Fang Tong couldn’t help but purse her lips in amusent. The girls nowadays, why do they only see a guy’s face? She admitted that if one looked at Shen Junyu’s face alone, he certainly was a stunningly handso man. Fu Hengyi had a powerful aura, and Han Yi had an otherworldly charm, but Shen Junyu was the absolute epito of a genteel and refined gentleman.
Yet, beyond that attractive exterior, the man was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. If you got near him, you wouldn’t even realize how you were being devoured.
"Now, let’s announce the final lucky draw prize. The winner of this prize will have the honor of dancing the opening dance with our president, Mr. Shen Junyu," the host’s voice echoed through the venue, bringing looks of nervous anticipation to the faces of two young girls in the front.
With a casual sweep of her gaze, Fang Tong found most of the young won present wore similar expressions. She couldn’t help but find it amusing. She hadn’t realized Shen Junyu was actually quite popular.
"Could number 0894 please co to the stage?" The host’s voice jolted her out of her reverie as a collective sigh of disappointnt filled the venue.
"Could number 0894 please co to the stage?" The host repeated.
As they had entered the venue, each lady had been given a rose to wear on her chest, with a small card attached beneath it. The card contained the number the host was now calling out.
Shen Qinglan looked slightly surprised as she glanced at Fang Tong’s chest, where, indeed, the card read "0894."
Shen Qinglan nudged Fang Tong. "Go on up."
Fang Tong was taken aback and only then did she belatedly realize the host was referring to her.
Perhaps noticing her lack of response, Shen Qinglan lifted her hand, and suddenly the spotlight converged on her. The entire room’s attention was abruptly focused on Fang Tong, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable. She thought, could she possibly give her number to soone else? She didn’t want to dance with Shen Junyu.
When Shen Junyu saw that it was her, he too seed surprised, but he offered a slight smile, approached her, and extended his hand with gentlemanly grace. "Beautiful miss, may I have the pleasure of dancing with you?"
His warm voice and elegant movent instantly lted the hearts of many girls present.
A faint blush tinged Fang Tong’s face, not from shyness, but nervousness. Anyone would be nervous being the focus of envy, jealousy, and covetous stares from eighty percent of the won present. Feeling the piercing gazes, Fang Tong’s palms began to sweat. Had she known, she would have never attended this annual company event.
"Who is that? She doesn’t seem to be an employee of our company," soone whispered while looking at Fang Tong.
Soone else pointed at Shen Qinglan. "She ca with the boss’s younger sister. She must be a friend of his sister."
"She’s so lucky to dance with the boss. Why couldn’t I have been the one to draw that number? I wish the boss would hold in his embrace for a dance," soone comnted enviously.
"Well, she knows the boss’s sister. Maybe they were acquainted with the boss in private," another voice added with a hint of acidity.
Shen Junyu maintained his stance, unaffected. Fang Tong looked at his distinctively jointed hand and slowly placed hers in it.
As the music started, Shen Junyu gently led her, and Fang Tong found herself being swept onto the dance floor.
Shen Junyu was dressed in a deep navy suit that, paired with her white evening gown, complented each other perfectly. The union of the handso man and the beautiful woman drew exclamations of admiration.
Shen Qinglan hadn’t expected that Fang Tong would know how to dance at all. Although her movents were a bit unpolished and led by Shen Junyu, Fang Tong had a strong sense of rhythm and quickly caught on.
With Shen Junyu’s hand on her waist and Fang Tong’s resting on his shoulder, their other hands intertwined, she was gracefully led through the motions. Each turn, dip, and spin painted a beautiful scene, her dress billowing with a grace that harmonized with her movents.
The jealous whispers from those not chosen slowly dissipated as everyone watched the pair dance, seeing before them a perfect match.
"Hey, I’ve got to say, the boss actually looks quite good with that girl," soone remarked.
"I think so too. That girl is actually pretty beautiful," another agreed.
"The guy’s handso and the girl’s beautiful. If they got together, their kids would definitely be super beautiful and cute."
Listening to the murmurs around her, Shen Qinglan was overco with a sense of exasperation. The imaginations of these people were truly boundless.
