The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 236. Birthday party, marriage proposal

Chapter 236: 236. Birthday party, marriage proposal

Shen Qinglan and Eden were speaking in the living room at the time, so they weren’t worried that Daniel would hear.

Late in the night, Jin Enxi indeed developed a high fever, and both Shen Qinglan and Eden nearly stayed up all night till dawn when Jin Enxi’s fever finally subsided.

Daniel was sleeping in the guest room. When he woke up and saw Eden also sleeping on his bed, Daniel’s mind, muddled throughout the night, instantly became clear, recalling the events of last night, his eyes full of fear.

Shen Qinglan was sitting in the living room waiting for Daniel. She needed to explain last night’s events to Daniel. Seeing Daniel come out, Shen Qinglan’s cold expression eased a bit, "Daniel, come with me."

Daniel followed Shen Qinglan into the study and sat quietly on one side, obviously still processing the events of the night before.

Shen Qinglan also remained silent. After a while, Daniel looked at Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, who exactly are they?"

Although he had not witnessed how Jin Enxi got hurt, from Shen Qinglan and others’ reactions, he knew the matter was not simple.

"Daniel, do you trust me?" Shen Qinglan slightly lowered her gaze and spoke softly.

"Qinglan, naturally I trust you. Aren’t we friends?" Daniel did not hesitate at all.

Warmth slowly flowed through the depths of Shen Qinglan’s eyes, her lips curled slightly, "Daniel, they are my friends." She and Daniel were business partners and friends; she did not want to deceive Daniel.

"I can’t tell you their identities, as knowing them wouldn’t benefit you in any way and for safety, you also can’t tell anyone else that you know them. But I assure you, they will have no ill intentions towards you."

Upon hearing this, Daniel was silent for a long time and then nodded under Shen Qinglan’s gaze, "Qinglan, I understand. I will keep this matter confidential, and I will forget about last night’s events too."

Shen Qinglan smiled, a gentle, warm smile, "Daniel, thank you."

With his doubts resolved, Daniel sat in the chair, his face still pale due to the blood transfusion but his expression relaxed.

"Qinglan, let’s leave this matter here, let’s not mention it again. Now, I have something else to discuss with you."

"What?"

"In July, there’s an art festival in Xueli City which I hope you can participate in."

"Why?"

"This festival only happens once every five years and is one of the largest art exhibitions in the world. Although you have already won an international gold award, the buzz has died down. I want to take this opportunity to promote your work again. Do you understand what I mean?"

Naturally understanding, Shen Qinglan thought for a moment and finally nodded in agreement with Daniel’s suggestion.

"If you have no objections, I suggest you submit ’Redemption’ for your entry."

"No, I want to switch to a new piece, I’ll give it to you later." ’Redemption’ was a piece born out of her emotions at the time and she did not want to commercialize it further.

"Okay, you have about a month. After one month, you need to hand over the piece to me."

Shen Qinglan nodded.

After discussing the formal matters, Daniel looked at Shen Qinglan, his expression hesitant.

"What is it?" Shen Qinglan looked at him.

"Is your friend okay?"

"She’s fine now."

"Can I go see her?"

Shen Qinglan slightly raised her eyebrows, her eyes contained a hint of inquiry, then with Daniel growing increasingly uneasy, she nodded, "Yes."

Daniel stood up, "Then I’ll go see her first."

Watching Daniel’s somewhat hurried steps, a faint smile appeared in Shen Qinglan’s eyes.

Jin Enxi had woken up that afternoon and it was still uncertain whether Shangya Garden was safe. Therefore, after discussing, they decided that Jin Enxi should stay at Daniel’s place, and Eden stayed as well to prevent being followed. Shen Qinglan had never come over.

She thought Xu Nuo would look for her again, but in the next few days, as Shen Qinglan deliberately went out, she found no one following her.

After Jin Enxi’s injuries improved, Eden took her back to the villa in the suburbs since the facilities there were much better.

"About that, thanks for the other night," Jin Enxi said as she was about to leave, expressing her gratitude to Daniel, who had taken great care of her these days.

