Churong, now clearly angry, pinched him hard and accused him of flirting with other women even though he was about to marry her.
He fired back, telling her to stop pretending, since no one else was around, and pointing out that she did not even want this marriage.
She refused to back down. The announcement had already been made, she said, and half the city knew about it. There was no way to escape now.
He argued that it would be better for her to be with someone she truly loved. She snapped that her feelings were none of his concern.
As they continued arguing, Beichuan watched them from a distance, convinced that Churong was suffering, even though her expression clearly showed the opposite. He blamed Linghu for being too smooth with women, and decided that he had to save her. He stood, and received his buffs from the author.
Meanwhile, inside the hall, Churong went on dragging Linghu along. He kept asking her to stop acting, and she insisted there was no need, since they were getting married anyway. He still tried to bring up ending the engagement as they walked, lowering his head and muttering to himself. At any moment Beichuan was expected to appear and ruin everything. Staying away from Churong felt like the safest choice, since the man would definitely come and talk to her.
Because of this, Linghu pretended to have heard something. He made a quick excuse, saying that someone was calling his name.
Unfortunately, poor Churong did not hear that thought, and was left wondering whether he truly hated her that much.
As he walked past, Churong's father noticed him and called him over, saying that a special gift had been prepared.
The gift turned out to be Doctor Shangguan, who stepped forward confidently and introduced himself as a top-class physician.
Seeing his son-in-law's reaction, Churong's father explained his plan. Bringing such a doctor was a smart move, he noted. Even if the treatment failed, it would still look like a kind gesture; and if it succeeded, it would strengthen the relationship between the Shao, Linghu and Tan families.
Linghu simply asked for the doctor's name again.
A memory surfaced from the original story. This so-called divine doctor with the surname Shangguan was later exposed as a fraud by the main protagonist. Avoiding this situation had been the goal from the very start. If the man was exposed again, anyone connected to him would suffer, and might even be beaten for it.
He had sent Hu Chang away specifically, thinking it might solve his problem. It seemed that some parts of the story could not be changed, especially those closely tied to the main plot.
Churong's father interrupted, asking why he was just standing there, and telling him to escort the doctor inside. Suddenly Linghu clutched his stomach and pretended to be in pain, using it as an excuse to escape to the bathroom.
Outside, holding a glass of wine, he reflected that the whole situation was ridiculous.
Kiwa appeared again, staying close and asking whether something was wrong. She had noticed that his interaction with Churong seemed unnatural. He did not respond, so she grabbed his jacket. Seeing that, he immediately told her to let go, reminding her that he was already engaged.
His thoughts revealed something else. He warned himself not to get involved with beautiful women, since they usually ended up with the protagonist anyway.
She dismissed that idea, saying engagements could be broken.
He really looked at her then, struggling internally, and another thought slipped out, revealing how hard it was to resist her charm and wondering whether he had a thing for slender waists.
She blushed after hearing it and decided to push further, asking him honestly who he preferred between her and Churong.
He turned away and said that Churong was his fiancée, while she was just a stranger. But his thoughts betrayed him again, showing that his resistance to her charm was weakening.
She continued pressing him, even biting him lightly, insisting that he be honest, because even strangers could become friends.
The girl was truly dangerous. Regardless, he insisted that she should have some self-respect, while thinking to himself that she was way too good. After all, he was a man, and it wouldn't take long for him to lose control.
Of course, Kiwa overheard his internal monologue. She laughed, amused by the contradiction between his words and his thoughts, and he noticed her enjoying herself.
Then he spotted Beichuan in the hall. He immediately pushed her away and declared that as long as the engagement remained, she was nothing more than a stranger. Even then he regretted instantly having pushed away something so perfect. But going any further would only lead to disaster. It felt like a villain's fate — to admire from a distance and never touch.
Of course, she heard all of that too, and laughed softly, adding that he was cute.
He grew frustrated, wondering why she was laughing at him. In the novel, he thought, the female leads did not see any man other than the main protagonist as human.
He demanded to know why she was laughing. She replied that she had just thought of something very funny.
Fed up, he decided to leave, feeling that the storyline had become far too strange. The plan was to stay far away from everyone at the banquet, including the suspicious doctor. If by any chance he ran into the doctor again, he planned to fake another stomach ache to escape the situation.
He was momentarily stunned when he looked back and saw Kiwa sitting on the ground, claiming she had fallen. He struggled to understand how that was even possible, considering she hadn't moved an inch. Even so, it was clearly obvious that she was up to something.
Worst of all, things could spiral out of control, because Beichuan was watching and seemed to be coming over.
Kiwa turned to him and insisted that she needed help getting up. From the way she acted, it became clear that she was trying to take advantage of the situation. Since he did not like Churong, all she needed to do was make him fall for her again.
However, to her shock, he refused. He even blamed her, saying it was her own fault for falling, because of her heels.
As he started to leave, Kiwa was left speechless after being completely roasted.
Then he hesitated. Although he couldn't get close to her, that didn't mean he could insult her freely. If she got annoyed and complained to Beichuan, things could turn chaotic for him.
Of course, Kiwa heard every word of that, loud and clear. She snapped at him, telling him that if he did not come back and help her, she would get upset — and upsetting her would come with consequences.
He realised too late that he had stepped on a landmine. With no choice, he reluctantly helped her, silently praying in his heart that she would not get attached.