"Thank you, Mr. Lin, for helping me find Niannian. Our Liu Family will also contribute our strength this time. We swear we'll help you get the justice you deserve."
Liu Menghan bowed and sincerely thanked Lin Ao.
When they brought Liu Nian back, they discovered that she could speak again.
She had been crying out Lin Ao's name with all her heart.
That was proof enough that Lin Ao had treated Liu Nian very well. Otherwise, her language impairment wouldn't have recovered.
Anyone who treated Liu Nian well was a good person. He had also helped the Liu Family find her, making him a great benefactor to their family.
She had never imagined that the eldest young master of the Lin Family, the one spoken of in rumors, would be like this.
She'd heard he was no good, but it seemed rumors could mislead people.
"N-no, it's fine. Miss Liu, you really don't need to trouble yourself. Our Lin Family will take care of this."
Lin Ao was having an inner breakdown. Another heroine from Ye Chen's storyline had appeared. No, please!
Besides, it wasn't time to flirt with her in this life yet!
I don't want to deal with Xiao Fan and then have to deal with Ye Chen too!
Hurry up and leave! The farther away, the better!
"Mr. Lin, there's no need to be so polite. You helped me find Niannian, so you're my great benefactor. Besides, that person hurt Niannian too. Our Liu Family will see to this matter."
With that, Liu Menghan extended her slender, fair right hand, intending to shake Lin Ao's hand.
She thought, As expected, rumors mislead people. How could someone as polite and courteous as Lin Ao be as awful as the rumors made him out to be?
Lin Ao's mouth kept twitching uncontrollably. It was over. It felt like things were going off the rails again.
He extended his right hand and reached for Liu Menghan's, hoping to get rid of her as quickly as possible.
That way, he could have some peace and quiet and think carefully about how to handle what came next.
The moment their hands touched,
a faint current traveled from Lin Ao's palm into Liu Menghan's body.
Liu Menghan's body shuddered, and her vision went black.
She fell toward Lin Ao.
Lin Ao hurriedly caught her. He was still holding Liu Nian in his arms, after all.
With one woman on each side, he really did look like a father with his wife and daughter.
Lin Ao's mouth twitched wildly, and he couldn't stop it.
I knew something was going to go wrong!
Liu Menghan's vision went black. In an instant, her mind filled with all kinds of scenes.
She saw Lin Ao passionately pursuing her and showering her with affection.
At the same time, she saw him turn into a demon that night.
She'd gone from loving Lin Ao to hating him. She had genuinely fallen for him.
Then Lin Ao seemed to become a different person. A string of events had wounded her deeply, and one night, he had turned into a beast and tried to force himself on her...
Then Ye Chen had rescued her from her dire situation, won the Liu Family's support, and chased Lin Ao across the world, trying to cut him down.
And she saw Lin Ao alone with her one night, speaking to her.
Lin Ao seemed to have turned back into the man he'd once been: cold, but full of love for her.
["I'm sorry. None of this is what I wanted. I'm sorry I hurt you."
"I can't control myself. I know I'll do more things that hurt you in the future."
"But none of it is within my control."
"You're a pitiful girl, a poor child controlled by fate."
"So am I. We're the same."]
Of course, at the time Lin Ao had meant that Li Menghan was destined to be flirted with by him, the great villain, and then cruelly dumped.
Actually, he hadn't been wrong. It was all arranged by "fate."
After Lin Ao's private words that night, she'd clearly felt a terrible divide between her soul and the actions of her body.
It had opened her eyes to many things.
But by then, it was already too late. She couldn't control herself. She could only watch helplessly as Lin Ao was killed again and again.
After Lin Ao died, she gained a brief moment of freedom.
Ye Chen confessed his feelings to her, but she rejected him without mercy. Enraged, he revealed his true nature.
Liu Menghan was afraid he'd go mad and do something that would ruin her chastity.
So she jumped off a cliff and ended her life.
