In an apartnt in Beijing, Qin Yan who claid she was traveling to clear her mind, lay on a lounge chair, cradling a cat in her arms and gently stroking its fur. The heavy rain pouring outside the window did not affect her good mood in the slightest. A man walked in and stood before Qin Yan, "Madam."
Qin Yan spoke indifferently, "Speak."
"Just now, we received news from the prison. Li Xitong has done as we asked. Chu Yunrong seems to have taken quite a blow after learning of those matters."
Qin Yan’s lips curved up slightly. Is she upset by that? How fragile. If she knew about Shen Qinglan’s past, would Chu Yunrong go mad on the spot?
"Hmm, that’s good."
"Madam, Li Xitong has been pressing us about when we will get her out."
"What’s the point of letting her out? Is a piece of trash with no value worth wasting a large amount of manpower and financial resources to get her out? Just ignore the prison side. If she makes a fuss, think of a way to shut her up. You don’t need to teach you that, do you?" Qin Yan’s face was filled with cold indifference.
"Understood, Madam. I will handle these issues. Also, we just received a ssage from the base. The new serum has completed its trial. Although it hasn’t reached the expected outco, it’s much better than the previous one. It will arrive in Beijing at the latest the day after tomorrow."
"Very good, those good-for-nothings finally haven’t completely wasted their efforts. Tell them to keep researching. If they can’t develop an antidote, it won’t just be their own lives at stake, but their families’ lives as well."
"Yes," the man responded, "Madam, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now."
"Wait," Qin Yan stopped him, "Call Mr. Yamamoto, tell him I want to make a deal with him. I know where i is."
The man hesitated, "Madam, just tell him directly like that?"
"Just like that. He will cooperate with us. i killed his younger brother; he has always wanted revenge but has been unable to find the person. Now that I have the information, whatever conditions I put forth, he’ll agree to them."
"Madam, do you want Yamamoto to contribute money or n, or..."
"Do I look like I lack money? We lost too many n last ti. If it weren’t for a lack of people, could Allen and Shen Qinglan be at ease right now?" Qin Yan’s face turned cold, recalling the setback she had suffered, which filled her with hatred.
"Also, contact Ryan from KA. Tell him I want to discuss a deal with him personally."
The man looked slightly stunned, "Madam, Ryan is on good terms with Eden. It was he who helped Shen Qinglan escape from King’s grasp last ti. Will we succeed in collaborating with him this ti?" In his view, it was highly likely that Ryan would inform Shen Qinglan and the others.
A trace of a dark light flashed in Qin Yan’s eyes, "It would be best if we could collaborate, but it doesn’t matter if we can’t. What I need is for him to inform Shen Qinglan." Once Shen Qinglan got word of her impending appearance, she would show up no matter what. Then, with Yamamoto’s assistance, she was confident she could take down Shen Qinglan and her group. At that ti, with the Shen Family having lost their daughter and the Fu Family having lost their granddaughter-in-law, the sight would be quite delightful. Hmm, and if they found out about Shen Qinglan’s past identity at that mont, surely that blow would be significant enough.
"Madam, that would require you to use yourself as bait, which is too dangerous," the man disagreed sowhat.
"It’s just bait. Go get it done," Qin Yan said dismissively.
Seeing Qin Yan’s displeasure, the man imdiately fell silent and turned to leave.
Qin Yan’s hand gently caressed the cat in her embrace, her smile was warm, "Carl, I know you’ve been waiting too long. Don’t worry, I’m speeding things up. Soon, you will be at peace."
After a while, she stood up, "My dear, it’s ti for us to leave. If we don’t go now, they will start looking for us."
**
Shen Qinglan received a call from Shen Qian in the evening. Hearing the grave tone of his voice, her heart also sank abruptly. "Why would Mom suddenly think of visiting Li Xitong?"
"I’m not clear on that either. Has your mom been acting strangely lately?" This was also the reason Shen Qian called Shen Qinglan today.
Shen Qinglan thought carefully, her beautiful eyes flickering lightly. "Dad, I understand. I need to confirm sothing about this matter. Once I’m certain, I’ll call you."
"Qinglan, I’ve already soothed your mother, but if she says anything, please be more patient with her and don’t argue." Shen Qian was giving Shen Qinglan a heads-up in advance. Although Chu Yunrong seed to be in a stable ntal state when she returned, a sense of unease always lurked in his heart.
