The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 472 - 474. Confession
When Shen Qinglan got home, Fu Hengyi was already standing at the door waiting for her. Shen Qinglan was slightly startled, "Why are you standing at the door?"
"I was waiting for you," Fu Hengyi replied succinctly.
Shen Qinglan smiled, "Afraid I got lost?"
"Afraid you got drunk," Fu Hengyi said, seeing that she looked sober and feeling relieved.
Hearing this, Shen Qinglan chuckled, "I only had two sips tonight." She had just recovered from a serious illness, so she had merely had two sips symbolically—it wasn’t even enough to fail a breathalyzer test.
Fu Hengyi wrapped his arm around her, "Hurry inside. It’s cold out."
Shen Qinglan looked at him with a full smile, "If you knew it was cold outside, why were you waiting out here?"
Fu Hengyi smiled faintly, "I couldn’t sleep anyway."
Fu Hengyi wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep; the little one at home was still awake too, sitting on the sofa, nodding off, clearly tired, yet unwilling to go to bed.
"Anan, mommy is back," Aunt Zhao announced to Anan when she saw Shen Qinglan return.
Upon seeing Shen Qinglan, Anan slid down from the couch and ran to Shen Qinglan, "Mommy."
Shen Qinglan squatted down and hugged her son, "How come you’re not sleeping so late? You won’t grow tall if you don’t sleep."
"I want to sleep with mommy," Anan requested.
Without hesitation, Shen Qinglan agreed, "Okay."
"No," Fu Hengyi almost immediately responded.
Seeing Shen Qinglan looking at him, Fu Hengyi said unfazed, "Anan is almost two years old now, he should sleep by himself."
Shen Qinglan stared at him wordlessly. This man was being petty again. Anan, unwilling, clung to his mother’s neck and would not let go, "No, Mommy, I want to sleep with you."
Shen Qinglan saw no reason to refuse, repeatedly agreeing, "Tonight you will sleep with mommy." Saying this, she took Anan’s hand and led him upstairs.
Halfway up, Anan turned back and stuck his tongue out at Fu Hengyi, who scowled. That little brat.
By the time Fu Hengyi had finished his bath and came out, the little brat had already changed into his pajamas and was lying in the spot that originally belonged to him, while Shen Qinglan was holding a storybook, gently reading aloud to Anan.
Anan was already asleep. Shen Qinglan looked at her son with eyes full of affection.
She had heard from Aunt Zhao yesterday when she was taken in for emergency rescue, Fu Hengyi had brought Anan into the ER. The ordeal had scared Anan, and for several days afterwards, he hadn’t slept well, often waking up in the middle of the night and starting to cry. Old Sir Fu and Fu Jingtong also stayed awake to comfort him.
Since she was still recovering, her family hadn’t told her about these incidents, and even Fu Hengyi kept it from her. It wasn’t until Aunt Zhao let it slip yesterday that she pressured her for answers and finally learned the truth.
She understood Fu Hengyi’s actions, so she couldn’t bring herself to blame him, but she also felt heartbroken for her son, thinking about it. Shen Qinglan bowed her head and kissed her son’s face.
When Fu Hengyi appeared, what he saw was this scene. He stepped forward, wanting to pick up Anan, but Shen Qinglan stopped his hand, "What are you doing?"
"He’s already asleep. I’ll carry him back to his room."
Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi, her eyes soft and gentle as she spoke, "Let Anan sleep with us tonight. I’ve missed him."
Fu Hengyi glanced at the son who was sound asleep, utterly oblivious, and resignedly climbed into the bed. His wife had made a request, and he had no grounds to refuse.
Shen Qinglan gave a faint smile and turned off the light.
The next morning, Shen Qinglan woke up to find herself in Fu Hengyi’s arms with Anan sleeping in hers. Fu Hengyi opened his eyes and kissed her forehead, "Wife, good morning."
Shen Qinglan smiled softly, "Morning, my dear husband."
Fu Hengyi held Shen Qinglan close and buried his head in her hair, "It’s still early, let’s sleep a bit more."
Shen Qinglan was actually already awake, but since Fu Hengyi requested, she was in no rush to get up and continued to snuggle in his embrace.
Fu Hengyi, holding Shen Qinglan, glanced at their son drooling in sleep and smiled gently.
It wasn’t until this moment, looking at his wife and son in his arms, that his constant worry truly settled.
