97: Chapter 96 Two Women

"Damn it... Qian Zhenzhen!"

Li Fan gnashed his teeth in secret resentment, never expecting that he would actually be manipulated by her.

He turned his head, intending to reason with her, but Qian Zhenzhen suddenly leaned in close, her red lips pressing directly onto his.

Caught off guard, Li Fan couldn't dodge in time, and they bumped together, causing him to let out a muffled groan.

"Mmh... don't stick your tongue in."

Only after a moment did the two separate. Qian Zhenzhen lightly licked her lips, a hint of novelty in her eyes.

"So this is what it tastes like."

She looked up at Li Fan, who was wiping his saliva in a daze beside her, and said in a slow tone,

"Husband, don't blame me."

"Who told me to owe you such a huge favor? I can only repay you by offering myself."

Before Li Fan could recover, the doors to the inner hall were pushed open.

A group of people walked out one after another, with Xiao Chun following at the very back.

She looked around and quickly spotted Qian Zhenzhen, as well as Li Fan, who was pressed tightly against her side.

The two of them were pressed close together, looking exceptionally intimate.

Xiao Chun subconsciously covered her mouth, her eyes full of shock as she muttered to herself,

"So Secretary Li is actually this dedicated. He even resorted to using a honey trap for the sake of the spiritual materials procurement cooperation."

"Before this, I always thought he was just a freeloader who depended on Chief Wen, but I guess I misjudged him."

With a shift in her thoughts, her impression of Li Fan improved slightly. Composing herself, she took a few steps forward and spoke,

"Secretary Li, Young Miss Qian."

Hearing the voice, Li Fan hurriedly broke free from Qian Zhenzhen and turned to look at the newcomer.

Xiao Chun gave him a knowing look, then delivered the message,

"Chief Wen and the Qian Family Head have finished most of their discussions. The Qian Family Head invites you to return to the inner hall with them to finalize the matters."

Looking at Xiao Chun's expression of having seen through everything, Li Fan's heart was filled with utter bewilderment.

However, none of this was urgent; he still hadn't figured out a way to deal with the scene that was about to unfold.

Thus, looking at Qian Zhenzhen who had already stood up, he spoke,

"I won't go in."

Having said that, he was about to get up and run, but Qian Zhenzhen grabbed his wrist.

"How can that be? They'll find out sooner or later, so what's the point of running away?"

She wasn't wrong, so Li Fan could only close his eyes and give up, letting Qian Zhenzhen drag him toward the inner hall.

Behind them, Xiao Chun was secretly shocked. Secretary Li was, after all, a toy boy kept by Chief Wen. If they were this intimate, wouldn't Chief Wen get jealous?

But her eyes darted around; perhaps this was actually Secretary Li's own idea.

Thinking of this, Xiao Chun instantly became firm in her belief and whispered,

"It must be so. I knew it, how could a woman like Chief Wen keep a male Cultivator for no reason?"

Nodding heavily, she quickened her pace and followed them.

Inside the inner hall, only Wen Xinmei and Father Qian were left sitting opposite each other, sipping tea and chatting.

Father Qian slowly spoke.

"Chief Wen, most of the Qian Family's affairs have already been handed over to my daughter to manage. In the end, we still have to wait for her to come in and make the decision."

Wen Xinmei nodded slightly in agreement.

"I spoke with Young Miss Qian for quite a while just now. Although her cultivation is one major Realm lower than mine, her speech is steady and her thoughts are thorough. She already possesses the bearing of a clan head."

Father Qian chuckled and nodded with emotion.

"Hehe, she has been independent since she was a child. Taking charge of the Qian Family is naturally not a problem."

"However, there are pros and cons. As her father, I can't control her anymore."

With a rumbling sound, the doors to the inner hall were slowly pushed open.

Qian Zhenzhen dragged Li Fan inside, with Xiao Chun following behind, as the three of them stepped in together.

The fragrance of tea curled in the air. Wen Xinmei and Father Qian, who had just been sitting and chatting leisurely, both swept their gazes over.

