I'm a Villain! Why Are You Trying to Date Me? - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Shang Chan’s Secret Base! Lin Tian Was Shocked!

A flawless beauty leans in, whispers about taking you to her secret base, then gets even closer to say she has a gift for you.

Honestly? Lin Tian was shaken right now.

A faint, intoxicating fragrance lingered by his ear. Shang Chan’s delicate face was barely twenty centimeters away.

If the atmosphere weren’t so tense, Lin Tian might have just followed his instincts as a man and kissed her right then and there!

He shut his eyes, silently chanting a Clear Mind Mantra in his heart.

Hearing his inner thoughts, Shang Chan nearly burst out laughing…

This man… is unexpectedly interesting.

As the warmth of her breath finally pulled away, Lin Tian took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

In front of him, Shang Chan had already reverted to her usual cold and composed self, as if the teasing temptress from moments ago had never existed.

[Demoness… What is this woman even playing at? I’m just an insignificant nobody. What does she want from me?]

Is she going crazy?

Shang Chan lightly bit her lower lip.

From a young age, she had always followed the plans laid out by her father and the family, moving step by step according to their arrangements.

The effort she had put in was a story for another time, but in terms of her path, Shang Chan had never really made any decisions for herself.

Or rather, under the practices of a powerful family like the Zhao family, the moment Shang Chan showcased her business talent, it was already determined that she would become the representative of the Zhao family in the business world.

This is the way most families operate—ability matters, not gender.

There had been internal struggles, covert schemes, and all sorts of conflicts, but as long as Zhao Zhong was still alive, none of that would touch Shang Chan. She was the brightest business figure under the Zhao family banner.

In this context, a large portion of Shang Chan’s success had come from her own efforts, but a smaller part had undeniably been aided by the power of the Zhao family.

With gains come sacrifices. Shang Chan had achieved glory beyond what ordinary people could imagine, but she also had to shoulder the responsibilities of her family.

This was no longer a matter of freedom; born into the Zhao family, she naturally carried the burden of that identity.

At that moment, when Shang Chan heard Lin Tian’s thoughts on her “going crazy,” she suddenly felt that perhaps life really needed a little craziness!

In the past, whenever she heard middle-school boys saying, “If I don’t go crazy now, I’ll grow old,” she never understood the sentiment. But now, she truly felt the need to make some changes to her life, to break free from the routine. Some small aspects of her life, she thought, could really use a bit of madness.

With this thought in mind, Shang Chan smirked slightly, then turned and began walking away leisurely.

Still in a daze, Lin Tian heard her voice, light and filled with genuine joy, calling out to him, “Lin Tian, let’s go!”

Lin Tian shook his head, trying to push away the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and followed Shang Chan.

【Ah, this really won’t do… This enchantress can’t be stopped by anyone. If this goes on, Jiang Yifeng is going to cut me in half!】

Hearing the man’s thoughts behind her, Shang Chan couldn’t help but smile slightly, but there was a trace of coldness in her smile—aimed at Jiang Yifeng.

If her life had been smooth sailing up until now, then the moment she decided to “go crazy,” the river of her life had suddenly stirred with turbulent waves.

What Shang Chan didn’t yet realize was that, in that moment, she had already begun to see Lin Tian as her anchor.

……

As the legitimate daughter of the Zhao family, Shang Chan’s childhood home was naturally located in the heart of the family estate.

The two walked leisurely, and before long, they arrived in front of a small two-story building. The building had an antique charm to it, with two stone lions at the entrance carved into cute, whimsical shapes, clearly designed to make young Shang Chan feel less scared.

There were seven steps leading up to the building, and above them, a plaque bore the inscription “Ting Chan Xuan” in bold calligraphy.

“Ting Chan Xuan… Is it ‘Ting Qiu Chan’ (listening to autumn cicadas), or ‘Ting Shang Chan’ (listening to Shang Chan)?”

Lin Tian muttered to himself. Shang Chan, unable to hear clearly, leaned in a little closer, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Lin Tian, what did you say?”

Lin Tian’s lips twitched!

“President, can you please not get so close?!”

