Chapter 113: What's More Interesting Than Being the Protagonist's Dad? - The Rich Second-Generation Villain With No Morals

Chapter 113: What's More Interesting Than Being the Protagonist's Dad? Lan Gang had been busy the entire day. As he saw that most of the tourists had left, he decided it was time to head home for dinner. However, just as he prepared to drive back, he was stopped by Qi Lin. "Uncle Lan, thank you for your hard work today," Qi Lin said with a smile. Lan Gang, though tired, couldn't help but feel a bit proud of the young man in front of him. Despite being a police captain, for the sake of Qi Lin's little crayfish festival, he had acted as Qi Lin's personal bodyguard for the day. Although he voiced his frustration lightly, Lan Gang admired Qi Lin's ability to single-handedly create a festival that attracted over 200,000 visitors. He thought, "If this kid ends up with Yu Xi, I won’t have to worry about her future." "Who said I didn't want to thank Uncle Lan? Look what I've got here," Qi Lin said, holding out a uniquely prepared crayfish, different from the ones made in the large pots—it was his own culinary creation with garlic, stir-frying, and steaming. Lan Gang couldn't help but swallow as he looked at the boxed crayfish. He had spent the whole afternoon maintaining order with his subordinates. Others could enjoy the crayfish, but he couldn't. Watching everyone eat with hearty gusto, drinking beer and enjoying the music, he couldn't help but feel envious. "Future son-in-law hosts a food festival, and I'm here on duty. What kind of deal is that!" he thought to himself. "Come on, Uncle Lan, I haven't eaten since noon, I'll join you for dinner," Qi Lin chimed in with a laugh, pushing Lan Gang towards his official vehicle, and then taking the passenger seat himself. Seeing Qi Lin buckle up, Lan Gang was momentarily speechless. This kid didn't seem to consider himself an outsider at all, blatantly inviting himself to dinner. But Lan Gang couldn't deny that he liked him, especially when tempted by the crayfish. He cast Qi Lin a brief glare before starting the car. As they drove off, Qi Lin spotted some familiar faces in the square through the car window—Li Jiaming talking to Yan Yan, who looked ready to leave after the event. Seeing them, Qi Lin was momentarily stunned but then chuckled inwardly. "No wonder the system wanted me to save a stranger—it turns out Yan Yan is Li Jiaming's mother. Not bad at all. Initially, I felt a bit hesitant to involve someone nice like Yan Yan in any trouble." "But now, I don't have to feel guilty." "Nothing's more interesting than being the protagonist's dad!" "Why are you bringing this kid home again?" Zhou Lina's voice rang out from the kitchen as Lan Gang and Qi Lin entered the house, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the cheerful Qi Lin. Lan Gang pointed at the crayfish in Qi Lin's hands and retorted, "See, he brought something. We're not taking advantage, so don't give him a hard time." "Listen, kid, behave while you're here. If I catch you bullying Yu Xi, I'll throw you out," Zhou Lina glared at Qi Lin before turning back to continue her cooking. "Is that Qi Lin?" came Lan Yu Xi's voice. She had been watching TV but immediately tossed the remote aside and excitedly leapt over to Qi Lin. "You're finally willing to show your face?" Yu Xi exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck like an octopus. Qi Lin chuckled and lifted her by her legs to keep her from slipping down. "See, Aunt, it wasn't my fault—she came to me," Qi Lin said, feigning innocence with a grin. "Lan Yu Xi! Where's your modesty as a young lady? Get down from there, will you!" Zhou Lina’s voice thundered through the room. Lan Yu Xi simply stuck out her tongue before hopping off Qi Lin, then retrieved a pair of slippers for him, assisting him like a caring wife or mother. Witnessing all this, Lan Gang bit his lip. Damn that Qi Lin—for decades, even he, the old man, hadn’t experienced such treatment. Upon entering, Qi Lin spotted a bag of plain sweet potato chips near the couch and casually sat down beside it, with Lan Yu Xi joining him shortly after. "Qi Lin, would you like