The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 260. Steal the beams and pillars

Chapter 260: 260. Steal the beams and pillars

Although Wen Sihan was managing Wen Group, Wen Bingchuan was still the chairman. As long as Wen Bingchuan spoke, the Du Family could continue to survive.

Wen Bingchuan looked intently at Du Nan. Before he could speak, a servant came in and said that Mr. and Mrs. Du Honghai had arrived.

"Let them in," Wen Bingchuan said.

As Du Honghai and his wife entered, they saw their son kneeling on the ground. His face immediately darkened, "Old Wen, what has Du Nan done wrong that you treat him like this? Can’t we talk things over nicely?"

Mrs. Du, feeling even more heartbroken, rushed over to try to pull her son up, but Du Nan refused to stand.

"Du Nan, you stand up for me," Mrs. Du said.

It was as if Du Nan couldn’t hear.

Wen Sihan spoke lightly, "Uncle Du, you are wrong to say that. We didn’t make Du Nan kneel. He knelt down as soon as he came in."

Hearing this, Du Honghai’s expression turned ugly. He knew his son and understood that Du Nan must have done something wrong to the Wen Family to act like this as soon as he entered.

"What exactly did Du Nan do?" Du Honghai asked Wen Sihan in a deep voice.

A glint of coldness flashed in Wen Sihan’s eyes, "You might want to ask Du Nan yourself."

Du Honghai looked at his son. Du Nan, however, kept his head down and refused to look at his father. Instead, he said, "Uncle Wen, you can punish me any way you want, just please spare the Du Family."

Knowing he wouldn’t get any answers from his son, Du Honghai turned to Wen Bingchuan with a very earnest tone, "Old Wen, we have been old friends for decades. Let’s sit down and clarify things. If Du Nan really did something wrong, I will definitely discipline him myself."

Wen Bingchuan looked at Du Honghai, his initial anger had passed, and now he had also calmed down. Looking at his old friend, he sighed, "Old Du, as you know, Xi Yao is my most beloved daughter. Originally, I also hoped that our families could be connected through marriage, as both families are well-acquainted, and I have watched Du Nan grow up. But when children grow up, they have their own ideas. What type of person she likes is not up to me to decide. It’s even regrettable to me that she doesn’t like Du Nan, but that cannot be an excuse for Du Nan to harm my daughter..."

Wen Bingchuan told Du Honghai everything Du Nan had done to Wen Xi Yao.

Du Honghai’s face changed unpredictably. When he initially found out that Wen Group had terminated the cooperation because of Du Nan, he had suspected it might be related to Wen Xi Yao since his son had always been openly fond of her. But he had never imagined Du Nan would do such a thing.

"No, that’s impossible. Du Nan wouldn’t treat Xi Yao like that. There must be a misunderstanding," Mrs. Du denied, disbelief written all over her face. Her son was such a gentle and tender person, especially obedient and compliant towards Wen Xi Yao—how could he commit such a crazy act?

"Aunt Du, we also hope this is just a misunderstanding, but the reality is as it is. This is why we only terminated the contract with the Du Family. If anything had happened to Xi Yao, it wouldn’t be as simple as it is now," Wen Sihan said coldly.

"Is there really no room for negotiation on this matter?" Du Honghai looked at Wen Bingchuan, his heart vaguely understanding that the relationship between the Wen Family and Du Family was over.

Wen Bingchuan remained silent.

Du Honghai understood there was nothing left to discuss. He nodded, "Alright, I understand." He then took his wife and turned to leave, not sparing another glance at Du Nan.

"What are you doing, Du Honghai? Your son is still inside," Mrs. Du panicked.

"He’s committed such a disgraceful act; why bother about him anymore," Du Honghai shouted, his face burning with shame as Wen Bingchuan spoke earlier.

"Even if Du Nan did something wrong, he’s still my son. Besides, Wen Xiyao is fine, isn’t she?" Mrs. Du pouted.

Du Honghai sneered at his wife, "You should be thankful that you said this to me, not in front of Wen Bingchuan and his wife."

