The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 450 - 452. Strange Man

Chapter 450: 452. Strange Man

Tong Yushi sized up Fang Tong. Their last meeting had been too hasty; she hadn’t gotten a good look at the woman Li Bo Ming was interested in. Today, because Fang Tong needed to report to work, she was dressed in a business suit, wearing high heels, and had applied light makeup, looking very professional.

Was this the type of woman Li Bo Ming liked? Tong Yushi was somewhat surprised, as she had always thought that a man like Li Bo Ming would prefer a gentle and compliant woman, but Fang Tong didn’t fit that profile at all.

"I’m very sorry, I’ve forgotten your last name," Tong Yushi said with a look of apology.

Fang Tong smiled lightly, "My last name is Fang, Fang Tong."

"Oh, Miss Fang, nice to meet you. I’m Bo Ming’s college classmate," Tong Yushi said.

Fang Tong casually took a seat, looking very relaxed. Seeing Tong Yushi seeking out Li Bo Ming didn’t elicit any special reaction from her. To Tong Yushi, such a reaction implied that Fang Tong didn’t get angry when other women came looking for her husband. Could it be that she didn’t place much importance on Li Bo Ming, perhaps their marriage was indeed as she suspected: an arranged marriage by their families, and in reality, the two had no feelings for each other, otherwise why wouldn’t Li Bo Ming have informed his classmates about his marriage.

With these thoughts, Tong Yushi looked at Fang Tong with a hint of disdain. If Li Bo Ming didn’t like his wife at all, then the victory between her and Fang Tong was still an unknown.

"Miss Fang seems like she just got off work?" Tong Yushi asked tentatively.

Fang Tong nodded, "Yes, I had nothing else to do so I came over to pick up Bo Ming and head home."

"I live just below your apartment, but I rarely see you. May I ask what you do for a living that keeps you so busy?" She asked with a look of curiosity, as if it was just a casual question.

Fang Tong’s gaze swept across her lightly, "I work abroad most of the time."

Now Tong Yushi was even more convinced that the marriage between Li Bo Ming and Fang Tong was a business arrangement; otherwise, why would a couple, who supposedly had a good relationship, agree to live apart most of the time, with one in the country and the other abroad?

Thinking this, Tong Yushi couldn’t help but feel a bit of secret joy, as it meant her chances were greater, wasn’t it?

Perhaps the glee was too apparent in her eyes because Fang Tong looked at her with a cold smile. However, before she could say anything, the office door opened, and Li Bo Ming’s figure appeared at the doorway.

"Tongtong, you’re here. Why didn’t you call me so I could have picked you up?" Li Bo Ming seemed really happy to see Fang Tong.

Fang Tong instantly softened the coldness between her brows, smiling at Li Bo Ming, "Xiao Zhang said you were in a meeting. I didn’t have anything to do this afternoon, so I didn’t disturb you."

"Bo Ming." Seeing Li Bo Ming come in and pay attention only to Fang Tong, Tong Yushi, who felt invisible, finally couldn’t hold back.

It was as if Li Bo Ming had only just noticed her, his expression one of surprise, "Miss Tong."

Tong Yushi felt slighted by how Li Bo Ming addressed her, yet her face did not show it. She just smiled, "Bo Ming, I wanted to have dinner with you today. After all, we have been classmates for so many years, and since I’ve been back for so long, we haven’t eaten together. Now that your wife is also here, I wonder if I could have the honor of inviting you both to dinner?"

Li Bo Ming wanted to refuse, but Fang Tong responded first, "Sure." She actually wanted to see what this woman was up to; if she really had inappropriate thoughts and planned to act on them, then Fang Tong was not going to be kind. Having one’s husband snatched away once could be chalked up to complete surprise, but if it happened a second time, it would be her own foolishness.

Li Bo Ming wrapped up his work early in the afternoon, and the three of them left the company together.

Many people in the company recognized Fang Tong, and recently Tong Yushi had visited frequently, so they knew her too. However, seeing the three of them coming out together made for a rather odd sight.

The venue was chosen by Fang Tong, a Chinese restaurant near Li Bo Ming’s company that she and Li Bo Ming had been to a few times and where the food was quite good.

