The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 415 - 417. Cunning Mr. Fu (First Update)

Chapter 415: 417. Cunning Mr. Fu (First Update)

After listening to Daniel, Shen Qinglan began to suspect that Catherine was possibly the orchestration behind Mrs. Du’s death. However, given Catherine’s intellectual capability, could she really devise such a meticulous plan and leave no trace whatsoever?

Shen Qinglan remained skeptical about this, but if it came to motive, Catherine absolutely had one, and the capability to match.

The Boyle Family held a significant status in Xueli City, and money was certainly not an issue. Being the sister of a mafia boss, Catherine would inevitably have manpower at her disposal. Additionally, as the only daughter, assigning a few protectors to watch over Catherine would be a simple task—as for the motive...

Shen Qinglan scoffed. Speaking of motives, there were plenty. Catherine had once attempted to kill her out of jealousy for being more talented and acknowledged by esteemed artists. She had made two attempts on her life in Xueli City. Later, setting her sights on Hengyi, Catherine ruined Daniel’s gallery, turning all her efforts to ashes. Now, stirring the pot seemed likely to aim at her once again.

Realizing the key point, Shen Qinglan’s lips curled into a smirk. She turned on her computer and rapidly began typing on the keyboard.

When Hengyi entered, he saw Shen Qinglan seemingly checking an account. Shen Qinglan glanced at him, her hands not pausing, "Wait for me a moment."

Hengyi stood behind her, silently watching her work, a thoughtful look flickered in his eyes, wondering how his wife’s skills compared to the army’s specialists in charge of cybersecurity.

After several minutes, Shen Qinglan stopped and smiled at the computer screen. Her hunch had been correct. Although she hadn’t found concrete evidence, Catherine’s account had recently decreased by a substantial amount. The amount differed from what the leaders of some hired keyboard warriors had received, likely because it had been split among several parties.

As for the scapegoat, his account showed nothing unusual on the surface, but Shen Qinglan discovered a large sum in his mother’s account, transferred from a Swiss Bank. The sender’s account had strong security measures; she couldn’t trace the source yet, but there were already visible issues with Catherine’s account.

"Do you know who did it?" Hengyi asked calmly.

Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow, "I haven’t said anything, and you’ve guessed it?"

"Aren’t you just confirming your suspicions?" Hengyi countered.

Shen Qinglan gazed deep into Hengyi’s eyes, "Luckily you’re my husband, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to resist silencing you." Knowing her every move like this would be terrifying if he were an enemy.

Hengyi gave her a stern look and pinched her cheek. Shen Qinglan’s face darkened, "Are you treating me like Anan?"

"Anan is much more obedient than you," he replied. At least Anan didn’t make him this worried.

This was Hengyi’s personal belief that Shen Qinglan was worrisome. To anyone else, especially the family elders, no child was more trouble-free than Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan gave him a silent stare, then getting back to the point, "Although there’s no tangible evidence, Mrs. Du’s death should be related to Catherine."

"Is it her?" Hengyi exclaimed sharply.

Shen Qinglan nodded, sharing her findings and talking about Daniel’s words with Hengyi. After listening, a chilly glint appeared in Hengyi’s eyes—this woman hadn’t learned her lesson from the last time they taught her.

"This time, don’t take action; let me handle her," Shen Qinglan said with a playful tone. She rarely took it upon herself to deal with someone, but Qin Yan and Catherine were exceptions.

Shen Qinglan rarely lost her temper, but Catherine’s act of pushing Mrs. Du down the stairs attempting to frame the Shen family had truly angered her.

Dunan’s actions were his own undoing; Mrs. Du, though hateful, didn’t deserve death, and neither did Du Honghai. But Catherine had mercilessly taken two lives out of mere jealousy, showing such disdain for life that Shen Qinglan felt a deep disgust from the bottom of her heart.

Shen Qinglan admitted she wasn’t necessarily a good person either, but still respected every life on earth.

Hengyi watched her intently, "If you need help, just ask. I still know a few people."

Shen Qinglan gave a slight smile, "Hengyi, don’t underestimate me." After all, she was once known in the underworld as Mei, and even if she had been inactive for years, dealing with an ignorant person was still manageable.

Hengyi teased her, "I dare not, my lady. Whatever you do, I fully support."

"Hengyi, speak properly," Shen Qinglan glared at him sideways.

Hengyi smiled lightly, "I’ll go check if Anan is awake."

Shen Qinglan typed a few more strokes on the keyboard, and soon a chat window popped up. This was a website dedicated to the trade of information on the underworld, known only to a very select few. She had logged in using Jin Enxi’s account; she input her inquiry, sent the required money, and soon, the answer she sought arrived.

Reading the information, a flicker of darkness crossed her eyes. She organized the data then called Doug.

