The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 403 - 405. Mr. Fu is a walking hormone

Chapter 403: 405. Mr. Fu is a walking hormone

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "Okay, you go home with Mommy today."

Haohao looked reluctantly at Anan, clearly wanting to stay, but Pei Yining still took her son away.

Shen Qinglan thought of Haohao’s eyes, all filled with smiles as she looked at her son who was sucking on his pacifier, blissfully unaware, and chuckled, "Brother was crying because he couldn’t bear to leave you, and you little heartless thing didn’t even give him a glance."

Anan didn’t understand what Mommy was saying. Seeing Mommy smiling at him, he stretched out his little hand, wanting to be held. Shen Qinglan just watched and didn’t reach out. Seeing that Shen Qinglan wasn’t going to pick him up, Anan didn’t cry either; he withdrew his hand and continued to bite his pacifier. This had been his new toy for the past few days, which had greatly interested him. Give him a pacifier, and he could quietly play with it for half a day.

Yu Xiaoxuan hadn’t left yet. She hadn’t had the chance to spend much time with Anan today and certainly wasn’t ready to leave. When almost everyone else had left, she came up to Anan and called him her sweet treasure, but little Anan didn’t even glance at his godmother.

"Anan, your godmother misses you so much, yet you ignore me. I’m so heartbroken," Yu Xiaoxuan said, holding Anan’s little hand, pouring out her lovesickness to a one-month-old baby.

Shen Qinglan ignored her neurotic behavior and sorted through the gifts she had received today, most of which were for Anan.

Shen Qinglan picked up two of the express boxes and, seeing the familiar handwriting on them, smiled slightly and opened the packages. They were from Jin Enxi and the others. Eden had come today, and these two packages were from Jin Enxi and Cissily.

She opened the boxes to find a pair of small shoes from Jin Enxi and a little outfit from Cissily and Andre.

Shen Qinglan carefully stored the items away, and Aunt Zhao walked in, "Qinglan, the guard at the doorway just said these two packages are for you."

"From whom?"

Aunt Zhao shook her head, "One is from abroad, and the other has no contact name. The guard said a child brought it, left it, and walked away. Seeing your name on it, they brought both over."

Shen Qinglan took a look, picked up the unnamed package, and opened it; it was a box within a box. She opened five boxes in total before finally holding the last one, which contained a kraft paper bag. Picking it up, she found that the kraft paper bag contained a stack of documents detailing her time at Devil Base, along with several photos.

Her expression shifted subtly. She glanced in Yu Xiaoxuan’s direction, saw she was playing happily with Anan, and not paying any attention to this side. She felt a sense of relief, stowed the items away, and put them in the bottom drawer of her bedside cabinet.

It was obvious who had sent these documents, but Shen Qinglan didn’t understand the purpose behind Allen sending this express package. She just looked at the boxes nested within each other, somewhat dazed.

Her gaze moved to the other package. Hesitating a little, she opened it to find a very ordinary box containing a pair of golden bracelets, accompanied by a card.

"The baby is adorable, I hope he can always stay this cute and grow up healthy." Signed, Qin Yan.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes grew cold as she looked at the bracelet for a long time without saying a word.

"Qinglan, what are you daydreaming about?" Yu Xiaoxuan turned her head and, seeing her like this, asked.

Shen Qinglan came to her senses and shook her head, "Nothing. I was just zoning out. Did you say something to me?"

"I didn’t say anything. I just saw you spacing out and called you," Yu Xiaoxuan replied.

Shen Qinglan gave an acknowledging sound, carelessly tossed the pair of golden bracelets aside, and continued to organize the gifts, sorting them into categories.

"Qinglan, your phone is ringing." Yu Xiaoxuan called out to Shen Qinglan, who was in the walk-in closet. Shen Qinglan came out and glanced at the number.

"Watch Anan for me for a moment, I need to take a call." Shen Qinglan said, then turned and went to the balcony, closing the balcony door behind her.

Ensuring no one else could hear, Shen Qinglan spoke in a low voice, "Allen."

From the other end of the phone came a hoarse laugh, "Xiaoqi, I didn’t even speak and you knew it was me. Does that mean we’re really in tune with each other, hmm, you missed me, right?"

