I’m a Villain! Why Are You Trying to Date Me?

Chapter 24: Zhao Mengmeng Can Hear Lin Tian’s Inner Voice Too?!

Lin Tian didn’t stay long on the second floor of Ting Chan Pavilion.

After finishing applying medicine on Shang Chan’s ankle, he quickly made his exit.

If he stayed in that private room any longer, he was afraid he might actually give in to temptation and become a beast…

Downstairs, the sky was growing darker.

Lin Tian’s original identity was that of a retainer in the Zhao family. However, since he was just a minor character, the novel didn’t delve into his past or background at all.

This also meant that after Lin Tian transmigrated into this world, his memory of the past was vague at best.

But as he had suspected before, from the moment he crossed over, the world around him had begun constructing layers of “believability”—that included creating a reasonable past for him to fit into.

Now that he thought about it, Lin Tian could even recall vague outlines of this ancient Zhao estate.

Following the winding creek, he remembered that up ahead was a medium-sized artificial lake.

At the center of the lake stood a small pavilion.

A perfect place to enjoy a cool evening alone in quiet thought.

Lin Tian needed to sort through his memories and contemplate his future.

Life wasn’t a simple novel, and now that he had transmigrated here, he needed to live cautiously, step by step. Every thought might be the turning point when he faced danger in the future.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Lin Tian arrived at the artificial lake and pavilion. The evening breeze blew gently, and the area was empty.

Lin Tian slowly walked into the pavilion and laid down on a long bench.

…

He lay on the bench for over an hour, thinking about many things.

For instance, Jiang Yifeng—the protagonist in the original story, the “child of fate”—had many trump cards, some of which even involved extraordinary powers. In the face of such powers, ordinary wealth and authority seemed fragile and insignificant.

As for today’s events, although they had dealt Jiang Yifeng a blow, it was merely a superficial one. Lin Tian didn’t think that Jiang Yifeng would fall from this setback.

Even if the Bai family and Jiang Yifeng fell out, and the Zhao family went all out to target him, Lin Tian still believed that this guy had the ability to make a comeback!

The “child of fate” always seemed to be like that, didn’t it? With the protagonist’s halo, they were aided by benefactors and had endless fortuitous encounters. No matter how powerful the enemies were, they couldn’t stand in the way of the author’s influence!

Since Jiang Yifeng couldn’t just be defeated that easily, Lin Tian realized that he couldn’t rest either.

In fact, he wasn’t even sure he was standing against Jiang Yifeng as just an ordinary villain. As he thought about it, Lin Tian suddenly wondered: Since this world had the concept of a “child of fate,” did villains also have their own “villain’s halo”?

The purpose of a villain’s existence was to provide benefits to the protagonist, enabling them to show off and slap others in the face. But now, Lin Tian had taken the initiative to avoid that fate.

As a villain, was it even right for him to avoid the protagonist?

Lin Tian began to feel that perhaps his own “villain’s halo” would continue to accumulate.

Maybe right now, he was still just a small-time villain, but if he lived long enough, perhaps he could become the greatest villain!

By then, even if he had nothing to do with Jiang Yifeng, the “child of fate,” or the original protagonist, they might still be drawn toward him by the pull of the “villain’s halo”…

In such a scenario, not only did Lin Tian need to focus on survival, but he might also need to figure out how to deal with this “villain’s halo.”

Related to Jiang Yifeng, there were also subsequent plot points, fortuitous encounters, schemes, and more. However, the plot had already changed a lot, and whether it would continue according to Lin Tian’s knowledge was uncertain, so he had to prepare in advance.

Once upon a time, Lin Tian had seen web novel protagonists who became invincible once their cheat abilities were activated. But when it came to him, he realized it wasn’t like that at all.

His system was utterly useless, not bringing him any benefit so far.

He tried to stay away from the main female lead, but somehow ended up in this situation.

The changes in the plot meant that Lin Tian’s foresight ability would only become weaker…

“Ugh, my head hurts!”

Lin Tian sighed heavily, but then, unexpectedly, he heard a soft laugh from not far away.

The laugh carried a mix of curiosity and kindness. Lin Tian was startled, but he didn’t panic.

Looking toward the source of the sound, he saw none other than Shang Chan’s younger sister, Zhao Mengmeng.

“What are you doing here?” Lin Tian asked, curious.

After spending so much time with Shang Chan, Lin Tian subconsciously forgot to use formal language, and his tone lacked the usual deference a subordinate would show to a superior.

Mainly, Lin Tian was a transmigrator, and from the very beginning, he hadn’t fully immersed himself in his new identity.

If he had, as a servant of the Zhao family, he would have at least respectfully addressed Zhao Mengmeng as “Second Miss” when meeting her.

Zhao Mengmeng raised an eyebrow. Her graceful long dress gave off an ethereal vibe.

