The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 261. Thank him for warming the rest of your life

Chapter 261: 261. Thank him for warming the rest of your life

"But Lanlan, seeing you like this, brother is very happy," Shen Junyu dropped the smile from his face and sighed, "Lanlan, do you know? When you were little, you loved to laugh. Except when you hadn’t started to talk, I never saw you cry, but..."

"Ever since you came back, brother barely sees genuine emotions on your face. You’ve protected yourself so well that no one can see your heart, but Lanlan, seeing you like that, I only feel pain. Granny Shen and Grandpa once said that every time they saw you remain calm and sensible in the face of problems, they didn’t feel happy, only heartache, because they couldn’t imagine how much hardship you must have endured alone to develop such a temperament."

Shen Qinglan thought of Granny Shen who had passed away a year ago and felt a tickle in her throat, "Brother, I’m not suffering, really."

"Lanlan, we don’t know what you experienced out there, and we won’t ask. It’s not that we don’t want to know, but we are afraid, afraid that you’ve suffered more than we can imagine, and yet there’s nothing we can do to make it up to you. Lanlan, in fact, we are all the cowards."

"Brother," Shen Qinglan’s voice was slightly choked; she wasn’t such a sentimental person, but hearing Shen Junyu’s words, her heart ached because her brother had once given up his great future for her.

"Brother, don’t blame yourself. My past wasn’t as bad as you think, I’ve met a lot of interesting people," Shen Qinglan comforted Shen Junyu.

Being comforted by his sister, Shen Junyu found it somewhat amusing yet bittersweet. He rubbed Shen Qinglan’s head, "Grandpa and Granny always hoped you could be an ordinary girl, who cries when upset and laughs when happy, even unreasonable at times, liking what you like and hating what you dislike, without having to hide your real feelings. So, we always thought to treat you better and better, hoping to spoil you, but we’ve never been able to achieve that. Yet, Fu Hengyi did it, and I am very grateful to him for appearing in your life and warming the rest of it."

"Lanlan, spend the coming days well with Fu Hengyi; brother believes he will definitely make you happy."

Shen Qinglan nodded emphatically, leaning her head on Shen Junyu’s shoulder, "Brother, I will, Fu Hengyi and I will definitely be happy. So you shouldn’t worry about me, don’t carry such a heavy burden in your heart, brother, I’m just your sister, not your burden. I don’t want you to feel guilty for the rest of your life, especially since that incident back then had nothing to do with you."

Shen Junyu’s heart trembled fiercely; he hadn’t expected his deeply hidden emotions to be noticed by Shen Qinglan. Deep inside Shen Junyu, he always felt that it was because of him that Shen Qinglan had been kidnapped by human traffickers, because on that day, Chu Yunrong had gone out to buy him the Four Treasures of the Study. If it wasn’t for his request, Chu Yunrong wouldn’t have gone out, and then Lanlan wouldn’t have followed, giving the traffickers no chance to act.

In Shen Junyu’s heart, this thought was deeply ingrained, so he felt deep guilt and self-reproach towards Shen Qinglan.

"Lanlan," Shen Junyu’s voice trembled.

Shen Qinglan smiled gently, beginning softly, "When I accompanied mom for psychological therapy before, the psychologist had told me that mom went out that day to buy you something, and then I guessed it. Brother, I have never blamed anyone; on the contrary, I love each and every one of you—Granny, Grandpa, mom, dad, and you. I’m fully aware of how good you all are to me."

Shen Junyu smiled, his eyes slightly red, "Hmm, our Lanlan has always been a kind person, brother has always known."

"Brother, I’m a bit sleepy. May I lean on your shoulder for a while? I want to sleep," Shen Qinglan closed her eyes and murmured.

Shen Junyu nodded and said softly, "Hmm, sleep, and sleep as long as you want."

Wen Xiyao came out looking for Shen Junyu and saw this scene from afar. The smile on her lips was very tender, and she didn’t go over to disturb them but turned and went inside.

"Yun Rong, where are Junyu and Qinglan?" Chu Yunrong saw Wen Xiyao come back alone and asked.

Wen Xiyao smiled, "They’re outside, chatting."

Chu Yunrong muttered, "It’s so hot outside, such a big sun, what if they get a heat stroke?" yet she didn’t go outside to call them in.

