A whirlwind marriage: The real heiress marries a warlord.

Qin Yan met Qin Yao at Xiang Cenyan's private residence.

His birth mother was from Fengtian, and he had some northern blood. He was very tall, no less than Cheng Tianxun.

Wearing gold-rimmed glasses, he didn't appear refined or out of place.

"Young Marshal Qin." Qin Yan nodded slightly.

"Mrs. Cheng." He stood up.

The two knew each other, but had no personal relationship.

Xiang Cenyan's friends all came, including Lan Zheng.

The women sat in the small reception room on the west side, and Lin Zi helped with the hospitality.

There were seven or eight ladies sitting in the room.

"How handsome," Qin Yan overheard a young woman say. "His Mandarin isn't very good, but it doesn't detract from his good looks. Is he married?"

"I'll ask around for you later," Xiang Linzi said with a smile.

Then she asked Qin Yan, "Sister-in-law, you just greeted Young Marshal Qin. Do you know him?"

The young women in the small reception room all had their eyes fixed on Qin Yan, because the people from Nancheng were unaware of her background.

Even Cheng Tianxun and his mother only found out recently.

Rumors circulated that one of her identities was that she was the illegitimate daughter of the Qin military governor's family in Guangzhou; and Qin Yao exchanged pleasantries with her.

"I know him," Qin Yan said.

Is he married?

Qin Yan didn't know how to answer this question. He was supposed to have a fiancée, but she ran away before the wedding, unilaterally breaking off the engagement.

Qin Yan didn't know whether the marriage agreement was still valid.

"I only have nodding acquaintances with him, and I've never asked him about his private affairs," Qin Yan said.

She had barely finished speaking when there was a knock on the door of the small meeting room.

Everyone turned around and saw Xiang Cenyan open the door and come in, exchanging a few pleasantries with the ladies; then he said to Qin Yan, "Sister-in-law, come out and say a few words."

I could vaguely see Qin Yao standing not far from the doorway.

Xiang Linzi glanced at it curiously again, but Cen Yan blocked her way.

Qin Yan went out, but Xiang Linzi was still craning her neck to look around.

"Be careful, lest gossip spread," Cen Yan said.

Xiang Linzi: "I'm just taking a look. Big brother, is he married?"

Cen Yan glanced at her indifferently: "That's going too far. You shouldn't have asked."

"Is he and my cousin's sister-in-law siblings?" Xiang Linzi asked again.

Cen Yan: "You're asking for information, and you just directly ask?"

"Otherwise what?"

Cen Yan: "..."

He gestured for Xiang Linzi to step back, then casually closed the door to the small meeting room, blocking her view.

Walking back to the sofa in the flower hall, Xiang Cenyan saw Cheng Tianxun holding a wine glass, but his gaze was following Qin Yan and Qin Yao.

He didn't frown, but he certainly wasn't relaxed either.

Cen Yan: "You agreed that he should talk to his younger brother and sister-in-law."

"No objection." Cheng Tianxun took a sip of wine. "What the hell is this stuff? It's bland and tasteless, neither Chinese nor Western."

"It's a new imported liquor," Cen Yan said. "It tastes alright. If you don't like it, just add some vinegar."

Cheng Tianxun put down his wine glass and lit a cigarette: "Buying such awful wine and still thinking you have good taste. You're nothing special."

He didn't look in Qin Yan and Qin Yao's direction again.

"...What are you doing here?" Qin Yan asked him.

Qin Yan and Qin Yao stood at a distance, but they were facing away from the guests in the flower hall. From Cen Yan's direction, the visual illusion made it seem as if they were whispering intimately.

"Several groups of spies from the south city tried to stop me. So I sent a telegram to the cabinet, asking them to pick up the train."

Xiang Cenyan came to pick me up personally. We chatted for a few minutes, and I told him why I had come. Whether he believed me or not, I meant no harm.

