"Why are you still standing there in a daze? |_?)"
"Hurry up and contact Old Master Su, then get this bodyguard out of the Su family."
Su Family Manor, Reception Hall.
Huo Qichen crossed his arms, puffed out his chest, and looked down on Su Fan with contempt.
In his eyes, simply firing a bodyguard would be enough to curry favor with the Huo family.
This deal—surely no normal person would refuse it, right?
But who would have thought that Lin Xuan, looking troubled, scratched his head and apologized:
"Young Master Huo, you misunderstood. Brother Su Fan is not the Su family's bodyguard—he is Ke Xin's personal bodyguard."
He briefly explained the relationship between Chen Kexin and Su Fan.
Lin Xuan casually put his arm around his brother-in-law's shoulder, acting very familiar, and said:
"Besides, Brother Su Fan and I hit it off at first sight. I understand his character—he has a noble and charismatic personality."
"There must be some misunderstanding between you. How about we turn hostility into friendship and shake hands?"
Upon hearing this.
Su Fan glanced at his nominal brother-in-law, a flicker of appreciation appearing in his eyes.
Not bad—this guy has good judgment.
He actually saw past my ordinary appearance and recognized my noble character....
Affection +1, +1, +1....
"So, according to you, I'm the one with the problem?"
"Young Master Huo, you're overthinking it. I'm just stating the facts!"
Compared to Su Fan, whose mood had suddenly brightened.
Huo Qichen's face darkened instantly, his deep eyes flashing with a chilling coldness.
He hadn't expected Lin Xuan to risk angering him just to defend a mere bodyguard.
Was his dignity, as Huo Qichen, not a thousand times—no, ten thousand times—more important than this bodyguard???
"Since this guy isn't the Su family's bodyguard, that makes things even easier."
"He just provoked me. I demand that you kick him out of the Su family right now."
"Otherwise, I will take this as the Su family challenging me. I will be very angry, and the consequences will be severe."
Huo Qichen pressed his thin lips together, his deep and hoarse voice carrying an unmistakable threat.
But what enraged him even more was that Lin Xuan, instead of complying, firmly positioned himself in front of Su Fan, shielding him, and spoke with unwavering determination:
"Sorry, Young Master Huo! Brother Su Fan is my close friend—I cannot comply with your request."
"Even if you want to beat me to death today, I will have no regrets. But if you ask me to drive my friend out of the house, I simply cannot do it."
"However, this is my own decision and has nothing to do with the Su family. A man takes responsibility for his actions—if you have any grievances, direct them at me!"
"......."
At this moment.
Lin Xuan's speech was passionate and moving, as if the Su Fan behind him was his sworn brother for life.
Ah... this?!
( ? ^ ? ) I really...
Why do my eyes feel like they got sand in them?!
Looking at Lin Xuan's slightly thin figure, now unwaveringly standing in front of him, fearless like a prince protecting his princess.
A soft spot deep in Su Fan's heart was unexpectedly touched.
So, this is what it feels like to be protected...
Five years ago.
Before his downfall, the Huo family was already renowned, and now they must be even stronger...
And on the surface, he was nothing more than an insignificant figure.
Yet Lin Xuan was willing to treat him as a brother, even at the risk of offending the Huo family.
'This guy... not bad. Worth befriending.'
'In today's world, perhaps he really is a suitable match for my little sister.'
'Although his abilities are rather mediocre and he can't shield her from the storm.'
'But with me protecting them, at least I can ensure they live a lifetime of prosperity and peace....'
Faced with Lin Xuan's loyalty and righteousness.
Su Fan's ever-cold heart suddenly felt a wave of warmth.
His previously emotionless face now showed a barely noticeable flicker of emotion.
Especially when he heard Lin Xuan, even under immense pressure....
Still patting his chest, loudly proclaiming 'A man takes responsibility for his actions' and 'I don't want to drag the Su family into this.' The admiration in Su Fan's eyes grew deeper.
He had finally given his initial approval of this brother-in-law.
No longer did he feel the strong dislike he once had for Lin Xuan, thinking he was unworthy of his sister.
"After all, it doesn't matter if he lacks ability—I have enough."
"The key is that he must be good to my sister and loyal to the Su family—everything else can be overlooked for now...."
On the other side.
With 'righteousness' at the forefront, Lin Xuan looked tragic and heroic, spreading his arms to shield his brother-in-law. The only thing missing was the phrase 'righteousness above all' carved onto his face.
Suddenly, a system notification rang in his mind.
[Ding! Destiny's Chosen One, Su Fan's favorability has increased!]
[Ding! 'Affinity Field' range score increased, now granting 10 points per second.]
Hmm?!
Brother-in-law's favorability toward me increased?!
Lin Xuan was momentarily stunned, then his eyes lit up with joy.
Yoshi~~~ (Yes!!!)
My grand performance wasn't in vain!
