The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 259. The Last Request

Chapter 259: 259. The Last Request

The next day, after Shen Qinglan got up and had breakfast, she drove Old Sir Shen to the hospital, accompanied by Chu Yunrong.

Shen Rang had grown so weak that he couldn’t even muster the strength to get up. Lu Yaqin had been living in the hospital these days to take care of him conveniently.

When they arrived, the doctor had just administered Shen Rang’s medication. Over the past half month, Shen Rang had rapidly lost weight, and now he was nothing but skin and bones, looking somewhat frightening.

"Daddy, sister-in-law, Qinglan, you’re here," said Lu Yaqin, looking utterly exhausted. Compared to when they first met, she seemed to have aged a whole decade.

Old Sir Shen nodded and looked toward Shen Rang in the bed. "How is Shen Rang doing?" he asked.

"The doctor says the situation is very bad," Lu Yaqin said, choking up. The doctor had just told her that Shen Rang only had a few days left.

Old Sir Shen’s face darkened, and he sat down on a chair. "You all go out," he said.

At his words, Shen Qinglan and Chu Yunrong walked out. Lu Yaqin glanced at her sleeping husband and also left, leaving only Shen Rang and Old Sir Shen in the patient’s room.

Old Sir Shen looked at Shen Rang and said gravely, "Shen Rang, the thing I regret most in this life is having you, do you know that? When your mother gave birth to you, there were complications, and she almost died. It was with great difficulty that she brought you into the world; she spoiled you so much, but what did you do in return? For the sake of a woman, you ran away from home, you wanted nothing to do with your parents, your brothers, nothing. You stabbed your mother and me in the heart again and again. Just when I thought you were dead, you came back, telling me you’re going to die and asking for my forgiveness. Do you really think your father’s heart is made of iron and doesn’t feel pain?"

At some point, Shen Rang opened his eyes and looked at Old Sir Shen, his eyes reddening, "Daddy, I’m sorry."

Seeing that Shen Rang was awake, Old Sir Shen’s face grew even more somber, and he snorted coldly, "Shen Rang, indeed you should be sorry to me. But not only to me, you owe an apology to your mother too."

"I can’t make it up in this lifetime, Daddy. Maybe in the next life, I promise to be an obedient son," said Shen Rang, his voice faint and weak.

Unexpectedly, Old Sir Shen shook his head. "Shen Rang, if there’s a next life, let’s not be father and son."

Shen Rang looked disheartened, knowing that Old Sir Shen was truly heartbroken, "Daddy, I’m sorry, but as a son, I still want to ask for one last favor. I don’t have much time left, and I’m worried for Jun Ze. I hope that you can look after him because he is my only flesh and blood. I was too caught up in work and neglected to educate him properly. I’m afraid that without someone to watch over him, he might be led astray."

Old Sir Shen looked at him intently, "Shen Rang, you are not a good son, but at least you are a capable father. I will take care of Shen Junze, but if he does wrong, I will punish him just the same."

Shen Rang felt relieved and tugged at the corner of his mouth, pulling out a smile, "Thank you, Daddy."

"Rest well, I’ll come to see you another day," Old Sir Shen sighed and stood up to leave. Shen Rang, however, grabbed Old Sir Shen’s hand, "Daddy, can you let Qinglan come in for a moment? I have something I need to tell her. I’m afraid if I don’t say it now, I’ll never get another chance."

Old Sir Shen’s expression turned stern, "Shen Rang, Qinglan was your mother’s most cherished younger relative, and she is also my most beloved. She suffered a lot when she was young, and I only hope that she can be happy and fortunate for the rest of her life. There are some things, I hope you won’t force her into."

Some things, Old Sir Shen didn’t mention, but that didn’t mean he was unaware of them; actually, he was clearer about them than anyone else.

"Daddy, do you really have that little faith in your son?" Shen Rang sighed silently.

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

Outside the door, Shen Qinglan and Chu Yunrong were sitting on chairs in the hallway. Lu Yaqin was seated aside, silent.

Seeing Lu Yaqin’s exhausted expression and reddened eyes, Chu Yunrong felt a twinge of compassion, yet didn’t know what to say. Any words seemed pale and powerless in the face of life’s passing.

"Yaqin, have you eaten today?"

Lu Yaqin shook her head; she hadn’t had any appetite these past few days.

