The Demon Lord leaned against the wall, speaking calmly, "It's just a plan. Whether you marry him depends on Miss Jin's choice."
So he wanted to marry her?
Jian Lin's anger flared again. She reached out and pinched the Demon Lord's arm, saying fiercely, "You dare!"
The Demon Lord looked at her with a half-smile, "Why wouldn't I dare?"
Jian Lin had initially planned to spend some more time being intimate with the Demon Lord, with kisses and hugs, which would be beneficial for increasing his affection points. She hadn't expected discussions about marriage to come so soon, which was rather disappointing.
"Because you kissed me, you have to take responsibility for me," Jian Lin placed a heavy accusation on the Demon Lord. "If you marry someone else, you'll be a heartless scoundrel, a dead渣男 (zhā nán)!"
"So you still care about these things," the Demon Lord slowly lowered his head, leaning closer, his dark eyes seeming to drown people. "You were so forward before, I thought you didn't care."
Jian Lin's cheeks flushed, her eyes darting away, not daring to meet the Demon Lord's gaze. "I was forward only to marry you. I told you long ago I wanted to be your wife, why didn't you take my words seriously?"
"Because I can tell you don't like me," the Demon Lord reached out and pressed Jian Lin's forehead, messing up her bangs. "Stop fooling around. I have my own arrangements for the Jin family's matter, don't interfere."
With that, he stood up straight and walked away, giving Jian Lin no chance to speak.
Jian Lin couldn't stop him, her mind filled with the Demon Lord's words: he could tell she didn't like him.
A smart dog man was so difficult to handle. His meager affection points only counted as goodwill and were of no use.
Jian Lin couldn't help but wonder if he truly wanted her to fall in love with him before he would reciprocate, but she hadn't forgotten her mission. Only by betraying the Demon Lord could she completely fulfill her task and ascend to godhood.
If she truly fell in love with him, would she be able to bear it when the time came?
Jian Lin looked dejected, unsure how this matter would ultimately be resolved.
She walked out of the garden a step behind, and a woman in yellow met her. Jian Lin recognized her as the head maid of Miss Jin.
The head maid was clearly heading towards Jian Lin. She stopped in front of her, curtsied, and said softly, "Miss Lin, the Sect Master is hosting a banquet in the front hall. Our young lady invites you to the back hall for a private chat."
Jian Lin understood. The Jin Sect Master was hosting guests, so the Demon Lord would surely be in the front hall. As ladies, she and Miss Jin would dine in the back hall.
She had no objections to this and followed the head maid, entering through a side door and heading directly to the back hall.
Upon entering, she heard noisy voices. The front hall was bustling with activity, while the back hall was quiet, with only Miss Jin sitting alone at a round table.
Jian Lin sat opposite her. A table full of delicious dishes was laid out, but she had no appetite.
Miss Jin was also the same, drinking continuously. After finishing three cups, she finally looked up and spoke to Jian Lin, "Actually, you two aren't siblings, are you?"
Jian Lin paused, then nodded. She assumed Miss Jin already had her suspicions and there was no need to deny it.
Miss Jin drank another cup and gave a self-mocking laugh, "I can guess your relationship. Childhood sweethearts, cultivating together since young, supporting each other to reach this day. It's a pity... he's going to marry me."
Jian Lin felt extremely dejected upon hearing this. Although Miss Jin hadn't guessed correctly, the implication was clear.
She picked up the wine pot, poured herself a cup, and raised it to toast Miss Jin. "It doesn't matter. He can marry whomever he wants. I can't control him. Miss Jin, you go for it."
Miss Jin's eyes were filled with sorrow. She seemed to have drunk too much and spoke without many reservations, suddenly saying hatefully, "It's a pity I'm not a man. In the end, I'm just jumping from one fire pit into another!"
She cursed with hatred and slammed the wine cup to the ground, shards scattering like hidden weapons.
Jian Lin instinctively raised her foot, startled. Miss Jin had been suffering abuse lately, and Jian Lin had almost forgotten her fiery temper.
She was an arrogant and overbearing young lady, and the Demon Lord would have his troubles with her in the future. Fine, at this point, she wished him happiness.
Tomorrow afternoon was the day for the bi-weekly boat departure. Jian Lin finished her drink and decided to leave first.
She couldn't control the Demon Lord's impending marriage; she could only manage herself, investigate the truth at Guanlan Sect, and cultivate her Golden Core as soon as possible.
The lively banquet continued until the afternoon. Jian Lin had been leaning by the door waiting for someone. The Demon Lord appeared, smelling of alcohol, but his expression was clear and calm, showing no signs of drunkenness.
"I overheard your conversation," Jian Lin said with a cold face. "Oh, I shouldn't say overheard. After all, your voices were so loud, it was hard not to hear."
"It's better that you know," the Demon Lord said indifferently. "It saves me from repeating myself. Miss Jin has no objections, so this matter is basically settled."
Jian Lin looked up and stared at the Demon Lord for a moment. He always had that inscrutable expression and a somewhat detached appearance.
She had many things she wanted to ask, but in the end, they all turned into one sentence: "Congratulations on your wedding. I'll take my leave. I'm departing for Guanlan Sect tomorrow. Lord Chongyuan, farewell."
