Perfect Match, Secret Marriage

Qiao Lan: "Aren"t going to ask what he did? Let me tell you, he did something wrong and he needed to be punished."

"Do I look like I care?" Despite phrasing it as a question, it surely wasn"t. Kang Jun"s voice was icy and voice of all emotion with the exception of anger. "Don"t ever try to hit him again, or else I promise you that I"ll destroy you."

Hearing the mans" tone, Qiao Lan glared at Kang Jun.

"Destroy me? Who do you think you are? I am a Qiao and the chosen wife of Kang Zhi, your elder brother. Do you really think anyone will allow you to touch me? Don"t you know what it would mean for our family relations if you dared to do that?"

Allow? Dare? His elder brother? Did Qiao Lan really think that Kang Jun cared about those kinds of things?

Kang Jun wondered where the woman got the guts to speak to him like that. For a few years, since his brother"s death, he had tried to be kinder to Qiao Lan.

The whole family understood that she"d gone through a traumatic period in her life. Losing a spouse was one of the most painful things a person could go through but ever since that day, the woman had turned into a completely different person.

It was like the mask had fallen off to reveal her true face and Kang Jun was disgusted.

He had realized his mistake.

"I never needed anyone"s permission." Kang Jun looked at the woman dead in the eyes. "I am Kang Jun. I hope you haven"t forgotten what that means."

After saying those words, Kang Jun turned to leave the black-faced Qiao Lan as she bit her lip hard.

The woman was so used to being loved and free to do as she wished. Even after years of living with the Kang"s, they all treated her like their trueborn kin and after her husband"s death they treated her even better but Kang Jun was not the type to do so.

He had been kind and patient to her beforehand because of his respect for his brother but now, all that was gone. If she had pa.s.sively handed Mingyu over, it would have been different but Qiao Lan wasn"t planning on letting Mingyu go.

Qiao Lan cursed Kang Jun and any successor he ever planned to have.

Tonight she would go speak to Elder Kang. She would tell him that Kang Jun had threatened her and she would make sure to get the old man"s sympathy.

As they only granddaughter-in-law he had, she knew the old man had a soft spot for her.

Kang Jun might be strong and ruthless but he was no match for the elder. At least that is what Qiao Lan believed.

***

In the study, Elder Kang was reading over some doc.u.ments concerning Kang Corporations. He was no longer the CEO but he still insisted on knowing everything and anything that happened within the company.

It wasn"t that he didn"t trust Kang Jun but, after Elder Kang"s son; Kang Jun"s father, Kang Mu had driven the company to near bankruptcy, his trust had begun to wane on his descendants.

Elder Kang, at the moment, was blissfully ignorant to what had just happened upstairs, until he heard a loud BAM!

The sound made Elder Kang jump out of his seat.

Looking at the door, the old man saw the towering figure of Kang Jun standing at the foot of his desk. Anger boiled in the deepest pits of the elder"s stomach.

The old man had been scared half to death.

"What is wrong with you?! Why did you do that?!" Elder Kang screamed but Kang Jun completely ignored him.

Kang Jun: "I want to set the terms, right now."

Elder Kang didn"t know whether to be angry, shocked or glad but seeing how serious Kang Jun"s face as he forced himself to calm down.

The elder knew exactly what Kang Jun meant by terms. Kang Jun had decided to officially write up a contract for their promise.

In 3 months, no matter what, Kang Jun would be married.

Elder Kang: "Are you sure?"

Kang Jun waved Elder Kang on.

There was a glint in the elder"s eyes. He completely ignored the fact that Kang Jun was in a terrible mood.

"You know that if you can"t fulfill your end, you"ll take on the full responsibilities as the heir. Which includes moving back home, taking a wife of your parents choosing and starting a family, right?"

Elder Kang fully trusted his son and daughter-in-law"s tastes when it came to chasing a wife. The two previous women they"d chosen for Kang Jun were exceptional in both family, looks and intelligence.

There was nothing to dislike.

"Mmm." Kang Jun grunted.

Kang Jun stood still waiting for Elder Kang to write up the contract. He wrote down the terms he and Kang Jun had agreed upon, including the 3-months time limit and the freedoms Kang Jun would lose if he didn"t comply.

"What are your terms?" Elder Kang asked.

Kang Jun looked at him with an icy glare. "Control Qiao Lan."

"What happened this time?"

"I warned you years ago that if she ever laid a hand on Mingyu again I wouldn"t let her off easily." Kang Jun"s tone began to grow icier and icier.

Elder Kang looked at him and he couldn"t help but sigh.

"Not this again. You know I can"t control the way she disciplines the children and the Qiao"s are a military family. Her standards and ours aren"t the same. I can"t just—"

"Either you keep her in check or I will deal with her myself!" Kang Jun roared.

He had the same temper as the elder.

Once he was crossed, no one would be able to stop him. Qiao Lan was lucky that night. She hadn"t actually laid a hand on Mingyu, but if she ever dared to do it again, no one could imagine the horrors that awaited her.

No one dared to touch Kang Jun"s bottom line as she did. The man had a reputation, after all.

Elder Kang kept his mouth shut for a moment. In his mind, he weighed the pros and cons.

Qiao Lan was the daughter of his precious friend, an ex-military general. When Qiao Lan had married into the Kang family, he had promised the man that he would treat her with the utmost respect and care.

For years that is all he had done and he family also complied with his selfish request. This was why, he couldn"t just let Kang Jun hurt her but at the same time, he couldn"t stop the man if she continued to aggravating Kang Jun.

In the last 6 years, he had noticed that the girl had been testing his patience and Elder Kang could see the patience slowly trickling away to nothing.

The Kang Jun of today was much calmer than he was before… but as the saying goes; a sleeping tiger is still a tiger.

It was petrifying.

But in his heart, Elder Kang couldn"t help but be proud.

Kang Jun was reawakening into the man Elder Kang believed he should be; absolute and utterly terrifying.

***

Mingyu had come to the car without Kang Jun and immediately crawled into the back seat.

The boy didn"t say a word to AnLing he just sat there, with a pale sullen expression.

Seeing this, AnLing felt a pang of worry in her heart. Without saying a word, she observed him.

In his eyes, a storm brewed.

There was the pain, hurt and anger but more than that there was a hollowness. One AnLing recognized. It was the look a person had when they were in a situation where they were powerless.

At times like this, AnLing knew that children were sometimes similar to adults. When they felt very vulnerable, they wouldn"t speak about what they felt or about what had caused their pain.

She clearly knew that something had happened to him but she wouldn"t ask what.

All she could do was be there for him.

Turning her body to the back seat, she knew what she needed to do.

AnLing opened her arms wide.

"Come here."

Seeing AnLing"s open and outstretched arms, in her white dress and loose, flowing hair, she looked like an angel. Mingyu"s eyes began to tear up and he felt his chest tighten.

He wanted to be held by her so he crawled over.

Inside her arms, she was pressed against her chest. The warmth enveloped him until he felt as if he had become one with her. Listening to the beating of her heart. It was calming and serene. So much so, that the boy couldn"t help but let himself fall into a deep sleep.

Small tears began to fall from his eyes, but his face didn"t bear a single shred of discomfort. It was the complete opposite actually. All because her embrace was so soft and safe.

It felt like home.