A whirlwind marriage: The real heiress marries a warlord.

When Cheng Tianxun returned, Qin Yan was already home.

She had just finished lunch, taken a short rest, changed her clothes, and was about to go out.

When they met face to face, she nodded and greeted him: "Young Marshal."

He added, "I'm leaving now. I still have some chores to take care of this afternoon."

Cheng Tianxun: "I came back specifically because I heard about what happened at the newspaper."

Qin Yan stopped in his tracks: "I didn't cause any trouble. I didn't kill anyone, I just fired a shot near Miss Du's ear. The bullet grazed her earlobe and she bled quite a bit. She fainted from fright."

Gunshots can indeed deafen you—it's possible, but not certain.

She aimed carefully when she fired at her follower, avoiding vital organs and preventing serious injury.

Qin Yan was quite confident in his marksmanship.

"I didn't say you caused trouble," Cheng Tianxun said. "Don't worry, I'm not back to cause trouble."

He gestured, "Let's go upstairs and talk."

Qin Yan handed the handbag to the maid and followed her upstairs to the second floor.

The bed for the master bedroom hadn't been delivered yet, so the couple sat down in the living room of the master bedroom.

The maid brought the tea and carefully withdrew.

Qin Yan picked up the teacup and held it.

She recalled hearing that Du Zhuojun and Cheng Tianxun were childhood sweethearts and had quite a history with each other.

I also recalled Ling Manyun saying that a few days ago, Cheng Tianxun had a secret rendezvous with Du Zhuojun late at night.

Remember what Du Zhuojun said earlier? Qin Yan was chosen by Cheng Tianxun because she looked somewhat like her, and he agreed to marry her.

Qin Yan had no interest in which of these things were true or false.

She just wanted her life to be less complicated.

She paused for a moment, then spoke.

"Miss Du brought people to my newspaper office. If I let her come and go as she pleases, I will lose my prestige and it will be even more difficult to manage my subordinates," Qin Yan said.

He added, "My chief writers are the ones I painstakingly cultivated. I stayed up all night with them to work on their projects, determined their individual styles, and even found renowned scholars to endorse them."

Now that they've gained fame, many newspapers will be eager to poach them. If I were an easy target, all my hard work would be for nothing.

She paused, then, seeing that Cheng Tianxun had lit a cigarette and seemed alright, asked, "Should I apologize to Miss Du?"

Cheng Tianxun exhaled smoke: "Not killing her isn't a big mistake, no need to apologize."

Qin Yan: "..."

"I made a foolish mistake when I was young. So she often uses that as an excuse. Next time you encounter her provocation, just kill or cripple her. You don't need to explain to me; I'll clean up the mess with the warlord," Cheng Tianxun said.

He paused here, seemingly waiting for Qin Yan to ask something.

Qin Yan was terrified of hearing about complicated love stories and grudges—she had no desire to investigate the love of a "stranger."

If he were to teach Qin Yan how to seize territory, manage subordinates, and make money, Qin Yan would listen attentively.

She remained silent.

Cheng Tianxun asked again, "Were you scared?"

"without."

"It's still early, what are you going to do this afternoon?" he asked.

Before Qin Yan could answer, he continued, "I'm going to the base the day after tomorrow, and I'll also be going to Suzhou this time. I might not be back for two or three months."

The implication is quite obvious.

Qin Yan understood his words very well.

She remained silent for a moment before saying, "The bed hasn't arrived yet."

"It doesn't have to be done in bed."

"You don't have to do it," she said.

Cheng Tianxun: "I don't like vegetarian food. I came back in the middle of the afternoon not to hear you say this."

Qin Yan: "..."

Cheng Tianxun: "Guest room or sofa? Bathroom is fine too."

Qin Yan: "..."

He walked up to her, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his fingers hooking the buttons of her cheongsam.

Amidst the billowing smoke, he looked at her.