She originally thought a person like Daniel would be scared of them, but his reaction was somewhat unexpected to Jin Enxi.

"No need to thank me, you are Qinglan’s friends, which makes you my friends as well," Daniel said, noticing her still somewhat pale face, "You take care and heal up."

After Jin Enxi left, Daniel looked somewhat lost as he stared at the empty house, sighed deeply, and then went into the study to handle the gallery affairs.

Time flew by, and by the end of May, Shen Qinglan’s birthday was only two days away. The news of the Shen family hosting her birthday party had spread in Beijing. However, this time, invitations were only sent to some close friends and family; even Shen Junyu’s business partners weren’t invited.

Yu Xiaoxuan and Han Yi had already returned. After being out for over twenty days, Yu Xiaoxuan’s mood had improved significantly, at least her face bore a smile now. Moreover, whatever they had experienced, the relationship between her and Han Yi seemed to have made a great leap forward.

Shen Qinglan noticed Yu Xiaoxuan looking at Han Yi with a faint dependence and a girlish-shy love in her eyes¸ and thoughtfully glanced at Han Yi, who responded with a devilishly charming smile.

What Han Yi hadn’t told Shen Qinglan was that he had told Yu Xiaoxuan they were going to experience life in the mountains, where they encountered a mudslide and barely made it back.

Seeing that Yu Xiaoxuan was in a good mood, Shen Qinglan felt relieved. She wasn’t really interested in the birthday party; if not for Shen Junyu and Fu Hengyi’s insistence, she would have preferred a simple family dinner.

Because of Shen Qinglan’s birthday, Fu Hengyi had already come back from the troops, and the start of June also meant that his days in the Beijing Military Region were almost over.

Along with Fu Hengyi, Gu Yang and Gu Kai had returned too. Gu Yang was still his usual jesting self, and Gu Kai still wore a cold demeanor, but Shen Qinglan could see the change in their steadfast eyes—several months of military life had indeed transformed them.

"Little sister-in-law, haven’t seen you in a while, don’t you think I’ve become more handsome?" Gu Yang said as he sat in the Fu family’s living room, noticing Shen Qinglan’s look, then he leaned closer and whispered, "Little sister-in-law, when will you teach me to fight?"

Shen Qinglan smiled gently, "Wait until you can beat Zhao Wei."

Gu Yang’s smile froze on his face. Zhao Wei was like a human fighting machine, born for combat, and ever since he was severely defeated by Shen Qinglan, he had been quiet for a while, not challenging others, just training on his own, always hoping to challenge Shen Qinglan again, but she hadn’t been to the military region because of various reasons, so Zhao Wei had started challenging everyone again.

Gu Yang had never been able to beat him before, and now it was even less likely, "Little sister-in-law, how could I possibly beat that monster? Just teach me, at least let me not lose too badly against him."

Shen Qinglan smiled and said nothing.

**

In a presidential suite at a five-star hotel in Beijing, Allen sat in a wheelchair, gazing at the bustling nighttime scenery of the city. A glint appeared in his eyes. "Xiaoqi, this is the city where you were born and lived. I have finally arrived."

The door to the room opened from the outside, and Xu Nuo walked in.

"How did things go?" Allen asked indifferently.

Xu Nuo lowered her eyes to the floor, "Master, the banquet they’re hosting is only for close friends and family, not business partners, so I couldn’t get an invitation."

Allen turned around to face Xu Nuo, his expression stern. Although he was looking up, his presence wasn’t diminished. "You can’t even handle this small matter, what use are you to me?"

Xu Nuo paled, "Master, I’ll think of another way. Just give me a bit more time."

Allen’s expression did not improve upon hearing her words, "Remember, you have only one day. Before the banquet tomorrow, you must get the invitation, or else just go back."

Knowing what awaited her back home, Xu Nuo was all too clear. Last year, after a mission failure, she was sent to that place and barely made it out.

"Yes," Xu Nuo responded respectfully and left the room.

**

The next morning, Shen Qinglan got up early and found that Fu Hengyi had already risen. She walked into the kitchen and, sure enough, saw him cooking.

