Chapter 102: What Are You Doing?

Happiness came so suddenly that Zhuo Yiji was completely dumbfounded.

Zhuo Yiji had thought he was facing certain death against the freakishly powerful Qin Chuan. He never expected the man to actively demand that he call for backup. Did he not know that his older brother possessed a vast arsenal of firearms?

Qin Chuan's strength was indeed terrifying, but no matter how formidable he was, could he outrun a bullet?

Zhuo Yiji felt victory was already within his grasp, but he dared not let it show on his face. His intense desire to survive sent his wits into overdrive once more.

"You... you're not joking, are you?" Zhuo Yiji asked tentatively, his voice trembling.

Qin Chuan smiled. "I never joke with people who aren't my friends. Do you think we're friends?"

Zhuo Yiji immediately shook his head like a rattle.

"Well, there you go. Stop wasting time and call your brother. If you drag your feet any longer, the only thing he'll be doing when he gets here is collecting your corpse," Qin Chuan said with a hint of impatience.

Zhuo Yiji scrambled to reply, "I—I'll call my brother right now."

Qin Chuan nodded in satisfaction, then smiled. "I've been working hard for a while now. Aren't you going to brew me some tea? Oh, and the beauty in the car was quite shaken up. She needs to be properly looked after as well. Any problem with that?"

"N-no problem at all! Please, both of you, come inside the villa."

Zhuo Yiji felt his stroke of luck was holding. He had been genuinely worried that Tan Shuying might seize the opportunity to drive off. If both of them went inside the villa, they would be trapped like rats in a cage once his brother arrived with reinforcements. Even with wings, they wouldn't be able to escape.

Tan Shuying, who had been watching the confrontation closely, snapped out of her daze. She desperately wanted to scream at Qin Chuan and ask if he had lost his mind. Why wasn't he taking this opportunity to flee?

But the moment the thought crossed her mind, she felt the sting of a self-inflicted blow. She'd had the chance to escape earlier, too, but the sheer shock of the scene had rooted her to the spot. Now, the ground around her sports car was littered with groaning bodyguards in black. She could hardly run them over to make her getaway.

"Hey, beautiful, are you waiting for me to carry you out?"

While Tan Shuying was lost in her thoughts, Qin Chuan had approached without her noticing. Leaning against the car window, his face was mere inches from hers. She could clearly feel his warm breath on her skin.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tan Shuying quickly recoiled, trying to maintain a safe distance. But the interior of the sports car was cramped, and as Qin Chuan leaned in further, their cheeks were nearly touching.

Qin Chuan grinned. "You."

Tan Shuying froze for a moment before the crude implication registered. Blushing with a mix of embarrassment and anger, she snapped, "Can you be serious for once?"

"You're the one who started it, so why are you playing the victim? Have you played too many spoiled, domineering heiresses in your movies that you're bringing the act into real life?" Qin Chuan said, his face turning solemn.

"I meant, why are you getting so close to me?" Tan Shuying stammered, her face flushing red.

Qin Chuan gave a teasing smile. "To admire your beauty from up close, of course."

"I..."

Tan Shuying wanted to call him a shameless rogue, but the memory of his back—looking like an invincible god of war just moments ago—made her swallow the words. Instead of anger, a strange, fluttering sensation rippled through her heart.

If an ugly, untalented man said such things, it was harassment; if a handsome, capable man said them, it was a compliment. Tan Shuying told herself this wasn't a double standard, but rather a rational judgment of the situation.

*Click.* The door swung open.

Qin Chuan extended his hand in a grand gesture and smiled. "Princess, please step out."

Tan Shuying secretly enjoyed the gesture, but the thought of going into the villa to "wait for rescue" filled her with dread. In the end, under the silent threat of being carried out in his arms, she stepped out of the car with a deeply conflicted heart.

"You're going to be the death of me," she muttered.

"We've barely started. The best is yet to come."

"Are you sure you don't mean the worst?"

"With me around, there's no such thing as a scare."

Watching the two of them flirt and display such public affection made Zhuo Yiji's teeth itch with hatred. Yet, suppressed by Qin Chuan's terrifying presence, he had no choice but to bow and scrape with a fake smile. For a man accustomed to giving orders, this was absolute torture.

*Just wait until my brother gets here,* Zhuo Yiji cursed inwardly. *I'll make sure you two miserable wretches pay dearly.*

Wei Dapeng watched longingly as Qin Chuan and Tan Shuying walked into the villa. He wanted to cry out, *Don't forget about me!* But remembering his cowardly betrayal earlier, shame forced him to keep his mouth shut.

Once inside, seeing the once-arrogant Zhuo Yiji now bustling about with a sycophantic smile, Tan Shuying felt as if she were in a dream.

In truth, Zhuo Yiji had already prepared everything beforehand. To create a romantic atmosphere for Tan Shuying, he had arranged a candlelit dinner complete with steaks, red wine, and all the trimmings.

Although it was broad daylight, drawing the living room curtains plunged the space into darkness, forcing a romantic dinner atmosphere onto their midday meal.

"Come on, superstar Tan, let's have a toast," Qin Chuan said with a grin. "If I ever decide to join show business, you'll have to be my sponsor. Deal?"

Tan Shuying didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How could she possibly enjoy steak and wine at a time like this? She merely clinked her glass against his out of politeness and took a small sip.

"Sure, no problem," Tan Shuying replied politely. Still, she couldn't help but think that with his freakish martial arts skills, if he ever starred in an action film, he would easily become the next big action star.

"By the way, judging by your accent, you must be from Gusu City. Since your surname is also Tan, do you happen to know a woman named Tan Shufen?" Qin Chuan asked suddenly, taking a bite of steak after finishing his wine.

*Clatter!*

The knife slipped from Tan Shuying's hand, clattering loudly against her plate.

"Still haven't recovered?" Qin Chuan asked, assuming she was still terrified of Zhuo Yihu's imminent arrival. "Don't worry. Even when his brother gets here, he won't be able to change the outcome."

Tan Shuying ignored his reassurance entirely. "Why are you asking about Tan Shufen?" she pressed.

"You know her?" Qin Chuan's interest was piqued. His fiancée was the eldest daughter of the prominent Tan family in Gusu. Given Tan Shuying's status, they likely moved in the same social circles.

Tan Shuying nodded slowly. "We don't just know each other. We are... very close, actually."

"Who's prettier, you or her?" Qin Chuan pressed eagerly.

Tan Shuying rolled her eyes. "You still haven't answered my question. Why are you asking about Tan Shufen?"

"She's my fiancée," Qin Chuan explained. "I was thinking that if she's pretty, I might consider going through with the marriage. But if she's ugly, I'm calling off the engagement."

He sighed, looking like a man burdened by his own greatness. "As you can see, an outstanding man like me is bound to be surrounded by beautiful women. If my wife doesn't look the part, how is she going to command respect?"

"Then what about someone who looks like me?" Tan Shuying asked, pointing to her own face. "Could I command respect?"

Qin Chuan stroked his chin and studied her face. In his mind, the faces of Liu Qingcheng, Lin Wanyu, Long Wuhen, and Lan Jin flashed by. After a quick comparison, he shook his head slightly. "It's a bit of a stretch."

"What did you say? A bit of a stretch?" Tan Shuying gasped, her voice rising in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind?"

Qin Chuan gave her a strange look. He was only telling the truth. Did she really have to get this worked up?