Chapter 88: Who Am I? I'm the Damn Villain!-Villain: I Refuse to Be Cannon Fodder—Is It My Fault the Heroine Thinks I’ve Changed?(Accepted for payment)

Although with Xia Ningshuang’s help, Lin Li was confident that he would no longer need to worry about the beauty salon. Yet he had to admit that things were far less straightforward than he had imagined. The situation at the salon had indeed been resolved, but the tasks that lay ahead required careful consideration and a solution.

Due to the Qin family’s notorious reputation, many people were reluctant to visit their beauty salon. After all, places like this were notorious for price issues. Lin Li could only seek out a suitable candidate to help him transform this predicament.

After much deliberation, Lin Li decided to approach a particular person: the third female lead from the original story, Xiao Meier.

Unlike others, Xiao Meier held absolute authority within the Xiao family. Lin Li had no doubts about her ability to handle the issue. As long as she agreed to help, everything else could be resolved with ease—that was Xiao Meier’s true talent.

But persuading Xiao Meier was hardly an easy task. The only thing that reassured Lin Li was that Xiao Meier had not yet met Ye Aotian.

In the original story, Ye Aotian and Xiao Meier fell in love at first sight, with Xiao Meier being the one to pursue Ye Aotian actively. Lin Li could not fathom how Ye Aotian, with his overtly masculine demeanor, could possibly win the heart of such a stunning beauty as Xiao Meier.

Though Lin Li had successfully won Su Lan’s affection, Su Lan and Xiao Meier were two completely different women. Among all the female leads, Xiao Meier was by far the hardest to win over. Despite eventually being with Ye Aotian—and even pursuing him herself—her willingness was always the deciding factor.

Over the years, countless suitors had sought Xiao Meier’s hand, enough to form a small legion. Yet she had never accepted any of them, proving her standards were exceptionally high.

“To deal with a woman like her is actually quite simple. If you show yourself to be even stronger than she is, she will inevitably reconsider her views,” Su Lan said, massaging Lin Li’s shoulders as she offered her advice. “As long as you spark a hint of curiosity in her, you can use that to draw her in and win her heart.”

She knew that Lin Li had been run ragged over the salon issue. “If only things were as easy to resolve as you hope,” Lin Li sighed. “The Qin family’s reputation is already tarnished, so I don’t have many options. Otherwise, I could find someone to help us fix our standing with ease.”

He recalled that, with their previous herbal medicine business, they never had to worry about such complex trouble. But now they were opening a beauty salon, and naturally, they needed the support of the masses. The problem was, given their past actions, how could they possibly win over the public? The odds were so low that even Lin Li found it hard to believe.

Su Lan could offer no useful intel, only the wisdom that came from experience, which wasn’t always reliable. So Lin Li turned to Ning Yurou and Leng Ningsnow. These ladies didn’t interact much in daily life, but they at least knew each other’s preferences. Catering to those might be a good approach.

To Lin Li’s surprise, after talking with them, he discovered they knew very little about Xiao Meier. She was the most mysterious among them—rarely communicating, and seldom appearing in public. Resigned, Lin Li hung up the phone and prepared to visit in person.

Xiao Meier, is it? He refused to believe she could remain unconquered. After all, Lin Li had faced all kinds of situations before. No matter how difficult Xiao Meier was to win, he was confident he wouldn’t fail.

With his mind made up, Lin Li headed straight for one of the clothing stores under the Xiao family’s company. The Xiao family specialized in lingerie and clothing, even collaborating with major brands. Their reputation in Jiangcheng was considerable, which explained Xiao Meier’s power within the family—everyone depended on her abilities.

But as soon as Lin Li reached the entrance, he was stopped.

“Sir, we’re terribly sorry, but this is a ladies’ lingerie store. Please wait here.”

Lin Li felt awkward as he faced the two sales assistants at the door. He had actually been turned away! “Hello, I’m picking something out for my girlfriend, so of course I need to go in and take a look,” he said.

The sales assistants were dumbfounded. While it wasn’t uncommon for boyfriends to accompany their partners, at least those men came together. What was Lin Li doing alone? With so many female customers inside, they feared his presence might impact their business.

“Sir, I understand this seems unfair to you, but these are our rules,” one explained. “To avoid upsetting our female guests, we can’t let you in.”

Lin Li inhaled sharply. The rule made sense, but he had just learned Xiao Meier was in the store. If he couldn’t go in, how could he meet her?

“So if I just have a female companion, I can enter legitimately—was that your meaning?” Lin Li asked, smiling at one of the assistants.

She looked confused, unsure of his intent, but nodded. “Yes.”

Lin Li gazed at her. “In that case, why not be my companion, beautiful lady?”

The sales assistant was stunned. Was that even allowed? She glanced at Lin Li, her cheeks flushing slightly. He was undeniably handsome, but how could he make such an unreasonable request in public? Her heart fluttered, yet she couldn’t agree. She said, “Sir, please don’t make things difficult for me. It’s part of my job.”

Lin Li shook his head in disappointment. It wasn’t easy to find someone to accompany him now. He couldn’t just randomly pull someone in.

Just then, a familiar voice sounded from behind.