"Did Boss Fu really say that?"
The dinner date between Shen Jianian and Bai Changxia was set for the next evening at a western restaurant, with a quiet environnt and a professional pianist playing nearby.
Bai Changxia picked up a glass of red wine, listened to Shen Jianian recount Fu Jichen’s proposal to get the marriage license, and was so shocked that she forgot to drink, staring straight at Shen Jianian.
Shen Jianian held a knife and fork cutting her steak, nodding calmly. However, her inner feelings were far from as composed as she appeared.
When Fu Jichen ntioned getting the marriage license, she was so stunned. She accepted his proposal, yes, but she thought there was still so ti before actually getting the license, kind of like a transitional period. Perhaps, in Fu Jichen’s view, they’ve been together for a long ti, but she felt their ti together wasn’t that long.
"How did you respond to him?" Bai Changxia couldn’t be bothered to drink, putting down her glass, and interlacing her fingers on the table, her eyes gleaming with excitent as she asked Shen Jianian for details.
"I was too surprised at the ti, didn’t say anything."
Shen Jianian recalled the scene from last night, looking at Fu Jichen with a stunned face, then her stomach let out an untily growl. Fu Jichen sighed, pulled her out of bed, and they went downstairs to eat.
During the al, his gaze was constantly on her, seemingly waiting for her answer.
Bai Changxia picked up the fork beside her, pointed at the diamond ring on Shen Jianian’s left ring finger: "Didn’t you already agree to Boss Fu’s proposal? Getting the license is just a matter of ti, sooner or later, there’s not much difference. Or do you not want to marry him?"
Shen Jianian chewed on the steak in her mouth, swallowed it, and then seriously looked at Bai Changxia and said: "I just... haven’t ntally prepared for talking about marriage. Let ask, how did you decide to marry Zhu Qisen back then?"
"It was a mont of impulsiveness, I just wanted to get married." Bai Changxia blurted out.
Shen Jianian was a bit speechless, this wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear.
Bai Changxia: "To elaborate, one night I was sick, groggily called him, I don’t even rember if I spoke on the phone, half an hour later, he was knocking on my door. I dragged my heavy body to open the door, his shirt buttons were mismatched, and he was wearing slippers. At that mont, I knew he was the one for for life."
Shen Jianian put down the knife and fork, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at the girl in the white dress playing piano, remaining silent for a long ti.
"Hey, we’re talking about serious matters, don’t drift off." Bai Changxia voiced, pulling her attention back, smiling at her with a "you don’t know how lucky you are" look, "Co on, it’s Fu Jichen, many noblewon in Beicheng dream of marrying him. He’s humbly asking you for a formal title, and you’re hesitating? Were it another woman, she’d drag him to the registry office overnight!"
Shen Jianian was amused and smiled at her words.
The sisters’ dinner ended around seven o’clock. Shen Jianian called the waiter to pay the bill, only to be told it had already been paid.
Shen Jianian instinctively looked at Bai Changxia, who was using a napkin to wipe her mouth and gestured with her hand: "Don’t look at , we agreed you’d treat for this al, I didn’t secretly pay."
Shen Jianian had to turn to the waiter: "Hello, may I ask, who paid the bill?"
"A lady with the last na Fu. She’s waiting for you in a private room on the second floor, hoping to et with you." The waiter relayed respectfully, gesturing "please," indicating willingness to guide her.
Questions popped into Shen Jianian’s mind, a lady nad Fu, could it be Fu Jichen’s family? Why would his family want to et her privately? Should she go?
"Miss, this way please." The waiter noticed her hesitation and spoke again.
Bai Changxia had a feeling that the Fu Family’s eting with Jianian wouldn’t be good. Such a prestigious family like the Fu Family, with strong views on social status, likely wouldn’t be happy about letting Jianian marry in, maybe they were intentionally picking a ti when Fu Jichen wasn’t around to make things difficult for her. Wasn’t that why Jianian left Beicheng back then, because of threats from Fu Jichen’s mother?
"I’ll go with you." Bai Changxia stood up and pushed her chair away.
The waiter showed a troubled expression, seemingly disagreeing: "Ms. Fu didn’t ntion wanting to see anyone aside from Miss Shen."
Bai Changxia grabbed Shen Jianian’s arm, looked coldly at the waiter: "Then we won’t see her." She quietly discussed with Shen Jianian, "Let’s wait for Fu Jichen to arrange a eting, since you two decided to get married, there will be opportunities to et the parents."
Bai Changxia pulled Shen Jianian, ready to leave. The waiter looked anxious, wanting to stop them but didn’t dare to, since after all, they were custors, and he had no reason to prevent them from leaving.
Suddenly, a crisp sound of high heels echoed behind them, accompanied by a gentle woman’s laughter: "It’s not easy to et Miss Shen, if Miss Shen doesn’t co to see , I have to co down personally."
The two people turned back simultaneously, and saw a lady in a white tailored suit walking over from the direction of the elevator. Long diamond earrings were set with eralds the size of a fingernail, visible from her black hair, and her fingers, painted with reddish-brown nail polish, gripped a crocodile skin handbag.
