The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 175. What do you want to do?

Chapter 175: 175. What do you want to do?

This meal was attended by many people, so the large round table was brought out of the house. Chu Yunrong was helping Sister-in-law Song with the dishes, and Shen Qinglan went over to help. Fu Hengyi, fearing she might get burned, handed Little Douding over to her and walked into the kitchen himself.

"Fu Hengyi is quite good," Pei Zhen, Pei Yinong’s father, said to Old Sir Shen with a smile.

Old Sir Shen smiled warmly, "Hengyi is a good kid. I feel very relieved entrusting Lanlan to him."

At the dining table, Fu Hengyi still sat next to Shen Qinglan, occasionally serving her by picking out fish bones, peeling shrimp for her, and so forth, drawing smiles from the others at the table.

Fu Hengyi felt nothing out of the ordinary; there was no embarrassment in serving his own wife. It was Shen Qinglan, in contrast, who felt embarrassed under everyone’s watchful eyes. She surreptitiously tugged at Fu Hengyi’s shirt hem under the table, signaling him to ease up.

Fu Hengyi acted as if he didn’t notice and continued as he was.

Shen Qinglan, unable to endure any longer, pinched the soft flesh at his waist. His body was firm from regular exercise, not an ounce of fat to pinch, but who was Shen Qinglan? With a bit of force, even Fu Hengyi’s face changed color, his body tensing in an instant.

Luckily, he had strong self-control and did not utter a sound. He calmly placed the peeled shrimp in Shen Qinglan’s bowl and gazed at her with deep affection and tenderness, "You’re too thin, eat more."

Shen Qinglan’s hand lingered at his waist, looking into his gentle eyes even her slight irritation dissolved. She let go and gently massaged the spot she had pinched.

Fu Hengyi smiled tenderly and served her a chicken wing before casually turning to speak with others.

Shen Qinglan faced her bowl, which was piling up like a small mountain, and knitted her eyebrows slightly in a dilemma; she simply couldn’t eat that much.

"If you can’t finish it, give it to me. Just eat as much as you can." Even though Fu Hengyi was talking to others, he kept an eye on her from the corner of his eye, and seeing her troubled expression, he whispered reassuringly in her ear.

"Qinglan, you and Hengyi have been married for a few months now, right?" Chu Yunjin looked at the couple who were occasionally whispering to each other and asked with a cheery smile.

"Mm, a little over five months," Shen Qinglan responded in her usual cool tone.

Chu Yunjin knew Shen Qinglan’s character and didn’t feel snubbed at all, "Have you guys decided when you want to have children?"

On hearing this, Shen Qinglan’s face flushed with embarrassment. She had just been discussing this issue with Fu Hengyi when the elder asked her about it. However, her typically cold expression hid her discomfort well.

Fu Hengyi smiled and answered at a leisurely pace, "Qinglan is still young. We don’t plan on having children in the next few years."

Old Sir Shen was quite satisfied to hear this, as this was also his preference. His granddaughter was only twenty-two this year—it was indeed early for having children. However, Fu Hengyi was not young, and if he was eager to have children, even as her grandfather, Old Shen felt it wouldn’t be his place to object.

But since it was Fu Hengyi himself who said it, that was a different matter entirely. Fu Hengyi cherished his young wife, and Old Shen was happy to reciprocate the feeling.

"It is indeed early to have kids now, but you also shouldn’t wait too long. In a couple of years, Lanlan will be twenty-four, the prime age for a girl to have children, which would be perfect. I know young people nowadays don’t like the idea of having kids, but after you have them, we old folks will help you take care of them. Don’t be fooled by my age, my health is still robust."

The person concerned, Shen Qinglan, was quite embarrassed, taking a glance at Fu Hengyi but remaining silent. Fu Hengyi squeezed her hand under the table and responded, "Grandfather is right."

The subject was dropped there; Chu Yunjin had only been making casual conversation and certainly wasn’t the type to pry.

At the dining table, the men like Fu Hengyi, Shen Qian, Shen Junyu, Pei Zhen, and Old Sir Shen inevitably started drinking. Whether it was a prearranged pact or mere coincidence, these few always seemed to coax Fu Hengyi into drinking.

Watching Fu Hengyi drink one cup after another, Shen Qinglan grew worried. After a glance at Fu Hengyi, who smiled back indicating he was fine, she gradually reassured herself, convinced by his unphased demeanor that he could handle his liquor. What she didn’t realize was she was being reassured too soon.

