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~)
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!
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
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."
and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!
