Chapter 87
Xuan Yuan Qingya was speaking far too close to Lin Tian’s ear.
So close, in fact, that Lin Tian could clearly distinguish every emotion hidden in her voice—the shyness, the panic and the unyielding determination.
Her words trembled slightly, her breath warm against his ear. In that fleeting moment, Lin Tian almost felt as if a celestial maiden, one who reigned supreme above the Nine Heavens, was revealing all her beauty before him…
Lin Tian’s eyes flew open, his heart thrown into chaos.
How could it not be?
This woman, Xuan Yuan Qingya—if one were to judge her looks, perfection was the baseline. To deduct even a single point would be a crime of the judge.
If one were to judge her temperament, aside from her excessive pride, there was not a single flaw to be found!
And that very pride, in its own way, carried a deadly allure for any man.
That lofty, noble, commanding aura—it was the kind of presence that only a true goddess could possess.
And now, at this moment— Xuan Yuan Qingya had set aside all her pride.
At Lin Tian’s ear, with a voice trembling softly, carrying both shyness and resolute determination, warm and sweet against his skin, she whispered those words…
“From now on, I will be your woman…”
Who in the world could endure this?
Lin Tian felt as though even counting his previous life, he had never once faced such a trial!
In that daze, he suddenly understood why, throughout history, emperors had always fallen prey to beauty’s allure…
When a woman of peerless grace and devastating charm entrusted her whole self to you, when she leaned close and whispered a tender confession into your ear— this was no longer something sheer willpower could withstand.
To refuse? That would be going against human nature itself!
Lin Tian’s throat instantly turned dry, parched as if scorched by fire.
He stiffly turned his head to look at Xuan Yuan Qingya.
Her lashes fluttered ever so lightly, her gaze brimming with liquid shyness.
Her cheeks flushed rosy, while beneath her flawless white skin seemed to flow a soft, crystal-like glow, delicate and supple—like a ripe, tempting apple just waiting to be bitten.
So close, so very close… Lin Tian could even catch the faint fragrance drifting from Xuan Yuan Qingya’s body—whether it was perfume, or simply her natural scent, he could not tell…
This woman didn’t even blink—her clear, luminous eyes simply locked onto Lin Tian’s.
Lin Tian bit down hard on the tip of his tongue. Only when that sharp sting spread through his nerves, and the faint taste of iron filled his mouth, did he finally manage to wrench himself back to his senses.
Against Xuan Yuan Qingya’s overwhelming allure, it took both the primal urge to survive and the pain on his tongue to pull him back—just that alone was enough to show how frighteningly irresistible her charm was…
Lin Tian opened his mouth, but discovered his throat was so dry that no sound would come out.
Helpless, he had to swallow hard before he finally forced words past his lips.
“Xuan Yuan… Xuan Yuan Miss, don’t be like this… I’m really not a doctor, I… I can’t help you!”
His heartbeat thundered in his chest, pounding so wildly it almost drowned out his thoughts.
If this woman kept pressing him like this, he truly couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t blurt out a reckless yes…
How many men throughout history had lost their reason before beauty?
Lin Tian was no saint. How could he possibly be immune in a moment like this?
But—he had just thought of Jiang Yifeng.
And because of that name alone, Lin Tian knew with absolute certainty: he did not want to get involved in this matter!
Even though Xuan Yuan Qingya had already spoken those shocking words—“As long as you help me, I will be your woman”—Lin Tian could only grit his teeth and make a decision that went against every instinct of human nature…
Damn it!
Lin Tian roared inwardly.
【Damn! Even when faced with a woman like Xuan Yuan Qingya—this walking temptation—I still managed to refuse… Jiang Yifeng, you son of a bitch, do you even realize how deep the sins you’ve caused me to suffer run?!】
【I can’t take it, I really can’t take it… this woman feels like she’s even more of a demoness than Bai Bing’er!】
【Help! Someone save me! What do I do?! Please, just go, big sis—if you keep this up, I really won’t be able to control myself any longer!!】
Lin Tian howled miserably inside.
Hearing his inner voice, Xuan Yuan Qingya suddenly froze—then snapped back to her senses.
That’s right!
Why did she keep insisting that Lin Tian take action himself?
All she really needed was to bring him there. With Lin Tian present, his heart voice would inevitably reveal something about how to use that jade carving…
At that point, as long as she followed the instructions hidden in his thoughts, wouldn’t that be enough?
