Chapter Seven: Invincible and Handsome, Tian Ai

Staring at the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar beautiful face on the phone screen, Xue Tian’ai’s expression turned rigid and icy. She felt it unfamiliar because she had never actually met the woman in person, but familiar because she was absolutely certain that this peerless beauty was her fiancée.

A delicately shaped face, arched brows and phoenix eyes—her gaze carried a touch of authority and the chilling pride unique to a powerful woman. Her cherry lips, perfectly red, were pressed into their usual tight line, making it almost impossible to suppress the urge to steal a kiss. Soft black hair fell carelessly over her shoulders. Though the photo was clearly candid, it perfectly captured Qin Mengxue’s extraordinary elegance.

The blood-red letters of the C-level bounty order stabbed at Xue Tian’ai’s eyes like needles, sending jolts through his nerves.

Normally, with his background, a C-level bounty would be nothing worth mentioning. But this time, he could not afford to ignore it—because the target of this bounty was his fiancée.

He didn’t feel much for this woman he was betrothed to since childhood, but as a man of honor, he could not stand idly by. Since ancient times, it was never the way for the wife to die while the husband lived on.

“Boss, why is sister-in-law on the bounty list? Is she in danger in Huaxia?” Wes, noticing Xue Tian’ai’s silent fixation on the screen, broke the silence with his question.

“I don’t know. In theory, as the CEO of Dreamshine Group, she shouldn’t have provoked anyone with deep grudges, nor should she be posted on the bounty platform.” Xue Tian’ai tore his gaze from the phone, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

But his heart was filled with doubts. “Could it be because of the Qin family? Are the old men having me return and marry her now because Qin Mengxue is about to face danger?”

“Boss, what are you planning to do now? Who posted the bounty? This is outrageous! Could someone have found out she’s your fiancée?” Though Wes had no feelings for Qin Mengxue, she was, after all, the woman of their boss. For someone to dare put out a hit on her was a direct affront to the Butterfly’s authority.

“I don’t know, but I do know one thing—anyone who lays a hand on my woman has only one fate: death.” Xue Tian’ai handed the phone back, his voice cold and resolute.

“Cancel my regular flight. Contact Owl Moth and have him prepare the fastest private jet. I need to get back as soon as possible.”

Wes nodded. “Yes, Boss. With you back, sister-in-law will be perfectly safe. As long as you’re there, nothing will happen to her, and no one has accepted the contract yet, so we can—” He glanced at the phone and his words caught in his throat.

Noticing Wes had suddenly fallen silent, Xue Tian’ai asked, “What is it? So, we can what?”

“Boss, I jinxed it. Someone just accepted the C-level bounty on sister-in-law,” Wes said, his face fallen.

Xue Tian’ai could only shake his head helplessly and asked, “Who took the job?”

“A B-level assassin organization in South America, Black Skull.”

Xue Tian’ai rolled his neck and wrists, sighed, and said, “Tell Owl Moth to change the flight plan. Tonight, we’re heading to South America, country B.”

“Boss, you mean…”

“Slaughter them! We’re not returning to Huaxia yet. We’ll go straight to this so-called Skull and wipe them out!” Xue Tian’ai’s face was severe, killing intent radiating from him.

Sensing this familiar aura, Wes was fired up, blood surging within him. He sneered to himself, “Skull, Skull, you won’t even know how you died!”

Meanwhile, in Huaxia, Qin Mengxue, the target of the bounty, remained blissfully unaware. Her mind, usually occupied with work, now circled ceaselessly around her unseen fiancée.

Though they had never met, Xue Tian’ai’s image had been thoroughly defaced by his obnoxious words and mocking tone over the phone—Qin Mengxue had reduced him in her mind to the lowest of the low.

She even pulled out a pen and began sketching her impression of Xue Tian’ai. “To think he’d visit a brothel before meeting his fiancée—he must have a lecherous look!” With that thought, she sketched a sneaky, rat-like face.

