Xu Xiaoman’s heart tightened at the sight of the bodyguards, reminding her of the last time she had been dragged out of Night Garden. A sense of unease rose within her.
Would these men once again shield Lin Xuan this time?
But as she watched them standing motionless, her tension gradually eased. It seemed they weren’t here to stop her from teaching Lin Xuan a lesson.
Xu Xiaoman sneered.
Clearly, these bodyguards knew where their loyalty should lie—between a mere plaything for women and their master’s own sister.
Since they weren’t protecting Lin Xuan, she could deal with him without restraint.
"Lin Xuan!" Xu Xiaoman raised her whip and lashed it toward him.
The bodyguards surged forward, only to be halted by Lin Xuan’s raised hand. He stood his ground, unmoving.
As the whip descended, everyone present—except Xu Xiaoman—held their breath.
"Master Lin, dodge!" one of the bodyguards shouted.
Yet Lin Xuan remained still. With effortless grace, he caught the whip mid-air.
Xu Xiaoman’s brows furrowed.
Her strikes were swift and precise. Even if someone managed to block them, the force would leave a harsh mark.
How could this weak-looking pretty boy not only catch her whip but emerge unscathed?
Could he actually be skilled in martial arts?
The thought flickered, but she dismissed it immediately.
Him? Skilled?
Impossible.
It had to be a fluke.
What threat could a mere plaything pose?
If one strike failed, she’d simply try again. She refused to believe he could evade her next attack.
Xu Xiaoman tried to yank the whip back, but Lin Xuan’s grip was unyielding.
"You—" Her expression darkened.
How was he so strong?
Lin Xuan scoffed. "Miss Xu, it’s not you who’ll be teaching me a lesson—it’s the other way around."
In his past life, after marrying Qin Ruoyao, Xu Xiaoman had made his life miserable. Once, she’d beaten him half to death.
This time, he’d repay her in full.
Lin Xuan had no qualms about hitting women.
Anyone who crossed him would face the consequences.
Come to think of it, Xu Xiaoman’s hostility in his past life had been because of Huo Shen, hadn’t it?
Xu Xiaoman sneered. "Lin Xuan, do you even hear yourself? You? Teach me a lesson?"
"Try me and find out."
With a sharp tug, he yanked her forward.
Lin Xuan frowned.
If Xu Xiaoman crashed into him and Hua found out a woman had thrown herself into his arms, his kidneys would suffer for it.
He had no desire to become "Lin the Dried-Up" again.
Dodging swiftly, he let her fall.
Thud!
Xu Xiaoman hit the ground hard, still clutching the whip.
Lin Xuan stepped forward, twisted her wrist, and—
"Ahh!"
A scream tore from her lips as her fingers spasmed, dropping the whip.
Lin Xuan picked it up, examining it.
This very whip had been used on him in his past life. Now, he’d return the favor.
His gaze swept the room—furniture, antiques, vases, paintings—all treasures Hua adored. He couldn’t risk damaging them.
"Take her to the garden," he ordered.
"Yes, sir."
Two bodyguards seized Xu Xiaoman by the shoulders, dragging her outside despite her protests.
"What are you doing? How dare you obey this pretty boy’s orders? I’m your mistress’s sister!"
One bodyguard replied coldly, "Second Miss, Master Lin holds greater weight here."
A joke!
Their master cherished Lin Xuan more than life itself. The slightest scratch on him sent her into a frenzy.
Her sister? What did that matter?
In the garden, the bodyguards released Xu Xiaoman and stepped back.
She glared at Lin Xuan. "What did you bribe them with to make them obey you like this?"
"Nothing at all," Lin Xuan said airily. "I simply seduced their mistress, wrapped her around my finger—naturally, they side with me now."
His smug expression made Xu Xiaoman’s chest heave with fury.
This shameless man actually boasted about seducing women!
Utterly disgraceful!
He was nothing compared to Brother Huo. How could he possibly deserve to be her sister’s man?
"Lin Xuan, don’t get cocky," she spat. "You might’ve fooled my sister for now, but she’ll see through you eventually. Someone like you? She’ll grow sick of you soon enough."
Lin Xuan smirked. "At least for now, she’s utterly devoted to me."
Which meant he could teach Xu Xiaoman a proper lesson.
Crack!
Crack! Crack!
He flicked the whip against the ground.
Xu Xiaoman clenched her fists.
Earlier, Lin Xuan had caught her off guard, stolen her whip, and humiliated her.
She’d underestimated him.
But no more.
This time, she’d fight seriously. With her skills, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
She’d make this pretty boy regret crossing her.
"Give it back," she demanded coldly.
The thought of his hands on her whip disgusted her.
Lin Xuan laughed. "What if I refuse?"
"You think I can’t take it from you?" Her face hardened.
If he wouldn’t return it, she’d seize it by force.
Around them, Night Garden’s servants whispered.
"Looks like the Second Miss and Master Lin are about to fight. I wonder whose side the mistress will take?"
"Are you serious? Obviously Master Lin. She treasures him more than her own life. The Second Miss? Means nothing to her."
"True."
Over three years ago, their mistress had brought Lin Xuan to Night Garden.
No matter how fiercely he resisted, she only ever confined him.
No matter how much he angered her, she never laid a finger on him.
Everyone knew exactly how much he meant to her.
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."
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
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!
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