After their first meeting, she had looked into Lin Tian’s background and discovered that he was sent by her father to be by Shang Chan’s side.

In a way, this meant Lin Tian was someone her father trusted a great deal.

However, having grown up with elite education, Zhao Mengmeng was sharp-minded and perceptive. She instinctively felt that Lin Tian’s background was more complicated than it appeared.

At least, the clear, calm gaze he had when they first met wasn’t something ordinary people possessed.

Also, would a regular servant be treated the way his sister treated him?

Upon hearing Lin Tian’s words, she didn’t find them particularly out of place.

“The banquet’s over, and since there’s nothing else to do tonight, I decided to take a walk.”

Zhao Mengmeng’s voice was light and airy, carrying the freshness unique to a young girl, yet it also had a warmth and softness that made it incredibly pleasant to listen to.

She chuckled softly before curiously asking, “How about you? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be… with my sister?”

“I… with your sister?” Lin Tian responded, flustered.

The events that transpired with Shang Chan today were hard to explain in just a few words.

That woman seemed possessed by a fox spirit—every expression and movement of hers was so captivating that Lin Tian almost lost control.

Now, with her younger sister pointing it out, Lin Tian couldn’t help but feel awkward.

Zhao Mengmeng tilted her head in curiosity, her gentle eyes blinking. “Aren’t you my sister’s boyfriend?”

Lin Tian cleared his throat and thought, Don’t go spreading nonsense now!

If this reached Jiang Yifeng’s ears, Lin Tian figured he wouldn’t make it until tomorrow—he certainly didn’t want to meet an early end!

“You’ve got the wrong idea. I’m not your sister’s boyfriend. I’m just the manager of the Investment Department at Xinghai,” Lin Tian quickly clarified.

[Heh, I would like to be Shang Chans boyfriend, but I’m afraid Jiang Yifeng would kill me… Speaking of which, Zhao Mengmeng is also one of Jiang Yifeng’s targets. Should I avoid her too?]

“You want to be my sister’s… huh? What did you just say?” Zhao Mengmeng, having heard Lin Tian’s voice laden with helplessness and contemplation, instinctively responded.

Then, she suddenly realized that Lin Tian hadn’t actually said that—what was that she’d just heard?

Zhao Mengmeng froze for a moment, trying to piece it together. What was that voice?

Her lively teenage mind raced, almost leading her to jump to wild conclusions, as a shiver ran through her delicate body.

Lin Tian, realizing he needed to avoid Zhao Mengmeng, flashed her a standard, harmless smile.

“I said, I’m not your sister’s boyfriend. I’m just the manager of the Investment Department at Xinghai Group,” Lin Tian repeated, trying to reassure Zhao Mengmeng.

Zhao Mengmeng blinked her big eyes and nodded, planning to head back to her residence. The pavilion by the lake was empty, and hearing that strange sound had naturally made her a bit scared.

But the problem was… to get back to her residence, she still had a long way to go, and Zhao Mengmeng didn’t dare to go alone.

Just as she was about to ask Lin Tian for help, that mysterious voice sounded again in her ears.

[But, since Shang Chan has already torn her relationship with Jiang Yifeng apart, I guess Jiang Yifeng wouldn’t be too concerned about Zhao Mengmeng, this little beauty, right? Tsk, though I wonder if the Zhao family can withstand Jiang Yifeng. If not, then Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng, this pair of sisters, might still fall into Jiang Yifeng’s hands!]

Zhao Mengmeng’s eyes widened in shock.

This voice…

Could it be Lin Tian’s inner thoughts?

In that instant, the girl pieced things together and felt like she understood many things, but now, she was filled with even more questions and curiosity.

Zhao Mengmeng cautiously asked, “Is that… your voice?”

“Um… Lin Tian, were you at the banquet hall today?”

“Yeah.” Lin Tian nodded, not seeing any reason to hide that.

“Then, did you know Jiang Yifeng before?”

Zhao Mengmeng stared intently into Lin Tian’s eyes, her voice growing unexpectedly urgent.

Lin Tian paused for a moment, wondering why Zhao Mengmeng was asking this.

Given his previous status, he naturally shouldn’t have known Jiang Yifeng.

He shook his head and smiled.

“I don’t know him.”

[Tsk, is this considered tricking a little girl? But why is Zhao Mengmeng asking this? She shouldn’t have any connection to Jiang Yifeng right now. Could it be that Zhao Dongyun sent her to ask me?]

[Either way, I shouldn’t say too much. What if she blabs and leaks my information? That’d be bad news for me.]

Zhao Mengmeng froze as she listened to Lin Tian’s inner thoughts. The moment her suspicions were confirmed, her little tiger tooth bit down tightly.

He actually dared to say she couldn’t keep her mouth shut?!

She, Zhao Mengmeng, would make sure this man paid for his words—no matter if he was her sister’s boyfriend or not!