The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 402 - 404. Mr. Fu who snatched his son’s food

Chapter 402: 404. Mr. Fu who snatched his son’s food

Chairman Ning Shaohua’s 18% shareholding in Han Group wouldn’t have crossed Han Yi’s mind to reclaim, had it not been for the recent engagement turmoil. After all, Chairman Ning was a low-profile man who seldom meddled in Han Group’s affairs and often supported Han Yi’s decisions. This was why the current turn of events truly caught Han Yi off guard.

Acquiring 20% of Shuangcheng International’s shares was not only due to luck but also thanks to Shen Junyu’s efforts behind the scenes.

Han Yi called Shen Junyu, "Brother, thanks for this time."

Shen Junyu chuckled, "You’re already calling me brother, no need for formalities."

"Right, we haven’t gotten together in a long while. I happen to be free tonight, up for a gathering?" suggested Han Yi.

Shen Junyu raised an eyebrow, "Tonight’s your wedding night. Are you sure you want to spend it drinking and chatting with a bunch of guys?"

Han Yi slapped his forehead, almost having forgotten, "Then let’s do it another time, when Gu Yang comes back from his vacation."

After returning, Chairman Ning still couldn’t reach his daughter. Despite being furious with his daughter’s actions, the numerous online rumors against Ning Ke eased his anger a bit after considering she could have gone out to clear her mind.

However, Han Zhengshan was so enraged by the situation that he was hospitalized again after seeing Yu Xiaoxuan’s marriage certificate photo and Han Yi’s proposal video, which left him breathless and in need of medical attention.

Han Yi received a call from the hospital but only sent his assistant to settle the bills, not appearing in person. His appearance at the hospital might have led to the news of Han Group’s CEO causing his own father’s death, becoming talk of the town in Beijing.

Upon returning home, Han Yi instantly noticed the change, "Did you decorate this?" He observed the fresh flowers and balloons in the living room.

Yu Xiaoxuan shook her head honestly, "No, Aunt and I did it together." Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, "What do you think? Aunt and I spent the whole afternoon decorating."

Han Yi scrutinized the setup seriously and nodded, "Hmm, not bad. Our girl is getting more and more capable. Come here, hubby will reward you with one." Saying this, he wrapped his arms around Yu Xiaoxuan’s waist and gave her a passionate French kiss. Fortunately, Aunt had tactfully left earlier, or it would have been quite awkward to witness this scene.

Yu Xiaoxuan responded to his kiss as the room temperature rose higher and higher. If Han Yi hadn’t slammed on the brakes in time, they might have ended up igniting a fire.

The news about Han Yi’s engagement to the daughter of Shuangcheng International was finally put to rest after Chairman Ning Shaohua himself stepped forward to clear the air.

Recently, Yu Xiaoxuan has been either resting at home for her pregnancy or busy with another big event, preparing a full-month celebration gift for our little friend Anan.

"Han Yi, can’t you sit still for a while and rest properly?" Han Yi said to Yu Xiaoxuan, who was bustling around in front of him.

Yu Xiaoxuan paused, "No, Anan’s full-month celebration is the day after tomorrow, and I haven’t finished preparing everything."

"He’s your godson, not your own son. You’re really fond of him," Han Yi quipped, his mouth curling. These past few days, Yu Xiaoxuan’s first thing in the morning and last thing at night had been about Anan. Han Yi had heard so much about Anan that he almost mistakenly wrote Anan’s name on a document that morning.

He still remembered his assistant’s odd expression at the time.

"I just like Anan a lot, okay? He’s Qinglan and Mr. Fu’s child. That kid really knows how to grow, picking only the best traits from his parents. Qinglan and Mr. Fu are already striking. Anan will be absolutely enchanting when he grows up." Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes glowed as she talked about Anan.

Han Yi’s expression darkened slightly, he murmured, "No matter how handsome he is, can he be more attractive than me?"

Yu Xiaoxuan rolled her eyes, "How can that be the same? By the time Anan grows up, you’ll already be an old man. What good looks?"

Han Yi became indignantly, "Yu Xiaoxuan, you fickle woman, you’re already tired of me after just half a month of marriage!"

Yu Xiaoxuan looked at Han Yi, puzzled, "You’re not running a fever, are you? To be jealous even of a child, and besides, that’s your future son-in-law."

