Chapter Ninety-Four: Why Should He Be More Handsome Than Me?!

"Young Master Si, here, have some shrimp."
"Young Master Si, try the pork knuckle."
"Young Master Si, drink some wine."
Downstairs in the inn where Jiang Lin and his companions were staying, Jiang Lin’s face was pale, having inadvertently suffered some internal injury. It was nothing serious, but every time he remembered how he was just a second away from escaping before Qin Xiao rushed in, his headache intensified.

How could fate be so cruelly precise?

Lin Qingwan poured Jiang Lin a cup of wine. "Young Master Si, forgive my junior brothers and sisters for their abruptness. Please do not take offense."

"No, no, it’s merely your juniors showing concern for me. There’s nothing to apologize for."

He drained the cup of clear wine, sighing inwardly.

Fortunately, he had managed to explain himself: at the time, he was only opening the window for some fresh air, not attempting to end his life. The reason he had one foot on the window ledge was that, after a few drinks, he was seized by poetic inspiration and wanted to express his boldness to the night.

Of course, just as he was about to do so, he was caught and held back...

"Young Master Si, it was I who interrupted your poetry! I’ll punish myself with a drink!"

With that, Qin Xiao finished his cup in one gulp.

"Ya, Lan, what about you two?" Lin Qingwan glanced at her two junior sisters.

"Young Master, please forgive us." The two girls recalled how they had mistakenly believed Jiang Lin was trying to take his own life, thus ruining his poetic moment. They stood up, bowed, and apologized, feeling guilty.

"It’s all right, it’s all right—I'm fine." Jiang Lin smiled, waving it off.

For some reason, he felt as if he’d fallen into someone’s trap, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Lin Qingwan sat opposite him, her eyes glinting with laughter as she watched Jiang Lin.

Seeing Jiang Lin slightly flustered, Lin Qingwan’s heart bloomed like a flower. Of course, the greatest reason for her joy was finally seeing her dear Lin again.

Although the mask on his face was a nuisance, it didn’t matter—her Lin was by her side.

Indeed, Lin had hidden himself well that night, changing all his usual habits to throw her off. But the size of a footprint never lies.

How could she have forgotten to measure his feet that night? That would have saved her so much trouble.

Propping her chin in her hand, Lin Qingwan gazed at Jiang Lin as if she could never tire of the sight:

[Lin, you probably don’t know, but I secretly had someone fetch one of your shoes that night.]

Of course, Lin Qingwan would never admit that she had stolen Jiang Lin’s shoe in order to make him a new pair, but was too shy to give them to him. Instead, she ended up sleeping with both the new shoes and the old ones for a month...

Though she never managed to give them to him, she now knew the exact size of his feet, down to the millimeter...

And that old shoe still lay in her boudoir... untouched, unwashed...

Jiang Lin could never have imagined that the disappearance of a single shoe would become his undoing today!

"Um... Miss Lin, is there something on my face?"

Noticing Lin Qingwan’s gaze fixed on him, unyielding and intense, Jiang Lin felt as if she could see right through him.

"No," Lin Qingwan replied, shaking her head.

"..."

Then stop staring at me! You’re making me nervous!

Qin Xiao, noticing his senior sister looking at Young Master Si as if entranced, quietly drank another cup...

[Jiang, my brother, women truly are like spicy chicken feet. You’ve barely left, and our senior sister has already moved on. I feel sorry for you...]

On the other side of the table, the two junior sisters exchanged surprised glances, stunned by their senior sister's demeanor.

[Is our senior sister in love? But didn’t she always have a crush on a junior brother? Has she really moved on? Oh heavens, she’s competing with us for a man! She’s so beautiful—how could we possibly win?

Wait! If Qingwan doesn’t love Jiang Lin anymore, does that mean he’s ours?]

In that moment, the four at the table each had their own thoughts—some excited, some sorrowful, others utterly confused.

But the atmosphere didn’t last long; a loud commotion erupted from outside.

"Innkeeper! Bring out your finest wine!"

Unable to bear his senior sister’s gaze any longer, Jiang Lin turned his head to see several people entering.

At their head was a man wielding a paper fan, the very image of a playboy, though he weighed well over three hundred pounds.

Behind him came a few delicate maidservants and several burly bodyguards...

As the group at Jiang Lin’s table possessed exceptionally high looks, the only one lowering the average was Qin Xiao. Naturally, the little fat man’s gaze was drawn to them.

And so began the classic villain’s entrance...

The fat man strode over, slammed his palm on the table, and looked at Lin Qingwan.

"Hey! The three of you are so beautiful! Why not come with me for a good meal and some fine wine~~~~"

Jiang Lin wiped his face, inwardly ridiculing:

[What era is this? Even the cultivators in novels wouldn’t dare write such lines.]

Not only Jiang Lin, but even other cultivators nearby shook their heads.

Only those at the Nascent Soul stage or above could discern the flow of spiritual energy within a person and judge whether they were a cultivator or not. This fellow couldn’t be blamed for his ignorance, but did he not see how attractive that table was? Such a beautiful group—how could they possibly be easy targets…

"Hehe, not talking? Playing it cold? I like it!"

Bodyguard A stuttered, "Yes! Our... our... young master just... loves the cold ones!"

Bodyguard B pulled out the knife at his waist. "Come with our young master! He’s rich, handsome, and powerful!"

"It’s fine! I love girls like this~~~~"

With a dramatic flick of his fringe, the fat man reached out to touch Lin Qingwan’s shoulder.

Jiang Lin thought his senior sister or Qin Xiao would immediately scold them and drive them away, but all four remained silent. Seeing his senior sister’s delicate shoulder and the pork knuckle-like hand inching closer, he felt an itch in his heart!

Forty centimeters!

Thirty centimeters!

Twenty centimeters!

Nineteen centimeters!

When the hand was less than fifteen centimeters from his senior sister’s shoulder, Jiang Lin grabbed the fat man’s wrist!

"Hmm?" The fat man turned to Jiang Lin. "Who are you? How dare you be more handsome than me?!"

"I..."

[Ding...]

Just as Jiang Lin was about to reason with him—or perhaps set the dog on him—the system’s voice rang in his mind.

[Detected: the host intends to play the hero and save the beauty! That is the act of a protagonist, not a villain! To correct such misguided behavior, the Donglin City event compulsory mission is triggered.]

[Compulsory Mission: As a man determined to become the world’s greatest villain, my woman is mine, and other people’s women are also mine. Please tease the protagonist Lin Qingwan and make her blush!]

[Mission Reward: 5999 Infamy Points, plus two clues for the Donglin City plotline.]

[Mission Failure Penalty: Deduct 5999 Infamy Points.]

[Keep up the good work, host! Donglin City will be the starting point of your infamous reputation!]

The system’s voice faded. Jiang Lin’s face turned grim.

"System! Your father’s three-four-five-six never has a seven!!!"

……

……

[Salted Fish is returning to Xiamen, spending the day on the highway. Only one chapter today—will make up for it later~~~]