“That’s great!” Lin Huanhuan smacked her fist into her palm.
“Hmm?” Bai Lingfeng looked puzzled.
“Nothing at all.”
Lin Huanhuan organized her words and slowly said, “The reason I worked with the people from White Tiger Hall to capture Ye Jinxiu was to save her.”
“Because even if I didn’t cooperate with the White Tiger Hall, they would definitely act anyway. By then, we wouldn’t even know what was happening, and Ye Jinxiu would be completely doomed, right?”
“So I decided to cooperate with them, planning to stab them in the back at the last moment. I was originally going to just walk away, but I didn’t expect a Foundation Establishment cultivator to show up on their side and nearly get me caught. If it weren’t for you, things would have gone badly.”
Although Lin Huanhuan kept a smile on her face, she felt uneasy inside. ‘Will Bai Lingfeng really believe what I just said?’
‘If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t believe it. There are so many holes in the story—for example, I could have secretly warned Ye Jinxiu, or reported it to the Discipline Hall in advance. That would have solved everything quickly.’
‘Besides, based on the natural enmity between protagonists and antagonists, even when the antagonist has a legitimate reason, the protagonist will always assume they’re up to no good. That’s the hard-learned lesson from those who came before!’
The more she thought, the tighter Lin Huanhuan gripped her folding fan, eyes fixed on Bai Lingfeng who was deep in thought, determined that if things went south, she’d immediately hit him with a Wind Blade and run for it.
What she didn’t know was that behind her, Dong Yun’er had lowered her head, pondering after hearing her explanation.
Ye Jinxiu, standing nearby, also wore a thoughtful expression.
‘So that’s how it is? Then everything makes sense now. No wonder she acted so strangely before. It turns out Lin Huanhuan loosened my ropes on purpose to give me a chance to send a call for help.’
‘Looks like I guessed right—Lin Huanhuan is actually a kind-hearted girl deep down.’
‘No, Lin Huanhuan did it to save me, and Bai Lingfeng is also my friend. I can’t let the two of them fall out because of me—I have to stop them!’
Ye Jinxiu took a step forward. “Um—”
Bai Lingfeng cut her off quickly. “So that’s it. I believe you.”
Lin Huanhuan was slightly stunned. “Huh?”
Bai Lingfeng turned to Ye Jinxiu and asked, “Ye Jinxiu, what were you about to say just now?”
Ye Jinxiu tugged at the corner of her mouth and slowly shook her head. “Nothing, just some pointless stuff, not worth saying.”
‘So he believes her, huh? Then there’s no need for me to say anything more.’
Bai Lingfeng nodded and continued, “Anyway, we’ve already thoroughly offended White Tiger Hall today. So why not just solve this mess once and for all tonight?”
Ye Jinxiu looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“How should I put it? Basically, it means getting rid of any loose ends. You two have used up a lot of energy, and probably don’t have much strength left. Just stay here and rest. I’ll make a quick trip to White Tiger Hall and be back soon.”
“Lin Huanhuan, I’ll leave my friends in your care. Thanks a lot. I’ll treat you to a meal next time.”
With that, Bai Lingfeng turned and left, as if afraid someone would stop him, rushing off like he was late for reincarnation.
And he was right to worry. Normally, when he did things like this, people would always stop him and insist on thinking things through. So this time, he just said his piece and left immediately, not giving anyone time to object.
“Hey, wait up.” Ye Jinxiu realized too late and tried to stop him, only to find he was already gone, having dashed away at lightning speed.
Seeing this, Dong Yun’er nudged Lin Huanhuan’s arm, who was still staring blankly. She said, “Miss, Bai Lingfeng doesn’t seem as unreasonable as you made him out to be. At least you don’t have to fight him now—that’s a good thing, right?”
Lin Huanhuan snapped back to herself at those words, swallowing hard as if gulping down all her shock at once.
With black lines all over her face, Lin Huanhuan didn’t want to say a word.
‘Damn it, why did Bai Lingfeng suddenly become like this? He actually believed me? What kind of joke is this?’
‘He’s running off to massacre an entire clan, but before he goes, he tells me to take care of Ye Jinxiu. Does he not know I’m Blondie? Is he trying to make me a cuckold?’
‘Leaving the heroine with Blondie—what kind of plot is this? What kind of ridiculous development is this supposed to be?’
Lin Huanhuan felt completely thrown off by the turn of events.
‘Wait, what’s Bai Lingfeng thinking?’ A sudden spark lit up in her mind, and she realized a terrifying possibility: ‘Could it be that Bai Lingfeng has taken a liking to me?’
‘No, no, impossible. Bai Lingfeng is the protagonist. How could he possibly like me, the villain? I’m just worrying for nothing.’
She quickly dismissed the terrifying thought. Dong Yun’er, seeing Lin Huanhuan ignoring her for so long, kept brooding, her expression growing darker by the minute.
At that moment, Ye Jinxiu walked over. “Lin Huanhuan, I don’t really know what’s going on, but it’s not great just standing here. How about we find somewhere to sit down for a while?”
Lin Huanhuan frowned slightly. “Aren’t you worried about Bai Lingfeng? He went to White Tiger Hall all by himself. What if he gets hacked to death in the middle of it?”
—That was a lie.
Lin Huanhuan was deliberately trying to scare Ye Jinxiu. In reality, she knew better than anyone that with Bai Lingfeng’s strength, he could absolutely wipe out White Tiger Hall.
Ye Jinxiu tilted her head. “Why should I be worried? I already misunderstood him once. He’s my friend, and he’s here to help me. How could I possibly misjudge him twice in a row?”
‘Damn, is their bond really that strong?’ For some reason, Lin Huanhuan felt a twinge of sourness in her chest, which only strengthened her resolve to show Ye Jinxiu some colors.
Lin Huanhuan sneered, “You’re really something. Aren’t you afraid of me? You’re actually inviting me over—aren’t you worried I’ll just grab you again and lock you in a dungeon forever?”
“Not at all.” Ye Jinxiu’s face was calm, completely unperturbed. “Didn’t you just explain? You only did all that to save me.”
Lin Huanhuan’s anger surged even more. ‘Damn it! The heroine is supposed to tremble in fear when she sees Blondie! What’s with this understanding and trust?’
“You just believe me like that?!”
Lin Huanhuan shot her a fierce look and said coldly, “You look way too naïve. Let me teach you a lesson!”
‘I’ll hit her right in the weak spot, knead and stretch it until she howls in pain. Let’s see if she dares act like this again!’
Lin Huanhuan waved her hands, about to act, when suddenly a puzzled voice sounded behind her.
“Hmm? Teach her a lesson how?”
Lin Huanhuan’s expression froze instantly. Bai Lingfeng was walking over from behind.
“She’s got some dust on her. I’m just helping ruin her messy look.” Lin Huanhuan’s eyes instantly cleared up as she brushed Ye Jinxiu’s hair a few times.
“By the way, weren’t you off to massacre a clan? Why are you back already?” Lin Huanhuan gritted her teeth and asked.
Bai Lingfeng replied calmly, “I left in such a hurry that I forgot to ask you which direction White Tiger Hall is in. I’m not very familiar with the area.”