"Allen, what exactly do you want?"

"Xiaoqi, don’t be so wary. I don’t want to do anything, and I won’t do anything to you. You should know that if I really wanted to do something to you, you would have already been out of Beijing by now," Allen spoke indifferently, his eyes revealing an unseen sorrow as he spoke.

Shen Qinglan fell silent; she was of course aware of this fact. It was for this reason that although Allen had previously targeted Eden and Jin Enxi, she had not retaliated.

"Did you receive the gift I sent you?" Allen asked.

At his words, Shen Qinglan recalled the documentation, "That document was sent by you?"

"Yes, it was me. This is my full moon gift for your child. Although I really dislike the child’s father, and loathe that his blood contains that of another man, he is still your child. On his full moon celebration, I, as an uncle, should give a gift. This document is the only copy I have, and the last one in the world. Now it’s all yours. Whether you want to destroy it or keep it, the decision is in your hands."

"Why?" Shen Qinglan’s voice dropped lower, "You kept that document initially to threaten me, now you are giving it to me. What’s your purpose?"

"Hmm, my Xiaoqi is so clever. So, take a guess at what my purpose is," Allen said with leisure.

Shen Qinglan fell silent for a short while before she spoke firmly, "Allen, don’t provoke me anymore. If you continue to push me, I won’t guarantee what I’ll do. If you think that being exposed would leave me with no choice but to return to your side, then you are mistaken. If such a day really comes, I would rather go down fighting."

Her eyes held determination and ruthlessness, clearly not joking.

Allen’s breath hitched but quickly, he let out a light laugh, "Haha, Xiaoqi, why can’t you believe that perhaps I love you too much, and so I decided to let you go?"

"If you really wanted to let me go, you wouldn’t have joined King in hunting down Fu Hengyi," Shen Qinglan said coldly.

"I don’t regret that incident. If I have another chance, Xiaoqi, believe me, I would still try to kill Fu Hengyi. He is the person I hate the most in this world, without a doubt number one."

"Allen, let me tell you as well, if you dare touch him again, I will go down fighting with you."

"Good, Xiaoqi. I would be glad to die together with you," Allen said nonchalantly.

Shen Qinglan’s gaze turned icy. If Allen were standing in front of her at that moment, she would not hesitate to raise her weapon at him.

Allen’s tone shifted from playful to serious suddenly, "Xiaoqi, whether you believe it or not, I kept that document only as a souvenir. Now I’m sending it to you as a way to let you go. I love you. From the moment you emerged at the age of seven from the testing grounds, barely clinging to life yet stubbornly refusing to ask for my help, I was captivated by your eyes. Xiaoqi, I have watched you grow up, you are my most satisfactory work, my greatest pride. Now that you are free, continue to be free."

Allen paused, then sighed softly, "It’s really hard to accept, watching you smile under the spotlight while I’m still walking in the darkness. Xiaoqi, never appear in front of me again, or I won’t be able to resist wanting to destroy you."

The call was hung up. Shen Qinglan stood frozen, the coldness in her eyes not yet dispersed, shocked by Allen’s words.

After a long time, so long that her legs began to numb, she finally composed herself and walked into the bedroom.

Anan was already tired from playing and had fallen asleep. Yu Xiaoxuan was sitting beside, yawning continuously, "Qinglan, why did your call take so long?"

"Just an old friend I haven’t seen in a while, we chatted for a bit. Are you tired? Should I take you to the guest room next door to rest?"

Yu Xiaoxuan shook her head, "No need, I’ll be leaving soon. Anan is really well-behaved, isn’t he? You left for so long and he didn’t cry at all, just played by himself. And when he got tired, he just fell asleep. I wish my future kids could be as well-behaved."

"That’s because you haven’t seen him throw a fit," Shen Qinglan said with a teasing smile.

After Han Yi and Yu Xiaoxuan had left, Fu Hengyi came in. Shen Qinglan handed him the document, aware that he had already seen it. Shen Qinglan didn’t want to hide anything from him.

"What else did Allen say?" Fu Hengyi asked in a deep voice.

