The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 193. She said, "I love you".

Chapter 193: 193. She said, "I love you".

"Qinglan, Hengyi, you’re finally back." Just as they reached the door, they encountered Aunt Zhao, who was out throwing out the trash. "Old Sir Shen has asked several times whether you’ve arrived or not, and didn’t want to call you, is now muttering to himself in the living room."

Fu Hengyi laughed and, holding Shen Qinglan’s hand, quickened his pace.

Old Sir Fu sat on the living room couch, muttering to himself, "This little brat, coming back but not coming to see his grandpa first, just whisking his wife off to her parents’ home, really married a wife and forgot his grandpa, back in the day it might have been better just to have raised a granddaughter..."

His self-talking was interrupted as he caught sight of the couple entering, and he suddenly became silent, eyes fixed on the television screen, putting on a façade of "I’m watching TV seriously, don’t disturb me."

With her thorough understanding of Old Sir Fu, a glint of amusement flashed through Shen Qinglan’s eyes as she teasingly glanced at Fu Hengyi. She let go of Fu Hengyi’s hand and approached Old Sir Fu, "Grandpa, what are you watching so intently?"

Old Sir Fu wasn’t genuinely watching the television. Seeing Qinglan speak to him, he turned his gaze away from the TV and onto Shen Qinglan, smiling tenderly, "Just some health programs, it’s good for the elderly to watch these. Have you visited your grandpa yet?"

Shen Qinglan smiled, "Mm, I had a chat with mom and got held up a bit, I’m truly sorry, Grandpa."

Old Sir Fu waved his hand dismissively, "What’s there to be sorry about, I’m not busy usually, and eating a little later makes no difference, your grandpa is lonely by himself, so visit him more when you have the time."

Shen Qinglan nodded agreeably, "I’ve been busy with the teahouse business lately and haven’t had time to spend with you guys. Now that the teahouse is almost settled, Hengyi and I will come back more often. Grandpa might not know yet, but Hengyi has to stay in the Beijing Military Region for work for half a year."

Upon hearing this, Old Sir Fu was indeed pleased, looking at Fu Hengyi, "Is what your wife is saying true, you’re really going to stay in the Beijing Military Region?"

Fu Hengyi had just informed Old Sir Shen about this matter, but his own grandfather was not yet aware, so he nodded.

"Great, now you can spend more time with your wife. The Military Region is close to home, making it easy to come back," said Old Sir Fu with a smile, actually delighted. Although it was not a direct transfer back to the Beijing Military Region, it was at least a good sign, and now that his grandson had returned, how far off could his great-grandson be?

Old Sir Fu knew that a great-grandson wouldn’t come so soon but still hoped dearly for one.

"Qinglan, tonight I had Xiao Zhao make a pot of soup for you, make sure you finish it. This soup is excellent for beauty and health, and young girls like you should drink more of it, not only for beauty but for nourishment as well."

Shen Qinglan listened quietly and felt rather speechless towards the end. She glanced at Fu Hengyi, who seemed eager for a great-grandchild.

Fu Hengyi returned her gaze with a look that said, don’t bother with him.

Shen Qinglan thought: ...Is that really appropriate? He is your grandfather, after all.

But she wasn’t ready to be a mother either, and delaying was also to her liking. Well, the old saying goes that a married woman follows her husband, and while it was an old-fashioned thought, it could be heeded from time to time.

Old Sir Fu, oblivious to the couple’s plans, was joyfully planning to have Aunt Zhao make soup for them every day, hoping for a chubby great-grandson soon.

The next day, Fu Hengyi had to report to the Military Region, so Shen Qinglan went out only with Chu Yunrong. As they were leaving, they ran into Shen Xitong, who linked arms with Chu Yunrong, "Mom, you’re going shopping with my sister, can I come along?"

Chu Yunrong glanced at Shen Qinglan. "Aren’t you busy with the orchestra affairs?"

Shen Xitong’s smile was gentle and genial. "Orchestra affairs can’t be wrapped up in a moment. It’s rare for my sister to go out shopping, and it’s been a while since I went out with mom, so I wanted to join you today. Mom, don’t you want to take me with you?" After saying this, she pouted her lips intentionally, making a playful expression.

