Once a toxic billionaire, he now finds himself as a single dad in a world full of surprises. But his peaceful life is turned upside down when the mysterious and tyrannical Duke becomes obsessed with him and his child. Secrets unravel as their hearts clash in a whirlwind of romance, drama, and powerful emotions.
#BLStory #ToxicBillionaire #SingleDad #TyrantDuke #ObsessedDuke #BLRomance #PowerfulDrama #FullEpisode #RomanceDrama #BLSeries #BL2025 #TyrantLove #DadAndChild #SecretRomance
#BLStory #ToxicBillionaire #SingleDad #TyrantDuke #ObsessedDuke #BLRomance #PowerfulDrama #FullEpisode #RomanceDrama #BLSeries #BL2025 #TyrantLove #DadAndChild #SecretRomance
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00:00:00My name is Edward, and until about 24 hours ago, my biggest problem in life was that my
00:00:05personal barista used oat milk instead of almond milk in my macchiato.
00:00:10I was a billionaire heir, the ruthless executive director of my family's conglomerate, and
00:00:16a man who firmly believed that money could solve literally any inconvenience, including
00:00:21children.
00:00:22I hated kids.
00:00:24They were loud, sticky, terrible for productivity, and offered zero return on investment.
00:00:30Just three days ago, I had fired my head housekeeper because her baby cried in the background of
00:00:35a highly sensitive conference call.
00:00:38If you can't manage your own liabilities, you can't manage my estate, I had told her coldly.
00:00:44Karma, as it turns out, has a deeply twisted sense of humor.
00:00:48It happened on a rainy Thursday.
00:00:51I was driving my brand new Bugatti down a coastal highway, absolutely fuming because I had just
00:00:57noticed a microscopic scratch on my limited-edition designer watch.
00:01:01I took my eyes off the road for two seconds to glare at my wrist.
00:01:05Two seconds.
00:01:07That was all it took for a semi-truck to hydroplane, swerve into my lane, and turn my multi-million
00:01:13dollar sports car into an accordion.
00:01:15There was the horrific sound of crushing metal, a blinding flash of pain, and then absolute
00:01:21darkness.
00:01:23When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in a pristine, white VIP hospital suite.
00:01:28I was face down in mud.
00:01:31Thick, freezing, metallic-smelling mud.
00:01:34I gasped, trying to push myself up, only to realize my hands were covered in blood.
00:01:40And not just my hands.
00:01:42I looked around, my heart hammering against my ribs.
00:01:45I was lying in a trench surrounded by broken wooden carts, shattered arrows, and the lifeless
00:01:51bodies of men wearing ancient armor.
00:01:54Panic seized my throat.
00:01:55I looked down at my own body.
00:01:57I was wearing robes.
00:01:59Silk robes that were currently ruined, torn, and soaked in mud.
00:02:04My dry cleaner is going to quit, I murmured hysterically.
00:02:08As I touched my forehead, a violent wave of memories that absolutely did not belong to
00:02:13me slammed into my brain.
00:02:15I groaned, falling back against a broken wagon wheel.
00:02:19I wasn't Edward anymore.
00:02:21I was the sixth prince of the great Yan Empire, Zhao Xuan.
00:02:26And worse, I knew exactly who he was.
00:02:29He was the pathetic, doomed cannon fodder in The Iron Crown, a ridiculously dramatic historical
00:02:35novel my ex-assistant used to read at her desk when she thought I wasn't looking.
00:02:39Zhao Xuan was known across the empire as the porcelain prince.
00:02:43He was infinitely kind, tragically weak, heavily bullied by his royal brothers, and an absolute
00:02:51pushover.
00:02:52According to the plot, his jealous older brothers had orchestrated this border inspection as a
00:02:57trap.
00:02:57They sent him into a known war zone with minimal guards, hoping he would be killed by enemy
00:03:03insurgents.
00:03:04And they had succeeded.
00:03:06The original Zhao Xuan had died in this trench just minutes ago from sheer terror and a minor
00:03:12head wound.
00:03:13Unbelievable, I spat, wiping the mud off my delicately handsome, unfamiliar face.
00:03:20I survived corporate espionage, hostile takeovers, and the New York Stock Exchange, only to die and
00:03:26wake up as the weakest link in a feudal dynasty.
00:03:29I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stand.
00:03:33Well, I'm not dying in a ditch.
00:03:35I'm going back to the capital, and I'm going to financially ruin whoever planned this.
00:03:39I took one step toward the main road when I heard it.
00:03:43A sound that made my blood run colder than the autumn wind.
00:03:46It was a sharp, grating, piercing wail.
00:03:50A baby.
00:03:52It was coming from beneath the splintered remains of a supply cart just ten feet away.
00:03:57I froze.
00:03:58I stared at the cart.
00:04:00I stared at the road leading to safety.
00:04:03Absolutely not, I said aloud to the empty battlefield.
00:04:07I do not do babies.
00:04:09I didn't do them in the twenty-first century, and I am certainly not doing them in the eighth
00:04:14century.
00:04:15I am a billionaire, not a daycare center.
00:04:18I turned my back and took three determined steps away.
00:04:22The crying hitched, turning into a weak, desperate, breathless sob.
00:04:27I stopped.
00:04:29I squeezed my eyes shut, cursing every single star in the sky.
00:04:34You have got to be kidding me, I growled.
00:04:37I spun around, marched over to the crushed cart, and dug through the splintered wood.
00:04:43Beneath a dead servant's protective embrace was a bundle of gray rags.
00:04:48I pulled it out, holding it at arm's length like it was a live grenade.
00:04:53It was a newborn.
00:04:55Filthy, red-faced, and screaming its lungs out.
00:04:58Listen here, tiny human, I said sternly, keeping it as far away from my ruined silk robes as
00:05:05possible.
00:05:06I am only taking you so you don't attract wolves.
00:05:09You are going to the nearest orphanage the second we hit civilization.
00:05:13Understand?
00:05:14The baby stopped screaming.
00:05:17It blinked its large, tear-filled eyes at me, then reached out a tiny, chubby fist, and
00:05:23grabbed the incredibly expensive, solid golden jade pendant hanging from my sash.
00:05:28The baby squeezed the gold, cooed softly, and immediately went to sleep.
00:05:33I stared at the kid.
00:05:35A gold digger, I muttered, a reluctant smirk pulling at my lips.
00:05:40All right, I respect that.
00:05:42Let's go.
00:05:42It took two agonizing days of walking before we were found by a returning imperial border
00:05:48patrol.
00:05:49By the time I was escorted back to the capital and deposited at my royal residence, I was
00:05:54exhausted, starving, and holding a baby wrapped in my outer robe.
00:05:59My residence, the Falling Plum Pavilion, was a joke.
00:06:03As the useless sixth prince, my budget was clearly non-existent.
00:06:08The paint was peeling, the courtyard was barren, and the servants looked at me with thinly-veiled
00:06:15contempt instead of respect.
00:06:16The original Juan would have kept his head down, smiled gently, and apologized for surviving.
00:06:23I, on the other hand, and Edward did not tolerate insubordination.
00:06:30I sat on the only decent chair in the main hall, the sleeping baby resting awkwardly on my lap.
00:06:36Bring me hot water, fresh robes, and milk for the child, I ordered.
00:06:40The head servant, a greasy-looking man named Eunuch Lee, sneered openly.
00:06:46He didn't even bother to bow.
00:06:48Your Highness, Eunuch Lee drawled, crossing his arms.
00:06:52The pavilion's monthly stipend has already been spent.
00:06:55We have no budget for luxury items like milk.
00:06:57I can have the kitchen boil some rice water for the brat.
00:07:01That is the best we can do.
00:07:03In the novel, the gentle Juan would have wept and thanked him for his meager efforts.
00:07:09I slowly lifted my gaze, fixing Eunuch Lee with the exact same dead-eyed predatory stare
00:07:15I used to terminate entire departments of underperforming executives.
00:07:19No budget, I repeated, my voice dropping to a terrifying, icy calm.
00:07:25Eunuch Lee.
00:07:26According to imperial law, a prince of the first rank receives a stipend of 500 silver tails a month.
00:07:34Eunuch Lee flinched, his sneer faltering.