He had strong desires, but he didn't force anyone. Qin Yan had refused him twice, and he went along with her both times without forcing her.

At this moment, his hand was not heavy; it was an inquiry, a test.

It's also a form of teasing.

Qin Yan took his cigarette, took a puff herself, and kissed his lips.

Amidst the crisp scent of tobacco, she was held in Cheng Tianxun's lap.

The sunlight outside the window was still bright, and sparrows chirped on the branches. The legs of the sofa seemed to be unable to bear the weight, their chirping mingling with the birdsong.

Qin Yan was slumped on the armrest of the sofa in a daze, and Cheng Tianxun, unusually considerate, stopped him.

His lips kissed her sweaty back: "You're very fair-skinned."

The white hair, lustrous and pearly, is pleasing to the eye. The contrast between black and white is striking when the dark hair falls.

When his hand gripped her waist, Cheng Tianxun felt his eyes being stimulated even more. It was like yellow sand falling like white snow, a scene of lingering and enchanting beauty.

It was so enjoyable.

It looks extremely pleasing.

He turned her face and kissed her lips.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

Qin Yan hummed comfortably twice: "Mmm."

"I'm not ready yet."

Qin Yan: "..."

Later, she told Cheng Tianxun to be gentle, so as not to break the sofa legs.

"I really like this sofa. The furniture store owner said it's from Southeast Asia, and if I want a matching pair, I'll have to wait six months..."

Amidst her rambling, Cheng Tianxun kissed her, silencing her.

In the evening, Qin Yan fell asleep in the guest room, while Cheng Tianxun and his confidants went up to the third floor for a meeting.

The next day, when Qin Yan went to the newspaper office, the four chief editors came to see her separately.

"Ms. Du slandered me, I never thought of resigning."

"Miss Du sent someone to deliver some snacks to my wife. Inside the box were two gold bars, but my wife, being easily offended, accepted them. Only after I pressed her did she tell the truth. These are the gold bars; please return them to Miss Du for me."

"President, the salary you offer is good, I can't leave unless you tell me to."

"I've never met Miss Du. She sent a servant to find me. How could I possibly go to her place with such arrogance?"

Qin Yan comforted them one by one.

We might say a few words of gratitude, offer some encouragement, and then dream about the future together.

And he promised a raise.

After they left, Secretary Ling Manyun brought Qin Yan coffee: "The effect of yesterday's shooting."

Qin Yan turned his head and saw the broken glass in the back window of the office that hadn't been replaced yet. He nodded and said, "You're right. Sometimes a gun is more effective than a pen."

The secretary noticed it too and said, "The weather isn't cold, let's leave these bullet holes for a few more days so everyone can see them."

Then he asked, "A real raise?"

"Use both rewards and punishments," Qin Yan said. "Give the lead writers a raise, but not the others."

The newspaper's revenue has always been good, and Qin Yan is making a good living. Now that others are trying to poach talent, Qin Yan can't rely on past relationships to retain him. A raise is perfectly reasonable.

Cheng Tianxun also gave her 100,000 silver dollars.

She was busy in the office all day.

Just before she was about to leave work, her secretary, Ling Manyun, told her that Du Zhuojun had not been discharged from the hospital and that her father had also been admitted.

"It seems that Chief Du has been beaten," the secretary said.

"I know, it was Cheng Tianxun who made the call," Qin Yan said.

After yesterday's event, Cheng Tianxun insisted on taking a bath with her and told her everything that had happened in the military government.

Qin Yan simply asked, "Will the Commander-in-Chief be angry?"

"No," Cheng Tianxun said.

Concise and resolute, Qin Yan decided to ignore it.

Whoever gets beaten has nothing to do with her.

Another day passed, and Cheng Tianxun went out.

He always does this.

He never tells Qin Yan in advance when he goes out or comes home; Qin Yan has gotten used to it.

When Cheng Tianxun went to his post, the governor's wife asked Qin Yan to go to the governor's mansion.