Shen Qinglan didn’t even look at her; instead, she was occupied with her phone, having just received a WeChat message from Fu Hengyi that she hadn’t replied to yet.

Chu Yunrong glanced at Shen Qinglan with difficulty in her eyes. She patted Shen Xitong’s hand softly and persuaded, "Tongtong, the concert is coming up, and it’s your home ground this time. You need to seize the time to rehearse. Mom will prepare the dress for the weekend banquet for you."

Shen Xitong’s eyes slightly changed, she bit her lip, let go of Chu Yunrong’s arm, and smiled faintly, "Mom’s right. I should focus on preparing for the concert."

Watching her forced smile while she was clearly upset, Chu Yunrong felt a soft spot in her heart and almost said let’s all go together. But seeing Shen Qinglan’s indifferent demeanor, she finally swallowed the words back down. The relationship with Qinglan had just started to thaw a bit, and she didn’t want to strain it again.

Shen Qinglan didn’t like Shen Xitong, and Chu Yunrong knew that. This time she could only wrong Shen Xitong. "Tongtong, your biological parents are now living in Beijing too. They are strangers here; you should visit them whenever you have time, okay?"

Shen Xitong’s face turned a shade paler as anger rose in her heart at the thought of her parents.

Ever since the identification results had come out, that couple clung to her persistently, showing up at the entrance of the compound to block her now and then. Shen Junyu had only paid their rent for one week, and once time was up, they no longer had money to pay for the rent. They didn’t want to stay in a cheap motel, and they dared not go to the Shen Family for help, so naturally, they turned to Shen Xitong.

Shen Xitong didn’t want to deal with them, but she couldn’t just ignore the situation. If she did, who knows what that couple might do. They were blocking her now; if they couldn’t find her, maybe they would start pestering members of the Shen Family. If the Shen Family found out she was neglecting her own biological parents, there’s no telling what they would think. Thus, having no choice, Shen Xitong ended up renting an apartment for the couple in Beijing.

The apartment wasn’t great, but it definitely wasn’t bad. However, the couple was very dissatisfied, complaining now that the apartment was too small, now that the rent was too expensive. With that money, they’d rather buy their own place, at least there would be no rent to pay. Another complaint was about the location, with no transportation nearby, making even taking a taxi inconvenient.

Shen Xitong, furious, turned an ashen color upon hearing their complaints. She had spent money and effort to rent an apartment for them, and now they were expecting her to buy one, treating her as an ATM. She might be well-off and have plenty of pocket money, but that was just spending money; her savings weren’t substantial. Although the Shen Family was wealthy, they kept a tight rein on their children’s finances. Even if she wanted to be lavish, she didn’t have the means to do so. She wasn’t like Shen Junyu, who had his own company, nor was she like Shen Qinglan; her income was very limited.

Moreover, considering how expensive the housing market in Beijing was, it wasn’t that she couldn’t afford a small place, but she knew those parents well enough to realize that if she bought the apartment, her life would become unbearable.

In order not to let that couple’s expectations get out of hand, Shen Xitong consistently refused to buy them an apartment, giving them only just enough money for their living expenses.

She thought this would settle them down, but instead, they went ahead and brought their son to Beijing, demanding her to find him a job. The son, a high school graduate who lazed around doing nothing but eat, sleep, and play video games, expected her to find him work, which was simply laughable.

Because of her refusal, the couple constantly called her, and if they couldn’t reach her by phone, they’d block her at her workplace, which Chu Yunrong unfortunately witnessed once.

Now that Chu Yunrong brought up those parents, no wonder her face would look anything but good.

"What’s wrong?" Chu Yunrong asked, looking at her curiously.

Shen Xitong forced a smile, "Nothing much. I just suddenly remembered that I had promised to take them out for a meal today, and I had forgotten about it. I’m glad you reminded me, mom. I won’t accompany you shopping this time; I’ll go with you next time."

Chu Yunrong nodded in agreement, smiling, and left with Shen Qinglan.

Watching the two leave, Shen Xitong’s expression completely darkened. She had been having a terrible time recently and wanted to make trouble for Shen Qinglan. But the person she found turned out to be useless, unable to handle even a small task without almost dragging her into it.

