Suppressing the Protagonist at the Start to Seize the Heroine

Qin Deshu was visibly shaking with rage, “Li Ziyan, did you bring this person? Are you trying to frame our Qin family?”

“No, Grandpa Qin, I truly never intended anything like that,” Li Ziyan hurriedly explained.

He understood the critical implication of the situation – the Qin and Li families were adversaries. If Qin Deshu found an excuse to act against him, it would spell disaster.

Li Ziyan regretted his decision to bring Lin Tian. The man’s death at the Sihai Hotel, under his responsibility, was a matter that couldn’t easily be dismissed.

“Grandpa Qin…”

“Don’t. We are not that close. Call your family to take care of this,” Qin Deshu said coldly.

Qin Deshu instructed a waiter to summon Zhao Tiande, the Police Chief, who was also present at the hotel. “This matter should only be known to us here. It’s my granddaughter’s birthday banquet, and I don’t want the news of bloodshed to spread.”

The other magnates readily agreed, seeing it as an opportunity to gain a favor from the Qin family.

Li Ziyan watched helplessly, his heart bleeding. He had already been ousted from the core circle of his family, and his presence at the Qin’s banquet had already sent a bad signal. Now, with Lin Tian’s death, the situation had escalated beyond his control.

Qin Deshu seemed determined to make a big issue out of this incident, likely aiming for some gain. Li Ziyan felt like he was the center of a storm, baffled by the sudden turn of events.

Su Zhengou pondered over Lin Tian’s abrupt death. The only enemy Lin Tian had was Su Lin, his son. He hoped Su Lin wasn’t involved in this.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on your first kill, successfully eliminating protagonist Lin Tian and earning one epic chest lottery draw.]. [Ding! Successful elimination of a protagonist, system rating in progress.]. [Ding! Rating complete, system evaluation: S.]. [Ding! For eliminating a protagonist, you have gained the Villain’s Aura. (Villain’s Aura extends within a ten-meter radius, preventing all characters from being affected by the protagonist’s intelligence reduction.)].

Hearing the system’s rewards, Su Lin realized Lin Tian’s death was final. He looked around, noticing that it seemed like nothing had happened, indicating Lin Tian’s death was being kept under wraps, known only to a few.

Su Lin hadn’t expected his inadvertent actions to provide Qin Deshu with a pretext to achieve his goals. The Li family would undoubtedly suffer silently this time. Li Ziyan’s presence and the death of his companion would compel the Li family to offer a resolution.

Unaware of these machinations, Su Lin now donned the Villain’s Aura, observing the people around him.

“Pity that the main protagonist, Xiao Chen, is not here. Otherwise, some interesting things might have happened,” Su Lin said, feeling a bit regretful.

“Su Lin, my dad just said he won’t be going back tonight and asked me to go back with you,” Zhao Yanyan said.

Su Lin looked puzzled, “Your dad isn’t going back? What is he doing at the hotel?”

Zhao Yanyan shook her head, “I don’t know. From what he said, it seems like a tricky case suddenly came up, and he’s going to deal with it now.”

“Ah! Has he already left?”

“Mhm. What’s with that expression?” Zhao Yanyan asked, noticing Su Lin’s strange look.

“Cough cough… I just wanted to see what your dad looks like, considering he’s my future father-in-law,” Su Lin said with a cheeky grin.

“Who… who is your father-in-law? You said it yourself, we’re not getting married. If we’re not getting married, my dad is not your father-in-law, at most he can be called uncle,” Zhao Yanyan corrected.

“Why are you taking it so seriously, Yanyan? I was just joking,” Su Lin said, then his expression changed as he pulled Zhao Yanyan aside. “Yanyan, now that you mention it, with your dad not coming home tonight, does that mean we…?”

Zhao Yanyan laughed at Su Lin’s eager expression, “You’re not short of women, why are you so eager?”