"Dad, don’t worry. I know what to do." After hanging up the phone, Shen Qinglan glanced at the ti and made a call to Chu Yunrong’s attending physician. "Doctor Zhou, this is Shen Qinglan. I’m sorry to disturb you so late, but I have a few questions I’d like to ask you..."
After ending the call with Doctor Zhou, Shen Qinglan’s expression was very solemn. She sat in front of the baby crib, looking at a certain baby who had already fallen into a deep sleep, her eyes lacking focus, deep in thought.
The next day, after feeding Anan, Shen Qinglan took the child to the Shen Family. Chu Yunrong had just gotten up; she had almost stayed awake all night, finally falling asleep only to be woken by a nightmare, so now she looked rather pale.
"Mom." Shen Qinglan called out, and when Chu Yunrong saw her, she was startled for a mont before tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Why are you here so early today?"
"Mom, I have to go out for a bit today, and I need to bother you to take care of Anan."
"Okay, is Anan’s lunch ready?"
"I just fed him milk. For lunch, you can give him rice paste or egg custard." Anan had already started on complentary foods, which made him easier to take care of than before. Shen Qinglan could have asked Old Sir Fu or Aunt Zhao, or Aunt Liu to watch the child, but she simply wanted to divert Chu Yunrong’s attention. With Anan by her side, Chu Yunrong wouldn’t have ti to worry about other things, which would be good for her too.
"Alright, where are you going?" Chu Yunrong did not forget to ask.
"There’s so business at Daniel’s gallery that I need to attend to in person. I’ll be back before dinner."
"Go ahead then." Chu Yunrong took Anan into her arms, and just as Shen Qinglan was about to leave, Anan frowned, reached out for Shen Qinglan, unwilling to part from his mother.
Shen Qinglan had no choice but to play with Anan in the living room for a while, waiting until his attention was captured by a toy before she quietly left. She went directly to Jin Enxi and Daniel’s house, where only Jin Enxi was at ho.
"An, what brings you here today?" Jin Enxi was quite surprised to see Shen Qinglan.
"I need to talk to you about sothing." Shen Qinglan stepped inside and got straight to the point. "I want to know where my mom has been recently and who she’s t."
"An, what’s wrong with your mom?" Jin Enxi was puzzled, as Shen Qinglan wasn’t one to pry into other people’s privacy, especially when it ca to her own family. Yet now she was looking into her mother.
"I suspect Qin Yan has co to Beijing." Shen Qinglan’s expression was slightly heavy.
"That’s impossible. I’ve been keeping a close eye on things," Jin Enxi instinctively retorted, but seeing the look in Shen Qinglan’s eyes, she swallowed her remaining words. "An, are you sure?"
"Not certain, which is why I need to trouble you." Jin Enxi was more skilled in computer technology than Shen Qinglan, so it would save a lot of ti for her to handle it.
Jin Enxi nodded and went to the study, where several computers, all belonging to her, were kept. Her fingers raced across the keyboard until suddenly her brows furrowed. "An, soone is intercepting , I need your help."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qinglan sat down next to Jin Enxi and assisted her.
The opponent was a computer expert, but in terms of skill, certainly not as formidable as Jin Enxi. Jin Enxi needed Shen Qinglan’s help to cut down on ti. With Shen Qinglan’s assistance, the other party quickly fled.
"I’ve found it," Jin Enxi exclaid excitedly, "An, it’s here." She pointed to a small red dot on the screen, "I checked your mother’s call records recently, and this number has been in contact with her the most frequently. Right now, this number is at this location, but I can’t determine who the person is at the mont." After all, she wasn’t omnipotent, and it was already impressive that she managed to find out this much in such a short ti.
"Did my mom have tea with soone yesterday afternoon? Was it with this number?"
"There was a call record at noon yesterday. Based on the ti you ntioned, it should be correct."
Shen Qinglan looked at the address indicated and turned to leave. Jin Enxi quickly followed her.
By the ti the two tracked down the address, the apartnt was already deserted. "An, it seems we’re too late."
Shen Qinglan surveyed the apartnt and her gaze suddenly fixed on the nightstand in the bedroom, where there was a piece of paper. She picked it up and glanced at it, "My dear baby, the ga has already begun. Good luck, and I’ve taken my leave." The note was signed by Qin Yan.