"But even as a child, he is a male..." Han Yi’s voice abruptly stopped, and he stared at Yu Xiaoxuan, "What did you just say?"

Yu Xiaoxuan paused, realizing she had let something slip and chuckled, "You heard wrong, I didn’t say anything." She got up, intending to make a quick getaway.

"Yu Xiaoxuan, try running and see what happens." Han Yi gritted his teeth.

Yu Xiaoxuan’s footsteps halted, "I just wanted to go to the kitchen for a drink of water, not planning on running away."

Han Yi laughed, "I didn’t say you were planning on running away, I just want you to explain to me what you mean by he’s my future son-in-law?"

Yu Xiaoxuan’s laugh grew more nervous, "Well, Han Yi, the weather’s nice today. Why don’t we go outside for a walk? It’s pretty boring to stay at home all day, huh."

Han Yi joined in the laughter, "Once you’ve made things clear, we’ll go."

"What’s there to clarify, Han Yi? You’re becoming less and less fun."

"I was originally going to take you to eat at that Sichuan restaurant on Yongchun Road today, but now it seems like you don’t want to go anymore, so let’s just forget it," Han Yi said nonchalantly as he lay on the sofa.

Yu Xiaoxuan’s feet suddenly rooted to the spot, unwilling to move an inch, "Han Yi, I want to go." Her eyes were filled with longing; she had recently developed a special liking for spicy food and would choose it over everything else. If it weren’t for a stomachache from eating too much spicy food a few days ago, Han Yi wouldn’t have forbidden it.

Lord knows she’d been craving that taste so fiercely after just two days without it that even hearing the restaurant’s name made her salivate.

Han Yi looked at her with a smile and remained silent; Yu Xiaoxuan immediately understood, "Fine, fine, I’ll tell you. Before, I thought Anan was so cute, so I made a deal with Qinglan that if I have a daughter, she’ll be her daughter-in-law."

"No way," Han Yi said without hesitation.

Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes widened, "Why not? Anan is bound to be a handsome boy when he grows up. If he’s our son-in-law, I’ll get to see him every day." Just the thought of having a ’little fresh meat’ combining the best traits of Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi calling her ’Mommy’ made her heart bubble up with pink, joyful thoughts.

Seeing her expression, Han Yi knew exactly what she was thinking and snorted lightly, "Yu Xiaoxuan, get rid of that idea right now. I will never agree to it."

A child raised by Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi would surely grow up to be a sly old fox, and his daughter would be completely devoured by him. Just the thought of that scenario made Han Yi especially heartbroken. No, not even if he were dead and buried, Fu Hengyi would agree to this.

"Anan is so cute and handsome, he’ll definitely be a heartbreaker, and to think he could be our daughter’s... Just the thought is so delightful," Yu Xiaoxuan said, eyes gleaming. Ever since she had first laid eyes on Anan, she had hatched this plan.

"Handsome men are unreliable," Han Yi said bluntly.

Yu Xiaoxuan glanced at him, saying dryly, "Are you talking about yourself?"

Han Yi was at a loss for words and finally managed to say, "All handsome men are unreliable, except for me."

"Heh, Mr. Fu and Brother Shen are quite handsome and they are both good men," Yu Xiaoxuan quickly gave examples of two good-looking and decent men she knew.

"It’s still a no, Xiaoxuan. Listen to me and I’ll explain..." Han Yi rambled on about the top ten downsides of having Anan as a son-in-law.

Yu Xiaoxuan listened until her face was lined with frustration, and she concluded that Han Yi was simply a ’daughter-con’. In his eyes, any man in the world, except himself, was unreliable. Well, it seemed her daughter was doomed to be forever alone, so it was wise of her to secure Anan early on for her daughter’s sake.

"I’m not done preparing the stuff for Anan, give me some space," Yu Xiaoxuan pushed Han Yi aside and continued to sort through the pile of things covering the floor.

Both of them had been discussing fervently for quite some time but had forgotten that they still didn’t know whether the baby in Yu Xiaoxuan’s belly was a boy or a girl.

For Anan’s one-month celebration, both the Shen and Fu families had decided not to make a big fuss, simply planning to have a meal with a few close relatives and friends. By the time Anan turned a hundred days old, it would coincide with Old Sir Fu’s ninetieth birthday, so they planned to combine the celebrations, where they would invite many friends and hold a grand event.