If it hadn’t been for her cleverness, involving several twists and turns in the middle, it’s uncertain what would have happened this time. However, she is not aware that her secret actions have long been exposed under the watchful eyes of others. Right now, the recording that could serve as evidence is lying on Shen Junyu’s office desk.

Shen Junyu had already listened to the recording of the conversation between the reporter and the man, and with it, the recording of Shen Xitong hiring someone to mess with Qinglan. All of these were sent to him today with his name on it, but the sender could not be traced.

At first, he thought it was someone playing a prank, but after some investigation, he found that the recordings hadn’t been tampered with at all, which meant they were authentic.

Shen Junyu’s expression was very dark, his eyes cold. This was not the first time Shen Xitong had targeted Qinglan. He sat alone in his office for a long time before finally picking up his cell phone to call Shen Qian, telling him the whole story.

"Now that Shen Xitong’s biological parents have been found, and they plan to acknowledge her, should we also return their daughter to them?" Shen Junyu spoke coldly.

It’s unclear what Shen Qian said on the other end, but Shen Junyu suddenly became very angry, "Just because Lanlan hasn’t been hurt doesn’t mean what Shen Xitong did was right. Lanlan has always been the legitimate daughter of the Shen Family, and what is Shen Xitong, anyway? How dare she hurt Lanlan like that? Even if Lanlan doesn’t care, I, as her brother, cannot stand idly by."

He tugged at the tie around his neck, which was making him very uncomfortable, and yanked it off, tossing it carelessly onto the sofa. "You may not care about Lanlan, but I cannot do the same... Don’t forget, Lanlan is your biological daughter. Mom is like this, and you too, do you even deserve to be her parents? Whose fault was it that Lanlan went missing in the first place... I’m telling you, this is the last time. If Shen Xitong dares to hurt Lanlan again, I definitely won’t let her off. Whatever ’the daughter of the Shen Family,’ the reputation of the Shen Family, none of that is as important to me as a single hair on my sister’s head."

Shen Junyu’s cell phone was smashed violently to the ground, his face livid with rage, like a trapped beast struggling to escape. He had always been polite and reserved, so such a state was extremely rare for him.

It was at this moment that Fang Tong came in. She was there to deliver documents but had just opened the door when she met Shen Junyu’s icy, emotionless eyes. Startled, she subconsciously wanted to back away, but saw Shen Junyu quickly regain his usual composure, making Fang Tong think that what she had seen just moments before was merely an illusion.

"Aren’t you here to deliver documents? What are you standing there for, come in." Shen Junyu sat in his chair, his voice gentle.

Fang Tong steadied herself, trying to ignore the shattered phone and the discarded tie, and placed the documents on Shen Junyu’s desk, "Assistant Yu said you have a social engagement tonight, at seven o’clock at the Imperial Court Club. He asked me to remind you."

Fang Tong spoke word for word, though her face was expressionless, she was inwardly cursing Yu Bin. Did he already know that Shen Junyu was in a bad mood, and that was why he sent her to deliver the documents?

Poor her, an intern without any right to refuse.

Shen Junyu accepted the documents, barely looking up, and simply said, "Got it."

Fang Tong waited a little while, and seeing that he had no other instructions, prepared to leave. But just as she was about to move, Shen Junyu called out to her, "Join me for the social engagement tonight."

Fang Tong let out an "Ah" of surprise.

Shen Junyu looked up at her, staring straight at her, "Is that a problem?"

Fang Tong knew that whenever Shen Junyu needed a female companion for a banquet or social event, he would usually ask someone from the secretarial office to accompany him. There were so many people in that office, any one of them would have been better than her. Why ask her? Moreover, she had never been to such an event before and had no idea how to handle it. If she made a mistake, wouldn’t that just cause trouble for the company?

Thinking this way, Fang Tong said as much, and Shen Junyu listened quietly to her.

"Or, should I ask someone else?" Fang Tong asked tentatively. In fact, she had made dinner plans with Ding Minghui and really wasn’t available that evening.

Shen Junyu looked at her, not saying yes or no. Fang Tong felt somewhat uneasy under his gaze, "Mainly because I really don’t have experience, and I can’t hold my liquor either." Even if the job is to fend off drinkers, I wouldn’t be of any help. If I went, I might end up needing someone else to fend them off for me.

