"No rush, I'm not sleepy yet," Old Master Su replied.
"Hua Bao," Lin Xuan chimed in, "Old Master Su is still in high spirits right now. If we don’t satisfy his curiosity, he’ll probably have an even harder time sleeping tonight. Let me chat with him a bit longer. Once he gets tired, he’ll naturally want to go back."
Su Hua glanced at Old Master Su, then at Lin Xuan.
It didn’t take long for her to figure out Lin Xuan’s intentions.
Ah Xuan was avoiding her.
A faint smile flickered in Su Hua’s eyes.
Well then, she’d play along with him.
"Alright, Ah Xuan, you can keep chatting with Grandpa," Su Hua said generously.
"Hmm?"
Lin Xuan gave Su Hua a puzzled look.
Hua Bao wasn’t stopping him from talking to Grandpa anymore? She was being so understanding—why did he feel like there was something off about this?
Lin Xuan racked his brain but couldn’t figure out what Su Hua might be up to.
Besides, Su Hua was just sitting on the sofa, playing with her phone, looking completely normal.
He must be overthinking it.
Reassured, Lin Xuan continued chatting with Old Master Su.
As Lin Xuan recounted the things he had done at Starlight Group, Old Master Su burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!" Old Master Su nodded approvingly. "Not bad, not bad at all, Xiao Xuan. Your methods are quite cunning—very much like how I used to be in my younger days."
"Old Master Su, you don’t think my tactics are too underhanded?" Lin Xuan was worried Old Master Su might see him as scheming and manipulative.
After all, Old Master Su was Hua Bao’s grandfather. Even if Hua Bao wouldn’t care about his grandfather’s opinion of him, Lin Xuan still wanted to leave a good impression.
"What’s wrong with that?" Old Master Su waved his hand dismissively. "In the cutthroat world of business, you have to play dirty sometimes. If you always act like a gentleman, you’ll be devoured without a trace."
Old Master Su had built the Su family’s empire and held his position as the family head firmly—he was no stranger to ruthless tactics himself.
If Lin Xuan had played by the rules in business without any tricks up his sleeve, Old Master Su would’ve doubted his ability to survive in the corporate world.
Su Hua glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already 12:15 a.m.
She yawned and stood up.
"Ah Xuan, I’m a bit sleepy. I’m going to bed first," she said, her voice laced with drowsiness.
Lin Xuan frowned.
Hua Bao was already tired?
This… this wasn’t like her at all.
But judging by her expression, she really did seem exhausted.
"Hua Bao, go ahead and rest. I’ll come up soon," Lin Xuan said gently.
"Okay."
Su Hua nodded, then headed upstairs.
Lin Xuan watched her retreating figure and let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If Hua Bao was going to sleep, she wouldn’t be luring him into bed tonight.
He could finally relax.
"Xiao Xuan, tell me more about what happened between Starlight Group and Skyveil Group," Old Master Su asked eagerly.
"Alright." Lin Xuan continued his story.
Before they knew it, it was already 1:00 a.m.
Old Master Su glanced at the clock and said, "Xiao Xuan, let’s call it a night. You should get some rest."
He could tell Lin Xuan was getting tired.
Though he himself was still wide awake, he couldn’t keep the young man up just to chat with an old man like him.
"Grandpa, it’s so late already. Why don’t you stay the night here?" Lin Xuan suggested.
"Sure." Old Master Su nodded.
Perfect—he was still craving Lin Xuan’s cooking. Staying here meant he could mooch a few more meals.
Besides, the old mansion was too quiet and boring.
At least here, he had Xiao Xuan to keep him entertained.
"Then goodnight, Old Master Su. See you tomorrow." Lin Xuan bowed slightly.
"Goodnight, see you tomorrow."
Old Master Su smiled warmly.
"Master, are you sure you want to stay?" The butler from the old mansion hesitated.
"Yes, I’m staying," Old Master Su confirmed.
The butler gave him a meaningful look.
The young miss probably wouldn’t be happy about this.
Earlier, while Old Master Su and Young Master Lin were talking, the look on Su Hua’s face had been downright stormy.
If Old Master Su stayed at Night Garden for a few more days, she might just toss him out—along with his bedding.
"Come on, let’s go to the room." Old Master Su was in an excellent mood.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for some.
Jiang Yutong tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
At 1:00 a.m., she got up and knocked on Jiang Manting’s door.
"Sis, are you still awake?" Jiang Yutong called through the door.
"Not yet. Come in," Jiang Manting replied.
Jiang Yutong entered the room. The lights were off, but she could make out Jiang Manting’s silhouette by the floor-to-ceiling window.
She turned on the light.
"Sis, why are you standing there? Can’t sleep either?" Jiang Yutong frowned.
"Yeah." Jiang Manting rubbed her temples.
"Sis, are you thinking about Xiao Xuan too?" Jiang Yutong asked.
"Yes." Jiang Manting nodded.
Before seeing those documents, she had assumed Lin Xuan’s excellence came from a happy family.
But the truth was, his life in the Lin family had been worse than that of a stray dog.
She couldn’t fathom how he had endured it.
"Sis, I can’t sleep because of Xiao Xuan either," Jiang Yutong admitted.
She plopped down onto a chair.
"Every time I close my eyes, all I see is Xiao Xuan being tormented by the Lin family. Those people are absolute monsters! He was their own flesh and blood—their real son and brother! How could they treat a morally bankrupt adopted child so well while treating their own kin like trash?"
Lin Xuan’s life in the Lin family had been worse than his time in the orphanage.
If he had stayed with them, he never would’ve become the outstanding man he was today—just more broken down.
Talking about Lin Xuan’s past brought tears to Jiang Yutong’s eyes.
If only she had met him sooner, she would’ve taken him back to the Jiang family.
Then he wouldn’t have suffered so much.
If Jiang Shuqin weren’t their blood-related aunt—and if anything happened to her, Grandpa would be devastated—she would’ve made sure the Lin family paid dearly.
"Tongtong." Jiang Manting gently ruffled her sister’s hair. "Don’t dwell on it. It’s all in the past. Xiao Xuan is doing well now, isn’t he? His achievements surpass both yours and mine."
"And didn’t you say he’s dating someone who loves him dearly? He’s happy now, right?"
Yanxi reminds you: Due to Tomato’s request for 3 million+ daily visits, server pressure is too high. We now recommend using other sources from fellow enthusiasts.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
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."
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
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!
