The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 217. Should we give it a try (one more update)

Chapter 217: 217. Should we give it a try (one more update)

Fu Hengyi smiled gently, "Don’t worry, I won’t get hurt. I’ll make sure of it." He had once promised her that he wouldn’t get injured.

After Fu Hengyi left, Shen Qinglan suddenly felt like something was missing in her life. Other than going to the hospital, she just went home to sleep and stopped visiting the teahouse.

That day, Shen Qinglan had just stepped out of the hospital when she received a call from Ya Xi. It had been a long time since Ya Xi, who had moved out of Shangya Garden, had contacted Shen Qinglan.

"Ya Xi."

"Big sister," Ya Xi’s clear voice came through from the other end, "Big sister, I don’t have class this afternoon. Let’s go shopping." From the tone of her voice, it was evident that Ya Xi was in a good mood.

Shen Qinglan thought for a moment before agreeing and set a meeting place with Ya Xi. Then she went to the garage to get her car.

"Big sister, I’ve missed you so much." As soon as they met, Ya Xi hugged Shen Qinglan, who patted her on the shoulder.

Having not seen each other for a while, Ya Xi had lost a lot of weight. She was already thin, and now she looked like a gust of wind could blow her away. Shen Qinglan slightly furrowed her brow, "Haven’t you been eating well recently?"

Ya Xi smiled sheepishly, "I’ve been too busy with my studies recently and haven’t had the chance to eat properly. But big sister, I ranked in the top fifty in the recent monthly exam, improving by more than seventy places."

"That’s really good." Shen Qinglan was generous with her praise. Upon hearing this, the smile on Ya Xi’s face grew even broader.

"Big sister, it’s been so long since I went shopping. You can accompany me to buy some clothes today," Ya Xi said with a smile.

Shen Qinglan had not seen Ya Xi so energetic in a long time. She smiled, nodded, and said, "Let’s go."

Ya Xi bought a lot of things. They had only walked half the way when Ya Xi’s hands were already full, and even Shen Qinglan was carrying a few bags.

"Big sister, I’m so tired. Let’s take a break," Ya Xi said, unable to walk any further. Shen Qinglan looked at her helplessly, thinking women are truly formidable creatures; no matter the age, once they enter a shopping mall, they shop as if money doesn’t matter.

Looking pitiful, Ya Xi finally got Shen Qinglan to agree, "Okay, there’s a dessert shop ahead. Let’s rest there."

Ya Xi instantly brightened up.

"Ya Xi!" Someone called out Ya Xi’s name, prompting Shen Qinglan and Ya Xi to stop and look towards the source.

It was a woman, in her thirties, dressed in a cheongsam with exquisite makeup, exuding the fragile grace of a Jiangnan woman.

Upon seeing the woman, Ya Xi was first puzzled, then her expression changed, and her look towards the woman shifted, "Big sister, let’s go."

Shen Qinglan glanced at her inquiringly and followed Ya Xi’s steps. The woman quickly approached, "Ya Xi, wait for me."

Ya Xi faced the woman coldly, "What do you really want?"

The woman, faced with Ya Xi’s cold words, seemed quite helpless, "Ya Xi, I just saw you and wanted to say hello. I didn’t mean any harm."

"Have you finished saying hello? Can I go now?"

The woman rubbed her temples, "Ya Xi, you have misunderstood me deeply."

"I haven’t misunderstood you. I’m leaving now. Please step aside."

The woman did not move, blocking Ya Xi’s way, "Ya Xi, your parents’ issues have nothing to do with me. I’ve only returned to Nancheng to visit my hometown, and I didn’t intend to break up anyone’s family. Moreover, I am already married and I have a husband who loves me very much, and I love him too. Whatever happened with your father, it was all in the past."

Shen Qinglan sideways observed the woman, realizing who she must be. If she was not wrong, this woman should be Qin Mu’s biological mother—Qin Yan.

Looking carefully, one could indeed see similarities between Qin Mu and her mother. From Qin Yan’s eyes and eyebrows, one could see traces of Qin Mu. Watching Qin Yan, a flicker of pain crossed Shen Qinglan’s eyes, but it passed in an instant.

Ya Xi did not feel any relief hearing Qin Yan’s words. She was rather angry, "So should I praise you for being so charming that your mere appearance disrupts my happy family?"