Looking at the dough in Fu Hengyi’s hands, Shen Qinglan slightly raised an eyebrow, "What are you planning to make?" Her nose twitched, smelling the scent of chicken soup permeating the air, she glanced sideways, unsure of what Fu Hengyi was up to.

"Making noodles. You go and wash up, it will be ready to eat shortly."

Shen Qinglan nodded and returned to the bedroom. After washing up and changing clothes, Fu Hengyi came out from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of steaming noodles.

"Just right to eat while it’s hot."

Shen Qinglan sat down and looked at the bowl of noodles on the table. The base was chicken soup, with a poached egg and some green vegetables lying on top, the colors beautifully combined, making it very appetizing.

Shen Qinglan picked up her chopsticks and then realized that these noodles were longevity noodles. She took a small bite, and as Fu Hengyi watched her with a smile, he asked, "Is it tasty?"

The noodles were chewy and full of the fresh taste of chicken soup. Shen Qinglan nodded, "Very tasty."

"Eat it all up, don’t leave any."

Amid the warm steam, Shen Qinglan looked towards Fu Hengyi, her eyes slightly moist. Smiling at him, she bowed her head and began to eat her noodles while Fu Hengyi sat there, quietly watching her.

"Have you eaten?" Shen Qinglan asked, seeing that Fu Hengyi continued to watch her.

Fu Hengyi smiled slightly, "I’ll eat later."

Shen Qinglan looked at the bowl of noodles again, then pushed it towards Fu Hengyi’s lips, "Let’s eat together."

"These are longevity noodles, you should eat them alone."

Shen Qinglan didn’t move, "Let’s do it together." Even for longevity, it shouldn’t be just me.

Fu Hengyi understood her unspoken message, his expression growing even more tender. He leaned down and took a bite of the noodles.

Shen Qinglan usually had a small appetite in the morning, but this time, she finished the whole large bowl of noodles.

After eating, the two left for the Shen family residence. They were to have lunch there today. Old Sir Fu and Fu Jingtong were already there, Aunt Zhao went to the kitchen to help, and when Yun Rong saw Shen Qinglan, she immediately stood up and then went into the kitchen, coming back shortly with a bowl, which had yet another serving of longevity noodles.

"Qinglan, mom made these longevity noodles especially for you this morning, try it."

Shen Qinglan reluctantly looked at the large bowl of noodles in front of her, as she had just eaten, she was really full now. Fu Hengyi took the bowl from her, "Mom, I also made longevity noodles for Qinglan this morning, and she just ate it. She probably can’t eat anymore right now."

Hearing that she had already eaten, Yun Rong did not insist, "Then just have a sip of the soup then."

Shen Qinglan took a spoon and had a sip, "It tastes good, thanks mom."

Yun Rong heard this and immediately smiled.

The venue for the feast was at a banquet hall in a five-star hotel. Shen Junyu had booked today’s session a month in advance. After lunch, the stylist arrived. Shen Qinglan looked at the sets of dresses in front of her, feeling speechless. It was just a birthday party, not a wedding. Was all this necessary?

"Qinglan, see which one you like. Mom carefully selected these. Aren’t they beautiful?"

"This one," Shen Qinglan glanced and casually pointed at a turquoise dress.

Shen Junyu looked at her choice and frowned, then took a white dress with large rose embellishments at the hem from the stylist, simple yet elegant.

"Let’s go with this one. What do you think, Hengyi?" Shen Junyu directly asked Fu Hengyi.

Fu Hengyi thought about the plan for the day and nodded, "The one Jun Yu is holding looks good."

Shen Qinglan had no objections; it was just a dress after all. She took the dress from the stylist and went upstairs to change.

One of the stylists and the makeup artist hurriedly followed her, while the rest stayed to attend to the other guests.

"Is everything ready?" Shen Junyu asked Fu Hengyi.

A gentle light flickered in Fu Hengyi’s eyes as he nodded with a smile, "Everything is set."

Shen Junyu was satisfied. The doorbell rang, and when Shen Junyu opened the door, he saw Wen Xiyao.

"Aunt, uncle, grandpa, Aunt Fu, Grandpa Fu, I hope I’m not late?" Wen Xiyao greeted.