"Miss Tong, having lived abroad for years, you must miss the cuisine from home. The dishes here are quite authentic; you should try them," Fang Tong said as she handed over the menu to Tong Yushi, assuming the posture of a hostess.

Li Bo Ming sat quietly next to Fang Tong, not speaking, but Tong Yushi glanced at him and unceremoniously took the menu, "Miss Fang’s recommendations, I will definitely try them. However, I only know Bo Ming’s tastes and not what Miss Fang likes to eat. If my choices aren’t good, please don’t take offense, Miss Fang."

It was clearly a provocation. A faint anger rose in Li Bo Ming’s heart, and he was about to speak, when Fang Tong held his hand under the table, "I’m not picky; I generally like whatever Bo Ming likes."

Tong Yushi gently bit her lower lip and glanced at Li Bo Ming. However, Li Bo Ming had no response, seemingly affirming Fang Tong’s words, which only deepened the feeling of grievance in her heart.

Perhaps her mournful aura was too strong because Li Bo Ming finally spoke, "Tongtong likes the Triple Delicacy Soup and the Steamed Perch from here."

Tong Yushi’s hand, which was holding the menu, stiffened slightly. That might as well have gone unsaid.

When the food arrived, Tong Yushi realized that what had happened before was nothing; Li Bo Ming was entirely focused on taking care of Fang Tong, either picking out bones from her fish or peeling shrimp for her, or checking if she needed more vegetables in her bowl and promptly replenishing them, leaving Tong Yushi feeling not just awkward but barely able to suppress her rage.

In her eyes, Li Bo Ming was clearly showing off their affection in front of her, no, "pretending" was a more accurate description.

And he was doing that with the purpose of making her jealous, to push her to be more proactive.

If Li Bo Ming knew her thoughts, he would surely tell her, "You’re overthinking it; better to just wash up and get some sleep, young lady."

Fang Tong looked at the small mountain of food in her bowl and spoke helplessly, "Bo Ming, I really can’t eat anymore."

She had already had a bowl of soup and eaten more than half a bowl of vegetables; she was full.

Li Bo Ming gave her a tender smile, "Eat a little more; you look like you’ve lost weight recently."

Fang Tong was left speechless; where had she lost weight? She had clearly gained two pounds. But... She glanced at the woman across from her, who looked like she was about to bite through her lip, and gave a faint smile, "Then I’ll finish these and stop eating."

"Good, don’t force yourself if you really can’t eat anymore, or you’ll have stomach discomfort again tonight."

In the past two years, Fang Tong, engrossed in her work abroad, had often eaten at irregular times, and sometimes she wouldn’t eat at all, which had led to some stomach problems. She even had to be hospitalized once because of stomach pain.

"I’m very curious how you two met. Was it also through a blind date?" Not wanting to watch the two pretend to be affectionate, Tong Yushi asked.

Li Bo Ming shook his head, "No, Tongtong and I have known each other since we were children, and our parents are good friends."

This was different from what she had expected. Tong Yushi was surprised, "You’ve known each other since you were kids, childhood sweethearts?"

Li Bo Ming smiled slightly and gave Fang Tong a tender look, "Yes." And he wouldn’t say anything more than necessary.

Tong Yushi was taken aback by such a turn. She found it hard to accept that they weren’t just a typical arranged marriage from a blind date as she’d thought, but now she was told they were childhood sweethearts with strong feelings for each other.

"I’ve been your classmate for so many years; why have I never heard you mention this childhood sweetheart of yours?" Although Tong Yushi’s face bore a smile, it was strained.

Li Bo Ming, being clever, could see what was going on and spoke lightly, "Tongtong and I lost contact for a few years. We only reconnected after I returned to the country."

Tong Yushi’s mouth twitched, not knowing what to say. She ate her meal with her head down. The three of them finished dinner in silence, and as they left the restaurant, Li Bo Ming offered, seeing that Tong Yushi hadn’t driven, "Take our car back home, it’s on our way too."

Had this been before the meal, Tong Yushi would have been delighted by the offer—after all, she had left the house without her car purposefully with this in mind. But having just learned such fact, she no longer felt like continuing with them and declined, "No need, I’m going to meet a friend afterward, so I won’t go with you. I’ll take a taxi; you go ahead."

Li Bo Ming took it in stride, "Then we’ll go on. Take care on your own." Saying this, he walked with Fang Tong on his arm toward the office where his car was parked in the garage.

