The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 168. Leng Qingqiu Arrives (Third Watch)

Chapter 168: 168. Leng Qingqiu Arrives (Third Watch)

Originally, Jin Enxi had captured this woman, but no matter how she interrogated her, the woman simply refused to speak, or would only spit out useless nonsense. After holding her for three days, Jin Enxi, who once ranked among the top ten in the world, was driven mad by her inability to extract any useful information from her.

She was planning to find an opportunity to apply "severe measures" to this woman, when suddenly she received a phone call from Cissily. She hurriedly went out, and by the time she returned, the woman had disappeared.

Jin Enxi’s face darkened instantly. However, no matter how hard she searched, she couldn’t find the woman. But she swore that given time, she would definitely track this woman down. It was just that at the moment, being far away in the United Kingdom, Jin Enxi didn’t have the time to search for this woman. Besides, she was very confident in Shen Qinglan, believing that even without her intervention, this woman would not be a match for Shen Qinglan.

"I have long heard of Miss Shen’s name, but this is the first time I have seen you in person. You are even more beautiful than in the photos," said Leng Qingqiu with a smile, her expression gentle as she extended her right hand.

Shen Qinglan glanced at the slender hand before her and chose not to shake it, instead speaking indifferently, "Miss Leng also appears even more graceful and charming than I had imagined."

Leng Qingqiu naturally withdrew her hand without any sign of embarrassment. Upon hearing the words, she smiled, "I heard from Xitong that Miss Shen knows my agent, Daniel?" Her tone carried an unnoticeable hint of probing.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes slightly flickered, "I’ve met him a few times, not familiar."

A shadow of guile passed through Leng Qingqiu’s eyes, her smile becoming more genuine, "Speaking of which, I haven’t seen my agent for a long time either. I recently participated in an international competition for young artists, and Daniel went on my behalf."

"Qingqiu, you are just too low-profile. If it weren’t for a chance encounter, we probably wouldn’t even know each other. I know you don’t like being high-profile, but occasionally you should make yourself seen, at least let people know what you look like so that some ulterior-motivated individuals won’t misuse your name to do certain things," Shen Xitong said, seemingly concerned for Leng Qingqiu.

"It was just a passing interest when I started painting. Who knew that my paintings would be accepted by everyone? The audience for my paintings is not broad and they have even been criticized for being too dark," Leng Qingqiu responded with a hint of helplessness.

"Actually, I didn’t intentionally stay out of the public eye; it’s just a habit," she added.

Shen Qinglan listened quietly to their conversation. To the unnoticeable and the openly scrutinizing gazes cast upon her, she seemed unaware.

"Sister, you’ve always liked Qingqiu’s paintings, and now that you’ve met her in person, why aren’t you speaking?" Shen Xitong appeared unable to bear Shen Qinglan’s detached demeanor, hence she intervened.

Upon hearing this, Leng Qingqiu turned her interest towards Shen Qinglan, "Does Miss Shen also like my paintings?"

Shen Qinglan raised her eyes slightly, the corners of her mouth gently curling, "It’s just an occasional indulgence in elegance." Her eyes shifted as she continued, "Miss Leng’s recent change in painting style seems quite significant."

Leng Qingqiu smiled faintly, "Yes, I’ve encountered some things recently that changed even my state of mind, especially after meeting someone. He made me see that the world is not just made up of night; there are also dawn and sunrise."

A touch of shyness and warmth timely appeared in her eyes, like a girl in the throes of love.

"It’s intriguing to know who has such charm to affect Miss Leng so deeply," Shen Qinglan asked curiously, her heart, however, sinking continually—this fake Leng Qingqiu seemed to know too much about the real Leng Qingqiu.

With a warm smile on her face, "Leng Qingqiu" responded, "A very warm person; seeing him is like seeing the sunshine in winter. Miss Shen might not know, but the name of the artwork I had Daniel send to the exhibition is ’Redemption’. He is my redemption."

No one noticed the fleeting chill in Shen Qinglan’s eyes at the mention of "Redemption," not even the "Leng Qingqiu" whose attention was focused on her.

The chill vanished too quickly; Shen Qinglan’s face revealed no trace of emotional fluctuation, "It seems this person is fortunate to receive such tender treatment from Miss Leng."

