The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 256. Romantic Mr. Fu

Chapter 256: 256. Romantic Mr. Fu

About that incident from years ago, Gu Bowen actually had no clear idea about what happened. He was supposed to just attend a business event and then got drunk. He had asked the driver to take him home, but when he woke up, he found himself in a hotel room with a strange woman beside him.

All his clothes were gone, and after the woman woke up, Gu Bowen had asked her, but she insisted they had had sex. Gu Bowen, however, was certain that he hadn’t done anything with the woman. In the end, with no other choice, Gu Bowen simply paid the woman a sum of money to leave.

He had wanted to keep the incident a secret, but eventually, Fu Jingtong found out about it. Their marriage even broke down because of this accident.

Reflecting on the past, Gu Bowen felt a profound sadness. He couldn’t understand why, when they had gotten married, their relationship as husband and wife had been good. He had treated Fu Jingtong well, and Fu Jingtong had always greeted him with a smile. So why had it all ended like this? Could it be that Fu Jingtong truly couldn’t bring herself to trust him even once?

With a bitter expression on his face, Gu Yang could tell at a glance that his dad must have been put down by his mom again. Every time after meeting his mom, his dad would have this look.

Patting Gu Bowen on the shoulder, "Dad, the revolution isn’t over yet, the comrade still needs to work hard. So what if mom gave you a hard time? It’s not the first time, right? You’ve made it through all these years, so why care about one more time? While mom is still single, you should pursue her again. Maybe she’ll be moved by your sincerity and agree to remarry you."

Although Gu Yang’s words were unreliable, they weren’t without reason. The worst that could happen was rejection. With that thought, Gu Bowen felt spirited again. He looked around but didn’t see Fu Jingtong, "Where’s your mom?"

"Oh, while you were wallowing in sorrow she already left. But you should be able to catch up to her if you hurry now," Gu Yang said nonchalantly.

Hearing this, Gu Bowen left his son and walked straight outside.

Gu Yang curled his lips, thinking that his dad was the typical type who forgot his son once he had a wife. He couldn’t help but wonder if his parents hadn’t divorced, would he have lived like an orphan?

**

"Fu Hengyi, about Uncle Gu, Aunt Fu, and Second Uncle..." Shen Qinglan looked at the back of Gu Bowen as he left to pursue Fu Jingtong and asked Fu Hengyi in a soft voice.

Fu Hengyi glanced at her, "I thought you were never interested in these gossips."

"It just feels like such a pity about Aunt and Uncle," Shen Qinglan said dispassionately.

"That’s between them and not our business. Let’s take care of our own matters instead," Fu Hengyi said, with his arm around her shoulder.

Shen Qinglan looked at him, puzzled, not understanding what matters they had that needed attention.

Seeing her confusion, Fu Hengyi looked at her with a kind of helpless longing, "Wife, it’s been half a month since I’ve seen you. Don’t you miss me?"

Shen Qinglan immediately understood and looked at him speechlessly; hadn’t they just last night...

Mr. Fu claimed that because he wanted his wife to attend the engagement party on time, he hadn’t fully enjoyed last night. Looking at the clean neck of Shen Qinglan, one could tell that someone hadn’t eaten his fill.

"Wife, shall we try a new position tonight?" Fu Hengyi whispered into Shen Qinglan’s ear.

At his words, a vein throbbed on Shen Qinglan’s forehead. She couldn’t help but punch him on the chest, with not a light force, "Fu Hengyi, be mindful of the occasion." If others heard this, how could she face anyone again?

After taking a punch from his wife, Fu Hengyi grunted, looking at her, "Wife, are you planning on murdering your husband?"

Shen Qinglan saw him frown and knew she hadn’t controlled her strength well just now. She couldn’t help but feel nervous. She hadn’t really hurt him, had she?

"Does it hurt a lot?"

To her surprise, Fu Hengyi smiled slightly, "No, it doesn’t hurt. I was just teasing you."

Shen Qinglan gave him a look. This man was becoming more and more mischievous.

"Wife, the engagement banquet is over. Let’s go home and make babies," Fu Hengyi said, wrapping his arm around Shen Qinglan as they walked outside.