On the way back, Fang Tong looked at him with a half-smile, "Your peach blossom seems to have quite a tenacious life force."

Li Bomming gave a bitter smile, he always kept a respectful distance from such matters, but he couldn’t help it when someone stuck to him like glue, "I haven’t given her even the slightest bit of hope."

Fang Tong looked at him, "If that weren’t the case, you’d be kneeling on the keyboard when you got back."

Li Bomming really felt like wiping sweat off his brow, since when did the Fang Tong he remembered, who was always gentle, start to seem a bit tomboyish?

Fang Tong seemed to read his thoughts, her smile not quite reaching her eyes, "Now that you’ve discovered I’m not gentle, thinking of returning the goods?"

Although he knew she was joking, Li Bomming still glared at her, his expression becoming serious, "Tongtong, don’t make such jokes, I don’t like it. No matter what you become, I will always love you, I’m with you for life."

Fang Tong burst into laughter, "Okay, okay, my mistake, I won’t make such jokes anymore. By the way, I have good news to tell you, I will soon be transferred back to headquarters for work."

Li Bomming was overjoyed, "Really?"

Fang Tong rolled her eyes, "Do I look like someone who would joke about this kind of thing? I’m going back this time to hand over my current work, and at the latest, I’ll be transferred back to headquarters within a month. Plus, once I’m back, the position of sales director will be mine."

"That really is good news; we’ll have to have a drink when we get back," Li Bomming said happily. Although he could accept living apart, he naturally was pleased that Fang Tong could return.

The news made Fang Tong’s parents very happy, especially Fu Fanghua, who was so overjoyed she patted her thigh. She had always worried about Fang Tong’s marriage. Think about it, a couple just married and already living apart, and although their relationship seemed good now, over time, problems were inevitable—not to mention love, sometimes infidelity isn’t due to falling out of love but merely a physical impulse, an impulse that both men and women can experience.

Watching over the past two years as both husband and wife’s careers got on the right track, especially Li Bomming, who took over the family business and whose worth had multiplied, if it weren’t for the fact that they were already married, other women would have probably pounced on him.

"Ah, now I can finally rest easy," Fu Fanghua said to her husband, a genuine smile of relief on her face.

Fang Chengzhi, on the other hand, was calm, fervently reading the newspaper in his hands, "Bomming and Tongtong have always had a good relationship; it didn’t need your worrying. It was all in your own head."

"Is it needless worry? You’re a man too; don’t you know how men think? Bomming loves Tongtong, I know that, but what if? As the saying goes, it’s easy for a woman to chase a man. If there’s a woman who relentlessly pursues him, there’s no guarantee Bomming won’t be moved."

"Look at you, talking about needless worries again. I trust Bomming’s character. Instead of fussing over this, you might as well make me a cup of tea."

Fu Fanghua glared at her husband, "You always take things too lightly. Forget it, you and our daughter are always on the same page, I won’t talk to you about this. I’m going to wash the clothes. If you want tea, go make it yourself." Saying this, she stood up and left.

Fang Chengzhi shook his head with amused laughter.

**

Shen Qinglan finally found Jin Enxi, and the huge boulder in her heart settled down, her face sporting a hint of a smile. Chu Yunrong could clearly sense that after Shen Qinglan came back from her outing, her mood had vastly improved.

"Qinglan, did something good happen on your trip out?" Chu Yunrong asked her daughter with a smile, and Shen Qinglan’s lips turned up slightly, "I saw an old friend whom I hadn’t seen for a long time."

Chu Yunrong continued, "Why not invite them over to our house for a visit? We haven’t had much lively company in a while."

"Mom, didn’t we just have Anan’s birthday party last week?"

"How can that be the same? Speaking of which, Xiao Xuan and Han Yi haven’t visited in a while either, invite them over for a meal sometime."

"Okay, I’ll give her a call," Shen Qinglan agreed. But after being reminded by Chu Yunrong, Shen Qinglan did recall another matter. After Anan’s birthday party, she had promised to have Haohao come over to stay, but unfortunately, Haohao fell ill that night after returning home. Afraid of transmitting the illness to Anan, he didn’t come over, and now she wasn’t sure if he had recovered yet.