"I’m telling the truth, Wen Xiyao was supposed to be our daughter-in-law. Now that she’s left Du Nan for another, I haven’t even said anything. It’s just a small wrong, and they are relentless. Is it right for them to bully us like this?"

Du Honghai looked at his wife with disappointment, "A small matter? Let me ask you, if someone did this to your daughter, would you let it go?"

Mrs. Du choked and murmured quietly, "But I don’t have a daughter."

Du Honghai huffed coldly, turned around, and left. The path through the Wen Family was now completely blocked; he needed to think of other ways to save the company.

"Sigh, son, are you really not going to do anything?" Mrs. Du called out from behind.

"He will not die." Du Honghai responded bitterly.

Seeing that Du Honghai had really gone, Mrs. Du clenched her teeth, glanced once at the gate of the Wen Household, and hurriedly followed.

In the Wen family living room, Du Nan was still kneeling. No matter what he said, Wen Bingchuan didn’t change his mind, and he had no choice but to leave the Wen family.

Back home, the Du family was still in utter disarray. Without Wen Bingchuan’s approval, the banks were unwilling to lend to the Du Family. Previously, when the Du and Wen families were in collaboration, many were envious of Du’s prospering business and could only watch jealously. But now, with the termination of partnership, those who disliked the Du family took the chance to snatch clients and many potential contracts.

Moreover, with broken funding chains in multiple projects, the Du Family faced the imminent danger of bankruptcy.

Du Honghai was so furious he even ended up in the hospital once. The days of the Du Family continued to be incredibly difficult, and the company was in internal panic. To stabilize the Du Family, he had no choice but to discharge himself and take control.

"Honghai, why not go and plead with Wen Bingchuan again?" Mrs. Du, seeing her husband like this, was heartbroken.

Du Honghai shook his head—the Du Family was at fault, and as the father, he had to shoulder his son’s debt.

Tears filled Mrs. Du’s eyes as she could only watch her husband continue to struggle.

Wen Bingchuan, knowing about Du Honghai’s illness and hospitalization, didn’t react. But just when the Du family could no longer sustain itself, Wen Bingchuan finally relented. Although Du Nan had hurt Wen Xiyao, considering the decades-long friendship between the Wen and Du families, Wen Bingchuan merely wanted to teach the Du family a lesson, not ruin them. However, from now on, the two families would keep to their own.

**

Time swiftly passed, and it was the beginning of August. The weather became extremely hot, the air itself burning hot. Shen Qinglan spent this time mainly at home except for chatting, drinking tea, and playing chess with the two Old Sirs in the garden. Shen Qinglan refused to accept shares from Shen Rang’s company or manage them temporarily, so she handed them over to Shen Junze, letting him handle it as he wished.

Seeing Shen Qinglan so considerate, Shen Junze didn’t bother her anymore. In fact, he didn’t have time to bother Shen Qinglan as the shareholders of the company, who were his father’s old partners, had a significant influence within the company. Now that his father had passed and he took over, the uncles who were usually kind to him seemed supportive on the surface but were actually unwilling to cooperate with him at work. Within just a few weeks, Shen Junze deeply felt what’s meant by "the warmth and coldness of the world."

Like today, during the shareholders meeting, Shen Junze proposed a resolution to appoint Lu Jincai as the general manager, but none of the shareholders agreed, finding many reasons to oppose him. Lu Jincai’s educational background was their main point of attack, with one shareholder even accusing Shen Junze of nepotism. Furious, Shen Junze stormed out of the meeting.

"Mom, uncle, these bastards are too much! When my dad was alive, they treated me like their own son. Now that he’s gone, they talk nicely but constantly trip me up behind my back. Let’s not even talk about those shareholders; even a mere assistant dares to disobey me. Am I still the chairman of this company?" Shen Junze vented at home.

Lu Yaqin and Lu Jincai sat quietly, listening to him. Lu Yaqin’s face was filled with sorrow, indeed just as her husband had said, Shen Junze couldn’t control those people in the company; he was still too young.

"Jun Ze, calm down," Lu Jincai spoke up. Today he had also attended the meeting and naturally knew what had happened. To be honest, he was also angry, but his educational background was indeed his weakness. Currently, he was merely the director of the sales department, and there were people who used his educational qualification against him.

