Chapter 46: Truly Gifted

"Go on, keep pretending to be unconscious!" A trace of triumph flashed across Lin Wanyu's face.

Qin Chuan scratched his nose awkwardly, then broke into a dazzling smile.

"You shameless eavesdropper, how dare you grin like that?"

"I must cut you down today!"

Lin Wanyu wasn't sure when exactly Qin Chuan had woken up, and she dreaded the possibility that he'd overheard her conversation with her parents—especially when they'd joined forces to persuade her to reconsider him. That simply couldn't be allowed to get out; otherwise, wouldn't this guy be over the moon?

"If he finds out, Qin Chuan will take me even less seriously," she thought, startled by the sudden notion flashing through her mind. Something about it felt off, as if she were yearning for his attention.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! I, Lin Wanyu, will never go back on my word!" She hesitated. "On second thought, maybe I shouldn't make such bold claims." Silently, she withdrew her inner vow. It hadn't been three minutes yet, so surely it could be taken back? Lin Wanyu worried—she didn't want to become a victim of the infamous 'smells so good' law. Best not to jinx herself.

"Wasn't there a saying—don't hit a smiling face?" As Lin Wanyu brandished her scissors and lunged toward him, Qin Chuan began to panic.

Lin Wanyu retorted, "I’m not hitting—I'm cutting!"

"Well said!" Qin Chuan gave her a thumbs-up, momentarily at a loss for words.

As Lin Wanyu closed in, Qin Chuan retreated into a corner. "A gentleman uses words, not violence!"

"I'm a woman!"

Qin Chuan's mouth twitched; twice now, he'd been instantly defeated in verbal sparring.

Seeing Qin Chuan cornered like that, Lin Wanyu couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. "At last, I've gained the upper hand with him," she thought, feeling a small sense of triumph.

She pressed him, "Tell me, when did you wake up?"

"I..."

"Tell the truth!" Lin Wanyu cut him off, her gaze blazing, as if to say, "If you dare lie, I'll cut you to pieces."

"It was when your father was advising you to reconsider," Qin Chuan replied honestly.

Lin Wanyu was skeptical. "Really?"

Meeting her intense gaze, Qin Chuan nodded. "Really."

Only then did Lin Wanyu relax slightly. She quickly put on an air of indifference. "My father was just grateful you rushed over to save me, so he said a few words. Don't take it seriously."

"I didn't," Qin Chuan replied, his tone tinged with disappointment.

For reasons she couldn't explain, seeing him so deflated made Lin Wanyu inexplicably pleased.

"Good, that's for the best!"

Satisfied with his answer, she moved on. "By the way, when you treated me, did you see anything you shouldn’t have?"

"No," Qin Chuan answered at once, "All my attention was on curing you. I didn't have time for distractions."

"Did you like my Crayon Shin-chan panties?" Lin Wanyu suddenly asked.

"Crayon Shin-chan? Wasn’t it actually Pleasant Goat..." Qin Chuan's words trailed off abruptly.

Danger! Danger! Danger!

Qin Chuan’s martial instinct blared in alarm. Without hesitation, he dashed for the bedroom door at lightning speed.

"Qin Chuan, I’ll kill you!" Lin Wanyu, mortified and furious, hurled her scissors at him.

"Murder! She’s trying to kill her husband!" Qin Chuan cried out, slamming the door shut.

Clang!

As the metallic sound of scissors piercing wood rang out, Qin Chuan clearly saw their tip protruding half an inch through the door.

"Qin Chuan, you stop right there!" Lin Wanyu’s nearly roaring voice echoed from inside.

Qin Chuan’s mouth twitched violently; silently, he thought, Only a fool would stop now!

He bolted down the stairs, nearly colliding with Li Yulan, who was coming to call them for breakfast.

"Chuan, what’s the rush? Breakfast is ready..."

"Mom, I won’t stay for breakfast. Wanyu needs nourishment to recover—let her have more of the tonic foods. I’ll get going now!"

Without giving Li Yulan a chance to say more, Qin Chuan fled the scene.

Li Yulan hadn’t even finished her parting wave when his figure vanished from her sight.

"What on earth..." Li Yulan was utterly bewildered.