In another corner of the venue, Ding Minghui stared at the two people dancing gracefully in the dance floor, flas seeming to flicker in his eyes, especially when hearing the surrounding whispers. He clenched his fists tightly, his gaze boring into Shen Junyu’s back as if trying to drill a hole through it.
Watching Fang Tong being held in Shen Junyu’s arms, seeing her shine so brightly and appearing so dependent, Ding Minghui’s heart was overco with a profound bitterness and a raging fury. Had he not forcefully restrained himself, he might have already charged forward.
Shen Junyu, sensing sothing, glanced towards the crowd but failed to locate the malicious stare. Lowering his head, he looked at Fang Tong’s expressionless face and smiled.
"Does dancing with make you uncomfortable?" he asked.
Fang Tong, startled, looked blankly at Shen Junyu.
"Otherwise, why such a face? If others saw, they might think I’m bullying you," he whispered into her ear. From afar, the two seed very intimate, stirring a pink commotion among the onlookers.
Fang Tong was not accustod to his sudden closeness, leaning back slightly to create so distance, yet her gaze t Shen Junyu’s directly. His eyes were as dark as the ocean shrouded in night, mysterious and dangerous. She averted her gaze, not daring to et his eyes any longer.
To outsiders, this scene appeared to be a Cinderella story, where the prince falls in love at first dance and the maiden silently grants her heart.
Shen Qinglan watched the dancing pair in the dance floor, then suddenly glanced toward a certain corner, seeing nothing. A flicker of confusion passed through her beautiful eyes. She did indeed feel soone’s gaze on her, always there yet barely perceptible.
"Little sister-in-law, so you are here. I’ve been looking everywhere for you," Gu Yang appeared in front of Shen Qinglan with a beaming smile. Despite his high-end, wine-red bespoke suit, Gu Yang did not carry the slightest bit of a young master’s deanor, rather resembling an immature child.
With him was Jiang Chenxi, whom Shen Qinglan had t only once, also dressed in a well-tailored suit that added a touch of scholarly charm to him.
"Sister-in-law, long ti no see," he greeted with a warm smile, as smooth as jade.
Shen Qinglan: "Long ti no see."
"Little sister-in-law, I greeted you too. Why do you only respond to him and not to ?"
"Because you’re too noisy," ca Gu Kai’s voice, and then Shen Qinglan saw him, clad in a black suit with an expressionless face, exuding a cool and detached air.
The various temperants of these n, coupled with their handso appearances, attracted the gazes of many won. Surrounded in the middle, Shen Qinglan received an array of discreet hostility.
Finally, the music stopped, and Fang Tong ceased her dance moves, swiftly stepping away from Shen Junyu’s embrace. Looking at her as if she was dodging a viper, there seed to be a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
The music began once more, and many took their dance partners back into the dance floor.
Scanning her surroundings, Fang Tong couldn’t find Shen Qinglan, but her eyes t with Ding Minghui’s. After a brief glance from afar, Fang Tong was the first to look away, then she saw Shen Qinglan encircled by three n.
"Little sister-in-law, may I have the honor of asking you for a dance?" Gu Yang extended one hand to Shen Qinglan, the other behind his back, slightly bending at the waist.
Before Shen Qinglan could react, another hand swiftly reached out, knocking Gu Yang’s hand away.
Even amidst the noisy surrounds, a loud "slap" was audible.
"Ow, who hit ?" cried Gu Yang, clutching the back of his hand.
"Your big brother," Shen Junyu said darkly.
Gu Yang stiffened, stamring, "Brother Shen, weren’t you dancing with a beauty? How co you’re here?"
A certain beauty, also on her way over, hesitated not knowing whether to co closer or to leave. Shen Qinglan, however, saw Fang Tong first. Giving her a look, Fang Tong thought for a mont before walking over.
From Ding Minghui’s angle, he couldn’t see Shen Qinglan; he could only watch as Fang Tong moved towards Shen Junyu, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the glass starkly visible.
"Minghui, what are you looking at?" Liu Hui followed Ding Minghui’s line of sight but saw nothing.
Ding Minghui was pulled back to reality by Liu Hui. He glanced at his manager and smiled, "I just saw our president, he seems quite young, so I took a second look."