Fu Hengyi’s alcohol tolerance was indeed okay, but definitely not great. After being repeatedly coaxed into drinking by several people, his complexion started to turn a bit pale.

He stood up and excused himself to use the restroom. Though he still walked in a straight line, his steps were somewhat unsteady. Shen Qinglan, concerned, followed him.

"Are you drunk?" Shen Qinglan saw Fu Hengyi washing his face with cold water and asked worriedly.

Fu Hengyi rubbed his forehead, resigned, "A bit."

"You should go upstairs and rest for a bit. I’ll explain to Grandpa."

Fu Hengyi wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but his head was really spinning, so he nodded, "That might be best."

"Shall I make you a cup of honey water?"

Fu Hengyi shook his head, "No need. I just need to sleep for a while, but remember to wake me up later."

Shen Qinglan accompanied him upstairs. Seeing him lie down on the bed and seemingly fall asleep, she then went back downstairs.

"Hengyi got drunk?" Old Sir Shen asked with concern when Shen Qinglan returned.

"Yes, he’s a bit drunk. I told him to go up and sleep it off."

"He’s drunk after so little? Fu Hengyi’s tolerance has gone downhill," Shen Junyu tsked, shaking his head with a face full of schadenfreude.

Shen Qinglan gave her brother a glare and spoke flatly, "Brother."

With just a word, Shen Junyu immediately fell silent. Indeed, a sister who is married off is like water that has been splashed out; one’s loyalty turns outward.

"Go and bring Hengyi a cup of honey water," Chu Yunrong said.

"There’s no need. He’s already asleep. He’ll be fine after a little rest," said Shen Qinglan, confident that Fu Hengyi was okay since he said he was fine.

The others didn’t say much more, and they continued their meal. Shen Qinglan sat in her place, eating her food, occasionally chatting with Little Douding.

Shen Xitong, without anyone noticing, left the dining table and quietly opened the door to Shen Qinglan’s room. Looking at the man lying on the bed with his eyes closed, her eyes were filled with obsession.

She placed the cup in her hand on the table, gazing at Fu Hengyi’s peaceful sleeping face. She reached out her hand but then hesitated halfway. If she woke him up, he would probably drive her out.

She had loved him for over a decade, but this man’s heart was like stone, never giving her even a glance.

And Shen Qinglan? Aside from her face, she wasn’t better than Shen Xitong in any way, yet she had all of his love, something he had never bestowed upon Shen Xitong, not even once with such tenderness.

Fu Hengyi, you like her that much, but what if she saw us sleeping together? Would she still want you then?

Shen Qinglan was such a proud person; she definitely wouldn’t stay with you no matter what. Since you don’t want me, even if it means you hate me, it’s still better than being ignored by you.

Mad thoughts took over Shen Xitong’s mind, making her gaze appear somewhat sinister. Her hand moved under the hem of her clothes, slowly removing them from her body.

Fu Hengyi was truly drunk. The alcohol was hitting him hard. He was sleeping deeply to the point that he hadn’t noticed someone else entering his room. Only an almost imperceptible scent made him furrow his brows in irritation; this was not the fragrance of Qinglan.

Blinded by her own insane thoughts, Shen Xitong didn’t consider that by doing this, not only would Fu Hengyi never forgive her, but the entire Shen Family wouldn’t either. She would lose all standing within the Shen Family, and if both the Shen and Fu Families decided to ostracize her, the entire city of Beijing would become a place without refuge for her.

Shen Xitong, at this moment, clearly was not going to think too much. With only the last piece of clothing remaining on her, she revealed her smooth and fair skin as she slowly approached Fu Hengyi, her eyes filled with madness.

Since she couldn’t have it, she might as well destroy it. Shen Qinglan, I’ve told you before, if you don’t let me live in peace, I won’t let you off easily.

"What are you doing?"

Shen Qinglan’s chilly voice came from the doorway, causing Shen Xitong to tremble in fear as her gaze turned toward the entrance. She saw Shen Qinglan looking at her icily, those usually cool and detached eyes now filled with frost, her gaze sharp.

Shen Xitong’s expression was one of terror. She hadn’t expected Shen Qinglan to come up so quickly and to have witnessed it with her own eyes. Although she had hoped Shen Qinglan would see her like this, it wasn’t supposed to be now.