"Not late, not late at all. Xiyao, come sit here," Yun Rong beckoned when she saw Wen Xiyao, who sat down next to her.

"Xiyao, is the injury on your foot healed?"

"It’s all healed, aunt, a long time ago. By the way, where is Qinglan?"

"She’s still upstairs getting ready. She won’t be down for a while. How’s everything at your company?"

"It’s been resolved."

Over the past month, the news of a death at the construction site of project No. 3 by Xinhe International had spread widely. The family, initially ready to settle due to Wen Xiyao’s firm stance, was going to accept a compensation package she had planned for them. Just when the issue was about to be resolved, the family’s attitude changed drastically, demanding a massive compensation.

After investigating, Wen Xiyao discovered that Lin Group, a competitor of Xinhe International primarily in the hotel industry but also involved in real estate, was behind everything.

The Lin Group had failed to win the bid for plot number three and had harbored resentment ever since. They seized this opportunity to cause some trouble, hoping to turn Xinhe International’s prized plot into a useless piece of land.

While Wen Xiyao was thinking of how to deal with the Lin Group, Shen Junyu placed evidence in front of her that Lin Hao, a scion of the Lin Group, had been involved in a fatal car accident. Furthermore, Lin Hao’s record was filled with numerous other misdeeds.

After obtaining the evidence, Wen Xiyao handed it over to a journalist. The young master of the Lin Group was instantly embroiled in scandal and was arrested by the police the same day. The Old Man Lin, trying to salvage his only successor, pulled every trick in the book. He was so busy that he no longer had the energy to hinder Xinhe International.

With the Lin Group out of the picture, it was much easier for Wen Xiyao to resolve the issue. Without anyone to guide them, the inherent timidity of the other family resurfaced. Once Wen Xiyao took a firm stand, they had no other option.

Nevertheless, Wen Xiyao did provide them with substantial compensation afterward, as it was, after all, a matter of human life. She could not remain completely indifferent, and part of the compensation came from her personal funds. The old lady from that family knew about this and even came to the company to apologize to Wen Xiyao.

Although the issue with the victim’s family was resolved, the consequential impact of the event wasn’t as easy to mitigate. Currently, Wen Xiyao still lacked a better solution.

Upon hearing that the matter was resolved, Chu Yunrong felt somewhat relieved. "In the future, don’t rush into such matters by yourself, you’re just a girl. You were lucky this time, but who knows what might happen next. In this regard, you really do resemble Qinglan."

Wen Xiyao just smiled and didn’t respond, simply listening to the elder’s ramblings.

Once Shen Qinglan had finished getting ready, the entire household was prepared. Seeing Shen Qinglan all dressed up, both old grandfathers were filled with satisfaction.

Old Sir Shen and Old Sir Fu each pulled a red envelope from their pockets and handed them to Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan girl, this is for you."

"Lanlan, happy birthday."

Shen Qinglan took the two red envelopes; they were both cards. She smiled and thanked them, "Thank you, both grandpas."

Old Sir Fu was genuinely happy, but Old Sir Shen felt a pang of sadness when he thought that this was Shen Qinglan’s last birthday at home as a daughter of the Shen Family.

She was his most beloved granddaughter. After the wedding in September, she would officially be a part of the Fu Family. Thinking of this, Old Sir Shen’s gaze towards Old Sir Fu turned a bit unfriendly.

Old Sir Fu could tell what Old Man Shen was thinking and couldn’t help feeling smug, "Old Man Shen, quit glaring. Glaring won’t change the fact that Qinglan girl is going to be my Fu family’s daughter-in-law."

Old Man Shen snorted coldly. Seeing the two old grandfathers start bickering again, Shen Qinglan only smiled slightly and kept silent.

Shen Junyu came over and handed Shen Qinglan a car key, "Lanlan, brother doesn’t have much to give you, just a car."

Shen Qinglan took the car key and raised an eyebrow. It was a limited edition sports car with only ten in the world, and Shen Junyu had managed to get one. It clearly had taken some effort. "Thanks, bro."

Shen Junyu wanted to touch her hair like he usually did, but seeing her carefully styled hair today, he silently lowered his hand. "Lanlan, happy birthday."

