The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 475 - 477. Two years later, we met again

Time flew by like a white steed flashing past a crevice, and in the blink of an eye, two years had passed—Anan was already three and a half years old.

Early in the morning, joyful sounds from Anan filled the Fu Family’s ancestral home, "Mommy, hurry up."

Shen Qinglan followed behind him, "Slow down. If you fall and hurt yourself, I’m not going to pick you up."

Er Pang followed Anan, tail wagging. It had grown into a big dog now, as tall as Anan’s chest even without standing up, rotating around Anan all day, the bond between the boy and the dog was very strong.

Anan wore a sporty outfit, claiming to go jogging with his mother today and had specifically gotten up early for it.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi had moved out of the ancestral home a year and a half ago to their new residence, but a year before, Old Sir Fu’s health suddenly declined, so they moved back. Shen Qinglan’s wish for a daughter had not been realized. The reason was the virus infection she had suffered. Eden was worried it could affect the health of a child and suggested she wait a couple more years, making sure there were absolutely no issues with her health.

For the health of the child, Shen Qinglan naturally had no objections, and this suggestion was perfectly in line with Fu Hengyi’s preference. He initially disagreed with the idea of Shen Qinglan having a second child, and his previous consent was due to her life-threatening condition.

Although it’s said that a word from a great man should be as steadfast as a drawn cart, he naturally could not ask for more if the idea could be postponed, and it would be even better if Shen Qinglan could abandon the thought altogether.

"Mommy, you hurry," Anan urged from ahead. He was going to kindergarten in the second half of the year, and now it was May, his birthday having just passed recently, and June would be upon them soon.

"You go ahead, and Mommy will catch up with you in no time," Shen Qinglan said to her son. Upon hearing this, Anan immediately scampered off, with Er Pang by his side. This was the Military District, so naturally, Shen Qinglan wasn’t worried and didn’t restrict Anan in everyday life.

Anan was brimming with energy and, surprisingly, did not feel tired after running with Shen Qinglan, though she had specifically shortened the route to accommodate him.

"Mommy, let’s go to Grandma’s house," Anan said after coming home and having breakfast. He even planned to take Old Sir Fu along, "Grandpa, will you come with me, please?"

Old Sir Fu naturally would not refuse his great-grandson’s request and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, we’ll go in a bit."

The family went to the Shen Family home, and the two old masters paired up to play chess in the study, while Anan built train tracks in the living room and played with his newest toy, a train set.

"Qinglan, Anan is now full three years old, do you and Hengyi have plans for a second child? After all, one child is too lonely," said Chu Yunrong while peeling an apple for Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes twinkled lightly, as she had already discussed this matter with Fu Hengyi when he came back last month, but that damn man simply said Anan was still too young and wanted to wait another two years, clearly just making excuses.

"Hengyi and I are discussing it, but having children isn’t something you can do whenever you want to—it’s about fate. Most importantly, we’ll have to ask Anan later. I don’t want the new baby to arrive finding out Anan dislikes his baby brother or sister." There were many problems in modern society with having a second child, especially among only children who were the sole focus of their parents’ affection. When a second child came along, it led to a division of that affection and consequent tragedies—a not uncommon sight in the news.

Chu Yunrong nodded, "That makes sense, too. You should talk it over with Anan. But he’s an understanding child and should be able to grasp the situation." Chu Yunrong had no concerns about Anan; his character was genuinely good, neither like Shen Qinglan nor Fu Hengyi—lively, cheerful, and empathetic.

"How are sister-in-law and my brother doing? Weren’t they planning on getting pregnant before?" Shen Qinglan changed the subject, as continuing on this topic would inevitably lead to discussing Fu Hengyi.

"They’re conditioning her body with medicine. In another week, she’ll stop taking it, and after three months, if Xi Yao’s checkup shows no problems, they’ll start trying," said Chu Yunrong.

Xi Yao and Shen Junyu had been married for three years and had decided to have children last year. They both wanted a healthy baby, so they aimed to bring her body to the best possible condition, and for the past six months, Xi Yao had been drinking traditional Chinese medicine to improve her health.