"Do you like being seen?" Shen Qinglan’s gaze swept unreservedly over Shen Xitong’s smooth body, reminding Shen Xitong that she was wearing nothing. She hurriedly crouched down to pick up her clothes from the floor and began to put them on.

Shen Qinglan closed the bedroom door and walked in slowly. She glanced at Fu Hengyi and saw he was still asleep with his eyes closed, his brow so tightly furrowed it could kill a fly.

The bed was tidy, as it was when she’d left it. Fu Hengyi slept quietly and didn’t move around.

Shen Qinglan’s heart was somewhat relieved, but the look she gave Shen Xitong was still edged with ice. It seemed that someone hadn’t taken her warning seriously last time.

Shen Xitong haphazardly put the clothes on herself. She wanted to flee, but Shen Qinglan was blocking the doorway; there was no way she could leave.

"Shen Qinglan, what do you want to do?" Shen Xitong tried to feign calmness.

A cold laugh escaped from Shen Qinglan’s lips, her smile filled with chilling intent. She looked at Shen Xitong and slowly spoke, "Shen Xitong, that question should be mine. What were you trying to do just now?"

Shen Xitong’s face was indifferent, "Didn’t you see it already?"

"It seems you didn’t take what I said last time seriously." Shen Qinglan stepped forward, Shen Xitong retreated, but the room was only so big; where could Shen Xitong retreat to? Qiickly, she was cornered by Shen Qinglan against the wall.

Shen Qinglan reached out, her hand slowly moving to Shen Xitong’s neck, applying gentle pressure, "Shen Xitong, I told you long ago, do not provoke me and do not prance around before my eyes, or I will make you look very unfortunate. It seems you don’t believe my words."

Shen Xitong felt the strength and the coldness of the hand on her neck, her complexion turning pale. She wanted to struggle, her hands slapping at Shen Qinglan’s hand on her neck. But with every struggle, Shen Qinglan’s grip tightened.

"Shen... Shen Qinglan, you... let me go, let... let me go," Shen Xitong pleaded vigorously.

Shen Qinglan looked at her coldly, letting her struggle, a hint of murderous intent flashing through her eyes.

Her face turned red from the choking. "Shen... Shen Qinglan, this... this is the Shen Family."

Shen Qinglan chuckled lightly, "So, you remember that this is the Shen Family? Do you think just because your surname is Shen, you truly belong to the Shen Family? Shen Xitong, you are merely an adopted daughter of the Shen Family, and your esteemed status outside is only because I have no interest in it. Just one word from me and you won’t want to stay a day longer in this family. Don’t believe me? You can try it."

Shen Xitong was still shocked by the murderous intent in Shen Qinglan’s eyes when her words landed another blow.

Shen Qinglan increased the pressure on her hand slightly, and Shen Xitong could feel the asphyxiating sensation as the air became scarcer. Her vision began to darken, and her body involuntarily weakened, her eyes rolling back. Was she really going to die?

Shen Qinglan let go, looking down haughtily at the crumpled figure of Shen Xitong on the floor, her voice cold, "Shen Xitong, congratulations, you’ve successfully exhausted all my patience. From now on, you’d better watch the show closely."

Shen Xitong lay on the ground, gasping for air. She truly thought she was about to die just moments ago; she heard Shen Qinglan’s words, but she couldn’t understand what they meant.

Shen Qinglan pointed to the door, "Now, get out."

Shen Xitong met Shen Qinglan’s icy gaze and, not daring to say anything, left the room with a pale face and in utter disarray.

Shen Qinglan stood still, her head slightly lowered, her expression indecipherable.

"Fu Hengyi, aren’t you getting up?" Shen Qinglan spoke calmly.

Fu Hengyi, who had been pretending to sleep with his eyes closed, immediately opened his eyes, his gaze full of amusement. "How did you know I was awake?"

Shen Qinglan glanced at him indifferently. Perhaps Fu Hengyi, due to his drunkenness, didn’t notice when Shen Xitong first entered the room, but with all the noise in the room, if he hadn’t woken up by now, it would be a disgrace to his military rank.

Fu Hengyi sat up from the bed and walked over to Shen Qinglan, barefoot.

Shen Qinglan’s face remained cold, showing no reaction upon seeing him.

Fu Hengyi chuckled lightly, "Why are you really angry? She’s just an insignificant woman. Even if you hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have let her take advantage."

