Qi Jingyao recovered her composure once more...
This cycle repeated three times, and shockingly, it proved entirely effective!
Only poor Qi Jingyao suffered immensely.
"Lin Qingrou! You are abusing your power for personal vendettas, you are jealous that I'm prettier than you, you did this on purpose!" Qi Jingyao screamed with fury.
Lin Qingrou could not help rolling her eyes.
You've got that completely backward!
Who in Jiangling doesn't know you've been the eternal runner-up? Who's jealous of whom!
Qi Kang and Li Ruomei were completely dumbfounded.
"This... this..."
At this moment, Zhao Chuanping's face had turned livid. He leaned close to Xuanyi, lowered his voice, and growled, "What kind of mess is this?!"
"Young Master Zhao, I... I don't know either!" Xuanyi offered a helpless, bitter smile. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected the method of controlling the foul energy to fail; such a thing had never happened before.
"Everyone, you see clearly now!"
Ye Nan announced loudly, "The facts are right before our eyes. It turns out that Miss Qi's destined soulmate is none other than our President Lin, Lin Qingrou!"
"This... this... is simply absurd!" Qi Kang was already so flustered he was stuttering.
"Nonsense!" Xuanyi snapped angrily. "A match between two women—how could Heaven's will be so preposterous!"
Lin Qingrou and Qi Jingyao wore expressions that were stranger still. They exchanged a glance, finding the entire notion utterly repulsive, and involuntarily shuddered in unison.
"Daoist priest, times have changed!"
Ye Nan narrowed his eyes with a smile. "What? Could it be that the Daoist priest discriminates against minority orientations?"
"The Way of Heaven does not judge by majority, nor does it dismiss the minority!"
"Heaven treats everyone equally and respects minority groups. What is wrong with that?"
With that, Ye Nan cupped his fists, smiled at Qi Jingyao and Lin Qingrou, and said, "Congratulations to you both! A match made in heaven! The lesbian ship is sailing strong! My blessings, you two are locked in for life!"
Ye Nan felt immensely triumphant inside.
*I am simply too damn smart!*
*Special thanks to Xuanyi and Zhao Chuanping, those two colossal morons, for the opportunity!*
*Now that my two fiancées are tying the knot, this young master is completely off the hook and can live carefree from here on out!*
*Brilliant! As expected of me!*
Lin Qingrou: "???!!!"
Chapter 25: Forcing Me to Take Action is Such a Hassle...
An absolute silence filled the room.
Absurd as it was, the facts were right there before their eyes.
Qi Kang's old face was so angry it had turned green.
If this truly was Heaven's will, then...
For a daughter of the Qi family to be wed to a woman—if word got out, would he still have the face to face people?!
The entire Qi family would become the laughingstock of Jiangling!
"Get out! All of you, get out!"
Qi Kang's composure had completely shattered, and he flew into a rage.
Li Ruomei cared most about her daughter and anxiously said, "How can you say that? What about Yaoyao?"
"I'd rather consider this daughter dead!" Qi Kang roared. "If this gets out, you might not care about your dignity, but I still want mine!"
"Get out! All of you get out!"
Lin Qingrou's expression was icy.
Even if Qi Kang hadn't spoken, she would never have agreed to this. What on earth had things come to?!
The crowd walked out the front gates of the Qi residence.
Zhao Chuanping shot Ye Nan a look of venomous hatred, then turned and left with Xuanyi.
From that look, Ye Nan knew the matter was far from over.
This idiot would undoubtedly keep coming back with endless retaliations.
Yet Ye Nan didn't care in the least.
If Zhao Chuanping's methods crossed the line, he wouldn't mind erasing this person entirely!
Judging by his tone, which was dripping with venom, he already hated Ye Nan down to his core.
With that, he turned and stalked off with Xuanyi.
Back in the car, Lin Qingrou could hold it in no longer. She was ready to settle the scores.
"What do you mean by that?!"
Ye Nan blinked in surprise. "Huh?"
"Explain yourself! What was that about a 'match made in heaven'?" Lin Qingrou bit her crimson lips, pronouncing each word with deliberate force.
"Uh..." Ye Nan gave an awkward chuckle. "Wasn't that just to expose the trickery of Zhao Chuanping and that Daoist priest? Haha..."
"And then you conveniently sold me out so you could wash your hands of it, shake off your status as a kept son-in-law, and go live a shameless life with your Xu Dongyue, right?!"
The more Lin Qingrou thought about it, the angrier she grew; the angrier she grew, the louder her voice became.
Ye Nan's mouth twitched twice.
The older woman had actually seen right through his little scheme of wishful thinking. Impressive!
He had underestimated her; sometimes her brain actually came in handy...
"Hah, Ye Nan, today I, Lin Qingrou, am going to make things perfectly clear to you."
