Elsewhere, the twelve scar-faced men watched Lin Xi's car drive away, cursing Ye Huan silently for his shamelessness. He was clearly so powerful that he had reduced all twelve of them to helpless wrecks in under a minute, yet when he had fought their fifteen bodyguards earlier, he had acted as though he didn't know martial arts at all.
Utterly shameless!
"Let's go, back!"
The scar-faced man gritted his teeth against the pain of his fractured sternum and staggered to his feet.
The other eleven youths, nursing broken arms and legs, also struggled up, trembling all over.
As they limped toward their vehicles, a dozen off-road vehicles suddenly roared up, disgorging a massive crowd of people.
"Rh-Rhongluan?"
Seeing the glamorous beauty in the lead wearing a peaked cap, all twelve scar-faced men froze in absolute shock.
She was none of Huaxia's eight Guardian Gods of War, "Hongluan"!
"You twelve are certainly lucky. You offended *that* person and yet managed to keep your lives."
Hongluan cast a cold glance at the twelve men before looking down the empty road, her brow furrowing deeply. Of all places for that brutal killer to visit, why did he have to come to Huaxia?
"W-What do you mean? Even if the twelve of us used knives and tried to abduct someone, breaking the law, it doesn't warrant a prominent Guardian God of War coming out to arrest us personally, does she?" the scar-faced man asked.
"The person who beat you is the King of Hell!" Hongluan replied offhandedly.
The King of Hell?
That human beast who stood at the absolute pinnacle of global wealth, martial power, political influence, and authority?
The twelve scar-faced men were so terrified they nearly pissed themselves, their minds buzzing with sheer panic. They had actually fought the King of Hell and survived to tell the tale? Damn it, they could brag about this for the rest of their lives!
"Arrest me! Hurry up and arrest me! Give me a life sentence, please, just take me away..."
The scar-faced man snapped out of his daze and howled in sheer terror.
He was now terrified that the King of Hell might turn around and come back to finish him off. In his eyes, spending the rest of his life in prison was the safest place on earth.
"Take them all away, interrogate them thoroughly. I want results before dusk," Hongluan ordered. She knew that when she had mingled with the crowd at the airport, the King of Hell must have noticed her; otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered punishing the twelve thugs so casually.
The King of Hell wanted her to handle the interrogation!
"No need for an interrogation! I'll talk, I'll confess everything..." the twelve men shrieked in absolute panic.
...
Guided by Lin Xi, Ye Huan stopped by her home to retrieve her household registration booklet before heading straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
During the drive, Lin Xi had already sent out the drafted marriage agreement.
Thus, by the time the two arrived at the bureau, their lawyer was already waiting at the entrance with the documents in hand.
"Sign and press your thumbprint!"
Lin Xi flipped directly to the final page of the agreement, blocking the contents so that only the signature and fingerprint lines were visible, and issued her command.
"I haven't even read the terms yet!" Ye Huan protested.
Lin Xi glared at him. "Just sign where I tell you! Why so many useless words?"
She certainly didn't dare let Ye Huan read the terms, fearing that if he did, he would refuse to sign!
"Fine!"
Ye Huan shrugged and signed his name, pressing his thumbprint onto the document.
In truth, he couldn't care less if Lin Xi was playing tricks with the agreement. As the King of Hell, no country's laws on earth held any jurisdiction or power to bind him!
A mere piece of paper was no different from toilet paper in his eyes.
Even so, he was genuinely curious about what she had written.
"Let's go get our marriage certificates!"
Once Ye Huan finished signing and pressing his thumbprint, Lin Xi suppressed her rising excitement, handed one copy of the agreement to the lawyer, kept two for herself, and marched into the bureau.
"Hey, there are three copies of this agreement—one for you, one for me, and one for the lawyer. Why did you give one to the lawyer and not to me?" Ye Huan called out, hurrying after her.
"I'll give it to you after we get the certificates!" Lin Xi said without looking back.
"Alright, fine!"
Forced to suppress his curiosity about the contents, Ye Huan cooperated as Lin Xi completed the registration procedures.
