ABSML Chapter 43: Seeking Another Path

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ANNOUNCEMENT

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• Chapter 38-50
• Chapter 51-60
• Chapter 61-70

As he warned the system, Chen Zhan's body swayed slightly.

That slight movement, like a breeze passing through, caused both men fighting over the notebook to freeze in place.

Yin Ronglan was the first to let go, straightening up and frowning slightly as he looked down at Lin Chiang. "What are you doing?"

A thief crying thief… Lin Chiang was so furious he laughed.

With such a commotion, Chen Zhan couldn't pretend to be asleep anymore. He turned his face slightly, his gaze deepened by the mist.

Yin Ronglan remained calm, picking up the coat and placing it beside Chen Zhan. "Private belongings shouldn’t be left too far away; they attract unwanted attention."

Chen Zhan's expression was complicated. Calling him deceitful wouldn’t be entirely fair—Lin Chiang had indeed attempted to peek. But in his words, he had cleanly absolved himself of all blame.

None of the three mentioned the incident again. Lin Chiang stepped into the nearby hot spring, while Yin Ronglan stayed on the edge, speaking with Chen Zhan.

"Where’s the voice recorder?"

"Out of battery."

Steam drifted freely in the air. The damp strands of Chen Zhan's hair clung to his forehead, making him look even younger. He held the small notebook, pausing now and then to write, like a child seriously taking notes.

Unfortunately, in others’ eyes, this scene only evoked chills.

Lin Chiang didn’t stay long. Wrapping himself in a bathrobe, he walked out.

As the night deepened, more visitors gradually left.

Yin Ronglan handed Chen Zhan a towel and casually added, "Don’t let things get too tense."

Chen Zhan caught the underlying meaning. "I heard the Lin family has many business ventures."

Yin Ronglan nodded. His gaze swept over Chen Zhan’s slightly raised hair tips, and he chuckled. "If you’re looking for a business partner, they would be a great choice."

Chen Zhan quietly considered this.

The original host of his body had long driven Lin Chiang’s goodwill into the negative. Unless Lin Chiang was a saint, he wouldn’t overlook past grievances to cooperate.

Yin Ronglan clearly understood the difficulty and glanced at him. "Why not consider my company?"

Chen Zhan rejected it without hesitation, his expression serious. "I refuse to be someone’s charity case."

Yin Ronglan was momentarily stunned before laughing out loud.

Soaking in a hot spring for too long wasn’t good. After drying off, Chen Zhan gave a brief goodbye and returned to his room.

The inn had sliding wooden doors that creaked unsettlingly. Lacking a sense of security, Chen Zhan moved a small table against the door. "Three thousand points of reputation clearance."

The system mumbled before ultimately transferring the points to him. After that, it fell silent.

Enjoying the peace, Chen Zhan leaned against the wall, pondering how to establish a connection with the Lin family.

The next morning, he woke up early and went out to buy some fruit. Spotting Lin Chiang, he deliberately took one from the bag and handed it to him. Unfortunately, the latter didn’t accept it. Instead, he calmly said, "I’ve read Snow White."

"…"

It seemed that the chances of resolving their issues with a smile were slim.

Xianke Town wasn’t large, best known for its hot springs. Since Chen Zhan had already experienced most attractions the day before, he took a short stroll after breakfast and then began writing—

..........

Lin Chiang was kidnapped.

I saw someone hijacking his car with my own eyes, but in my nervousness, I didn’t immediately call the police.

This is an opportunity.

If I can rescue him single-handedly, the goddess will realize who the true hero is, and who is merely a flashy facade.

I followed them discreetly and eventually found out they had hidden him in a remote little house.

The kidnappers consisted of three people who had meticulously planned everything in advance. They chose the timing cleverly—Jiang Ying was a public figure, and Lin Chiang usually didn’t bring bodyguards when going to an appointment.

After careful observation, they decided to divide and conquer.

Lin Chiang’s hands and feet were tightly bound, and the kidnappers took two photos.

"The call must be kept short," the leader of the kidnappers instructed. "Give him forty minutes. If the money doesn’t arrive, we’ll kill him immediately."

"Isn’t that too tight a deadline?"

The kidnapper leader was clearly experienced. "We can’t drag it out. If we do, the police will have time to prepare."

Fortunately, the location was an abandoned toilet. Before long, the kidnapper leader came out to relieve himself. Seizing the moment, I knocked him out with a rock.

Capture the leader first!

Dragging the unconscious leader, I shouted fiercely at the others who had rushed over after hearing the commotion: "Let him go, or I’ll kill him!"

The remaining two kidnappers exchanged glances. One of them growled, "Kill them all. We’ll split the ransom between the two of us."

With that, they charged at me together.

I clenched my fists and bolted.

At the doorway, I ran straight into someone. "Spare me!" I blurted.

Looking up again, it wasn’t just one person—it was a whole row. Each of them was strong and capable, easily worth two men.

Unexpectedly, I was merely restrained, while the kidnappers who had chased after me were beaten black and blue.

Lin Chiang was helped out of the house and, in surprise, called out, "Dad."

When asked how they had found him, Lin’s father responded calmly, "GPS."

Lin Chiang instinctively glanced at his watch. Realizing something, he removed the outer shell and retrieved a small chip from inside.

Lin’s father remained expressionless. "Your girlfriend installed that."

