Chapter 112

By now, night had fallen, and the Xuan Yuan family’s evening banquet was about to begin.

Lin Tian returned to his room, tidied himself up, and was just about to follow Uncle Zhong, who had come for him, toward the banquet hall.

But as soon as he stepped out the door, the doors on both sides of the hallway opened simultaneously!

Zhao Mengmeng and Shang Chan stepped out from the two doors on either side—both dressed in stunning evening gowns!

Shang Chan wore a pure white gown with a hem adorned with tiny black crystal embellishments that shimmered like stars. The long dress barely grazed the floor, revealing glimpses of her fair ankles and delicate silver heels as she walked.

The gown revealed a faint outline of her collarbone, forming a breathtaking curve. The gown accentuated her graceful figure, which seemed to radiate brilliance.

Her silky black hair cascaded down her back, swaying gently with her movements. Exquisite silver earrings hung at her ears, and her face bore no heavy makeup—only a touch of light lipstick that made her beauty appear more natural.

Looking to the right, Zhao Mengmeng wore a voluminous gown, a completely different style from Shang Chan’s.

Her gown leaned toward a pink color palette, though not an intense shade of pink. The voluminous skirt fell in a gentle, flowing curve instead of flaring out, and delicate silver threads traced along the hem.

Zhao Mengmeng wore a fitted top in a soft coral-red hue on her upper body that complemented the pink tones of her skirt perfectly.

The top was tight from the waist down but gradually loosened as it rose toward her collarbone and neck, ending in exquisite, wing-like shapes at her shoulders. This gave her the appearance of an angel descending to the mortal world.

Unlike Shang Chan, Zhao Mengmeng wore light makeup with a dusting of shimmering glitter around her eyes. However, because she already had the fresh, youthful appearance of a young maiden, the makeup didn’t make her seem more mature or worldly; instead, it highlighted her petite, adorable charm.

Zhao Mengmeng styled her hair into a soft, flowing look with slight volume on both sides. The sleek, black strands cascaded down her back like a waterfall, completely covering it. This style exuded youthful energy while maintaining a gentle, tender charm.

The two beauties—one tall and the other petite—had clearly been waiting in their rooms, timing their appearance to coincide with Lin Tian’s exit.

Once again, Lin Tian found himself caught in the middle.

With a faint, teasing smile, Shang Chan spoke first.

“Lin Tian, do I look good in this?”

Lin Tian thought to himself: If this were the cold, aloof CEO from the original story, would she ever ask someone if her outfit looked good?

Besides, Shang Chan never wore a gown like this in the original novel, did she? She was always dressed in a pure white business suit.

Lin Tian really didn’t want to compliment Shang Chan, but he couldn’t lie, could he?

“Looks great, looks great…”

Lin Tian replied helplessly. Then, he heard Zhao Mengmeng’s voice from the other side. She was unwilling to be outdone.

“Lin Tian, what about me? Do I look good?”

Lin Tian turned his head, pretending to frown as he carefully examined her outfit. He stayed silent for over ten seconds.

In the end, Zhao Mengmeng couldn’t hold back!

“Lin Tian, say something! What’s wrong with it?!”

Lin Tian almost burst out laughing.

“It looks great. I was just teasing you.”

Zhao Mengmeng wrinkled her delicate nose, let out a soft hum, and walked over. She cast him a flirtatious, charming glance.

“Hmph, Lin Tian, you just love messing with me…”

Lin Tian felt his heart skip a beat!

Suddenly, he realized that something about his state of mind felt off.

Maybe it was because Jiang Yifeng had left the castle. Or maybe it was because of what had happened earlier with Xuan Yuan Qingya.

Either way, Lin Tian felt that he had become too relaxed.

Noticing this, he immediately corrected himself.

As the saying goes: “Extreme joy begets sorrow.”

Things looked pretty good right now. Shang Chan, Zhao Mengmeng, Bai Bing’er, and Xuan Yuan Qingya were standing on the opposite side of Jiang Yifeng. Jiang Yifeng himself had left the castle.