Then she was reborn again, turning back into that puppet,
Lin Ao was at a loss, awkwardly holding two beauties, one big and one small.
Liu Nian stared in shock as a progress bar slowly loaded above her aunt.
Then it turned into a familiar information panel.
[Departed the Destiny Path]
Liu Nian thought, Aunt has awakened too?
Liu Nian had been sent back to the Liu Family more than ten years later. She hadn't known many of the things that happened in between. She only knew that her aunt had hated Lin Ao intensely back then. Liu Menghan had never told her why, and at the time, Liu Nian hadn't asked. All she'd needed to do was carry out Ye Chen's orders.
Lin Dad and Lin Mom were alarmed too. How had Miss Liu suddenly fainted?
They were just about to call a doctor to check on her.
The door opened.
Gu Wanqing stood dazed in the doorway, a dangerous gleam in her eyes as she looked at the awkward Lin Ao.
Lin Ao noticed Gu Wanqing's gaze and shuddered.
You crazy woman, why are you looking at me like that? It's not like I wanted this. She suddenly threw herself at me!
I'm the one who thinks this is a hassle!
The main problem was that Gu Wanqing had seen that Lin Ao's information panel was off.
[Character's current state/thoughts: Awkward, but with a hint of enjoyment. So fragrant. Her scent is completely different from Gu Wanqing's—a whole new flavor. Tsk—! Her size is about the same as Gu Wanqing's.]
Gu Wanqing gritted her teeth in fury. Lin Ao, you're just begging to be taught a lesson.
Just then, Liu Menghan, still in Lin Ao's arms, let out a soft moan and began to wake up.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze held a tangle of emotions as she stared blankly at Lin Ao.
"Ahem. Miss Liu, are you all right? You suddenly fainted just now, so you fell against me."
Lin Ao wore an awkward, stiff smile.
Hey, you crazy woman over there, with that sinister grin—didn't you hear what I said? Do you know how scary you look right now?
Hearing Lin Ao's voice, Liu Menghan seemed to come back to herself. She threw her arms around him.
She held him very tightly. She had to feel whether the Lin Ao in front of her was real.
She felt the warmth radiating from his body.
She didn't want this to be a dream.
Liu Menghan squeezed Lin Ao so tightly he could barely breathe. He kept patting her back.
Let go! Come on, let go! I've nearly suffocated twice in one day, and each time's been worse than the last. Are you really trying to kill me this time?
Lin Dong and Li Wanyu were also stunned on the spot.
This... they knew what their son was like. Since when had he secretly gotten involved with a girl from the Liu Family?
They sneaked a glance at Gu Wanqing, who was standing to one side, then tiptoed out of the room.
The aura coming from Gu Wanqing made them feel a chill of fear.
"Shouldn't we save him?"
Lin Dong asked Li Wanyu, unable to bear the sight.
"If you're so capable, why don't you go save him?"
Li Wanyu shot Lin Dong an exasperated look. Did he not know how terrifying a woman's Shura field could be?
Liu Menghan finally let go of Lin Ao.
Her eyes glistened with tears as she broke into a radiant smile.
"Hehe, sorry. You reminded me of an old friend, so I couldn't help hugging you."
Liu Menghan didn't want to scare Lin Ao. In her eyes, he was someone who knew nothing at all.
This time, I, Liu Menghan, will be the one to flirt with you, Lin Ao~
"Miss Liu, if you mistook him for someone else, then could you please let go of my fi!an!cé! now?"
Gu Wanqing walked over and coldly made her position clear to Liu Menghan. She placed special emphasis on the words "my fiancé."
The two women's eyes sparked against each other in midair.
Lin Ao tightened his hold on Liu Nian without realizing it.
"Niannian, can you save me in a minute?"
Lin Ao was truly desperate, asking a five-year-old girl for help.
Liu Nian's mind was still completely blank.
"I... I need to find Grandma Li. I have to pee!"
With that, she left the hospital room as Lin Ao watched in despair.
Before you continue