Wu Peng’s insults had voiced the very things Qin Xiaomeng was hiding in her heart, leaving her feeling so awkward and embarrassed that she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and disappear.
Yaoyao grew nervous as well, quickly burying her face in Chu Tianhe’s chest. "Daddy, I'm scared."
"It’s all right, Yaoyao. Daddy is here. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid," Chu Tianhe soothed her, then cast a glance toward Yue Linglong. A cold, icy glint flashed in his eyes, and his deep pupils were filled with murderous intent.
"Make him be quiet."
"Understood!" Yue Linglong caught his meaning instantly. Her eyes were equally filled with ruthless intent as she turned and walked out of the private room.
"Shh!"
Once outside, Yue Linglong’s gaze locked onto Wu Peng. She raised a finger to her lips in a silencing gesture and said, "My Brother Tian says you should be quiet."
Wu Peng’s eyes shifted to Yue Linglong. He froze for a moment, and then a look of greed spread across his face.
"Brother Tian? The Brother Tian you’re talking about is Chu Tianhe?"
"Damn, why is the world so blind? What kind of luck does Chu Tianhe have to be surrounded by such beauties?"
Wu Peng couldn't help but shout, striding toward Yue Linglong. The thugs following behind him also fixed their greedy eyes on her.
"Young Master Wu, why don't we brothers grab this woman and take her back to have some fun?"
These thugs had been borrowed from Brother Ying specifically to deal with Chu Tianhe.
"What the hell are you thinking!"
Wu Peng barked an order, straightened his suit, and walked toward Yue Linglong with a face full of smiles. "Beautiful, I’m the eldest son of the Wu Group here in Jiangzhou. My name is Wu Peng. May I ask your name?"
"Come a little closer, and I’ll tell you."
Yue Linglong’s voice was like an oriole, soft and bone-melting. With lips like cherry blossoms, her opening line sparked endless imagination. The seductive, enchanting smile on her lips was soul-stirring and intoxicating. She raised a slender, jade-like hand and beckoned him to step forward.
"Heh, it’s a new age, why is a beauty still so shy?"
Wu Peng chuckled, caught completely off guard, and walked up to her.
"My name is very easy to remember, so make sure you listen closely." Yue Linglong’s seductive, teasing voice whispered in Wu Peng’s ear. She took a light step forward, her right fingertip tracing the collar of his shirt and sliding provocatively down until it rested right over his heart.
Then, leaning her lips close to his ear, she kept that enchanting smile on her face, but her tone turned icy and piercing. "I am the living Yama sent to escort you on your way. Do you like it?"
"Wha..." Wu Peng was shocked and tried to recoil to put some distance between them, but Yue Linglong wouldn't give him the chance. Her fingertip tapped lightly on his chest, and a surge of sharp ancient martial qi instantly flooded into his body, striking his heart directly!
"I... you..."
Wu Peng’s body went rigid. He felt a sharp pain in his heart, his breath hitched, and his strength seemed to vanish in an instant. He collapsed onto Yue Linglong and breathed his last.
"Someone come here! Call the manager! Someone’s having a heart attack!"
Yue Linglong placed Wu Peng’s corpse onto a chair and called for the manager. Because Chu Tianhe was still eating, she didn't want to cause a massive scene; otherwise, with her personality, she would never have chosen such a subtle method of killing.
She then swept her gaze toward the thugs, her beautiful eyes filled with a lethal chill. "What? Do you want to have a heart attack too?"
"Oh, mother!"
Seeing the terrifying look in her eyes and the corpse of Wu Peng slumped in the chair, the thugs were instantly unsettled. They weren't fools; even if they hadn't seen exactly how she did it, they knew full well that Wu Peng wouldn't have just had a heart attack out of nowhere. She had killed him!
"An... ancient martial artist... this woman must be an ancient martial artist!"
"Brothers, retreat! Let's go!"
With Wu Peng dead, the thugs scattered like birds and beasts. They fled the restaurant as fast as they could, wishing their parents had given them a few extra legs.
