"Go on, say it. My favorite is, of course, only you. There’s really no one else I like besides you, though there are a few people I despise."
"The Lin family?"
Lin Ran nodded.
"Yeah, the three dogs of the Lin family and the four beasts of the Liu family. Sooner or later, I’ll make them pay… Oh, and there’s also a black cat."
"A black cat?" Luo Yao seemed intrigued.
If she remembered correctly, this was the second time Lin Ran had mentioned the black cat.
"Right, the one in our estate. It only shows up occasionally. I gave it a name—Little Black."
Luo Yao pressed further, "Then why do you hate it?"
"Just thinking about it makes me angry. I feed it fish, give it water, and after eating and drinking, it has the nerve to curse me? How shameless is that?"
Luo Yao looked puzzled. "Can cats even curse?"Lin Ran: "Well, it didn’t say it out loud, but in its heart, the words were filthy. I’ll catch it for you one day, and you can help me get revenge."
Luo Yao nodded, agreeing with Lin Ran’s reasoning.
"That really is shameless. Bring it to me, and I’ll make sure it regrets ever messing with Ran."
"Deal."
……
In an office building in the capital, the bodyguard Little Tong was starving, his stomach practically sticking to his back. Just as he was considering whether to force his way out, the door opened.
"Hungry? Have something to eat."
A black-clad man shoved a plastic bag into Little Tong’s arms, but he glanced at it and tossed it aside.
"Still this cautious?"
Little Tong didn’t bother hiding it. "I’m afraid you poisoned it."
The black-clad man chuckled. "If I wanted to poison you, I wouldn’t bother with something so trivial. And I have no reason to."
Little Tong was about to retort but suddenly paused.
He realized this might be an opportunity.
So he picked the food back up.
Seeing this, the black-clad man didn’t make any demands—he simply turned and left.
Once outside, he pulled out his phone to monitor the room.
Suddenly, his brow furrowed.
Where’d he go?
A moment later, Little Tong reappeared—he’d just been in a blind spot of the camera.
Watching Little Tong take the last bite of bread and wash it down with a sip of water, the black-clad man smirked.
The bread wasn’t poisoned. The water wasn’t poisoned. But together, they formed a deadly, addictive drug.
"No matter how cautious you are, you’d never guess this."
Soon, the footage showed Little Tong growing visibly distressed. Seeing his state, the black-clad man knew the time was right.
He reentered the room. Little Tong glared. "What the hell did you give me?"
Black-clad man: "Just something to make you happy. Didn’t it feel amazing?"
Little Tong: "You bastard."
"How amusing. A traitor calling someone else a bastard—that’s almost funny."
"What do you want?"
The black-clad man studied him with amusement. "Simple. Cooperation. But since you refused, I had to take measures."
"Don’t worry, it’s not lethal. Help me, and I’ll give you the antidote. Refuse, and you’ll live in agony."
In his daze, Little Tong saw a beautiful girl waving at him—his dream, the reason he worked so hard.
Slowly, he became entranced.
Then, a flicker of clarity returned to his eyes. He seemed to regain some awareness.
Damn it. Just one bite, and the reaction was this strong? This was no ordinary drug.
"Fine. I’ll cooperate. What do you want me to do?"
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The black-clad man smiled.
"I want you to get close to Luo Yao’s bodyguard team. Use money, favors, whatever—turn a few of them to my side."
Little Tong fell silent.
So it was about targeting the young lady.
"But those bodyguards were personally trained by her. They won’t betray their master for money."
"You did."
Little Tong closed his eyes, as if recalling something unpleasant.
"That’s because I was never loyal to begin with. I knew she’d come for me eventually. I just… envied Young Master Lin. I was just—" He cut himself off.
The black-clad man’s eyes darkened with intrigue. He itched to pry, but he wasn’t the type to dig relentlessly.
Little Tong’s words had already exposed his hidden motives.
"Good. Help me, and I’ll give you what you want—including Luo Yao."
Little Tong’s eyes widened.ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ɴo(v)elFɪre.ɴet
Black-clad man: "I’m not stupid. Having feelings for Luo Yao isn’t something to be ashamed of."
Little Tong’s gaze turned greedy, but inside, he seethed with hatred.
So this was really about the young lady.
This idiot actually thinks I’m in love with her? How delusional.
Young lady, if you ever find out the truth and want to kill someone, please don’t swing your blade at the wrong person.
I’m innocent here.
"Fine. I agree."
The black-clad man clapped, and another figure, entirely shrouded in black—even their eyes concealed—entered the room.
"Pleasure doing business. This is your assistant. Coordinate with them as needed."
Seeing yet another black-clad figure, Little Tong grew wary but kept his thoughts to himself.
Their deal was struck. The next day, Luo Yao received the news.
Of course, it wasn’t transmitted electronically—that would’ve been too risky.
Little Tong had used a special code while contacting the bodyguards.
Meanwhile, Black-clad Man No. 2 had been watching his every move from a distance.
After getting the message, Luo Yao narrowed her eyes.
"Injured left leg… Could it be him?"
"And who’s the other one? Not the one I intentionally let escape, is it?"
"This is getting interesting."
Lin Ran suddenly barged into the study. "Yao, Principal Tang just called. The centennial celebration is the day after tomorrow. Are you going? If not, I’ll turn him down."
Luo Yao: "I’ll go."
"Alright, I’ll let him know."
As Lin Ran left to make the call, a glint flashed in Luo Yao’s eyes.
"If I had to pick the perfect moment to strike, it would be…"
Capital University’s centennial celebration was fast approaching. The school and student council had long begun preparations.
This time, the university provided the manpower, the student council actively coordinated, and the funding came from alumni donations.
The celebration was a complex affair, with multiple tasks running simultaneously. Students eagerly signed up as volunteers.
Alumni had already arrived in the capital but stayed away from campus to avoid adding to the chaos. Everyone knew how busy the school was.
Days earlier, the campus had begun decorating, lanterns and banners brightening every hall.
Lin Ran was simply notified to give a speech as the current outstanding student representative. The purpose was merely to let the older alumni catch a glimpse of the younger generation's brilliance.
What he didn’t know was that on the day of the alumni gathering, someone would pull an outrageous stunt on him.
This led to Lin Ran immediately going berserk on the spot.