Looking at the numbers on his mental points panel, the rate had skyrocketed from 1 point per second to 10 points per second.
Lin Xuan's breathing quickened, and for a moment he seriously considered gluing himself to Su Fan permanently.
He had to admit, the rate of point accumulation was making his heart race.
After all...
Even his biggest source of points right now—Su Qingge.
Her intimacy bonus only gave 1 point every 2 seconds. Compared to the 10 points per second from his brother-in-law, the difference was astronomical.
At this point, it wasn't even about favorability anymore...
It was purely the overwhelming gap in destiny value.
No wonder he was Destiny's Chosen One—his power was terrifying~~~
Watching the insane speed at which his points were increasing.
For a moment, Lin Xuan was actually tempted to keep close physical contact with his brother-in-law.
But as a straight man, how could he bow down just for some measly 'intimacy' points???
Points were nice and all, but no way they smelled as good as a girl's body?!
Besides, Lin Xuan firmly believed that if he could somehow achieve zero-distance 'contact' with Su Qingge...
Then the points he'd earn would be unimaginable.
At that point, he wouldn't need to do anything else all day—just lie in bed and cuddle. He'd go in and never come out...
Wouldn't that be way better than sticking to some smelly guy every day?!
Thinking of this, Lin Xuan's expression relaxed, and his desire to "claim his wife" grew even stronger.
And just as he was imagining some [redacted] scenarios and grinning foolishly, across from him, Huo Qichen's chest heaved violently, breathing heavy as if his lungs were about to explode.
He couldn't believe that as the young master of the prestigious Huo family, wherever he went, he commanded the winds and clouds.
Yet today, he was repeatedly humiliated by a mere live-in son-in-law!
Hmph!
Very well—you've got guts.
When a king is enraged, blood will spill within five steps.
The face I lost today—one day, I will make your entire families pay for it with their lives!!!
Thinking this, Huo Qichen's emotions calmed slightly.
Since they were already on his kill list, why bother arguing with two soon-to-be corpses?!
Huo Qichen ignored Su Fan and Lin Xuan, bypassing them to head upstairs.
"Young Master Huo, what are you doing? |_?)"
Lin Xuan frowned and once again blocked the overbearing CEO's path.
"I'm going to visit Qingge. Back then, we were very good friends."
"You, a stand-in groom, couldn't possibly understand the bond we share~~"
Huo Qichen's lips curled downward, his tone ice-cold.
He was intentionally or unintentionally flaunting his beautiful past with Su Qingge.
Faced with such obvious attempts to sow discord, Lin Xuan couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Friends?
Very close?
You think I'd believe that nonsense?!
You, you scheming old man, are up to no good.
My wife is dying to stab you right now.
If she knew you were the reason she ended up in a vegetative state, she wouldn't hesitate to grind your bones to dust!
However, when it came to the Huo family, Lin Xuan had the same 'takeover' plan as he did for the Lin family, so he wasn't in a hurry to act against Huo Qichen.
To prepare for the future enemies that would be drawn by his brother-in-law's presence and to avenge his wife's deep hatred.
He had long since planned a gradual takeover of various forces, step by step, to become the 'uncrowned king' of the Magic City.
After all, Su Fan's ultimate enemy was no simple foe.
Even though the protagonist had absolute martial power, he was still toyed with, only managing to unleash his full strength after losing his loved ones one after another.
But Lin Xuan, of course, didn't want anything to happen to his wife, nor did he want her to live in misery due to hatred.
As a man who cherishes his wife.
Even though it felt troublesome, Lin Xuan had begun intervening in the plot step by step....
"Sorry, Young Master Huo, but my wife Qingge said she hates you. She doesn't accept your visit—please go back!"
"Hmm? Qingge woke up? She told you personally? Impossible, absolutely impossible!!!"
"Not exactly! But she wrote it in my palm to tell me!"
"Qingge can move? No, wait—your palm... You actually dared to touch her hand!!! How bold!!!"
"Uh... don't get too worked up! Lately, I've been massaging her to help her recover. Forget just her hand, I've touched all sorts of ×××...."
"You—said—WHAT—!!!"
Hearing that Lin Xuan had touched his woman and had all sorts of 'contact' with her.
Huo Qichen's face turned ashen, his narrow eyes radiating a fierce killing intent, as if he wanted to exterminate Lin Xuan's entire family.
He was seething with jealousy.
As someone with extreme cleanliness obsession.
Aside from Mu Xiaowan (a fated exception), he had a pathological obsession with female purity.
Now hearing Su Qingge had been touched by another man, Huo Qichen immediately saw her as "dirty," no longer worthy of him.
This shameless woman!!!
A wanton harlot!!!
How could she shamelessly remain in bed after being defiled by another man instead of immediately biting her tongue and ending her life?!!!
Being unable to move was just an excuse.
If she truly valued her chastity, she would have regained consciousness through sheer willpower alone.
After all, once a woman lost her chastity, she had no reason to live anymore!!!
