"Master's Wife, I really don't want to go down the mountain!"
On top of an unnamed peak in Longxia.
Su Lin hugged a woman in her thirties, pleading bitterly.
Though over thirty, the woman exuded immense charm. Not only did her face carry a bewitching allure, but her figure was also devilishly curvaceous.
With her fiery red dress, she was the epitome of a stunner!
"Liner, you are already twenty years old. It is indeed time to go down the mountain!"
"Besides, I've already arranged a fiancée for you outside. She'll be here to pick you up shortly. She's much prettier than those Wing Mei or Yua things you're always looking at!"
Li Hongshang persuaded him with a helpless expression.
"Master's Wife, what kind of person do you take me for!"
"In my heart, you are the most beautiful. No one can ever take your place!"
"I'm begging you, I really don't want to leave the mountain. Just let me stay!"
Su Lin pleaded pitifully while rubbing his head against Li Hongshang's body!
Li Hongshang could naturally tell that Su Lin was doing it on purpose, but instead of getting angry, a doting smile filled her face.
"Liner, listen to me and hurry down the mountain. And make sure you keep safe all the things that your other masters and I gave you!"
Li Hongshang's expression turned serious.
"But Master's Wife, I really can't bear to leave you!"
Su Lin rubbed against her even harder.
Just then, a woman in white in her early twenties walked up.
Furthermore, this woman's looks were not inferior to the red-clad young woman in the slightest, and her temperament was like a snow lotus on a high mountain, giving off a vibe of both pure and alluring!
"Liner, that's your fiancée. Are you sure you aren't going with her?"
Li Hongshang gave Su Lin a look.
Su Lin cast a curious glance and was instantly dazzled!
"Senior, is your disciple ready?"
After walking up the mountain, Xia Bingyu asked the red-clad young woman with a hint of respect.
"Sigh, I've tried my absolute best to persuade him, but this disciple of mine simply refuses to leave the mountain. You'll have to speak with him yourself..."
Li Hongshang stopped mid-sentence, suddenly freezing in place.
She realized that Su Lin had vanished into thin air!
At that very moment, Su Lin emerged from the thatched cottage next to them with his travel pack already on his back. "Master's Wife, I'm ready to go down the mountain!"
Li Hongshang's expression turned ugly. "Didn't you just say you didn't want to go?"
"Did I? You must be remembering wrong, Master's Wife!"
"Master's Wife, I'm already grown up and can take care of myself. I'll head down first. I'll come visit you if I get the chance!"
Su Lin looked at Li Hongshang with deep affection!
"Get lost! Get the hell out of here!"
Li Hongshang squeezed the words out through clenched teeth!
"Young lady, let's hurry and go!"
Su Lin walked straight up to Xia Bingyu.
"Aren't you going to say anything more to your Master's Wife?"
Xia Bingyu glanced at Li Hongshang's grim expression.
"No need, my Master's Wife isn't one for sentimentality. Let's get going!"
Unable to wait a second longer, Su Lin grabbed Xia Bingyu's hand and headed down the mountain!
Watching Su Lin's retreating figure fade into the distance, Li Hongshang's expression slowly recovered. Her deep eyes held a profound look as she murmured, "Liner, who knows when we will meet again after today's parting? I hope you can unravel your destined fate."
"Don't blame the rest of us either; everything we did was for your own good."
Meanwhile, Su Lin followed Xia Bingyu down to a Mercedes parked at the base of the mountain.
Just as they were about to get in, a car abruptly pulled up beside them.
The doors opened, and a group of fierce-looking men stepped out, each wielding a machete. The man in the lead was bald!
"Who are you people?"
Xia Bingyu grew alert as she looked at them.
"Miss Xia, it seems we arrived right on time. I'm afraid someone paid a pretty penny to ensure you never make it back to the Xia family!"
The bald man sneered sinisterly.
"You must be men sent by Xia Guodong, right?"
Xia Bingyu glared at the bald man with sharp eyes!
"What good is knowing more when no one can save you here today?"
Not wanting to waste any breath, the bald man signaled his underlings that they could make their move.
Instantly, the group brandished their machetes and closed in on Xia Bingyu.
Xia Bingyu couldn't help turning her head to look at Su Lin.
No matter what, he was a man; surely he would step up to help her?
"What... who are you people? What do you want?"
Yet, to Xia Bingyu's utter astonishment, Su Lin looked utterly terrified, his voice trembling as he spoke.