Shen Qinglan glanced at him sideways, "I thought you said you didn’t want to become a dad so soon?"

Fu Hengyi chuckled, "So we can start the process of making babies, and leave the results to fate."

Hehe...

That night, Mr. Fu became obsessed with unlocking new positions and couldn’t stop himself, eventually angering Miss Shen to the point where she nearly kicked him off the bed.

Miss Shen rubbed her waist with an irritated expression, "Fu Hengyi, I’m a human being, not a cloth doll!"

Fu Hengyi looked innocent and, seeing she was really annoyed, quickly went up to her and massaged her waist. He had been too excited and hadn’t controlled himself, going too far, "I’m sorry, wife."

Shen Qinglan scoffed, watching coldly as Mr. Fu massaged her waist, his hands drifting off target, "Wife, let’s continue. This time I promise to control myself."

Shen Qinglan lay in bed and covered herself with the duvet, "I’m going to sleep now." They had been going at it all night, and no matter how good her physical condition was, she was tired.

Fu Hengyi looked at his own body and then snuggled up to Shen Qinglan, "Wife, it’s still early to sleep. Let’s have another round of body- and heart-healthy exercise."

Shen Qinglan glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. The hour hand was pointing to one. She thought about it and eventually turned around to hold Fu Hengyi. She couldn’t bring herself to refuse him.

The next day, Shen Qinglan woke up early but didn’t go out for a run. She looked at the now cold side of the bed, rubbed her sore waist, and her thighs, which didn’t feel like her own.

After getting up and washing up, she walked out of the room and still didn’t see Fu Hengyi. She didn’t know where he had gone early in the morning. Just as Shen Qinglan was about to call him, the door opened, and Fu Hengyi walked in from outside, holding a huge bouquet of champagne roses.

Fu Hengyi came in, placed the breakfast he had in his other hand on the table, and then handed the fresh flowers to Shen Qinglan. Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow with a cool expression, "Giving me flowers early in the morning, what did you do to upset me? Come on, I won’t be angry."

Fu Hengyi was speechless. Could he say it was because he felt he had been too rough last night, so he went to the morning market to buy flowers to cheer his wife up?

It was a pity that Miss Shen was no ordinary girl. Not at all moved by the flowers, Fu Hengyi felt a bit defeated. It was a headache that his wife was so hard to please.

As Fu Hengyi was thinking about how to appease his wife, Shen Qinglan took the flowers, looked down at them, and a faint smile appeared in the depths of her eyes. This was her first time receiving flowers, "Thank you."

Fu Hengyi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled slightly, "I bought breakfast. Let’s eat first."

"Okay," Shen Qinglan didn’t go to eat, but found a vase to arrange the flowers, which she had probably just received. There were still a few little droplets of water on the flower petals. Shen Qinglan smiled, actually Fu Hengyi could be quite romantic at times.

In the morning, Shen Qinglan had a good appetite, and the corners of her mouth remained uplifted with a faint smile, showing her good mood. Fu Hengyi suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He had always thought of Shen Qinglan as a strong and independent girl, but had forgotten that she had just turned twenty-two. She might like the same things ordinary girls liked, but because of her past experiences, her feelings and preferences were just better hidden than others’.

Fu Hengyi made a secret resolution in his heart that he would send his wife flowers more often in the future.

And so, later, every anniversary or holiday, Shen Qinglan would receive a bouquet from Fu Hengyi. Years later, when Fu Mengbao was about five, imitating his father, he started to compete for her affection by giving Miss Shen fresh flowers every day, which both annoyed and amused Mr. Fu, while Miss Shen found it both funny and helpless.

After eating, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi didn’t go anywhere but sat on the sofa watching an old movie called "Waterloo Bridge." They had watched it two years ago, and revisiting this classic together felt different from back then.

Shen Qinglan snuggled into Fu Hengyi’s embrace, letting him hold her.

"Fu Hengyi, I’ll be going to Xueli City in the middle of this month to attend an art festival," Shen Qinglan mentioned, remembering what Daniel had told her.

Fu Hengyi was caressing her fingers at the time. Her hands were slender and elegant, with pale and delicate skin that felt wonderful to the touch. Fu Hengyi thought, even for someone without a hand fetish like him, her hands were irresistible.

