The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 427 - 429. Return

Chapter 427: 429. Return

"Hahaha, madam is very observant. This person is my bodyguard. Since he needs to protect my life, it is natural for him to be skilled, so having rough hands is quite normal, right? I see the person next to madam also doesn’t have delicate hands."

Qin Yan slightly curved her lips, "Leader Lane has a point, I was abrupt just now. But if one just looked at this beauty’s height and hands, some might believe she is a man."

"This madam seems very curious about my wife," Shen Qinglan spoke, his tone slightly cold.

"I was talking to the madam, who asked you to interject?" Lane softly reprimanded, and Shen Qinglan immediately lowered his head, "Sorry, leader."

Lane turned to Qin Yan, "Haha, these two are a couple, very much in love. Jesse doesn’t like people commenting on his wife’s height, I hope the madam can understand."

Qin Yan smiled, "That is quite rare, but understandable. If I were a man, having such a pretty wife, I’d protect her too."

It seemed that the matter was glossed over then, as everyone raised their glasses and clinked.

From the corners of their eyes, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi kept watching Qin Yan and her two companions. The moment the three of them took a sip of their drinks, the couple exchanged a look and, in perfect sync, each kicked one of the men next to Qin Yan to the ground.

The sudden turn of events happened in an instant, before Qin Yan could even react, her two subordinates had been kicked away by Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi.

The two men were quick to react; flipping up from the ground, they soon entangled themselves in a fight with Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi."

"Leader Lane, what do you mean by this?" Qin Yan’s face darkened as she asked coldly.

Lane chuckled lightly, "Madam, there’s no need to worry. There are a few old friends here who’d like to meet you. Your bodyguards were in the way."

Qin Yan’s face instantly changed, but she forced herself to calm down and asked, "I wonder who these friends are. Why don’t they come out and meet me, so we can catch up?"

Lane gestured for her to look behind, and when Qin Yan turned around, she saw her two subordinates had been subdued by Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi.

Qin Yan stared steadily at Shen Qinglan, "May I know whom this friend is? Have we met before?"

Shen Qinglan rose leisurely and looked at Qin Yan, "Qin Yan, have you forgotten me so soon?" she asked in her own voice, which Qin Yan immediately recognized.

"Shen Qinglan, it’s actually you!" Qin Yan exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Yes, it’s me. Surprised to see me? Wasn’t it you who invited me here?" Shen Qinglan slightly raised an eyebrow.

"Shen Qinglan, I didn’t expect you to actually come."

"You personally invited me, would I not show up and disrespect you?" Shen Qinglan smiled, but her current plain appearance made her smile lack any allure.

Qin Yan’s gaze was fixed on Shen Qinglan, not recognizing Fu Hengyi. "Shen Qinglan, do you think you can keep me here? Don’t forget, Yamamoto is still outside!" After the initial shock, Qin Yan had completely calmed down.

Shen Qinglan smiled faintly, "Why don’t you call Yamamoto and see if he will come to save you?"

Qin Yan clenched her fists. Since Shen Qinglan had said this, it must mean Yamamoto couldn’t be contacted—meaning she was completely isolated.

Qinglan continued, "Let me tell you something else, those subordinates you left outside are probably meeting the King of Hell by now, so don’t expect anyone to come to your rescue. As for Yamamoto, whom you were counting on, he’s probably unable to save even himself at this moment."

Qinglan didn’t know that Eden had already successfully undermined Yamamoto and Qin Yan’s relationship. Even if Qin Yan returned to country R, she would be met with Yamamoto’s revenge.

"So, are you planning to kill me now?" Qin Yan asked.

Qinglan shook her head, "No, killing you would be letting you off too easily. I was annoyed for a long time after you escaped last time, this time I must at least invite you to be a guest."

Qin Yan sneered, "Now you’re not afraid of exposing your identity? Assassin Mei! Maybe you don’t know, but before coming here, I had already made arrangements. If I don’t return home within three days, your identity will be exposed. By then, you would be in a worse state than me."