Shen Junze paced back and forth in the living room, his expression agitated. "Uncle, how can I be calm? Those old fogies are just bullying me because my dad passed away and there’s no one to support me. If my dad were the one making this proposal today, would they dare to oppose it?"

"Jun Ze, those shareholders started from scratch with your dad. They shouldn’t do such a thing," Lu Yaqin said.

Shen Junze looked at Lu Yaqin incredulously, "Mom, are you really my mother? You’re actually defending those people! They’re bullying your son! Naturally, they wouldn’t have done this while my dad was alive, but now that my dad has died..."

Lu Yaqin’s face was pale, "But now the shareholders disagree with your uncle becoming the general manager. There’s no other way. How about we listen to their suggestion and hire someone from outside?" This was a proposal from other shareholders today. Since there was no suitable candidate, it might be better to hire a professional from outside, even if it cost more, it would be better than some unprofessional.

"My uncle has the capabilities and he’s one of us, so why should we hire a stranger? Who knows whose side the person we hire will be on?" Shen Junze immediately refuted Lu Yaqin’s words and even felt that his mother had become confused since his father’s death.

When Lu Jincai heard his sister say this, he was also displeased, "Yaqin, I am indeed Jun Ze’s biological uncle. How could I harm him? If I take the position of general manager, then I can better help Jun Ze in the company."

"But I don’t have a say in this matter, I’ve never interfered with company affairs," Lu Yaqin said with a hint of grievance. Starting from her marriage to Shen Rang, she was just a housewife and had never involved herself in Shen Rang’s work matters.

Lu Jincai also thought to himself that his sister was foolish. He had covertly advised her so many times in the past to talk to Shen Rang about giving her a share of the company. Lu Yaqin wouldn’t listen, saying she couldn’t manage a company anyway and it would be useless even if she had shares.

Now look, she’s being completely suppressed by those shareholders.

Lu Jincai felt a deep resentment towards Shen Rang. Although the man claimed to have promoted him, he was always wary of him, not even giving him 1% of the shares.

"Now that the shareholders are united in suppressing Jun Ze, and Jun Ze has never managed a company, the best solution now would be for Jun Ze to write a share proxy agreement, giving me full control of his shares. I would exercise the rights of the chairman, while Jun Ze returns to school. Once he graduates, he can come back to manage the company. That way, no one will bring up his educational qualifications in the future."

Upon hearing this, Shen Junze’s eyes lit up. "Uncle, is that possible?" In just half a month, Shen Junze had realized that managing a company wasn’t as simple as he had imagined. He couldn’t even understand many documents, staying up until dawn to learn the professional knowledge, yet progress was very limited. He was tired too. If his uncle was willing to manage the company, nothing could be better, and he wouldn’t have to suffer from those shareholders anymore.

"Of course, it’s possible. The shareholders in the company only know that your dad left a share proxy agreement, but they don’t know to whom it was given. If we say the agent is me, then all problems will be solved."

"But the name written on the share proxy agreement is Shen Qinglan," Shen Junze said, conflicted.

Lu Jincai said, "They haven’t seen the agreement and don’t know the name on it. We just need to change the name."

Shen Junze widened his eyes, "Uncle, are you thinking of forging a fake agreement?"

"What’s wrong with that? As long as Lawyer Xiao is willing to cooperate, these people will definitely believe it."

Lawyer Xiao was Shen Rang’s personal lawyer and one of the most trusted people.

"But will Lawyer Xiao cooperate?" Shen Junze doubted. Lawyer Xiao was as cunning as a fox and impervious to influence. It would be difficult to get his cooperation.

Lu Jincai also thought of this issue and was momentarily stunned, not knowing what to say.

"Let’s go talk to him first, explain the situation of the company to him. Maybe he will agree?" Lu Yaqin hesitated.

"That’s the only way to go. Jun Ze, come with me to see Lawyer Xiao tomorrow," Lu Jincai looked at Shen Junze.

Shen Junze nodded.