Hearing this, Liu Hui laughed and, noticing Ding Minghui’s curiosity, proceeded to introduce him with great interest, "Don’t be fooled by his youthful appearance, his thods are quite exceptional. Although he is a son of the Shen Family, he has carved out a niche for himself in the business world through his own abilities."
Ding Minghui was internally skeptical, thinking it was nonsense that he didn’t rely on his family. Even if the Shen Family ca from a military background, they certainly had many contacts. He didn’t believe that Shen Junyu hadn’t used his family’s power.
Especially after seeing him dancing with Fang Tong tonight, he looked exactly like a playboy squandering his family’s wealth.
"Does he have a girlfriend?" Ding Minghui asked.
Liu Hui looked at him with a hint of ambiguity in her eyes, "What, you have a sister at ho? Even if you do, don’t even think about it. What status does our president have, and why would he take interest in an ordinary person? Even if your sister is incredibly beautiful, being favored by the president would end up being just a matter of getting so money. But as for marrying into the Shen Family, that’s out of the question."
She just assud that Ding Minghui, seeing Shen Junyu looking young, wanted to introduce Shen Junyu to his sisters at ho, thereby climbing up the social ladder through Shen Junyu. With this thought, Liu Hui’s eyes flashed with a hint of disdain. He was young, ambitious, but lacked insight. Their president wasn’t soone who could be easily manipulated.
Little did she know that upon hearing her words, Ding Minghui almost wanted to rush over and beat up Shen Junyu. In his eyes, Shen Junyu was eyeing Fang Tong and playing with her emotions.
He wanted to get Fang Tong out of there and tell her the truth, but Liu Hui was keeping an eye on him, preventing him from leaving. He could only watch from afar, but amidst the crowd, he couldn’t make out what was happening on Fang Tong’s side.
Gu Yang looked at Fang Tong curiously, "Are you my sister-in-law’s classmate?"
Fang Tong didn’t recognize Gu Yang. After hearing his question and giving it a little thought, she realized he was referring to Shen Qinglan and nodded, "Hello, I’m Fang Tong."
"My na is Gu Yang, Fu Hengyi is my cousin."
Fang Tong understood. No wonder he called Qinglan "sister-in-law."
"Qinglan, you guys go ahead and talk, I’m going to look for Xiao Xuan." Fang Tong said.
When she ca in, she saw Yu Xiaoxuan at the buffet eating, but in the blink of an eye, she was gone. Yu Xiaoxuan had a bit of a drinking problem, and Fang Tong was worried about her in a setting like this.
"I’ll go with you." There wasn’t anything for her here anyway, and Shen Qinglan didn’t want to stay and make idle chit-chat.
Shen Junyu had already left. It was Junlan Group’s annual eting today. Not only were the company’s employees present, but also many business partners that he needed to greet.
"Hey, where’s Han Yi?" suddenly realizing soone was missing, Gu Yang asked.
Gu Kai and Jiang Chenxi shook their heads; they hadn’t seen Han Yi either.
**
At this mont, the two people on everyone’s mind hadn’t gone far and were in a lounge on the second floor of the boat.
Yu Xiaoxuan was sitting on the sofa, glaring at the man opposite with eyes that were shooting daggers, "Han Yi, what exactly do you want by bringing here?"
Han Yi looked at her, his peach blossom eyes dark but his face wearing a smile, "What do you think I want to do?"
Rembering what she had accidentally seen just a mont before, Han Yi was so angry he felt pain everywhere.
How could he have known he’d bump into an ex-girlfriend here, one of several exes, but certainly an ex. He had dated this ex-girlfriend for a significant amount of ti, and she was one of the few he had publicly acknowledged. They ultimately broke up due to incompatible personalities, and although they didn’t contact each other much afterward, they could truly be called friends, even maintaining a business partnership.
Running into her here today naturally called for a chat, but there was too much noise in the eting area to hear anything clearly, so they went to the hallway.
While they were talking, Yu Xiaoxuan went out to the bathroom and happened upon the scene, which wasn’t much of an issue in itself, only that soone had just run past at that ti, bumping the ex-girlfriend slightly. She hadn’t steadied herself when Han Yi reached out to help, and what Yu Xiaoxuan saw next was Han Yi embracing a woman, their postures intimately close.