Shen Qinglan really fell asleep, with a small patch of sunlight filtering through the grape leaves hitting Shen Qinglan’s face; Shen Junyu reached out to block the sunlight.

Shen Qinglan breathed lightly, and Shen Junyu turned his head to look at her; such closeness between the siblings had not occurred in over a decade. As a child, Lanlan liked to sleep leaning on him because she said his body smelled like sunshine.

Shen Junyu watched Shen Qinglan, his gaze tender.

Shen Qinglan hadn’t slept long; she woke up after about twenty minutes. When she opened her eyes, Shen Junyu’s hand was still shielding her head, blocking the sunlight for her.

"Brother, if you were this nice to other women, Sister Xi Yao would get jealous," Shen Qinglan teased her brother.

Shen Junyu withdrew his hand and rolled his eyes at her. "What makes you think everyone gets this kind of treatment?"

Shen Qinglan chuckled lightly, looking at the grapes on the vine. "This year’s grapes seem especially large."

"Yes, a few bunches are ready to eat," Shen Junyu said, standing up. He reached for a bunch of grapes from the vine. Granny Shen grew a variety of green cream grapes, incredibly sweet, and the origin of the seeds was a mystery.

Shen Qinglan picked one grape, didn’t bother washing it, and just threw it in her mouth. A gentle bite, and sweet juice burst forth.

"Why eat without washing? If you get a stomachache, Grandpa is going to blame me," Shen Junyu remarked.

Shen Qinglan grabbed the bunch of grapes from Shen Junyu’s hand, plucked another one, and tossed it into her mouth. "These grapes have never been sprayed with pesticides; how could they cause an upset stomach? Brother, you’re always fussing—has Sister Xi Yao ever complained about that?"

Watching Shen Qinglan like this, Shen Junyu found himself without any recourse, yet he wasn’t angry at all; on the contrary, he felt quite happy.

As they entered the house, several people had already finished discussing. Chu Yunrong called Shen Qinglan over. "Qinglan, come and see the photos we’ve selected."

Shen Qinglan walked over and took a look. "These are all good."

Chu Yunrong smiled. "See, I told you Qinglan would like them."

After selecting the photos, Shen Qinglan called the studio manager. A few days later, the photos were delivered.

Since the house was spacious enough, all three of the photos were forty-inch enlargements. Looking at the massive picture above her bed, Shen Qinglan was somewhat speechless yet still took out her phone and snapped a picture to send to Fu Hengyi.

That evening, when Fu Hengyi returned and saw the photo on his phone, he laughed and called Shen Qinglan. Shen Qinglan hadn’t yet slept and was flipping through an art book while leaning against the headboard.

"Have all the photos been developed?" Fu Hengyi’s deep, magnetic voice came through from the other end of the phone.

Shen Qinglan’s lips curved into a light smile. "Yes, wait till you come back. You can have a good look. I think the shoot went really well." At least she was very satisfied with it.

"My wife is so beautiful; naturally, the photos won’t be any less," Fu Hengyi said.

Shen Qinglan, now quite immune to his sweet talk, was quite calm and brought up another topic. "By the way, the wedding dress has already arrived."

"Have you tried it on?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head. "No, I thought I’d wait for you to come back and try it together."

The wedding dress was tailored according to Shen Qinglan’s measurements, there was little chance of discrepancy, so trying it on was not too important.

"I also saw your groom’s suit. I really like it," Shen Qinglan said. When the wedding outfits had arrived, she had been truly dazzled.

Because the wedding was drawing near, both the Shen Family and the Fu Family had started to get busy, and even Shen Qinglan, who had always been rather leisurely, was pulled by Chu Yunrong to try on dresses, all of which were prepared by Chu Yunrong for Shen Qinglan. After a whole day, she had to try on at least five or six sets.

"Mom, you choose, I have no objections," Shen Qinglan said after changing into another outfit, finally unable to hold back.

Chu Yunrong was still picking dresses, and upon hearing this, glanced at her and said, "How can that be? This is your wedding, and you’re the main character."

Shen Qinglan really wanted to say that she didn’t want to have a wedding anymore. She didn’t understand; it was just a marriage, how could it be so troublesome.