Shen Qinglan still showed no reaction, continuing to look down, not meeting Fu Hengyi’s eyes, making it impossible for him to read her expression. However, an inexplicable emotion was flowing from her, causing Fu Hengyi’s heart to ache.

He reached out, lifted Shen Qinglan’s chin, and forced her to look at him. But when he clearly saw the emotion that disappeared swiftly from the depths of her eyes, he was still caught off guard.

"Qinglan, what’s wrong with you?"

Shen Qinglan’s eyes were as cold as a still pond.

"Fu Hengyi, I’m not a good person," she said distantly, her voice detached. She had indeed wanted to kill Shen Xitong just moments ago.

Fu Hengyi looked into her cool eyes earnestly, sighing inwardly. Silly girl.

He then cradled Shen Qinglan’s face with both hands. "Qinglan, you are my wife, my only wife, the future mother of our children. That will never change. And I know that deep down, you’re very tender-hearted and kind-hearted." Otherwise, back in the mall, she wouldn’t have willingly taken hostage just to save that pregnant woman.

His Qinglan... she was merely covering her tender heart with coldness and distance, wrapping herself in a tough exterior to protect herself.

Shen Qinglan wanted to shake her head, to tell him, no, Fu Hengyi, you’re wrong, I’m not a good person, I’m a cold-blooded assassin who kills without blinking an eye, with hands stained with blood.

But Fu Hengyi’s eyes were too warm, the tenderness in them was so deep, so heavy, and so... captivating. She... couldn’t bear to let it go.

Fu Hengyi, whether you blame me or whatever you do, I don’t want to let go now. I want to stay by your side forever... until we grow old together.

Shen Qinglan slowly extended her hand and wrapped her arms around Fu Hengyi’s waist.

Fu Hengyi hugged her back. In the corner of his eyes that she couldn’t see, his gaze was filled with coldness. Shen Xitong had been overstepping for too long.

Fu Hengyi was mostly sobered up now. Since he couldn’t fall asleep again if he lay back down, he decided to go downstairs, greeted everyone, and prepared to take Shen Qinglan back to the Fu Family.

When they went downstairs, Shen Xitong was nowhere to be seen in the living room. It made sense; she wouldn’t dare to show herself in front of Shen Qinglan now. The way Shen Qinglan had acted earlier truly frightened her.

"Auntie, where are you going?" Little Douding ran over and hugged Shen Qinglan’s leg.

Shen Qinglan squatted down. "Auntie is going home now, my child."

"Isn’t this Auntie’s home?"

"Yes, this is also Auntie’s home, but Auntie has another home, the home I share with your Uncle."

Little Douding seemed to understand but was somewhat confused, tilting his little head, "So Auntie, where can I find you to play in the future?" He was still eagerly thinking about playing with Shen Qinglan.

"Anywhere is fine, and if Haohao comes over, you can also call Auntie, and I’ll come to pick you up. Auntie’s phone number is known to your mom."

Fu Hengyi stood there and suddenly realized that Shen Qinglan was not only patient with the elderly but also with children. The corners of his mouth twitched upward in a slight smile, "Silly girl, you still say you’re not kind-hearted. Perhaps you don’t even know how your kindness makes me feel so ashamed."

Little Douding extended a finger, "Auntie, let’s pinky promise then."

Shen Qinglan looked at the soft little hand in front of her and smiled, extending her pinky finger, "Okay. Auntie will also give Haohao a call."

Little Douding’s face was full of reluctance, "Auntie, I will definitely come to find you to play."

"Alright now, Auntie lives just next door, not far away." Pei Yinong couldn’t stand watching any longer, came over to pick up Little Douding, and signaled Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi to quickly leave.

Shen Qinglan smiled and walked out of the Shen Family home with Fu Hengyi.

"Qinglan, wait a moment," Chu Yunrong called out as she chased after them.

Shen Qinglan stopped in her tracks and looked at her, "Mom, is there something you need?"

Chu Yunrong took out a card from her pocket and handed it over to Shen Qinglan, "You’ve grown another year older, and there’s not much that mom can give you. Take this card as your pocket money from mom."

Actually, Chu Yunrong had already given them red envelopes yesterday, and now she was giving her this card. Watching Chu Yunrong’s expression, Shen Xitong and her brother probably didn’t receive one. Was this for herself alone?

