The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 487 - 490. Mr. Jiang’s Birthday (2nd Update)

"Haohao is visiting his grandparents this weekend; will he make it in time for Jiang Chenxi’s father’s birthday?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"It’s alright, his father’s birthday is in three days, on Thursday, and Haohao’s flight is on Friday night." Pei Yinong had everything arranged well in advance and was certain it wouldn’t conflict with Jiang Chenxi’s father’s birthday.

"That’s good. Cousin, about your wedding with Jiang Chenxi..."

The smile faded from Pei Yinong’s face, "Let’s get past the birthday first; after all, there are still a few months to go."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qinglan knew the wedding was probably not yet confirmed, and recognizing that Pei Yinong preferred not to talk about it, she fell silent.

After sending Pei Yinong home, Shen Qinglan called Fu Hengyi. He didn’t pick up, so she sent him a message asking him to call her back when he saw it.

The response Shen Qinglan received wasn’t a call from Fu Hengyi but a text message—[I’m fine, don’t worry.]

[When are you coming back?]

[Tomorrow, back to the Military Region.]

A glint flashed in Shen Qinglan’s eyes; she replied with an okay and headed straight to the Beijing Military Region the next day.

As Fu Hengyi heard the sound of keys turning the lock at the door, he instantly realized something. Just as he stepped out of the room, he saw Shen Qinglan. Instinctively wanting to turn away, Shen Qinglan spoke first, "Fu Hengyi, stop right there."

Fu Hengyi’s steps halted as he looked at Shen Qinglan gently, "Why are you here?"

Shen Qinglan’s gaze turned slightly cold, "If I hadn’t come, how long were you planning to hide this from me?" She saw the bandages on Fu Hengyi’s arm and waist.

Fu Hengyi chuckled, unable to admit that if Shen Qinglan hadn’t noticed, he had planned to keep his injury hidden until he was healed, "They are just superficial wounds; I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you worrying for nothing."

With his face already drained of all color, he still claimed it was a minor injury. Shen Qinglan really wanted to ask Fu Hengyi what, to him, would be considered a serious wound.

"Why aren’t you recovering in the hospital with such a serious injury?" Shen Qinglan frowned. Fu Hengyi’s voice was laced with weakness as he spoke, and she marveled that he could still stand. She guessed that he must have feared her detection of his condition, which is why he chose to send a text instead of calling.

"I just came back from the hospital, the doctor has already changed my dressings; I’ll recover in a few days."

Shen Qinglan gave him a look, "Fu Hengyi, do you think I’m as gullible as Anan?" Did she seem that easy to deceive?

Fu Hengyi felt helpless—if she had been easy to deceive, she would not have discovered his condition. Shen Qinglan stepped forward and helped him sit down on the sofa, "How did you get injured? Did the operation go badly?"

The initial phase of the operation had gone smoothly; they managed to reach the hostages without alarming the KA members and got them out. However, just at the last moment, something went wrong. One hostage, overwhelmed with fear, let out a scream during the retreat, alerting KA’s people, and a fierce clash ensued. Fu Hengyi and Mu Liancheng had been covering the rear when he got injured.

"The leader of KA escaped," said Fu Hengyi. Although he had fired a shot at the man, he had not died then.

Shen Qinglan furrowed her brow, "Escaped?"

"Yes. To be precise, a force appeared and rescued him." If it hadn’t been for the appearance of that group, the KA would have been completely wiped out.

"Did you get a good look at these people? Are they mercenaries too?" Shen Qinglan inquired.

Fu Hengyi nodded, his expression serious, "They seem to be based on their skills, but I’ve heard of all the mercenary organizations internationally, and this one has never come up before; I’ve never seen their insignia either."

Fu Hengyi had served many years in the Sharp Blade Unit and had sufficient knowledge of the international mercenary groups. Even though he had left Sharp Blade, he still kept up with such news. His unfamiliarity with this group meant that it was either a new emerging force or one that had previously remained well hidden.

"A new force?" Shen Qinglan asked.

Fu Hengyi shook his head, "Unlikely, they seem too well-organized and powerful. It’s probably an old entity, but they didn’t seem to have any malice towards us; after rescuing their man, they left."