“Given how he talks, he’s got to be unreliable. He doesn’t sound fat, probably quite thin. And since he frequents brothels, he must be rather frail!” She drew a gaunt face.

“And to think he fantasizes about me doing unspeakable things with his underwear! He must be a total loser!” She added a few more strokes.

“Absolutely a pervert! I doubt he cares about grooming at all—unkempt, scruffy, and filthy!” And so, poor Xue Tian’ai was painted ever uglier by his own fiancée. At the auction, Xue Tian’ai suddenly sneezed.

After several rounds of wild imagination and revisions, a barely human caricature appeared on the paper—beady eyes, a weasel's face, dark and dirty, hair a tangled mess.

Looking at the grotesque image, Qin Mengxue nodded in satisfaction, a charming smile flitting across her lips. Yet a wave of gloom washed over her—what if her fiancée really did look like this? That would be truly tragic.

Knock, knock, knock! The door to Qin Mengxue’s office was suddenly rapped.

Snapping out of her mixed feelings, she hastily folded her portrait and hid it in her desk.

Composing herself, she resumed the icy demeanor of the business queen and said coolly, “Come in.”

The door opened, and a graceful figure appeared. “President Qin, I’ve brought next month’s bidding report for Yang University,” Yu Xiaoxiao said cautiously, worried she might accidentally upset her boss, who was acting a bit unusual today.

“Alright, come in and let me see it,” Qin Mengxue replied with a nod.

“Should I call President Gan and President Su over as well?” Yu Xiaoxiao ventured.

Dreamshine Group brought not only thoughts of the business rose Qin Mengxue in Tianyang City, but also the “Three Flowers of Dreamshine”—President Qin Mengxue, General Manager of Foreign Affairs Gan Bingning, and General Manager of Investments Su Jiaqi.

Su Jiaqi and Gan Bingning were not only rare beauties, but also Qin Mengxue’s most capable lieutenants, having played crucial roles at key moments in Dreamshine’s rise. The three complemented each other, leading the company to its current glory.

“No need, it’s almost closing time. Let Gan and Su go home and rest. I’ll look at the report myself,” Qin Mengxue declined.

Yu Xiaoxiao handed over the report and added, “President Qin, rumor has it that not only is Tianming Group interested in bidding for Yang University this time, but some major companies from other cities want a piece too!”

Qin Mengxue’s brows knitted. “I thought just dealing with Ye Hairuo was troublesome enough. Now there are others? Look into which groups are getting involved.”

“Yes,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied softly and withdrew.

It was said that Beiyang City had not just one commercial rose—Qin Mengxue—but also a commercial lily: Ye Hairuo, CEO of Tianming Group. While Dreamshine Group was a dying giant restored to brilliance, Tianming Group had appeared in Tianyang as a rising star, peaking from the outset.

These two giants had driven the city’s economy, becoming the jewels of Tianyang.

Like Qin Mengxue, Ye Hairuo controlled a company of equal size and was herself a stunning beauty. Their similarities led many to constantly compare the two, though debates never reached a conclusion.

Even Qin Mengxue regarded Ye Hairuo as her strongest rival. She always took business competition seriously and considered Ye Hairuo her imagined opponent, strategizing against her in her mind. This time, the Yang University bid was no exception. She had already rehearsed countless countermeasures, but the involvement of outside corporations had thrown her plans into disarray.

Feeling a headache coming on, she massaged her temple—already sore from insomnia—and let her slender frame relax into her office chair, quietly sorting through her thoughts.

Suddenly, her phone chimed with a new message. The number had no name saved, but she immediately recognized it as her fiancée.

Her brows drew together, but she opened it. The message read: “Xuexue, your dear husband can’t make it back tonight. Go home by yourself and don’t miss me. Kiss kiss.”