00:07:37I didn't raise my voice, but the temperature in the room plummeted.
00:07:42Given the state of this rotting pavilion, the cheap tea you served me last week,
00:07:46and the fact that you are currently wearing silk shoes that cost at least 10 tails,
00:07:51I estimate you have been embezzling approximately 80% of my funds.
00:07:55The Eunuch went pale.
00:07:57Your Highness, I would never…
00:08:00Shut up, I snapped, the authority cracking like a whip.
00:08:05The remaining maids in the room gasped, dropping to their knees.
00:08:09I leaned forward, my eyes dark.
00:08:12If a bowl of fresh, warm goat's milk is not in front of me in exactly five minutes,
00:08:17I will bypass the inner court and hand a formal audit request directly to the Emperor's executioner.
00:08:23Eunuch Lee's knees buckled.
00:08:25The porcelain prince was suddenly radiating the aura of a bloodthirsty tyrant.
00:08:31Yes, Your Highness, right away, Your Highness.
00:08:34He scrambled up and sprinted toward the kitchens like his robes were on fire.
00:08:39I leaned back in my chair, adjusting the baby in my arms.
00:08:43Corporate restructuring, I muttered.
00:08:46Works in any era.
00:08:48Over the next week, the pavilion underwent a massive shift.
00:08:52The servants were terrified of me.
00:08:55The embezzling eunuch was quietly replaced, and I completely took over the household finances.
00:09:01But while I could manage budgets and ruthlessly optimize servant schedules,
00:09:05I was entirely, hopelessly out of my depth when it came to the baby.
00:09:09I tried to treat parenting like project management.
00:09:12When the baby cried, I handed it a gold coin, expecting a transaction to occur.
00:09:18It tried to eat the coin.
00:09:20When it refused to sleep, I sat by the crib and read aloud from ancient tax ledgers,
00:09:25hoping the sheer boredom of agricultural land yield numbers would knock him out.
00:09:29It actually worked.
00:09:31I refused to admit I cared.
00:09:34I kept telling my loyal maid, Xiao Kui,
00:09:37that the child was just a temporary liability
00:09:39until I could find a suitable, high-ranking family to pawn him off on.
00:09:43But then, a month into my new life, the baby caught a fever.
00:09:48A severe, terrifying fever.
00:09:51He wouldn't eat.
00:09:53His tiny face was flushed bright red, and his breathing was shallow and ragged.
00:09:58The imperial physician I bribed to come gave me a sympathetic, useless look.
00:10:04Infants are fragile, your highness.
00:10:06If he survives the night, it is the will of heaven.
00:10:10He left a bowl of bitter herbs and departed.
00:10:12That night, my arrogant, billionaire CEO facade completely shattered.
00:10:19I didn't sleep.
00:10:20I sat beside his small crib for three days straight,
00:10:24dipping a cloth into cool water and pressing it to his burning forehead.
00:10:28You listen to me, you tiny, expensive liability.
00:10:32I whispered fiercely, my voice cracking as I held his tiny, burning hand.
00:10:37I did not drag you out of a literal war zone for you to quit on me now.
00:10:41You are going to live.
00:10:43That is an executive order.
00:10:45Do you hear me?
00:10:46Don't you dare close your eyes.
00:10:49For three agonizing days, I bargained with whatever gods governed this ridiculous novel.
00:10:55I promised to stop being a jerk.
00:10:58I promised to never complain about oat milk again.
00:11:01I just wanted the kid to breathe properly.
00:11:04On the morning of the fourth day, the fever finally broke.
00:11:08The baby opened his eyes, looked up at my exhausted, tear-streaked face,
00:11:12and gave a weak, toothless, gummy smile.
00:11:16He reached up and grabbed my finger.
00:11:19And just like that, the ruthless billionaire Edward was officially dead.
00:11:24I slumped forward, resting my forehead against the edge of the crib,
00:11:28letting out a breath I felt like I had been holding for a month.
00:11:32Fine, I whispered, wiping my eyes with the back of my sleeve.
00:11:36You win.
00:11:38You're mine.
00:11:40Later that day, I officially entered him into the royal registry as my adopted son.
00:11:45I named him Zhao Jin.
00:11:47But privately, I called him A-Bow, my little treasure.
00:11:53As I watched him sleep peacefully that night, my mind shifted from panic back to calculation.
00:11:59If I was going to raise a child in this treacherous, backstabbing royal court,
00:12:04being a weak, ignored prince wasn't going to cut it.
00:12:08A-Bow needed protection.
00:12:09He needed resources.
00:12:11He needed an empire.
00:12:14I walked over to my desk, picked up a brush, and unrolled a fresh piece of parchment.
00:12:19My brothers had wealth and armies.
00:12:22I had a brain built for modern corporate warfare.
00:12:26I smiled.
00:12:27The sharp, predatory grin of a man about to corner a market.
00:12:32The great Yan Empire didn't know it yet, but they were about to experience their first monopolistic capitalist takeover.
00:12:40Ten years.
00:12:42It had been exactly ten years since I, Edward, a ruthless modern billionaire, woke up in a freezing trench and
00:12:50accidentally adopted a screaming war orphan.
00:12:53Ten years since I decided that playing the role of the tragic, bullied sixth prince of the great Yan Empire
00:12:59was a complete waste of my exceptional talents.
00:13:03In my past life, it took me five years to take my family's conglomerate global.
00:13:08In this ancient, economically stagnant, mathematically challenged dynasty, it took me three.
00:13:15I started small.
00:13:17I used the pathetic stipend from my exile pavilion to invest in a failing grain transport route.
00:13:23I introduced standardized double-entry bookkeeping, optimized carriage suspension,
00:13:28and invented the concept of franchise franchising.
00:13:32Fast forward to the present, and the weak, forgotten sixth prince secretly owned the Heavenly Axis Consortium.
00:13:39We controlled 70% of the empire's salt trade, owned the most luxurious silk factories in the south,
00:13:46and ran a logistics network so efficient that even the imperial army unofficially relied on our supply lines.
00:13:53I was, by every metric, the wealthiest man on the continent.
00:13:58But publicly?
00:14:00Oh, publicly, I was a masterpiece of method acting.
00:14:03I maintained the persona of Prince Zhao Shuan perfectly.
00:14:07I was the fragile, sickly, tragically delicate prince who rarely left his run-down pavilion.
00:14:14If the emperor summoned me, I powdered my face to look pale, practiced a pathetic, chest-rattling cough,
00:14:21and wore simple, unadorned robes that screamed,
00:14:24I am no threat to the throne.
00:14:27My royal brothers, the ones who had originally sent me to die, completely ignored me.
00:14:33They were too busy fighting each other for the crown,
00:14:36completely unaware that their campaigns were secretly being funded by loans from a bank that I owned.
00:14:41It was the ultimate corporate revenge.
00:14:44I held their purse strings, and they thought I was practically bedridden.
00:14:48But my greatest achievement in this decade wasn't the monopoly on the empire's tea trade,
00:14:52nor was it the secret underground vault filled to the ceiling with gold ingots.
00:14:57My absolute greatest masterpiece was sitting across from me at the breakfast table,
00:15:01neatly folding his silk napkin with terrifying precision.
00:15:04My son, Zhao Jin, but I still called him Ei Bao.
00:15:11Ei Bao was ten years old now.
00:15:14On the outside, he was the picture of aristocratic perfection.
00:15:18He had large, bright, innocent eyes, soft, slightly chubby cheeks that palace maids constantly tried to pinch,
00:15:26and he wore immaculate, understated scholarly robes.
00:15:29He looked like an angel, a sweet, vulnerable, royal child.
00:15:35On the inside, however, Ei Bao was a ruthless, calculating, cold-blooded capitalist.
00:15:42I had raised him.
00:15:43I had taught him how to read using profit and loss statements.
00:15:47His bedtime stories were case studies on hostile takeovers and market manipulation.
00:15:52The result was a ten-year-old boy who viewed human interaction entirely through the lens of return on investment.
00:15:59Father, Ei Bao said, his high, sweet voice cutting through my thoughts.
00:16:04He slid a perfectly organized bamboo ledger across the table.
00:16:09I have reviewed the quarterly earnings for our toy storefronts in the eastern market.
