In the car, Qin Qiu looked out the window, a hint of worry still evident on her delicate face.

Chen Yang gently pulled her closer, stroking her hair and saying softly, "Darling, you don't have to worry at all. With my earlier warning and with Yang Hu having already sent people to watch them, Grandpa and Xiaomo will be fine."

It was precisely this confidence in his control of the situation that allowed Chen Yang to let Qin Gang and Qin Mo remain with the Qin Family; otherwise, he would have already turned the entire Qin Royal Family upside down.

Qin Qiu nodded emphatically, leaned down, and snuggled into Chen Yang's arms, murmuring, "Chen Yang, what would I ever do without you?"

"I will always be by your side," Chen Yang promised.

Qin Qiu said no more, clutching Chen Yang's hand tightly, feeling as if this man would vanish the moment she let go.

A smile touched Chen Yang's lips as he gently patted her back. Before long, she had drifted into a deep sleep in his arms.

A sweet smile played on her lips. She must be having a wonderful dream.

Looking at the woman in his arms, Chen Yang felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

「An hour later.」

The commercial van entered Tianque City and headed straight for the Brocade Residential Area.

「Four in the afternoon.」

A sudden gust of cold wind swept away the gradually setting sun, and heavy, dark clouds began to gather and tumble across the sky. The wind whistled, and judging by the look of the weather, a heavy snowfall was inevitable.

By the time the commercial van entered the Brocade Residential Area, a wintry mix of rain and snow had begun to fall.

Ren Tong was already waiting at the courtyard gate. His sharp eyes were fixated on the far end of the road, his age-spotted face filled with deep anticipation.

He always claimed he was fine being alone, but who can truly get used to loneliness? Anyone who does is simply resigned to their fate.

The moment he saw the commercial van, a smile visibly stretched across his face.

"Dad!" Yang Hu shouted as soon as he got out of the car, rushing to the trunk to grab their things.

Chen Yang and Qin Qiu got out and walked straight toward Ren Tong.

"Dad, this is Qin Qiu," Chen Yang introduced.

Qin Qiu hesitated for a moment before calling out, "Dad."

"Good, good! Excellent!" Ren Tong said, his face beaming after looking Qin Qiu over. He had repeated "good" three times. "For Chen Yang to find such a wonderful wife is his good fortune, and mine as well."

"Thank you, Dad." Qin Qiu relaxed slightly and smiled. "Marrying Chen Yang is my good fortune, too."

In the car, she had learned from both Yang Hu and Chen Yang that Ren Tong was a very strict and violent old man, which was why she had been nervous the entire trip. But now, that didn't seem to be the case at all.

"Haha!" Ren Tong laughed heartily. "Come inside, it's freezing out here."

Once everything was moved from the car, Chen Yang disappeared into the kitchen. A short while later, Qin Qiu went to help him.

It's as the saying goes: when men and women work together, the work feels effortless.

A little over an hour later, eight dishes and a soup were neatly arranged on the dinner table, their enticing aroma filling the entire ground-floor hall.

A case of strong liquor had already been placed to one side by Yang Hu. Everyone sat down at the table.

Before they began to eat, Ren Tong took out three red envelopes he had prepared earlier, one of which was obviously much thicker. "Here, one for each of you." Being a straightforward man, he naturally handed the thickest one to Qin Qiu.

"Thank you, Dad." Qin Qiu's face flushed slightly, and she was overjoyed.

This was the first red envelope she had ever received from someone other than her parents.

"I got one too!" Yang Hu grinned foolishly. After taking the red envelope, he instinctively pinched it, as if trying to gauge how much money was inside.

Just then, Ren Tong slapped him across the forehead.

SMACK.

Caught completely off guard, Yang Hu was sent stumbling to the floor.

He clutched his forehead in a daze, his expression quickly twisting into a grimace as tears welled up in his eyes.

"You brat, still pinching it like that! You think it's not enough?" Ren Tong scolded, his eyes wide.

"No, no!" Yang Hu waved his hands frantically, scrambling back to his feet. "I was just too excited! It's my first time getting a red envelope, please understand!"

As he spoke, Yang Hu sucked in a sharp breath. HISS! That really hurt! Where does this old coot get so much strength?

Chen Yang simply smiled, thinking himself smart for having immediately pocketed his own red envelope.

Standing to the side, Qin Qiu covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Now she finally understood why Yang Hu had complained so much in the car about how violent Ren Tong was. There was clearly a reason for it.

The three men drank liquor while Qin Qiu sipped her juice.

After three rounds of drinks, a flushed Ren Tong suddenly changed the topic. "Chen Yang, people from the Martial Association have visited the residential area a few times recently."

"Hmm?" Chen Yang's eyebrows furrowed. After swallowing the food in his mouth, he asked, "What are they here for?"

"I made a point of inquiring about it. Apparently, a King Kong from the Martial Association died in Tianque City. They came to investigate and somehow linked this King Kong's death to the annihilation of the Pan Family."

The Pan Family he mentioned was, of course, Pan Xue's family. They lived in the same residential area and had been wiped out by the Ten Thousand Martial Guards.

"So, I was wondering," Ren Tong finally asked, "could the death of this Martial Association King Kong have something to do with you, kid?"

Chen Yang poured Ren Tong another cup of liquor and said calmly, "It was."

Then, Chen Yang explained his conflict with the Martial Association to Ren Tong in detail.

"Damn them!" Ren Tong seethed, but then he sighed. "The Martial Association has extensive connections, so you'd better be careful. You've been in the Martial Department long enough to know how terrifying the powerful and noble families can be."

"You've worked so hard to get where you are, and you've undoubtedly made many people envious. You must be extra careful from now on."

"Over the years, I've seen it time and again: I watch them build their high towers, I watch them feast with their guests, and I watch their towers crumble to dust."

Ren Tong drained his cup in one gulp. "It's lonely at the top. Especially at the level you've reached, it's like walking on thin ice."

"Don't worry, Dad," Chen Yang said, raising his cup. "I know what I'm doing. Besides, it would be one thing if I didn't know about this, but now that I do, I can't just look the other way."

Qin Qiu gazed at Chen Yang. In his eyes, she saw a resolve she had never seen before—a resolve that could move mountains. It was deeply moving.

As a woman in this conversation, she didn't interject. Instead, she picked up the liquor bottle and refilled their cups.

Ren Tong nodded and said no more on the subject. He had raised Chen Yang; how could he not understand him? Once Chen Yang made a decision, there was no changing his mind.

The meal lasted until midnight. By the end, Ren Tong was drunk, and so was Yang Hu.

After getting them both settled, Chen Yang returned to his room.

Qin Qiu was curled up on the bed, reading a book.

She was wearing a pink spaghetti-strap nightdress, her hair casually pinned up. The charm of her red hairpin dangled beside her ear.

A few strands of her bangs fell loosely across her forehead. The casual disarray was perfect, giving her an effortless and relaxed, natural air.

With no makeup on, her face was bare, and this simple beauty inspired trust, making her seem completely open and approachable.

"You're so beautiful," Chen Yang said with a smile.

Qin Qiu's cheeks turned faintly pink. "You've had too much to drink. Go to sleep!"

With that, she put down her book, got off the bed, and picked up a cup of water to take a gentle sip. Chen Yang slowly walked over to her.

As he drew closer, a faint fragrance drifted into his nose. Chen Yang reached out, wrapping his arms around Qin Qiu's waist and pulling her into his embrace.

Qin Qiu shuddered as if she'd been struck by a bolt of lightning.

"I... I'm a little nervous," she stammered, her voice trembling as his warm chest pressed against her.

...

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