Moments later, Lin Wanyu burst out wielding a fruit knife, her face cold as frost. "Mom, where’s Qin Chuan?"

"He... he left!" Li Yulan was momentarily stunned, then cried out, "Wanyu, what are you doing with that knife?"

Lin Wanyu waved the fruit knife, forcing a smile. "I was going to peel him an apple to thank him, but he ran off—how rude!"

"You’d better really mean to peel him an apple," Li Yulan said, shooting her daughter a look. Clearly, that earlier cry of 'murder' hadn’t been a hallucination.

"Mom, I’m telling the truth! Can’t there be more trust between mother and daughter?" Lin Wanyu pouted.

Anyone else witnessing this scene would have been stunned. The famously aloof and elegant Lin Wanyu, known as a cold beauty and a powerful CEO, was acting so playfully?

"I just can’t with you," Li Yulan said, caught between laughter and exasperation by her daughter’s sudden coquettishness. "Looks like bringing Chuan and my daughter together will be a long, hard road," she sighed inwardly.

"I knew you’re the best, Mom. Let me peel you an apple," Lin Wanyu said sweetly, though inwardly she seethed: "Qin Chuan, just you wait. This matter is far from over!"

Elsewhere.

Inside a sports car.

Still sweating from his narrow escape, Qin Chuan glanced back at the Lin family villa, his heart pounding. Thank heavens he'd run fast enough; who knew if Lin Wanyu might have thrown a kitchen knife next?

"Mr. Qin, are you alright?" Awei was shocked. For someone as inscrutable as Qin Chuan to be so wary—just how formidable must the other party be?

Qin Chuan waved it off. "I’m fine, just got chased by a tigress."

"A real tigress?" Awei’s shock soon gave way to sudden understanding. But then confusion set in again—how could the Lin family’s young lady possibly be compared to a tigress? With her beauty, even in anger, at most she’d be a fierce little kitten, not a wild beast.

"Mr. Qin, did you... with Miss Lin..." Feeling Qin Chuan’s icy gaze, Awei hastily changed "caught in the act" to "get bullied by her?"

Qin Chuan’s expression eased slightly. "I came to heal her, not to take advantage of her."

Awei’s mouth twitched. Healing again? Was that really the official story?

"Of course, Mr. Qin came to save her. No other intentions whatsoever," Awei replied earnestly, recalling his previous punishment for putting his foot in his mouth.

Three black lines appeared on Qin Chuan’s forehead. Why did that sound so sarcastic?

Just then, a red Porsche raced by in the opposite lane.

"That’s the young lady’s car!" Awei recognized Lan Jin’s signature Porsche at a glance.

A hint of a smile played at Qin Chuan’s lips. Perfect—Lan Jin could help soothe Lin Wanyu, making future meetings easier. With that in mind, he quickly sent Lan Jin a message.

But to Awei, that smile looked entirely different. In his imagination, a whole drama unfolded:

Qin Chuan, having an affair with Miss Lin behind the young lady's back (possibly by force); the young lady, upon learning of it, rushed to the Lin family villa to catch them; Qin Chuan finished and fled just in time, saw the young lady arrive late, and flashed a smug, wicked smile.

Flawless logic. A seamless plot.

Awei was secretly pleased with his insight. "I truly have the makings of a master," he thought, suddenly brimming with confidence.

"What are you grinning about?" Qin Chuan asked irritably.

Awei quickly composed himself. "Mr. Qin, I just realized I have great talent, so I’m happy."

"Yes, you do," Qin Chuan affirmed. But before Awei could fully smile, Qin Chuan added, "Awei, your talent for cleaning sewers is unmatched—far better than the professionals."

"......" Awei was stunned into silence.

Ding!

A message notification abruptly sounded.

Qin Chuan didn’t think much of it, assuming it was Lan Jin’s reply. But when he read the content, a fierce killing intent surged in his eyes.

"If you want to save Qin Youyou, come alone to Riverside Park at 10:30 tonight, or prepare to collect her corpse!"

Qin Youyou had once been the closest thing to a sister Qin Chuan had in the Qin family.

Now her life hung by a thread—how could Qin Chuan not be enraged?

"Courting death!"

Qin Chuan’s gaze turned icy, murderous intent radiating from him.