Even if this method wasn’t perfectly reliable, even if it carried risks—what other choice did she have now?
And if it wasn’t enough, then she could always find a way to deliberately guide him into thinking aloud in his heart about the jade carving’s true usage…
With that thought, her eyes lit up.
Xuan Yuan Qingya looked at the nervous yet conflicted expression on Lin Tian’s face and suddenly broke into a gentle smile.
“Lin Tian, if you really don’t have a way… then, would you at least come with me to take a look? You don’t have to do anything, just… just be there and watch.”
Her expression wavered with hesitation, but in the end she spoke softly, her tone tinged with shyness.
“With you there, I… I’ll feel more at ease.”
Lin Tian was completely dumbfounded.
In his heart he cursed, I’m not your man, nor your father—what the hell do you mean you’ll feel more at ease with me around?!
But then again, if it was only to go over and have a look, it wasn’t really a big deal.
The main issue was that the plotline itself had already shifted. If things continued like this, there was a high chance that Jiang Yifeng would appear. At a time like this, if Lin Tian didn’t personally watch how the story unfolded, he truly couldn’t feel at ease..
It was just like his earlier decision not to leave Xinghai—driven by the very same reason.
Lin Tian’s greatest advantage was his foresight.
But if his foresight advantage were to be completely worn away by the shifting plot, then Lin Tian would be left with only his own eyes—forced to observe and analyze carefully in order to barely keep some grasp of the situation.
Of course, saying he could “control the situation” was a bit of an exaggeration…
All Lin Tian really wanted was to survive in this world that looked calm on the surface but was full of hidden dangers underneath.
With that thought, Lin Tian let out a faint sigh, preparing to agree.
However, Xuan Yuan Qingya, upon hearing his sigh, assumed he was still unwilling. Her pearly teeth gently bit her lower lip, and her beautiful face flushed with a rosy glow so intense it even made her own mind feel faint and dizzy.
And then—!
Xuan Yuan Qingya suddenly leaned forward and brushed a light kiss against Lin Tian’s cheek.
At first, Lin Tian didn’t even react.
A few seconds later, when he saw Xuan Yuan Qingya lowering her head shyly, her face so red it looked as though it might bleed, her entire body trembling ever so slightly—
At that same moment, the lingering warmth on his cheek finally registered—
Lin Tian froze completely!
What the hell just happened?
Xuan Yuan Qingya…
She… she kissed me?!
His eyes went blank, his face stiff as though his entire body had been petrified.
His lips trembled as he slowly raised a hand, lightly touching the spot on his face where Xuan Yuan Qingya had just stolen a kiss.
For an instant, Lin Tian felt as if he had become the female lead in some cheesy romance novel…
Damn it! Wasn’t this basically being forcibly “wall-pinned” by Xuan Yuan Qingya?
What the hell kind of plot development was this???
Xuan Yuan Qingya, of all people, actually stealing a kiss? Lin Tian’s brain buzzed in disbelief.
Amid the ringing in his ears, he vaguely heard Xuan Yuan Qingya’s soft voice.
“Lin Tian… just take this as… the interest on my gratitude, alright?”
Lin Tian’s mind roared: Alright, my ass!
You stole a kiss from me—forget Jiang Yifeng, even if your mother found out, I’d be a dead man on the spot!!!
For a moment, Lin Tian truly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry…
His neck stiffly turned away, and he couldn’t be bothered with Xuan Yuan Qingya’s flustered state anymore. He simply placed both hands on her shoulders, pushed her back a few steps, and freed himself from her closeness.
Step by step, Lin Tian walked to the edge of his bed, sat down, and buried his head in his hands…
Right now, he needed to seriously piece together what the hell had just happened…
…
Just ten minutes ago, Xuan Yuan Qingya had shown up in his room for who-knows-what reason.
Her excuse was…
Since Lin Tian was new here, as the host, she should take him around for a tour. But since it was raining outside, she couldn’t, so she came to his room to “pay him a visit.”
What kind of half-baked excuse was that?
It wasn’t like Lin Tian was the only newcomer in the castle—there were nearly ten others as well.
So why had Xuan Yuan Qingya come specifically to his room?
Which part of this chain of events went wrong, Lin Tian couldn’t quite figure out yet.