He answered the phone.
"Something wrong?" His voice was icy.
"Xiao Xuan," Lin Qingwan asked nervously, "Are you okay? What's going on with you?"
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. "What could possibly be wrong with me?"
Lin Qingwan said, "Xiao Xuan, have you heard about Xiao Li's situation?"
Lin Xuan nodded. "I have."
How could he not know? He was the one who orchestrated Lin Li's predicament.
Lin Qingwan continued, "Xiao Li thinks what happened with those two men... was your doing. He and Mom and Dad are planning to retaliate against you. They sent all us sisters away, so I don’t know exactly what they’re planning."
Hearing Lin Xuan's relaxed tone, Lin Qingwan let out a small sigh of relief.
It seemed Xiao Xuan hadn’t been harmed yet. There was still time.
"Xiao Xuan, you need to be careful," Lin Qingwan urged anxiously.
Lin Xuan smirked. "They’re plotting against me? When did this happen?"
"Last night," Lin Qingwan replied.
Lin Xuan scoffed. "It’s already past 2 PM the next day, and you’re only telling me now?"
"Xiao Xuan, I’m really sorry," Lin Qingwan apologized. "I had urgent work at the company last night, and I thought... you’re smart enough to avoid their schemes, so I didn’t call you right away."
Besides, she had her own selfish motives.
If Lin Xuan could evade their plans, great. If not, she’d step in to help him—playing the savior might earn his forgiveness and make him acknowledge her as his sister again.
Lin Xuan let out a mocking laugh. "How very considerate of you."
"Lin Qingwan, you’d better focus on your dear brother and check online to see how things are unfolding."
Lin Qingwan assumed Lin Xuan was referring to the incident at the hotel last night involving Lin Li and the two men, so she dismissed it lightly.
Instead, she changed the subject. "Xiao Xuan, my company’s skincare line is selling really well. We’ll be making a lot of money soon."
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow.
Of course it was selling well.
That "gift" was meticulously prepared by him.
He smirked.
In another ten days or so, it would be time to reel in Lin Qingwan’s company too.
Lin Qingwan went on, "Xiao Xuan, I’ll have plenty of money soon. If you ever need any, just ask me."
Lin Xuan sneered. "Miss Lin, I own Tianmu Group, with annual revenue exceeding ten billion. Do I look like I need your money?"
Lin Qingwan fell silent.
He was right. Her company was insignificant compared to his.
Tianmu Group’s growth was astonishing.
Her skincare line might be profitable, but it couldn’t compete with his gaming division, Hu Yin, or even his thriving entertainment sector.
"Xiao Xuan... could you have dinner with me?" she asked hesitantly.
Before Lin Xuan could respond, Su Hua took the phone from him and pressed it to her ear.
"Miss Lin," Su Hua said coolly.
Lin Qingwan tightened her grip on the phone.
It was his girlfriend’s voice!
She had once hoped to get closer to Lin Xuan through his girlfriend, but the woman had never given her the time of day—always humiliating her instead.
She wasn’t some desperate fool who’d willingly endure such treatment, so she’d abandoned the idea of using Su Hua to reconnect with Lin Xuan.
Su Hua spoke icily, "Sorry, but A-Xuan is spending time with his girlfriend. He doesn’t have time for you."
Lin Qingwan forced a smile. "You could both come."
"Sorry, but we prefer our alone time. No third wheels. Also, I don’t appreciate other women getting too close to my boyfriend. Miss Lin, I suggest you stop contacting him so often," Su Hua said flatly.
Lin Qingwan panicked. "I’m his blood-related sister, not some outsider!"
Su Hua remained indifferent. "You cut ties. That makes you an outsider."
With that, she hung up.
The dial tone buzzed in Lin Qingwan’s ear as she clenched her fists.
Now she was certain—this vixen was the one poisoning Lin Xuan’s mind, keeping him from returning to the Lin family and refusing to acknowledge her as his sister.
If only this woman would disappear, maybe Lin Xuan would reconsider and come back to them someday.
But he valued her too much.
Lin Qingwan had no way to drive her away without risking backlash.
She set the phone down, rubbing her temples in frustration.
If only she hadn’t been so cold and dismissive when Lin Xuan was still part of the family. Maybe then, he’d still feel some attachment to them.
But regrets were pointless now.
Lin Qingwan suddenly recalled Lin Xuan’s earlier words about checking online.
Come to think of it…
She should see how the public was reacting to Lin Li’s scandal. Had the heat died down at all?
She reopened her phone and navigated to Weibo.
The top trending topic glared back at her:
【EXPLOSIVE! Lin Li Willingly Engaged with Those Two Men!】—marked with a "BREAKING" tag.
Lin Qingwan frowned deeply.
Willingly?
What nonsense was this? She knew Lin Li’s character. There was no way he’d do something like that.
She clicked into the topic.
The top post laid out the entire story in detail:
【Today, Jiang Shuqin brought reporters to the hotel, demanding surveillance footage from last night. She accused Lin Xuan of setting Lin Li up, but the footage proved Lin Li was a willing participant.】
The post included a video.
Lin Qingwan skimmed through it.
Her frown deepened.
So this was the "retaliation" Lin Li and their parents had planned?
She exhaled in relief.
At least Lin Xuan was unharmed.
But now, with this scandal, Lin Li must be in a terrible state.
Despite her growing reservations about him, Lin Qingwan still cared deeply for Lin Li. She hurriedly left the office and rushed to the hospital to see him.
Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Tomato’s request for 3M+ daily updates straining server capacity, we recommend switching to alternative sources provided by other big shots.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
spital. Good news: I've bound a system. Bad news: I'm still a baby. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, do not bully the middle-aged for being poor — Divorce Comeback System." "Your marriage may have failed, but your luck in love has never run dry. Your childhood sweetheart, out of contact for twenty years, reappears. Her beauty remains, yet her eyes are brimming with tears." [Listen to the childhood sweetheart's sorrowful story.] Chen Zhi looked down at the diaper he was wearing, then at the little childhood sweetheart crying her heart out beside him, and fell into deep thought. Can anyone relate? I'm having a midlife crisis at an age where even rolling over is a struggle.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
