?"
"I just can’t stand him. Something about his obedient act feels fake," Jiang Yutong said.
"Is that your intuition talking?" Jiang Manting glanced at her.
"Yes," Jiang Yutong nodded firmly. "Eldest Sister, a woman’s intuition is often scarily accurate. Don’t dismiss it."
Jiang Manting shook her head helplessly.
Jiang Yutong muttered, "Even though Lin Li is my cousin, I just can’t bring myself to like him. If only Lin Xuan were my cousin instead."
Jiang Manting chuckled. "If you want him as a brother so badly, just ask him."
"I did. He refused," Jiang Yutong pouted.
At least Lin Xuan had invested in her company—they’d still have plenty of chances to interact.
After parking, Lin Xuan stepped out of his car. A staff member sent by Jiang Yutong checked his photo before approaching.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Lin Xuan?" the man asked respectfully.
"Yes," Lin Xuan replied.
"I was sent by Second Miss Jiang to escort you. Please follow me."
The man led Lin Xuan to the ward.
"Mr. Lin, you’re finally here!" Jiang Yutong exclaimed excitedly.
Jiang Manting studied Lin Xuan closely. The last time she accompanied her grandfather to thank him at Tianmu Group, he hadn’t shown up.
This was her first time seeing him in person.
Strangely, she felt an intense sense of familiarity with him—and Yutong had mentioned feeling the same.
Now, Jiang Manting understood why her sister was so fixated on having Lin Xuan as a brother.
He really would make a perfect… younger brother.
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.
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."
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
