A whirlwind marriage: The real heiress marries a warlord.

The Five Nations Hotel has five floors and is equipped with modern elevators.

It's the tallest building in the southern part of the city, offering a panoramic view of the entire city. The night wasn't too late yet, and the most bustling street resembled a galaxy of stars, neon lights everywhere.

Liu Jinyao took a shower, smoked and enjoyed the breeze on the balcony, lost in thought; the wound on his collarbone had scabbed over, but the bone had not fully healed, causing him temporary inconvenience.

He was furious.

Even Du Zhuojun, whom he looked down upon, was now making a deal with her. The purpose, of course, was to frame her after the deed was done.

Liu Jinyao glanced at the time.

It's 9:30 p.m.

The people he sent out haven't reported back to him yet, so the plan probably didn't succeed.

"After a few times, Qin Yan will become a frightened bird. It will be easy to deal with her then," Liu Jinyao thought.

Qin Yan was all he could think about.

Perhaps in his mind, a wealthy young marshal like Cheng Tianxun was no match for him and had no right to challenge him.

The reason he was defeated by him last time was simply because he underestimated his opponent, and that young master took advantage of the situation.

Qin Yan, like him, crawled out of the mud; she was ruthless and cunning. She had defeated Liu Jinyao once, but she was also very afraid of him.

Whenever Liu Jinyao thought of her, his emotions became incredibly complex, as if his blood was boiling. It was a mixture of excitement, exhilaration, and extreme hatred.

An emotion that runs too deep often lacks clear distinctions; it can entangle a person's entire emotional state.

"I'll succeed next time." Liu Jinyao already had a plan in mind.

He can make use of the people in the Cheng family's old mansion, including the second concubine, Cheng Tianyu, Cheng Tianrui, and his young mistress, Tao.

The Cheng family failed, but the Xiang family still failed.

He had spent many years in the southern part of the city.

The Cheng and Xiang families hold unshakeable positions; they have served as officials and been deeply rooted in this area since the previous dynasty. Let's go and learn about them.

He knew the secrets and weaknesses of the Cheng and Xiang families.

Liu Jinyao threw away his cigarette butt.

There was some commotion downstairs.

Liu Jinyao listened intently and thought it sounded like Du Zhuojun's voice. She wanted to come in and find Liu Jinyao.

"That idiot!" Liu Jinyao couldn't help but curse.

Trying to use her to divert attention and frame her for the incident doesn't seem to be going so smoothly. She actually came looking for him that night.

"Let me in, or I'll go to the governor's mansion right now," she said loudly.

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Jinyao saw the headlights of a car in the distance.

Seven or eight cars arrived.

Liu Jinyao's eyes narrowed.

Immediately afterwards, someone shouted, "Du Zhuojun, you viperous woman, how dare you send people to kidnap my brother!"

A young woman, full of presence.

Liu Jinyao also knew her; she was Xiang Linzi, the sixth young lady of the Xiang family.

She was followed by a number of people, who were the adjutants of the Xiang family.

There were a large group of people, about thirty in total.

Is this a plan to openly abduct Du Zhuojun in front of the Five Nations Hotel?

Using a calculated strategy?

Liu Jinyao rang a bell, and soon his chief bodyguard entered. He ordered, "Bring Miss Du in. Don't let the Xiang family arrest her."

The guards agreed and hurriedly went to make the arrangements.

At the restaurant entrance, Du Zhuojun was also flustered, but she tried her best to remain calm: "Xiang Linzi, I can find more people than you. You've used vigilante justice to kidnap me; the law won't forgive you!"

Xiang Linzi scoffed, "Afraid of you? You sent people to kidnap my brother, which is a violation of the law. I'm going to arrest you and send you to the police station!"

He added, "My cousin-in-law owns a newspaper, and yours has gone bankrupt. We can smear you however we want. You'll be waiting to die."

Du Zhuojun's face instantly contorted with rage: "You have no evidence whatsoever. I didn't send anyone to kidnap your brother. You're breaking the law."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Of course I'm afraid you'll throw dirty water on me!" Xiang Linzi said.

The people behind her immediately tried to tie up Du Zhuojun, and the hotel doors finally opened.

More than twenty people came out, each carrying a long gun.

The people behind Xiang Linzi took a few steps back, but Xiang Linzi did not.

She grabbed Du Zhuojun by the collar and strangled him with her other hand: "Hurry up, let's get out of here!"

Everyone: "..."

Du Zhuojun tried to struggle, but Xiang Linzi pulled her hand away and slapped her: "You better behave!"

Du Zhuojun was instantly enraged.

Xiang Linzi wasn't very strong, and she didn't have a gun. Her kidnapping of Du Zhuojun was childish, and she had only angered the hostage.

The two women started fighting.

The guards on both sides were stunned, unsure of what to do. They couldn't fire their guns, lest they accidentally injure their own men.

But this kind of fighting is really improper; it's like children playing house.

Liu Jinyao was on the balcony, craning his neck to look down. He couldn't see clearly, but he could barely make out the general outline of what was going on.

After a while, the commotion subsided, and the Xiang family's cars drove away in a grand procession. Du Zhuojun was then invited into the Five Nations Hotel.

The head of the guards came up and knocked on the door: "Miss Du has been settled in a room on the second floor. She said she really wants to see you."

"No need, just tell her to rest early. Lock her door from the inside, bring her food, and don't let her go out again," Liu Jinyao said.