"Qinglan, I love you," Fu Hengyi whispered into Shen Qinglan’s ear. Her eyes softened and she placed her hand over his which was on her waist.
Some things didn’t need to be said, she understood them all.
An hour later the family of three got up. Shen Qinglan had just recovered from a severe illness and naturally needed to nourish herself properly. Aunt Zhao had already stewed soup early in the morning and placed it before Shen Qinglan, who didn’t feel like drinking soup but didn’t refuse either.
This time she had given everyone at home quite a scare.
"Grandpa, how about I accompany you and my grandpa to the hospital for a physical check-up?" Shen Qinglan said during breakfast.
Old Sir Fu waved his hand, "No need to go to the hospital, I’m quite healthy."
"Grandpa, please go, just to give me peace of mind." She had been hospitalized for a while, and both grandpas had been worried for just as long, even falling ill at one point, which both moved and made her feel guilty.
"Grandpa, please go, Qinglan is really worried about your health," Fu Hengyi chimed in.
Old Sir Fu was immediately persuaded, "Alright, alright, let’s go then. Actually, my health is really good, I don’t need a check-up."
Shen Qinglan smiled slightly and served a fried bun to her grandfather, "Grandpa, I know you’re strong, just consider it a routine check-up."
Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi took the two grandfathers for the health check-ups, with Anan absolutely insisting on following.
With no choice, Shen Qinglan brought him along. Fortunately, Anan was well-behaved and stayed close to the two grandfathers without fussing.
However, since they were at the hospital, Shen Qinglan decided to get Anan vaccinated as well.
Anan hadn’t expected this; he simply wanted to be with his parents, but instead, he ended up getting an injection and immediately cried loudly.
"Mommy," Anan looked at his mother with great grievance.
Shen Qinglan chuckled and kissed his little face, "It’s not painful now."
Anan wiped his tears, but the tears continued to fall.
Shen Qinglan pointed at another little boy being vaccinated and said, "Look at that little brother, he is younger than you and isn’t crying."
Anan’s eyes welled up with tears. He was in pain, but seeing the other child getting vaccinated made him feel embarrassed to keep crying, so he just clung to his mother’s neck silently.
Back at the health check-up center on the third floor, Fu Hengyi saw his son’s tear-stained eyes and knew that he had been crying. He sighed internally, thinking how sensitive his son was, crying even for an injection.
Later, when Fu Hengyi teased Anan about this, Old Sir Fu overheard and spared no time in pointing out his faults, "You’re teasing Anan now, but when you were little, and your mother took you for vaccinations, you cried even louder than Anan, even throwing tantrums and rolling on the ground."
Anan looked at his dad with a face full of grievance, hoping for some support, but Fu Hengyi merely glanced at his son then looked away. Anan then looked to the two grandfathers, who just smiled at him without saying anything, so Anan realized that crying was futile. Even if he cried, he’d still get the injections. He again wiped his tears, and this time, his tears fully stopped.
Shen Qinglan had been watching Anan all along and noticed his little gestures, finding them amusing. Despite his young age, this little guy was quite the cunning one.
Shen Qinglan set Anan down, "Grandpa, have you finished your check-ups?"
Old Sir Fu nodded, "We’ve finished already, you can go home now, let’s head home right away."
Shen Qinglan spoke up, "Then I’ll head to the doctor’s office to ask about your condition."
"Oh, your grandfather and I are in good health, there’s nothing major to worry about, let’s just go straight home," Old Sir Fu said with an indifferent expression.
Shen Qinglan, still worried, headed directly to the doctor’s office. Except for some old issues like high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia, Old Sir Fu’s health had no other problems.
"What about my grandfather, Doctor?" Shen Qinglan asked.
The doctor hesitated before speaking, "Old Sir Shen is quite old after all, and he had a serious illness recently. His bodily functions have declined, especially his heart. You as family members should take great care of him daily, try to keep him relaxed and less anxious."
Shen Qinglan’s heart sank. Old Sir Shen’s health had been fine, but it had worsened this much because of her own illness.
Thinking this, Shen Qinglan’s mood grew heavy, "Okay, thank you, Doctor."
When she returned to the waiting area, Shen Qinglan’s expression had returned to normal, "Both grandfathers, there’s no problem now, let’s head home."
