The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 372 - 375. (One more update)

Chapter 372: 375. (One more update)

Annie didn’t get out of the car, but stared intently at Eden, "If it was just to get the photos back, why did you protect me like that tonight?"

"Even if I see a stranger being bullied, I would help; whether I like you or not doesn’t matter," Eden said.

A flash of disappointment crossed Annie’s eyes as she stared blankly at Eden, "By denying it like this, do you truly dislike me or is it because you’re afraid to say it?"

Eden looked at her, "Annie, I’m not worth your affection; you shouldn’t waste your time on me." His expression was so stern that Annie’s heart suddenly trembled.

"Even so, I will not give up, Eden; I will make you fall in love with me," Annie said earnestly, then got out of the car and walked away.

Eden couldn’t help but chuckle.

**

A week later, after confirming that Fu Hengyi’s leg had no problems, Eden discharged him from the hospital.

Fu Hengyi’s hopeful recovery was a cause for celebration for both the Shen Family and the Fu Family. Thus, on the day of Fu Hengyi’s discharge, both families decided to have a meal together in celebration.

Shen Jun Yu came to pick up Fu Hengyi from the hospital. Since Fu Hengyi still needed a wheelchair, Eden helped.

"Doctor Eden, thank you for everything you’ve done for Hengyi and Qinglan. Tonight, we would like to invite you to dinner, and we hope you won’t refuse," Shen Jun Yu said with a smile once Fu Hengyi was in the car.

Eden shook his head and declined, "No need to be so polite, Qinglan and I are friends, and I will help whenever I can. As for dinner, it’s a family banquet and I, an outsider, shouldn’t intrude."

"Eden, you are also my family," Qinglan interjected, earning a touched look from Eden, "That’s enough for me, but I’ve made other plans for tonight, so maybe another time."

Having said that, Shen Jun Yu naturally couldn’t press further, "Then it will have to be next time, Doctor Eden. Our whole family is very grateful for what you have done; please don’t decline our chance to thank you next time."

Eden nodded with a smile, "Alright, when there’s another chance, I will definitely come."

Qinglan and Fu Hengyi returned to the Fu Family. Just as they settled in, Chu Yunrong arrived, accompanied by Old Sir Shen. These past few days, Chu Yunrong had been running to the hospital daily, fearing that Qinglan couldn’t manage alone and neglecting her own health.

Thus, while Fu Hengyi was in the hospital, Qinglan hadn’t lost weight, but Chu Yunrong did lose some.

"Qinglan, come and drink this soup," Chu Yunrong called out. Qinglan and Fu Hengyi exchanged a glance, a hint of amusement flickering in Fu Hengyi’s eyes. Qinglan had been pregnant for several months, making drinking soup her most dreaded task.

Thinking about it, it was funny that Qinglan, normally fearless, would be afraid of soup. Fu Hengyi found this aspect of Qinglan inexplicably adorable, hitting what the current internet slang would call his "cute spot."

"Mom, I’m not hungry right now," Qinglan said indifferently, not even glancing at the bowl of soup.

Chu Yunrong knew that Qinglan had become tired of soup from having it nearly every day for months, even if it was always different.

Gently, Chu Yunrong said, "Sweetie, the doctor said during the last prenatal check-up that the baby’s weight is a bit on the light side, it’s best to supplement a bit more nutrition. This soup was made especially for you after consulting a nutritionist, and I guarantee it won’t make you gain weight unnecessarily."

Qinglan wasn’t actually afraid of gaining weight; if she could gain a few pounds and increase her own weight a bit, she would be quite happy.

Reflecting on what the doctor had said, Qinglan looked at her belly helplessly. She had already been pregnant for six months, but her belly seemed only five months’ size. "Son, oh son, Mommy eats quite well daily, why aren’t you growing more? What will we do if you’re not tall enough when you grow up?"