"Fang Tong, what are you here to do?" Shen Junyu asked her, his voice quite calm, showing no sign of pleasure or anger.

Fang Tong’s face changed slightly, her mind clearing up a bit. Yes, she was here to be a secretary, essentially a wage worker, "I understand, I’ll get ready right away. I just don’t know what kind of clothes I should wear for this occasion?"

"Your usual attire will do, just not too casual."

Fang Tong nodded, walked out, and glanced back at Shen Junyu before leaving. She saw he had already returned to looking through his documents.

Seeing her leave, Shen Junyu looked up from his papers and rubbed his brows. He had just had a disagreement with his father and felt somewhat exhausted.

He couldn’t quite comprehend his father’s thinking. He didn’t understand the point of keeping Shen Xitong in the Shen Family. If she were well-behaved, Shen Junyu wouldn’t have said anything; after all, the Shen Family could easily support one more person. But now, it was obvious that Shen Xitong’s appetite was quite large, and there wasn’t much that Shen Junyu didn’t know she desired.

Just as he thought about picking up his smartphone to make a call, he remembered he had smashed it. He picked up the landline and called Fang Tong, "Go buy me a new smartphone now and bring it over immediately."

He hung up after saying just that. Fang Tong, who had just returned to her desk, looked at her phone speechlessly; of course, she knew who had just called. Resigned, she picked up her bag and left the company to buy a smartphone for the boss.

There was a large smartphone market nearby the company. She didn’t know which model Shen Junyu usually used. Facing the dazzling array of options on display, she was at a loss. She thought about calling Shen Junyu but was worried he might think she was inefficient. After some thought, she decided to call Qinglan.

"Qinglan, which kind of smartphone does your brother like?" Fang Tong asked directly.

Qinglan was in a clothing store waiting for Chu Yunrong to try on clothes. Receiving Fang Tong’s call, she looked confused, "What?"

Fang Tong slapped her forehead, "It’s like this..." Fang Tong explained the situation, "But I don’t know what kind of smartphone your brother likes. I’m afraid to buy something he wouldn’t like, so I called to ask you."

Qinglan pondered for a moment, "Just get a black business model."

Fang Tong felt relieved and pointed to a black smartphone on the counter, "This one, then."

When Fang Tong returned with the smartphone, she didn’t see Shen Junyu in his office. The broken phone that had been on the floor was gone, as was the tie that had been thrown on the sofa. The office was as clean and tidy as ever.

She pouted and placed the smartphone on the desk, just about to leave when she heard the sound of water from the rest room. Assuming Shen Junyu was inside, she knocked on the door to let him know she had brought back the smartphone.

However, there was no response after knocking. Fang Tong called out, but still no answer. Figuring he was probably showering and didn’t hear her, she was about to leave when the door to the rest room opened, and Shen Junyu’s tall figure came into Fang Tong’s view.

Shen Junyu had just finished showering and came over upon hearing the knock. Droplets of water still clung to his hair. He was dressed, but the top half was only a shirt with the top three buttons undone, revealing a wide expanse of chest. The shirttail wasn’t tucked into his trousers, presenting a very casual look.

Fang Tong caught a glimpse of his chest and quickly averted her eyes, the tips of her ears turning slightly red. Her eyes dropped, not daring to wander, "The smartphone has been purchased, it’s on the table. Take a look to see if you like it. If not, I can go exchange it."

After speaking, Fang Tong turned to leave, but Shen Junyu called out to her, "Wait a minute."

Fang Tong stood with her back to her, and from his angle, he could clearly see the pink tips of her ears. With a spark in his eyes, he could walk in front of her, slightly lower his head, and look at her. "Am I a tiger? Do you dare not even give me a glance? Are you afraid I’ll eat you?"

His hand landed on his shirt buttons, leisurely fastening them, and Fang Tong watched the prominent hand in front of her without a word—only her ear tips reddened further. It had to be said, both Shen Qinglan and Shen Junyu, the siblings, possessed very good looks, especially a pair of hands that resembled works of art.

Fang Tong was a complete hand enthusiast. She had originally become acquainted with Shen Qinglan because she liked her hands, and now she suddenly found that Shen Junyu’s hands were also very attractive—more so than Ding Minghui’s, more stylish—these were powerful hands.