Jin Enxi’s expression changed slightly, "So it really is Qin Yan. How did she get to Beijing? And when did she co here?" Her voice was filled with anger and frustration.
Shen Qinglan’s expression was cool and calm, and she said nothing.
"An, I’ll go after her now."
"There’s no need," Shen Qinglan spoke indifferently. Since Qin Yan had the ti to leave a note, it ant that she had anticipated every move; she knew Shen Qinglan would investigate Chu Yunrong, knew that she’d find her, and co here to see for herself. This woman had calculated every step, and Shen Qinglan was indeed proceeding exactly as predicted.
Shen Qinglan clenched the paper in her hand, her eyes filled with an invisible darkness.
"Let’s go."
Jin Enxi reluctantly glanced at the house one last ti and followed Shen Qinglan. On the way back, Jin Enxi occasionally looked at Shen Qinglan’s expressionless face, "An, now that Qin Yan has appeared, what do you plan to do?"
"For now, we stay put and watch," Shen Qinglan said lightly. "Keep an eye out for any news on the streets in the next few days. I believe she’ll make a move soon."
"Alright, Qin Yan is as pesky as a cockroach that can’t be squashed."
Shen Qinglan’s expression remained neutral, her true feelings betrayed only by a slight intensity in her eyes; her face otherwise revealed nothing of use. After leaving Jin Enxi’s house, she returned to the Shen Family ho.
When she arrived, Chu Yunrong was playing with Anan. Seeing her mother return, Anan reached out to be carried by Shen Qinglan, who lifted him up and then looked at Chu Yunrong, "Mom, did Anan cry today?"
"He was fussy for a while after he realized you were gone, but he cald down quickly. It’s becoming easier to take care of Anan now," Chu Yunrong said with a smile.
Shen Qinglan looked at her son who was quietly nestled in her arms, and Chu Yunrong comnted on her grandson, "He even ate a whole bowl of egg custard at noon; he has quite the appetite."
Chu Yunrong appeared to be in a good mood after spending the day with her grandson, chatting and laughing with Shen Qinglan. After talking about the child for a while, Shen Qinglan casually ntioned, "Mom, I ran into Qin Yan today. Do you rember her?"
"Didn’t she go abroad to clear her mind?" Chu Yunrong responded instinctively. As soon as the words were out, she realized her slip and covered it up with an awkward chuckle, "Qinglan, what would you like to eat? I’ll have Sister-in-law Song make it for you."
"Mom, have you seen Qin Yan?" Shen Qinglan did not give Chu Yunrong the chance to dodge the question and asked directly.
"I’ve run into her a couple of tis," Chu Yunrong replied hesitantly.
"What did she tell you?"
"We didn’t talk about much, just normal friend-to-friend conversation. She’s also a pitiful woman—no children and divorced from her husband. She doesn’t have any friends in Beijing; the last ti we bumped into each other on the street, we ended up having als together a few tis."
"So she’s the one who told you that she divorced her husband?"
"Yes, her husband is inhuman—he even hit won. I think it’s good that she got divorced."
With a slight curl at the corner of her mouth, Shen Qinglan said, "Mom, that woman is full of lies. You’d better stay away from her."
"Qinglan, Mom knows you have so misunderstandings with her, but Mom has had firsthand interactions with her, and she’s actually not bad," Chu Yunrong tried to mitigate the tension between Shen Qinglan and Qin Yan.
A glint of light flashed in Shen Qinglan’s eyes. It’s quite the feat for Qin Yan to make her own mother speak so favorably about her. Shen Qinglan placed her son in the stroller, absentmindedly giving him a little yellow duck toy, "Mom, we need to talk."
Chu Yunrong looked at Shen Qinglan’s serious face and sat down on the sofa, "Qinglan, what do you want to tell Mom?"
Shen Qinglan looked steadily at Chu Yunrong, "Mom, tell the truth, what has Qin Yan told you?"
"It’s nothing much, just so trivial household matters. There’s not much to talk about."
"Mom." Shen Qinglan called out, then continued to gaze fixedly at Chu Yunrong.