At her words, he paused his movements, "Hmm, are you going alone, or?"

"Daniel and Yu Xiaoxuan will go with me."

After thinking for a moment, Fu Hengyi suggested, "What about your friend named Jin Enxi? Why don’t you invite her to go along?"

Shen Qinglan glanced at him, "Fu Hengyi, I’m just attending an art festival."

Fu Hengyi leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead, speaking gently, "I know, but Allen is still out there waiting, and King’s whereabouts are still unknown. Who knows when he might show up? If something happens, and you’re abroad, I won’t be able to reach you in time. So, if possible, invite your friend to go along. If nothing happens, think of it as a trip abroad to relax. But if there is trouble, you can look out for each other."

He spoke sensibly, and Shen Qinglan had no response to that. After thinking it over, she called Jin Enxi, who agreed promptly and briskly, having almost grown mushrooms from staying at home too much.

"When will you be back?" Fu Hengyi asked. The wedding dress photoshoot was scheduled for the end of next month. They were supposed to have the wedding photos taken the last time he was back, but due to an unexpected issue, they couldn’t arrange it and had to wait.

"If nothing unexpected happens, I’ll be back within a week."

"Hmm, take care of yourself when you’re away."

"Fu Hengyi, I’m really not a child, you know. I used to travel all over the world all the time."

Fu Hengyi smiled, "I know, but it’s different now. Back then, you didn’t have me. Now, you do."

Shen Qinglan felt warmth in her heart, yet teased him, "Fu Hengyi, your mouth is getting sweeter by the day. Have you been spreading honey on it?"

"Just taste it and you’ll know," said Fu Hengyi, and he lowered his head and kissed Shen Qinglan’s lips.

**

Today, on Beijing’s newspapers, regardless of whether it’s the finance or entertainment section, the headlines were all dominated by the news of Junlan Group’s president, Shen Junyu’s engagement. Wen Xiyao’s identity was also dug up by people. Aside from being the youngest general manager in the history of Xinhe International, she is also the daughter of the Hai City Wen Family. Even her experience of studying abroad and taking a high management position at a multinational company shortly after graduating was exposed.

As expected, the entertainment section was full of gossip, while the finance section analyzed how much the stock prices of Junlan Group and Wen Group would rise after their engagement. And sure enough, just as those "experts" had predicted, as soon as the stock market opened, the stocks of Junlan Group and Wen Group hit the upper limit immediately. Even the shares of Xinhe International, which had decreased in value due to a recent death on the construction site, were stimulated by this news, showing a rebounding trend.

The most shocked must have been the shareholders of Xinhe International. Little did they know that the person they intended to trouble was actually the young mistress of the Wen Family, the fiancée of the president of Junlan Group. With this turn of events, they couldn’t fathom why Wen Xiyao, with her status, would need to work for others. Why would she come to Xinhe International? Although Xinhe International is a well-established enterprise, it can’t compare to the Wen and Shen Families.

Meanwhile, tucked away in a corner of the social section that no one paid much attention to, there was another piece of news— "A man’s naked body found on the beach, covered in bruises, suspected to be the retaliation for being a ’mistress’."

The accompanying picture was pixelated, but the man in the photo was Du Nan, who had been taken away by Wen Sixian.

After Wen Sixian took Du Nan away, he brought him straight to the beach and threw him into the sea. The cold seawater’s stimulation immediately woke Du Nan from his unconsciousness. As he was tossed onto the beach with the water only reaching his shins, Du Nan stood up. Seeing Wen Sixian’s icy expression, he instantly realized that Wen Sixian must have learned about his misdeeds.

Without a word, Wen Sixian delivered a punch. Du Nan didn’t fight back but simply asked, "Second Brother, is Xi Yao really engaged to Shen Junyu?"

Wen Sixian sneered coldly, "Yes, Xi Yao is engaged to Jun Yu. Soon, they will get married."

"No," Du Nan shook his head. "They can’t be together. Xi Yao is mine; she belongs to me."

Another punch landed on Du Nan’s abdomen, causing him to bend over and cough violently.

