Qi Dong was in a much better mood now, and with Qi Lin’s sweet talk, he grinned and said, "To be honest, Xiao Lin, even though you're younger than Xueyao, I’ve liked you since you were a child."
"Don’t worry, I'll call your sister Xueyao and praise you a lot."
"If you really manage to win her over one day, don’t forget to offer a toast as your future father-in-law."
Qi Lin’s plan was almost complete. He smiled and said, "Of course."
After hanging up, Qi Lin sat on a lounge chair on the balcony, turned on the wall lamp, and resud reading Lan Yuxi’s diary.
anwhile, on the other side…
Qi Xueyao had just finished her bath.
The warm water had increased her blood circulation, and her determination to confess to her father and ask him to take her back to Huayuan City—away from Qi Lin—was growing stronger.
She wiped her damp hair with a towel, draped it over her shoulders, and returned to her room.
Picking up her phone from the bed, she hesitated for a few seconds before finally dialing her father, Qi Dong.
"Dad~"
The mont the call connected, Qi Xueyao bit her lower lip, feeling a little afraid.
She was scared that her father would scold or even punish her for resigning from her teaching job.
"My dear, I'm listening. Just say what’s on your mind," Qi Dong said with a smile.
He had already guessed that his daughter was about to confess her resignation.
If this had been before Qi Lin called him, he would have scolded Qi Xueyao harshly and even ordered her to co back imdiately.
But after Qi Lin had thoroughly "brainwashed" him and assured him that he would help Qi Xueyao start her own business, Qi Dong wasn’t worried at all anymore.
"Dad, I… I resigned from my teaching job and started a training center."
"Everything was going well at first, but… why do these things keep happening to ?"
"I'm so exhausted and frustrated. I don’t want to stay in Jianghan City anymore. I don’t care if you scold , hit , or even force to co back to Huayuan City. I just don’t want to be here anymore."
As she spoke, Qi Xueyao started sobbing.
She wasn’t just referring to her resignation—she ant being bullied by Qi Lin and Fang Yuanyuan.
But Qi Dong misunderstood. He sighed and said, "My dear, I already know about everything, but let tell you sothing—every beginning is difficult. Hard work pays off. If you don’t persist, how will you know whether you can succeed?"
"As for going back to Huayuan City, don’t bring it up again. Just stay at your Uncle Qi’s house and focus on your work."
Qi Xueyao: "???"
At that mont, her pretty face was completely blank, and she even forgot to cry.
What was going on?
Why wasn’t this playing out the way she had imagined?
Wasn’t her father supposed to scold her the mont he heard about her resignation?
Even if he didn’t scold her, why was he encouraging her instead?
Everything was completely beyond Qi Xueyao’s expectations.
"Dad, do you even understand what I’m saying? I quit my job! A stable teaching position!"
Worried that he hadn’t understood, she repeated herself.
Qi Dong’s voice over the phone was displeased. "I’m not deaf. Of course, I heard you. I know you resigned and started your own business. I already told you—I don’t bla you. As long as you focus on your work and don’t let down, that’s all that matters."
"Dad, how do you even know I started a business? And from the way you’re talking, you knew I resigned a long ti ago?"
Qi Xueyao imdiately caught onto the key detail in his words.
Her grievances were montarily forgotten as she frowned in confusion.
Qi Dong chuckled. "Of course, I knew. Your cousin Qi Lin just called . He told you had already resigned from your teaching job. I was furious at first and wanted to scold you. But then, Qi Lin—being the considerate one—told I should support your work. He even reassured that your business venture is promising and convinced your Uncle Qi to back you up."
"So, don’t disappoint or Qi Lin. Stop talking about quitting. Stay there and do your best."
"I’m not so old-fashioned parent. Your resignation is in the past now. Just keep looking forward and focus on your career."
Qi Xueyao: "…"
She never imagined that Qi Lin had already told their father about her resignation before she could.
"That bastard actually put in a good word for ? He even comforted my dad and convinced him not to be angry at ?"
"What is he up to?"
Instead of feeling relieved, Qi Xueyao clenched her teeth in frustration.
"Is Qi Lin so kind of mind reader?"
"I was just about to confess everything to my dad, and he had already beaten to it!"
"He must have realized that I was giving up, planning to return ho, and decided to expose everything on purpose, right?"
Qi Xueyao was extrely intelligent and imdiately figured out the key to the situation.
"Qi Lin, you bastard. I already lost. I surrendered. I wanted to go back ho. Why do you have to interfere even with this?"
Holding her phone, Qi Xueyao stared at the ceiling as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Dad, I really don’t want to stay here anymore. I want to go ho. Please co get ."
Her voice was filled with helplessness as she pleaded with Qi Dong.
"Are you out of your mind? You quit your teaching job—what’s the point of coming back?"