Qinglan took the bowl from Chu Yunrong’s hands and downed the soup in one go, her manner more like taking medicine than drinking soup.

Chu Yunrong took the bowl back from her and offered Qinglan a plum candy, "Change your taste."

Qinglan looked at the plum candy in her hand and paused slightly. Those candies were her favorite as a child, and whenever she didn’t want to take her medicine, Chu Yunrong would coax her by promising a plum candy after she drank her medicine.

During the initial period after leaving home, every time she thought of home, she would remember these plum candies. She thought she had forgotten them, but the memory emerged automatically when she saw the candy.

Shen Qinglan put a plum candy in her mouth, the sweet and sour taste spreading instantly on her tongue tip; she pursed her lips as Chu Yunrong placed the bowl down and said with a smile, "They haven’t made this candy for many years. I happened to see it in the supermarket a few days ago. I wasn’t sure if you still liked it, so I bought you some."

"It tastes delicious, just like when I was a child," Shen Qinglan said softly, her voice gentle.

Chu Yunrong’s lips curved slightly, "I’m glad you like it. If you want, Mom can go buy some more another day. That supermarket has quite a variety. If there’s anything you want, just tell Mom and I’ll go buy it for you."

"Next time I’ll go with Mom, I haven’t been out for a long time," Shen Qinglan said. Recently, she had been so engrossed in taking care of Fu Hengyi due to his injury that she hadn’t paid much attention to Chu Yunrong. Just her small act now had made Chu Yunrong happy, leaving Shen Qinglan feeling indescribable.

Shen Qinglan suddenly remembered the first time she had met Chu Yunrong. It was at one of the orphanages they had chosen in advance where Shen Qian and Chu Yunrong came to pick her up. As she walked out of the orphanage with Shen Qian, she saw Chu Yunrong pacing anxiously at the entrance. When Chu Yunrong saw her, she was startled, her eyes trembled violently wanting to embrace Shen Qinglan, but Shen Qinglan had stepped back slightly, avoiding it.

Shen Qinglan still remembered the moment she had dodged Chu Yunrong’s embrace, the light instantly fading from Chu Yunrong’s eyes.

When Chu Yunrong heard Shen Qinglan wanted to go shopping with her, she was first overjoyed but then couldn’t help worrying, "The supermarket is too crowded, maybe we shouldn’t go." She regretted the thought of Shen Qinglan getting accidentally bumped into.

Shen Qinglan knew what she was worried about and smiled, "Mom, it’s just a shopping trip. The doctor said it’s good for pregnant women to stay active, it helps with the delivery."

Her fetus wasn’t very big, and after discussing it with Fu Hengyi, they decided on a natural birth, believing it was better for the child.

Chu Yunrong, having already birthed two children, naturally understood this. After thinking for a moment, she didn’t object, "From now on, take a walk outside after meals to get some fresh air. Now that Hengyi’s condition is stable, you are our main focus."

Shen Qinglan smiled lightly.

"Oh, by the way, I got two tickets to a music concert the day after tomorrow evening. If you’re free, you and Hengyi should go and listen. It’s also good for prenatal care," Chu Yunrong said.

"Okay," Shen Qinglan nodded. She and Fu Hengyi hadn’t been on a date in a long time.

"I’ll bring the tickets over tomorrow."

Aunt Zhao, Sister-in-law Song, and Aunt Liu were preparing the meal, so Shen Qinglan and Chu Yunrong didn’t want to disturb them.

Chu Yunrong then took a few more plum candies out of her pocket and handed them to Shen Qinglan, "Enjoy them, but don’t eat too many. Just savor the taste."

Shen Qinglan looked at the candies in her hand, smiled, and sat down next to Fu Hengyi. Seeing her happy demeanor, Fu Hengyi couldn’t help but ask, "What’s making you so happy?"

"Is it that obvious?" Shen Qinglan tilted her head.

"Not obvious." But he was very sensitive to her emotional changes and could naturally tell.

