Chen Tianyang turned around, his expression brimming with triumph. A moment later, he let out a cold laugh and threw a punch.
The blonde man didn’t even have time to react; he was sent flying by the blow and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"All right, that's settled. From now on, if anyone dares to bully you, I'll avenge you just like this, okay?" Chen Tianyang said with a smile to Han Muqing.
Han Muqing nodded vigorously, then stroked Chen Tianyang’s back, saying with a heartache-filled voice, "Tianyang, does it hurt? Why are you so foolish? I’m not worth you doing this for."
The impact had been less than a tickle, but he had to play the part convincingly.
Chen Tianyang took her delicate hand and said affectionately, "You are my woman. No matter what I do for you, it is worth it. Don't ever say things like that again."
Han Muqing did not argue. Although tears still hung at the corners of her eyes, a radiant light of surprise bloomed within them, enough to stir any man’s heart.
She held Chen Tianyang’s hand in return, crying and laughing with emotion as she said, "Yes, I am Tianyang's woman."
Han Muqing was a supreme goddess, exuding an aura of mature charm. Being the one to win her heart was enough to make any man feel fortunate.
Chen Tianyang was, of course, no exception.
"Let’s go. This place is a real mood-killer." Chen Tianyang wrapped his arm around Han Muqing's waist and walked toward the parking area. Han Muqing, the goddess of Guanghua City to so many, leaned naturally into his embrace, her expression blissful and slightly intoxicated.
Once inside the car, Han Muqing snuggled into his arms, cooing sweetly, "Tianyang, I feel so happy right now. It’s the first time I’ve realized how wonderful it is to have someone to shield me from the wind and rain, someone I can rely on. Tianyang, never leave me, okay?"
"I won't leave you. No matter what, you are my woman, Chen Tianyang's woman, and you shall only ever be mine!" Chen Tianyang lifted her chin, the two locked eyes, and then he leaned in for a deep kiss.
Under the neon streetlights, inside the red Porsche, Han Muqing’s first kiss was taken by Chen Tianyang, leaving her mind a complete blank.
Soon, she began to respond with passion.
A moment later, Han Muqing was breathless. She playfully licked her lips, blinked her eyes with a mischievous glint, and giggled, "Tianyang, I’m yours if you want."
A wave of heat surged through Chen Tianyang, and he nearly lost his self-control.
However, he knew that while Han Muqing appeared mature and alluring on the outside, she was still innocent. If he were to take her first time here, while she wouldn't object, she would inevitably have some regrets later.
"I will give you a perfect first time," Chen Tianyang said, sitting up from her and speaking with sincerity.
"Tianyang..." Han Muqing was overcome with emotion.
For a young, red-blooded man to be able to consider her feelings at such a critical moment when faced with a breathtaking beauty who was willing to give him everything—if this wasn't true love, what was?
Having a man like this made her life complete.
Han Muqing threw herself into his arms, whispering tearfully, "Tianyang, I am yours forever. Whenever you want me, you can have me."
These words nearly made Chen Tianyang lose control all over again.
"You really are a little enchantress," he said, struggling to pull away from her embrace as he lovingly tapped her exquisite nose.
"You're mean! Be careful, you'll ruin my makeup."
Han Muqing let out a sweet, coquettish huff, smoothed her disheveled clothes, and stepped on the gas pedal. "I wasn't satisfied with the drinks earlier. Come on, I'll take you to a bar. When the time comes, I’ll get you drunk and drag you to bed—I'll make sure we’re a done deal."
"So, my little Qingqing, you've been coveting my body all along," Chen Tianyang said, stroking her fair cheek with one hand.
"Stop it, don't be so handsy, I'm driving!" Han Muqing swatted his hand away, though she felt elated inside.
Knowing that her lover desired her body meant she was truly attractive to him.
Throughout the drive, Chen Tianyang didn't pass up any chance to tease her, drawing continuous, playful rebukes from her.
Eventually, they arrived at Xuanfei Bar.
