Chapter 23 – Uncle Forcefully Steals Love (6)

She had already broken their agreement, so Lin Jinchi would definitely not let her off, right?

As she was lost in her thoughts, a deep voice suddenly rang out from the front, the man’s gaze falling on her without any obstruction.

“Come here, go home with me.”

Xin Ling: Me?

She looked left and right under that scalp-numbing gaze. Unfortunately, besides her, there was no one else in this place.

Alright then, he meant her.

Accepting her fate, Xin Ling lowered her head and followed along.

【Main Quest Progress: 20%!】

The atmosphere in the car was a little stifling.

Xin Ling tried her best to make her presence smaller, practically pressing herself against the window on the other side, with a “great chasm” separating her and Lin Jinchi.

The driver was up front, steering steadily along the avenue until they entered the estate.

The man hadn’t spoken a single word the whole way. The two of them just sat there quietly, as though they weren’t familiar with each other at all.

But it was precisely because of this that Xin Ling’s heart grew increasingly uneasy.

It felt like the silence before a storm, dark clouds piling overhead, brimming with lightning and rain like the Damocles sword, ready to drop at any moment.

She wished she could blink herself straight back into her room, slam the door shut, and hide under the covers.

Once they got out of the car, Xin Ling muttered a “thank you,” then rushed toward the villa at lightning speed, hoping to escape to her room.

Footsteps sounded closely behind her, pounding in rhythm with her heartbeat.

Her chest grew tight with panic.

Useless legs, hurry up and run…

Just as she fumbled to open her bedroom door and was about to shut it, a hand pressed against the doorframe, pushing it open with ease.

Click—

The sound of the lock falling into place.

Xin Ling was pressed against the door by Lin Jinchi, his grip firm on her wrist. He tilted her chin so she was forced to meet his gaze.
“Why are you running? Are you that afraid of me?”

“No…”

Xin Ling swallowed hard, refusing to admit it. “I’m just too tired. I wanted to hurry back and sleep, that’s all.”

The man’s eyes studied her. Suddenly, his brow arched in mockery, his pitch-black gaze glinting coldly, making Xin Ling’s heart pound wildly.

So dangerous…

That smile that wasn’t really a smile—was he thinking of how to kill her?

“If you’re not afraid, then why are you shaking?”

He bent down, brushing deliberately against her lips. Their breaths mingled, tinged with ambiguous heat.
“Little liar, do you know what happens to those who deceive me?”

“I-I didn’t mean to…”

“So you did it on purpose, then?”

Lin Jinchi lowered his gaze to her soft lips that opened and closed, those infuriating words slipping through, and without restraint, he bit down hard.

“He calls you once, and you rush to him. Tell me, was that not intentional?”

“A man like him—what exactly do you like about him?” Lin Jinchi’s hand clamped down on her waist, leaving finger marks on her tender skin.

“Tell me, Xin Ling. What do you like about him? I’ll make him change.”

“……”

How was she supposed to explain? She didn’t even like him. She was only completing the mission.

But that couldn’t be said aloud.

Her silence looked, in Lin Jinchi’s eyes, like silent admission. No matter what, she liked Lu Ziyao.

The air was tense, heavy with trembling breaths.

The man suddenly grabbed her chin roughly and kissed her hard, cutting off all sound, dragging her down into helpless descent.

In the next moment, Xin Ling was lifted and tossed onto the bed.

As she felt her clothes gradually being stripped away, panic surged. She gripped his hand tightly, struggling to sit up.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to?”

He leaned over her, fingertips brushing her flushed face.
“This is something you promised me. You’re not going back on it, are you?”

“Even if you wanted to, it’s too late now, sweetheart.”

“No, that’s not it…” Xin Ling’s eyes reddened, her tone pleading, “Not here. We don’t have… that.”

“If we don’t, then we don’t. So what?”

Lin Jinchi’s lips curved in a wicked smile, his hand pressing against her lower abdomen with deliberate cruelty.
“I can help you… would that be fine?”

“…Who knows, maybe a little baby could be made right here.”

“What do you think, sweetheart?”

His voice was gentle yet malicious, his low laugh chilling her spine.
“You wouldn’t possibly carry my child while wearing a wedding dress for Lu Ziyao, would you?”

“When the time comes, you’ll have no choice but to marry me. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

“……”

Who said she wanted to get married!

Once the mission was complete, she would be gone. She wouldn’t marry anyone!

…

Even so, as Lin Jinchi’s kisses blurred her mind, she faintly saw him pull a small square box from his pocket.

A tearing sound followed as the package was opened.

---

The matter quickly reached the ears of Old Master Lu. Unsurprisingly, Lu Ziyao was punished with confinement.

Not for half a month, only a week.

That was because in a week, it would be Old Master Lu’s seventy-first birthday, and a grand banquet had already been arranged. As the eldest grandson, Lu Ziyao had to attend.

“Everyone, pay attention and give it your all!”

The manager clasped his hands behind his back, sweeping the staff with a strict gaze.
“Remember, tomorrow night we’ll be hosting high society, especially the Lu family. You cannot afford to offend them.”

“Tomorrow is Old Master Lu’s birthday. Some of you—keep your hands and minds clear, and don’t ruin your assignments…”

“Especially you, Jian Sisi. Did you hear me?”

The girl, lost in thought, flinched when her name was called. Her face flushed crimson as she wished she could crawl into a hole.

“…Got it.”

Her reluctant reply was soft, betraying no emotion, and the manager let it slide.

After the meeting, Jian Sisi’s colleague and close friend tugged her sleeve, whispering excitedly,
“Tomorrow night the Lu family will be here! The Lu family! Isn’t your ex-boyfriend from the Lus?”

“Yeah, so what? We’ve already broken up.”

Jian Sisi frowned in irritation. “I don’t get why the manager is being so cautious. They just have money, so what? Are they really above everyone else?”

“I can’t stand the arrogance of those rich people!”

Especially that old man from the Lu family, who had personally come to bribe her into breaking up with Lu Ziyao—offering to send her abroad for studies, to fund her future…

More likely, it was a trick to ship her overseas and kill her off, clearing the way for the granddaughter-in-law he had chosen!

A breakup was a breakup. Did they think she cared? It was Lu Ziyao who had clung to her like a dog in the first place. Otherwise, why would she ever have dated him?

“Shhh!”

Her friend tugged her sleeve nervously. “Sisi, keep your voice down. If the manager hears, we’ll get scolded again.”

“Alright, alright, I got it.”