Yu Xiaoxuan hadn’t expected to witness such a lodramatic scene just by going to the restroom, and the male lead in this situation was always the sa guy, although every ti the female lead was different.
Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t know what she felt at that mont—she was dying to march over there, stomp on Han Yi’s feet, and kick him straight into the sea.
"Young Master Han, even if you’re in a hurry, you can’t disregard the occasion. After all, this is a public place with people coming and going. It’s not appropriate to stage an R-rated scene here."
Yu Xiaoxuan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, speaking leisurely.
Han Yi hadn’t expected her to be there and witness such a scene. Hearing her words, his face imdiately turned dark, and he gritted his teeth in annoyance.
The ex-girlfriend glanced at Yu Xiaoxuan—the girl was pretty with adorable crescent moon eyes. It’s just that her personality—she glanced at Han Yi and a hint of a smile flickered in her eyes. She hadn’t expected Han Yi’s current taste to be like this.
"I’m leaving first." The ex-girlfriend waved her sleeves and floated away, leaving Han Yi and Yu Xiaoxuan staring at each other.
Han Yi had a black look on his face, but Yu Xiaoxuan wasn’t scared at all, looking straight back at him.
Watching Yu Xiaoxuan’s expression that said "What now, upset that I caught you cheating? Don’t I have the right to speak?" Han Yi couldn’t help but laugh in frustration, feeling incredibly irritated. Why did Yu Xiaoxuan always catch him in these embarrassing situations?
He walked over, grabbed Yu Xiaoxuan’s wrist, and started walking with her.
"Hey, what are you doing? Let go of ." Yu Xiaoxuan slapped at Han Yi’s arm, but no matter how hard she tried, Han Yi wouldn’t let go, and she was forced to follow him to the second-floor cabin’s lounge. Yu Xiaoxuan sat on the sofa in the lounge, eyes glaring at Han Yi.
"What you saw just now was a misunderstanding." After a while, Han Yi broke the silence, his voice a bit deep.
Yu Xiaoxuan was taken aback. Han Yi continued to explain.
"She’s just a business partner of mine. We were discussing work. Soone walked past just now and bumped her, almost causing her to fall, so I reached out to help."
Yu Xiaoxuan then understood that Han Yi was explaining what happened, but did he need to explain it to her? Yet, the slight stuffiness in her heart, which even she couldn’t explain, dissipated because of his explanation.
"Oh." Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t know what to say, a hint of embarrassnt lingering in her eyes from the misunderstanding.
Is that all? Han Yi looked at her, disbelief in his love-struck eyes. She had misunderstood him, and now that it was cleared up, shouldn’t she apologize?
"If there’s nothing else, I’m going to leave." Yu Xiaoxuan stood up, ready to go.
"Hey, you brat." Han Yi called out to her.
eting Yu Xiaoxuan’s puzzled gaze, Han Yi felt even more irked and waved her off, "Hurry up and leave, leave, don’t block my view here."
Yu Xiaoxuan pursed her lips, giving him an incomprehensible look, pulled open the door, and walked out. That man was really strange—dragging her over just to say that and now acting as if she was the one clinging to him. She had just stepped out onto the deck when she bumped into Shen Qinglan, who had co out to look for her.
"Qinglan." Yu Xiaoxuan jogged over to Shen Qinglan’s side.
Shen Qinglan glanced in the direction Yu Xiaoxuan had co from, a flash of puzzlent in his eyes, "Where did you go?"
"I ate a bit too much and just went sowhere to rest." Yu Xiaoxuan said with a giggle, not ntioning her recent encounter with Han Yi.
Shen Qinglan did not inquire further, only stating, "It’ll be a while before the boat docks. I’m going upstairs to rest for a bit, what about you?"
"I’ll co with you."
Shen Qinglan called Fang Tong as well, and the three of them found a room on the second floor to rest. There was a bed in the room, and Shen Qinglan, looking sowhat tired, lay down for a bit but ended up falling asleep.