Chu Yunrong stood up, "Then I’ll go buy you something to eat." Saying this, she didn’t wait for Lu Yaqin to refuse before standing up and leaving, as the atmosphere here was too oppressive.

"Mom, why are you sitting outside alone?" Shen Junze came over and saw Lu Yaqin sitting outside. Along with him was a man in his forties wearing a black suit, Lu Yaqin’s only brother, Lu Jincai.

Lu Yaqin looked up, saw the man, called out "Brother," and then said to Shen Junze, "Your grandfather is speaking with your father."

"Why can’t they speak in front of everyone? Why must they talk alone?" Shen Junze muttered dissatisfactorily. Catching sight of Shen Qinglan, his discomfort began again, "Shen Qinglan, what are you doing here? I’m telling you, even if you came here, I won’t let my father hand over the company to you. My uncle is here in the company, and he will help me."

Shen Qinglan swept him a silent glance and hadn’t even spoken when Lu Yaqin interjected, "Jun Ze, what nonsense are you spouting? Qinglan has never intended to take your father’s company. Apologize to Qinglan."

"I won’t." Shen Junze refused. His uncle had already told him that his father had started shifting the company’s focus to the domestic front six months ago. Even the headquarters were moved here during this trip back home, leaving only a branch overseas. These plans had begun long ago, but they were never disclosed to the family, not even his uncle who only learned of them after his father returned to the country.

What was his father trying to do? Could it be that from the start, his father planned to hand over the company to Shen Qinglan, hence the early preparations?

If Shen Qinglan knew what Shen Junze was thinking, she would definitely laugh, and then ask, "Is your brain filled with fish?"

It was only after returning home this time that Shen Rang learned that Chu Yunrong had given birth to another daughter. When he had left the Shen Family, there had only been Shen Junyu.

"Shen Junze, so you’re not even listening to me now," Lu Yaqin said sternly. In the past few days, knowing his time was limited, Shen Rang often spoke with his wife, explaining the reasoning behind his decisions. Although he didn’t directly address Lu Jincai’s ambition, he pointed out, both overtly and subtly, that Lu Jincai lacked the education and ability to hold down the company’s team.

Not wanting to see her husband’s efforts go to waste, Lu Yaqin understood that this was probably the best approach and had finally come to accept Shen Rang’s suggestion from her heart.

Seeing the stern expression on Lu Yaqin’s face made Shen Junze’s bravado fade, and he looked at Shen Qinglan with reluctant displeasure.

Before he could speak, Shen Qinglan calmly said, "An unwilling apology is unnecessary."

With a face full of anger, Shen Junze glared at Shen Qinglan, yet Shen Qinglan didn’t even give him a glance, which made Shen Junze feel extremely aggrieved.

"Qinglan, I’m so sorry, Jun Ze is being unreasonable."

"I won’t hold a grudge against a child," Shen Qinglan stated.

Lu Jincai had been observing Shen Qinglan from the beginning to the end; her demeanor had been indifferent throughout, as if devoid of emotion, and this made him even more uneasy.

Half a year ago, Shen Rang had sent Lu Jincai to Europe on a pretense, to expand into new markets, leaving him unaware of the company’s recent situation. When he learned from Shen Junze’s account that Shen Rang intended to hand over the company’s management to his niece, he realized Shen Rang had been guarding against him and had hurried back from abroad without delay.

"Who is this..." Lu Jincai began to ask.

Only then did Lu Yaqin remember that she had not introduced them, "This is Arang’s niece, Qinglan, Qinglan, this is my eldest brother."

Shen Qinglan merely nodded lightly in greeting.

Lu Jincai saw that Shen Qinglan didn’t even bother to greet him, and annoyance flashed in his eyes as he stood there, not saying a word.

Lu Yaqin felt somewhat embarrassed, but before she could speak, the door to the ward opened, and Old Sir Shen came out, looking at Shen Qinglan, "Lanlan, go in. Your Second Uncle has some things he wants to say to you."

Shen Qinglan stood up and walked in. When Shen Junze saw this, he hurriedly followed.

Shen Rang, seeing his son following, said, "Jun Ze, you go out first."

"I won’t, Daddy, whatever you want to say to her, I want to hear it too," Shen Junze was reluctant to leave; he couldn’t watch as his father passed on what was rightfully his to someone else.

"Get out!" Shen Rang raised his voice, and right after he finished speaking, he began to cough violently. Shen Junze immediately panicked, "Daddy, what’s wrong, Daddy?"