"Brother Tian, it’s been handled."
Yue Linglong returned to the private room. There was no trace of killing intent on her face, only a smile as warm as a spring breeze.
"Good. Sit down and eat." Chu Tianhe nodded and gestured for her to join them. Then he whispered, "Notify Wu Tianhao in a bit. Tell him to go identify the body."
"Understood!"
Chu Tianhe’s voice was so low that Qin Xiaomeng, sitting nearby, couldn't hear what he was saying. Seeing them whispering so intimately, she asked, "Brother-in-law, what are you two talking about?"
"Nothing, Brother Tian was just talking to me about changing apartments," Yue Linglong said with a smile before Chu Tianhe could speak. "Brother Tian said the environment at Fengshun Residential Area is too poor, and we’re going to look at new houses tomorrow."
This was something Chu Tianhe had arranged beforehand, and Yue Linglong had already selected a few nice villas, so she brought it up naturally.
"The environment at Fengshun Residential Area is indeed terrible!" Yang Huijuan nodded in agreement. "It’s one thing for us adults, but it’s bad for Yaoyao’s growth!"
"If it weren't for living there, would I have gotten into that conflict with the supermarket owner?"
"I think it’s time we rent a better place and move out."
As Yang Huijuan finished speaking, Yaoyao opened her large, sparkling eyes and looked at Chu Tianhe. "Daddy, are we moving to a new house?"
"Hmm!" Chu Tianhe looked at Yaoyao with affection and laughed. "Daddy will take you to look at houses tomorrow. Whichever one you like best, that’s where we’ll move. How does that sound?"
"Yay!" Yaoyao jumped up excitedly. "Finally, we’re moving. Mommy always said we should move, and I..."
Suddenly mentioning her mother, Yaoyao’s expression dimmed, and tears welled up in her eyes.
*Mommy!*
To other children, that word was the warmest in the world, but to Yaoyao, it was the saddest.
It was true—her mother was already gone. Even if they moved to a big house, her mother wouldn't see it.
"Yaoyao, don't cry, don't cry." Seeing this, Qin Xiaomeng pulled Yaoyao into her arms and stroked her back with heartache.
"Auntie, I don't have a mommy anymore. I can never see mommy again." Yaoyao was still just a child; despite Qin Xiaomeng’s best efforts to comfort her, she couldn't stop crying.
Qin Xiaomeng held her tighter. "But you still have your auntie, don't you?"
"From now on, Auntie will be your mommy, and Auntie will take care of you." It was an unintentional comfort, but Yaoyao took it to heart.
"Really?" Yaoyao looked up, her eyes misty, and asked very seriously, "Auntie, can you really be my mommy?"
Children say the darndest things!
Qin Xiaomeng looked very much like Qin Xiaorou, and she had been taking care of Yaoyao; occasionally, when Yaoyao was sleepy, she had even mistaken Qin Xiaomeng for her mother. But in this situation, the question plunged everyone into embarrassment.
"Cough, cough..."
Chu Tianhe gave a clumsy cough, wanting to remind Yaoyao not to talk nonsense. But seeing his daughter’s pitiful expression, he didn't have the heart to say it.
As for Qin Xiaomeng sitting across from him, she was undoubtedly the most embarrassed. Wu Peng had just been insulting her, saying she was in love with her brother-in-law, and now this had happened. Her cheeks were as red as a ripe apple.
"Um... Yaoyao, let’s eat first. Look, this chocolate pudding is delicious. Should Auntie cut it for you?"
"Okay!"
Yaoyao was still a child. Although there were still tear tracks on her face, her attention was diverted by the chocolate pudding.
Dinner was over, and the night had deepened. Wu Peng’s body had been taken away by the hospital, and the restaurant returned to its usual peace.
Yue Linglong waved goodbye to Chu Tianhe. As she watched him carry the sleeping Yaoyao away, walking alongside Qin Xiaomeng and Yang Huijuan toward Fengshun Residential Area, a sour feeling washed over her.
"Brother Tian..."
