The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 290. Visiting the Old Haunts (12 Updates)

Chapter 290: 290. Visiting the Old Haunts (12 Updates)

As soon as the words were spoken, Shen Qinglan and Old Sir Fu’s gazes simultaneously fell upon Fu Hengyi.

Fu Hengyi looked serious, without a trace of jest. "Hengyi, were you being serious just now?" Old Sir Fu asked.

"Grandpa, would I joke about this sort of thing?"

Hearing this, Old Sir Fu actually became quite happy. "It’s good to be back, close to home, to take care of Qinglan and the child." Moreover, the Beijing Military Region had housing for families, so even if Shen Qinglan wanted to accompany the military, it would be convenient.

Shen Qinglan did not speak, just steadily gazed at Fu Hengyi, and did not say anything for a long time.

It was only when they got back to their room, with just the two of them, that Shen Qinglan finally opened her mouth to speak. "Fu Hengyi, if you’re doing this because of me, then it’s absolutely unnecessary. I can protect myself well and also take good care of our child."

Fu Hengyi let out a slight smile. "This idea isn’t new. I’ve been considering it for quite a while, just never mentioned it to you before." Seeing that Shen Qinglan’s expression still had not relaxed, he touched her furrowed brows. "Qinglan, don’t feel burdened, this is a decision I made after considering many factors. I won’t deny that you were a factor, but as I’m getting older, my past was spent living for myself and my own dreams. Now, I also want to step back, to be with you, Grandpa, and our child. I want to be by your side as you age, to watch our child grow up. I don’t want our child to have only a picture and relatives’ tales as a memory of their father."

Shen Qinglan stared blankly, gazing intently into Fu Hengyi’s eyes. They were filled with nothing but tenderness. Touched in her heart, she hugged Fu Hengyi’s waist. "Fu Hengyi, thank you."

Fu Hengyi chuckled lightly. "You’re saying silly things again. What did I say last time? If you thank me again, I’ll have to punish you."

Shen Qinglan nodded. "Sure, punish me. Whatever punishment you want."

Fu Hengyi gently smack her backside. "You, you just know that I can’t do anything about you."

The next morning, Fu Hengyi got Shen Qinglan up from bed early, leading her with one hand and carrying a small luggage bag in the other.

"Fu Hengyi, where are you taking me so early?" Shen Qinglan asked.

Fu Hengyi smiled, ushering Shen Qinglan into the car. "You’ll know when we get there. It’s a bit of a ride, you should eat breakfast first." Handing her a thermos food container, filled with steamed buns, eggs, and porridge.

Fu Hengyi drove steadily. Even as Shen Qinglan ate in the car, she didn’t feel any bumps and managed to finish all the food. Looking at the direction Fu Hengyi was driving, Shen Qinglan asked, "Are you planning to take me to the town?"

Fu Hengyi nodded. "Yes, I wanted to take you to soak in the hot springs before but the timing wasn’t right. Now that you’re three months along, I’ve consulted the doctor and you can soak in the hot springs."

Now that she knew the destination, Shen Qinglan became eager. She reclined her seat back a bit, leaned on it, and closed her eyes.

She meant to rest her eyes, but Shen Qinglan had underestimated her own sleeping skills and soon drifted off to sleep. When Fu Hengyi parked, he took off his coat and covered her with it.

When Shen Qinglan woke up, they had already arrived. Fu Hengyi parked the car right in front of the Hot Spring Villa entrance. Stepping out, Shen Qinglan noticed that the entrance had been remade, looking more upscale.

Shen Junyu had signed contracts with the local residents to develop tourism vigorously. With the financial support and media promotion from the Junlan Group, the hot spring’s reputation had greatly improved. Now, the town was bustling, with many private cars parked in front of the villa.

But since this project was funded by Junlan Group, it was impossible for Shen Qinglan not to have a room when visiting.

Fu Hengyi made a call, and soon someone who looked like a manager appeared at the entrance. "Mr. Fu, Miss Shen, you’ve arrived. The room is ready; let me take you over."

Shen Qinglan expressed her gratitude and followed behind the man with Fu Hengyi.

"This room was personally reserved for the two of you by President Shen. If there’s anything you need, feel free to call me anytime," the manager said, and after confirming they had no immediate needs, he left.

"I didn’t expect so much change here in just two short months." The Hot Spring Villa had greatly improved, both in interior decoration and in the service attitude and quality of the staff.

Fu Hengyi poured Shen Qinglan a cup of tea. "Jun Yu has always had a knack for business. I’ll take you to see the town later; the changes there are even more drastic."

At this, Shen Qinglan’s interest was piqued, as after all, she had been instrumental in making this happen. With this thought, she felt a little impatient. "Then let’s go now."

Fu Hengyi held her back. "No rush, let’s rest first. On the way here, I already arranged with Sister Xu for us to have lunch at her place."

Since everything was already arranged, Shen Qinglan didn’t press the issue. She sat down to drink her water leisurely, feeling quite refreshed after her sleep in the car.