"I’ll have Enxi look into it when I get the chance." Jin Enxi was more adept in these matters.

"That would be good," said Fu Hengyi. His main concern was to discover why this organization was associated with the KA. He sketched the insignia he’d seen for Shen Qinglan to help Jin Enxi investigate.

And when Qinglan saw that mark, she furrowed her brows, this mark seemed familiar, she thought she had seen it somewhere before.

"What’s wrong?" Fu Hengyi asked when he saw Qinglan staring at the mark.

"I think I’ve seen this mark somewhere before," Qinglan said.

Upon hearing her, Fu Hengyi looked at her, "When did you see it?"

Qinglan shook her head, "I don’t know, but I feel very familiar with it when I see it. Maybe I glanced at it unconsciously before. Let’s wait until Enxi has looked into it."

"Alright, if you can’t remember it now, don’t think too hard. Maybe it will come to you eventually." Fu Hengyi was not in a hurry.

With Fu Hengyi injured, Qinglan naturally had to stay to take care of him. She made a phone call home to stop her family from worrying, but she did not mention Fu Hengyi being injured.

The next day, Qinglan accompanied Fu Hengyi to the hospital, where she saw his wounds with her own eyes. The most severe was the gunshot wound on his abdomen; the other injuries were superficial.

"You see, I told you it was just a superficial injury, you didn’t believe me, now do you?" Fu Hengyi said.

Qinglan’s expression was indifferent, "The doctor said the bullet would have hit a vital part if it had been just a bit off."

Fu Hengyi held Qinglan’s hand, "I avoided it." In fact, had he not needed to protect the hostage behind him, he could have completely evaded the gunshot.

Qinglan, though distressed, also understood; after all, this was part of his duty, "Anan can be taken care of by my mother these few days. I will go back once your injury has healed."

No matter how meticulous Fu Hengyi was with Qinglan on normal days, taking even the smallest matters to heart, when it came to himself, he acted like an inattentive man.

On hearing her words, Fu Hengyi raised his eyebrows slightly. He was quite happy about the prospect of having some alone time with his wife. He glanced down at the wound on his abdomen, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes. Unfortunately...

**

Today was Jiang Chenxi’s father’s birthday. Pei Yinong had woken up early to apply a light makeup, but stood indecisively in front of her wardrobe for a long time, still unsure about what to wear.

Haohao had changed into his clothes but when he didn’t see Pei Yinong coming out, he knocked on his mother’s bedroom door, "Mommy, can I come in?"

"Come in," Pei Yinong called from inside.

Haohao pushed the door open to see clothes scattered all over the bed, he was speechless, "Mommy, we’re going to be late if you don’t choose soon."

"Haohao, which one do you think looks good on mommy?" She had been struggling for quite a while. Today was Jiang Chenxi’s father’s big birthday celebration, relatives and friends would also attend, so she had to take it seriously.

"Mommy looks good in anything," Haohao sweetly said.

Pei Yinong laughed and touched his face, "You’re just trying to make mommy happy."

"I’m speaking the truth, besides Auntie, mommy is the most beautiful woman in the world."

"I thought you’d say that I am the most beautiful woman in the world. So, in your heart, I rank after your aunt," Pei Yinong feigned offense.

"Mommy, you’ve long known the fact that Auntie is more beautiful than you, why can’t you accept it even now?" Haohao said with an air of disdain, they often joked about this, and whether Pei Yinong was really angry or just pretending, he could tell at a glance.

Pei Yinong pinched his nose, "You little rascal, always laughing at mommy. I won’t pamper you anymore."

Haohao waved his hand nonchalantly, "If you don’t pamper me then don’t, but mommy, you really will be late if you don’t get dressed now."

Pei Yinong glanced at the time, indeed, she hurriedly got up and pointed towards the bed full of clothes, "Haohao, help mommy choose one."

Haohao pointed to a beige dress nonchalantly, "Just this one then. Mommy will definitely look good in this."

"Alright, I’ll listen to you. If it doesn’t look good, I’m going to spank you when we come back home tonight," Pei Yinong said as she took the dress and went into the bathroom to change.

