The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 292. The Gallery was Destroyed (Chapter 14 Update)

Chapter 292: 292. The Gallery was Destroyed (Chapter 14 Update)

Shen Qinglan’s eyes darkened, "What happened?"

"The gallery caught fire."

Shen Qinglan’s expression changed, "Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone is fine, but the paintings were destroyed."

Hearing that no one was harmed, Shen Qinglan felt a slight relief, hung up the phone, informed Old Sir Fu, and then went with Fu Hengyi to Daniel’s gallery.

When they arrived, there was still a fire truck on the scene. Daniel was standing in front of the ruins of the gallery with a dark expression. Seeing Shen Qinglan’s arrival, he came over, "Why did you come?"

"How could I not come when such a serious incident happened here? How did a fire start all of a sudden?" Daniel had called her earlier to say that the gallery had caught fire and all the paintings were burned.

"You know they are still investigating the cause of the incident," Daniel said gravely, but his heart was more inclined to believe that after all, with this kind of weather, it was not likely to have been a natural fire.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi exchanged glances, also leaning toward Daniel’s speculation.

This time, because Shen Qinglan’s personal exhibition was being held, the gallery was filled with her paintings. This fire had burned all her works completely.

"Qinglan, I’m very sorry that your paintings were destroyed," Daniel said apologetically. Those paintings were all masterpieces, and it was impossible for him not to be angry about their destruction.

Shen Qinglan, however, didn’t seem as angry as Daniel, and was even relatively calm, "They’re just paintings; if they’re destroyed, I can paint them again. As long as people are safe, that’s what matters. Did you call the police?"

Daniel nodded. With such a serious incident, it was impossible not to report it to the police.

Daniel had spent many years in Beijing, and this gallery had been open here for many years. There had never been any problems until, coincidentally, the gallery burned down during Shen Qinglan’s exhibition. He wouldn’t believe it if someone said this wasn’t targeted at Shen Qinglan.

The fire had been fierce; even the gallery’s surveillance couldn’t be retrieved. The police could only determine that someone had doused the gallery with gasoline, proving it was indeed arson, but couldn’t find any other useful information.

Daniel was very irritated. The gallery being destroyed didn’t bother him as much as the loss of Shen Qinglan’s paintings. A painter needs not only skill but also the right mood and inspiration to create a good work, and even the same painting will be different when painted for the first time and when recreated later.

"There, Daniel, no need to be so angry," Shen Qinglan comforted him.

Could Daniel not be angry?

"God help the person if I find out who it is. They’re going to pay dearly."

He already had suspects in mind; he simply lacked the evidence to prove it was them.

Shen Qinglan was quite composed. Although she felt it was a shame that her paintings were destroyed, she wasn’t as angry as Daniel. To the uninformed, it might have seemed as if Daniel’s own paintings had been ruined.

Daniel looked at Shen Qinglan’s calm demeanor and just felt a headache coming on, "My goodness, what a time you choose to be so composed, even making tea."

Shen Qinglan handed a cup of brewed tea to Fu Hengyi and then made another cup for Daniel, "Daniel, sit down and have some tea to calm down. These are just material things; they can’t compare to human life. We should be thankful that such a big fire didn’t result in any casualties."

Whoever set the fire probably wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble. The fire started early in the morning when it was about to dawn, and no one was in the gallery. The fire was especially fierce due to the gasoline, burning up immediately. If not for an employee in the upstairs studio who hadn’t gone home last night, the whole gallery might have been reduced to ruins—although there was little difference now.

Infected by the composure of Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, Daniel also gradually calmed down, sat down, lifted the teacup, and took a sip, "It seems I am more anxious than the Emperor would be."

Shen Qinglan smiled, "Since the target is me, I’m sure they won’t let it go just like that. If we didn’t catch them this time, there would be another opportunity in the future. And we aren’t pushovers who can’t fight back, can we?"

Upon hearing this, Daniel clapped and laughed loudly, "That’s the Shen Qinglan I know. Revenge must be sought. You’re right, if we are targeted, it is understandable for us to counterattack appropriately."

Daniel’s eyes darted around, clearly scheming something.

"Qinglan, do you remember that painter named Jonathan we met last time in Xueli City?" Daniel suddenly asked.

Shen Qinglan, of course, remembered, "What about him?"

"Frank has always admired him, wanting to promote him. But such a long time has passed, and Jonathan is still a nobody. Don’t you find that strange?"

Shen Qinglan didn’t find it strange at all. Given that person’s intense jealousy and her family’s influence, it would have been strange if Jonathan had become successful.

Shen Qingqing’s suspicions were absolutely correct; Frank really wanted to promote Jonathan but was thwarted at every turn by someone working against him in the shadows. Whenever a crucial opportunity arose, something would go wrong. After a few of these incidents, even someone as oblivious as Frank could understand the pattern.

