The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 425 - 427. Mr. Fu in women’s clothing

Chapter 425: 427. Mr. Fu in women’s clothing

In an apartment in Beijing, Qin Yan who claimed she was traveling to clear her mind, lay on a lounge chair, cradling a cat in her arms and gently stroking its fur. The heavy rain pouring outside the window did not affect her good mood in the slightest. A man walked in and stood before Qin Yan, "Madam."

Qin Yan spoke indifferently, "Speak."

"Just now, we received news from the prison. Li Xitong has done as we asked. Chu Yunrong seems to have taken quite a blow after learning of those matters."

Qin Yan’s lips curved up slightly. Is she upset by that? How fragile. If she knew about Shen Qinglan’s past, would Chu Yunrong go mad on the spot?

"Hmm, that’s good."

"Madam, Li Xitong has been pressing us about when we will get her out."

"What’s the point of letting her out? Is a piece of trash with no value worth wasting a large amount of manpower and financial resources to get her out? Just ignore the prison side. If she makes a fuss, think of a way to shut her up. You don’t need me to teach you that, do you?" Qin Yan’s face was filled with cold indifference.

"Understood, Madam. I will handle these issues. Also, we just received a message from the base. The new serum has completed its trial. Although it hasn’t reached the expected outcome, it’s much better than the previous one. It will arrive in Beijing at the latest the day after tomorrow."

"Very good, those good-for-nothings finally haven’t completely wasted their efforts. Tell them to keep researching. If they can’t develop an antidote, it won’t just be their own lives at stake, but their families’ lives as well."

"Yes," the man responded, "Madam, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now."

"Wait," Qin Yan stopped him, "Call Mr. Yamamoto, tell him I want to make a deal with him. I know where Mei is."

The man hesitated, "Madam, just tell him directly like that?"

"Just like that. He will cooperate with us. Mei killed his younger brother; he has always wanted revenge but has been unable to find the person. Now that I have the information, whatever conditions I put forth, he’ll agree to them."

"Madam, do you want Yamamoto to contribute money or men, or..."

"Do I look like I lack money? We lost too many men last time. If it weren’t for a lack of people, could Allen and Shen Qinglan be at ease right now?" Qin Yan’s face turned cold, recalling the setback she had suffered, which filled her with hatred.

"Also, contact Ryan from KA. Tell him I want to discuss a deal with him personally."

The man looked slightly stunned, "Madam, Ryan is on good terms with Eden. It was he who helped Shen Qinglan escape from King’s grasp last time. Will we succeed in collaborating with him this time?" In his view, it was highly likely that Ryan would inform Shen Qinglan and the others.

A trace of a dark light flashed in Qin Yan’s eyes, "It would be best if we could collaborate, but it doesn’t matter if we can’t. What I need is for him to inform Shen Qinglan." Once Shen Qinglan got word of her impending appearance, she would show up no matter what. Then, with Yamamoto’s assistance, she was confident she could take down Shen Qinglan and her group. At that time, with the Shen Family having lost their daughter and the Fu Family having lost their granddaughter-in-law, the sight would be quite delightful. Hmm, and if they found out about Shen Qinglan’s past identity at that moment, surely that blow would be significant enough.

"Madam, that would require you to use yourself as bait, which is too dangerous," the man disagreed somewhat.

"It’s just bait. Go get it done," Qin Yan said dismissively.

Seeing Qin Yan’s displeasure, the man immediately fell silent and turned to leave.

Qin Yan’s hand gently caressed the cat in her embrace, her smile was warm, "Carl, I know you’ve been waiting too long. Don’t worry, I’m speeding things up. Soon, you will be at peace."

After a while, she stood up, "My dear, it’s time for us to leave. If we don’t go now, they will start looking for us."

**

Shen Qinglan received a call from Shen Qian in the evening. Hearing the grave tone of his voice, her heart also sank abruptly. "Why would Mom suddenly think of visiting Li Xitong?"

"I’m not clear on that either. Has your mom been acting strangely lately?" This was also the reason Shen Qian called Shen Qinglan today.

Shen Qinglan thought carefully, her beautiful eyes flickering lightly. "Dad, I understand. I need to confirm something about this matter. Once I’m certain, I’ll call you."

