《Secret Marriage to Test Compatability : the Wife is Poisoned》 Chapter 1 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°You must be kidding me?¡± Fang Qing stood in the luxurious lounge. She stared at everything laid before her eyes in astonishment. This was ridiculous. Today was her wedding day with Bai Han. And she was not the bride? Another woman was wearing her headdress and the wedding dress she meticulously prepared for herself. She was surrounded by everyone who was congratulating her on her wedding day. That woman was her stepsister, Liang Meng. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I forgot to inform you that I¡¯m marrying the daughter from the Fang family, not you.¡± Bai Han glanced at Fang Qing without any expression on his face. Fang Qing stared at Bai Han¡¯s handsome face. The face that would always gaze at her affectionately. She guffawed. On the day that was supposed to be the happiest in her life, she became the laughingstock of the day. She laughed so hard that tears trickled down her face. She stared fiercely at Bai Han. ¡°I¡¯m not the daughter of the Fang family? And the one with the surname Liang is?¡± Bai Han glanced at her as if she was stating a fact that went without saying. He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I almost fell for it. I¡¯ve got to say, Fang Qing, you¡¯re a da*n good con-artist.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fang Qing stood dumbfounded. ¡°What do you mean? Are you kidding me, Bai Han? We¡¯ve been together for so long.¡± Fang Qing¡¯s tone was vicious. Anger laced every word that came out of her mouth. . ¡°Fang Qing, you¡¯re an illegitimate child. You¡¯re not even part of the Fang family. You¡¯ve concealed yourself well. What a scheming bit*h. I¡¯m annoyed just by looking at your face. Please, just leave our wedding venue. You¡¯re such a jinx.¡± A glacial smile appeared on Bai Han¡¯s face. Fang Qing felt as if he had turned into a different man. He was a stranger to her. Her eyes were clouded with unspeakable pain. How could a man that once had been gentle and soft-spoken with her hurled such hurtful words at her now? She felt her heart ached like it was being stabbed with a thousand knives. Bai Han¡¯s gaze pushed Fang Qing to doubt herself. The way he gazed at Liang Meng was the same one when he would lovingly declare his love for her. Affectionate gaze filled with tenderness. Fang Qing could no longer watch them. She bit her lips bitterly and lowered her head, then closed her eyes. She did not notice the stack of documents being hurled towards her head. Her hand automatically reached out to catch the document that hit her head. It was a document on a DNA test. She immediately raised her head to look at her father, who hurled the document at her earlier. ¡°This is nonsense. I raised someone¡¯s basta*d for years. Once you leave this house, change your surname. You shall not have my surname. Scram now and never appear before me ever again.¡± ¡°You reminded me of your disgusting mother every time I see you.¡± There was no love in her father¡¯s face. Every word coming out of his mouth was harsh and unkind. He no longer loved her like he used to. Yes, Fang Qing was the chip off the old block. She was every bit like her mother. Both were outstanding beauties and had similar temperaments. His father used to tell her proudly how he had wooed her mother. He would recap about all the sweet memories they had together. He used to love her so much. But now, his every word filled with sarcasm at the mention of her. Fang Qing pursed her lips. She gazed at the result of the DNA report. She wished she could delete the result. ¡°Dad! This is impossible. You, of all people, should know mom. She would never do this to you.¡± Liang Meng walked over, disregarding the trouble she had to go through being in a wedding dress. She sneered, ¡°Why is that impossible? You can never judge a book by its cover. Have you never heard of such a common idiom?¡± ¡°Dad, others may not know the relationship you had with mom. But you know of her love for you.¡± Fang Qing clenched her fists. She disregarded Liang Meng¡¯s words as if she was talking to the air. Mr. Fang¡¯s face turned stony. He was losing his patience and was on the verge of losing his temper. ¡°Get out of my house right now. You¡¯re not welcomed here. And your brother too. I won¡¯t spend another cent on you.¡± ¡°Dad, how could you believe them based on just a DNA report? How could these pieces of paper ruin all the love you showered on us all these years?¡± Fang Qing still refused to believe that the father that had loved her for so many years would one day do this to her. ¡°How dare you question me? You should be contented with my love for you all these years. Everything that you have today should have belonged to someone else.¡± He glanced at Liang Meng as he spoke, his eyes filled with pity and guilt. Fang Qing noticed the weirdness in the situation. Her lips trembled as she hesitantly asked, ¡°Are you trying to say that Liang Meng is your biological daughter?