I'm a Villain! Why Are You Trying to Date Me? - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Has This Man Always Been This Adorably Clueless?

Is acting coy and playing the victim an innate talent all women are born with?

Lin Tian didn’t know.

He only knew one thing—when Shang Chan acted cute and pitiful like that, he just couldn’t bring himself to be heartless.

What if he turned away coldly, walked just two steps, and this woman suddenly burst into tears? Wouldn’t that be even more of a headache?

Lin Tian sighed deeply.

Forget it… Jiang Yifeng won’t be coming back tonight anyway. I’ll just keep my distance from her starting tomorrow…

He was suddenly overwhelmed by a strange exhaustion. A gorgeous woman was practically throwing herself at him, and he had no choice but to push her away. What kind of absurd situation was this?

Hearing Lin Tian’s internal monologue, Shang Chan quietly curved her lips in a sly smile.

There was a playful glint in her eyes, like a little fox whose plan had succeeded.

“Alright, let’s go… I’ll help you upstairs.”

With a helpless sigh, Lin Tian supported Shang Chan again, doing his best to minimize any physical contact.

But how could he possibly understand what was truly going on in Shang Chan’s mind right now?

Upon entering Ting Chan Pavilion, Shang Chan’s bedroom was on the second floor, so Lin Tian had no choice but to help her up the stairs.

The staircase was a bit narrow, forcing the two of them to walk closely together—mainly because Lin Tian had to support her. This woman couldn’t even manage walking on flat ground without her legs giving out occasionally. If she slipped on the stairs and fell, Lin Tian wasn’t even sure he could catch her in time.

With them so close, their bodies inevitably brushed against each other from time to time.

Lin Tian felt like he was going insane…

Damn… how long is this staircase?!

It’s so hot! Can’t someone turn on the AC in here?

God, why is her body so soft? Don’t lean your whole weight on me!

I can’t take this—this woman’s a damn succubus!

Listening to the string of helpless complaints in his mind, Shang Chan’s mischievous delight reached new heights.

She even intentionally slowed their climb, occasionally turning her head to look at him with her big, sparkling eyes—completely unaware of how her gentle breathing and delicate expressions were torturing Lin Tian to the brink of collapse.

At long last, they reached the second floor.

In less than a minute, Lin Tian felt as if an entire year had passed.

The moment they reached the second floor, he let out a heavy sigh of relief…

“Ahem, President… uh, you should get some rest early.”

Lin Tian felt like his throat was going dry. It had just been too much—too much torment. Even if it was the kind of torment that came with bliss, it was still torment!

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to leave. If he stayed in this enclosed space any longer, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep himself in check…

Just then, Shang Chan suddenly cried out in pain.

“Ah… it hurts!”

Lin Tian twitched at the sound and turned around to look at her, exasperated.

Seriously? Are you not done yet?

Shang Chan looked up at him innocently, blinking her big eyes, her soft lips curving ever so slightly.

“Lin Tian, there’s some medicine in that cabinet over there. Can you… help me apply it? I can’t really reach on my own.”

Lin Tian muttered inwardly, Hell, I can’t really help you either!

But then again, he had already walked her all the way up here… what was a few more minutes at this point?

Even though Shang Chan was a woman, and her body naturally more delicate, if a twisted ankle were to leave any lasting damage, that’d be bad.

Lin Tian let out a quiet sigh, helped her sit down by the bed, then walked over to the other side of the room to retrieve the medicinal ointment.

When he returned, he immediately noticed something was off—Shang Chan’s cheeks were flushed a deep red, as if they were about to drip with heat.

Lin Tian raised a brow, curious.

“President, are you alright?”

Shang Chan didn’t react to the formal address at all. Her face only grew redder as she murmured something softly.

Lin Tian couldn’t quite hear her at first. He frowned and leaned in slightly to catch what she said.

“I… I think I twisted my ankle. Can you help me take off my shoes?”

Lin Tian was immediately at a loss for words. Of course, he needed to remove her shoes to apply the medicine!

But the moment that thought registered, he froze.

Wait a second… this is a girl’s foot.

