"Welcome to the board of directors of Tianyao Group. I hope we'll have a pleasant collaboration going forward, President Qin."
Inside the Tianyao Group's conference room, Li Tianyao gave Qin Xiu a forced smile as they shook hands.
It had been three days since Qin Xiu had obtained the share agreement through intimidation. During those three days, numerous high-ranking executives within Tianyao had secretly curried favor with Qin Xiu, enabling him to acquire even more shares and qualify for a seat on the board of directors.
This meant Qin Xiu was now a shareholder in three major corporations—Qin Group, Tianye Group, and Tianyao Group—his influence already surpassing that of his own father, Qin Wanchuan.
"Don't worry. Our cooperation will definitely be pleasant," Qin Xiu replied with a smile before swiftly leaving Tianyao Group with his entourage.
Joining Tianyao's board was merely the beginning of his revenge. His ultimate plan was to completely swallow up Tianyao, strip the Li family of all power, and leave Li Jiaming—his wife's adulterous lover—homeless and destitute.
Qin Xiu harbored deep hatred toward Li Jiaming. The two had once been friends. During the affair, Li Jiaming had even maintained a friendly facade with Qin Xiu, frequently visiting his home under various pretexts.
Thinking back now, Qin Xiu realized that every time Li Jiaming came over, he would suddenly suffer stomach cramps and rush to the bathroom. It now seemed highly likely that Li Jiaming had been drugging him to sneak moments alone with Tian Suqing.
Such a man didn't deserve to live comfortably—Qin Xiu was determined to make him suffer.
However, at the moment, he lacked the financial resources to immediately devour both Tianye and Tianyao. So for now, he would focus on punishing Tian Suqing first; Li Jiaming would have to wait until Qin Xiu's empire grew strong enough to crush him.
Speaking of Tian Suqing, Qin Xiu suddenly felt curious about how she'd reacted to the television he'd sent her today.
Honestly, he kept replaying in his mind the scene from a few days ago—Tian Suqing, red-eyed, deleting her game save file. It was the first time he hadn't comforted a crying Qing'er.
And that particular cry was different from her usual ones. Before, Tian Suqing would deliberately squeeze out tears, plainly expecting Qin Xiu to soothe her. But that day, she seemed to hide her tears, fighting hard not to let them fall—almost as if she didn't want him to see her cry.
Truthfully, the sight of her tear-filled eyes had genuinely tugged at his heart. But he dared not feel pity.
He'd been fooled by her too many times before; he was terrified of falling for another one of her tricks. He could only assume this was yet another tactic in her elaborate scheme.
Coupled with her absurd claim that she wasn't really herself, Qin Xiu suspected she was faking a completely different personality just to make him believe her ridiculous lie.
Thus, three days later, he once again instructed Wu Feng to drive him to Bayview Manor.
Walking along the stone path of the estate, Qin Xiu gazed at the familiar scenery, memories of his past with Tian Suqing flooding back.
The fact that he hadn't killed her outright upon his return already proved he wasn't a cruel man. Even during wartime, he only fought back when absolutely necessary for survival.
If Tian Suqing hadn't pushed things to such an extreme, he never would have leaked those explicit videos.
But it was too late now. By this point, most of City S had already witnessed the "legendary" charms of Miss Tian.
Even if he eventually released her, her reputation would be utterly ruined. After all, few in this country could accept a wife whose intimate performances were publicly viewable online.
Lost in thought, Qin Xiu arrived at the villa. As soon as he stepped inside, he noticed the remnants of a meal on the table—piles of leftover greens and vegetable broth.
He chuckled.
Sure enough, Tian Suqing was still the picky eater she'd always been. No matter how much she talked a big game, some habits were simply ingrained in her bones.
As before, he quietly ascended the stairs. Neither the first nor second floor held any sign of her, so he continued up to the third.
And there she was.
She lay curled on her large bed, wrapped snugly in soft blankets, peacefully napping.
When Qin Xiu saw the serene sleeping face of the girl, a faint trace of sorrow flickered in his eyes.
Heaven had gifted her the face of an angel—but cursed her with the heart of a demon.
That, perhaps, was the true meaning of "fate's cruel irony."
Glancing at his watch—3 p.m.—Qin Xiu spoke up. "Wake up, Qing'er."
