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.

] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"

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."

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!

g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!