Since their relationship was now official, they stepped out of the car and walked in hand-in-hand.
The bar was bustling. They found a secluded corner, ordered two drinks, and sat together, whispering sweet nothings.
Before long, Han Muqing’s face was flushed, her beautiful eyes glistening as she leaned against Chen Tianyang, caught between happiness and shyness.
Just as they were caught up in their own world, Chen Tianyang glanced toward the bar counter by chance, his eyes widening in surprise. "It's her?"
Sitting at the bar was a girl in a pale white dress. She was beautiful, with a small beauty mark at the corner of her eye, radiating a mix of youthful innocence and allure.
The girl was Zhou Ruohua.Han Muqing followed Chen Tianyang's gaze and asked curiously, "Tianyang, do you know her?"
"We crossed paths once before." Chen Tianyang suddenly frowned slightly and said, "Wait for me here for a moment."
With that, he stood up and walked toward Zhou Ruohua.
"Such a big playboy." Han Muqing's eyes held a hint of grievance.
At the bar counter.
Zhou Ruohua drank a glass of wine alone, a bitter taste lingering at the corners of her mouth.
She had a fight with her family today and was in a bad mood, so she came to the bar alone to drink and drown her sorrows.
A campus belle-level beauty like her, especially being all alone, easily attracted the attention of others.
"Hi, beauty, are you here by yourself? Care to join me for a drink?"
Suddenly, a handsome young man walked over from nearby. He was tall, wore gold-rimmed glasses and a white shirt, and looked refined and scholarly, making it easy for him to win a girl's favor.
Zhou Ruohua glanced at him, a flash of disgust appearing in her eyes, and said coldly, "Not interested."
The bespectacled man's expression turned gloomy, but he immediately smiled and said, "Beauty, it's just a drink. If you don't give me some face, I'll be in a very difficult position."
From behind him, three burly men suddenly stepped out, staring unkindly at Zhou Ruohua. It was obvious they meant trouble.
A wave of panic washed over Zhou Ruohua, and she regretted coming to the bar alone.
The bespectacled man placed a glass of beer in front of Zhou Ruohua and smiled, "Beauty, do me the favor of drinking this glass, and I'll leave immediately."
Zhou Ruohua hesitated, then suddenly gritted her teeth, reached out to pick up the wine glass, and prepared to drink.
He Guanghua, which was the bespectacled man's name, was filled with excitement, though he quickly masked it.
He had already slipped a date-rape drug into this drink ahead of time. Once Zhou Ruohua drank it, wouldn't she be completely at his mercy?
At this thought, He Guanghua grew hot with desire, and the way he looked at Zhou Ruohua was filled with lust.
Seeing that Zhou Ruohua was about to drink.
"Don't drink it." Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side and grabbed Zhou Ruohua's wrist.
Zhou Ruohua turned her head, suddenly both startled and delighted as she said, "Chen Tianyang, why are you here? Oh right, why did you stop me from drinking?"
"There's something mixed in the wine. What do you think?" Chen Tianyang said with a playful smile.
The color drained from Zhou Ruohua's face in an instant. The wine had been drugged! If Chen Tianyang hadn't appeared in time, I'm afraid...
A lingering fear gripped her heart!
He Guanghua said frantically, "Talk nonsense! You claim there's a drug in the wine, what proof do you have?"
"Idiot." Chen Tianyang said with contempt, "I only said there was something in the wine, how did you know it was a drug?"
He Guanghua's expression changed drastically.
"Shameless!" Furious to the extreme, Zhou Ruohua stepped up and splashed the beer in the glass right across He Guanghua's face.
"Damn it, you stinking bitch, you're asking for death!" He Guanghua flew into a rage and swung a fierce slap at her.
Suddenly, Chen Tianyang caught his hand and sneered, "Hitting a woman is such a classless thing to do. You're a real disgrace to men."
"Damn it, you dare ruin my plans! Do you know who I am? I'm the owner of this bar, and this bar is under the protection of Brother Dao. Since you dared to mess with me, you're dead today!" He Guanghua threatened viciously.