Thinking of this, Shen Qinglan called Pei Yining, who didn’t pick up, seemingly busy with something, so she then dialed the Pei Family’s number.

"Hello, this is the Pei Family. May I ask whom you are looking for?" A child’s tender voice came through the phone, and who else could be on the other end if not Haohao.

"Haohao, it’s your aunt."

Haohao’s eyes lit up, "Aunt, is it really you?"

"Yes, how are you feeling lately, Haohao?"

"I’m all better now. Mom says I can go back to school next week."

"So, you’ve been resting at home these past days?"

"Yes, my teacher said I can return to class next week, so I’ve been practicing piano at home." Haohao had been learning piano since he was four and had weekly piano lessons.

"How about coming to stay at your aunt’s house for a few days?"

"Can I?" Surprise filled Haohao’s voice.

Shen Qinglan smiled, "Of course, you can, your little brother misses you too. Pass the phone to Grandma, I’ll talk to her."

Haohao handed the phone to Chu Yunjin, who naturally wouldn’t refuse. By the time Shen Qinglan arrived to pick up Haohao, he had already packed his things.

Shen Qinglan reached out to take Haohao’s luggage but he dodged her, "Aunt, Mom said I’m grown up now, and I should carry my own things."

Shen Qinglan chuckled and patted his head, "Alright, if you find it too heavy, your aunt will help you." Haohao’s little suitcase had wheels and easily trailed behind him on the ground, not requiring much effort.

As they were driving off, they saw Jiang Chenxi’s car approaching from the opposite direction, with Pei Yining sitting in the passenger seat. The two of them seemed to be in a bad mood, talking about something, they didn’t even notice Shen Qinglan’s car.

Haohao was about to greet them when the cars swiftly passed by each other. "Aunt, Mom seemed not to notice us."

Shen Qinglan hummed in response, "Let’s go ahead, we’ll call Mom later."

Back at home, Anan wobbled over upon seeing Haohao, "Brother."

Haohao quickly stepped forward to support him, "Hello, little brother."

Anan was making progress every day, now able to walk a few steps without support. He hugged Haohao, beaming with joy. Young children always like playing with other kids, and Anan was no exception, pulling Haohao to his toy room to play.

Shen Qinglan went to the kitchen to prepare some fruit for the two kids and, upon returning, found them seating on the floor, building with blocks.

Seeing them play so happily, Shen Qinglan didn’t linger. She told Aunt Liu to keep an eye on the children and then slipped into the studio.

The next day was the weekend. Shen Junyu and Wen Xiyao came back to visit Old Sir Shen and Chu Yunrong, and they stopped by to check on Anan too. Seeing that Haohao was also there, they suggested taking the two kids to the amusement park.

Naturally, Shen Qinglan had no objections. Haohao was thrilled to hear that they could go to the amusement park, while Anan simply looked puzzled. Being so young, he had no concept of what an amusement park was, he just giggled along with Haohao’s excitement.

On their way, Wen Xiyao received a call from the company about something very important that required her immediate attention.

"Sister-in-law, let me drop you off at the office first," Shen Qinglan spoke up.

Wen Xiyao waved her hand, "No need, just stop at the intersection ahead, I can take a taxi from there. Traffic in Beijing is so congested, it’d waste too much time for you to drop me off and then head to the amusement park."

"Call me when you’re done with your business, and we’ll come pick you up," Shen Qinglan said.

"Alright, have fun," Wen Xiyao smiled, patting the two little ones on their heads.

At the amusement park, Shen Junyu was in charge of holding Anan, while Shen Qinglan held Haohao’s hand.

Haohao hadn’t been to the amusement park in a long time. The last time was when Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi brought him.

"Auntie, I want to ride the rollercoaster," Haohao said, his eyes shining as he looked at the rollercoaster.

Shen Qinglan had never been interested in rollercoasters or pirate ships, so she turned her gaze to her brother.

Resigned, Shen Junyu handed Anan to Shen Qinglan, "Let’s go, your cousin uncle will take you."

Seeing that Shen Junyu was only taking Haohao, Anan suddenly got anxious, tugging at Shen Qinglan’s clothes, "Mommy, brother."

Shen Qinglan held his little hand still, "We’re not going on that, Mommy will take you to ride the carousel."