Doug was a bit surprised when he received Shen Qinglan’s call, but after seeing the email she sent him, he quickly understood her intent, "I have a friend who can help you with this, but to what extent do you want to go?"

"Is your friend reliable? Catherine’s mother is after all the sister of a mafia boss, and although not many know this connection, there are those who do; carelessness could complicate things."

"You need not worry about this; my friend is absolutely reliable. Besides, the mafia is in chaos internally right now. It’s uncertain whether the boss will continue to stay in power." If this brother falls, Catherine’s mother will lose her biggest support, and she will be just an ordinary wealthy wife."

"Then I’ll leave it to you. By the way, recently Ya Xi she..."

"Ya Xi is fine. I’ve specially observed, and there’s no one watching us. Plus, I’ve already arranged for someone to protect her. It won’t be so easy for something to happen."

"That’s good enough," Shen Qinglan said. The virus injected into Qin Yan was so severe, Fu Hengyi, who had seen the experimental results himself, had already told her about it. Qin Yan wouldn’t commit suicide because she could not endure the pain. It was more likely that she would do something drastic out of desperation.

As long as Qin Yan didn’t involve her family and friends in her schemes, Shen Qinglan feared nothing.

After hanging up the call with Doug, Shen Qinglan began to prepare for Old Sir Fu’s ninetieth birthday. As for the drama in Xueli City, she no longer had the interest to pay attention to it.

***********

On the last day of August, it was Anan’s hundredth day and Old Sir Fu’s ninetieth birthday. Shen Qinglan got up as soon as it was slightly light.

She first went to check on her son. Seeing him sleeping soundly, she did not wake him but covered him with a blanket. Anan smacked his lips and blew a tiny bubble, his lips curling up as if he was dreaming about something pleasant.

Shen Qinglan smiled indulgently. Anan truly was a child who loved to smile, even in his sleep his lips curved in a smile, and seeing him would always lift her mood.

Shen Qinglan then went downstairs to have breakfast. Ever since Fu Hengyi’s leg had healed, they had moved back to their new room on the second floor. Anan was sleeping in their room, which made it easier for Shen Qinglan to nurse him at night.

Aunt Zhao had indeed prepared breakfast. Shen Qinglan quickly finished eating and was just about to check if Fu Hengyi was in the garden when she heard Anan crying. She had deliberately left the room door open when she went downstairs.

Anan was in Fu Jingting’s arms crying. Upon seeing Shen Qinglan, he immediately lunged towards her. Shen Qinglan hugged him and wiped his tears, and his crying stopped instantly.

"Anan is probably hungry. You should nurse him first," Fu Jingting said, yawning. She had been awoken by Anan’s crying, her slippers worn backwards.

"It’s been hard on you, Aunt," Shen Qinglan said softly.

Fu Jingting looked lovingly at Anan. "It’s not hard at all as long as our Anan is happy."

Shen Qinglan nursed Anan while Fu Hengyi returned from his morning exercise. When he saw a certain little guy occupying his usual spot, his eyes deepened in emotions. He walked over and removed his son’s small hand from his wife.

Shen Qinglan glared at him. Anan frowned, seemingly annoyed. Fu Hengyi’s face darkened. You take advantage of my wife and still aren’t happy?

Seeing Anan put his hand back, Fu Hengyi’s expression turned even darker and he reached to remove his hand again but Shen Qinglan quickly slapped his hand.

"Fu Hengyi, are you being childish? Your son is only three months old."

"It’s been three months and ten days," Fu Hengyi emphasized. He glanced at his reddened hand and looked reproachfully at Shen Qinglan. "You really can’t trust what a woman says in bed."

Now it was Shen Qinglan’s turn to be annoyed. "Enough, Fu Hengyi." Though annoyed, her mind involuntarily replayed the events of last night.

Last night after Anan had fallen asleep, Mr. Fu came out of the bathroom and saw Miss Shen leaning against the headboard reading a book, utterly engrossed, not even noticing him approach.

Fu Hengyi pulled the book from her hands, glanced at the cover— a parenting book— and casually placed it aside, staring intently at Shen Qinglan. "Wife, don’t you think you’ve been quite indifferent towards me since we had our son?"

He spoke earnestly, rendering Shen Qinglan speechless. "So, are you jealous of your own son now?"

"This isn’t jealousy," Mr. Fu denied, firmly refusing to admit he was jealous of his son. "Ever since our son was born, all your attention has been on him. Wife, this could affect our marital relationship."

Shen Qinglan leaned against the headboard, leisurely watching Mr. Fu speak seriously about his jealousy.

"So, what now?"

"I think it’s necessary for us to communicate and enhance our marital relationship," Fu Hengyi’s figure loomed over her, Shen Qinglan’s hand resting on his chest. "Your son is still here. Can we talk another day?"