Once dressed, Pei Yinong set off with her son. The trunk of their car was filled with the gifts she had prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Jiang—not only a set of clothes for each of them but also a Purple Sand Teapot for Mr. Jiang, and a set of skincare products for Mrs. Jiang, each gift quite pricey.

Jiang Chenxi was in charge of all the family banquet affairs today, so she did not come with Pei Yinong, but had arrived at the hotel early to prepare.

Although it was a birthday celebration for a milestone age, Mr. Jiang had no plans to hold a large event, only inviting close relatives and a few good friends; there were only three tables of guests in total. For Pei Yinong, this was her first time officially appearing before the Jiang family’s relatives and friends. Over the last two years, everyone had gradually heard some news about Pei Yinong and Jiang Chenxi being together, and a few elders had met Pei Yinong, but there had never been a formal introduction.

Originally, Mr. Jiang did not want to have the banquet since, in such a situation, whether or not to have Pei Yinong appear was problematic, but Jiang Chenxi wanted to hold the event, and Mrs. Jiang also said it should be held. Mr. Jiang, unable to single-handedly stop it, naturally agreed.

When Pei Yinong arrived, Mrs. Jiang was busy greeting relatives and friends, and Jiang Chenxi was standing at the entrance waiting for them.

"Uncle Jiang." Haohao had already walked over to Jiang Chenxi first. He was seven years old now and reached up to Jiang Chenxi’s waist. Jiang Chenxi patted his head, "Haohao, you look very handsome today."

Haohao grinned, "Uncle Jiang, you’re very handsome too."

Pei Yinong followed behind, carrying bags in her hands. Seeing this, Jiang Chenxi stepped forward to take the bags from her, "Why did you buy so much?"

"It’s just some food and stuff. It’s only once for a sixtieth birthday; you can’t come empty-handed, can you?" Even if the Jiang family didn’t care, could others remain indifferent? Pei Yinong thought, if she really dared to show up with nothing, probably the other relatives and friends would look down on her, and there would be gossip about Jiang Chenxi behind her back.

"Granny Jiang, I missed you." Haohao hugged Mrs. Jiang’s waist, acting spoilt, "Granny Jiang, did you miss me?"

Mrs. Jiang smiled warmly, "Yes, I did." Haohao was wearing the clothes Mrs. Jiang had taken him shopping for last time. Seeing him wear her gift today, her smile deepened.

Haohao did a spin in front of Mrs. Jiang and then asked, "Granny Jiang, do I look handsome today?"

Mrs. Jiang smiled, "Handsome, very handsome — even more so than your Uncle Jiang." Putting aside the fact that Haohao was Pei Yinong’s son, Mrs. Jiang truly liked this clever, well-behaved, and sweet-talking child.

"Aunt Jiang." Pei Yinong greeted with a smile, Mrs. Jiang merely nodded, "You’re here, come in and sit."

Pei Yinong was used to Mrs. Jiang’s attitude and naturally did not feel left out. Relative to the beginning, Mrs. Jiang’s demeanor was already much improved.

Pei Yinong first handed the gifts they had prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Jiang to Jiang Chenxi, asking him to put them away, and then went to meet Mr. Jiang.

Mr. Jiang was chatting with his friends, and Pei Yinong went over to greet him. Mr. Jiang, instead of making things difficult for her, nodded and said a few kind words to her. Pei Yinong wasn’t clueless; she naturally wouldn’t interrupt them, finding a place to sit by herself. As Jiang Chenxi still had to accompany Mrs. Jiang in entertaining guests, he had no time to keep her company, but Pei Yinong gave his hand a pat, "Go on, I’ll be fine by myself."

"Alright, just call me if you need anything."

Pei Yinong was talking softly to Haohao and could feel the glances on her, but because those looks mostly carried curiosity rather than malice, she did not mind.

While Pei Yinong wasn’t bothered by the stares, Haohao noticed and whispered to her, "Mommy, they’re all looking at you."

Pei Yinong just laughed, "It’s okay, they’re just curious; don’t worry about it."

"Why are they curious?" Haohao asked.

