BOOM!

Su Qingning's heart lurched. A shock like she had never felt before sent goosebumps prickling over her skin and made her scalp tingle with fear.

It was Lin Xiao. It was really him.

Su Qingning had never dreamed that he would charge into the inferno. She was utterly panicked. Although her father's photograph and ashes were incredibly important to her, she would rather lose them than see Lin Xiao sacrifice his life.

In a frantic shriek, she screamed, "You bastard, get out of there!"

But Lin Xiao seemed not to hear her. In an instant, his figure was completely swallowed by the roaring flames.

Still, an unyielding Su Qingning kept yelling, "You scoundrel, get back here!"

There was no response.

Su Qingning grew even more desperate. She let go of her mother, ready to charge into the blaze herself.

Terrified, Su Qingning's mother grabbed her and held on for dear life. "Ning'er, don't be reckless!"

Although Lin Xiao's actions had both shocked and moved her, she couldn't bear to let her daughter follow him into the inferno. Her mother knew that once inside that fire, there was only one possible outcome.

"Mom, let go of me! Lin Xiao is going to burn to death!" Su Qingning sobbed.

Tears streamed down her mother's face again. "Ning'er, I know, but that's exactly why I can't let you go in! If I lost you too, I wouldn't want to live anymore."

"But Mom, I can't just stand here and watch him die!"

"My child, maybe Lin Xiao is blessed with good fortune. Maybe he'll return safely."

Even as she said it, Su Qingning's mother knew she was only trying to comfort her daughter. With a fire that intense, not even a god could survive, let alone a mere mortal like Lin Xiao.

The fire grew larger and larger, but Lin Xiao still hadn't returned.

Although only a few seconds had passed, to Su Qingning, it felt like centuries. Helpless and despairing, she collapsed to the ground. "Mom, why is he so stupid? The fire is so huge, why did he have to go in?!"

Listening to her daughter's mournful cries, Su Qingning's mother's heart ached. Although she stubbornly believed Lin Xiao was nowhere near good enough for her daughter, at this moment, she had to admit it: the man had guts. It was just a shame he would never be coming back.

What the mother and daughter didn't know was that Lin Xiao felt perfectly fine. Though he was surrounded by raging flames, he couldn't feel the scorching heat at all. He knew it had something to do with the dragon he had swallowed. To be honest, the realization came as quite a shock. After all, when he'd recklessly charged in, he had no idea he possessed such an ability.

He went upstairs and found the photograph and urn of Su Qingning's father.

"Dad, this fire's too big. You've already been through one cremation, let me find you a new home," he muttered.

With that, Lin Xiao grabbed the items and headed downstairs. As he was about to exit, a thought struck him. If I go back looking like this, Su Qingning probably won't be very moved. After all, I look completely unscathed. It doesn't look at all like I just came out of a fire.

With this in mind, Lin Xiao scooped up a handful of ash and soot, rubbing it vigorously all over his face and clothes. When he felt the effect was convincing enough, he broke into a wide grin.

"With this look," he mused, "won't Su Qingning be so moved she'll want to pledge herself to me?"

Speaking to himself, Lin Xiao clutched the items and bolted out of the building as if he were escaping for his life.

Su Qingning had already cried herself into a mess. Although she disliked Lin Xiao, hated his boasting, and detested his lewdness, she truly didn't want to lose him like this. Self-reproach, guilt, despair, and pain—an onslaught of emotions flooded her, and her sobs grew even more wretched.

But just then, a shadowy figure suddenly sprinted out from the blaze.

Su Qingning was startled, thinking her eyes were deceiving her. She rubbed them furiously. When she saw that it was truly Lin Xiao, her tears burst forth like a broken dam.

She didn't know where she found the strength, but she threw herself into Lin Xiao's arms and began to wail. It was a cry of excitement, of joy, and of the profound relief that comes with narrowly escaping disaster.

Lin Xiao's hands were full, so he couldn't hug her back. Still, his heart soared with happiness. Looks like my little act was a success.

Su Qingning's mother was utterly astonished. She had been certain that the fierce flames had devoured Lin Xiao long ago, yet here he was. Not only had he made it out, but he had also brought back the two things that were most important to them.

She quickly took the items from Lin Xiao's hands. Choking up, she said, "Lin Xiao, thank you. I really, truly thank you!"

"Mom, we're family. Don't mention it!" Lin Xiao declared resolutely.

But no sooner had he spoken than Su Qingning suddenly shoved him away with all her might. Then, her small fists rained down on him furiously.

Lin Xiao was dumbfounded. What's happening? Did I mess up the act? Did she see through my secret ability to walk through fire?

"Qingning, you... you have to listen to me, I honestly don't know how I..."

Before he could finish, Su Qingning threw herself back into his arms and continued to cry.

"You jerk! If you ever dare to do something so reckless again, I'll divorce you on the spot!"

Lin Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. Damn, I thought I'd messed up for a second.

"I couldn't do that. Those are our dad's picture and his ashes. I had to get them out, even if it cost me my life!" Lin Xiao retorted.

To be fair, he meant it. He truly felt that way; he wasn't just saying it to win Su Qingning's favor.

But Su Qingning was moved. She was truly, deeply moved—so much so that she didn't know what to say.

Just then, the wail of fire engine sirens cut through the air.

Su Qingning released Lin Xiao and watched as the firefighters battled the blaze. But there was no trace of relief on her face, only a deep-seated worry. Her mother looked even more distressed.

"Qingning, why the long face?"

Su Qingning ignored Lin Xiao. She turned to her mother and said, "Mom, let's find a hotel for tonight. We can look for a house tomorrow."

Her mother nodded. Under the circumstances, it was their only option.

Lin Xiao, however, was confused. "Qingning? What hotel? Why look for a house? I have one!"

As soon as he said it, the tiny bud of affection Su Qingning had just started to feel for him withered and vanished. She knew exactly what he was referring to: the premier villa in the Hidden Dragon Villa complex.

"What, are you talking about the king unit at Hidden Dragon Villa?" she asked, her voice hard.

"Yeah!"

Su Qingning's expression darkened. "Lin Xiao, I'm begging you, please don't squander the tiny bit of goodwill you just earned. Can you do that?"

If it weren't for the fact that he had just risked his life to save her most precious possessions, she would have already lost her temper. Even if you're going to boast, at least pick the right time.

It wasn't that Su Qingning didn't want to believe him, but Hidden Dragon Villa was worth a billion. Even if Lin Xiao had started working since the Qin dynasty, he couldn't have earned that much money.

Lin Xiao, however, was annoyed. He would normally let it slide, but at a critical moment like this, she still refused to believe him. Today, he had to prove it to her.

Having made up his mind, Lin Xiao declared authoritatively, "Get in the car. We're going to Hidden Dragon Villa right now, and then you'll see whether I'm bluffing or not."

As his words fell, a cold, disdainful voice suddenly cut in.

"Well, well. You filthy beggar. A piece of trash like you thinks you can afford a place at Hidden Dragon Villa?"

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