Yet again on the carousel, Anan looked at the other children around, blinking his big eyes, clapping his hands, happy. But after just one round, Anan refused to get off. Shen Qinglan had no choice but to go around four or five more times until he was satisfied.

Shen Junyu was about to take Haohao to ride the Ferris wheel when Anan saw they were leaving him behind again. He grabbed Shen Qinglan’s hair and pulled. Caught off guard, Shen Qinglan gasped, "Anan, let go."

Anan didn’t hear his mother’s words and kept staring intently at Shen Junyu and Haohao, his hand still unconsciously gripping Shen Qinglan’s hair.

Shen Qinglan couldn’t pull Anan’s hand away forcefully, so she had to lean her head in the direction of his hand. It was Shen Junyu, who was buying the tickets, who turned back, noticed Shen Qinglan’s predicament, and came over to free Shen Qinglan’s hair from Anan’s grip.

Shen Qinglan gave Anan a slap on the backside, "You little rascal, you’re not big but you’re strong."

Anan, however, was looking longingly in the direction of the Ferris wheel, gazing at Shen Junyu with desire, "Uncle."

Shen Junyu immediately understood and picked up Anan, "Alright, we’ll take Anan with us."

Anan got to ride the Ferris wheel as he wished and was so excited that he jumped up and down on Shen Junyu’s legs, never staying still for a moment.

"Auntie, I need to go to the bathroom." After getting down from the Ferris wheel, Haohao quietly said, holding Shen Qinglan’s hand.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Let’s go, your auntie will take you."

Standing at the bathroom entrance, Haohao refused to move, "Auntie, I don’t want to go to the ladies’ room, I’m a boy, I need to go to the men’s room."

Shen Qinglan looked at him, "Can you go by yourself?" Although he was such a young child, and it wouldn’t matter if she took him into the women’s bathroom, Shen Qinglan naturally respected his wish since Haohao brought it up.

Haohao nodded, "I always go by myself at kindergarten."

"All right, your aunt will be waiting for you at the entrance," Shen Qinglan said.

"Okay."

But this restroom was different from those at the kindergarten; Haohao wasn’t tall enough to reach. Standing still and holding himself, he was on the verge of not being able to hold it in any longer. As he was feeling troubled, a pleasant male voice sounded from above, "Do you need some help, little buddy?"

Haohao looked up to see a man dressed in white smiling down at him with a gentle gaze.

Haohao instinctively nodded, and the man picked him up.

After Haohao relieved himself, the man helped him tidy up his clothes, "Little buddy, why did you come here alone?"

Haohao pointed outside, "My aunt is waiting for me outside. Uncle, thank you for just now."

The man smiled, "No need to be polite. Next time, remember to have an adult come with you." Public restrooms were generally designed for adults. As he spoke, the man carried Haohao to wash his hands, and carefully wiped them dry with a paper towel.

"Thank you, Uncle," Haohao said politely.

The man patted Haohao’s head; Haohao frowned but didn’t refuse. He actually didn’t like strangers touching him, but this man had just helped him.

"Uncle, I need to go now, goodbye." Haohao waved at the man, smiling as he spoke, and the man nodded with a smile.

The man saw Haohao walking towards a very pretty woman who took Haohao’s hand with tender eyes. Not sure what Haohao said, but the woman glanced in his direction and nodded at him; the man returned the smile.

"Duan Ling, what are you looking at?" A hand patted the man’s shoulder, the one called Duan Ling shifted his gaze to look darkly at the newcomer.

The newcomer followed the direction Duan Ling had been looking, only to catch a glimpse of Shen Qinglan’s back, his eyes filled with insinuation, "Oh, I see it was a beautiful woman. But isn’t she a mother? Can you really make a move on her?"

Duan Ling cast the newcomer a cool glance, "Shut your mouth. Where’s your son?"

"He went to buy ice cream. That kid really wears me out. What was I thinking to bring him to the amusement park?" The newcomer made a sour face.

"I’d like to know why I’m here at the amusement park with you too. You’re here to accompany your son, but what about me?" Duan Ling asked nonchalantly.

The newcomer chuckled, "Naturally, you’re here to accompany me. You’ve been away for so many years, don’t you want to see how much things have changed back home? By the way, you’ve never been to Beijing before, right?"