00:16:13I noticed a three percent drop in revenue for the carved wooden horses.
00:16:18I propose we artificially restrict the supply to drive up demand,
00:16:22then reintroduce them next month at a twenty percent markup.
00:16:25I paused, my chopsticks halfway to my mouth.
00:16:29I stared at this child, this tiny, adorable menace who had just casually suggested market manipulation
00:16:36before finishing his morning porridge.
00:16:38A slow, deeply proud smirk spread across my face.
00:16:43I wiped away a fake tear.
00:16:46Ah, Bao, you're growing up so fast.
00:16:49Yes, execute the supply restriction.
00:16:51But start a rumor that the wood is sourced from a sacred mountain first.
00:16:56Let's make it a thirty percent markup.
00:16:59Ei Bao's eyes gleamed with a terrifying predatory joy.
00:17:04Understood, father.
00:17:05Oh, and the third prince's steward sent another basket of cheap medicinal ginseng yesterday,
00:17:12pretending to care about your failing health.
00:17:15Ei Bao paused, taking a delicate sip of his tea.
00:17:19I sold it to the local apothecary at a premium and used the funds to bribe the third prince's
00:17:24chef to slightly oversalt his meals for a week.
00:17:27I threw my head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the private, heavily guarded
00:17:32courtyard of our expanded estate.
00:17:35You little monster, I said fondly, reaching over to ruffle his perfectly styled hair.
00:17:41Ei Bao didn't swat my hand away.
00:17:44Instead, he leaned into the touch, a rare, genuinely childish smile breaking through his
00:17:50serious facade.
00:17:52Despite his corporate mindset, Ei Bao was fiercely, almost dangerously protective of me.
00:17:58Because he was an orphan of war, and because he knew how much the royal family despised us,
00:18:03his loyalty was absolute.
00:18:05If a servant even looked at me with the wrong tone, Ei Bao would quietly, systematically ensure
00:18:11that servant was transferred to the absolute worst latrine-cleaning duties in the palace
00:18:15within 48 hours.
00:18:17Are you going to the market today?
00:18:19I asked, finishing my tea.
00:18:22Ei Bao nodded, his expression turning entirely professional.
00:18:26Yes, father.
00:18:27I need to personally inspect the new shipment of puzzle boxes.
00:18:31The manufacturer tried to skim on the lacquer quality last time.
00:18:34I need to make an example of him so the supply chain understands our quality control standards.
00:18:39I looked at my ten-year-old son, who was talking about supply chain optimization with the cold
00:18:45intensity of a seasoned mafia boss.
00:18:47All right, I sighed, waving a hand.
00:18:51Take the shadow guards.
00:18:52And remember, if anyone asks, you are the poor, pitiful adopted son of the sickly sixth prince.
00:18:59Look sad.
00:19:00Cough a little if you have to.
00:19:03Ei Bao gave me a look of profound offense.
00:19:06Father, please.
00:19:07My acting is flawless.
00:19:10Yesterday, I managed to squeeze ten silver tails out of the fourth princess,
00:19:14just by looking longingly at a candied hawthorn stick and mentioning how we couldn't afford sweets.
00:19:20He patted his chest proudly.
00:19:23I wiped another fake tear.
00:19:25I had truly raised a masterpiece.
00:19:28I watched him leave the pavilion, flanked by three highly trained, terrifyingly silent shadow guards
00:19:33disguised as common servants.
00:19:35I felt a deep sense of peace.
00:19:38My life was perfect.
00:19:40I had unlimited wealth, a brilliant son, and zero royal responsibilities.
00:19:46I should have known that the universe hates it when I get too comfortable.
00:19:50While Ei Bao was heading to the eastern market, the entire capital was preparing for an event
00:19:55that had the royal court shaking in their heavily embroidered boots.
00:19:58The northern army was returning.
00:20:00And at the head of that army was the blood-iron duke, Wei Wuyuan.
00:20:05The man was a walking nightmare.
00:20:08Wei Wuyuan was the supreme commander of the military,
00:20:12a tyrant who had spent the last decade violently expanding the empire's borders.
00:20:17He was notorious for his absolute ruthlessness, his freezing crimson eyes,
00:20:22and his absolute unapologetic disgust for the pampered, weak royals of the capital.
00:20:27He was a man forged in blood and steel.
00:20:31In the original novel, Duke Wei had absolutely despised the sixth prince.
00:20:36He viewed the original Zhao Shuan as a pathetic, weeping coward
00:20:40who wasn't fit to breathe the same air as the soldiers dying on the front lines.
00:20:44I had actively avoided even thinking about the man for ten years.
00:20:48Out of sight, out of mind, and out of my profit margins.
00:20:52But the plot of this ridiculous world apparently had a tracking beacon on me.
00:20:58At precisely noon, Wei Wuyuan's massive, heavily armored procession
00:21:03was marching through the main thoroughfare of the Eastern Market.
00:21:06The streets had been cleared.
00:21:09Citizens bowed their heads, terrified to even make eye contact
00:21:13with the towering black-armored warlord riding atop his massive warhorse.
00:21:17He looked exactly as the author had described him.
00:21:20Impossibly broad shoulders, a sharp, aristocratic jawline marred by a faint, jagged scar,
00:21:26and eyes so intense they felt like a physical threat.
00:21:30He exuded an aura of suffocating danger.
00:21:34The entire street was silent, save for the rhythmic, thundering sound of thousands of armored boots.
00:21:40And then, the universe decided to orchestrate a spectacular disaster.
00:21:46One of the Duke's outrider horses, spooked by a sudden gust of wind rattling a vendor's awning,
00:21:52sidestepped violently.
00:21:54The armored horse backed directly into a newly opened, extremely high-end toy stall.
00:22:00Specifically, the stall that my ten-year-old son was currently inspecting.
00:22:05There was a loud crash as a display of intricately carved, limited-edition wooden puzzle boxes was
00:22:10knocked to the ground, shattering into dozens of pieces.
00:22:14The armored horse's heavy flank grazed a bow, knocking my boy backward onto the cobblestones.
00:22:20The entire street gasped.
00:22:22The procession ground to a halt.
00:22:24Duke Way pulled on the reins of his warhorse, his eyes narrowing in irritation at the delay.
00:22:29He looked down at the scene.
00:22:33A small, chubby-cheeked child in modest scholar robes was sitting on the ground amid a pile of
00:22:38broken toys.
00:22:39Any normal child would have burst into hysterical tears.
00:22:44Any normal child would have been paralyzed by fear at the sight of the blood-iron duke.
00:22:50A-Bow was not a normal child.
00:22:52He didn't cry.
00:22:54He didn't shake.
00:22:54He calmly stood up, dusted off his robes with precise, deliberate movements, and looked at the
00:23:01shattered inventory.
00:23:03Then, slowly, he turned his large, innocent eyes up to look directly at the terrifying warlord
00:23:10towering over him on horseback.
00:23:12Duke Way stared back, his expression cold, fully expecting the child to run away, weeping.
00:23:19Instead, A-Bow reached into his sleeve, pulled out a small, incredibly detailed bamboo ledger
00:23:25and a charcoal pencil.
00:23:27He looked at the broken toys, did some quick mental math, and then looked back up at the
00:23:32duke with an expression of cold corporate neutrality.
00:23:36Six limited-edition interlocking sandalwood puzzle boxes, A-Bow announced, his high, clear
00:23:43voice cutting through the dead silence of the street.
00:23:47Valued at fifty silver tails each, add the cost of the destroyed display rack, the disruption
00:23:53of commercial foot traffic, and the physical grazing of my person, which constitutes emotional
00:23:59distress and potential loss of future earnings.
00:24:02A-Bow snapped the ledger shut and held out one small, chubby hand.
00:24:06Your horse lacks discipline, my lord.
00:24:09I will settle this out of court for five hundred gold tails, cash only.
00:24:14Finally, we do not accept imperial promissory notes.
00:24:17The entire street stopped breathing.
00:24:20The duke's heavily armored lieutenant stared at the child like he had just grown three heads.
00:24:25A ten-year-old boy had just looked the most dangerous man in the empire in the eye and
00:24:30casually demanded an extortionate sum of money for emotional distress.
00:24:34Duke Way froze.
