Chapter 41 - A Child of Destiny? Better Off Dead for Peace of Mind

Chapter 41 – A Child of Destiny? Better Off Dead for Peace of Mind

Reneging on one’s word?

Isn’t that perfectly normal?

In this kind of situation, wouldn’t any reasonable person go back on their word? That’s clearly the most sensible choice.

Zhang Chen sent off the message.

He felt no psychological burden whatsoever.

So what if Xia Yanshuang had paid a price?

Using someone up and then turning your back on them—that’s basic villain protocol.

After all, he was a villain!

He wasn’t some

qì yùn zhī zǐ

(气运之子)^1 kind of idiot who clung to pride and suffered for it.

“Though it’s a bit of a shame, there’ll be plenty of women in the future. She’s not irreplaceable.”

Zhang Chen really didn’t have strong feelings for Lin Xi.

Sure, she was beautiful, and her figure was fantastic.

Especially this morning, when he’d forced her to put on that maid outfit at home…

That really was something else.

But what a pity.

Zhang Chen shook his head.

“Compared to taking out Ye Fan, women just aren’t important.”

If she were a

qì yùn zhī nǚ

(气运之女)^2 or something like that, maybe he’d feel a bit more tender.

But unfortunately—

Lin Xi was nothing more than a supporting female character.

“Ye Fan, oh Ye Fan… one side is your only family, the other is the unattainable goddess you love. If it were you, what would you choose?”

Zhang Chen was growing increasingly excited.

The grand trap he had carefully set was finally taking shape.

Soon, Ye Fan would be completely ensnared.

And in the end—

He would be erased.

“People like the Child of Destiny—only when they’re dead can I sleep soundly.”

Lin Family Residence.

If the Demon-Slaying Division could get their hands on surveillance footage—

Naturally, so could the Lin family.

Although they got it about half an hour later—

It was still enough to allow the Lin family to view partial footage of last night’s lab incident.

“It really was that brat!”

Old Master Lin was seething with rage.

He’d been trying to comfort himself—

Maybe it was just a coincidence.

That this incident had nothing to do with their Lin family.

Maybe it was some hidden enemy targeting them from the shadows.

After all, very few people in the Lin family knew the sensitive details.

Only Old Master Lin and Xia Yanshuang were aware of the truth.

And the Demon-Slaying Division had no shortage of enemies.

But now—

After watching the recovered footage, Old Master Lin was so overwhelmed with fury that he had a stroke and collapsed on the spot.

At this moment—

Almost all the Lin family members with company shares or close blood ties had gathered at the villa.

Even though they didn’t know how far-reaching last night’s incident would be—

Just the financial loss alone was enough to leave them reeling.

Now, seeing the old man pass out from rage—

There was both shock and… cold smirks.

“Hmph! That old fool, always playing favorites!”

“Best if he just drops dead. Then we can finally redistribute the shares he’s been hoarding!”

Everyone had their own selfish agenda.

Ignorance truly blinded them to the gravity of the situation.

“President Xia, the old man clearly can’t handle things anymore. You’d best say something.”

Someone finally broke the silence.

It was Lin Youwei.

By seniority, Xia Yanshuang was technically his sister-in-law.

But clearly, he didn’t treat her with even a shred of respect.

“Yeah, if you don’t give us a proper answer, we’re not leaving!”

Another voice chimed in—

Another Lin family member, a nephew of Old Master Lin, from another branch of the family.

“This whole mess! How much did the company lose? We demand an explanation!”

A minor shareholder was righteously indignant.

At that moment—

Xia Yanshuang felt powerless.

She didn’t care about the Lin family scheming against her, nor did she care about the company shareholders—

Just moments ago—

She had received a message from Zhang Chen.

“Shut up!”

That roar—

Instantly silenced the chaotic room.

Whether it was Lin Youwei, the other Lin relatives, or the shareholders—

All were stunned.

It was the first time they’d ever seen Xia Yanshuang explode like that.

Lin Shoucheng, relying on his seniority, frowned and said, “Xia Yanshuang, are you trying to protect your daughter?”

With someone speaking up first, the others felt emboldened.

But Xia Yanshuang didn’t give them a chance.

She swept a cold glance across the room—

Then threw down one line before walking out.

“If you want to destroy the Lin family and the company, then by all means, keep making trouble.”

Everyone looked at each other, dumbfounded—

Watching her leave.

Truth be told, they were intimidated.

Once she was gone—

Lin Youwei cursed under his breath, “She really thinks she’s someone important? If it weren’t for the old man’s favoritism, if not for our respect for my elder brother—!”

“Third Brother, go get Lin Xi back! And have someone look into this Ye Fan guy!”

…

Internal strife wracked the Lin family.

Old Master Lin had collapsed from fury.

Xia Yanshuang was fighting alone.

She had also seen the recovered surveillance footage.

Several scenes showed a suspicious figure lurking around—

Even without a clear shot of the face—

Xia Yanshuang had a strong hunch that it was Ye Fan.

“Xiao Xi… do you even know what you’re doing?”

Right now, the Lin family was faced with—

No!

It was Xia Yanshuang herself who was faced with only one option:

Find a way to get Lin Xi out of here!

Didn’t matter where they went—so long as she could keep her daughter alive.

But sadly—

“Ms. Xia.”

Just as Xia Yanshuang left the Lin family villa—

A car pulled up in front of her.

A man stepped out.

Polite, yet extremely procedural.

“We hope that you and your daughter do not leave Jiangdong City for the time being.”

Xia Yanshuang’s face changed.

“What gives you the right to say that?!”

The man didn’t look surprised.

He calmly pulled out an ID.

“We have the authority, Ms. Xia. You should understand.”

The ID was from the Bureau of Emergency Management.

On the surface, it looked just like any ordinary agency credential—

But the power it carried—

Far exceeded that of the regular police.

They had full autonomy to act without waiting for formal procedures.

Did Xia Yanshuang not understand that?

Even if she hadn’t before—

Now she did.

“We sincerely hope you’ll cooperate. Otherwise, we’ll have to enforce this.”

With that, the man drove off.

And Xia Yanshuang realized—

Even her last route had been sealed off.

Unless—

Someone stepped in to help.

But who?

Only one face floated into her mind—

Zhang Chen.

In all of Jiangdong City, if there was anyone with the power to forcefully protect Lin Xi—

It was Zhang Chen.

But when she remembered what he had done to her… how he had gone back on his word—

Xia Yanshuang was furious.

In the end, she gritted her teeth—

And drove toward Zhang Chen’s residence.

Whether she could persuade him to help again or not—

She had to try!

Because this was her final chance.

…

Ye Fan was agitated. Restless.

He’d been in the hospital all day.

And he felt like he was going insane.

Even though the medical expenses were temporarily covered, his sister’s condition hadn’t improved in the slightest.

He was even starting to lose faith in the hospital.

He was already considering whether to take his sister and leave—

And try something else!

But he couldn’t decide.

Taking Ye Yiyi out of the hospital would mean cutting off their last hope.

He just couldn’t make that call.

And in that moment—

Ye Fan met someone.

Someone who gave him a sudden glimmer of hope!

As if he had seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

Footnotes:

气运之子 (qì yùn zhī zǐ) – “Child of Destiny” or “Heaven’s Chosen One.” A common trope in xianxia/cultivation novels referring to protagonists blessed by fate, who often survive impossible odds and attract powerful allies, treasures, and opportunities.

气运之女 (qì yùn zhī nǚ) – “Daughter of Destiny.” Similar to the above, but used for female characters who play a central, fated role in the narrative.