"Indeed, it’s about time. Fang Tong is already three months in," Shen Qinglan remarked.

"You all have become mothers one after another, and we’ve gotten old too," Chu Yunrong chatted with Shen Qinglan, who smiled, "Since when did you start lamenting the passage of time?"

"Can I not lament? It’s all happened so quickly. Look at your cousin Yining. She and Chenxi have been together for over two years now; why aren’t they preparing to get married? If they don’t do it soon, by the time they marry and have children, she’ll be considered an older mother."

When Pei Yining was single, they worried because she didn’t have a boyfriend. Now that she has a boyfriend, they’ve started worrying about marriage. Whenever they asked Pei Yining, she would just smile and say there was no rush.

Shen Qinglan knew about the agreement between Pei Yining and the Jiang Family’s parents, but others didn’t, and naturally, they worried, "Mom, my cousin knows what she’s doing. Don’t worry about it. The next time you see my aunt, also advise her. Haven’t you seen that because of her nagging, my cousin was afraid to come home this year?"

"Alas," Chu Yunrong sighed, unable to hide her concern, "Do you think Chenxi doesn’t want to marry your cousin? It couldn’t be that he dislikes Haohao and therefore doesn’t want to marry, could it?" She began to worry needlessly.

Shen Qinglan was speechless, "Mom, you’re overthinking it. If Chenxi didn’t like my cousin, he wouldn’t have pursued her from the start. They’re adults now, and they have their plans." There were only a few months left in the two-year term; even if Mr. and Mrs. Jiang disagreed, they couldn’t delay it for much longer.

Chu Yunrong sighed again, handing an apple to Shen Qinglan, "I can’t interfere with young people’s affairs anymore, but right, Yining and Haohao are coming over for dinner later. Take the opportunity to ask her about her plans with Chenxi. Although being in love is wonderful, they can’t date forever, can they?"

"Mom, you just said you wouldn’t interfere." Yet, moments later, she asked her to gather information.

"Just ask her. Let Yining give a clear response, to put your aunt’s mind at ease. She’s so worried her hair turned white."

Pei Yining arrived around noon, bringing Haohao with her. Haohao, seven years old now, was a first-grader and was increasingly resembling Pei Yining. Having spent a lot of time with Jiang Chenxi, he had quietly adopted some of Chenxi’s mannerisms, like a little gentleman.

"Hi Auntie," Haohao greeted with a beaming smile. Shen Qinglan pulled him over, "Are you tired from school lately?"

Haohao shook his head; the first-grade material was something he learned two years ago, posing no challenge at all. His private tutor was already teaching him fifth-grade content. Even his homeroom teacher had suggested to Pei Yining that Haohao skip a grade, which she hadn’t agreed to.

"That stuff is too easy," Haohao said. He glanced in Pei Yining’s direction and saw her holding Anan, then whispered to Shen Qinglan, "Aunt, I went to see my biological father a few days ago."

Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow, "Did he come to your school again?" Duan Ling had been frequently visiting Haohao in the past six months.

Haohao nodded, "But he just took me out to lunch, then left."

Two years ago, after being rejected by Pei Yining, Duan Ling returned to country D and had since been out of the picture. Just when everyone thought he had decided not to come back, he returned, with the reason being to expand the market in country Z and establish a branch in Beijing.

"Aunt, my dad says he wants to take me to meet my grandparents. Do you think I should go?"

Shen Qinglan gave a sidelong glance, "Did your dad tell you that?"

Haohao nodded, "Yeah, but I haven’t told mom about it yet. Do you think I should go?"

"Do you want to go?"

Haohao thought about it then shook his head, "I don’t know. I’ve never met them, but if mom agrees, I could go and see them. If she doesn’t, then I won’t." Haohao had no emotional attachment to his supposed grandparents, so for him, meeting them or not didn’t matter.

Over the past two years, although Duan Ling was mostly not in Beijing, he had treated his son Haohao quite well. When Pei Yining forbade him from seeing his son, he truly did not see him for over a year. However, he regularly sent gifts to Haohao from abroad. Pei Yining didn’t interfere with these gifts.