Shen Rang pointed to the doorway without speaking. Shen Junze had no choice but to leave the ward.

Shen Rang looked at Shen Qinglan affectionately, hesitating before she spoke. Seeing this, Shen Qinglan knew what he wanted to say and took the initiative, "Second Uncle, I won’t agree to that matter. As you’ve seen, Shen Junze bears significant hostility toward me. I don’t want to upset Grandfather over this, so you should find someone else for the company matters."

Shen Rang knew this would be the outcome and sighed, "Qinglan, I’m troubling you with this matter. If you’re unwilling, I won’t force you, but I do hope that if the company faces a crisis in the future, you can help Jun Ze look after it a bit. I’ve left the power of attorney with the lawyer, and I’ve already signed it. It’ll take effect as soon as you sign."

Speaking was difficult for Shen Rang now; even after a few sentences, he started to gasp for air. After catching his breath, he continued, "I have no choice but to do this, as Jun Ze’s uncle has always been eying the company greedily, but Jun Ze and his mother fail to see his true ambitions."

"If that’s the case, why don’t you tell Shen Junze and your sister-in-law the truth?"

Shen Rang gave a wry smile, "Your aunt hasn’t even seen her parents for the last time because of me. Jun Ze’s uncle is her only family left in this world. I can’t tell her that her brother has always coveted what I’ve left for her son. And since Jun Ze has been especially close to his uncle since childhood, even if I told him, he wouldn’t believe me."

"Qinglan, I truly don’t have much time left, and this might be the last time I discuss this with you. I won’t force you to take over the company, but I beg you, if Lu Jincai attempts to interfere when Jun Ze is managing the company, I hope you can help Jun Ze take back control of the company. At the very least, provide Jun Ze and his mother with some assurance for their livelihood. But if Jun Ze ruins things for himself, even if the company collapses, I definitely won’t blame you."

Shen Qinglan looked into Shen Rang’s earnest eyes and said nothing. After a long while, just as Shen Rang was about to give up, Shen Qinglan finally nodded, "I can promise to watch over Lu Jincai, but as for Shen Junze, I won’t get involved."

"That’s enough for me, thank you, Qinglan, thank you."

Shen Rang’s complexion grew paler and paler, and as Shen Qinglan saw him speaking in an increasingly faint voice, she knew something was wrong and quickly pressed the bedside bell.

When Lu Yaqin saw the doctor enter the ward, her expression changed, and she hurried in after them, with Shen Junze following behind her. But as soon as he saw Shen Qinglan, he immediately shouted, "What have you done to my dad?"

Shen Qinglan’s expression was cool. Hearing this, she simply gave him a cold glance, causing the words Shen Junze had been about to say to get stuck in his throat. Lu Jincai, witnessing this scene, had a thoughtful look in his eyes.

After the doctor finished examining Shen Rang and shook his head, he said to Lu Yaqin, "Prepare for the worst."

The last hint of color drained from Lu Yaqin’s face at these words, as she threw herself on Shen Rang, crying, "Arang."

Shen Qinglan then left the ward, waiting with Old Sir Shen outside. But it wasn’t five minutes before they heard Lu Yaqin’s grieving cry from within, "Arang."

Old Sir Shen’s walking stick dropped to the ground, and Shen Qinglan was there in time to support him, "Grandfather."

Chu Yunrong had just bumped into Old Sir Fu and Fu Jingtong downstairs, so they came up together. But as soon as the elevator doors opened, they witnessed Old Sir Shen nearly collapsing and hurried over.

Cries emanated from the hospital room, and Chu Yunrong immediately understood—Shen Rang must have passed away.

Old Sir Fu and Fu Jingtong had not anticipated such an outcome either.

Shen Qinglan helped Old Sir Shen to sit down on a chair. There wasn’t a single tear on the old man’s face, but the sorrow in the depths of his eyes made Shen Qinglan’s heart ache sharply.

Old Sir Fu sat beside Old Sir Shen, grasping the hand of his old friend, "Yuan Yi, my condolences."

"What exactly did you say to my dad, Shen Qinglan?" A figure burst out of the hospital room and swung a fist at Shen Qinglan. Her eyes turned cold, she deftly dodged, and in one swift move grabbed Shen Junze’s fist, twisted forcefully, and planted her leg into the crook of his knee, bringing Shen Junze to his knees with a single knee on the ground.

