A whirlwind marriage: The real heiress marries a warlord.

The music for dancing is slow.

Even so, Qin Yan still stepped on Cheng Tianxun twice.

Cheng Tianxun said to her, "Are your feet sore from stepping on me? How about I take off my shoes so you can step on me more comfortably?"

Qin Yan: "..."

"You're so easily distracted, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking, Qin Yaoren has already arrived in the southern city, he must know where Manyun is staying. It seems pointless for me to send someone to inform Manyun now," Qin Yan said.

He added, "Actually, I prefer to solve problems rather than run away from them."

Take Ling Manyun's annulment of the engagement, for example. What couldn't be done last year might not happen this year.

Time is never wasted; every fleeting moment takes something away and also brings some gifts.

When Qin Yan mentioned Qin Yao to Ling Manyun last time, Ling Manyun didn't rush to run away, and she didn't ask any questions afterward.

Ling Manyun is very opinionated.

"But you're still worried," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan remained silent.

"It's rare that you have feelings for her," he said.

Qin Yan seemed indifferent to everyone, and even towards Ling Manyun, she was quite aloof. Only when trouble arose could one glimpse her thinly veiled sincerity.

This genuine affection was given to Ling Manyun.

"I'm not a plant or tree," Qin Yan said.

Cheng Tianxun stopped making fun of him.

Just as the dance ended, the two of them left the dance floor. Cheng Tianxun took two glasses of wine and walked out of the private residence with Qin Yan.

Xiang Cenyan's private residence is located in the north of the city, near the courthouse of the concession. It is a quiet area amidst the hustle and bustle, and the whole street is lined with Western-style houses.

The corridor under the eaves is wide enough to set up tables and chairs, where people can sit and chat, drink tea, and play cards.

The electric light shrouded the lantern's shade, casting a dim, yellowish glow that blended with the moonlight; the night had been clear for several days, the breeze was cool and refreshing, not damp at all.

Cheng Tianxun summoned his adjutant and asked him to go to Ling Manyun's residence to tell her about Qin Yao.

"Just say so," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan nodded slightly.

"Don't you want Miss Ling to marry Qin Yao?" Cheng Tianxun asked again.

Qin Yan: "I don't like to meddle in other people's business."

Therefore, she didn't have a particular attitude. Marrying was fine, not marrying was also fine; Ling Manyun could make her own decision.

Cheng Tianxun clinked glasses with her.

Inside the stained-glass windows was a flower hall, filled with laughter and music. The two of them sat quietly on chairs in the corridor, drinking.

"This wine is good," Qin Yan said.

Cheng Tianxun: "Bland and tasteless."

"It tastes alright to me."

"Ask Cen Yan what brand of wine it is later, and buy some if you like," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan said, "Okay."

They talked about the dance music they had just heard, the wine, the street view in the distance, and the appearance of the houses in the area.

It was a series of trivial matters, but there was a back-and-forth exchange, and neither Cheng Tianxun nor she found it boring.

Just then, someone came out.

The adjutant stood at the end of the corridor, trying to stop them, but Qin Yan spotted Lan Zheng.

Cheng Tianxun glanced at it and then looked away.

"Tianxun, may I speak to you in private?" Lan Zheng asked loudly.

Cheng Tianxun: "I'm busy."

"I'd like to have a word with your young mistress," Lan Zheng said.

Cheng Tianxun: "I don't have time either."

Qin Yan stood up: "Lieutenant Qian, let him come over."

Cheng Tianxun took a sip of wine, but still found it tasteless. He stood up and said, "Let him come over."

He added, "I'll go find some more wine; this wine is really awful."

He went inside.

The moonlight and lantern light illuminated Qin Yan's face, which was obscured by shadows, but her aloof demeanor was as if covered by a thin layer of frost.

Lan Zheng stood there, at a loss for what to do.

He wanted to talk to Cheng Tianxun and Qin Yan, not just Qin Yan alone. But Cheng Tianxun, that unreliable guy, left them both behind and went off on his own.

Lan Zheng was so embarrassed that his scalp tingled.

He was caught in a dilemma.

After a few moments of silence, Qin Yan spoke up instead: "Would you like to come and sit down?"

As if receiving instructions, Lan Zheng walked over and sat down opposite her.

Looking at her, I was reminded of my mother's old photos. She and my mother looked exactly alike when they were young; they still look alike now.

"I promised Chief of Staff Lan that I wouldn't meet with your family," Qin Yan said. "I didn't know you would come today."

"I used to have a good relationship with Tianxun, but he hasn't been paying much attention to me lately; however, I'm very close to Cen Yan," Lan Zheng said.

He added, "Father's request is a bit heartless."

Qin Yan picked up the wine and took a sip.

It wasn't wine; she didn't know what kind of liquor it was. It had some strength, but it was smooth and mellow, tasting only slightly more like alcohol than plain water.

Not sweet, not strong.

"My third brother Lan Xiu and I both know your identity," Lan Zheng added.

Qin Yan: "Everyone in your family should know this."

Lan Zheng was startled.

Everyone knows, but they pretend not to know and maintain a facade of harmony?

—Someone like their family would do that!

"...I just got back, and we haven't talked about you publicly yet," Lan Zheng said.

Qin Yan sat there motionless.

"My third brother and I really want to talk to you," Lan Zheng added. "Where did you grow up?"

"Before I was fourteen, I was in Yicheng."

"Yicheng?" Lan Zheng was slightly surprised. "Our hometown is in Yicheng, it's very close."

His father was having an affair right under his mother's nose?

Really...

Lan Zheng really doesn't want to think about his parents right now; it's too upsetting.

"Have you ever been to Nancheng? I mean, when you were a child," Lan Zheng asked again.

"When I was seven, we all came here, and it was agreed that I would meet your family. I was looking forward to it."

"Mrs. Ye and I were staying at a hotel, and it was a very cold winter. We hadn't seen me. I was very curious, so I went to your door. The old lady saw me and had the maid chase me away," Qin Yan said.

Lan Zheng was startled again.

Did her grandmother know her too?

"...You have to understand your grandmother; she cares more about my father," Lan Zheng said.

At that time, her mother certainly didn't know, so she couldn't let Qin Yan meet with her mother and had to send Qin Yan away.

On a winter night, a lonely little girl came to the door... Lan Zheng thought about it and felt sorry for her.

She is innocent.

It's all his father's fault!

Qin Yan: "I don't understand anyone in your family."

Lan Zheng was momentarily embarrassed: "Yes, it's understandable that you feel resentful."

"Not understanding doesn't mean I resent you. I have no resentment in my heart. It's just that it's none of your business," Qin Yan said.

Lan Zheng sighed.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked.

"If you can stay away from me and avoid causing me trouble, it'll be better for both of us," Qin Yan said. "It's best if things like tonight's 'Let's talk' never happen again. What do you want to hear? Do you want me to reveal the past and satisfy your curiosity?"

He added, "Your parents probably don't want you to be curious."

Lan Zheng's face turned red.

He was almost thirty years old, and Qin Yan's words made him look quite embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

"It's alright." Qin Yan stood up. "Let's go in."

She went into the room first.

Cheng Tianxun was chatting with Xiang Cenyan, his gaze fixed on the doorway. Seeing her enter, he walked over.

He handed her a glass of red wine and said, "This is delicious."

Qin Yan drank it.

Her mouth felt wooden; she couldn't taste anything.

But she still nodded: "It tastes good."