Shen Qinglan nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Wen Xiyao sitting on the couch and stepped closer to Shen Junyu, "Sister Xiyao’s birthday is next month on the 19th, and her favorite place is Bali."

Shen Junyu already knew when Wen Xiyao’s birthday was, but this was new information to him, "Got it."

Wen Xiyao’s gift to Shen Qinglan was a beautiful diamond necklace. Even Shen Qinglan, who usually didn’t care much for jewelry, was noticeably impressed.

"I saw it by chance in a shop abroad during a business trip. It’s not a designer piece, but I thought you might like it."

Shen Qinglan indeed liked it and immediately had Fu Hengyi replace the necklace she was wearing.

Shen Qian and his wife gave their daughter a property deed.

Fu Jingtong also prepared a gift for Shen Qinglan, in a box, a jade bracelet, "Qinglan, this is a heirloom of the Fu Family, meant for the daughters-in-law of the Fu family. It should have been given by Hengyi’s mother, but... So now I’m passing it on to you."

The jade bracelet was vivid imperial green throughout, pristinely translucent. Such a bracelet was worth hundreds of millions on the market. Shen Qinglan held it in her hand but did not wear it. "Aunt, I will take good care of it."

Old Sir Fu waved his hand upon hearing this, "Why keep it in a box? If you like it, wear it. Jade only becomes spirited when worn on the body."

"I understand, Grandpa."

While they were talking, three figures appeared at the entrance of the Shen family home. It was none other than Shen Rang’s family. Fu Jingtong saw Shen Rang’s figure and her smile stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to normal. Old Sir Fu, however, spat fire from his eyes the moment he saw Shen Rang.

Shen Rang had not expected to encounter Old Sir Fu and Fu Jingtong at the Shen family residence. He had not planned to attend Shen Qinglan’s birthday banquet today and had thought of coming over early to give Shen Qinglan a gift, yet he had still run into them.

"Uncle Fu, Jingting," Shen Rang said, clearly embarrassed.

Old Sir Fu snorted coldly, "I don’t deserve your ’Uncle Fu.’" Seeing Lu Yaqin and Shen Junze following behind Shen Rang, his expression grew even darker.

The smile remained on Fu Jingtong’s face, but it did not reach her eyes. "Shen Rang, when did you return?"

"Not long ago."

Fu Jingtong, recalling the recent event of Old Man Shen being hospitalized without their family being informed, instantly understood. Perhaps Old Man Shen had been hospitalized due to the shock of seeing Shen Rang return.

Shen Rang knew that it was not suitable for his family to stay under such circumstances, so he left the gift and departed.

"Old Man Fu..." Old Man Shen began.

Old Sir Fu waved his hand, "Let’s set that aside for now. Today is Qinglan girl’s birthday, we shouldn’t discuss this matter."

"Grandpas, it’s about time we left," Shen Junyu came over to say, and then the family headed to the hotel.

Just as they arrived at the hotel entrance, Shen Qinglan saw the Chu family members who had just arrived.

"Aunt," Little Douding saw Shen Qinglan, immediately got down from Chu Yunjin’s arms, and ran to Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan, dressed in a formal gown, did not hold him as usual. Little Douding looked up at Shen Qinglan, "Aunt, you look really beautiful today."

Shen Qinglan smiled faintly and pinched his cheek, "Haohao looks very handsome today too."

"Qinglan." Pei Yinong walked over, picking up Little Douding.

"Cousin, how come you’re back?"

"How could I not come back on such a day?" Pei Yinong said meaningfully.

Shen Qinglan did not catch the hidden meaning in her words, merely smiling helplessly, "It’s just a birthday, after all."

Pei Yinong merely smiled without speaking.

Jiang Chenxi, Gu Yang, Gu Kai, Han Yi all came, and so did Fang Tong, even Yu Xiaoxuan was there.

Shen Qinglan saw Yu Xiaoxuan and gently embraced her, patting her on the back. Yu Xiaoxuan smiled, "Qinglan, I’m doing well."

