Chapter 118

While on duty, there were strict rules: they couldn’t eat or drink anything from outside, and they could never take their eyes off their commander for more than three seconds. They even had to accompany him to the restroom the entire time.

If it weren’t for his sense of familiarity and trust toward Lin Tian, Lü Xin wouldn’t have taken that small sip.

Truthfully, he did it only to give Lin Tian some face. The moment the liquid touched his lips, he immediately spat it all out under the pretense of wiping his mouth.

He was a soldier. He could be flexible at times, but when it came to matters of principle, there was no room for compromise!

If someone had tampered with the drinks and he got hurt, wouldn’t that put Lei Ming in danger?

The two of them chatted idly for a while.

Then, the girl sitting directly across from Lin Tian—the one holding the little fox—suddenly turned her gaze toward Lü Xin and stared straight at him.

Lin Tian, sitting beside Lü Xin, could clearly feel it: in that instant, Lü Xin’s entire body tensed up!

Every muscle and nerve tensed as he instantly shifted into combat mode.

Lin Tian’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly looked at the girl across the table. She is definitely not simple. Otherwise, how could a single glance make Lü Xin so tense?

After all, he was the most elite soldier in the Zilan Military District.

However, even though he was completely tense, he didn’t move against the girl. Instead, he simply stared at her seriously and unwaveringly.

For a long moment.

Suddenly, the girl smiled and leaned forward slightly, placing the little fox’s paw on the table.

“You look like a soldier, don’t you?”

Her voice was soft, and she tilted her head slightly to the side, giving her an impish, almost mischievous charm.

But at that very moment, even Lin Tian could sense it—the girl’s sense of danger was skyrocketing!

Was she some kind of assassin targeting Lei Ming?

Lin Tian’s lips twitched as he spun wildly with speculation.

After all, she looked dangerous, and now she was targeting Lü Xin. Clearly, she had noticed the connection between him and Lei Ming.

If she wasn’t an assassin, then who was she?

Lei Ming’s identity was important enough to warrant a hit.

Lü Xin didn’t dare move his eyes, not even to glance at Lei Ming.

He had a gut feeling that if he looked away now, he might never have the chance to look at this girl again.

On the surface, the girl appeared unarmed. Her build and demeanor weren’t threatening.

But his instincts told him that if she wanted to kill him, it wouldn’t take her more than a few moves.

Lü Xin was freaking out inside at that moment!

Lü Xin didn’t even dare stand up and give a warning. The sense of threat from this girl was so overwhelming that he had a chilling premonition. If I try to alert anyone, I’ll be the first to die.

As a soldier, he wasn’t afraid of death. But who would protect Lei Ming if he died?

Lü Xin pressed his lips tightly together, ready to fight to the death at any moment.

Suddenly, the terrifying pressure—like a force dragging him into an abyss—receded like a tide.

Stunned, he looked at the girl and saw her smiling sweetly with a playful grin.

Forget it. This young lady is in a good mood today, so I’ll let you off.

Lü Xin exhaled heavily. His voice was low and steady as he asked,

“May I know who you are?”

The girl absentmindedly stroked the little fox in her arms. Her tone was casual as she replied.

“Go back and ask Lei Ming…and pass along this message for me: I hope he figures out which side he truly belongs to. Whatever the Jiang family can offer him, the Ji family can offer the same. But can the Jiang family really match what the Ji family can give him?”

Lü Xin’s expression grew solemn, and he said nothing more.

Even so, his body remained tense, not relaxing in the slightest.

…

Like the others at the table, Lin Tian stared blankly at the girl and Lü Xin.

While the others were genuinely clueless, Lin Tian was different.

In a flash, he realized who the girl was.

The Ji family’s Ji Xin!

While all the other beautiful women in the original story were destined to become part of Jiang Yifeng’s harem, this girl was the one exception.

She was a major villain! —

What did that mean?

Later in the original story, Jiang Yifeng used his connection with Xuan Yuan Qingya to make contact with Lei Ming and eventually break into the upper echelons of Huaxia’s power structure.

It was then that he came into contact with one of Huaxia’s two most powerful families, the Jiang family.

After all, his senior martial sister was the Jiang family’s little princess, leaving him with no real choice in the matter.

In short, once he became entangled with the Jiang family, the faction that declared war on him was the Ji family.

The current head of the Ji family is the father of the girl sitting before him, Ji Daoyi.

This father-daughter pair, Ji Xin and Ji Daoyi, were the villains who stood against Jiang Yifeng during that period—and not just any villains, but supervillains!

Of course, the Ji family hadn’t done anything heinous; they were just the Ji family. They only became enemies because Jiang Yifeng allied himself with the Jiang family.

