The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 174. Jealous Mr. Fu

Chapter 174: 174. Jealous Mr. Fu

Shen Qinglan noticed her expression and was suddenly reminded of the day when Shen Xitong had gotten out of a man’s car and stormed at her with furious anger. Her eyes turned cold.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Shen Qinglan asked Shen Xitong directly for a change.

Shen Xitong was peeling an orange, and already in a bad mood because Old Sir Shen had brought up the topic, but now with Shen Qinglan specifically pointing it out, she glared at Shen Qinglan as if she wanted to devour her. Shen Qinglan merely glanced at her indifferently, as though she hadn’t noticed the annoyance in her eyes.

Chu Yunrong couldn’t help but laugh when she heard this, "I was talking to a friend a few days ago and found out her child hasn’t found a partner either. Since he’s about the same age as Tongtong, I thought about having them meet."

Shen Qinglan seemed interested and met Shen Xitong’s murderous gaze before asking, "Who is the other party?"

"Their parents are both university professors, with his mother being a high school classmate of mine. We bumped into each other recently and exchanged contact information."

So, it appeared to be a family of scholars. Judging by her mother’s attitude, their family should be quite well-off, although Shen Xitong’s expression...

"I’ve seen a photo of the boy. He’s quite handsome and has an air of scholastic accomplishment, gentle and refined, a real talent," Chu Yunrong continued enthusiastically, which even sparked Old Sir Shen’s interest.

"Oh? Which family’s child is he?"

"He’s from the Jiang family, called Jiang Chenxi, and he’s a university professor. Young as he is, he’s already reached a professorial level," said Chu Yunrong.

It couldn’t be that much of a coincidence, could it? Shen Qinglan, Fu Hengyi, and Shen Junyu exchanged glances. Could it be the Jiang Chenxi they know? Despite feeling it unlikely, based on Chu Yunrong’s description, it probably was him.

Old Sir Shen nodded in approval, "That’s not bad at all, it’s good for young people to be capable."

Although he didn’t like Shen Xitong’s certain thoughts towards Shen Qinglan, she had been raised by the family for so many years, still a daughter of the Shen family, and he genuinely hoped Shen Xitong could find a good match.

"What do you think of him?" Shen Qian, as a caring father, naturally wanted to know when he heard his daughter had a boyfriend.

Facing the scrutiny of so many, especially with the man she fancied present, Shen Xitong stiffened and didn’t want any misunderstandings to arise. She forced herself to speak, "I’ve only had dinner with him once, and I don’t have much of an impression of him."

"Tongtong, didn’t you tell Mom that you thought he was quite good?" Chu Yunrong was suspicious.

Shen Xitong quickly glanced at Fu Hengyi and, seeing no change in his expression, felt a wave of disappointment, "After that meal, we didn’t contact each other again. It seemed we didn’t have anything in common."

"That doesn’t sound right. You’re a music student and he’s a university lecturer. You should have a lot to talk about," Chu Yunrong was even more puzzled but immediately cast the thought aside, looking at Shen Xitong, "Don’t worry, your mother knows plenty of young talents, there will be someone right for you."

Shen Xitong’s face stiffened even more, "Mom, I’m not in a rush, the most important thing for me now is to take care of the orchestra business."

Chu Yunrong glared at her, "Don’t you go imitating your brother. As a girl, it’s better to marry early and have children while it’s still easy to get back in shape. Don’t end up like your brother, who is no spring chicken anymore, yet still thinks he’s an unbeatable, youthful heartthrob."

Shen Junyu, the innocent bystander: "..." What does this have to do with me?

Shen Qinglan looked on with a smile that wasn’t really a smile at a certain self-assured "youthful heartthrob."

Shen Xitong forced a reluctant smile, "Mom, I got it." Her hand in her sleeve clutched tightly, she glanced at Fu Hengyi, noticing his unmoved demeanor, her eyes brimmed with tears. Fearing her emotions would be seen, she quickly lowered her head, biting her lip.

**

Upon leaving the Shen residence, Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan returned home.

The next day was Chinese New Year’s Eve. After the family finished the New Year’s Eve dinner, Fu Jingtong stayed to watch the New Year’s Gala with Old Sir Fu, while Fu Hengyi took Shen Qinglan out.

They went to the cinema once again, where Fu Hengyi took Shen Qinglan to watch a movie that was said to be a hit for the holiday season.

