A whirlwind marriage: The real heiress marries a warlord.

Cheng Tianxun used Cen Yan's phone to call back to the villa.

Upon learning that Qin Yan had gone to the newspaper office, he got up to say goodbye.

He didn't have time either, and rushed to the military government.

That afternoon, Qin Yan returned home early, but Cheng Tianxun did not.

"Madam called you and asked you to have dinner at the Governor's Mansion after you return," said Sister-in-law Zhou.

Qin Yan changed his clothes and went to the military government.

Just then, Cheng Tianxun finished his meeting and was having dinner at the official residence.

"Where is the warlord?"

"He went to the old house. He's been busy these past few days; there's a lot going on there," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan nodded.

The mother and her two children sat down, and Qin Yan asked about Cen Yan.

In short, Xiang Linzi and Du Zhuojun fought in front of the Five Nations Hotel that day, and Du Zhuojun scratched a bloody mark near her eye with his fingernails.

Cen Yan noticed this, gave her some ointment, and chatted with her for a few minutes.

When the topic turned to her uncle's upcoming return and Cen Yan's engagement, Xiang Linzi said she could leave because Miss Ling had analyzed the situation for her and said that her departure would be better for everyone.

Cen Yan remained silent for a long time.

He said to Xiang Linzi, "This is the best choice, and the most mature choice. Miss Ling is a smart woman."

"You'll definitely like a woman like Miss Ling. She's not only a great homemaker, but also an outstanding businesswoman," Lin Zi said.

She also said that Cen Yan could marry a woman like Miss Ling.

She started crying as she spoke.

The tears wouldn't stop.

Cen Yan lost control for a moment and hugged her. He said he wouldn't like a woman like Miss Ling.

Xiang Linzi probably thought that this was how her life would be, so she turned her head and kissed him, and he responded.

She felt this was some compensation.

But she didn't expect that Cen Yan would directly tell his adoptive father that he "rejected the marriage".

After Cheng Tianxun finished speaking, he shook his head: "It's difficult. An adopted son and a biological niece—this involves ethical issues, and society can hardly tolerate it."

If Lin Zi were my aunt's niece, this would be settled immediately, regardless of whether she had any backing. What my uncle wants is Cen Yan himself.

The warlord's wife took a drag of her cigarette, then exhaled a puff of smoke. "I advise your eldest uncle to stop hitting the child. He should let go."

"If we let go, what will happen to our huge family business?" Cheng Tianxun asked.

"The territory and the army are yours; as for the family property, choose someone he trusts from the army to be his son-in-law," the warlord's wife said.

Qin Yan held up her teacup: "My eldest uncle won't agree."

"He should have had more sons back then, to avoid this situation," said the warlord's wife.

The small meeting room fell silent for a moment.

The warlord's wife exhaled smoke again and said to Cen Yan, "He is a man of principle. He dared to directly refuse the marriage proposal. My uncle both admires and regrets him when he mentions it."

What makes me happy is that the child I raised is upright and not a petty person; what makes me sad is that all my life's planning has come to this, and none of my children or nephews are any good.

The Xiang family father and son wished that the warlord's wife was the one who chose him as a son-in-law, so that Cheng Tianxun could take the surname Xiang, inherit the family business, and be free from worries.

"I told your eldest uncle that whether there will be peace talks or war in the south, there must be a result. Mentioning the Cheng family or the Xiang family now is nothing more than making a fool of themselves."

"It would be better to unite as one, stabilize the territory first, and then he and his maternal grandfather can return to retire. The times have made us who we are; what we have should never have belonged to us, it should have belonged to the imperial court," said the governor's wife.

Cheng Tianxun couldn't help but chuckle: "Mom, you really dare to say that. Uncle is probably going to be furious. You're plotting to seize the Xiang family's fortune."

"You underestimate your eldest uncle. He's not a mediocre man without patriotic ideals," the warlord's wife said seriously. "He thinks I'm right. But he needs to discuss it with your maternal grandfather again."

Cheng Tianxun was very surprised.

The warlord's wife looked at him seriously: "Can you handle it?"

Cheng Tianxun felt a chill run down his spine and nodded: "I will not let you, my maternal grandfather, or my eldest uncle down."

"Then let's wait for news," said the warlord's wife.

Qin Yan sat beside him and listened.

After finishing their conversation and having their meal, the young couple left the governor's mansion.

"...Mother didn't mention the warlord or the second concubine. Liu Jinyao's death clearly involved the old house, but Mother didn't say a word." Qin Yan suddenly said on the way back.

Cheng Tianxun remained silent.

The carriage was dimly lit, and Qin Yan's voice was cold: "Even with Mom, it's not safe, is it?"

"There is no such thing as 100% safety in this world," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan grasped his hand.

He returned her hand, their fingers intertwined. The couple didn't say a word, but they understood each other's emotions.

Throughout May, the southern part of the city was humid and hot, but a lot happened.

Lin Zi gained some fame and established herself in the press by writing articles about Liu Jinyao's murder.