00:24:35For a split second, sheer, unadulterated shock cracked his terrifying facade.
00:24:43He stared down at the tiny, polite menace demanding gold from him.
00:24:47Slowly, a low, dark chuckle rumbled from the duke's chest.
00:24:51The chuckle turned into a full, resonant laugh that echoed off the market walls.
00:24:56It was a terrifying sound.
00:25:00Five hundred gold tails, the Way repeated, his voice deep and dripping with dangerous amusement.
00:25:06He swung his massive armored leg over his saddle and dropped to the ground,
00:25:11the impact of his boots making the cobblestones shudder.
00:25:14He walked slowly toward A-Bow, towering over the boy like a mountain of blackened steel.
00:25:21You are a bold little thief, Way said softly, leaning down so his face was level with A-Bow's.
00:25:28The aura of blood and violence radiating off him was suffocating.
00:25:32Do you know who I am, child?
00:25:35I could have you and this entire street burn to ash for disrespecting the imperial army.
00:25:41A-Bow didn't flinch.
00:25:43He looked the tyrant duke dead in the eyes and tapped his little ledger.
00:25:47According to Imperial Commercial Code, Section 4, Paragraph 12,
00:25:54military personnel are fully liable for property damage incurred during non-wartime parades.
00:26:00Your title does not exempt you from property damage.
00:26:04Will you be paying now, or shall I forward the invoice to your estate?
00:26:09Duke Way was stunned.
00:26:11The sheer audacity of this child was staggering.
00:26:14He narrowed his eyes, a strange, intense fascination burning in his gaze.
00:26:20He reached out a heavily gauntleted hand, intending to grab the boy's ledger to see exactly what kind of monster
00:26:26had raised him.
00:26:27Don't you dare touch him.
00:26:29The voice sliced through the market square like a silver blade.
00:26:34It wasn't loud, but it carried an authority so sharp, so absolutely furious,
00:26:40that even the duke's hardened lieutenants instinctively gripped their swords.
00:26:45Way turned his head, his hand freezing mid-air.
00:26:48I pushed through the crowd, my heart hammering with a terrifying primal panic.
00:26:54One of my shadow guards had rushed to the estate to tell me A-Bow had been involved in an
00:26:58incident with the Northern Army.
00:27:00I hadn't even bothered to grab a cloak.
00:27:02I had sprinted out of the pavilion in my simple, unadorned robes, my hair half-tied and blowing wildly in
00:27:09the wind.
00:27:10I stepped directly between the terrifying, towering warlord and my son.
00:27:15I pushed A-Bow behind me, using my body as a shield.
00:27:19The sickly, delicate facade of the Sixth Prince was completely gone.
00:27:24I wasn't Zhao Xuan, the pushover.
00:27:27I was Edward, the ruthless CEO who had crushed corporate empires, and someone was currently threatening my kid.
00:27:35I tilted my chin up, glaring directly into Wei Wuyuan's freezing crimson eyes.
00:27:41I didn't care that he was a foot taller than me.
00:27:44I didn't care that he was covered in armor and carrying a sword the size of my leg.
00:27:49If you so much as lay a finger on my son, I hissed, my voice dropping to a lethal, vibrating
00:27:56calm.
00:27:57I will dismantle your life so thoroughly, you won't even be able to afford a grave.
00:28:03Wei went perfectly, rigidly still.
00:28:06His dark eyes widened, locking onto my face.
00:28:10He recognized me.
00:28:12The whole empire knew the face of the porcelain Sixth Prince.
00:28:15But the man standing before him, furious, gorgeous, blazing with an unyielding, arrogant fire,
00:28:23was absolutely nothing like the weeping, pathetic coward he remembered from ten years ago.
00:28:29Prince Xuan, the Duke murmured, his voice sounding oddly breathless,
00:28:35as if the air had been knocked out of his lungs.
00:28:38He stared at me like I was a hallucination.
00:28:40The way his eyes swept over my flushed face, my defiant glare,
00:28:46and the protective way I shielded the child behind me.
00:28:50It wasn't the look of a man insulted.
00:28:53It was the look of a man who had just been struck by lightning.
00:28:57That's his highness to you, Wu Yuan.
00:29:00I snapped, refusing to break eye contact.
00:29:03I reached into my sleeve, pulled out a solid gold ingot,
00:29:07and slammed it directly into the center of his heavy steel chestplate.
00:29:11He instinctively caught it, looking completely bewildered.
00:29:15Take that, I sneered, looking him up and down with absolute, withering corporate disdain.
00:29:22And buy your outrider some glasses.
00:29:24Next time your overgrown petting zoo damages my property and threatens my son,
00:29:28I won't be charging you gold.
00:29:30I'll be taking it out of your military funding.
00:29:32A-Bow, we are leaving.
00:29:35I grabbed A-Bow's hand, spun on my heel, and marched away,
00:29:40my robe snapping behind me.
00:29:42The entire street was in a state of collective, horrified shock.
00:29:47The weak, sickly sixth prince had just publicly humiliated the blood iron duke,
00:29:52thrown money at him like a beggar, and walked away.
00:29:55Behind me, Wei didn't draw his sword.
00:29:58He didn't order my arrest.
00:30:00He stood perfectly still in the middle of the street, staring at my retreating back.
00:30:05He slowly raised his hand, looking down at the heavy gold ingot I had thrown at his chest.
00:30:11His thumb traced the smooth metal.
00:30:14A slow, dark, incredibly dangerous smile spread across the tyrant face.
00:30:19The kind of smile a starving predator gets when it finally spots prey worth hunting.
00:30:25Lieutenant, Wei said softly, his crimson eyes never leaving my figure until I disappeared around the corner.
00:30:33Cancel my audience with the emperor.
00:30:35The lieutenant stepped forward, looking terrified.
00:30:38My lord, where are you going?
00:30:41Wei's smile widened, revealing a hint of sharp white teeth.
00:30:45I have just discovered a sudden, overwhelming interest in the royal family.
00:30:50Find out everything about the sixth prince.
00:30:53Every movement, every breath.
00:30:55And find out who that child is.
00:30:58I want a full report by nightfall.
00:31:01And just like that, without realizing it, my brilliantly executed plan for a quiet, peaceful, financially secure, completely burst into
00:31:11flames.
00:31:12Because I hadn't just insulted the male lead of the novel, I had accidentally thrown down a challenge to the
00:31:18most obsessive, possessive, and unyielding man in the empire.
00:31:23And, he had just accepted it.
00:31:25In my previous life as a corporate executive, I had dealt with aggressive negotiators, relentless auditors, and paparazzi who literally
00:31:33camped in my bushes.
00:31:35But absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the sheer, suffocating persistence of a warlord who had decided I was
00:31:42his next conquest.
00:31:44It started three days after the incident in the market.
00:31:47I was visiting one of my highest-earning tea houses in the Southern District, reviewing the quarterly profit margins with
00:31:53the manager.
00:31:54I was just about to point out a discrepancy in the inventory when a shadow fell over my ledger.
00:31:59I didn't even have to look up.
00:32:01The temperature in the room had dropped ten degrees.
00:32:04Wei? I said, my voice dripping with corporate exhaustion.
00:32:09Are you lost?
00:32:10Or is the Imperial Army suddenly in the business of jasmine tea?
00:32:15I looked up.
00:32:17Wei Wu Yuan was standing there, out of his heavy armor, wearing dark, structured silk robes that made him look
00:32:23unfairly broad.
00:32:25His crimson eyes were locked onto my face.
00:32:28I am inspecting the district for security vulnerabilities, he replied,
00:32:33his voice a low, gravelly rumble that vibrated against the table.
00:32:37You seem to own a suspicious amount of property in this sector, your highness.
00:32:42I leaned back, crossing my arms.
00:32:45It's called diversified asset allocation.
00:32:47Look it up.
00:32:48Now if you're not going to buy a pot of tea, stop blocking my lighting.
00:32:52Any other noble would have been beheaded for speaking to the blood iron duke like that.
00:32:57Wei didn't draw his sword.
00:32:59Instead, he pulled out a chair, sat down directly across from me, and dropped a heavy leather pouch onto the
00:33:05table.
00:33:06Buy out the entire tea house for the day.
00:33:08I want a private meeting with the proprietor.