Xia Bingyu shook her head in disappointment.
Figures, how could she have pinned her hopes on some country bumpkin from the mountains?
"Kid, who the hell are you? Why are you with Xia Bingyu?"
Frowning, the bald man looked at Su Lin and asked.
"We just met not long ago. I was just catching a ride out with her, we're not close at all. Can you let me go?"
Su Lin looked at the bald man with wide, sincere eyes.
Xia Bingyu was instantly filled with contempt for Su Lin.
Not a single ounce of backbone—could he even be called a man?
"Hahaha! Kid, letting you go isn't out of the question. Just get on your knees and kowtow three loud kowtows to me."
The bald man burst into arrogant, dismissive laughter.
"No way. My master told me that a man only kneels to heaven, earth, and his parents; nobody else is worthy of making me kneel!"
Su Lin shook his head with a deadpan, serious expression.
"Since that's how you want it, I'll just have to break your limbs and leave you up on this mountain to fend for yourself!"
A cruel smile crept onto the bald man's face.
"Aren't you guys just bullying an honest man!"
Su Lin grew instantly indignant!
"Heh, we're bullying you, so what are you gonna do about it?"
The bald man puffed on his cigarette with extreme arrogance.
"If you keep bullying me, I'm going to hit you! And I hit really hard!"
Su Lin clenched his fists and made a fierce threat.
"Hahaha! With that scrawny little frame of yours, you're going to hit me? Let alone anything else, even if I stood here and let you hit me, would you dare make a move?"
Growing even more arrogant, the bald man thrust his face right in front of Su Lin. "Kid, if you've got the guts, just try—"
*Slap!*
Before the bald man could finish, Su Lin landed a fierce slap across his face.
The immense force sent him flying through the air to crash heavily against the very car he had driven up in!
The body of the car instantly caved in, completely totaled.
Flexing his wrist, Su Lin looked down at the half-dead bald man. "It's my first time hearing such a cheap request, but since I'm a kind-hearted soul, I suppose I had to indulge you."
"Damn it! This brat dares to hit our boss! Kill him!"
The surrounding thugs snapped back to their senses and charged at Su Lin with their machetes drawn!
"Looks like you guys want to bully me too. Well then, don't blame me for being rude!"
With an irritated pout, Su Lin stepped forward and sent them flying one by one with single slaps, dispatching the entire group in no time!
Xia Bingyu stood frozen in shock, never expecting Su Lin's martial prowess to be so ferocious.
"Wife, I've taken care of all these people. We can leave now."
Having finished off the thugs, Su Lin returned to Xia Bingyu's side, grabbed her hand, and headed toward the car.
"What did you just call me?"
Xia Bingyu had not yet fully recovered her wits.
"Wife, of course!"
"My Master's Wife said the two of us are engaged, which makes us a pair. Calling you wife is only logical!"
Su Lin said as if it were the most natural thing in the world!
"Fine."
Xia Bingyu dropped the subject, though a flash of helplessness and frustration crossed her eyes.
Getting into the car, Xia Bingyu started the engine and drove away.
On the way, she explained to him, "The men back there were probably sent by my second uncle. He's always wanted to wrest control of the company from me. He must have seized the opportunity when my father fell gravely ill and I was away to get rid of me."
Hearing this, Su Lin's eyes lit up instantly. "Wife, your family owns a company? That means you're super rich! That's fantastic! I can finally live off a rich woman!"
"Ugh..."
Xia Bingyu gave up trying to communicate with Su Lin, realizing they were simply operating on completely different frequencies!
A few hours later!
Xia Bingyu drove Su Lin straight to Jiang City and headed directly for the Civil Affairs Bureau.
"Wife, what are we doing here?"
Su Lin scratched his head as he looked at the entrance of the bureau.
"Getting our marriage license!"
Dropping those three words, Xia Bingyu pulled Su Lin straight inside.
Twenty minutes later, Su Lin and Xia Bingyu emerged holding little red booklets.
Staring at the marriage certificate in his hands, Su Lin felt a bit dazed. He was actually married just like that?
Wasn't this way too casual?!
Finally, Su Lin couldn't help but look at Xia Bingyu with complete seriousness. "Even though we've already registered our marriage, you definitely have to make it up to me with a wedding. I'm a man who cares about a sense of ritual!"
Watching Su Lin's earnest expression, the corner of Xia Bingyu's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Though this man looked harmless enough, why did she suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to punch him?