The movie, adapted from "Journey to the West", had a hilarious plot, but from the beginning to her current viewing, Shen Qinglan didn’t find anything funny. Listening to the surrounding people’s roaring laughter, she felt rather speechless—perhaps her sense of humor was just too sophisticated?

In fact, Fu Hengyi wasn’t fond of such nonsensical movies either. He only chose it because when they arrived at the cinema, this movie seemed to be quite popular.

He turned his head to look at Shen Qinglan’s listless expression and his mouth curled into a helpless smile. "Don’t like it?" he whispered in Shen Qinglan’s ear.

Shen Qinglan nodded, then shook her head, "Actually, it’s okay." Although she wasn’t really interested in such movies, she knew it was rare for him to have time to accompany her to a movie, so naturally, she wanted to be polite.

Fu Hengyi smiled, "I find it a bit boring, let’s go." Taking her hand, they left the cinema once again.

Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but laugh, thinking about how they had left midway through both movies they had watched together. With this thought, she chuckled to herself.

"What are you laughing about?" Fu Hengyi asked, looking down at her.

Shen Qinglan told him, and Fu Hengyi couldn’t help but smile wryly, realizing that it was indeed true.

"Why do you always like to take me to the movies?" Shen Qinglan asked him.

Fu Hengyi looked at her, his eyes filled with tender indulgence. "Don’t girls of your age all like watching movies? I wanted you to experience what it’s like for an ordinary girl to go shopping, eat out, and watch movies with her boyfriend."

Shen Qinglan looked blank for a moment. Things that an ordinary girl would do?

She looked at Fu Hengyi, at the tenderness and indulgence in his eyes when he looked at her, and unconsciously, her mind was flooded with memories of his kindness to her in the past few months.

She reached out, slowly hugged his waist, and buried her head in his chest, her voice muffled, "Fu Hengyi, don’t be so nice to me." If one day you were to leave me, I wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Fu Hengyi embraced her in return, chuckling, "Fool, you’re my wife. If I don’t treat you well, who should I treat well?"

"You’re going to spoil me like this."

He kissed the top of her head, "Let’s spoil you then. If anyone has a problem with that, they can talk to me."

Shen Qinglan had shiny eyes, hoping deeply, "Fu Hengyi, may there never come a day when you regret what you’ve said today."

From afar, fireworks burst forth, painting various beautiful patterns across the sky.

Fu Hengyi wrapped his arms around Shen Qinglan’s waist from behind, slightly bowing his head to watch her serene profile, the smile in his eyes growing deeper.

They were on the rooftop of the Shengxuan Group building, where one could see the distant fireworks and the entire city’s lights shimmering like an illusion.

"New Year’s is almost upon us. Do you have any New Year’s wishes?" Fu Hengyi whispered in Shen Qinglan’s ear.

Shen Qinglan was slightly taken aback, turned her face, and her cheek brushed past Fu Hengyi’s lips, bringing a warm sensation.

"Anything at all?"

Fu Hengyi pondered for a second, "I suppose picking stars or the moon is out of the question."

At those words, Shen Qinglan laughed lightly. She wasn’t a child to wish for the stars or moon, "Can I wish to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the sun?"

She teased him deliberately, having heard this phrase from Yu Xiaoxuan’s mouth before, supposedly some internet slang.

Fu Hengyi seemed to ponder for a moment and shook his head, "I’m afraid that won’t work, you’re supposed to stand shoulder to shoulder with me. If you stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun, I’ll get jealous."

This time, Shen Qinglan really laughed out loud, not expecting Fu Hengyi to have such a sense of humor.

Fu Hengyi watched the woman in his arms laughing heartily, his eyes filled with adoration.

"Fu Hengyi, I want to walk hand in hand with you through every day from now on." After laughing enough, Shen Qinglan looked at him seriously and spoke.

Fu Hengyi stared at her, at her earnest eyes, and suddenly smiled, his lips parting slightly, "Okay."

He slowly lowered his head and kissed her lips.

Above them, the vibrant colors of the fireworks filled the sky, and the unceasing lights of the city behind them bore witness to this moment of warmth.

**

On the first day of the New Year, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi got up early. Old Sir Fu had already risen and was doing his morning exercises in the yard.

After paying New Year’s respects to Old Sir Fu and receiving two big red envelopes, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi greeted the relatives visiting the Fu Family for the New Year before heading to the Shen Family.