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Liang Meng¡¯s lips curled upwards as she answered haughtily. Her bright red lips made her look more wilful and arrogant. Fang Qing snickered. This was even more ridiculous than her not being the bride on her own wedding day. ¡°So, my brother and I aren¡¯t your biological children?¡± She and her brother were not born on the same day. How could both of them not his? ¡°You¡¯re not blind. Can¡¯t you read the report on your own?¡± Liang Meng snickered. ¡°How could you believe them, Dad? Are you being losing your mind? Whose child can I be if not yours? Don¡¯t you know DNA report can be faked?¡± Fang Qing spoke through her gritted teeth. Her heart shattered. She couldn¡¯t understand why her father would believe them. ¡°Oh, I will not be paying for your brother¡¯s medical expenses anymore. So you¡¯ll have to pay for him on your own. That¡¯s all. I don¡¯t want to hear any negotiation about this.¡± Mr. Fang was totally unmoved by Fang Qing¡¯s words. Every word he said to her was harsh and inconsiderate and with a hint of disgust. ¡°You know Fang An is seriously ill. He might not survive if you stop paying for his medical bill.¡± ¡°What does it have to do with me?¡± Chapter 2 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Mr. Fang threw her a disdainful glance before he turned around and left. He refused to look at her. Her mother had an affair. These words sounded so ridiculous to Fang Qing. ¡°Senile old man. Not only was he fooled by the DNA report, but he also even legalized the children he had with another woman who was born out of wedlock.¡± She hated him at this very moment. She wanted to scold him and make him see the reality. But Fang An¡­ Everything changed that night. ¡°Dad, how could you be so ruthless? Do you want to see Fang An dead? We cannot stop the treatment. And he¡¯s still in a critical condition.¡± Mr. Fang stood silent. He was cold and distant, refusing to look at the daughter he had loved for years. He shut them out in the cold with just one word. ¡°I¡¯ve been letting him live long enough. He gained more than he deserved.¡± Fang Qing stared at him in a daze. All these years of love and affections were gone with the wind. He even pushed them out and left them helpless. She turned to her stepmother, Mrs. Fang, whom she had treated well. ¡°Fang An had been good to you. He even sees you as his own mother and called you Mom. I¡¯m fine if you¡¯re going to drive me out of the family. But please don¡¯t give up on him.¡± She looked at Mrs. Fang pleadingly, her last hope for his brother¡¯s survival. But her reply came unexpectedly to Fang Qing. ¡± Fang Qing, you know I have no say for matters like this.¡± Fang Qing couldn¡¯t care about anything anymore. She only wanted her brother to live. ¡°How about my shares? You can have my shares.¡± ¡± You share belonged to my daughter. Did you forget the document you signed earlier?¡± The tone of her stepmother immediately turned glacial at the mention of her shares. ¡°You¡­¡± Fang Qing felt her mouth being muffled before she could finish her sentence. The next moment, she felt her entire body being lifted from the ground. She was being dragged out of the wedding hall mercilessly. Liang Meng stared at the back of Mr. Fang¡¯s figure with a tilted head and comforted him, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s my wedding day. Cheer up.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s not dwell on this matter any longer since they had already thrown her out.¡± Mrs. Fang was delighted at her husband¡¯s words. Laughter and chatters immediately lightened up the gloomy atmosphere once they had Fang Qing dragged out from the wedding hall. The moment Fang Qing¡¯s body hit the cold, hard ground outside the wedding hall, her heart sank too. Pleasant music sounded in the air. Fang Qing was still in a daze before she realized that the sound came from her mobile phone. She frantically took out her phone. The name of the caller on the screen of her mobile phone startled her. Her trembling hand swiped multiple times on the screen before she could answer the call. ¡°Hi, Miss Fang. Fang An¡¯s condition suddenly worsened. We have admitted him to the intensive care unit. You need to come over.