As for Lin Li, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Lin Xuan hadn’t exposed him—it seemed Lin Xuan still didn’t know he was the real Jiang family descendant.
For now, he was safe.
Old Master Su returned from the restroom.
"Master, your son-in-law was just here," the butler reported to him.
"Where is he now?" Old Master Su asked eagerly.
He quite enjoyed chatting with Xuan.
But Hua had been monopolizing him lately, even restricting access to the night garden, claiming she wanted to spend time alone with Xuan.
Ah.
His granddaughter—who knew where she got her temperament from? She was even jealous of an old man like him.
The butler replied, "He said he was going for a walk, probably outside the hotel."
Old Master Su nodded. "Then we’ll talk when he returns."
Lin Li also spotted Old Master Su and realized he had attended the banquet as well.
His recently eased tension surged back.
Old Master Su was Su Hua’s grandfather. Earlier, he hadn’t revealed Lin Xuan’s identity to everyone.
Now that Lin Xuan was here, would he introduce him publicly?
Lin Xuan was both a member of Tianmu Group and Su Hua’s boyfriend.
He would undoubtedly be the center of attention.
Lin Li, the supposed star of this family recognition banquet, would be overshadowed.
He didn’t want people to know about Su Hua and Lin Xuan’s relationship. Once their identities were exposed, even if they broke up later, Lin Xuan would still reap countless benefits just by being Su Hua’s boyfriend now!
Lin Li’s palms grew clammy with sweat, his anxiety mounting.
The hotel was vast, surrounded by gardens and a swimming pool.
Lin Xuan wandered aimlessly through the garden.
A bodyguard assigned to protect him discreetly contacted Su Hua. "President Su, Young Master Lin has left the banquet and is now in the garden."
"Good. Understood."
Su Hua’s lips curled slightly.
She had been waiting in the car the entire time since Lin Xuan entered the banquet hall.
After receiving the report, she stepped out, her striking appearance immediately drawing the eyes of passersby.
Dressed in a white qipao embroidered with red plum blossoms—elegant and alluring—the perfectly tailored dress accentuated her captivating figure.
Onlookers couldn’t help but murmur in admiration.
"Who is she? She’s stunning."
"I don’t think I’ve seen her before, but with that aura, she’s definitely not ordinary."
"Looks-wise, I can’t imagine anyone matching her except Lin Xuan..."
"Hearing you say that, they’d make such a perfect pair. I wonder if they’ll end up together?"
Su Hua’s crimson lips curved further at their words.
She loved it when people said she and Xuan were a perfect match.
Her fingers tapped lightly on her phone screen.
[Is anyone with Xuan right now?]
She messaged the bodyguard.
The reply came swiftly: [Yes, Butler Wang is accompanying him.]
Su Hua: [Got it.]
In the garden, Butler Wang asked curiously, "Young Master Lin, when do you plan to expose Lin Li’s identity?"
Lin Xuan replied, "Let’s wait a little longer. It’ll be more fun to crush his hopes just when he thinks he’s about to succeed, don’t you think?"
"Excellent, excellent!" Butler Wang chuckled gleefully. "Then I’ll just sit back and enjoy the show, Young Master Lin."
In his half-century of life, he’d never witnessed such drama firsthand.
But in just over a year of serving Lin Xuan, he’d already seen three major scandals unfold. Truly remarkable.
Just then, Butler Wang received a message.
Glancing at his phone, he saw it was from Su Hua:
[Find an excuse to leave Xuan’s side. I want to be alone with him.]
A knowing smile flickered in Butler Wang’s eyes.
The young miss really was inseparable from Young Master Lin.
She couldn’t even bear to stay apart for a short while.
He replied with a simple "Yes" and put his phone away.
"Young Master Lin, my stomach suddenly feels a bit off. I’ll excuse myself to the restroom," Butler Wang said, fabricating an excuse.
"Alright."
Lin Xuan nodded.
"Take your time, Young Master Lin," Butler Wang said with a grin before leaving.
Watching Butler Wang’s retreating figure, Lin Xuan frowned.
Something about that smile felt... off.
Not long after Butler Wang left, Lin Xuan continued strolling alone through the garden.
These banquets were essentially networking events—business tycoons exchanging pleasantries and currying favor with those above them.
Lin Xuan disliked the atmosphere.
If not for the chance to humiliate Lin Li and enjoy the spectacle, he wouldn’t have attended this so-called recognition banquet.
Lin Xuan’s guard around Su Hua wasn’t particularly high, and her footsteps were light. He remained oblivious as she approached—until a warm, soft body embraced him from behind.
Instinctively, he moved to push her away.
But the moment his hands touched hers, he stopped.
That touch—it was Hua’s.
"Xuan." Su Hua’s voice, thick with affection, reached his ears from behind.
"Hua, why are you here?" Lin Xuan asked, frowning.
"I missed you, so I came."
After a long pause, Su Hua fell silent.
Lin Xuan sensed her unease. "Hua, what’s wrong?" he asked gently.
"Are you planning to expose Lin Li as a fake Jiang family descendant?" Her voice carried suppressed tension.
"Yes," Lin Xuan admitted.
"How did you know?"
He’d only told her about attending the banquet, not his specific plans.
He’d intended to explain everything after resolving the matter.
"Have you done it yet?" Su Hua pressed.
"Not yet. I was going to do it soon," Lin Xuan answered honestly.
"Is there a problem with that?"
Su Hua pressed her lips together.
She just didn’t want the Jiang family to know Xuan’s true identity.
She had always envied the Lin family and Qin Ruoyao for receiving Xuan’s love.
Now, after finally gaining his undivided affection, the Jiang family had appeared.
And they seemed to like Xuan—especially Jiang Yutong. If she learned Xuan was her cousin, she’d be overjoyed.
They wouldn’t treat Xuan poorly like the Lin family had. Instead, they’d dote on him.
They would try to take him from her.
She wanted Xuan’s heart to belong entirely to her. She refused to share his love with anyone else—not even their future children...
(Author’s note: The water’s been cut off for a day, and with no elevator, I had to flee my 10th-floor apartment. Staying at a hotel is draining my already thin wallet. T_T
Thanks to the desert ants of Hengshan and other lovely readers for the gifts!
Goodnight, everyone~)
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
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.
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