When the two emerged from the Civil Affairs Bureau clutching their marriage certificates, Lin Xi finally burst into triumphant laughter, the sound brimming with the sheer ecstasy of sweet revenge.
Ye Huan blinked. "What's wrong? Having an epileptic fit?"
"You bastard, you've been tricked!"
Stopping her laughter, Lin Xi put on the triumphant expression of a villain whose master plan had succeeded. She gloated:
"From now on, you are nothing more than a toy in the palm of my hand. I am going to play with you until you wish you were dead!"
"Play with me until I die?"
Ye Huan's eyes lit up, and he said with eager enthusiasm:
"Oh, wonderful! No matter how many times a night you want, I'll go all the way. My kidneys are fantastic—every woman I've ever slept with calls me the Eleven-Times Champion!"
Lin Xi's pretty face turned pitch black instantly. She shoved a copy of the marriage agreement into Ye Huan's chest and said coldly:
"You've got the wrong idea. Take a good look at this agreement!"
So the girl really *did* tamper with the agreement... Picking up the dropped document, Ye Huan began to read.
Chapter 4: Take Your Dog Paws Off Me
Lin Xi watched Ye Huan expectantly, eager to see his expression.
In her mind, once Ye Huan read the marriage agreement, he would fly into a furious rage, filled with crushing regret for having tried to take advantage of and humiliate her, before dropping to his knees to beg for her forgiveness!
"Interesting!"
The moment Ye Huan read the first clause of the agreement, he grew excited—and the more he read, the more thrilled he became.
Clause 1: After marriage, neither the husband nor the wife shall interfere in the other's work or personal life.
Clause 2: After marriage, the husband and wife shall sleep in separate beds.
Clause 3: After marriage, the wife has the right to command the husband's time entirely.
Clause 4: After marriage, the wife has the right to order the husband to do anything, and the husband has no right to refuse.
Clause 5...
There were dozens more clauses following that.
And the final clause stated: If the husband violates any single clause of this agreement, the wife has the right to dissolve the marriage immediately, and the husband shall leave with nothing.
Rather than a marriage agreement, this document was practically an indenture of servitude!
"Why are you looking so excited?"
Lin Xi could scarcely believe her eyes. She simply couldn't fathom why Ye Huan was acting so thrilled after reading a document designed to enslave him.
It defied all logic!
Didn't he realize that this marriage agreement meant his personal freedom and dignity were now entirely under her control? If she told him to eat dirt, he would have to do it—because refusal meant a breach of contract, resulting in him leaving penniless.
What on earth was the meaning of his sudden excitement?
"Stop putting on an act. I know you must be furious, panicking inside, and regretting signing this agreement to your very core."
Convinced she had seen right through his facade, Lin Xi bluntly exposed him.
"I'm suddenly starting to look forward to married life!" Ye Huan said with genuine anticipation.
Studying Ye Huan's expression and eyes, Lin Xi abruptly realized that his joy and excitement were entirely sincere. While this made her suspect he was a pervert with masochistic tendencies, it also infuriated her—this was not the outcome she wanted.
What she wanted was to see Ye Huan react to the truth of their contractual marriage with anger, remorse, and desperate pleas on his knees for her mercy.
"Just wait, you perverted freak! I'll make sure you wish you were dead and couldn't even die!" Lin Xi said through gritted teeth.
"When does it start?" Ye Huan asked eagerly.
"Right now!"
After a moment's thought, Lin Xi declared:
"According to Clause 4 of the agreement, the wife has the right to order the husband to do anything, and the husband has no right to refuse. My first order to you is to walk on your hands all the way to the parking lot, and sing while you walk!"
*This* is supposed to make me wish I were dead?
Ye Huan curled his lip, immediately dropping into a handstand and walking forward on his hands while belting out a song:
"Oh, little sister sits by the head of the bed, while big brother climbs over the courtyard wall, loving and tender as the big bed rocks and sways..."
Seeing Ye Huan walking on his hands, Lin Xi initially felt a surge of vindictive pleasure, but the moment she heard the lyrics he was singing, her face turned black.