"Then you should talk to Mom about it some other time and see if she agrees," Qinglan said.

"Okay," Haohao shrugged. "I think Mom might blow a gasket though, because she hates it when I mention my biological dad."

"Your mom will understand. Do you think she doesn’t know when your dad comes to see you? The school Haohao attends is one of the most prestigious noble schools in all of Beijing, security is absolutely guaranteed. If Duan Ling goes to see Haohao, the school will definitely inform Pei Yinong right away. By acting oblivious, she is, in a way, giving her tacit approval. After all, that’s a natural father-son instinct she can’t erase.

She may not love Duan Ling, but as long as he doesn’t instill any messed-up ideas in Haohao, she won’t stop him.

"Smile, I’ll talk to Mom about it tonight. I’m gonna go play with my little brother now."

"Alright, go ahead." Qinglan patted his behind, and Haohao went off to find Anan.

"What secret are you whispering to Haohao about?" Pei Yinong had noticed Haohao whispering with Qinglan a while ago, feeling a bit jealous in her heart. Haohao was closer to Qinglan, their relationship was like friends, he would share things with Qinglan that he wouldn’t with her; it was quite frustrating for her as a mother.

"Nothing much, just some little secrets between him and me," Qinglan replied indifferently.

Pei Yinong felt even more disheartened, "Ah, how come my son doesn’t have any secrets with me? What a waste of effort."

"Then you can give him to me," Qinglan added.

"That’s not going to happen."

Qinglan smiled faintly, "By the way, my mom asked me to inquire about when you and Chenxi plan to get married."

Pei Yinong frowned, "Ah, I just can’t escape this topic wherever I go. Now my mom asks me about it a dozen times a day. If I don’t come home, she bombards me with phone calls; my head’s about to explode." It was indeed a headache for her, and she couldn’t tell them about her agreement with Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, or else there would be a fight.

"Cousin, how are things with Chenxi’s parents now?"

A slight pause crossed Pei Yinong’s smiling face, her expression fading a bit, "Just so-so." Although the parents had agreed to their relationship and no longer treated her with curt disapproval, every time she visited their place during holidays and festivals, they would be polite, but distant, not the kind of attitude you’d expect towards the girlfriend of a son, but rather how you’d treat a guest.

"The two-year deadline is approaching," Qinglan mentioned softly, and Pei Yinong’s gaze darkened, yes, the two-year term was indeed nearing its end.

"Cousin, have you ever considered what to do if Chenxi’s parents still don’t agree to the marriage when the time comes?"

Pei Yinong gave a faint smile, "What else can I do? Just keep dating for a lifetime. I’ve already fallen for him, what other choice do I have? It’s not like I can just leave him if we can’t get married."

Qinglan felt very heartbroken for Pei Yinong upon hearing this, "Cousin."

But Pei Yinong seemed to have come to terms with it, "Actually, there’s not much difference between Chenxi and me and a real married couple now, it’s just a piece of paper. If we don’t have it, then we don’t have it. Does it mean we don’t love each other without that certificate?"

"That’s true, but..."

"Stop talking about me. Let’s talk about you. Anan will be going to kindergarten in the second half of the year, have you found a school for him yet?"

Knowing that Pei Yinong did not want to continue the conversation, Shen Qinglan shifted the topic, "We’ve made a decision, the Military District Kindergarten. The teaching staff here is excellent, and it’s close to home, so we plan to enroll here."

Pei Yinong nodded. The children who study at the Military District Kindergarten are mostly from high-ranking families within the compound, which isn’t bad.

After lunch, Pei Yinong had things to attend to that afternoon, so she left Haohao behind and went on her way. The two little ones were having a great time, and Haohao was unwilling to leave.

Once Pei Yinong had left, Chu Yunrong sat down beside Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, how did it go, did you ask?"

Shen Qinglan chuckled, "I asked, but Cousin didn’t say much, preferring to wait until the end of the year."

"Wait? Really, this girl, what is she waiting for?"

"Come on, it’s their personal matter, their current status is just like being married."

