Chapter 121

“Pfft—”

Lin Tian’s words made Ji Xin burst into laughter.

The dim light blurred the details of her face, but in that fleeting moment when she laughed, he felt as if he had witnessed a night-blooming flower in full bloom.

Ji Xin was the most elaborately depicted antagonist in the original novel. Her personality, habits, and experiences were all described in great detail. Despite meeting Ji Xin for the first time, Lin Tian felt as though he had known her for a long time because of this.

He couldn’t help but smile helplessly and say:

“What’s so funny about that?”

Ji Xin’s laughter lingered for a moment before fading. She fixed her gaze on Lin Tian and spoke softly.

“I think you should know my name.”

Lin Tian simply nodded indifferently. After all, Ji Xin wasn’t one of the heroines. When facing her, he didn’t feel the same strong resistance he felt toward Shang Chan, Zhao Mengmeng, or Xuan Yuan Qingya.

In other words, the woman before him was Jiang Yifeng’s enemy.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?

Lin Tian was just a minor villain who could barely make it onto the stage. This meant that he and Ji Xin were on the same side.

He said calmly,

“Since you think I should know, then I’ll find out.”

“What’s my name?”

“Ji Xin.”

…

The conversation between Lin Tian and Ji Xin was filled with an odd atmosphere.

It was as if they both knew something, yet neither was willing to reveal it. Their dialogue felt like a riddle, with each word carrying hidden meaning.

When Ji Xin heard Lin Tian call out her name, her eyes lit up slightly.

In that instant, Lin Tian’s image in Ji Xin’s mind changed once more!

From “Someone whose thoughts I can hear, who seems to know many secrets” to “A mysterious man who can somehow know my name out of thin air”…

Her eyes brimmed with curiosity as she was about to ask something.

Suddenly, a wary voice came from outside.

“Who’s there? Come out!”

Startled, both Lin Tian and Ji Xin quickly realized it must be a member of the Xuan Yuan family’s Star Group.

Lin Tian was just about to explain when Ji Xin slipped her arm through his and leaned her entire body against him without hesitation. Then, in a soft whisper by his ear, she said, “Don’t make a sound. I came here in secret this time. If we draw attention, it’ll be trouble…”

Lin Tian pressed his lips together. For some reason, he didn’t push her away. Instead, he naturally wrapped his arm around Ji Xin’s slender waist.

Then, in a loud and steady voice, he said, “Brother, I’m just talking privately with my girlfriend…”

As he was speaking, a Star Group member in a standard uniform stepped into view. Lin Tian took one look and realized it was Zhong Fei, the nephew of Uncle Zhong, the butler. Zhong Fei was the same person who had stood guard while Lin Tian carried Xue Xue to receive treatment.

Zhong Fei was a sharp, energetic young man. Under the dim light, the moment he saw Lin Tian, his expression relaxed.

“Oh, so it’s Mr. Lin. You and your girlfriend… Haha! I get it, I get it. I won’t disturb you. Carry on, carry on!”

A knowing smile spread across Zhong Fei’s face—the kind every man understands. Without asking who the woman leaning against Lin Tian was, he turned and left.

As he watched Zhong Fei disappear, Lin Tian lowered his head to look at Ji Xin in his arms and whispered,

“Miss Ji, he’s gone.”

Ji Xin stood up straight, tipping her toes slightly to glance over Lin Tian’s shoulder a few times. Finally, she pulled away from his embrace with satisfaction.

Unlike an ordinary girl, she didn’t seem embarrassed or awkward about having clung to Lin Tian. Instead, she remained as carefree as ever.

She patted Lin Tian’s shoulder like an older brother and whispered, “Lin Tian, thanks a lot!”

Lin Tian shook his head and said, “By the way, you snuck in here…was it really to assassinate Elder Lei?”

Ji Xin nodded without hesitation and replied, “That’s right. But I’ve changed my mind now. Lei Ming still has some value. I’ll deal with him later.”

“So, will your family’s plan affect the Xuan Yuan family?”

“Why? Do you know Xuan Yuan Qingya?”

