The Beauty CEO's Personal Expert
Chapter 465 - 461: Ling Chen Falls into a Trap (Part 1)

Chapter 465: Chapter 461: Ling Chen Falls into a Trap (Part 1)

Looking at the woman in front of him, Ling Chen was very surprised. He had never expected to encounter the porridge girl here. After so many days on the ship, he had never seen the porridge girl appear, and here she was, hiding away by herself. Recalling the scene he had just witnessed, Ling Chen’s heart harbored an additional trace of confusion.

The porridge girl went to see that mysterious tea girl; did they know each other? Or could it be that the porridge girl was related to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?

In a flash, many questions surfaced in Ling Chen’s mind, and he couldn’t wait to hear the answers from the porridge girl’s own lips.

"Have a seat," said the porridge girl, pointing to a chair in the room and speaking indifferently.

Ling Chen asked, "When did you board the ship? Why didn’t you say anything to me?"

"Why should I tell you?" The porridge girl replied offhandedly, turning her back to him.

"As friends, why be so distant?" Ling Chen grinned. "Last time Yi Shuiyan came to East Sea City to trouble me, I was fortunate that you stepped in to help. I haven’t properly thanked you yet."

Upon hearing this, the porridge girl turned back to look at Ling Chen, her clear eyes shimmering lightly, showing gratification, admiration, and a hint of confusion.

"I’ve heard about your competition with Yi Shuiyan; congratulations to you."

Ling Chen smiled modestly, "It was pure luck."

"Your progress is significant after two months apart; how did you achieve this?" asked the porridge girl curiously, "As far as I know, no matter how exceptional one’s talent is, it’s impossible to make such a qualitative leap in such a short time. Especially with Inner Strength cultivation, which requires time to accumulate. It can’t be achieved overnight. But as of now, your strength has more than doubled compared to two months ago."

"This..." Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, looking bemused, "To be honest, I really don’t know. It felt like my Inner Strength just increased inexplicably, without any signs."

The porridge girl looked at Ling Chen skeptically and said, "Extend your hand."

Without suspicion, Ling Chen obediently placed his hand on the tea table. Seeing the porridge girl’s fair and delicate fingers resting on his pulse, a hint of surprise flashed in Ling Chen’s eyes.

"Do you know medicine?"

The porridge girl said nothing and ignored his question, her eyes softly closed, her fingertips gently dancing on his pulse. After a while, she withdrew her fingers and opened her eyes to tell Ling Chen, "Your inner breath is normal but not stable."

"What does that mean?"

"It means your foundation is weak. The reason your Inner Strength has improved so rapidly is that you’ve used external forces."

Ling Chen honestly admitted, "I’ve taken an ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill."

"An ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill wouldn’t have such an effect; you must have taken other medicinal pills as well. However, you’re lucky; both pills’ effects are neutral and mild, and they’ve integrated perfectly in your body without causing side effects. Instead, they’ve greatly enhanced your Inner Strength." The porridge girl paused before continuing, "Regardless, Inner Strength cultivation relies on a solid foundation. Without a solid foundation and reliance on external substances, it will be difficult for you to go far in the future. After the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, it would be beneficial for you to focus on cultivation for a while."

"I’ll keep that in mind."

Having said that, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "What’s your relationship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? And who’s the woman you went to see just now?"

The porridge girl frowned, displeased, and asked, "How do you know these things? Were you following me?"

Ling Chen quickly waved his hands, denying fervently, "Don’t get me wrong, I just happened to see."

"That’s my private affair; you don’t need to know." With that, the porridge girl stood up and spoke indifferently, "I need to rest now."

Although Ling Chen still had a bellyful of questions, once the porridge girl issued the eviction order, he felt it would be rude to continue hanging around.

"I’ll head back first then. You should know where I live, come find me when you’re free."

As the sound of the door closing reached her, the porridge girl slowly turned her head and reached up to remove the veil covering her face, revealing delicate features. A shade of slight concern appeared on her soft, pale cheeks.

"Master, what should I do with him?"

Her murmur, accompanied by a soft sigh, echoed in the room for a long time.

Back in his room, it was still early, not even ten o’clock yet. Thinking about tomorrow’s fight with Han Yu, Ling Chen’s brow immediately furrowed with concern. He remembered the words Song Ge said to him today; if it’s as Song Ge suggested, tomorrow’s martial arts competition would undoubtedly be a tough battle. A moment’s carelessness could mean life-threatening danger.

After much contemplation, Ling Chen sighed helplessly, climbed into bed to lie down, conserving energy and preparing for tomorrow’s fight.

The next day.

Before dawn, Ling Chen was already out of bed.

He couldn’t help it, the thought of today’s coming fight made it impossible for him to sleep.

Staying awake until sunrise, Ling Chen yawned and rubbed his grumbling stomach. Not waiting for Qiu Yong and the others, he went to the dining room alone and ordered a hearty breakfast.

As Ling Chen was wolfing down his meal, a barely perceptible gaze from not too far away caught his attention. He looked up to see a fair-faced woman sitting alone at a dining table across from him, eating breakfast nonchalantly.

Perhaps feeling Ling Chen’s gaze, the woman blinked her beautiful eyes and met his look for a moment before turning to look around.

At this time, since it was still early, there were few people eating in the restaurant. Besides the two of them, there were several strangers, all busily eating their meal in silence.

Seeing that no one noticed her, the woman picked up her plate and gracefully walked over to Ling Chen’s table, politely asking with a smile, "May I sit here?"

"Of course." Ling Chen grinned, gestured to the seat beside him, and said courteously, "Please, have a seat."

Xiao Wan.

The only woman on the Newcomer List.

Ling Chen had a profound impression of her. She took the initiative to greet him, and he wouldn’t refuse even out of politeness. Besides, he was keen on making acquaintance with these outstanding peers of his age.

The two of them chatted aimlessly about this and that, passing the time during their meal. Suddenly, Xiao Wan blurted out, "Did you receive my letter?"

A letter?

Ling Chen was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, looking at Xiao Wan with a surprised expression, "The letter was from you?"

He had received a letter yesterday warning him that someone was out to get him and to be extra cautious. He had always been puzzled about who sent the letter, never expecting it to be this woman in front of him.

No wonder Xiao Wan had seemed so cautious earlier; it was because of this reason.

With this thought, Ling Chen leaned closer to Xiao Wan and asked softly, "Who are you referring to?"

Xiao Wan glanced at the other guests dining around them and whispered, "Come to my room in five minutes, 403." With that, she picked up her plate and walked away on her own.