Qinglan was unmoved by her words, "Do you think anyone would believe what you say?" The last piece of evidence Allan had given her had already been destroyed by Fu Hengyi; all proof of her identity in this world was gone.

"Believe it or not, you can try and see." Qin Yan’s lips curled up in an eerie smile, it was enough that Chu Yunrong believed it.

Qinglan’s gaze slightly darkened; she exchanged a look with Fu Hengyi. A gun appeared in Fu Hengyi’s hand, the barrel aimed squarely at the two restrained individuals. Qinglan looked at Qin Yan, "Tell me, where is the person?"

Her question seemed obtuse, but Qin Yan understood her meaning and smiled triumphantly, "You think I would tell you?"

A gunshot resounded, and a woman subordinate of Qin Yan, named Hui Zi, was shot in the leg, "You don’t have to tell, but your two loyal subordinates are gone now."

Qin Yan sneered, "They’re just guard dogs. If you like them, I’ll just give them to you." She spoke carelessly, not valuing the lives of her subordinates at all.

They were speaking in Chinese, which Ryan could not understand, but the subordinates who had been with Qin Yan year-round understood.

While they had always known that Qin Yan was a cold-hearted person, hearing her say these words still unavoidably hurt and saddened them.

Qin Yan didn’t care what these two thought. In her heart, there were only two types of subordinates: those who were useful and those who could be discarded at any time. These two being subdued so quickly had already been categorized as the latter.

She was now thinking about how to escape, but no matter what, she was like a bird trapped in a cage.

"Qin Yan, don’t bother thinking about it, you won’t escape this time," Qinglan said coldly, noticing her intentions.

"If you let me go, I won’t reveal your identity to others," Qin Yan proposed, looking at Qinglan.

Qinglan simply smiled faintly, "But I think solving you is more important than my identity being exposed."

"Qinglan, do you really not care if your identity is exposed?" Qin Yan attempted to struggle.

"Whatever."

Another gunshot rang out. This time, Qin Yan was hit. She knelt on the ground, her face turning instantly pale. Fu Hengyi’s gun was still emitting white smoke. Qin Yan stared intensely at Qinglan, then suddenly laughed, "Ha ha, very well, Qinglan, since you intend for us both to die together, I have nothing else to say."

Qinglan was expressionless, "I don’t know if I will die, but you definitely won’t survive this time."

"Now, you want to kill me?"

"No, I want you to know that death can sometimes be a luxury." Shen Qinglan’s lips slightly curved upwards as she gazed at Qin Yan, her face wearing a smile but her eyes pitch-black and unreadable.

The woman before her had sent her own birth daughter into the fire pit, watching her die, and her fate had changed drastically as a result. Ya Xi’s life had been twisted by her, the innocent death of Zhao Jiaqing, her mother and family tormented by guilt for years...

How could Shen Qinglan let her die so easily because of all of this?

"Bang." Another shot, fired by Shen Qinglan herself, hit Qin Yan’s other leg, draining all color from her face due to the pain.

Shen Qinglan squatted in front of Qin Yan and lifted her chin, forcing Qin Yan to look into her eyes, "Tell me why you sent Qin Mu in, she’s your biological daughter, isn’t she?"

Qin Yan’s forehead was covered with cold sweat. After hearing Shen Qinglan’s words, she couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, "You already know the reason, don’t you?"

"All for the sake of revenge against Yan Anbang. Don’t you care at all that she still has your blood in her veins? She was, after all, born after ten months in your womb. Don’t you feel any remorse at all?"

Qin Yan’s expression was icy, "Remorse? Ha, from the day I knew of her existence, I despised her. If not for revenge against Yan Anbang, she wouldn’t even have had the chance to come into this world. Her existence is a disgrace to me. I wanted to strangle her, but still I gave her a chance to live. If she was capable enough, she could have survived like you did. If she died, she only had herself to blame."

The coldness in Shen Qinglan’s eyes deepened. Unknown to Qin Yan, a dagger had appeared in Shen Qinglan’s hand which suddenly flicked, severing the tendons in Qin Yan’s left hand, eliciting a scream of agony.