"Qinglan, I’ve already soothed your mother, but if she says anything, please be more patient with her and don’t argue." Shen Qian was giving Shen Qinglan a heads-up in advance. Although Chu Yunrong seemed to be in a stable mental state when she returned, a sense of unease always lurked in his heart.

"Dad, don’t worry. I know what to do." After hanging up the phone, Shen Qinglan glanced at the time and made a call to Chu Yunrong’s attending physician. "Doctor Zhou, this is Shen Qinglan. I’m sorry to disturb you so late, but I have a few questions I’d like to ask you..."

After ending the call with Doctor Zhou, Shen Qinglan’s expression was very solemn. She sat in front of the baby crib, looking at a certain baby who had already fallen into a deep sleep, her eyes lacking focus, deep in thought.

The next day, after feeding Anan, Shen Qinglan took the child to the Shen Family. Chu Yunrong had just gotten up; she had almost stayed awake all night, finally falling asleep only to be woken by a nightmare, so now she looked rather pale.

"Mom." Shen Qinglan called out, and when Chu Yunrong saw her, she was startled for a moment before tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Why are you here so early today?"

"Mom, I have to go out for a bit today, and I need to bother you to take care of Anan."

"Okay, is Anan’s lunch ready?"

"I just fed him milk. For lunch, you can give him rice paste or egg custard." Anan had already started on complementary foods, which made him easier to take care of than before. Shen Qinglan could have asked Old Sir Fu or Aunt Zhao, or Aunt Liu to watch the child, but she simply wanted to divert Chu Yunrong’s attention. With Anan by her side, Chu Yunrong wouldn’t have time to worry about other things, which would be good for her too.

"Alright, where are you going?" Chu Yunrong did not forget to ask.

"There’s some business at Daniel’s gallery that I need to attend to in person. I’ll be back before dinner."

"Go ahead then." Chu Yunrong took Anan into her arms, and just as Shen Qinglan was about to leave, Anan frowned, reached out for Shen Qinglan, unwilling to part from his mother.

Shen Qinglan had no choice but to play with Anan in the living room for a while, waiting until his attention was captured by a toy before she quietly left. She went directly to Jin Enxi and Daniel’s house, where only Jin Enxi was at home.

"An, what brings you here today?" Jin Enxi was quite surprised to see Shen Qinglan.

"I need to talk to you about something." Shen Qinglan stepped inside and got straight to the point. "I want to know where my mom has been recently and who she’s met."

"An, what’s wrong with your mom?" Jin Enxi was puzzled, as Shen Qinglan wasn’t one to pry into other people’s privacy, especially when it came to her own family. Yet now she was looking into her mother.

"I suspect Qin Yan has come to Beijing." Shen Qinglan’s expression was slightly heavy.

"That’s impossible. I’ve been keeping a close eye on things," Jin Enxi instinctively retorted, but seeing the look in Shen Qinglan’s eyes, she swallowed her remaining words. "An, are you sure?"

"Not certain, which is why I need to trouble you." Jin Enxi was more skilled in computer technology than Shen Qinglan, so it would save a lot of time for her to handle it.

Jin Enxi nodded and went to the study, where several computers, all belonging to her, were kept. Her fingers raced across the keyboard until suddenly her brows furrowed. "An, someone is intercepting me, I need your help."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qinglan sat down next to Jin Enxi and assisted her.

The opponent was a computer expert, but in terms of skill, certainly not as formidable as Jin Enxi. Jin Enxi needed Shen Qinglan’s help to cut down on time. With Shen Qinglan’s assistance, the other party quickly fled.

"I’ve found it," Jin Enxi exclaimed excitedly, "An, it’s here." She pointed to a small red dot on the screen, "I checked your mother’s call records recently, and this number has been in contact with her the most frequently. Right now, this number is at this location, but I can’t determine who the person is at the moment." After all, she wasn’t omnipotent, and it was already impressive that she managed to find out this much in such a short time.

"Did my mom have tea with someone yesterday afternoon? Was it with this number?"

"There was a call record at noon yesterday. Based on the time you mentioned, it should be correct."

Shen Qinglan looked at the address indicated and turned to leave. Jin Enxi quickly followed her.

By the time the two tracked down the address, the apartment was already deserted. "An, it seems we’re too late."

