At exactly midnight, it seems I have the honor of being the first to wish you a happy birthday.
An Yi glanced at the time, raising an eyebrow as he spoke.
Qin Yao's lips curved into a pure, radiant smile. "Thank you."
"Here, your birthday gift."
As An Yi spoke, he lifted his hand.
In his palm lay an exquisitely crafted wooden bracelet.
Entirely carved from wood, every interlocking ring was a seamless part of the structure—delicate yet stunning, a masterpiece that could only be described as divine craftsmanship.
Qin Yao's eyes sparkled as she covered her lips in disbelief. "This... this is 'Starlight Guardian'!"
"Starlight Guardian" was the hottest drama recently, and in it, the male lead had gifted this very bracelet to the female lead as a token of love.
A symbol of romance that threaded through the entire series, it had become the dream of countless young women.
However, the original version was made of priceless crystal, while this one was crafted from wood.
An Yi: "?"
With just Level 1 dagger mastery, he could already carve flowers into watermelons. Now at Level 3, his carving skills were nothing short of extraordinary.
He had secretly whittled a piece of wood earlier, using his Dragonfang Dagger to shape the bracelet.
He didn’t know many bracelet designs, but this one had caught his eye when Shen Muxuan was watching a soap opera. The structure was relatively simple, and carving it entirely from wood wasn’t too difficult.
Qin Yao bit her lower lip. "What kind of wood is this?"
"Zhen wood!"
An Yi replied, silently adding in his heart: The very tree planted in your family’s courtyard.
Hearing it was Zhen wood, Qin Yao understood immediately, her face flushing crimson.
Zhen wood symbolized love.
And the bracelet’s design? The "Starlight Guardian"—every girl’s dream.
No wonder this guy had been so evasive when she’d asked for a gift earlier.
This wasn’t just a present—it was practically a public confession!
Her father would never approve!
Qin Yao’s heart raced wildly, her breathing uneven.
"Oh, here’s your card back."
An Yi handed her the bank card worth fifty million, smiling gently. "This is your dowry. I don’t want you spending it so casually."
Qin Yao stared at him, stunned.
An Yi reached out, ruffling her hair with a grin. "Alright, goodnight."
"Wait!"
Qin Yao grabbed his arm.
Blushing furiously, she leaned in and planted a quick kiss on his cheek before darting away like a startled deer.
"This is the happiest birthday I’ve ever had. Thank you for the gift—I love it!"
She held up the wooden bracelet, her bright eyes and radiant smile making An Yi’s heart skip a beat.
An Yi stood frozen, watching Qin Yao’s slender figure disappear into the distance.
Part of him reveled in the moment, while another part wept internally.
Damn it, that was fifty million!
What had he been thinking, giving it back like that?!
Hold it together. This is just an investment to win over the wealthy heiress!
Stay strong!
After all the guests had left, the Qin family villa felt eerily quiet.
"Uncle Fu, that An Yi is proving to be quite the headache," Qin Zhengwei muttered, rubbing his temples with a wry smile.
Uncle Fu chuckled in agreement. "Indeed."
The first time, Qin Yao had nearly been assaulted by a bald thug in a dark alley—until An Yi stepped in and saved her.
The second time, she’d been strapped with a timed bomb by the Butcher. In the final seconds, An Yi had risked his life to dismantle it, gambling everything for her survival.
And today, Yang Heng had arrived with three dark cultivators, demanding Qin Yao become his concubine. Once again, An Yi had intervened, defeating the formidable Dark Taoist despite sustaining severe injuries.
Women weren’t fools.
More than sweet words, they valued what a man would do for them.
With An Yi repeatedly saving her, even the coldest heart would have melted by now.
"This is a serious problem."
Qin Zhengwei massaged his forehead, knowing all too well his daughter’s temperament.
Truthfully, he felt guilty toward Qin Yao.
She’d grown up without a mother, and as her father, he’d been too consumed by work to give her the time she deserved.
Despite being the privileged young mistress of the Qin family, Qin Yao had always lacked a sense of security.
She’d never had a close friend growing up.
Outwardly, she was spoiled and proud, but inside, she was fragile.
An Yi’s actions had struck her like a tidal wave—she stood no chance. Now, she was completely wrapped around his finger.
In contrast, Lin Chen’s lack of progress was frustrating.
Their relationship remained lukewarm, showing no signs of deepening. If this continued, it wouldn’t end well.
Looks like I’ll have to push things along. I hope Yao won’t resent me for this, but An Yi is simply not the right match.
Qin Zhengwei lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag before sighing. "Uncle Fu, any luck uncovering An Yi’s background?"
Uncle Fu shook his head. "The boy’s shrouded in mystery. There’s not a single trace to be found."
"How strange." Qin Zhengwei frowned.
For his vast intelligence network to come up empty was beyond unusual.
Even Lin Chen being the son of the Netherworld's lord—such a well-hidden secret—had been uncovered.
To think, even Lin Chen himself was unaware of this. He had always believed he was an abandoned orphan.
But when it came to An Yi, Qin Zhengwei's intelligence network couldn't gather even a shred of information. That was downright eerie.
Could he have fallen from the sky?
Qin Zhengwei didn’t dwell on it. The priority now was to let Lin Chen and Qin Yao spend some time bonding.
After all, this was the Netherworld we’re talking about!
A mysterious organization that shook the entire world!
Just the thought of it made Qin Zhengwei’s heart race.
If they could latch onto such a powerful connection, the Qin family would truly soar to new heights!
In the future, they wouldn’t just dominate Jiangbei City—they’d become a prestigious powerhouse across the entire southeastern province!
Honestly, the previous Netherworld lord was over a hundred years old, yet he still had the vigor to father such a young son. Impressive, really.
Qin Zhengwei chuckled to himself.
Uncle Fu hesitated, then cleared his throat. "Well, Boss Qin, the old lord of the Netherworld stepped down two years ago."
"Stepped down?" Qin Zhengwei paused, his fingers freezing mid-motion as he flicked his cigarette ash.
Uncle Fu nodded. "That’s right. The current Netherworld lord is a very mysterious woman."
"A woman?" Qin Zhengwei mused. "So you’re saying Lin Chen is her son?"
Uncle Fu confirmed, "Yes. I have substantial evidence to back this up—it’s absolutely true."
Qin Zhengwei exhaled a plume of smoke and flicked the cigarette butt away. "Doesn’t matter to me whether the lord’s a woman or not. What’s it got to do with me?"
Uncle Fu opened his mouth as if to say more.
Upon closer observation, he noticed something startling—Boss Qin and Lin Chen bore an uncanny resemblance, especially in profile. They looked like they’d been carved from the same mold.
Whether this was mere coincidence, Uncle Fu couldn’t say.
Years of working in intelligence had sharpened his instincts, and something about this felt off.
This needed serious investigation.
If his suspicions turned out to be true… well, things would get very interesting indeed!
Meanwhile, the Dark Taoist, Song Yan, and Qian Xiu lay bound and unconscious, their fates unknown.
Qin Zhengwei frowned. "Has the Law Enforcement Bureau not arrived yet?"
Uncle Fu checked the encrypted message on his black phone, his expression darkening. "Boss Qin, something major has happened at the Law Enforcement Bureau!"