“No, just friends.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… That expression of yours doesn’t look like ‘just friends’… Anyway, don’t worry. The Ji family never drags innocents into our affairs. This feud is with the Jiang family. The Xuan Yuan family should be wary of Jiang Han!”

“Jiang Han… Jiang Yifeng’s older sister, right?”

“Mm. In a few days, she will arrive at this castle. I heard that Xuan Yuan Qingya offended Jiang Yifeng. In the Jiang family, Jiang Han is the absolute little princess. If she insists on protecting her younger brother, the Xuan Yuan family probably won’t come out unscathed.”

“All right. So, will you stay until then?”

“I have to leave right away. I snuck in just to check out the interior of this castle. Since I’ve decided to spare Lei Ming’s life, I’m ending this here.”

“All right then. Stay safe.”

“Mm, I’m leaving.”

“Okay.”

In the small grove, Lin Tian and Ji Xin spoke in hushed tones. Their words were exchanged at such a close distance that it felt almost intimate.

Then, Lin Tian watched the girl—who had somehow produced a little fox from somewhere—walk straight down the main path, away from the villa. She soon disappeared into the darkness.

…

Recalling his conversation with Ji Xin just moments ago, an inexplicable smile crept onto Lin Tian’s face.

Being around Ji Xin gave him a long-lost sense of ease for some reason!

Now that Ji Xin had left, Lin Tian reflected on his feelings and realized that his ease was due to one thing: Ji Xin was a villain, and so was he. This was why, in front of her, he instinctively felt there was no need to hide much.

It may also have been because the original novel described this girl in such detail that, even though this was their first meeting, Lin Tian felt as if he had known her for a long time.

During their conversation, he hadn’t even bothered to hide the fact that he knew about “Jiang Yifeng,” “Lei Ming,” “Jiang Han,” and so on.

Deep down, Lin Tian had a strong intuition that Ji Xin might be the only person he could completely trust.

Of course, if Ji Xin were to ask why he knew all these things, Lin Tian definitely wouldn’t answer.

As a transmigrator, there was no way he could ever tell anyone his true identity.

Fortunately, Ji Xin seemed to share this unspoken understanding and didn’t press him for information. In fact, she provided him with valuable information.

Lin Tian mentally filed all of this away into his “plot changes” database—details that might one day become crucial for his decisions.

After straightening his clothes, Lin Tian walked out of the small grove.

What happened between him and Ji Xin tonight—he had no intention of telling anyone, nor did he plan to dwell on it.

He decided to keep it a secret.

After all, in such an unfamiliar world, one straight out of a cliché romance novel, meeting someone with whom he shared a tacit understanding—someone he didn’t need to second-guess or guard against—made Lin Tian feel genuinely happy.

Of course, it was unclear whether Lin Tian’s trust and sense of tacit understanding were genuine, or if he and Ji Xin truly had no reason to be cautious or suspicious.

There was no evidence for either.

It was just a feeling Lin Tian had.

Outside the Xuan Yuan family’s castle, Ji Xin pulled out an invitation card. On it were three characters: Ye Lingling.

The guards at the gate immediately lifted the barrier the moment they saw the invitation.

Ji Xin swaggered in and out of the castle under someone else’s name without causing the slightest ripple.

Throughout the entire process, she didn’t bother to hide her presence.

Whether it was her clash with Lü Xin or what had just happened with Lin Tian…

She never explicitly claimed to be someone else.

Aside from Lin Tian and Lü Xin, no one truly knew who she was.

In fact, not even Lü Xin knew her true identity. All he knew was that she belonged to the Ji family. If he wanted to find out more, he’d have to ask Lei Ming.

The moment she stepped out of the Xuan Yuan family’s castle, a matte-black car pulled up beside her.

She turned back to glance at the towering castle, a trace of something indescribable flickering in her eyes.

For her, this trip to the Xuan Yuan family castle was a spur-of-the-moment decision; hardly any planning had gone into it.

Within the castle, nothing had truly caught Ji Xin’s interest. Even the seemingly strong Lü Xin was just a weakling who could be subdued in a few moves, in her eyes.

Only Lin Tian…