Whether their luck was good or bad that day, they couldn’t tell, but it started to snow as soon as they stepped outside. Shen Qinglan caught a snowflake in her hand, turning her head to look at Fu Hengyi with a smile in her eyes. "Fu Hengyi, this is the first time we’re watching the snow together this year."

Fu Hengyi thought about it and agreed. This year’s first snow in Beijing came exceptionally early, and he was in the base at the time, unable to watch it with Shen Qinglan. They hadn’t seen any snow since he got back, but today they finally encountered it.

Fu Hengyi stepped forward, took her hand gently in his, and softly asked, "Like the snow?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "Not really a fan, but I do like watching the snow with you."

Fu Hengyi gave a tender smile, wrapped the scarf and hat around her, and then led her toward the town.

In the fields of the town, the rice had been harvested, leaving vast stretches of land where many plastic greenhouses now stood. She had heard Shen Junyu talk about using part of this land to build a farm, allowing visitors to experience the joy of farming, while still keeping part of it for growing rice. These plastic greenhouses were likely prepared for the farm.

Many new shops had opened up in the town, including handcraft stores and mostly farm stays. There were also plenty of new, youthful faces.

When Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi arrived at Sister Xu’s home, Erwa had already dashed in to report to his mother, "Mom, Uncle and the pretty auntie are here."

Sister Xu looked out and smiled, "You two have come at just the right time. I was about to send Erwa to call you. The food is just ready, let’s eat while it’s hot."

Shen Qinglan stepped inside and noticed that the first floor of Sister Xu’s house had been completely opened up, with several tables in the hall and one table filled with dishes.

"Please, take a seat. It’s cold now, we should eat while the food is still hot," Sister Xu urged.

Shen Qinglan glanced at the other tables, "Sister Xu, why aren’t there any other guests eating?" On her way here, Shen Qinglan noticed that many homes along the way were like Sister Xu’s, running farm stays, but there was usually at least some patronage. With Sister Xu’s cooking skills, she shouldn’t be lacking in business.

Fu Hengyi gave her a look, and Shen Qinglan instantly understood, a hint of annoyance flickering in her eyes. People say pregnancy makes you lose your smarts for three years, and that certainly seemed to be true. She had only just gotten pregnant and already felt her intelligence slipping.

Sister Xu must have cleared the place just for them.

Once seated at the dining table, Shen Qinglan invited Sister Xu and Erwa to join them for the meal.

Shen Qinglan had previously stayed here for a few days and was familiar with them; Sister Xu didn’t stand on ceremony.

"Sister Xu, I haven’t seen Brother Xu around," remarked Shen Qinglan.

Sister Xu chuckled, "He’s gone to the city to buy groceries. The weather is getting colder, and it’s getting harder to restock vegetables like cabbages and potatoes. We’re stocking up so that even if heavy snow blocks the roads, we’ll still have food to eat."

"You haven’t been here for a while. Don’t you think the town has changed a lot?"

Fu Hengyi’s thin lips curled up slightly, "Indeed, it’s almost unrecognizable." The town’s exterior seemingly hadn’t changed much, retaining the original charm of its architecture. Yet, the interior had undergone a complete transformation.

"It’s not just that. Many of the town’s young people who had gone out to work have returned to help run the farm and farm stays. Though we’re still in the early stages, every household has earned some money, and life is looking up. Who would want to move far away to work anymore?" Sister Xu said this with a face brimming with happiness.

Shen Qinglan felt delighted to hear about these changes in the town, "Life must be much better for your family now, isn’t it?"

"Absolutely, and we have President Shen to thank for that. If it weren’t for him, where would we get these good days? President Shen says once the renovations here are completed, the town will surely become a famous tourist destination, well-known far and wide."

Shen Qinglan had no doubt about that. She had once suspected that if the locals made good use of the resources left by their ancestors, this place with its Southern architectural charms would surely attract a flood of tourists. Now, it was just her brother Jun Yu turning her ideas into reality.

Sister Xu was unaware that Shen Qinglan was Jun Yu’s sister and praised him profusely in front of her.

"Right, little sister, you’ve come for the hot springs this time, haven’t you?"

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Yes, I didn’t expect such big changes here; when I first saw it, I thought I had come to a completely new place to travel."

Upon hearing this, Sister Xu covered her mouth and giggled, "Now, there are way more people coming here for the hot springs than before, thanks to President Shen’s advertising. I often see our town’s commercial on TV, and the girl in it is just so pretty."

Shen Qinglan knew exactly who the girl in Sister Xu’s story was. Yu Xiaoxuan had talked to her about it previously, and she had even seen a preview of the promotional video.

"That girl came to my place to eat as well. Despite looking thin, she had quite the appetite, managing to eat two bowls of rice in one sitting."

The corners of Shen Qinglan’s eyes crinkled with a smile. If Yu Xiaoxuan heard this, she would surely cry.