Han Yi stood next to Yu Xiaoxuan, and seeing the two of them together, Shen Qinglan understood immediately, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes.

Most of the attendees today were relatives and friends from the Shen Family and the Fu Family, along with friends of Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan. Shen Qinglan even spotted Mu Liancheng and Qian Fei among them.

"Little sister-in-law, you look so beautiful today." Gu Yang squeezed over, approaching Shen Qinglan and then glancing at Fu Hengyi, who was standing next to her in a black suit, "Big brother is also very handsome; you two are truly a match made in heaven."

Fu Hengyi remained expressionless, merely glancing briefly at Gu Yang.

Shen Qinglan maintained a faint smile on her face throughout the evening, softening her usual icy demeanor. Standing next to Fu Hengyi, she resembled a delicate and dependent woman.

Daniel came alone and upon seeing Shen Qinglan, exclaimed, "Oh, Qinglan, you are truly stunning tonight, like a noble and elegant princess. If you didn’t have a lover, I would assuredly pursue you madly." Daniel was exaggerating as he slightly bowed and extended a hand, "My beautiful princess, may I kiss your hand?"

Shen Qinglan gave him a look, and Daniel immediately straightened up, chuckling sheepishly. His eyes lingered on Fu Hengyi briefly as he said, "I was just joking with Qinglan just now, Mr. Fu won’t mind, right?"

Fu Hengyi smiled mildly, "Mr. Daniel’s joke was not at all funny." His eyes flashed with a hint of coldness.

Daniel stiffened. "Well, Qinglan, I thought I saw an acquaintance just now, I’ll go say hello." With that, he quickly slipped away.

"Honey, why did you have to look so beautiful tonight?"

Shen Qinglan looked speechlessly at Fu Hengyi, exasperated.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxuan had taken a call and rushed outside, soon returning with Andre and Cissily.

Shen Qinglan saw the two of them and discreetly facepalmed.

"Miss Shen, we meet again outside," Andre said with a gentlemanly smile.

Cissily looked curiously at Shen Qinglan, smiled faintly, "Hello, I’m Andre’s fiancée, Cissily. Miss Shen, nice to meet you for the first time; you’re very beautiful."

Shen Qinglan noticed the playfulness in her eyes, stepped forward, and hugged her, whispering in her ear, "What brought you guys here?"

Cissily chuckled softly, "Today is your birthday, such a rare party, how could I miss it?"

Knowing they were worried about potential incidents occurring today, especially since Xu Nuo had vanished like mist after the rainy night’s assassination attempt.

The more so, the more uneasy they felt, knowing that person, if they put themselves in his shoes, today would definitely be an opportune moment.

Although Jin Enxi and Eden hadn’t appeared at the banquet, they were upstairs in a room, watching the surveillance feed of the banquet hall.

"Eden, do you think he will really show up?" Jin Enxi asked, worry evident on her face.

Eden’s expression was grave; his gaze lingered on Fu Hengyi in the monitor, not moving away for a long time. Hearing Jin Enxi’s words, he responded, "If I were him, I would definitely choose today."

Jin Enxi felt her heart sink, her complexion still somewhat pale from her injury, now turning even paler under the lighting.

Eden patted her shoulder, "Enxi, don’t worry. Everything will be alright. Like An said, since we managed to kill him once, we can do it a second time. He isn’t as formidable as we think."

Jin Enxi nodded firmly, trying to erase the memory of that man from her mind.

**

At this moment, in the coffee shop below the hotel, Fu Jingtong and Gu Bowen sat facing each other. Gu Bowen placed a sugar cube into the coffee cup in front of Fu Jingtong, "I remember you like to add an extra sugar to your coffee."

Fu Jingtong’s eyes flickered slightly, she didn’t touch the coffee but instead looked at the man in front of her and softly began, "Gu Bowen, Shen Rang has returned."

Gu Bowen’s hand, which was stirring the coffee, abruptly halted and he set down his cup, with a still gentle smile on his face, "He’s been gone for over twenty years now, right?"

"Twenty-five years, two months, and three days."

Even remembering the date so clearly, Jingting, have you still not forgotten Shen Rang?