As if to verify He Guanghua's words, the bar security guards and a bunch of street thugs walked over one after another, surrounding Chen Tianyang and Zhou Ruohua in the middle.
Counting roughly, there were nearly twenty people.
Fearing they would be caught in the crossfire, quite a few patrons quietly slipped away.
"Ah..." Zhou Ruohua felt a pang of terror.
She was just a young woman with no concept of martial arts. Although she had seen Chen Tianyang display immense power—to the point where even Jiang Tianhu submitted to him—facing more than twenty people now, she didn't believe Chen Tianyang could win.
Han Muqing's face turned pale. Her heart belonged entirely to Chen Tianyang, and she was terrified he might get hurt. Just as she was about to make a call, she saw Chen Tianyang cast a reassuring glance her way. The phone she had already picked up was quietly lowered back down.
For no other reason than that she was Chen Tianyang's woman, and she ought to trust her own man.
Since Chen Tianyang indicated everything was fine, then everything would definitely be fine!
A woman in love was simply that blind.
Chen Tianyang swept his gaze around the perimeter and smiled lightly, "No matter how many small fry there are, they can never threaten a shark. A shark only needs to open its mouth, and all the small fry will be swallowed right up, just like this..."
Chen Tianyang applied a slight force in his hand, and with a crisp "crack," He Guanghua's wrist was already broken.
He Guanghua let out a miserable scream and cursed furiously, "Damn it! Brothers, beat him to death for me! Don't touch the woman, I'm going to fuck her to death in bed tonight!"Some twenty-odd people bared their fangs and brandished their claws as they rushed toward Chen Tianyang.
Zhou Ruohua wore a look of utter terror, trembling uncontrollably. Her heart was filled with agonizing regret—why on earth had she come to a bar for no reason?
"A bunch of useless rabble."
Chen Tianyang sneered, casually picking up a nearby beer bottle and flinging it hard ahead. With a dull thud, one of the security guards was knocked flat, a bloody hole gashed into his head.
Then, Chen Tianyang plunged into the crowd like a fierce tiger among sheep. Amidst a continuous chorus of miserable screams, it wasn't long before all twenty-odd people were beaten to the ground by Chen Tianyang.
Those patrons who had not yet left the bar froze in place, casting looks of awe at Chen Tianyang.
Han Muqing’s beautiful eyes rippled with brilliant light, brimming with boundless pride.
This is the man who belongs to me, Han Muqing—towering and indomitable, ever victorious!
Zhou Ruohua covered her small mouth, her expression frozen in shock, which quickly gave way to a surge of intense joy and gratitude.
"You... you're a monster..." He Guanghua stammered in terror.
Chen Tianyang walked toward him step by step and sneered, "Didn't you want to beat me to death? What's wrong, too scared to make a move?"
"You... don't come any closer! I roll with Brother Dao. Don't think just because you can throw a punch that you're anything special; ten of you wouldn't be a match for Brother Dao!" Paralyzed by fear, He Guanghua scrambled backward in panic until he tripped over a chair and crashed heavily onto his backside.
Both Han Muqing and Zhou Ruohua cast looks of utter contempt upon him.
Compared to Chen Tianyang, trash like this was simply worlds apart—no, there was no comparison at all.
Zhou Ruohua gazed at Chen Tianyang's retreating back, a strange look flickering in her eyes.
Chen Tianyang walked right up to He Guanghua and sent him flying with a single kick. He slammed viciously into the bar's main entrance with a loud crash, collapsing onto the floor like a dead toad.
"Well, well, Brother He. What a unique way to welcome a guest."
Suddenly, four men walked in from outside. The one in the lead was young and looked utterly ruthless; though he was joking, not a single person could muster a laugh.
Recognizing the newcomer, He Guanghua was suddenly overcome with wild elation. He scrambled forward to hug the young man's leg, crying out, "Brother Dao, someone is causing trouble here! Not only did he try to steal my woman, but he beat me up too! I already made it clear that this place is under your protection, Brother Dao, but not only did he refuse to show any respect, he even said that even if you were here, he'd beat me all the same! Brother Dao, you have to avenge me!"
