After the minor character transforms into a beauty, she steals the heart of a tycoon's son.

Si Lin neither dodged nor fought back.

He stood there, looking down at Ji Yan's clenched fingers, his expression cold to the point of cruelty. "Did you guess right?"

"You've pretended to be nonchalant all these years, but you've never gotten over that hurdle in your heart."

"You hate all ordinary people, not because of what they did, but because their existence reminds you of how your aunt died."

Ji Yan's fist came flying.

Si Lin turned his head to dodge, raised his hand to block Ji Yan's wrist, and the two of them were locked in a stalemate, the veins on their arms bulging.

"Enough!" Pei Heng rushed over from behind the sofa, grabbed Ji Yan's shoulder, and pulled him back.

Pei Heng, who is usually playful and joking, is surprisingly strong when he really gets physical, managing to pull Ji Yan back two steps.

Wen Yan strode over and stood between the two.

He glanced at Ji Yan's unusual loss of composure, then at Si Lin's extremely cold expression, and frowned. "Calm down, both of you."

"It's our own brothers fighting over such a small matter. What will people think of the Deacon Group if word gets out?"

Wen Yan and Pei Heng each pulled the person away and pushed them back onto the sofa.

Ji Yan was forced to sit down by Pei Heng's hand on his shoulder, his fingers still clenched, veins bulging.

Si Lin leaned back on the sofa, straightened his collar, and his cold expression remained unchanged.

Pei Heng stood in front of the coffee table, arms crossed, his tone unusually calm, "A straight body casts no crooked shadow."

"Si Lin, Ji Yan's concerns are not unfounded."

"You haven't touched a woman all year, and suddenly you're going to such lengths for a special admission student. The brothers aren't going to be suspicious, are they?"

"If she really has any problems, it's better to find out sooner rather than later."

"But if she's clean and has no ulterior motives, we'll apologize to her."

Si Lin looked down at Ruan Tang, who was curled up on the sofa, picked her up again and pulled her into his arms, patting her back gently with his large hand.

The little girl snuggled against him and then quieted down.

He glanced around at the three people in front of him. Ji Yan was sitting on the sofa, Wen Yan was leaning against a pillar, and Pei Heng was standing in front of the coffee table, all staring at her.

"You all think there's something wrong with her?" Si Lin asked.

No one responded.

But silence itself is the answer.

Si Lin nodded, "Okay, then ask."

He picked up the warm water from the coffee table, cradled the back of Ruan Tang's head, brought the rim of the cup to her lips, and slowly fed her a few sips.

She swallowed it groggily, coughed twice, and barely opened her eyes. Her almond-shaped eyes were still hazy, but she was a little more awake than before.

The little girl propped herself up from his arms and managed to sit up straight.

Wen Yan looked at Ruan Tang, who was sitting obediently but was clearly still confused, which really appealed to him.

He suddenly became unsure whether he wanted her to win or lose.

After all, it's the same principle as the saying "the higher you stand, the harder you fall."

The more Si Lin trusts her now, the more thoroughly he will turn against her if he is deceived.

Ji Yan spoke, his voice calm and unhurried, "Ruan Tang, now it's your turn to tell the truth."

She blinked, thinking the game wasn't over yet, and obediently nodded, "Okay~"

"My first question is, did you deliberately approach Si Lin?"

She nodded, almost without hesitation.

Si Lin's arm around her waist stiffened, in disbelief.

Seeing that something was wrong, Wen Yan pressed on, "Then why did you deliberately approach him?"

The little girl tilted her head and answered the question directly, "Because Shenglan's blacklist and whitelist system is too scary, I'm afraid."

"Si Lin is the most powerful person in the butler council, and I hope to gain his protection."

Si Lin breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn't exactly deception; it was just human nature.

Which special admission student in the entire Saint Lan wouldn't want his protection? She chose him, and he was willing to give it to her; it's no big deal.

Ji Yan glanced at Wen Yan, his eyes filled with obvious dissatisfaction.

Wen Yan looked away, pushed up his glasses, and avoided eye contact with him.

"My second question," Ji Yan's voice deepened, "is your relationship with Si Lin genuine?"

Ruan Tang shook her head, this time even more decisively than before, "No."

Si Lin, who had just relaxed, picked up the breath again.

Pei Heng gasped, Wen Yan straightened up, and Ji Yan's gaze grew even colder.

Si Lin pressed on impatiently, "Why wasn't it genuine?"

She frowned, glanced at him, and thought to herself: Is that even a question?

The little girl said softly, "You're silly. Of course, it's because he was about to order the nobles to kill those people that I had no choice but to stay with him."

"And seeing a lot of blood makes me feel uncomfortable and dizzy."

Si Lin was stunned for a moment.

Indeed, their relationship did have a reason. On the day of the school anniversary, she offered herself to him in order to beg him to let Lin Xiaokui and her group go.

But this can't be entirely considered as a lack of sincerity.

After all, there were four members of the deacon team, and she chose him alone to plead for her.

Why doesn't she go to Wen Yan? Why doesn't she go to Pei Heng?

But Ji Yan didn't give Si Lin more time to think or ask questions, and spoke again, "Third question, Ruan Tang, do you dislike Si Lin?"

On the second floor of the auditorium, it was so quiet that you could hear the rustling of the night wind passing through the pillars.

Pei Heng held his breath, while Wen Yan's face remained expressionless.

Ji Yan, this question is too harsh.

Si Lin lowered his eyes and looked at the little girl in his arms.

She tilted her head back, her eyelashes fluttering, and seriously considered how to answer the question.

He suddenly didn't want to listen anymore.

Whether it's genuine or feigned, whether it's liking or disliking, we can talk about those things later.

He didn't want to delve into the causes and effects of the past; as long as she was by his side from now on, that was enough.

"That's enough." Si Lin turned to look at Ji Yan. "That's enough for today..."

"Disgusting."

The three words were soft and gentle, with the sweet, soft ending tone unique to a young girl.

Si Lin's unfinished words stuck in his throat.

He stiffly and slowly turned his head to look at the person in his arms.

Her almond-shaped eyes remained clear as she spoke words of disgust with frankness and sincerity.

Those things that are hidden deep in one's heart when sober are all poured out when drunk.

Is it true that you loathe... him?

Si Lin slowly released the large hand that was around her waist, stood up from the sofa, and took a few steps back.

He withdrew from his hazy romantic feelings, regained his rationality, and began to re-examine the person before him.

Ji Yan leaned back on the sofa armrest, a victor's smile spreading across his face.

Wen Yan and Pei Heng exchanged glances. It was one thing to dislike someone, and another to feign dislike, but Ruan Tang actually said she hated him.

Has she gone mad?

Wen Yan hadn't expected this answer and had a bad feeling that the situation would be even more difficult to handle.

Ji Yan was clearly relaxed.

He leaned back on the sofa, legs crossed, and said calmly, "Then why do you hate Si Lin? He's always been protecting you and indulging you, hasn't he?"