The Fu family had few members, and these visiting relatives were actually distant and did not interact much on regular days. They would only meet during festivals, and many of them Fu Hengyi did not even recognize. When the couple left, the relatives couldn’t really comment much, but they were all surprised that Fu Hengyi had actually gotten married.

Upon arriving at the Shen Family, they could hear laughter and the sounds of children playing from afar.

Children? Shen Qinglan looked puzzled—there were no children in their family. Could it be from a relative’s family?

Upon entering, she indeed saw a familiar figure—who else could it be but her cousin Pei Yinong?

"Lanlan," Pei Yinong greeted Shen Qinglan, coming forward with open arms. Shen Qinglan stepped forward and gave her a gentle hug.

"Cousin, it’s been a long time."

Pei Yinong patted Shen Qinglan’s back and released her, "Yes, it’s been half a year. Now you’ve returned as a married woman, sigh."

Then she looked at Fu Hengyi, "Is this my brother-in-law?" She didn’t live in Beijing and seldom visited the compound. She knew that the Fu Family had an outstanding eldest grandson, but she had never met him. This time upon seeing him, she was astonished by his appearance.

Just by looks alone, he seemed quite a match for her cousin.

"My name is Pei Yinong, Qinglan’s cousin, her mother is my aunt," Pei Yinong said, extending her hand to introduce herself.

Fu Hengyi reached out and gave her hand a light shake, "I am Fu Hengyi, Qinglan’s husband."

"I know you. Though you are a grandson of the Fu family, I can tell you right here that Qinglan is my only sister. If you dare to mistreat her, even if you are from the Fu family, I will not let you off."

Hearing this, Fu Hengyi showed no displeasure but earnestly replied, "Rest assured, such a situation will never occur."

Pei Yinong was quite satisfied with his attitude.

Suddenly, Shen Qinglan felt a tugging at her trouser leg. She looked down and saw a little toddler pulling at her pants.

Little Douding had a tiger-like spirited look, dressed in a festive Tang suit, with a little hat on his head, and delicately shaped eyebrows and eyes that made him look even more like a New Year picture doll.

This was Pei Yinong’s son, named Pei Hao, 3 years old this year, with the nickname "Haohao."

Shen Qinglan squatted down to be eye-level with him, "Haohao."

"Aunt," Little Douding’s voice was milky and sweet.

"Do you still remember me?" Shen Qinglan was surprised; the last time she saw Little Douding was half a year ago when he had just been a little over two years old.

Little Douding took it for granted, "Of course I remember you. You are the prettiest aunt I’ve ever seen, I like you."

Fu Hengyi’s face darkened slightly as he gave Little Douding a cool glance, thinking how such a young child had already learned to sweet-talk girls.

Little Douding seemed to sense the chill and huddled closer to Shen Qinglan’s side, squeezing directly into Shen Qinglan’s embrace, which caused Mr. Fu’s face to darken considerably—no matter how he looked at Little Douding, the child was annoying.

"Aunt, that uncle looks scary," Little Douding stole a glance at Fu Hengyi and whispered in Shen Qinglan’s ear.

Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi with a half-smile, amused by his stern face. She then gazed gently at the Little Douding in her arms, her lips curved in a faint smile, "This uncle only looks scary, but he’s actually very nice. Also, he’s your aunt’s husband, you should call him Uncle."

"What’s a husband?" Little Douding tilted his head.

Shen Qinglan pondered for a moment, unsure how to explain, "Well, it’s someone who eats with your aunt, sleeps with your aunt, and will marry your aunt."

"So marrying you means I can eat and sleep with you?" Little Douding asked curiously.

Shen Qinglan nodded.

Little Douding seemed to think it over before saying seriously, "Aunt, then marry me. I also want to eat and sleep with you."

As soon as these words were spoken, besides Mr. Fu’s face turning dark and stormy, everyone else burst into laughter, especially Pei Yinong, who laughed so hard he couldn’t straighten his waist.

Shen Qinglan’s face was full of black lines, somewhat unable to understand the thought process of children, and looked helplessly at Pei Yinong.

"Your aunt is already married to this uncle, so she can’t marry you," Pei Yinong said with a smile, bending down to try to pick up Little Douding, who dodged away and then clung to Shen Qinglan’s neck, refusing to let go. "I don’t want Mommy, Mommy doesn’t smell good; Aunt smells nice, really good," he said while taking a deep breath.