"I told you there’s no issue. Your grandfather and I could still go up a mountain to fight tigers," Old Sir Fu said with a ’I knew it’ expression.
Old Sir Shen also had a smile on his face.
Shen Qinglan gave a slight smile and took both elders home.
At night, Old Sir Shen was about to sleep when there was a knock on his door.
"Grandfather, it’s me," Shen Qinglan said from outside.
"Come in, the door is unlocked."
Shen Qinglan pushed the door open, saw that Old Sir Shen was about to sleep, and asked, "Grandfather, have I disturbed you?"
Old Sir Shen smiled gently, "Not at all. But you, coming by so late, is there something you need from Grandfather?"
Shen Qinglan sat down beside him and said, "Nothing in particular, I just missed you, Grandfather, and wanted to come and see you. It’s been a long time since we last had a chat."
Old Sir Shen laughed heartily, "You’re always so bad at lying. Tell me, is it because today’s medical report wasn’t good for Grandfather?"
Shen Qinglan looked momentarily stunned, then smiled again, "Grandfather, don’t worry needlessly, you are in good health."
"Lanlan, Grandfather knows his own body. After falling ill before, I could clearly feel my physical condition declining, and even if you do not tell me, I know the results from today’s examination must not be good. Just tell me the truth, what’s wrong? Grandfather is old enough to handle anything."
Old Sir Shen remained calm, clearly not overly concerned about his own health.
"Grandfather, please don’t say that, the doctor mentioned that you just suffered severe deficiencies, and with proper rest, you will be fine," Shen Qinglan comforted.
Old Sir Shen patted his granddaughter’s hand and spoke tenderly, "Lanlan, Grandfather is old now, what’s there to fuss about? Besides, it’s normal for an old person to have some minor health issues, you don’t need to worry too much, I’m fine."
Shen Qinglan, looking at the increasingly white hair at his temples and the deepening wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, felt a surge of guilt and said hoarsely, "Grandfather, I’m sorry for making you worry. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have fallen ill."
Old Sir Shen remained calm, "Silly child, there’s no need to apologize. Your well-being is my well-being. Now that I see you’ve recovered, Grandfather is relieved. It’s just old age-related illness, I’ll take more care in the future. You, just live your life well. By the way, when is Hengyi returning to his unit?"
Shen Qinglan had fallen ill this time, and Fu Hengyi had taken more than a month’s leave. Now that she had recovered, it was time for him to return.
He had mentioned this to her.
"Next Monday, he’ll return."
Old Sir Shen nodded, not saying anything.
Shen Qinglan sat beside the old man, holding his hand, and spoke softly, "Grandpa, I think I’ll stay at home for the next few days."
Old Sir Shen waved his hand and said, "No need, Grandpa is in good health. You really don’t need to worry. It’s Anan, he was frightened when you fell ill this time. You should spend some time with him; after all, he’s still young."
"I know. I’ll put all my work on hold for a while and stay home with Anan."
Old Sir Shen knew his granddaughter was a decisive person and nodded without further comment.
Shen Qinglan had made up her mind to spend quality time with her grandfather, so she had been eating lunch at the Shen Family home these past few days, which also considerably improved the old man’s appetite, having him eat half a bowl more than usual.
**
Han Family.
When Yu Xiaoxuan opened her eyes, Han Yi was already not in bed. She rubbed her sore back, her eyes filled with deep resentment. She knew she could never trust a man’s words—her poor back was about to break.
Glancing at the time, Yu Xiaoxuan got out of bed. Han Yi was in the living room, playing with Guoguo. Seeing Yu Xiaoxuan, his face broke into a smile, "Wife, good morning."
Yu Xiaoxuan huffed coldly, not wanting to deal with the detestable man right now.
Facing Yu Xiaoxuan’s coldness, Han Yi was not bothered at all; a well-fed man is always good-natured.
"Guoguo, come to mommy," Yu Xiaoxuan said, opening her arms to hug her daughter.
Guoguo turned her head away, refusing.
Yu Xiaoxuan felt even more resentful and pinched her daughter’s cheek, "You ungrateful little girl."
Guoguo frowned, unhappy.
Han Yi found this amusing, watching the mother and daughter who seemed like natural rivals.
"Han Yi, look at your daughter, she’s scorning me," Yu Xiaoxuan said, feeling aggrieved.
Han Yi patted Yu Xiaoxuan’s head, "There, there, she’s still small. When she grows up, I’ll teach her a lesson for you."