The message made her head pound even harder—not only was the content infuriatingly cheeky, but missing their first meeting was just unacceptable. Even without feelings between them, anyone who stands someone up the first time is no good.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became—the annoying message, the Yang University bid… With her sleep-deprived brain throbbing, she felt utterly exhausted.

Sensing her mental fatigue, Qin Mengxue sipped her coffee and sighed to herself, “I’d better just go home and rest today.”

With that, she tidied her office and left. Finding Yu Xiaoxiao still buried in paperwork, she patted her on the shoulder. “Xiaoxiao, I’m not feeling well today, so I’ll go home. If anything comes up, call me right away.”

Seeing her boss’s weary face, Yu Xiaoxiao felt a pang of sympathy. This young woman carried far too much on her own. “Please rest well, President Qin. Your health is most important.” Qin Mengxue nodded and drove away.

As she drove, her mind wandered. Her father had told her not to stay at home tonight, and her so-called fiancée had sent her an address. Where was she supposed to go?

Then she recalled his joke about not stealing his underwear—her stomach churned at the thought. She turned the wheel and headed home. “If he thinks I’ll obediently step into his house, he’s dreaming!”

But when she arrived, she was stunned—her key no longer worked in the door. At first she thought she had the wrong place, but the house number was clear—this was home.

She stood there, lost and bewildered, finally calling her father, Qin Lanwan.

“Hello, Xue, what is it?” Her father’s voice came through, waves crashing in the background. It seemed her parents had already arrived in West Asia.

“Dad, I can’t open the door,” she said bluntly.

“Oh, of course you can’t. I had the locks changed,” Qin Lanwan replied, utterly unconcerned.

“Why?”

“You’re a grown woman still living with your parents. Isn’t that embarrassing? I know I’m embarrassed! Besides, you have a fiancée now—go find him and move in together.”

“Dad, he said he’s not coming back tonight. How am I supposed to live with him?”

“Then wait for him! Don’t you know it’s a wife’s duty to wait for her husband? It’s normal for a man to be absent for work!”

“But Dad, we’re not even married…”

“Makes no difference! Anyway, don’t bother your mom and me—we’re on our honeymoon! Go wherever you need to!” Qin Lanwan barked, then hung up, leaving Qin Mengxue alone and adrift.

She was on the verge of tears, feeling utterly abandoned since this fiancée had appeared—her status at home had plummeted.

With no choice, she returned to her car, slumped into the wide seat, and struggled with herself—should she find a hotel for the night or go to the address Xue Tian’ai had sent?

After a long internal struggle, she steeled herself. “If it’s fate, I’ll accept it; if it’s danger, I won’t escape it. I refuse to believe it’s a pit of tigers and wolves!” She started the car and drove toward the Hongyang Villa complex.

Not far from her house, she soon arrived at Villa No. 3.

Gazing at the so-called No. 3 villa, even Qin Mengxue couldn’t help but be impressed. It wasn’t especially large—just two stories, with a refined garden outside.

The garden lacked an ostentatious gate, instead featuring a small wooden door. Beyond it, a pebble path wound its way to the front door, flanked by clusters of green bamboo whose arching leaves formed a leafy dome overhead. The entire villa felt fresh, elegant, and comfortable.

“To think he actually has some taste!” Qin Mengxue’s impression of Xue Tian’ai improved slightly.

Pushing open the small wooden gate, new questions arose in her mind. “But if he has a home here in Tianyang, where has he been all this time? Why come back now to fulfill the engagement? Why hadn’t my father or grandfather mentioned him before? Was he away from Tianyang all along? And where is he now?”

Then she remembered the suggestive tone of his phone call, and suddenly felt she understood only too well where her fiancée was—but she was still furious. Missing their first meeting because of a brothel? No one would accept that.

The villa’s main door had an electronic lock, just as Xue Tian’ai had said. Was the code really “Tian’ai is super handsome”?

She carefully entered the five-character password.

With a cheerful beep, the door unlocked. As the door slowly swung open, Qin Mengxue couldn’t help but smile with delight.