"They think Mommy is pretty, so they want to take another look," Pei Yinong teased him.

"You’re lying," Haohao mumbled. In reality, he knew that many people didn’t like his mother because she hadn’t married Daddy before giving birth to him. And the reason Grandpa Jiang and Granny Jiang disapproved of Mommy marrying Uncle Jiang was also because of that. Haohao didn’t quite understand what being an unwed mother entailed, but he knew that it was because of his existence that his mother was looked down upon. He cared deep down and thus was even better to Pei Yinong in daily life, being very understanding.

Seeing Pei Yinong wasn’t concerned, Haohao pretended not to notice as well, trying to cheer her up.

After the banquet began, Pei Yinong sat with Jiang Chenxi, positioned at the lower end of the table where several of the Jiang family elders were seated.

Those who could sit at this table were the closest to the Jiang family. Mr. Jiang only had one older brother, Jiang Xiong, who did not come today. Instead, his pair of children came, a son named Jiang Jie and a daughter named Jiang Yan, both about the same age as Jiang Chenxi and already married with children.

Jiang Yan sat next to Haohao, curiously glancing at Pei Yinong and smiled warmly at her, "You must be Yining, right? I’m Chenxi’s cousin sister; my name is Jiang Yan. You can also call me cousin sister."

"Hello, cousin sister," Pei Yinong replied with a smile, graciously accepting the extended olive branch.

Jiang Yan then looked at Haohao, "So this is your son, huh? He’s very cute."

"Hello, Aunt Jiang," Haohao greeted everyone he saw.

Jiang Yan smiled warmly, "You should call me auntie."

"Auntie, hello."

"Such a good child," Jiang Yan smiled. Today was the first time she had met Pei Yinong, having previously heard about her from others, both good and bad opinions. The most common story was about her improper behavior in the past, mingling with some random men, getting pregnant, and then, instead of terminating the pregnancy, she had actually given birth.

Before meeting Pei Yinong, Jiang Yan had wondered what charm she possessed that could have made her cousin so infatuated with her. After meeting her, Jiang Yan somewhat understood why Jiang Chenxi had chosen her.

In fact, Jiang Yan had been observing Pei Yinong ever since she entered the door. She had naturally heard the whispers and the incessant scrutinizing glances, but from start to finish, Pei Yinong maintained an indifferent demeanor, an attitude which Jiang Yan greatly admired.

Although Jiang Yan was also a member of the Jiang Family, she was not one to hold archaic thoughts. On the contrary, she felt that Mr. and Mrs. Jiang were being too stubborn. They had been together for so many years, what was there left to oppose? Did they really plan to prevent Jiang Chenxi from marrying for a lifetime?

Jiang Yan knew about the two-year agreement between Mr. and Mrs. Jiang and Pei Yinong from her mother. When she heard about it, she felt it was very inappropriate. But after all, she was an outsider. Certain thoughts were better kept to herself, especially when the other party was her elder. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Jiang Yan was straightforward, and Pei Yinong was also a straightforward person. The two naturally hit it off in conversation. Seeing Pei Yinong and Jiang Yan talking so joyously made Jiang Chenxi also very happy. Another person accepting Pei Yinong was a cause for celebration for him.

Jiang Jie’s wife was named Shu Yuwei, and she was good friends with Chen Wanqiao.

When Jiang Chenxi had turned down Chen Wanqiao for Pei Yinong, Shu Yuwei had been very upset. Particularly upon seeing Chen Wanqiao’s heartbroken look, her annoyance towards Pei Yinong grew even stronger. She had always wanted to find an opportunity to meet this woman and see whether she really had any special features or charms that made Jiang Chenxi unable to forget her. To her surprise, she ended up seeing her at Mr. Jiang’s birthday banquet. Truthfully, she was very displeased.

The one who should have been sitting beside Jiang Chenxi today was supposed to be Chen Wanqiao.

"So, you’re Pei Yinong," Shu Yuwei said indifferently, her gaze at Pei Yinong filled with scrutiny, "I thought you’d be more beautiful. Now that I see you, you’re just so-so."