"What a coincidence, I really *can* cure him!"
Despite looking down on Su Lin as a country bumpkin from the mountains, Xia Bingyu had no other choices left. After getting their marriage certificate, she brought him straight to the Xia family villa!
Situated in a rather prosperous district, the villa was luxuriously furnished inside and out.
"Whoa! Wife, is this our home? It's so luxurious!"
"I just wonder if the bed is big and soft enough to handle the two of us tossing around."
As Su Lin admired the luxurious interior, he voiced his concerns.
Hearing this, black lines crossed Xia Bingyu's forehead, and she couldn't help snapping, "Do me a favor and keep your mouth shut. Besides me, my dad and my second uncle's family are also in this villa!"
"It's just meeting the parents, don't worry, I'll make sure they're satisfied!"
Su Lin grinned and offered a guarantee.
Too lazy to argue further, Xia Bingyu walked straight into the villa's main hall.
Sitting on the sofa in the living room were a middle-aged man and a young man. Sharing distinctly similar features, they were obviously father and son.
The two were deep in conversation, but their expressions darkened the moment they saw Xia Bingyu return.
"Bingyu, where did you go today? Why are you only just getting back?"
The middle-aged man put on a hypocritical display of concern.
"Second Uncle, you must have really been hoping I wouldn't come back at all, right?"
Xia Bingyu asked coldly.
"Bingyu, what kind of tone is that?"
"You're my niece, how could I possibly not want you to come back!"
Xia Guodong put on a stern face.
Too weary to exchange further words with him, Xia Bingyu kept silent.
Though Xia Guodong was her second uncle in name, he had always wanted her out of the picture or married off so that the entire Xiashi Group would fall into his hands.
Xia Bingyu didn't even need to guess to know that the bald man and his thugs earlier had undoubtedly been sent by Xia Guodong to deal with her!
"Haha, Second Uncle, right? Nice to meet you, please take good care of me!"
At that moment, Su Lin walked up to Xia Guodong with a grin, enthusiastically extending a hand.
"Country bumpkin, where did you crawl out from? Don't dirty our floors, get the hell out of here!"
That young man was none other than Xia Guodong's son, Xia Fei. Seeing Su Lin's tacky, rustic attire, he immediately started barking insults.
"What did you just call me?"
Hearing the insult, Su Lin's expression darkened.
"I called you a country bumpkin, what? You got a problem with that?"
Xia Fei strode forward, completely looking down on Su Lin!
*Slap!*
With a crisp slap, Su Lin sent Xia Fei crashing to the floor.
"You call yourself a city dweller, yet you have zero manners. You're just asking for a beating!"
Beside them, Xia Guodong froze in sheer disbelief.
His son merely called him a country bumpkin, and the guy just threw hands without a second thought.
Who the hell was the one lacking manners here?!
"Kid, just what kind of are you, daring to throw punches in the Xia family home!"
Regaining his wits, Xia Guodong asked with a dark, threatening face.
"I'm Bingyu's husband!"
Realizing that Xia Guodong and his son were no good, Su Lin dropped his friendly facade and wrapped an arm around Xia Bingyu's waist.
"What?!"
Both Xia Guodong and Xia Fei were stunned.
Xia Bingyu went out for a trip and somehow came back with a husband out of nowhere?
"Bingyu, what the hell is going on here?"
Xia Guodong demanded with a menacing glare.
Though holding Xia Bingyu felt a bit unnatural, she didn't push him away. Instead, she said expressionlessly, "Didn't Grandfather say before he passed away that he arranged a marriage for me to fulfill when I turned twenty-four? Su Lin is the man I'm betrothed to, and we've already registered our marriage!"
Shocked and enraged, Xia Guodong glared at her. "Xia Bingyu, you have some nerve! Daring to marry some backwoods hillbilly behind our backs!"
"Don't you know the young master of the Zhang family has eyes for you? Where does this leave the Zhang family's face?!"
"I order you to go divorce him right now!"
Xia Bingyu let out a cold laugh. "This was arranged by Grandfather while he was still alive, and it's my personal business. Why should I listen to you?"
Eyes bulging with fury, Xia Guodong was left speechless.
Holding his bruised face, Xia Fei scrambled to his feet and directed his hatred at Su Lin. "Country bumpkin, you dare hit me? Just wait, I'm going to make you pay!"
"Oh really?"