Ryan had already left, leaving only four people in the room. Fu Hengyi disabled the two men’s limbs, and then stood aside, not stopping any of Shen Qinglan’s actions. He knew Shen Qinglan harbored a wound called Qin Yan in her heart, and if not vented, it would never heal.

"Heh, Shen Qinglan, after learning so much at the base, you’re left only with these means of torture? Compared to Allen, you are far behind. You are an unqualified graduate. If I were Allen, seeing this, how disappointed he would be," Qin Yan remarked indifferently, unbothered by her injuries. Since she couldn’t escape, what else was there to care about? It was just a life, but it was a pity she couldn’t bring down the Shen Family.

"You don’t need to provoke me, Qin Yan. Soon you will see what I am capable of," Shen Qinglan said coolly, her voice detached.

Shen Qinglan lightly tapped her watch twice, and soon, Eden walked in, "Eden, take good care of our Mrs. Jin. Don’t let her die too quickly."

Eden, expressionless, glanced at Qin Yan, "Okay."

"By the way, Mrs. Jin’s body seems to have particularly strong resistance to that virus. Why don’t you use her as a test subject? Perhaps your research will progress soon," Shen Qinglan spoke coldly.

Qin Yan’s face changed upon hearing this, recalling the virus that made her wish for death. Fear flickered instinctively in her eyes as she looked at Shen Qinglan with a venomous gaze, "Shen Qinglan, you are so ruthless; you will face retribution."

Shen Qinglan smiled, "Whether I face retribution is none of your concern. You should instead think about how to atone for the earlier part of your life."

Eden straightened up, grabbing Qin Yan by the collar and dragged her out, showing no mercy or delicacy, while the remaining two, Shen Qinglan crouched down, "Your master is finished. If you want a swifter death, just obediently tell me who Qin Yan arranged and where they are?"

Hui Zi kept her head down, ignoring Shen Qinglan’s words, and the man was equally indifferent.

Shen Qinglan’s brow quirked, surprised that these two were so loyal to Qin Yan, still unwilling to betray Qin Yan even after being abandoned.

What Shen Qinglan didn’t know was that they were both originally orphans, picked up and raised by Qin Yan. To them, not only was Qin Yan a master, but she was also a benefactor who had brainwashed them over many years, making betrayal not such an easy task.

Shen Qinglan could tell from their looks that this was going nowhere. After a moment’s thought, she had someone take the two to Eden. Although no information could be extracted from them, using them as test subjects for Eden wasn’t a bad idea.

Now only Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi remained in the room. Only then did Fu Hengyi step forward and embraced Shen Qinglan, speaking softly, "Don’t worry. As long as we don’t give Qin Yan any opportunities, her people will not succeed. She doesn’t possess any evidence, so her chances of going public are slim. Most likely, she will target our unacquainted family members. Let’s head back now; we will think of a way to deal with this."

Shen Qinglan leaned against Fu Hengyi’s chest and nodded. In fact, both of them knew that Qin Yan’s most likely move would be to target Chu Yunrong, since Chu Yunrong’s illness provided a perfect point of attack.

Things had progressed much more smoothly than they had initially anticipated. After thanking Leader Lane, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi planned to head back to Beijing first, while Eden chose to stay here with Lane.

Jin Enxi also stayed.

Cissily and Andre exchanged a look. "Andre, things ended too quickly—we didn’t even get a chance to make a move," she expressed with a hint of regret, having thought she’d have a chance to show off her skills.

Andre chuckled, "There are still three people left; if you’re bored, you can play with them."

Cissily’s eyes lit up, and she patted Andre on the chest, "That’s a great idea; let’s get going."

They ran into Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi. Seeing Cissily’s excited demeanor, Shen Qinglan asked, "Where are you heading?"

"To pay a visit to Qin Yan, of course. It’s not often that the indestructible bug gets caught; it’d be a shame not to send my regards."

"Aren’t you coming with me?"

