Chapter 21: The Pre-Battle Council

Zhao Qianlu stared in shock, her mouth agape, only regaining her senses when she heard that familiar voice. “Lin... Lin Zhiwei?”

“That’s me—WeChat name ‘Cute Little Emerald Blossom,’” Lin Zhiwei replied with a roll of her eyes. Oh, come on...

“Say a few more words. Let me hear you,” Zhao Qianlu was still somewhat dazed, but she glanced at her newly done nails, put down her coffee cup, sat upright, and asked earnestly.

Lin Zhiwei shook her head helplessly and spoke slowly, “That day, when I left the arena, you slapped me, accusing me of seducing your fiancé. I said I could prove my innocence, then that very night, I told you to drag Qi Heng to Fushi Tower, and afterwards, we slapped Xue Yuanyuan’s face on the terrace.”

“That’s right... Fine, I believe you,” Zhao Qianlu nodded mechanically.

Lin Zhiwei sighed. “I had to disguise myself for special reasons. There are secrets I can’t divulge, so the fewer people who know, the better. But I’ve run out of disguise supplies, so I’m forced to show my real face now. That’s all.”

“You think I’m a fool? Who do you think you’re fooling?” Zhao Qianlu shot her a look, clearly unconvinced as she took a sip of coffee, her expression demanding the truth.

Seeing she couldn’t bluff her way through, Lin Zhiwei rolled her eyes and continued, “This was all arranged by Lin Qiongjiu. Want to keep asking?”

“Oh, no, no, I don’t want to know,” Zhao Qianlu waved her hands, her tone stern. “I’m not stupid. It’s best to ask as little as possible about the Lord’s affairs.”

She then sized Lin Zhiwei up and down and whispered, “Lin Zhiwei, you really do have a beautiful face. No wonder the Lord wanted to keep you hidden at first.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? Do you have any idea what kind of life I’ve been living all these years?”

“With a face like that, of course you’d be everyone’s target. Can’t you be grateful? You should appreciate the Lord’s good intentions,” Zhao Qianlu rolled her eyes dramatically, as if to say Lin Zhiwei was being ungrateful.

“I...” Lin Zhiwei was, for once, at a loss for words. She understood Lin Qiongjiu’s intentions, but she’d been forced into this position with no knowledge or choice in the matter. This was never what she wanted... She just wanted an easy life...

“I’m a die-hard fan of the Lord. Nothing you say will change that,” Zhao Qianlu tossed her freshly curled hair and lifted her chin proudly.

“Oh, come on, Zhao Beautiful, I was just trying to help you, and you’re picking the wrong side?” Lin Zhiwei put on a look of mock sorrow.

“Who in the Nameless Domain could possibly outshine the Lord’s looks? If I’m not his fan, whose fan would I be? If he weren’t already married, I would have long ago...”

“Alright, alright... Go home with your starry eyes. He’s just a married middle-aged man now—what’s left to be so enamored with?” Lin Zhiwei scoffed.

“You don’t understand...” Zhao Qianlu was lost in her girlish daydreams.

“I think Ling Ziheng is better looking anyway...” Lin Zhiwei muttered under her breath.

Zhao Qianlu snapped back to reality. “Ling Ziheng?”

“Have you met him?”

“Ling Ziheng from the Ling family?” Zhao Qianlu repeated, her eyes flickering as she thought for a moment before shaking her head. “I’ve always heard of him. He’s mostly in Huaguo, rarely returns to the Nameless Domain. You’ve met him?”

Lin Zhiwei smirked. “I have. Anyway, everyone will see him at the arbitration meeting the day after tomorrow. You can compare him to your heartthrob then. For now, let’s discuss strategy before the battle.”

The moment Zhao Qianlu heard “strategy before the battle,” she straightened up, her expression deadly serious. This was about exposing that manipulative green tea girl and getting back at the woman who stole her ex-boyfriend—top priority.

Seeing her friend’s sudden focus, Lin Zhiwei nodded with satisfaction. “Xue Yuanyuan isn’t an easy opponent. She’s gathered plenty of dirt on you, me, and even Shen Qian to retaliate against us.”

Zhao Qianlu blinked in confusion. “You and me, I get. But why go after Shen Qian as well? Isn’t that a bit much?”

“It’s probably because her new sugar daddy is the eldest son of the Zhou family. The Zhou and Shen families have feuded for years. Back in the day, Zhou Yiran and Shen Qian both applied to the art program, but Master Zec chose Shen Qian as his final disciple, not Zhou. Plus, they’re both in the art world, so the two families have always been rivals,” Lin Zhiwei analyzed.

“I get it now. So she’s trying to help the Zhou family suppress the Shen family. If she pulls it off, the Zhous might just accept her as one of their own.”

“Exactly. That’s her motive.”

“Then shouldn’t we go find Shen Qian right now?” Zhao Qianlu was ready to grab her bag and leave.

“No rush. I already showed Shen Qian some things at noon. I’m sure he’ll know what to do at the arbitration meeting,” Lin Zhiwei replied calmly.

Zhao Qianlu nodded, settling back in her seat. As expected from Lin Zhiwei—always one step ahead.

“With what you have, plus the material I’ve just gathered, it’s more than enough. Today, I actually wanted to talk about Qi Heng. The Zhao and Qi families have always intended to form a marriage alliance. If you bring this up yourself, it could seem too aggressive, maybe even evasive, which might make the Qi family question your motives,” Lin Zhiwei explained with gravity.

Zhao Qianlu nodded in agreement. “You’re right. All I have are those chat logs between Qi Heng and that woman. There’s no solid proof. If I confront them now, the Qi family... they really might get suspicious.”

“Fortunately, it’s not a big problem. I have some new evidence here. Take a look,” Lin Zhiwei said, handing her the phone with a knowing glance.

Puzzled, Zhao Qianlu took the phone, and the moment she saw the screen, her cheeks flushed red. She lowered her voice. “Lin Zhiwei, where did you get this... this...”

Lin Zhiwei remained unfazed. “Oh, it’s nothing. That day, just bring your parents along. Drop a subtle hint about Qi Heng, act generous and understanding, and once the photos come out, the matter will resolve itself. Then, play the magnanimous card—say you don’t mind, that what happened is between you and Qi Heng and has nothing to do with the two elders of the Qi family. Offer to be their honorary daughter, and maintain the bond between the families.”

She took back her phone and gave Zhao Qianlu a knowing wink.

Still reeling from the shock of the photos, Zhao Qianlu simply nodded, inwardly cursing Xue Yuanyuan.

“Zhao Beautiful, you seem pretty innocent. I guess you and Qi Heng never got anywhere all these years, did you?” Lin Zhiwei couldn’t help but tease.

“Lin Zhiwei, you little pervert...” Zhao Qianlu’s face turned as red as a boiled tomato.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop. The day after tomorrow, everything will be clear. I’m off—time to go home, eat, drink, and enjoy myself. See you,” Lin Zhiwei yawned and stood up to leave.

Zhao Qianlu was left fuming, wanting to retort but unable to find the words. Watching Lin Zhiwei’s departing figure, she couldn’t help but marvel—this was Lin Zhiwei, the incomparable Lin Zhiwei.

Suddenly, she felt quite fortunate to have met her by chance and now to be counted as her ally. She had many girlfriends, but none made her feel as at ease, as free to talk, as Lin Zhiwei did.

Lin Zhiwei, she mused with interest, what kind of man could ever conquer you one day?