The next day, they went out in high spirits but returned dejected. After hearing their suggestions, Lawyer Xiao hadn’t even considered them before declining.

Returning from Lawyer Xiao’s, Shen Junze’s face wore a grim expression. "Uncle, what do we do now?"

Lu Jincai had anticipated this outcome and was not surprised. He calmly said, "We wait. Lawyer Xiao won’t be staying in the country for long. He will soon return to the States. When that happens, we can just collaborate with another lawyer. Although their credibility won’t be as high as Lawyer Xiao’s, they will still be able to stabilize some of the shareholders."

"Will that work?" Shen Junze was skeptical. "What if Lawyer Xiao finds out and tells others?"

"Then we don’t let him know," Lu Jincai said.

Shen Junze was silent, still feeling the method was utterly unreliable.

Lu Jincai did not care what he thought; he was already considering whom to approach to play this role. This person had to be well-known in the domestic legal circles for their credibility and also be easy to win over and collaborate with. Having only recently returned to the country, Lu Jincai did not have much understanding of the domestic situation. Now, he needed to find such a person.

And it turned out exactly as Lu Jincai had predicted—three days later, Lawyer Xiao left the country.

The affairs of the Shen family’s household were a mess, best left unmentioned for now.

**

Shen Qinglan woke up early in the morning in a great mood, not only cleaning the entire house but also going to the supermarket and buying a large array of ingredients to fill up the refrigerator.

Knowing her cooking skills were subpar, Shen Qinglan did not plan to cook. She merely washed the ingredients for lunch, cutting them and setting them aside when she heard the sound of the key turning in the door.

Shen Qinglan walked out from the kitchen and saw Fu Hengyi had returned, dressed in his military uniform. Seeing her, his eyes softened with a warm smile.

Fu Hengyi placed the keys on the shoe cabinet and changed his shoes then walked over and gently hugged Shen Qinglan, "Wife, did you miss me?"

Shen Qinglan smiled lightly, took off her apron, and helped Fu Hengyi put it on, "I did. Let’s start cooking. I’m starving."

Fu Hengyi looked at her amusedly, then entered the kitchen and saw the ingredients were all prepped and neatly arranged; he rolled up his sleeves.

Shen Qinglan leaned against the door. She enjoyed watching Fu Hengyi cook; it made the house feel cozy and warm. Fu Hengyi turned his head and said, "Go to the living room; it’s too smoky here."

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "You cook; I want to watch."

Fu Hengyi smiled and began cooking.

Shen Qinglan had already cooked the rice beforehand, so Fu Hengyi only needed to handle the dishes.

He cooked swiftly. In just half an hour, he had made two dishes and a soup. Shen Qinglan helped carry the dishes to the table, then sat down and waited for Fu Hengyi.

"Fu Hengyi, I’ve always been curious, how did you become such a good cook?" Shen Qinglan sipped the soup—a simple tomato and egg drop soup—but it tasted exceptionally delicious.

With such skills, even if Fu Hengyi lost his job in the future, his cooking alone could land him a very decent job.

Fu Hengyi smiled, "When I was studying abroad, I wanted to eat homemade dishes. But the flavors were never the same as those in Beijing, so I started buying ingredients and cooking myself. That’s how I practiced my cooking skills."

Shen Qinglan suddenly remembered that Fu Hengyi had been studying abroad from the age of thirteen to eighteen.

"You went abroad so early, didn’t you find it very tough?" Shen Qinglan asked with curiosity.

Fu Hengyi shook his head, "The city where I studied was close to my aunt’s place. I generally spent weekends or holidays at her place, so unlike other children who study abroad alone, I didn’t feel the loneliness of being in a foreign land on my own."

Shen Qinglan then asked about some of Fu Hengyi’s experiences abroad. Fu Hengyi patiently shared with her, then finally asked, "Why are you so interested in my past today?"

"Just curious."

Fu Hengyi smiled. After they finished eating, Fu Hengyi got up to wash the dishes, while Shen Qinglan went to the bedroom to prepare clothes for him to change into.

