Chapter Seventy: Who Do You Think You Are

A cold, expressionless face, with eyes as deep and dark as a bottomless abyss—if not for the gentle rise and fall of her chest with each breath, Qin Mengxue would never have believed that Xue Tian'ai was still alive. Even with her own composure, Qin Mengxue was startled by Xue Tian'ai's appearance. She tentatively asked, "Xue Tian'ai? What's wrong?"

At the sound of Qin Mengxue's voice, the icy mask on Xue Tian'ai's face seemed to melt away in an instant, replaced by a gentle smile. "What's wrong, dear? What do you need me to do?"

Staring at that gentle smile, Qin Mengxue was taken aback. Had she been mistaken earlier? Was the frightening expression on Xue Tian'ai's face just her imagination?

"Hey, don't you want to drive for me?" Qin Mengxue decided to probe further, though in a different way.

"How could that be? I'm more than happy to drive for my beloved wife! Why would I ever be unwilling?" Xue Tian'ai's gaze kept flickering to the car's rearview mirror, his lips curled in a smile laced with an unspoken meaning.

"Tch, then why were you so serious just now? You didn't say a word. Isn't it more like you to chatter away as soon as you get in the car?" Qin Mengxue finally voiced her real question.

"Hm? Was I really that serious just now? I didn't say anything because you looked tired, so I wanted to let you rest. Heh heh heh," Xue Tian'ai replied, raising an eyebrow with a grin.

"You flatterer!" Qin Mengxue chided him with a hint of bashfulness, though she felt a sweetness blooming in her heart.

"Wait a minute, dear, how do you know I'm sweet? Did you taste it yourself? Oh my, when did that happen?" Xue Tian'ai feigned astonishment, his face taking on a mischievous look. "That would have been my first kiss! When did you steal it from me, darling? Oh, woe is me..."

Speechless and helpless at his antics, Qin Mengxue concluded that her earlier fears must have been nothing more than her imagination. This man was as shameless as ever, nothing had changed.

"Who would want to kiss you! Disgusting. First kiss, my foot. Go fool some other girl with that! Just focus on driving!" Qin Mengxue rolled her eyes at him.

Xue Tian'ai just chuckled sheepishly and continued to drive.

Qin Mengxue let out a soft sigh and turned to look out the window. The early summer evening in Northern City had a certain captivating charm.

The sun hovered on the edge of the horizon, casting a gorgeous blush across the sky, which the surrounding clouds borrowed for their own fresh red attire. Neon lights and shop signs along the street flickered to life, dazzling and inviting passersby in.

Pedestrians hurried along, some sweethearts strolling arm in arm, seeking the feeling of young love, others happy families with parents holding their children's hands, laughing and chatting as they enjoyed the warmth of togetherness.

As she gazed at this scene, a sigh slipped from Qin Mengxue's lips. Would there ever come a day when someone could let her experience the sweetness of love and the joy of a family? Just then, a vague figure gradually formed in her mind, growing clearer and clearer until it became Xue Tian'ai.

Startled, she wondered why the image turned into Xue Tian'ai. Could it be... Qin Mengxue hurriedly shook her head, banishing the thought and turned her gaze back to the window.

Xue Tian'ai drove smoothly and swiftly. The scenery outside flashed by in moments, yet Qin Mengxue could still make out every detail with perfect clarity.

Neat rows of beautiful trees, the tranquil night slowly blanketing the city, the dim glow of streetlights, and the clean, if not particularly wide, avenue—suddenly, she realized there were no more people in sight. Wait, where was this?

Lost in admiration for the growing tranquility outside, Qin Mengxue hadn't noticed Xue Tian'ai silently driving them somewhere unfamiliar.

Even a fool could tell they were no longer in the city center, but in a remote area. Only the occasional car passed by, and the streetlights were weak and yellow, a far cry from the brightness of downtown.

Could it be that this guy didn't know the way? Qin Mengxue suddenly recalled that Xue Tian'ai had only recently returned to China. Had she made things difficult by asking him to drive her home, and was he too embarrassed to admit he was lost?

"Xue Tian'ai..." she began, but before she could finish, Xue Tian'ai suddenly made a sharp turn and drove straight into a nearby grove.