"Mom, I think these few dresses will do, I’m tired and want to sleep."

Hearing that Shen Qinglan was tired, Chu Yunrong stopped picking out dresses and came over to sit beside her, "Qinglan, are you too tired? Lately, I’ve seen that your complexion hasn’t been very good. Have you been sleeping poorly at night?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, quite the opposite, her sleep quality recently had been very good; she could fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, it was just that her appetite wasn’t great, and she couldn’t eat much. Upon saying this, Chu Yunrong laughed, "You’re just too nervous. When I married your father, I was the same. The week before the wedding I was so nervous I couldn’t eat anything, and I kept having dreams at night. I couldn’t sleep well, but it all got better after getting married."

Shen Qinglan thought she probably really was nervous, even though she and Fu Hengyi had already registered their marriage, having the wedding ceremony was still different.

"Since you’re tired, take a nap, and I’ll call you when it’s time to eat."

Shen Qinglan nodded, went upstairs to lie down, and fell asleep.

**

Shen Qinglan’s wedding was something Yu Xiaoxuan and Fang Tong absolutely couldn’t miss. For Fang Tong it was easy to get leave, but for Yu Xiaoxuan it was troublesome as her schedule was packed. After discussing with Sister Linda, Linda cleared out the days around Shen Qinglan’s wedding.

With these days cleared, it meant that the work for those days needed to be distributed over other time periods, so Yu Xiaoxuan was very busy during this period, often getting home at two or three in the morning, sometimes even at four or five.

Han Yi watched with a heavy heart, but there was nothing he could do. He could position Yu Xiaoxuan as a top-tier actress, but he couldn’t elevate her to an international superstar; that was something she had to strive for herself.

When Yu Xiaoxuan came home in the middle of the night, Han Yi was already asleep. She didn’t go in to disturb him and just made do with sleeping on the sofa outside. When Han Yi woke up in the morning and saw her, he felt even more heartbroken. Seeing her sleeping sweetly, he couldn’t bear to wake her up. He walked into the room to get a blanket to cover her but accidentally woke her up.

"Sorry, I woke you up. Go back to your room and sleep a bit more."

Yu Xiaoxuan, bleary-eyed, shook her head, "No need to sleep anymore, what time is it?"

Han Yi checked his phone, "Seven in the morning."

Yu Xiaoxuan suddenly stood up, "Oh no, I overslept." As she spoke, she dashed into the bedroom, pulled out an outfit from the wardrobe, and headed into the bathroom. Five minutes later, Yu Xiaoxuan came out, putting on her earrings as she walked.

"Xiaoxuan, have some breakfast before you go."

Yu Xiaoxuan spoke, "There’s no time, I’m not eating." She walked over to Han Yi, kissed him on the lips, "I’m leaving first, I’ll try to come back early tonight."

Then she disappeared like a gust of wind at the door, Han Yi looked around the empty house, no longer in the mood to eat breakfast. He picked up his plate, threw the breakfast into the trash, grabbed his car keys, and headed to the office.

Lately, his life, despite having a girlfriend, seemed more miserable than those who were single.

After work, Han Yi called Yu Xiaoxuan, but couldn’t get through. He dialed her number four or five times, but finally, the phone was turned off. With a sigh, Han Yi called Jiang Chenxi, "Chenxi, 7 PM, Charming Color."

Han Yi and Jiang Chenxi didn’t go to their usual private room but found a booth in the bar instead. Han Yi drank four to five drinks in succession before he finally spoke, "Chenxi, do you think I’m even more miserable than a single dog? A single dog doesn’t have a girlfriend, but having a girlfriend who acts like she isn’t one is even worse. Today is my birthday, and she’s busy working, didn’t even say ’Happy Birthday’ to me. When I called her, it just went right to voicemail."

Jiang Chenxi didn’t drink because he had an early class tomorrow, "You never celebrate your birthday."

How pretentious can a man who never celebrates his own birthday get? Han Yi had stopped celebrating his birthday since the year his mother passed away. They celebrated once early on, but he got upset and ignored them for several days. After that, they all pretended not to know about it.

Han Yi glared at him, "How can you even compare them? I don’t celebrate it, but she doesn’t know that. She could at least wish me a happy birthday. This morning, she spoke less than five words to me before she left, and last night she only got home after midnight."

