C4 The Thought of It Lingering in Her Mind.

Qin Xiaoliu massaged his temples, dreading the very thing he feared most.

He was trying to craft the perfect little white lie, one that would seem utterly sincere.

But he couldn't just ignore the call; if Lih Qingcheng caught a whiff of deceit, he'd be in deep trouble.

He let the phone ring for a moment before answering with a feigned weariness.

"Hello? Boss."

Lih Qingcheng's commanding voice, tinged with a magnetic allure, came through.

"How did it go?"

"Heh, that Zhou Yingxue is quite the looker, huh? Enjoy yourself?"

"You can't say I don't take care of you, right?"

Qin Xiaoliu's face flushed with embarrassment. Lih Qingcheng wore many masks.

At home, she was the dutiful, sweet daughter.

At the office, the icy CEO.

And to her underlings, a merciless queen.

Qin Xiaoliu blurted out the rehearsed line, "Uh, boss, I didn't succeed."

Lih Qingcheng's volume spiked, "What?! You failed! You can't handle one woman? What are you good for?"

"Is it that you're... incompetent? If so, I'll find someone who isn't!"

Qin Xiaoliu was speechless...

He could almost see Lih Qingcheng's fury and quickly interjected.

"Boss, just hear me out."

"I was about to act when this old man knocked me out cold. He's a master; I didn't even sense him behind me!"

"Right before I passed out, I heard him call her 'Miss Zhou Yingxue' and he mentioned the Zhou family..."

Naturally, Qin Xiaoliu had fabricated the story, but it wasn't far-fetched for the influential Zhou family to have a protector for Yingxue, was it?

Lih Qingcheng paused, then pressed, "Are you absolutely certain you heard correctly?"

Qin Xiaoliu's lips curled into a slight smile. Lih Qingcheng was sharp; she'd caught on instantly.

"Yes! Boss, I swear it's true! I heard every word crystal clear!"

After a brief silence, Lih Qingcheng responded, "Alright, I understand. Come back for now."

She ended the call with lightning speed.

Qin Xiaoliu exhaled, hoping everything was fine now.

Lih Qingcheng might be a bit eccentric, but she was fiercely loyal to her younger brother, always defending him.

In the novel, she had distanced herself from him after his death, but she still visited his grave, a detail that had stuck with Qin Xiaoliu.

"Lih Qingcheng is a woman of deep bonds... Otherwise, she wouldn't have harbored feelings for the male lead for so long."

However, had Lih Qingcheng shown even a hint of murderous intent just now, Qin Xiaoliu would have fled without a second thought.

When this woman got tough, she was merciless!

Just then, the system's voice echoed again.

[Congratulations, Host, for successfully altering the storyline. You've earned 1000 luck points.]

[Would you like to enter the lottery?]

"Let's do it."

[1000 luck points deducted. Lottery draw successful!]

[Congratulations! Your force value has increased by 100.]

Qin Xiaoliu felt his body undergoing yet another transformation.

This change was more profound and nuanced than before, nothing like the previous alteration from the charm value increase.

It made sense, though.

After all, one could resort to plastic surgery to enhance looks, but no surgery could amplify strength.

Qin Xiaoliu could even sense his muscles shifting in structure, his body brimming with power!

A couple of casual punches sliced through the air, making a whooshing sound.

He grinned, pleased with himself.

"Now, I wonder if I can take down that cur, Lin Feng?"

Qin Xiaoliu stepped out of the hotel, intent on finding Lih Qingcheng.

Now, he felt confident that even if Lih Qingcheng tried to kill him point-blank, he could walk away without a scratch!

...

Meanwhile, Lin Feng was still pleading for Zhou Yingxue's forgiveness.

A fire of jealousy burned in his chest.

Just the thought of what he'd see upon opening that door made him feel like he was under a canopy of green—a clear sign of being cuckolded.

He had always considered Zhou Yingxue his exclusive possession.

Lin Feng's fists were clenched tight.

That bit player, even more handsome than him, he'd have to deal with sooner or later!

But he couldn't lose his temper with Zhou Yingxue.

As the future leader of the Zhou family, winning her over meant she had to like him first!

Watching Zhou Yingxue's svelte figure, Lin Feng gave a lascivious lick of his lips before hurrying to her side, adopting a contrite expression as he spoke.

"Yingxue! It wasn't intentional, I swear! When I saw what was happening, I thought he was going to hurt you, so I intervened!"

"I was just... worried about you!"

Zhou Yingxue, looking at Lin Feng's seemingly innocent face and recalling his past assistance, began to doubt her suspicions.

Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that Lin Feng had lost some of his appeal, especially compared to Qin Xiaoliu...

The thought of Qin Xiaoliu brought an unbidden blush to her cheeks. She sighed and asked in an even tone, "Then how did you know I was at this hotel?"

Lin Feng replied without hesitation, "It was Wan'er who told me!"

"We can confront her together if you like!"

In a bid to regain Zhou Yingxue's trust, Lin Feng had no choice but to throw Zhao Wan'er under the bus for now.

He figured he could always make it up to her later.

After all, both sisters were exceptional catches!

Zhou Yingxue's brow furrowed. Lin Feng was so adamant; could his words be true?

Had Zhao Wan'er... betrayed her?

Without going into detail, Zhou Yingxue called Zhao Wan'er to clear the air.

Arriving unaware of the situation, Zhao Wan'er was just relieved to see Zhou Yingxue unharmed, thankful that Qin Xiaoliu hadn't gotten his way.

But after leaving, Zhao Wan'er was plagued by guilt, feeling she had let Zhou Yingxue down.

That's why she had urged Lin Feng to go to Zhou Yingxue's rescue.

Yet the mere thought of Qin Xiaoliu sent a shiver down Zhao Wan'er's spine.

For some reason, she couldn't shake off the words Qin Xiaoliu had hurled at her—they clung to her thoughts persistently!

In the midst of it all, she even managed to soak her clothes, which necessitated an unplanned bath...

With flushed cheeks, Zhao Wan'er shook her head, determined to stop dwelling on that man!

She asked with a cheerful tone, "Yingxue! What's up? What's going on?"

Before Zhou Yingxue could utter a word, Lin Feng interjected sharply, "Zhao Wan'er! Make it clear to Yingxue! Was it you who told me to go rescue her?!"