Now was no time for pity or hesitation—his life was on the line!
Zhou Yingxue's hazy mind snapped awake the instant her head plunged into the icy water. She coughed violently, swallowing mouthfuls of it. Just as she was lifted up to gasp for air, she was pushed down again.
It happened five times.
When she finally managed to shout, "Stop!" Qin Xiaoliu paused and tilted his head. "Oh? Awake now?"
Soaked from head to toe, Zhou Yingxue coughed furiously, her wet hair clinging to her cheeks. Her furious glare could've burned a hole through him.This man had absolutely no sense of mercy! Didn't he know how to treat a woman gently?!
"You—who are you? What do you want from me?" she demanded.
Qin Xiaoliu gave her the short version, explaining everything in a few brief sentences.
As he spoke, Zhou Yingxue's expression paled, and she stumbled backward. "Then… what are you trying to do now?"
Qin Xiaoliu spread his hands. "If I wanted to do something to you, do you think I'd bother waking you up?"
"Relax. I've got no interest in you. You're safe."
"I'll let you go, but I need you to cooperate with me."
Zhou Yingxue exhaled softly in relief. He was right—if he'd wanted to take advantage of her, he could've done it already.Still, when he said he had no interest in her whatsoever, an odd feeling stirred in her chest… a faint sense of loss she couldn't explain.
Even so, she stayed cautious. "And why should I trust you?"
Qin Xiaoliu grinned. "Because I know who you really are—Miss Zhou, heiress of the Zhou family."
Zhou Yingxue's eyes widened in shock.That was her deepest secret! No one could possibly know she belonged to the Zhou family!
How did he find out?
Could he have been sent by the family to protect her?No—that was impossible. No servant of the Zhou family would treat her like this!
But… he knew.
Trying to mask her panic, she forced a calm expression. "I don't know what you're talking about. What Zhou family?"
Qin Xiaoliu rolled his eyes. "Miss Lin, spare me the act. I don't have time to play along."
If he kept this up any longer, he'd be the one who died!
Zhou Yingxue's face flushed with embarrassment at being so bluntly exposed.
Qin Xiaoliu ignored her reaction and continued, "You don't need to do much. Just don't say that I touched you, that's all."
All he really needed was to leverage her powerful background.
Zhou Yingxue's cheeks burned. "You're insane! I'm not admitting anything, alright?!"
"No—wait! I mean, nothing happened, so there's nothing to admit in the first place!"
Qin Xiaoliu waved a hand dismissively. "Good enough. You can go. But remember—if you start talking nonsense, I'll tell the whole world that you're the Zhou family's heiress."
That should keep her quiet. The Zhou family had plenty of enemies, after all.And since Zhou Yingxue hadn't yet met the protagonist at this point, she didn't have that protective halo around her.
Zhou Yingxue's emotions were all over the place. This was the first time she'd met a man like him—not only unmoved by her beauty, but seemingly eager to send her away.
It didn't make any sense…He was rude, yes—but also mysterious.
Just as she turned to leave, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Qin Xiaoliu. "Can you at least tell me… who sent me here?"
Qin Xiaoliu smirked. Smart woman—of course she'd ask that.
He opened his mouth to tell her the truth, but then paused.Wait—this could be an opportunity.
Furrowing his brows, he adopted a hesitant tone. "I don't know. The person who contacted me was very secretive. All I know is that he's a man—seems to know some medicine, fights well, about one-eighty tall. Oh, and he mentioned a woman named Zhao Wan'er… said she was your best friend."
Then Qin Xiaoliu watched Zhou Yingxue's reaction closely.
He'd dropped the hints deliberately. Surely, she'd start suspecting something—specifically, the male protagonist!
He'd have to deal with the protagonist sooner or later anyway.Might as well strike first.
Sure enough, he saw Zhou Yingxue's eyes flash with realization, her expression turning grim.Hook, line, and sinker.
And right then—
[Ding!]
[Villain's Luck System activated…]
[Congratulations, host, for altering the story's direction. You've gained 1,000 Luck Points.]
[Would you like to draw a lottery?]
Qin Xiaoliu's heart leapt. Knew it! A transmigrator always gets a system!
"Draw!" he said instantly.
[1,000 Luck Points consumed. Lottery successful!]
[Congratulations, host—Charisma +100.]
A rush of energy coursed through him. His bones shifted slightly, his posture straightened, his limbs grew longer, and his vision sharpened.
Qin Xiaoliu stared at his hands, unimpressed. Seriously? Charisma?He'd been hoping for something with actual power.
Being handsome won't save my life…
Still, it was a start. The system was clearly auxiliary—no fancy menus, no forced tasks. Just quietly syncing with his thoughts.
Good. He hated systems that treated their hosts like puppets.
"That's all I know," he said to Zhou Yingxue, nodding toward the door. "Now go. Before it's too late."
Zhou Yingxue hesitated, then looked up at him—and froze.
Somehow, the man before her looked different. Taller. Sharper.His brows were like blades, his eyes deep and unreadable. Under the bright hotel lights, he radiated a cool, dangerous charm that made her heartbeat quicken.
For a moment, she couldn't look away. Then she caught herself, face flushing bright red.
Bah! Zhou Yingxue, what are you thinking?! He's a bad guy!
Still… she couldn't help but feel an even deeper curiosity about who Qin Xiaoliu really was.