This wasn't her torturing Ye Huan; it was Ye Huan assaulting her ears!
She immediately barked, "Stop singing that song! Change it!"
Ye Huan: "The little conch blows randomly, the seagulls fly blindly; the little conch blows randomly, the penguins go hee-hee-hee..."
Lin Xi: "..."
Back inside the car!
"Stop singing!"
Seeing that Ye Huan was still going strong, Lin Xi pulled a tissue from the box and shoved it straight into his mouth.
She had finally figured it out. Since Ye Huan couldn't do anything about the marriage agreement, he was resorting to these bizarre tactics just to disgust her and act rebellious.
Hmph, just you wait! She still had one hundred and eight cruel punishments waiting for him!
"How was my singing? Did it give you a nice, moistened feeling after listening?"
Ye Huan pulled the tissue from his mouth and asked.
"You..."
Lin Xi's anger meter instantly maxed out.
Sensing that Lin Xi was about to blow her top, Ye Huan hurriedly changed the subject.
"Where to next?"
Glarng at him with pure venom and fighting down the impulse to beat him to a pulp with the Nine-Yin White Bone Claws, Lin Xi said:
"My proposing a contractual marriage with you was only one part of my plan. The other purpose was to shake off the marriage partner my grandfather arranged for me."
*The marriage partner your grandfather arranged for you is literally me...* Ye Huan bit his tongue to keep from telling the truth, planning to hit Lin Xi with the surprise after they met Lin Tai.
Unaware of what was running through his mind, Lin Xi continued:
"Right now, my family is waiting at the Shangyang Restaurant to welcome the man my grandfather chose for me. We're heading over there now, and you're going to help me break off this engagement. Do you understand?"
Ye Huan nodded. "Understood. Don't worry, my acting skills are top-notch!"
Lin Xi shot him a look of pure disgust and fell silent.
Over half an hour later, the two arrived at the Shangyang Restaurant. As they approached the private dining room where the Lin family was waiting, Ye Huan suddenly reached out and grabbed Lin Xi's hand.
"What are you doing?"
Lin Xi jerked her hand back as if she'd been electrocuted and hissed in a low, furious voice.
With a completely straight face, Ye Huan replied, "Clause 10 of the marriage agreement: In front of the wife's family, the husband must display deep affection for his wife. I'm just acting in accordance with the contract!"
With that, he slipped an arm around her slender waist.
"Take your dog paws off me!"
Shoving him away, Lin Xi whispered fiercely,
"We don't need that yet. Once we're inside the private room, you can wait until after I introduce you before we pretend to be all lovey-dovey."
"Alright, fine!" Ye Huan shrugged.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Xi plastered on a smile and pushed open the private room's door.
*Whoosh!*
The instant the door swung open, the gazes of Lin Xi's parents locked squarely onto the man standing behind her. Their expressions practically screamed, *'So this is the pile of cow manure that's about to receive our flower of a daughter?'*
"Where's Grandpa?"
Noticing that her grandfather wasn't inside the room, Lin Xi asked.
"He stepped out to take a call!"
Lin Xi's father, Lin Canglan, answered. "Xixi, is this the man your grandfather asked you to pick up at the airport?"
"No!"
Lin Xi shook her head.
"His name is Ye Huan, and he's my husband. We just got our marriage certificate a little over half an hour ago."
Cooperating instantly, Ye Huan pulled Lin Xi back into his embrace around her waist.
Lin Xi's body stiffened for a fraction of a second. Fighting down the urge to chop off Ye Huan's paws, she forced herself to look relaxed, even squeezing out a shy, rosy blush for effect.
This performance drew profound admiration from Ye Huan, who mentally applauded the girl's top-tier acting skills. How on earth did she manage to pull off that bashful expression on command?
As for Lin Xi's parents, upon hearing the introduction and witnessing the public display of affection, their expressions instantly mirrored the look of people struck by lightning.
"Xixi, y-you're joking, right? When did you even start dating? How come we never heard a peep about this?"
