A whirlwind marriage: The real heiress marries a warlord.

Qin Yan remained silent the entire way.

Cheng Tianxun put his arm around her and let her lean on him. Qin Yan nestled her head in his arms.

Back at the villa, Cheng Tianxun said, "Shall we have some drinks?"

Qin Yan: "I'm not full."

It's not that I wasn't full, it's that I didn't eat a single bite.

Cheng Tianxun: "Perfect, drinking on an empty stomach makes you get drunk faster. It's very comfortable to go to sleep tipsy."

Qin Yan: "..."

"Want to give it a try?" he asked.

Qin Yan: "Okay."

Cheng Tianxun brought up a bottle of red wine, Qin Yan's favorite. This time, she knew to bring the wine opener.

After two glasses, Cheng Tianxun felt that the wine was no different from fruit juice; Qin Yan, however, was a little drunk, with a flush on her cheeks.

"Qin Yan, Madam Lan shouldn't know about the baby swap," Cheng Tianxun said. "Would you like to ask her for details?"

"There are two of me inside me. One is the me from when I was a child, who desperately wants to know why she was abandoned; this matter troubles her."

"The other is who I am now. I've endured all the hardships alone, and I accept them all. I don't need to search for the truth," Qin Yan said.

Cheng Tianxun understood.

He said, "I'll go to the Lan family tomorrow and find out for you, okay?"

Qin Yan felt this was the best compromise and nodded: "Just ask, don't get angry. Don't make enemies right now."

There's a lot to do.

Luo Tang arrived, and Qin Yan and she sought revenge; Liu Jinyao returned, staring at Qin Yan and his wife like a venomous snake.

They are all battles that are never-ending.

If things are peaceful and there's some free time, Qin Yan will probably cause trouble with the Lan family.

These old stories, now insignificant and meaningless, are buried in the grave; digging them up won't change anything.

Neither Qin Yan himself nor the Lan family could save the girl who was abandoned back then.

"You can rest assured about what I do," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan was slightly drunk, and leaned in to kiss him: "You've always been reliable."

Cheng Tianxun hugged her tightly.

He buried his head in her flowing black hair and murmured her name: "Qin Yan".

Qin Yan felt the profound affection.

It seems she has finally obtained what she most desired, even if only temporarily.

"Qin Yan, I like you very much!" Cheng Tianxun said.

Before she could answer, he continued, "I told you before not to like me, not to be a jerk, but I never said I wouldn't. It's none of your business!"

Qin Yan: "..."

She was about to say something when Cheng Tianxun, seemingly afraid that what she said might be unpleasant, simply kissed her.

Fueled by alcohol, their passion deepened to the bone.

It was a bit muggy tonight, and Qin Yan was sweating all over. Her hair was wet with sweat, but she felt extremely comfortable, and her fingers felt weak.

The couple took a shower, and then the night wind picked up and it started to rain.

The rain intensified, turning into a downpour.

In his drowsy state, Qin Yan heard Cheng Tianxun say, "The rain is so heavy, don't break the flowering trees."

He added, "I'll go down and check on things. You go to sleep."

Qin Yan wanted to say that the gardener had taken precautions and there was no need to check. But she was too tired and kept drifting off into a sweet dream, so she fell asleep first.

When I woke up the next day, the sun was just rising. The sky and the leaves, washed clean by a night of torrential rain, were exceptionally clean and fresh.

Qin Yan had a headache.

The consequence of being too happy is that your head feels slightly throbbing when you wake up in the morning.

"How about we take a break today?" Cheng Tianxun suggested to her.

Qin Yan: "Not today, too many things to do."

"I'll take you there," he said.

Qin Yan said, "Okay."

Aunt Zhou asked the kitchen to make a hangover soup. Qin Yan drank a bowl, but he still felt a bit heavy when he arrived at the newspaper office.

The person was confused.

This won't do.

There have been many unexpected events lately, so she should remain vigilant at all times. She absolutely cannot fool around with Cheng Tianxun anymore.

But I'm in a good mood.