Lin Qingrou turned her head, her expression serious and resolute in a way it had never been before.
"You, Ye Nan, entered the Lin family alive, and you will remain a ghost of the Lin family in death!"
"Unless I, Lin Qingrou, tell you to get lost, even if you're burned to ashes, they'll still be scattered in the dirt of my family's backyard!"
Ye Nan was stunned.
The perfect Dao heart he had cultivated since childhood with the old immortal was shattered into dust by Lin Qingrou at this very moment!
*If I'd known it would come to this, why did I ever pull that stunt in the first place?!*
*Sigh... What kind of idiot am I, why did I have to go hiding from my senior sisters!*
*Compared to this ruthless older woman, my five senior sisters are so adorable!*
*It's over, my life is ruined...*
Hearing Ye Nan's inner voice, Lin Qingrou sneered inwardly.
Ruthless, am I?
You'll have plenty of time in the future to witness what my true ruthlessness looks like!
"What about Qi Jingyao?" Lin Qingrou asked, changing the subject.
"How should I know?" Ye Nan rolled his eyes.
*It wouldn't be hard to clear out the foul energy from the Qi family...*
*But Qi Jingyao definitely has a talisman planted inside her body by that Daoist priest Xuanyi to guide the foul energy.*
*To cure her completely, either I have to maintain physical contact with Qi Jingyao, which that woman would certainly never agree to...*
*Or... just wipe out Xuanyi directly? That sounds effortless and pleasant...*
Hearing Ye Nan's inner thoughts, Lin Qingrou was startled and gave him a look of profound astonishment.
This guy... what on earth did he used to do, talking about murder as if it were the most casual thing in the world...
*Oh well, whatever, it's such a hassle!*
*Besides, why should I go to all that trouble for that woman? None of my business!*
Lin Qingrou was left speechless.
How was this guy's brain even wired? His train of thought leaped about so wildly.
Without another word, Lin Qingrou silently started the car.
It was already late, and without asking for Ye Nan's opinion, she drove straight toward her villa.
However, halfway there, Ye Nan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped his eyes open.
"Don't go home yet. Drive to the outskirts," Ye Nan said in a deep voice.
Lin Qingrou frowned. "Why?"
The outskirts, the wilderness, inside a car...
A sudden wave of panic washed over Lin Qingrou, and inexplicable thoughts of unspeakable scenarios bubbled up in her mind.
"What... what are you trying to do?!"
Ye Nan gave her a strange look. "Don't ask questions, just do as I say!"
Lin Qingrou instantly felt displeased.
In domestic life, you are the kept son-in-law.
At work, you are my subordinate.
No matter how you look at it, I am the one in charge!
Get your position straight, would you?!
"If you won't give me a reason, why should I listen to you?"
Ye Nan was speechless.
*Why is this older woman so annoying!*
*I told you to go to the outskirts, so just drive to the outskirts. Why all the twenty questions...*
*As if telling you would make you understand. You don't even know anything about this, yet you drone on and on all day long...*
Lin Qingrou felt her chest ache with anger once more!
Yet, after a moment of thought, she still did as Ye Nan asked.
She didn't trust Ye Nan's foul mouth, but his inner voice was usually quite reliable.
Still, being kept in the dark made her somewhat nervous.
Yet for the next few minutes, Ye Nan's mind remained an absolute blank, without a single word coming through.
It wasn't until they drove out of the urban area that she heard his inner voice again.
*Looks like I guessed right. They've followed us all the way out of the city—these people are definitely gunning for the older woman!*
With just those words, Lin Qingrou's heart instantly leaped into her throat.
Someone was following them?!
How had she not noticed it in the slightest?!
She instinctively glanced at the rearview mirror. There were indeed a few cars behind them, but traffic on the road was normal, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
She couldn't help casting a doubtful look at Ye Nan.
Was this guy just being overly neurotic...
*Hoh, quite a crowd—thirteen of them!*
*To deal with one older woman, do they really need this many people?*
*Which organization sent them? So many idle freeloaders coming out to take on a gig and pad their task list...*
Lin Qingrou felt a growing wave of shock inside.
Thirteen people?!
How could that be possible?!
And why on earth was she being followed?
What about the time someone poisoned her takeout delivery earlier?
Who on earth was trying to harm her, and for what reason?!
She didn't understand, which made her both angry and terrified.
The car drove all the way to a desolate, remote location in the outskirts, and Ye Nan told Lin Qingrou to stop the car.
Lin Qingrou appeared exceptionally tense, her slender hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as her vigilant gaze swept outside the car windows.
Ye Nan was somewhat surprised.
It seemed the older woman had guessed that dangerous figures were tailing them in the vicinity.
Pretty sharp after all!