By the time Yu Xiaoxuan and Han Yi arrived, many people from the Fu family had already gathered, and Shen Qinglan was finally allowed to leave her room. She had been taken care of very well over the past month and had recovered decently; she did not need to go through a second month of postpartum recovery.

To match today’s festive atmosphere, Shen Qinglan had slipped into a light red dress. Her wardrobe used to consist only of casual wear, but after marrying Fu Hengyi, he enjoyed taking her out shopping for clothes, gradually adding more dresses, though she still seldom wore them.

"Wow, Qinglan, you look absolutely stunning today," Yu Xiaoxuan couldn’t help but beam upon seeing Shen Qinglan. Aside from her wedding, this was the first time she saw Shen Qinglan in a red outfit, and it was a dress at that. Its rarity made it all the more stunning. The dress featured a belt at the waist, accentuating Shen Qinglan’s slender figure. Since she was breastfeeding, her bust had increased quite a bit, and from the side, her body looked even more curvaceous. Compared to before, Shen Qinglan, now a mother, exuded a charm that a newlywed woman did not possess.

Yu Xiaoxuan clicked her tongue and lowered her voice, "Qinglan, I can guarantee Mr. Fu loves you even more now." If she were a man, she would be tempted to pounce upon seeing such an alluring Shen Qinglan.

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan rolled her eyes, "It’s really true that you are the company you keep, hanging around Han Yi has really rubbed off on you, spouting off racy jokes just like that."

Yu Xiaoxuan hummed, "I’m not kidding, I’m telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, just turn around and ask your Mr. Fu. But really, Qinglan, you do make me envious."

Her eyes were full of admiration as she touched her own bit of belly fat, then glanced at Shen Qinglan’s waist, sighing, "Compared to you, I feel like I’m more like the one who just gave birth."

Shen Qinglan smiled. After giving birth, her body naturally returned to its pre-pregnancy state, a matter of her constitution, really, "Actually, I’ve gained a little weight since before I had the baby."

"How much?"

"Two kilograms," said Shen Qinglan, who had just weighed herself that morning.

Yu Xiaoxuan was on the verge of tears, "Qinglan, you might as well not comfort me. It hurts even more when you do."

Alright then, Shen Qinglan zipped it, realizing she really wasn’t great at offering comfort.

"Where’s my godson?" Yu Xiaoxuan looked around but could not find Anan.

"He’s in grandpa’s room." Old Sir Fu wanted to spend some alone time with his great-grandson, so Shen Qinglan naturally agreed.

"Then I’ll just stay here with you for the meantime." Most of the people outside were relatives from the Fu and Shen families, none of whom Yu Xiaoxuan recognized. Plus, both Gu Yang and Gu Kai hadn’t arrived, Fang Tong was recently preoccupied with a crucial project and hadn’t had the time to come, and Wen Xiyao along with Shen Junyu hadn’t made it yet.

Aunt Zhao came in, bringing drinks for Yu Xiaoxuan and Shen Qinglan. Yu Xiaoxuan got a glass of milk, while Shen Qinglan had a glass of clear water, "Aunt Zhao, why do I get milk and Qinglan just water?"

"Little Yi mentioned earlier that you hadn’t had your milk today, so he explicitly had me prepare it for you. Qinglan doesn’t like milk," the maid explained.

Realizing Han Yi had made the request, a warmth crossed Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes, "Thank you, Aunt Zhao."

Along with the milk, a stack of small pastries was brought in, "Dinner is still a while away; you guys can snack on these in the meantime."

"Aunt Zhao, you’re too thoughtful," Yu Xiaoxuan beamed, her hand already reaching for the pastries despite having just called herself overweight.

The corners of Shen Qinglan’s mouth lifted into a subtle smile.

"Aunt, I’m here, where’s little brother?" Pei Hao, the little guy, rushed in, looking for his brother as soon as he arrived.

Shen Qinglan chuckled softly, "Little brother is in grandfather’s room. Can you go find him by yourself?"

Pei Hao nodded, "Okay, auntie. I’ve prepared a gift for little brother." Saying so, he lifted the large box in his hand.

Shen Qinglan had noticed the item he was holding earlier, "What is it?"

"A transformer. I asked mom to buy it for me from abroad. I used my own money, not mom’s." Pei Hao explained.

"I see, Haohao is really great. Little brother will definitely like this gift. But he’s still too young to play with it now, so auntie will keep it for him until he’s older."