Cissily waved her hand, "No, we’ll visit you in Beijing another day; you go back with Miss Beixi first."

Fu Hengyi, who had been expressionless, suddenly darkened upon hearing the words "Miss Beixi." He shot Cissily a cold glance, and she touched her arm, "Well then, Andre, let’s get going." With that, she pulled Andre away.

"Jesse, we should get going," Fu Hengyi said indifferently, but the way he said "Jesse" made Shen Qinglan feel the underlying grit of his teeth. Shen Qinglan smiled slightly and took Fu Hengyi’s hand, "Okay, let’s go home."

They didn’t take the same route as they had when they arrived but took a detour instead, entering the border from another direction.

Fu Hengyi raised an eyebrow as he watched Shen Qinglan navigate with familiarity, speaking in a gentle tone, "Have you traveled this route before?" He had changed back into men’s clothing.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Yes, about eight or nine years ago. I was here on a mission and stayed two months."

Once across the border, they reached a small town, where the streets and buildings made it clear that the place was underdeveloped and economically poor.

After traveling all night, the sky was turning white, and they were getting hungry. Fu Hengyi knocked on the door of a household; a middle-aged woman answered, "Hello, my wife and I were traveling and got lost. We’ve just found our way out and have finished all our food. Could you spare us something to eat?"

The woman sized up Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, noting their travel-weary appearance, and nodded, "Okay, but I only have plain porridge and steamed buns."

"That’s enough; thank you," Fu Hengyi expressed his gratitude.

They had chosen to knock at a home that looked decent enough, assuming such a household might have extra food to spare, which was indeed the case.

The woman quickly brought out two bowls of porridge and some steamed buns for them. "You eat first; I need to tend to my child." She set down the food and left, appearing a bit cold, which Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi didn’t mind at all. They thanked her and began eating with their chopsticks.

The woman didn’t come out again until they were finished. Shen Qinglan took a stack of paper money from her wallet and left it on the table before she and Fu Hengyi departed.

Finally leaving the small town and crossing over a mountain, they managed to find transport. After several transfers, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi finally purchased plane tickets and returned to Beijing.

They were gone for nearly three days, but as Shen Qinglan stood at the doorstep, it felt like an entire century had passed.

Upon opening the door, she heard Anan’s babbling sounds from the living room. Her eyes filled with tenderness, she couldn’t wait and walked right in.

Anan saw his mother, blinked his eyes, and then, as if he had just realized, burst into an earth-shattering cry that was so loud it seemed to break through the roof and startled Old Sir Fu, who was resting on the second floor.

Shen Qinglan quickly went forward to pick up her son, kissed him on the face, and Anan, clinging to his mother’s neck, wailed with tears of grievance filling his little eyes.

Old Sir Fu came out, saw the two of them, and then turned back to his room.

Shen Qinglan softly comforted her son. Seeing them back, Aunt Zhao and Aunt Liu headed to the kitchen together.

Shen Qinglan soothed Anan for a while, and as Anan kept crying while hugging her neck, Fu Hengyi couldn’t watch it any longer, took over the boy, and with a gentle sway while sitting him on his lap, Anan stopped crying after a while.

Shen Qinglan wordlessly looked at her son. So, had her consolation earlier been in vain?

"Next time he cries, you should console him," Shen Qinglan said with a hint of jealousy, realizing now that although Anan spent more time with her, ever since Fu Hengyi had joined the military, every time he returned, Anan clung to him significantly more.

Fu Hengyi chuckled, "Go inside and take a shower; I’ll take care of our son."

Anan looked at Fu Hengyi and didn’t even glance at his own mother. Shen Qinglan took a few steps, saw that her son truly spared her not even a peripheral glance, raised her eyebrows slightly, and turned upstairs.

Fu Hengyi picked up a little duck from Anan’s pile of toys, which was his son’s recent favorite. Anan held it in his hand, and with a gentle squeeze, the duck would quack, making Anan split into a smile.

Fu Hengyi saw the three teeth that had sprouted and his eyebrows furrowed slightly, remembering Shen Qinglan mentioning how Anan liked to bite people when he nursed now that he was teething.