The kidnapping of Xiang Linchuan was originally intended to frame Du Zhuojun. Now that it has failed, they're hiding her to prevent her from spreading rumors.

The head of the guard hesitated: "What if her family comes looking for her?"

"Just say she's in my bed. If the Du family insists on coming to see, I don't mind letting them," Liu Jinyao said.

Du Zhuojun was willing to offer herself to Liu Jinyao, but Liu Jinyao looked down on her.

This woman is acting strangely; on one hand, she's trying to cling to him, and on the other hand, she's getting entangled with Cheng Tianyu. It's all nonsensical.

Did she think she could maneuver between two men and make them both work for her?

She overestimated her beauty.

Liu Jinyao felt ashamed after saying those words.

He slammed the door shut.

He composed himself, took a deep breath, and suddenly there was a click in the room—the sound of a lighter—followed by the scent of cigarettes.

Liu Jinyao's hand touched his waist.

He was shirtless, wearing only pajama bottoms, and was not carrying a gun.

He slowly turned around.

The woman leaned against the gap between the curtains and the wall in his room. Slender, she was incredibly agile and silent.

The light wasn't bright, but it was enough to illuminate the scene. Her snow-white eyebrows and eyes resembled an ice sculpture. She gently exhaled a puff of smoke, and only then did the statue come to life.

Liu Jinyao gritted his teeth: "Qin Yan?"

His gaze, sharp and menacing, fell upon her face. "Are you... offering yourself up as a concubine?"

"No, I'm here to kill you," Qin Yan said.

Liu Jinyao couldn't help but laugh: "How will you kill him? With your pen?"

He approached step by step.

He caught that faint fragrance again. It was cool and refreshing, less delicate than plum blossoms, yet more alluring. The night was a bit humid and muggy, and her scent was invigorating.

He has many questions to think about.

For example, how did she get to his room? He was in the room the whole time, he just opened the door a few times, but he didn't leave the doorway.

Her presence here is unusual. She has accomplices.

Who are her accomplices, and where are they now?

Liu Jinyao should quickly find a suitable weapon; he can't continue fighting empty-handed.

But he was captivated by the fragrance emanating from her.

He had been thinking about it and hating it for years, and at this moment his emotions were stronger than his reason, like a suddenly surging tide.

"Qin Yan, I've regretted letting you go that day ever since. It was the worst decision I ever made in my life," he said.

He was all muscle, like a heater, and his eyes were so dark that he could block out a lot of light just by standing there, exuding a strong sense of intimidation.

Qin Yan smelled the scent of blood.

She took a deep drag of her cigarette and shrugged back a little.

Liu Jinyao saw through him: "You're afraid of me? You beat me, so why are you afraid of me, Qin Yan?"

Qin Yan exhaled smoke and then made his move.

She wasn't very strong; her blows to Liu Jinyao felt like tickling. Seeing her agility but gentle strength, Liu Jinyao had a plan in mind.

He grabbed her.

He tried to grab her arm, and while she dodged, he wrapped his arm around her neck and subdued her.

There's no need to play along with her. Deal with her first, then take care of her accomplices.

However, I felt a chill on my neck.

Then came the pain.

The pain wasn't sudden at first, but rather it gradually intensified. Like rain, starting with a few drops, fine and dense.

The rain suddenly intensified, becoming torrential.

When Liu Jinyao felt intense and intense pain, Qin Yan was no longer in his sight; he covered his neck, his breathing became difficult, and he coughed more and more violently.

The blood vessel in his neck was severed, and blood quickly filled his mouth and nose. It was as if he had been pushed into a pool of water, and his mouth and nose were submerged in blood.

He fell to the ground, futilely trying to grab something, using his last strength to search for Qin Yan, who was standing diagonally behind him.

She blended into the shadows of the room, the cabinet blocking out some light, and a snowman was slowly melting away.

Liu Jinyao heard her say, "The worst decision you've ever made is coming back here to provoke me."

His struggles grew more and more violent, and blood was smeared everywhere, covering the ground in blood.

But the bloody smell in Qin Yan's breath had mysteriously disappeared.

Cheng Tianxun and Cen Yan stood motionless under the shade of a tree opposite the backyard of the Five Nations Hotel, their eyes fixed on that direction.

"Are you worried?" Cen Yan asked softly.

Cheng Tianxun hummed in agreement.

"You should go help," Cen Yan added. "Climbing over the wall to break into a house is easy for you; you can go with me."

Cheng Tianxun had practiced martial arts since childhood, so the high walls of the Five Nations Hotel were not a problem for him.

To Cen Yan's surprise, Qin Yan was able to climb up.

While Xiang Linzi was causing trouble at the front, drawing all of Liu Jinyao and his men's attention, Qin Yan slipped into his room, as nimb as a bat in the night.

"This is Qin Yan's inner conflict," Cheng Tianxun said after a long pause. "She rarely experiences fear, but this person has cast such a shadow over her, and she has to resolve it herself."

Cen Yan: "That's because this person is very difficult to deal with."

"But he also underestimated his opponent," Cheng Tianxun said. "If I went in with him, he would be on high alert; but if Qin Yan were alone, he would be on low alert at most."

"He's not that stupid."

"He's not stupid, but he's arrogant. If he weren't so arrogant, he wouldn't have dared to return as a special envoy when the peace talks had yielded no results," Cheng Tianxun said.