Shen Qinglan surveyed the apartment and her gaze suddenly fixed on the nightstand in the bedroom, where there was a piece of paper. She picked it up and glanced at it, "My dear baby, the game has already begun. Good luck, and I’ve taken my leave." The note was signed by Qin Yan.

Jin Enxi’s expression changed slightly, "So it really is Qin Yan. How did she get to Beijing? And when did she come here?" Her voice was filled with anger and frustration.

Shen Qinglan’s expression was cool and calm, and she said nothing.

"An, I’ll go after her now."

"There’s no need," Shen Qinglan spoke indifferently. Since Qin Yan had the time to leave a note, it meant that she had anticipated every move; she knew Shen Qinglan would investigate Chu Yunrong, knew that she’d find her, and come here to see for herself. This woman had calculated every step, and Shen Qinglan was indeed proceeding exactly as predicted.

Shen Qinglan clenched the paper in her hand, her eyes filled with an invisible darkness.

"Let’s go."

Jin Enxi reluctantly glanced at the house one last time and followed Shen Qinglan. On the way back, Jin Enxi occasionally looked at Shen Qinglan’s expressionless face, "An, now that Qin Yan has appeared, what do you plan to do?"

"For now, we stay put and watch," Shen Qinglan said lightly. "Keep an eye out for any news on the streets in the next few days. I believe she’ll make a move soon."

"Alright, Qin Yan is as pesky as a cockroach that can’t be squashed."

Shen Qinglan’s expression remained neutral, her true feelings betrayed only by a slight intensity in her eyes; her face otherwise revealed nothing of use. After leaving Jin Enxi’s house, she returned to the Shen Family home.

When she arrived, Chu Yunrong was playing with Anan. Seeing her mother return, Anan reached out to be carried by Shen Qinglan, who lifted him up and then looked at Chu Yunrong, "Mom, did Anan cry today?"

"He was fussy for a while after he realized you were gone, but he calmed down quickly. It’s becoming easier to take care of Anan now," Chu Yunrong said with a smile.

Shen Qinglan looked at her son who was quietly nestled in her arms, and Chu Yunrong commented on her grandson, "He even ate a whole bowl of egg custard at noon; he has quite the appetite."

Chu Yunrong appeared to be in a good mood after spending the day with her grandson, chatting and laughing with Shen Qinglan. After talking about the child for a while, Shen Qinglan casually mentioned, "Mom, I ran into Qin Yan today. Do you remember her?"

"Didn’t she go abroad to clear her mind?" Chu Yunrong responded instinctively. As soon as the words were out, she realized her slip and covered it up with an awkward chuckle, "Qinglan, what would you like to eat? I’ll have Sister-in-law Song make it for you."

"Mom, have you seen Qin Yan?" Shen Qinglan did not give Chu Yunrong the chance to dodge the question and asked directly.

"I’ve run into her a couple of times," Chu Yunrong replied hesitantly.

"What did she tell you?"

"We didn’t talk about much, just normal friend-to-friend conversation. She’s also a pitiful woman—no children and divorced from her husband. She doesn’t have any friends in Beijing; the last time we bumped into each other on the street, we ended up having meals together a few times."

"So she’s the one who told you that she divorced her husband?"

"Yes, her husband is inhuman—he even hit women. I think it’s good that she got divorced."

With a slight curl at the corner of her mouth, Shen Qinglan said, "Mom, that woman is full of lies. You’d better stay away from her."

"Qinglan, Mom knows you have some misunderstandings with her, but Mom has had firsthand interactions with her, and she’s actually not bad," Chu Yunrong tried to mitigate the tension between Shen Qinglan and Qin Yan.

A glint of light flashed in Shen Qinglan’s eyes. It’s quite the feat for Qin Yan to make her own mother speak so favorably about her. Shen Qinglan placed her son in the stroller, absentmindedly giving him a little yellow duck toy, "Mom, we need to talk."

Chu Yunrong looked at Shen Qinglan’s serious face and sat down on the sofa, "Qinglan, what do you want to tell Mom?"

Shen Qinglan looked steadily at Chu Yunrong, "Mom, tell me the truth, what has Qin Yan told you?"

"It’s nothing much, just some trivial household matters. There’s not much to talk about."

"Mom." Shen Qinglan called out, then continued to gaze fixedly at Chu Yunrong.

