"Ah, darling, no, don't!"
By the lavatory door on a flight from Yanjing to Hangcheng, Qin Lin's face was a rigid mask. He clutched a Cartier diamond ring, having bought a ticket for this specific flight, and his entire body trembled violently.
He had planned to propose to his girlfriend, a first-class flight attendant, right here on the plane. Now, he was utterly dumbfounded. The seductive woman's voice moaning from inside the lavatory was unmistakably hers—Chen Mengyuan's!
KNOCK, KNOCK!
His face contorted in disgust, Qin Lin rapped sharply on the door.
"Someone's in here!" an impatient man's voice roared from within. "Stop your damn knocking! Wait a minute!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
His face grim, Qin Lin continued to pound on the door.
CLICK.
The lavatory door suddenly flew open. "What the hell is wrong with you? I already told you someone's in here!"
A young heir stood there, pants pooled around his ankles, furiously filming on his phone. He glared at Qin Lin. "Get lost, and don't fucking interrupt me!"
BAM!
Qin Lin shoved a hand out, stopping the heir from slamming the door. His gaze fell upon the scene inside. A flight attendant in a rumpled uniform was bent over the sink, her back to the door. Her black silk stockings were hooked around her thighs.
"Chen Mengyuan!"
Staring at his girlfriend's shameful, disgusting display, Qin Lin clenched his jaw. His face twisted into a ferocious snarl. "Why are you doing this?!"
"You promised! You said you were saving yourself for our wedding night!"
"Qin Lin! What are you doing here?!"
Her face flushed and eyes half-closed in pleasure, Chen Mengyuan was startled by his voice. She scrambled to her feet, hastily pulling up her stockings.
The moment her stockings were in place, the panic on her face vanished, replaced by an icy indifference. "Are you out of your mind, Qin Lin? That was just something I said to get you off my back. You were actually stupid enough to believe it?"
"Why don't you take a look in the mirror? You're just a broke-ass loser. Why would I save my first time for you? You'll never be able to afford a car or a house in Hangcheng. You want my virginity? Are you worthy?"
"Heh." Rolling her eyes, Chen Mengyuan wrapped her arms around the young heir beside her. "Let me tell you something, Qin Lin. The only person worthy of my first time is Young Master Shen. He's a son of the Shen Family of Hangcheng! Have you heard of them? They're a conglomerate with assets over a hundred million!"
"So this is that boyfriend of yours," Shen Zhao said, buckling his belt. His eyes fell on the diamond ring Qin Lin had dropped, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, kid, you're quite the romantic, aren't you? Planning to propose to Mengyuan on a plane?"
"Oh, Young Master Shen, not my boyfriend. My *ex*-boyfriend now," Chen Mengyuan purred. "If you didn't enjoy this sort of thrill, I would've kicked him to the curb ages ago. Besides, we're getting engaged at the beginning of next month. It's about time we made it public, right?"
She shot a cold glance at Qin Lin. "I'll spell it out for you, Qin Lin. Young Master Shen and I are holding our engagement ceremony at the Qiantang Hotel on the first of next month. Considering what a decent bootlicker you've been, I was going to wait a few days to tell you, just to let you have a little more happiness."
"But I'll just say it now: I'm about to marry into a rich family and become a wealthy madam. So, you poor bastard, stop dreaming about me. You and I are not from the same world. A toad can't eat swan meat!"
"You thought you could marry me with a ring that's not even a full carat? You fucking loser! Ptooey!"
CRUNCH!
With that, Chen Mengyuan lifted her high heel and brought it down, crushing the Cartier ring. Qin Lin had eaten nothing but cheap 'Sha' County meals for six months, saving every penny from his salary to buy it.
"Shameless!"
Staring at the shattered ring, Qin Lin's face went deathly pale. It felt as if a hammer had slammed into his heart. His mind went blank, and the world tilted as he nearly passed out from the suffocating shock.
"Get lost, kid!" Shen Zhao shoved the stunned Qin Lin aside. "Actually, I ought to thank you, you walking eunuch. A whole year of dating and you never dared touch Mengyuan. You really saved her for me."
"Bastard!"
Blinding rage consumed Qin Lin. With a furious roar, he lunged forward, slamming his fist into Shen Zhao's face. He tackled him to the floor and began beating him mercilessly.
"You dare to hit me? You're dead!" Shen Zhao roared, grabbing Qin Lin's shirt and swinging back wildly.
"Qin Lin, let go of Young Master Shen!" Chen Mengyuan shrieked. "Help! Someone's assaulting me! He's trying to force himself on me!" While screaming, she started clawing and hitting Qin Lin, helping Shen Zhao as she yelled for the plane's air marshal. "It was him! He assaulted me, and then he attacked Young Master Shen!"
"Chen Mengyuan!"
Pinned by the air marshal and Chen Mengyuan, Qin Lin's eyes burned with rage and disbelief. He couldn't believe it. The woman who had acted so pure, who wouldn't even let him kiss or hold her, was this disgusting, vile creature.
"Bastard!" Shen Zhao spat, blood trickling from his nostrils. Seeing Qin Lin restrained, he gave a cold snort, snatched a nearby iron rod, and smashed it down hard on Qin Lin's head.
CRACK!
In an instant, crimson blood gushed from a wound on his brow.
THUD!
"You fucking dog!" Shen Zhao kicked Qin Lin again and raised the rod to strike once more.
"Darling, stop! You'll kill him!" Seeing Qin Lin collapse, Chen Mengyuan quickly grabbed Shen Zhao's arm. "It's not worth getting a murder charge over a worthless piece of trash like him."
"True." Spitting a thick wad of phlegm onto Qin Lin's face, Shen Zhao sneered and waved at the air marshal. "Handcuff him. I'll have him handed over to the Public Security Bureau when we land. I'll make a call and have them take *very* good care of this dog!"
"Understood, Young Master Shen. Rest assured." The air marshal nodded eagerly. He then roughly dragged Qin Lin to the last row of economy class and handcuffed him to a seat.
"Whore!"
His vision blurred by the blood covering his face, Qin Lin watched Chen Mengyuan snuggle against Shen Zhao as they disappeared back into the lavatory. A sharp pain suddenly lanced through his skull, and he blacked out.
No one noticed that the blood streaming down Qin Lin's face dripped onto his collar, soaking the Jade Pendant that hung around his neck.
Soaked in his blood, the Jade Pendant instantly emitted a soft, golden glow.
"Grandpa!"
In a hazy state of consciousness, Qin Lin suddenly saw his grandfather, a man he hadn't seen in twenty years. He scrambled to his feet, excitedly rushing toward Mr. Qin Sr.
But to his dismay, he passed right through Mr. Qin Sr.'s spectral form.
"Grandson, the time is right. I shall now pass on to you the Qin Family's secret arts: the Qingyun Immortal Technique and our family's medical skills."
"Grandpa, what are you talking about?"
WHOOSH.
Before Qin Lin could ask any more questions, a warm current flowed from the Jade Pendant into his meridians. A moment later, another sharp pain erupted in his mind.
"Gah!"
Clutching his head, Qin Lin succumbed to the overwhelming pain and fell unconscious once more.