Chapter 48: Will You Stay with Me Tonight?

An Xueyao shook her head with a troubled expression. "I have no idea who it could be. Logically speaking, I shouldn't have any deep-seated grudges with anyone."

Lin Chen remarked, "That's not necessarily true. Some people might harbor hatred toward you in their hearts without you ever realizing it. Perhaps you feel you haven't offended anyone in your daily life, but with the Zenith Group having grown to its current scale, it's impossible for it to have no conflicts with others. You must remember that the business world is like a battlefield. Besides, you are the reigning queen of the film industry; there's no telling how many people are green with envy."

Zhao Hong nodded in deep agreement. "Mr. Lin is right. But the most troublesome part is that up until now, we haven't found a single trace of evidence, and we simply have no clue who wants to harm Xueyao."

Lin Chen thought for a moment and asked, "When did these targeted incidents against Miss An begin?"

Zhao Hong replied, "The first time was right at the company entrance, when a woman suddenly rushed over and threw sulfuric acid at Xueyao. The second time was right after you healed Xueyao's face, when she narrowly avoided a car accident. The third time is this sniper today. The sulfuric acid incident happened just one week ago."

Lin Chen said with a puzzled tone, "Then that's rather strange. If the sulfuric acid attack was also orchestrated by that mastermind, it means that initially, he only intended to disfigure Miss An, but from the second time onward, it escalated to taking Miss An's life. It seems that my healing Miss An's face actually infuriated that person instead. Where is the woman who threw the acid? I want to see her; I have a way to get the information I want out of her mouth."

Zhao Hong gave a wry smile. "That woman died of sudden death in prison."

"Died of sudden death?" Lin Chen was slightly stunned. "Then things are rather troublesome. It seems we can only take it one step at a time for now."

After a short while, Lin Chen received a call from Xu Gang, who said that nothing was found in the room Lin Chen had mentioned—not the slightest trace—and that the room was completely unoccupied.

Lin Chen hung up the phone, a look of solemnity crossing his face. The fact that the adversary could clean up all traces in such a short amount of time indicated a professional sniper.

Half an hour later, the car drove into a grand estate.

The estate bore a distinct European architectural style and covered an immense area. At its center stood a sprawling luxury villa, surrounded by meticulously manicured landscaping filled with lush flowers, plants, and trees. Lin Chen could sense that there were at least twenty people lying in wait within the shadows of the estate, every single one of them a martial arts expert. No wonder Zhao Hong had said earlier that with An Xueyao at home, his protection was entirely unnecessary.

Built of solid marble, the villa featured towering spires, rounded archways, large windows, and intricate carvings along the walls, making it look like a centuries-old European castle.

Living in such an estate, An Xueyao was undoubtedly no different from a true princess.

The Audi sedan stopped in front of the villa. Lin Chen got out of the car and said to An Xueyao, "Since you've arrived home safely, I'll be heading back."

"Ah? You're leaving just like this?"

An Xueyao clearly hadn't expected Lin Chen to leave so decisively, and she hurriedly blurted out, "Don't go. Will you stay and keep me company tonight?"

Zhao Hong, who had just stepped out of the vehicle, nearly tripped and fell to the ground upon hearing An Xueyao's words, staring at her in sheer astonishment.

Since when had this proud young lady ever been so enthusiastic toward a bodyguard, even going so far as to invite him to spend the night?

Lin Chen was also taken aback, thinking to himself whether he had just saved this young woman only for her to offer herself in return tonight.

Was she really this direct?

An Xueyao also realized that what she had just said sounded somewhat inappropriate, and her pretty face flushed crimson. "I... I meant for you to stay at my house tonight to protect me as well—just for protection, in completely different rooms! Don't go getting any wild ideas!"

Lin Chen muttered to himself, *As expected, such good fortune doesn't just fall into one's lap.*

Figuring that he still needed to perform acupuncture for Bai Lan tonight, Lin Chen refused, "We had an agreement that when you're at home, my protection isn't needed. Besides, it looks genuinely safe here. I'll head home instead; I still have matters to attend to."

"You... you jerk, if you don't want to, then forget it!"

An Xueyao felt deeply exasperated. This guy was utterly devoid of romance and charm! What did he mean by "we had an agreement"? Did everything always have to go strictly by the rules? Was accompanying such a great beauty really that much of a grievance for him?

In a fit of anger, she lashed out with a kick toward Lin Chen's shin, but Lin Chen sidestepped swiftly and dodged it with ease.

"Ouch, it hurts!"

Having missed her target, she winced and let out a cry of pain, pulling a tearful, grievance-stricken expression.

"Oh? Did you just twist your ankle?"

Lin Chen glanced at An Xueyao's slightly awkward ankle. Although he asked as if questioning, given his sharp discernment, he had already determined that she had indeed sprained it.

"None of your business!"

Having her kick dodged only added to An Xueyao's fury. This fellow truly lacked any semblance of romantic sentiment. Letting out a cold huff, she limped toward the villa with a wronged expression on her face.

Ever since she was a child, she had been treated like a princess. No matter the man, the moment she spoke a single word to them, they would always wear an expression of being overwhelmingly flattered.

Yet Lin Chen treated her as if she were just an ordinary woman, showing not a shred of tender affection. Her pride had taken a serious blow.

Lin Chen hadn't expected her reaction to be so extreme, and he stood there momentarily stunned.

At that moment, Zhao Hong said with a rather peculiar expression, "Mr. Lin, aren't you being a bit too dense? Xueyao is a girl after all. Couldn't you have just humored her a little?"

Internally, Zhao Hong was speechless. *Is this guy an idiot? Or perhaps he actually prefers men?*

Any other man, upon hearing An Xueyao's request for personal protection, would probably have rushed over from a thousand miles away with a grin stretching from ear to ear. Yet Lin Chen acted like an employee being exploited by a ruthless boss, looking thoroughly disgruntled.

Looking at An Xueyao's somewhat slender figure retreating into the distance, and recalling her panicked expression earlier, Lin Chen realized she had truly been frightened today, which was why she made such a request. After a brief hesitation, he ultimately decided to follow her.

Skipping Bai Lan's acupuncture session for a single night wouldn't cause any major issues; he could simply make up for it later.

Seeing Lin Chen follow after her, a flash of triumph crossed An Xueyao's eyes. She let out a soft huff and came to a halt.

When Lin Chen caught up to her, she proactively reached out a hand. Seeing him look at her with a puzzled expression, she scolded playfully, "Help me walk, you idiot! Don't you know my ankle is killing me right now? You jerk!"

Lin Chen instinctively wanted to retort with a "why should I?", but seeing the look of pain on her pretty face, he ultimately relented. "Fine, fine, you're the young lady of the house, I'll support you, alright? Lift your foot, let me help you inside to sit down, and a few rubs will have it right as rain."

With that, he stepped forward to support An Xueyao. Because her foot was in agonizing pain, she ended up leaning almost her entire weight against Lin Chen, enveloping him in waves of delicate fragrance.

His heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help casting a few extra glances at An Xueyao.

"You jerk, stop staring!"

An Xueyao's face blushed as brilliantly as evening clouds, and she let out a proud huff, though a trace of smug satisfaction bloomed in her heart.