"Han Yi, if you care about her, just say you care," Jiang Chenxi bluntly pointed out what Han Yi was thinking.

Han Yi looked annoyed, "I care about what? She didn’t even remember her boyfriend’s birthday. Why should I care?"

"Whether you care or not, you know it yourself. I have a class early tomorrow, I’m leaving." Jiang Chenxi put down his glass and stood up to leave.

"Hey, aren’t we buddies? Today’s my birthday and you’re going to go sleep?" Han Yi grabbed Jiang Chenxi, stopping him.

Jiang Chenxi pulled his hand away, "I’m not like you. I need to make money to support my family."

Han Yi rolled his eyes, "Jiang Chenxi, are you being serious? You think I don’t know how much you’re worth?"

"I’m a teacher for the people, I can’t keep running to nightclubs." Jiang Chenxi said, and then actually left.

Han Yi scoffed and continued drinking.

Yu Xiaoxuan finally got home before seven today, not seeing Han Yi around, guessed he was probably still busy, and didn’t call him. She put the cake in the fridge, then rolled up her sleeves and walked into the kitchen.

Today was Han Yi’s birthday, and she wanted to cook him a meal herself. For this, Yu Xiaoxuan had spent an hour each day for the past few days learning several home-cooked dishes from a chef.

Although not comparable to a professional chef from a restaurant, the taste was still good.

This was also one of the reasons she had been coming home late these past few days. Thinking of the surprised expression on Han Yi’s face when he’d see this, joy was about to spill out of Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes.

Yu Xiaoxuan served the last dish on the table, took the cake out from the fridge, then finally tried to call Han Yi, only to find her phone had run out of battery. She picked up the house phone to call Han Yi, but his phone was turned off.

Yu Xiaoxuan frowned, put down the phone, and sat at the dining table waiting for him to come home. By her estimation, Han Yi should be home soon. But unexpectedly, she ended up waiting all night.

The next morning, Han Yi opened the door, shook his head, and looked frustrated. He shouldn’t have drunk so much last night; his head was killing him.

As he walked into the house, he immediately sensed something was wrong. Glancing into the dining room, he saw Yu Xiaoxuan asleep on the dining table. Han Yi tiptoed closer, and his heart throbbed violently when he clearly saw the dishes and the birthday cake on the table.

The cake’s candles were still unlit. A lighter was placed beside it, probably intending for it to be lit when he returned.

Han Yi pulled out his phone and checked it; indeed, it had been turned off at some point. He was so annoyed that he felt like slapping himself.

"Xiaoxuan," Han Yi gently called out.

Yu Xiaoxuan heard someone calling her, opened her eyes, and then saw Han Yi, spreading a smile, "Han Yi, you’re back, happy birthday." But just after she finished speaking, she realized it was already dawn, which meant Han Yi’s birthday had passed.

"It’s already daylight," Yu Xiaoxuan said softly.

"Thank you, dear, this is the best birthday present I’ve received."

Han Yi spoke as he sat down at the dining table and started eating. Seeing this, Yu Xiaoxuan held his hand, "Stop eating, it’s cold now and won’t taste good."

Han Yi smiled, "It’s okay, you made it, it’s delicious, I never thought you could cook."

"If you want to eat, I’ll cook for you next time."

"Um, no need, this is good enough, Xiao Xuan, sorry, I attended a social event last night, drank too much, and slept in the hotel. I didn’t realize my phone battery died and it turned off," Han Yi explained.

Yu Xiaoxuan shook her head with a slight smile, "It’s okay, work is more important. We can celebrate your birthday next year, but if you do this next year, I’ll get angry."

Han Yi bowed his head and pecked her lips, "Okay. I’ll definitely spend next year’s birthday with you."

Yu Xiaoxuan pushed him away, "I’ll go heat up the dishes."

"No need to heat them, it’s summer, eating them cold is fine too," Han Yi pulled her down to sit.

Yu Xiaoxuan sat down, intending to chat with Han Yi when the doorbell rang. She stood up to open the door, but Han Yi held her back, "I’ll go."

When Han Yi opened the door, he saw a strange woman standing outside. Han Yi frowned, "Who are you?"