"Brother Dao" frowned and let out a cold snort. "I'd like to see just who is arrogant enough to pull this."
He Guanghua was ecstatic inside. He shot a sidelong glance at Chen Tianyang, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes. *Hmph, now that Brother Dao is here, you're a dead man! I'm going to cripple you, and then violate that bitch right in front of your eyes!*
When "Brother Dao" caught sight of Chen Tianyang, his expression shifted violently. He hurried over, bowed deeply, and said, "Hello, Mr. Chen."
He Guanghua was utterly dumbfounded, as if witnessing something completely impossible, followed instantly by a wave of bone-chilling terror.
"Brother Dao" was none other than Leng Dao, who was also He Guanghua's greatest backing.
Upon seeing Chen Tianyang, Leng Dao had already mentally cursed He Guanghua's ancestors back eighteen generations.
*Damn it! Mr. Chen is an absolute powerhouse, someone even Tiger Jiang wouldn't dare provoke. What kind of a nobody are you, He Guanghua? It's bad enough that you went looking for trouble with Mr. Chen, but you had to drag me down into the mud with you...*
Chen Tianyang gave a playful smile. "Oh, it's you. Are your injuries healed?"
Cold sweat beaded on Leng Dao's forehead. He forced a cautious, ingratiating smile and said, "Mr. Chen is far too formidable. My injuries haven't completely healed yet; I reckon I'll need to rest and recuperate for a while longer."
Zhou Ruohua stood off to the side, shock etched across her face.
She had witnessed with her own eyes how Chen Tianyang had severely beaten Leng Dao, nearly crippling him for life.
Now that enemies had crossed paths, their eyes ought to have turned red with hatred. Yet looking at Leng Dao's deferential posture, there wasn't a single trace of vengeance to be found; instead, he treated Chen Tianyang with the utmost reverence.
This was something that could never be achieved through mere brute force alone.
Could it be that Chen Tianyang's identity as a snack shop waiter was fake, and he actually possessed a formidable background?
The more Zhou Ruohua thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
He Guanghua's brain had completely short-circuited. The backing he relied on most was acting this subservient in front of Chen Tianyang—did that not mean this young man was even more terrifyingly powerful than Brother Dao?
Hadn't he just guaranteed his own death by offending him?
With a heavy thud, He Guanghua slumped to the floor, a deep sense of terror and regret flooding his chest.
At that moment, Han Muqing walked over, naturally interlacing her fingers with Chen Tianyang's, and said, "Little Dao, so this is your establishment."
Leng Dao looked over with curiosity and said in disbelief, "Sister Qing, what brings you here?"
Within the Xie Family, Han Muqing's status was vaguely even higher than Jiang Tianhu's, whereas Leng Dao was merely one of Jiang Tianhu's subordinates.
Seeing Han Muqing, Leng Dao gave a slight bow in greeting.
At that exact moment, as he kept his head bowed, his gaze caught the sight of Han Muqing and Chen Tianyang's hands clasped tightly together. He nearly froze on the spot, followed immediately by a surge of deep admiration.
He had long heard that Han Muqing disdained the opposite sex entirely, yet he never imagined she would be captured by Mr. Chen. Mr. Chen was truly a divine being!
Noticing Leng Dao's knowing gaze, Han Muqing's pretty face flushed slightly. However, she lifted her chin just a fraction higher and gripped Chen Tianyang's hand even tighter, her heart overflowing with joy and pride.
That's right—I want the whole world to know that I am Chen Tianyang's woman!
Beside them, Zhou Ruohua's heart was whipped up into towering waves.
Han Muqing was a renowned female entrepreneur throughout Guanghua City; the profits she generated in a single year alone were enough to make the majority of male business owners in the city hang their heads in shame. Because of this, Zhou Ruohua had always looked up to Han Muqing as her idol.
Yet her own idol turned out to be Chen Tianyang's woman!