"Stop looking. They won't come out."
Ye Nan spoke indifferently.
Lin Qingrou was startled. "Why?"
Ye Nan smiled slightly, saying quite casually, "They wouldn't dare."
Lin Qingrou was dumbfounded, failing to understand.
*Didn't expect these people to be quite sensible.*
*I didn't conceal my aura, so they must have sensed someone in the car they couldn't afford to provoke, and now they're hiding, too terrified to approach!*
*How interesting.*
Lin Qingrou was rendered completely speechless.
Was this... a fairy tale?
Ye Nan's true strength... was actually this metaphysical?!
*Sigh, forcing me to take action is such a hassle...*
Ye Nan let out a dismissive, soft snort, then his eyes suddenly flared with a brilliant light. A massive aura erupted from his body, rapidly spreading in all directions!
Chapter 26: My Heart is Neither Iron nor Stone
After getting slightly serious and releasing his aura and pressure, Ye Nan lazily told Lin Qingrou, "Get out of the car and wait."
"What?" Lin Qingrou was baffled.
"The people following you. They'll be here in a moment, interrogate them yourself," Ye Nan said concisely.
Lin Qingrou was filled with doubt.
No matter who was tailing them, they were extremely dangerous. You want me to get out of the car alone?
And interrogate them?
If they really showed up, as a frail woman, she would practically be meat on a chopping board!
She was about to ask further, but Ye Nan had already tilted his head and closed his eyes.
Lin Qingrou bit her lip, hardened her heart, and stepped out of the car.
I'll trust this bastard one more time!
After all... up to now, he had never been wrong.
......
Not far away, inside a grove of trees.
Thirteen figures in black clothes were lying in wait.
"Boss, we're really not going to make a move? Such a rare opportunity!"
"Shut up! You felt that aura in the car just as well as I did! We can't afford to mess with them!"
"Then... we're just going to wait them out? Not even give it a try?!"
"Try your grandma's..."
Before the leader of the men in black could finish speaking, a massive, overwhelming pressure swept over them like a tidal wave!
"Puff..."
The thirteen men in black had zero ability to resist. Their chests surged with agonizing pain, and they simultaneously vomited a mouthful of blood.
Then...
"Thud, thud, thud..."
The legs of all thirteen turned weak, and they sank straight to their knees in unison!
"Boss... what... what is this..."
The leader felt a terror deep in his bones. Clenching his teeth through the agony, he forced out the words, "That person... is angry... Quick! Go over... beg for mercy... maybe we'll still have a sliver of a chance..."
"Boss, I can't stand up..."
"Crawl forward on your knees step by step! If you want to save your lives... stop wasting time!"
......
Not long after Lin Qingrou stepped out of the car, she suddenly heard the sound of rustling approaching.
Startled, she pressed herself nervously against the car door, her right hand instinctively tightening around the door handle.
"Don't be afraid. They're here, just ask whatever you want,"
Ye Nan's calm voice drifted from inside the car.
For some reason, the fear in Lin Qingrou's heart instantly dissipated by a large margin.
Usually, this guy was unserious and glib, but at critical moments, he always possessed an inexplicable aura that inspired confidence and involuntary trust.
A moment later, Lin Qingrou raised her eyes and looked ahead. By the moonlight, she witnessed a scene that was utterly absurd and bizarre.
Thirteen men in black with masked faces!
There really were thirteen of them!
More importantly... all thirteen of them were on both knees, using their kneecaps to crawl forward painfully toward her car!
What... what was going on here?!
The scene before her completely defied her understanding.
"Senior, spare our lives!"
Ten meters away from the car, the thirteen men in black came to a halt.
The leader shouted at the top of his lungs, "We deserve a thousand deaths for offending Senior! Please spare our lives, Senior; we will never dare to cross your path again!"
As soon as the leader finished speaking, all thirteen slammed their heads against the ground in unison and cried out together.
"Please spare our lives, Senior!"
Lin Qingrou was utterly dumbfounded.
She knew that the "Senior" the men in black were addressing was definitely not her.
Just now, when the men in black were speaking, their eyes had been fixed squarely on the car.
Ye Nan?!
Could it be... they had been forced by Ye Nan's methods to crawl here on their knees and beg for mercy?
This... was simply too unbelievable!
"Don't you have questions to ask?"
Ye Nan's indifferent voice came from inside the car.
Only then did Lin Qingrou snap back to her senses, reigning in the shock in her heart.
Ye Nan... what on earth are you? What kind of terrifying power do you wield?
She stepped forward, looking coldly at the leader. "Who sent you to attack me?"
"I don't know," the leader of the men in black answered with complete compliance. "We are the third-ranked assassination organization in the world, 'Yin Feng'. We only took this job because someone hired us; we have no idea who the employer is."