The woman looked at Han Yi woefully, "Mr. Han, have you forgotten me so soon?"

Han Yi didn’t recognize the woman in front of him and was about to close the door when the woman slipped in, placing her hand on Han Yi’s chest, "Mr. Han, we just spent the night together last night, and now that you’re dressed, you don’t recognize me? Such callousness will break my heart."

Her tone was coquettish, not heartbroken at all, more like flirting.

Yu Xiaoxuan, hearing the noise at the door, came over to see what was happening. She heard the woman’s words and looked at Han Yi in disbelief, her face pale.

Han Yi’s complexion also changed. He pulled the woman’s hand off his chest, "Don’t talk nonsense, I slept alone last night."

Seeing Yu Xiaoxuan, the woman’s woeful expression intensified, "No wonder they say Mr. Han is heartless; turns out there’s a darling hidden at home."

The woman looked at Yu Xiaoxuan and smiled slightly, "I’m really sorry, miss. I didn’t know Mr. Han was still with you. If I’d known you hadn’t broken up, I wouldn’t have slept with Mr. Han last night." With that, she took something out of her bag and handed it to Yu Xiaoxuan, "Here, this belongs to Mr. Han, you can have it."

Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes landed on the woman’s hand, it was a men’s watch, the very gift she had given to Han Yi. This watch was custom-made, one of a kind, so Yu Xiaoxuan was certain it was Han Yi’s.

Seeing that Yu Xiaoxuan wasn’t taking it, the woman wasn’t in a hurry, she stuffed the watch into Han Yi’s chest pocket, blew a kiss, "Mr. Han, we’re all adults here. I won’t speak of last night’s incident, rest assured."

The woman turned to leave but was pulled back by Han Yi, his face ashen, "First, you need to explain yourself clearly."

The woman looked at Han Yi, her eyes filled with a grievous emotion, "Mr. Han, what do you want me to say? That the person with me last night wasn’t you?"

Han Yi clenched his teeth, "The person with you last night wasn’t me in the first place."

"Mr. Han, although last night was consensual, you can’t just deny knowing me now. I still have our photos on my phone. Do you need me to show them to you to believe it?" The woman said, glancing intentionally or unintentionally at Yu Xiaoxuan, "If I had known you had such a lovely woman at home, I definitely wouldn’t have come. Since this lady already knows, there’s no need to hide it from her anymore."

Han Yi’s face darkened intensely, "Tell me, who paid you to come here and slander me?"

The woman looked at Han Yi with a feigned innocence, "Mr. Han, it hurts me when you say that, it was you who invited me last night."

"Enough!" Yu Xiaoxuan shouted, pointing toward the door, "Get out!" Her words were directed at the woman.

The woman shrugged, looking at Han Yi who was still gripping her arm. After Han Yi released her, the woman turned to leave, but stopped at the door, throwing back a seductive smile, "Oh right, I forgot to say—Mr. Han, you were amazing last night! And that bite mark on your shoulder... very interesting."

With that, the woman walked away without looking back. Han Yi turned to look at Yu Xiaoxuan, whose face had drained of all color and was trembling slightly. As Han Yi took a step closer, she took a step back.

"Xiao Xuan," Han Yi said, his heart aching at the sight of tears on Yu Xiaoxuan’s face.

"Han Yi, don’t come any closer."

"Xiao Xuan, I really did sleep alone in a hotel last night. The hotel’s surveillance can prove it. I have no relationship with that woman, I don’t even know her."

Yu Xiaoxuan looked at Han Yi, "You don’t know her, you have no relation with her, then how does she know about the bite mark on your shoulder?"

Han Yi fell silent. That bite mark was from a week ago when Yu Xiaoxuan had bitten him rather hard during a passionate night, causing bleeding; the wound hadn’t fully healed yet.

Suddenly, Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes flared. She swiftly walked up, yanked open Han Yi’s collar, and burst into laughter, "Hahaha, hahahaha."

She was laughing, but also crying.

Panicked, Han Yi tried to embrace Yu Xiaoxuan but she forcefully pushed him away, "Han Yi, don’t touch me."

"Xiao Xuan, believe me, I haven’t done anything to betray you. I admit, I had many women before I met you, but since knowing you, I have had no relations with them."