Yu Xiaoxuan snorted, "Forget it. She’s your little lover; I’m already the villain here. You not taking her side would be good enough."
Han Yi touched his nose. "Well, you’re the most important to me in my heart, and daughter comes second."
"Han Yi, do you feel guilty saying that?" Yu Xiaoxuan clearly didn’t believe him.
This man was utterly a daughter slave; even if she slightly scolded their daughter, he couldn’t bear it. Yu Xiaoxuan could already picture him granting every wish of Guoguo’s when she was older.
Han Yi chuckled, "I’m telling the truth."
"Heh," Yu Xiaoxuan gave him two words and didn’t bother to argue anymore, getting up to go to the dining room for a meal.
After finishing the meal, she went straight to the film studio. Today they were shooting the last scene; once done, it would wrap up, and afterward, she planned on taking a vacation, which she had arranged with Sister Linda.
Han Yi had been decent last night, not leaving any obvious marks on her neck.
However, the makeup artist gave her meaningful glances as she did her makeup, puzzling Yu Xiaoxuan since she had checked herself in the morning, and there were no marks visible on her neck or collarbone.
"Sister Xuan, you two have such a great marital relationship, it makes a single like me very envious," the makeup artist said enviously after finishing her makeup, to which Yu Xiaoxuan smiled awkwardly.
Linda came over, glanced at her, and spoke calmly, "Tell Mr. Han next time not to leave marks on exposed skin; it makes makeup application difficult." After saying this, she meaningfully glanced at the back of Yu Xiaoxuan’s neck.
Yu Xiaoxuan was only aware after the fact. After Linda had left, she turned around and through the mirror, indeed saw a "strawberry" mark on the back of her neck. Her face immediately turned beet red, and she was sure, Han Yi had definitely done it on purpose.
This Han Yi, she really should have made him sleep in the study!
But when she thought of the study, Yu Xiaoxuan’s face grew even more unnatural.
Well, the joyous event from last night had happened right there in the study, and Han Yi had even mastered a new position. Now, thinking back to that scene made Yu Xiaoxuan’s heart race and her cheeks flush.
"Xiao Xuan, it’s your turn," someone called Yu Xiaoxuan’s name. Yu Xiaoxuan responded and when she walked out, she had regained her composure.
It was already seven o’clock by the time Yu Xiaoxuan finished her work for the day. Although there weren’t many scenes today, shooting them was quite difficult, and there were many NGs, taking up a lot of time.
"Sorry, Sister Xiaoxuan, if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have ended so late today," Gu Jiajia came over while Yu Xiaoxuan was tidying her things, apologizing sincerely.
Gu Jiajia was a supporting role in today’s scenes, and because of her, several scenes had to be reshot multiple times. Originally, Yu Xiaoxuan could have finished work early but was delayed because of this.
Yu Xiaoxuan just smiled, not really minding, "Everyone goes through this. It’s all part of the job."
Gu Jiajia still felt very sorry. She knew her acting wasn’t up to par, and she wasn’t supposed to be part of this film initially. It was only after Yu Xiaoxuan suggested it to Linda that Linda agreed to give her a chance.
"When you’re free, you might want to practice your micro-expressions in front of the mirror. It will be really helpful for your future," Yu Xiaoxuan said with a smile, sharing her experience with the newcomer.
In her view, everyone starts as a newcomer, she understands the hardships they face, and if she can help even a little, then why not?
After Linda and the director finished communicating, she came over to Yu Xiaoxuan, "Xiao Xuan, your work is done, you can go home now."
Yu Xiaoxuan nodded, "Then I’ll go first. Jiajia, keep it up." She gestured encouragingly, and Gu Jiajia smiled.
When she got home, Han Yi had already put Guoguo to sleep.
Yu Xiaoxuan first checked on her daughter, then simply sprawled on the sofa, utterly exhausted.
Han Yi massaged her shoulders. "Tired?"
Yu Xiaoxuan nodded, then suddenly remembered what Han Yi had done, her crescent eyes narrowed, and she said accusingly, "Did you do it on purpose?"
Han Yi was slightly stunned, not understanding what Yu Xiaoxuan meant. "What’s wrong?"
Yu Xiaoxuan pointed at the spot on the back of her neck and said, "Don’t tell me you don’t know what you did?"
