Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
On Valentineâs Day, Yan Wangchuan and Qiao Aiyun were trapped in the hot spring resort. At night, the resort even gave them complimentary roses, essential oils, and even a box of condomsâ¦
There was an intoxicating atmosphere tonight, and the surrounding ambience was charming and romantic. Coupled with the fact that they werenât at home at the moment, they didnât have to worry about disturbing the child. Yan Wangchuan didnât restrain himself at all and desired her endlessly.
At first, Qiao Aiyun was still cooperative. After all, the ambience was excellent. But in the end, she wished she could kick him out of bed.
But the condoms given by the hotel werenât used in the end, making Qiao Aiyun feel embarrassed and angry.
Before doing it, she had clearly reminded him, and he had agreed readily.
âYan Wangchuan, didnât we agree before that youâ¦â
âI was too excited and forgot,â a certain someone said self-righteously.
Qiao Aiyun was furious. She was certain that he definitely hadnât taken any safety measures on purpose.
The thick fog in the mountains didnât dissipate until noon. On the way back, Qiao Aiyun was still harping at him to remind her to buy morning-after pills when they passed by a pharmacy. But Yan Wangchuan kept silent. She was thinking about other things and completely forgot about it.
***
After Valentineâs Day, Fu Chen and Fu Zhongli returned to the capital because it would be the Lantern Festival in a few days.
The day before the Lantern Festival, Sun Qionghua and Fu Yuxiu returned from overseas. Compared to before, she had lost a lot of weight. She never mentioned anything about the Sun familyâs matter, but she couldnât help feeling troubled.
Since she came back, Old Madam Fu still hoped that the family could get along harmoniously at home, so she didnât say much either. She treated her the same as before.
Old Madam Fu was afraid that the mother and son would feel uncomfortable, so she asked Sun Qionghua to accompany her to watch an opera. She hinted that she still hoped that the couple could get along well with each other. After all, it wasnât easy to be husband and wife for many years. Sun Qionghua nodded in agreement and didnât refute her.
At night, Fu Chen invited Fu Sinian and Shen Jinye out. Naturally, he had to call Fu Yuxiu as well. It was somewhat like their small private gathering.
The four of them arrived at a certain clubhouse on the outskirts of Beijing.
Fu Yuxiu was extremely anxious inside. Almost everyone in the Fu family had called him when he hadnât returned for the new year. He knew that it was inappropriate too, so he had found an excuse about not wanting to leave his mother overseas to celebrate Lunar New Year alone. In fact, he had felt too ashamed to come back.
So many things had happened last year. He had broken off his engagement with Song Fengwan without permission, so he was afraid that all the elders would criticize him. His eldest uncle and aunt were very formidable people, so he hadnât dared to go back.
After arriving at the clubhouse, Fu Yuxiu poured a glass of wine for Fu Chen out of respect during dinner. âThird Uncle, let me toast you.â
Fu Chen raised his eyebrows and remained silent, making Fu Yuxiu feel a little awkward.
âUncle, have a drink.â Shen Jinye nudged Fu Chen. âWeâre all family, and we still have to get along well in the future.â
Fu Sinian raised an eyebrow slightly.
This fool, how can the two of them get along well in the future?
Heâs Song Fengwanâs ex-fiancé. Thankfully, heâs Third Uncleâs nephew. Otherwise, Third Uncle would have destroyed him long ago.
Fu Chen ignored Fu Yuxiu for a while before picking up his teacup to show brief acknowledgment to save his face.
But Fu Chen never showed him a friendly attitude from start to end. After dinner, Shen Jinye had an archery lesson, so the four of them set off for the shooting range.
With Fu Chen around, no one could be at ease. So Fu Sinian called Fu Chen to sit in a cafe at the side for a while.
âEven if he was engaged to Miss Song, thereâs no need for you to keep giving him the cold shoulder. That kid is badly intimidated by you.â Fu Sinian smiled.
âIn order to look for Jiang Fengya, he abandoned Wanwan and Huai Sheng in a university town in the suburbs.â Fu Chen had a small notebook inside his heart. He remembered clearly who had done what.
Fu Sinian didnât know about this. âThat kid might have been bewitched. Why is he so obsessed with that girl? I heard from Uncle Zhong that the girl doesnât look simple.â
âSomeone who can personally send her biological father and adoptive father to prison together⦠What do you think?â Fu Chen hadnât forgotten what Jiang Fengya had done.
She was scheming, vicious, and ruthless.
Fu Sinian took a sip of tea and didnât say anything else.
â¦
The two of them sat in the tea room for a while before encountering an unexpected acquaintance.