"Du Nan, Xi Yao was never yours. It is her right to be with whoever she wants, and you have no authority to interfere."

"What gives?" Du Nan roared. "I’ve loved Xi Yao for so many years, waited for her, did everything for her all these years, and what has that Shen Junyu done?"

Wen Sixian yanked Du Nan up from the ground, pushing his head under the water, "Let me tell you why, because Xi Yao loves him, likes him. Du Nan, you got to clear your damn head."

Du Nan spat out the salty seawater, his eyes filled with madness, "Xi Yao is mine; no one can take her away from me! None of you can! I won’t let her leave me; even if I have to bind her, I’ll tie her to my side!"

Wen Sixian’s rage, which had already diminished by half, exploded once again upon hearing these words. He pinned Du Nan down and gave him a severe beating until Du Nan resembled a battered pig’s head before stopping. He looked at Du Nan, his expression icy, "Du Nan, Xi Yao is my only sister. If you dare do anything to harm her, I will not let you go, and the Du Family will pay a steep price for your actions."

Du Nan let out a scoffing laugh as if he hadn’t heard what Wen Sixian said, mumbling to himself about "Xi Yao is mine, no one can take her," and such. The fury in Wen Sixian’s heart soared—Du Nan was absolutely insane.

But the fists he had raised couldn’t fall on Du Nan, who by now, looked quite a sorry sight. Another beating might send him straight to the hospital.

After a moment’s thought, Wen Sixian dropped his fists and left Du Nan alone on the beach, getting into his car and driving away.

So, this morning, when Wen Sixian was queried by Wen Sihan about why Du Nan was sent to the hospital naked, he was utterly baffled.

Having heard the sequence of events from Wen Sixian, Wen Sihan was just as perplexed by the outcome. Had someone played the role of a vigilante and dealt with Du Nan after Wen Sixian left?

This question remained unanswered for the time being, and neither Wen Sihan nor Wen Sixian gave it further thought. Nevertheless, regardless of whether Du Nan had succeeded in his intentions toward Wen Xiyao, this matter wouldn’t be let go lightly. Once they returned, the relationship between the Wen Family and the Du Family would be ruined. Naturally, the business partnership between Wen Group and Du Family would also cease.

After the engagement banquet, apart from Mrs. Wen and Wen Bingchuan, the other Wen Family members went back first. Mrs. Wen wanted to stay in Beijing to see the environment where her daughter was living now and would live in the future. Wen Bingchuan, now retired from the company, naturally decided to accompany his wife.

Wen Xiyao had an apartment in Beijing, arranged by the company. Originally, Shen Junyu had arranged a suite for Wen Xiyao’s parents in Beijing, but they refused, wanting to stay with their daughter, so they declined Shen Junyu’s kind gesture.

Wen Sihan’s first order of business upon his return to Hai City was to dissolve the signed yet uninitiated contracts with the Du Family. The Du Family patriarch, Du Honghai, personally visited the Wen Group to inquire about the reasons for such action. Wen Sihan had only one thing to say, "You can go back and ask Du Nan what wonderful thing he has done."

Du Nan was still hospitalized in Beijing at the time, and Du Honghai couldn’t reach his son via phone. When he visited again, he was bluntly turned away. Mrs. Du couldn’t sit still any longer. She intended to visit Mrs. Wen, given that their personal relationship was very good, but found herself at a loss. The housemaid told her that the couple had gone on a trip and wouldn’t be back any time soon.

Mrs. Du called Mrs. Wen and got through on the first attempt; they had a pleasant conversation. When Mrs. Du asked about the situation, Mrs. Wen had no knowledge of it, but she promised to ask her son for details.

Wen Xiyao had overheard her mother’s conversation and spoke up after she hung up the phone, "Mom, you don’t need to ask big brother about it. I know the reason."

Mrs. Wen looked at her with confusion, "Haven’t our families always had a good working relationship? Why would we suddenly want to stop cooperating?" Moreover, it wasn’t just ending one contract but all of them. She found it baffling. Although there had been a bit of friction between her and Mrs. Du recently due to Wen Xiyao having a boyfriend, that was hardly sufficient to affect the business partnership between the two families.