“Well, I just thought since the opportunity presented itself…”

Zhao Yanyan shook her head, “I’m afraid it’s not possible tonight. Although my dad won’t be home, my mom will be. If I don’t go back tonight, you know what will happen.”

“Alright, I didn’t realize your mom would be at home, my bad, my bad,” Su Lin said, looking a bit disappointed.

Zhao Yanyan smiled, pinching Su Lin’s hand, “What’s the rush? You’ll have me eventually.”

“Well, we’ve agreed, it can’t be too long, otherwise, I’ll rush to your office…”

“Shut up, you. Aren’t Xiaowan and Xiaoyu enough for you, you greedy man?”

“A man never complains about having too much money, too much power, or too many women, obviously!”

As they were talking, a few uniformed bodyguards escorted a stunningly beautiful woman through the hall. The woman’s presence was commanding; her hair was neatly tied up, revealing a strikingly white neck.

The bodyguards around her looked stern and unapproachable, giving off the vibe that they were not to be messed with.

Su Lin was surprised, “Isn’t this woman more beautiful than Qin Jiuyue? How come I’ve never heard of such a person in the Qin family?”

Zhao Yanyan rolled her eyes at Su Lin, “They’re not from the Qin family, okay? That woman, don’t you recognize her?”

Su Lin shook his head, “I haven’t been in Donghai long. How many people can I know, especially those from prestigious families? I have little interest in them. How could I possibly recognize her…”

Zhao Yanyan explained, “Well, you should really get to know this woman. She’s Li Ziyu, the eldest daughter of the Li family and the current general manager of Li Corporation.”

“She’s the general manager of the entire group, but unfortunately, I heard she’s been betrothed since she was young. I didn’t expect her to come tonight.”

Hearing this, Su Lin took a closer look at Li Ziyu. She was indeed the second female lead. Although he was not far away earlier, there were too many people around, and he couldn’t see clearly.

He only saw her profile and her snow-white neck. As for her height, she seemed to be a bit taller than Lin Xiaowan but shorter than Zhao Yanyan.

Why was she at tonight’s banquet?

Su Lin, pulling Zhao Yanyan with him, subtly moved closer to Qin Jiuyue.

“Sister Jiuyue, that just now was Li Ziyu from the Li family, right? Why is she here?”

Qin Jiuyue shook her head, “I’m not sure either. The bodyguards didn’t stop her, so maybe she has some business?”

Seeing Qin Jiuyue also uncertain, everyone became intrigued.

“Does she always seem so cold and emotionless? Are you close with her, Sister Jiuyue?”

Qin Jiuyue shook her head again, “You all know Li Ziyu’s icy temperament. Our families have been competitors for years, so it’s strange for us to have a good relationship.”

“Ah… I heard she’s already betrothed. I wonder which young master it is.”

“I guess it’s probably someone from the imperial capital. There are only a few families in Donghai that can match the Li family, but unfortunately, the males in those families are somewhat lacking. It’s a case of strong women and weak men.”

“Ah, we have so many beauties in Donghai, but not many handsome men.”

“What about Su Lin? Isn’t he handsome? You haven’t experienced men; I can tell just by looking, Su Lin has a great physique.”

“Really? How can you tell?”

While Su Lin and Zhao Yanyan were listening, they suddenly heard themselves mentioned. Su Lin glanced awkwardly at Zhao Yanyan, only to see her gazing at his stomach, almost drooling.

“Yanyan?”

“Ah! Su Lin, that woman is so impressive. How could she tell you have a good physique?” Zhao Yanyan said and then touched Su Lin’s stomach, feeling his firm abs, almost reluctant to withdraw her hand.

“Yanyan, you are playing with fire. Not planning to go home tonight?”

“Su Lin, stop, stop… I just couldn’t help it, really,” Zhao Yanyan giggled.

“Hmph, no need to explain. I’ve long realized you’re just craving my body,” Su Lin said with a smile.

“Aren’t you the same!” Zhao Yanyan retorted playfully.