Chapter 35: Showdown

As Shen Xing asked his question, the smile on Ouyang Lin’s face widened, making Shen Xing feel a chill run down his spine.

"You don't understand? Let me ask you this: if you discover that something is very useful, do you continue to use it, use it often, and let it provide even greater value? Or do you put it on a shelf to gather dust and never use it again?"

Ouyang Lin blinked, speaking with a pointed tone.

Shen Xing froze. The implication was blatant. He understood what she meant, but... he simply couldn't accept it.

"Holy shit! Ouyang Lin, are you even human?! You’re asking me to entertain guests! Have you gone broke and lost your mind?"

Shen Xing was so furious his face turned red, and he began to struggle immediately. But in the face of such absolute physical disparity, he felt Ouyang Lin’s hands on his shoulders like steel bars; he couldn't shake them off at all. In his desperation, Shen Xing tried to bite her arm, but Ouyang Lin noticed. With a slight tightening of her fingers, Shen Xing gasped in pain and grew much more compliant.

"Are you sober now? You look like you’re not very convinced."

"Ouyang Lin, are you intentionally trying to scare me? This isn't a joke you can just play around with! I’m young, but I can’t handle a group of women in their thirties and forties taking turns ruining me!"

Seeing that hard tactics weren't working, Shen Xing changed strategies, trying to reawaken Ouyang Lin’s humanity.

"But their physical conditions are all excellent. They’re all about the same attractiveness as Chen Yi was today. If they were out in the world, who knows how many young men would be head over heels for them. Now, they aren’t charging you a single cent, and you’re still unhappy?"

"Screw you! I don't care how good-looking they are! I’m your personal guard, sure, but I didn't sign a slave contract with you! Once you add a transactional nature to this, it completely changes the meaning, because I’m the one providing the service! Plus, this is a violation of my dignity. The education I received growing up doesn't allow me to agree to something so absurd!"

Shen Xing once again stated his firm stance.

"Ah, that seems to make some sense. However, I need to correct you on one detail. First, regarding your status as a personal guard, you don't seem to have a clear understanding of the boundaries of our relationship. While you enjoy the many conveniences I provide for you, you do not have the right to refuse when it comes to giving back. Simply put, you do what I say, as long as it doesn't involve treason, even if it means going to your death."

Watching Shen Xing’s shocked expression, Ouyang Lin’s lips curled slightly as she continued:

"Second, I’m telling you this not to discuss it with you, but to inform you. You have no right to refuse, and you cannot slack off. Because when Chen Yi left, I became convinced of your capabilities, and so I made promises to the other ladies. If you make them dissatisfied, you are intentionally making me lose face. For the consequences of that, refer back to the first point."

Shen Xing breathed heavily, dying to curse out loud.

He had thought that after spending time together, his relationship with Ouyang Lin was moving toward friendship. Who would have thought she was this twisted? Not only did he have to follow her orders and carry out her assignments during the day, but he also had to work overtime at night? And the intensity at night was no less than during the day.

Service work—even in this line of business—wasn't an easy job! In any relationship, if one person is extremely pleased, the other must necessarily be sacrificing themselves to satisfy the other. It’s like why so many men like foot massages; they know they are the ones being served, and they go in with the expectation of receiving pleasure. But now that Shen Xing was the "technician" providing the service, he felt absolutely no joy in it.

"Ouyang Lin, I think we can talk about this. You need to win them over, but you don't have to use such a crude method, right? I believe that with both of our intellects, we can surely come up with a healthier, more socially acceptable way to gain their support. Don't you think?"

"Really? I’m not as confident as you. In fact, given their backgrounds and current status, there aren't many ways to please them. This is the only method I can think of. I think it’s quite good—simple, practical, efficient, and it creates a stable relationship. I see no need to change it."

Ouyang Lin considered it for a moment, then shook her head, rejecting Shen Xing’s proposal.

"..."

Shen Xing stopped talking. The whole thing was so absurd that he still couldn't process it as reality. He kept thinking that no matter how excessive Ouyang Lin was, she shouldn't go as far as to exploit him like this. To go to such lengths, there would have to be some kind of grudge.

Do I have a grudge against her? Shen Xing asked himself.

Suddenly, a realization flashed through his mind, leaving him stunned.

"It seems you’ve hit on the key point. You’re not too slow after all, which gives me more confidence in you. Shen Xing, it’s amazing that you can bargain with me with such moral righteousness. Have you forgotten how excessive your actions toward me were?"

Ouyang Lin had been watching the changes in Shen Xing’s eyes; noticing the flicker of realization, she spoke immediately.

Shen Xing was truly panicked now. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he struggled to probe:

"Did... did I? Can you give me a hint?"

"Hmph! You ruined my lifelong prospects. The fact that I didn't kill you is proof of my magnanimity. And yet you’re still complaining."

Shen Xing’s heart turned cold. It’s over! As the saying goes, if you don't want anyone to know, don't do it. The scheme he had devised to cause their misunderstanding had been exposed! He just didn't know where things had gone wrong.

After a long silence, Shen Xing put on a fawning smile.

"Actually... I really had good intentions. I saw that you didn't truly love Song Yuanqing, and I didn't want you to walk so easily into the grave that is marriage. That’s why I acted out of righteousness to save you from the fire. You don't need to thank me; I had no intention of taking credit, which is why I didn't tell you. Really, I swear!"

Ouyang Lin let him go. She didn't argue; she simply crossed her arms and stared at him. Shen Xing felt a splitting headache under her gaze, feeling as though he were standing under two blinding spotlights, unable to open his eyes, suffering immensely.

After dodging her gaze for a long time, Shen Xing finally gave in to his fate with a sigh:

"Since it’s come to this, there’s no point in arguing. Fine, I admit it. I’ll sacrifice a few years of my life to help you deal with them as penance. To be honest, I regretted it as soon as I did it. Ending up like this is what I deserve."

These words made Ouyang Lin look at him with a hint of surprise. She stood up, sat on the sofa, and placed her right foot on Shen Xing’s chest.

"Oh? Regret? How come I didn't notice? If you were truly regretful, you would have had plenty of opportunities to confess to me over these past few days, wouldn't you?"

"Partly it was wishful thinking—I thought your relationship was mediocre anyway, and perhaps it would just fade away without ever having to discuss it. If I had confessed proactively, I felt like you would have finished me off. On the other hand, I truly felt you two weren't a good match; otherwise, you wouldn't have broken up so easily..."

"Shen Xing, have you always been this self-righteous? Whether my relationship with him was good or not is my private business! You are merely my personal guard; what right do you have to interfere in my love life?"

Ouyang Lin’s expression darkened in an instant. She pressed down with her foot, and Shen Xing’s body immediately curled up like a shrimp.