Chapter Thirty-Two: The Sick Man of East Asia

Though it was the effect of the drug, Qin Tianxiang still could not suppress her overwhelming shyness. Her cherry lips parted and closed, brimming with boundless allure.

Lowering his head, Xiao Fei pressed a fierce kiss upon those tender, dewy lips. His throat was parched, his mind ablaze, and he drank deeply of the beauty’s sweet breath like a ravenous wolf, savoring the honeyed flavor lingering between his teeth.

He held her crystalline body tightly, and with a single thrust, a vivid plum blossom bloomed beneath Qin Tianxiang…

[Ten thousand words omitted to avoid censorship.]

When dawn broke, radiant sunlight filtered through the paper windows, casting its glow upon Xiao Fei’s bare body.

After several heated entanglements, the drug’s effects finally dissipated from Qin Tianxiang. Glancing at the sleeping Xiao Fei beside her, and then at her own body, she suddenly screamed in shock, “Ah—!”

Startled awake, Xiao Fei realized at once what had happened. Although he had anticipated this scenario, he had been distracted by last night’s passion and neglected to prepare his explanation.

“Tianxiang, listen to me. It’s not what you think. You were tricked by that scoundrel Li Tiande,” Xiao Fei stammered out.

Qin Tianxiang’s eyes were vacant, her face wooden, her gaze unnerving to behold.

Yet from the haze of her memory, she recalled the moment Li Tiande had drugged her. Thinking back to her own behavior the previous night, she realized she had been the one to seduce Xiao Fei. She could hardly blame him.

Could this really be fate? Was she destined to be Xiao Fei’s woman? Qin Tianxiang lifted her gaze heavenward.

Xiao Fei hastily dressed, still flustered. “Tianxiang, it really wasn’t my fault. No, wait, it is my fault, but—”

“Are you trying to shirk responsibility?” Qin Tianxiang interrupted, her demeanor shifting so drastically that Xiao Fei was at a loss.

“Eh? I—are you alright, Tianxiang?”

“Xiao Fei, let me tell you: from today on, you belong to me. If you dare so much as flirt with that vixen Li Shishi again, I’ll leave you! Hmph!” she declared sternly.

“Uh, that sounds a little off. Shouldn’t it be that you belong to me?”

“Say that again!” Qin Tianxiang suddenly stood up, forgetting the quilt draped over her had slipped to the floor.

Xiao Fei pointed at her, “You’re completely exposed.”

“Ah! Get out, now!”

How did I end up in bed with her just like that? Does this count as my first night? Xiao Fei shamelessly mused.

With their relationship now sealed, Qin Tianxiang shed her last reservations. Xiao Fei was the man she had sworn to marry; sooner or later, he would be hers. What difference did a single night make? Naturally forthright, she soon came to terms with it.

Xiao Fei, on the other hand, was still somewhat bewildered. Holding her in his arms, he asked seriously, “Tianxiang, do you truly love me?”

“Silly, after all that’s happened, what do you think?” she nestled against him.

“But all this was because of that aphrodisiac. I’m not the kind of man who takes advantage of another’s misfortune!” Xiao Fei protested righteously.

“Enough with the false modesty. I’ll be honest with you: I liked you from the very first moment I saw you. You’re clever, brave, and saw right through Zhao Erkui’s betrayal. If not for you, I’d have lost my life long ago. And you also…” She trailed off.

“And what?” Xiao Fei pressed.

“Hmph, do you remember when you rescued me from Zhao Erkui, and mistakenly thought I was hiding steamed buns here?” Qin Tianxiang glanced down at her chest.

“Oh right, the lighting was too dim last night. I couldn’t see clearly. Let me check now and see if those are really steamed buns.” Xiao Fei reached out, his hand wandering.

“Ah! You rascal, get your hands off me!” Qin Tianxiang cried out.

“Husband? Heh, I like that. But I’m younger than you, so this is a romance with an older woman. Who’d have thought, after coming to the Republic, I’d be living out a trend from the future!” Xiao Fei teased.

“Hmm? What did you just say?”

“Oh, nothing. I just said I’ll love you well from now on.”

“So, when do you plan to propose to my brother?” Qin Tianxiang asked.

“I will, as soon as we return to Qinglong Mountain,” Xiao Fei promised solemnly.

“Then let’s hurry back to Qinglong Mountain.”

“We can’t yet. I promised little brother Kim Jong-il I’d attend his birthday banquet tomorrow.”

“Hmph, you just can’t bear to leave Li Shishi, can you?”

“Hey, listen, don’t go getting jealous for no reason. There’s nothing between Li Shishi and me.”

“Who’d believe that?”

“You don’t believe me? Let me show you!” With that, Xiao Fei pulled Qin Tianxiang back onto the bed. “Last night was too short. Let’s make up for it today.”