Fang Tong’s gaze rested on Shen Junyu’s hands, slightly entranced.

Shen Junyu had always been watching her and naturally noticed the slight anomaly, with the corner of his lips curling into a shallow smile, "We’ll leave at six. Why don’t you go out and prepare?"

Shen Junyu got back to the point, and Fang Tong instantly snapped back to reality, thinking of how she had just been daydreaming over a man’s hand, she felt somewhat embarrassed, uttered a quick "oh," and hurried out of Shen Junyu’s office.

Shen Junyu shook his head with a chuckle, walked over to the desk, picked up his phone, and swapped his SIM card back in.

Fang Tong left the office, rubbed her burning ear tips, and shook her head, then she noticed that her phone seemed to be vibrating—it was Ding Minghui calling her, and she just remembered that she had forgotten to cancel the dinner plans with him.

"Hello, Minghui," Fang Tong said with a hint of apology in her tone.

But Ding Minghui didn’t pick up on this, "Tongtong, sorry, something came up tonight, I can’t go to dinner with you. Is the weekend okay? I’ll take you somewhere delicious then."

The trace of remorse inside Fang Tong vanished without a trace, and her eyes fell on the wall. "What’s the matter?" She could not recall how many times Ding Minghui had told her he had plans and then stood her up.

Although she also had plans today, and they couldn’t have dinner together even if Ding Minghui was available, the two scenarios felt quite different.

Ding Minghui paused, "A personal matter, Tongtong, I promise, this is the last time. I’ll definitely have dinner with you on the weekend, okay?"

Fang Tong’s gaze turned cool as she chuckled, "Alright, it just so happens I have something to do today as well. If you hadn’t called me, I was going to call you."

Now it was Ding Minghui’s turn to fall silent, "You have something today too? What?"

"My boss asked me to accompany him to a social engagement," Fang Tong said nonchalantly.

On the other end, Ding Minghui’s face stiffened as he unconsciously remembered the sight of Shen Junyu holding Fang Tong as they danced at last year’s company’s annual meeting. "Aren’t there many people in the secretariat? Why do they need you to attend?"

Fang Tong laughed silently to herself, "Maybe they are all too busy, and I, an intern, haven’t much to do, so why not go? You have other matters to attend to; go ahead, I need to get ready too, goodbye for now."

Ding Minghui stared at the ended call screen, his face slightly turning green. A colleague saw his expression and asked, "What’s wrong? You don’t look so good."

Ding Minghui shook his head; he couldn’t very well say he was afraid his boss would steal his girlfriend.

Fang Tong was indeed pretty and knew how to dress up, but she did not reach the level of stunning beauty. A person like Shen Junyu must have seen countless beauties and probably wouldn’t be interested in Fang Tong.

Ding Minghui tried to comfort himself, but on the other hand, he still worried. After meeting Fang Tong’s parents last time, Ding Minghui had realized the gap between Fang Tong and himself. Shen Junyu’s family background was something he would never be able to reach in his lifetime.

**

"Qinglan, how does this dress look?" Chu Yunrong came out of the dressing room and asked Shen Qinglan. Shen Qinglan measured her up and down and nodded, "Not bad, it suits your temperament very well."

Chu Yunrong was pleased, "Then I’ll take this one?"

"Sure."

Chu Yunrong went inside to change back into her clothes, while Shen Qinglan continued to wait until she received a call from Fu Hengyi. He asked where she was, and Shen Qinglan gave him the address.

"You and Mom have a good time shopping around; I should be there in about an hour," Fu Hengyi said, glancing at his watch.

"You’re done with your work?" Shen Qinglan asked softly, a hint of warmth softening her cool face.

"Mm, just finished. I have the afternoon off, and I’ll come to pick you both up."

Knowing that Fu Hengyi had finished his work, Shen Qinglan didn’t stop him and made arrangements before hanging up.

Chu Yunrong had already changed and handed the clothes to the clerk, "I’ll take this one, wrap it up for me." Then she pointed at two other dresses on the rack, "And these two, wrap them up as well. In my daughter’s size."