00:33:11I stared at the pouch of gold, then at his fiercely intense face.
00:33:17The man wasn't investigating me.
00:33:19He was stalking me.
00:33:21Over the next two weeks, his security inspections conveniently aligned with my exact daily schedule.
00:33:27If I was at the silk refinery, he was there, glaring at my managers until they stammered.
00:33:33If I was at the docks, he was there, sitting on a crate, watching the wind blow through my hair.
00:33:40He was treating my business empire like his personal hunting ground.
00:33:44And then, he decided to escalate.
00:33:47I received a frantic message from my logistics director.
00:33:50The Imperial Army had suddenly set up a military blockade on the primary mountain pass leading into the capital,
00:33:56halting all of my luxury goods shipments.
00:33:59The reason?
00:34:01Routine safety drills.
00:34:02I was furious.
00:34:05I stormed out of my pavilion, practically vibrating with rage,
00:34:09and marched straight to the military encampment at the edge of the city.
00:34:12I bypassed three layers of heavily armed guards,
00:34:16who were too terrified of my blazing aura to stop me,
00:34:18and kicked open the flap of the commander's tent.
00:34:22Wei was standing over a tactical map.
00:34:24He looked up, totally unfazed by my dramatic entrance.
00:34:28In fact, a slow, predatory smirk curled the corner of his lips.
00:34:33Your Highness, to what do I owe the pleasure?
00:34:37I slammed a rolled-up parchment onto his map.
00:34:40You are blocking my supply chain.
00:34:43Move your troops by sunset, or I will start billing you for the lost revenue.
00:34:48He stepped closer, the sheer size of him making the large tent suddenly feel claustrophobic.
00:34:55The mountain pass is imperial territory, he murmured, his eyes dropping to my lips before snapping back to my eyes.
00:35:03I can drill my troops wherever I see fit.
00:35:06Unless, of course, you'd like to negotiate terms over dinner.
00:35:10I stared at him.
00:35:12He was using a military blockade to force me into a date.
00:35:15It was the most toxic, aggressive, legally questionable flirting I had ever experienced.
00:35:21And heaven help me, my billionaire brain was actually impressed by the sheer audacity of the leverage.
00:35:27But I didn't get to where I was by yielding to pressure.
00:35:31I don't need to negotiate, I said, offering him a cold, brilliantly arrogant smile.
00:35:37I tapped the parchment I had slammed onto his desk.
00:35:41Because I just bought the mountain.
00:35:43The entire mountain.
00:35:45It's now private commercial property.
00:35:48You are currently trespassing.
00:35:50I expect your troops off my lawn in an hour.
00:35:54Way froze.
00:35:55He looked at the land deed, then looked back at me.
00:35:58The shock in his eyes slowly melted into a look of absolute, unhinged devotion.
00:36:05He was staring at me like I was the most magnificent, terrifying creature he had ever seen.
00:36:11You bought a mountain, he breathed out.
00:36:14Just to spite me.
00:36:16I bought a mountain to optimize my transit routes, I corrected sharply, turning on my heel.
00:36:22Have a terrible day, Duke Way.
00:36:24As I walked out of the tent, I could feel his gaze burning a hole between my shoulder blades.
00:36:29I thought I had won.
00:36:31I thought I had re-established my dominance.
00:36:35I completely forgot about the wild card in my own house.
00:36:39My ten-year-old son, A. Bao.
00:36:41He had noticed the Duke's obsession.
00:36:44And because I had raised him to be a ruthless little capitalist, A. Bao didn't see a dangerous warlord.
00:36:49He saw an untapped revenue stream.
00:36:52A few days later, I was told by A. Bao that I had a very important investor meeting at the
00:36:57most exclusive restaurant in the capital.
00:36:59I arrived in my best formal robes, expecting a wealthy merchant.
00:37:04Instead, I opened the door to the private dining room and found Way sitting at a candlelit table, pouring wine.
00:37:10I froze.
00:37:12What is this? I demanded.
00:37:14He smirked, swirling the wine in his cup.
00:37:18Your son is a brilliant negotiator.
00:37:20He sold me exclusive access to your evening schedule for a thousand gold tails.
00:37:25My jaw dropped.
00:37:27I was going to ground that child until he was thirty.
00:37:30He sold me to you, I hissed, offended, but mostly furious that A. Bao hadn't asked for a higher premium.
00:37:38I am leaving.
00:37:39I turned for the door, but Way moved with terrifying speed.
00:37:43Before my hand even touched the handle, his massive arm shot out, planting his hand flat against the wood, trapping
00:37:51me between the door and his chest.
00:37:54Stay, he commanded softly.
00:37:56The vibration of his voice sending a shiver straight down my spine.
00:38:01I paid a premium for this acquisition.
00:38:03I intend to see a return on my investment.
00:38:07I looked up, glaring into those mesmerizing crimson eyes.
00:38:11My shares aren't for sale, Wu Yuan.
00:38:14I whispered, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm that had absolutely nothing to do with corporate stress.
00:38:20He leaned down, his face so close his breath brushed my cheek.
00:38:26I know, he murmured, his gaze dropping to my mouth.
00:38:30That's why I'm planning a hostile takeover.
00:38:33I barely survived that dinner with my sanity intact.
00:38:37The tension between us was electric, maddening, and entirely undeniable.
00:38:42But before Wei Wu Yuan could fully execute his romantic siege, the universe, or rather the toxic royal family, decided
00:38:51to abruptly remind me of the plot I had been ignoring for ten years.
00:38:54It happened on a crisp Tuesday morning.
00:38:58The imperial guards breached my estate, bypassing my private security with a decree stamped by the emperor himself.
00:39:04Prince Zhao Shuan, the captain announced, sneering at my robes.
00:39:10You are summoned to the imperial court immediately.
00:39:12Bring the orphan.
00:39:14My blood went ice cold.
00:39:16The orphan.
00:39:17They meant a bow.
00:39:20Over the last decade, my brothers, the first and third princes, had finally realized that the sickly sixth prince was
00:39:27secretly amassing wealth.
00:39:29They didn't know the full extent of my monopoly, but they knew enough to be jealous.
00:39:34And because they couldn't attack my businesses directly, they went after my only vulnerability.
00:39:40I didn't panic.
00:39:42I didn't tremble like the original owner of this body would have.
00:39:46I walked into my study, unlocked the reinforced safe, and pulled out three incredibly thick, heavily coated ledgers.
00:39:54I handed A-Bow over to my top-tier shadow guards with strict orders to burn the city down if
00:39:59anyone tried to touch him.
00:40:01Then I headed to the palace.
00:40:04The great hall was packed.
00:40:06The emperor sat on the throne, looking old and irritated.
00:40:10My brothers stood on the elevated steps, smirking like they had already won.
00:40:15As I walked down the center aisle, the whispers were suffocating.
00:40:20The weak prince, they muttered.
00:40:23He's finally going to be stripped of his royal blood.
00:40:27The third prince stepped forward, his face twisted in a malicious grin.
00:40:32Father, I bring grave news.
00:40:34Our brother, Zhao Xuan, has been harboring a dirty war orphan of unknown origins.
00:40:39He intends to pass this street rat off as royal blood.
00:40:44This pollutes our divine lineage.
00:40:46I demand the child be exiled to the border labor camps, and Zhao Xuan's assets seized for treason.
00:40:53The emperor frowned, rubbing his temples.
00:40:56Zhao Xuan, is this true?
00:40:58Have you brought a common bastard into the royal registry?
00:41:02The entire court held its breath, waiting for me to fall to my knees, weep, and beg for mercy.
00:41:09Waiting for the porcelain prince to shatter.
00:41:12Instead, I stood perfectly straight.
00:41:16I dusted off my sleeves, looked the third prince dead in the eye, and let out a cold, sharp, devastatingly
00:41:23corporate laugh.
00:41:24It was the laugh of a billionaire who had just watched a junior intern try to explain economics to him.
00:41:31The sound echoed off the golden pillars, silencing the hall instantly.
00:41:36A dirty war orphan?
00:41:38I repeated, my voice ringing out with absolute, undeniable authority.
00:41:43I didn't sound like a prince.
00:41:45I sounded like an emperor of industry.