“Husband, be gentle…”

Their passion soared, waves of pleasure rising, the delights of which outsiders could never fathom.

The next morning, to Xiao Fei’s surprise, Kim Jong-il arrived in person to fetch him.

The car soon stopped before an opulent mansion, and from a distance, Xiao Fei saw the large characters: “Governor’s Residence—Kim Mansion.”

“Wow, so grand!” It was Qin Tianxiang’s first time riding in a car, her first time seeing such a luxurious villa.

Beholding the Kim Mansion’s imposing presence, Xiao Fei could not help but think of his own home, the Xiao family estate—a legacy built over generations by his grandfather, Lord Xiao Linggong. Yet now it had fallen to ruin. Though he was no longer the same Xiao Fei as before, since he had assumed this identity, he was determined to reclaim all that belonged to the Xiao family and restore its glory.

Moreover, Xiao Fei was a man who always settled his scores. After nearly perishing in the flames with his sister-in-law, he would see to it that this debt was paid in full.

Standing before the Kim Mansion, Xiao Fei was filled with emotion, though he betrayed nothing outwardly.

Kim Jong-il admired Xiao Fei all the more. Most would be astonished upon first seeing his home, but Xiao Fei showed not the slightest surprise—a man clearly accustomed to great things.

As Xiao Fei pondered, an odious figure approached—none other than Li Tiande.

Li Tiande, grinning like a lapdog, greeted him, “Ah, Brother Xiao, what an honor. Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner.”

At the sight of Li Tiande, Qin Tianxiang’s anger flared. Yet, deep down, she felt she owed this despicable man some thanks—after all, it was his scheming that had hastened her union with Xiao Fei.

Still, she had nearly been defiled by this beast, and she would not let that go. With this in mind, she marched up to Li Tiande and slapped him hard. Before he could react, she hit him again from the other side.

“Hmph!” Satisfied, she turned and left without a word, feeling he wasn’t even worth speaking to.

“Brother, come inside—don’t pay him any mind. I didn’t want him here, but he insisted on showing up with his flock of cronies. If my father hadn’t intervened, I’d have thrown them all out myself.” Kim Jong-il led Xiao Fei and Qin Tianxiang into the mansion.

Li Tiande seethed, clutching his swollen face. He knew he was in the wrong, but had come to curry favor with Kim Wanyu. Yet he hadn’t expected to be slapped twice upon arrival.

“Xiao Fei, Qin Tianxiang, we’re sworn enemies now. Don’t think you’ll leave Jiangning City alive!” Li Tiande muttered viciously.

Inside, the scene was lively—sons and daughters of foreign envoys from every nation, young and old alike. The governor’s son truly lived up to his status.

Many relatives and children from the foreign concessions in Jiangning had come as well, all for the sake of Kim Jong-il’s father, Governor Kim Shaohua. The governorship was a position that balanced the interests of the local military, the central government, and the foreign envoys and concessions, as well as the Beiyang government—and so, many “foreign friends” attended.

Yet Xiao Fei felt little goodwill toward these guests. They were all descendants of the Eight-Nation Alliance, and what right had they to establish concessions in his homeland? One day, he swore, he would see their own countries leased out in turn!

To liven up Kim Jong-il’s birthday celebration, Li Tiande had arranged many entertainments, the one drawing most attention being a “martial arts competition.”

In truth, this was the first step in Li Tiande’s plot for revenge against Xiao Fei. He had secretly instructed several foreign experts to find a way to draw Xiao Fei into combat—hoping they would defeat, cripple, or ideally even kill him, to satisfy his vendetta.

Representatives from the Russian, American, British, French, and Italian legations—Howard, Washington Carey, Rhett Brown, Hillary Barton, and Paul Novsky—were all skilled fighters, some even trained in ancient Chinese martial arts. Each had accepted Li Tiande’s secret bribes.

But to Li Tiande’s surprise, these foreigners colluded among themselves and cared nothing for his schemes. They had even prepared a plaque in advance, bearing the words “Sick Man of East Asia.”

None present realized that these individuals had been secretly instructed by their elders or superiors to use this opportunity to embarrass Governor Kim Shaohua. After all, as a representative of the Beiyang government, he had never prioritized the interests of the foreign legations.

Li Tiande was astonished—things had gotten out of hand—but the greater the chaos, the more it suited him. He cared nothing for the consequences.

Seeing the words “Sick Man of East Asia,” every patriotic Chinese present burned with indignation, itching for action. Xiao Fei’s fists tightened with rage.

Meanwhile, in a loft nearby, two elderly men observed the arena through binoculars.

One was Kim Shaohua, the master of the Kim Mansion and the military governor of Jiangning City. The other was the famed general of the Republic, a national hero and governor of Yunnan—General Cai E.