Chapter 79
Although Lin Tian really didn’t want to open the door, after all, Xuan Yuan Qingya was the hostess here.
Inside the Xuan Yuan family’s castle, if Lin Tian still refused to open the door for her, that would truly be crossing the line…
He opened the door, gave a polite smile, and asked,
“Miss Xuan Yuan, what brings you here? Has the banquet already begun?”
The moment those words left his mouth, Lin Tian immediately sensed something was off.
Xuan Yuan Qingya was the young lady of this castle!
Even if the banquet had started, would it really require her to come personally to deliver the message?
That made no sense at all, no matter how he thought about it.
Looking at the figure standing outside the door, with her serene expression tinged with a hint of pride, her exquisite features, and her deep violet evening gown—Lin Tian felt as though he was looking at an empress descending from the heavens.
Standing at the doorway, Xuan Yuan Qingya’s face carried the faint trace of a smile.
“No, the banquet hasn’t started yet. I just suddenly thought, since Mr. Lin is here at my Xuan Yuan family’s castle for the first time, as the host, perhaps I should take you around for a little tour… It’s a pity that it happens to be raining outside—such poor timing.”
“So, I simply thought I’d come over and offer you an apology…”
Lin Tian thought to himself, Are you freaking kidding me?
Is this really something Xuan Yuan Qingya should be saying?
If there was one heroine in the original story who left the deepest impression on Lin Tian, it was undoubtedly Xuan Yuan Qingya!
It wasn’t because she was the most beautiful or the most elegant, but because from beginning to end, this woman always remained apart from Jiang Yifeng’s harem.
In name, she was indeed considered part of Jiang Yifeng’s harem. But in reality, even Jiang Yifeng and Xuan Yuan Qingya’s relationship was as faint and distant as clear water.
Xuan Yuan Qingya’s pride was the kind that soared beyond the heavens themselves!
And now, a heroine like her would actually come to his room, and say… as the host, she should show him around?
And even go as far as to apologize?
For a moment, Lin Tian even wondered if this was a fake Xuan Yuan Qingya…
He froze briefly, while Xuan Yuan Qingya blinked her large eyes and, as if unintentionally, glanced into the room before speaking calmly.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Lin? Is it inconvenient to invite me in to sit for a while?”
The corner of Lin Tian’s mouth twitched.
This wasn’t a matter of convenience or not—the key issue was that there were already two people inside…
And seriously, what is wrong with all of you heroines? Why do you all insist on squeezing into my room?!
[Nonsense! There are already Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng in there. If Bai Bing’er hadn’t just left, the four of you could’ve sat down and played mahjong… This is supposed to be my room!]
Lin Tian roared in his heart, but since this was, after all, the Xuan Yuan family’s castle, no matter what, he couldn’t outright refuse Xuan Yuan Qingya.
Forcing a stiff smile onto his face, he said,
“Of course not, please come in… Hehe, Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng happen to be here too. The more people, the livelier it gets…”
Happen to be?
The corners of Xuan Yuan Qingya’s lips curved slightly as she looked at the man before her—a man who had practically saved her life—and her curiosity toward him deepened.
On paper, he was nothing more than a minor figure: a retainer of the Zhao family, an employee of Xinghai. Yet somehow, this seemingly insignificant Lin Tian had inexplicably attracted not only the two daughters of the Zhao family, but also the only daughter of the Bai family.
What kind of charm did Lin Tian possess?
And why was it that she could hear his inner voice?
Why was it that Lin Tian knew about so many things?
Jiang Yifeng’s schemes, the various details of the auction…
If not for Lin Tian’s inner thoughts, Xuan Yuan Qingya herself might have already fallen into Jiang Yifeng’s hands. The piece of agarwood and the jade carving would never have ended up with her either.
The countless mysteries Lin Tian displayed had already drawn Xuan Yuan Qingya in, though she remained oblivious to a crucial truth—when a woman finds a man filled with far too many inexplicable wonders and begins to grow deeply curious about him, it is an exceedingly dangerous thing.
With graceful steps, Xuan Yuan Qingya walked into Lin Tian’s room. Since this was, after all, one of the Xuan Yuan family’s guest chambers, she naturally felt no curiosity about the room itself.
What intrigued Xuan Yuan Qingya even more was—why were Shang Chan, Zhao Mengmeng, and Bai Bing’er all inside Lin Tian’s room?
What exactly had happened between the four of them here?
Just moments ago, the old butler had relayed to her everything he had picked up from the servants’ gossip.
After listening, the very first thought that surfaced in Xuan Yuan Qingya’s mind was—I have to see it for myself…
As for what, precisely, she intended to see, she gave herself a perfectly reasonable excuse: Lin Tian was, after all, her “life-saving benefactor.” More than that, he was a man whose inner voice she alone could hear—how could he not be special?
When it came to Lin Tian, she had no reason not to pay closer attention.
That was why she hadn’t even bothered with Xue Xue, who was still in her own quarters, and had come straight here to the guest villa where Lin Tian was staying.
In truth, when she stood before his door, Xuan Yuan Qingya had briefly considered whether coming so abruptly like this might be impolite, perhaps even improper for someone of her status.
But that strange, unshakable feeling rising faintly in her heart had compelled her—until at last she made up her mind, and pressed the doorbell.
The moment Lin Tian opened the door, Xuan Yuan Qingya was struck by an inexplicable sense of reassurance. She couldn’t even say where all these strange, tangled emotions inside her had come from.
Inside the room, her gaze immediately landed on Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng, who were sitting side by side on Lin Tian’s bed.
One wore no makeup at all, her natural face fresh and unadorned. The other was petite and adorable, exuding a gentle, obedient charm.
At a glance, the pair really did look like rare blossoms—so striking that even Xuan Yuan Qingya, who had always been supremely confident in her own beauty, couldn’t help but admit that these two might actually rival her.
This untimely assessment flickered through her mind, and Xuan Yuan Qingya’s lips curved into a flawless smile.
“Miss Shang, Miss Zhao—you’re here as well?”
Neither Shang Chan nor Zhao Mengmeng had expected Xuan Yuan Qingya to show up…
In Lin Tian’s inner voice, this sole daughter of the Xuan Yuan family was none other than the mysterious third heroine.
At the same time, she was also the true mistress of this castle. If not for Xuan Yuan Qingya’s presence and influence, Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng might not have found it so easy to keep Lin Tian by their side…
The two sisters immediately rose to their feet, smiling as they greeted Xuan Yuan Qingya.
Between the three women, an unspoken understanding seemed to form. None of them mentioned the reason they had come to Lin Tian’s room, as if such things were better left unsaid, each choosing instead to wear their composure like armor.
Lin Tian closed the door and moved to join them.
But whether it was an illusion or not, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the very atmosphere in the room had shifted again—heavy and stifling, just like when Shang Chan and Bai Bing’er had confronted each other earlier…
Yet, there was a difference. At least with Bai Bing’er, he had some sort of tenuous connection—they had met several times before.