Despite warning Catherine numerous times, both openly and covertly, she continued to act recklessly without any restraint. Furthermore, Frank owed a great debt to Catherine’s father, an old friend from his youth. For all these reasons, Frank ultimately abandoned the idea of making Jonathan famous.

"Frank may not be able to make someone famous, but that doesn’t mean I, Daniel, can’t. He may cherish his worthless student, but I do not. My goal is to show that damned woman that messing with me, Daniel, is not so easily resolved," Daniel said bitterly.

Shen Qinglan didn’t oppose his tactics; after all, they had provoked her, and she wasn’t going to just sit back and do nothing.

Handing over the gallery affairs to her assistant, Daniel left for Xueli City the very next day.

**********

Shen Qinglan wasn’t surprised in the least when she received a call from Catherine, "Miss Shen, I heard that Daniel’s gallery caught fire and your paintings were burned. Are you okay?"

A slight smile played on Shen Qinglan’s lips, "Thank you, Lady Catherine, for your concern. I’m fine."

"Miss Shen, we’re friends, and I’ve always admired you. If there’s anything you need my help with, just ask," Catherine said.

Shen Qinglan’s expression remained indifferent. Even through the phone, she could sense the schadenfreude in Catherine’s tone.

"Thank you for your concern, Lady Catherine. I’m quite alright, and as for help, there’s no need. It’s just a few works of art – if I could paint them once, I can paint them again."

Shen Qinglan’s words were light and breezy, yet they made Catherine grind her teeth with frustration.

"Miss Shen, is that how you should really speak? As artists, we value inspiration. It’d be such a pity if you could never again create works of such caliber."

A flash of coldness flickered in Shen Qinglan’s eyes; she found Catherine quite irritating. In fact, had it not been for that trip to Xueli City, she wouldn’t even know who Catherine was.

Shen Qinglan spoke dismissively, "You needn’t worry about these matters, Lady Catherine." After finishing her sentence, Shen Qinglan hung up, frowning.

Seeing her frown, Fu Hengyi said with a smile, "She’s just an insignificant person; there’s no need to be upset over her."

Shen Qinglan glared at him – Catherine’s antagonism towards her was partly due to Fu Hengyi.

When Mr. Fu found himself unfairly the target of his wife’s ire, he felt rather wronged and hurried to appease her. He massaged her shoulders to help her relax, asking, "Could this fire have something to do with that woman?"

"Mhm, it was most likely orchestrated by her," Shen Qinglan didn’t truly hold a grudge and reveled in Mr. Fu’s attentiveness.

A trace of coldness flickered in Fu Hengyi’s eyes. The main pieces from Shen Qinglan’s exhibition had been creations from their honeymoon in a small town, filled with their memories. He had intended to cherish and preserve them, only for them to be destroyed in the blaze.

"Leave this matter to me, don’t worry yourself about it," Fu Hengyi said gently. Shen Qinglan was pregnant, and he could not bear the thought of her taking on such stress.

"What do you plan to do?" asked Shen Qinglan.

"You don’t need to be concerned about that; I’m certainly not going to do anything illegal," Fu Hengyi responded.

Thinking it over, Shen Qinglan changed the subject, "Will you be coming back in two months?" She guessed that Fu Hengyi had combined two monthly leaves into one this time.

Fu Hengyi nodded, "Yes, when I return, I will report to my superiors and request a transfer. If all goes well, I will be assigned back to the Beijing Military Region next year, just in time for your due date. I’ll be there to take care of you and our child."

As they spoke about it, Shen Qinglan felt hesitant, "Fu Hengyi, don’t decide so quickly. I hope you’ll consider it carefully. I really can take good care of myself and the baby. Besides, my mother, grandfather, and aunt are at home. You should feel reassured."

Fu Hengyi smiled, knowing well what he wanted. Shen Qinglan had been willing to support him behind the scenes for the sake of his dreams, so he too could give up his persistence for her. In a family, it couldn’t always be just one person making sacrifices.

"I am clear about this; it is a decision I am making willingly. I want to take care of you personally, and I even want to look after you during your confinement," he said.

At his words, Shen Qinglan gave him a speechless look, "Imagine if Grandfather heard you say that. Do you think his opinion of me would plummet?"

"No," Fu Hengyi stated confidently, "In Grandfather’s eyes, you are now his beloved granddaughter, and I’m the one who is adopted." If it ever came to that, at most Old Sir Fu would chastise him for lacking ambition.

"Are you jealous?" Shen Qinglan sensed a strong air of jealousy.

Fu Hengyi smiled slightly, "I only wish for Grandfather to treat you even better." That way, if anything were to happen, there would be one more person to defend and protect Shen Qinglan.