After changing his clothes, Fu Hengyi came out and saw Shen Qinglan watering the plants on the balcony. He said, "Qinglan, I have already contacted the photographer. We will go to Spring City in Y Province to take our wedding photos and will leave this afternoon."

Shen Qinglan stopped what she was doing and looked at him puzzled, "Didn’t we agree to take the photos indoors?"

"Beijing is too hot now." Taking wedding photos is a tiring task, and changing outfits takes a long time. Even if it’s cool indoors with air conditioning, the indoor effects aren’t as good as outdoor ones, and I want to give you the best," he explained.

"We’ll go to Spring City first, and after we return, we’ll take another set by the seaside." Fu Hengyi explained his plan. This time, he had taken four days off from work. Although the schedule was tight, it was still manageable.

Shen Qinglan naturally cooperated. She packed a few clothes and made a phone call to the two elder gentlemen, then followed Fu Hengyi to the airport.

When they arrived at the airport, the photographer and his assistants were already waiting for them. Each assistant carried two large suitcases, which contained the wedding gowns and suits needed for the photoshoot.

Spring City, the capital city of Y Province, is located in the middle of the YG Plateau. The climate there is very pleasant, with a year-round spring-like atmosphere and flourishing flowers.

Half a month ago, Fu Hengyi had already made arrangements with the photographer, so everything was set up upon their arrival. After resting for a night, they set out early the next morning.

On the first morning, they visited a flower field filled with blooming roses. Shen Qinglan, dressed in a pure white wedding gown, matched with Fu Hengyi’s white suit. Standing in the rose garden, they smiled at each other.

The photographer didn’t ask them to pose deliberately; he just captured their movements with a press of the shutter.

Both Shen Qinglan and the photographer were very satisfied with this method.

Originally, both Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were exceptionally attractive, so no matter from which angle they were photographed, there were no bad shots. The interaction between the newlyweds was incredibly harmonious, and with the setting, each frame was picturesque. Even the photographer felt that this was the most relaxed wedding photo shoot he had done in many years.

Since there was no need to repeatedly shoot the same scene, the efficiency of the photoshoot was high. It only took a day and a half to complete the task which was originally planned for two days.

After finishing the shoot in Spring City, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were not in a rush to return.

After changing their clothes, Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan set out to explore the city.

Spring City was a place of perpetual bloom; the city seemed to be immersed in a subtle fragrance of flowers.

Shen Qinglan held a freshly baked flower cake, still steaming, and brought it to Fu Hengyi’s lips with a smile. Watching him, Fu Hengyi lowered his head and took a bite, "Tastes good."

Shen Qinglan bit into the spot where Fu Hengyi had bitten, finding the rose-flavored pastry soft, subtly sweet, and not at all greasy—it was indeed delicious.

The couple strolled hand in hand down the city streets in Spring City, returning to the hotel to meet the photographer in the evening before catching a flight back to Beijing.

In Beijing, they still needed to take a set of indoor photos and a set by the sea, starting with indoor ancient costumes. When Shen Qinglan emerged from the changing room dressed in light blue traditional attire, even the makeup artist couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

Fu Hengyi had already changed into his traditional costume and had even donned a wig to complete the look.

Upon seeing Shen Qinglan like this, Fu Hengyi walked over, gently lifted her hand, and straightened a hairpin that was askew, whispering in her ear, "In the north, there’s a beauty who stands alone in the world, one look can topple a city, another look can topple a nation. Now, I understand what they mean by ’a beauty causing trouble.’"

A faint blush spread across Shen Qinglan’s pretty face as she glared at him, eliciting an indulgent smile from Fu Hengyi.

After three days of taking wedding photos, even Shen Qinglan felt tired. She rubbed her waist, sighing, "I never thought taking photos could be so exhausting."

Fu Hengyi, who had just showered, saw her like this and had her lie on the bed. He kneeled beside the bed and massaged her back. His strength was greater than hers, making the massage very comfortable, and Shen Qinglan gradually felt sleepy.

But the moment she had closed her eyes, the hand on her waist began to wander, and Fu Hengyi leaned over to gently take her earlobe in his mouth.

