The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 252. Wedding, Relief (First Update)

Chapter 252: 252. Wedding, Relief (First Update)

On the night of the 29th, Fang Tong returned to Beijing. Instead of going home, she found a hotel, laid on the hotel bed utterly exhausted, yet she couldn’t feel any sleepiness.

In her hand was a bright red wedding invitation, as she looked at the happily smiling couple pictured, a scoff flashed in Fang Tong’s eyes. She picked up her phone and dialed Li Bomming.

Li Bomming, who had been planning to sleep, heard the ringing and saw it was Fang Tong, so he answered, "Tongtong?"

"Bomming, am I disturbing your rest?" Fang Tong said apologetically.

Li Bomming chuckled lightly, "Not at all, I was just watching a movie at home. Tongtong, is something the matter?"

Li Bomming’s voice was very gentle. Listening to his calm tone, Fang Tong felt gradually at ease, "Bomming, are you free tomorrow?"

Li Bomming paused slightly, "What’s up?"

"I’d like to ask you to accompany me to a wedding."

"Tongtong, you’re back in the country?" Li Bomming glanced at his phone and asked.

Fang Tong nodded, then realizing he couldn’t see her, she softly replied, "Yeah, just got to the hotel."

Li Bomming could guess whose wedding it might be tomorrow, his eyes flickered lightly, "Okay, which hotel are you at? I will come to pick you up at ten tomorrow."

Fang Tong gave the name of the hotel, "Bomming, thank you."

Li Bomming chuckled lightly, "Tongtong, you never need to thank me; we are friends, aren’t we?"

"Yes, we are friends. You should get some rest. Good night," Fang Tong said warmly, a hint of a smile crossing her eyes.

"Good night."

After hanging up, Fang Tong got up and took a bath in the bathroom. This time, when she lay down on the bed, she fell asleep.

At ten the next day, Li Bomming appeared promptly at the hotel entrance. He drove a black Bentley and wore a black suit. Fang Tong wore a light yellow dress, her face adorned with meticulous makeup.

"Did you take time off to come back?" Li Bomming asked.

Fang Tong nodded, "I took two days off. I have to rush back tomorrow. They specifically sent me an invitation this time; it wouldn’t be right not to go." As she spoke these words, her eyes carried a chilling light. She had never been one to be bullied, and now, if she didn’t attend the wedding, it would imply she had conceded.

Li Bomming saw the coolness at the corners of her mouth but wasn’t displeased; instead, a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes. This was the Fang Tong he knew.

When they were kids, if the older children at school bullied Fang Tong, even though she couldn’t fight back, she would always retaliate in other ways, never suffering in silence.

The wedding was held in an outdoor garden with a huge lawn. By the time Fang Tong and her companion arrived, the ceremony had already started. From afar, Fang Tong saw a giant flower gate adorned with fresh flowers, a red carpet stretching from the gate all the way to the stage, with guest seats on either side. Many guests were already seated. On the left side of the stage was a gigantic birthday cake, probably nine layers high, and a tower of champagne glasses.

"Minghui, when we get married, I want an outdoor ceremony too, ideally on a big grassy lawn surrounded by blooming flowers, with a giant floral arch, a red-carpeted pathway covered in petals, walking towards you along the path paved with flowers."

Suddenly, in her mind, Fang Tong recalled the words she had told Ding Minghui back in their junior year.

Fang Tong’s face turned slightly pale, a sharp pain clutching at her heart. Suddenly, Li Bomming grasped Fang Tong’s hand, a warmth emanating from his palm. Fang Tong looked down at their intertwined hands and then met his worried gaze.

Fang Tong shook her head, signaling that she was fine, and let Li Bomming lead her into the venue.

They registered at the entrance where Fang Tong handed a red envelope to the girl in charge.

"Whose names should I write?" the girl asked.

"Fang Tong and Li Bomming," Fang Tong responded. Li Bomming glanced at her sidelong but said nothing, simply smiling as they took their seats in the back.

"Are you nervous?" Li Bomming whispered in Fang Tong’s ear.

