I’m a Villain! Why Are You Trying to Date Me?

Chapter 34: Lin Tian Makes Up His Mind to Test a Way to Eliminate the Villain Aura!

The first time he was alone with Shang Chan, the woman got herself drunk—then cried, made a scene, kissed him, hugged him, and finally had a nightmare and ended up sleeping in Lin Tian’s bed. That night had left him completely drained.

The second time they were alone was in the underground chamber behind the courtyard of Ting Chan Pavilion. She had been fully sober then, and at one point, there had been only a few inches between them. If Lin Tian hadn’t had enough self-control, he would’ve been completely taken down by her…

The third time had been on the second floor of Ting Chan Pavilion, when Lin Tian applied medicine to her injured ankle. That intimate atmosphere still made Lin Tian feel “a lingering sense of dread.”

Now, although they were in a moving car, the raised privacy divider had somehow created the same effect—like a man and woman shut alone in a room.

Lin Tian was numb from head to toe!

He was terrified that this woman might throw all caution to the wind and just jump him…

In such a cramped space, where the hell could he even run?

Luckily, Shang Chan still seemed to be basking in her earlier joy and hadn’t done anything too out of line.

Lin Tian let out a quiet sigh of relief—but at the same time, he couldn’t help feeling a twinge of… regret.

Then he quickly forced that emotion down!

With a goddess-tier woman like Shang Chan constantly showing affection by his side, even someone as virtuous as Liu Xiahui would crack under the pressure.

The only reason Lin Tian had resisted this long was because he was scared to death…

Still, thinking back to what Shang Chan had just said, something began to stir in his mind.

Shang Chan had dragged him down the mountain in such a hurry. Her excuse may have been flimsy, but it was tied to something kind of serious—adjusting Lin Tian’s position in the company.

Lin Tian was already well aware that after Shang Chan and the Zhao family openly declared war on Jiang Yifeng, this so-called Child of Destiny would soon launch a vicious counterattack against the Zhaos.

The Zhao family might be powerful and wealthy, but whether they could actually withstand the storm was still a big question mark.

In such a situation, even though Lin Tian was merely the General Manager of Xinghai Group’s Investment Department, he was far from safe…

Who knew if Jiang Yifeng might come after him?

Under normal circumstances, the chances might not be high—but Lin Tian was now carrying the Villain Aura!

According to his theory, this aura likely had a magnetic pull with the Protagonist’s Aura…

Not in the romantic sense, of course, but in the deadly sense—drawing the protagonist toward him just to wipe him out.

So if Lin Tian didn’t want to die an early death, he needed to transfer to the Security Department as soon as possible.

Granted, the Security Department wasn’t much safer—it was still part of Xinghai Group, after all—but if he left Xinghai altogether, without monitoring the rapidly changing events of the original plot, he’d feel incredibly on edge.

Weighing all the options, the Security Department—low-key and unassuming—was clearly the best choice.

Besides recalling what Shang Chan had said earlier, Lin Tian also remembered the moment she placed her slender hand on his chest when he mentioned transferring to the Security Department. That charged atmosphere… even now, just thinking about it made his heart race.

No use denying it—faced with such stunning beauty, who could possibly resist?

But Lin Tian wasn’t just reminiscing about that moment—what stuck with him more was Shang Chan’s line: Lin Tian, with how skinny you are, how are you even fit to be the head of security?

She had a point. Lin Tian’s current strength was honestly way too feeble.

Let’s not forget—he wasn’t going up against some ordinary antagonist. He, like all villains, was facing off against a Child of Destiny, the original male lead of the story.

And Jiang Yifeng? That bastard had supernatural powers, no less!

Under those conditions, it didn’t matter if Lin Tian were just a skinny, average guy—or even a burly, muscle-bound brute. Against someone with divine abilities, none of that mattered. In front of Jiang Yifeng, even the strongest normal person wouldn’t stand a chance.

So if Lin Tian wanted to stay alive, his top priority was, of course, to stay as far away from the male and female leads as humanly possible.

The second priority? That had to be boosting his own combat power.

But the only methods I know to gain power… are all those damn fortuitous encounters written for the male lead!

Lin Tian immediately felt a headache coming on.

After all, the original novel was just a run-of-the-mill urban fantasy power trip. Even the existence of supernatural powers was tailored exclusively for the protagonist—so he could steamroll through obstacles like a walking cheat code.

As for Lin Tian? He was just a disposable villain who was supposed to die within the first ten chapters. Why the hell would the plot toss any kind of power-up his way?

Wait… wasn’t there a hidden fortuitous encounter in one of the nearby antique markets? And if I remember right, it was sealed inside an antique item or something… maybe I can snag that one?

Lin Tian hesitated, torn.

The main issue was—once he started snatching the protagonist’s fortune, there was no telling what kind of ripple effects it might cause.

He could end up getting mysteriously locked onto by the protagonist, drawn in by some unseen force for a dramatic face-off. Or maybe, worse still, the villain halo on him might go berserk, forcing a direct 1v1 showdown with Jiang Yifeng no matter how hard Lin Tian tried to avoid it…

But then again, Lin Tian reminded himself—this was exactly the kind of experiment he needed to run if he wanted to understand the villain halo better.

