While Lin Luo was deeply uneasy about Arthur's intellect, having already delegated the task, he felt it unseemly to interfere further—that would appear small-minded. After all, even if Arthur was as dense as Cirno, there was a think tank over there... Anyone holding the title of "think tank" must possess considerable talent.

Trust those you employ, and employ those you trust. Life winners like Liu Da-er and Cao Ge all operated this way; emulating the ancients surely couldn't be wrong.

Thus, having handed the matter over to Arthur, Lin Luo felt a wave of relief. After breakfast, he briefly inspected the formation, found no issues, and then headed alone to the Tohsaka residence.

His routine over the past week had been much the same. Since there was little pressing business, he’d been limited to chatting casually with the girls, discussing daily life, and fitting in some exercise to spice up the rhythm of his routine... Fortunately, after a week of "effort," not only had Kogami Akira been molded into a passable homemaker, but he had also made slight progress with the few romantic entanglements fluttering outside.

At the very least, he could now exchange ten sentences daily with Kuonji Arisu, and he and Aoko could occasionally spar a few rounds of boxing. However, due to the looming Holy Grail War... Aoko, despite not being overly rigid in her morals, didn't wish to burden innocent people with her affairs. Consequently, she continued to conceal the War from him—the so-called "waste with lost magical power"—maintaining a significant distance between them.

It must be said: the Holy Grail War was both his making and his undoing.

Since it was Sunday, school was out, so upon arriving at the Tohsaka home, Lin Luo saw Sakura Tohsaka hanging laundry in the courtyard... Although the changes in the timeline had drastically altered Sakura's personality, making her more cheerful and vibrant, her inherent graceful quality remained untouched.

Washing, cooking, cleaning, managing the house, and caring for others—she had evidently mastered all the necessary skills of a perfect wife.

"Ah, Brother-in-law!" Sakura certainly noticed the living, breathing person entering, and a flicker of delight crossed her eyes. She called out excitedly.

Lin Luo smiled faintly and offered the meaningless platitude, "Hanging up the laundry, I see."

Are your eyes merely decorative? If this were a sharp-tongued tsukkomi character, she would likely have retorted just that. However, Sakura clearly lacked the skills for sharp retort or commentary, and for her, even the most vapid conversation with Lin Luo, if he came to chat every day, would never feel tiresome.

She immediately nodded earnestly: "Yes, I was a bit busy these past few days, so I let the washing pile up. I decided to tackle it all today while the sun is so nice."

"Oh, then take your time. I’ll go inside and rest for a bit," Lin Luo said, heading toward the house.

"Wait... Ah!" Seeing Lin Luo walk away without looking back, Sakura instinctively wanted to call him to a halt. But as she raised her hand, she suddenly realized she was still holding a freshly washed piece of underwear. Her face instantly flushed, and her words died in her throat.

Then, she doubled the speed at which she hung the clothes.

"This is an opportunity." At that moment, Myu's voice sounded near Sakura's ear.

Sakura froze, slightly confused. She whispered, "What opportunity?"

"Idiot!" Myu issued a small, disdainful huff. "Isn't your sister taking Xiao Lian to visit relatives today? That means you're alone in the house. A single man and a single woman, and no one to stop you. Isn't this a perfect chance for you?"

"Ah!" Sakura instantly understood, and her face couldn't help but turn crimson. Although Myu, that precocious child, had long since discerned her secret feelings, hearing it stated so plainly was still somewhat overwhelming. Moreover... seducing her sister's husband while her sister was away felt distinctly immoral.

"Are you planning to seduce him right in front of your sister?" Myu scorned again. "Besides, love knows no morality; you just have to fight for it by any means necessary!"

"By any means necessary... that sounds terribly lacking in integrity," Sakura hesitated, unable to completely shed her modesty.

"Gold will always shine, and integrity will always fall away. To cling to something as disposable as integrity when you claim you want to pursue romance—you have some nerve," Myu retorted unapologetically. Then, she offered an example: "In this aspect, you should study my mother closely. My mother never cared about useless things like integrity; however much falls off, so much the better."

"..." Sakura broke into a sweat and couldn't help asking, "But what if it all falls off?"

"If all integrity falls off, naturally you can do whatever you want," Myu declared righteously.

Sakura was speechless, but... slightly envious.