She pointed at Shen Qinglan, and the clerk glanced at Shen Qinglan, did not come over to take her measurements, just nodded, and took the clothes away.

"Mom, I already have a lot of clothes, no need to buy any."

Shen Junyu was someone who cared deeply about style, changing his wardrobe every season, and consequently, Shen Qinglan’s clothes were plentiful, with many still in packaging and out of season.

"I know, but most of your clothes are too plain, and they are mostly casual wear. Now you are married, still a young lady, and you should dress up nicely once in a while. Although these two are dresses, their colors aren’t too bright, and the patterns are simple. Go home and try them; maybe Hengyi will like them."

Shen Qinglan swallowed the urge to refuse at Chu Yunrong’s last sentence.

"I just saw a men’s clothing store earlier, the clothes there were quite nice. Should we pick out a few for Hengyi?" Chu Yunrong sought Shen Qinglan’s opinion.

Shen Qinglan had intended to buy clothes for Fu Hengyi anyway, so naturally, she wouldn’t object. She followed Chu Yunrong into the clothing store, and indeed, the clothes were quite exquisite, both in design and tailoring. Shen Qinglan purchased three suits in one go.

By the time Fu Hengyi arrived, what he saw was Shen Qinglan and Chu Yunrong laden with large and small bags. He naturally took the bags from Shen Qinglan’s hands and then took over from Chu Yunrong.

"Mom, it’s still early. Shall we have some lunch first?" Fu Hengyi suggested.

Chu Yun Rong shook her head, "I won’t be going, you and Qinglan go ahead, I still need to meet a friend later. Just drop me off at the intersection ahead."

The couple rarely got to be together, Chu Yun Rong didn’t want to be a third wheel, and she indeed had things to do later.

Fu Hengyi wasn’t insistent and dropped Chu Yun Rong off at the upcoming intersection, even hailed a taxi for her, before leaving with Shen Qinglan.

"How come you bought so much today?" Fu Hengyi asked with a smile, looking at Shen Qinglan. She usually wasn’t one to buy lots of things. Today, she had bought so much that even the back seat was nearly full. He wondered if it was Chu Yun Rong who did the shopping.

"I saw some nice clothes, so I bought a few extra, and bought some for you as well. Try them on when we get back and see if you like them."

Fu Hengyi smiled, "I’m sure I’ll like whatever you bought."

Shen Qinglan’s cheeks felt a little warm; she had realized that since getting married, her husband’s skin had grown thicker and his words sweeter.

Now that her mother-in-law had given them space, Fu Hengyi certainly wasn’t going to waste her kind gesture. He took Shen Qinglan to the beach by car.

The beach wasn’t crowded this season. The moist sea breeze blew on their faces, bringing a dampness along with the distinct brine of the ocean.

Fu Hengyi held Shen Qinglan’s hand, carrying her shoes in the other, while Shen Qinglan walked barefoot on the sand, enjoying the soft, fine sensation beneath her feet.

"Let’s just walk for a bit. The weather is cool now, and it’s not good for your feet to get cold," said Fu Hengyi softly, with a hint of indulgence.

Shen Qinglan nodded with a laugh, tilting her head to look at him, "Fu Hengyi, have you ever felt like you’ve raised a daughter?"

A daughter? Fu Hengyi was initially confused, but once he got it, his gaze swept over her body, especially a certain part, and he laughed mischievously. "How come I don’t hear you calling me ’Daddy’?"

He lowered his voice and whispered in Shen Qinglan’s ear, "We can try that tonight."

Shen Qinglan’s face turned completely red in an instant, glaring at someone whose mouth knew no filter, someone whose skin was practically impervious.

She quickened her pace, moving ahead of Fu Hengyi, who followed, looking at her slender figure with a tender smile.

This wasn’t Shen Qinglan’s first visit to the seaside. One could say she grew up watching the sea. The Devil Base was on an isolated island in the ocean, surrounded by water. She had even been thrown into the sea for training in winter, struggling painfully in the freezing water, and at one point, she was almost swallowed whole by a shark.

Every time she faced the sea, she felt no fondness for it; yet at this moment, feeling the gaze on her back, she suddenly found the ocean before her immensely beautiful.

