Chapter 70: Do You Want Qin Muxue to Suffer for a Lifetime?

A flicker of fear finally surfaced in Yang Tiecheng’s heart. Forcing a smile, he looked at Lin Qianyao and said, “What’s wrong with cooperation?”
Lin Qianyao replied coldly, “Jiangdong Province isn’t a place where you can stir up trouble. Go back to your own lair.”
Feigning compliance, Yang Tiecheng said, “Alright, I’ll leave, I’ll leave.”
Yet inwardly, he was plotting: I’ll agree for now—better not suffer immediate loss; I’ll find another way once I get through this.
But Lin Qianyao was no ordinary business veteran—what sort of people had he not encountered, what storms had he not weathered? Yang Tiecheng’s feigned acquiescence and underlying unwillingness were as clear as daylight to him.
Normally a man of restraint, Lin Qianyao found his patience had run dry in the face of Yang Tiecheng’s persistent deceit. Lifting a foot, he kicked Yang Tiecheng hard in the chest, growling, “Did you think I was joking with you?”
Yang Tiecheng cried out in pain, “I mean it! Truly! Tonight—just tonight—I’ll leave immediately!”
Suddenly Lin Qianyao bent down, seized Yang Tiecheng by the collar, and snarled, “Let me tell you this: get back to your hole and never set foot in Jiangdong Province again, or I’ll see your family ruined and your life destroyed—do you hear me?”
Yang Tiecheng’s face turned grave. “I hear you. I hear everything.”
“Get out.”
Lin Qianyao flung Yang Tiecheng to the ground.
Scrambling to his feet, Yang Tiecheng hurriedly gathered his people and left.
Lin Qianyao then turned to Cui Shangkai, his voice icy: “From now on, the same goes for your Southwest Chamber of Commerce. If you want to do business, do it honestly. If you dare lay a finger on the Northern New Town project, you’ll all suffer.”
With these words, Lin Qianyao issued a command to his men, “Let’s go.”
He and his entourage departed swiftly.
Cui Shangkai pulled out a pack of Hua cigarettes, lit one, and after a moment’s thought said, “Let’s continue with our meal. Let’s pretend nothing happened just now.”
By now, Cui Shangkai had completely abandoned any hope for the Northern New Town project.
After all, look at all that had happened over that one project.
And it was precisely because so much had transpired that Cui Shangkai now saw things with utter clarity: that project was forever beyond his reach.
Meanwhile, Lin Qianyao climbed into his Mercedes SUV and immediately called Chen Yang.
Chen Yang was lounging on the sofa watching TV when Lin Qianyao’s call came in. He answered calmly, chuckling, “Is it settled?”
On the other end of the line, Lin Qianyao was also smiling. “Yes, Mr. Chen.”
“I thought Yang Tiecheng was something else, but he’s just a fox borrowing the tiger’s might,” Chen Yang said with disdain.
Lin Qianyao snorted. “If he doesn’t behave in the future, I’ll deal with him again.”
“Do whatever it takes to keep him from coming to Linhai again. He’s a nuisance,” Chen Yang replied indifferently.
“I understand,” Lin Qianyao said quietly.
“Very well, get back to your work. I’m hanging up now.”
Chen Yang ended the call with a slight smile.
Just as Chen Yang finished talking to Lin Qianyao, Qin Muxue burst into the villa, striding into the living room and hurrying over to Chen Yang. “Chen Yang, did something happen to my parents today?”
Chen Yang glanced at her, feigning an apologetic look. “Yes.”
“Was it because of you again?” Qin Muxue pressed.
Chen Yang sighed helplessly, “I don’t know what got into a certain rival of President Shen. They decided to target me, intending to use me against President Shen, and so this mess ended up involving your parents.”
“But fortunately, President Shen stepped in in time. Your parents are fine. I’ve spoken with President Shen as well, and he is very sorry about all this. I don’t think he wanted this to happen, so let’s just let it go.”
“Are my parents really alright?” Qin Muxue frowned.
Chen Yang shrugged. “They’re perfectly fine, don’t worry. I’d never let any harm come to them.”
Qin Muxue sighed, then said helplessly, “No one is really to blame for this. I’m sure President Shen didn’t want things to turn out like this either.”
“If anyone’s to blame, it should be me,” Chen Yang said with resignation.
“It’s not your fault,” Qin Muxue replied.
Clearly unwilling to continue with this topic, she looked around. “By the way, where are my parents?”
“They’re in their bedroom, probably resting—they were tired. I’ll cook dinner tonight,” Chen Yang said with a gentle smile.
Qin Muxue nodded and hurried toward her parents’ room.
She was a devoted daughter, and learning that her parents had been in danger must have worried her terribly. Now, her first thought was to check on them—which was only natural.