¡± ¡°Sure¡­ I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Fang Qing had already gotten used to getting emergency calls from the hospital. But now, the situation had changed. She had no money. And she wouldn¡¯t be able to retrieve anything from the residence which was once her home. Those heavily built, fierce security details would never let her pass. And it wasn¡¯t to protect the safety of those insides but to be vigilant in case she sneaked into the residence. Fang Qing laughed at the absurdity of the situation she was in. She ran as tears streamed down her face. She knew she couldn¡¯t afford any delay, not even one second. She knew her brother was battling the Grim Reaper every time he was wheeled into the Intensive Care Unit. And she needed to be by her brother¡¯s side. Fang Qing took out her phone and started scrolling for the application to hail a ride. She was concentrating on her phone while she kept running. She was familiar with every nook and corner of this residence. Even if she was blindfolded, she could find her way out. She got herself a ride. Her footsteps quickened. Ear piercing sound of honk filled the air, followed by the sound of tires screeching to a halt. Fang Qing stared at the car, incoming at full speed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, young master. I honked. But¡­¡± The person did not avoid even when she saw the car coming at her at full speed. And he couldn¡¯t see her because she was in his blind spot. Xu Yi steadied himself as he ordered indifferently, ¡°Get down and send her to the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± Gloominess filled the driver¡¯s face. After all these years of being a driver to Xu Yi, he had never once got into any unwanted incident. Although it wasn¡¯t a serious matter, the pressure he faced was overwhelming. Young master Xu Yi was the President of the Xu Group. He saved Xu Group from the crisis it faced before he reached the age of twenty, which impressed the stakeholders and the shareholders of the Group. From then on, the Xu Group had been growing well within a year. He was now a legend in the world of commerce. The driver stepped down from the car and checked on Fang Qing. He then carried her to the back seat and placed her in the passenger seat. The car made its way to the hospital. Chapter 3 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Fang Qing pushed herself to sit up as she tried to open her eyes. Her sudden movement startled the nurse, who was dressing her wound. Her movement alerted the driver as well. Only Xu Yi¡¯s poker face remained unchanged. He merely looked up from his mobile phone at the commotion. ¡°Why had I fainted?¡± Fang Qing furrowed her brows as she asked weakly. Her sudden effort to sit up caused her to feel dizzy. She had no choice but to close her eyes again. The nurse took a deep breath to calm herself before she patiently replied Fang Qing. ¡°Miss, you were hit by a car. But your body seems fine. You just need some rest.¡± This was a first-class ward equipped with the best facilities, and cost over ten thousand for a night¡¯s stay. The nurse had to be cautious about everything she did, especially when the man sitting behind her was imperceptibly pressuring her. He was making her anxious that she wouldn¡¯t dare to look his way. Even a glimpse of his shadow sent her heart racing and made her breathless. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be on the drip. I need to find my brother. It¡¯s urgent. I¡¯m so sorry for this.¡± She took off the drip needle from her hand as she spoke, without even a wince. Then she got off the hospital bed. Fang Qing only had her brother in her mind. She couldn¡¯t care less about her own body and treatment. Her action startled the nurse. She tried to stop Fang Qing from getting down from the bed and checked on her hand wound, anxiously persuading her to get back on the bed. ¡°Miss, although you weren¡¯t hurt, your body still needs to recuperate for at least one day.¡± Fang Qing knitted her eyebrows. She bit her lips as she threw a glance at the nurse, then pushed her aside. But the dizzy spell immediately hit her. She was so weak that she couldn¡¯t even sputter a word. She only had one thing in her mind, that was to get to her brother immediately. ¡°Your brother is no longer in danger. I found him a suitable bone marrow. They can arrange immediately the surgery for the bone marrow transplant upon your consent. Your brother will recover well after the surgery. So, stop worrying.¡± The voice was husky and monotonous. Fang Qing looked in the direction where the voice came from. She was undeniably moved, although still doubtful of his words. A suitable bone marrow. It was almost a miracle. Her brother had been waiting for the suitable bone marrow donor for years. But he could instantly get it? ¡°Is this true?¡± Fang Qing took a deep breath before she hesitantly asked. Xu Yi stood up and looked down at her. He replied with a serious tone, ¡°Yes, this is my apology and my compensation to you.¡± The nurse relaxed when she noticed that Fang Qing was no longer frantically trying to get down from the bed. Her heart raced when she heard Xu Yi¡¯s words. She was extremely lucky then. Being ran over by the car was nothing. ¡°You can tell me if you have any other request.