The abrupt turn sent Qin Mengxue tumbling straight into Xue Tian'ai's arms, leaving her both startled and angry. Was this how he drove?

Before she could speak, Xue Tian'ai reached out and helped her back up, pressing his hand firmly between her breasts.

The sudden touch made Qin Mengxue's cheeks burn. Was this scoundrel overcome with lust? Why did he suddenly grab her like that, and with such force?

"Xue... Xue Tian..." Again, before she could finish, Xue Tian'ai stomped hard on the brake. Thanks to his hand holding her in place, Qin Mengxue didn't go flying forward.

"Xue Tian'ai, what are you doing?!" Now that she had regained her balance, Qin Mengxue glared at him, cheeks flushed with anger.

"I was holding you in place. Otherwise, if I hit the brakes, you'd go flying," Xue Tian'ai replied, releasing her. This time, there was no trace of his usual playful smile.

"That's not what I meant. Where are you driving us? Do you know where we are?" Qin Mengxue demanded furiously.

"We'll talk about that in a minute. Look, dear, it seems we have a visitor," Xue Tian'ai said calmly, pointing ahead.

Qin Mengxue followed his finger, momentarily confused, and her anger surged again. There was nothing there, just a desolate patch of woods illuminated by the car's headlights.

What was this guy up to? And he'd even driven her beloved car into a dirt trail in the middle of nowhere! Unforgivable!

She was about to open her mouth to scold him when, within the range of the headlights, a dark figure slowly emerged, holding something in his hand.

Qin Mengxue frowned at the approaching figure. "Who is that? Is this the 'visitor' you meant?"

"Yes, dear. I'm going to check it out. Whatever happens, promise me you won't get out of the car," Xue Tian'ai reminded her before stepping out.

"Maybe we should just drive away," Qin Mengxue suggested, suddenly uneasy as she sensed a threatening aura from the figure.

"He’s been following us this whole time. Driving away won’t help," Xue Tian'ai shook his head and got out.

His words startled Qin Mengxue. She hadn’t noticed anyone following them. Was Xue Tian'ai's odd behavior tonight because of this person? And why had this stranger followed them?

Xue Tian'ai walked straight towards the figure, who approached him as well. When they were about seven or eight meters apart, both stopped.

At this distance, Xue Tian'ai could see more clearly. The man was an ordinary-looking young man, probably in his thirties, not unattractive, but with a wicked smile etched on his face.

He was laughing, looking at Xue Tian'ai with contempt.

"Xue Tian'ai, twenty-eight years old, former bar waiter, now personal assistant to the female president of Menghua Group, Qin Mengxue. Tsk tsk, kid, I have to say, you’re quite lucky with women."

"Thanks for the compliment. Seems you’ve done your homework. But did you follow me all this way just to tell me things I already know?"

"So you’re not as simple as your file suggests. But!" The man in black suddenly whipped out two black Desert Eagles from his pockets, aimed them at Xue Tian'ai, and continued with a smile, "No matter who you are, you can’t stop me!"

Inside the car, Qin Mengxue’s face turned pale at the sight of the guns. Guns! Here in China? How could this be?

What would Xue Tian'ai do? He was being threatened at gunpoint! Panic and worry overwhelmed Qin Mengxue as she shakily opened the car door and stepped out.

The sound of the door caught both men's attention.

Xue Tian'ai felt a headache coming on—hadn’t he told her, no matter what happened, not to get out of the car? Why had she ignored him?

The man in black, however, only smiled more brazenly at the sight of Qin Mengxue.

"Xue Tian'ai!" Qin Mengxue called out, gripping the car door for support, her legs trembling.

"How about I give you a choice, kid?" The man in black narrowed his eyes. "Leave now and I’ll spare your life, as long as you leave Qin Mengxue behind. How does that sound?"

Qin Mengxue’s face went even paler. So this man was here for her! Despair clouded her features. No matter what Xue Tian'ai chose, she felt doomed—after all, the man had a gun.

Suddenly, Xue Tian'ai burst out laughing, a wild, arrogant smile curling his lips. "Are you sure you're talking to me? Who do you think you are?"

The mocking tone in his voice made the man in black's face darken, and a murderous tension settled over the scene.