Fang Tong shook her head and chuckled, "They invited me here, why would I be nervous?" Though she said this, her palms were still sweating.

Many of the attendees were Ding Minghui’s classmates. They gave Fang Tong odd looks, knowing that she was Ding Minghui’s ex-girlfriend. The couple was inseparable during college, often flaunting their love, which led Ding Minghui’s dorm mates to joke that such couples usually break up fast. Ironically, their words came true as not even half a year after graduation, one remarried, and the other seemed to have found someone new as well.

The attendees felt awkward upon seeing Fang Tong; however, Fang Tong, upon seeing them, smiled warmly. Li Bomming, witnessing all this, murmured softly, "That’s the Fang Tong I know."

Fang Tong heard this and softly chuckled.

The emcee came on stage, launching into a long speech about how well-matched and loving the bride and groom were, how they became partners at work, and how their shared interests gradually drew them to each other.

"Next, let’s take a look at the bride and groom’s sweet everyday moments," the emcee announced, gesturing for the photos to appear on the large screen accompanied by the background music of "Today I Am Going to Marry You."

Fang Tong watched the photos intently, not blinking until the familiar wedding march drew her back to the present.

She looked toward the stage, only to realize that Ding Minghui, dressed in a white suit with a red flower pinned to his chest, was already standing there.

Liu Hui, in a pure white wedding dress, appeared at the archway, holding her father’s hand and looking at Ding Minghui with a face full of happy smiles.

Fang Tong’s gaze landed on Liu Hui, noticing the smug glance she shot Fang Tong as she passed, which made Fang Tong clench her fists tightly.

Ding Minghui, scanning the guest seats, suddenly caught sight of Fang Tong. His pupils shrunk dramatically, a trace of panic flitting across his eyes—as he hadn’t invited her.

Glancing at Liu Hui, he suddenly realized and felt a surge of anger toward her, convinced she had done this intentionally, despite any claims otherwise.

From afar, Ding Minghui and Fang Tong locked eyes, the fleeting pain in Fang Tong’s eyes vividly capturing Ding Minghui’s attention, almost making him want to take her away from there.

Ding Minghui, I came to your wedding today, to the wedding of you and another. From now on, we truly have nothing to do with each other. I will engrave today’s image of you in my mind and then gradually forget you, until one day when your name brings no image to mind.

The wedding continued, but Ding Minghui was often distracted, glancing occasionally at Fang Tong below the stage. Liu Hui, standing beside him, noticed but said nothing, only occasionally reminding him softly, to prevent any embarrassment.

Fang Tong didn’t leave midway but watched the wedding from start to finish, standing only after the bride and groom had cut the cake. "Bomming, let’s go," she said.

Li Bomming nodded, glanced at Ding Minghui on the stage, and followed Fang Tong out.

"If it hurts, just cry it out," Li Bomming said once they were outside the wedding venue, looking at the silent Fang Tong.

Fang Tong looked up at the drifting white clouds in the sky and softly said, "Do you think I’m foolish, eagerly attending my ex-boyfriend’s wedding, while others think I’m there to create a scene, yet I did nothing?"

Li Bomming smiled, "Yeah, now that you mention it, it does seem a bit foolish, but did you really not think about disrupting the wedding?"

To which Fang Tong said, "Who says I didn’t think about it? When I first received the wedding invitation, I was almost livid, thinking that you all see me as someone easily bullied, so I thought I’d make sure your wedding wouldn’t happen."

Fang Tong spoke with fierce intensity, her eyes glinting with ferocity as if she really meant business.

"Why not later then?" Li Bo Ming asked her.

"Actually, before I saw Ding Minghui, I still harbored such thoughts, but seeing Ding Minghui made me realize it was utterly meaningless. There were so many people at the scene, many of whom were our schoolmates. If I had done that, it would have been embarrassing enough, but people would also think I cared too much about him."

"You probably didn’t notice, but just now some people were looking at me as if they were watching a play, waiting for me to put on a show of stealing a groom. They wanted to watch a free show, yet I wasn’t willing to perform."