Shen Qinglan summarized the meaning of Allen’s words to Fu Hengyi. His eyes darkened, "You don’t need to worry about this matter; leave it to me."

"That’s not okay, Fu Hengyi. His target has always been you. He won’t hurt me, but he does want you dead." Shen Qinglan was uneasy. Allen’s temperament was capricious, and his words were scarcely trustworthy. He said he would make things right today, but tomorrow someone might come after her to take Fu Hengyi’s life.

Fu Hengyi chuckled softly, looking down at Shen Qinglan, "Don’t worry. Your husband is not so useless. Even if Allen himself were to come before me, I would not be afraid."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan looked intently at Fu Hengyi, her eyes filled with scrutiny and curiosity.

"Don’t believe me?"

"It’s not that. Fu Hengyi, once your leg is better, let’s spar with each other, no holding back." Shen Qinglan was very confident in her own skills, but she wasn’t someone who had undergone formal training. Fu Hengyi was different; he had received the most orthodox education and training, and his practical experience was no less than hers. She had always been curious about his ability.

Fu Hengyi raised an eyebrow, "You want me to fight with you?"

"It’s not a fight," Shen Qinglan corrected him, "It’s a sparring session, or you can understand it as me challenging you."

"Can I refuse?"

"No, you can’t."

Well, he had to follow his wife’s request. At worst, he could just go easy during the sparring session, "However, we can’t do it at home. If Grandfather saw us, I would probably be kicked out."

Shen Qinglan nodded, seemingly guessing his thoughts, and added, "You can’t go easy on me. If I find out you’ve been holding back, you’ll have to sleep in the study for a month."

Fu Hengyi’s eyes flickered slightly, "Alright, I promise you."

The next day, Shen Qinglan called Jin Enxi, learned that she was on vacation with Daniel, and casually asked about Qin Yan’s news.

"It is said that she’s in Country R, but there’s no confirmation. If you need, I can make a trip to Country R myself," Jin Enxi said.

Shen Qinglan didn’t tell Jin Enxi about the time Qin Yan had sent her something; knowing Jin Enxi’s character, she would certainly run off to Country R, "No need to go, she probably won’t come out during this period."

Jin Enxi didn’t understand the reason, "Why?"

"Just listen to me and enjoy your holiday," Shen Qinglan said.

After hanging up, Shen Qinglan called Yan Anbang, asking about Qin Yan. As expected, Qin Yan hadn’t appeared in Nancheng.

"Do you have any of Qin Yan’s notes? Or just a few words she wrote would be fine," Shen Qinglan suddenly asked.

"What?" Yan Anbang didn’t catch on at once.

"I received a card with Qin Yan’s signature on it. I want to know if it was written by her personally," Shen Qinglan explained.

"If it’s convenient, please take a photo of that and send it to me, I recognize her handwriting."

Shen Qinglan took out the card, snapped a photo, and then sent it to Yan Anbang. After looking at it, Yan Anbang confirmed, "This isn’t written by her." A look of ’just as I thought’ flashed through Shen Qinglan’s eyes. She had initially guessed that Qin Yan had already arrived in Beijing, but after careful consideration, she realized that, with Qin Yan’s years of cautious hiding, she would definitely not show herself at such a sensitive time. The most likely scenario was that Qin Yan had informants in Beijing, constantly monitoring their movements, while she herself was like a rat living in the gutter, hiding in darkness and not daring to show her face.

A hint of coldness surfaced in Shen Qinglan’s eyes. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t find Qin Yan now; if Qin Yan had the guts, she could hide forever. But the moment Qin Yan dared to appear, Shen Qinglan would ensure she never returned.

As for that person from Country R, huh, he was likely an imposter, they didn’t even need to bother investigating.

"Qin Yan won’t show up for now," said Shen Qinglan indifferently. She definitely wouldn’t appear anytime soon.

At this moment, Qin Yan indeed didn’t dare to show up. She was hiding on a private island in the Pacific Ocean. The island was so small, it didn’t even appear on satellite maps, yet the environment was beautiful. She lay on the beach, basking in the delightful sun and sand.