Shen Qinglan gave Fu Hengyi a candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth, "Here, try this snack."

Fu Hengyi’s tongue swept across Shen Qinglan’s fingertip, bringing a warm, moist sensation. Shen Qinglan glared at him secretly and withdrew her hand.

Fu Hengyi licked his lips, "Mmm, very sweet."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but pinch him hard on the waist. His waist was all muscle, which wasn’t pleasant to touch. Shen Qinglan hummed lightly, withdrew her hand, turned her head away, and picked up a magazine to read.

That evening’s dinner also included Wen Xiyao, Fu Jingtong, and Gu Bowen. Gu Yang was still in the military as he had signed up for the Special Forces selection and was currently in intense training, having been away for a while.

Fu Jingtong and Gu Bowen had visited several times when Fu Hengyi was hospitalized. Since their remarriage, both Fu Jingtong and Gu Bowen seemed to smile more.

Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Jingtong, her eyes unconsciously showing a touch of tenderness. A flicker of reassurance passed through Shen Qinglan’s eyes.

Gu Bowen and Fu Hengyi were accompanying the two old sirs in a game of chess. Meanwhile, Fu Jingtong was chatting with Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, if the tea house gets too busy, Auntie can help out."

She had officially retired this month after working for over twenty years. She had had enough of work and wanted to dedicate the rest of her time to her family, to be with Gu Bowen and Old Sir Fu, to avoid future regrets.

A few days earlier, Jingting had come home and seen that the ledger of Shen Qinglan’s tea house was still on the table, unattended, reminding her that Shen Qinglan’s tea house was in its busy season and could certainly be overwhelming.

Shen Qinglan had indeed been worried about the tea house lately. When she had taken over the tea house from someone else, she had promised to run it well. However, one thing had led to another, and she had not been able to manage it. The only reason the business hadn’t declined over the past few months was due to a competent manager she had initially hired.

But now, this manager was planning to resign to get married back in his hometown, and she needed to find a replacement. This should have been sorted out earlier, but it had been delayed due to Hengyi’s surgery.

"Aunt, would you be willing to help?" Shen Qinglan asked.

Jingting chuckled, "Why wouldn’t I? Handling work isn’t suitable for you in your current state of health. I’m retired and have nothing much to do at home. Managing a shop can be something I do. Unless you don’t trust me to run it, worried that I might not be able to?"

"Why would I ever think that, Aunt? I’d be beyond grateful. It’s just that Uncle might not agree."

Jingting glanced towards Gu Bowen, "Both of us are idling at home anyway. Visiting your tea house and enjoying some tea there sounds lovely."

And so it was decided; Jingting would help Shen Qinglan manage the tea house, allowing Shen Qinglan more time to accompany Hengyi.

**

The next day, Chu Yunrong brought concert tickets to Shen Qinglan—it turned out they were VIP tickets, and there were four of them.

Chu Yunrong explained, "One of my former students gave these to me. I’m not interested, and neither is your brother or Xi Yao. See if any of your friends would like to go, and give them the tickets; otherwise, it’d be a waste."

After thinking it over, since Yu Xiaoxuan was only interested in food, Jin Enxi loved various codes, and Eden was passionate about medicine, and everyone else was abroad, Shen Qinglan thought of Fang Tong. However, Fang Tong had just returned to the country the day before, and Shen Qinglan wasn’t sure if she’d be interested in the concert.

She called Fang Tong, but Li Bomming answered, "Tongtong is showering."

Shen Qinglan told Li Bomming about the concert tickets, and he immediately accepted, "Great, Tongtong and I will come tomorrow. Thank you, Miss Shen."

Shen Qinglan replied subtly, "No need to be so formal, just calling me by my name is fine." It did feel strange hearing her good friend’s husband address her as Miss Shen.

