Sooner or later, he thought, she would end up as one of the main protagonist's women.
As usual, she heard the thought, and it upset her. She wondered what nonsense he was spouting, considering that she was a noble lady of the Mao family. She could not understand how she would ever end up with a man named Beichuan, someone she did not even know.
Nonetheless, he helped her up. While they were walking, Kiwa turned to him and insisted that she needed support — preferably, she wanted him to hold her by the waist. She really knew how to strike at his weak point.
At that moment the main protagonist finally reached them. He tapped Linghu on the shoulder, and Linghu turned pale the instant he saw who it was.
Pulling Kiwa aside, Beichuan called him disgusting, while reassuring her that nothing would happen now that he was here.
Kiwa stood there completely confused, unable to make sense of the situation, and asked who this clown was.
Beichuan turned toward Linghu and lashed out, calling him a two-faced bastard. He accused him of being engaged to Churong while secretly flirting with other innocent women.
Linghu was left stunned, completely clueless about what Beichuan was talking about. Yet Beichuan kept yelling loudly, branding him shameless and drawing the attention of everyone at the banquet. Kiwa tried to calm him down and urged him to lower his voice, but he refused, insisting that Linghu had to be exposed in front of everyone, so that Churong could finally see his true nature.
At that moment a bald man stepped forward and demanded an explanation, questioning Linghu about his connection to his sister. This man was Mao Xiaojun, Kiwa's brother.
The two locked eyes, and although neither of them spoke, they seemed to understand each other immediately. Linghu quickly realised that Beichuan and the newcomer were involved in something suspicious.
From what was known, Mao Xiaojun and Kiwa were competing for control of the Mao family. Before the banquet her brother had secretly met the main protagonist and struck a deal. Together they had persuaded a faction of the Mao family to invest in a worthless project destined to fail. Once it collapsed, Mao Xiaojun planned to seize greater power and take over the family entirely.
However, Beichuan had an even more calculated scheme. Just before the project crashed, he planned to approach Kiwa, save her family, and secure her loyalty, adding her to his harem.
To Linghu, all of them seemed like ruthless predators.
Unexpectedly, Kiwa overheard every word of it and was left in shock, though she reacted as if she were seeing him for the first time. The realisation that her own brother was conspiring with outsiders to sabotage them hit her hard, especially knowing that their father was already invested in the doomed project. She insisted she was fine, but said she needed some time alone, then turned and walked away.
As she left, her thoughts spiralled. How could Linghu possibly know all of this? He had never shown any interest in business or investments. The only explanation she could come up with was that he had always cared about her, silently watching over her all this time. To her, it began to feel like some kind of deep, hidden love, and the thought nearly overwhelmed her.
Meanwhile Beichuan grabbed Linghu, determined not to let him out, and demanded that everything be revealed about what had supposedly happened with the Mao family's daughter.
Just then Kiwa stepped in, speaking furiously in his defence. She explained that he had only been helping her and had behaved like a perfect gentleman, and urged Beichuan to let him go. Right after that she clung to Linghu's arm and dismissed Beichuan's accusations as baseless nonsense. She belittled him, pointing out that he was merely a bodyguard acting like an uncontrollable beast.
Internally, Linghu could only sigh. He already sensed trouble.
Things quickly escalated when Kiwa leaned on him, complaining about her injured leg and asking for help. He tried to refuse, but she pinched his stomach and threatened to scream and accuse him if he did not comply. At that moment it became clear that this woman was nothing but trouble.
With no other choice, he reluctantly escorted her away. As they passed by, Kiwa warned her brother that once everything was exposed, there would be consequences. Her brother was left standing there confused, unsure of what she meant.
In the reception hall, Linghu helped her sit down, but his mind was racing. The moment he left her side, disaster felt inevitable.
Kiwa had no intention of letting him go. She complained that her leg still hurt and demanded a massage. He hesitated, knowing that any move he made could make Beichuan hate him even more. Teasing him, she reminded him that it was only a massage — then calmly warned him that if he refused, she would scream and accuse him of trying to assault her.
He asked whether she could try a different tactic this time. Ignoring him, the sly girl began counting.
He realised he was really in danger when she reached one and reminded him that she would shout. He finally gave in.
Linghu began the massage. His movements were precise, and Kiwa started to feel overwhelmed. Now things began to spiral, because she was the one who had started it, and he was becoming fired up. She began to tremble, breathed heavily, and reacted intensely, even insisting that he slow down.
The next scene shifted to the garden.
Beichuan was still confused about the situation. He turned to Mao Xiaojun, questioning what was happening and accusing Linghu of deceiving his sister.
Mao Xiaojun responded calmly, asking whether Beichuan was interested in her. He explained that Kiwa admired strength and capable men. Impress her, and she would naturally be drawn in.
Beichuan frowned, recalling how close she had seemed with Linghu. Mao Xiaojun reassured him that it meant nothing. After all, Linghu was already engaged, so there was nothing to worry about.
Left alone, Beichuan clenched his teeth, convinced that all the women around Linghu would eventually become his instead.
Just then he heard a voice from a distance. Churong's father was explaining that he had not been able to find Linghu, and was asking the man to introduce the doctor he had brought. Of course, the man agreed.
Seeing this, Beichuan thought to himself that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for.