I Became the Alchemy Master by Picking Up Trash-Chapter 162 - 160: Bootlicker

Jiang Junnan sat alone in the reception room, originally thinking he wouldn’t see Lin Caier today. Just as he was about to take his leave, Lin Caier arrived.

"Miss Lin!" Jiang Junnan jumped up, unable to hide his excitement.

No matter how many times he looked at her, he always felt Lin Caier was as beautiful as a fairy. Her laughter and scolding all tugged at his heart, ensnaring him hopelessly.

He knew Lin Caier liked Chu Yunyi, but he just couldn’t control himself not to think of her, not to seek her out.

He didn’t expect Lin Caier to reciprocate his feelings. As long as she would say a few trivial words to him, it would make him very happy. If unrequited love were an illness, he feared he was already beyond cure.

A flash of disdain appeared in Lin Caier’s eyes, quickly replaced by a perfectly appropriate smile as she proactively walked to Jiang Junnan’s side and sat down, instructing the servant to replace the cold tea.

"Brother Jun Nan, what brings you to see Cai Er today?"

Lin Caier leaned close to Jiang Junnan, tilting her head coyly, her eyes full of charm, almost capturing Jiang Junnan’s soul.

After openly and secretly pursuing Lin Caier for so many years, this was the first time he saw the goddess being so warm and intimate with him, making him both nervous and excited, not knowing where to put his hands:

"Actually, I’ve been here several times and couldn’t see Miss Lin. I heard Miss Lin was feeling down recently, and it just so happened that Wan Tong Department Store released a new soothing perfume, which I thought suited you perfectly, so I bought some to gift you. I hope after using it, you’ll feel a bit better."

Lin Caier didn’t even regard Jiang Yuesheng, the future Family Head, highly, so how could she take the obscure Jiang Junnan seriously? The reason they hadn’t met was simply because Lin Caier was deliberately avoiding him, having no interest in this sycophant.

Lin Caier feigned surprise as she accepted the gift, then sighed and said: "Ah, Brother Jun Nan is so good to Cai Er! I know Brother Jun Nan has come several times, but with my terrible performance in the military academy competition, how could I have the face to see you? Brother Jun Nan, you aren’t upset with me, right?"

Jiang Junnan became anxious: "How could that be! Miss Lin is a precious Healing Master, even in the regular army, warriors like us risk our lives to protect you. The military academy competition setting doesn’t showcase your excellence. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, I-I would feel heartbroken..."

Jiang Junnan gazed at Lin Caier affectionately, while she felt a chill but still forced a delicate smile, saying slowly:

"Unfortunately, others don’t see things like Brother Jun Nan does. The internet is full of posts criticizing me, saying I can’t match Li Xing in martial arts or Bai Ling in healing techniques, that aside from my looks, I’m useless—a laughing stock of the military academy competition—"

At this point, Lin Caier burst into tears, and this time, it wasn’t an act.

Jiang Junnan was heartbroken, disregarding etiquette, and reached out to pull Lin Caier into his arms, comforting her repeatedly:

"Don’t listen to those trolls spouting nonsense; they’re just hired water armies to blacken your name. If you take it seriously, you fall into their trap!"

Lin Caier stopped crying, discreetly shrugged off Jiang Junnan’s arm, raised her tear-streaked face, and said to him: "Brother Jun Nan, don’t be so formal; just call me Cai Er."

"...Okay." Jiang Junnan felt as if he was floating in energy liquid, overwhelmed with happiness.

"I’m timid and dislike fighting people, so even for my Battle Pet Spirit Plant, I chose a defensive one, yet someone still targeted me in the competition."

Lin Caier, her eyes washed with tears, looked pitifully at Jiang Junnan.

"Brother Jun Nan, you’ve watched the competition broadcast, right? Li Xing not only used scheming tricks to snatch our team’s competition token but also cut my hair and shattered the Rocky Bodhi Seed I painstakingly nurtured! My heart aches..."

With beauty by his side, Jiang Junnan couldn’t think rationally. He had already forgotten that Lin Caier’s hair was actually mistakenly injured by Chu Yunyi, filled entirely with resentment towards Li Xing.

"Cai Er understands, in the arena we’re competitors, she hurt me because I’m not as skilled, I don’t blame her. But I don’t know what Li Xing said to Bai Ling and Shangguan Xian Yu afterwards to make them so cold towards me!" Lin Caier’s aggrieved expression didn’t seem feigned:

"I got along well with Bai Ling and Shangguan Xian Yu, but now they’ve even blocked me on their friend circles, I don’t believe there’s not a schemer pulling strings behind the scenes!"

Bai Ling and Shangguan Xian Yu actually distanced themselves from Lin Caier because of her fabrications about Li Xing’s innocence, feeling she wasn’t worth deep friendship, though Li Xing was unaware of any of this.

As for claiming the trio initially had a good relationship, that was entirely baseless, yet Jiang Junnan believed it was true, angrily saying: 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"I don’t believe it either; it must be Li Xing’s doing! Cai Er, don’t worry, I’ll make Li Xing pay double for the grievances she caused you! She cut a lock of your hair, I’ll scar her face, let’s see how she stays arrogant!"

Lin Caier was secretly delighted, but she still had to persuade him on the surface: "Brother Jun Nan, don’t be impulsive! Li Xing is a hot contender right now, and her every move is under scrutiny. If anything happens to her, the competition organizers will investigate thoroughly. Should they discover it was you standing up for me, punishing Cai Er is one thing, affecting Brother Jun Nan’s future would be worse, you must think carefully!"

Lin Caier’s thoughtfulness touched Jiang Junnan deeply, strengthening his resolve to stand up for her even more.

"Cai Er, you don’t know, Li Xing is a jinx; the grudge between my family and hers was long-standing. If it weren’t for her re-evaluation of the Primordial Spirit, leading the Elder Council to scrutinize the Element Testing Instrument, my father wouldn’t have lost his job as a testing officer. I and Xiu Hui were doing well at Harssas Academy, but because of her instigations, we were ostracized by classmates, forcing us siblings to transfer schools. Thanks to her, my whole family has become the laughingstock of the entire clan. I must settle this account with her!

"Honestly, even without your issue, I had long wanted to exact revenge on her; it’s merely advancing my plan a bit now. I can endure her targeting me, but bullying you is unacceptable! Don’t worry; I won’t take her life. I’ll bear all consequences, and won’t let it implicate you."

Lin Caier let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"But Li Xing’s martial arts are formidable, can Brother Jun Nan defeat her?"

Though being underestimated by someone you admire deeply hurts one’s pride, Jiang Junnan had to admit, under normal circumstances, he definitely wasn’t a match for Li Xing.

"I have a way, just wait for my good news, Cai Er."

Lin Caier excitedly grasped Jiang Junnan’s hand, for the first time gazing at him with heartfelt affection.

"Then I’ll trouble Brother Jun Nan, let’s have a meal together later!"

Jiang Junnan, excited: "Nothing could make me happier!"

Returning from the Lin Family, Jiang Junnan frowned in thought for a long time, finally making up his mind to dial on his communication device.

"Hello, do you have medicine there that can increase combat power by several times in a short time?"

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