A middle-aged man walked over and stopped a meter away from her. "Ma’am, we haven’t located Mr. Carl’s grave. Our people have kept an eye on Allen, but he has never been seen visiting it. Shall we continue the search?"

Qin Yan’s expression turned frosty, "What a waste of space; you still haven’t found a single grave after all this time. I really do wonder what use I have for you!"

The man bowed his head, listening to Qin Yan without changing his expression, a sign that he was accustomed to it. After Qin Yan finished speaking, he continued, "We were discovered by Allen in the process of searching. Allen said to tell you not to waste your energy, that you will never find it."

Qin Yan’s face turned utterly dark as she coldly regarded the man, "You couldn’t even find a grave and got discovered. Why didn’t you just die there? Why bother coming back??"

The man remained silent.

"Since he already knows what I’m looking for, there’s no need for secrecy anymore. Search openly for me. He says I can’t find it? Well, I refuse to believe that."

The man complied, then retreated under Qin Yan’s murderous gaze.

Qin Yan’s face remained cold, and the anger in her heart did not dissipate. Lately, all her energy had been spent on finding Carl’s ashes. Allen had threatened her multiple times with Carl’s ashes, and she was fed up with being under his control. If Carl’s ashes were gone, then Allen would lose his leverage over her.

Although she had searched many times in the past without success and had not committed many resources, this time she was determined, deploying almost all available personnel. She must find them. Until then, she had no interest in anything else. The gift sent to Shen Qinglan was just a whim.

As for the video of Xu Nuo’s death, Qin Yan did indeed see it. Her impostor in Country R had shown her the video. However, even after seeing Xu Nuo’s gruesome death, Qin Yan didn’t feel the slightest ripple in her emotions. Aside from being pale from the gore, she showed no sadness whatsoever.

Leaving aside Qin Yan’s irritation over finding her lover’s ashes, at a castle in Country Y.

Allen hung up the phone, his gaze falling on the outside window as Peter came in to administer his medicine.

Allen’s leg injury had flared up recently, causing him to spend each day in excruciating pain, hardly able to stand. Peter squatted in front of him, injecting medicine into his leg, then took out a tube of ointment and gently applied it.

"Allen, try to stay quiet during this time and take good care of your injury. As for smoking and drinking, better avoid them if you can."

"Are you telling me how to live?" Allen asked, his face stern.

Peter sighed in resignation, "I’m not ordering you, I’m advising you. If you want to live a few more years and keep an eye on Shen Qinglan, then listen to me. Of course, if you want to meet God sooner, I won’t object."

Allen was silent for a while before saying expressionlessly, "Understood."

Peter knew he had been heard, and while feeling hopeless, he also sighed inwardly at Shen Qinglan’s enormous influence on Allen.

"Your leg doesn’t feel pain as sharply as before, Allen, and that’s not a good thing," Peter said as he kept watching Allen’s reactions. Normally, by this point, Allen would have been writhing in agony, but these past few days, he endured it just by gritting his teeth.

"This is something you should be responsible for," Allen said nonchalantly. He didn’t care so much about his leg anymore. Initially, he was eager to get up and snatch Shen Qinglan back to Beijing, but now, seeing Shen Qinglan’s happy demeanor, he suddenly couldn’t bear to spoil the smile on her face.

Well, after all, he was now crippled. Even if he managed to take Shen Qinglan back, what could he do? She was such a dazzling existence; instead of standing by her side, he might as well watch her from afar, even if it was just a glimpse.

"Peter, do you think I’m being pretty stupid?" Allen suddenly spoke out in a melancholic tone, startling Peter, who looked at Allen in panic. "What are you planning to do?"

Seeing Peter’s look as if he was eyeing a mental patient, Allen’s expression darkened, "Put away whatever’s in your mind, unless you want to be shark food in the sea."

Peter let out a sigh of relief, "Hm, this is the Allen I know. That sentimental you just now didn’t seem like you at all."

"You can shut up now," Allen said coldly.

Peter chuckled and continued to apply the medicine for Allen. Beads of sweat slowly formed on Allen’s forehead, and his face turned pale from the pain.

Peter, seeing him like this, could only speed up his work.