00:41:48I tossed the first heavy ledger directly onto the marble floor at the third prince's feet.
00:41:53Let's talk about dirty, brother.
00:41:56Like the three hundred thousand silver tails you embezzled from the disaster relief fund last spring.
00:42:01The third prince went ghost white.
00:42:04The emperor shot forward in his throne.
00:42:07What did you say?
00:42:09I tossed the second ledger down.
00:42:12Or perhaps we should talk about the first prince who has been quietly selling imperial steel to northern mercenaries to
00:42:18fund his lavish new summer palace.
00:42:20The first prince stumbled backward.
00:42:23His jaw dropping in sheer horror.
00:42:25You, you have no proof.
00:42:28You are a sickly, useless coward.
00:42:30The third prince shrieked, panic breaking his voice.
00:42:34I stepped forward, my aura completely dominating the massive hall.
00:42:38I am the head of the Heavenly Axis Consortium, I declared, dropping the final ledger.
00:42:44I own the salt trade.
00:42:46I own the silk trade.
00:42:48I fund your military supply lines.
00:42:50The entire royal court began to hyperventilate.
00:42:54Ministers staggered.
00:42:55The emperor gripped the armrests of his throne, his face completely drained of color.
00:43:01I own eighty percent of this empire's debt, I said, my voice dropping to a lethal, icy whisper.
00:43:08If any of you so much as look at my son, I will call in my loans, cut the supply
00:43:12lines, and bankrupt this entire dynasty before lunch.
00:43:17Absolute terrifying silence gripped the throne room.
00:43:20I had just financially hostage-taken the entire empire.
00:43:24The emperor was trembling, torn between fury and the horrifying realization that I held his entire kingdom's economy in the
00:43:32palm of my hand.
00:43:34Treason!
00:43:35The first prince screamed, drawing his ceremonial sword.
00:43:39He threatens the crown.
00:43:41Guards, execute him!
00:43:43The imperial guards hesitated, but a few drew their blades, stepping toward me.
00:43:48I didn't even flinch.
00:43:50Because before a single sword could be raised, the massive thirty-foot-tall wooden doors of the great hall were
00:43:57violently kicked open.
00:43:59The wood splintered with a deafening crack that shook the floorboards.
00:44:04Wei Wuyuan strode into the throne room.
00:44:07He was in full, terrifying battle armor, his blackened steel cape billowing behind him.
00:44:12The sheer, suffocating bloodlust radiating from his body made the royal guards instantly drop their weapons and fall to their
00:44:19knees in pure terror.
00:44:21He didn't walk.
00:44:23He stalked directly toward me.
00:44:25Wei Wuyuan placed himself deliberately between me and the emperor's throne.
00:44:30He drew his massive broadsword, the metallic Xing echoing like a death knell.
00:44:35His glowing crimson eyes swept over the terrified princes and the trembling emperor.
00:44:41Who? He rumbled, his voice dripping with pure, unadulterated violence.
00:44:47Dares to draw steel on what is mine.
00:44:50The emperor swallowed hard, his hands shaking.
00:44:54General Wei! He is threatening the royal bloodline.
00:44:57He harbors a peasant orphan.
00:45:00Wuyuan scoffed, the sound dark and cruel.
00:45:03That orphan is my legally recognized heir, he announced, sending a secondary shockwave of absolute hysteria through the court.
00:45:12I choked on my own spit, staring at the back of his armored head.
00:45:18Excuse me? I whispered fiercely.
00:45:21Wei Wuyuan ignored me, leveling his broadsword at the third prince's throat.
00:45:27And the sixth prince is my future husband.
00:45:30He is under the absolute protection of the northern army.
00:45:34If anyone in this room wishes to dispute his assets, or his son, you may take it up with my
00:45:40blade.
00:45:41Nobody moved.
00:45:43Nobody breathed.
00:45:44The most terrifying military commander in history had just publicly aligned himself with the wealthiest man in the world.
00:45:51It was the ultimate, unbreakable power couple.
00:45:55The emperor slumped back into his throne, waving a weak, defeated hand.
00:46:01Dismissed. All of you, dismissed.
00:46:04We walked out of the imperial palace in total, uncontested victory.
00:46:08The moment the doors of my private carriage closed behind us, the tension snapped.
00:46:13I spun on Wei, my face flushed with adrenaline and outrage.
00:46:18Your heir? Your husband?
00:46:21You cannot just declare a merger without reviewing the contract first, you arrogant tyrant.
00:46:27Wei Wuyuan didn't look apologetic.
00:46:29He looked dangerously triumphant.
00:46:32Before I could yell again, he grabbed me by the waist, spun me around, and pinned me firmly against the
00:46:38padded wall of the carriage.
00:46:40His massive frame trapped me completely.
00:46:43I told you, Zhao Xuan.
00:46:45He murmured, his breath hot against my lips.
00:46:48I prefer a hostile takeover.
00:46:51And then he kissed me.
00:46:53It wasn't polite.
00:46:55It wasn't gentle.
00:46:56It was aggressive, possessive, and entirely overwhelming.
00:47:01It melted my billionaire brain into absolute static.
00:47:05I gasped into his mouth, my hands instinctively gripping the cold steel of his armor.
00:47:10I meant to push him away.
00:47:13I really did.
00:47:15But instead, my fingers curled into his cape, and I kissed him back just as fiercely.
00:47:21When we finally pulled apart, both of us panting, I glared up at him, my heart hammering wildly in my
00:47:29chest.
00:47:30You are an arrogant, overbearing brute, I whispered, my voice completely lacking its usual corporate bite.
00:47:39Wei smirked, brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
00:47:43And you are brilliant.
00:47:45We make a terrifying team.
00:47:48When we arrived back at the estate, A-Bow was waiting in the courtyard, holding his little bamboo ledger.
00:47:55He looked up at us, his eyes darting between my flushed face and the Duke's smug expression.
00:48:01Father, A-Bow asked with perfect business neutrality.
00:48:06Did you successfully secure the merger?
00:48:09Wei laughed, reaching into his armor to toss A-Bow a solid gold military seal.
00:48:15Yes, son, the acquisition is complete.
00:48:19If you had told me a decade ago that I, Edward, a ruthless, germophobic corporate billionaire,
00:48:25would willingly cohabitate with a towering, blood-soaked ancient warlord,
00:48:30I would have fired you for incompetence.
00:48:32Yet, exactly 24 hours after the incident in the Imperial Throne Room,
00:48:37Wei Wuyuan officially moved into my estate.
00:48:39And by moved in, I mean he orchestrated a military occupation of my property.
00:48:45I woke up the next morning, stepped out onto my veranda with a cup of herbal tea,
00:48:50and immediately choked.
00:48:52My beautiful, tranquil, highly optimized commercial estate
00:48:56had been transformed into a forward operating base.
00:49:00Heavily armored soldiers were patrolling my koi ponds.
00:49:03What is happening to my property?
00:49:06I demanded, marching down the steps.
00:49:09Wei was standing in the center of the courtyard,
00:49:11wearing a casual dark silk robe that hung loosely over his ridiculously broad shoulders.
00:49:17He turned, his crimson eyes lighting up with that predatory,
00:49:21devoted warmth he reserved entirely for me.
00:49:25Good morning, your highness, he rumbled,
00:49:28stepping forward and seamlessly wrapping an arm around my waist,
00:49:31pulling me against his side.
00:49:33I am securing our assets.
00:49:36Since we are now publicly engaged, you are a target.
00:49:39Therefore, the Northern Army is now your personal security detail.
00:49:43I gestured wildly at a terrifying battle-scarred lieutenant
00:49:47who was currently helping my ten-year-old son, A. Bao,
00:49:51carry a crate of wooden toys.
00:49:53You turned my supply chain logistics center into a military barracks, I hissed,
00:49:58though I didn't push him away.
00:50:00His body heat was entirely too comfortable in the crisp autumn air.
00:50:05A. Bao trotted over, holding his bamboo ledger.
00:50:08Actually, father, the integration is highly efficient,
00:50:11my mini-capitalist son announced cheerfully.
00:50:14The Duke's soldiers have increased our loading speed by 40%.
00:50:17I've already offered them a performance-based bonus structure,
00:50:20and they have accepted.