A shadow passed over Gu Bowen’s eyes, and as he lowered his gaze, he did not see the flicker of pain in Fu Jingtong’s eyes.

"What do you plan to do?" Gu Bowen asked.

Fu Jingtong looked at the ground, "Gu Bowen, I always thought I had forgotten him, but seeing him again today, I realized I still like him. So, you should stop waiting for me. I think I’ll never forget him in this lifetime and you, there’s absolutely no need to wait for a woman who doesn’t love you."

Gu Bowen gave a bitter smile, so it was because of this, right? Waiting for over twenty years, and still, it ends this way.

"Jingting, liking you is my business, waiting for you is also my business. Maybe one day if I grow too tired to wait, I might stop, and you can live the life you want. Even if you still want to be with Shen Rang, I will send my genuine blessings."

"Gu Bowen, why bother?" Fu Jingtong’s heart painfully clenched, yet her face remained expressionless, "There’s no need for you to suffer this way."

Gu Bowen smiled gently, "Actually, I don’t feel there’s anything demeaning about the life I’m living now. The banquet is about to start; I’ll head up first."

Fu Jingtong watched as Gu Bowen walked away. As she lowered her gaze and saw the coffee in front of her, she picked it up and took a sip. The sweet yet slightly bitter taste spread in her mouth and crept into her heart, her eyes turning slightly red.

Gu Bowen, you’ll never know that to me, Shen Rang has become a stranger. You are the one I care about. But how can we ever bridge that gulf between us?

If only... if only that incident had never happened, could we have become a couple envied by everyone? But there are no such ifs!

Gu Bowen, in this lifetime, I’ve wronged you. Maybe in the next life, if there is one, I will definitely marry you again, lead a simple life with you, bear your children, and cook and clean for you.

Fu Jingtong finished her coffee completely, then stood up. As she entered the banquet hall, she did not see Gu Bowen, but Gu Yang, seeing his mother, came over, "Mom, what were you telling Dad just now?"

"What’s wrong?"

"I just went to the restroom, and I thought I saw Dad crying," explained Gu Yang hesitantly as he had only seen Gu Bowen wiping his eyes but, for some reason, he felt that Gu Bowen had been crying.

Fu Jingtong’s heart felt as though it had been deeply stabbed, a trace of pain flashed in her eyes, "Perhaps you saw it wrong."

Observing Fu Jingtong’s expression and seeing nothing unusual, Gu Yang shook his head, thinking it better to let his parents sort out their issues themselves.

"Maybe I saw it wrong."

As the attendees all seemed to have arrived, the lights in the banquet hall suddenly dimmed and a familiar melody sounded in the dark, "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you..."

Candles lit up in the darkness, and a large nine-tier birthday cake was pushed by Fu Hengyi towards Shen Qinglan, who hadn’t even noticed when he had left.

The candlelight illuminated Fu Hengyi’s handsome face, which was filled with tenderness as he gazed deeply at Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, happy birthday!"

A slowly blooming smile graced Shen Qinglan’s face, but before she could respond, she saw Fu Hengyi suddenly kneel on one knee, took her hand, and with the realization of what he intended to do, she grew nervous.

Fu Hengyi looked up intently at her and spoke slowly, "Qinglan, when I first saw you, you were but a babbling toddler, and I was just a naive boy. I watched you grow up day by day. You called me ’Fu family big brother’ and followed behind me, tugging at my sleeve and stumbling along. At that time, I never imagined that one day I would fall in love with the girl who called me ’Fu family big brother.’ When we met again, you had grown up, but you were no longer the laughing child I knew. Due to a twist of fate, you married me. You seem cold and indifferent, but you’re actually warm and kind, appearing strong as though impervious to swords, yet in reality, you’re sensitive and fragile. Your tears hurt my heart and your smiling face warms it. I don’t know when it started, but making you smile has become the pursuit of my lifetime. Meeting you was inevitable in this life, but falling in love with you was this life’s most beautiful coincidence. I have no other desires in this life but to never part from you, until our hair turns gray, and we can walk under the sunset, hand in hand, watching it dip below the horizon. Shen Qinglan, I love you, will you marry me?"