She arrived at the office looking dejected.

"Were you drunk last night?" Ling Manyun asked her.

Qin Yan nodded.

"You look quite happy, is there some good news?" she asked again.

It wasn't exactly a happy occasion for Qin Yan, but he was in a good mood.

Because Cheng Tianxun told her that he liked her very much.

The words still lingered in her mind, like a cup of water with honey, occasionally releasing a touch of sweetness to nourish her parched heart.

"It's not exactly a joyous occasion," Qin Yan said.

Ling Manyun divided the documents at hand into two categories.

"I'll deal with these this morning, they're not too urgent." She placed the documents on her left and a pile on her right. "I'll handle these this afternoon, when my mind is clearer."

Qin Yan said, "Okay."

Ling Manyun served her tea.

Around mid-morning, her phone rang; it was a colleague calling her.

Ling Manyun asked a few simple questions and then brought Qin Yan in one by one.

As for the content, Ling Manyun had already found out most of it by filtering the incoming calls.

"The Lan family wanted to acknowledge their kinship, so they got all the newspapers in the city to put it on the front page. Except for our family," Ling Manyun said.

This was what his colleagues told Qin Yan.

They asked her if there was anything strange about this, and whether it was okay to send it.

Qin Yan said, "It's true."

Yes, you can send it.

She wanted the Lan family to clear her name.

Last night, everyone had a rather unpleasant conversation, but unexpectedly, the Lan family reacted quickly and drafted a news article today, which they then had published in a newspaper.

Qin Yan's goal was achieved.

"They want to acknowledge you?" Ling Manyun asked. "Why are they being so kind, suddenly remembering to acknowledge you today? Is Lan Changming going to be in trouble?"

Qin Yan wasn't entirely sure either, guessing that the answer might be completely wrong, so Cheng Tianxun went to inquire for her.

"I'll tell you the details tomorrow," Qin Yan said.

Ling Manyun said yes.

In the late afternoon, Qin Yan thought about finishing up the documents at hand as soon as possible, going home after work, and chatting with Cheng Tianxun about the Lan family.

Before three o'clock, Cheng Tianxun came to pick her up.

In the car, he told Qin Yan what had happened.

"...The old lady went to the military hospital. It wasn't anything serious; she was faking illness. The warlord ordered the military doctor to take her home, and if she felt unwell again, to go to another hospital."

Lan Muhe was imprisoned, and Lan Xiu handled the matter; Lan Zheng searched her courtyard and retrieved all the jewelry that Madam Lan had given her. She claimed her innocence.

"The Ye family men are still in the Transportation Bureau. The warlord wanted to personally oversee it, so they were transferred to the Garrison Command today," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan listened attentively.

Madam Lan only learned about it last night; the Lan family's sons had recently figured out the truth, albeit through a process of guesswork.

Qin Yan: "On what charges did the military governor and the Transportation Bureau detain Ye Xianting?"

"Deputy Director Rong of the Transportation Bureau is also from Yicheng, and his first wife lives in Yicheng. Ye Xianting organized gambling dens and made a lot of money; he also embezzled."

"This time, he swindled the Rong family's heirloom, a priceless jade Buddha statue, from them at the gambling table. It's too valuable, and he refuses to hand it over, which is why he's been kept locked up," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan: "That person is willing to risk his life for wealth; he loves money immensely. Once he has a huge fortune in his hands, he wouldn't reveal it even if it meant being killed."

He then asked, "Was he involved in the child-swapping scheme because he was after Mrs. Lan's money?"

Cheng Tianxun: "Lan Xiu interrogated him for several days, and his answer was that he didn't know much about the inside story. Not long after he returned to Yicheng, his wife died."

He then asked Qin Yan, "Is what he said believable?"

Qin Yan: "I'm not familiar with him either; we only see each other a few times a year."

He added, "He has never been to the Lan family. I just thought he was being patient and biding his time for his daughter's future, not wanting to disrupt the harmony of the Lan family or remind them that Lan Muhe is not their biological daughter."