Chapter 506: Malice

“Haha, Little Lin, didn’t think you could talk sweet like that. Your goddess loves hearing it.” Upon hearing Lin Xiao’s words, Li Yunxi’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. Then she gestured to a nearby server, who bowed and retreated. “But this club isn’t solely mine. I’ve got three business partners, you’ve met them. Wanna guess who?”

Lin Xiao’s thoughts turned swiftly, and he immediately guessed who she meant.

“Your three besties—Fang Yuan, Chi Feier, and Cheng Lin?”

“That’s right. The four of us went into business together.”

Li Yunxi hooked her arm through Lin Xiao’s and walked deeper into the main hall.

“But usually, it’s those three who run the daily operations. I stay in the background and handle any trouble the club runs into. So you could say I’m the security chief. Even among the regulars, few know I’m the boss behind the scenes.”

With her influence, there were few things in Jinghai that Li Yunxi couldn’t smooth over.

“I see.” Lin Xiao nodded. Then, as if suddenly thinking of something, he glanced at her. “If you’re the owner, why only tell me now?”

“Hehe, because I wanted to surprise you~”

Li Yunxi stuck out her tongue. Even she thought her excuse was a little flimsy and quickly looked away, embarrassed.

“It’s just a minor thing. No need to nitpick, right? Let me keep a few secrets. Besides, I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”

“I wasn’t blaming you. But if you were going to keep it secret, you shouldn’t have told me at all,” Lin Xiao said helplessly.

“Because I don’t want to lie to you. Just thinking about hiding something from you feels wrong. So I might as well tell you everything. You wouldn’t sell me out anyway, right?” she said, as if it were only natural.

As they chatted, the two arrived at the gathering area.

The event was styled like a buffet. A massive rectangular dining table sat at the center, topped with a dazzling array of fine food and wine. Around it were over a dozen sofas, and more than twenty young men and women stood or sat casually, chatting with ease.

These were all top-tier second-generation elites from Jinghai. Most of them knew Li Yunxi and greeted her. Their eyes also flicked toward Lin Xiao, sizing him up.

Black-suited servers moved briskly among them like bees in a hive.

Spotting Li Yunxi, Deng Yue’s eyes lit up. He excused himself from a few others and walked over quickly.

“Miss Li, welcome to the gathering I arranged.”

Li Yunxi gave a lukewarm nod. “You’ve helped me out a few times before. I’m just returning the favor.”

Deng Yue’s smile widened. “Miss Li, please, come with me. I’d like to introduce you to a few friends.”

“No need.” Li Yunxi’s expression cooled, clearly brushing him off. “Just take care of your guests. I’ll stay here with my companion.”

She gestured to Lin Xiao, standing by her side.

Deng Yue looked Lin Xiao over a few times, smile unchanged.

“And this gentleman is…?”

“Didn’t I just say? He’s my companion.” Li Yunxi frowned slightly. Her patience was wearing thin, and speaking with Deng Yue this long was already pushing her limit. “No need to worry about us. Go attend to your guests.”

“Very well, Miss Li. Enjoy yourself. I won’t disturb you further.”

Deng Yue could tell she was done talking and wisely swallowed the rest of his words, turning to leave.

But as he turned away, a flicker of darkness flashed through his eyes.

He had planned meticulously but never anticipated that Li Yunxi would bring a man along, spoiling his setup for Zhou Li to get close to her.

“Young Master Deng, what’d she say?” asked a youth with dyed brown hair, delicate features, and a slim build.

“Nothing. Just said hello,” Deng Yue said, obviously not telling the full truth.

“Demoness Li actually brought a man with her? Damn, must be a cold day in hell,” muttered another youth with a diamond earring, clearly sour.

“That guy’s probably her bodyguard.”

“Doubt it. I overheard someone say recently that Miss Li’s been spotted hanging around a guy a lot. I thought it was a rumor, but I guess it’s true.”

“Seriously? Wonder who this guy is to get Miss Li to treat him so differently.”

A chorus of murmurs spread through the group. Despite Li Yunxi’s fiery temper, she was undeniably the brightest star among Jinghai’s wealthy elite.

Which one of them hadn’t dreamed—even just a little—of winning her heart and gaining both beauty and fortune?

Meanwhile, Zhou Li, chatting with a few girls, had also noticed Li Yunxi. The moment his gaze landed on her sultry figure and stunning face, his eyes blazed with intensity.

What a gorgeous woman.

A beauty like her should belong to the strong. At that moment, Zhou Li felt a powerful desire to possess her.

“Hm?”

Sensing something, Lin Xiao turned his head and met Zhou Li’s gaze head-on.

Zhou Li’s eyes were blazing, aggressive, and sharp like blades. Even at a distance of seven or eight meters, his gaze felt like it could pierce straight through. But Lin Xiao’s expression remained calm, eyes deep and placid like an unfathomable sea, immune to provocation.

“This guy… interesting. Daring to look me in the eye?” Zhou Li narrowed his gaze, a dark glint flashing within. “Once a man gains power, his courage follows. I’ll have to test him out.”

Lin Xiao could feel Zhou Li’s faint but unmistakable hostility and raised a brow. “Just one glance and he’s already hostile? How amusing.”

Li Yunxi noticed Lin Xiao’s subtle change and nudged his waist. “What’s up?”

“Someone’s got their eye on us.” Lin Xiao didn’t hide it. “The guy in the white casual outfit.”

Li Yunxi didn’t doubt his words. Her pretty face instantly turned frosty. But then she remembered she had a highly capable man standing next to her. Her tension melted away, and she lazily replied, “Is he strong?”

“Should be considered a skilled fighter.”

“How does he compare to you?”

Lin Xiao gave a faint, serene smile. “He’s not my match.”

“Good. That puts me at ease.” Li Yunxi looped her arm through his and tugged him toward the buffet. “I’ll leave that guy to you. First, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

Lin Xiao touched his stomach. Even though he’d had dinner, more food was always welcome. With his internal strength, he could digest anything instantly.

“Alright, let’s go.”

He wasted no time and quickly piled up a plate with food. Grabbing a fragrant drumstick, he bit in, crunching through bone and meat alike, swallowing it all in a few chews.

He paid no attention to the people watching—just focused on eating. Once the plate was empty, Li Yunxi handed him another, watching him with a smile.

The food on the table visibly diminished, most of it going into Lin Xiao’s stomach.

Yet even after consuming so much, his belly remained perfectly flat, like a bottomless pit.

The onlookers were stunned.

“Damn, was this guy starving in his past life?”

“Maybe Miss Li likes this kind of guy?”

“Who knows? All kinds of men have pursued her before, and she’s never given them the time of day. Now suddenly she brings one here?”

“I’d better start training. Maybe she’ll notice me next.”