"What’s more important, I came here today to say goodbye to my past, and now that I’ve said my farewells, of course, I should leave." Fang Tong said with a face full of relief.

Li Bo Ming stared intently into her eyes, seeing the tears but more a sense of release, and he smiled slightly, patting his own chest, "Do you want to lean on my chest? I tell you, my chest is quite expensive, I usually don’t let just anyone borrow it."

Fang Tong wanted to laugh but ended up crying, and she plunged into Li Bo Ming’s arms, "Li Bo Ming, then let me lean on it, while you still don’t have a girlfriend. If you have one in the future, I wouldn’t even be able to borrow it."

Li Bo Ming gently embraced her, his eyes filled with pity; this girl always kept her sadness hidden deep within her heart.

Fang Tong soon lifted her head, touched the corner of her eye, and looked at the dark patch on the front of Li Bo Ming’s shirt, feeling rather embarrassed, "Bo Ming, I’ve ruined your shirt."

Li Bo Ming glanced at it and didn’t mind, "It’s ruined, so it’s ruined. You can accompany me to buy one another day."

"Okay." Fang Tong nodded spiritedly, then touched her stomach, "I’m hungry now, let’s go for lunch." She hadn’t eaten anything since getting up in the morning.

"Alright."

Perhaps because one of her worries had been resolved and she had completely let go, that afternoon Fang Tong had a good appetite, polishing off most of the dishes by herself while Li Bo Ming spent most of the time picking food for her, watching her eat.

"I’m too full; I think I need a walk now." Fang Tong walked out of the restaurant, touching her stomach, and slightly frowning uncomfortably. Li Bo Ming found it amusing, "Should I get you some digestive tablets?"

"No need, I’ll be fine with a walk." Fang Tong said and then suddenly pointing in a direction, "Let’s go watch a movie."

"Okay." Li Bo Ming agreed.

After the movie, Fang Tong and Li Bo Ming didn’t go home but headed directly to a nearby mall; Fang Tong went straight to the men’s clothing store, looked around, then picked up a shirt and held it against Li Bo Ming, "How about this one?"

"It’s nice," Li Bo Ming smiled and responded.

"You didn’t even look and you say it’s nice; you’re being too perfunctory." Fang Tong laughed.

"I trust your judgement." Li Bo Ming uttered.

Facing his intense gaze, Fang Tong felt somewhat uneasy and stuffed the clothing into his embrace, "You try it on. I’ll wait outside."

Li Bo Ming looked away and entered the fitting room. When he came out, Fang Tong was sitting on a sofa, zoning out with her phone in her hands, her expression blank.

Li Bo Ming’s eyes darkened briefly before returning to normal, he smiled softly and approached her, "Tong Tong, how is it?"

Fang Tong looked up, nodded, "Yes, this shirt really suits you."

"Then we’ll take this one." Li Bo Ming went back into the fitting room, changed out of the shirt, then handed it to the salesperson, "Pack this one up."

After leaving the store as it was getting late, Li Bo Ming asked Fang Tong, "What do you feel like eating tonight?"

Fang Tong wasn’t feeling hungry yet, thought for a while but couldn’t decide on anything, and laughed, "Anything’s fine."

"Fang Tong?" A clear voice called from behind them; Fang Tong turned and saw Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, "Qinglan, what are you doing here?"

Shen Qinglan pointed towards the bags in Fu Hengyi’s hands, "I’m out shopping for clothes with Fu Hengyi."

Fang Tong looked at the bags Fu Hengyi was holding, with both men’s and women’s clothing and shoes, and it was somewhat difficult for her to imagine someone like Fu Hengyi shopping with a woman.

Yet, seeing the expression on Fu Hengyi’s face which didn’t show the slightest impatience, a hint of envy flashed in her eyes.

"Are you guys here to buy clothes, too?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"No," Fang Tong shook her head, "we were looking for somewhere to eat, but can’t decide what to eat."

"That’s perfect, we haven’t eaten either. If you don’t mind, let’s eat together," Fu Hengyi invited.

"Sure," Li Bo Ming readily agreed.

They found a restaurant, and for some peace, Fu Hengyi chose a private room.