After coming out of the shower, Li Bomming relayed the message to Fang Tong, "That’s perfect. I bought some things for Qinglan’s baby on this trip back, and this gives us a chance to deliver them. Is this concert formal—do I need to change into a gown?"

Li Bomming had already asked and knew this was a top-level concert in the country and very formal, "I just checked, the batch of gowns I had custom-made for you has arrived. You can pick one to wear tomorrow."

"Sure, also, I bought some stuff for Dad and Aunt Ji on this trip, remember to take them when you visit," Fang Tong mentioned. Although the relationship between Li Bomming and his stepmom wasn’t particularly close, it was definitely amicable. So when Fang Tong brought gifts for her family, she didn’t forget to include something for her stepmom too.

"Did you buy something for your parents?" Li Bomming asked.

"My parents don’t lack anything, so no need," Fang Tong said casually.

"Let’s not send the gifts to my dad yet; wait until the next time you buy something for your parents, and we can send all together," Li Bomming suggested.

Fang Tong looked puzzled, "What difference does it make? My parents won’t mind."

Li Bomming was well aware that Fang Chengzhi and Fu Fanghua were not petty people, but some matters needed to be handled evenly. Fang Tong was always attentive to his side of the family during festivals, often forgetting her own parents. It happened once or twice and nobody minded, but it was different if it happened frequently. Some might say disparagingly in front of Chengzhi and Fanghua that a married daughter is like water splashed out.

Li Bomming naturally wanted to help Fang Tong avoid such situations.

Fang Tong was an astute person; she might not have grasped Li Bomming’s words initially, but upon reflection, she understood and smiled, climbing into bed to give Li Bomming a kiss on the cheek, "Husband, thank you."

She was grateful that she had bravely chosen Li Bomming back then—a warm man who constantly nurtured her heart tenderly over time.

**

At the home of Shen Jun Ze and Lu Yaqin, Lu Yaqin looked at Lu Jincai with a troubled expression, "Brother, the thing you’re talking about, I can’t agree to it. You know very well that Jun Ze and the Shen family aren’t on good terms. Asking Jun Ze to plead with Jun Yu is making things difficult for him, isn’t it? Moreover, Jun Ze’s company is now in your hands, what more could you possibly want?"

"What are you talking about? The company will always belong to Jun Ze. I’m just keeping an eye on it for him. Once he graduates and is capable, I will naturally return it to him. The company is facing some troubles now, and as the successor, Jun Ze should also contribute to the company," Lu Jincai said matter-of-factly, completely forgetting how he had driven Shen Jun Ze out of his own house when he took over the company, and the words he had spoken then.

"You come to my house and say these things, where is your shame?" Shen Jun Ze’s voice came from the direction of the door, his expression gloomy.

Lu Jincai’s company had recently bid on a piece of land, which was originally a good thing. However, the financial director embezzled the funds, and now they were untraceable, transferred overseas without knowing exactly where and not recovered to this day, hence breaking the company’s capital chain all at once, jeopardizing the project’s continuation. Lu Jincai, not wanting the newly acquired land to fall into someone else’s hands, once again considered exploiting Shen Jun Yu.

The Shen family disliked him and also despised Lu Yaqin. Though they might not particularly like Shen Jun Ze, he still carries the Shen family’s blood and is the only son of Shen Rang, so the Shen family wouldn’t really abandon him.

"Heh, Jun Ze, you’re back. You haven’t visited your uncle in a while, and you don’t pick up when your uncle calls. Are you still angry with him?" Lu Jincai looked at Shen Jun Ze with a face full of affection, showing no difference from the past.

Shen Jun Ze suddenly remembered the way Shen Qinglan used to look at him—cold, disdainful. Thinking back, when he was being used by Lu Jincai as a pawn, Shen Qinglan must have already seen Lu Jincai’s true face. But because of his own attitude towards Old Sir Shen and the things he had done, it was only normal for her not to tell him.

