A few years later, after graduating from university and entering the entertainment industry, she met Jiang Tian again. By then, she had gained some fame, and Jiang Tian had become the young master of the Yaowang Group.
At a banquet, she pretended to be drunk and ended up intimate with Jiang Tian, though in her heart, she was more than willing.
After that night, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. But later, she heard that Jiang Tian had gotten into serious trouble and left Jinling. Unable to find him, she had no choice but to bury her feelings.
Now, seeing him again, Jiang Tian had already found love and started a family, which left her with a bittersweet and tumultuous mix of emotions.
The greatest distance in life is when I stand right before you, just a step away, yet I can never utter those three words.
“Yes, she is wonderful! I’m very happy too…” A gentle expression flickered across Jiang Tian’s face as he replied softly.
Beside them, Guo Mengjia saw Li Huiyan’s demeanor and knew she hadn’t let go of her old feelings. Anxious and frustrated, she could barely contain herself, stamping her foot in agitation.
Zhao Qianru noticed something off about Li Huiyan’s expression. The fact that she had just hugged her brother-in-law clearly hinted at a past connection.
Her eyes darting with quick wit, Zhao Qianru quickly interjected, “I’m Jiang Tian’s sister-in-law. Miss Li, could I take a photo with you? May I have your autograph?”
“Of course!”
Only then did Li Huiyan notice Zhao Qianru. She smiled warmly and said, “You’re so beautiful, so your sister must be quite a looker too! Jiang Tian, you’re a lucky man.”
“I said no photos or autographs! Don’t you understand the rules? Miss Li is tired!” Guo Mengjia pointed toward the door and scolded, “What kind of riffraff are you? Jiang Tian, get out! Get out now!”
Jiang Tian finally felt a flicker of anger. His face darkened as he said coldly, “I’ve been tolerating you all day. If you dare act so recklessly again, be careful—I won’t hesitate to teach you a lesson.”
“Miss Li hasn’t even spoken. Who are you to shout?”
“My brother-in-law’s capabilities are beyond your understanding. You can’t afford to offend him!” Zhao Qianru flared up, placing her hands on her hips and retorting angrily.
“Jiajia, don’t make them leave! I’d like to chat with Jiang Tian a bit longer,” Li Huiyan persuaded with a smile.
Just then, Guo Mengjia’s phone rang. Her face still dark with anger, she turned away to answer the call.
When she returned, she said coldly, “Huiyan, let’s go quickly. Young Master Bai is already waiting for you at the hotel.”
Li Huiyan glanced at Jiang Tian, hesitating and reluctant, but in the end, she didn’t dare defy her boss’s authority.
With a bitter smile, she said, “Jiang Tian, we’re all bound by the rules of this world. Let’s meet another day.”
“Alright, that’s fine…”
Seeing this, Jiang Tian didn’t feel it was his place to stop her. He stood up and said calmly, “You helped our Jiang family before. I haven’t forgotten that favor. If you ever run into trouble in the future, just mention my name. Tell your boss, Bai Choufei, that you’re a friend of mine.”
“Also, regarding your headaches—it’s best if I take a look. Otherwise, serious trouble could follow.”
Jiang Tian felt deeply apologetic toward Qing’er and was determined to devote himself entirely to protecting her for the rest of his life. Rekindling something with Li Huiyan was out of the question, but ensuring her safety and well-being was something he could certainly do.
“Ah? How did you know about my headaches? You’re amazing!”
A flicker of delight crossed Li Huiyan’s face, and she was about to exchange contact information with Jiang Tian.
But Guo Mengjia had already exploded. Pointing a finger at Jiang Tian, she lashed out sharply:
“Jiang Tian, I warned you not to bother Huiyan anymore. You’re nothing but trash, a toad lusting after swan meat. Get as far away from here as you can, right now!”
Slap!
Zhao Qianru stepped forward and slapped Guo Mengjia across the face. “Watch your mouth, you vile woman! Who are you calling a toad? Besides, my brother-in-law and my sister are deeply in love—how dare you suggest he’d be unfaithful!”
“You little bitch! How dare you hit me!”
Staggering from the slap, Guo Mengjia wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and glared furiously at Zhao Qianru.
“So what if I hit you? You have no idea who you’re messing with, insulting my brother-in-law! I’ll beat you senseless!” Zhao Qianru shot back fearlessly, borrowing authority where she had none.
Several bodyguards rushed over upon hearing the commotion. “How dare you attack Sister Jiajia! Do you have a death wish?” they roared.
“What took you so long? Hurry up and teach them a lesson—break their legs!” Guo Mengjia, unable to bear such humiliation, completely lost it and screamed at Jiang Tian and the others.
This time, Li Huiyan was on a tour performing in three cities in Jiangbei. Bai Choufei and Zhou Zhenghao, a local entertainment industry heavyweight, had already given their assurances.
It was said that Zhou Zhenghao had gained the favor of a mysterious influential figure from Lingnan and held significant sway in Jiangbei. He had explicitly promised that the concerts would proceed without a hitch, under his protection.
With Zhou Zhenghao’s guarantee, Guo Mengjia feared nothing—not even the prospect of someone getting killed.
“Take him down!”
“How dare this little slut hit our Sister Jiajia! She’s asking for it! Let’s have our way with her and ruin her pretty face later!”
The bodyguards surged forward like wolves, howling as they came. Some even pulled out batons and knives, their faces twisted with malice, as if only crippling Jiang Tian would satisfy their rage.
“Don’t attack! He’s my friend!”
Everything happened too fast. Li Huiyan couldn’t stop them and was nearly frantic with worry.
In the blink of an eye, the group reached Jiang Tian, knives and batons swinging down toward him.
Liu Yating hadn’t expected things to escalate like this. Her heart raced with anxiety, fearing Jiang Tian would be lying in a pool of blood any second.