Shen Qinglan looked at the card in front of her but did not take it, "Mom, I have money." If she were to count her money seriously, she definitely had more than Chu Yunrong’s private savings.

Her daughter not accepting the card made Chu Yunrong feel a bit embarrassed and also a bit sad. She simply wanted to do something for Shen Qinglan, but every time she looked at her child, her heart ached unbearably. How could outsiders understand such pain? She knew she had been biased towards her foster daughter, but she also had her own reasons. This was the treasure she once held dear in her palm — how could they understand her agony?

Her husband had told her to face her own heart and be brave. She had tried, she was trying hard, but Qinglan’s pace was too fast, and she couldn’t keep up.

She understood that money couldn’t make up for anything, especially for families like theirs where money couldn’t represent anything at all. But still, this was a little expression of her own feelings.

Shen Qinglan had no intention of accepting it, she didn’t lack the money, nor did she lack Chu Yunrong’s pitiful concern. Instead, Fu Hengyi reached out and took it, "Thank you, Mom."

Chu Yunrong breathed a sigh of relief and smiled softly, "All right, it’s cold outside, get going."

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi left. On the way, Shen Qinglan glanced at Fu Hengyi but said nothing. Fu Hengyi smiled and spoke, "Gifts from the elders should not be refused."

Fu Hengyi held Shen Qinglan’s hand in his, her hand still as cold as ice, not at all warmed despite being held for so long.

"Why are your hands always so cold? Why don’t I take you to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to get looked at?" Fu Hengyi suggested.

A fleeting light shone in Shen Qinglan’s eyes. Her cold constitution was a result of her time spent in Devil Base as a child, and even now, her body bore many scars of various sizes. Before her return to the Shen family, in order to fit her identity and cover up her past, she had undergone several months’ worth of scar removal and skin graft surgeries. It took her several more months to nurse her skin back to impeccable condition.

The training at Devil Base was brutally inhumane, and her body had suffered a lot. Although, with Eden present, she didn’t have too many lasting effects, her innate cold drew concern...

"Okay," Shen Qinglan did not oppose; she remembered someone mentioning that girls with cold constitutions struggle to conceive. And she, in the future, wanted to have a child belonging to her and Fu Hengyi—preferably one who looked like him, even with his personality, like a miniature version of him. She thought she would love that child immensely.

And when that future day came, and Fu Mengbao was born just as Miss Shen had wished, Miss Shen adored him like a treasure, which made Mr. Fu grind his teeth in envy, almost wishing he could stuff the stinky little boy back into Miss Shen’s belly to remake him again.

In the evening, after Fu Hengyi had entered the bathroom to shower, Shen Qinglan went to the balcony and called Jin Enxi. This time, the call went through.

"Hello." Jin Enxi’s voice sounded somewhat tired.

Shen Qinglan’s gaze paused, "Where are you?"

"I’m in Country Y."

"What are you doing? Why do you sound so tired?"

Jin Enxi’s expression paused upon hearing this and glanced at a man in the room. The man shook his head, and Jin Enxi chuckled, "I encountered a very interesting person yesterday. His skills were high, nearly catching up to mine. I had to chase after him for a long time before I could beat him. I lost track of time, and I haven’t rested yet."

Shen Qinglan checked the time. It should be morning now in Country Y. It seemed Jin Enxi had stayed up all night, "Does anyone know this person?"

"I don’t know, he’s quite cunning. I had wanted to find his hideout, but he escaped at the last moment, and I almost smashed my beloved gun in frustration."

Seeing that Shen Qinglan had no suspicions, Jin Enxi talked freely, making it sound plausible. Yet, she didn’t dare to say too much, as Shen Qinglan was too clever; talking too much might give her away. Jin Enxi quickly changed the subject, "An, are you calling me because there’s something you need?"

Shen Qinglan instinctively felt Jin Enxi wasn’t telling the whole truth. Jin Enxi was a bit too talkative today, but she didn’t point it out, only saying, "You left in such a hurry last time and couldn’t be reached. I was a bit worried."

As expected, Jin Enxi inwardly complained. Hesitantly, she said, "That, um, I had a friend in Country Y who said they needed my help with something urgent, so I rushed over, didn’t even have the chance to tell you. Sorry to have worried you."

"As long as you’re safe." Shen Qinglan started, her voice calm and gentle, "No matter what you are doing, you have to protect yourself and not get hurt."