Ever since last night when this woman had a drink, she seemed like a completely different person…

First, she had him call her “Shang Chan” so casually, then took him around, and even invited him to her “secret base”!

And now, she was leaning in close while speaking to him with that cute, soft voice…

Is this something any normal man can withstand?

“Ahem… I mean, President, is this the place you lived in when you were a child?”

“Mm… but, what did you call me just now?”

“Er… Shang Chan.”

Hearing Lin Tian’s helpless tone, Shang Chan smiled slightly.

At this moment, she maintained her cold demeanor, and the smile was like a beautiful ice flower blooming on a snow lotus—clear, clean, pure, as though untouched by the dust of the world.

Lin Tian was momentarily stunned.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you inside to have a look.”

After smiling, Shang Chan seemed to realize her own awkwardness. Her cheeks turned slightly red, and she quickly turned and walked into “Ting Chan Xuan.”

Lin Tian sighed inwardly.

No wonder in ancient times, there were kings who stopped attending morning courts—if their harem had even just a few beauties at Shang Chan’s level, no king could resist!

【After today, stay far away from this demoness, or I’ll be completely bewitched!】

Upon hearing Lin Tian’s thoughts, Shang Chan wasn’t sure whether she felt disappointed or pleased, but the thought of scolding Jiang Yifeng in front of him only became more and more certain in her mind.

Lin Tian, when that time comes, will you still want to stay away from me?

The question unexpectedly appeared in her mind, causing even herself to be startled.

……

Inside the small building, the layout was simple but elegant. The tables, chairs, and bookshelves were intentionally made lower, and every corner had been carefully padded with collision-proof stickers. The overall structure was open and airy.

Clearly, “Ting Chan Xuan” had been specifically built for Shang Chan!

In this simple layout, every detail showed the care and love poured into it for the young Shang Chan. The person who had built it must have put a lot of thought into it.

And in the Zhao family’s ancient courtyard, the only one who could have done this for her was probably Zhao Dongyun.

Thinking of this, Lin Tian couldn’t help but feel that the original story’s plot was incredibly frustrating!

A father who loved his daughter this much—Zhao Dongyun—eventually sent Shang Chan away?

At this point, it wasn’t even about whether it made sense; it was just the classic trope where the plot is set up for the main character, and all the side characters’ intelligence is lowered for the sake of the protagonist!

……

The layout of the house was clear and simple. Both the first and second floors didn’t offer much to see. After a brief introduction, Shang Chan led Lin Tian to the back garden of “Ting Chan Xuan.”

The backyard featured a small artificial mountain, with a gently flowing stream winding around it, surrounded by various rare and unknown flowers and shrubs.

“Come on, come on! Lin Tian, down here is my secret base!” Shang Chan, returning to a home she hadn’t visited in a long time, felt her mood naturally relax with Lin Tian by her side. At this moment, she seemed more like a carefree young girl.

Lin Tian couldn’t help but think about this woman, who had won countless battles in the business world—she was only in her early twenties, after all.

Following the direction of Shang Chan’s slender finger, Lin Tian saw a small opening in the ground. The hole was dark and didn’t seem to have anything special about it.

“Isn’t this just a crack in the fake mountain?” Lin Tian asked curiously.

Shang Chan smiled mysteriously and casually turned a seemingly inconspicuous stone on the fake mountain.

Boom—boom—

A faint rumble echoed as the fake mountain slowly moved aside, revealing a stone staircase leading down.

Lin Tian was stunned!

This kind of secret room plot, like something out of a TV drama, actually existed in real life?

Furthermore…

What kind of secret base is this? Even if Shang Chan hadn’t brought anyone here before, surely the builder knew about it?

While Lin Tian was lost in thought, Shang Chan had already started descending the stairs. Halfway down, she turned and called out with a bright, clear laugh.

“Lin Tian, hurry up and come in!”

As Lin Tian gazed at Shang Chan’s unparalleled beauty, half-lit and half-shadowed at the entrance of the passage, a familiar phrase suddenly popped into his mind.

“When I turned around suddenly, that person was just standing there, in the dim lights.”

“Coming,” Lin Tian smiled, shaking off his thoughts and followed her down.