Chapter 137: Veline's Little Scheme

"Ha, I knew it! Our Yuanlan Empire is famous throughout the surrounding cosmic nations precisely for the Sky-Defying Tower trials. You really are here to take part in the trial," Weir Lin said, nodding with an excited expression.

"Wait a second... I'm going to take the Sky-Defying Tower trial, so why on earth are you so excited?" Lan Tian asked, caught off guard by her sudden change in expression—which had grown somewhat, well, sycophantic.

"No, I'm not. Who's excited?" Realizing she had lost her composure, Weir Lin blushed. Yet, unable to suppress her inner joy, she fired off questions like rapid-fire bullets: "When are you planning to head to Sky-Defying Planet? Have you already attempted the first floor of the Sky-Defying Tower? The first floor is open to the public, so you should have tried it before coming here, right?"

"I'm guessing it didn't take you very long to clear the first floor, which is why you braved the perils of space travel to come here for the trials. Otherwise, if you wasted a massive amount of time just on the first floor, there wouldn't be any point in you coming here at all."

"I've never been to the Sky-Defying Tower myself, but I cleared the first floor in a virtual reality game on the Virtual Universe Network. It took me a little over a day. What do you think? Am I a genius, or what?"

Whenever the topic turned to the Sky-Defying Tower trials, Weir Lin, a devotee of cultivation, became like a child who had just found a new toy, chattering away incessantly without giving Lan Tian the slightest chance to chime in.

"Listen, you've asked so many questions—which one am I supposed to answer first?" Lan Tian stared blankly at Weir Lin, who seemed to have transformed into a completely different person, before finally finding an opening to interrupt.

"Uh... answer them one by one, then," Weir Lin said, looking a bit embarrassed when she noticed the rather peculiar expression on his face. "Why don't you come inside and sit down? You're strangers here on Huidu Planet, so I can show you around."

"Wait, aren't we supposed to be discussing compensation?" Lan Tian was completely baffled by Weir Lin's sudden pivot.

"Oh, forget about compensation! Since you've traveled from afar, you're my guests. Come inside and sit down. I'll have the intelligent steward whip up some food, and we can talk it over," Weir Lin waved her hand dismissively, speaking with a rather heroic flair.

"Your attitude is changing way too fast. I'm starting to think it's not safe to go in..." Lan Tian looked Weir Lin up and down, speaking with a hint of suspicion.

"Hmph! Are you coming in or not?! If you don't step inside right now, I'm sending the surveillance footage to the city defense forces!" Weir Lin threatened when she saw Lan Tian and his companion still standing frozen in their tracks near the entrance of the living room.

"...... You win."

With a massive headache and facing the daunting prospect of being thrown in prison, Lan Tian had no choice but to give in. He stepped forward, and the moment he moved, Qipeng naturally followed like a shadow, walking right into Weir Lin's luxurious mansion.

***

*Whatever, I'll just play along for now. Let's see what kind of nonsense this alien girl can pull off.*

Had Weir Lin known that she—a stunning beauty who always drew the gazes of the crowd wherever she went—was merely regarded as an "alien girl" in Lan Tian's mind, she would have fought him to the death, even if she couldn't beat him!

"Hmm, this living room is nice..." Upon entering, Lan Tian acted like a country bumpkin, looking up, down, left, and right at the bizarrely shaped decorative utensils, letting out periodic sighs of admiration.

"Get up right now! That's an environmental simulator, not the chair you think it is!" Weir Lin roared in exasperation as the lighting in the living room suddenly shifted, transforming the space into a world of pink petals.

"Oh, wow. Who would've guessed? You might be getting up there in age, but you've still got a maiden's heart, huh~" Feeling rather awkward, Lan Tian hurriedly stood up and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"You! Are! Dead!" Veins pulsed on Weir Lin's forehead as she gritted out each word.

"Ahem, look, Xiao Lin, put the sword away first. Let's talk this out like civilized people!" Seeing Weir Lin pull a crimson-hued longsword out of thin air and point it straight at him, Lan Tian instinctively took a couple of steps back and offered a flattering smile.

After a chaotic flurry of commotion—and only after the intelligent steward had prepared a lavish spread of dishes and Lan Tian had offered a most sincere apology—did Weir Lin angrily put away her sword, gesturing for Lan Tian to eat while they talked.

"Ahem, well, Qipeng! Don't just stand there like a dummy. Help Xiao Lin with some food to thank her for her hospitality!" Lan Tian deliberately raised his voice.

"Why are you being so bossy to Big Brother Qipeng? Big Brother Qipeng, go ahead and eat. You don't need to serve me," Weir Lin shot a sideways glance at Lan Tian, completely unimpressed.

"Hehe, Miss Xiao Lin is very kind. Mas... Mr. Lan Tian is just joking with me," Qipeng said with a smile, after casting a quick glance at Lan Tian.

"Right, Qipeng is my bodyguard. I was just messing with him," Lan Tian chimed in with a smile. At a time like this, he certainly wasn't going to ruin the atmosphere by revealing that Qipeng was actually his slave.

"So your name is Lan Tian? What a tacky name," Weir Lin said, curling her lip.

"...... Whatever makes you happy," Lan Tian's smile froze instantly, leaving him utterly speechless.

***

"What? You have a problem with that? Should I call the city defense forces so you can chat with them instead?" Knowing that Lan Tian was in a rush to get to the Sky-Defying Tower trials, Weir Lin used the threat without a shred of hesitation.

"Come on, enough is enough. Is this really how you people on Huidu Planet treat alien guests?" Feeling helpless, Lan Tian took a small sip of a deep purple, exotic beverage and cut straight to the point. "Spit it out. I doubt you're actually this hospitable. What is your real reason for keeping us here?"

"Hehe, this young man is quite smart," Weir Lin replied with a sweet smile. Dropping the games, she went straight to the point: "I want to go to Sky-Defying Planet with you."

"Go to Sky-Defying Planet with us?" Lan Tian repeated, finding the request completely absurd. "You have your own hands and feet. Why on earth would you need to tag along with us?"

He then glanced around at the luxurious surroundings and continued, "Clearly, you're not someone who lacks money. Even though teleporting to Sky-Defying Planet is expensive, a cost like that shouldn't even be on your radar."

"You don't understand. It's true that I don't lack money—or rather, I have money, a lot, *a lot* of money..."

"Are you just bragging about your wealth right now?" Lan Tian felt dark lines cross his forehead, thinking to himself that she wasn't necessarily wealthier than he was.

"Will you let me finish?!" Weir Lin gritted her teeth.

"Fine... Go ahead, oh wealthy one," Lan Tian shrugged, signaling for her to continue.

"What do *you* mean, wealthy one? *You're* the wealthy one!" Weir Lin frowned and snapped back. Though it was her first time hearing the term, she could roughly guess what it meant.

"Well... how should I put this? My real name is Weir Lin, and my father is the founder of a large corporation. So, strictly speaking, it's not that *I* have money; it's that my *father* has money—and not just a normal amount of money. Therefore... you should understand that his security measures for me are extremely strict."

"Tsk tsk, the universal woes of the wealthy... Alright, continue, I won't say another word." Seeing the flash of light in Weir Lin's eyes that suggested she was about to draw her sword again, Lan Tian promptly covered his mouth with his hand.