Qin Yan’s face turned slightly unpleasant, but she did not lash out. Looking at Ya Xi with eyes full of tolerance, like those of someone watching a willful child, "Ya Xi, no matter what, I have no ill intentions towards you, whether you believe it or not."

Then she glanced apologetically at Shen Qinglan, and smiled, "You’re Ya Xi’s friend, right? Sorry for disturbing you. I have to leave for another matter."

Shen Qinglan kept her expression cold and did not respond to her words. Qin Yan turned to leave, her smile falling off her face, her eyes pooling with sadness.

Shen Qinglan watched the woman whose very silhouette seemed to exude sadness and thought of something. She withdrew her gaze, "Let’s go."

The confrontation with the woman had dampened Ya Xi’s spirits. She fell silent and followed behind Shen Qinglan, no longer vibrant.

Shen Qinglan ordered a juice for her. Ya Xi sat silently at the table, and Shen Qinglan did not question her.

"Big sister, I don’t want to shop anymore," Ya Xi spoke up, her voice low.

"Okay, I’ll take you back to school soon."

Ya Xi didn’t object but just nodded.

After taking Ya Xi back to school, Shen Qinglan headed to Shangya Garden. Jin Enxi was home, but Cissily had run off somewhere. "An, why are you here?"

"I came to see you about something."

Jin Enxi, puzzled, asked, "What is it?"

"Qin Yan," Shen Qinglan stated, "Qin Mu’s mother."

Understanding dawned on Jin Enxi, who began, "It seems that after Qin Mu went missing, Qin Yan left Nancheng, and no one knew where she went. Those who went to investigate couldn’t track her whereabouts. Recently, she returned to Nancheng with a man, said to be her husband."

Shen Qinglan’s expression briefly firmed, "You just mentioned that after Qin Yan left Nancheng, her tracks couldn’t be traced anymore?"

"Yes, strange, isn’t it? It seemed odd to me at the time too. I checked repeatedly with people, but there was indeed no trace of her. However, it’s said that when she left Nancheng, her mental state was problematic; she went insane."

Shen Qinglan recalled the scene when she encountered Qin Yan today. She did not seem mentally disturbed. But what was she doing looking for Ya Xi?

Unable to figure it out, Shen Qinglan put these thoughts aside for the moment.

"By the way, An, let me tell you something interesting," Jin Enxi spoke with relish, "Your foster sister has hooked up with a rich man and is now making waves in social circles again. It appears that this man wants to support her."

"Oh?" Shen Qinglan made a sound as Jin Enxi continued, "the internet was previously trashing her, but unexpectedly, this contributed to her fame. She then took advantage of a man, apparently the heir of a listed company. I forgot his name. I don’t know what tactics she used, but this man treats her well and even suppressed those negative news articles online."

Shen Qinglan slightly furrowed her eyebrows. She had been too busy lately to concern herself with Li Xitong’s affairs, and unexpectedly, she’d turned her situation around.

"Hehe," Jin Enxi chuckled slyly, "you don’t know, there was quite a drama in between. That man wanted to marry Li Xitong, but then Li Xitong’s biological parents and younger brother and his wife showed up, demanding ten million for a dowry and a house. This infuriated the man so much that he threw them all out and even considered breaking up with Li Xitong. Probably Li Xitong’s skills in bed are noteworthy, as she managed to soothe him and stay by his side. Otherwise, who knows what new drama could have unfolded?" Her tone carried a hint of regret for not witnessing more of the spectacle.

Shen Qinglan was not the least bit surprised by this, as the behavior of the Li Family in marrying off their daughters to anyone was enough to reveal their character. The last time Li Xitong was injured and hospitalized, though it was claimed to have been an accident, Shen Qinglan suspected that it was most likely the Li Family’s doing.

"We don’t need to worry too much about her, just keep an occasional eye out." It wasn’t that Shen Qinglan looked down on Li Xitong, but she truly lacked the intelligence to cause serious trouble.

Jin Enxi nodded, then began fiddling with her assorted equipment. Ever since Leng Qingqiu’s identity was revealed, Daniel had taken the painting directly to Jiangxin Garden, and with Ya Xi no longer living here, this place had effectively become Jin Enxi’s personal base. Her "treasures" could be seen everywhere in the living room or her bedroom.

"An, why are you staring at me like that?" Jin Enxi met Shen Qinglan’s gaze, somewhat baffled.