Then, Myu continued to persuade her gently: "To become a life winner, you must first be shameless and lose your integrity. If you lack that resolve, you’ll only be a cuckold for life. So stop hesitating, just go for it boldly! I will support you from behind... Rider, what do you think?"

"...Can I opt out of watching?" Rider’s voice was weak.

"I... I understand!" After Myu's repeated coaxing, Sakura finally resolved to discard her integrity. Clenching her fists, she declared with a determined expression, "I will seize this opportunity well."

"Good, very good. Then Rider and I will leave. You need to power through!"

"Huh? Didn't you say you’d support me from behind?"

Myu immediately explained: "We can only offer you spiritual support. Besides, if we stayed, the premise of a single man and a single woman would no longer hold true, wouldn't it?"

"Oh." Sakura nodded. Although she wasn't sure how useful spiritual support would be, Myu's logic made some sense. If she were alone, she wouldn't be affected by the gazes of others, allowing for a more perfect execution.

Thus, following Myu’s advice, after finishing the laundry, Sakura did not immediately go to the living room to find Lin Luo. Instead, she entered through the back door, quietly climbed to the second floor, and quickly darted into her own room. She quickly shed the inconspicuous clothes she was wearing and changed into her favorite pure white dress.

Standing before the vanity mirror, looking at her current attire, Sakura felt quite pleased. Not only did she appear fresher and brighter overall, but the fitted dress completely accentuated her magnificent figure... full bust, slender waist, graceful hips. The black stockings made her skin look as beautifully smooth as snow, and that small patch of the forbidden zone was both alluring and innocent.

"Perfect..." After meticulously arranging herself in front of the mirror and finding nothing amiss, Sakura felt a surge of confidence. She couldn't help but cheer herself on before walking out with complete self-assurance... In other areas, she might lack confidence, but regarding her figure and appearance, as the campus belle, she was certainly self-assured.

A moment later, descending the stairs, she saw Lin Luo sitting on the living room sofa, eyes closed, meditating. Sakura approached, feeling both nervous and anxious, subconsciously making her footsteps heavier.

Lin Luo opened his eyes immediately upon hearing the sound. Seeing Sakura dressed as if for her wedding day, his eyes brightened, and he asked, "Why did you change clothes?"

"Uh... because I accidentally soiled them earlier, so I changed into a different set," Sakura managed with a sheepish smile. Naturally, she couldn't tell him the truth. But after speaking, she couldn't help but ask quietly, "Th-this outfit... how is it?"

Lin Luo surveyed her from head to toe and nodded: "Hmm, very pretty."

Hearing Lin Luo's compliment, Sakura was greatly delighted. As she walked closer, whether intentionally or not, her heel grazed the coffee table. Instantly, her body lost balance, and amidst her cry of alarm, she pitched forward toward the floor.

"Careful!" Lin Luo moved with lightning speed, surging forward. Just before she could make intimate contact with the floor, he managed to catch her in his arms.

In that instant, time seemed to stop for Sakura. Held within Lin Luo's embrace, feeling the strong hands around her waist and the male scent filling her nostrils, she experienced an unparalleled sense of beauty. She felt as if she could hear her own rapidly accelerating heartbeat.

Lifting her head slightly, she found Lin Luo looking down at her, a hint of concern flashing in his eyes. Her face immediately flushed scarlet. Driven by feminine reserve, she instinctively pulled out of his arms... only to regret it the moment she did.

But it was too late to simply lean back in. She inwardly cursed herself for not having discarded enough of her integrity, letting such a golden opportunity slip away. If this had played out like a drama, maintaining that state for a moment longer, as the ambiguous atmosphere escalated, it would have easily led to a kissing sequence.

Alas...

Sakura sighed inwardly, but she was not discouraged. A good foundation had been laid; creating another opportunity would be easy.

"You didn't get hurt, did you?" Lin Luo's concerned voice reached her ears at that moment.

Sakura shook her head slightly, "I'm fine... Ouch!" She managed only two words before a cry of pain escaped her lips, and she grimaced, her face contorted in pain.

"What's wrong?" Lin Luo quickly asked.

Sakura leaned to one side, bending her knee, adopting a posture of delicate frailty, and said pitifully, "I think I twisted my ankle just now. It hurts a lot."

Lin Luo instinctively looked toward the ankle that had hit the coffee table, but it wasn't red or swollen, nor was the skin even broken...

PS: The sister-in-law route begins. There will be another update tonight. Seeking monthly votes! (To be continued)RQ

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