Pei Hao agreed, "Then auntie, I’m going to show it to little brother first, and then can you put it away for him?"

"Okay."

Hearing this, Pei Hao ran off with the gift, thump thump thump, while Yu Xiaoxuan watched from the side and said to Shen Qinglan, "Your cousin’s child is really sensible."

Shen Qinglan hummed in agreement, wondering if it was because of being from a single-parent family that Pei Hao seemed to be much more sensible than other children his age.

"Qinglan, do you know who Haohao’s father is?" Yu Xiaoxuan was curious. She knew who Pei Yinong was—a woman and child that good, what kind of heartless man could abandon them.

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "I’m not sure." This is probably something only Pei Yinong herself knows.

"Yining and Haohao are so wonderful; they both deserve better."

Shen Qinglan smiled without replying.

"Qinglan, have you seen Haohao?" No sooner had Pei Yinong been mentioned than she appeared.

"Haohao went to find grandpa. Cousin, come in and keep me company for a chat," Shen Qinglan suggested.

Pei Yinong sat down, greeted Yu Xiaoxuan, and then said, "I just parked the car when this little guy ran off."

"He said he wanted to give little brother a gift, so I let him go upstairs to find grandpa," Shen Qinglan recounted.

The three of them chatted in Shen Qinglan’s room. Although today was Anan’s one-month celebration, Shen Qinglan didn’t need to receive guests right now, as Chu Yunrong had come early in the morning with Sister-in-law Song to help.

When Old Sir Fu came in holding Anan, there was a little tail trailing behind him: who else could it be but Haohao.

"Qinglan, the child seems to be hungry," Mr. Fu stated. Shen Qinglan quickly stood up and took Anan into her arms. Anan immediately started pushing her head against Shen Qinglan’s chest and pouted her mouth, a clear sign of hunger. Shen Qinglan smiled fondly.

Seeing that Shen Qinglan was about to breastfeed, everyone left the room. Haohao didn’t want to go, but Pei Yinong forcefully pulled him away, "Mommy, I want to see little brother."

"You can see him later. Right now, little brother needs to eat. If he doesn’t eat, he’s going to start crying from hunger," Pei Yinong explained.

"Won’t little brother eat with us?"

"Umm, little brother is still small. He drinks milk, just like you used to."

In the room, Shen Qinglan looked at the little one who had fully grown up and touched his soft, tender face before undoing her clothes. Fortunately, she had chosen a dress in the morning that could be pulled open from the side, making breastfeeding very convenient.

Just as she pulled open her clothes, the little one pounced on her as if he knew the routine, his impatient manner resembling that of a little wolf cub starved for days. Shen Qinglan watched him tenderly.

The little one suckled while looking up with big eyes at Shen Qinglan, recognizing the woman before him. He would always behave especially well in Shen Qinglan’s embrace.

Anan’s appetite had improved quite a bit recently, thankfully Chu Yunrong and Aunt Zhao kept feeding Shen Qinglan lactagogues during this time. The results were good; Shen Qinglan’s milk supply had increased significantly, otherwise, it would have been somewhat difficult to satisfy Anan’s hunger.

Anan was still picky, refusing to touch formula milk and seeking out Shen Qinglan whenever he was hungry. If he couldn’t see her, he would burst into inconsolable tears, and no one else could calm him.

The door was gently knocked, "Qinglan, I’m coming in," came Fu Hengyi’s voice.

Shen Qinglan responded, and Fu Hengyi entered the room, his gaze first landing on Shen Qinglan’s fair back. He averted his eyes and came over to take a glance at his son, who was thoroughly enjoying his meal, feeling somewhat put out. This territory, which used to belong solely to him, had now been seized by this little fellow.

"He’s full," Shen Qinglan said, looking down to see Anan beginning to blow bubbles—his favorite game after a satisfying meal.

Fu Hengyi leaned over to pick up his son, his gaze briefly flicking across a glimpse of white, before placing the satiated infant on a small bed nearby. As Shen Qinglan was tidying her clothes, a shadow fell over her.

She looked up, locking eyes with Fu Hengyi.

Fu Hengyi squatted down, "Wife, I’m hungry too," his gaze lingering on a certain part of Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan paused, then realizing what he meant, glared at Fu Hengyi. She instinctively moved backward, trying to get away, but Fu Hengyi leaned in even closer, his hand bracing on the bed, trapping her between himself and the bed.