"Is it the same, though? A marriage certificate is just a piece of paper, but it’s still a form of security."

"Mom, if they don’t want to register, you can’t exactly force them to, can you?" Shen Qinglan joked.

"I wouldn’t, but your great-aunt really is considering doing just that."

Shen Qinglan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, "Mom, I’ll leave Anan and Haohao with you, I’m off to the studio."

Chu Yunrong waved her away, "Go on, I’ll take care of them here."

An old friend of Old Sir Shen had a birthday coming up and was very fond of Shen Qinglan’s painting, so Old Sir Shen wanted her to paint a celebratory work. Naturally, Shen Qinglan wouldn’t refuse. For the past two years, most of her attention had been on Anan and Fu Hengyi, leading her to rarely pick up her brush. However, with Xu Xiangqian and Daniel’s presence, the price of her paintings kept rising. Moreover, by regularly attending art salons hosted by painters, she had made many painter friends.

Interestingly, in the art world, many people from high society, whether out of pretense or genuine love, are somewhat involved, especially the socialites. Shen Qinglan’s network in the art circle is unquestionable. Although she is reserved and not particularly enthusiastic towards others, her personality, ironically, made her quite popular among artists. The socialites who knew of her connections naturally greeted her with smiles, and even the wife of Fu Hengyi’s superior had a good relationship with Shen Qinglan.

In these two years, Fu Hengyi spent most of his time in the military. His main job was still special forces training. At his age, he should have moved to a less active role, but given his capabilities, his superiors did not want to waste his talent and requested that he stay on the front line for a few more years. Fu Hengyi himself wanted to finish this busy life sooner and was keen on training newcomers to take his place, creating a virtuous cycle.

Worth mentioning is that Zhao Wei, who was once obsessed with martial arts, like Meng Liang, has become one of Fu Hengyi’s right-hand men. Whether he had a change of heart or something else, Zhao Wei finally diversified his skills. While combat was still his favorite, he now ensures that it does not overshadow his other skills and serves as the combat instructor in Fu Hengyi’s team.

Shen Qinglan would take Anan to stay with the troops every fortnight to reunite with Fu Hengyi. There was no estrangement between father and son, but recently the two seem to have developed a competitive edge, all because of Fu Hengyi’s jealousy—an issue that left Shen Qinglan both amused and exasperated.

Whenever Shen Qinglan thought of Daniel, she couldn’t help but think of Jin Enxi. It had been three months since she last contacted Jin Enxi, and she wondered how things were now.

Daniel would still occasionally ask about Jin Enxi’s situation, and although Shen Qinglan always assured him that Jin Enxi was safe and well, that was the best answer for Daniel.

**

In Country Y, Eden removed the gauze from Jin Enxi’s face, "Enxi, you can open your eyes now."

Hearing this, Jin Enxi delayed opening her eyes, fearfully keeping them shut. Eden patted her shoulder, "Don’t be afraid, the recovery is very good."

Jin Enxi’s eyelashes trembled gently as she slowly opened her eyes. Eden handed her the small mirror he was holding. Jin Enxi took it but hesitated, not daring to look. Eden chuckled lightly, "Enxi, when did you become so timid? Trust me, the recovery went very well."

Jin Enxi thought about it too. She had once not been afraid of death, so what was there to be scared of now? She picked up the mirror and looked at the person reflected in it. The face in the mirror was completely unfamiliar, the only similarity with her past doll-like face being its beauty. Jin Enxi touched her own face while Eden watched her quietly.

"Enxi, I’m sorry, but this is the best I could restore it to." If he could, he would have given Jin Enxi back her exact same face, but her injuries had been too severe back then. Even this face had taken him a great deal of effort to restore, and in the end, he had to invite Peter to help.

"Eden, I should be the one to thank you. Although it’s completely different from before, it’s also a new beginning, isn’t it?" Jin Enxi’s heart had already braced for this outcome, so she was relatively calm. When she thought about it, she considered herself lucky to have recovered to this extent despite such injuries.

"So, are you going to find Daniel now?" Eden asked.

