Chapter 71
But Lin Tian? Lin Tian was losing his mind.
Already being stalked by two heroines was one thing. Now a third had entered the arena. And not just any random girl, this was the heroine. In romance story logic, a side character like Lin Tian getting entangled with one female lead was already asking for a tragic death. Now it was three.
“Lin Tian, do you have a moment? I want to talk.” Bai Bing’er approached, voice calm and direct.
Lin Tian gestured helplessly. Lady, do you think I’d still be here if I had a choice? These two have me on a leash!
Sure enough, Shang Chan stepped in, coldly: “What do you want with Lin Tian?”
Although she wasn’t officially with him, her relationship with Lin Tian was clearly closer than Bai Bing’er’s. Bai Bing’er narrowed her eyes slightly. “And you are?”
Shang Chan smiled frostily. “Lin Tian is a Zhao family retainer and a Xinghai Group employee. That makes him my Zhao clan’s man. You want to talk to him alone, of course I have the right to intervene.”
Bai Bing’er’s expression darkened because Shang Chan wasn’t wrong.
And then, Shang Chan twisted the knife: “Besides, Miss Bai, didn’t you once work against the Zhao family? And didn’t you and Jiang Yifeng have… some messy history? Hard to trust your intentions.”
That hit home. Bai Bing’er really
regretted ever working with that idiot Jiang Yifeng. Now, it was a permanent stain that Shang Chan could throw in her face at any time. She bit her lip, said nothing, and simply cast one last, deep glance at Lin Tian and walked away.Shang Chan was a little surprised. That’s it? She expected Bai Bing’er to argue more. Somehow, this felt… unfinished.
But no need to chase the matter. She turned back to Lin Tian with a gentle smile, like nothing had happened. The cold, ruthless CEO vibe vanished, replaced by a soft, sweet girl-next-door.
Lin Tian watched her face change in seconds. Women… are terrifying.
As for Bai Bing’er, he didn’t really feel strongly about her. Her mind-reading gift might sound cool, but it had clearly made her life miserable. He pitied her, sure. But that didn’t mean he wanted to be involved. With Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng, he had plausible deniability. With Bai Bing’er, he was just a random guy. Any connection would stick out like a sore thumb.
And so, the rest of the afternoon passed with him being dragged around the castle by the two sisters. It was impressive, sure—the gardens, the servant housing, the futuristic tech, the statues that screamed “expensive.”
But it was also exhausting. Walking around with two girls in high heels felt a lot like… shopping. Hell. On. Earth.
Luckily, the sky darkened. A storm was coming.
Lin Tian lit up.
[Rain! Yes! An excuse to stop walking!]
He beamed and said, “Hey, it’s about to rain! Let’s rest somewhere, yeah?”
The two girls turned to him, eyes sparkling with… something.
Lin Tian froze. Wait. That came out wrong.
He coughed and clarified, “I-I mean, go to our own rooms. Separately. To rest. Before dinner!”
Shang Chan chuckled quietly. “Oh? You only want to rest?”
He wanted to scream. How did it come to this??
Zhao Mengmeng called over a maid and asked if there were guest rooms available. The maid, having been briefed already, respectfully led them to a guest villa.
Each of the three got a room. As Lin Tian reached his, Zhao Mengmeng leaned against the door, smiled, and whispered, “Good afternoon, Lin Tian.”
He smiled back, reluctantly. Well, he didn’t want to get involved, but… it was still kinda nice. He entered, closed the door. Just then, rain began to pour. He yawned. Between the morning chaos and the castle tour, he was drained. After a quick shower, he lay down and began to doze off to the sound of rain.
But in another room, Bai Bing’er was not okay. She was thinking of Lin Tian.
His earlier thoughts, “Poor girl… that must’ve been painful for her…” moved her. Deeply.
She’d spent her whole life burdened by her ability to read people. No one had truly understood her. Not even her father. But Lin Tian had. In one sentence, he had shown her empathy she’d never known.
She smiled. She had to tell him. She had to thank him. She had to say that she was innocent, that Shang Chan’s accusations were wrong. She had to see him now. Even the rain couldn’t stop her.
She bolted from her room, ignoring the maid who offered her an umbrella. The maid chased after her with a parasol.
Because a girl like Bai Bing’er, running headlong into the storm to share her heart… Couldn’t be stopped.
Meanwhile, Lin Tian, having just stepped out of the shower, hair still wet, wearing only a robe, heard a knock. Thinking it was a maid calling for dinner, he opened the door casually and said:
“Coming—!”
Only to find—a drenched Bai Bing’er, gasping for breath, eyes shining with joy and relief.
Lin Tian’s heart skipped two beats.
[Holy crap! Why is she here?!]