85: Since we've chosen it, it must be fate.

Even Lan Dieyin was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected a playboy like Ling Xian to actually understand music.

"No, I must avenge my junior brother," Lan Dieyin reminded herself.

A secret contest began; both of them pretended as if nothing was wrong as they continued to play and sing.

Sound waves, like thousands of ants, bored into Ling Xian's ears.

Ling Xian frowned slightly and continued to play the piano.

The audience below had no idea what was happening, only vaguely sensing that this concert felt somewhat different.

This was due to Lan Dieyin's powerful control over sound waves.

Ling Xian ignored it, using Spiritual Power to shield himself while focusing on his playing.

However, Lan Dieyin still refused to give up.

Ling Xian's brow furrowed slightly as he released his Spiritual Power to suppress the fluctuations of the sound waves.

Boom!

A loud noise rang out.

Lan Dieyin's voice vanished for a second.

Immediately after, it rang out again.

No one thought much of it, simply assuming it was a microphone malfunction.

Only Lan Dieyin was afraid, no longer daring to make a move against Ling Xian.

The performance ended.

Ling Xian stepped off the stage to applause.

Lan Dieyin fled the scene as quickly as possible, not daring to linger for a moment before returning to her dressing room.

"This Ling Xian is terrifying!" Lan Dieyin muttered, her heart still pounding with fear.

"Dieyin, are you alright?" Sister Cai, Lan Dieyin's manager, rushed over immediately to express her concern.

"I'm fine, Sister Cai, I'm just a little tired," Lan Dieyin forced a smile to reassure her.

"Dieyin, then get some good rest. I'll cancel all your upcoming schedules," Sister Cai said distressedly.

With that, Sister Cai turned and left.

On the other side, Ling Xian looked at Feng Yixue and Wu Yueyue.

"You two head back first; I have something I need to take care of," Ling Xian said calmly.

Hearing this, the two women each pinched one side of his waist and glared at Ling Xian angrily.

"Hmph, you stinky man!" the two women snorted in unison.

But they didn't say much else.

They knew Ling Xian's personality well; if he said he had business, he probably really did.

After watching the two women leave, Ling Xian snuck into the dressing room.

Just then, he heard Lan Dieyin's complaints.

"That guy Ling Xian is a real pervert; I need to get out of here quickly," Lan Dieyin grumbled.

Ling Xian suddenly appeared behind her and spoke: "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Miss Blue, didn't you say that since you were chosen, it is fate?"

The voice was clearly ordinary, but to Lan Dieyin's ears, it was as piercing and uncomfortable as demonic music.

Lan Dieyin turned her head stiffly, looking at Ling Xian with a forced smile: "Ling Xian? How did you get in here? Believe it or not, I'll sue you for harassment!"

Lan Dieyin was terrified; she hated it when people intruded into her private space.

Ling Xian shrugged and said indifferently, "Miss Blue, go ahead and scream! Scream all you want. It'll be even better if it hits the trending searches; let's see if your reputation gets ruined then."

According to the plot provided by the system, he knew how much Lan Dieyin valued her reputation.

She cared deeply about whether she could continue her career in the entertainment industry.

Lan Dieyin gritted her teeth, glared at Ling Xian, and said, "Mr. Ling, what do you mean by this?"

"It's nothing. I just want to remind you that if you make a move against me, don't expect to walk away unscathed."

Ling Xian placed his right hand on Lan Dieyin's hair and stroked it gently.

Lan Dieyin's body trembled, her face showing an expression of shame and indignation.

"Ling Xian, surely you don't want the Ling Group's reputation to be damaged either?"

Ling Xian's eyes lit up as he sneered, "Oh, threatening me now? So what if the Ling Group's reputation is damaged? I don't care."

Lan Dieyin froze, her mind buzzing; she couldn't find a single weakness in Ling Xian.

"What about your two girlfriends? You wouldn't want them to know you're this kind of person, would you?"

Ling Xian laughed loudly: "If they knew about you, they might even be happy to join in."

Lan Dieyin could no longer endure it; at this moment, she felt like a puppet on strings, losing all control.

"Ling Xian, you're sick! Stop touching my head!" Tears flowed from the corners of Lan Dieyin's eyes.

As she spoke, Ling Xian lowered his right hand from her head and instead chose to caress her cheek... Lan Dieyin felt as if her entire being was being seen through.

Her emotions were brewing, but the thought that if she were discovered, tomorrow's headlines would be 'Lan Dieyin Molested' or 'Lan Dieyin is Tainted' stopped her.

Her youthful, collagen-rich face flushed red, and tears welled up in her beautiful eyes before bursting forth.

"Wuwuwu... Ling Xian, I'll hate you for the rest of my life. Please don't touch me, okay?" Lan Dieyin pleaded through her sobs.

In the Qingxin Sect, she had always been the little princess held in the palm of everyone's hand, getting whatever she wanted.

Her senior sisters all treated her like a child.

When had she ever suffered such a grievance?

This time, she had only listened to her junior brother's complaints and wanted to vent some frustration when she saw Ling Xian.

She never expected to fall into such a predicament.

"You really are cute!" Ling Xian pretended not to hear, mimicking a perverted tone as he nuzzled Lan Dieyin's neck.

Lan Dieyin was terrified; she wanted to move but couldn't.

The suppression of a Grandmaster over a Fourth-Stage was simply too powerful.

Tap, tap, tap~

A set of footsteps approached.

Her face turned pale. "Ling Xian, Ling Xian, I was wrong. I beg you, don't... don't do this. Sister Cai is coming."

"It's over if we're caught."

Sister Cai's footsteps were right outside; with a creak, she pushed open the door.

Lan Dieyin squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to open them.

"Dieyin, why are you standing here? Sit down and rest." Seeing Lan Dieyin standing still, Sister Cai thought she had fallen asleep on her feet.

"Huh? Sister Cai, I'm fine. I like standing." Lan Dieyin opened her eyes and slowly turned her head in confusion.

With that glance, she found that Ling Xian had already left. Her heart leaped with joy, and a look of delight appeared on her face.

"Who did you learn that from, sleeping while standing? I've already canceled all your upcoming schedules; take a good rest for a few days." Sister Cai's tone was gentle and concerned as she led Lan Dieyin to her room to sleep.

Entering the luxury suite specially prepared for her, Lan Dieyin closed her eyes, but her mind was filled with images of Ling Xian from moments ago.

"I can't sleep..." She felt that Ling Xian would become her nightmare.

Sister Cai smiled and said, "I'll stay and chat with you."

As she spoke, her eyes sharpened. Noticing the marks on Lan Dieyin's neck, she said seriously, "Dieyin, have you gotten a boyfriend?"

"Huh? No!" she denied in a panic.

Sensing Sister Cai's gaze, she covered her neck.

"It's best if you don't. You're a big star; if the paparazzi catch you, it'll be trouble," Sister Cai cautioned.

"I know, Sister Cai. You can rest assured!" Lan Dieyin promised.

But the thrill Ling Xian had just given her still lingered in her heart, impossible to shake off.

That feeling was very strange; it was her first time experiencing it.