In his fury.
Huo Qichen couldn't hold back and raised his hand, aiming to slap Lin Xuan to death.
"Young Master Huo, what are you doing? |_?)"
Seeing that Huo Qichen was attacking him without any sense of honor.
Lin Xuan instinctively raised his hand and grabbed the other's wrist.
Hmm?!
This useless live-in son-in-law reacted so fast? He actually blocked it!
Huo Qichen was momentarily stunned.
He had trained in combat techniques with his family's bodyguards and was considered a skilled fighter among ordinary people.
Logically speaking.
Lin Xuan shouldn't have been able to block it!
"Hmph! You dare lay hands on a woman I've set my sights on."
"I will make every man in the Magic City pay for your sins and bury you two wretched lovers together!!!"
Bury your sister, you lunatic!
It's one thing to insult me, but you dare to insult my wife?!
Lin Xuan was furious and roared toward the sky:
"Affinity Palm Strike!!!"
Hmph, too slow.
Huo Qichen sneered in disdain.
His most practiced skill was reaction speed.
To him, Lin Xuan's attack was as slow as a crawling turtle.
Confidently, he moved forward to counter the strike head-on.
Huo Qichen: "???????"
The next second, his world spun.
[Ding! 100% Unarmed Affinity Palm Strike—Target Successfully Hit.]
[Ding! 1-Minute Stun Effect Triggered—10x Critical Damage Applied.]
Hmm? Is Lin Xuan actually this strong?
Watching Huo Qichen spin in place, his face swelling red.
Su Fan was slightly surprised.
He hadn't sensed any extraordinary strength from Lin Xuan!
So why did it hit so hard?!
Bang!!!
"Young Master Huo, are you okay?!"
"Courting death—who dares lay hands on my young master?!!!"
At that moment.
The Huo family bodyguards who had been stationed at the entrance heard Huo Qichen's scream. Instantly, more than a dozen of them stormed into the room, faces pale with shock.
These were personal bodyguards assigned specifically to Huo Qichen—elite special forces, each claiming the title of 'King of Soldiers' in their respective military units.
"Kill them for me!!!"
Having barely recovered, Huo Qichen, now with a face swollen like a pig's, pointed at Lin Xuan and Su Fan, roaring furiously.
In his thirty years of life, this was the first time he had ever been slapped.
A supreme humiliation!!!
Feeling the searing pain on his cheek, a vicious and crazed gleam flashed through Huo Qichen's cold eyes.
These two... must die!!!
The elite bodyguards exchanged glances.
The bodyguards looked at each other.
They didn't dare kill anyone—especially since Lin Xuan was technically Su family's son-in-law.
If something serious happened, the Huo family certainly wouldn't risk an all-out war with the Su family just to protect them.
But they also knew that their young master was currently in a state of extreme rage, so they figured they should subdue Lin Xuan and Su Fan before the Su family's security arrived…
Meanwhile.
Seeing the elite soldiers closing in, Lin Xuan had enough self-awareness to recognize the danger.
His system-granted 'Master-Level Combat Skills' could maybe handle a few elite soldiers at once, but against over a dozen, he definitely wouldn't stand a chance.
So.
Lin Xuan's eyes suddenly glistened with tears. With a tragic expression, he pushed Su Fan aside and roared to the heavens: "Brother Su Fan, run! I'll hold them off!!!"
( ? ^ ? )
Seeing Lin Xuan still willing to sacrifice himself and protect him at all costs.
Su Fan felt a sudden sting in his nose.
Ever since the tragedy five years ago, he had seen the fickleness of human nature.
Especially after coming down from the mountain, where he was surrounded by people who mocked and looked down on him.
Someone like Lin Xuan, who treated him as a brother and risked his own safety to protect him...
In all these years, Lin Xuan was the first person he had met like this.
Watching Lin Xuan shout "Ah ah ah!" as if he was about to throw himself into battle any second.
Su Fan gently patted his shoulder and said warmly: "Brother Lin, step back! Leave it to me!"
What the heck?!
Did I hear that right?!
Destiny's Chosen One actually called me 'Brother Lin.'
And with such a gentle tone…
In the original plot.
With Su Fan's arrogant personality, I must be the only one he's ever treated like this, right?!
Tsk tsk tsk…
Goes to show—deep emotion can't win hearts, only schemes can!
See? I've got the protagonist wrapped around my finger!
Perfect~~
????乛?乛????
"But they are elite special forces! Brother Su Fan, I'm afraid you might be in danger!"
Lin Xuan continued playing his part to the end, looking concerned.
"Hahaha…"
"They're just a bunch of insignificant weaklings. It doesn't matter, I will handle them."
Seeing that Lin Xuan was still worried about him, Su Fan let out a hearty laugh, his tone filled with supreme confidence.
Then, he stepped past Lin Xuan. His figure blurred, like a phantom soaring through the air, as he charged into the group of enemies…