When Shen Qinglan woke up again, the boat had already docked—it was early in the morning by then. Shen Junyu had wanted to wake Shen Qinglan but seeing that she was already awake, he withdrew his half-raised hand, "Now that you’re up, let’s get up. You can sleep more once we’re back at the hotel."
Shen Qinglan nodded, her eyes still a bit foggy from just waking up. She sat for a while, waiting to fully wake up before following Shen Junyu out.
"Where are Yu Xiaoxuan and Fang Tong?" Shen Qinglan didn’t see the two and asked.
"I told them to leave first when the boat docked."
Hearing this, Shen Qinglan didn’t say anything further.
Returning to the hotel room, Shen Qinglan took a bath and picked up her cell phone to check the ti—it was one o’clock. Having just taken a nap, she felt a little restless.
"Are you asleep?" She sent a WeChat ssage to Fu Hengyi, which they had added last ti he ca back.
"Why are you still up so late?" Fu Hengyi’s ssage was almost an instant reply.
Shen Qinglan smiled and called Fu Hengyi.
"Qinglan."
"Uh-huh."
"Why haven’t you slept?" The two of them said almost in unison.
Having said that, both of them revealed a smile in their eyes.
"I just got back from my brother’s company anniversary party. I took a nap in the middle, and now I’m not sleepy," Shen Qinglan explained.
"Was the party fun?"
Shen Qinglan shook her head, realizing that Fu Hengyi couldn’t see her, and then spoke, "It wasn’t very interesting, but," her tone shifted, "I did see so amusing things."
"Oh?" Fu Hengyi’s interest was piqued by her comnt. "What amusing things?"
Shen Qinglan’s eyes darted about, "I’ll tell you when I’ve figured it out."
Fu Hengyi didn’t press for details, just chuckled and changed the subject, "I won’t be able to accompany you to buy New Year’s goods this ti," his voice tinged with a hint of regret. He had hoped to return earlier, but there was just too much going on at the base, and he couldn’t leave at all. Besides, everyone had holidays starting on the 28th; it wouldn’t be right for him to leave early.
Shen Qinglan didn’t really mind, "I’ve already arranged with Aunt Zhao. I’ll go out with her tomorrow to buy the New Year’s goods." Thinking it over, she decided to tell Fu Hengyi about spending eight million to buy a teahouse.
Upon hearing this, Fu Hengyi simply said, "As long as you’re happy," his tone lacking any dissatisfaction at Shen Qinglan’s spending of eight million as if, in his eyes, eight million was no different from eighty.
"The happiest about you opening this teahouse should be the two grandfathers."
When Shen Qinglan heard Fu Hengyi’s words, the corners of her mouth curved up slightly. Both Old Sir Shen and Old Sir Fu were lovers of tea, knowledgeable about the art of tea, and it was they who had taught Shen Qinglan her tea skills, hand in hand.
The initial visit to that teahouse had also been with Old Sir Shen.
"Aren’t you going to say sothing about my extravagant spending?" Shen Qinglan teased.
Fu Hengyi replied with an easy smile, light and breezy, "I am your husband. Isn’t it only natural for a wife to spend her husband’s money? Besides, I gave you the money for you to spend."
Hearing this, though Shen Qinglan said nothing verbally, her eyes were warm with amusent.
"What if I squander our entire fortune with my reckless spending?"
"Even if it’s all gone, I won’t let you go hungry," Fu Hengyi replied naturally, eliciting an even more amused look in Shen Qinglan’s eyes.
The two chatted for a while, and Shen Qinglan glanced at the clock, noting it was almost two o’clock. She didn’t keep Fu Hengyi talking any longer but instead suggested he get so rest early.
Shen Qinglan still wasn’t sleepy, but she didn’t feel like picking up a book to read as she would at ho. Feeling sowhat bored, she lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She recalled that she hadn’t seen Jin Enxi at all during the night and felt a bit uneasy. Standing up, she called Jin Enxi, but the call didn’t go through. Her eyebrows knitted slightly in concern. She tried again, but still with no success, and eventually gave up.
