A whirlwind marriage: The real heiress marries a warlord.

Recently, when Qin Yan goes out, she is followed by a car and protected by two adjutants.

"You can take down those two adjutants by yourself, so who's protecting whom?" Ling Manyun said.

Qin Yan: "This is my husband's kind intention."

"Your life as a wife is just like your life as a student: very hardworking, very obedient, but it doesn't matter," Ling Manyun said.

Then he asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Qin Yan was silent for a moment before saying, "Actually, I've thought about this question too."

"What did you figure out?"

"I arrived in a new land and tried to put down roots. But the results were never quite satisfactory," Qin Yan said.

Ling Manyun: "What you said makes my heart ache. You're so good at being sentimental."

Qin Yan: "It's just a straightforward sentence; you're overthinking it."

Ling Manyun: "..."

A few days later, Qin Yan's mother-in-law finally belatedly heard about the rumors.

Xiang Ying, the mother-in-law, is in charge of foreign affairs for the Nancheng government. She is very busy and doesn't like to listen to gossip, so no one dares to talk to her about it.

The warlord told her about getting vaccinated against smallpox.

"...Was it the Feng family of the Hongmen or the Du family of the Finance Department who did it?" the warlord's wife asked.

Qin Yan: "It's a middleman. The mastermind behind it has disappeared."

"It could also be other bedbugs taking the opportunity to cause trouble," the warlord's wife said.

Qin Yan: "The young marshal also suspects so. I wasn't injured, and the young marshal used this as an excuse to spend money to win people's hearts. We didn't suffer any losses; on the contrary, we benefited. The young marshal doesn't want to spend any more time investigating."

The warlord's wife nodded in satisfaction: "Those who are destined for great things should not step on roadside bugs, but only move forward."

He added, "I didn't like you very much before. If you hadn't started your own newspaper, I wouldn't have agreed to your marriage with Tianxun."

Looking back now, I know I made the right choice marrying you; you truly are insightful. I always said that women who get things done, regardless of whether they read modern or old-fashioned books, possess a keen understanding of things.

Qin Yan: "Mom, thank you for your trust."

Neither of them, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, were particularly cheerful, so their face-to-face conversation was even more serious than the atmosphere in the governor's mansion's conference room.

The warlord's wife was used to it, as was Qin Yan, but it made the maids very nervous, and they didn't dare to breathe loudly beside them.

"Mom, when are you free? The young marshal said it's been a long time since we had a meal together, and he'd like to invite you," Qin Yan said again.

This isn't something she made up.

Cheng Tianxun suddenly said the day before yesterday that he hadn't celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Qin Yan said she hadn't passed either, and that night when she went back, she was followed by Du Zhuojun's younger brother.

Cheng Tianxun then said that his mother definitely didn't celebrate the holiday either.

He's not busy lately; he's secured the base in Suzhou, everything is stable, and he can finally celebrate the holiday.

Qin Yan did not object.

As a daughter-in-law, she was just as dedicated and conscientious as she was as a student and as she worked for the newspaper.

"What does he need from me?" the governor's wife asked. "Tell him to come and ask me himself."

"No, it's just a simple holiday, a belated Mid-Autumn Festival," Qin Yan said.

The warlord's wife looked at her with a puzzled expression: "Where is it customary to make up for missed holidays?"

"The newly harvested geese are very plump, and the roast goose at Qingyang Restaurant is delicious. Mom, forget about customs, let's go eat some good food," Qin Yan said.

The warlord's wife: "..."

She was a little lazy and took a while to answer Qin Yan, saying she would think about it and wasn't sure if she would have time now.

He then instructed Qin Yan, "Tell Tianxun to call me. If he wants to invite me, he can come and invite me himself."

Qin Yan said, "Okay."

As the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were talking, a maid came in and announced, "Madam, the Second Concubine and the Third Young Marshal have arrived."

The warlord's wife said calmly, "Let them in."

Qin Yan stood up: "Mom, I'm going back now."

The lady nodded slightly.

As she was leaving, she ran into the second concubine and her son who were entering the house.

