Villain: The Play of Destiny

The dining room was softly lit in a golden light, and on the table, right in the middle of the room, sat a family of five, with five more vacant seats. 

At the head of the table sat an aged man with a ruddy face and solemn grey eyes that had lost their original color over the decades. This man was Lin Wudao, father of Lin Houtian, a bastard child of the House of Lin in Beijing, who along with his mother arrived in Sameran City seventy years ago to make a name for himself. And name he did make, and fortune too. 

"Good Evening, President Lin!" Keith smiled at the Old Man and politely greeted him as soon as he arrived together with Celine.

The old man raised his head and looked Keith in the eyes. A strange gleam passed his expressions before he nodded his head and gestured him to take a seat on the table. 

"I am no longer the President of the Lin Group, young man." He spoke lightly, yet it sounded heavy in everyone's ears.

"Thr City remembers you as such, and rightly so." Keith shook his head and turned to look at the Middle-aged man who was going to soon hit his fifties. "You seem well, Chairman Lin." 

Lin Houtian glanced at him and only nodded before returning his attention to making a tea for himself. 

"Welcome to the Lin Mansion, Young Master Demiliore!" A bubbly voice called out, which belonged to a Chinese woman in her late thirties. She was not a breathtaking beauty, but still possessed a charming grace that added to her attractiveness. 

"Thank you, Mrs Lin." He smiled and replied to the second wife of Lin Houtian before turning to the young boy who was looking at him with an ardent expression. "And how are you doing, Lin Haoran?" 

The boy seemed surprised at the fact that Keith knew his name and politely stood up from his seat before bowing to him. 

"Welcome to the Lin Mansion, Heir Demiliore. I am doing fine." He replied cheerfully, but still adhered to his etiquette. 

Lin Haoran was the Child of Lin Houtian from his second wife, Lin Meiyin, which made him Qinguye's half-brother, and as the only male child, he was the Heir to the Lin fortune that his Grandfather had laid the foundation to and accumulated. And from the way he looked at Keith, it was clear that he admired the latter a lot.

Qingyue was a little anxious that Keith would find the silence at the table quite awkward, but as time passed and everyone silently ate their meals, she found him only focusing on his meal, not bothered at all, which eased her worries and surprised her too. 

"Thank you for saving Celine, Young Demiliore." Lin Wudao spoke after dinner was over, and his voice bore an evident gratitude. 

"You're Welcome!" Keith nodded to him and lightly smiled at Celine who was dotingly looking back at him. 

Seeing Keith not playing with words, Lin Wudao was a impressed and appreciatively nodded his head. 

"Celine told me that you practice an inherited Medical Skill. I won't pry much into it, but I am curious. Where does it originate from?" 

The old man's question caught attention to the stoic Lin Haotian as well, who directly looked at Keith for the first time tonight. 

"What I practice is a combination of Western and Eastern Medicine. I am well-versed in both of them, but the true essence of my Medicine Skill lies in the Arcane teachings that go well beyond the scope of the science that the World has discovered."

"To what extent?" Lin Wudao narrowed his eyes and asked. 

"I can make a person cheat death for enough time." Keith did not look the old man in the eyes as he spoke his words and lightly sipped on the white wine. "But of course, Death wins nonetheless." 

Qingyue frowned as she heard his words and the anxiety in his heart soon dawned on her expressions. 

"Don't worry, he's not talking about Celine." Lin Wudao dotingly looked at his granddaughter and chucked lightly before getting up from his seat. "You are an interesting boy." He shook his head and walked out of the dining room slowly, with a straight back but shaking steps.

"Qingyue has informed me about your treatment plan for my wife, and despite my scepticism, I am still hopeful that you would be able to cure her. Do let us know if you need anything." 

"Aunt Celine will be fine, Chairman Lin." Keith assuring nodded to Lin Haotian, who too walked out of the room after nodding back at him. 

"I hope you did not mind the silence at the table, Mr. Demiliore." Lin Meiyin spoke as soon as her Father-in-law and Husband exited the dining room. 

"It's fine." Keith shook his head. "I am used to the silence, and I have learned to appreciate it over time. Do send my regards to the chef, the dinner was delicious!" 

"I will do so." Meiyin nodded her head with a bright smile before briefly glancing at her step-daughter and then meaningfully look back at Keith. "Forgive me for prying, but I am curious about the beautiful girl whom you accompanied to shop on Friday morning. I was in the Mall and I happened to see you two there. Is she your girlfriend?" 

Keith raised his head and looked her in the eyes, reading through her intentions, but still kept calm and focused back to sipping his white wine. 

"Her name is Nana. She's my Personal assistant, and a lover." He answered honestly, not paying attention to Qingyue, who had suddenly turned stiff after hearing his words.

His blunt honestly even took Meiyin by surprise, and for a moment she couldn't decide how to reply back to him. 

"A lover, eh?" Celine chimed in merrily and mischievously raised her brow at him. 

"Yup." Keith couldn't help but chuckle at her frankness. "You said it yourself, I am a heart-throb." 

"Ahan, so I guess she isn't your only lover then?" Celine pried in, and intently looked at him. 

"Maybe..." He shrugged his shoulders, and then smirked at Celine. "I might be inviting you to my wedding in the near future but that is if everything goes well tomorrow." 

"What?!" Qingyue impatiently spoke out, and when Keith turned to look her in the eyes, she bravely fought off her embarrassment and looked him back in the eyes. "Since when does Heir Demiliore have a Fiancée? or are you planning on marrying your lover?" 

"I do have a Fiancée, yes. But she's not the one I am talking about." Keith lightly smiled at her and then looked back at Celine who was waiting for him to spill the beans. "Let's just say that I am expected to take more than one wife. Family duties." 

"You sound like the idea of multiple wives does not excite you." 

"It's all the more responsibility." He did not say anything more than that and feigned to show a thoughtful expression as he sipped on his wine. 

"What's her name?" 

"Who?" 

"The girl you are meeting up with tomorrow." Celine asked. 

"Amelia Mourntale." Keith answered honestly and smiled as he found Celine fail to recall any Family name that was Mourntale. "She's from Magic City, and Mourntale Family is not a Business Giant." 

"But they are special enough for you to take their daughter as your wife?" She thoughtfully asked, but to her surprise, Keith simply shook his head. 

"Not really. Her Family means nothing to me. All I am interested in is her." 

"Is she that beautiful?" The little Miss Lin asked with narrowed eyes. 

"Yup, she could give you a tough competition." Keith chuckled at her. "Want to come with me tomorrow to go see her?" 

"No, Thanks!" Qingyue hurriedly shook her head. "I have an appointment with my friends tomorrow." She made up an excuse and threw it at him before getting back to the topic she was now very much invested in. "And who is your Fiancée?" 

He smiled lightly at her question and sank back in his seat. 

"An Angelini." 

His answer only made Qingyue furrow her brows, but Celine had her eyes widened in shock as she knew better than her daughter about the enmity between the two Giants of Sameran City. And the same could be said for Lin Meyin, who was unsure if she should be happy about the news or feel worried.