Lin Chiang was stunned. Searching further, he found another chip hidden in the lining of his shoe.

Before he could explode in anger, his father said calmly, "Your grandmother installed that one, because you always go out without bodyguards." After a pause, he added, "I put mine in your shirt button."

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Just then, a bodyguard ran up to report that the unconscious kidnapper had been found in the toilet.

I took the opportunity to clear myself of any suspicion, explaining that I was there to rescue him.

Though, deep down, I had been hoping the kidnappers might accidentally render him… permanently incapable.

"Get in the car," Lin’s father said, opening the door.

I hesitated for a moment before sitting in the front passenger seat.

Lin Chiang, still dazed by the whole tracking device revelation, got into another car.

On the way, we stopped by a pharmacy. Lin’s father got out to buy antiseptic spray and band-aids, handing them to me. "Try not to get your hands wet for the next couple of days."

I was silent for a moment before saying softly, "You and Lin Chiang are nothing alike."

There was a calm, immovable presence about this man, shaped by the years.

"In what way?" he asked.

Thinking of how he had bought me medicine, and recalling the humiliation Lin Chiang had once brought upon me, my eyes stung slightly. "You know how to use mobile payments."

..........

After publishing the new chapter, Chen Zhan got up to stretch before returning to the hot springs.

Feeling drowsy after a brief rest, he created a small alternate account: "Lin Dad Fan Club."

He even paid for a Weibo membership for it.

From a character perspective, Lin Chiang’s father was naturally appealing to the public—handsome, powerful yet devoted, and actively involved in charity work.

Chen Zhan contacted the marketing girl he had hired during the last reader meetup, asking her to casually mention Lin’s father in the Weibo comments.

There was no need for deliberate promotion; the moment Lin’s father appeared in the story, netizens immediately showered him with praise—"National Dad," "If only I were born twenty years earlier," and various other flattering comments.

Chen Zhan wrote a subtly admiring article and posted it on the fan account. Soon, the Lin Dad Fan Club gained a substantial following.

Once the groundwork was laid, he sent a message to Wang Cheng, asking him to have his artists like the post.

Within moments, the fan account surpassed ten thousand followers.

Two hours later, Chen Zhan wrote another two thousand words, further shaping Lin’s father’s image as composed and dependable.

All this time, Lin Chiang remained unaware. He had come here to propose, carefully prepared but hesitating at the last moment.

That brief moment of doubt caused him to miss the best opportunity. By the time he snapped out of it, he was already on his return flight.

Originally, Chen Zhan was on the same flight, but he decided to stay an extra day to return with Yin Ronglan instead.

Before the class reunion, Yin Ronglan—already knowing the likely answer—still asked, "Do you want to come? You could meet some new people."

Chen Zhan waved a hand in refusal, not out of some abstract sense of pride. "If everyone brings a friend, it stops being a class reunion and turns into something else." Shrugging, he added, "The only people who can rightfully be brought to these gatherings are spouses."

Yin Ronglan chuckled and shook his head. "You have a point."

With his time divided between soaking in hot springs and writing, Chen Zhan’s life on this trip was simple.

Whether it was Confessions or the currently serialized The Years When I Harassed the Queen of Film, his characters always carried a touch of exaggerated dark humor.

Lin’s father’s introduction immediately won over fans, with readers flooding the comments demanding more scenes of him.

When they returned to Y City, even at the airport, fans approached Chen Zhan, asking him to write more about Lin’s father.

Yin Ronglan glanced at him. "Is he really that popular?"

"Of course." Chen Zhan explained, "After all, he’s the only normal person in hundreds of thousands of words."

The trick was simple—elevate one character while tearing another down. In contrast to Lin Chiang, Lin’s father naturally shone with a noble aura.

"…"

·

To please the elders, Jiang Ying mentioned that many people online had become fans of Lin’s father.

At first, Lin’s father dismissed it. "What nonsense."

But that night, before going to bed, he put on his reading glasses and fumbled with his phone. "What’s that website called?"

Lin’s mother sighed. "NJ Star website."

Lin’s father searched for it, skimmed through the novel, and concluded that there was nothing particularly remarkable about it—just an ordinary narrative interspersed with some humor.

Lin’s mother showed him the online comments.

Lin’s father had seen plenty of flattery in his life, but the sheer bluntness of the online praise was a first for him.

Surprisingly, he found it rather refreshing.

A father knows his son best—and sometimes, the reverse is also true.

During breakfast the next day, Lin Chiang casually reminded him not to take sides too recklessly.

"Young people make mistakes," Lin’s father replied calmly. "Don’t be too biased."

Lin’s mother, ever the picture of grace and intellect, commented, "I saw some comments online supporting the adaptation of Confessions into a film."

Lin’s father remained composed. "The profit margins would be substantial."

Lin Chiang paused, his chopsticks still.

Lin’s father continued casually, "The script would be written by the original author, and the actors would play themselves. A lineup like that wouldn’t even need promotion."

Lin Chiang froze for a solid few seconds. When he finally spoke, his expression was icy. "Even if the profit were a million times greater, I wouldn’t take part."

Having him act in Confessions? That would be public humiliation on an unprecedented scale!

Author’s Note:

Chen Zhan: If Lin Chiang’s path is blocked, there’s always the option of flattering his dad.

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