00:50:22We are forecasting record profits this quarter.
00:50:25I stared at my ten-year-old,
00:50:27who had just successfully unionized the Empire's most lethal military force.
00:50:32Wei let out a booming laugh, his chest vibrating against my side.
00:50:37He has an eye for talent, the Duke praised,
00:50:40looking at A. Bao with genuine terrifying fatherly pride.
00:50:44My men are at your disposal, little lord.
00:50:48Over the next month, my life became an absurd blend of high-stakes corporate management and
00:50:53aggressive domesticity.
00:50:56Wei Wu Yuan refused to leave my side.
00:50:58If I was meeting with the Silk Merchant Guild,
00:51:01the Duke sat exactly one foot behind me,
00:51:04glaring at any merchant who dared to make eye contact with me for more than three seconds.
00:51:09You are intimidating the supply chain,
00:51:12I muttered to him during one particularly tense negotiation,
00:51:16after a wealthy silk trader practically fainted under the Duke's bloodthirsty stare.
00:51:21He was looking at your collarbone,
00:51:24Wu Yuan replied coldly,
00:51:25his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
00:51:28I was deciding which of his fingers to sever first.
00:51:32Wu Yuan,
00:51:33I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
00:51:37You cannot dismember my business partners.
00:51:39It's terrible for public relations.
00:51:42He just hummed,
00:51:44leaning forward to press a blatant lingering kiss to my jaw right in front of the terrified
00:51:48merchants.
00:51:49Then they should learn to look at the floor.
00:51:52The empire was in chaos.
00:51:54The emperor, terrified of my financial stranglehold on the kingdom and Wei Wu Yuan's military might,
00:52:00had completely backed off.
00:52:03The third prince had been stripped of his titles after exposed
00:52:06of his embezzlement and he was currently under house arrest.
00:52:10But a cornered rat will always bite and the first prince was desperate.
00:52:15The first prince knew that as long as I controlled the treasury and Wei Wu Yuan controlled the army,
00:52:20he would never inherit the throne.
00:52:22So, he made a fatal, utterly foolish mistake.
00:52:26He hired the Blood Moon Syndicate,
00:52:29the most expensive,
00:52:30lethal,
00:52:31and secretive guild of assassins in the underworld,
00:52:34to orchestrate a midnight raid on my estate.
00:52:37I was sitting in my study,
00:52:39finalizing the quarterly budgets,
00:52:40while Wu Yuan was reading a military scroll on the couch.
00:52:44Ae Bao was already asleep in the east wing.
00:52:46Suddenly, the shadow guards outside the door went dead silent.
00:52:51The air in the room shifted,
00:52:53turning thick and metallic.
00:52:55Wu Yuan's head snapped up.
00:52:57In a fraction of a second,
00:52:59the relaxed, teasing husband-to-be vanished,
00:53:02replaced entirely by the demon of the north.
00:53:05He drew his broadsword,
00:53:07the blackened steel hissing in the quiet room,
00:53:10and stepped protectively in front of my desk.
00:53:13Assassins, he breathed,
00:53:15his crimson eyes locking onto the paper windows.
00:53:18The windows shattered inward.
00:53:20A dozen men clad in pitch-black stealth gear
00:53:23poured into the study,
00:53:25swords drawn, radiating lethal intent.
00:53:28They were the absolute elite of the underworld.
00:53:31The leader stepped forward,
00:53:33his eyes fixed on me.
00:53:35Prince Zhao Xuan.
00:53:37The first prince sends his regards.
00:53:40Your monopoly ends tonight.
00:53:43Wei Wu Yuan let out a guttural snarl,
00:53:46gripping his sword with both hands.
00:53:49You will leave this room in pieces,
00:53:52the duke promised,
00:53:53the sheer killing intent rolling off his body,
00:53:56causing the temperature to plummet.
00:53:58He was ready to bathe the room in blood.
00:54:01He was ready to go to war.
00:54:04I, on the other hand, was annoyed.
00:54:07They had just broken my imported,
00:54:09custom-made glass windows.
00:54:10I slowly placed my calligraphy brush down,
00:54:14steepled my fingers on the desk,
00:54:16and let out a long, heavy, corporate sigh.
00:54:19Hold on, I said clearly,
00:54:21my voice cutting through the deadly tension.
00:54:23The assassins paused, confused.
00:54:27Wu Yuan glanced back at me,
00:54:29his brow furrowed.
00:54:31Xuan, get behind me.
00:54:33I ignored the terrifying warlord.
00:54:36I looked directly at the lead assassin.
00:54:39The first prince hired you.
00:54:41The blood moon syndicate, correct?
00:54:44Known for your absolute professionalism
00:54:46and high success rate.
00:54:48The assassin narrowed his eyes.
00:54:51Yes.
00:54:52And no amount of talking will save you,
00:54:54your highness.
00:54:55I smirked, leaning back in my chair.
00:54:58I don't want to talk.
00:54:59I want to talk business.
00:55:01How much did the first prince pay you
00:55:02for this contract?
00:55:04The assassin hesitated,
00:55:06thrown off by my absolute lack of fear.
00:55:09One hundred thousand silver tails.
00:55:13Pathetic, I scoffed,
00:55:15shaking my head in genuine disgust.
00:55:18He's lowballing you.
00:55:19The man is broke, I know,
00:55:22because I hold the mortgage on his summer palace.
00:55:24I reached into my desk drawer,
00:55:27pulled out a stack of gold-stamped
00:55:29premium imperial banknotes,
00:55:30and tossed them casually
00:55:32onto the center of the floor.
00:55:34Five hundred thousand silver tails,
00:55:36I announced,
00:55:37my voice echoing with pure,
00:55:39unadulterated capitalist power.
00:55:41Payable immediately in bearer bonds,
00:55:44valid at any heavenly axis
00:55:46bank branch in the empire.
00:55:48I am initiating a hostile buyout
00:55:50of your contract.
00:55:51The entire room froze.
00:55:54The deadly elite assassin
00:55:56stared at the fortune sitting on my floor.
00:55:59Wei Wu Yuan slowly lowered his sword,
00:56:02looking at me like I had just invented fire.
00:56:05What are your terms?
00:56:07The lead assassin asked,
00:56:09his sword lowering by a fraction of an inch.
00:56:12Simple.
00:56:13I smiled,
00:56:14a sharp, ruthless grin
00:56:16that had once made Wall Street executives weep.
00:56:19You leave my estate.
00:56:21You go to the first prince's compound.
00:56:23You tie him to a chair,
00:56:25drag him to the emperor's front steps,
00:56:27and confess that he hired you
00:56:29to assassinate a royal family member.
00:56:31Do we have a deal?
00:56:33The assassins looked at each other.
00:56:35They looked at the five hundred thousand tails.
00:56:38Then they sheathed their weapons in perfect unison.
00:56:41The leader bowed deeply,
00:56:43scooped up the banknotes,
00:56:44and looked at me with profound respect.
00:56:47It is a pleasure doing business with you,
00:56:50your highness.
00:56:50We will have him delivered by dawn.
00:56:53They leaped out of the shattered windows,
00:56:56disappearing into the night
00:56:57as quickly as they had arrived.
00:56:59Silence returned to the study.
00:57:01I let out a sigh,
00:57:03pulling out a fresh ledger
00:57:05to write down the expense as pest control.
00:57:08I didn't get to write a single word
00:57:10before Wei Wuyuan closed the distance between us.
00:57:12He grabbed the back of my chair,
00:57:15spun me around,
00:57:16and pulled me up by the lapels of my robe.
00:57:18His breathing was heavy,
00:57:20his crimson eyes blazing with an intensity
00:57:22that practically scorched my skin.
00:57:25You, he growled,
00:57:27are the most magnificent,
00:57:29terrifying, infuriating creature
00:57:32I have ever met.
00:57:34I'm just protecting my assets,
00:57:36I breathed,
00:57:37my heart suddenly hammering against my ribs
00:57:40as I looked up at the towering warlord.
00:57:42And you, Wu Yuan,
00:57:44are currently crushing my silk robes.
00:57:46He didn't care.
00:57:48He crashed his lips down onto mine,
00:57:50kissing me with a desperate,
00:57:52crushing passion that made my knees completely buckle.