Back on the Kashmir battlefield, when Chu Tianhe had rescued Yue Linglong from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, her heart had already belonged to him.
Later, when she joined the Pantheon, it was Chu Tianhe who taught her ancient martial arts hand-in-hand and helped her improve her strength. After three years of being together day and night, Yue Linglong had fallen for him, but because of their status, she had kept those feelings buried deep within, never revealing them.
...
The night wind blew. Chu Tianhe stood on the balcony of their Fengshun Residential Area apartment, looking out at the pitch-black surroundings. There weren't even streetlights, and the area reeked of foul odors.
He couldn't imagine that Qin Xiaorou had lived in such an environment. Had it not been for him, she could have had a much better life, married into wealth, and lived among the elite.
Yet, she loved him without complaint, willing to break ties with the Qin family for his sake. And he, in return, had given her so little warmth. He owed her far too much.
"Xiaorou..."
Chu Tianhe’s voice choked, his eyes slightly red. Whenever he thought of her, his heart ached. He was an iron-willed man who had survived countless battles and emerged from the fires of war, yet even he had a soft spot. Just as a dragon has its reverse scale, Qin Xiaorou was his. She was his weakness.
"Brother-in-law..."
At that moment, Qin Xiaomeng’s voice came from behind him. "Are you thinking about my sister?"
Chu Tianhe turned around. Qin Xiaomeng was wearing a thin, silk spaghetti-strap nightgown—the same one the two sisters had bought together. Qin Xiaorou had one just like it; Chu Tianhe had seen it before.
The night wind blew, pressing the gown against her body and outlining her graceful figure in vivid detail. For a moment, Chu Tianhe was stunned.
The hazy moonlight spilled onto her face, dreamlike. In that instant, he felt as if he were looking at his late wife.
She looked too much like her. Qin Xiaomeng and Qin Xiaorou looked so similar that, in this dim environment with the moonlight, even Chu Tianhe was momentarily deceived.
It felt as if Qin Xiaorou were still alive, standing right there in front of him!
"Brother-in-law?" Seeing Chu Tianhe’s gaze fixed on her with a daze, Qin Xiaomeng’s cheeks blushed. Her lips parted slightly. "Brother-in-law, did you... mistake me for my sister?"
"I'm sorry."
Chu Tianhe regained his senses and waved his hand, apologizing.
"I miss her too." Qin Xiaomeng felt a pang of sadness. She walked to the balcony, looked up at the bright moon, and said, "She must be very happy in heaven. Maybe she’s watching us right now."
Chu Tianhe fell silent. He didn't speak, only nodded faintly, and turned to look at the full moon himself.
Yes, a woman as kind as Qin Xiaorou must have gone to heaven.
"Brother-in-law, don't take what Yaoyao said to heart. Children don't know any better. I was just trying to comfort her; I didn't expect her to take it seriously."
Seeing him lost in thought, Qin Xiaomeng spoke softly, though her words were somewhat disingenuous.
"Hmm."
Chu Tianhe replied with a single syllable, without much emotion, his gaze still fixed on the moon.
Children’s words were indeed innocent, but the taunts Wu Peng had shouted earlier hadn't come from thin air. Chu Tianhe knew clearly that Qin Xiaomeng had feelings for him, but he had been deliberately avoiding it—avoiding the feelings of every woman, not just hers, but even Yue Linglong, who had followed him for years.
Because in Chu Tianhe’s heart, there was room for only one woman. She was the white moonlight in his heart—the one who made him willing to wear the restrictive wristband and put down his blade of slaughter. That light had illuminated the darkness; that light was Qin Xiaorou.
Aside from her, it was hard for any other woman to enter his heart, even Qin Xiaomeng. He could only see her as family.
"It’s getting late. Go to sleep."
Chu Tianhe waved his hand to signal she should go to bed. He walked over to the sofa in the living room and lay down, staring at the dilapidated ceiling, lost in his thoughts.
Qin Xiaomeng opened her mouth, wanting to say more, but stopped. She knew he was thinking about her sister again.