"Alright, alright, if you want to know, I’ll tell you," Chu Yunrong relented and recounted to Shen Qinglan the conversations she had with Qin Yan. After speaking, Chu Yunrong sighed, "She’s actually quite unfortunate. She lost her child and hasn’t been able to find him. Both n she found were violent, and now at her age, she has no one to rely on."
"Mom, do you really believe that everything she told you is true?" Shen Qinglan said flatly.
Chu Yunrong was taken aback, "She has no reason to lie to ."
Shen Qinglan scoffed, "But the reality is she did lie to you. She told you so much—did she ever ntion what her ex-husband’s na was?"
Chu Yunrong was stunned again. That, she hadn’t.
Seeing her expression, Shen Qinglan knew the answer, "Her ex-husband’s na is Yan Anbang, Ya Xi’s father."
Chu Yunrong’s eyes widened. The Yan family’s misfortunes had caused quite a stir back then, and although she was in Beijing, she had heard about them.
"Ya Xi’s mother is dead, Ya Xi himself has fled the country, Yan Shengyu has also left ho, Yan Anbang is deserted by all, and yet Qin Yan told you she was abandoned by her ex-husband. Mom, do you think that’s possible?"
"She ca back initially to seek revenge on the Yan family. Now that the Yan family is indeed as miserable as she wished, she’s left. Do you still think she’s pitiable?"
Chu Yunrong had a look of disbelief in her eyes, staring at Shen Qinglan in a daze, "How could this be, why would she lie to ?"
Of course, it was for revenge against the Shen Family. Shen Qinglan silently thought to herself, but she couldn’t say this to Chu Yunrong. If the past events were brought up, her mother wouldn’t be able to withstand the shock.
"Mom, Qin Yan is malicious at heart; stay away from her. If you see her again, make sure you call or Daddy right away," Shen Qinglan instructed.
Chu Yunrong nodded, feeling sowhat uncomfortable at the thought of being deceived by Qin Yan. She suddenly rembered that her own visit to Li Xitong was also because of Qin Yan, and wondered if there was a connection between the two. With this thought in mind, she looked at Shen Qinglan, hesitating to speak.
Shen Qinglan noticed her expression and spoke lightly, "Mom, what do you want to tell ?"
"Qinglan, Mom... Mom went to see Li Xitong..." Chu Yunrong stopped there, suddenly regretting bringing up that person to Shen Qinglan. Qinglan disliked Li Xitong, and knowing that Chu had visited her, would she be angry?
"What did Li Xitong say to you?" Shen Qinglan was actually quite pleased that Chu Yunrong took the initiative to talk to her about this.
"Nothing much, Mom knows that everything she said was fake, Mom won’t believe it."
"Did she tell you that she ended up like this all because of ?" Shen Qinglan straightforwardly brought it up, although she had promised Shen Qian to try not to provoke Chu Yunrong, but so things still need to be said; otherwise, keeping them inside could easily cause a rift between mother and daughter.
"How did you know?" Chu Yunrong said in surprise, then continued, "Qinglan, don’t worry, Mom believes in you, Mom doesn’t believe a word she said."
After spending a day with Anan and being comforted by her husband yesterday, Chu Yunrong had actually co to an understanding. She should not believe the words of outsiders. She needs to trust her own judgnt. Her daughter has always been a kind-hearted person.
Shen Qinglan slightly curved her lips. Li Xitong’s tricks were nothing complex, and not hard to guess. She looked at Chu Yunrong with a serious expression, "Mom, you should believe Li Xitong’s words. Her hand was indeed ruined by , and her going to prison was absolutely my doing behind the scenes."
Shen Qinglan lowered her eyes slightly, "Mom, I will not harm others on my own initiative, but if soone harms the people I care about, I will not let them go. I have never been a kind-hearted person. As for Li Xitong, she hurt Grandpa, and I cannot forgive that."
Chu Yunrong looked at Shen Qinglan as if seeing a stranger, "Qinglan... you..."
"Mom, don’t think too highly of ."
Chu Yunrong didn’t know how to respond to that. Shen Qinglan looked up at her, but Chu Yunrong turned her head away. Shen Qinglan’s eyes dimd, "Mom, whether you think I’m too cruel or whatever else, I don’t regret doing it. Family are the people I care about, and I won’t let anyone have the chance to harm them. You should rest well now; I’m going to take Anan ho."
