Qin Qinghan also realized that Ye Fengwu was angry with her again.
As soon as the car stopped, she wanted to escape. However, before she could unbuckle her seatbelt, a large hand pressed her down.
Recalling the scene from last night when he kissed her forcefully, Qin Qinghan immediately became vigilant. She bit her lip and said, "If you dare bully me again, I will... I'll bite you again."
Hearing this, Ye Fengwu nearly laughed out of anger. Although Qin Qinghan appeared gentle, she was someone who wouldn't hesitate to retaliate against those who crossed her.
Take Jin Bao, for example. He hadn't even touched Qin Qinghan's hand before she stomped on his hand with her high heel, piercing it. Or last time, when Gao He tried to force her to be a hostess, she carried a pair of scissors. If it came to it, Ye Fengwu didn't doubt that she would use them without hesitation.
And yesterday, she had the audacity to bite him.
This thought extinguished the fleeting mischievous impulse in Ye Fengwu's heart.
With a cold face, he said, "How many times must I save you before you realize you're being reckless? What were you doing at Xihu Black Wind's territory?"
Qin Qinghan, knowing she was at fault, lowered her head and said softly, "I just... wanted to return the ring to you."
Hearing this, Ye Fengwu scoffed, "A ring is not worth your life. If I hadn't followed you today, do you know what would've happened? You'd have been tortured and thrown into the river to feed the fish."
He had intended to apologize for what happened yesterday but was shocked to find out she had pawned the ring at Chen Yuanzhong's pawnshop.
Qin Qinghan wasn't foolish; she could tell Ye Fengwu's anger stemmed from concern.
Thus, she didn't try to explain further and instead took out 100,000 yuan from her bag. "Take this money as compensation," she said.
Ye Fengwu looked at her with a peculiar expression and sneered, "100,000? That ring is worth a billion dollars. Do you think you can dismiss me with 100,000? No way."
Frustrated by her stubbornness, Ye Fengwu began to lose his patience and acted unreasonably.
Qin Qinghan was equally angered by his behavior. She retorted, "It's just a 20,000-yuan fake. I gave you 100,000! Isn't that enough? If not, I'll return all the money you gave me yesterday. Just leave me alone!"
Seeing her agitation, Ye Fengwu softened his tone. "Do you really think a 20,000-yuan fake could make Xihu Black Wind risk offending me?"
Qin Qinghan bit her lip and said, "But he said the ring was stolen by his employee."
Ye Fengwu sneered, "That old fox's words? I don't even believe his punctuation marks."
From his perspective, Chen Yuanzhong had probably already stashed away the ring. Retrieving it wouldn't be easy, so he decided to take Qin Qinghan and leave immediately.
However, Qin Qinghan saw it differently. She knew Xihu Black Wind's reputation—his word was law in Haihua City. Yet, despite Ye Fengwu assaulting his bodyguards and extorting 100,000 yuan from him, Xihu Black Wind showed no anger, only relief when Ye Fengwu left.
It made her wonder: Who was Ye Fengwu before this?
"By the way..." Ye Fengwu looked at Qin Qinghan and said, "Your grandfather has already agreed for you to marry me. If you drive me away, he'll marry you off to Zhang's Group. And as for Jingsi, she'll be sent to a foster home you'll never find. Is that what you want?"
Hearing this, Qin Qinghan's face paled, and her hands clutched the hem of her clothes tightly.
Ye Fengwu was right. Although her grandfather had expelled her from the Qin family, his influence was such that without Ye Fengwu, she'd likely be forcibly married into the Zhang family.
Even Jingsi would be taken away.
Thinking back to everything Ye Fengwu had done for her recently, she couldn't deny his help. Yet his rough, domineering behavior—and his status as a convicted rapist—still terrified her. And what frightened her most was that he had killed Gao He with just a pair of scissors.
Qin Qinghan racked her brain, trying to find a redeeming quality in Ye Fengwu. But it seemed almost impossible. The only thing she could think of was his gentle demeanor toward Jingsi.
After a long silence, Qin Qinghan took a deep breath, bit her lip, and said, "I can let you stay, but... you must agree to some conditions."
Hearing this, Ye Fengwu suppressed his excitement and said calmly, "Let's be clear—I'm not sleeping on the couch anymore."
Qin Qinghan hesitated but didn't refuse. Instead, she said, "You can't bully me like last time. You'll sleep on the floor. And if you want to marry me, you must promise to be a good person and sever all ties with Jiang Hao."
Her words left Ye Fengwu both stunned and overjoyed.
Clearly, Qin Qinghan was giving him a chance to prove himself—a chance to stay and take care of her and Jingsi, as long as he broke off contact with Jiang Hao.
But Jiang Hao was his sworn brother, someone who had saved his life. They had faced death together and trusted each other implicitly.
Still, Ye Fengwu nodded decisively. "No problem. Jiang Hao and I are done. Let's go home."
Qin Qinghan was surprised by how readily he agreed.
As Ye Fengwu got out of the car, he thought to himself: A well-intentioned lie is still a kindness.
The truth was that while Jiang Hao was his brother, Ye Fengwu's current identity as a decorated war hero would one day prove itself. When the time came, Qin Qinghan would undoubtedly see him in a new light and willingly fall into his arms.
Seeing the joy in Ye Fengwu's eyes, Qin Qinghan felt a pang of bitterness. Allowing him back into her life—was it the right decision?
To make a good impression, Ye Fengwu suggested they transfer Jingsi to Haihua City's best elementary school that afternoon.
The Luohuang Tower stood in the bustling heart of Haihua City, the city's only 75-story skyscraper.
The top floor housed a spacious, brightly lit office. The décor was simple—several high-end sofas and a coffee table in the lounge area, and a desk and chair near the window.
It was clear the office's owner valued peace and open space.
The most striking feature was the massive glass wall.
Standing in front of it, one could overlook the entirety of Haihua City.
At this moment, a tall figure stood by the glass wall.
Dressed in a silver-gray business suit, her jet-black hair neatly tied back, even her silhouette exuded an air of regal authority.
Knock, knock, knock!
A knock sounded at the office door.
"Come in," said the woman, her voice imbued with confidence.
The sound of high heels clicking against the floor grew closer until a graceful figure, dressed in a white blouse and a blue skirt, entered the room.
The young woman, around 24 or 25 years old, had a strikingly beautiful face with a hint of sharpness and professionalism in her expression.
This was Lin Yu, the assistant to Luo Yihuang, the chairwoman of Luohuang Group. Lin Yu was also responsible for much of the company's operations.
Stopping behind her boss, Lin Yu said efficiently, "Chairwoman Luo, as you expected, Qin Qinghan can't find a job."
"It's time to extend an olive branch," Luo Yihuang replied calmly, her tone laced with confidence.
When she turned to face Lin Yu, her unparalleled beauty was revealed—a face so exquisite it defied description.
With her sharp, almond-shaped eyes, flawless features, and naturally rosy lips untouched by makeup, she looked like a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship.
If Qin Qinghan's beauty was ethereal and pure, then Luo Yihuang's could only be described as... godlike.
Lin Yu hesitated before asking, "Chairwoman Luo, it's rare to see you take such an interest in someone. Is Qin Qinghan truly that capable?"
Luo Yihuang's expression remained calm. "She graduated from the Capital University of Management, just like I did. I graduated in a year; she did it in eight months."
Lin Yu replied, "I heard she graduated early because she had to take care of her daughter."
Luo Yihuang didn't deny it. "Even so, one needs exceptional ability to graduate early."