Wen Xinmei's gaze instantly locked onto their clasped hands.

The posture of their tightly locked fingers was so intimate that it was glaring, causing the warmth in her eyes to fade. Her brow furrowed, and she was just about to speak and ask.

But before she could make a sound, Father Qian, who was sitting nearby, could no longer contain himself. Staring at his daughter in shock, he beat her to it and spoke sharply,

"Zhener! What are you doing holding Secretary Li's hand?!"

Facing her father's questioning, Qian Zhenzhen did not panic in the slightest. Instead, with firm steps, she walked straight forward.

She held up her hands, tightly clasped with Li Fan's, and spoke in a clear, powerful voice that echoed throughout the entire inner hall,

"Father, I have a Dao Companion!"

Father Qian's pupils suddenly constricted, and his breath caught.

Why did he even need to ask? Those clasped hands already explained everything.

Yet he still refused to believe it. He pointed at his daughter, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably, and his voice turned hoarse,

"You... who did you say?!"

Qian Zhenzhen raised her brows, her gaze resolute, her raised hands not loosening in the slightest.

"Who else could it be? It's Li Fan! From this day forward, he is my, Qian Zhenzhen's, Dao Companion!"

The entire room fell into an instant, dead silence.

Father Qian's eyes went blank, staring stiffly at those two tightly clasped hands suspended in mid-air.

Then, his gaze slowly shifted downward, scanning past Li Fan's bright blond hair and continuing further down.

What met his eyes was the youth's embarrassed and helpless expression.

Li Fan was so awkward that his entire body went stiff. He could only raise his hand to scratch his cheek, speaking in a small, guilty voice,

"Hello, Uncle..."

This mild greeting was like the final straw that broke the camel's back.

A dignified Golden Core Cultivator, with a stable Heart-Nature from years of cultivation, now felt his vision go dark and the world spin.

His chest heaved violently as he fell backward, propping himself up against the conference table, panting heavily.

Only after stabilizing his figure and catching his breath did he say with deep grief and indignation,

"You wretched girl! You absolute wretch! Are you trying to anger your father to death?!"

Xiao Chun, standing at the very back, was already dumbfounded, freezing in place with her mind completely blank.

Beside them, Wen Xinmei stood up, her eyes seemingly calm but harboring dark, surging waves.

Her gaze locked directly onto Li Fan as she confirmed once more in a deep voice,

"Husband, is this true?"

Li Fan hurriedly turned his head away, not daring to meet her gaze at all, and spoke hastily,

"Xinmei, wait for me to explain!"

But Wen Xinmei lightly raised her hand, directly cutting off his defense.

Her gaze shifted, landing on the composed Qian Zhenzhen, her tone carrying a hint of coldness.

"Since my husband wants to explain, it means there is more to this matter than meets the eye."

"You suddenly becoming Dao Companions—I'm afraid this matter is not that simple."

Hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed in Father Qian's eyes.

He secretly hoped that this was just Zhenzhen making a scene, or that there was some other reason, and that they hadn't truly formed a Dao Companion bond.

But in the next second, Qian Zhenzhen raised her hand to bring up her personal terminal, flipped the screen, and displayed the interface directly in front of everyone.

On the light screen, the officially certified Dao Companion relationship was clear and eye-catching.

Qian Zhenzhen looked up at the cold-faced Wen Xinmei and replied assertively,

"Unfortunately, Li Fan and I are a legally and logically orthodox Dao Companion couple recognized by the officials."

"It seems you... are a step too late."

She wasn't done yet. She let go of Li Fan's hand and took a step forward, leaving only a few yards of distance between her and Wen Xinmei.

"Please do not call Li Fan 'husband' anymore, Chief Wen."

"Hearing it makes me very uncomfortable..."

As she spoke, she tapped the terminal to switch pages.

"Otherwise, I will have to call the people from the General Management Bureau to arrest you on charges of scheming against another's Dao Companion, in accordance with the laws promulgated by the Xuan Gui Department."