He gazed intently at Shen Qinglan, his left lip curling into a wicked smile.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes flickered, dazed by Fu Hengyi’s smile, and by the time she snapped back to reality, someone had already taken Anan’s share. Shen Qinglan let out a soft moan, and Fu Hengyi’s body immediately reacted.

She could clearly hear Fu Hengyi swallowing. Shen Qinglan felt both embarrassed and annoyed; this man was really eating. Fu Hengyi released Shen Qinglan, a drop of liquid lingering on his lips, which he licked away with a teasing glint in his eyes. Shen Qinglan’s gaze flickered again, shifting away to focus on Fu Hengyi’s Adam’s apple, thinking this handsome man was always pushing the boundaries.

Fu Hengyi didn’t let Shen Qinglan go so easily, though, leaning in to kiss her earlobe. The warm, damp sensation quickly aroused Shen Qinglan’s body. She gently pushed against Fu Hengyi’s chest, "Someone might come in later."

"It won’t happen, I locked the door," Fu Hengyi said briefly before resuming his attentions.

Shen Qinglan continued to push, "Your son is still here."

Fu Hengyi kept moving, unheeding, "He’s busy enjoying himself; he’s not paying attention to us."

Meanwhile, Anan, the child mentioned by his father, was staring with his big, dark, round eyes at the ceiling as he chewed on his little hands, occasionally kicking his feet.

By the time Fu Hengyi released Shen Qinglan, they were both breathless. Fu Hengyi held her close, "Wife, why does time pass so slowly? We still have to wait sixty days to reach three months."

Shen Qinglan, having been stirred up by Fu Hengyi, lay quietly on the bed, trying to calm her disordered breathing. Fu Hengyi held her, burying his head in her hair, inhaling the familiar scent of Shen Qinglan.

Fu Hengyi closed his eyes, and after the rush of heat within him subsided, he got up to help Shen Qinglan straighten her clothes. However, when he saw the marks on her neck, a flicker went through his eyes.

"Qinglan, do you want to go put on some makeup?" Fu Hengyi kindly suggested.

Shen Qinglan looked at him with puzzlement and, following his gaze, suddenly realized something. She shot him a glare and got up to walk into the bathroom.

When she came out again, the hickey on her neck had been covered up, without a trace to be seen.

Shen Qinglan walked straight over to pick up Anan. Little Anan was busy trying to stuff his foot into his mouth, blissfully unaware that his dad had already taken his food.

"Let me do it," Fu Hengyi offered, reaching out his hand.

"No need, you go out and greet the guests first. I’ll be out in a moment."

Fu Hengyi left, and Shen Qinglan dressed Anan in cute clothing before carrying him out.

"My dear little grandson, grandma has missed you so much after just one day." As soon as she stepped out, she saw Chu Yunrong coming to greet them and take the child away. Chu Yunrong glanced at Shen Qinglan before lowering her head to look at the child.

"Qinglan, have you fed Anan yet?" Chu Yunrong asked.

"He’s been fed."

"Oh, that’s good. We definitely can’t let my dear grandson go hungry, right?" Chu Yunrong’s gaze towards Anan was full of tenderness and pampering. Not sure if he understood her or not, Anan opened his small mouth, revealing his tender gums.

Chu Yunrong’s heart melted on the spot. "How can our Anan be so adorable?" she said as she walked away with the child, leaving Shen Qinglan standing there alone.

Touching her nose, Shen Qinglan deeply felt that ever since Anan was born, she had fallen out of favor with Chu Yunrong.

"Qinglan, where’s my godson?" Yu Xiaoxuan came over, asking expectantly.

Shen Qinglan: ...

She pointed towards Chu Yunrong, who was now surrounded by layers of people, all eager to see the child.

"Ah, he looks just like a New Year’s picture doll."

"Oh, look at him smile! So white and plump, I really want to pinch his cheeks."

"He’s so handsome. Look at those lips and nose, he’s the spitting image of Hengyi when he was a kid."

"Those eyes are so beautiful, exactly like Qinglan’s when she was little, as if cast from the same mold."

...

The cacophony of voices filled the air, all praising how cute and lovely the child was. The corners of Shen Qinglan’s mouth curved up slightly. Any mother would be happy to hear others compliment their son, and she was no exception.

