Villain Is Bodyguard of Heroine’s Poisonous Stepmother

Gu Wanyu gave Chen Luo an OK gesture.

“Don’t celebrate too early, it’s still uncertain how things will pan out,” he said.

It was certain that Lin Xiaoya was the female lead. Matters involving tricking the female lead could lead to any sort of unexpected developments. Until success was confirmed, it was not yet time to celebrate.

“The Lin family has already agreed, how could they dare to refuse now? If they do, I’ll make sure they understand the consequences,” Gu Wanyu said, her demeanor was full of confidence.

If the Lin family dared to reject them last minute, they shouldn’t blame her for showing no mercy.

Chen Luo shrugged. He didn’t know whether they would refuse, but he suspected that this matter might not proceed smoothly. According to the information traded earlier, the protagonist was due to arrive in Magic City tomorrow. If the protagonist arrived a day later, there might be a higher chance of success.

***

At the Lin residence, Lin Xiaoya looked visibly upset and somewhat angry.

“Dad, how could you decide on my marriage without asking me?”

Lin Xiaoya was understandably angry. Being suddenly fixed into a marriage arrangement without her consent would anger anyone who wasn’t a saint. And she was far from having such a detached outlook.

“Getting married is inevitable for you, and I chose a good family for you. There’s nothing wrong with marrying into the Li family.”

“You say so much, but isn’t it just for your own benefit?” Lin Xiaoya’s delicate face was frosty.

“This isn’t just for my personal benefit, but for the good of the entire Lin family. Do you think our family’s situation is good right now? Everyone says our Lin family is most likely to replace the Wang family and become one of the new four major families, but those are empty praises, knowing how many are against us. Do you understand that? If your grandfather hadn’t fallen ill, it would be different, but now he’s sick, and his condition is poor. The Lin family is in a precarious situation, and we might not even be able to maintain our current status.”

Lin Yue sighed, obviously distressed. He didn’t want to sacrifice his own daughter, but he felt there was no other choice.

“Nobody is willing to cooperate with the Lin family now. They all want to add fuel to the fire rather than help. Xiaoya, I’ve considered your feelings too. Li Qiwen is still young, and you are just getting engaged, not marrying right away. If our family situation stabilizes in the future, I will go as far as sacrificing my reputation to help you break off the engagement.”

Lin Yue’s plan was well thought out–use the Li family for now and consider turning against them once they were on more stable footing.

“Also, I’m helping you. Did you know you already have another marriage arrangement?”

“I have another marriage arrangement?” Lin Xiaoya frowned.

A beautiful woman frowning was still beautiful and even more pitiable.

“Yes, that arrangement was made by your grandfather. The other party is a disciple of a doctor, a doctor living deep in the mountains. Do you think we could agree to such an arrangement?”

Coming from a rural backwater, frankly, Lin Yue had no respect for such a match.

“After the engagement, that marriage arrangement is as good as canceled. I didn’t dare tell your grandfather about this. If he knew, he would definitely not agree.”

“Then… I agree.” Lin Xiaoya hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

Seeing that Lin Xiaoya had agreed, Lin Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared that his daughter would adamantly refuse, which would complicate things further, especially if the old man found out.

He couldn’t understand what his father saw in some country bumpkin. He actually wanted his daughter to marry a man from the deep mountains. This was a gap in social class. They were not equals.

It was too hasty to agree to such an engagement just because the other party’s master had once saved his life.

After Lin Xiaoya agreed, the Lin and Li families announced their alliance through marriage. Those opposed to the Lin family grimaced upon hearing the news, and the wealthy heirs who had been pursuing Lin Xiaoya were distraught.

Meanwhile, the groom-to-be, Li Qiwen, sat in his room with a somber expression.

Initially, Li Qiwen had been excited when Gu Wanyu told him he would be engaged to Lin Xiaoya. After all, claiming not to like such a beautiful girl would be a lie. However, his excitement turned to bitterness once Gu Wanyu revealed the truth to him. His engagement was in name only, a ruse to secure a woman for Chen Luo. He was even warned not to lay a finger on Lin Xiaoya, or he would experience severe pain.

At that moment, Li Qiwen felt an overwhelming urge to kill Gu Wanyu, but he didn’t dare. He lacked the courage.

He could only nod in agreement, fearing that any hint of dissatisfaction would bring excruciating pain.

“I must get my revenge on you,” Li Qiwen said, seething with red eyes, furiously smashing things around him, unable to contain the anger inside him any longer.

This rage had been simmering within him for too long, and if he didn’t let it out, he felt he might implode.

The door suddenly flew open, and Gu Wanyu walked in with an icy expression.

“Are you feeling dissatisfied?” Gu Wanyu asked coldly as she looked at Li Qiwen.

Li Qiwen was holding a vase, about to smash it down, but his expression froze when he saw Gu Wanyu enter.

The jingle of a bell suddenly rang in Li Qiwen’s ears, and his face was filled with terror. The pain, the kind that felt like his organs were being devoured, struck again. The vase fell from his hands to the floor as Li Qiwen collapsed in agony, oblivious to the shards that might cut him.

“Mom, I was wrong, I’m not dissatisfied, please let me go?” Li Qiwen pleaded with Gu Wanyu.

Gu Wanyu sneered, “Didn’t you just say you wanted to get back at us?”

Gu Wanyu always had Li Qiwen under surveillance. His room was fitted with cameras and listening devices. Every word and action was monitored.

“No, I wouldn’t dare… please… let me go.”

“Hmph, if it weren’t for the fact that you’re still useful to us, today would be your end.”

Gu Wanyu snorted coldly and shook the bell again. The parasitic worms inside Li Qiwen ceased their biting, alleviating his pain. Despite this, the agony had drained all his strength, and now the look in Li Qiwen’s eyes as he watched Gu Wanyu was filled only with fear.

As for hatred? He dared not harbor any. Now, he couldn’t afford to feel even a trace of resentment, not now and not in the future.

Gu Wanyu left indifferently, leaving Li Qiwen lying on the floor in fear.

The next day, the engagement party was held as scheduled. Li Qiwen attended submissively. Although he was technically the main character of the event, he only dared to act according to Gu Wanyu’s cues.

Lin Yue also arrived with Lin Xiaoya and other members of the Lin family. From Gu Wanyu’s side, not many of the Li family attended.

Chen Luo was also there. Although he didn’t participate, he wanted to see if hijacking the protagonist’s fiancée would be successful.

“She really is beautiful, almost a perfect goddess, comparable to Xiao Qingxue, though her bust is a bit smaller,” Chen Luo said as he observed Lin Xiaoya, the female protagonist.

Despite her appearance not being over the top, it wasn’t less than attractive either.

Lin Xiaoya glanced at Li Qiwen and frowned. His subservient demeanor and appearance as a mama’s boy made her question how such a man could be the head of the Li family. Her first impression of Li Qiwen was far from satisfactory, but remembering her promise to her father, Lin Xiaoya decided to tolerate the situation for the time being.