“Ah Gui!”
Jiang Tian’s expression remained unchanged. He merely uttered a low command.
“Master, Old Ghost is here!”
A gust of wind swept through as Gui Jiaoti seemingly appeared out of nowhere. In rapid succession, he delivered eight kicks, his legs moving so fast they became a blur.
Thud, thud, thud! A series of dull thumps followed.
Seven or eight bodyguards were sent flying, each coughing up blood, with broken bones and severe injuries, unable to even get up.
The figure now standing before them was an elderly man well past seventy, yet he carried an imposing aura, his eyes sharp and clear—a clear indication of a seasoned martial artist.
“Dammit, we’ve messed up!” The lead bodyguard knew they had encountered a true master.
But he didn’t back down. Clutching his broken arm, he gritted his teeth against the pain and snarled at Jiang Tian, “Do you have any idea who we are? If you have any guts, don’t you dare leave! Young Master Bai Choufei from Yangcheng is my brother-in-law. Just wait until he gets here—he’ll scare you to death!”
Beside him, someone had already dialed the phone, reporting the situation to the formidable Bai Choufei and calling for backup.
“Jiang Tian, you should go! Let me handle this!” Li Huiyan urged anxiously.
“Huiyan, this is serious! How can you let them leave? Do you think you can bear the consequences?” Guo Mengjia knew things had taken a turn for the worse.
The lead bodyguard, Hei San’er, was the brother of a female celebrity deeply favored by Bai Choufei—essentially, his unofficial brother-in-law.
If it were anyone else who got beaten, it might not be a big deal. But Hei San’er’s arm was broken—this was going to be hard to smooth over.
Li Huiyan hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. Before she could decide, Jiang Tian had already sat back down. “Huiyan, don’t worry about this. Let Bai Choufei come see me,” he said calmly.
“Bai Choufei? He… he’s coming too?” Liu Yating trembled at the words, her face turning pale. “Jiang Tian, let’s get out of here! He’s incredibly powerful—even Zhou Zhenghao can’t afford to cross him!”
Bai Choufei was far too formidable. As a top-tier young master from Yangcheng with a powerful background, he had started out in the underworld before expanding into the film and entertainment industry. He operated in gray areas and was known to engage in ruthless acts, including murder and arson.
Compared to him, prominent young masters from Linzhou like Long Gaitian, Tang Jianfeng, and Liu Tianle were far outclassed.
As for Zhou Zhenghao, whom Jiang Tian knew—whether in terms of wealth or influence—he was simply in a different league.
She assumed Zhou Zhenghao was Jiang Tian’s biggest backer. If they clashed with Bai Choufei, Jiang Tian would surely come out worse.
“Yes, you should leave quickly! Let me handle everything!” Li Huiyan also urged anxiously.
She was starting to feel a bit impatient and even somewhat disappointed in Jiang Tian.
It seemed he hadn’t matured at all. Could a situation like this really be resolved through sheer bravado?
“Bai Choufei is nothing! He once knelt for hours in front of my brother-in-law! Pah!” Zhao Qianru sneered disdainfully.
“Don’t worry, Huiyan. It’s good that he’s coming. I’ll make sure he takes good care of you at the company from now on,” Jiang Tian said with a faint smile.
The two of them were telling the truth.
But no one present was aware of this. For a moment, everyone thought they were just bragging, foolishly unaware of the danger they were in.
…
Meanwhile, in the finest private room of the Imperial Club, a table was laden with delicacies and premium drinks.
A group of distinguished men were toasting and chatting animatedly.
Behind each man stood a young woman in a red qipao, tall and slender with exquisite features.
These girls, any one of whom would turn heads on the street—perhaps the dream crush of some shy young man—now stood like palace maids serving an emperor, pouring wine and tea for these men.
The wealthy men paid no attention to the girls, their focus entirely on two men in the group.
One was a middle-aged man in an Armani suit, his shirt stark white, exuding an air of authority, though a hint of ruthlessness lingered in his eyes. This was Zhou Zhenghao, a prominent figure from Linzhou.
The other man was younger and more handsome, his attire and demeanor even more refined than Zhou Zhenghao’s. Yet, he adopted the posture of a subordinate, frequently raising his glass and showering the other with flattery.
This was Bai Choufei.
He raised his glass and said with a smile, “Brother Hao, thanks to Master Jiang, the underworld in Lingnan is now united. Your Imperial Club has expanded to Yangcheng, and my company can now do business in Linzhou!”
“Xiao Bai, you’re absolutely right! Without Master Jiang, Lingnan would still be divided. Now, it’s so much better. Everyone plays to their strengths, and the market has grown by leaps and bounds!”
Zhou Zhenghao patted him on the shoulder, beaming with pride.
In the past, he wouldn’t have dared to pat Bai Choufei’s shoulder or call him “Xiao Bai.” He would have steered clear, avoiding any confrontation.
But now, things were different. Master Jiang had defeated Wei Shuofeng, unifying Lingnan. Powerful families like the Bai family had submitted, kneeling in surrender.
As a result, those from Jiangbei who had aligned themselves with Master Jiang early on saw their status rise accordingly.
Especially Zhou Zhenghao, who had been one of the first to follow Master Jiang. He was known as Master Jiang’s golden lackey, regarded by everyone as a favorite in Master Jiang’s inner circle.
Now, not only Bai Choufei, but even Tang Shaoze and Tang Zhenye would show him respect, addressing him as “Brother Hao.”
“Master Jiang is like a dragon in the heavens—rarely seen. But for us lackeys, we mustn’t neglect our respects!”
Zhou Zhenghao stood up and declared, “This first toast should be to Master Jiang, from afar!” With that, he poured the wine onto the floor.