Fu Hengyi looked back at his son, got up and took one of his shirts to cover the entire baby crib. "This should do."

Shen Qinglan looked at him speechlessly. "That’s your own son."

"And you are my own wife," Fu Hengyi replied softly, his voice laced with unhidden reproach.

Alright, Mr. Fu was jealous and needed to be appeased. Shen Qinglan glanced at the direction of the crib, hesitated for a moment, then actively wrapped her hands around Fu Hengyi’s neck and kissed his lips.

Fu Hengyi’s hand rested on Shen Qinglan’s waist, and he was very pleased with his wife’s initiative.

His hand moved inch by inch, touching and measuring; he silently marveled at how his wife’s figure had only gotten better after having a child. As he thought this, his hands didn’t stop moving, leaving Shen Qinglan feeling flustered and mesmerized.

Just when Shen Qinglan thought he was about to start, Fu Hengyi suddenly stopped. Shen Qinglan opened her misty eyes and looked at him seductively, her gaze full of confusion.

Fu Hengyi’s eyes were deep, and he couldn’t help but swallow his saliva forcefully suppressing the urge to ravage her right there. "Wife, do you love me?"

With the arrow already on the bow, he asked such a question—Shen Qinglan felt a touch of madness in her heart, "Love."

"Wife, that was too perfunctory," Fu Hengyi was not satisfied.

Shen Qinglan’s mind gradually cleared, and she looked into Fu Hengyi’s eyes, "I love you, Fu Hengyi. I love you."

Fu Hengyi was satisfied and leaned down to kiss her but stopped at the last moment. Shen Qinglan’s breath was uneven, "What now?"

A vein popped on Fu Hengyi’s forehead, yet he clenched his teeth to endure, "Wife, who is more important, me or our son?"

Shen Qinglan was speechless; this man definitely wouldn’t get over his jealousy tonight, "You."

"Then who do you love more?"

Shen Qinglan restrained herself but couldn’t hold back, pushing Fu Hengyi away and then flipping over, reversing their positions, "Fu Hengyi, you talk too much." Saying that, she took matters into her own hands.

Shen Qinglan remembered their absurdity from last night and felt a tinge of anger, pushing Fu Hengyi’s hand to the side, "If you have nothing better to do, go wash Anan’s diaper."

Fu Hengyi looked at Shen Qinglan with a resentful expression, "Women, throwing you away after using you."

Shen Qinglan’s temples throbbed, and she was tempted to kick this man out—this had to be an imposter, not the real Fu Hengyi.

Little Anan had no idea what mom and dad were talking about and was seriously enjoying his meal.

After finishing his milk, Shen Qinglan dressed her son in new clothes, a Tang suit matching the one worn by Old Sir Fu.

The little guy, plump and fair, looked even more adorable in his new outfit. Shen Qinglan was overjoyed and couldn’t resist kissing her son’s little face. Fu Hengyi, seeing this scene as he came out, touched his own face and sighed internally. Indeed, he was getting old and couldn’t compete with the young fresh faces in terms of attraction.

Shen Qinglan didn’t know what Fu Hengyi was thinking; had she known, she might have been compelled to put him in his place.

Fu Hengyi picked up his son, claiming the little guy was too heavy and he didn’t want his wife to get tired. Shen Qinglan didn’t expose his little ploy.

Although the banquet was in the evening, there was a family lunch at noon, mainly involving members from both the Shen and Fu families.

Xi Yao arrived and then went off to play with Anan. Since Anan was already full, he wasn’t clingy towards his mother, enjoying the company of whoever was with him. He and Xi Yao were having so much fun that you could occasionally hear Anan’s giggles.

Gu Yang had also come back from the military on leave. He hadn’t been home for three or four months. In contrast to before, Shen Qinglan felt that there was a change in his demeanor; he seemed to have matured more.

"Li... sister-in-law," Gu Yang greeted Shen Qinglan with a beaming smile, which held traces of his former self.

Shen Qinglan sized him up and nodded, "Hmm, not bad, you’ve improved quite a bit."

Gu Yang chuckled and sneakily glanced in Fu Hengyi’s direction, lowering his voice, "Sister-in-law, when will you teach me?"

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, surprised Gu Yang was still thinking about that.

"When you can beat Zhao Wei."

Gu Yang became anxious, "Isn’t that indefinitely far off? Sister-in-law, just teach me."

Shen Qinglan looked at him amusedly, "You lack confidence?"

"Sister-in-law, it’s not that I lack confidence; I just know my limitations. Zhao Wei is like a humanoid fighting machine. Fighting him would be asking for a beating."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan glanced sideways, "Zhao Wei is that impressive now?"

"Not really," Gu Yang scratched his head, seeming a little embarrassed, "My progress has just been too slow."