When the housekeeper came in, Allen had finished his treatment. He lay on the lounge chair, completely drenched as if pulled from water, eyes closed and it was unclear whether he was asleep or just resting.

The housekeeper stood quietly to the side without saying a word.

Half an hour later, Allen finally opened his eyes, "Speak."

The housekeeper respectfully handed several photos to Allen, "Young Master, these are the latest photos."

Allen’s eyes lit up as he took the photos and looked at them carefully one by one. They were all pictures of Shen Qinglan, seemingly taken that day. She was dressed in a long dress, holding a baby doll in her arms.

"This is her child?" Allen asked softly.

"Yes."

Allen gazed at the baby, his eyes and brows softened, "This child’s eyes are so similar to Xiaoqi’s. I remember when Xiaoqi first arrived, her eyes were also like this, big, round, shiny, very clear, you could see right to the bottom." The only difference probably was that at that time, Shen Qinglan’s eyes were filled with fear, like a startled little deer.

"Hmph," Allen suddenly snorted, "Wouldn’t it have been better if the child looked just like Xiaoqi? Why do they have to resemble that man?"

Housekeeper: ...

Shouldn’t children inherit their parents’ best traits? What’s wrong with that?

Allen noticed the similarities between little Anan and Fu Hengyi, glaring at the photo, grinding his teeth. However, when he saw the resemblances to Shen Qinglan, his smile would be exceptionally tender.

The housekeeper stood aside like air, pretending not to notice Allen’s near-psychotic behavior.

"What’s his name?"

"His nickname is Anan, and his full name is Fu Chenxuan," the housekeeper replied.

"Anan, good name," Allen mused over these two characters, completely ignoring the latter half of the housekeeper’s words.

"Is there anything else?" Seeing that the Housekeeper had not left, Allen asked, although his eyes were fixed on the photo of Shen Qinglan.

"Qin Yan is still searching for the Master’s ashes."

"Hmph," Allen snorted coldly. "She really is persistent. Since she wants to search, let her search. At the same time, find out where she is and bring her back to me; my little treasures are hungry."

"Yes, Young Master. However, there are quite a few people around Qin Yan now. It won’t be so simple to track her down." Even if they did find her, bringing her back would not be an easy task.

"Spare no expense," Allen said chillingly.

"Yes, I’ll instruct them right away." The Housekeeper departed.

Allen caressed the ring on his hand, the coldness in his eyes spreading. "My dear father, can you hear? Your precious daughter is searching for you." He spoke to the ring on his hand.

Qin Yan could never have imagined that Allen had turned his father’s ashes into a ring, worn on his own finger, and that this ring had appeared countless times right in front of Qin Yan.

He had no idea what it would feel like when Qin Yan realized that the very thing she longed for was within arm’s reach.

The thought alone made Allen laugh out loud. "It’s truly amusing. Don’t you think so, my father?"

**************

Beijing.

A month had passed since Anan’s full-month celebration, and as Shen Qinglan had expected, Qin Yan had neither shown up nor made any moves.

During this time, the Liang Family had gone through some turbulent days. Annie had been missing for over two months. Liang Guangjian could not find his daughter, and the police were adamant she was evading crimes. He was at his wits’ end, preoccupied with locating his daughter every day, even to the detriment of his company’s performance, but he could not spare any attention for that.

He had suspected that Annie might have been kidnapped, but after so much time without receiving a ransom call, if it were about someone taking revenge and confining her, the chances of the Shen Family or the Fu Family being involved were higher. However, he knew from the police that both families had been keeping an eye on the case’s development.

No matter how he tried to rationalize it, there were always inconsistencies. Liang Guangjian was so worried his hair started turning white.

The next time the police came to his house, Liang Guangjian did not even open the door, having Aunt Zhao turn them away instead. These damn cops—they hadn’t helped him find his daughter and now they stuck to him like flies, convinced he was shielding Annie, hiding her on purpose.

The sudden change in attitude of someone who had previously been cooperative only made the police more suspicious that Liang Guangjian was concealing his daughter’s whereabouts and intensified the surveillance on him.

When Shen Qinglan received this news, she just laughed and made no move to withdraw the lawsuit. Too little time had passed, and retracting now would just raise suspicion, especially given their previous insistent stance.

