C62

"Lin Yin, don't you dare act out of line. I am Miss Wang of the Wang Family. If you disrespect me, I swear I'll have you thrown into the Qingyun River tomorrow!"

Wang Hongling spat out the words with venom, attempting to intimidate, yet her voice came out meek and lacked conviction.

But Lin Yin seemed to ignore her words entirely, as he had already approached her.

Wang Hongling quickly lowered her head and averted her gaze, unable to meet Lin Yin's eyes.

Lin Yin extended his slender middle finger, gently lifting Wang Hongling's chin.

"I just want to make it clear to you that you have no power over me," Lin Yin stated, his tone even.

Wang Hongling's face flushed a deep red, the dominance of Lin Yin's gesture and his words were overwhelmingly aggressive. He was utterly out of line.

Her cheeks ballooned with indignation as she glared at Lin Yin, her anger making her teeth itch. When had anyone ever dared to be so brazen with Miss Wang of the Wang Family?

Forget being touched; if any man had dared to point at her in such a manner, he would have paid dearly for it!

Lin Yin observed Wang Hongling's transformation from a cold, peerless beauty to this furious figure. Her expression was tinged with anger, yet also filled with hurt and fear, reminiscent of a student defiantly receiving a reprimand from a teacher.

This reaction suited her youthful appearance and her age.

"I had assumed you were some formidable lady. It turns out, you're just a young girl after all," Lin Yin said with a chuckle before turning to walk away.

Wang Hongling's cheeks burned even hotter at Lin Yin's parting words.

How utterly humiliating!

"You think you can take liberties with me? And then belittle me?" Wang Hongling stood up, her voice booming with indignation, "Lin Yin, don't you walk away! Stop and explain yourself this instant!"

But Lin Yin had already descended the stairs and vanished from sight.

Wang Hongling returned to her seat, her expression fluctuating as she pondered.

She touched her chin thoughtfully, contemplating the recent encounter.

"How dare he treat me that way?" Wang Hongling muttered resentfully, yet the memory of Lin Yin's condescending touch brought a fresh blush to her cheeks.

"Absolutely intolerable, completely outrageous!" Wang Hongling swung her small fists through the air, her teeth clenched in fury, utterly indignant.

It should be noted that she had never been touched by a boy, let alone on her face!

From her earliest memories, she had always been of noble status, esteemed and exalted. Wherever she went, people would queue up to fawn over her. In Qingyun City, she was treated like a royal princess everywhere she went! And with the doting affection from her father and the Old Master, she had never endured the slightest hardship or insult!

"Doesn't he fear me? Isn't he afraid of the Wang Family?" Wang Hongling pouted, baffled as to why Lin Yin would dare to be so bold with her, even daring to touch her...

Wang Hongling's emotions were a whirlwind of anger and embarrassment, her face a canvas of changing expressions as she sat there, minutes ticking by.

"Miss Wang, are you alright?" No.6 and No.7 came to their senses, their expressions filled with shock as they quickly stood and bowed to Wang Hongling.

"Miss Wang, has Lin Yin escaped? He didn't behave inappropriately towards you, did he?" Hu Mingren also came around, his face etched with concern.

"Don't bring him up; just thinking about him infuriates me!" Wang Hongling huffed coldly.

"Miss Wang, it's my fault, I failed to protect you completely. Please, punish me!" No.6 and No.7 said, their voices tinged with shame.

Shame was written all over their faces as they hung their heads low. As Miss Wang's personal guards, they had failed right in front of her and couldn't bear to meet her gaze.

"Let it go. You're not to blame; he was simply better," Wang Hongling sighed, her mind racing with confusion. No.6 and No.7 were among the most feared in the assassin world, yet they were easily subdued by Lin Yin. What was the secret behind that man's power?

Hearing Wang Hongling's merciful words, No.6 and No.7's cheeks burned with humiliation. They were overwhelmed with remorse. Exchanging a glance, they knelt down.

"Miss Wang, our worthless lives were saved by you. Our failure this time has brought shame upon you, and we brothers are too disgraced to go on living," No.6 and No.7 said, biting down hard on their teeth, overcome with distress.

As seasoned professional assassins trained from a young age, they understood better than anyone the implications of an assassin's failure.

"Miss Wang, Lin Yin has been so brazen. Let's give him a lesson he won't forget. I'll handle this; I'll make sure he comes crawling back to kowtow and apologize to you," Hu Mingren proposed, his own anger toward Lin Yin palpable.

Wang Hongling remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together, teeth grinding, her gaze fixed ahead with intense fury.

"This guy deserves to die!"

Hu Mingren held his tongue, sensing that Miss Wang was truly enraged.

"Miss Wang, please give No.7 and me a chance to handle this. We'll meticulously plan it and take him out!" No.6 stated icily, his eyes resolute with lethal intent.

They were aware of Lin Yin's exceptional abilities and knew they were no match for him in a direct confrontation. However, if they brought out their trump cards and imported weapons from overseas, Lin Yin would not stand a chance, no matter how formidable his fighting skills were.

"Don't kill him!" Wang Hongling interjected sharply.

"But... Miss Wang, didn't you say he deserves to die?" No.6 and No.7 exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of her intentions.

"Miss Wang, what do you mean?" Hu Mingren inquired tentatively.

"Regardless, you are not to kill him. Don't lay a finger on him," Wang Hongling snapped, clearly agitated. After a moment's thought, she instructed, "No.6, No.7, I want you to find out where Lin Yin works, where he lives, his dining and entertainment spots, and what he does on a daily basis."

"Don't worry, Miss Wang. This is right up our alley!" No.6 assured her earnestly.

"Fine, leave me now. And bring me a pot of black tea," Wang Hongling dismissed them with a wave of her hand.

Once they had left, Wang Hongling's expression fluctuated as she sipped several cups of tea.

"He's quite intriguing, utterly unlike anyone I've encountered before," she mused, twirling the empty teacup, lost in thought as the image of that man surfaced in her mind once more.

To Wang Hongling, the people she had previously met were always obsequious, either out of insincerity or fear—utterly dull. Lin Yin was the first to break that mold.

Lin Yin left the Red Resort Teahouse and hailed a taxi back to Water Garden. When he arrived at his front door, he pulled out his keys and let himself in. The lights were on, and his parents sat on the sofa with stern expressions, resembling judges poised to deliver a verdict. Zhang Qimo was seated nearby, watching television with a look of resignation.

"Well, well! Lin Yin, you've got some nerve coming home!" Lu Yahui was visibly furious as she stood up to confront him. "I thought you'd gotten yourself into such trouble that you'd skipped town!"

"I won't start with the trouble you've caused. First things first, why are you coming home so late? What have you been up to out there?" Lu Yahui demanded.

"I..." Lin Yin began to respond.

"Hold on! Why do I smell women's perfume on you?" Lu Yahui eyed Lin Yin with suspicion, moving closer to take a whiff.

"Unbelievable! You really are something else!" Lu Yahui's anger turned to a bitter laugh. She turned to Zhang Qimo, "Qimo, stop watching TV and come here. Daughter, if I recall correctly, you don't use rose-scented perfume, do you?"