Shen Qinglan slightly opened her eyes, turned her head to look at him, then rolled over to face Fu Hengyi directly, wrapping her arms around his neck...

**

The next morning, Shen Qinglan woke up to find Fu Hengyi still in bed, watching her with open eyes.

She knew that Fu Hengyi loved to quietly watch her sleep, and thinking this, Shen Qinglan voiced her thought.

Hearing this, Fu Hengyi chuckled, "Because you look so pure when you sleep, just like a newborn baby."

...What kind of a description is that?

Shen Qinglan stared at him, and although Fu Hengyi didn’t continue speaking, he pulled her into his embrace, "Wife, do you feel it?" His warm breath brushed her neck, causing Shen Qinglan to subconsciously shrink her neck.

The strange feeling in her lower abdomen was so obvious, and Shen Qinglan wasn’t a naive girl; she understood everything but just lightly swept her eyes over the man in front of her, "Fu Hengyi, one can’t become fat with just one bite."

Fu Hengyi nodded in agreement, chiming in, "Wife is right, but wife, your husband has been hungry for a month now, can you bear to not let your husband eat his fill?"

Shen Qinglan wanted to say "I can bear," but meeting Fu Hengyi’s gentle and tender gaze, her heart seemed to ripple with warmth, and she closed her eyes, leaning in to offer her lips.

Afterward, Shen Qinglan rubbed her sore waist and thighs, gritting her teeth as she spoke to a thoroughly satisfied man, "Fu Hengyi, go out now, don’t show your face before lunch." Her voice was a bit hoarse.

That man knew that last night and this morning had indeed been a bit much, but who could blame him when his wife was too wonderful.

He got up, kissed Shen Qinglan on the forehead, then pulled the covers over her, "Alright, I’ll make a trip to the supermarket. You rest well."

Shen Qinglan didn’t want to talk; even lifting a finger felt tiring now.

Fu Hengyi chuckled, got dressed, and walked out.

The house quieted down, and soon, Qinglan fell back asleep, unaware even when Hengyi returned.

Hengyi didn’t go to the supermarket, but drove to a farther farmers market where the ingredients were more abundant and fresher.

After buying groceries, he first went to the bedroom to check on Qinglan, saw that she was still sleeping, lightened his footsteps, closed the bedroom door, put on an apron, rolled up his sleeves, and started cooking.

Qinglan was awakened by hunger. She opened her eyes, still dazed from the initial wakefulness. It took her several minutes to fully awaken. She glanced at the time, it was nearly noon, then slowly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up.

When she came out, Hengyi had prepared the meal and was waiting for her. Seeing the rich spread on the table, Qinglan raised an eyebrow, "Is this an apology?"

Hengyi smiled slightly, "This is to pamper my wife. You’ve worked hard."

You still have some conscience.

Qinglan glanced at him and sat down to eat.

After the wedding photos were taken, since there was only a month left before the wedding, Qinglan asked the studio to work overtime and try to finish the photos within half a month.

"Miss Shen, rest assured, we can definitely deliver the photos with quality and quantity within half a month," said the studio manager with a smile. She wouldn’t dare make such a promise to others, as photo post-processing requires a lot of effort and time, but after seeing Qinglan and Hengyi’s photos, she knew that other than some background and color adjustments, hardly any major editing was needed on the characters, which would speed up the retouching process significantly—such is the advantage of natural beauty.

Qinglan was relieved.

"Miss Shen, we also need you to select one of these photos to enlarge as the main photo."

Qinglan nodded, "Okay, send me the digital versions, and I’ll call you after I’ve made my choice."

After the manager noted down Qinglan’s email address on a piece of paper, Qinglan left the studio. Back in the compound, her inbox already contained the initial drafts of the wedding photos.

Qinglan browsed through them but found it difficult to make a decision, so she delegated the choice to everyone else. She gathered Old Sir Fu, Old Sir Shen, Jingting, and Yun Rong, and they all sat in the living room of the Shen Family discussing which photo to choose.

"Lanlan, this one is nice. I think it would be perfect enlarged and placed in your room," Yun Rong said, holding a tablet and pointing at a photo of the rose garden.