Unexpectedly, "Leng Qingqiu" shook her head, "Actually, I’m the lucky one to have met him."

Their conversation appeared normal, but Shen Xitong felt something oddly amiss, yet she couldn’t pinpoint the source.

Shen Qinglan’s expression remained serene; she simply cast a faint glance at her and remained silent. This woman not only mastered her painting style but also knew her affairs too intimately, this uncontrollable sensation... Shen Qinglan’s eyes lowered, a hint of displeasure flickering.

"Leng Qingqiu" smiled silently, observing the curiosity mixed with disdain in Shen Qinglan’s eyes. She couldn’t understand why that person wanted her to get close to Shen Qinglan, even under the guise of a painter named Leng Qingqiu.

Although she did not know the purpose of the person asking her to do this, as his most loyal subordinate, she was bound to do everything she could. Were it not for mimicking Leng Qingqiu’s style to prevent herself from being exposed in public, she would have appeared in front of others much sooner.

"Qinglan, Xitong, it’s time to eat," Sister-in-law Song came over and said.

Shen Qinglan stood up. "I’ll go call the grandpas to come eat," she said, and then went upstairs.

Shen Xitong felt somewhat embarrassed; the cold demeanor her family showed towards guests made it hard for her to save face. She glanced at Leng Qingqiu and saw no displeasure on her face, only a leisurely composure, which slightly reassured her.

"Qingqiu, my sister is just like this by nature, always treating people this way, don’t take it to heart," Shen Xitong said, her face wearing an apologetic smile, somewhat helpless, like a good older sister who knows her younger sister is willful but can do nothing about it.

Leng Qingqiu smiled gracefully, and her response was empathetic, "It was presumptuous of me to come."

Shen Xitong increasingly felt that Leng Qingqiu, being able to become a renowned painter, possessed a cultivation far surpassing that of Shen Qinglan.

Qinglan first spoke to the two elderly gentlemen upstairs, then went to her parents’ room. As she raised her hand to knock, she faintly heard a weak... crying sound?

She gently tapped on the door twice, and immediately, the sound inside ceased. Shen Qinglan raised her eyebrow—was it really her mother crying?

"Mom, it’s time to eat," Shen Qinglan said.

After a long while, there were no footsteps heard from inside, only Chu Yunrong’s hoarse voice, "I’m not feeling well, I won’t come down to eat. Please tell Miss Leng I’m sorry."

Shen Qinglan remained silent, then responded with a "Alright," and turned to leave.

As the footsteps faded away, Chu Yunrong locked the suitcase and carefully placed it under the bed. She sat at the vanity, looking in the mirror at her swollen eyes and the makeup that was smeared into a mess, silent.

**

In the dining room, the two elderly gentlemen were already seated, and Shen Xitong and Leng Qingqiu had also taken their seats. Seeing Shen Qinglan coming alone, Shen Xitong looked behind her and, not seeing Chu Yunrong, frowned slightly, "Sister, where’s Mom? Didn’t you call her to eat?"

Her tone carried a slight dissatisfaction and reproach, her gaze at Shen Qinglan also conveyed disapproval of her lack of consideration.

Shen Qinglan ignored her overly dramatic behavior and instead, looked towards Old Sir Shen, "Grandpa, Mom said she’s feeling a bit under the weather and won’t come down for dinner. I asked Sister-in-law Song to simmer some porridge for her; you all go ahead and start."

Old Sir Shen nodded and asked with concern, "Your Mom isn’t feeling well, should we get a doctor to have a look?"

"No need, Mom is probably just tired, it’s nothing. I’ll go check on her later."

Hearing this exchange, Shen Xitong felt a heat on her face, "Grandpa, let me go check on Mom. She must be exhausted from the concerts these past few days."

As she was about to stand up, Old Sir Shen gestured for her to sit down, "That’s alright, sit down. We still have a guest." Then, looking towards Leng Qingqiu, he said, "Forgive us."

Leng Qingqiu smiled, "It’s quite alright, Sir. It was untimely of me to come."

Shen Qinglan first went to the kitchen to tell Sister-in-law Song to make some lotus seed porridge that Chu Yunrong liked before returning to the dining room and sitting down next to Grandpa Fu.