Wen Sihan had rushed to intervene in time to prevent Du Nan from succeeding in his scheme. Mrs. Wen cursed loudly, a stark departure from her usual well-mannered and controlled demeanor, showing just how infuriated she was.

Wen Bingchuan comforted his wife and looked at his daughter, saying, "You should have told us about this earlier." If they had known sooner, they would have returned to Hai City to handle the matter themselves. The more Wen Bingchuan thought about it, the angrier he became, "No, we are going back tomorrow, I simply can’t swallow this anger."

As Wen Bingchuan paced back and forth in the living room, full of indignation, Wen Xiyao quickly tried to console her father, "Dad, big brother and second brother will handle this. You just stay here, and I’ll take you and mom to Beijing this weekend to relax. Qinglan has opened a teahouse in the south part of the city; it’s got a nice ambiance. I’ll take you to see it."

"I’m not in the mood for sightseeing right now," her father retorted.

"Dad, the Wen Family and the Du Family have had many years of friendship. This sudden contract dissolution is a devastating blow to the Du Family, and this punishment is already enough," Wen Xiyao persuaded.

At the moment, Wen Xiyao was unaware that Du Nan had been hospitalized by Wen Sixian, his face so altered from the beating that even his mother wouldn’t recognize him.

After Wen Xiyao’s persuasion, Wen Bingchuan finally gave up the idea of returning to Hai City.

The next day, when Shen Qinglan received an invitation from Mrs. Wen, she was surprised, especially at Mrs. Wen’s enthusiasm, which made her quite uncomfortable.

"Qinglan, I heard from Xiyao that you like the Southern rice wine balls. The ones I make are also very tasty. Have a try," Mrs. Wen said as she served a bowl of rice wine balls, gesturing for Shen Qinglan to come over and eat.

Wen Bingchuan, who was usually very stern except with his daughter Wen Xiyao and his wife, now looked at Shen Qinglan with such warmth and affection.

Feeling somewhat uneasy, Shen Qinglan sat down at the table, and Mrs. Wen personally handed her a spoon. After a tentative taste, she found the rice wine balls were not too sweet—just a faint sweetness accompanied by the fragrance of rice wine. "Qinglan, how does it taste?"

Shen Qinglan smiled and nodded, "Auntie’s craftsmanship is excellent; this is the most delicious rice wine balls I’ve ever had."

Mrs. Wen’s face lit up with a radiant smile, "I’m glad you like it. Enjoy more if you do; there’s more in the pot."

Wen Xiyao awkwardly finished her rice wine balls, still unclear about Mrs. Wen’s intention for inviting her over today. Just as she was considering a way to take her leave, Mrs. Wen walked into the bedroom.

When she came out of the bedroom, Mrs. Wen was holding a box in her hand. She stuffed the box into Shen Qinglan’s hands, saying with a smile, "Qinglan, this is a little token of my appreciation. Congratulations on your engagement."

Shen Qinglan opened it to take a look and saw it was a complete set of jewelry inside. Just by looking, she knew it must be extraordinarily valuable. She quickly tried to give it back, "Auntie, this is too precious. I can’t accept it."

Mrs. Wen didn’t take it back. "In the future, when your brother and Xi Yao get married, we’ll be one family, and you’ll be my daughter. What’s wrong with a mother giving her daughter a little something as a dowry?"

If it had been from Chu Yunrong, Shen Qinglan might have accepted it, but Mrs. Wen wasn’t really related to her. Even if Xi Yao and Shen Junyu got married, she would only be a married-out sister-in-law.

Mrs. Wen’s generous gift made Shen Qinglan unavoidably think back to the events at the engagement banquet. Probably Mrs. Wen knew about the incident where Du Nan had bullied Xi Yao.

And Shen Qinglan’s guess wasn’t wrong; this was indeed Mrs. Wen’s way of saying thank you.

Mrs. Wen had originally prepared another gift for Shen Qinglan, not this set. This set of jewelry was prepared for Xi Yao. But since Shen Qinglan had helped them so much, the original gift didn’t seem sufficient. They didn’t have anything suitable on hand at the moment, so they decided to just give this set of jewelry to Shen Qinglan. After all, the earliest that Xi Yao could get married was early next year, so there was still time to order new ones.