"I think this one on the grass looks better," Jingting favored another.

Old Sir Fu and Old Sir Shen had other opinions, making the living room abuzz.

Qinglan sat aside, watching them discuss fervently, and somewhat regretted not just picking one randomly herself. Given their current fervor, even if they discussed until sunrise tomorrow, they might not be able to choose a photo.

"Hey, what’s going on here?" Shen Junyu’s voice rang out from the doorway.

Qinglan looked over, Xi Yao and Junyu had returned together.

"Hey, Xi Yao and Junyu are back. Come here, take a look at Qinglan and Hengyi’s wedding photos and see which one is suitable for enlargement," Jingting called them over.

Upon hearing this, Junyu’s interest was piqued. He and Xi Yao sat down next to Yun Rong, joining the discussion.

"Qinglan, these wedding photos turned out really well," Xi Yao commented after looking at a few, and Junyu nodded in agreement, "What’s most important is that the person looks good, so it’s bound to look good no matter how you take it." His tone was filled with pride and satisfaction.

This remark deeply resonated with everyone present, especially Old Sir Shen.

Shen Qinglan didn’t pay attention to Shen Junyu’s words and instead turned to Wen Xiyao, saying, "Sister Xiyao, I will give you the phone number of the studio. Next time you and my brother can also go to them, their service attitude is quite good."

Wen Xiyao nodded with a smile, "Okay, next time I’ll go ask with your brother." The wedding of Wen Xiyao and Shen Junyu was also set for next March, which was half a year after Shen Qinglan’s.

"Hey, Qinglan, you are the main character, why don’t you tell us which photo you like?" After discussing for a long time without deciding which one to choose, everyone finally remembered that the bride was right there.

Shen Qinglan was almost falling asleep, but hearing this, she looked at everyone, "What do you two grandpas think?"

The two old gentlemen had quite consistent opinions; they both liked one taken by Dianchi Lake.

"Then let’s go with this one," Shen Qinglan ultimately decided.

Chu Yunrong felt a bit regretful, "Actually, all these photos look quite nice. I think it would be good to print a few more, one in the master bedroom of the Fu family, one in our bedroom, and then another one in their new room."

This suggestion immediately gained everyone’s approval, and the living room plunged into another lively discussion. Shen Qinglan, listening to the chattering around her, suddenly felt a headache coming on.

After thinking it over, she stood up and left the living room; she needed some fresh air in the garden.

In a corner of the Shen family’s garden was a huge grape arbor, planted by Granny Shen before she passed away. Now, the arbor was laden with clusters of green grapes.

Shen Qinglan sat down under the grape arbor, looking up at the vine’s grapes, smelling the faint scent of gardenias.

The grape leaves were lush, perfectly blocking the sunlight. Shen Qinglan closed her eyes, listening to the sporadic chirping of cicadas around her, gradually feeling sleepy.

Shen Junyu didn’t see Shen Qinglan in the living room, so he walked outside and indeed found her under the grape arbor, "Why don’t you go sleep in your room?"

Shen Qinglan opened her eyes, saw her brother, and gave a small smile, "I just wanted to sit outside for a bit."

Shen Junyu sat down beside Shen Qinglan, looking at her cool and distant facial features, "Lanlan, your wedding is soon, aren’t you happy?"

"No, why do you ask?" Shen Qinglan looked at him puzzled.

Shen Junyu reached out and stroked her head, "That’s good, brother saw that you seemed very tired recently. Haven’t you been resting well?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "Not really, I just always feel like I can’t get enough sleep. Brother, as the wedding gets closer, I feel more nervous. Even though I’m already legally married to Fu Hengyi, the thought of having the wedding ceremony with him soon still makes me nervous."

Hearing this, Shen Junyu couldn’t help but chuckle, surprised that his usually calm sister could be nervous.

"Brother," Shen Qinglan glared at him.

"Alright, alright, brother will stop laughing. It’s just really rare. You’ve always seemed so composed before, and now there’s actually something that makes you nervous." Shen Junyu’s lips curved in a smile, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Shen Qinglan looked at him speechlessly. What happened to sibling love?