Shen Qinglan rose to her feet, picking up her son, ready to leave, when Chu Yunrong, seeing her about to go, panicked and called out to her, "Qinglan, wait a mont."
Shen Qinglan paused in her steps and heard Chu Yunrong continue, "Mom knows all you have done is for the good of everyone. It’s Mom who hasn’t lived up to the responsibilities of motherhood, I have no standing to criticize you. No matter what the situation with Li Xitong is about, Mom still believes you are a kind-hearted person. What Mom is saying is sincere."
Shen Qinglan’s lips lightly curved, "Mom, get so good rest."
**
And indeed, as Shen Qinglan predicted, within a couple of days, Eden received a call from Ryan, saying Mrs. Jin wanted to talk to him about a business deal personally.
Ryan had no grudges against Mrs. Jin and wouldn’t refuse purely doing business. But after thinking it over for a night, he decided to tell Eden, knowing that Eden had been looking for Mrs. Jin.
Shen Qinglan wasn’t surprised at all to hear that Qin Yan was going to et Ryan, "An, how can you have no reaction at all?"
"Prepare everything; we should be setting out too."
"Where to?"
"Of course, to et Qin Yan, now that she has made a personal appearance for our ’performance,’ we definitely have to acknowledge it."
"Alright, this ti I need to prepare sothing good for her. I’ll notify Andre and Cissily right now; they’ve rested long enough and should get moving again, or they’ll start to rust." Jin Enxi muttered to herself as she went to inform others.
After Shen Qinglan finished the call with Jin Enxi, she locked herself in the studio and didn’t co out until the afternoon, then sent a ssage to Fu Hengyi.
Fu Hengyi’s call ca almost imdiately after she finished sending her ssage, and Shen Qinglan picked up, "Qinglan."
"Hengyi, Qin Yan has appeared," both of them spoke almost at the sa ti.
Hengyi was stunned for a mont, "Qin Yan ca to Beijing?"
"Yes, but she left again. I think she’s already left Beijing by now. I received a ssage that she’s going to et with Ryan in three days."
"Are you going?" Hengyi imdiately understood what she ant.
"Yes." Shen Qinglan did not deny it; she had said before that she would not act on her own in the future, so after hesitating for a long ti, she still decided to tell Fu Hengyi.
Hengyi was silent for a few seconds, then spoke up, "I understand, wait for ."
"Hengyi, Jin Enxi and the others will go with this ti, and we’ll have Ryan’s help, it’ll be fine."
"Wait for , I’ll file the report right now, I’ll be ho by tomorrow evening at the latest," Hengyi stated unequivocally, then hung up the phone. Shen Qinglan looked at the phone that had been hung up and sighed.
**
In Country R, Yamamoto’s gaze changed imdiately upon hearing his subordinate’s report, "Are you sure that’s what she said?"
The subordinate nodded, "Yes, Mrs. Jin indeed said that, Big Brother, she wants our manpower in MD in three days, shall we cooperate with her?"
"Cooperate, as long as she tells i’s whereabouts, no matter how much manpower she wants," Yamamoto said without hesitation. Eight years ago, i killed his only younger brother, and that was a vendetta he could not ignore. Over the years, he had never given up searching for i’s whereabouts, but unfortunately, there was no news. i seed to have vanished from the face of the earth along with that organization.
Qin Yan was not surprised at all when she received Yamamoto’s call, "Mr. Yamamoto, I’ve been waiting for your call."
"Mrs. Jin, we’re old friends of so many years, since you’ve always known about i’s whereabouts, why didn’t you tell ? Are you saying all our years of friendship were fake?" Yamamoto started off with half-serious, half-jesting accusations.
Qin Yan’s expression didn’t change as she innocently replied, "Mr. Yamamoto, am I that kind of person? I just got the news, and I couldn’t wait to tell you."
"Can I believe what you’re saying, Mrs. Jin?"
"Mr. Yamamoto, after so many years of cooperation, don’t we even have that little bit of trust between us?" Qin Yan said with feigned grievance.
Yamamoto on the other end of the phone laughed heartily, "Just joking with you, Mrs. Jin, don’t mind it. Where is i right now?"
Qin Yan curved her lips, "So, are you agreeing to my terms, Mr. Yamamoto?"
"That’s a minor matter, we have so many years of acquaintance, it’s just lending a few people, what’s so difficult about that? How many do you want?"