"Yuwei, stop talking nonsense," Jiang Yan scolded in a low voice, her tone containing a warning.

Shu Yuwei muttered under her breath, "I’m speaking the truth. She is not as pretty compared to Wanqiao." Though she claimed to be muttering, everyone at the table could hear her.

Mrs. Jiang, who had been chatting and laughing with the person next to her, had the smile on her face fade a little after hearing this. She glanced at Pei Yinong, knowing it would go this way, but before she could smooth things over, Jiang Chenxi spoke up first, "Whether Yining is beautiful or not, it’s not up to you to decide. In my eyes, she is incomparable."

Jiang Yan laughed heartily. "That’s what they call ’beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, huh. You two are such a loving couple, envied by others. But who says Yining isn’t beautiful? I find her quite attractive, she is very much to my taste."

This comment was a typical defense of Pei Yinong. Shu Yuwei wanted to retort but was silenced by a glare from Jiang Yan. She had already experienced this elder cousin’s temper. Besides, her husband was also pulling at her sleeve at the side, so Shu Yuwei decided not to argue any further. There would be plenty of opportunities later.

Her eyes darted around, and she took out a small box from her bag, handing it to Mr. Jiang, "Uncle, this is a birthday gift from Wanqiao. She had something to do and couldn’t come today."

Mr. Jiang received it with a smile, "Wanqiao is thoughtful. She really is like that, always so proper. It’s just a birthday; there’s no need for any presents."

"Uncle, you know Wanqiao has always been someone who understands propriety," Shu Yuwei said, glancing towards Pei Yinong’s direction a few times with clear implication. Pei Yinong, with her head lowered, seemed not to have noticed that the comment was aimed at her.

Mr. Jiang, however, did not respond to Shu Yuwei’s words, while he didn’t like Pei Yinong, he would not embarrass her in such a setting.

After seeing Mr. Jiang put the gift aside, Shu Yuwei spoke again, "Uncle, aren’t you going to open it and look? Wanqiao said she went through a lot of effort to get this gift. I asked her several times, and she wouldn’t tell me what it was. Why don’t you open it and satisfy my curiosity too?"

Mr. Jiang agreed with a "Sure" and opened the box. Inside lay a jade ring; just one glimpse of its quality made it clear it couldn’t have been cheap.

"This... Why did Wanqiao give such a generous gift?" Mr. Jiang was surprised, having assumed it would be a small trinket only to find such a valuable item.

Had Chen Wanqiao become his daughter-in-law, it would have been another matter, but since that wasn’t the case, and his son had chosen another, it made Mr. Jiang feel somewhat embarrassed. He had always felt that Jiang Chenxi had wronged Chen Wanqiao. And now, during his birthday, although Chen Wanqiao was not here in person, she had sent someone to deliver such a lavish gift. It only added to Mr. Jiang’s discomfort.

Mrs. Jiang hadn’t expected Chen Wanqiao to give such a present either. Considering Chen Wanqiao’s income, this would have cost her several months’ salary, leaving her at a loss for how to react.

Shu Yuwei had known all along what was in the box. Her intention in bringing it up was to make it known to everyone that Chen Wanqiao had always been thoughtful towards Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, in contrast with Pei Yinong.

She feigned surprise, "My goodness, how much did Wanqiao spend on this? Uncle, she really treats you well. And Miss Pei," she turned to Pei Yinong, "today is Uncle’s birthday, and as Chenxi’s girlfriend, you must have also prepared a gift for him, right?"

The remark was extremely rude, and not only did Jiang Chenxi bristle, but Mr. and Mrs. Jiang also frowned. Beneath the table, Jiang Jie tugged at his wife’s hand. Shu Yuwei pretended not to notice. Today, she wanted to embarrass Pei Yinong; after all, she had taken her good friend’s boyfriend.

As soon as Shu Yuwei took out the gift, Pei Yinong had known there would be a scene like this and had foreseen this development. Her lips curved up slightly, "Just a little something, nothing worth mentioning."

Of course, Shu Yuwei knew it was some humble thing; she had seen it when Pei Yinong arrived. It was just a few bags of clothes—how could a piece of clothing measure up to the jade ring?