Han Yi suddenly realized and awkwardly chuckled, explaining, "I really didn’t do it on purpose, I just couldn’t help myself in the moment."
Yu Xiaoxuan scoffed, ’couldn’t help himself,’ indeed. She really wanted to slap him across the face.
This scenario had occurred countless times; each time, Han Yi would look innocent while having such a charming face. It was also her own lack of self-control that whenever Han Yi used his charming tactics, she would fall for it.
Yu Xiaoxuan firmly decided, she wouldn’t fall for Han Yi’s tricks again; even his beauty tricks would be futile, she had to firmly uphold her role as a wife.
Han Yi looked innocent, raising his hand as if swearing an oath, "Wife, I swear, I’m telling the truth. It really wasn’t intentional."
However, a slight gleam flickered in his eyes, obviously not as innocuous as he claimed.
"Han Yi, we need to talk," Yu Xiaoxuan said seriously.
Han Yi hummed a response, putting away his innocent expression, his tone full of interest, "Wife, go ahead."
Yu Xiaoxuan sat cross-legged on the sofa, Han Yi stood, and she pointed to the sofa opposite her, "Sit down, you standing like that makes me feel tired."
Han Yi sat down on the sofa, smiling lightly as he looked at Yu Xiaoxuan, "Wife, you say, I’m listening."
Yu Xiaoxuan was serious, "Han Yi, we need to talk about this issue. Can you please not leave hickeys in such obvious places? It’s embarrassing when others see them."
Especially when everyone noticed the hickeys on her neck, they would give her suggestive looks, which made her feel uncomfortable.
Han Yi looked innocent, "Wife, I really can’t be blamed for this. It wasn’t intentional. But I promise, I’ll be more careful from now on."
As he spoke, he winked at Yu Xiaoxuan with his flirtatious eyes, clearly teasing her. Yu Xiaoxuan frowned, annoyed at this incorrigible man.
"Han Yi," Yu Xiaoxuan was somewhat irritated.
Han Yi came over and hugged her, "Come on, don’t be mad over such a small thing, it’s not worth it."
Yu Xiaoxuan was speechless, wondering who was the cause of her anger? She pinched him on his waist, and Han Yi gasped, "Ouch, are you trying to murder your husband?"
Yu Xiaoxuan snorted, "Hah, if I really wanted to murder my husband, would you still be here laughing and joking with me?"
Han Yi wrapped his arms around Yu Xiaoxuan’s shoulders and kissed her cheek, "Wife, I know I was wrong. I promise I won’t dare again. Please forgive me, whatever you want is fine. You say how to punish me, and I will accept it."
He gently rubbed the spot where Yu Xiaoxuan had pinched him. It really hurt.
Yu Xiaoxuan side-eyed him, "Are you serious?"
Han Yi nodded, "Of course, a gentleman’s word is his bond."
Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes darted around and she pointed towards the door of the study, "From tonight, you’ll sleep in the study alone."
Han Yi readily agreed, "Okay."
Seeing his quick agreement, Yu Xiaoxuan felt suspicious. This uncharacteristic compliance from Han Yi was concerning. Just as she was pondering, Han Yi suddenly picked her up, saying, "Wife, it’s getting late. We should go to bed."
Yu Xiaoxuan pounded on Han Yi’s shoulders, "You just agreed that you’d sleep in the study tonight."
Han Yi smirked roguishly, "Yes, sleep in the study, and we’re heading there right now," emphasizing the word "sleep" in a way that made Yu Xiaoxuan’s scalp tingle.
"Han Yi, I said sleep alone. Alone."
Han Yi smiled slyly, "I only heard ’sleep in the study.’"
Yu Xiaoxuan scowled, this man was obviously playing tricks. So much for being a gentleman!
Han Yi carried Yu Xiaoxuan into the study and set her on the bed, then climbed on top. Yu Xiaoxuan tried to push him away, but Han Yi pinned her down.
"Wife, it’s a long night. Let’s do some meaningful things," Han Yi’s seductive voice whispered in Yu Xiaoxuan’s ear.
Yu Xiaoxuan’s scalp tingled. That thing, she still hadn’t digested it from last night, and she didn’t want to eat again.
Seeing that she couldn’t push Han Yi away, she looked at him pitifully, "Hubby, I’m really exhausted today."
While kissing her, Han Yi absentmindedly said, "Baby, you’ll feel better soon."
