I'm sorry, but your fiancé loves me.

Qin Qihan stood there, and everything in the banquet hall became a blurred background—

Cries, uproar, and the flashes of white light from media camera shutters filled the air. He couldn't hear anything; all he could hear was the buzzing sound of blood rushing backward through his veins.

How long did he watch?

He finally spotted her in the crowd and rushed towards her, ignoring everyone's objections, determined to choose her and be with her. But as he drew nearer, he saw this stranger lower his head and kiss her.

At that moment, he even thought that maybe it was a misunderstanding, maybe she didn't even know this strange man.

But he was wrong; he witnessed Yun Muqian's passionate return kiss.

Qin Qihan originally wanted to ask her why she didn't answer his calls, why she was hiding in the corner instead of coming to find him, and he wanted to tell her that he had just broken off a marriage contract in front of everyone.

He wanted her to know that everything he did was for her.

Then his dream of being with her forever was shattered.

She leaned against the man's chest, returning his kiss with passionate and unrestrained fervor. A smile spread from the corner of her mouth to the corner of her eyes—a smile he had never seen before, a satisfied, happy, and pure smile.

So that's how she smiles.

In just a few dozen seconds, Qin Qihan thought about many things.

He recalled the first night he met her. She was his secretary, dressed beautifully and elegantly. She took the initiative to talk to him, her voice soft, and asked if he was Mr. Qin.

She was very proactive, even to the point of lacking the reserve one would expect from a beautiful woman. But he thought it was because she liked him so much.

He recalled those nights afterward, when she nestled in his arms, drawing circles on his chest with her fingers, muttering, "Why are you so late again?"

He thought she was being affectionate, that she missed him. Now he realized it wasn't affection; she was complaining about why he came so late.

He remembered that she never asked when his engagement was dissolved, never mentioned Zhou Xue, and never said, "When are you going to marry me?" He thought that was because she was sensible, considerate, and deeply in love with him, so she was willing to suffer herself.

He even felt sorry for her because of this, thinking that she had suffered too much and wanted to give her a better life.

He thought she loved him.

But that kiss just now was like a slap in the face, shattering the love he had believed in all this time.

Qin Qihan's fingernails dug into his palms, leaving deep crescent-shaped marks. The pain traveled up from his palms, but it couldn't suppress the tearing sensation in his chest.

He wanted to grab her by the neck and ask her clearly—did you ever love me, even for a day, even for a minute, even for a moment?

But he didn't move.

He stood there in front of her, watching the smile on her face crumble into panic, watching her loosen her grip on Shen Xubai's arm and take a half-step back, watching her lips move but she couldn't utter a single word.

He even calmly wondered: Was her current expression genuinely panicked, or was she putting on an act for him?

He was unsure.

He was once absolutely certain that she loved him. Now he's uncertain about nothing.

Qin Qihan's hand, which was hanging by his side, finally moved slightly. His fingertips curled up slightly, as if he wanted to grasp something, but then he let go.

He suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Shen Xubai by the collar, and moved so fast that Shen Xubai only had time to raise one hand to block in front of him before being pushed against the table behind him.

Wine glasses, plates, and vases shattered on the floor. Champagne and red wine mixed together, leaving a dark stain on the carpet. The ice bucket rolled and crashed against the wall, splattering ice everywhere.

"Who the hell are you—" Qin Qihan's voice was extremely low, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, as he raised his fist and slammed it into his face: "Who the hell are you?"

Previously, when Yun Muqian heard that Qin Qihan had beaten up Zhou Yao, who had invited her to dinner, out of jealousy, she found it hard to imagine such a scene.

Now she can imagine it.

Shen Xubai had a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. He raised his hand to wipe it away, and then punched Qin Qihan in the jaw with his other hand.

The two men wrestled, their ties came undone, and one of their shirt buttons popped off. Qin Qihan's elbow was pressed against Shen Xubai's chest, while Shen Xubai's knee was pressed against Qin Qihan's waist. The loud crash of the overturned table finally drew everyone's attention away from the stage.

The media spotlights suddenly shifted, beams of white light illuminating the chaotic center, the clicking of shutters as dense as a downpour pounding on a tin roof.

Yun Muqian's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the two men wrestling, only one thought came to her mind—run.

She can't leave now if she doesn't run, and she doesn't want to be on the front page of the financial newspapers the next day.

She turned around and walked quickly toward the side door in her high heels, her skirt brushing against the corner of the table, almost tripping her.

Pushing open the side door, the corridor was empty. The marble floor tiles reflected the cold white light overhead, and her footsteps echoed rapidly in the empty passageway.

She had only taken a dozen or so steps when two figures suddenly appeared at the corner at the end of the corridor.

A black suit, an earpiece, and standing ramrod straight—these were Qin Qihan's men. One of them stepped forward and blocked her path.

"Miss Yun," his tone was respectful but firm, "President Qin said you shouldn't leave yet, but wait for him to arrive."

Yun Muqian's heart sank, but she composed herself and forced a faint smile: "I have no relationship with Qin Qihan, why should I wait for him?"

The bodyguard didn't move aside, but merely tilted his head slightly to indicate that he had people on the other side as well.

Yun Muqian took a step back, her eyes catching a glimpse of a small door at the other end of the corridor, which looked like an employee entrance. She gripped her handbag tightly, turned, and strode quickly toward that door.

Just as her hand touched the doorknob, a voice came from behind her.

Her voice was low and hoarse, suppressed with heavy breathing, carrying a dangerous calm she had never heard before.

"where did you go."

Yun Muqian's fingers froze on the handle; she didn't turn around.

She tried to run, but Qin Qihan suddenly noticed her. Qin Qihan loosened Shen Xubai's collar and strode after her.

She heard footsteps approaching, one step, two steps, three steps, the sound of leather shoes on the marble floor getting closer and closer, finally stopping less than half a step behind her.

She could feel his breath pressing down from behind and above, carrying the warmth of his body from the fight and a hint of blood.

Qin Qihan gripped her wrist tightly, so hard she felt as if her bones were about to be crushed. He didn't say anything, but simply pulled her back, his steps quick and heavy.

She staggered after him, her high heels clicking erratically on the paving stones.

He pushed open a door at the end of the corridor, which led to the president's wife's private lounge, and forced her inside.

The door closed behind me, the room was dark, with only a faint glimmer of light from the city night outside the window.

Yun Muqian's back slammed against the cold wall. Qin Qihan's hand was still on her wrist, and his other hand was against the wall next to her ear, trapping her in his shadow.

His breathing was erratic, his chest heaving, his tie hung askew around his neck, and there was a shallow scratch on his chin from being rubbed by a fist.

He looked down at her, thinking of her infidelity, and asked from the bottom of his heart:

"They used my power, employed my people, and broke off my engagement..."

His voice, hoarse and strained, came from deep within his throat, carrying a barely suppressed intensity: "What exactly do you want?"

Isn't he the one she wants?

Yun Muqian still had a smile on her face. She raised the hand that was not being held, and her fingertips gently slid up his Adam's apple to touch his chin.

"Does Mr. Qin think that's enough?" she said softly. "But I see Mrs. Qin's seat is still empty."

She said that on purpose, so that Qin Qihan would think she was a snobbish, greedy, and heartless woman, and then completely despise her and erase her from his life.

But he didn't loosen his grip on her wrist, and his lips moved, his voice hoarse and grating:

"Do you really want me to marry you?"

Yun Muqian's smile froze for a moment.

"Then why can't you be nicer to me?" he said, his voice almost a whisper, "If you're going to lie to me, at least lie convincingly."

He stared at her with an obsessive gaze: "I really...I really will marry you."