"Alright, alright, if you want to know, I’ll tell you," Chu Yunrong relented and recounted to Shen Qinglan the conversations she had with Qin Yan. After speaking, Chu Yunrong sighed, "She’s actually quite unfortunate. She lost her child and hasn’t been able to find him. Both men she found were violent, and now at her age, she has no one to rely on."

"Mom, do you really believe that everything she told you is true?" Shen Qinglan said flatly.

Chu Yunrong was taken aback, "She has no reason to lie to me."

Shen Qinglan scoffed, "But the reality is she did lie to you. She told you so much—did she ever mention what her ex-husband’s name was?"

Chu Yunrong was stunned again. That, she hadn’t.

Seeing her expression, Shen Qinglan knew the answer, "Her ex-husband’s name is Yan Anbang, Ya Xi’s father."

Chu Yunrong’s eyes widened. The Yan family’s misfortunes had caused quite a stir back then, and although she was in Beijing, she had heard about them.

"Ya Xi’s mother is dead, Ya Xi himself has fled the country, Yan Shengyu has also left home, Yan Anbang is deserted by all, and yet Qin Yan told you she was abandoned by her ex-husband. Mom, do you think that’s possible?"

"She came back initially to seek revenge on the Yan family. Now that the Yan family is indeed as miserable as she wished, she’s left. Do you still think she’s pitiable?"

Chu Yunrong had a look of disbelief in her eyes, staring at Shen Qinglan in a daze, "How could this be, why would she lie to me?"

Of course, it was for revenge against the Shen Family. Shen Qinglan silently thought to herself, but she couldn’t say this to Chu Yunrong. If the past events were brought up, her mother wouldn’t be able to withstand the shock.

"Mom, Qin Yan is malicious at heart; stay away from her. If you see her again, make sure you call me or Daddy right away," Shen Qinglan instructed.

Chu Yunrong nodded, feeling somewhat uncomfortable at the thought of being deceived by Qin Yan. She suddenly remembered that her own visit to Li Xitong was also because of Qin Yan, and wondered if there was a connection between the two. With this thought in mind, she looked at Shen Qinglan, hesitating to speak.

Shen Qinglan noticed her expression and spoke lightly, "Mom, what do you want to tell me?"

"Qinglan, Mom... Mom went to see Li Xitong..." Chu Yunrong stopped there, suddenly regretting bringing up that person to Shen Qinglan. Qinglan disliked Li Xitong, and knowing that Chu had visited her, would she be angry?

"What did Li Xitong say to you?" Shen Qinglan was actually quite pleased that Chu Yunrong took the initiative to talk to her about this.

"Nothing much, Mom knows that everything she said was fake, Mom won’t believe it."

"Did she tell you that she ended up like this all because of me?" Shen Qinglan straightforwardly brought it up, although she had promised Shen Qian to try not to provoke Chu Yunrong, but some things still need to be said; otherwise, keeping them inside could easily cause a rift between mother and daughter.

"How did you know?" Chu Yunrong said in surprise, then continued, "Qinglan, don’t worry, Mom believes in you, Mom doesn’t believe a word she said."

After spending a day with Anan and being comforted by her husband yesterday, Chu Yunrong had actually come to an understanding. She should not believe the words of outsiders. She needs to trust her own judgment. Her daughter has always been a kind-hearted person.

Shen Qinglan slightly curved her lips. Li Xitong’s tricks were nothing complex, and not hard to guess. She looked at Chu Yunrong with a serious expression, "Mom, you should believe Li Xitong’s words. Her hand was indeed ruined by me, and her going to prison was absolutely my doing behind the scenes."

Shen Qinglan lowered her eyes slightly, "Mom, I will not harm others on my own initiative, but if someone harms the people I care about, I will not let them go. I have never been a kind-hearted person. As for Li Xitong, she hurt Grandpa, and I cannot forgive that."

Chu Yunrong looked at Shen Qinglan as if seeing a stranger, "Qinglan... you..."

"Mom, don’t think too highly of me."

Chu Yunrong didn’t know how to respond to that. Shen Qinglan looked up at her, but Chu Yunrong turned her head away. Shen Qinglan’s eyes dimmed, "Mom, whether you think I’m too cruel or whatever else, I don’t regret doing it. Family are the people I care about, and I won’t let anyone have the chance to harm them. You should rest well now; I’m going to take Anan home."