"Qinglan, my godson is so popular, how long do I have to wait in line before I get the chance to hold my godson?" Yu Xiaoxuan’s tone was plaintive.

Shen Qinglan smiled faintly, "Wait your turn." If Anan wasn’t hungry, there was a chance that she wouldn’t get to hold him all day.

Little Anan, being watched by so many people, wasn’t shy at all. He comfortably snuggled in his grandmother’s arms, holding a pacifier in his hand and sucking on it. This was what Fu Hengyi had given him earlier, to keep him from eating his little hand.

The number of guests invited this time wasn’t large, totaling just two tables of people. Although the crowd was small, the atmosphere remained lively. Little Anan fell asleep in her grandmother’s arms after a while, and Chu Yunrong hurriedly carried him into the room to let him sleep.

Little Haohao volunteered to go watch his baby brother, so eager that he even skipped his meal. No matter how Pei Yinong persuaded him, he wouldn’t listen, only staring at Shen Qinglan with puppy-dog eyes, "Aunt, may I?"

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "Yes, but first you must finish your meal. Once you’re full, you can go in to see your brother."

Haohao agreed immediately, "Mommy, I want to eat now."

It wasn’t quite time for dinner yet, so Pei Yinong asked Aunt Zhao for a small bowl of noodles, fed Haohao, and then let him go to stay with Anan. Shen Qinglan wasn’t worried at all about leaving two little kids alone together.

Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan chatted with everyone in the living room, and the crowd looked at Shen Qinglan with eyes full of amazement.

"Qinglan, with a figure like yours, no one would believe you’ve just had a baby," someone commented.

Shen Qinglan looked at the person speaking. She had attended her wedding and was a relative of the Fu Family, but they didn’t have much contact normally. By family hierarchy, she should call her "Third Aunt." She hadn’t invited her this time, so it seemed she had shown up uninvited.

"Qinglan, how do you maintain yourself?" Fu Xiangru didn’t miss the opportunity to speak with Shen Qinglan. Everyone knew how much the old man cherished this granddaughter-in-law, and since she came from a good family background, it made sense to curry favor with her whenever possible, especially as she had fought hard for this chance despite facing reluctance.

Shen Qinglan maintained a polite smile, "I wasn’t overweight during my pregnancy, so I simply returned to my pre-pregnancy weight afterward." This was the truth, but Fu Xiangru refused to believe it.

"My daughter is also pregnant, but she’s gained much more weight. She’s only three months along and has already gained over ten pounds. She keeps complaining about wanting to diet, and it’s driven me to the point where I’m going grey. She’s still pregnant and needs nutrition. To talk about dieting now is just a joke. So if you have any effective diet methods, you must tell Third Aunt so I can advise her to slim down after giving birth," Fu Xiangru rambled on and on.

"Really, there’s no special method. I’m naturally slim. I ate so much during my pregnancy and still didn’t get fat. Grandfather and Hengyi tried many things, but none worked."

"Qinglan, you must be hiding something," Fu Xiangru said with a smile, but her words felt uncomfortable, "Look, you don’t make money using these methods. If you tell Third Aunt, I won’t tell anyone else."

The smile faded from Shen Qinglan’s eyes as she looked at Fu Xiangru, but before she could speak, Chu Yunrong chimed in, "Of course, there’s a method. Just tell your daughter to eat less. She’s grown-up, isn’t she able to control her own mouth?" The latter sentence carried a double meaning.

Fu Xiangru’s expression turned awkward, and she fell silent. She wanted to snap back, but Chu Yunrong had spoken, so with restraint, she chose not to respond.

Chu Yunrong glanced at her. In the presence of her daughter, she had acted the elder, but it depended on whether she agreed or not. Uninvited guests were fine if they were polite, but if not, hmph.

The little episode passed quickly, and somehow the topic shifted to Shen Qinglan’s paintings.

Everyone was discussing how valuable and exquisite Shen Qinglan’s paintings were when Fu Xiangru, who hadn’t been able to join the conversation earlier, spoke up again, "Qinglan, your paintings are so wonderful. Could you gift me a couple? I’d hang them in my living room, which would be quite prestigious, right?"

As soon as she said this, everyone exchanged glances. Was this person genuinely foolish, or just pretending to be? Shen Qinglan’s paintings were currently being hyped up fiercely. A single piece fetched at least several hundred thousand, or even up to a million. At an auction held last week, her largest painting had even sold for tens of millions.