an apple? I can peel one for you," she offered, smiling sweetly. She felt a tinge of awkwardness, given she had gotten him drunk yesterday, only for him to sneak away later. She feared he'd be upset when he woke, so she tried her best to appease him now. Qi Lin looked at her, puzzled. He clearly remembered taking her innocence yesterday, yet here she was, jumping for joy as if nothing happened. Did she feel no pain? "I don't want an apple," he replied. "But Yu Xi, I must ask, how can you be so lively today after what happened yesterday?" "Did your mother give you some kind of traditional remedy?" Lan Yu Xi's face froze for a second before laughing out loud. "What are you talking about, Qi Lin? Did you think something happened?" She whispered in his ear, "I should have told you, I'm immune to alcohol. Yesterday, you were the drunk one, flailing like a fool. I couldn't let you stay, so I had Xueyao escort you home." Qi Lin was speechless—her few words revealed so much. It explained why he'd become so terribly drunk after downing just a few drinks with her. She'd grinned knowingly the whole time. Of course, losing a drinking contest to a woman was mortifying for any man. But more concerning was if he hadn’t taken Lan Yu Xi’s innocence… then whose imprint was left on the sofa?! "Wait," he said, concern creeping in. "Did you have Xueyao come to pick me up? But what about you, where did you go?" Lan Yu Xi looked at him, as if it was obvious. "I went home, of course." Sensing her awkwardness, she gripped Qi Lin’s arm, speaking shyly. "Qi Lin, I know it was all my fault yesterday. I'm sorry. But I promise—give me a few more days to prepare and I'll become your devoted wife, okay?" Her blush deepened as she lowered her head. "Wait a minute, hold that thought," Qi Lin replied before dismissing her scenario with a quick gesture, needing some time to mentally process his mistake with Lan Yu Xi. "If I kept calling out her name while Xueyao was present, who knows how deeply it hurt her?" “No wonder her diary entry today simply read, ‘I, what should I do?’ Her innocence was lost without her realizing,” he thought, now worried he hadn’t even phoned Qi Xueyao yet. Shaking off these musings, he swiftly dialed his mother, Fang Yuanyuan, assuming she had returned home after seeing off Wang Si Ling. When the call connected, Qi Lin asked, "Mom, is Xueyao at home?" "Yes, she’s here watching TV. Though she seems a bit out of it, like she's in a daze," his mother chuckled. Knowing Qi Xueyao was safe settled his immediate concerns. Qi Lin didn't feel the need to rush back home. He reached for the red sweet potato chips beside the sofa, turning to Lan Yu Xi with a hint of curiosity. "I'm feeling a bit hungry; mind if I snack on these sweet potato chips?" he asked. Lan Yu Xi nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, these were a gift from my dad’s friends this morning. If you like them, take some home." Seeing Lan Yu Xi's genuine warmth lightened Qi Lin's mood as he rummaged through the bag. A notification pinged, startling him: "Ding! The system detected a crisis for Lan Yu Xi's father. Someone hid valuable postage stamps within the chip bag. Make a choice." He reviewed the options: Option 1: Ignore it, put the chips back. Reward: One-day Good Luck Card. Option 2: Take the stamps, discreetly help Lan Yu Xi's father, and remain anonymous. Reward: 10,000 yuan. Option 3: Take the stamps, assist Lan Yu Xi's father, and reveal the truth to Lan Gang, earning the family's gratitude. Reward: Chen Shu Yi's diary. Despite the unexpected nature of the system’s task, Qi Lin quickly smiled, sensing this was part of the thrill he enjoyed. "I choose option three." Moreover, now that Lan Yu Xi had opened her heart to him, she was his woman. He was determined to help her whenever needed. As for Chen Shu Yi's diary, Qi Lin had already made up his mind to choose the third option. Unlike Wang Cheng, Li Jiaming came from a family of billionaires. Having useful insights from Chen Shu Yi's diary would make dealing with such a wealthy second-generation heir much simpler. "Ding! Congratulations to the host for making a successful selection. The reward: Chen Shu Yi's diary has been delivered to the host. Please check your inventory." Qi Lin realized he couldn't read Chen Shu Yi's diary just yet since it seemed a visit from the disciplinary department was imminent. Reaching into the hidden compartment of the chip bag, he swiftly concealed the postage stamps in his system's space. Given their secure storage, not even a full-blown investigation would uncover this hidden item, even if Lan Yu Xi's house was thoroughly searched. "Knock, knock, knock." Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Just as the meal was ready to be served and Lan Gang was about to dig in, a knock came at the door. "Who could it be at this hour, disrupting our meal?" Lan Yu Xi pouted as she went to answer the door. "Hello, we're from the Jianghan Disciplinary Inspection Department. We've received a report alleging that Police Captain Lan Gang has accepted bribes. We are here to search his residence," said an official, presenting a search warrant. Lan Yu Xi was stunned, and Lan Gang and Zhou Lina exchanged worried glances. With a search warrant in hand, there was little they could do to stop the officials. Concerned, Lan Gang asked his daughter seriously, "Yu Xi, did anyone visit our house today while your mother and I were at work?" Lan Yu Xi quickly nodded, "A middle-aged man came by. He said he was your friend and that you had helped him before." Lan Gang's heart sank upon hearing this. "Did he leave anything behind?" Realizing the gravity of the situation, Lan Yu Xi pointed with a troubled expression to the bag of sweet potato chips Qi Lin had been eating from and said, "That bag of chips was from that uncle." Lan Gang felt a wave of despair. This was the most detestable form of entrapment. To exploit the innocence of Lan Yu Xi as leverage! He didn't blame his daughter. In the political arena, the line between life and death could be decided in an instant. How could someone as naive and inexperienced as Lan Yu Xi ever anticipate such a scheme? Now, all he could do was hope that they wouldn't find the chips. Yet, given the methodical approach of the investigators, it was unlikely they would leave empty-handed. The inspectors took the bag from Qi Lin, tearing it open. At that moment, Lan Gang even closed his eyes in resignation. From his experience, he imagined the contents were bound to be valuable artworks or stacks of cash. Two minutes passed. "Hmm?" The inspectors exchanged puzzled looks. They had thoroughly searched the bag of chips and found nothing of interest. "Please cooperate with our further search. We need to search you now," one of the inspectors sternly stated. "Could a lady please search me? I'm not comfortable being touched by men," Qi Lin replied languidly, sparking an awkward silence among the inspectors. After half an hour, the house was in disarray. Even after searching everyone, including Qi Lin in appropriate gender pairs, nothing suspicious was uncovered. Lan Gang saw this and chuckled. "Well, looks like someone wanted to put on a show by searching my house. What did you find?" "Tell your superiors that I'll visit the department tomorrow to discuss this overreach. I want to see on what grounds a loyal public servant like me is accused without rhyme or reason." Lan Gang was well aware of his standing. The opposition's evidence had failed them, rendering their attack ineffective. Now it was time for him to strike back. Feeling outwitted, the inspectors could only offer apologies and left, heads bowed in defeat. Everyone, including Lan Gang, Lan Yu Xi, and Zhou Lina, exhaled in relief. They rushed to the coffee table, investigating the remains of the torn bag of chips. "Really, inspectors searched the house for a bag of chips?" Zhou Lina whispered to Lan Gang, confusion mingling with indignation. "Were you looking for this?" Qi Lin's lazy voice interjected. Everyone turned to find him holding the coveted page of valuable postage stamps. The couple was stunned, as was Zhou Lina. Lan Gang laughed, realizing, "No wonder those inspectors didn't find anything—you sneaky little rascal had taken it." They gathered at the dining table, a sense of gratitude warming the room.