Duan Ling’s gaze flickered, and he hummed in acknowledgment as the newcomer continued, "Then you should stay in Beijing a bit longer this time, and I’ll show you the wonderful sights of the city."

Duan Ling laid bare his real motive mercilessly, "I think you’re wanting me to help you look after your son, right?" His wife had recently returned to her parents’ home, leaving the son with him. The child was seven years old, full of mischief and quite a handful, enough to annoy anyone.

"You could’ve just pretended not to know, and besides, isn’t your godson also my son? We should face difficulties together."

"Cui Zeyu, shut your mouth."

The one named Cui Zeyu instantly clamped his mouth shut; well, what can you do when your brother likes kids and you do not have the same patience for them? If he had a choice, he would rather live childfree.

"Aling, seriously though, you’re not getting any younger. When will you find someone?" Cui Zeyu was really worried about his good friend’s lifelong happiness.

Duan Ling looked around, searching for Cui Zeyu’s son, Cui Baicheng. Cui Zeyu was too careless, letting the child go buy ice cream alone. If anything happened, Duan Ling wondered where he would go to cry.

Fortunately, while Cui Baicheng was mischievous, he knew not to run off outside; he came back to find people after shopping.

Duan Ling was the first to spot the child. With a glance from the corner of his eye, his gaze paused slightly and then turned toward the direction he had just been looking in. He saw Shen Qinglan and Haohao again.

His gaze lingered on Shen Qinglan for a while before falling on Haohao.

Shen Qinglan was bending down to wipe sweat off Haohao when she felt a gaze directed at her. She would normally disregard the stares of passersby, but this particular gaze lingered too long.

Shen Qinglan looked over and saw only a familiar figure from behind. After a careful thought, wasn’t it the same man she encountered at the restroom entrance?

Shen Qinglan withdrew her gaze, with a hint of perplexity in her eyes.

"Lanlan, what are you looking at?" Shen Junyu saw nothing.

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "Nothing." She looked down at Haohao, "Do you still want to play?"

Haohao had played for most of the day and was tired. Shaking his head, he said, "Auntie, I’m hungry."

"Then let’s go home," Shen Qinglan said.

On the way back, Anan was already asleep in his uncle’s arms, and even Haohao’s head was nodding, sleepy. Shen Qinglan looked back at Haohao, her doubts deepening.

Haohao had stayed with the Fu Family for three days, playing with Anan so much that he had completely forgotten about having to go to school. By the time Pei Yinong came to pick him up, Haohao was so reluctant to leave.

"Auntie, can brother go to school with me?" Haohao, clutching the hem of Shen Qinglan’s clothes, asked with hope.

Shen Qinglan chuckled, shaking her head, "Your brother is still too young to go to school. When he gets a bit older, he can go to school with you."

Haohao was a bit disappointed, "Then, when I’m not in school anymore, I’ll come to see brother again."

"Okay," Shen Qinglan kissed Haohao’s face and whispered softly to him. After finishing, she noticed that Pei Yinong was exceptionally quiet today, her face marked with a frown. Patting Haohao on the shoulder, she said, "You go play with your brother for a bit. Auntie needs to talk to your mom."

Haohao couldn’t have been happier to stay a while longer, and he readily agreed.

"Cousin, what’s wrong with you? You’ve been distracted all day," Shen Qinglan finally asked Pei Yinong once Haohao had run off to play with Anan.

Pei Yinong came back to reality, giving a wry smile, "Is it that obvious?"

Shen Qinglan gave her a ’you tell me’ look, "Do you have something on your mind? Want to talk about it?"

Due to Haohao, Pei Yinong had largely cut ties with her previous friends and hadn’t had any close confidantes in years. She truly lacked someone to confide in.

"A few days ago, Jiang Chenxi took me to meet his mother," Pei Yinong said.

Shen Qinglan remembered seeing Jiang Chenxi drop off Pei Yinong while picking up Haohao. They hadn’t noticed her, and evidently, the meeting had not been a pleasant one.

And Shen Qinglan had guessed correctly.

Ever since Anan’s first birthday feast, Pei Yinong had refused Sun Wei and incurred his bitterness. The next day, he found an opportunity to complain to Pei Yinong’s supervisor.

Pei Yinong’s supervisor had merely given her a few symbolic, nonchalant reprimands in front of Sun Wei, which angered Sun Wei greatly.