âThird Master, Big Brother Fu, what a coincidence.â
Fu Chen lifted his eyelidsâ¦
Ning Fan.
âMhm,â Fu Chen acknowledged.
âI didnât expect you to be here too.â Ning Fan smiled.
Fu Chen glanced at the group of people standing nearby from the corner of his eye. To him, they werenât strangers. They were all relatively famous people in the Beijing circle. It was just that they had never crossed paths with him, so they stood rooted to the ground and didnât dare to go over to greet them.
Among them was an exceptionally eye-catching personâthe female celebrity Fu Chen had seen arrive at the airport with such pomp previously.
Although Shi Fang said that she had gotten popular because she was relying on Ning Fan to support her, she definitely had some capability herself. Her facial features were exquisite and superior, and her figure was graceful and beautiful. She was wearing a very eye-catching red slip dress.
Even though she was standing together with this group of people, she seemed a little out of place.
âItâs my birthday today, so I gathered with a few friends. If you donât have anything to do, would you do me the honor of coming and having a seat as well?â Ning Fan spoke very politely to Fu Chen.
âItâs fine. Weâre leaving soon,â Fu Sinian said.
âThenâ¦â Ning Fan coughed twice. âThen, I wonât disturb you anymore.â
Not far awayâ¦
âWho are those two?â The female celebrity casually brushed her hair and asked the person beside her.
The people at the side glanced at her and sneered but didnât say anything.
It made her feel a little embarrassed.
After all, she was still Ning Fanâs actual girlfriend. She was also a celebrity, so there was nothing shameful about her. When she looked at Fu Chen and Fu Sinian, they obviously were not on the same level as these people around her. In their circle, forging connections was very important.
Just as she was about to walk over, someone beside her sneered. âEven Ning Fan has to curry favor with those two. Donât go up to them and get snubbed.
âDo you see the person with the prayer bead bracelet beside his hand? In the capital, no one dares not to give him face. He believes in Buddhism and doesnât get close to women, nor does he like the opposite sex getting too close to himâ¦
âYouâre wearing makeup and perfume. If you walk over drenched in the smell of perfume, youâll simply get into trouble if you donât manage to attract their fancy. Even Ning Fan wonât be able to protect you.â
â¦
She stopped in her tracks.
Someone of his age who believes in Buddhism in Beijingâ¦
She suddenly remembered that Ning Fan had mentioned before that he was going to pay a visit to the Fu family. When he was preparing a gift, he had specially prepared a string of deep-sea coral prayer beads for Third Master Fu.
She narrowed her eyes.?Third Master Fuâ¦
⦠is really young.
She also knew herself. She had already hit the jackpot by getting together with Ning Fan. She didnât dare to have any wishful thinking for someone like Fu Chen.
After Ning Fan returned, the group of people quickly left.
Fu Chen picked up his purple clay teacup and took a small sip. âIt seems itâs not a secret in the circle that this kid from the Ning family is dating this female celebrity. Itâs just that the Ning family doesnât know yet.â
Fu Sinian lowered his head and drank his tea without saying a word.
***
The two of them left the tea room and spent a few minutes watching at the archery field. Shen Jinye and Fu Yuxiu were having fun, so it wouldnât end anytime soon. The two of them decided to return to the private room to wait.
After passing through the roundabout corridor, Fu Chen was walking in front and suddenly felt that no one was following behind him. He stopped and turned his head around, only to find Fu Sinian standing there and looking at something.
He walked over and saw two women standing not far away.
One of them wasâ¦
Yu Manxi.
She was wearing a white turtleneck sweater, black pants, and a long black woolen coat that complemented her slender figure. Her hair was loosely tied into a bun. She was currently talking to a woman in her thirties.
The corridor was full of twists and turns, and there was even a vase in the middle. Yu Manxi didnât see Fu Sinian for a moment.
â⦠Iâm really sorry, but Iâm really not interested in what youâre saying.â
The woman took out a business card from her pocket and handed it to her. âIf you change your mind, look for me anytime. You really have the natural qualifications. I can guarantee that if you sign with me, Iâll be able to promote you to the top.â
âI really donât want to be a celebrity.â Although Yu Manxi refused, she still politely took the business card. âIâm really sorry.â
âYouâre really a good seedlingâ¦â The person didnât seem to plan to give up.
âSister Lingâ¦â Suddenly, a voice sounded. âShe said sheâs not interested anyway.â
âYunong, why did you come out?â The person called Sister Ling sighed helplessly.
âYouâre my manager. If you want to sign a newbie, Iâll definitely be worried.â She laughed lightly. After all, the resources a manager had were limited. No one was willing to have someone suddenly appear out of nowhere and snatch something from them.