"Shen Junze, what madness are you on?"

Pinned to the ground, Shen Junze yelled, "Shen Qinglan, if you have guts, let me go! You killed my dad, and I want you to pay with your life."

Shen Qinglan’s eyes narrowed slightly, but before she could act, Old Sir Shen had already heavily slapped Shen Junze on the head, pointing towards the hospital room, "Your dad just closed his eyes, and yet you’re in the mood to trouble others—are you even human?"

Shen Junze glared fiercely at Old Sir Shen, "If it weren’t for her, would my dad be dead?"

Hearing this, Chu Yunrong burst out, "Shen Junze, your dad had cancer, you know that better than anyone else, don’t spout nonsense here."

"If it wasn’t for Shen Qinglan, my dad wouldn’t have died so quickly. He was fine before she went in, but once she did, my dad was gone. Isn’t that her killing my dad?"

Shen Junze was furious, and Old Sir Shen’s face darkened. This was not a grandson; this was a scoundrel!

Shen Qinglan released Shen Junze, her expression cold, "Shen Junze, Second Uncle just passed away. If you have anything to say, wait until later. Of course, if you’re not afraid that Second Uncle won’t rest in peace, then by all means, continue making a scene."

Shen Junze slumped onto the ground, his expression filled with grief.

*********

Shen Rang was gone, and naturally, Fu Hengyi and Shen Qian had to come back for the funeral.

Shen Rang’s funeral was held modestly, with few attendees, mostly shareholders and executives from his company. Lu Yaqin and Shen Junze knelt in front of the coffin. Lu Yaqin’s expression could not be described simply as sorrowful; she looked soulless, as if she had lost her spirit.

In such a state, she certainly could not preside over Shen Rang’s funeral, so the task of handling all the afters had fallen into the hands of Chu Yunrong, the elder sister-in-law.

Fu Jingtong and Gu Bowen both attended his funeral. After all, the man was dead and all past grudges had come to an end.

Once Shen Rang’s funeral was over, a person claiming to be Shen Rang’s lawyer entered the gates of the Shen Family Mansion, "Miss Shen, hello. My surname is Xiao, and I am the private lawyer of the late Mr. Shen Rang. Before Mr. Rang’s passing, he wrote a will concerning the distribution of his assets. There is a portion that belongs to Miss Shen, and we now need you to sign to confirm."

Lawyer Xiao took out a document from the bag and placed it in front of Shen Qinglan. Shen Qinglan picked it up for a glance—it was 5% of the shares in Shen Rang’s company and a house in Beijing.

Shen Qinglan put down the document, looking at Lawyer Xiao, "I will not accept my Second Uncle’s property. I have already discussed this with him while he was still alive."

"This is a matter between you and the late Mr. Shen Rang, Miss Shen. I am only here to carry out the will."

"Lawyer Xiao, what are you doing here?" Just as Shen Jun Ze entered, he saw Lawyer Xiao in the living room, and then he saw Shen Qinglan sitting across from him. Understanding the situation, he quickly walked over and glanced at the document on the table.

"What’s the meaning of this, Lawyer Xiao?"

"This is the will your father made before he passed away, bequeathing 5% of the company’s shares and a property in Beijing to Miss Shen."

Shen Jun Ze had eyes to see, but what his father had previously mentioned was only to temporarily hand over the management of the company to Shen Qinglan, not to give her the shares as well. He looked at Shen Qinglan, "Did you ask my father for this house and the shares? Is it because of your insatiable greed that my father was driven to his death by you?"

Shen Qinglan looked at Shen Jun Ze as if she were looking at an idiot, "Please take a look at the last date." The final date on the will was ten days ago, which meant the will was created a week before Shen Rang’s death.

Shen Jun Ze flipped to the last page, saw the date, and his face turned an ugly shade. He couldn’t understand his father’s actions.

Lu Yaqin came down from upstairs, looking worn out with dark circles under her eyes. She said to Shen Jun Ze, "Jun Ze, stop causing trouble, this is what your father left for Qinglan."

"Mom!"

Lu Yaqin didn’t look at him but spoke to Lawyer Xiao instead, "Lawyer Xiao, thank you for your trouble. Please carry out the instructions as Arang has stated. Arang also left a share custody agreement with you, didn’t he?"