Fu Hengyi picked Anan up and went into the kitchen to find Aunt Zhao, asking in detail about Anan’s diet over the past few days. Knowing that his son had been eating quite well, even drinking some milk powder, he considered weaning him off breast milk.

After Shen Qinglan showered and came downstairs, Anan had already been taken out by Fu Hengyi. Shen Qinglan greeted Aunt Zhao and went to the Shen family’s home to see Chu Yunrong.

As she passed through the garden, Shen Qinglan could vaguely hear Anan’s excited voice, clearly, Fu Hengyi was holding him in the Shen family’s greenhouse.

"Mom," Shen Qinglan called out as she saw Chu Yunrong watching TV.

Chu Yunrong saw Shen Qinglan, smiled, and waved her over, "Qinglan is here, sit down."

Shen Qinglan sat next to Chu Yunrong and looked at her, "Mom, how have you been these past few days?"

Chu Yunrong held Shen Qinglan’s hand with a loving smile, "Mom is very good; did you and Hengyi encounter any troubles on your trip?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "No."

Chu Yunrong smiled reassuringly, as Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi had only mentioned they needed to make a trip without specifying the reason.

"Qinglan, mom really always has faith in you, it’s just that I was a bit slow to come around when I first heard about this," Chu Yunrong suddenly spoke.

Shen Qinglan was slightly startled, then realized that her mother was probably talking about the second time she had visited Li Xitong, and she smiled, "Mom, I didn’t take it to heart."

Chu Yunrong’s eyes filled with guilt, "It’s just that Mom was too gullible. While you were away these past few days, Mom has come to understand that you actually did nothing wrong, you were just protecting our family."

Shen Qinglan’s eyes flickered slightly, "Mom, it’s true, I did cripple Li Xitong’s hand, but her addiction wasn’t my intention. These are all facts, so it’s normal if you found them hard to accept." After all, Chu Yunrong was just an ordinary lady from a wealthy family, and because of her fragile mental state, Shen Qian had been overly protective of her. Combined with her simple living environment, she had never experienced the deceitful schemes of life, so her understanding of the darker sides of human nature was quite shallow. It was typical for her to struggle with accepting all this.

"Mom knows that Li Xitong ended up like this today, and actually Mom has a responsibility too. You did nothing wrong; it was Mom being too gullible. You don’t blame Mom, and that makes Mom very happy."

"Mom, these are all trivial matters, you don’t need to worry about them. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have already forgotten it."

"If Mom sees Qin Yan again, she will definitely keep her distance." Chu Yunrong mentioned when she thought of Qin Yan.

Shen Qinglan didn’t mention that Qin Yan was now under her control, but merely nodded, "Mom, Qin Yan is not a simple woman, one tragedy in the Yan family is enough."

"Mm, Mom understands, she will be more cautious in the future." In that moment, it seemed like their roles had switched and Chu Yunrong was the one who needed parental attention at all times.

Shen Qinglan was startled by the thought that arose in her mind, and couldn’t help but laugh.

"By the way Mom, I need to paint a few pictures these next few days, and I’ll need your help looking after Anan." Shen Qinglan remembered the person arranged by Qin Yan lurking in the shadows, and she didn’t feel reassured about Chu Yunrong, so she came up with a convenient excuse to keep Chu Yunrong occupied.

Chu Yunrong was more than happy to help with this task, "Okay, no problem." Shen Qinglan didn’t have a mother-in-law to rely on; although there was an auntie at home, her care wasn’t as meticulous as Chu Yunrong’s, and for Chu Yunrong, being asked to help take care of the child was something she longed for.

After discussing the important matters, Chu Yunrong and Shen Qinglan chatted for a while. Then Fu Hengyi came in holding Anan.

Anan had just returned from a walk outside with his dad and was in a great mood, all smiles, even letting drool escape from the corners of his mouth. Shen Qinglan grabbed a tissue to wipe his drool. Ever since Anan started teething, he had been drooling a lot, so Chu Yunrong made him several little bibs to wear around his neck to prevent the drool from staining his clothes.