Jin Enxi shook her head, "No, I want to go see An first." This was the fear that comes from being near home. She hadn’t seen Daniel for two years. Though he had remained single during that time and she occasionally heard from Shen Qinglan that Daniel often asked about her, she still didn’t dare to see him. Had she really become so timid after resting for so long?

"You will have to see him eventually," Eden said.

Jin Enxi gave a faint smile, "Then let’s delay it a bit. Let me prepare myself mentally. After all, I am a timid person. I’ve waited for two years; I don’t mind waiting a little longer."

She looked at Eden, "What about you, Eden? You should find someone too." Over the past two years, Eden had remained single, focusing most of his energy on her and Cissily. He didn’t seem to care about his own love life at all.

Eden’s expression was indifferent, "I’m quite happy with how things are now. Medicine is my true love."

"Eden, An has already found happiness, and I think she would surely hope that you could find your own happiness as well." Although Shen Qinglan had never said it, Jin Enxi knew that Shen Qinglan always hoped that Eden would let go of his feelings for her and find his own happiness.

"Enxi, I am happy now. My friends are all well and have found their happiness. Seeing you all happy makes me happy, and besides..." He softened his gaze, "Not all feelings need to be let go. Keeping them in the heart and occasionally remembering them is also a very good outcome."

"Eden, is this..."

"Enxi, don’t worry about me. I am really doing well. My only goal now is to cure Cissily and help her wake up soon."

Jin Enxi looked at him intently for a long while before withdrawing her gaze. She realized that she ultimately couldn’t change Eden’s decision.

"When are you going to Beijing?" Eden changed the subject. Jin Enxi thought for a moment, "Tomorrow, I suppose. I haven’t seen An for a long time, and her son is already three years old. He must be quite tall by now. No, I need to go buy a gift for Anan first. I don’t know what he likes, but I guess little boys generally like Transformers, right? I’ll go buy him a Transformer. What do you think?" Jin Enxi sought Eden’s opinion.

"That’s a good idea. I’ll go to the mall with you later."

"Great. Eden, will you come with me?" Over the past two years, Eden spent most of his time in Country Y, and even if he went out, it was for academic exchanges. He had not set foot in Beijing and had not seen Shen Qinglan in two years.

Eden shook his head, "I’d rather not go. Just send my regards."

Jin Enxi’s gaze dimmed slightly, and she sighed softly, "Alright then, let me change my clothes, and we’ll head out."

"Okay."

**

Beijing Airport, a woman emerged from the exit, holding a large suitcase, with big, wavy, burgundy-colored curls, and a large pair of sunglasses covering half her face. The corners of her mouth lifted gently, clearly in a very good mood.

"Hi, miss, are you alone? Where do you want to go? I can take you, I have a car," a man approached, trying to strike up a conversation with the woman. She sized the man up with a glance, smiled, and said, "No need. My boyfriend is coming to pick me up."

Disappointment flickered in the man’s eyes—he hadn’t expected such a stunner to be taken. Ah, what a pity.

No sooner had the woman walked away than her shoulder was tapped. She turned around and saw a stunningly beautiful face with an air of cool detachment. As their gazes met, she curved the corners of her mouth gently, flashing a warm smile that melted all her coolness away.

The curly-haired woman squinted her eyes, "Excuse me, miss, you are...?"

"Enxi, do you still want to play around?" Shen Qinglan responded indifferently.

Jin Enxi’s smile fell, "How did you recognize me?" Shen Qinglan had never seen her real face, and with her current disguise, she had wanted to surprise her.

"Eden already showed me your picture just now," Shen Qinglan said flatly.

Jin Enxi gritted her teeth. What a traitor.

"Let’s go. You’ll stay at my place for a few days."

"The Fu Family’s old house?" Jin Enxi asked as they walked.

"Yes."

"I won’t go, An, spare me please. I really don’t want to stay at the Fu Family’s old house." That place was a Military District, where uniformed soldiers could be seen everywhere. Although she had left the organization and hadn’t had any contact with those from the underworld for the past two years, people like her still had an instinctive aversion to soldiers. She didn’t want to stay somewhere feeling uncomfortable all over.