Su Lin swept a glance toward Xia Fei, zipped forward in a flash of movement, and delivered another vicious slap!
*Slap!*
This time, Xia Fei was sent flying straight through the air, spinning around a few times before slamming onto the ground.
"What is wrong with you? Repeating that country bumpkin nonsense over and over—did you eat dog shit or something? You're simply asking to be hit!"
Su Lin shook his palm out with a dismissive pout.
"Kid, you're courting death!"
Seeing Su Lin act so lawlessly, Xia Guodong lost his restraint and waved over the villa's security guards. "Break all four of this brat's limbs and throw him out!"
"Damn it! Little old me just gave your son a couple of slaps, and you want to break all four of my limbs? You old bastard are vicious as hell!"
Su Lin cursed angrily.
"Forget about breaking his limbs! Kill him! Just kill him right now!"
Xia Guodong was shaking with rage, his finger pointing wildly.
As for the security guards, they all began to close in around Su Lin.
"Let's see who dares! Get the hell out of here, all of you!"
Xia Bingyu shouted in a chilling voice!
The guards instantly faltered, hesitating and turning their gaze toward Xia Guodong!
"Don't forget, before Grandfather died, he entrusted the Xia family to my father, and before my father fell ill, he entrusted it to me. Right now, I am the one who calls the shots in the Xia family!"
"Get out!"
Xia Bingyu continued her reprimand, projecting an absolute, tyrannical aura!
Daring not make another move, the guards slowly backed out of the hall.
Xia Guodong's expression turned terrifyingly dark. As the second-in-command of the Xia family, his authority had actually been crushed by a junior!
It was utterly intolerable!
"Wife! You are so dominant! As expected of my, Su Lin's, woman. I love it!"
Seeing Xia Bingyu stand up for him so fiercely, Su Lin planted a kiss right on her pretty cheek!
Because he used a bit too much force, it left a clear red mark behind!
Never expecting Su Lin to pull such a stunt, Xia Bingyu froze on the spot!
Especially on her cheek, which felt as though it was burning with a fiery heat!
Just then, Su Lin sensed something and frowned slightly. "Wife, why do I feel a trace of death aura? Is someone around here about to kick the bucket?"
"Miss! Second Master! Something terrible has happened!"
Just as Su Lin's voice trailed off, a domestic helper came sprinting down from the second floor, her face full of panic. "First Master's condition has suddenly worsened, it looks like he's fading fast!"
"Dad!"
Hearing this, Xia Bingyu's face drained of color as she dashed frantically toward the second floor!
Xia Guodong and Xia Fei exchanged glances, their eyes welling with thick delight. Ignoring Su Lin entirely, they quickly followed her upstairs.
At that moment, Su Lin understood that the death aura he had sensed belonged to his father-in-law!
"Turns out it's my father-in-law who's critically ill. But since I'm here today, for the sake of my pretty wife, forget about him still breathing—even if he'd stopped, I'd pull him back from the gates of hell!"
"You need to be a little gentler!"
Following Xia Bingyu into the second-floor bedroom, Su Lin saw a middle-aged man lying on the bed.
Connected to the middle-aged man's body were various life-monitoring instruments!
Moreover, it was evident that the middle-aged man had been bedridden for a long time, leaving his complexion pale and his frame emaciated.
At that moment, the Xia family's private doctors were scurrying around desperately trying to resuscitate the man.
However, after a brief moment, they all ground to a halt.
An elderly man in a white lab coat walked over to Xia Bingyu with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Miss Xia, we've done all we could. You should start preparing for Mr. Xia's final arrangements."
"Dad!"
Hearing the news, tears broke past Xia Bingyu's control as she collapsed over the hospital bed, sobbing bitterly.
"Bingyu, please accept our condolences. We're heartbroken over Big Brother's passing too, but the most important thing right now is preparing his funeral."
Xia Guodong offered words of comfort, attempting to fake a sorrowful expression while failing entirely to conceal the grin at the corner of his mouth.
Xia Fei even pulled out his phone. "I already picked out a cemetery plot earlier. I'm going to contact them right now so we can cremate Big Brother tonight and get him buried!"
*Slap!*
Before Xia Fei could place the call, Su Lin landed a sharp slap across his face. "This is your own big brother! He isn't even cold yet, and you're already plotting his cremation? Are you even human?!"
"Country bumpkin, I'm going to kill you!"
With bloodshot eyes, Xia Fei lunged straight toward Su Lin in a blind rage!