"Not many, just 100 will do, but I want the best batch of weapons you have on hand," Qin Yan added another condition.
Yamamoto was briefly taken aback, then replied, "Mrs. Jin, I spent a great deal of money to get my hands on those weapons. You want to take them with just an unverified piece of news, isn’t that a bit excessive?"
Qin Yan smiled, "What if I say that the people and weapons I want are all to deal with i?"
Yamamoto was startled, his expression changed in an instant, "Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course, I wouldn’t joke about sothing like this."
Yamamoto’s gaze was deep and somber, "But i is just one person, even if we were going to deal with her, there would be no need for so many people and weapons, right?" These were not his bottom line, but they were indeed a heavy loss. He truly was reluctant to give everything away.
"Who told you i is alone? She has people around her. The rumors of i traveling solo and moving mysteriously are just legends. Mr. Yamamoto, you’ve been in the ga long enough not to understand even this simple principle, right?"
"Is i actually a team?" Yamamoto doubted. When i had risen to power, although no one had seen her true face, it was said that she worked alone. But now Qin Yan was saying otherwise. Whose words were true, and whose were false?
Qin Yan narrowed her eyes, "You could say that."
Yamamoto pondered for a while before finally speaking, "I can provide you with manpower, but I can only give you half the weapons. I will personally bring people over when the ti cos."
"Deal, the ti is in three days, at the MD border. I await your good news." Qin Yan hung up the phone briskly and decisively.
Fu Hengyi returned the very sa night. When he entered, Shen Qinglan had just co out of their son’s room. Since Anan no longer needed to be nursed at night, he was sleeping in the children’s room, with Aunt Liu taking care of him at night.
After taking a shower, Fu Hengyi first went to see his son. The little fellow’s hand was raised above his head, sleeping soundly with a trace of drool at the corner of his mouth. Fu Hengyi smiled, reached out, and wiped the drool off his son’s face.
"Do you really want to co with ?" Shen Qinglan asked seriously.
Fu Hengyi raised an eyebrow, "What do you think?" He had already returned.
"Fu Hengyi, is it really okay for you to co with ?" Shen Qinglan was still sowhat worried.
"It’s naturally not okay to leave openly, but I assu you have ways to make leave the country without anyone noticing, right?" Fu Hengyi recalled how last ti they went to MD to rescue Shen Qinglan, Andre’s helicopter had flown over the border without being intercepted.
Shen Qinglan fell silent. They did have a way, but Fu Hengyi’s identity was actually not suitable to get involved in this matter. However, if he didn’t tell Fu Hengyi and he found out afterward, their marital relationship would be affected.
Fu Hengyi saw through Shen Qinglan’s thoughts, and spoke lightly, "Qinglan, don’t worry about . It’s right for you to tell . No matter what we encounter in the future, I want to face it with you. And now, what you can do is to trust , and to trust yourself."
Shen Qinglan looked steadily into Fu Hengyi’s eyes and after a long ti, she slowly nodded, "Alright, this ti we’ll face it together."
Early on the third day, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi found an excuse to leave ho. The duration of their departure this ti was a bit long, and it was uncertain how many days they might be delayed there, so Anan had to be left in the care of the family. Fortunately, since Fu Hengyi had forcibly corrected Anan’s fussy eating habits, Shen Qinglan could disappear occasionally as well, making Anan accustod to being with other people.
Anan started to cry the mont she saw her parents leaving. Chu Yunrong quickly carried the child up to the second-floor room, using various toys to distract Anan. Soon enough, Anan stopped crying.
Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were actually standing outside the door the whole ti, and they did not leave until they could no longer hear the child’s cries.
The two headed straight for the border. Along the way, Shen Qinglan made contact with Jin Enxi. Jin Enxi and Eden had already arrived, whereas Andre and Cissily were coming directly from Country Y.
"An, you’ve arrived." Jin Enxi was not at all surprised to see Fu Hengyi, "Let’s go, Eden is waiting for us on the plane."
Their current location was a mountainous area, the sa place where King had taken Shen Qinglan. Looking at the familiar terrain, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi exchanged glances before boarding the helicopter.