"An, just drop me off at a hotel. I’ll stay at a hotel for a few days," Jin Enxi suggested.

"Fine, I have an apartment in the city, but no one has lived there in a while. I’ll have someone clean it up, and you can stay there."

"That’s no problem; it’s settled then," Jin Enxi was quite satisfied with the arrangement. "But I want to go see Anan first. I haven’t seen him for so long."

"Alright, we’ll have lunch at my place first, and after lunch, I’ll take you to the hotel. No objections, right?"

"No objections."

Of course, Anan didn’t recognize Jin Enxi, but hearing from Shen Qinglan that this was her friend, he called her pretty sister right away, amusing Jin Enxi to no end. She made faces at Shen Qinglan, sending her a look that said, "See, I’m older than you and yet younger and prettier."

Shen Qinglan gave her a glance, withdrawing her gaze indifferently. Ha, what was there to be proud of? Anan calls me mommy and you, sister. Does that mean you should call me aunt?

Jin Enxi hadn’t thought of that and was still pleased with Anan’s address to her.

Anan held the Transformer toy that Jin Enxi had bought for him, pouring out flatteries, showering Jin Enxi with praises until she was grinning from ear to ear, unable to stop smiling, wishing she could give him her heart.

Shen Qinglan shook her head continuously; not seeing Jin Enxi for two years seemed to have diminished her intelligence, as she was being coaxed by a child into a daze.

"Grandpa, this is my friend..." Shen Qinglan suddenly didn’t know how to address Jin Enxi. Old Sir Fu had met Jin Enxi before; naturally, he recognized her. If she continued to call her Jin Enxi, it would be hard to explain why her face had changed.

"Hello, Old Sir, my name is Lola," Jin Enxi interrupted.

Old Sir Fu smiled warmly, "Hello, haha, don’t be shy in our home, treat it like your own."

"Thank you, Old Sir, I definitely won’t be," Jin Enxi said with a bright smile.

She stayed at the Fu Family until the afternoon before Shen Qinglan escorted her to the hotel.

"Enxi, in three days it’s Junlan Group’s celebration party, and Daniel will also be coming. Are you ready?" Shen Qinglan suddenly said on the way to the hotel.

Jin Enxi was startled, "He’s coming too?" She hadn’t expected it so soon.

"Mm, these past two years my brother has been trying to break into Y country’s market, so he reached a partnership with Daniel. This party is to celebrate the official establishment of the Y country branch," Shen Qinglan explained.

"An, I’m a bit scared," Jin Enxi’s voice suddenly lowered, "Do you think he’ll like the way I look now? He might not even recognize me."

Shen Qinglan glanced at her, "Enxi, since when have you become so unconfident? Even if he doesn’t recognize you, then you two can start anew. Isn’t a fresh start even better?" Seeing her distressed look, Shen Qinglan advised.

Jin Enxi thought it over, "You’re right; it’s just meeting again, nothing to be afraid of. If he dares not to recognize me, hmph, I’ll show him. An, we better agree, you mustn’t tell him beforehand." Once she thought it through, Jin Enxi’s mood cleared up again.

"Okay."

**

Three days later, Beijing’s largest five-star hotel bustled with activity early in the day, preparing for Junlan Group’s celebration party that evening when nightfall arrived.

This was a day worth commemorating for Junlan Group, and all top executives were present, including Fang Tong naturally. Shen Qinglan and Fang Tong sat in a corner, "How’s your morning sickness lately?"

At three months pregnant, Fang Tong’s symptoms were the strongest among them, surpassing even Shen Qinglan’s experience with her own pregnancy. In just half a month, Fang Tong had lost around five or six pounds, causing everyone great concern; she even paused work, handing it off to Shen Junze.

"It’s much better now. Another day, please thank Sister Xiyao’s mother for me, thank her for sending those pickled plums, my appetite has improved a lot." Because of her severe morning sickness, Fang Tong couldn’t even eat, but Shen Qinglan remembered the dried fruit that Mrs. Wen had sent her during her pregnancy, which included pickled plums that helped suppress morning sickness.