What a little rascal! Mr. Fu clenched his teeth, wishing he could immediately go over and throw this stinky kid, who had taken over his wife’s embrace, out. Especially since Shen Qinglan was not only not pushing him away but was also looking at him so tenderly—she had never treated Fu Hengyi like that.

Mr. Fu, who was a stickler for details, now felt quite displeased with Little Douding and his gaze at Shen Qinglan was filled with silent reproach.

However, Shen Qinglan did not notice the reproach in Mr. Fu’s heart and continued to chat happily with Little Douding.

Seeing Little Douding reluctant to leave her embrace, Shen Qinglan simply picked him up. Little Douding snuggled obediently in Shen Qinglan’s arms, his black grape-like eyes twinkling adorably.

She couldn’t help but pinch Little Douding’s cheek. Little Douding furrowed his brows, "Aunt, don’t pinch my face, it’ll make me less handsome."

Shen Qinglan’s smile deepened at the corners of her mouth. This Little Douding was really too interesting. Are all children this amusing?

Seeing that Shen Qinglan didn’t even glance his way, Fu Hengyi sat down to one side with a stern face, silent.

"Haohao really likes Qinglan," Chu Yunjin said with a smile.

Little Douding, upon hearing his grandma’s words, naturally said, "Auntie is pretty, so Haohao of course likes her. When Haohao grows up, he will marry Auntie and be her husband."

Pei Yinong rolled her eyes at her son, "You little pervert, you’re so young, and you’re already thinking about getting married."

"Auntie," Shen Qinglan greeted Chu Yunjin.

"Qinglan, let me take this stinky little boy, he’s quite heavy," Chu Yunjin reached out her hand, wanting to take Little Douding.

Little Douding dodged his grandma’s hand, shaking his tiny head like a bobblehead, "No, I don’t want grandma."

"Just met Auntie and you already don’t want grandma, you know grandma will be sad," said Chu Yunjin.

Seeing that his grandma seemed genuinely upset, Little Douding’s face was filled with hesitation. He looked at Shen Qinglan, then at Chu Yunjin, and pointing to his tiny fingers, he negotiated, "Well, grandma, can I play with Auntie for a bit first, then I’ll play with you later, is that okay?"

No one could bear to refuse such an adorable gesture, let alone Chu Yunjin who was just teasing him. She smiled and ruffled his hair, "Okay, okay, okay, remember to play with grandma later, Haohao."

With that, Little Douding immediately cheered up and even blew Chu Yunjin a kiss, "Grandma, mwah."

"Where did he learn all these messy things from," Pei Yinong looked at her own son acting cute and silly, and felt speechless. Blowing kisses now, are we? Just wait until we get home tonight, that little bottom is going to get a spanking.

Shen Qinglan sat down on the sofa, with Little Douding obediently sitting in her lap, occasionally glancing at the silent Fu Hengyi next to her.

Even Little Douding could tell that the uncle beside him seemed to be in a bad mood, but Shen Qinglan was completely oblivious, just listening to everyone talk, occasionally adding a word or two, or whispering something to Little Douding.

Fu Hengyi originally wanted to wait until Shen Qinglan took the initiative to notice him, but as time passed, his gaze grew colder. Finally, Mr. Fu couldn’t sit still any longer and found an excuse to step outside for some fresh air.

"Auntie, Uncle seems angry," Little Douding whispered into Shen Qinglan’s ear after Fu Hengyi had left.

Shen Qinglan had noticed Fu Hengyi’s departure, thinking he was just going to the restroom. But when he didn’t return, she couldn’t help but hand Little Douding back to Pei Yinong and went out to find him.

Fu Hengyi hadn’t left the Shen family’s house, and Shen Qinglan found him in the greenhouse, watering a pot of cacti.

"If you drown it, grandpa is going to be mad," Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but speak up when she saw the pot overflowing with water.

Hearing her voice, Fu Hengyi suddenly snapped back to reality. Looking at the overflowing water, he calmly put down the watering can and asked, "What are you doing out here?"

"Checking on a certain man who is jealous of a child," Shen Qinglan said, with a smile in her eyes.

Fu Hengyi’s face didn’t change, as if the petty man Shen Qinglan was referring to wasn’t him.