Lawyer Xiao nodded, "Yes, this agreement is also for Miss Shen. As long as Miss Shen signs her name on the agreement, she will have full proxy over the 40% of the shares under Mr. Shen’s name. Whenever Miss Shen feels that Mr. Shen Jun Ze is capable of taking on the company’s responsibilities, she can then return the shares to Mr. Shen Jun Ze."

Lu Yaqin nodded, not looking at her son’s increasingly ugly face, and she turned to Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, your Second Uncle must have discussed this with you before he passed. I hope you can agree."

"No way, the company can’t be given to her." Shen Jun Ze shouted, he would never agree to hand over the company to Shen Qinglan.

Fu Hengyi came over and sat beside Shen Qinglan, having heard the conversation, "Second Aunt, as for the Second Uncle’s inheritance, Qinglan will not accept it. And as for the company, Second Aunt should know, Qinglan is an artist. She needs a lot of time to work on her creations and doesn’t have the energy to manage Second Uncle’s company. Shen Jun Ze is already an adult, it’s just that Second Uncle always treated him like a child. Since the company will eventually be handed over to Shen Jun Ze, what’s the difference between handing it over now or later? Moreover, Shen Jun Ze has his maternal uncle to help. With his assistance, Shen Jun Ze will surely manage Second Uncle’s company well."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jun Ze, for the first time, didn’t find Fu Hengyi so disagreeable. Right, it was always that his father treated him like a child, never giving him a chance. He had studied business management; what’s so hard about managing a company?

After speaking, Fu Hengyi stood up, "Second Aunt, Qinglan and I have other matters to attend to, so we’ll be leaving now."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan also stood up.

As they left the Shen Family Mansion, Shen Qinglan looked sideways at Fu Hengyi, "You know that Second Uncle was most wary of Lu Jincai, so why would you suggest having Lu Jincai help Shen Jun Ze manage the company?"

A hint of coldness flashed in Fu Hengyi’s eyes, but he smiled gently, "Shen Jun Ze trusts his uncle so much right now, and is wary of you, because he hasn’t seen his uncle’s true face. Don’t we need to give him a chance to see it for himself?"

Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but smile; this man was clearly holding a grudge over the incident in the hospital where Shen Jun Ze had attacked her, yet he phrased it so righteously. But why did she find this version of Fu Hengyi kind of adorable?

Seeing the slight smile on her lips, Fu Hengyi’s eyes softened as he spoke warmly, "We won’t be able to take our wedding photos this month. Next month is August, and we have our wedding in September. I’ll come back at the beginning of next month so we can get the wedding photos done first."

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Alright, but are you sure you can come back at the start of next month?" With the Shen and Fu families experiencing several incidents one after another in the past six months, Fu Hengyi had taken many leave days, and Shen Qinglan was worried it would affect his future.

Fu Hengyi chuckled and took her hand, "Don’t worry, your husband can handle this little matter with ease."

Shen Rang passed away, and within a few days, Lu Yaqin moved out of the Shen Family Mansion with Shen Junze, after all, it was true that she had stolen Shen Rang in the first place. The Fu Family and the Shen Family were close, and as time passed, it was inevitable that they would run into Fu Jingtong. Facing her, Lu Yaqin still felt quite guilty.

Old Sir Shen had not tried to keep them, only saying to come back for a meal when they had time.

Before his death, Shen Rang had bought two apartments in Beijing; one he had given to Shen Qinglan, and the remaining one was left to Lu Yaqin. He did not leave Lu Yaqin any shares in the company, but he had left her quite a sum of money, enough for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life.

The Lu Family.

Lu Jincai looked at his sister sitting to one side, "Yaqin, what do you think about what I just said?"

Lu Yaqin looked lost and turned towards Lu Jincai, "Brother, what did you just say?"

Lu Jincai, with a sense of helpless resignation, repeated, "I said, from next week, we’re going to have Jun Ze start working at the company. Right now, the company is like a dragon without a head; everyone is anxious. Jun Ze’s presence can stabilize some of the shareholders who are getting restless."

"But Jun Ze is just a freshman, how can he manage such a large company?" Lu Yaqin said worriedly, hesitating before speaking again, "Should I go back to the Shen Family and ask Qinglan for help?"

Hearing this, Shen Junze was dissatisfied, "Mom, why are you like this too? You don’t believe in me. I may be a freshman, but I can work while studying, without neglecting either. Besides, Uncle is there to help me in the company. It’s our own company, why do you always ask for an outsider’s help?"

