Lin Xiao panicked. What he feared most was a girl crying in front of him. Moreover, looking at this girl's tear-streaked face, it was as if he had done something unforgivable to her.

"Shao Mei'er, what are you crying for? I haven't done anything to you!" Lin Xiao said, frustrated.

If it had been Su Qingning crying, Lin Xiao would have known how to comfort her. But with this girl crying, he truly didn't know how. Of course, Lin Xiao couldn't bear to see Su Qingning cry, either.

Shao Mei'er sobbed, "You may not have done anything to me, but I'm just so upset! When I think about how your wife got to marry you, and how good you are to her, it makes me miserable!"

"What do you mean? She's my wife. If I'm not good to her, should I be good to an outsider?"

"I—I didn't mean that. I'm just upset that you won't accept me. I… I feel like there's no point in living!"

Damn. So after all that, she was just trying to threaten him into accepting her.

Lin Xiao chuckled. "Shao Mei'er, don't be like this. I've said it before, we're very good friends. Your family's affairs are my affairs."

Lin Xiao felt he had already been more than generous. He was the Dragon Lord, after all. His word was his bond. In the future, no matter what happened to the Shao Family, he wouldn't just stand by and watch.

"I don't want that! I don't care about the Shao Family's fate. I just want to be with you! Smelly Daddy, please just let me be with you, okay? I'll be your secret lover. I promise I won't breathe a word to your wife!"

"Mei'er, I believe you. But as I've already made clear, I feel a great sense of guilt toward Qing Ning."

Shao Mei'er started crying again. "But I just want to be with you, even if it kills me! If you don't agree, I'm not getting up!"

Lin Xiao was growing annoyed. He understood her desire to be with him, but he hated the feeling of being threatened.

"Shao Mei'er, don't test my patience," Lin Xiao said coldly.

The sobbing Shao Mei'er froze. She shot a cautious glance at Lin Xiao and saw a flicker of anger in his eyes. She quickly wiped away her tears and scrambled off his lap.

"Smelly Daddy, I'm sorry. I—I was just too emotional and spoke without thinking. I hope you're not angry," she said, her face a mask of apology.

"It's fine. Just don't say things like that again. You're actually a very nice person, and I do like you, but some things are just a matter of fate. Do you understand?"

Shao Mei'er felt the urge to cry again but forced it back and nodded vigorously.

"Alright, you should go."

Shao Mei'er nodded again but was reluctant to leave.

"What, do you want me to walk you out?"

She nodded once more.

Lin Xiao smiled helplessly. "Alright, let's go. I'll walk you out."

Shao Mei'er's mood brightened instantly, and a seductive smile finally returned to her face.

They left the teahouse together.

"Smelly Daddy, can I give you a hug?"

"Let's not. You know full well how alluring you are."

Shao Mei'er giggled. She was genuinely happy. Even though Lin Xiao hadn't accepted her, he had acknowledged her stunning figure. That alone made her ecstatic.

After they parted ways, Lin Xiao gave Su Qingning a call. She picked up instantly.

"Honey, where are you?"

"Jing Zhe and I just got home."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

"Are you finished with your business?"

"Yes, all done," Lin Xiao said with a smile.

"Do you need me to pick you up? After all, you took a taxi when you left."

"No need. You just get some rest."

Su Qingning smiled sweetly. "Alright then."

Lin Xiao confirmed, and they hung up.

Hailing a cab, he headed toward the villa. On the way, Lin Xiao made a call to Xiao Shixiong, who answered promptly.

"Master, what are your instructions?"

Ever since the incident with Li Shilin yesterday, Xiao Shixiong's attitude toward Lin Xiao had become even more reverent. He couldn't help it. First, he had botched the matter completely. Second, Lin Xiao had saved his life. The combination of the two left Xiao Shixiong feeling deeply guilty and immensely grateful.

"Did you buy the sports car I asked for yesterday?"

"Master, it was delivered to the bar yesterday afternoon. Didn't you see it?"

"I forgot to look. Where are the keys?"

"They're inside the car. I was going to give them to you personally, but I was afraid of disturbing you."

"Alright, I've got it. Also, get me two more Cullinans."

With a growing number of enemies, car accidents were bound to become more frequent. Not having a few spare cars was a real problem.

"Understood!"

Lin Xiao gave him a few more instructions, and they ended the call.

Upon returning to the villa, he found Su Qingning and Shen Jingzhe chatting. When Su Qingning saw Lin Xiao, she looked especially happy, her peach-blossom eyes lighting up.

Lin Xiao sat down beside her. "What are you two talking about?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh, nothing much," Su Qingning replied with a smile. "We were just talking about the bar."

"I hope I didn't interrupt."

"Not at all, not at all!" Su Qingning said quickly.

Lin Xiao smiled and handed her the gift from Shang Tuo.

Looking at the box, Su Qingning asked curiously, "Darling, what is this?"

"Open it and see."

She took the box hesitantly and opened it, letting out a gasp. "What a beautiful pearl! Darling, is this for me?"

Lin Xiao nodded. "Of course, but it's a gift from a friend. Do you like it?"

He expected her to say she liked it. But Su Qingning shook her head and closed the box.

"Darling, this is too valuable, I can't accept it. If it were from you, I'd treasure even a toothpick. But I can't accept a gift like this from someone else."

Lin Xiao smiled. "Honey, don't overthink it. Just take it. If you don't like it, you can just put it away."

Seeing that Lin Xiao insisted, Su Qingning could only nod helplessly. She then casually placed the box on the coffee table.

Lin Xiao wasn't concerned with how she handled it. He was about to speak when his phone suddenly rang. The call was from his First Master.

Lin Xiao stepped out of the villa to answer. It wasn't that he was afraid of Su Qingning finding out; rather, he was wary of Shen Jingzhe learning about it.

"You brat, have you seen Shang Tuo?" his First Master asked, getting straight to the point.

"Yes, I have."

"And?"

"He's not bad. Neither servile nor overbearing, and very polite."

"I'm asking about his cultivation!"

"I couldn't gauge it, which means his cultivation is higher than mine."

"Correct. His cultivation is indeed formidable. Furthermore, his trip to Jinling City clearly has ulterior motives. You need to be careful."

"I know," Lin Xiao nodded.

In fact, Lin Xiao would have been cautious even without his First Master's warning. Shang Tuo's motives seemed far from pure, so Lin Xiao knew he couldn't let his guard down.

"Also, there's something else," his First Master said gravely.

"What is it?"

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