However, she was also unaware of Annie’s current situation—alive or dead, she had no idea. Ever since Annie had been taken away by Allen, there had been no news.

But Shen Qinglan thought it would probably be a terrible fate, possibly even worse than death. Yet, she didn’t feel a shred of sympathy. She had never been a saint. Someone had tried to harm her child, and she wouldn’t let them off, even if it meant risking exposure.

Although she had completed her confinement, Shen Qinglan had stayed home for the past month. The tea house affairs had been entirely handed over to Fu Jingtong, and Shen Qinglan hadn’t inquired about them for months. As for the Xueli City art exhibition, Daniel had taken full responsibility, so she had now fully embraced the role of an idle person.

Shen Qinglan looked at her son’s tender little face and pinched it gently. When Anan was full and not sleepy, he was in a very good mood. Even when his mother pinched his face, he didn’t get angry but instead smiled at Shen Qinglan, showing off his pink gums.

Shen Qinglan smiled adoringly. "So silly, I wonder who you take after."

Little Anan didn’t understand his mother’s words, stretching his tiny hands and feet. Now he was getting livelier by the day, constantly flailing his arms and legs.

Seeing his son playing happily, Shen Qinglan casually picked up a book and sat beside her son’s small bed, reading aloud the story’s content—a fairy tale. She had made it a daily ritual to carve out some time to tell Anan a story or play a soothing piece of music.

By the time Shen Qinglan stopped, Anan had already fallen asleep. Shen Qinglan looked down at her son and chuckled softly, "Every time I tell you a story, you fall asleep. How much do you dislike studying? Don’t grow up to be a poor student, okay? Otherwise, Mommy will have to spank you, understand?"

Little Anan slept obliviously, his small hands clenched into fists resting beside his head, as if he was throwing his hands up in surrender.

The air conditioning was on in the room, and Shen Qinglan turned up the temperature a bit, covered Anan with a quilt, and made sure he wouldn’t catch a cold. Only then did she go into the studio to grab her painting tools and start working on a painting in the bedroom.

She hadn’t painted for several months, but seeing Anan asleep had suddenly inspired her to pick up the brush. Being someone who usually acted on her impulses, she did just that.

Fu Hengyi had to attend to some business at the military base today. His leg injury had healed, but since he had taken a month off previously, he had been staying at home to date. However, his higher-ups didn’t want him idling away his time and would occasionally ask him to visit the Military Region.

When he entered, Shen Qinglan’s painting was already more than halfway done. She glanced at him and smiled, then continued to paint, while Fu Hengyi went over to mix paints for her.

With Fu Hengyi’s help, Shen Qinglan’s progress quickened, and she completed the painting before Anan woke up.

Fu Hengyi took care of cleaning up while Shen Qinglan washed her hands. Seeing paint accidentally smeared on Fu Hengyi’s face, a flicker of amusement crossed her eyes, and she walked into the bathroom to fetch a towel.

"Fu Hengyi, lower your head."

Fu Hengyi bent down slightly to accommodate her height. After ensuring that no paint remained on his face, she gave his cheek a gentle pat, "All clean, looking handsome!"

Fu Hengyi flashed a captivating smile, "Seeing such a handsome husband, don’t you have anything you’d like to do?"

Shen Qinglan averted her gaze silently, then retorted with a faint voice, "Fu Hengyi, the same trick loses its effect when overused."

Instead of backing down, Fu Hengyi stepped even closer and whispered in her ear, blowing a breath gently, "Really ineffective?" he asked, following up by teasingly flicking his tongue.

Feeling the moisture on her ear, Shen Qinglan’s body slackened. With months of abstention, not only was Fu Hengyi’s body exceptionally sensitive, but so was hers.

Shen Qinglan’s face darkened a shade, and she lifted her hand to wave it in front of Fu Hengyi, "Fu Hengyi, my hand is still sore."

Fu Hengyi grasped Shen Qinglan’s hand and brought it to his lips, kissing each finger, while his eyes remained locked onto Shen Qinglan’s, "Wife, you’ve worked hard," he murmured with a low, magnetic voice filled with endless charm.