"Just take it with peace of mind. It’s a little expression of my appreciation," Mrs. Wen insisted.

"Yes, Qinglan, you are Jun Yu’s sister, and in the future, you’ll be Xi Yao’s sister as well. It’s just a small gift; don’t fuss over it," Wen Bingchuan joined in.

In the end, Shen Qinglan accepted the gift. She called Xi Yao afterward, who only said, "This is my mom’s wedding gift to you. Rest assured and keep it without overthinking."

To an ordinary family, this gift would be priceless, an astronomical figure but for Shen Qinglan, who could afford it herself, she didn’t dwell on it too much. After bringing the gift home, she immediately locked it in her safe.

**

On July 10th, Shen Qinglan and Daniel, among others, boarded a plane to Xueli City. By the time they arrived in Xueli City, it was 2 p.m. local time. Daniel had been to Xueli City before and had everything like hotel and car arrangements well-prepared in advance. As soon as Shen Qinglan exited the airport, she saw the people who had come to pick them up.

It was still early when they reached the hotel, and once they had settled their luggage, Yu Xiaoxuan suggested they go out for a look around. This was her first time here, and she was curious about everything outside.

"This city is so beautiful," Yu Xiaoxuan couldn’t help but admire the silver beaches in the distance.

"Xueli City is Australia’s largest city, a renowned international metropolis, and also acknowledged as one of the most livable cities in the world. Of course, the environment here is beautiful," Jin Enxi responded upon hearing Yu Xiaoxuan’s comment.

This was Yu Xiaoxuan’s first time meeting Jin Enxi. Shen Qinglan had merely introduced Jin Enxi by name at the airport, and that’s how they got acquainted. Yu Xiaoxuan was quite curious about this person.

She remembered being kidnapped the last time, and it was a man and a woman who took her to the hospital, but she couldn’t recall what they looked like. The only thing she remembered was that they were friends of Shen Qinglan’s.

Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t understand how Shen Qinglan knew so many odd people, but she was a smart girl. Since Shen Qinglan hadn’t provided details, she didn’t ask.

"You seem to know so much," Yu Xiaoxuan said with a sense of wonder.

Jin Enxi laughed, "There are many more beautiful places in this city. I’ll take you to see them someday."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaoxuan looked at her, "You are familiar with this place?"

"I’ve been here a few times before and stayed for a while," Jin Enxi said. Back when she had just gained her freedom, she roamed all over the world, spending time in many places.

"Great, now we have a ready-made tour guide," Yu Xiaoxuan said cheerfully.

Daniel had to arrange things for later, so he didn’t come out with them.

Stepping out of the hotel, Jin Enxi said with excitement, "Let me tell you, there’s a Food Street nearby that has really tasty stuff. Shall I take you there tonight?"

This suggestion received Yu Xiaoxuan’s hearty endorsement. She had a week off this time, a reward from Linda for her hard work recently. Han Yi didn’t have time to accompany her for fun, and since her English was not very good, she came along knowing that Shen Qinglan would be in Xueli City.

"Qinglan, let’s go to that Food Street tonight," Yu Xiaoxuan pleaded eagerly.

Knowing her foodie nature all too well, Shen Qinglan would hardly object. She nodded, "Okay, let’s go."

When they arrived at the Food Street in the evening, Yu Xiaoxuan and Jin Enxi ate their way from one end to the other until they couldn’t eat anymore. Yu Xiaoxuan then rubbed her belly and looking at the many foods she hadn’t tried yet, said, "We can only come back another day to eat."

Seeing her like this, a flash of amusement passed through Shen Qinglan’s eyes.

With three days until the opening of the art festival, the next day, Shen Qinglan and company drove to Macleay Lake, only an hour’s distance from Xueli City, where they could see a lot of wild kangaroos, and if lucky, even koalas.

Shen Qinglan was in charge of driving, with Jin Enxi and Yu Xiaoxuan sitting in the backseat. Yu Xiaoxuan would occasionally point at buildings or natural landscapes outside the window and ask Jin Enxi, who could always give her a rough explanation.

Yu Xiaoxuan looked at Jin Enxi with admiration, "Enxi, you really know so much."