"Who is jealous of a child?" His face screamed "definitely not me" as Shen Qinglan looked at him with a smirking gaze.

"It’s cold outside, let’s go in," Fu Hengyi said, concerned as he saw that Shen Qinglan had come out wearing only a sweater, without even a coat. He furrowed his brows, took off his own coat, and wrapped her up tightly, making sure not a hint of cold air could seep in before he felt satisfied.

Shen Qinglan looked up at him; he was more than half a head taller than her, and she couldn’t quite make out the emotions in his eyes, "Are you really angry?"

Fu Hengyi fixed her hair, tucking the loose strands behind her ear, "No, what would I be angry about?"

Shen Qinglan chose not to press further, instead standing on her tiptoes and giving him a light peck on the lips, "Good, glad you’re not angry."

Mr. Fu hadn’t actually been angry, he was just a bit annoyed that a little brat had stolen his wife’s attention, but he didn’t expect to receive such a pleasant surprise in return. Inside, Mr. Fu felt very satisfied.

Does this mean that such scenes could occasionally happen in the future, to enjoy the benefits of a proactive little wife? A trace of deep thought crossed Fu Hengyi’s eyes.

"Qinglan, do you like children?" Fu Hengyi touched Shen Qinglan’s face, feeling its coolness, and placed his warm palm against it.

His palm was warm, dispelling the chill from her face.

Shen Qinglan looked at him suspiciously, guessing that he must have asked this after seeing her interaction with Little Douding. After some thought, she spoke seriously, "I don’t particularly like them." She added, "But I don’t dislike them either."

What she didn’t say was that she used to really dislike children. At the Devil Training Base, there were too many kids who, instead of being innocent as they should be at that age, were filled with bloodshed and scheming. One moment they would call you brother, and the next, they might stab you in the back.

So, for a long time, Shen Qinglan was wary of and disliked children.

It was only after meeting Little Douding that her thoughts began to change gradually.

Little Douding was the only child of her cousin Pei Yinong, but no one knew who his father was. Pei Yinong didn’t attend university in Beijing but in the misty Jiangnan.

When she graduated from college that year, Pei Yinong returned to Beijing with a six-month-pregnant belly, which almost gave Chu Yunjin a heart attack.

The Chu Family was a well-known musical lineage in Beijing and held a considerable reputation. They could not allow Pei Yinong to carry the stigma of being pregnant before marriage.

Pressured to reveal the father of the child in her womb, Pei Yinong refused to speak, leading them to believe she was deceived by a man. Since she wouldn’t tell, they stopped pressing her.

But the child inside could not be kept; if it were to be born, what would become of Pei Yinong’s reputation? How could she marry off then?

They tried to take Pei Yinong for an abortion, but she adamantly refused, threatening to die with the child if they forced her to terminate the pregnancy.

The Pei family had no choice but to let her give birth to the child.

Chu Yunjin was Chu Yunrong’s younger sister. Naturally, the Shen family had to be present when Pei Yinong was giving birth. Plus, Pei Yinong, with her straightforward and decisive character, got along well with Shen Qinglan, and they had a close relationship. Naturally, Shen Qinglan had visited the hospital to see Pei Hao.

Strangely enough, Pei Hao had no reaction to anyone else’s visit, closing his eyes and sleeping soundly. But when Shen Qinglan walked in, he opened his eyes, those large, black grape-like eyes staring at her, and his mouth stretched into a grin, revealing his pink gums.

Afterward, every time Shen Qinglan visited, regardless of whether Pei Hao was crying or fussing, he would quiet down upon seeing her.

Pei Yinong would say countless times that this didn’t seem like her son; he seemed closer to Shen Qinglan than his own mother.

And Shen Qinglan, initially unaccustomed, gradually grew fond of this adorable Little Douding.

When she saw Little Douding half a year ago, he was just over two years old, barely able to speak clearly, but he always liked to cling to Shen Qinglan and talk to her. This year, as his speech became more fluent, he clung to Shen Qinglan even more.

"If you don’t like children, we can wait a bit longer before having them," Fu Hengyi said seriously, raising the issue of having children with her for the first time.

Although they had been married for about half a year and had consummated their marriage a few months ago, Shen Qinglan’s belly showed no signs of change, because Fu Hengyi had taken precautions.

"Let nature take its course," Shen Qinglan said. If she had a child, she would accept it. Time wasn’t really an issue for her.