The woman was well-preserved in appearance, making it hard to tell her actual age, but she was definitely not Fu Jichen’s mother, otherwise the server would have addressed her as "Mrs. Fu" instead of "Ms. Fu".
She walked forward in high heels, her smile congenial, though upon closer inspection, her eyes lacked genuine mirth.
Fu Jianfang had waited for Shen Jianian in a private room upstairs for quite so ti without seeing her, guessing the server hadn’t brought her up.
"Miss Shen, long ti no see." Fu Jianfang affectionately patted Shen Jianian on the shoulder, "There are too many people in the hall, it’s very noisy. Let’s chat in the private room."
Fu Jianfang scrutinized Shen Jianian’s face; were it not for discovering on the internet earlier that this girl was Shen Jianian, she wouldn’t recognize her on the street—she looked very different from before.
Shen Jianian pondered Fu Jianfang’s words. She ntioned they had t before, but Shen Jianian had no recollection, so she turned her gaze to Bai Changxia for help.
Bai Changxia gave her a helpless expression. She truly didn’t know.
Seeing Shen Jianian’s unfamiliar expression, Fu Jianfang’s face grew sowhat unsettled. Being Mr. Fu’s only daughter, she was accustod to attention wherever she went, and couldn’t tolerate others neglecting her.
"Don’t rember?" Fu Jianfang’s tone shifted, "You young people can’t be so forgetful. During the old man’s birthday, Fu Da brought you back, and we t."
Shen Jianian didn’t know Fu Jichen’s aunt’s personality; based rely on first impressions, she found her sowhat domineering. Shen Jianian smiled softly, explaining, "I got into a car accident and injured my brain, forgetting many things, so please don’t mind."
Fu Jianfang squinted skeptically at her, unable to discern whether her words were a fictional excuse or an actual fact.
After so greetings, it resulted in Bai Changxia being left outside, as Shen Jianian and Fu Jianfang entered the private room.
Fu Jianfang ordered the server to bring in a pot of fruit tea, inviting Shen Jianian to sit down, maintaining a consistently cordial deanor: "I won’t keep you too long from your friends’ gathering, I’ll speak directly. Regarding your marriage with Fu Da, I originally shouldn’t intervene, but the elderly at ho are getting anxious, even falling ill. Fu Da’s mother is in the hospital, so I, as the aunt, have to step in. Miss Shen is a clever person, surely you understand you aren’t a suitable match for Fu Da."
Shen Jianian’s fingers tightened around her purse, having prepared herself for the worst before entering the room. Hearing these words wasn’t surprising.
Fu Jianfang theatrically waved near her mouth: "Gosh, did my words scare you? Rest assured, I’m not here to break up a couple, otherwise if Fu Da knew, he wouldn’t give a good face. My point is, Miss Shen can continue being with Fu Da, however long it may be, it doesn’t matter. Fu Da’s future wife will certainly be magnanimous and won’t mind Miss Shen’s presence."
Shen Jianian understood the subtext; Fu Jichen’s wife was soone else, definitely not her, and if she continued being involved with Fu Jichen, she’d only be kept outside as a mistress.
"Is this Fu Jichen’s idea?" Shen Jianian uttered her first words since entering the private room, expressionless, with fingers underneath the table turning pale from tension.
Fu Jianfang seed briefly startled, placing her fingers through the handle of the teacup, sipping softly, then lifted her gaze to the serene lady across and smiled slightly: "n sotis don’t make things very clear."
Shen Jianian also smiled. Had Fu Jichen not ntioned the marriage registration to her last night, perhaps Fu Jianfang’s words would have shaken her.
"You don’t believe?" Fu Jianfang found her smile overly dazzling with a hint of provocation, which she disliked, much like she disliked Fu Jichen’s cavalier attitude, "Do you know where Fu Da went tonight?"
This morning, Shen Jianian heard from Fu Jichen that he had social obligations tonight, but she didn’t ask about the event’s location, rarely inquiring about his whereabouts actively.
"The Zhou family’s youngest daughter is celebrating her birthday today, and Fu Da went to accompany her. He should be at the hotel now." Fu Jianfang’s phone on the table pinged.
She glanced at it, smiled with curved eyes, and pushed the phone toward Shen Jianian as an offer.
"I have a good relationship with Mrs. Zhou, so I know their daughter is gentle and eloquent, also very tolerant and gracious. As I said, she won’t mind you, you can be assured of that."
Shen Jianian forced herself not to look at the phone screen; however, she underestimated her curiosity and couldn’t help glancing down. The photo was in a hotel private room, the round table filled with exquisitely plated dishes. The Zhou family’s youngest daughter, wearing a white off-shoulder princess dress, sat next to Fu Jichen, her head slightly leaning toward him, smiling at the cara with a touch of cream at her nose.
Fu Jianfang tily reminded: "Scroll further, and there are photos of them in the hotel suite."
Shen Jianian exerted all her strength to maintain composure, her cool fingertips on the screen slipped back a bit. In the hotel suite, the lights reflected on the floor-to-ceiling window, a slightly rumpled white bed, and the girl in a slip dress lay on top, with Fu Jichen standing beside the bed, his gesture frozen as he undid his shirt buttons.
Shen Jianian didn’t know what other photos existed, lacking the courage to look further.
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