âIn the current circle, no one can shake your position.â Sister Ling smiled.
âI want to talk to her alone for a while.â She raised her eyebrows slightly. She was wearing a passionate-looking red swaying dress.
Sister Ling was a little hesitant, but she still went back first.
Yu Manxi gently stroked the business card in her hand. She recognized this female celebrityâXia Yunong, Ning Fanâs girlfriend. It was their first time meeting today.
âI heard that you and Ning Fan knew each other a long time ago.â Xia Yunong sized up Yu Manxi with a hint of wariness.
âMhm.â
âThen, you should have been aware long ago that he has a girlfriend.â
Yu Manxi raised her eyebrows. âWhat are you trying to say?â
âIâve never believed that thereâs any platonic friendship between the opposite sex. You met my boyfriend in private, and he also helped you find a place to move to. I think normal people should draw the line and avoid arousing suspicion when they know that he has a girlfriend.â
âMet in private?â Yu Manxi tightened her grip on the business card in her hand.
âDidnât you two meet here last time? It was just the two of you, and you even booked a private room. A single man and a single woman stayed in there for two hours.â
Yu Manxi chuckled lightly. When she went to the clubhouse last time, she had indeed met Ning Fan. Because he was the one who had found the condo for her, they had chatted about the problems of the condo. Because they hadnât seen each other for a long time, they had chatted for a slightly long time.
She had been the one who paid the bill. When she swiped the card, she still felt the pinch. But when she met Fu Sinian, she felt that the money was worth it.
Seeing her constant smile, Xia Yunong felt inexplicably angry.
She had asked around about this woman before. She seemed to be an orphan. She lived alone and didnât have an illustrious background. She had bewitching looks and dressed exquisitely, and she hovered around her boyfriend all day. How could she not worry?
She had asked Ning Fan before, but he had only said she was a little sister and refused to tell her more. But when she heard this, alarm bells rang in her heart.
Many relationships between men and women developed from being big brothers and little sisters. While calling each other big brother and little sister, they might just roll into bed together.
It wasnât easy for her to climb up the social ladder. She didnât want to be poached.
âIâm warning you. Stay away from my boyfriend. Otherwise, I wonât let you off.â Xia Yunongâs voice was fierce and bore a harsh countenance. She thought that she was just a small nobody without any backer or family background.
Yu Manxi suddenly looked up and smiled at her. âMiss Xiao, didnât you already specially send someone to scare me before the new year?â
No matter how good Xia Yunongâs acting skills were, it was inevitable that she would panic for a moment.
âWhat nonsense are you spouting?â She chuckled and pretended not to know, quickly hiding her emotions.
âMiss Xia, you are a smart person. You know very well what Iâm saying deep insideâ¦â Yu Manxi walked closer to her.
She narrowed her eyes and smiled. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were charming and affectionate. âIâm warning you. Donât send anyone to follow me anymore. Donât play any tricks behind my back either.â
âYouâ¦â Xia Yu subconsciously wanted to retreat, but she was suddenly gripped on the chin. It was so painful that she almost cried out in alarm.
âYou sent someone to pretend to rob me to scare me. Your methods are quite dirty. I didnât expose you for Ning Fanâs sake. Donât think that you did everything flawlessly.
âLet me tell you. If you piss me off, not only will you not be able to survive in this circleâ¦
âBut donât even think about stepping through the Ning familyâs door.
âIâve known Ning Fan for more than ten years. If we were really together, youâd be long gone.â
âSister Ling, Ning Fanâ¦â Xia Yunongâs prominent chin hurt from her grip. She didnât expect Yu Manxi to flare up suddenly, and her face paled in fright.
âYell louder. Itâs best if you attract Ning Fanâs attention so that I can also tell him that his girlfriend found someone to threaten me. Guess what heâll do? Guess what the Ning family will do if they know.â
Xia Yunong was so frightened that her legs went weak, and she didnât dare to make a sound.
Yu Manxi retracted her hand and threw the business card in her hand into the trash can by the side.
âI wonât provoke you, so donât you provoke me either. If this happens again, I wonât be so polite.â With that, she turned around and walked out.
Xia Yunong was so angry that she stomped her feet. But she was caught in a sore spot, and there was nothing she could do.
Ning Fan even calls her Little Fish?
How is this a little fish? She is clearly a man-eating shark.
Fu Chen reached out his hand and nudged Fu Sinianâs arm. âYour neighbor is quite impressiveâ¦â
Fu Sinian narrowed his eyes but didnât say anything.?Sheâs returned to the capital, but instead of going to my home to pick up the cat, she came here to celebrate Ning Fanâs birthday?