My Manor

"Director Qi..."

"Director Qi, hello..."

"Director Qi, good morning..."

Qi Li walked briskly through the Qi Corporation building, her high heels clicking confidently against the polished floor. Everyone who passed her respectfully bowed their heads and greeted her with "Director Qi." However, what shocked them most was that today, the normally cold and distant Director Qi, who was often compared to an iceberg, seemed to be in an unusually good mood. Not only did she smile and respond to their greetings, but she even nodded at some familiar faces, leaving them flattered and bewildered.

For years, since Qi Li took over the company, she had carried an air of deep sorrow and severity. Smiling was unheard of; even acknowledging greetings was rare. If she used the elevator, no one but her personal secretary dared to accompany her. She even had a private elevator that stopped only on the first floor and her office floor—strictly off-limits to others.

If a woman in her forties maintained such an icy demeanor, people might secretly call her the "Iron Nun." But Qi Li wasn't in her forties—she was still in her late twenties and stunningly beautiful. So instead of the "Iron Nun," people whispered about the "Scarlet Lotus Fairy." This nickname, of course, was also tied to her past.

But today, the employees felt like they were witnessing the impossible. The Scarlet Lotus Fairy... was smiling? Was the sun rising in the west? Many began speculating. Could it be that Qi Corporation's recent success in the catering industry had put her in a good mood? Or perhaps... she had fallen for someone?

Of course, only fools and narcissists would think the latter. After all, that kind of thinking was one of life's greatest delusions.

"Boss Qi seems to be in a great mood today!" her assistant chirped as she entered the office, following closely behind.

"Yes! Let me tell you something—Jiang Hai called me yesterday." Qi Li sat down, absentmindedly shuffling some documents on her desk, her voice laced with a mysterious excitement.

"Uh..." The assistant was speechless. Wasn't Qi Li the one who had always looked down on Jiang Hai? Throughout their marriage, she had almost never answered his calls. Her attitude had been so cold that even the assistant had dared to be dismissive toward Jiang Hai. And now, a single phone call from him had such a magical effect?

Watching Qi Li bask in her apparent joy, the assistant couldn't help but sigh. If things were going to turn out like this, why had she been so ruthless before?

"By the way, did you find anything on the person I asked you to investigate last night?" Qi Li asked, snapping back to business.

As the saying goes, when the boss speaks, subordinates jump into action. The person in question was Jiang Rui, whom Jiang Hai had asked her to look into yesterday. After receiving the request, Qi Li immediately ordered her assistant to investigate. Now, as soon as she arrived at work, it was the first thing on her mind.

"I have the information." The assistant handed over the report. As expected, with Qi Corporation's deep-rooted connections, gathering intelligence was no issue. Compared to the limited information Jiang Hai had gathered, Qi Li's investigation was much more detailed.

Jiang Rui was born in 1973. At eighteen, in 1991, he injured someone and, to evade arrest, used bribes to join the military. Over the years, he served in various capacities—local troops, standing forces, border patrol, and elite divisions. He was known for being tough, fearless, and aggressive, but due to his unwillingness to conform, the highest rank he achieved was that of a sergeant.

In 2004, he was dishonorably discharged for assaulting a superior officer. Following that, he entered the Middle East and joined a French mercenary group, participating in conflicts like the Iraq War and the war in Afghanistan. He returned to China in 2010.

Officially, Jiang Rui was unemployed, though he appeared to be working discreetly for certain influential figures.

Qi Li was no stranger to people like him. The Qi family had its own dealings with such individuals—not as assassins but as enforcers who handled difficult situations. In China, outright violence was uncommon, but tactics like intimidation were fair game. For instance, if a rival sent hooligans to loiter in front of a restaurant, discouraging customers, enforcers like Jiang Rui would be deployed to handle the situation in kind.

It seemed that Jiang Rui was precisely this type of operative. But according to the report, he had ties to the An family.

"The An family?" Qi Li frowned at the mention of the name.

"Yes. We discovered that in 1991, the person who helped Jiang Rui evade arrest was An Dexun's father, An Zhengjun. This strongly suggests that Jiang Rui has long-standing ties to the An family. Moreover, we found recent information indicating that Jiang Rui just returned from the U.S. The latest news from there is that a group of grey-market mercenaries attacked Jiang Hai's manor. We don't have exact details, but we do know that firearms were involved." The assistant explained.

"What? Jiang Hai's manor was attacked?" Qi Li's face paled. She immediately grabbed her phone and dialed Jiang Hai.

At that moment, Jiang Hai had just finished showering and was about to rest at Bell's house. Since the police had yet to lift the seal on his property, he could only retrieve personal belongings. The legal process required fifteen days before the restriction would be removed. Even then, he'd likely have to renovate—living in a house riddled with bullet holes wasn't ideal.

When the phone rang, Jiang Hai picked up, only to be bombarded by Qi Li's frantic voice.

"There was a shooting? Are you okay? Were you hurt? I told you the U.S. is too dangerous! You should come back to China! Hello? Why aren't you saying anything? Hello?!"

Jiang Hai sighed, feeling torn. "I'm fine. I wasn't hurt. I've already dealt with the situation here. But I've discovered that the attack may have been orchestrated by someone in China. That's why I asked you to look into it."

"China? Are you saying Jiang Rui is behind this?" Qi Li was taken aback.

"No, he's just a middleman. The real mastermind is his 'young master.' I couldn't identify him, which is why I asked for your help."

Qi Li's expression darkened. "An Changwu, you bastard! I'll kill you myself!" Her mood instantly soured. Given Jiang Rui's connections, the culprit had to be either An Changyong or An Changwu. And regardless of which one, she wanted them both dead.

"An Changwu? The one I met during the New Year? Your first love?" Jiang Hai asked teasingly.

"First love?! That man murdered my father! Nothing ever happened between us—not even a kiss! I swear!" Qi Li panicked at his words, frantically defending herself.

Jiang Hai remained silent, unsure how he felt. Their marriage was still legally intact, yet their relationship was anything but conventional. It was a complicated mess.

But one thing was clear—he was going to kill An Changwu.

After a brief pause, he spoke coldly. "Whatever happened between you and him is none of my concern. But if you still have feelings for him, I'm sorry. Just let him know—he's in trouble. Because I'm coming back to kill him."

With that, Jiang Hai hung up. Qi Li sat frozen in her chair, staring at the disconnected call.

For a moment, she wanted to cry but didn't know how. It seemed that once again, Jiang Hai was being dragged into her mess.

She immediately redialed, but the call didn't go through. Several attempts later, she realized the painful truth—Jiang Hai had blocked her.

Panic surged through her.

"Quick! Check the flights from the U.S. to the capital! Find out if Jiang Hai booked a first-class ticket—NOW!" she shouted at her assistant, her heart racing.