"Have you still got that tracker you gave to Eden?" Shen Qinglan asked.

Jin Enxi nodded, "I do, do you need it?"

"Yes."

"There’s a drawback though, its size is very small, easy to carry, and hard to be detected by other devices, but its range is very limited. Only within a distance of two hundred meters can the tracker and its receiver sense each other."

"That’s fine, prepare one for me, I have a use for it."

"Alright, I’ll modify it to make it less conspicuous on you," Jin Enxi said, "Tell me, are you giving it as a gift or is it for personal use? And if you’re giving it, is it for a man or a woman?"

"One I’ll keep for myself, and one for Fu Hengyi."

Jin Enxi flashed an OK gesture, "Alright, I got it. I’ll have it ready in a few days, and it’ll be pretty."

Shen Qinglan didn’t care about the appearance as long as its functionality was robust. However, she couldn’t anticipate that this casual act would turn out to be such a great help to her in the future.

"Alright, if there’s nothing else, I’m going to head off," Shen Qinglan planned to leave, and Jin Enxi nodded.

**

Shen Junyu was surprised to receive an invitation to a dinner party from Wen Xiyao, "To be your male companion at the banquet?" Shen Junyu raised an eyebrow, set down his signing pen, and leaned back in his chair.

"Yeah, this dinner is quite important, but I don’t have a male companion. I can’t just go there alone, so I was wondering if President Shen might have the time?"

"When is it?" This was practically an agreement.

Wen Xiyao smiled, "Tonight at 7:30, at Imperial Court."

"Alright, I’ll pick you up at five."

Wen Xiyao responded affirmatively and hung up the phone, turning to her secretary, "Hand over the afternoon meeting to the deputy, I’m heading out early."

The secretary nodded in understanding. Wen Xiyao finished up the last bit of paperwork and then left the office. However, just as she reached the company building’s exit, she ran into Du Nan, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time. Ever since their last meeting in Lin City, Du had indeed been absent from Wen Xiyao’s life for a considerable period; she had almost forgotten his existence.

"Xi Yao." Du Nan called out from a distance, waving at Wen Xiyao, his face beaming. Fortunately, it wasn’t time to leave work yet, otherwise, he surely would have drawn considerable attention.

Wen Xiyao really wanted to pretend not to see him, but thinking of how sticky Du Nan could be, she still went over, "How come you’re here?"

Du Nan smiled warmly, "Of course, I came to see you. I’ve been busy taking over the family company and haven’t had time to be with you properly. Xiyao, you’re not mad at me, are you?"

Wen Xiyao felt a headache coming on and blinked, "Du Nan, I’ve already told you last time, I have a boyfriend. We should keep some distance in the future. I don’t want him to misunderstand."

"Xi Yao, don’t be mad. I’ve really been busy with the company’s business, it’s not that I’ve been intentionally ignoring you. Look, the moment I had time, I came to Beijing to see you," Du Nan said, as if he hadn’t heard Wen Xiyao’s words.

Wen Xiyao rolled her eyes. She was starting to doubt whether Du Nan was even from this planet. Why couldn’t he understand human words?

"Du Nan, I believe you understand what I mean. You’ve been around for over twenty years, and I never fell for you. You should understand that it’s impossible between us."

Du Nan’s warm smile gradually disappeared, and he looked solemnly at Wen Xiyao, his eyes hurt, "Xi Yao, do you really need to be this cruel? You’d rather find a non-existent man to dismiss me than give me a chance?"

"No, you are wrong," Wen Xiyao corrected, "My boyfriend is not non-existent. You met him last time, he’s the President of Junlan Group, Shen Junyu. We are dating."

"Du Nan, we grew up together. You should know my character - I don’t do things I don’t like just because someone else insists. I’ve said this to you not once, but this is the last time. I don’t like you. If you stop pestering me, then we can still be friends. If you continue like this, we can’t even be friends. Stay away from me as far as possible. I won’t take into account the face of your parents or mine."

Wen Xiyao walked past him, about to leave. "Xi Yao," Du Nan called from behind her.

Wen Xiyao paused.

"Are you really not willing to give me a chance?"

"Yes," she said decisively, without a hint of hesitation.

"What does he have that I don’t?" Du Nan asked.

"Du Nan, you’re not the type of person I like. If it were possible, I would have liked it if you were the one I loved." Thus, your love for me for over so many years would not be in vain.