To most women, feet were considered an incredibly private and sensitive area—certainly not something just anyone could touch.

For a second, Lin Tian hesitated, visibly conflicted. After a while, he cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Ahem… President, maybe you should apply it yourself. Or I can call a maid for you?” Lin Tian suggested, his voice clearly uneasy.

Shang Chan immediately grew anxious, lifting her head. Her eyes shimmered—not clear whether it was from embarrassment or pain.

“No, Lin Tian, I want you to help me…”

“But—”

“No buts. Just… do it. I don’t mind.”

At this point, Shang Chan’s thoughts were a dizzy, swirling mess. She didn’t even know what she was saying or doing anymore.

Hearing her insistence, Lin Tian could only sigh in resignation and sit down on the nearby chair. Gently, he lifted her injured left foot and removed her high heel.

Wearing heels was already taxing enough, and now with a twisted ankle and the distance she’d walked—even with his support—the injury had clearly worsened.

Before, Shang Chan had assumed she was leaning on Lin Tian out of a playful sense of mischief. But now, seeing how bad the swelling was, she realized… maybe it was her subconscious seeking his support all along.

Lin Tian slid his palm beneath her ankle, carefully propping it up. Her skin was smooth and soft to the touch, with a slight coolness.

Wrapped in the warmth of Lin Tian’s hand, Shang Chan’s foot involuntarily relaxed, the tension slowly easing from her muscles.

Lin Tian applied the medicine to his hand first, then gently dabbed it onto Shang Chan’s injured ankle. He moved carefully, with no stray or indecent thoughts clouding his mind.

To be fair, Shang Chan’s foot was quite beautiful. The word “jade-like feet,” often tossed around in praise of women, suddenly made perfect sense to Lin Tian. But the atmosphere and circumstances didn’t allow room for any untoward fantasies.

His calm and composed demeanor helped ease much of Shang Chan’s embarrassment as well.

She watched him intently—this man who usually didn’t strike her as particularly handsome—now exuded a strange sort of charm as he focused intently on treating her injury.

Normally, she would’ve died of embarrassment if anyone saw her bare feet.

But now, with her injured foot cradled in Lin Tian’s large, warm hand—his touch firm but gentle, the coolness of the medicine contrasting with his body heat—Shang Chan felt no shame.

Instead, she felt an inexplicable sense of comfort. A strange kind of happiness.

…

Before long, Lin Tian had finished applying the medicine. He carefully wrapped the ankle with gauze, secured it properly, then took off the high heel from her other foot as well and helped her lie down on the bed.

“President, get some rest. I’m going to step outside for a bit,” he said, his tone finally a bit more relaxed.

He let out a quiet sigh. The tension he’d been holding finally began to ease.

He had to admit—applying medicine had been easier than helping her up the stairs. At least during that process, she wasn’t squirming around…

Looking at Shang Chan’s breathtakingly beautiful face as she lay on the bed, Lin Tian let out a faint sigh.

This woman probably didn’t even realize what she was doing.

…

“Lin Tian, do you… do you hate me?”

On the bed, Shang Chan clutched the edge of the blanket, her pearly teeth biting gently into her rosy lips, her eyes shimmering with emotion. Her expression was a delicate blend of hope and unease—like a little girl afraid of being abandoned.

The key point was, she had already heard Lin Tian’s inner thoughts. This whole pitiful act? Completely staged. Full-on mischief mode.

But Lin Tian didn’t know that. When he heard her words, he genuinely felt his heart skip a beat.

Even when Shang Chan wasn’t smiling, her beauty was hard to ignore.

But with this expression—soft, vulnerable, radiant—the only thing that came to Lin Tian’s mind was an old line of poetry:

In all the palace, not a single beauty could compare.

He hesitated for a few seconds, then sighed heavily and shook his head.

“I don’t hate you.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Lin Tian instantly felt that things were starting to get out of control. He quickly tried to rein it back in.

“I’m just a regular employee at Xinghai… How could I possibly have the right to hate you?”

Hearing his clumsy explanation, Shang Chan’s lips curved into a soft, sweet smile.

Was this man… always this adorable?