Chapter Eighty: The Child Bears the Surname Xue

In the President’s office of Dreamhua Group in Beiyang City, Huaxia, Qin Mengxue sat leaning back in her chair, her brows tightly knotted. There were still several documents awaiting her attention on the desk, but she found herself utterly uninterested in them at the moment.

A vague irritation had taken hold of her heart, and its source was none other than her husband. This morning, during the meeting, Gan Bingning had inquired about Xue Tian’ai’s absence, and after the meeting, her secretary, Yu Xiaoxiao, had asked again. While both questions were likely just casual, Qin Mengxue couldn’t help but feel a twinge of discomfort and an odd sourness inside, secretly grumbling about Xue Tian’ai.

That scoundrel’s reluctance to make their relationship public must be his way of keeping his options open with other women! He’s clearly capable enough—he once claimed he feared becoming the enemy of every man in Beiyang City, worried he’d be attacked by rivals while walking down the street. In hindsight, it was all nonsense! Damn Xue Tian’ai, rotten Xue Tian’ai, useless Xue Tian’ai! Qin Mengxue cursed him furiously in her heart.

After venting her frustrations in solitude for a while, she felt a bit calmer, but worry soon crept in. Was Xue Tian’ai going to negotiate with the Tianming Group alone? Would he have met Ye Hairuo by now? How far had the negotiations progressed? Though Xue Tian’ai never showed any stubbornness typical of young heirs, if Ye Hairuo insulted him too much...

Ah! It’s so aggravating! She should never have let him go alone. Qin Mengxue quietly picked up her phone, intending to call Xue Tian’ai and check in.

But as soon as she picked it up, she hesitated. What if Xue Tian’ai was in the middle of negotiations with Ye Hairuo? Would her call disrupt him?

For someone usually decisive and efficient, Qin Mengxue found herself wavering.

Just as she was tangled in her thoughts and worries, her phone suddenly rang. Judging by the ringtone, it was an incoming call.

Without thinking, Qin Mengxue answered and blurted out, “Is this Xue Tian’ai?”

“Well, you two seem to be getting along just fine. Looks like my worries were pointless!” A deep male voice, tinged with playful teasing, sounded from the other end.

Hearing the voice, Qin Mengxue was stunned. She stammered, “Dad… Dad… why is it you?”

“Why not me?” Qin Wanlan countered, then, as if suddenly enlightened, said, “Ah, do you wish this call was from my son-in-law?”

“No… not at all!” Qin Mengxue’s cheeks flushed, and she replied with a hint of embarrassment. She’d been thinking about Xue Tian’ai so much that, subconsciously, she assumed the call was from him. Now she was mortified.

“Honey! It seems Xiaoxue and Xiaoyi’s relationship is doing wonderfully, so we needn’t worry!” Qin Wanlan, ignoring his daughter’s protest, called out in a loud voice to Lan Yingyan beside him.

“Is that so? That’s wonderful! Xiaoxue, you and Xiaoyi must cherish each other!” Though she wasn’t next to the phone, Lan Yingyan’s gentle, delighted voice carried clearly through the receiver to Qin Mengxue.

Having been teased by both her parents in succession, Qin Mengxue’s face burned hotly. She quickly interrupted, “Dad, why did you call me? Is there something you need?”

“This afternoon, An’an should be back in Beiyang City. Make arrangements for her,” Qin Wanlan said, as if discussing something entirely unrelated to himself.

“An’an? Why is that little girl coming to Beiyang City? Isn’t she studying at Jiangnan University?” Qin Mengxue was taken aback.

“An’an became an exchange student, so she’s transferring from Jiangnan College to East University,” Qin Wanlan explained.

“Oh, I see. By the way, Dad, aren’t you coming back? How long are you planning to stay on vacation?”

“Tsk tsk tsk, I have to admit, West Asia is a wonderful place—sunshine, beaches, great food. I’ve decided to stay a few more days, so don’t worry about me! Just enjoy your time with Xiaoyi! Best if you give me news of your pregnancy when I return!” At these words, Qin Mengxue was instantly petrified, her cheeks blazing. What on earth is going on in her father’s mind? “Dad, what are you saying?”

“Alright, finish up what needs to be done! Let your belly grow as it should! An’an will call you soon, make sure to arrange things for her. I’m hanging up!” With that, Qin Wanlan hurriedly ended the call, clearly not wanting to say another word.

Hearing the beeping from the other end, Qin Mengxue felt utterly helpless. What kind of father is so eager to push his daughter into a man's arms?

Though still speechless, Qin Mengxue used her slender, elegant fingers to tap out a call on her phone.

“Hello, is this An’an? When will you arrive this afternoon? I’ll pick you up at the airport.”

...

Qin Wanlan set down his phone, let out a gentle sigh, and lounged comfortably on the soft sofa, looking lazy and relaxed. Half-lidded eyes regarded the man opposite him, who was brewing tea. Qin Wanlan spoke slowly, “You must have noticed from Xiaoxue’s tone that she and Xiaoyi are doing well together.”

“Of course I noticed. But I’m still curious—how much longer are you staying here, my dear in-law?” The man brewing tea raised his head, shifting his gaze from the teapot to Qin Wanlan sprawled on his sofa.