Once Qin Muxue entered her parents’ room, Chen Yang went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
The truth was, Chen Yang was an excellent cook, and his dishes were delicious. However, cooking had always been his mother-in-law’s domain, so he’d rarely had an opportunity to show off his skills.
As a result, this talent of his had gone largely unnoticed.
He busied himself in the kitchen making beef noodles, and before long, the kitchen was filled with a mouthwatering aroma.
At that moment, Han Qin emerged from the bedroom with Qin Muxue. Smelling the rich scent of beef wafting through the living room, her face lit up with delight. “Who’s cooking in the kitchen? It smells amazing!”
“It’s Chen Yang,” Qin Muxue replied, surprised herself. She hadn’t expected his cooking to smell so good.
Han Qin was intrigued. “He can cook too? Let’s go see.”
Qin Muxue smiled wryly. “Mom, you wouldn’t believe it, but Chen Yang’s cooking at least smells delicious.”
“I agree; it really does. Let’s see what he’s making,” Han Qin said, excitement in her voice.
Qin Muxue couldn’t help but smile and joined her mother at the kitchen door, sliding it open.
As soon as the door opened, the aroma grew even stronger, flooding the room.
Han Qin sniffed appreciatively, then turned to Chen Yang with a smile. “Chen Yang, you can cook?”
Chen Yang smiled back. “It smells good, doesn’t it, Mom?”
“It certainly does. What are you making for us?” Han Qin asked, beaming.
“Beef noodles,” Chen Yang replied. “Just wait a bit, Mom, and you’ll have something delicious to eat.”
Han Qin’s eyes sparkled. “I never thought you could cook!”
“Of course I can. I’ve always known how, just sometimes I’m too lazy,” Chen Yang laughed.
“So you have more skills than I thought, huh?” Han Qin narrowed her eyes playfully.
She wasn’t foolish—after everything that had happened recently, she’d noticed Chen Yang’s many changes.
He was certainly much improved from before, though he was still a little short of her ideal son-in-law.
The main issue was that Chen Yang didn’t have much earning power. If he were an executive at a major firm making two or three million a year, Han Qin would be satisfied.
Still, she understood well enough that this was unlikely.
Chen Yang, of course, had no idea what was going through her mind. He focused on making the noodles. As for how they would taste? He was confident they’d be excellent.
…
It was ten o’clock at night.
The Black Card Bar in Linhai was still bustling, lights flashing, the air thick with noise and excitement.
On the dance floor, young men and women swayed to the music, losing themselves in the rhythm and forgetting the anxieties of the day.
In a quieter corner, Qin Hao held a woman in her thirties with vivid red lips, laughing and talking intimately.
The woman was a few years older than Qin Hao—it was a classic May-December romance. Judging by the way they looked at each other, they were deeply in love, intoxicated by the flush of new passion.
The woman, Xu Lili, was the owner of a large apparel trading company with over three hundred employees. She’d had a boyfriend for seven years, but they’d broken up due to personal differences. Two months after the breakup, she met Qin Hao, and under his relentless pursuit, she fell into the web he’d spun.
For Qin Hao, however, this relationship was little more than a game.
He liked Xu Lili well enough, but what drew him most was her wealth—she was worth tens of millions.
After a while, Qin Hao looked at Xu Lili and asked, “Honey, since you’re in the apparel trade too, you must know Qin Muxue, right?”
Xu Lili grinned. “Of course. We’re in the same industry.”
A hint of annoyance flashed in Qin Hao’s eyes. “That woman really gets on my nerves. I don’t know who she’s cozying up to these days, but she seems to be doing quite well for herself.”
Xu Lili’s eyes lit up. “Isn’t there a rumor about her and Shen Donghua…?”
“You’ve heard that too?” Qin Hao asked, suddenly animated.
Xu Lili laughed. “Just gossip—I don’t know if it’s true.”
“Women like her—so fickle and shameless. How can she survive in Linhai’s business world? There’s no justice,” Qin Hao grumbled.
Xu Lili, sharp as ever, quickly picked up on Qin Hao’s resentment toward Qin Muxue and guessed he wanted to cause her trouble. Smiling slyly, she asked, “Judging by your reaction, you’d love to see Qin Muxue brought down, wouldn’t you?”
“I would,” Qin Hao said, frowning. “Do you have a way?”
He was still stewing over how Chen Yang and Qin Muxue had repeatedly embarrassed his family. If he could bring her down, it would let his parents vent their anger as well.
And if Qin Muxue sought revenge through Shen Donghua, so what? Shen Donghua was just a businessman, and Huading had already severed all ties with the Qin family. What could he possibly do—break the law?
Xu Lili wanted to prove herself, so she gave a cold laugh and said, “If you want to make her miserable, I have an idea…”