Chapter 108: They Must Be Playing You for a Fool

Lin Family Villa.

In the living room.

Lin Wanyu idly fiddled with the remote control, unaware that the television had shifted from current affairs news to a wildlife documentary. Her mind was in chaos, the irritating image of Qin Chuan persistently haunting her subconscious.

"Wanyu, what are you thinking about?" a deep voice suddenly sounded from behind.

Startled out of her endless daydreaming, Lin Wanyu replied awkwardly, "Just watching the news!"

"The news?" Lin Jiancheng’s expression gradually turned peculiar.

"Yes!" Lin Wanyu slowly turned her gaze to the TV screen, where the host was reciting a classic line:

"Spring has arrived, bringing life anew; it is the season of animal mating. The forest air is thick with the scent of hormones!"

Lin Jiancheng couldn’t help but laugh wryly. "Are you thinking about Qin Chuan?"

"How could that be?" Lin Wanyu quickly denied, then added with some bitterness, "A scoundrel like Qin Chuan? Not even a dog would want him."

"Well, I’m certainly not a dog!" Lin Wanyu secretly thought to herself.

Lin Jiancheng didn’t intend to expose his daughter’s little thoughts. Instead, he feigned casualness and said, "Young people inevitably have their bumps along the way. Communication is key to avoiding misunderstandings. Otherwise, negative feelings accumulate, and once they erupt, it’s irreparable."

"Dad, I’m tired!" Lin Wanyu said, clearly sensing the underlying meaning in her father’s words. She suspected Qin Chuan had somehow charmed him; otherwise, why would he take every opportunity to defend that man?

"Then rest early. No matter how tough work gets, don’t ruin your health. Go on now," Lin Jiancheng said, instantly reverting to his usual demeanor, as if his subtle defense of Qin Chuan had nothing to do with him. Lin Wanyu was left dumbfounded.

Back in her room, Lin Wanyu received a call from Lan Jin. The latter recounted in detail everything about Qin Chuan’s return to the Lan family’s old residence, especially emphasizing his complex feelings about the relationship with Lin Wanyu.

“Sister Yu, you didn’t see it, but Qin Chuan’s expression was so complicated when he talked about you. You could tell he’s really hoping to be with you. I don’t know what special reasons he mentioned, but no matter what, having that fox Liu Qingcheng steal a march on him really pissed me off.”

Whenever Lan Jin mentioned Liu Qingcheng, her anger flared. Liu Qingcheng had clearly been Qin Chuan’s fastest-moving conquest, yet now she was overtaken by someone else, leaving Lan Jin, the eldest Miss Lan, unwilling to accept it.

Lin Wanyu snorted coldly, her mood complicated as she listened. But when Lan Jin described Qin Chuan’s sincere feelings about their engagement, an inexplicable thrill crept into Lin Wanyu’s heart—a thrill even she couldn’t understand.

Especially when she heard Qin Chuan might solve the problems her company was facing, Lin Wanyu felt a touch of warmth, as if deep inside she still hoped for something. Yet when she reached out to grasp that hope, it vanished like smoke. Still, her mood was far better than when she had failed at Qingcheng International Tower.

“Did Qin Chuan say how he plans to help with the spokesperson issue?” Lin Wanyu asked suddenly.

Lan Jin shook her head. “He didn’t say, but I can tell from his expression he’s not lying.”

“You’re too naive. He must have asked for something in return, right?” Lin Wanyu said, half exasperated.

Lan Jin nodded, recalling Qin Chuan mentioning that he was going to his room that night to learn Liu Qingcheng’s tactics.

“Well, there you go! He’s definitely pulling your leg. Tomorrow, I’ll have a serious talk with Yao Qier,” Lin Wanyu sighed softly.

After a brief chat, they hung up. Lan Jin stared thoughtfully at the grotesquely misshapen banana nearby. With her clumsy skills, if she really tried to imitate Liu Qingcheng’s “iron-pumping” routine, would Qin Chuan end up crippled?

But Lan Jin had no idea that Qin Chuan had been joking all along. She had spent a long time psyching herself up before finally deciding to act.

Yet when Lan Jin entered Qin Chuan’s room in the early morning hours, she found him sprawled on the bed, snoring loudly, nearly making Miss Lan furious enough to spit blood.

The next morning.

In the dining room.

Watching Lan Jin pout and curse her luck, Qin Chuan felt like laughing. He actually knew she had sneaked into his room the night before—he’d heard the door handle turn.

But after an intense mental battle, Qin Chuan decided not to cross that boundary with Lan Jin yet. Casual teasing was fine—they were friends, after all. But if she started pumping iron with him, their relationship would change irreversibly. Especially since Lan Jin was nothing like the ‘easygoing and magnanimous’ Liu Qingcheng. To keep the peace in the backyard, Qin Chuan thought it best to remain just friends.

Of course, he wouldn’t tell Lan Jin this outright. Sometimes, understanding things on one’s own was more meaningful. If Lan Jin misunderstood or failed to grasp it, what did that have to do with him?

“Wait... doesn’t that sound like something a scoundrel would say?” Qin Chuan quickly banished the thought.

After breakfast, Lan Jin couldn’t help but ask, “Is it true you said you’d help Sister Yu?”

“Of course it’s true. Even if I don’t get along with her, what kind of relationship do we have? Do you think I’d lie to you?” Qin Chuan replied irritably.

Lan Jin pouted. “What kind of relationship do we have?”

“We’re... cough cough... obviously friends. Very close friends, in fact. To put it in today’s terms, I’m your male best friend,” Qin Chuan said with mock solemnity.

Holding hands, wrapping arms around waists, baring bodies to each other, almost pumping iron together just yesterday—just friends? Male best friends?

Pah! Scoundrel!

Lan Jin had countless complaints bubbling inside her.

Still, reassured by Qin Chuan’s certainty, she felt somewhat relieved. At least he wasn’t simply stringing her along.

“So how do you plan to help?” Lan Jin asked with curiosity.

Qin Chuan replied mysteriously, “I recently met a top female star in the entertainment industry. I think she can help with this.”

“Yeah, sure, keep bragging! Look up, the cows are flying!” Lan Jin’s face was full of disbelief.

Qin Chuan shrugged. “You’ll see when we meet her later.”

“Playing mysterious!” Lan Jin sneered. “Top female star? There are only a few top stars now, and you just came down from the mountain not long ago. How could you possibly know—”

Before Lan Jin could finish, Qin Chuan was already on the phone without joking: “Star Tan, I need a little favor. No problem, right?”