Yu Xiaoxuan suddenly remembered the time early in their acquaintance when she had caught him asking another girl to abort their baby; a bitter smile formed on her face, "Han Yi, should I have never believed in the possibility of a playboy reforming? Was I just a fool from the start?"

Seeing the despair in Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes, Han Yi became completely flustered and, without regard to her struggles, held her tightly in his arms, "Xiao Xuan, whether you believe it or not, I truly have no relations with that woman. Last night, I simply got drunk and slept in a hotel. I came back in the morning and really don’t know what that woman is about. Please believe me?"

Yu Xiaoxuan stopped struggling, allowing Han Yi to hold her, but her gaze was cold, "Han Yi, I do believe you. I always believed you sincerely wanted to be with me, to spend a lifetime with me. But now, I’m afraid to believe. Really, even if you cheated, as long as you kept it from me for a lifetime, I was willing. But now that I know, I can’t deny it."

"Han Yi, let go of me. Let me have a few days to think." Yu Xiaoxuan’s voice was very calm, she wasn’t crying or making a scene, which made Han Yi even more anxious and afraid.

"Xiao Xuan, don’t be like this, you promised to be with me forever. Don’t leave me. If you leave, I’ll be all alone." Han Yi’s tone was humble.

A sharp pain struck Yu Xiaoxuan’s heart and tears instantly flowed down her cheeks. Han Yi reached out to wipe her tears, but Yu Xiaoxuan turned her head away, avoiding his touch. Han Yi’s hand hovered in mid-air.

"Han Yi, don’t touch me, please. You make me feel tainted."

Han Yi’s body stiffened, and he stood frozen in place as Yu Xiaoxuan pushed him away and walked off without turning back. By the time Han Yi came to his senses and chased after her, Yu Xiaoxuan was already out of sight.

He stood there dejectedly, unable to comprehend how things had suddenly turned out this way.

Walking into the dining room, the dishes Yu Xiaoxuan had made were still there. He had only eaten a bit, and most were still left. On the birthday cake, between the numbers "3" and "0," it read, "Han Yi, Happy Birthday" written in cherry sauce.

Tears suddenly streamed down Han Yi’s face as he stood there, staring at the cake and the cold dishes on the table, his expression hollow and desperate.

After leaving Han Yi’s house, Yu Xiaoxuan hailed a cab.

"Miss, where are you heading?" the driver asked.

Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t respond, so the driver asked again. Yu Xiaoxuan looked up at him, "Driver, just drive anywhere, wherever it ends up will be fine."

She didn’t go to Shen Qinglan because Shen Qinglan was busy with wedding preparations, and she didn’t want to make her unhappy with her own troubles. But not talking about it didn’t mean Shen Qinglan didn’t know.

On the entertainment headlines of the morning newspaper, there was news about Han Yi checking into a hotel with an unknown woman at midnight. There were not only texts but also photos, even intimate ones of Han Yi and the woman. Although the photos were pixelated, anyone familiar could still recognize that it was Han Yi, but the woman was not Yu Xiaoxuan.

"Qinglan, did Han Yi and Xiao Xuan break up?" Chu Yunrong asked during breakfast.

Shen Qinglan looked at her, perplexed.

Chu Yunrong pushed a newspaper in front of Shen Qinglan, "Take a look at this news."

Shen Qinglan glanced at it and her expression darkened. She took out her phone to call Yu Xiaoxuan, but no one answered. She dialed Han Yi, and it showed that his phone was off.

Shen Qinglan immediately stood up, "Mom, I need to step out for a bit."

"Why don’t you eat breakfast before you go?" Chu Yunrong called after her, but Shen Qinglan had already left, not hearing her words.

Shen Qinglan drove directly to Han Yi’s house. After persistently ringing the doorbell, someone finally came to open the door. "Han Yi, where’s Xiao Xuan?"

When Han Yi saw her, there was not a trace of a smile on his face, "She’s gone."

"What do you mean ’gone’? Where did she go?"

Han Yi shook his head, "I don’t know."

Shen Qinglan glared at him, "You let her leave alone without even knowing where she went?"