Wen Xiyao left, and Du Nan stood there, his face full of sorrow. He was a proud man, but for a woman named Wen Xiyao, he gave up his pride, shamelessly following her around, persistently hoping she would glance back at him. Ultimately, Wen Xiyao spared not even a look before falling for a man who’d only appeared in her life a few days ago.

Shen Junyu came to pick up Wen Xiyao and noticed her mood didn’t seem very cheery. He raised an eyebrow, "Are you not happy to see me?"

Wen Xiyao was doing her makeup and glanced at Shen Junyu through the mirror. Seeing him dressed in a dark blue suit which matched her dark blue evening gown, she couldn’t help but smile. Should she remark on their coordination?

"Your joke isn’t funny at all," Wen Xiyao replied.

Shen Junyu sat down on a nearby sofa, casually picking up a magazine to browse. Patient till the end, it took an hour before Wen Xiyao finished her makeup. Shen Junyu stood up, put the magazine aside, "Let’s go."

Wen Xiyao turned to look at him, "Are you always this patient with women?"

Shen Junyu smirked, "Just to prevent some people from saying I’m not gentlemanly enough."

Wen Xiyao pursed her lips. Are all men this nitpicky?

"By the way, next weekend happens to be Qinglan’s birthday. I’m thinking of throwing her a birthday party. Do you have time to come?"

Wen Xiyao sidelong, "Qinglan’s birthday is next weekend?" She thought for a moment, "Isn’t next weekend Children’s Day?"

Shen Junyu laughed, "Yeah, her birthday is on Children’s Day. When she was a child, she once complained to my mom that she was at a loss. Others celebrated their birthdays and Children’s Day separately, but hers were together, which was unfair."

Wen Xiyao couldn’t help but laugh, surprised that the childhood Shen Qinglan had such an adorable side, "I definitely need to attend Qinglan’s birthday."

Seeing the smile on her face, Shen Junyu’s eyes softened, a hint of an undetected smile flashing through his eyes.

"I’ll give you the invitation then."

"Making it so formal? I thought it was just a private party."

"It’s not any formal occasion. It’s just relatives and friends who are coming. But it happens to be her last birthday at her parents’ home, so we thought to make it a bit grand." Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi’s wedding date was already set for September 9, just three months away. Both families had started their preparations in earnest. Old Sir Shen and Old Sir Fu often got together to discuss wedding details, while the couple themselves continued to enjoy their carefree daily life, as if it wasn’t them getting married.

"Alright, I’ll definitely be on time, no delays."

Upon reaching their destination, Shen Junyu got out first, then walked around to the other side to open the car door for Wen Xiyao. He displayed perfect gentlemanly manners; Wen Xiyao, with a faint smile, took Shen Junyu’s arm and they walked into the banquet hall together.

This was just an ordinary banquet. Even if not attended, it wouldn’t matter, like with Shen Junyu, who had received an invitation but hadn’t planned on attending. He was here just to accompany Wen Xiyao.

Wen Xiyao, the newly appointed General Manager of Xinhe International, was still unknown to many in Beijing, and such occasions were necessary for her at this stage.

After exchanging pleasantries with the business veterans, Wen Xiyao found it dull.

These old foxes, they pretended to exchange pleasantries, but their real intent was to probe her relationship with Shen Junyu. Others were purely curious about the new General Manager, given that Wen Xiyao could be considered as parachuted in.

Wen Xiyao was not a novice in the business world; her words were watertight, and once the old foxes realized they couldn’t dig anything out of her, they naturally gave up, allowing Wen Xiyao to finally catch her breath.

She found an inconspicuous corner to secretly pinch her own cheeks. She had been smiling all evening, so much that her face was about to freeze in a smile.

"I didn’t expect Shen Junyu to like a woman like you," a strange female voice came from beside her. Wen Xiyao looked up, her lips slightly curling, "I thought it was someone important, but it turns out to be the well-known Miss Li Xitong."

She deliberately emphasized the word "Li," watching as Li Xitong’s face changed instantly, and finally, a hint of amusement appeared in her eyes.

"Hmph," Li Xitong snorted coldly, "Just a woman who climbed up by relying on a man, what’s so great about that? One day, Shen Junyu will grow tired of you, dreaming of relying on Shen Junyu to marry into the Shen Family."