Shen Qinglan rose to her feet, picking up her son, ready to leave, when Chu Yunrong, seeing her about to go, panicked and called out to her, "Qinglan, wait a moment."

Shen Qinglan paused in her steps and heard Chu Yunrong continue, "Mom knows all you have done is for the good of everyone. It’s Mom who hasn’t lived up to the responsibilities of motherhood, I have no standing to criticize you. No matter what the situation with Li Xitong is about, Mom still believes you are a kind-hearted person. What Mom is saying is sincere."

Shen Qinglan’s lips lightly curved, "Mom, get some good rest."

**

And indeed, as Shen Qinglan predicted, within a couple of days, Eden received a call from Ryan, saying Mrs. Jin wanted to talk to him about a business deal personally.

Ryan had no grudges against Mrs. Jin and wouldn’t refuse purely doing business. But after thinking it over for a night, he decided to tell Eden, knowing that Eden had been looking for Mrs. Jin.

Shen Qinglan wasn’t surprised at all to hear that Qin Yan was going to meet Ryan, "An, how can you have no reaction at all?"

"Prepare everything; we should be setting out too."

"Where to?"

"Of course, to meet Qin Yan, now that she has made a personal appearance for our ’performance,’ we definitely have to acknowledge it."

"Alright, this time I need to prepare something good for her. I’ll notify Andre and Cissily right now; they’ve rested long enough and should get moving again, or they’ll start to rust." Jin Enxi muttered to herself as she went to inform others.

After Shen Qinglan finished the call with Jin Enxi, she locked herself in the studio and didn’t come out until the afternoon, then sent a message to Fu Hengyi.

Fu Hengyi’s call came almost immediately after she finished sending her message, and Shen Qinglan picked up, "Qinglan."

"Hengyi, Qin Yan has appeared," both of them spoke almost at the same time.

Hengyi was stunned for a moment, "Qin Yan came to Beijing?"

"Yes, but she left again. I think she’s already left Beijing by now. I received a message that she’s going to meet with Ryan in three days."

"Are you going?" Hengyi immediately understood what she meant.

"Yes." Shen Qinglan did not deny it; she had said before that she would not act on her own in the future, so after hesitating for a long time, she still decided to tell Fu Hengyi.

Hengyi was silent for a few seconds, then spoke up, "I understand, wait for me."

"Hengyi, Jin Enxi and the others will go with me this time, and we’ll have Ryan’s help, it’ll be fine."

"Wait for me, I’ll file the report right now, I’ll be home by tomorrow evening at the latest," Hengyi stated unequivocally, then hung up the phone. Shen Qinglan looked at the phone that had been hung up and sighed.

**

In Country R, Yamamoto’s gaze changed immediately upon hearing his subordinate’s report, "Are you sure that’s what she said?"

The subordinate nodded, "Yes, Mrs. Jin indeed said that, Big Brother, she wants our manpower in MD in three days, shall we cooperate with her?"

"Cooperate, as long as she tells me Mei’s whereabouts, no matter how much manpower she wants," Yamamoto said without hesitation. Eight years ago, Mei killed his only younger brother, and that was a vendetta he could not ignore. Over the years, he had never given up searching for Mei’s whereabouts, but unfortunately, there was no news. Mei seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth along with that organization.

Qin Yan was not surprised at all when she received Yamamoto’s call, "Mr. Yamamoto, I’ve been waiting for your call."

"Mrs. Jin, we’re old friends of so many years, since you’ve always known about Mei’s whereabouts, why didn’t you tell me? Are you saying all our years of friendship were fake?" Yamamoto started off with half-serious, half-jesting accusations.

Qin Yan’s expression didn’t change as she innocently replied, "Mr. Yamamoto, am I that kind of person? I just got the news, and I couldn’t wait to tell you."

"Can I believe what you’re saying, Mrs. Jin?"

"Mr. Yamamoto, after so many years of cooperation, don’t we even have that little bit of trust between us?" Qin Yan said with feigned grievance.

Yamamoto on the other end of the phone laughed heartily, "Just joking with you, Mrs. Jin, don’t mind it. Where is Mei right now?"

Qin Yan curved her lips, "So, are you agreeing to my terms, Mr. Yamamoto?"