"Someone wants to kill me?" Lin Qingrou's beautiful eyes flickered.
"Yes." The leader of the men in black shook his head. "The mission objective was to execute without exception, leaving no trace."
Lin Qingrou's mind reeled.
Execute without exception!
Leaving no trace!
Every single one of these eight words struck her heart like a heavy hammer.
"Why?!" Lin Qingrou clenched her fists.
"I don't know." The leader of the men in black was thoroughly honest. "We are assassins; we never ask for reasons, we only fulfill our clients' demands."
Lin Qingrou stood in silence for a long while before walking back to the car with a dark expression.
Ye Nan glanced at her, feeling a tinge of sympathy.
He had deliberately let Lin Qingrou conduct the interrogation herself.
After weighing the options, Ye Nan decided it was better to make Lin Qingrou aware of the dangers surrounding her.
Though it was hard to accept at first, it was still better than remaining completely in the dark without a shred of vigilance.
"I'm done asking," Lin Qingrou said coldly.
Ye Nan nodded and instantly withdrew his aura.
The thirteen men in black outside immediately felt their bodies grow light, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
"Many thanks to Senior for your mercy!"
The leader of the men in black bowed respectfully, then bolted away with his subordinates at top speed.
"Notify headquarters! There is an peerless expert by Lin Qingrou's side!"
"Rank unknown, at least in the top ten of the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking!"
"Team Three Captain Cold Blade suggests abandoning this contract. Report finished!"
......
"You just let them go?" Lin Qingrou demanded with deep dissatisfaction when she saw the men in black suddenly able to stand and flee rapidly.
"Huh?" Ye Nan feigned ignorance. "They wanted to leave, so they left. What does that have to do with me?"
"Didn't you use some method to force them out on their knees!" Lin Qingrou was furious.
Even now, this jerk was still playing dumb and hiding things from her.
Did he really distrust her that much, looking down on her so much that he refused to be honest and open with her?!
Looking entirely innocent, Ye Nan shrugged and said indifferently, "I don't know what you're talking about. My eyesight is just good, I saw some figures approaching, and I told you to get out of the car and try your luck."
Lin Qingrou was at the end of her tether.
She felt she had already been open and trusting enough toward Ye Nan.
For someone who had never given men the time of day to do all this was already exceptionally rare.
Yet this jerk still kept her a thousand miles away.
Did she really have to cast aside all her self-esteem to fawn over and flatter him?!
*Forget it, probably best not to say too much to the older woman.*
*I can't let her understand—my world is simply too dangerous.*
*I'm not afraid for myself, but if I have attachments, it will inevitably implicate those around me.*
*The older woman has treated me well, how could I, Ye Nan, be so ungrateful?*
Ye Nan suddenly gazed out the window with a distant look, his expression turning somewhat melancholic.
For a fleeting second, Lin Qingrou found herself staring at him in a daze.
She had never seen Ye Nan looking so melancholic before.
*Sigh... Older woman, don't blame me.*
*You are a stunning beauty, and my heart is neither iron nor stone—how could I not love you?*
*Yet alas, my fate is solitary, and I cannot allow attachments...*
Ye Nan was naturally a sentimental person. Although Lin Qingrou possessed a proud and haughty disposition, her core was kind-hearted. How could he not grow fond of her after spending these past few days together?
Yet his identity, his responsibilities—they were too heavy!
Across the world, countless people lost sleep over him, countless people wished they could spend every last resource to see him dead.
Though Ye Nan was invincible, those by his side were his soft underbelly.
His immortal master and five senior sisters were fine; they had full capability to protect themselves.
How could the older woman possibly endure such risks?
He had no way to stay by the older woman's side forever.
Every single word of Ye Nan's inner thoughts was heard by Lin Qingrou without missing a beat.
Her heart skipped a beat, and all her previous resentment and anger vanished into thin air.
Replaced by an unprecedented panic and emotional flutter.
On her breathtakingly beautiful face, a flush of crimson quietly bloomed.
He... that jerk... Ye Nan...
He said he loves me?!
You are a stunning beauty, and my heart is neither iron nor stone—how could I not love you?
This was the first time this jerk had praised her in his heart.
It was also the first time he had truly expressed his feelings.
At this moment, Lin Qingrou was suddenly at a loss.
The cold, unattainable goddess of Jiangling now resembled a young girl experiencing love for the very first time.
You... you're afraid of implicating me?
Ye Nan, what on earth is your identity, and what kind of things are you doing?
Why can't you just tell me directly...
Could it be that in your eyes, I, Lin Qingrou, am such a cowardly, cowering person who lacks even the courage to understand your past?
Your heart is neither iron nor stone.
Is mine truly as cold as iron and stone?!