In the haze of confusion and desire, Yu Xiaoxuan mumbled, "Don’t, don’t leave hickeys on my neck."
Han Yi’s breath was already ragged, panting, "You start your holiday tomorrow, it doesn’t matter." By then, clothes were already strewn across the floor.
Soon, Yu Xiaoxuan was lost in the pleasure that Han Yi brought her, forgetting all about the hickeys.
Han Yi gave a slight smile, his eyes flashing with triumph. Indeed, playing the handsome seducer never failed with Yu Xiaoxuan.
Before sleeping, Yu Xiaoxuan thought to herself, indeed, men’s words are not trustworthy.
The next day, since it was her day off, Yu Xiaoxuan slept until noon, which was partly because she had indulged too much the night before and truly couldn’t get up. Yu Xiaoxuan got out of bed and looked at Han Yi with a very resentful expression, "Aren’t you afraid of aging prematurely?"
Han Yi gave a suggestive smile, "Wife, don’t say it was just two nights. Even if it were every night, I could handle it. Do you want to try?"
Yu Xiaoxuan stiffened. Just two consecutive nights had already been too much for her, let alone every night. She glared at Han Yi resentfully, "Who’s going to be making merry with you every night?"
After speaking, she walked towards the dining room with an air of grace. She was hungry and wanted to eat.
In the afternoon, Han Yi had to go to the office, and Yu Xiaoxuan was left to take care of the child on her own. Seeing that it was still early, she decided to take Guoguo out shopping, with the household maid naturally following along.
Children always exhibit curiosity towards the outside world, and Guoguo was no exception. She looked around with wide eyes, unusually well-behaved in Yu Xiaoxuan’s arms.
Yu Xiaoxuan pinched her little face, "You’re this happy just coming to the mall; you’ll definitely be a shopping fanatic when you grow up."
Guoguo frowned but unusually didn’t get upset, clearly in a good mood as she let Yu Xiaoxuan pinch her face.
Yu Xiaoxuan smiled and chatted with the maid beside her. Her gaze casually swept around, then suddenly, she paused and turned back, frowning. Was that Jiang Chenxi just now? And who was the person with him? Wasn’t it said that Jiang Chenxi was with Pei Yinong? Why was he shopping with another woman?
Thinking this, a surge of anger rose in Yu Xiaoxuan’s heart. She hated unfaithful men the most, but then she thought maybe this person was Jiang Chenxi’s relative. Hadn’t she misunderstood Han Yi before like this?
With this thought, Yu Xiaoxuan calmed herself and walked in the direction where Jiang Chenxi was.
"Chenxi, what a coincidence to see you here," Yu Xiaoxuan greeted Jiang Chenxi with a beaming smile.
Jiang Chenxi heard someone calling his name, turned around and saw Yu Xiaoxuan. He was slightly stunned and then smiled warmly, "Xiao Xuan, what a coincidence." He looked behind her briefly and did not see Han Yi, "Han Yi didn’t come with you?"
"He went to work," Yu Xiaoxuan said casually, her eyes circling around the woman beside Jiang Chenxi and then asked seemingly casually, "Chenxi, is this lady your relative?"
Jiang Chenxi saw that Yu Xiaoxuan was referring to Chen Wanqiao and felt a bit awkward, "No, this lady is my friend, Chen Wanqiao. Her father’s birthday is in a couple of days. She didn’t know what to gift, so she asked me to help her choose."
"Oh," Yu Xiaoxuan responded, her gaze sweeping over Chen Wanqiao again. Chen Wanqiao was also looking at her. When she saw Yu Xiaoxuan looking over, she took the initiative to greet her, "Miss Yu, nice to meet you."
Yu Xiaoxuan wasn’t surprised that the woman recognized her since she was quite famous, after all, "Nice to meet you too, Miss Chen."
"Have you two finished your selection?" Yu Xiaoxuan asked.
"Not yet. We don’t know what to buy. Do you have any good suggestions?" Jiang Chenxi asked with a light smile, looking quite natural.
Yu Xiaoxuan immediately understood that they really were just ordinary friends. But this girl’s name sounds so familiar, like she had heard it somewhere.
Yu Xiaoxuan shared her suggestions with Jiang Chenxi and then said, "Well, Chenxi, I have to go now."
Jiang Chenxi smiled and nodded, "Okay."