After that, he made things difficult for Pei Yinong at work, and despite her tolerance, Sun Wei became increasingly excessive, even arranging a dinner party with the intention of getting Pei Yinong drunk—his motives were all too clear.

Pei Yinong, realizing his intent naturally wanted to leave, but there were other leaders and project partners at the table, and it would have been impolite to leave in the middle of the meal. She had no choice but to sit there, enduring it.

Drink after drink, even though Pei Yinong didn’t want to drink, she couldn’t help feeling tipsy after several rounds. She took the chance to go to the restroom to throw up, where she met Jiang Chenxi.

Seeing Pei Yinong in such a state, Jiang Chenxi’s heart ached. He ignored her protests and took her away, "Jiang Chenxi, I’m working, you’re going to cause me a lot of trouble." Pei Yinong was angry.

Jiang Chenxi had been somber since stepping out of the hotel, and hearing Pei Yinong’s words, his anger erupted, "Pei Yinong, is your job really about spending late nights drinking with a bunch of old men, degrading yourself? How can you be so careless about yourself?"

As soon as he said it, he saw Pei Yinong’s incredulous look, and Jiang Chenxi realized he had gone too far, hurriedly explaining, "Yining, I’m sorry, I just had a brain fart and spoke without thinking. I didn’t mean it that way, don’t be mad."

"So this is what I am in your eyes." Pei Yinong pushed Jiang Chenxi away and started to leave.

Jiang Chenxi hugged her from behind, "Yining, it’s not like that, I just can’t bear to see you so exhausted, you shouldn’t have to work so hard."

Pei Yinong looked down at the large hand on her waist, "Let go, I’m going home."

"Yining, don’t be mad at me, I really didn’t mean it just now. If you’re feeling unwell, hit me, I promise I won’t fight back." Jiang Chenxi was panicked, he wasn’t afraid of Pei Yinong’s hysteria, but her calmness was what he feared the most. The calmer she was, the more he was afraid, feeling that such a Pei Yinong was so distant from him.

Pei Yinong pried off Jiang Chenxi’s hand, turned around, and walked away, as Jiang Chenxi blocked her, "Yining, don’t go."

Pei Yinong looked at him, her gaze calm yet distant, "You’re right, I am careless about myself, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten pregnant and had Haohao out of wedlock."

"Slap." A heavy slap landed harshly on Jiang Chenxi’s face, Pei Yinong stared at him, stunned.

"Slap." Another merciless slap, "Yining, it was my fault for speaking without thinking just now, I was being unreasonable, please forgive me."

Seeing Jiang Chenxi about to hit himself again, Pei Yinong finally reacted, grabbing his hand, "What are you doing?"

"Yining, I was an asshole just now, don’t be angry with me."

His face was marked with two clear slap prints, a glaring sight. The anger in Pei Yinong’s heart dissipated all at once, and she even felt a bit of heartache, sighing softly, "Chenxi, I’m tired, take me home."

Jiang Chenxi didn’t say a word and took Pei Yinong straight to his car.

"Yining, do you want to sleep for a bit? I’ll wake you when we arrive," Jiang Chenxi saw the weariness in Pei Yinong’s eyes and spoke with concern.

Pei Yinong looked out the window; Jiang Chenxi’s reflection was on the glass. She gazed at the person inside, her eyes filled with faint pain and longing. She didn’t know when she had fallen for Jiang Chenxi, maybe it was when he rushed from Beijing to Lin City in the middle of the night to take her to the hospital when she was sick and took care of her all night; or perhaps when she was wronged, and he stood in front of her; or maybe when she saw him getting along so well and closely with Haohao... By the time she realized she had an extra shadow in her heart, Jiang Chenxi had already taken root there.

And the man whom she once couldn’t stop thinking about, whom she thought she’d never forget in this lifetime, gradually faded from her life. Other than a child, all traces of him were slowly moving away.

But such love brought Pei Yinong no joy; she knew that Jiang’s parents would certainly not accept her. In fact, in Beijing, any somewhat decent family would not accept a daughter-in-law like her, and it had nothing to do with family background.

"Chenxi, do you really like me that much?" Pei Yinong closed her eyes and spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly. No sooner had she spoken did she chuckle bitterly. Was it the alcohol getting to her head?