Leaning against the pillar behind her, Wen Xiyao tried to relieve the pressure on her feet. Today, to match her outfit, she had worn a pair of shoes that weren’t quite fitting, and they rubbed her heels sorely.

"Well, that’s still better than someone who managed to enter the Shen Family but got thrown out."

"You," Li Xitong gritted her teeth.

Wen Xiyao raised her eyebrows, "How so?" Go ahead, bite me if you can, let’s see if I’m scared of you.

Her attitude appeared completely mocking and provocative in Li Xitong’s eyes. Ever since getting kicked out by the Shen Family, seeing anyone from the Shen Family made her teeth itch with hatred. However, she dared not trouble Shen Junyu, but the woman who had come with him was another story.

She had recognized Wen Xiyao early on; this was the woman she had encountered back in Lin City. Unexpectedly, she had chased a man all the way to Beijing.

Wen Xiyao’s mouth was sharp, and Li Xitong couldn’t out-talk her. Not wanting to be angered to death, Li Xitong turned to leave. "Wait," Wen Xiyao spoke.

"Miss Li Xitong, please clean yourself up before you speak ill of others next time. It’s just unsightly and ridiculous otherwise."

Li Xitong’s face turned ashen, probably not expecting Wen Xiyao to be so formidable in a confrontation; instead of bothering Wen Xiyao, she had only managed to upset herself. Li Xitong walked away quickly, thinking she must have been crazy to embarrass herself like that.

"Tsk, such weak combat skills, clearly a maid’s fate but pretends to have a princess’ disease, who’s been spoiling her?" Wen Xiyao scoffed.

"Hehe," a light laugh came from beside her. Wen Xiyao looked up to see Shen Junyu watching her with a smiling face, "Didn’t expect President Wen to be so smooth with words."

Wen Xiyao smiled insincerely, "I also didn’t expect President Shen to have a hobby of eavesdropping around corners."

Shen Junyu smiled without responding. He had just finished socializing and had lost sight of Wen Xiyao; seeing her drink quite a bit tonight, he was worried she might get into trouble and decided to look for her but couldn’t find her immediately. He had just entered when he stumbled upon her cornered exchange with Li Xitong.

Hearing her bicker with Li Xitong, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Wen Xiyao had indeed drunk quite a bit tonight, but she could hold her liquor well, merely flushing slightly, which actually added a healthy glow to her face.

"It’s about time, let’s head back," Shen Junyu said.

Wen Xiyao nodded. She had already maintained the necessary relationships earlier and was ready to leave. Standing upright, she walked out of the banquet hall with Shen Junyu.

They had just reached the door when Wen Xiyao stopped; she hadn’t noticed before, but resting for a while made her feet hurt even more. She frowned, thinking she could bear it a little longer.

"Wait here, I’ll go bring the car," Shen Junyu spoke gently.

Wen Xiyao didn’t object.

Shen Junyu drove the car over, and as Wen Xiyao settled into the passenger seat and buckled up, she saw Shen Junyu lean over and grab her foot, startling her, "What are you doing?"

He lifted her foot, pulling off her shoe, "Sometimes I really don’t understand you women. You know the shoes don’t fit but wear them for beauty, and end up suffering yourselves."

"You don’t understand; sometimes, women need to make some sacrifices for beauty," Wen Xiyao muttered under her breath.

Her heel was rubbed raw, and there was blood. Shen Junyu’s eyebrows furrowed as he took out an adhesive bandage, "I don’t have anything else in the car, so let’s use this to bandage it for now."

Wen Xiyao silently watched him tend to her wound, then he removed her other shoe and bandaged it.

The space in the car was cramped, and Shen Junyu was quite close; she could clearly smell the scent of his shower gel. It was a mild fragrance but very pleasant.

After tending to her wounds, Shen Junyu finally looked at Wen Xiyao, seeing her silently watching him, he waved his hand in front of her face, "Are you zoning out?"

Wen Xiyao came back to her senses, her gaze at Shen Junyu slightly odd, "Are you always this gentle with women?"

Shen Junyu swept a glance at her, "Why ask that?"

"Otherwise, why would you have these things in your car?" And even know that her high heels were uncomfortable.

"I just keep some things in the car out of habit," Shen Junyu replied.

Wen Xiyao said nothing more. Midway through the drive, Shen Junyu stopped, "Wait here, I’ll go buy some stuff."