Regaining his composure first, Lin Canglan asked in shock.
The blush on Lin Xi's face deepened convincingly. "Ye Huan was a senior of mine at Harvard. We've been together since my sophomore year. Even though Ye Huan went to work on Wall Street after graduation, it never affected our relationship. When I came back to China after graduating, we maintained a long-distance relationship. When he found out Grandpa was forcing me to marry a complete stranger, he flew straight here to find me..."
Speechless, Ye Huan stared at Lin Xi as she spun her elaborate tall tale out of thin air. He concluded that if this girl didn't become a novelist or screenwriter, it would be a tragic loss for the literary and artistic circles.
"So that's how it is!"
Hearing this, Lin Xi's parents experienced a sudden wave of understanding, though they still found it hard to digest that Lin Xi and Ye Huan had eloped to get a marriage certificate out of nowhere.
Lin Canglan pressed, "What kind of work do you do on Wall Street, Ye Huan?"
Ye Huan was just about to announce that he was in the slaughterhouse business and had already risen to become the undisputed overlord of the global meat-processing industry.
Before he could speak, however, Lin Xi jumped in with her own answer:
"Ye Huan founded a company on Wall Street, and its valuation has already reached ten billion US dollars. It's about to go public!"
Ye Huan felt a twinge of annoyance—Lin Xi had severely understated his net worth!
Meanwhile, the expressions in Lin Canglan and Li Meiya's eyes as they looked at Ye Huan shifted dramatically. They gazed at him as if inspecting a piece of flawless jade, growing more and more satisfied the longer they looked.
A fellow Harvard graduate just like Lin Xi, coupled with the status of a Wall Street business tycoon—the man Lin Xi had chosen for herself was simply stellar! He was infinitely better than the wild, nameless fiancé Old Master Lin Tai had picked out for her.
"Xiao Ye, why are you still standing? Sit down, please, sit down..."
Lin Canglan rose enthusiastically to welcome him, expressing his wholehearted approval of this son-in-law through sheer hospitality.
Chapter 5: Oh No, Her Cover is Blown
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Channeling his inner method actor, Ye Huan put on a slightly nervous, reserved expression as he took a seat.
He flawlessly portrayed the awkwardness and modesty of meeting one's in-laws for the very first time. His acting was of such high caliber it was worthy of an Oscar!
"You and Xixi have already gotten your marriage certificate, why are you still calling me uncle?" Lin Canglan feigned displeasure.
Ye Huan immediately went along with the flow. "Dad..."
Lin Xi was utterly defeated by Ye Huan's shamelessness. She thought to herself that this guy's face was thicker than a city wall; if used to make body armor, it could probably withstand a nuclear blast.
"Ah... what a fine son-in-law! Truly a wonderful son-in-law!"
Lin Canglan beamed, gripping Ye Huan's hand and showering him with non-stop praise.
Meanwhile, Lin Xi's mother, Li Meiya, stood by, playing the perfect straight man to Lin Canglan's hype.
Quietly observing the scene, Lin Xi felt a wave of relief. With her parents loving Ye Huan so much, and the fact that she and the two of them now formed a united front with her marriage certificate already in hand, surely her grandfather wouldn't try to force her to marry that wild fiancé of his anymore, right?
Ye Huan was nearly nauseated by the sweet-talking flattery from Lin Canglan and Li Meiya. He knew very well that the pair weren't fond of *him* as a person; they were enamored with the fake Ivy League background and the ten-billion-dollar pre-IPO founder status Lin Xi had invented for him.
*Creeeak...*
Just then, the private room door swung open, and Lin Tai walked inside.
In an instant, the harmonious, joyful laughter in the room died away completely. Lin Xi, Lin Canglan, and Li Meiya turned to look at Lin Tai with overwhelming guilt.
They could already foresee the volcanic rage Lin Tai would unleash once he discovered that Lin Xi and Ye Huan had gone behind his back to get married!
"So you rascal finally arrived!"
Seeing Ye Huan, Lin Tai chuckled with grandfatherly warmth.