Maybe she hadn’t planned on having children before, but if the child was hers and Fu Hengyi’s, Shen Qinglan thought she would be willing, even harboring a small sense of anticipation in her heart.

Even though she wasn’t ready to be a mother yet, she was willing to learn how to be a good one.

Although Shen Qinglan said so, Fu Hengyi still decided they should have children later, but he forgot there is a term called "accident" and a saying, "Man proposes, God disposes."

By the time a certain little devil was born, Mr. Fu regretted countless times why he hadn’t been more careful back in the day, looking at how his wife repeatedly left him behind to take care of the little devil.

"Sister." Shen Xitong’s voice came from outside the flower room, her face adorned with an appropriate smile as she looked at them, "Grandpa asked me to call you for dinner."

Her gaze fell on Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, devoid of any previous discontent, and Shen Qinglan’s eyes flickered slightly.

"Let’s go." Fu Hengyi tightened Shen Qinglan’s coat again to prevent her from being blown by the cold wind once outside. Shen Qinglan was helpless; she wasn’t a porcelain doll. The cold wind was nothing to her; she wouldn’t even feel cold without a coat.

Bypassing Shen Xitong, Fu Hengyi walked ahead with Shen Qinglan. Shen Xitong stood in place, watching the backs of the two leaving. The smile on her face faded, vanished in a moment, and then she lifted a smile again, graceful and proper.

"Auntie, where have you been? I wanted to go find you just now, but Mommy wouldn’t let me." As they entered the door, Little Douding, Pei Hao, rushed over and clung to Shen Qinglan’s leg, looking up at her.

Shen Qinglan was about to bend down to pick him up, but Fu Hengyi was quicker and swooped him up into his arms. "Your auntie is too thin and has no strength. Holding you would tire her out. Uncle will hold you."

Little Douding had initially wanted to go into Shen Qinglan’s arms, but upon hearing Fu Hengyi say she would get tired, he obediently stayed in Fu Hengyi’s arms.

A dark glint flashed in the depths of Fu Hengyi’s eyes. Little guy, thinking you can compete with me for my wife, you’re still too green.

Yet Mr. Fu’s moment of pride was short-lived when Little Douding spoke again, "Auntie, can I go home with you tonight? I want to sleep with you."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Fu’s expression changed and he looked toward Shen Qinglan, who was all tenderness as she replied, "You can." Upon seeing the expression on Fu Hengyi’s face, she added, "If your mother agrees."

"What do I have to agree with?" Pei Yinong happened to hear the last part and asked.

"Mommy, I want to sleep with Auntie tonight, I’m not going home," Little Douding said urgently.

Pei Yinong silently glanced at Shen Qinglan. Is this really my son? Could he be an imposter of your son?

Shen Qinglan returned a cold look. You’re overthinking it.

"Mommy, please, can I?" Little Douding begged, face full of eagerness.

Watching her son eager to leave with Shen Qinglan, Pei Yinong felt a twinge in her heart. She could already imagine the day when Little Douding grew up, got married, and forgot about his mother.

What’s the point of having a son if he’s already someone else’s person before he’s grown up?

"No," Pei Yinong refused, seeing her son’s aggrieved face, she couldn’t bear it and explained.

"Mommy is going away after the New Year, and you won’t see me for a long time. Don’t you want to spend more time with Mommy?" Pei Yinong gently persuaded. "Auntie will be right here, and when Mommy is gone, you can ask Grandma to bring you to see Auntie."

This year Pei Yinong was going to work in Nancheng, and it was inconvenient to take Little Douding with her, so she left him in the care of her mother at the Pei Family, which was agreed upon with Little Douding.

Even though Pei Yinong had not worked in Beijing before, she had always kept her son with her, but this time was different; she had no time to take care of him.

Little Douding looked troubled. He wanted to be with his mother, but he also didn’t want to leave his auntie. "Mommy, is it okay if we both stay at Auntie’s house? We can sleep together."

Fu Hengyi’s face darkened again, looking at the "greedy" Little Douding in his arms, he immediately felt that the decision to have children later was incredibly wise.

"Mommy has something to do tonight, I can’t stay at Auntie’s house," Pei Yinong earnestly explained to her son.

Little Douding thought hard, his little eyes spinning around. Shen Qinglan just watched him, her eyes full of smiles.