The second concubine was the legitimate daughter of the Northern Prince's Mansion. She had a round face and almond eyes, and a graceful and elegant demeanor. Most matriarchs of ordinary families could not match her good temperament. Cheng Tianyu resembled the warlord somewhat, but he resembled the second concubine even more. He had delicate features and a slightly dark complexion, and he was almost as handsome as Cheng Tianxun.

"Second Sister-in-law," Cheng Tianyu greeted her with a smile.

Qin Yan nodded slightly: "Young Marshal."

He then looked at the second concubine and greeted her as well.

"Ayan, it's so hard to see you. Last time, I sent someone to deliver the festival gifts from the estate to your villa. Did you like them?" the second concubine asked with a smile.

The second concubine lived in the old house.

She controlled all the warlord's belongings and would send them to various places during festivals.

Qin Yan accepted everything and sent a servant to express his gratitude.

Anyway, her mother-in-law, the warlord's wife, didn't tell her not to accept it.

"I received everything, thank you very much, Second Madam," Qin Yan said.

"You can call me Second Aunt, just like your eldest sister-in-law," the second concubine said with a smile. "We're family, so don't be so formal."

The warlord's eldest son, Cheng Tianrui, was already married. His wife's surname was Tao, and his father was also a veteran general. While Cheng Tianrui was in the army, his family lived in the old house.

Therefore, among the warlord's three sons, the eldest and the youngest had a good relationship and usually lived together.

The whole family was having a lively and joyful time together.

"Second Madam, you're too kind. I wouldn't dare to be presumptuous," Qin Yan said.

She rarely smiled when she spoke, and her tone was always serious. The second concubine and her son, however, seemed oblivious and chatted with her for several minutes.

It wasn't until the servant came to urge them: "Madam requests that you two come in to speak."

Qin Yan was then able to escape.

That evening, Cheng Tianxun returned to the villa, and Qin Yan told him about the warlord's wife calling her over, their conversation, and her encounter with the second concubine and her son.

"I see."

She then looked at Qin Yan and said, "The second concubine took the third son to see his mother because of the third son's marriage."

"Whom are you going to marry?"

"I want to marry Lin Zi," Cheng Tianxun said.

"That's wishful thinking," Qin Yan said.

Cheng Tianxun's maternal grandfather was Xiang Shichang. The military government was in Central China, and he, along with Governor Cheng and Governor Qin, were the three major forces in the southern government.

Some of Xiang's family members were in the southern part of the city, while others stayed with Marshal Xiang.

When Cheng Tianxun had just come of age, his maternal grandfather gifted him a province. It was precisely because of this that he was able to overpower his brothers despite his father's lack of favor.

The current cabinet, which controls the presidential palace, is ostensibly supported by powerful figures and wealthy individuals, a political charade. In reality, the Xiang family is the one truly controlling the Nancheng cabinet behind the scenes.

This secret was also told to Qin Yan by Cheng Tianxun.

For some reason, Cheng Tianxun didn't seem to care much about marriage, but he seemed to trust Qin Yan a lot.

As the legitimate daughter of the Xiang family, Xiang Linzi could not possibly marry the son of the second concubine of the Cheng family.

"Lin Zi is brainless, and the third brother is quite good-looking and ruthless. I'm afraid he'll make a move on Lin Zi," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan: "Lin Zi is quite smart."

"Don't flatter her."

Qin Yan: "..."

The couple chatted for a while before returning to the master bedroom to wash up.

When Cheng Tianxun, covered in sweat, tried to hug Qin Yan, Qin Yan avoided him.

She couldn't sleep with him, so he tried to find ways to make things difficult for her.

"I don't want to tonight," Qin Yan said.

Her expression was calm. "Will you suffocate if you stay up all night?"

"You ate today, so you don't need to eat tomorrow?" Cheng Tianxun asked. "Were you unhappy last night?"

Last night, he felt good himself and said that he also served Qin Yan.

Qin Yan didn't understand at first.

When he kissed her, it was as if fireworks exploded in her mind.

Qin Yan rarely experienced such extreme pleasure.

She doesn't like things that are too intense.

She eats plain food, wears light-colored clothes, and even her coffee is unsweetened.

"Qin Yan," Cheng Tianxun hugged her, "Let's do it again."

Qin Yan: "..."