Speaking of this, Gu Yang was quite helpless as well. Even though his combat skills had improved the most in the past few months, he still couldn’t defeat Zhao Wei when he challenged him.

Shen Qinglan remembered the Zhao Wei she had seen before and smiled, "Even if I wanted to teach you, you wouldn’t have the time to learn."

Gu Yang’s eyes brightened, "Sister-in-law, does that mean you agree?"

Shen Qinglan looked at him speechlessly. Was that really the point of her words?

Gu Yang chuckled, "Sister-in-law, aren’t you and my brother about to go to the military base? I could come to you after training."

"Really want to learn?"

Gu Yang nodded vigorously, as if afraid Shen Qinglan wouldn’t believe him, "Sister-in-law, as long as you’re willing to teach me, I promise to learn well." According to Gu Yang’s estimation, his sister-in-law’s combat skills were probably even stronger than the instructors in the military.

If Shen Qinglan knew what Gu Yang was thinking, she would have told him that what they had learned was the skill of killing, how to kill a target in the shortest time possible, which was definitely different from what was taught in the military.

However, teaching Gu Yang some basic skills wouldn’t be a bad idea either, at least it could enhance his self-defense ability, because according to what Hengyi had said, Gu Yang was planning to try out for the special forces assessment.

Gu Yang got the approval he had longed for and walked away contentedly. He still had to go see Anan. Aside from when Anan was just born, Gu Yang hadn’t seen this little rice dumpling until now.

Shen Qian was the last to arrive; he had rushed back from the military base just this morning.

After lunch, Shen Junyu and Xi Yao left to pick up the Wen Family. Even though it was the Fu Family’s joyful occasion, the Shen Family and the Fu Family were related by marriage, and it wouldn’t be possible for the Wen Family not to show up on such an occasion.

They would go directly to the hotel after picking up the group, so seeing that it was about time, Shen Qinglan and the others also set off. After all, as the host family, they couldn’t arrive later than the guests.

It was still early, but guests had already started arriving one after another. Many of them were Old Sir Fu’s old friends. Hengyi was responsible for taking them to the back, where several old men gathered together recalling old times, which wasn’t boring for them.

Many people came today, and Anan, the little one, wasn’t scared at all in so big a crowd, obediently staying in Daddy’s arms, one hand around Daddy’s neck. Though not afraid, the little guy wasn’t willing to be held by just anyone today. Strangers couldn’t hold him, and even tugging at his little hand would make the little guy’s eyebrows furrow into waves.

"An, I’m here." Jin Enxi appeared with Daniel, officially as Daniel’s girlfriend. Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, she darted over to Shen Qinglan’s side, "An, bet you didn’t expect me to come."

Shen Qinglan indeed hadn’t expected it; she had invited Jin Enxi and the others, but they all said they wouldn’t come.

"Hehe, originally wanted to surprise you together, but Andre’s plane was delayed, so I came first. By the way, where’s the child?"

"Hengyi is holding him." Shen Qinglan pointed in Hengyi’s direction, and Jin Enxi looked over, immediately attracted and walked straight towards the child.

Pei Yinong arrived a bit late today and unexpectedly came with Jiang Chenxi. Shen Qinglan watched the two appear together, her eyes flickering slightly. Pei Yinong seemed to sense her thoughts and spoke first, "We met in the parking garage."

Shen Qinglan oh-ed, glanced at Jiang Chenxi, and indeed, a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. The progress of these two was really slow.

"Where’s Haohao?" Shen Qinglan didn’t see the little kid Pei Hao and asked.

"He’s with my parents. Haven’t they arrived yet?" Pei Yinong frowned.

"Not yet, probably stuck in traffic," Shen Qinglan said.

Just as they were speaking, Pei Hao arrived, "Auntie."

Shen Qinglan looked down at the little guy. Pei Hao first greeted Jiang Chenxi, looking around, "Auntie, where’s my little brother?"

Shen Qinglan was speechless. This kid missed his little brother so much he didn’t even care about his favorite Uncle Jiang anymore.

Shen Qinglan told him where Hengyi was, and Pei Hao ran off, "Haohao really likes kids."

Jiang Chenxi, hearing Shen Qinglan’s words, added, "Yeah, Haohao is usually alone; he’s actually quite lonely." His eyes glanced at Pei Yinong as he spoke.

Seeing this, Shen Qinglan chimed in, "If Haohao had a little brother or sister, he would definitely be a great big brother."

"Anan is Haohao’s little brother," Pei Yinong pretended not to understand the two’s conversation, laughing as she spoke.

Shen Qinglan gave Jiang Chenxi a helpless look. She had tried her best, but there was nothing she could do if Pei Yinong didn’t play along. You can never wake up someone pretending to be asleep.