Lu Yaqin’s face showed her dilemma, "It’s not that I don’t believe in you, but your father is right, you are still young, you’ve never done business before, and if you go to the company now, people won’t follow you."

"My dad is already gone, why do you still keep saying ’dad said this, dad said that’? Is everything dad said right? I might not know business, but Uncle does, he can teach me."

Lu Jincai also added, "Yeah, Yaqin, I am still in the company, Jun Ze is my only nephew, and since I don’t have children of my own, I will do everything I can to help Jun Ze."

Lu Yaqin thought it over and realized it might indeed be so. Her brother was a troublemaker in his youth, fond of gambling, squandering all the family’s money on it. That was precisely why she had to work as a bar hostess. She originally had a sister-in-law, but unable to endure her brother’s gambling, she ran off with somebody else, leaving no children behind.

After their parents died, Lu Jincai’s only source of income was cut off. Still fond of gambling, he racked up a significant gambling debt and had his little finger on his left hand chopped off by those debt collectors. If it hadn’t been for Lu Yaqin returning to the country on a family visit, Lu Jincai would probably have died at that time, starved to death.

This was her only brother, the only relative she had in the world, and naturally, Lu Yaqin couldn’t just ignore him. So she took him overseas with her and asked Shen Rang to help secure him a job as a security guard in the company.

Whether Lu Jincai truly recognized his mistakes or not was unclear, but after arriving overseas, he never visited a casino again. He went to work diligently every day and treated Shen Junze very kindly.

Shen Rang had thoughts of promoting him and arranged for him to work in the company’s sales department. Starting as a lowly salesman, he gradually made his way to an executive position in the company.

With a goal to strive toward, Lu Jincai gave up gambling and focused on his career, even forgoing marriage and children to this day, living a solitary life.

The higher a person stands, the further they can see, and the bigger their ambitions become. If Shen Rang had continued to live, Lu Jincai wouldn’t have done much, at most aspiring to the position of company director. But now with Shen Rang gone, and his nephew Shen Junze still a child – or more accurately, a spoiled brat – entrusting the company to him would spell disaster. Having put in significant effort into the company’s growth to its current size, there was the old saying ’a benefit should not be conferred upon an outsider when it can be conferred upon oneself.’

So it was true, Shen Rang had been correct in saying Lu Jincai harbored great ambition, but he was mistaken about one thing: it wasn’t until after Lu Jincai learned of Shen Rang’s ill health and his limited time remaining that he had his eyes set on the chairman’s position.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi returned to the Fu Family after dining with Old Sir Fu.

Just as Shen Qinglan was about to unbuckle her seatbelt, Fu Hengyi held her hand, "Wait here for me, I’ll go home and grab something, I’ll be right back."

Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow at him, "Where are we going?"

Fu Hengyi chuckled, "You’ll find out soon enough."

This guy and his cliffhangers.

Fu Hengyi quickly went up and came back down, holding a large bag of items. Before Shen Qinglan could see what was inside, he put it in the trunk.

Sitting in the car, Fu Hengyi handed her a bottle of milk, "Drink this." Shen Qinglan hadn’t eaten much for dinner, and Fu Hengyi was worried she might get hungry later.

Shen Qinglan took it but held it without drinking, "Fu Hengyi, where are we going?"

"To watch the sunrise."

Shen Qinglan glanced at him, verifying that he wasn’t mistaken?

Fu Hengyi was certain. To the west of Beijing were mountains, while the east faced the sea. Shen Qinglan had previously camped on the mountains in the west of the city to paint a sunrise and coincidentally ran into members of the Shi Gang.

This time, was Fu Hengyi driving them towards the eastern city’s seaside?

Indeed, Fu Hengyi took Shen Qinglan to the seaside. After parking the car, he found a wind-sheltered, flat spot to set up the tent.

Fu Hengyi took the items out of the trunk, arranged them neatly, and it was surprisingly complete.

"The sea breeze is a bit strong tonight." Fu Hengyi glanced around and remarked.

Fortunately, it was summer. Even with the strong wind, it wouldn’t feel cold.

There were quite a few people by the sea that night. After Fu Hengyi finished setting up the tent, he walked with Shen Qinglan barefoot on the beach.

Shen Qinglan saw many couples on the beach, walking hand in hand in the sand, just like her and Fu Hengyi.