Han Yi looked exhausted and allowed Shen Qinglan to speak without retorting. After Shen Qinglan spoke for a bit, she calmed down and looked at Han Yi, "What exactly happened with the news in the newspaper?"

Han Yi wiped his face, "I don’t know. I don’t even know that woman. Last night I went to Charming Color to drink and got drunk. I simply found a nearby hotel to sleep in. When I woke up in the morning, there was no one else in the room, and then I came back here."

"So you mean to say you did not sleep with that woman, and you even slept alone last night?"

Han Yi nodded, "Little sister-in-law, I admit I used to be a mess, caught up with many women, but since I fell in love with Yu Xiaoxuan, I haven’t been with any other woman, not even a slight flirtation."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qinglan’s eyes darkened, and she instantly understood. "Han Yi, you’ve been set up."

Han Yi paused, looking at Shen Qinglan, "Little sister-in-law, what do you mean by that?"

"It’s exactly what you think it means," Shen Qinglan said indifferently then gazed at Han Yi’s neck. "You’ll know once you see today’s newspaper; moreover, the markings on your body are too evident, Xiao Xuan must have misunderstood."

Markings on his body? Han Yi was initially stunned, then he thought of something and quickly ran to the bathroom, where he indeed saw a woman’s lipstick mark on his neck, right on his collarbone.

A flash of anger crossed Han Yi’s face as he raised his fist and smashed the mirror, which immediately shattered, scattering pieces all over, even cutting a streak across Han Yi’s face.

Shen Qinglan followed him in and, upon seeing this scene, spoke in a deep voice, "Instead of getting angry here, it would be better to thoroughly investigate who is scheming behind your back and what their purpose is."

Han Yi’s expression became stern, he was a smart man, initially absorbed in the sorrow of Xiao Xuan leaving, so he hadn’t realized it, but with Shen Qinglan’s reminder, he recognized that something was amiss.

"I understand, I will definitely investigate this matter and clear things up for both me and Xiao Xuan," he said, then hesitated and looked at Shen Qinglan. "But Xiao Xuan has misinterpreted the situation now, and she definitely doesn’t want to see me, so about Xiao Xuan, little sister-in-law, could you possibly...?"

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Leave Xiao Xuan to me; I’ll go and find her right now."

Shen Qinglan called Yu Xiaoxuan, but no one answered. She first drove to Yu Xiaoxuan’s home, but no one was there, so she went to the company, where Linda was also looking for her.

Upon seeing Shen Qinglan, Linda spoke up straightaway, "Xiao Xuan isn’t here, I’m looking for her too. The internet has already exploded. If Miss Shen finds Yu Xiaoxuan, please pass a message from me that no matter what the truth of the matter is, running away is not the solution."

Shen Qinglan nodded, left Shengxuan, and drove aimlessly on the streets while continuously calling Yu Xiaoxuan.

Suddenly, she thought of something, turned her car around at the intersection, and drove to the cemetery.

Indeed, she found Yu Xiaoxuan at the cemetery; when she arrived, Yu Xiaoxuan was sitting in front of her parents’ tombstone, leaning against it with her fingers touching the photo on the tombstone.

Shen Qinglan walked over and sat down beside her without saying a word.

Yu Xiaoxuan glanced at her, didn’t speak, and it was a long time before she finally said, "Qinglan, do you think I’m not meant to have happiness?"

Shen Qinglan softly asked, "Why do you ask that?"

"Just when I thought I had a lot of time to accompany my parents, they left me; just when I thought Han Yi would be with me forever, he also left me." Her expression was very sad, even her tone laden with sorrow.

"Xiao Xuan, do you believe Han Yi?" Shen Qinglan asked gently.

"I want to believe him, but something inside me can’t convince myself to trust him." Yu Xiaoxuan’s voice was hoarse, her eyes swollen, apparently after crying for a long time.

"Xiao Xuan, sometimes what you see isn’t necessarily the reality. You should follow your heart. Think about how Han Yi has treated you these past days and ask yourself, is Han Yi really that kind of person?"

Yu Xiaoxuan looked at Shen Qinglan, her eyes helpless, "Qinglan, can I?"

Shen Qinglan nodded affirmatively, "You can. Close your eyes, don’t look at anything, forget what you saw today, and then ask yourself, do you believe Han Yi?"