But who knows if Jiang Yifeng might reappear at any moment?

If the male lead and the heroine don’t end up together, it would go against the underlying rules of this world!

In a sense, this castle might not be the only thing that becomes unsafe—the entire world could become unstable.

After all, this is a clichéd romance world built entirely around the “male lead and female lead” dynamic. Even if the world’s rules strive for logical consistency, they will always prioritize Jiang Yifeng.

[No, even if Jiang Yifeng has left, I can’t let my guard down. His departure only means he missed Xuan Yuan Chen’s opportunity; it doesn’t mean he has no other trump cards!]

[Besides, Elder Lei mentioned that the little princess of the Jiang family will arrive in a few days. She’s Jiang Yifeng’s senior sister. Would she really not stand up for her younger brother?]

[Careless… I actually let myself joke around with Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng like that… Lin Tian, you can’t afford to let your guard down!]

Lin Tian sternly warned himself. Every step he took now had to be cautious—one wrong move, and it would be a fall into eternal damnation!

He had to be cautious with every step he took now—one wrong move, and it would be a fall into eternal damnation!

Still, as he thought these things, something deep within him began to shift, subtly influenced by the heroines around him.

Beside him, Zhao Mengmeng and Shang Chan were both a little stunned after hearing Lin Tian’s inner voice.

Did Jiang Yifeng actually show up again? And then he left almost immediately?

What on earth happened in between?

Sharp as ever, Shang Chan sensed that this might have something to do with Xuan Yuan Qingya—or perhaps even the Dragon Lord.

She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked softly. “Lin Tian, why weren’t you in your room just now? Where did you go?”

Lin Tian instantly felt nervous.

Setting aside the matter with Xue Xue, he certainly didn’t want Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng to find out about what had happened between him and Xuan Yuan Qingya.

The two women were already causing him enough trouble—if they found out about Qingya, who knew what kind of trouble that would cause!

“It’s nothing. I just went out for a walk. The scenery outside is pretty nice, haha.” Lin Tian forced himself to sound calm as he replied.

Lin Tian forced himself to sound calm as he replied.

Inside, however, he was grumbling furiously.

[Damn it! All I did was go out with Xuan Yuan Qingya to save her fourth uncle, so why does it feel like I’ve been caught red-handed? It’s all because Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng are so abnormal! They make me feel like I really have something going on with them!]

[Sigh… But what about the situation with Xuan Yuan Qingya? How am I supposed to handle that?]

[Wait for me. Wait for me.]

[I don’t even know why I said that back then!]

Lin Tian felt a wave of melancholy, but he had no idea his inner voice had exposed everything.

A sharp, glinting light flashed in the eyes of both Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng!

So it really was connected to Xuan Yuan Qingya!

But it sounded like Lin Tian only went out with her to save her fourth uncle. What did the “Wait for me, wait for me” mean, then?

The two women were now filled with burning questions.

However, now wasn’t the right time to ask him about it. After exchanging a quick glance, Zhao Mengmeng spoke sweetly.

“Jie, Lin Tian, it’s getting late. Let’s head to the banquet hall. It wouldn’t be polite to keep our hosts waiting.”

Shang Chan nodded slightly and smiled.

“All right, let’s go.”

Lin Tian looked at the sisters in surprise. Weren’t they going to dig deeper?

Something’s definitely off here!

The three of them went downstairs together, found Uncle Zhong, and headed toward the four-story villa at the center of the estate.

On the way, Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng were unusually quiet, which made Lin Tian nervous.

They’ve never been this silent around me before!

[Could they have figured out what happened between me and Xuan Yuan Qingya? No way. They went back to their rooms, didn’t they?]

Lin Tian’s mind was racing with wild thoughts.

Then, as they turned a corner, he suddenly saw Bai Bing’er, who was also dressed to the nines.

The moment he laid eyes on her outfit, he nearly had a nosebleed.

What kind of look is this?! This is way too seductive!