The helicopter once again safely crossed the border line. Fu Hengyi’s gaze deepened upon seeing this scene, while Shen Qinglan pulled out a box from the cabin. Upon opening it, they found it was actually a large makeup box filled with a dizzying array of makeup products and an assortnt of wigs and fake beards.
Shen Qinglan expertly applied makeup to her face and in a short ti, standing in front of Fu Hengyi was a man with a face covered in freckles, ordinary-looking, with distinct facial contours, and sporting a small tuft of beard. Even the Adam’s apple on his neck was clearly visible. Shen Qinglan then donned a brown wig to match the face and suddenly cold deanor, ensuring that no one would guess that this bearded, cold-faced man was actually a bona fide woman, of course, if one could overlook her chest.
If Fu Hengyi hadn’t watched Shen Qinglan put on makeup before his very eyes, even if she had been standing right in front of him now, he might not have recognized her imdiately. No wonder i was shrouded in such awe-inspiring mystery back then, with people not even clear on whether i was male or female, or young or old.
Shen Qinglan took another glance at Fu Hengyi, a mischievous glint suddenly flickering in her eyes, "Fu Hengyi, let’s discuss sothing."
Fu Hengyi raised an eyebrow, "Do I need makeup too?"
"Of course, it would be even more troubleso if soone recognized you," Shen Qinglan said.
Fu Hengyi didn’t have any objections, but his face changed completely when he saw what Shen Qinglan brought out, "Shen Qinglan." His tone carried a hint of embarrassed annoyance.
"No one will recognize you this way," Shen Qinglan assured with conviction.
Jin Enxi and Eden also saw the items in Shen Qinglan’s hand. Eden turned his head, focused on flying the plane, his eyes betraying an irrepressible smile.
Jin Enxi tried to hold back but eventually burst into laughter, "An, you are too... Hahaha, let laugh for a mont."
Fu Hengyi’s face darkened, he gritted his teeth, "Shen Qinglan."
Shen Qinglan looked innocently at him, "I’ll disguise as a man, and you’ll dress as a woman. That way, no one will suspect us, and it’s the safest."
Jin Enxi patted Fu Hengyi on the shoulder, "No worries, Eden once disguised as a woman too, and it was An who did his makeup. Rest assured, An is very skilled at makeup. The outfit is made according to Eden’s height and build, and you’re about the sa size, so it’ll surely fit. After the makeup is done, you’ll look charming and even more feminine than a woman."
Fu Hengyi’s expression turned even darker, and so did Eden’s, having been exposed by Jin Enxi.
"Jin Enxi, shut up," Eden said, frustrated by her lack of filter.
Fu Hengyi disagreed. He was a man’s man, a straight male, and the idea of cross-dressing in front of others was more unbearable to him than death.
However, Shen Qinglan believed this was the safest thod. This way, no one could link the disguise to Fu Hengyi, and even if there were investigations later, no connection to either of them would be found.
Shen Qinglan knew Fu Hengyi wouldn’t easily compromise. She pulled him aside and spoke in gentle, persuasive whispers for a long ti, exerting great effort before finally swaying him.
Throughout, Fu Hengyi maintained a dark, brooding countenance, emanating an air of gloom. Jin Enxi occasionally shot glances at him but quickly looked away and suppressed a chuckle upon eting his icy gaze.
"Enxi," Shen Qinglan called out Jin Enxi’s na softly when she looked over once again, to which Jin Enxi imdiately nodded in understanding, "Got it, got it. I won’t look anymore. Continue."
Transforming into a woman’s appearance certainly took more effort, especially since Fu Hengyi’s facial features were particularly rugged. It took Shen Qinglan over an hour to accomplish the task.
She looked at Fu Hengyi before her, astonishnt shimring in her eyes, and Jin Enxi, who took a glance, was instantly dumbstruck.
The black eyeliner accentuated Fu Hengyi’s eyes, making them appear larger, and complented with long, curled lashes, his eyes seed dewy and bright. The makeup softened his facial contours significantly, completely dissipating any trace of his rugged masculinity.
Shen Qinglan handed Fu Hengyi a set of clothes and told him to change. She also found him a silk scarf, tying it around his neck to perfectly conceal his Adam’s apple, while adding an extra touch of femininity.
The black, wavy curls she chose for Fu Hengyi cascaded over his shoulders. Even dressed in casual attire, it couldn’t hide his "blooming radiance."
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