This man was always tempting her, now like a walking hormone. If not for her strong willpower, she might have already succumbed to his seduction.

Shen Qinglan withdrew her hand with composure and said lightly, "I am quite tired indeed, soothing the little one during the day, and the big one at night."

Hearing this, Fu Hengyi chuckled softly, the laughter echoing in his chest, "Wife, you’re getting cuter by the day."

Shen Qinglan laughed and turned to enter the bathroom, while Fu Hengyi touched his nose, his eyes deepening with amusement as he watched her graceful retreating figure.

"Oh, are you going to be at home tomorrow?" asked Shen Qinglan.

"I’ll be here."

"Then you take care of the child tomorrow. I need to step out for a bit, probably for about two hours. Fang Tong is back from abroad, and I’ve arranged to have lunch with her and Xiao Xuan."

"Sure," Fu Hengyi had no objections.

"I’ll pump the milk ahead of time, so if Anan gets hungry, you just feed him," Qinglan said.

"Mmm, don’t rush back. Just go out and have a good time with them, and have a long chat with your girlfriends."

"You sure you can handle the kid on your own?" Qinglan raised an eyebrow.

"It’s just a little milk baby, what can possibly go wrong? Just go and rest easy. Plus, we’ve got Aunt Zhao and grandpa at home, and if push comes to shove, I can call mom over," Hengyi assured her, patting his chest. Qinglan had been cooped up at home for two months, not even stepping out of the courtyard’s gate, spinning her days around the baby. Hengyi was really worried that she might get sick from being shut in for too long.

The next day, after Qinglan fed Anan and pumped milk into the bottle, she made sure there was enough for Anan before she left the house.

"Are you sure you’ll be okay?" Qinglan was still uneasy.

Hengyi smiled and straightened her slightly disheveled hair, "I’ll be fine. Go, it’s okay even if you come back in the evening."

"I’ll come back after dinner," Qinglan said, as she really wouldn’t be at ease if she left for an entire afternoon.

When she arrived at the meeting place, Fang Tong and Yu Xiaoxuan were already there. Yu Xiaoxuan’s belly was slightly bulging, but compared to her belly, what changed even more was her face—it had grown rounder and started to resemble more closely to the time before she entered showbiz.

"Qinglan, long time no see," Fang Tong greeted with a smile, opening her arms.

Qinglan hugged Fang Tong.

"This is a gift I’ve prepared for Anan," Fang Tong said as she took out a box from her bag.

Qinglan raised an eyebrow, "Didn’t you already give one?" Although Fang Tong wasn’t able to make it back for Anan’s one-month celebration, she had sent her gift ahead of time.

"That was for the one-month celebration; this is a gift because I’m back, it’s different."

Qinglan didn’t stand on ceremony with Fang Tong and accepted the gift, "How long will you be back this time?"

"Just three days, then I’ll have to return to M-country. I only came back this time to report on work." Fang Tong explained. If it weren’t for the fact that the big project she’d been following up on had stabilized, she wouldn’t have had the time to come back.

"Hey, don’t just talk about work, you two. I’m bored over here," Yu Xiaoxuan protested.

"Yu Xiaoxuan, look at yourself, and then at Qinglan. Did you go off to put on weight or what?" Fang Tong didn’t pull any punches.

Yu Xiaoxuan gritted her teeth, "Fang Tong, do you believe I’ll bite you to death?"

Turning her head towards Qinglan, she looked aggrieved, "Qinglan, look at her. That’s no way to attack someone."

Qinglan smiled, "Alright, stop quarreling. Xiaoxuan, hasn’t your appetite been a bit too good lately?"

"Not at all, I’ve been strict about meal times and portions. Han Yi even hired a nutritionist to plan my meals; I have no say in what I eat." Yu Xiaoxuan complained bitterly about how hard it was to suppress her cravings all this while.

Listening to her, Qinglan and Fang Tong came to a conclusion—it wasn’t that Yu Xiaoxuan ate too much, but that was just her physique.

Yu Xiaoxuan herself had given up hope on her body type. Qinglan patted her on the shoulder to comfort her, "It’s okay, this is a perfectly normal state during pregnancy."