"That’s a minor matter, we have so many years of acquaintance, it’s just lending a few people, what’s so difficult about that? How many do you want?"

"Not many, just 100 will do, but I want the best batch of weapons you have on hand," Qin Yan added another condition.

Yamamoto was briefly taken aback, then replied, "Mrs. Jin, I spent a great deal of money to get my hands on those weapons. You want to take them with just an unverified piece of news, isn’t that a bit excessive?"

Qin Yan smiled, "What if I say that the people and weapons I want are all to deal with Mei?"

Yamamoto was startled, his expression changed in an instant, "Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course, I wouldn’t joke about something like this."

Yamamoto’s gaze was deep and somber, "But Mei is just one person, even if we were going to deal with her, there would be no need for so many people and weapons, right?" These were not his bottom line, but they were indeed a heavy loss. He truly was reluctant to give everything away.

"Who told you Mei is alone? She has people around her. The rumors of Mei traveling solo and moving mysteriously are just legends. Mr. Yamamoto, you’ve been in the game long enough not to understand even this simple principle, right?"

"Is Mei actually a team?" Yamamoto doubted. When Mei had risen to power, although no one had seen her true face, it was said that she worked alone. But now Qin Yan was saying otherwise. Whose words were true, and whose were false?

Qin Yan narrowed her eyes, "You could say that."

Yamamoto pondered for a while before finally speaking, "I can provide you with manpower, but I can only give you half the weapons. I will personally bring people over when the time comes."

"Deal, the time is in three days, at the MD border. I await your good news." Qin Yan hung up the phone briskly and decisively.

Fu Hengyi returned the very same night. When he entered, Shen Qinglan had just come out of their son’s room. Since Anan no longer needed to be nursed at night, he was sleeping in the children’s room, with Aunt Liu taking care of him at night.

After taking a shower, Fu Hengyi first went to see his son. The little fellow’s hand was raised above his head, sleeping soundly with a trace of drool at the corner of his mouth. Fu Hengyi smiled, reached out, and wiped the drool off his son’s face.

"Do you really want to come with me?" Shen Qinglan asked seriously.

Fu Hengyi raised an eyebrow, "What do you think?" He had already returned.

"Fu Hengyi, is it really okay for you to come with me?" Shen Qinglan was still somewhat worried.

"It’s naturally not okay to leave openly, but I assume you have ways to make me leave the country without anyone noticing, right?" Fu Hengyi recalled how last time they went to MD to rescue Shen Qinglan, Andre’s helicopter had flown over the border without being intercepted.

Shen Qinglan fell silent. They did have a way, but Fu Hengyi’s identity was actually not suitable to get involved in this matter. However, if he didn’t tell Fu Hengyi and he found out afterward, their marital relationship would be affected.

Fu Hengyi saw through Shen Qinglan’s thoughts, and spoke lightly, "Qinglan, don’t worry about me. It’s right for you to tell me. No matter what we encounter in the future, I want to face it with you. And now, what you can do is to trust me, and to trust yourself."

Shen Qinglan looked steadily into Fu Hengyi’s eyes and after a long time, she slowly nodded, "Alright, this time we’ll face it together."

Early on the third day, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi found an excuse to leave home. The duration of their departure this time was a bit long, and it was uncertain how many days they might be delayed there, so Anan had to be left in the care of the family. Fortunately, since Fu Hengyi had forcibly corrected Anan’s fussy eating habits, Shen Qinglan could disappear occasionally as well, making Anan accustomed to being with other people.

Anan started to cry the moment she saw her parents leaving. Chu Yunrong quickly carried the child up to the second-floor room, using various toys to distract Anan. Soon enough, Anan stopped crying.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were actually standing outside the door the whole time, and they did not leave until they could no longer hear the child’s cries.

The two headed straight for the border. Along the way, Shen Qinglan made contact with Jin Enxi. Jin Enxi and Eden had already arrived, whereas Andre and Cissily were coming directly from Country Y.

"An, you’ve arrived." Jin Enxi was not at all surprised to see Fu Hengyi, "Let’s go, Eden is waiting for us on the plane."

Their current location was a mountainous area, the same place where King had taken Shen Qinglan. Looking at the familiar terrain, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi exchanged glances before boarding the helicopter.