This profound love made her feel a sense of envy. She envied her sister for having a man who loved her so deeply that, even though she was no longer there, his love had not faded.
*Sister, you loved the right person!*
All her sacrifices were worth it and would have yielded great rewards, but she just hadn't had the luck to reach that happy moment.
Qin Xiaomeng took a complex look at Chu Tianhe and sighed, turning back to her room. At the same time, Chu Tianhe, who had been staring blankly at the ceiling, suddenly had a sharp glint in his eyes and bolted upright from the sofa!
"Who's there?!"
In the darkness, Chu Tianhe had sensed a powerful ancient martial aura flitting past the window!
He jumped up, leaped from the sixth-floor balcony, and his eyes locked onto a figure in the darkness like lightning!
The person was incredibly fast. By the time Chu Tianhe had charged out, they were already a hundred meters away.
"Someone from the Six Halls?"
Chu Tianhe furrowed his brows. Without hesitation, he threw a short blade with lightning speed. If it weren't someone from the Six Halls, there was no way they could have such strength!
*Thwack!*
In an instant, the blade pierced the man’s shoulder. The figure shuddered slightly but didn't stop, continuing to charge forward until they vanished from Chu Tianhe’s sight.
"Did they dodge it?"
Chu Tianhe frowned, his expression grim, and he reached up to touch the titanium wristband.
His throw should have pierced through the man’s body or even torn it apart, but because the wristband suppressed ninety percent of his power, the man had been able to use a bizarre movement technique to avoid a fatal blow the moment he sensed the blade.
"Hongyue, there are others from the Six Halls in Jiangzhou besides you. Check it out—find out who it is!"
Watching the person escape, Chu Tianhe took out his phone and called Liu Hongyue.
"There's someone else?"
Liu Hongyue was startled; she hadn't known about this.
"It seems Master Xinghe still doesn't fully trust you!" Chu Tianhe’s voice grew deeper as he warned her.
"Master Xinghe is suspicious by nature. It’s hard to gain his full trust." Liu Hongyue knitted her brows, her tone heavy. "With his style, it’s entirely possible he sent someone else."
"Find out who this person is!" A cold light flashed in Chu Tianhe’s eyes. "This person is a hidden threat. If I’m not mistaken, they aren't just monitoring me; they’re likely monitoring you in secret as well. This person must be eliminated!"
"Understood!"
...
The next morning, Qin Xiaomeng woke up early, groomed herself carefully, changed into professional attire, slipped into black heels, and headed out. She was going to interview for a job with a decent salary to help with household expenses.
Chu Tianhe took Yaoyao to finish breakfast and then arrived at the Huanan Mufu villa area. Yue Linglong was already waiting there. When she saw Chu Tianhe carrying Yaoyao, she smiled and hurried over to meet them.
"Brother Tian, you’re here so early." Her smile was as warm as the spring breeze. She reached out naturally to take Yaoyao from Chu Tianhe’s arms.
Yaoyao didn't resist the beautiful, gentle auntie; in fact, she was quite close to Yue Linglong and let her hold her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Welcome to the Huanan Mufu villa area. May I ask your names? I’m the sales consultant here, Liu Yulu. You can call me Miss Wang."
A sales consultant for the complex walked over and greeted them politely.
"Chu Tianhe!"
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Chu." Liu Yulu extended her hand to shake Chu’s, then continued, "Mr. Chu, Mrs. Chu, please, come in. Our villas are part of the nation’s top real estate construction company. Our properties are all over the country; almost every city has a Huanan Mufu development."
Seeing how naturally Yue Linglong had taken Yaoyao from Chu Tianhe, Liu Yulu instinctively assumed they were a couple. Yue Linglong’s cheeks flushed, but before she could explain, Liu Yulu enthusiastically continued, "Our mission is to build high-end, boutique villa communities in every city!"
"No matter the city, our developments are always the most high-end residential areas. This complex today covers three hundred acres, with at least five hundred meters between villas. The lighting, environment, landscaping, and amenities are all second to none. Absolutely impeccable!"