"Qi Xueyao, listen to . If you don’t achieve sothing there, don’t even think about coming back to Huayuan City. Even if you do, I’ll kick you out of the house myself. Do you hear ?"
By now, Qi Dong was completely convinced by Qi Lin’s persuasion—he firmly believed his daughter was destined to make big money.
And just like that, Qi Xueyao’s escape plan was utterly crushed.
…
[Diary Entry]
[Wang Cheng said that when he went to work at my aunt’s restaurant, a thug stopped him and beat him up.
When he finally arrived at the restaurant, he was imdiately mistaken for a pervert and detained.
I don’t know exactly what happened, but I have a feeling this has sothing to do with that bastard Qi Lin.
Seeing Wang Cheng sobbing made so annoyed. At least when it cos to strategy and ntal resilience, Qi Lin is far superior to Wang Cheng.
I told Wang Cheng that if he couldn’t even deal with Qi Lin, then everything he had would eventually be taken from him.
He has two choices—either kneel and apologize to Qi Lin, promising never to provoke him again, or lay low and wait for the perfect mont to strike back.
Wang Cheng seed deeply affected by my words. He told he wanted to endure humiliation, just like Gou Jian did.]
"Pfft… Gou Jian? Enduring humiliation to seek revenge? Seriously?"
After reading Lan Yuxi’s diary, Qi Lin nearly burst into laughter.
He found it amusing that Lan Yuxi was so sharp—though she had no evidence, her instincts had correctly deduced that he was the one who set up Wang Cheng.
"On another note, this little girl is starting to change. She used to believe that academic excellence was the ultimate asure of success. But now, she values strategy and ntal strength above all else."
"It’s obvious she’s beginning to drift away from Wang Cheng and align herself with , the ‘villain.’"
Qi Lin was very pleased with Lan Yuxi’s transformation, and he was eager to see what she would beco after fully embracing the darkness.
As for Wang Cheng’s so-called endurance, Qi Lin found it laughable.
Not only did it pose no threat to him, but it also gave him an opportunity to toy with Wang Cheng even more.
Just as Qi Lin closed the diary, he suddenly heard the sound of slippers tapping against the floor.
A mont later, a tear-streaked figure in a nightgown stood in front of him.
"Qi Lin, you bastard! Why won’t you let go ho? Are you happy now? My dad has completely refused to take back to Huayuan City!"
"How do you an? Sister Xueyao, I softened up because you served food today. I was thinking of helping you persuade Uncle so you wouldn't have to worry about this anymore. But now, sohow, I'm the bad guy?"
Qi Lin's dark eyes scanned Qi Xueyao from head to toe.
She was wearing plush slippers and a light blue nightgown. Her smooth, slender legs, delicate fingers with neatly trimd nails, and small feet—still slightly damp—glistened under the moonlight.
Noticing Qi Lin's gaze wandering, Qi Xueyao's face flushed slightly. She quickly withdrew her toes and shot him a fierce glare.
Hearing Qi Lin speak as if he were so benevolent person, Qi Xueyao almost believed him.
But she knew him too well. This bastard was nothing more than a pervert and a scoundrel. Would he really be kind enough to put in a good word for her?
Of course not. He just didn’t want to let her leave the villa—he wanted to tornt her at his own pace.
"Sister Xueyao, I’ve helped you so much. Shouldn't you reward with a kiss?"
"Honestly, since you can’t go ho now, and your business partner isn’t an option anymore, why don’t you just beco my wife? My mom listens to the most. As long as you marry , she’ll never be an to you again. You could live comfortably in the villa and never suffer another day."
Qi Lin had no intention of actually marrying Qi Xueyao. She was just a plaything to him. He was only saying this to provoke her.
"Spit! Now that you no longer have anything to use against , do you think you can still bully ?"
"Listen, Qi Lin! You may have stopped from going ho, but you've only made more determined. Now that my dad supports my business, once my training center is up and running, I’ll cut ties with the Qi family completely. You’ll regret this!"
Since her escape route was completely blocked, the only choice left was to fight Qi Lin head-on. Staring at him with fiery eyes, Qi Xueyao fiercely declared war.
"Regret what? Regret not taking you to a hotel and finishing things when I had the chance?"
"Sister Xueyao, just go back and rest. Save your energy for the next round of surprises. I hope you’ll still have this much spirit then. Don’t let break you too soon."
Qi Lin smirked.
"You’re the one who’ll be broken! You scoundrel, just wait! Sooner or later, soone will put you in your place and teach you a lesson!"
Qi Xueyao was so infuriated by Qi Lin’s shaless words that her face turned pink. She didn’t want to waste another second arguing with him and stord off.
With both his parents at ho, Qi Lin couldn’t do anything too outrageous to Qi Xueyao.
Besides, now that she had already told her father about quitting her job, he had lost his leverage over her.
…
The next morning, surprisingly, Qi Lin didn’t bother Qi Xueyao at all. Instead, he drove himself to school.