"Fang Tong, weren’t you in the M country?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"I had some matters to attend to back home, so I took leave." Since Fu Hengyi was there, Fang Tong didn’t elaborate on why she returned, and being a smart person, Shen Qinglan naturally did not pry further.

"You must be Li Bo Ming, right? I am Shen Qinglan, a friend of Fang Tong’s. I’ve heard her mention you many times."

"Miss Shen, hello, I also attended your birthday party last time. I’ve heard Fang Tong mention you many times too."

Li Bo Ming was an outgoing person; chatting with him meant there was never a dull moment. After the meal, Shen Qinglan had a pretty good impression of him.

"Tong Tong has an early flight to catch tomorrow, so I’ll take her back now," said Li Bo Ming after they finished eating.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Take care."

On their way back, Fang Tong looked at Li Bo Ming curiously; he turned his head to glance at her, "What’s with that look?"

"I’m just thinking how time is such a wonderful thing—it can turn a shy, timid boy into a witty, humorous man."

Li Bo Ming laughed, "Is that a compliment?"

Fang Tong nodded, "Of course it is."

"I’ll accept it then."

"Anyone who becomes your girlfriend must be very lucky," Fang Tong suddenly sighed.

"So why don’t you consider being my girlfriend?"

Fang Tong paused, turned to look at him, and saw he wasn’t joking at all. She lowered her head, "Bo Ming, right now..."

Li Bo Ming smiled slightly, "I understand, but if you decide to date someone in the future, could I be your first consideration?"

Fang Tong looked at Li Bo Ming’s gentle eyes in a daze, then slowly nodded under his hopeful gaze.

***************

"Fu Hengyi, what do you think of Li Bo Ming?" Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were discussing Li Bo Ming on their way back.

Fu Hengyi pondered for two seconds before speaking, "He’s quite good, a capable man."

Shen Qinglan smiled faintly, "I also think he’s good." Most importantly, this man had Fang Tong in his eyes. If Fang Tong were with him, she would likely be well taken care of.

"My brother went to the Wen Family; I wonder how he is doing?" Shen Qinglan brought up Shen Junyu, who had gone to pay a visit to his future father-in-law.

"With my brother’s capability, naturally, there shouldn’t be any issues. If I’m not mistaken, our family should be planning a celebration soon."

Shen Qinglan thought it over and quite agreed with Fu Hengyi’s statement.

Fu Hengyi was driving when he suddenly said, "Recently, the headquarters of BK was attacked and destroyed."

A dark light flickered in Shen Qinglan’s eyes, "Yes, I know, and this matter is related to me," she admitted straightforwardly.

Fu Hengyi looked at her with slightly deepened eyes, "You..."

"I didn’t take action myself; I just let the defensive layout of the BK headquarters leak to his enemies."

Fu Hengyi was relieved, reached out a hand to hold Shen Qinglan’s hand, and gently spoke, "Qinglan, I don’t want you to get hurt."

"Yeah, I know, I will protect myself. It’s just a pity that King didn’t die this time; otherwise, we could rest easy."

"King has a strong vengeful spirit. As long as he’s alive, this matter won’t end. Once he recovers, those people probably won’t fare well. Do they know the source of the information?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "Definitely not, and they won’t be able to find out." She knew well about King’s character, which is why she had leaked the information through certain disreputable mercenary groups that had grudges with King—watching them fight each other, Shen Qinglan found the drama quite satisfying.

Fu Hengyi wasn’t worried about the abilities of Shen Qinglan’s friend. The same thing had happened before with a border issue; she had also sent them a message, and they couldn’t trace the source of that information either, so there was no need to worry now.

However, not resolving the issue with King once and for all was always a hidden danger.

*************

Hai City Wen Family.

Shen Junyu stood in front of the gate of the Wen Family’s mansion, staring at the villa, hesitating to go in. Wen Xiyao teasingly looked at him, "Shen Junyu, you’re not scared, are you?"

Shen Junyu smiled warmly, "What is there for me to be scared of?"

Wen Xiyao shrugged, If you say you’re not scared, then you’re not scared.