The helicopter once again safely crossed the border line. Fu Hengyi’s gaze deepened upon seeing this scene, while Shen Qinglan pulled out a box from the cabin. Upon opening it, they found it was actually a large makeup box filled with a dizzying array of makeup products and an assortment of wigs and fake beards.

Shen Qinglan expertly applied makeup to her face and in a short time, standing in front of Fu Hengyi was a man with a face covered in freckles, ordinary-looking, with distinct facial contours, and sporting a small tuft of beard. Even the Adam’s apple on his neck was clearly visible. Shen Qinglan then donned a brown wig to match the face and suddenly cold demeanor, ensuring that no one would guess that this bearded, cold-faced man was actually a bona fide woman, of course, if one could overlook her chest.

If Fu Hengyi hadn’t watched Shen Qinglan put on makeup before his very eyes, even if she had been standing right in front of him now, he might not have recognized her immediately. No wonder Mei was shrouded in such awe-inspiring mystery back then, with people not even clear on whether Mei was male or female, or young or old.

Shen Qinglan took another glance at Fu Hengyi, a mischievous glint suddenly flickering in her eyes, "Fu Hengyi, let’s discuss something."

Fu Hengyi raised an eyebrow, "Do I need makeup too?"

"Of course, it would be even more troublesome if someone recognized you," Shen Qinglan said.

Fu Hengyi didn’t have any objections, but his face changed completely when he saw what Shen Qinglan brought out, "Shen Qinglan." His tone carried a hint of embarrassed annoyance.

"No one will recognize you this way," Shen Qinglan assured with conviction.

Jin Enxi and Eden also saw the items in Shen Qinglan’s hand. Eden turned his head, focused on flying the plane, his eyes betraying an irrepressible smile.

Jin Enxi tried to hold back but eventually burst into laughter, "An, you are too... Hahaha, let me laugh for a moment."

Fu Hengyi’s face darkened, he gritted his teeth, "Shen Qinglan."

Shen Qinglan looked innocently at him, "I’ll disguise as a man, and you’ll dress as a woman. That way, no one will suspect us, and it’s the safest."

Jin Enxi patted Fu Hengyi on the shoulder, "No worries, Eden once disguised as a woman too, and it was An who did his makeup. Rest assured, An is very skilled at makeup. The outfit is made according to Eden’s height and build, and you’re about the same size, so it’ll surely fit. After the makeup is done, you’ll look charming and even more feminine than a woman."

Fu Hengyi’s expression turned even darker, and so did Eden’s, having been exposed by Jin Enxi.

"Jin Enxi, shut up," Eden said, frustrated by her lack of filter.

Fu Hengyi disagreed. He was a man’s man, a straight male, and the idea of cross-dressing in front of others was more unbearable to him than death.

However, Shen Qinglan believed this was the safest method. This way, no one could link the disguise to Fu Hengyi, and even if there were investigations later, no connection to either of them would be found.

Shen Qinglan knew Fu Hengyi wouldn’t easily compromise. She pulled him aside and spoke in gentle, persuasive whispers for a long time, exerting great effort before finally swaying him.

Throughout, Fu Hengyi maintained a dark, brooding countenance, emanating an air of gloom. Jin Enxi occasionally shot glances at him but quickly looked away and suppressed a chuckle upon meeting his icy gaze.

"Enxi," Shen Qinglan called out Jin Enxi’s name softly when she looked over once again, to which Jin Enxi immediately nodded in understanding, "Got it, got it. I won’t look anymore. Continue."

Transforming into a woman’s appearance certainly took more effort, especially since Fu Hengyi’s facial features were particularly rugged. It took Shen Qinglan over an hour to accomplish the task.

She looked at Fu Hengyi before her, astonishment shimmering in her eyes, and Jin Enxi, who took a glance, was instantly dumbstruck.

The black eyeliner accentuated Fu Hengyi’s eyes, making them appear larger, and complemented with long, curled lashes, his eyes seemed dewy and bright. The makeup softened his facial contours significantly, completely dissipating any trace of his rugged masculinity.

Shen Qinglan handed Fu Hengyi a set of clothes and told him to change. She also found him a silk scarf, tying it around his neck to perfectly conceal his Adam’s apple, while adding an extra touch of femininity.

The black, wavy curls she chose for Fu Hengyi cascaded over his shoulders. Even dressed in casual attire, it couldn’t hide his "blooming radiance."