Shen Jun Ze scoffed at himself, "I no longer have any utility value, so uncle, there’s no need for you to demean yourself."

Lu Jincai disagreed, looking at him, "What are you talking about? Am I that kind of person? You are my only nephew, would I not care about you? I still care about you, and as for using you, that is absolutely not the case."

Listening to these words, Shen Jun Ze felt they were incredibly hypocritical. He didn’t understand how Lu Jincai could say such things, and why he had been brainwashed by Lu Jincai before, thinking he was the person who cared for him the most in this world.

Shen Jun Ze sneered, "Lu Jincai, do you not feel guilty saying these things? I may be your only nephew, but you’ve coveted what my father left me and snatched the company from my hands. Now, you even dare to tell me you care about me and haven’t used me. Would you dare to say what you truly came here for today? Don’t tell me you just came to check on me—such a lie might have been believed by the old Shen Jun Ze, but the person I am now would never believe it."

Lu Jincai had anticipated that Shen Jun Ze wouldn’t be as compliant as he used to be, but facing this suddenly insightful person, it felt like talking to a completely different person, as if he had undergone a complete transformation.

"Jun Ze, you are still angry with your uncle. If you truly don’t believe in your uncle’s sincerity, you can return to the company and work anytime you want."

"Heh, return to the company to be marginalized? Everyone there is in your pocket, what use would there be for me to return now? You really want to show your sincerity? Then it’s simple, leave the company, leave today."

Lu Jincai’s expression stiffened, "Jun Ze, the company is headless right now. If I leave, the company will truly collapse, and your father’s efforts will be ruined." His words sounded heartfelt, making Shen Jun Ze’s stomach churn.

He waved his hand, signaling Lu Jincai to stop talking, "Whatever your reasons for coming today, don’t say any more. Just leave, I don’t want to see you."

A glint of anger flashed in Lu Jincai’s eyes, this ungrateful wretch, always treating kindness as venom. He glanced at Lu Yaqin, signaling her to speak up for him, but Lu Yaqin looked away, which made Lu Jincai secretly furious.

"Jun Ze, since you’re still angry with your uncle, then your uncle will leave first. When you calm down, don’t forget to come visit your uncle’s house," Lu Jincai said soothingly.

Shen Jun Ze looked at the ground, not knowing whether he heard or not. After Lu Jincai left, Shen Jun Ze turned to Lu Yaqin, "Mom, what did he want from you?"

Lu Yaqin shook her head, "Nothing, just came to see. Have you eaten? If not, mom will make you something."

Shen Jun Ze looked steadily at her, "Mom, tell me the truth. I can’t believe his purpose is that simple." His expression was very somber, and Lu Yaqin felt a tremor in her heart, especially since learning about Lu Jincai’s affairs and children, his mood had become particularly unpredictable.

Lu Yaqin hesitated for a moment and then revealed the purpose of Lu Jincai’s visit, and Shen Jun Ze laughed bitterly, "I knew he didn’t come here with good intentions, just eyeing the last bit of value I have. Mom, next time he comes, you can tell him not to bother anymore. I no longer have any relation with the Shen family, I’m not their grandson."

Considering himself such a grandson was a disgrace to the Shen family, and anyway, his father had left the Shen family over twenty years ago, so there was no difference now whether he was there or not.

Thinking this, Shen Jun Ze couldn’t help but feel a bit sad.

Listening to his words, Lu Yaqin almost burst into tears, "Jun Ze, don’t talk like that, speaking so is like asking for my life."

Shen Jun Ze’s expression remained indifferent, "Mom, these words aren’t directed at you, don’t overthink it. Stay away from Lu Jincai from now on. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get back dad’s company, I have to prove to them that I am Shen Rang’s son and won’t disgrace him."

Lu Yaqin looked at the firmly shut door, sitting on the sofa and silently crying, holding a photograph of Shen Jun Ze, and whispering softly, "Arang, what should I do?"