"Just got here a moment ago!"
Ye Huan stood up, smiling as he shook hands with Lin Tai.
This sight left Lin Xi, Lin Canglan, and Li Meiya exchanging baffled glances, their faces plastered with question marks.
Lin Tai already knew Ye Huan? This completely caught them off guard.
Yet the next second, Lin Canglan and Li Meiya let out massive sighs of relief.
"So you and Ye Huan already know each other, Dad? Well, that makes things easy! Hahaha..."
Lin Canglan chuckled with restored ease.
Li Meiya broke into smiles as well.
From their perspective, since Lin Tai was an old acquaintance of Ye Huan's, and judging by how fond Lin Tai seemed of him, even if the old man found out that Ye Huan and Lin Xi had tied the knot, he wouldn't blow a fuse, let alone try to tear them apart.
As for Lin Xi herself, she was struck by a potent mix of absolute shock and embarrassment!
She was shocked that her grandfather actually knew Ye Huan.
She was embarrassed because, since they were old acquaintances, her grandfather undoubtedly knew the truth about Ye Huan—meaning the fabricated identity she had invented for him was about to be instantly exposed.
Damn it, this reality check was coming so fast it left her completely blindsided!
"So your name is Ye Huan, eh? Knowing you for all these years, I finally get to know your name!"
After making a lighthearted jab at Ye Huan, Lin Tai turned to Lin Canglan and asked, "What did you mean just now when you said *'that makes things easy'*?"
Feeling terribly guilty, Lin Canglan forced himself to push forward.
"Well, Dad... today, Xixi and Ye Huan went and got their marriage certificate. Just now, her mother and I looked into Ye Huan's background. Anyway, we are both extremely satisfied with this son-in-law. As for that marriage candidate you picked out for Xixi, let's just drop it, haha... hahaha..."
Li Meiya chimed in, "Dad, as the old saying goes, 'it's better to tear down ten temples than ruin a single marriage.' Xixi and Ye Huan have been deeply in love for years. You should just give them your blessing and let them be. Stop trying to force Xixi to marry some stranger!"
Seeing her parents backing her up, Lin Xi mustered her courage and added, "Grandpa, I'm sorry, but I will never marry the stranger you picked for me. I don't even know his name, what he looks like, what he does for a living, or what his personality is like. I won't find happiness marrying someone like that."
With that, she hugged Ye Huan's arm, projecting a stubborn stance of refusing to marry anyone else, while signaling for Ye Huan to back her up with his own statement.
Taking the cue, Ye Huan leaned over and planted a loud kiss right on Lin Xi's cheek, then smiled broadly at Lin Tai. "No one is ever going to tear me and Lin Xi apart!"
Lin Xi nearly gagged from Ye Huan's sudden affection, but she was thoroughly pleased with his stance.
Completely bewildered by this turn of events, Lin Tai took a moment to process everything before pointing a finger at Ye Huan with an amused laugh.
"You rascal! Up until now, I was worried sick that Xixi would stubbornly refuse to marry you, which is why I sent her to the airport to pick you up so you two could break the ice and build some rapport. I never imagined you two had already hooked up ages ago—and even got your marriage certificate!"
"Using the word 'hooked up' for my relationship with Lin Xi is remarkably accurate, sir!" Ye Huan said, holding back a laugh.
The corners of Lin Tai's mouth twitched. *This kid certainly doesn't know how to filter his words,* he thought.
Meanwhile, Lin Xi, Lin Canglan, and Li Meiya were trapped in a state of utter confusion.
"You're the person Grandpa asked me to pick up at the airport?"
Staring blankly at Ye Huan, Lin Xi finally asked.
"That's right!"
Nodding, Ye Huan grinned broadly.
"I'm the man you were supposed to marry. Surprised? Shocked?"
With that, he looked at Lin Xi with a mischievous smile, waiting to see how her expression would shift.
This was the exact moment he had been waiting for!
In his mind, once Lin Xi learned the truth, she would inevitably fly into a rage, lose her mind, and deeply regret marrying him.
However, he was about to be disappointed!