If anyone knew the full extent of Jiang Yifeng’s insane luck and string of fortuitous encounters in this cliché power-fantasy novel, it wasn’t Jiang Yifeng himself—it was Lin Tian.

So when it came to stealing a bit of that luck, there were really only two possible outcomes.

Either the protagonist’s fortune would directly counteract the villain aura, neutralizing it over time—meaning Lin Tian would no longer have to constantly worry about dying early. And if that was the case, then carefully intercepting a few of those chances could gradually wipe the villain status off him altogether.

Otherwise, snatching the protagonist’s fortune might trigger certain changes within this world—ones that could cause Lin Tian’s villain halo to grow even stronger and more obvious…

If that happened, there’d be nothing left to say—his only option would be to run like hell and hide wherever he could.

With that in mind, Lin Tian finally made up his mind.

The key thing was: this particular opportunity at the antique market was one Jiang Yifeng only came across later in the story. By then, it didn’t mean much to him anymore—just another cherry on top of an already ridiculous pile of luck.

And right now? Jiang Yifeng was probably busy cozying up to the mysterious third female lead.

There’s no way that guy would have time to wander through some dusty old antique market when he was with her, right?

After weighing all his options, Lin Tian finally came to a careful and serious decision.

“No time like the present—I’m heading to the antique market. That fortune? I’m taking it.”

After making up his mind, Lin Tian didn’t relax—instead, he became even more cautious, replaying the details of the original novel in his mind over and over again, locking down the exact location of that opportunity.

At the same time, he also planned out multiple escape routes, even going so far as to consider the possibility that he might unexpectedly run into Jiang Yifeng today—after all, the plot had already started to shift.

That said, the chances were slim.

Hmph, if I do end up bumping into Jiang Yifeng, then all I can say is that this damn villain halo is too strong! Still, even if I do run into him—so what? As long as I don’t try to fight him for the antique directly, there shouldn’t be a problem, right? No matter how overbearing Jiang Yifeng is, he’s not gonna massacre everyone in the antique market just to get his hands on it, is he?

That thoughtful, calculating expression on Lin Tian’s face—when seen through Shang Chan’s eyes, who had just recovered from her earlier bashfulness—only made him appear even more attractive.

As the saying goes, nothing is more charming than a man deep in thought.

Right now, Lin Tian wasn’t just being serious—he was being meticulously cautious. After all, this was a matter of life and death. He wasn’t some cheat-code-carrying protagonist—he was just a villain…

If he wasn’t careful, he could get taken out by Jiang Yifeng like a low-level mob, and then what was the point of transmigrating in the first place? What a miserable way to go.

Meanwhile, Shang Chan was staring at Lin Tian in a daze, completely unaware of how much she looked like a lovestruck girl in that moment.

After thinking for a while, Lin Tian suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Shang Chan’s gaze. The sight of that clean, makeup-free face hit him like a jolt—his heart skipped a beat or two.

A beauty like this… truly belongs to the mortal realm?

With a quiet sigh, Lin Tian closed his eyes and began silently reciting a calming mantra.

Hearing the flustered, anxious chanting echoing in Lin Tian’s inner voice, Shang Chan couldn’t help but let out a light laugh.

In that instant, her smile was as breathtaking as the one outside the banquet hall that night—unseen by anyone, not even Lin Tian, who sat mere inches away.

If Lin Tian had seen her smile just now, he might’ve thought of a line from a poem: “Blooming alone in the cold.”

…

Outside the Xuan Yuan family estate, Xuan Yuan Xing stood beaming in a form-fitting qipao.

“Qingya, your great-grandfather’s birthday is coming up. Head to the antique market and find Uncle Yao—have him help you pick out a proper gift. The old man prefers sandalwood and dislikes metal. Don’t offend his sensibilities.”

Xuan Yuan Qingya, exuding her usual dominant aura, gave a slight nod. Even in front of her own mother, the pride in her eyes didn’t waver one bit.

“Mother, I understand.”

“Mhm, go on now… Young Master Jiang, I’ll be counting on you to look after Qingya.”

Standing beside Xuan Yuan Qingya, Jiang Yifeng—when viewed beside her stoic expression—looked just like a perfect match, a couple carved from jade.

Hearing Xuan Yuan Xing’s words, Jiang Yifeng flashed a confident smile.

“Auntie, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Qingya.”

With that, Jiang Yifeng took the lead and walked toward a nearby Maybach, politely opening the back door for Xuan Yuan Qingya.

After getting in, just as Jiang Yifeng was about to follow, he was met with an unexpected surprise—the proud woman slammed the door shut from inside.

A flicker of irritation flashed through Jiang Yifeng’s eyes, but he said nothing. Instead, he forced a smile and walked around to the front, getting into the passenger seat.

Once both were seated, the driver turned and asked, “Miss, are we heading to the antique market on Bali Street, as Madam instructed?”

Xuan Yuan Qingya lounged in her seat, her demeanor a blend of elegance and nonchalance. She casually raised a hand and activated the divider between the front and back seats.

Her voice, filled with noble arrogance and self-assurance, drifted into the front.

“Yes. Bali Street.”