"Uncle." Little Douding patted Fu Hengyi’s shoulder with his chubby little hand, acting way beyond his years, "I’m not going home with Aunt today, I want to stay with mommy. If I don’t stay with mommy, she’ll cry. When mommy leaves, I’ll go find Aunt."

Shen Qinglan found it somewhat amusing, glancing at Fu Hengyi whose expression wasn’t looking too great, probably feeling jealous again.

"Haohao, let Auntie take you to eat." Shen Xitong, who had followed in, stood by and watched for a while, now finally finding a chance to speak. She reached out to hold Little Douding.

Little Douding twisted his body away, "I don’t want you to hold me, you smell bad."

Shen Xitong’s face stiffened. Where did she smell bad? This impudent little brat.

Pei Yinong explained, "Haohao is allergic to perfume. Last time a colleague held Haohao, he ended up with red bumps all over his body, which took several days to go away."

Shen Xitong happened to have sprayed perfume, which wasn’t very strong but a light elegant floral scent.

Shen Xitong’s mouth twitched, "I’m sorry, cousin. I didn’t know Haohao was allergic to perfume."

"Those who don’t know aren’t at fault." Pei Yinong smiled politely. She always kept this attitude towards Shen Xitong—courteous but not close.

Chu Yunjin had mentioned this to her a few times, but Pei Yinong was someone straightforward, with clear distinctions between likes and dislikes. If she didn’t like someone, she couldn’t pretend to do so. Her dislike for Shen Xitong stemmed from an incident in their childhood.

Back then, Shen Qinglan was already lost, and the Shen Family had adopted Shen Xitong. Chu Yunrong brought Shen Xitong to their house as a guest.

Pei Yinong, being the only daughter in a well-off family, inevitably had some nice things in her room, including a particularly beautiful crystal cup, a birthday gift from her dad and her favorite.

When Shen Xitong came to visit, she took a fancy to the crystal cup, constantly praising its beauty and hinting, both overtly and subtly, that she wanted Pei Yinong to give it to her.

Pei Yinong pretended not to understand and ignored her.

However, after Shen Xitong went home, Pei Yinong discovered her crystal cup was shattered. After asking all the maids, one maid quietly mentioned seeing Shen Xitong enter her room.

Even though there was no evidence it was Shen Xitong’s doing, Pei Yinong instinctively felt she was the one who broke the cup.

Since then, Pei Yinong had held a dislike for Shen Xitong. How old was she then? Barely eleven or twelve—yet so malicious, willing to destroy what she couldn’t have. Such a person, no matter how generous and graceful they seemed, Pei Yinong simply couldn’t bring herself to like.

Her mother knew about the incident too, merely saying it was just a child’s act, not worth fussing over.

Later, Shen Qinglan returned to the Shen family, and this cousin gave her a completely different vibe—like a perennially unmelting iceberg. Her aloofness was carved into her bones, and in her eyes, Pei Yinong saw detachment and indifference. Yet, she also saw simplicity; this cousin wasn’t one for scheming.

Compared to Shen Xitong, Pei Yinong obviously preferred Shen Qinglan—not because they shared blood, but because she was sincere in her dealings with others, never two-faced.

She had also noted her grandaunt’s treatment of the two children, utterly at a loss for Chu Yunrong’s reasoning. If it were her, and her child was lost, she’d never adopt another’s child to raise as her own—she could never do such a thing.

Let alone showing favoritism to an adopted daughter while neglecting her own child upon their return, even scolding her biological daughter for the adopted one’s sake—such occurrences weren’t unseen by her. Every time she witnessed it, her eyes hurt; she even thought her grandaunt out of her mind.

Pei Yinong knew Chu Yunrong had fallen gravely ill due to Shen Qinglan’s disappearance, but she still couldn’t comprehend such behavior. She had discussed this more than once with her mother and grandmother, and they too had repeated their concerns to her grandaunt, to no avail. Chu Yunrong remained unchanged.

Furthermore, with Shen Xitong’s fake lotus and green-tea bitch facade, over time, Pei Yinong grew more reluctant to visit the Shen family. To see Shen Qinglan, she’d rather just call her directly and suggest they meet outside.

Shen Xitong was aware she wasn’t favored by these people, this cousin in particular had disliked her since they were little. It was just breaking a crystal cup for heaven’s sake, but the grudge continued to this day—such a petty woman.

Not wanting to stay longer, Shen Xitong headed straight to the dining room.