He said that since I was traveling north on private business, there was no need to alarm the cabinet and the governor's office. He would privately introduce me to someone from the Cheng family. He was hosting a banquet tonight.” Qin Yao said slowly, adjusting his glasses.

He spoke slowly and deliberately, each word sounding as if he had thought it through carefully.

Qin Yan: "What private matter do you have?"

"I've come to see Manjun," he said.

Qin Yan: "She said she's breaking off the engagement with you."

"She was the only one who said it; no one agreed. I told her we could discuss it further, but she wouldn't listen and just left," Qin Yao said.

He then asked, "Do you know when she left?"

"I heard it from her. On the wedding day, because the Ling family had been keeping her locked up, they only let their guard down during the wedding," Qin Yan said.

Qin Yao: "I sent you a telegram asking you about it, but you didn't tell me the truth."

After Ling Manyun went missing, Qin Yan received telegrams from both the Ling and Qin families inquiring about her, and Qin Yao also sent a private telegram.

Qin Yan claimed he had never seen it before.

"You're giving me face, but I'm a rather harsh person. The only person I'm truly on good terms with is Manyun," Qin Yan said.

Whether it was the Qin family or the Ling family, Qin Yan only got to know them through Ling Manyun.

Without Ling Manyun, she has no connection with these people; they are not her own network.

Qin Yan doesn't care who has more money or power; she traces back to the source, and Ling Manyun is her bridge.

Ling Manyun had sought refuge with her; she couldn't possibly betray her friend.

"Could you do me a favor this time?" he asked.

Just then, Cheng Tianxun walked over.

Cheng Tianxun was not usually a serious person, even when attending meetings in the military government. At this moment, his lips were tightly pressed together.

"Aren't you done talking yet?" He glanced around, but his gaze landed on Qin Yao. "What do you have to say to me?"

"You can't make that decision," Qin Yao said.

Sensing malice, Qin Yao raised his guard.

"If you think I can't make decisions, then you don't need to come to my territory," Cheng Tianxun said.

He added, "The current situation is sensitive. Will the Cheng and Xiang families believe your explanation, or will the Northern government believe it?"

He glanced at Qin Yan out of the corner of his eye.

Qin Yan remained silent.

"Whether you believe it or not is your business. If you don't want a peaceful life, you can kill me," Qin Yao said.

Cheng Tianxun: "I never butcher chickens myself, I don't have that kind of free time. You can take care of your own business, don't bother my wife."

He paused, then took a step closer. "This is my suggestion. If you don't listen, next time you'll get a warning."

He first tried diplomacy, then resorted to force.

Qin Yao's gaze fell on his face. The reflection from his glasses made the color of his eyes temporarily indistinct.

Xiang Cenyan has arrived.

He separated Cheng Tianxun and then said to Qin Yao, "I'll act as a mediator. For my sake, let's talk this out."

"I am very sincere and should not be suspected like this," Qin Yao said.

Cheng Tianxun: "You say one thing and do another. Who do you think you're fooling?"

Xiang Cenyan sighed.

He winked at Qin Yan, "Sister-in-law, you two go to the flower hall to dance first. The band is ready."

Qin Yan said, "Okay."

She looked at Cheng Tianxun, "Weren't we going dancing?"

Cheng Tianxun took her hand: "Let's go."

The two of them left first.

Qin Yan asked him, "Why did you suddenly lose your temper?"

"I didn't lose my temper," Cheng Tianxun said. "Some people play the good cop, some play the bad cop, using both kindness and severity. Cen Yan plays the good guy, and I'll play the bad guy. Otherwise, the Qin family will treat Nancheng like their own marketplace, coming and going as they please."

Then he asked, "Do you believe he came solely for the woman?"

"He is the son of Governor Qin, and his bloodline carries political connotations. I have nothing to do with him," Qin Yan said.

For people who don't care, the stance of "believing" doesn't exist.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Tianxun's expression remained unreadable: "Let's go, let's go dancing."

He led Qin Yan onto the dance floor.