Chapter 36: When the Maniac Meets the Yandere

The real world.

Lin Ran was drifting in a hazy, half-asleep state when, suddenly, he was jolted awake by the ringing of his phone. He picked it up and glanced at the screen—it was that wild girl, Xiang Wan.

"Hello..." Lin Ran’s voice was thick with sleep.

On the other end of the line, Xiang Wan was startled by his listless tone. "Brother, what’s wrong? Are you okay?"

"I’m... fine..." Lin Ran squeezed out the two words, eager to end the conversation as quickly as possible. "Why are you... calling?"

"Are you at home, brother?" Xiang Wan pressed.

"Yes..."

"Then hurry up and open the door! I’ve been knocking for ages!" Her voice spiked, tinged with a hint of grievance and urgency.

Lin Ran sighed in resignation and struggled to crawl out of bed. The afternoon sun streaming through the window was dazzling. He shuffled into his slippers, sauntered slowly across the small courtyard, and opened the creaky gate.

Standing at the entrance was an incredibly beautiful girl. While her looks might not have surpassed those of a celebrity, her figure was stunning; in any university, she would easily be dubbed the campus belle. She held several bulging bags, her face a mix of smugness and worry.

It was Xiang Wan, Lin Ran’s half-sister.

"Brother, you’ve lost weight. You must be exhausted, right?" Xiang Wan’s eyes were filled with pity. It was already noon, and her brother still hadn't slept enough—just how many "classes" had he been attending last night?

"But don't worry, brother!" She immediately raised the large bags, shaking them as if presenting a treasure. "Your sister has brought you some 'life-extending' goodies!"

Lin Ran looked closely, and three black lines instantly slid down his forehead. Ginseng, velvet antler, wolfberry, oysters... He had thought she was just joking on the phone, but he never expected she would actually go out and purchase such a pile of "hardcore" supplies!

"Xiang Wan!" Lin Ran couldn't help but cover his face, his voice laced with helplessness. "Are you sick in the head?"

Xiang Wan pouted. "I’m just worried you’ll work yourself into an illness! Health is the foundation of everything!"

In her heart, she was convinced that Lin Ran must be kept by some wealthy woman; otherwise, where would all that money come from? Thinking of this, she added earnestly, "Brother, you don't understand us women—especially women in their thirties, their needs are... well, that’s why Mom remarried my dad in the first place..."

"Shut up!" Lin Ran’s temples throbbed. She was getting more and more ridiculous!

Xiang Wan stuck out her pink tongue. "Fine, fine, I’ll stop. Let me in quickly; I’m going to brew some soup for you."

With that, she darted past him like a nimble rabbit, bags in tow, squeezing into his modest courtyard. Lin Ran watched her back and shook his head helplessly, though a trace of warmth brushed his heart. Even if the girl was a bit of a wild card, her rushing over like this was ultimately out of genuine concern. After all, when someone suddenly comes into a lot of money, only real family would be so worried, even if they expressed it in such a clumsy way.

Watching her bustle about in the kitchen, Lin Ran curled his lips. "Tell me, do you even know how to make soup? Don't waste those ingredients."

"Hey! Are you looking down on your sister?" Xiang Wan’s voice drifted through the window. "Just you wait and see!"

She worked deftly, dumping out the ginseng, velvet antler, oysters, and wolfberries. "I’m telling you, this is a secret recipe I learned from a health guru’s livestream for fifty bucks! By tonight, I guarantee you’ll be... vigorous as a dragon!"

Lin Ran closed his eyes, wishing he could plug his ears as well. Listen to that! Is that something a sister should say to her brother? It was like demonic chanting!

He walked over to the lounge chair in the courtyard, intending to catch up on his sleep. He lay down, but sleep wouldn't come. His thoughts drifted to another time and space.

*The headquarters... they should agree to that plan, right?*

The 107mm rocket launcher, an epoch-making weapon, had made its battlefield debut; it would be a shame not to stage a grand performance with it. Besides, he had brought back over four hundred "big yellow fish" gold bars from over there, along with several crates of antiques. Not to mention the antiques, the crate of gold bars alone was worth nearly a hundred million.

*It’s about time to start laying the groundwork in the Eagle faction’s territory,* Lin Ran mused.

Bringing over so much heavy firepower and automated weaponry was fierce, but the logistics had to keep up. While he could exchange merit points for ammunition and supplies, that would be too wasteful. It would be much easier if he could establish a few armories over there.

Finally, there were those two slips of paper he’d brought back, worth hundreds of millions.

*The old family estate... it’s time to take it back!*

Just as his thoughts were flying, the gate of the courtyard was knocked on again. Lin Ran rose to open it, already guessing who it might be. Outside, as expected, stood the delicate, sickly-sweet young heiress of the Shen family. Her exquisite face was clouded with obvious displeasure.

"Lin Ran!" The moment she saw him, Shen Zhiyao began to accuse him. "I sent you so many WeChat messages, why didn't you reply?!"

Those beautiful, large eyes glared at him with grievance. Lin Ran couldn't be bothered to explain; he curled his lip and turned back to the lounge chair. Shen Zhiyao pouted and stomped inside after him. Just as she was about to speak, the young lady caught sight of a beautiful girl in the kitchen.

"Lin Ran! You... you..." Shen Zhiyao’s voice rose sharply, like a Ragdoll cat that had just had its tail stepped on. "You actually... you actually brought someone home?"

She was so angry her chest heaved. "It’s one thing to mess around outside, but you actually... you brought her to our home!"

Lin Ran covered his face with his hand, his brain buzzing. There was a wild girl in the house, and now a sickly-sweet heiress had arrived—was there no peace to be had?

At that moment, Xiang Wan heard the commotion and poked her head out, curious. She immediately spotted the impossibly beautiful girl with an air of nobility, who was glaring at her with eyes that seemed to spit fire.

Xiang Wan was stunned and instinctively looked at Lin Ran. "Brother... who is she?"

"Brother?"

Shen Zhiyao caught the address immediately. Before Lin Ran could speak, she blurted out with an air of urgency and possessiveness, as if winning a race:

"I am his girlfriend! And who are you?" She lifted her chin slightly, her hands on her slender waist.

"Girlfriend?"

Xiang Wan looked at the life-weary Lin Ran, then at the elegantly dressed, high-status young lady before her. Her little brain whirred at top speed.

*Could it be... I was wrong before?*

*It wasn't some middle-aged wealthy woman keeping my brother, but this young, beautiful, and clearly high-born lady?!*

Thinking of this, Xiang Wan quickly plastered on a smile. "Sister-in-law! So you’re the sister-in-law!"

She hurried over, full of enthusiasm. "I’m Lin Ran’s sister, his biological one! I’ve heard him mention you all the time."

Huh?

"Sis... sister-in-law?"

The title left Shen Zhiyao completely dazed. And, Lin Ran... mentioned her all the time?