Anan could now crawl and was extremely active. As soon as he entered the room, he waved his arms, wanting to get down. Seeing this, Fu Hengyi placed him on the living room carpet.

This was a play area specially prepared for Anan. The carpet was very thick, so there was no need to worry about Anan hurting himself if he fell. The carpet was covered with all kinds of small toys. Anan crawled around making noises that probably only he could understand.

Anan crawled over to a teddy bear and then stopped, reached out to grab it. The teddy bear was only the size of an adult’s palm. Anan held it in his hands, shook it, and then handed it to Shen Qinglan. Shen Qinglan took off her shoes, sat down next to her son, and joined him in play.

Seeing that Shen Qinglan had taken the teddy, Anan’s big eyes fluttered, and he broke into a wide smile, his eyes narrowing into slits. He crawled around Shen Qinglan, occasionally picking up small items and stuffing them into her arms. Soon, Shen Qinglan’s lap was filled with her son’s toys.

Fu Hengyi had also taken leave to come home, so he returned to the military base that afternoon. Before leaving, he was still a bit worried, "If there’s any problem, you must call me." Although Qin Yan had been captured, they were unclear about the extent of Qin Yan’s forces. If Qin Yan’s people came looking, then Shen Qinglan would be virtually unsupported.

"Don’t worry, nothing will happen. I’ll just stay at home these few days and won’t go out," Shen Qinglan said.

Fu Hengyi nodded, "Remember what you’ve said, stay at home and wait for me."

"Fu Hengyi." Just as Fu Hengyi was about to get in the car, Shen Qinglan called out to him, and then came forward to give him a hug. She lowered her voice and asked, "Will this incident cause any trouble for you?"

Fu Hengyi patted her shoulder, "No worries, you already disguised me so well, do you think anyone could recognize me?"

Shen Qinglan thought of Fu Hengyi’s female disguise and her eyes were full of laughter. She felt this memory would keep her amused for a lifetime.

When Hengyi saw the smile in his wife’s eyes, he knew what she was thinking. Seizing the moment when no one was paying attention, he gently slapped Shen Qinglan’s buttocks, "I’ll settle this score with you when I come back next time."

Shen Qinglan was a bit dumbfounded by Hengyi’s sudden action. Seeing her stunned like that, a flicker passed through his eyes, and he leaned down to kiss her lips, "Alright, I’m off now. Call me if you need anything."

Shen Qinglan stepped back from his embrace and watched him leave before she finally returned home.

That evening, Shen Qian’s call came, and only then did Shen Qinglan remember that she had told Shen Qian she would call him once she had investigated the matter thoroughly. She had put this on the back burner.

"Daddy."

"Qinglan, did you find out anything?"

"I have the results now. The person contacting Mom was Qin Yan. Mom went to see Li Xitong because Qin Yan instigated it."

Shen Qian frowned, "How did Qin Yan suddenly appear in Beijing?" Then, something seemed to dawn on him as his expression changed slightly, "Is she targeting the Shen Family?"

"Yes, but she can’t cause trouble anymore."

"Qinglan, what did you do?"

"Daddy, it was just a minor issue. It’s resolved now."

"Qinglan, no matter what you did, I only have one request for you: take care of yourself and don’t get hurt. If you have issues you can’t handle, you must tell me. I can support you in any circumstance. You’re a girl; you can always find refuge under Daddy’s wings."

A warm current flowed through Shen Qinglan’s eyes, "Dad, I’m perfectly safe."

"That’s good. Remember, anytime, whatever happens, you can always turn to Daddy."

"Alright, thank you, Dad. Also, take care of yourself since you’re alone in the military." Shen Qinglan finally reminded him.

In the following few days, Chu Yunrong would come over to the Fu Family’s house every day after breakfast to help Shen Qinglan with the children. Old Sir Shen didn’t like staying at home alone either, so he also came over, making the house lively.

