Watching the car carrying Su Mengnan and Liu Yunduo drive away, Jiang Fei stroked his chin thoughtfully.
This pair gave him an unusual impression. Su Mengnan, the spoiled rich kid, was nothing special, but Liu Yunduo—the so-called “Alliance Queen”—piqued Jiang Fei’s curiosity.
This woman was undoubtedly a master of swordsmanship. In fact, Jiang Fei had a gut feeling that she was even more skilled than the sword instructors at the Central Martial Arts Institute, let alone someone like Chen Zhoujian.
“Alliance Queen? Could she be the new leader of that Sword Alliance?” Jiang Fei wondered.
It wasn’t impossible.
According to Wu Ke and Chen Zhoujian, the Sword Alliance had originally been a casual club for wealthy heirs, much like Su Mengnan’s crowd. But recently, a formidable new leader had taken over, restructuring the alliance with sweeping reforms—and that description fit Liu Yunduo perfectly.
“Whatever. If that’s the case, we’ll cross paths again sooner or later.” Jiang Fei shook his head and pulled his car into a parking spot.
Thanks to Su Mengnan’s little disruption, by the time Jiang Fei parked and checked his phone, Lin Moli’s flight was due to land in just over ten minutes.
Grabbing the bouquet of roses he’d bought earlier from the passenger seat, Jiang Fei headed into the airport terminal with a smile, settling into a seat near the entrance.
Jiang Fei didn’t smoke, nor did he have the habit of scrolling through his phone while waiting, so sitting idle was a bit dull. Plus, the bright red roses in his arms drew frequent glances from passersby.
Most of the looks were probably admiring or good-natured, but Jiang Fei—usually thick-skinned—felt oddly self-conscious. He rubbed his nose, forcing himself to appear unfazed.
The flight arrived on time at ten o’clock, announced over the terminal’s speakers. Jiang Fei quickly stood, straightened his clothes, and fixed his gaze on the arrivals gate.
Before long, he spotted Lin Moli—a woman who stood out effortlessly, even in a crowd.
Today, Lin Moli was dressed simply yet elegantly, like a career woman. A blue chiffon-trimmed blouse paired with a fitted white midi skirt accentuated her slender waist and shapely hips. Her legs—long enough to be a model’s—were bare, without stockings, yet flawless in form, ending in a pair of striking red heels.
She was quietly conversing with her assistant, Xu Yue, who held a file folder, so Lin Moli didn’t immediately notice Jiang Fei waiting at the entrance with roses.
In fact, she had no idea he’d come to pick her up. She’d explicitly told him not to, not wanting to put him in an awkward position with Bai Ruoxi.
But as she drew closer, about ten meters away, murmurs from nearby travelers made her glance up, tucking a lock of coffee-colored curls behind her ear.
Then she froze.
Her eyes widened in shock, then quickly melted into delight, sparkling with emotion—joy, surprise, even a hint of tears.
“Manager Lin, what’s wrong?” Xu Yue asked, puzzled by the sudden pause in their conversation. A highly capable graduate, Xu Yue deeply admired Lin Moli’s leadership and considered it an honor to work under her. She planned to stay at Jiang Pharmaceuticals long-term, convinced that with Lin Moli’s management and the genius doctor behind the scenes, the company was destined to become a powerhouse in the industry.
Yet the usually composed Lin Moli now seemed flustered, biting her lip like a lovestruck girl before slowly moving forward.
The terminal buzzed with activity, but Jiang Fei didn’t care about the onlookers. In full view, he strode over with the roses and said, “I thought for a long time last night but couldn’t come up with anything original. So I went with the cliché—roses. Do you like them?”
Lin Moli took the bouquet, her eyes brimming with tenderness. For some reason, she felt like crying, but she held it back, her beautiful eyes crinkling with happiness as she shook her head. “I love them. It’s not cliché.”
Jiang Fei grinned, his mood lifting at the sight of her radiant smile. “Good. This is my first time giving flowers to someone.”
Back in college, Jiang Fei had been decent at wooing girls—enough to win over Bai Ruoxi despite attending different schools. But his success had relied more on audacity and smooth talk than romance. Giving flowers? This was a first.
Lin Moli lowered her head, inhaling the roses’ rich fragrance, and said softly, “Then I’ll treasure these even more.”
Jiang Fei chuckled and took her hand, about to lead her out of the terminal—when suddenly, Lin Moli wrapped her arms around his waist, rose onto her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his.
“Mmm—!”
Another sneak attack!
Jiang Fei hadn’t expected this.
Given how far their relationship had progressed—everything but the final step—a kiss shouldn’t have been a big deal. But doing it in public, under so many eyes? That was bold, even for him.
Women—never let them get too emotional. They’ll turn into absolute rebels.
“Wow, so romantic!” A passing girl sighed enviously, elbowing her boyfriend. “See that? He brought roses. Why can’t you be more thoughtful?”
Why don’t you look at his girlfriend? If you were half as pretty as her, I’d buy you a truckload of roses.
Out loud, the boyfriend just sighed. “Fine, fine. Next time, flowers.”
The kiss lasted a full ten seconds before Jiang Fei gently pulled away, brushing a thumb over Lin Moli’s flushed cheek. “Let’s go,” he said with a smile.
Beaming, Lin Moli nodded, clutching the roses in one hand and clinging to Jiang Fei’s arm with the other as they exited the terminal.
Behind them, Xu Yue adjusted her black-framed glasses, marveling at the scene.
The Lin Moli she knew was a decisive, unshakable leader—nothing like this blushing, lovestruck girl. How could someone’s demeanor shift so drastically?
Is it true what they say—that love makes women lose all rationality?
Lin Moli and Xu Yue had already booked a hotel in the city, so Jiang Fei simply drove them there.
All three got into the car—Jiang Fei driving, Lin Moli in the passenger seat, and Xu Yue relegated to the back, feeling like an awkward third wheel.
But since they were all headed to the same place, she couldn’t exactly bail and take a taxi. So she endured the ride in silence.
With Xu Yue present, Jiang Fei and Lin Moli kept things tame, sticking to conversation. Jiang Fei summarized recent developments at the Chinese Medicine Association and its future direction—decisions that would impact the entire field, which Lin Moli needed to understand.
In turn, Lin Moli updated him on Jiang Clinic’s status. To fund the pharmaceutical company, they’d poured in all the clinic’s recent profits and even taken out a multimillion-dollar loan—possible only because of Jiang Fei’s reputation and the clinic’s stellar earnings.
“All the association members are loaded. Meanwhile, I’m over here in the red by millions,” Jiang Fei joked, shaking his head as he drove.
Lin Moli smiled sweetly. “Don’t worry. We might be the poorest now, but within a year, you’ll be one of the wealthiest in the association—if not the wealthiest.”
She said it with absolute confidence. Having seen the groundbreaking results of Jiang Fei’s formulas, she had no doubt that once their pharmaceuticals hit the market, they’d dominate the industry.
The profit potential in China’s pharmaceutical market was staggering—far beyond what most people could imagine.
Of course, as Jiang Fei had always emphasized, their ultimate goal wasn’t just profit but expanding access to affordable healthcare.
About forty minutes later, they pulled up at a five-star hotel. Xu Yue hurried inside to check them in, returning with two key cards before they all rode the elevator up.