Jin Enxi smiled warmly, "If you traveled around the world all the time like me, you would also know a lot."

"Are you traveling around the world?"

"Um, you could say that. I met Qinglan while traveling abroad. Knowing she was from Z country, and since I had never been here before, I decided to visit Beijing."

"Eh, you’re not from Z country?"

"No, I’m from H country."

"Your Chinese is really good. I wouldn’t have guessed that you weren’t from Z country if you hadn’t told me. Plus, you and Qinglan speak English so well, and you even speak Korean. You’re amazing," Yu Xiaoxuan exclaimed.

That’s because you don’t know the real An. Jin Enxi thought to herself, If Yu Xiaoxuan had seen An’s skills, she wouldn’t be so astounded by her own.

"I was very interested in Z country’s culture when I was young, so I self-studied a bit," Jin Enxi casually fibbed.

Yu Xiaoxuan believed it without doubt.

From a distance, they saw a brilliant blue lake with deep, expansive waters providing an excellent view. A few small boats floated on the lake, surrounded by mountains and lush forests. The setting was extremely beautiful.

Even though it was winter, there were quite a few visitors.

"Qinglan, it’s so beautiful here!" Yu Xiaoxuan got out of the car, took a deep breath looking at the lake, and even the air seemed to have a sweet taste.

Shen Qinglan nodded in agreement, a faint smile in her eyes.

Nearby, there were vast lawns where many kangaroos were hopping about. Yu Xiaoxuan said in amazement, "Qinglan, this is the first time I have ever seen live kangaroos!"

"Just watch from a distance. These kangaroos are wild, and though they are used to people and aren’t shy, some are still untamable. If you’re unlucky, you might get scratched," Jin Enxi said when she saw Yu Xiaoxuan preparing to approach.

Yu Xiaoxuan stopped in her tracks and looked at the distant kangaroos with regret, "Ah, I wanted to take a photo with them."

"Then go take a photo with that one," Jin Enxi pointed at a kangaroo not far away.

Yu Xiaoxuan looked puzzled, "Why?"

Jin Enxi explained, "That kangaroo has a gentle disposition. You see, it didn’t run away when that person approached it, and even let them touch it."

Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes lit up, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!" turning to Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, let’s go together."

Shen Qinglan shook her head slightly, "You two go ahead, I’ll take photos for you."

"Okay." Yu Xiaoxuan knew Shen Qinglan disliked being in photos, so she didn’t insist and happily pulled Jin Enxi along.

Although Jin Enxi was a couple of years older than Shen Qinglan, she was much more lively and hit it off better with Yu Xiaoxuan. Despite Shen Qinglan’s offer to take pictures, it ended up being the two of them playing with selfies.

They had brought food with them in the morning, and by noon, Shen Qinglan found a sunny spot by the lake, spread a cloth on the ground, and laid out some food. She sat there basking in the sun, the winter sunlight warming her, and Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but squint slightly.

Taking advantage of the fact that Yu Xiaoxuan and Jin Enxi hadn’t returned, Shen Qinglan took a photo of herself by the lake and sent it to Fu Hengyi.

That evening, when Fu Hengyi returned from training and saw the photo of Shen Qinglan, a knowing smile appeared on his face.

"Qinglan, look at the photos I took. What do you think?" Yu Xiaoxuan handed her phone over.

Shen Qinglan took it and said flatly, "With such a beautiful landscape, anything you take looks good."

Yu Xiaoxuan: ... Couldn’t you say it was my photography skills that were good?

While the three were eating, Shen Qinglan casually glanced in a certain direction, then her gaze fixed there, looking at a familiar figure, looking at the smile on her face. Shen Qinglan’s nose tingled slightly with emotion.

Jin Enxi followed Shen Qinglan’s gaze and also saw Ya Xi.

"Eh, Qinglan, that looks like Ya Xi," Yu Xiaoxuan spoke up. In June, Ya Xi had gone abroad with her mother, and Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t know where they had been, and she didn’t expect them to have come to Xueli City.

Shen Qinglan ignored Yu Xiaoxuan’s words, stood up, and walked toward Ya Xi, while Yu Xiaoxuan and Jin Enxi wisely stayed put.