Du Zhuojun was released by the police department, although much of the evidence was related to her: a beautiful woman had been harassing Xiang Linchuan, taking him to a foreign firm to buy jewelry, intending to kidnap him in the VIP room. However, thanks to Xiang Linchuan's quick thinking, both the woman and the kidnapper hiding in the VIP room were discovered beforehand, and Cen Yan had them arrested.

They pointed to Du Zhuojun, saying that Du Zhuojun paid them to kidnap Xiang Linchuan.

Du Zhuojun was speechless and could only keep saying, "Liu Jinyao plotted against me. He planned in advance to make me take the blame."

Du Zhuojun went to the Five Nations Hotel to find Liu Jinyao that night, and the police department speculated that she lured the assassin to the hotel; at the same time, she also provoked Xiang Linzi, asking Xiang Linzi to be her witness so that she could successfully sneak in.

All the evidence points to her, except for the killer and the weapon, which cannot be found.

However, a jade bracelet belonging to Cheng's second concubine was found in her home.

Du Zhuojun originally said she was unaware of the situation.

But someone sneaked into the prison in the middle of the night and told her to say that Cheng Tianyu had given it to her. As long as she insisted that it was Cheng Tianyu, it would be a matter of the warlord's face, and the matter could not be framed against her.

In order to save his life, Du Zhuojun insisted on the story.

At this time, newspapers throughout the city somehow obtained photos and dug up evidence of Du Zhuojun meeting with Cheng Tianyu at his private residence late at night.

When the jade bracelet was unveiled, many people saw it; it couldn't be kept secret. The connection between Cheng Tianyu and Du Zhuojun was even more inexplicable.

Left with no other option, the warlord had to release Du Zhuojun.

However, this incident damaged Cheng Tianyu's reputation.

"Killing Liu Jinyao at this time would not benefit the Third Young Marshal at all. Is he perhaps eager for war, and the Warlord forced to rely on him?"

Some people in the military say this.

Cheng Tianxun then made this news widely known.

Cheng Tianyu estimated that he would never be able to return to the army.

The warlord was furious and wanted to investigate the accounts of the old house.

"He suspects that the second concubine is a royalist and that Cheng Tianyu is an accomplice. Only royalists would want to kill the special envoy from the north and incite conflict between the north and south so they can take advantage of the situation," Cheng Tianxun told Qin Yan.

Qin Yan: "This ghost can no longer cling firmly to the warlord, Tianxun."

Cheng Tianxun nodded.

He hugged Qin Yan tightly: "We've accomplished something great."

The old house's accounts were unclear, and the second concubine, with her silver tongue, offered many explanations, but the warlord's trust had already dwindled to less than 30%.

Therefore, the warlord placed the second concubine under house arrest, forcing her to remain in the old house to reflect on her actions.

Taking advantage of the situation, Cheng Tianxun once again spread rumors in the army that "the second concubine is a royalist," which destroyed all of Cheng Tianyu's prestige.

Du Zhuojun was released from prison and returned to the Du family home, where he was murdered that very night.

"The killer must be a royalist assassin," Qin Yan said.

Cheng Tianxun: "This is a warning to us. If they can kill Du Zhuojun, they can kill us."

The murder of Du Zhuojun has once again provided sensational material for the press.

Whether she is innocent or not, no one can say for sure.

At the end of the month, all of Du Rongfei's assets were transferred to the Du clan; Mrs. Du caused a huge scene and went mad, so Madam Lan, Du Jia, took charge and sent her to a Western hospital; the Du family's children were taken care of by the clan.

Before the hottest days of summer had even begun at the end of the month, Cen Yan and Xiang Linzi left Nancheng.

They went to the port city.

Cheng Tianxun and Qin Yan said, "My eldest uncle gave Cen Yan a large sum of money, which is almost half of his wealth."

He told Cen Yan to settle down in Hong Kong and then develop his business in Southeast Asia. He suggested he do business, or buy houses and estates. In case anything happened in the future, the entire Xiang family would have to rely on Cen Yan.

Qin Yan then said, "My eldest uncle has great courage."

"In this chaotic world, it's difficult for someone without courage and vision to achieve anything significant. My uncle has always had a long-term perspective," Cheng Tianxun said.

That being said, the fact that the eldest uncle was willing to let go of the heir he had nurtured for over twenty years shows that he truly cared for Cen Yan.

Cen Yan was not his uncle's tool, but his son.

Cheng Tianxun added, "I also gave Cen Yan a sum of money. Just as my uncle worried, we might have to rely on Cen Yan in the future."

Qin Yan told him not to be pessimistic.

"You're actually reluctant to part with Cen Yan, aren't you?" Qin Yan said.

Cheng Tianxun sighed: "If Miss Ling leaves you one day, you'll know how I feel."

It's not just about being reluctant to part with something.

It's like losing an arm.

Giving him money was ostensibly to leave him a way out, but in reality, he also wanted to help Cen Yan. This was a matter of affection between him and Cen Yan; they were brothers without blood ties, but closer than blood relatives.