Chapter 45: Children of the Martial World

Lin Wanyu was utterly bewildered, even suspecting at one point that she was dreaming.

Her father’s sternness was nothing new—after all, she had grown up under his strict discipline, and he was, without a doubt, a strict parent. But her mother had always doted on her, and now, when she spoke, her words weighed even heavier than her father’s.

“Mom, are you alright?” Lin Wanyu asked almost involuntarily.

Li Yulan raised her eyebrows and replied irritably, “That’s a question you should ask yourself. If Qin Chuan hadn’t stepped in to save you, your life might have been in danger. I never expected that after you woke up, instead of thinking about how to thank him, you’d call him an idiot. Wanyu, do you even have a conscience?”

“Your mother is right. Qin Chuan risked... risked getting hurt to save you. Don’t you have any gratitude at all?” Lin Jiancheng chimed in.

Hearing her parents’ combined reprimand, Qin Chuan, who had been “unconscious,” could barely contain his laughter. Still, he was somewhat dissatisfied with Lin Jiancheng’s bluntness—why change the wording at the last moment? Wouldn’t saying he risked his life to save Lin Wanyu be more moving?

“Though I said not to reveal everything to Lin Wanyu, I never meant for you to gloss over the truth so lightly!”

“My dear father-in-law, you need to learn the difference between pleasantries and genuine words!”

Qin Chuan complained silently, inwardly affirming the success of his earlier acting.

With both parents scolding her, Lin Wanyu snapped out of her half-dazed state, and the events she’d experienced began to piece together in her mind. She recalled that she had suddenly fallen ill and lost consciousness, and that her last phone call had been to her father.

“Dad, did you ask him to come treat me?” Lin Wanyu probed.

Lin Jiancheng nodded and, as if compelled by some thought, added, “Qin Chuan got the call just after three in the morning. Normally, it would take over an hour to drive here, but he managed to arrive in half an hour.”

Lin Wanyu, sharp as ever, caught the key point: he had rushed over to her home in the dead of night.

“Dad, Mom, could you tell me exactly what happened?” Lin Wanyu suspected Qin Chuan’s motives weren’t so pure—he was likely trying to make her indebted to him, making their eventual breakup more certain.

Lin Jiancheng then recounted everything, with Li Yulan filling in details about the treatment. Especially when describing Qin Chuan’s agony during the process, Li Yulan’s account was so vivid that Lin Wanyu listened in astonishment.

And when she heard that she had been wearing so little during the treatment, wasn’t that the same as being seen completely by Qin Chuan?

“We’re all people of the martial world, why fuss over trifles?” Lin Wanyu kept reassuring herself, but her cheeks only grew hotter and redder.

“Wanyu, I was by your side the entire time. Aside from acupuncture, Qin Chuan never did anything improper. Don’t misunderstand him,” Li Yulan said, blocking off any possible suspicions as only a mother could.

Lin Wanyu pursed her lips. She didn’t believe Qin Chuan was so upright; according to Lan Jin’s intel, he’d seize any opportunity to take advantage of women. But seeing her mother’s unwavering support for him, Lin Wanyu decided not to argue and resolved to question Qin Chuan herself later.

“Wanyu, wouldn’t you like to get to know Qin Chuan better? I think he’s outstanding in many ways. We shouldn’t dismiss someone over a first impression. What do you think?” After a brief silence, Lin Jiancheng shifted the topic.

Li Yulan quickly agreed, “That’s right, Wanyu. I also think Qin Chuan is excellent. Why not reconsider?”

Lin Wanyu stared at her parents in shock, seriously wondering if Qin Chuan had bewitched them—otherwise, why would they suddenly team up to matchmake...

Something was wrong!

If things deviated from the norm, there must be a reason.

“Dad, Mom, did Qin Chuan say something to you?” Lin Wanyu countered, her gaze sharp as she searched their faces for any hint of a flaw.

But Lin Wanyu was disappointed. Lin Jiancheng and Li Yulan’s expressions were calm and unwavering, well-prepared for her questioning, and showed not a trace of weakness.

Especially since they had promised Qin Chuan to keep his secret, they would not break their word.

What they didn’t know was that Qin Chuan was inwardly shouting, “Tell her the truth, reveal the secret!”

That way, Lin Wanyu would be so moved she might even pledge herself to him on the spot—or at the very least, his image in her heart would become noble and heroic.

But Qin Chuan was destined for disappointment.

The couple kept their lips sealed, acting as though they would endure any torture without uttering a word.

“Truly, birds of a feather flock together. Both are so forthright—if I’d known, I wouldn’t have pretended to be noble,” Qin Chuan regretted, feeling as if he’d shot himself in the foot.

He was thoroughly frustrated!

As Qin Chuan lamented in his mind, Lin Wanyu’s icy voice cut through.

“No matter what Qin Chuan told you, I won’t reconsider. Since he initiated the breakup, he has to bear the consequences. He was the one who gave up on me first, wasn’t he?”

For some reason, Lin Wanyu’s voice was filled with grievance as she said those final words, and she felt an urge to cry.

“Wanyu, actually—” Lin Jiancheng began.

“Dad, you don’t need to say anything more. A good horse doesn’t turn back, and neither will I,” Lin Wanyu’s tone was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

Lin Jiancheng and Li Yulan exchanged a glance, seeing a hint of helplessness in each other’s eyes. They understood Lin Wanyu’s temperament well, so her answer came as no surprise.

“You can’t rush things. It has to be taken slowly,” the couple thought in unison.

Qin Chuan sighed internally as well—breaking off an engagement felt good in the moment, but winning her back would be hell.

“The path I chose, I have to walk it to the end, even if on my knees,” Qin Chuan reaffirmed his resolve. But he had no intention of crawling—if the road was too rough, he’d jump or fly across. Why crawl?

“Dear, have Aunt Zhang prepare breakfast. Qin Chuan will be hungry after waking up. Also, let his driver come in and eat—he’s been outside all night.” Lin Jiancheng said gravely.

Li Yulan agreed and left the bedroom. Lin Jiancheng paused before turning to Lin Wanyu with a serious expression, “Wanyu, I really hope you’ll consider our suggestion. It takes time to truly know someone, and rushing a decision might lead to regret.”

Without waiting for Lin Wanyu’s reply, he left the bedroom.

Watching him go, Lin Wanyu fell into deep thought. After a while, she suddenly seemed to realize something, looked at Qin Chuan lying beside her, and said coldly, “If you keep pretending, do you believe I’ll turn you into a eunuch?”

Qin Chuan remained unmoved.

Snip, snip, snip.

Only when Qin Chuan heard the sound of scissors grinding together did he spring upright as if on a giant coil.

“Damn it, what... what are you doing?” Qin Chuan asked, his voice trembling.