Chapter 37: Despicable Villain

Lin Chen reached out to take the pork, the corners of his mouth curving upward into a faint smile.

He said softly, "Well, the weight is just right, neither too much nor too little. Boss, it seems your business conscience has grown a bit."

With those words, he turned gracefully and walked away with steady steps. The face of the dried pork vendor instantly collapsed, transforming as swiftly and exaggeratedly as a face-changing performance in Sichuan opera.

Cold sweat slowly seeped out from his forehead like fine threads.

In Qinghe Town, who did not know that the blind man before him had once single-handedly slaughtered eight martial artists in the snow outside the city?

At first, the vendor had harbored wishful thinking, believing that Lin Chen was completely oblivious to his little trick of short-changing the weight.

It was not until this moment that he realized the other party had simply been magnanimous and chose not to haggle over it with him.

Lin Chen did not give the vendor's petty thoughts another passing thought.

He knew all too well that the path of cultivation was arduous, and ordinary people struggled just to make a living, let alone in the bitter depths of winter when the freezing weather made business bleak.

Just as Lin Chen reached the courtyard gate, he raised his eyes and saw Xiao Yaoyao holding a bamboo broom, sweeping away the accumulated snow on the ground.

Though dressed in coarse burlap, she could not conceal her innate noble temperament. She was like a bright pearl covered in dust, still emitting a soft and unique radiance.

Every sweep of the bamboo broom stirred up a flurry of crystalline snowflakes, a few of which drifted gently down to land upon her jade-white cheeks, lending her a cool and ethereal beauty.

A trace of frost clung to her long eyelashes, and a hint of anxiety flickered in her eyes as her movements grew slightly hurried.

"You've worked hard," Lin Chen said with a warm smile, his voice gentle.

Hearing this, Xiao Yaoyao paused slightly, as if she could not believe her ears, before turning her head around.

She broke into a radiant smile, and in that instant, the surrounding snow seemed to lose its luster. Only her smile remained dazzling and charming, like the warm spring sun melting away the winter chill.

"You're back," she said softly. Though her words lacked superfluous embellishment, this brief greeting was laden with quiet longing and deep concern.

"Mmm, I'm back," Lin Chen nodded slightly, then asked, "Where are Little Baoping and the others?"

"At Sister Li's place. I just finished sweeping the snow, let's head over together."

Xiao Yaoyao set the broom aside, put her hands behind her back, and unconsciously began to fidget with her fingers, a faint trace of awkwardness appearing on her face.

The longing she had harbored for Lin Chen in her heart now choked her throat; she wanted to pour it all out, yet did not know where to begin.

"Is there some joyous occasion at the Li family's house?" Lin Chen asked with a smile at the corner of his lips.

"Mmm, it seems it's Li Er's birthday," Xiao Yaoyao replied softly, her eyes flickering slightly.

"Since I've already bought the meat, we won't go. I'll cook, and we'll eat at home," Lin Chen said calmly with a neutral expression.

Lin Chen knew very well that the widow Li was raising a child and her life was not well-to-do; presumably, she could not afford to prepare a lavish feast for a birthday.

So he decided to cook a palatable meal for Xiao Yaoyao himself.

Upon hearing this, a flicker of light immediately appeared in Xiao Yaoyao's eyes, and she eagerly followed Lin Chen into the kitchen, wanting to help.

However, having grown up with servants attending to her every need since childhood, let alone cooking, she had never even needed to worry about dressing herself on ordinary days.

At this moment, watching Lin Chen skillfully prepare the ingredients, she stood aside, looking rather helpless and at a loss.

Seeing this former aristocratic young lady acting so clumsily in the kitchen,

Lin Chen shook his head helplessly and said, "Go rest on the side. Leave this to me."

Hearing these words, Xiao Yaoyao lowered her head, a trace of self-blame welling up on her face as she murmured, "Lin Chen, am I really that useless, unable to even handle such a trivial matter?"

"You truly should learn to do some things. You are no longer that pampered young lady of a noble family; learning more skills for the days ahead can only be a good thing."

Lin Chen offered no comfort, knowing full well that if Xiao Yaoyao could never let go of her past status, she would likely find it difficult to survive in this harsh world.

After all, she was merely an ordinary mortal, not a cultivator, and possessed no extraordinary abilities to protect herself.

"Alright! I will try my best to learn." Xiao Yaoyao raised her head and smiled brightly, a resolute determination shining in her eyes.

A moment later, simple yet fragrant dishes were served onto the table.

The steaming hot food released an enticing aroma, adding a thread of warmth to the humble dwelling, driving away the harsh winter cold and cheering the heart.

"Bang!" A loud crash abruptly shattered the peace and warmth.

The courtyard gate was violently smashed open from the outside by a powerful force, causing Xiao Yaoyao's delicate body to tremble in fright, her face draining of color.

Lin Chen and Xiao Yaoyao turned their heads in unison to look toward the courtyard gate.

At the same time, a sharp, sarcasm-laden voice rang out: "Hmph! You good-for-nothing, you actually still have the face to eat here! Come on, get back with me to face your punishment!"

Ye Ling'er wore a furious expression, glaring malevolently at Lin Chen and Xiao Yaoyao as they ate, her eyes looking as though she wanted to hack them to pieces.

Lin Chen frowned slightly, paying her no heed as he simply continued to eat his meal, while lowering his voice to tell Xiao Yaoyao, "Pay them no mind, keep eating."

"You good-for-nothing! You've certainly grown bolder. You drove the Junior Martial Brother to such a miserable state, yet now you can still sit here eating as if nothing happened," Wen Yun could no longer suppress the anger in his heart and shouted angrily.

Lin Chen acted as though he heard nothing, completely unresponsive to their scolding. Seeing this, the two felt as if their fists had struck cotton, leaving them with nowhere to vent their strength, and their anger burned all the hotter.

"Useless trash! You despicable and shameless villain! Harming the Senior Martial Sister wasn't enough, and now you even resort to malicious attacks against the Junior Martial Brother. How can your heart be so venomous!" Ye Ling'er's eyes turned red with fury, blazing with burning rage as she cursed through gritted teeth.

Seeing this, Xiao Yaoyao could finally hold back no longer. The two of them had not uttered a single kind word since stepping through the door, with every sentence mocking and demeaning Lin Chen.

Her face grew cold as she said flatly, "Two misses, you keep shouting 'good-for-nothing' at every turn—can you not speak properly?"

"Shut your mouth! You mere death-seeking ant, are you even fit to speak to me? Was I talking to you?" Ye Ling'er's gaze turned bone-chillingly cold, shooting toward Xiao Yaoyao like a sharp blade, as if she intended to kill her with a look.

"Get lost!" Lin Chen slammed down his chopsticks and spat out a single cold word.

Ye Ling'er erupted instantly like a powder keg that had been set ablaze. With bloodshot eyes and a ferocious expression, she raised the long whip in her hand and lashed it fiercely toward Lin Chen and Xiao Yaoyao.