00:57:55The first prince was arrested by dawn,
00:57:58exactly as promised.
00:58:00Stripped of his royal title
00:58:02and exiled to the freezing borderlands
00:58:04for high treason.
00:58:05The emperor,
00:58:07thoroughly beaten and terrified of my power,
00:58:10officially handed over the management
00:58:11of the imperial treasury to my consortium.
00:58:13I had officially won the game.
00:58:17But winning the empire was nothing compared to planning a wedding.
00:58:21Six months later,
00:58:22the capital witnessed an event so lavish,
00:58:25so astronomically expensive,
00:58:27that historians would write about it for centuries.
00:58:30The blood-iron duke was marrying the porcelain prince,
00:58:34and I was determined to micromanage the entire event.
00:58:38The floral budget is inefficient,
00:58:41I muttered,
00:58:42sitting in our newly combined master suite,
00:58:44crossing out numbers on a scroll.
00:58:47We don't need ten thousand red lotuses imported from the south.
00:58:51Five thousand is sufficient for the visual impact,
00:58:54and we can reinvest the surplus into...
00:58:57My brush was abruptly snatched out of my hand.
00:59:01Wei Wu Yuan tossed the brush across the room.
00:59:04He leaned over my desk,
00:59:06caging me in with his massive arms.
00:59:08Xuanz,
00:59:09you are the wealthiest man alive.
00:59:11I am the supreme commander of the army.
00:59:14We are not cutting corners on the flowers.
00:59:16You will have ten thousand lotuses,
00:59:18and you will wear the gold-threaded silk I commissioned,
00:59:21or I will arrest the florists for treason.
00:59:24I glared up at him,
00:59:26though I couldn't stop the fond smile
00:59:28pulling at the corner of my mouth.
00:59:30You are financially irresponsible, Wei Yuan.
00:59:34He hummed,
00:59:35leaning down to press a soft kiss
00:59:37to the side of my neck.
00:59:39And you are a workaholic.
00:59:41The wedding is tomorrow.
00:59:42Close the ledger, husband.
00:59:45The wedding was flawless.
00:59:47The entire city was draped in red silk.
00:59:51Fireworks lit up the night sky,
00:59:53paid for entirely by my corporate accounts.
00:59:57A bow walked down the aisle ahead of me,
00:59:59carrying the ceremonial rings on a velvet cushion,
01:00:02looking incredibly smug and professional,
01:00:05calculating the net worth of every noble in attendance.
01:00:09When I reached the altar,
01:00:11Wei Wu Yuan was waiting for me.
01:00:13He wore deep crimson and gold martial robes,
01:00:17looking like a god of war who had finally found his peace.
01:00:21When he took my hands,
01:00:23his large calloused fingers trembled just the slightest bit.
01:00:27He looked at me with an expression of such raw, overwhelming devotion
01:00:31that the last of my corporate defenses completely shattered.
01:00:35I swore my life to the battlefield,
01:00:38Wu Yuan whispered,
01:00:39his voice solely for me amidst the cheering crowd.
01:00:43I never believed I would have a home to return to.
01:00:46You are my home, Zhao Xuan.
01:00:49My life, my sword, and my soul belong to you.
01:00:54My throat tightened.
01:00:56The arrogant billionaire who hated feelings,
01:00:59who fired people over crying babies,
01:01:01was suddenly fighting back tears.
01:01:04You're a terrible investment, Wei Wu Yuan,
01:01:07I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.
01:01:10High maintenance,
01:01:12possessive,
01:01:13and dangerously violent.
01:01:15I stepped closer,
01:01:17wrapping my hands around his neck.
01:01:19But you're the best acquisition I've ever made.
01:01:22I love you.
01:01:24His eyes widened.
01:01:25It was the first time I had said the words out loud.
01:01:28A brilliant, breathtaking smile broke across his scarred face.
01:01:33He didn't wait for the officiant to finish.
01:01:36He pulled me against his chest and kissed me,
01:01:39deep and slow,
01:01:40while the entire empire roared in applause around us.
01:01:44The wedding night was...
01:01:46an absolute, catastrophic failure of my physical stamina.
01:01:50Wei Wu Yuan treated the wedding bed like a military campaign,
01:01:54and I was the fortress he was determined to conquer.
01:01:57He was endlessly patient,
01:02:00intensely possessive,
01:02:01and completely, utterly relentless.
01:02:04Every time I begged him to stop,
01:02:07claiming I needed to review the morning agenda,
01:02:09he would just chuckle against my skin,
01:02:12pin my wrists above my head,
01:02:13and prove exactly why they called him the Demon of the North.
01:02:17I didn't leave that bed for two days.
01:02:20Five years later,
01:02:22the Heavenly Axis Consortium practically owned the known world.
01:02:27The Great Yan Empire was experiencing an unprecedented golden age of wealth and military security,
01:02:33and the infamous Falling Plum Pavilion had been transformed into the most fortified,
01:02:39luxurious palace in the capital.
01:02:42I sat in the sunlit garden,
01:02:45lounging on a massive silk-cushioned daybed.
01:02:48Beside me,
01:02:49Wei Wu Yuan was carefully, meticulously peeling a grape.
01:02:53The terrifying warlord,
01:02:55the man who had brought neighboring kingdoms to their knees,
01:02:58was currently focused entirely on making sure my fruit was perfectly prepared before popping it into my mouth.
01:03:06Too sweet,
01:03:07I mumbled,
01:03:08chewing lazily.
01:03:10Wu Yuan smirked,
01:03:12wiping a drop of juice from my lower lip with his thumb.
01:03:15You complain about everything, my love.
01:03:18Would you prefer I fetch the sour plums?
01:03:21I shook my head,
01:03:22leaning my cheek against his broad shoulder.
01:03:25No,
01:03:26you stay right here.
01:03:27You're an excellent heating pad.
01:03:29Across the courtyard,
01:03:31my son,
01:03:32A Bao,
01:03:33now a sharp,
01:03:35incredibly handsome 15-year-old,
01:03:37was aggressively lecturing the current Minister of Finance.
01:03:40Your tax yield projections are fundamentally flawed,
01:03:45A Bao snapped,
01:03:47slapping a bamboo ruler against a chalkboard.
01:03:50You failed to account for seasonal inflation in the northern provinces.
01:03:54Do it again,
01:03:55or I'll have my father liquidate your assets.
01:03:59The elderly Minister of Finance was sweating profusely,
01:04:03bowing repeatedly to the teenager.
01:04:05I watched them with a deep,
01:04:07profound sense of paternal pride.
01:04:10He's going to rule the world by the time he's 20,
01:04:13I murmured,
01:04:14resting my hand on Wu Yuan's chest.
01:04:17Wu Yuan chuckled,
01:04:19wrapping his arm around my waist
01:04:21and pulling me closer into the warmth of his robes.
01:04:24He takes after his father,
01:04:26the Duke replied softly.
01:04:29Ruthless,
01:04:30brilliant,
01:04:31and completely terrifying.
01:04:33I looked up at the man holding me.
01:04:35The scars on his face,
01:04:38the crimson in his eyes,
01:04:39the undeniable,
01:04:41unwavering love that anchored me to this world.
01:04:44I had died a bitter,
01:04:46emotionally stunted billionaire in a cold, modern city.
01:04:49The universe had thrown me into a melodramatic novel,
01:04:53handed me a failed prince's body,
01:04:55a crying war orphan,
01:04:57and a blood-soaked tyrant.
01:04:59It was the absolute worst starting hand a man could ask for.
01:05:03But as I looked at my brilliant son terrifying government officials
01:05:07and felt my terrifying husband press a soft, lingering kiss to the top of my head,
01:05:12I smiled.
01:05:14It wasn't just a hostile takeover.
01:05:17It was a complete rebranding.
01:05:19And it was the absolute greatest life I could have ever asked for.
01:05:23And that brings us to the end of Edward and Wei's story.
01:05:28If you loved watching our arrogant billionaire turn the Empire's most terrifying warlord
01:05:32into an absolute clingy househusband,
01:05:35please do me a huge favor and smash that like button.
01:05:39Don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an upload.
01:05:44Thank you so much for spending your time with me,
01:05:46and I'll see you in the next adventure.
01:05:48Bye for now.
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