"Grandpa, you’ve been having stomach troubles, try to eat less meat," she said as she watched Grandpa Fu eat three pieces of braised pork, her tone was light. Grandpa Fu’s hand holding the chopsticks stiffened, and looking at Shen Qinglan, he almost whined, "Qinglan dear, I’ve only had one piece."

Shen Qinglan remained silent, merely looking at Grandpa Fu. It wasn’t long before his chopsticks withdrew from the braised pork, "Alright, alright, I’ll stop, sigh, to be old and not even have the freedom to eat what I want."

"You old man, blathering nonsense as if Lanlan is maltreating you. What would others think if they heard?" Old Sir Shen glared with displeasure at his old friend’s lack of restraint.

Only then did Old Sir Fu remember that there was an outsider at the table, and his face turned somewhat embarrassed, "Old Man Shen, don’t talk nonsense. How could my Qinglan girl mistreat me? She is incredibly good to me."

"Leng Qingqiu" watched this scene thoughtfully, then asked Shen Xitong in a low voice, "Isn’t your sister surnamed Shen? Why does she call the Fu Family’s elder ’Grandpa’?"

Although she spoke softly, her voice was not low. Everyone at the table heard her, causing Old Sir Shen’s face to sour slightly. In contrast, Old Sir Fu’s face was full of smiles, "Qinglan girl is my granddaughter-in-law, naturally, she should call me Grandpa."

This time, "Leng Qingqiu" was genuinely surprised. Shen Qinglan had gotten married?

"Miss Shen is so young, and she’s already married?"

The Shen Family and the Fu Family were not ordinary families. Logically, if these two families had become in-laws, there would’ve been rumors in Beijing.

Actually, there were rumors. In mid-July, there were whispers in Beijing that Old Sir Fu had his eyes on Lady Shen to be his granddaughter-in-law. Later, Fu Hengyi appeared at Granny Shen’s funeral, bustling about, which was an early indication.

However, "Leng Qingqiu" had been busy imitating Shen Qinglan’s painting style and brush techniques, and investigating her family’s relationships without paying attention to these surrounding gossips. It was normal that she didn’t know.

Once again brought up the relationship between Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, Shen Xitong’s face didn’t look good. However, since it was Old Sir Fu who had spoken, she didn’t have the courage to say anything.

"We just registered, my sister and Hengyi haven’t held a wedding ceremony yet," Shen Xitong spoke, as if by saying they hadn’t held a ceremony, they weren’t really married.

"Leng Qingqiu" understood, thus it was no wonder no one in Beijing knew.

"Miss Shen, I wonder if I might have the honor to attend your wedding when the time comes?" "Leng Qingqiu" looked at Shen Qinglan with a gentle smile, "I’ve bought a house in Beijing and will be settling here. I don’t have many friends here, and I would like to befriend Miss Shen more in the future. You won’t find me intrusive, will you?"

The corners of Shen Qinglan’s lips lifted slightly, her red lips parting slightly, "Of course not." It was perfect, she also wanted to find out what this person—and possibly, the person behind her—wanted.

Do not ask why Shen Qinglan knew that there was someone behind the person before her; it was an intuition. Her intuition had always been very accurate, having saved her life multiple times.

"Leng Qingqiu" seemed gentle and not talkative, but in fact, she was quite articulate. She had plenty to talk about with both elders, able to join any conversation with her own insights.

While conversing with the elders, she made sure to engage Shen Qinglan and Shen Xitong from time to time, ensuring no one was left out at the table. But Shen Qinglan and Shen Xitong just became mere backgrounds.

She was indeed a lady skilled in social maneuvers, Shen Qinglan thought quietly.

"Ha ha, I didn’t expect you, young lady, to know so much," Old Sir Fu seemed very pleased, although his eyes secretly glanced at Shen Qinglan. Seeing that she wasn’t looking, his chopsticks reached for the braised pork.

"Grandpa." Shen Qinglan suddenly spoke up, making Old Sir Fu’s hand tremble. As he turned his head, he saw Shen Qinglan looking at him with a half-smile. Embarrassed, his chopsticks abruptly changed direction to pick up some vegetables.

Old Sir Shen found it amusing.