"Okay." Jin Enxi’s smile was warm, An was always such a warm-hearted person.

"Enxi, could you help me check on someone?"

"Who? Just tell me."

"Shen Xitong, the adopted daughter of the Shen Family. I want to know who her biological parents are, whether they’re still alive, where they might be, or if she has any relatives, preferably some really unusual ones." Shen Qinglan spoke indifferently, her eyes slightly cold. Shen Xitong, since the life of Eldest Miss Shen has made you forget your own origins, then I will gladly help you remember them.

Jin Enxi readily agreed, "No problem. Give me three days, and I guarantee I’ll have the information for you."

"There’s no rush, you can take your time," Shen Qinglan said.

"An, you can rest assured about my work. It must be New Year’s over there, right? Happy New Year to you."

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "Thank you."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Qinglan felt a faint sense of unease, feeling as though something had happened, but before she could figure it out, Fu Hengyi came out, and she put the thought aside to go into the bedroom.

In the United Kingdom, Jin Enxi exhaled deeply after hanging up the call. She had to be very careful with every word she said to Shen Qinglan, for fear that Shen Qinglan would detect her true emotions.

"Is it really okay for us to keep hiding this from An? If she finds out later, she will surely blame us," Jin Enxi said to the man in the room.

The man had golden hair and blue eyes, with a handsome, chiseled face, although at the moment, his brows were furrowed with worry, "An is different from us. She has really left that life behind, and with her current status, neither her family nor she herself is suitable to be involved in this matter. Moreover, her life is so peaceful now; we shouldn’t shatter that."

Jin Enxi rubbed her face, her eyes showing dark circles. It wasn’t just one sleepless night; she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for several days, "But there’s still no word from Eden, and among us, his skills are the least polished, plus he’s always devoted to medicine, I’m afraid..."

"Let’s not be pessimistic for now," the man interrupted, "I’ve already sent people to look for him, Eden should be fine. Maybe he’s hiding in a primordial forest, like before."

"Just saying it, the man didn’t even believe his own words, and most likely, Eden was in trouble, otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent them a distress signal."

"I’ll try to track the signal again." Jin Enxi said wearily, in fact, she had been trying to track down Eden’s whereabouts for the past few days, but there wasn’t a single clue.

She had hurriedly left Beijing last time because she got a call from a man, namely Andre, who said Eden had an accident.

Andre stopped Jin Enxi, "You haven’t rested for several days either, take some rest first, trust me, Eden will be fine."

"I can’t sleep. This Eden, wouldn’t stay at the research institute where he was supposed to, always wandering around the world, and now, he’s really gone missing." Jin Enxi gritted her teeth, but she couldn’t hide the thick concern in her voice.

Andre patted her shoulder, "Don’t worry, what about An, what did she want from you?"

"She asked me to look into the background of her adopted sister. Probably that damn woman did something to offend An, and An is ready to strike."

Even though Andre hadn’t contacted Shen Qinglan, he had always been keeping an eye on her life and naturally knew about the adopted daughter of the Shen family, and also that she was not, um, how did that saying go, something about saving oil, like a lamp or something—anyway, not a good bird.

"Then she’s probably in for bad luck, An isn’t someone who likes to hold grudges but once she does, that person had better pray for extra mercy from God." Andre seemed to take pleasure in the misfortune.

Jin Enxi nodded in agreement, then suddenly slapped her forehead, "Damn, I forgot to tell An that someone has been following her."

Andre wasn’t aware of this matter; he looked at her intently, "Who is following An?"

Jin Enxi shook her head, "A woman, I don’t know her identity. I just happened to see her following An. I had already caught her, but she escaped. This woman has good combat skills and is very resistant to hits. She’s tough too; despite my methods, I couldn’t get her to reveal anything. Then with Eden’s incident, I haven’t had the time to deal with it."

Andre looked thoughtful, "This woman doesn’t seem ordinary—who has got their eyes on An?"

"I don’t know, I better give An another call, tell her to be careful." Jin Enxi said as she was about to call Shen Qinglan.

"With An’s skills and sharpness, if you could notice someone was following her, would she not know?"

Jin Enxi thought about it and realized it was true—Shen Qinglan had the best overall ability among them, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been called the "Grim Reaper" back then. She put down her phone and massaged her temples.

"So we just keep hiding Eden’s incident from An?"

"Unless absolutely necessary, we absolutely cannot tell her, can’t get An involved." Andre said gravely, "I’ll also talk to Cissily."