With that, she strode away, leaving the Demon Lord with a dashing silhouette. She rushed out of Jinlin Mansion and only stopped when she reached the bustling street.
She couldn't help but look back. The street was crowded and lively, but there was no sign of the Demon Lord.
He hadn't followed her out.
Jian Lin breathed a sigh of relief, but a pang of sadness also welled up. This was the outcome she wanted, yet it wasn't.
She truly regretted it. If she had known, she shouldn't have gone to join the fun. She hadn't had any conflict with Miss Jin, and none of this would have happened.
Jian Lin found an inn. Unfortunately, she didn't sleep all night and the next day, with large dark circles under her eyes, she set off for the boat, eager to leave this sorrowful place as soon as possible.
Walking alone on the road, Jian Lin still felt a little unaccustomed. Since arriving in this world, she had basically been inseparable from the Demon Lord. Habits were truly terrifying; it was better to break them sooner.
Thinking about various things along the way, she soon reached the pier. The boat was moored on the water. After leaving Daliang City, it would use spiritual energy to set sail and fly.
Jian Lin followed the crowd, paid for a ticket with spirit stones, and entered the cabin, finding a corner seat. She leaned her side against the window sill, gazing at the calm water outside, lost in thought.
The sky was clear, the lake was azure, and the scenery was beautiful. Jian Lin had no mind to appreciate it, her head filled with the Demon Lord. She couldn't understand why things had developed this way, where exactly things had gone wrong.
Clearly, their interactions had been sweet recently, developing in a positive direction.
Now it seemed only she had taken it seriously. In that dog man's eyes, she hadn't been treated as important at all.
She had truly lost, lost completely.
A melodious bell sound came from outside. Jian Lin knew it was the signal for departure. She sighed and closed her eyes, preparing to rest.
As she drifted into sleep, she heard many noisy sounds. Those sounds were both near and far, and she floated in this unfamiliar world.
Suddenly, she seemed to smell a familiar scent, a mixture of wood, leather, and mint. That scent was like a kite string, and she grasped it, pulling her out of the drifting world.
Jian Lin opened her eyes. The boat was already sailing in mid-air. The setting sun cast golden light, bathing the entire boat in a golden glow.
She sat up straight and dazedly turned her head. She couldn't believe her eyes. Seeing a familiar profile, she thought she was dreaming.
Why was the Demon Lord sitting next to her? His handsome profile, illuminated by the beautiful sunset glow, was too dreamlike, too beautiful to be real.
Jian Lin slowly raised her hand, wanting to touch his profile to verify the reality of the moment. Just as her finger was about to touch him, the Demon Lord suddenly turned his head, his eyes sharp as a blade, reminding her that this was not a dream.
"You weren't... going to marry Miss Jin," Jian Lin murmured. "It's not easy for her. You can't fail her."
Even though Jian Lin felt so sad, she never resented Miss Jin. This wasn't something she could choose.
"It's Lin Yan who is marrying her, not me," the Demon Lord said softly.
Jian Lin froze, as if she hadn't understood his words. "What do you mean?"
"Lin Yan is a rogue cultivator without a sect. His cultivation is profound, making him very suitable to marry into the Jin family," the Demon Lord explained slowly. "Did you think that I, the dignified Demon Lord, would marry into the Jinlin Sect? What a joke."
Jian Lin jolted awake and quickly covered the Demon Lord's mouth, looking around vigilantly and saying anxiously, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Don't mention those two words, be careful of the forbidden curse."
The Demon Lord grasped her hand and easily pulled it away, saying indifferently, "Don't worry. The group next door has been talking about the Demon Lord for a long time. Seeing that they're fine, I dared to speak."
So that was it. Jian Lin relaxed and, a moment later, understood the meaning of the Demon Lord's words.
"You mean, you found someone else to replace you as Lin Yan?" Jian Lin asked.
"Yes. This was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I called people from the surrounding demon sects, and all the arrangements were completed this noon," the Demon Lord replied patiently.
"You..." Jian Lin's lips trembled. "You planned this from the beginning. Why didn't you tell me?"
What was all her sadness and distress for?
"This matter concerns the arrangements of the demon sects. Before it was accomplished, it was inconvenient for me to explain in detail," the Demon Lord replied calmly and rationally.
Jian Lin was both angry and wronged. He was truly professional and impartial. He wasn't wrong at all; it was all her fault!
Jian Lin turned her head, her eyes red, and took deep breaths, trying not to let tears fall.
"What's wrong?" the Demon Lord suddenly leaned over and asked, confused. "You're crying? Why are you crying?"
It was better not to ask. The moment he asked, Jian Lin's tears streamed down. She covered her face with her sleeve, and it quickly became soaked.
The Demon Lord was at a loss. He reached out and held Jian Lin's shoulders, slowly pulling her into his embrace, and said softly, "Cry if you want to."
Jian Lin leaned on the Demon Lord's shoulder and cried heartily.
She cried until she calmed down and began to regret her loss of composure and embarrassment.
"Lord Chongyuan, you must instruct your subordinates to treat Miss Jin well and not bully her," Jian Lin said with a thick nasal voice.
"Mm," the Demon Lord responded softly, then turned his head to look at Jian Lin and asked persistently, "I'm still very curious, why are you crying?"