Wen Xiyao made a call, and her mother sent plenty to Fang Tong.

"You can thank her in person today," Shen Qinglan said.

Fang Tong slapped her forehead, "I really am dumb for three years during pregnancy, Sister Xiyao will surely attend an event like today’s."

"Qinglan." Daniel’s voice sounded above Shen Qinglan’s head. Shen Qinglan stood up, "Daniel, long time no see."

"Not long, just a month. Have you been well lately?"

"Very well, and you?"

"Same as always, not bad but not great," Daniel said, the smile on his face always faint. Since his return to the family, the Daniel that Shen Qinglan had seen was always like this, as if all the genuine joy had been stripped from him.

"Qinglan, is she... doing well?" Daniel hesitated before asking.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Yes, she’s very well." The smile at the corner of her mouth carried a deeper meaning, it’s just a pity that Daniel didn’t understand.

"That’s good, as long as she’s well," Daniel said, relieved.

"I’ll go find your brother first and won’t disturb you ladies’ chat." Having gotten the information he wanted, Daniel left.

Shen Qinglan looked around the banquet hall but didn’t see Jin Enxi. She sent Jin Enxi a message asking where she was and found out she was still on the way. Shen Qinglan immediately understood—this girl was likely too nervous and had hesitated for a long time before leaving the house.

Jin Enxi didn’t arrive until the reception was about to start. She scanned her surroundings once she got there and spotted Daniel in the crowd. He had lost weight; his features had grown sharper, a smile was on his lips, but it carried a sense of detachment. He seemed... to have changed a lot.

Daniel felt someone watching him and turned to look in that direction, only catching sight of the back of a woman in red, her wine-red curls cascading down. He glanced over, then looked away, not paying any mind.

Jin Enxi patted her chest, breathing out softly. She had almost been discovered just now. Although her main reason for coming today was to see Daniel, it was not in this manner—she had planned for a stunning entry.

Shen Qinglan found Jin Enxi, whose appearance that day earned an approving gaze. Indeed, she was beautiful, and Jin Enxi smiled contentedly.

Shen Qinglan had no interest in such gatherings. Her only reason for being here today was for Jin Enxi. "Are you ready?" Shen Qinglan asked in a hushed tone.

Jin Enxi smiled faintly, "Honestly, no, but this day was bound to come sooner or later."

There would be a dancing segment at tonight’s reception, and Jin Enxi planned to ask Daniel to dance with her, signifying their official meeting.

There was still some time before the reception officially began, so Shen Qinglan and the others sat in a corner chatting.

Yu Xiaoxuan came today with Han Yi. Now, Yu Xiaoxuan’s status was not only that of a famous young celebrity in the entertainment circle but also the CEO of a listed company. This was the company that Fu Hengyi and Han Yi had planned to start, which was registered under Yu Xiaoxuan’s name, but the shares belonging to Fu Hengyi were recorded under Shen Qinglan’s name. So to outsiders, this seemed like a company jointly opened by the Shen siblings and Yu Xiaoxuan.

Han Yi and Shen Junyu managed the company behind the scenes, and with these two handling affairs, the company thrived tremendously and went public in March this year. Yu Xiaoxuan’s net worth had multiplied, and no one could say anymore that Yu Xiaoxuan was just an actor good for nothing but filming.

Yu Xiaoxuan, on her part, was focused on acting and even won the Best Actress award last year, a significant step forward, especially since a year ago she and Director Wang Bin held a grand audition event. They finally found an actor that immensely satisfied Director Wang. With his involvement, the audition gained high popularity, also boosting Yu Xiaoxuan’s fame and exposure, widening her path in acting even further, leading to an endless stream of film offers. One can only imagine how busy she is now.

"Qinglan, I’ve missed you so much." Yu Xiaoxuan gave her a bear hug as soon as she arrived, ignoring Shen Qinglan’s disdainful look.

"Why are you still so unrestrained?" Fang Tong teased her.

Yu Xiaoxuan rolled her eyes, "That’s only with you guys, okay? I’m proper, dignified, and well-mannered when I’m out there."