Actually, Shen Qinglan was also helpless; she had just accompanied the elder on a physical check-up a few days ago. His blood fat levels were high; the doctor suggested he cut down on meat for a while—hence why Shen Qinglan was always watching him. Clearly, Old Sir Shen also knew the situation.

Contrary wise, Shen Xitong seemed annoyed by Shen Qinglan’s treatment of Old Sir Fu, picking up the serving chopsticks to offer him a piece of braised pork, "Grandpa Fu, your favorite braised pork. Sister-in-law Song cooked it very well. Have a bit more."

Then, looking at Shen Qinglan, she smiled, "Sister, Grandpa Fu loves braised pork."

Old Sir Fu chuckled, "Old age is a nuisance; even a piece of meat is too much for the body." The piece of meat in his bowl remained untouched.

"This is a clarification as well as a defense of Shen Qinglan," she said, but upon hearing this, Shen Xitong’s expression soured, clearly considering it a criticism of her meddling.

She shot Shen Qinglan a dark glance, a look that amused Shen Qinglan.

"Mr. Fu seems quite robust and vigorous for his age," noted "Qingqiu" with a smile, as the atmosphere at the table briefly tensed.

Shen Qinglan gave her a look, thinking to herself that calling her skilled in social graces was no mistake. It’s a pity such a woman chose to be a painter.

Yet it seemed that this woman’s interest might actually be in herself? Receiving another cryptic glance from "Qingqiu," Shen Qinglan boldly guessed.

After lunch, "Qingqiu" did not linger long at the Shen family house. Before leaving, she handed out several items resembling invitation cards to Shen Xitong, "These are invitations to my exhibition next year. I hope you all will honor me with your presence."

Shen Xitong, pleased with what she perceived as Qingqiu’s good rapport with the elder gentlemen, joyfully took the invitations, "Qingqiu, rest assured, we’ll definitely attend."

After sending "Qingqiu" off, Shen Xitong returned holding the invitations. Her eyes gleamed with pride as she handed one to Shen Qinglan, "Sister, this one is for you."

Shen Qinglan took the invitation, glanced at it, and sure enough, the date was the one she had just agreed upon with Daniel a few days ago.

She hadn’t expected everything to be settled so rapidly on the other end, the invitations already prepared.

This realization made Shen Qinglan feel as if she was completely transparent in the eyes of the other, every action observed, which was quite unsettling for her.

She looked down at the invitation in her hand, her eyes filled with indiscernible emotions.

**

Upstairs, Sister-in-law Song knocked on the door of Chu Yun and Shen Qian’s room. Chu Yun opened the door and saw Sister-in-law Song standing there with a tray, which carried a bowl of lotus seed porridge and some side dishes.

Sister-in-law Song glanced at Chu Yun, noticing her pale, unwell appearance, and spoke, "Yun Rong, Qinglan told me you’re not feeling well and have lost your appetite, so I made you some lotus seed porridge, the kind you like. Do you feel like eating a bit?"

Chu Yun, slightly surprised, asked, "Qinglan mentioned this?"

Sister-in-law Song nodded, "Yes, she instructed me before dining, but it took a while to prepare the porridge. Would you like to eat now?"

Chu Yun wasn’t really hungry, but seeing the bowl of porridge, she nodded and took it, "Give it to me."

"Your complexion doesn’t look good. Should I call the doctor to have a look?" Sister-in-law Song suggested before leaving.

"No need, it’s probably just the exhaustion from the previous days catching up with me. I’ll be fine after some sleep. No need to make a big deal out of it calling a doctor."

Sister-in-law Song said nothing more and left. Before she did, she turned back to glance at Chu Yun’s retreating figure, moving delicately with the tray.

Having been with the Shen family for decades, even before Chu Yun married into the family, Sister-in-law Song naturally knew of Chu Yun’s affections for Shen Qinglan when she was young – such that losing Shen Qinglan nearly drove her mad.

Yet it was puzzling that such a loving mother, upon finding her biological daughter, showed a marked preference for her adopted daughter. Being a mother herself, Sister-in-law Song could not understand Chu Yun’s actions.

If it were her, she couldn’t imagine transferring her affection for her own daughter to an adopted one, nor could she imagine treating another’s child as her own.

Shaking her head, Sister-in-law Song went downstairs, just as Shen Xitong was coming up. She moved slightly to the side to let Shen Xitong pass.