The next morning, Shen Qinglan woke up even earlier than usual. The first thing she did was to call Jin Enxi. This ti, the call connected. After exchanging a few words and learning that Jin Enxi had left the place early the previous night to return ho, Shen Qinglan felt an indescribable strangeness in her heart, reminiscent of the occasional, almost imperceptible sensation of being watched.
"Enxi, just... be safe," Shen Qinglan finally said, offering this simple word of caution.
On the other end of the line, Jin Enxi had one hand gripping the phone and the other holding a dagger. At that mont, the dagger was pressed against another woman’s throat. Jin Enxi’s face wore a warm smile, but the hand holding the dagger was deadly still. Though her gaze wasn’t on the woman, the woman had no doubt that any slight movent might prompt the dagger to swiftly slice through her carotid artery.
After hanging up, Jin Enxi looked at the woman, who was sitting obediently still, motionless. She withdrew the dagger but didn’t put it away; instead, she idly flipped it in her hand like a toy, its blade emitting a cold glint, yet responding obediently to her touch.
The doll-like Jin Enxi wore a sweet smile, but her eyes contained a glacial edge as she addressed the woman, "Tell , why have you been following Shen Qinglan?"
The woman had an Eastern face, delicate features, yet was unfamiliar. Her expression was completely blank, actually, it had been that way since Jin Enxi had taken her away the previous night. Even when Jin Enxi held the dagger at her throat, with her life in soone else’s hands, the woman’s face remained unflinching.
"Co on, not talking, huh? Do you think I can’t do anything to you if you stay silent?" Jin Enxi’s hands now inexplicably held an apple. The blade of the dagger danced between her fingers, and in no ti, a beautiful apple blossom took shape at her fingertips.
Admiring the carved apple blossom, she seed quite pleased with her handiwork. Setting the blossom aside, she picked up another apple. Instead of carving it, though, she brought the dagger’s sharp edge close to the woman’s face, stopping just short of touching it. The woman could feel the chill emanating from the blade.
"What do you think would happen if this dagger slipped and marred your pretty face?" Jin Enxi said cheerily.
The woman’s expression shifted slightly but quickly returned to normal.
"Yo, not scared, huh? Well, given how advanced technology is these days, even if you were disfigured, a surgery could bring your beauty back, although one can’t be sure it would still be the sa face."
Catching the fleeting panic in the woman’s eyes, Jin Enxi smiled even broader. She moved the dagger a fraction closer to the woman’s face, then said, "Of course, all you need to do is tell why you’ve been following Shen Qinglan, what you intended to do, and I’ll let you go. How about it? I’m easy to negotiate with, and I always keep my promises. It’s a fair deal—don’t you want to consider it?"
The woman looked up at Jin Enxi and finally spoke her first words, "You have no ties with Shen Qinglan, so why help her?"
"Trying to fish for information?" Jin Enxi chuckled, tapping the woman’s cheek lightly with the flat of the dagger, "If I let you trick so easily, where would I, Jin Enxi, put my face? I advise you to stop playing gas and honestly tell what your purpose is in following Shen Qinglan."
The woman’s eyes held Jin Enxi’s gaze firmly, "I haven’t been following her."
"Tsk, tsk, still unwilling to tell the truth," Jin Enxi sighed, setting the dagger aside and slapping the woman’s face hard with her hand. The blow was so forceful that blood spilled from the woman’s mouth imdiately.
"Do you think I’m blind?" Jin Enxi blew on her reddened palm, her doll-like face showing signs of pain. The woman’s skin was so tough it hurt her hand to slap her. If only she had known, she would have used the sole of a shoe instead.
The woman’s complexion turned ashen as her eyes blazed with fury at Jin Enxi.
Jin Enxi laughed heartily, "That’s more like it! This is the sort of expression I was looking for. That impassive face of yours was so awkward." I might as well have been dealing with An. She muttered under her breath.
"I told you, I wasn’t following Shen Qinglan. It was just by chance that our paths crossed."
"Ah well, if you’re unwilling to tell the truth, then stay here. I’m not busy anyway, so keeping you company isn’t too bad; at least it’s soone to talk to."