But Tang Lingyi, still deep in dreams, didn't hear him. Her soft, even breaths continued undisturbed.
Qin Xiu took a deep breath and stepped forward, grabbing the edge of her blanket to yank it away.
Yet the sleeping girl seemed to sense the disturbance. Instinctively, she curled tighter, pressing her body firmly against the blanket to keep it from being stolen.
Qin Xiu raised an eyebrow. He didn't relent. Instead, he seized the blanket's corner and gave it a sharp tug—sending Tang Lingyi tumbling onto the floor, still wrapped in the covers.
As the blanket slipped away during the fall, Qin Xiu caught a flash of bare skin—and his eyes widened in shock.
She slept naked!?
The girl lay sideways on the plush carpet, her porcelain-white body fully exposed to his view.
In the next instant, Qin Xiu realized his two trusted aides, Wu Feng and Lu Qicheng, were still standing behind him. Reacting instantly, he threw the blanket back over her and turned sharply, signaling them to leave.
They hadn't actually seen anything—their view had been blocked—but one look at Qin Xiu's expression told them exactly what to do. They quickly and discreetly exited the room.
It had all happened in a split second—pure instinct. Only after covering her did Qin Xiu realize: this despicable woman no longer deserved his protection.
Yet even through the blanket, the softness of her body against his hands sent a rush of heat through him.
He hated Tian Suqing—yes—but he was also an inexperienced virgin. Faced with such a sight, calmness was impossible.
Meanwhile, Tang Lingyi had been dreaming of running through open fields—until she crashed headfirst into a massive boulder. The impact left her dazed, the dream world around her blurring and dissolving.
A few seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes—only to find a pair of polished black shoes right in front of her.
She instinctively looked up.
Seeing that tall, infuriating figure—Qin Xiu—she jolted awake and scrambled to her feet.
But still groggy from sleep, a wave of dizziness hit her, and she plopped back down onto the bed.
Watching this, Qin Xiu smirked. "You still love putting on a show, don't you?"
"Says the master performer," Tang Lingyi shot back, ruffling her messy hair. Then she noticed Qin Xiu's gaze seemed fixed on a rather inappropriate spot.
Following his line of sight downward, she realized—she'd taken a shower earlier and fallen asleep completely naked.
Though as a guy she'd shared public baths with dorm mates before, she was now undeniably in a girl's body—and Qin Xiu's intense stare gave her the unsettling feeling of being eyed by a gay man. She quickly yanked the blanket around herself.
If Qin Xiu raped her now, the trauma would be no less than if she'd been assaulted by a gay man back when she was male. So even though she identified as a boy inside, she absolutely had to protect this female body.
Qin Xiu merely scoffed. "Don't worry. I'm not interested in a rotten woman like you. Though… I didn't know you had a mole here."
He pointed to his own left chest. Just below Tang Lingyi's left nipple was a tiny black mole—strangely alluring.
"Uh… yeah. You never noticed before?"
"Are you mocking me?"
"Huh? Mocking you how?"
"You tell me."
Qin Xiu had been married to Tian Suqing for years—yet had never once seen her naked. He now interpreted her comment as a deliberate humiliation, implying he'd never seen his own wife's body.
Completely baffled, Tang Lingyi chose to stay silent.
She couldn't risk revealing her true identity—not when she'd just realized she might use Tian Suqing's status to find a way out.
Seeing her quiet, Qin Xiu smiled. "How have the past couple days been? Did you enjoy the television I sent you?"
"I watched it. Turns out I'm pretty photogenic, huh?" Tang Lingyi replied shamelessly.
Qin Xiu's smile froze. "You really are shameless. Do you even understand? I didn't just show it to you—your family and friends have probably all seen your 'bedroom performance' by now."
"So what? I'm stuck here anyway. I won't see them again, so why should I care? If I were still in school, maybe I'd feel embarrassed—but not now."
Tang Lingyi shrugged, feigning complete indifference.
This instantly infuriated Qin Xiu—but then a thought struck him. She actually had a point.
He'd leaked those videos to humiliate her, yet locked her away where she couldn't access the outside world. Had he accidentally turned this place into her personal paradise?
His lips curled into a thin smile. "Your attitude is impressive. Unfortunately… I'm here to inform you—you're going back to school tomorrow."