There were people to take care of the child, and Anan was not as clingy to Shen Qinglan anymore. As a mother, Shen Qinglan found herself with the most free time and decided to really seclude herself in the studio.

Daniel had called Shen Qinglan once and, knowing she was dedicated to creating art, felt relieved and happy, "Oh and Qinglan Baby, I recently got some news. Next May, there will be a major oil painting competition in Country M, featuring young artists in the field. I hope you can sign up."

Shen Qinglan frowned, "Do I have to attend?"

"It’s not mandatory, but it’s a rare opportunity organized by leading figures in the industry for young artists. There’s only benefit in participating. Don’t you want to?"

"It’s not that. I can attend next May, but does it require my presence or...?"

"It’s a live painting competition. If you agree to participate, I’ll sign you up."

"A competition in May, and we’re registering now? Isn’t that too early?" It was only November now; even three months in advance would be sufficient.

"The official news hasn’t been announced yet. This is insider information. I needed to consult with you first," Daniel explained.

Daniel was always well-informed in this regard, and as her agent, he must be looking out for her best interest. Since Anan would be one year old by next May, "Okay, go ahead and register me. Come over to my house in a few days and collect the paintings; I only painted two this time."

"No problem," Daniel grinned, content after discussing the important matters. He then started to inquire about Jin Enxi, "Qinglan, do you know where Enxi has gone? I haven’t been able to reach her for three days."

"She’s out handling some matters for me. She’ll be back in a few days. There’s no danger," Shen Qinglan said indifferently.

Knowing there was no danger, Daniel was relieved, "That’s good then. Continue with your painting then; I won’t disturb you. Give my regards to Anan Baby; I’ll come visit him in a couple of days."

"Alright."

Shen Qinglan just came out of her studio to find Pei Yinong and Pei Hao had come over. Haohao was sitting on the carpet playing with Anan. Despite neither child understanding the other, they were having a great time.

"Aunt."

Haohao saw Shen Qinglan, climbed up from the floor, and hugged her legs, "Aunt, did you miss me?"

Shen Qinglan bent down and kissed Haohao’s face, "Yes, I did. Haohao, don’t you have class today?" Pei Yinong had enrolled Haohao in several interest classes recently, and his free time wasn’t as much as before.

Blushing slightly and feeling shy after being kissed by Shen Qinglan, Haohao nodded at her words, "No class today. Mom said I could take a break. I haven’t seen my little brother and Aunt for a long time, so I asked Mom to bring me over to see him. Aunt, I even brought a gift for you today."

Saying so, he let go of Shen Qinglan and ran to his little backpack. From it, he took out a tiny wallet strung with pearls, "Aunt, I made this during yesterday’s crafts class. The teacher even praised me. Do you like it?"

Shen Qinglan took the wallet. It wasn’t large, fitting into her palm, and while crudely made, it was quite an achievement for a little boy of his age to have made approximately the right shape.

"It’s very beautiful; Haohao did a great job."

Haohao beamed, "Aunt, then I’ll give this to you. I’ll make an even prettier one later and give it to you."

"Really for Aunt?" Shen Qinglan teased him, "If you give it to Aunt, then Mommy won’t have it."

"Hmm, it’s for Aunt," Haohao nodded seriously, "Mommy is older than Aunt; she should let Aunt have it. That’s what the teacher said, just like I should let the little brother have things."

Pei Yinong, who had been feeling slightly jealous because her son thought of gifting his handmade to someone else first, suddenly smiled upon hearing her son’s considerate words.

Shen Qinglan hugged Haohao, kissed his face again, and said, "Thank you, Haohao; Aunt loves it."

Haohao, lowering his head and fiddling with his fingers, spoke softly, "Aunt, the teacher said I’m a boy, and girls shouldn’t casually kiss boys, and boys shouldn’t kiss girls either."

Shen Qinglan’s lips curled up slightly, "Really? Shouldn’t Aunt kiss you?"

Haohao’s little brows furrowed into waves as he pondered for a long while before whispering, "Then not often, only once."

Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but burst out laughing.