The woman’s countenance grew even uglier, a barely noticeable desperation flickering in her eyes.
anwhile, Jin Enxi had settled down on the couch, casually watching TV. The suite in a Beijing hotel was quiet. She hadn’t returned to Shangya Garden, fearing that Shen Qinglan might suddenly visit her at ho.
This woman had been tailing Shen Qinglan all day. If Jin Enxi hadn’t sought Shen Qinglan out for sothing, she wouldn’t have noticed her. It was this woman’s peculiar trail that had brought Jin Enxi to the Junlan Group’s annual conference unannounced. She had intended to deal with the woman before the event, but after getting on the boat, she lost track of her. It took considerable effort for her to be captured.
**
On the other side, Qinglan hung up the phone, her eyes deep with contemplation. She was sure that Jin Enxi was hiding sothing from her, but she also believed that Enxi would never do anything to hurt her. Since Enxi was not willing to tell her, Qinglan decided she would not ask.
She followed Brother Shen back to the compound and first visited the Fu Family, only to learn that Old Sir Fu had gone out to visit friends and was not at ho. Qinglan then turned back to the Shen Family.
"Mom, where are we going first later?"
Just as she reached the doorway, she heard Xitong’s voice.
Qinglan pushed the door open and entered. Chu Yunrong glanced at Qinglan and said with a smile, "Qinglan, how co you’re back so soon?"
"Grandpa went out to visit friends and is not at ho," Qinglan replied indifferently.
"Sister, I was just telling Mom that we should go out to buy New Year’s goods together. Would you like to join us?" Xitong looked at Qinglan with a smile, seemingly in a very good mood.
Chu Yunrong joined in, "Yes, Qinglan, co with us. Hengyi will be back for the New Year, and it’ll be too late to buy anything then."
Qinglan thought for a mont and then nodded in agreent with Xitong’s suggestion.
Following the two of them out the door, it was Chu Yunrong who drove, with Xitong taking the seat in the passenger side first, while Qinglan settled into the back seat.
During the ride, Xitong and Yunrong chatted happily, and from ti to ti, Qinglan could hear the sound of Yunrong being amused by Xitong.
Xitong and Yunrong really seed more like mother and daughter than she did, Qinglan thought to herself, yet her heart remained completely undisturbed.
Xitong constantly paid attention to Qinglan’s expressions and, seeing that she showed no change from beginning to end, could not help but feel annoyed, gently biting her lip.
"By the way, Mom, do you rember Leng Qingqiu I ntioned to you last ti?" Xitong suddenly spoke up, deliberately enunciating the na "Leng Qingqiu".
"What about it?"
"Last ti, you said you wanted to invite her over as a guest. I ntioned it to Qingqiu afterward, and she said she’s free this weekend. Mom, does this weekend work for you?"
"Of course, it’s just a pity your father hasn’t co back yet."
"It’s no problem. When Dad cos back, I’ll invite Qingqiu over again."
"Sister, you should co back this weekend, too. It’ll be a good opportunity for you all to et," Xitong turned her head, smiling at Qinglan.
"Okay," Qinglan replied indifferently. A flicker of surprise crossed Xitong’s eyes, but her smile remained gentle and warm.
"I’m sure you’ll get along famously at first sight."
Qinglan was noncommittal. She was curious to know who this person who was impersonating her really was and what their motives might be.
Upon arriving at the mall, Qinglan got her first glimpse of Chu Yunrong’s fighting spirit. Apart from shopping, it was all about whipping out the card and swiping it continuously. Despite having many of the items at ho, Yunrong still accumulated pile after pile of purchases.
"This is for your grandfather, this is for Old Sir Fu, this is for your maternal grandparents, this is for your auntie..." Yunrong muttered under her breath as she shopped, with Qinglan and Xitong both laden with Yunrong’s spoils of war.
Even Qinglan, who was usually energetic, eventually felt a hint of fatigue and deeply regretted deciding to join Yunrong on this New Year’s shopping expedition.
And for Xitong, who naturally had less stamina, she had long since beco so tired that she could hardly walk.
Yunrong, looking at the shopping bags on the ground, seed slightly unsatisfied; if it weren’t for Xitong complaining of hunger, she probably would have continued her shopping spree.
After having the store staff take the bags to the car to be stowed away, the three of them prepared to find a place to eat.