*I've always heard that the young master of the Xie Family was pursuing Han Muqing. It seems the young master of the Xie Family lost to Chen Tianyang.*
Shock washed over Zhou Ruohua, and as she lightly bit her lower lip, a look of resolute determination flickered in her eyes.
"Mr. Chen, was it this piece of trash with the gall of a bear who offended you? Would you like me to..." Leng Dao gestured toward He Guanghua, making a slicing motion across his throat.
He Guanghua knelt on the ground, shaking with absolute terror, his very lips trembling as he blurted out, "I... I was blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai! I offended you, I'm despicable, I deserve to die—please, spare my life..."
Both Han Muqing and Zhou Ruohua shot him identical looks of profound disdain.
Unmoved, Chen Tianyang said, "There's nothing wrong with pursuing a beautiful woman, but drugging a woman and slapping her across the face goes way too far in losing a man's dignity. Leng Dao, drag him outside and break one of his legs. If he ever crosses my path again, there won't be any need for this bar to stay open."
He Guanghua's face drained of all color, and he shrieked for mercy, "No, please, don't—"
Leng Dao kicked him flat onto the floor and said coldly, "Didn't you hear Mr. Chen? Drag him out."
Amidst his terrified shrieks, He Guanghua was dragged out of the bar, and his fate went without saying.
Many of the patrons inside the bar cast looks of awe toward Chen Tianyang, and even Zhou Ruohua, standing nearby, became an object of their reverent gazes.
Zhou Ruohua raised her chin slightly, thoroughly enjoying the attention as her vanity was gratified to the utmost degree.
"Mr. Chen, do you have any other instructions?" Leng Dao asked with an ingratiating smile.
Chen Tianyang shook his head, holding Han Muqing's hand as he said with a hint of apology, "I originally wanted to spend some quality time properly keeping you company, but someone had to go and ruin the mood..."
Before he could finish, Han Muqing shook her head with a blissful smile. "No. I am your man's—I mean, I am your woman, and no matter what you do, I support you unconditionally. There's no need to feel sorry."
Though they already knew that Chen Tianyang and Han Muqing shared an unusually close relationship, hearing Han Muqing admit it with her own lips still left Zhou Ruohua and Leng Dao thoroughly shaken.
A deep sense of being cherished welled up inside Chen Tianyang. Looking at Han Muqing's breathtaking face, he truly felt that with such a wife, what more could a husband ask for?
"There's no way to enjoy ourselves properly staying here anymore. Let's go."
"Okay."
Chen Tianyang wrapped his arm around Han Muqing's waist and walked out of the bar.
Leng Dao wore a look of awe and envy, though he knew full well that Han Muqing was not a woman he could ever covet, so there was no room for jealousy.
Zhou Ruohua stood rooted to the spot, her expression complex and her eyes filled with hesitation.
Just as Chen Tianyang was about to walk out of the bar, Zhou Ruohua gritted her teeth and suddenly called out, "Chen Tianyang, I... I have something to tell you."
Chen Tianyang looked back over his shoulder, curious. "What is it?"
"I... I..." Zhou Ruohua glanced at Han Muqing, stopping short with hesitation.
Han Muqing was sharp-witted and inwardly sighed softly. "Leng Dao, find these two a room to talk in."
"Understood, Sister Qing," Leng Dao replied, heading up to the second floor to open a private room and instructing that no one was to be allowed inside.
"Tianyang, I'll wait for you in the car."
Acting just like a devoted wife, Han Muqing smoothed down Chen Tianyang's clothes, pressed a light kiss to his lips, and then walked out.
"Follow me."
Chen Tianyang passed by Zhou Ruohua, speaking softly before heading upstairs.
Zhou Ruohua followed close behind him, resembling a submissive young bride.
Once inside the private room, Chen Tianyang sat down on the sofa and said, "Alright, spill it. What did you want to talk to me about?"
Zhou Ruohua stood before Chen Tianyang, gently biting her lower lip before summoning her courage. "I want to be your woman."