After finishing breakfast and arriving at the school gates, Qi Lin spotted a familiar face.
"Young Master Lin, I’ve been waiting for you for an hour!"
Chen Shing stood in front of Qi Lin’s luxury car, looking excited, as if he had urgent news.
Qi Lin stepped out. Wasn’t this the small-ti thug with the baton?
Rolling down the window, Qi Lin tossed him a cigarette, lit his own, and smirked. "Speak. What’s up?"
Chen Shing took a deep sniff of the cigarette before lighting it.
The two of them exuded an air of delinquency, causing the top students around them to steer clear, afraid of getting caught up in trouble.
"Young Master Lin, I saw that kid yesterday at Minzu High," Chen Shing whispered mysteriously.
"Who?"
Qi Lin frowned, still not understanding.
"The one I threw quickli at—the brat whose eyes got burned!"
Chen Shing grinned.
Qi Lin imdiately understood. He was talking about Yu Chen.
"What was Yu Chen doing at Minzu High?"
Qi Lin asked curiously.
Chen Shing sneered. "I just found out—he’s actually Zheng Yu’s cousin. He went to see Zheng Yu and told him you bullied him. And guess what? Zheng Yu still holds a grudge after you humiliated him last ti. So, the two of them have already planned to ambush you at the school gates at noon. Since this school is full of good students, even if you wanted backup, you wouldn’t find anyone in ti."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Qi Lin’s brows furrowed slightly.
He wasn’t worried about Zheng Yu waiting for him at the school gates.
A re street thug—what could he possibly do? Even if he managed to block him, Qi Lin had plenty of ways to take care of him.
What really caught Qi Lin’s attention was the fact that Yu Chen was actually Zheng Yu’s cousin.
"I got it. Here, take this."
Qi Lin pulled out a wad of cash and handed ten bills to Chen Shing.
This guy was pretty loyal—he had waited an hour just to bring him this information. Qi Lin wasn’t going to shortchange him.
"Thank you, Young Master Lin!"
Seeing the money, Chen Shing bead and quickly accepted it.
"Young Master Lin, do you want to call so guys to back you up?"
Feeling motivated after getting paid, Chen Shing was eager to prove himself. He no longer wanted to waste ti at Minzu High—he was set on following Qi Lin and making it big.
Qi Lin spoke calmly. "Just a small-ti thug. I can handle him myself. From now on, keep an eye on Zheng Yu for . If you get any news, let know."
Chen Shing was a little disappointed that Qi Lin didn’t need his help.
But when he thought about it, it made sense. Qi Lin’s father was soone who could make people disappear into the river—his subordinates were real gangsters. Why would he need a bunch of street thugs?
Bowing respectfully, Chen Shing turned and ran off.
anwhile, Wang Cheng beca the talk of Class 6, Senior Year.
For one simple reason.
Even after a full night, his swollen face had barely gone down. His bruises made it clear that he had been badly beaten.
"I heard Wang Cheng pissed off so gangsters."
"He’s fallen so low—hanging out with thugs now?"
"Apparently, he stole so gangster’s girl, and they ca after him for revenge."
"Damn, Wang Cheng has weird taste. A gangster’s girlfriend?"
For the first ti, Wang Cheng truly experienced the horrors of rumors.
Thinking about those thugs who had frad and beaten him up, his teeth clenched in anger.
Of course, the person he hated most was Qi Lin.
If Qi Lin hadn’t scamd 200 yuan from him, he wouldn’t have needed to take a part-ti job in the first place.
As soon as Wang Cheng sat down, Lan Yuxi entered the classroom.
Seeing her, Wang Cheng—despite being a grown man—imdiately started whining to her.
"Yuxi, yesterday, on my way to help at your aunt’s restaurant, I got ambushed by so thugs. They took my bike and beat up!"
"When I finally made it to the restaurant, they called a pervert. I was completely innocent—I don’t even know what happened!"
"And guess what? While I was being chased, Qi Lin just happened to be in front of and tripped . I think this whole thing was a setup to ss with !"
Wang Cheng wasn’t stupid. After thinking about it all night, he was almost certain Qi Lin was behind it.
For the first ti, Lan Yuxi felt annoyed at seeing Wang Cheng cry.
She sighed. "Stop crying. I believe you. I also think Qi Lin is behind this."
Then, she looked at Wang Cheng with an indifferent gaze.
"But a man who only knows how to whine when things go wrong will never achieve anything. If you can’t even stand up to Qi Lin, I’ll start doubting my own judgnt."
"I warned you not to provoke Qi Lin, but you didn’t listen. And because of that, things only got worse for you."
"Now, you have two choices. One—kneel before Qi Lin, beg for forgiveness, and hope he stops targeting you. Two—pretend to submit, let him drop his guard, and when you finally have the power to beat him, take your revenge. Choose."
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