Chapter 4: The Head of the Lin Family

With the sound of the door closing, the courtyard fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that the uneasy heartbeats of everyone could be heard.

The steward’s face turned dark, almost wanting to grab Lin Cui’s leg and shout: Have mercy! Two servants instinctively stepped aside, unable to suppress the memory of the temperamental young miss nearly demolishing an entire house during one of her rages; their legs had already begun to tremble, wondering if they should run away immediately.

Yet even if they wanted to escape, none dared to move, because Lin Cui’s rage was almost tangible, and anyone who dared to stir would suffer immediately.

“Li Tan, I’m going to make you pay today!”

Under extreme anger, Lin Cui’s peak-level aura erupted, causing a slight breeze and silencing all the chirping insects.

At this moment, the two servants and the steward wished they could dig a hole in the ground to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

“Miss, think carefully! After all, he is the son-in-law; you cannot kill him!”

However, since his life was in Li Tan’s hands, the steward had no choice but to grit his teeth and charge forward.

But with a loud thud, a tremendous force struck his stomach, sending him flying backward directly.

Lin Cui glared at the steward and then stormed forward, pushing the door open. The scene inside the room came into view for everyone.

Red candles and red curtains created a romantic atmosphere.

On the large bed, Li Tan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, seemingly meditating.

Due to the loud noise from the door swinging open, he opened his eyes at this moment.

Glancing at Lin Cui, Li Tan said indifferently: “A shrew scolding?”

This was the first time Lin Cui had been called a shrew. “You! Insolent fool!”

Lin Cui angrily took several steps toward Li Tan, her delicate pink fist clenched tightly. She seemed frail, but in reality, her punch could shatter boulders.

Hmph, this is a lesson! Go look in the mirror and know your place! She controlled her strength; this punch would leave Li Tan bedridden for a few days at most.

The three outside, who thought Lin Cui had lost control, closed their eyes, unable to bear witnessing Li Tan turned into a pulp.

Lin Cui looked down at Li Tan indifferently and threw a punch, unstoppable.

Li Tan, however, quietly looked at her, his black pupils seemingly hiding a dazzling starry sea, revealing a hint of eeriness.

Lin Cui’s expression slightly faltered, and her fist slowly returned to her waist.

Although Lin Cui had been pampered since childhood, she wasn’t inherently evil. Although she had always disliked Li Tan, under the circumstances, it was understandable, so Li Tan didn’t hold much resentment toward her.

“Go to bed, or get out.”

Hearing this, Lin Cui nodded blankly twice.

Then Li Tan glanced toward the door. “Close the door.”

The two servants stared at Lin Cui in shock, closing the door with confused expressions.

What the hell! The young lady didn’t even throw a tantrum! Soon, the room fell silent again. Lin Cui lay on the bed, still dressed, and drifted off into a daze. Li Tan, facing the delicate beauty beside him, shook his head helplessly and resumed his spiritual cultivation. The moment Lin Cui threw her punch, he had activated the “Netherworld Pupil”—a gift bestowed upon him by a prominent clan long ago to encourage their disciples to become his apprentices—relying on the faint spiritual power of this body.

It wasn’t much of a good thing, but it proved useful in his current weakened state.

Although the martial skill was of low level, due to Li Tan’s current poor condition in every aspect, it had caused a significant impact.

“Ah, in the end, it’s a world where strength is revered. For myself and my father, I must start cultivating as soon as possible.”

Muttering, Li Tan closed his eyes.

The next day, the chirping birds awakened everyone in Lin’s mansion. No one noticed that two servants had silently disappeared the previous night.

“Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!”

“Lecher! I’m going to kill you!”

Early in the morning, Lin Cui woke up with a scream.

Li Tan opened his eyes and pointed at the loosely closed door, “You came onto the bed yourself yesterday.”

Lin Cui quickly got off the bed, covering her chest with both hands, furious. “What did you do to me?”

Li Tan replied disdainfully, “I, young master, am not interested in taking advantage of someone in distress.”

Lin Cui hurriedly checked her body and found that her clothes were untouched, quickly calming down, her gaze shifting back to Li Tan.

What happened last night? Why did I suddenly faint? Could it be that I overexerted myself in cultivation?

But this guy had some sense and didn’t touch me.

“Cough, cough, cough.”

Clearing her throat, Lin Cui changed the subject. “Let’s forget about yesterday. Now go with me to greet my parents.”

Greet my parents?

There seemed to be such a custom. Troublesome.

Li Tan followed Lin Cui indifferently through the pavilions and terraces, soon arriving at a grand hall.

When they arrived, many people had already gathered inside, obviously making Li Tan and Lin Cui the last to arrive.

“Be a bit smart later, and don’t go in with me to cause misunderstandings.”

Lin Cui reminded him and walked in first, kneeling in the center of the hall. “Cui greets father and mother.”

Then the gathered Lin family members greeted them one after another, and it took a long time before they stopped.

Finding it extremely boring, Li Tan couldn’t help but yawn, immediately attracting strange glances from everyone.

“Li Tan, what are you doing standing there?”

Lin Cui’s father noticed him at this moment.

“Quickly go and greet us!”

Lin Cui mouthed the words to Li Tan without speaking.

So Li Tan took a few steps to the center, slightly bowed, and looked straight at the “parents” on the high platform. “Li Tan greets Lin family’s head and mistress.”

Lin family’s head, Lin Long, coldly snorted, “Why didn’t you kneel?”

Lin Cui kept signaling Li Tan with her eyes to kneel, but Li Tan pretended not to see and didn’t move at all.

The mistress, Gu Lin, noticed Lin Cui’s reaction, frowned, and asked, “Has Cui been bullying you, causing your dissatisfaction?”

“I bullied him?”

Lin Cui immediately protested angrily, “Last night he was the one bullying me, okay!”

Last night he bullied me.

These few words were literal, but when others heard them, they couldn’t help but have different thoughts.

The wedding night, how exactly was this bullying?

For example, Lin Yuan, the son of Lin family’s third elder, immediately turned dark and glared fiercely at Li Tan.

The Lin family head and mistress on the high platform also exchanged glances, not knowing what to say.

The marriage was merely a formality, in other words, just an excuse to silence Liu family, but now, could it be that the rice was already cooked?

Could it be that Lin Cui had secretly fallen for him all along but never said anything, and this political marriage just happened to bring the two together?

Lin Long’s eyes widened like ping-pong balls.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Lin Cui was momentarily confused, while Li Tan, who understood the situation, had a row of black lines on his forehead. This girl was truly good at causing trouble.

“Li Tan! You dare to stand like this in front of the family head, do you still have any regard for family rules?”

Lin Yuan pointed at Li Tan, indignantly rebuking him.

“Li Tan, quickly kneel down and apologize!”

“Chief, Li Tan completely disregards you; he must be severely punished!”

Hearing these voices, family head Lin Long’s gaze toward Li Tan turned colder.

Li Tan’s behavior was simply an insult to him; how could he endure it?

Added to the previous misunderstanding about the wedding night, his mood had become even worse.

“Li Tan, do you have any objection to what they said?”

“Yes.”

Li Tan looked around disdainfully. “I once swore that I would only kneel to heaven and earth and my parents; what qualifications do you have to make me kneel?

Comparing yourself to heaven and earth?”