Jin Enxi nodded and said no more.

**

"Why call from outside the room? It’s cold outside, what if you catch a cold?" Fu Hengyi came out from the bathroom and saw Shen Qinglan coming in from the balcony.

Shen Qinglan smiled, "Just went out for two minutes, and you already found out," she said, snuggling into the covers.

Fu Hengyi got into bed too and held Shen Qinglan in his arms.

"Do you have time on the sixth day of the lunar month?" Shen Qinglan asked.

Fu Hengyi looked down at her, "What’s up? Any plans?"

"Go to an art exhibition, interested?"

"Okay," Fu Hengyi agreed without hesitation.

"Aren’t you going to ask whose art exhibition it is?" Shen Qinglan asked with a smile.

"Since I’m going with you," what does it matter whose it is?

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "Yes, attending with me."

Before the New Year, Daniel had already returned from abroad, bringing with him news that Leng Qingqiu’s new piece "Redemption" had won first place in the international competition for young painters and a gleaming golden trophy. For a time, the name Leng Qingqiu echoed internationally.

At the same time, a Weibo account claiming to be Leng Qingqiu appeared online, alleging that the agent Daniel had been selling paintings without permission and infringing upon the artist’s rights, causing serious damage to their reputation and interests. They announced the end of their collaboration with Daniel and declared that Daniel was no longer Leng Qingqiu’s agent.

This post set off a huge storm in the art world, with everyone guessing whether the self-proclaimed Leng Qingqiu was telling the truth. Daniel, who was abroad, was naturally unaware of this development until an artist friend called to inform him.

When Daniel found out, he was initially shocked but then quickly realized that this could not possibly have been posted by Shen Qinglan.

Upon calling Shen Qinglan, it turned out that she too was taken by surprise. Both of them immediately thought of the impostor posing as Leng Qingqiu and guessed that it must’ve been the work of that person.

Indeed, just as Daniel and Shen Qinglan suspected, the impostor had orchestrated the whole scenario. They did it to prevent Daniel from publicly exposing their true identity, especially now that news of Leng Qingqiu’s art exhibition had already been announced and the venue preparations had begun. Being uncovered on the spot would be very embarrassing for them.

They never considered what would happen if the real Leng Qingqiu were to show up. Other than Daniel, no one had seen the real Leng Qingqiu. Now everyone knew that Leng Qingqiu had a falling out with Daniel. Even if Daniel appeared with the real Leng Qingqiu, how credible would the words of an estranged agent be?

Shen Qinglan had not neglected to consider these issues and had discussed them with Daniel. Persuaded by Daniel, Shen Qinglan finally agreed to reveal her true identity as Leng Qingqiu.

And that day would be the first day of the art exhibition, when the fake Leng Qingqiu would also be there.

Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi, thinking to herself that on that day, she wanted to give Fu Hengyi a special gift.

The Fu Family was one of Beijing’s top aristocratic families, and even though there were few direct relatives, there were many other distant relatives and friends. During the days following the New Year, aside from receiving guests at home, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi accompanied the old gentleman to visit some old friends.

It was not until the sixth day of the first lunar month that they managed to find time to attend the art exhibition.

Early that day, Daniel called Shen Qinglan as a reminder, for fear that she might forget.

The art exhibition started at ten o’clock in the morning. Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan had breakfast before they set off slowly. On the way out of the courtyard, they encountered the Shen Family members who also happened to be heading out.

She had forgotten that the last time when the fake Leng Qingqiu came to her house, an invitation had been extended to the Shen Family members.

"Lanlan, where are you going?" Shen Junyu rolled down the window and asked.

"We’re probably going to the same place," Shen Qinglan replied.

Shen Junyu and Old Sir Shen were in one car. On hearing Shen Qinglan, Shen Junyu laughed, "Since it’s the same, let’s go together." He opened the car door and helped Old Sir Shen into Fu Hengyi’s car.

He handed the car keys to a nearby guard, "Could you please drive my car back? Thank you."

The guard acknowledged the request with an ’okay.’ Shen Junyu was a gentlemanly and polite person, always treating others with a warm manner. Sometimes he even brought them small snacks or midnight bites when he came back from outside, treating them quite nicely, so they readily agreed to the small favor.

It was just in time for a shift change. The young guard told his colleague, and then went to park Shen Junyu’s car.