The sea breeze tousled her hair. Shen Qinglan turned around and looked at Fu Hengyi with a genuine smile slowly blooming on her lips, her eyes fixed on his, sparkling with stars, backed by the deep blue ocean, reflecting the sky.

She said, "Fu Hengyi, I love you."

The sudden confession startled Fu Hengyi, but he immediately smiled, a tender, doting smile, quickly stepping forward to embrace her, "I love you too." His voice was soft and affectionate.

The kiss began romantically and warmly, and someone, capturing the moment, lifted a camera to record this beautiful scene.

As the kiss ended, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were both slightly out of breath. Nestled in Fu Hengyi’s arms, Shen Qinglan said, "Fu Hengyi, let’s get married after I graduate."

Fu Hengyi nodded, "Alright, I’ll give you a grand wedding."

Unexpectedly, Shen Qinglan gently shook her head, "I don’t want a grand wedding, just a simple and warm one with a few close friends and family."

"Alright, whatever you wish," Fu Hengyi said, his eyes twinkling like stars.

**

"How have you been feeling lately?" the psychologist, Doctor Zhou, asked Chu Yunrong. This was Chu Yunrong’s third psychotherapy session.

Chu Yunrong was leaning back in her chair, eyes closed, with a trace of a smile on her lips, clearly in a state of hypnosis, "My relationship with her has improved a lot. She’s willing to talk to me now. Today, she even went shopping with me."

Doctor Zhou smiled softly, "That signifies that your relationship is healing. When you’re alone with her now, does it still hurt?"

At his words, the smile on Chu Yunrong’s face faded slightly, "I’ve always felt nothing but guilt toward her. Whenever I think of her, I feel pain. If I hadn’t been so careless, my daughter wouldn’t have had to suffer so much. Doctor Zhou, you don’t know how adorable Qinglan was as a child, how much she loved to laugh. I was her favorite person. If she couldn’t see me, she would cry, even if I just went to the restroom, she liked to follow me."

Speaking of Qinglan’s childhood made Chu Yunrong’s smile intensify. She had never shared these details with anyone else, not even with Shen Qian. If she hadn’t been hypnotized, she might never have revealed as much.

Doctor Zhou listened quietly, his expression soft and patient, not showing the slightest impatience.

"When she was little, she was very well-behaved and rarely cried. Sometimes when I had performances, she would stay with her grandparents. If she missed me, she’d call me, and only after hearing my voice would she go to sleep. That day, I hadn’t planned to take her out, but she kept pestering me. She didn’t throw a tantrum, just looked at me with those big, pitiful eyes, and my heart softened, so I took her out without a nanny. If only I had been firmer that day or had let the nanny come along, the subsequent events wouldn’t have happened." Tears fell from Chu Yunrong’s eyes as she vividly remembered the day Shen Qinglan went missing, even after all these years.

"I was holding her hand the entire time, but the streets were crowded that day. I don’t know why there were so many people. Just as a bus stopped and a crowd disembarked, I lost focus for a moment and my daughter was gone. I couldn’t find her, no matter how long I searched." Her emotions surged, and her body began to tremble slightly.

Seeing her state, Doctor Zhou spoke softly, "Don’t be agitated. Your daughter has come back to you. She’s by your side now, and she’s married to a man who loves her deeply. She’s very happy."

Chu Yunrong’s tears flowed more freely as she shook her head, "It’s not the same. She’s no longer the daughter who clung to me. You don’t know, the first time she saw me, she looked at me as if I were a stranger. Even after all these years, she has always spoken to me politely. I know I’ve hurt her heart."

"Why do you think you hurt her heart?" Doctor Zhou inquired gently.

"Because I didn’t find her in time. I let her suffer so much. And then I adopted another girl, giving the love that should have been for my daughter to that child. But if I had known things would turn out this way, I would definitely not have agreed to adopt that child."

"I know they all say I favor my adopted daughter, that I don’t treat my biological daughter as well as her, but it’s not like that. I just didn’t know how to face Qinglan. And Xitong, she resembled Qinglan when she was little, always clinging to me. I..." She couldn’t continue. In truth, she loved her daughter. Qinglan was her life. If Qinglan were in danger, she would willingly exchange her life to save her. She wasn’t like what others said, loving the adopted daughter and not caring for her own. It wasn’t like that.