After Yu Xiaoxuan left, Chen Wanqiao spoke up, "So you know Yu Xiaoxuan. She’s quite a big star."
"I’m friends with her husband, Han Yi. I’ve seen her so often that we’ve gotten familiar," Jiang Chenxi explained.
"I see. Chenxi, I think Miss Yu’s suggestion was good. Let’s buy some tea for my dad. Do you know anyone in this area? I’m not very knowledgeable about tea and worry about getting something substandard."
"Yes, I’ll give you the contact details later. Use my name; he’ll make good recommendations as his items are all high quality."
"That would be great. Though I’m sorry for making you shop with me for so long without buying anything."
Jiang Chenxi waved it off, "It’s nothing; I’m off today anyway."
"Chenxi, it’s getting late. How about I treat you to dinner?" Chen Wanqiao seized the opportunity to say.
"Sorry, I have plans this evening."
Disappointment flashed in Chen Wanqiao’s eyes. "Then, let’s make it another time. Thank you for today."
"You’re welcome. How did you get here today? Did you drive or take a taxi?"
"My car is in for maintenance. I took a taxi here. It’s fine; go ahead with your plans. I’ll just take a taxi back later. It’s quite easy to find one here."
"Then I’ll be going now," said Jiang Chenxi.
Chen Wanqiao was somewhat surprised by such a response; she thought that by saying that, Jiang Chenxi would offer to drive her home. She forced a smile, "Alright, drive safely."
Jiang Chenxi didn’t concern himself further with Chen Wanqiao and went straight home.
Actually, he hadn’t wanted to go shopping with Chen Wanqiao today. It was his mother who had forced him to go. He was already displeased and seeing Yu Xiaoxuan had only deepened his dissatisfaction towards his mother.
He had always been a filial child, understanding the hardships his parents endured raising him. He often compromised, except when it came to Pei Yinong. Even with Pei Yinong, he was trying to mediate, hoping to get his mother to accept her. But now, his mother was becoming too excessive.
Thinking of this, Jiang Chenxi’s face turned grim, and he drove back very fast.
"Chenxi, why are you back so early? Didn’t your mom say you were going out with Wanqiao?" Mr. Jiang was surprised to see Jiang Chenxi return.
A glimmer flashed in Jiang Chenxi’s eyes as he sat down next to his father, "Dad, there’s something I need to discuss with you."
Mr. Jiang put down his newspaper and looked at his son warmly, "What’s the matter?"
Just as Jiang Chenxi was about to speak, Mrs. Jiang came out of the kitchen. "Eh, Chenxi, why are you back so early? Didn’t you go have dinner with Wanqiao?"
"No, I came back on my own," Jiang Chenxi said darkly.
Mrs. Jiang, failing to detect the unusual tone in his voice, scolded him after hearing he had come back alone. "What’s wrong with you? Why don’t you show any gentlemanly demeanor? At least Wanqiao is a girl; couldn’t you have driven her home?"
"The taxis were readily available there," said Jiang Chenxi.
"Are you really that clueless, or are you pretending? Even if taxis are available, you should have driven her home."
"According to you, I should have taken her out to eat first, watched a movie, taken a walk, and then seen her home, right?"
"Isn’t that the case? A man should take the initiative," Mrs. Jiang scolded her son. "Look at you. I create opportunities for you, and you don’t know how to seize them. How will you ever find a girlfriend this way?"
At her words, anger surged within Jiang Chenxi. "Mom, I have a girlfriend."
His mother knew perfectly well that Pei Yinong was his girlfriend, yet she spoke as if disregarding Pei Yinong entirely.
Upon hearing this, both Mr. and Mrs. Jiang were taken aback; Mrs. Jiang out of shock and Mr. Jiang out of pure surprise, as he had never heard Jiang Chenxi mention this before.
Jiang Chenxi looked at his father. On the way home, he had decided to be frank with his family, for Pei Yinong’s sake and to end his mother’s scheming. He didn’t want to keep it from his father any longer.
It would be best if the family agreed; otherwise, he’d just visit less often.
Curious, Mr. Jiang asked, "Chenxi, when did you get a girlfriend? Why haven’t I heard about her?"
"Dad, you know her. She is..."
"Chenxi!" Mrs. Jiang cut him off, "What girlfriend? Don’t joke about this with your father."
"Mom, you know I’m not joking."