Knowing that Shen Junyu was visiting today, Wen Bingchuan and Mrs. Wen hadn’t gone out but instead, were waiting at home for Wen Xiyao and Shen Junyu.

When Wen Xiyao and Shen Junyu entered, the family was sitting in the living room chatting. They heard noise from the doorway and indeed, it was Wen Xiyao and Shen Junyu.

"Mom, Dad, Big Brother, I’m back." As soon as Wen Xiyao saw her parents, she rushed over, even forgetting about Shen Junyu. Watching Wen Xiyao acting spoiled next to her parents, Shen Junyu’s expression was filled with smiles.

"Alright, you’re such an adult and still acting spoiled. You’re making Jun Yu laugh." Wen Bingchuan patted his daughter on the shoulder, the latter part of his words addressed to Shen Junyu.

"Jun Yu, don’t just stand there, please have a seat." Mrs. Wen beckoned Shen Junyu, they had already had a good look at him and were very pleased with his appearance.

Shen Junyu sat down next to Wen Sihan, directly facing Wen’s parents.

Wen Xiyao winked at Shen Junyu and leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder, "Mom, Dad, my boyfriend is handsome, isn’t he? I told you, I really like him. You can’t bully him, especially you, Big Brother."

Mrs. Wen glared at her amusingly. She hadn’t even married over yet and she was already speaking for someone else, no wonder they say girls are outgoing.

"Jun Yu, you must find this funny. My sister can be a bit silly sometimes," Wen Sihan said gently, earning a glare from Wen Xiyao, calling him silly, her whole family... no, what a silly guy.

There was always a smile on Shen Junyu’s face, different from the polite smile he usually carried; this smile was sincere and gentle.

Wen Sihan and Wen Bingchuan were chatting with Shen Junyu, talking about a wide range of topics. The more they talked, the more satisfaction appeared in the eyes of Wen Bingchuan and Wen Sihan, especially Wen Sihan who found Shen Junyu to be a truly congenial person, it was as if they had known each other for ages.

"Mom, how is it? My choice isn’t bad, right?" Wen Xiyao quietly spoke into her mother’s ear.

Mrs. Wen nodded with a smile, whispering back to her daughter, "Yes, my daughter’s judgment is naturally impeccable."

A flash of pride crossed Wen Xiyao’s eyes.

When it was time for dinner, the Wen family naturally invited Shen Junyu to stay and eat. While they were eating, Du Nan, having heard that Wen Xiyao had returned today, drove to the Wen family’s home in high spirits.

"Xi Yao, I heard you were back." Before even entering, Du Nan’s cheerful voice could be heard.

However, when Du Nan saw the man sitting next to Wen Xiyao, his gaze suddenly grew sharp.

"Xi Yao, you’re back."

Wen Xiyao hummed indifferently, showing no semblance of happiness on her face when she saw Du Nan.

Du Nan’s gaze landed on Shen Junyu, "Who is this?"

"This is my boyfriend, Shen Junyu." Wen Xiyao spoke first, and as if that wasn’t provocative enough, she added, "I came back this time specifically to introduce him to my parents."

Du Nan’s smile faltered, fading as he forced a smile, "Uncle Wen, Aunt Wen, how come I didn’t know Xi Yao had a boyfriend?"

Mrs. Wen sighed quietly, a powerless look toward Wen Xiyao, this child, didn’t know what to do with her, you knew of Du Nan’s feelings for you, why provoke him?

However, she was also not very happy with Du Nan’s current attitude, somewhat understanding why Wen Xiyao still did not fancy him despite his kindness.

"Jun Yu and Xi Yao have been dating for a few months now. I even mentioned it to your mother last time we talked, maybe she forgot to tell you," she said, looking at Shen Junyu, "Jun Yu, this is Du Nan of the Du family, a friend who grew up with our Xi Yao."

Shen Junyu obviously knew Du Nan, having seen him clinging to Wen Xiyao the first time he met her. He maintained his smile, stood up, and stretched out his hand, "Hello, I’m Shen Junyu."

Du Nan did not extend his hand but merely stared intensely at Shen Junyu without speaking.