Yet here she was, brazenly asking for two pieces. Where did this confidence and audacity come from?

Fu Xiangru seemed oblivious to everyone’s expressions, looking expectantly at Shen Qinglan. What would these people know? People like Shen Qinglan were always conscious of their status, especially in a crowd; they cared about face. Now that she had asked, if Shen Qinglan declined, it would expose her stinginess. And besides, she was Shen Qinglan’s elder. Even if their family’s relationship with the Fu Family had drifted to the point of being distant relatives, there was still that connection.

So, it wasn’t that Fu Xiangru was unaware; she knew all too well, which was why she dared to ask. She had considered everything, except whether Shen Qinglan would be willing to follow her script.

"Sorry, Third Aunt, I haven’t touched a paintbrush in several months. All my previous work has been handed over to my agent. If you’re really interested, you can contact my agent Daniel. I will call him and ask him to give you a discount."

Fu Xiangru’s face stiffened. She had talked about gifting, not buying. Although her family’s financial situation was decent, they weren’t the type to casually spend tens of thousands on a painting just to hang in the living room.

"Qinglan, look, we are all family here, buying..." Fu Xiangru said with a troubled face.

But before she could finish, someone else spoke up, "Qinglan, can we really buy your paintings through Daniel? If that’s the case, I’d like to buy one to give to a client. They really appreciate your artwork."

This person was Fu Xiangjun, a child of Old Sir Fu’s brothers, and by extension, Qinglan had to call her a cousin. She had been present at her wedding and childbirth, so they were relatively close.

Knowing that she was trying to help, Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "I’ll call Daniel later, and my cousin can go over any time."

With someone closer than herself saying they would buy, even Fu Xiangru couldn’t be so thick-skinned as to ask Shen Qinglan to give away her paintings for free.

Fu Xiangru stopped talking, and the atmosphere quickly became harmonious again until Aunt Zhao came to invite everyone to the dining room.

Fortunately, the Fu Family’s dining room was big enough, even when set up for three tables of guests, it didn’t feel crowded.

During the meal, Fu Xiangjun spoke up, "Uncle, have you chosen a name for the baby yet?" She had already asked during the chat and knew the baby only had a nickname and no official name yet.

Old Sir Fu, seated at another table, chuckled, "We’ve decided on Chenxuan, Fu Chenxuan." It was a name he and Old Sir Shen had taken a long time to select.

"Chenxuan, hmm, that’s a good name," praised Fu Xiangjun.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi exchanged glances, both very satisfied with the name.

After the guests left, Aunt Zhao, Sister-in-law Song, and Aunt Liu were cleaning up the dishes. Shen Qinglan initially wanted to help but was sent back by Chu Yunrong and Fu Jingting.

"You don’t need to be here, go and check on the children," Chu Yunrong ushered her away, "It’s been quite a while, Anan should be awake by now."

Shen Qinglan had no choice but to go to the room, where indeed, Anan was already awake. Happily leaning on the side of his little crib, he was ’talking’ with Haohao, who was making baby noises, neither understanding the other, but both brothers seemed quite happy.

Seeing Shen Qinglan, Haohao grinned and said, "Aunt, little brother is so good, he didn’t even cry when he woke up."

Shen Qinglan smiled gently, glancing at her son, Anan, who never sought out his mother when he wasn’t hungry; even now, he showed no reaction to her presence.

"Haohao, are you hungry?"

Haohao shook his head, "Not hungry."

Pei Yinong walked in, "Haohao, it’s time to go home."

"I don’t want to, Mommy, you go home first. I want to stay here and watch my little brother."

"That won’t do, you have to go home with Mommy, we can visit your little brother another day."

"I don’t want to. Please, Mommy, let me stay and watch my little brother. I promise to listen to Aunt’s words, I’ll go home tomorrow, okay?" Haohao pleaded, swinging Pei Yinong’s hand from side to side.

But Pei Yinong didn’t relent, "Aren’t you listening to Mommy anymore?" Before Shen Qinglan had children, taking care of one child was no problem, but now with Anan so small, looking after him was already exhausting, and she couldn’t burden her further.

Seeing that Pei Yinong truly wasn’t going to let him stay, Haohao reluctantly glanced at Anan and turned to Shen Qinglan, "Aunt, I’m going home today, but I’ll come visit my little brother tomorrow."