Even after Lin Tian was so disgusted by the clichéd novel that he couldn’t finish it, Ji Xin and her father, Ji Daoyi, remained the story’s primary villains.

Lin Tian truly hadn’t expected Ji Xin to appear here.

It seemed that Lei Ming had some kind of connection with both the Jiang and Ji families. In Jiang Yifeng’s case, Lei Ming chose to step in and save him, ultimately offending the Ji family.

These high-level power struggles seemed complicated, but were actually laughably simple.

By helping the Jiang family, Lei Ming became one of Jiang’s people in the eyes of the Ji family.

In a few months, Lei Ming would be promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Zilan Military District. The Ji family certainly knew this. Did Ji Xin come here planning to kill him?

As this thought flashed through his mind, Lin Tian felt a chill spread through his heart.

These powerful families really don’t care about the law at all.

He cast a seemingly casual glance at the girl, then immediately looked away. He had no intention of getting involved with her.

Just because Lin Tian was a villain didn’t mean he was.

This girl was the biggest villain in the original story! Compared to her, Lin Tian’s so-called “villain halo” weren’t even a drop in the ocean.

All he wanted was to live quietly and avoid getting tangled up in this mess.

No one paid attention to the clash between Ji Xin and Lü Xin.

Once everyone had arrived, the Xuan Yuan family’s servants began serving the dishes.

Once all the dishes had been placed, Xuan Yuan Xing stood up and offered a few polite words—nothing long-winded.

After all, the purpose of this banquet was simply to entertain guests. The goal was for everyone to eat and drink well. Lengthy speeches would only be annoying.

The meal began, and the banquet atmosphere felt harmonious. Leaders of powerful clans, such as Meng Youqian (head of the Meng family), Li Siyi (head of the Li family), and Zhao Dongyun (head of the Zhao family), displayed the charisma befitting their status.

Naturally, there was no rowdy drinking or tearing into meat at such an event. Everyone sipped red wine elegantly.

As the glasses clinked and the conversation flowed, Lin Tian had almost finished his meal.

He was fairly satisfied with the dinner. Despite the fact that a major villain was sitting right across from him, none of the female leads—Shang Chan, Zhao Mengmeng, Xuan Yuan Qingya, or Bai Bing’er—had come over to bother him.

Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng were seated near Zhao Dongyun, observing their father’s interactions with the Dragon Lord, Shang Yan. However, they didn’t learn anything useful.

Bai Bing’er sat with Meng Xiaoling, whispering about who knows what. Judging by Bai Bing’er’s constant “Are you kidding me?” expression, it didn’t seem like anything good.

Xuan Yuan Qingya was seated at the main table, so she didn’t have the chance to stir up trouble on Lin Tian’s side.

Finally, Lin Tian wiped his hands with a towel and leaned toward Lu Xin, speaking in a low voice.

“You guys, keep eating. I’m done.”

At that moment, Lü Xin was still wolfing down food. He didn’t earn the nickname “Lü Three Jin” for nothing!

Originally, his nickname was “Lü Three Gold”—a play on the character “Xin” (鑫), which is made up of three “gold” radicals.

However, because he could eat so much, it eventually turned into “Lü Three Jin.”

Furthermore, due to Ji Xin’s threats, Lü Xin had to eat and drink enough to ensure he had the strength to protect Lei Ming. This meal might end up being more than just three.

When he heard Lin Tian’s voice, he gave him a simple, honest smile. He didn’t say anything, just nodded firmly.

Mainly because his mouth was stuffed full of food!

Lin Tian stood up and quietly slipped out of the banquet hall through a side door, without drawing anyone’s attention.

The moment he stepped outside, he felt an instant wave of relief wash over him.

Inside, six or seven female leads and a major villain were gathered together. There was no way he could relax in there!

What Lin Tian didn’t realize was that he hadn’t gone unnoticed when he left his seat. Several of the women, including Shang Chan, Zhao Mengmeng, Bai Bing’er, and Xuan Yuan Qingya, had cast discreet glances in his direction.

Clearly, every move he made had been under their watchful eyes.

Aside from the female leads who were already entangled with Lin Tian, there was another person who seemingly unintentionally glanced in the direction he had left.

That person was Ji Xin!

…

Not long after, it seemed that Ji Xin had finished eating as well. She stood up, adjusted her youthful, lively outfit, and walked in the direction that Lin Tian had gone.

Seeing the young girl finally leave, Lu Xin let out a long sigh of relief.

No one knew what Ji Xin was up to—except Lin Tian.

Lin Tian had gone to the restroom. Just as he stepped out, a tremendous force suddenly pulled him into the small grove by the roadside.