A gentle smile graced the edges of Shen Qinglan’s lips. She turned her head to look at Fu Hengyi, "Fu Hengyi, do you feel like we’re just an ordinary couple now?"

"Aren’t we?" Fu Hengyi countered.

Shen Qinglan nodded firmly, "Yes, we are." We will grow old together like any ordinary couple.

As the night deepened, the beachgoers thinned out. Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi returned to their tent, and upon entering, she detected a faint scent of mosquito repellent.

Fu Hengyi spread out a blanket on the ground. Shen Qinglan lay down, and it felt very soft.

The temperature outside Beijing in the summer exceeded thirty degrees, but by the seaside at night, it was only in the low twenties, quite cool.

Fu Hengyi didn’t zip up the tent completely; instead, he left a small opening to let in the sea breeze while placing a mosquito repellent tablet inside to prevent bugs from coming in.

Shen Qinglan noticed these details and couldn’t help but commend Fu Hengyi’s thoughtfulness. Truly, this man had everything arranged to a tee, sparing her any worry. She thought any woman would be happy to marry such a man.

The next morning, Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan got up, packed their things, and Fu Hengyi took Shen Qinglan to a relatively higher vantage point. It was an open view, an excellent spot for watching the sunrise.

Before dawn broke, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi sat on a rock chatting idly.

Gradually, the horizon began to lighten, the border between night and day becoming distinct. The white slowly spread, then turned to a pale pink. As time passed, the pink deepened in color, and the sun showed its fiery head, followed by its shy face peaking out.

The sky lit up with crimson, reflected by the sea below.

Fu Hengyi wrapped his arms around Shen Qinglan from behind, "This sunrise might not be as beautiful as the one on Chicken Heart Island, but for now, I can only take you here. How about next time I accompany you to Chicken Heart Island to watch the sunrise?"

Laughing, Shen Qinglan nodded, her hand covering Fu Hengyi’s that was around her waist, "Fu Hengyi, this is enough for me. As long as I’m with you, whatever we see, I’m willing."

As the sun rose higher and the temperature increased, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi headed back. After dropping Shen Qinglan off at home, Fu Hengyi went straight back to the military base.

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

The Du Family had been having a rough time recently because of the trouble Du Nan had caused. The Wen Family had been targeting the Du Family, especially since Wen Bingchuan and Mrs. Wen returned to Beijing from Europe.

Du Nan had stayed a few more days in Beijing because of his injuries and only found out after returning that the Wen Family had nearly terminated all cooperation with the Du Family. Even though the Wen Family initiated the breach and compensated them a substantial sum of money, it was nothing compared to the losses Du Family faced.

At the Du Family, seeing the person who had just entered, Du Honghai picked up the teacup from the table and hurled it, "You worthless thing, how dare you come back!"

Startled, Du Nan instinctively dodged to the side, but the teacup hit the doorframe, splashing him with tea. Fortunately, it was lukewarm; otherwise, Du Nan would have suffered in the summer heat.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Du Nan frowned.

Anger twisted Du Honghai’s face, "What am I doing? I want to ask you what you did for the Wen Family to sever all ties with us, even pulling out of projects already underway."

The Du Family’s business had started in real estate and though it had diversified, real estate development was still its main focus. The Wen Family’s actions had left several of the Du Family’s projects in dire straits due to broken financing.

He had tried to get loans from banks, running around for days without success, sometimes even failing to meet with anyone. Watching the company’s cash flow nearing exhaustion, Du Honghai aged years in just days, wrinkles marring his otherwise well-maintained face.

Du Nan had just returned and had no idea what had occurred. Upon hearing the details, immediately realized the course of events, "Dad, I will solve this." After speaking, he left for the Wen Family’s place.

His luck was good today; aside from Wen Sixian, the rest of the family members were present.

Entering the living room and seeing Wen Bingchuan, Du Nan immediately knelt down, "Uncle Wen, the incident with Xi Yao was solely my fault. Please do not implicate the Du Family. Du Shan is my father’s lifetime of hard work. If it goes down this way, my father is finished."

Wen Bingchuan regarded him coldly, "Du Nan, you shouldn’t have come here today. Since you dared to do what you did to Xi Yao, you should have thought of the consequences. This situation is entirely of your own making. No matter what you say now, you can’t change that fact."

Du Nan hung his head, "Uncle Wen, I know I was wrong. Punish me however you wish. But please, for the years of goodwill between the Wen Family and the Du Family, I ask for your leniency."