Wen Sihan internally shook his head, Du Nan’s behavior seemed quite petty, making Shen Junyu appear far more outstanding by comparison.

Seeing that Du Nan had no intention of shaking hands, Shen Junyu calmly withdrew his hand, showing no sign of embarrassment, and sat back down.

Du Nan certainly hadn’t expected that such a small gesture would greatly diminish his impression in the eyes of the Wen family, while conversely, Shen Junyu’s likability increased even further.

Du Nan didn’t leave but sat down; however, the atmosphere in the living room was no longer harmonious. Du Nan occasionally tried to strike up a conversation with Shen Junyu, but it was evident to any discerning person that Du Nan’s words were impolite. Wen Xiyao, noticing this, wanted to react several times but was comforted back by Shen Junyu’s gaze.

In Shen Junyu’s eyes, Du Nan’s behavior was nothing but childish, and he felt no pressure in dealing with it.

Du Nan looked at Shen Junyu with eyes nearly spitting fire, especially when he saw Wen Xiyao always speaking up for Shen Junyu. He wished he could rush up and punch Shen Junyu, so his words became increasingly sarcastic, but he forgot that this was the Wen family, with Wen Bingchuan and his wife still present. Watching him behave thus, the smile gradually faded from Wen Bingchuan’s eyes as he looked apologetically at Shen Junyu.

Shen Junyu gave a slight smile, not taking the matter to heart.

"Du Nan, about the cooperation with the company last time, I recall there are still some details that need discussing. Come with me to the company," Wen Sihan interjected, noticing the change in his father’s expression and to prevent Du Nan from making any more blunders.

Du Nan didn’t want to leave, but since Wen Sihan insisted, he ultimately had to go with Wen Sihan.

When the Wen family’s parents were not looking, Shen Junyu gave a bemused glance at Wen Xiyao, who returned a sweet smile.

Shen Junyu stayed in Hai City for two days and then returned to Beijing with Wen Xiyao. Half a month later, the Wen family’s parents went to Beijing to officially meet with Shen Junyu’s parents. Originally, it should have been the Shen family visiting Hai City, but considering Old Sir Shen’s age, Wen Bingchuan and his wife decided after a discussion that it would be better for them to come to Beijing.

"Bingchuan, it’s been many years since we last met, hasn’t it?" Shen Qian was quite pleased to see Wen Bingchuan.

Wen Bingchuan laughed heartily, "Yes, over thirty years have flown by, we’ve all aged, and the children have grown up."

Shen Qian, upon encountering an old classmate, naturally had endless topics to chat about.

As for the matter of Wen Xiyao and Shen Junyu’s marriage, both families naturally had no objections. After discussions, they decided to set the engagement for the end of this month. With only half a month left for preparations, although rushed, it was only for an engagement, so it wasn’t a huge problem.

With their only son getting engaged, and time being so tight, Chu Yunrong immediately became busy. Many things had to be prepared now, as neither the Wen family nor the Shen family were ordinary families. Even if it was just an engagement, nothing could be taken lightly.

Chu Yunrong, having to prepare both for Shen Qinglan’s marriage and Shen Junyu’s engagement banquet, naturally couldn’t manage everything alone, so Shen Qinglan’s days of leisure as one of the parties involved were completely over.

"Qinglan, what do you think of this glass?" Chu Yunrong picked up a wine glass and asked Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan looked up, glanced at the other glasses, took another one, and handed it to Chu Yunrong, "This one is better."

Chu Yunrong carefully compared them and nodded, "You have a better eye, let’s go with this one. Although not many people are coming to your brother and Xiyao’s engagement banquet, we still need to prepare everything. Let’s start with three hundred."

"Mom," Shen Qinglan sighed helplessly, "This is just an engagement banquet, and we’ve only sent out fifty invitations. We really don’t need three hundred glasses, especially since these glasses will likely only be used once. We really don’t need to buy so many."