This tea-brewing man was none other than Xue Tian’ai’s father, Xue Xiwen, Commander-in-Chief of the Northeast Military District.

“Waa waa waa, Yingyan, look at this rascal—still the same as ever! Even after becoming in-laws, he wants to drive me out!” Qin Wanlan wailed to Lan Yingyan seated nearby.

“Hey, don’t twist my words! Who’s driving you out? I’m just curious why you’d leave your own house unused and come here. Weren’t you enjoying yourself in West Asia?” Xue Xiwen sighed, clearly exasperated by Qin Wanlan’s antics.

The two could truly be called a pair of quarrelsome but inseparable friends. Since childhood, whenever they met, they would invariably quarrel, sometimes ending up black and blue, only to be separated by Old Master Xue and Old Master Qin. But at their next meeting, the cycle would begin again.

As they grew older, their rivalry expanded beyond mere scuffles, encompassing all sorts of comparisons and mutual mockery. They endured many a scolding from their elders because of it.

Yet fate played a trick: Xue Xiwen had a son, Xue Tian’ai, and two years later, Qin Wanlan had a daughter, Qin Mengxue. Thus, the two became in-laws.

“As in-laws, isn’t it necessary to strengthen our bond?” Qin Wanlan sat up and took a sip of the tea Xue Xiwen had just brewed, praising as he drank, “Tsk tsk tsk, this tea is excellent! Give me some leaves later, will you?”

“I’d rather not bond with you! And those tea leaves are a special supply for the commander—no extras!” Xue Xiwen rolled his eyes at Qin Wanlan.

“Waa waa waa, Yingyan, look at this old miser! So stingy! He won’t even spare a few tea leaves—how outrageous!” Qin Wanlan cried.

“Alright, alright, every time you ask Xiwen for tea, he always gives you some, doesn’t he?” Lan Yingyan said gently, turning to Xue Xiwen, “Xiwen, don’t tease him.”

“If he loved tea so much, he should have become a commander himself. He had the opportunity, but he gave it up,” Xue Xiwen retorted.

“Is being a commander as fun as being a CEO?” Qin Wanlan shot back instantly.

“Sure, being a CEO nearly drove Dreamhua Group to bankruptcy. Isn’t that fun?” Xue Xiwen mocked with a half-smile.

“Hey, you old rascal, always picking on me!” Qin Wanlan grumbled, stung by the remark. Indeed, before Old Master Qin retired, he’d offered him the position of Southeast Military District Commander, but he’d declined out of boredom. Instead, he founded Dreamhua Group, but was never cut out for business, and nearly bankrupted the company. Were it not for Qin Mengxue returning from the States to take over, Dreamhua Group might have faded into history.

“Enough! You always rub it in. But I mainly came to ask about the assassin Xiaoyi dealt with yesterday,” Qin Wanlan waved his hand, resigned.

“No wonder you were once a consultant for Fish Gate—you know even the information I’ve sealed off,” Xue Xiwen said, unsurprised.

“Nonsense! Of course I care about my own daughter. If Xiaoyi’s being targeted by assassins, shouldn’t you be worried too?”

“No, not at all. Xiaoyi is the strongest assassin himself. What assassin could possibly harm him?” Xue Xiwen declared, his voice filled with pride.

“You…” Qin Wanlan was infuriated by Xue Xiwen’s arrogance, but then, as if struck by an idea, he grinned slyly, “No matter how formidable, he’s still my son-in-law and must protect Xiaoxue.”

“And the child Xiaoxue has will still bear the Xue surname, won’t it?” Xue Xiwen retorted without missing a beat.

...

Xue Xiwen’s words were a finishing blow, leaving Qin Wanlan speechless, glaring at him furiously. Xue Xiwen met his gaze with triumphant defiance, as if to say, “You think you can outdo me?”

Watching the two men locked in silent, childish stubbornness, Lan Yingyan could only smile helplessly and step in as peacemaker.

“Alright, alright, you’re grown men—stop bickering. Xiwen, tell us about last night. Wanlan only heard the gist, he doesn’t know the details.”

“Last night’s assassin was called Chain. He’s quite famous in our country’s assassin circles, but Xiaoyi has already dealt with him, so there’s nothing to worry about,” Xue Xiwen explained.

“Do you know who wanted to kill Xiaoxue?” Qin Wanlan’s brows furrowed deeply. “I heard Xiaoxue was targeted by a bounty on the Chip Platform?”

“Yes, Xiaoyi took care of that too. According to him, both incidents were orchestrated by someone known as ‘Mr. Y.’ Any clues?”

“Mr. Y?” Clearly, Qin Wanlan was unfamiliar with the name. “Why would he want to kill Xiaoxue?”

“No idea. I have no information on Mr. Y,” Xue Xiwen shook his head with a sigh. “But I now believe he’s likely the culprit behind the Ye family massacre years ago!”

“Why?” Qin Wanlan was momentarily stunned, then suddenly realized, “You mean the attempt on Xiaoxue was for…”

“Exactly. I can’t think of any other reason,” Xue Xiwen nodded.

“For what?” Though Xue Xiwen and Qin Wanlan understood, Lan Yingyan was still confused.

“The Guxia Token!” Xue Xiwen and Qin Wanlan answered in unison.