"Mum, there’s a restaurant nearby with really good food. I ca here with a friend last ti; how about we go there today?" Shen Xitong looped her arm through Chu Yunrong’s in a close gesture.
Shen Qinglan followed behind with a blank expression.
"Qinglan, what do you think?" Chu Yunrong didn’t respond to Shen Xitong but turned to ask Shen Qinglan instead.
"Whatever."
Chu Yunrong looked at her indifferent daughter, pursed her lips, and her eyes darkened slightly.
The restaurant was nearby, and Chu Yunrong didn’t plan to go back for the car; the three of them walked directly there.
The restaurant was on another street, just around a corner and across one more road.
Just as they reached the middle of the road, a car suddenly burst from around the corner, heading straight for them.
"Qinglan, watch out." As they were about to cross the road, Chu Yunrong’s voice, full of terror, rang in Shen Qinglan’s ears, and then, before she could react, she was yanked forcefully to the side.
Shen Qinglan only had ti to see the driver’s eyes widen in horror, and a piercing screech of brakes filled her ears.
"Qinglan, are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?" Chu Yunrong grasped Shen Qinglan, looking her up and down with a face full of panic.
Shen Qinglan did not answer Chu Yunrong but looked to the other side.
There, Shen Xitong lay on the ground, pale, while the car stopped just in front of her, only a fist’s distance away.
It seed that only then did Chu Yunrong realize, in the urgency of the mont, she had managed to pull Shen Qinglan aside but left Shen Xitong behind. If the car hadn’t braked in ti, then...
She hurried over, "Tongtong, what’s wrong with you? Where did you get hit?" Her face was etched with anxiety.
Shen Xitong was very pale, with the residual fear of a near miss on her face. Hearing Chu Yunrong’s voice, so vitality seed to return to her eyes. She slowly turned her head, focusing on Chu Yunrong’s face, and slowly, slowly tried to curve her mouth. She wanted to say she was fine, but the pain in the palm of her hand left her speechless.
Only then did Chu Yunrong notice that her palm was scraped raw from the fall and was bleeding.
"I’m so sorry, I didn’t see, are you hurt anywhere, I’ll take you to the hospital to check it out," a young man got out of the car, his face a mix of panic and guilt. It was his first ti driving, and such an incident had happened. Fortunately, he hadn’t hit anyone—if he had...
Chu Yunrong helped Shen Xitong up from the ground. The young man wanted to lend a hand, hesitating when he saw the obviously expensive coat she was wearing.
"Are you okay?" the young man asked cautiously, obviously noticing the injury on Shen Xitong’s hand, but he did not know if she was hurt elsewhere.
"You ask if there’s an issue—how do you drive? Don’t you watch the road? We were lucky you stopped in ti; if not, we would be talking about three lives lost today." Chu Yunrong, still shaken, unleashed a tirade at the young man.
The young man did not talk back, simply hanging his head and silently listening, as the fault was indeed his, and it was only right to accept a few harsh words.
Shen Qinglan looked at his hands; they were rough, with thick calluses, and the vehicle was just a plain truck, suggesting this was an accident.
"I... I’ll take you to the hospital, let’s get this young lady bandaged first, then have a thorough check-up. I will cover all the costs." After Chu Yunrong finished speaking, the young man finally said.
"No need, we’ll go to the hospital ourselves, you can go," Shen Qinglan spoke before Chu Yunrong could, noticing from the young man’s attire that he probably didn’t have much money. Besides, it was an accident, and his apology was sincere. The money didn’t matter much to them, but for this young man, it would likely be a significant expense.
Chu Yunrong looked at Shen Qinglan disapprovingly but said nothing. Instead, the young man took a piece of paper and a pen from the car, hastily wrote down a string of numbers, and handed it to Shen Qinglan. "This is my contact information; if there’s any issue after you go to the hospital or if there are dical expenses, please contact . I will pay."
Shen Qinglan took the paper, dubious about what this piece of paper with specks of grease stains was for, "Okay."
The young man apologized once more before driving away. Chu Yunrong then spoke up, "Qinglan, how could you let him go? He hit your sister with his car."
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