After discussions between the two families, Shen Junyu and Wen Xiyao’s engagement banquet was planned to be low-key, with only close friends and relatives invited to witness the event, since Wen Xiyao was currently working in Beijing. Therefore, the location of the engagement banquet was set at a villa Shen Junyu had bought two years ago, which he had just renovated at the beginning of the year. The villa, being spacious, was quite suitable for the engagement banquet.

Chu Yunrong considered it for a moment, "Then, let’s get one hundred fifty?"

Shen Qinglan nodded, Chu Yunrong paid the money, then left the address, pulling Shen Qinglan to the next store.

Chu Yunrong was at a bedding store looking at sheets while Shen Qinglan sat by, waiting for her. She had been shopping with Chu Yunrong for several days now, but unlike Chu Yunrong’s enthusiastic mood, Shen Qinglan now felt only aesthetic fatigue due to seeing too many similar items.

"Qinglan, this bedsheet is quite nice, it would be perfect for your new house," Chu Yunrong held a bedsheet, seeking Shen Qinglan’s opinion.

Shen Qinglan rubbed her brows, looking at the bright red color, unable to utter the words "pretty good" that were on the tip of her tongue.

"Mom, let’s choose a different color, the blue set next to it looks nice."

Chu Yunrong shook her head, "No, that one is too plain. This is for your wedding, the color must be festive." Saying so, she didn’t care whether Shen Qinglan liked it or not, and directly had the salesperson wrap it up.

Then Chu Yunrong pointed, "This one, this one, this one, and this one, pack these up too, and send them to this address."

Shen Qinglan silently watched as Chu Yunrong swept through everything.

"Mom, let’s find a place to rest for a bit," she said, seeing Chu Yunrong’s increasing enthusiasm as they shopped.

Chu Yunrong was startled, "There’s still a lot left to buy, your brother’s, yours." Thinking about it, Chu Yunrong felt that there wasn’t enough time.

Shen Qinglan grabbed her, "Mom, I’m tired."

Seeing her genuinely fatigued expression, Chu Yunrong nodded, "Alright, then let’s find a place to rest."

However, before Shen Qinglan and Chu Yunrong could find a place, they ran into an acquaintance.

"Miss Shen, we meet again," Qin Yan greeted Shen Qinglan with a smile.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes flickered slightly, it seemed she had been encountering Qin Yan rather frequently lately; besides this time, it had already been twice this month.

Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow lightly, "I didn’t expect us to have such fate."

Qin Yan smiled and looked at Chu Yunrong, "This must be your mother, hello, my name is Qin Yan."

Chu Yunrong gave her a once-over and smiled back, "Hello."

Shen Qinglan hadn’t introduced her, so Chu Yunrong assumed Qin Yan’s relationship with Shen Qinglan was just ordinary, and she was actually right.

Seeing the mother and daughter’s cold demeanor, Qin Yan didn’t linger, "Miss Shen, I have other things to take care of, let’s have dinner together another day."

Shen Qinglan was noncommittal; her impression of Qin Yan wasn’t good.

"Qinglan, who is that person?"

Shen Qinglan spoke indifferently, "Someone unimportant."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunrong understood; it seemed her initial feeling had been correct, "Then let’s not bother with her; let’s find a place to rest first, then go buy clothes in the afternoon."

Shen Qinglan didn’t dwell on the encounter with Qin Yan; she followed Chu Yunrong to a café to rest and saw Qin Yan walking past outside, arm in arm with a man who seemed to be her husband, based on his age.

Qin Yan was talking to the man, who had a doting smile on his face; Shen Qinglan glanced at them twice and then looked away. She sensed Qin Yan was deliberately trying to get close to her but didn’t understand her motives, so she ignored her for the time being.

That afternoon, Shen Qinglan and Chu Yunrong came out of the shopping mall, Shen Qinglan’s face showing no expression. The next day, when Chu Yunrong called her, Shen Qinglan straightforwardly said she needed to visit Daniel that day, refusing to go out with Chu Yunrong. Thus, left alone, Chu Yunrong called Wen Xiyao.

Naturally, Wen Xiyao wouldn’t refuse Chu Yunrong’s request, and since she wasn’t very busy those days, she accompanied Chu Yunrong to the mall.