¡± Fang Qing was still trying to accept that everything that was happening to her was real. She instantly looked better after hearing the news about her brother¡¯s recovery. She immediately thanked Xu Yi, ¡°Thank you so much. You saved my brother¡¯s life. You¡¯re his life saver. Else, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do. Not only was I not able to save his life, but I also won¡¯t even be able to pay for his medical expenses.¡± ¡°I have no other request. I¡¯m already thankful for everything you did.¡± Fang Qing was blabbering as her face reddened with excitement. She gazed at him as if she was dreaming, fearing that everything was fake and would be gone once she blinked. His expression was deep and unfathomable. She couldn¡¯t tell of his intention from his facial expression. Xu Yi flipped through the information in his hand. He contemplated on his words before asking, ¡°Is the Fang family having any financial crisis?¡± She was the eldest daughter of the Fang family. It did not seem right that she couldn¡¯t afford the medical expenses of her brother. Fang Qing¡¯s facial expression stiffened; a wry smile appeared on her face. ¡°No. Me and my brother are now orphans. The DNA reports stated we aren¡¯t his child by blood.¡± All the terrible memories came flooding back into her mind at the mention of this. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. Trying as she might, she couldn¡¯t control the tears streaming down her face. Xu Yi¡¯s eyes fell on her face. A smirk formed at the corner of his lip and seemed to be in a deep thought. He seemed to come to a decision after a long thought. ¡°You can be my bride. Then, your family won¡¯t cause you any trouble. You can take it as another compensation to you. What do you think about that?¡± Fang Qing was dumbfounded by his words. She stared at him in astonishment. He was extremely good looking and should have lines of suitors waiting for him. With his elegance, he was unquestionably wealthy and lived a pampered and comfortable life. He was definitely a somebody. Chapter 4 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Even the driver was shocked at Xu Yi¡¯s proposal. But there was no response from Fang Qing. The driver took a glance at Xu Yi before he stepped forward and explained to Fang Qing with a warm smile on his face. ¡°Hi, Miss Fang, I¡¯m his assistant, Ling Lin. You can call me Lin. He is Xu Yi, the president of Xu Group. So, don¡¯t worry. You can accept his offer for compensation. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain.¡± Ling Lin was used to helping his young master with the persuasion job. But it was his first time persuading a woman to accept his young master¡¯s marriage proposal. So, it was rather difficult for him to come up with the words to persuade her. His usual task was to reject the incoming marriage proposal on behalf of his young master. And now, his young master was changing the game. Fang Qing gazed at that handsome face. God must have used all his tricks in creating him. Else, how could he have such a good-looking, flawless face? She lowered her head, steadied her breathing to appear calm. ¡°Do people still offer themselves as part of compensation nowadays?¡± Xu Yi. This name wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to Fang Qing. But she had not expected him to be so good-looking. The legend of the commerce world. And this was how he compensates for hitting her? She would certainly have her guard up. A big shot like him could easily crush her to death on a whim. There must be a hidden agenda behind this. Melodramatic scenes flashed through Fang Qing¡¯s mind. The more she thought about it, the scenes increasingly ridiculous. Xu Yi arched one of his eyebrows upward and explained further with a faint smile, ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯ll definitely need your cooperation as well. I have no issue paying for your brother¡¯s medical expenses. But the follow-up treatment fees still need to be paid, right?¡± Fang Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had no right to refuse in front of a man like him. It was normal for them to fulfill each other¡¯s needs. A wry smile appeared on her face. She raised her head and looked at him. ¡°Will I at least have the right to know? You can¡¯t keep me in the dark, can you? I would rather suffer than break the law.¡± Xu Yi narrowed his eyes. He chose her because he felt sorry for her. But she seemed to have her guards up. On second thought, it should be easy to get her to bend with her current situation. ¡°Take care of your wound first and recuperate well. I¡¯ll let you know.¡± Ling Lin was rather taken aback by Fang Qing¡¯s appearance, as she appeared right on time when they needed someone like her the most. She was indeed beautiful. But she was not worth his young master¡¯s patience. When the nurse heard this, she stepped forward and began treating Fang Qing. ¡°Miss Fang, please get on the bed.¡± Fang Qing gazed at Xu Yi. She obediently lay down on the bed and let the nurse complete her job. The nurse put the needle for the drip back on her hand, then left on her own accord when she was done. Ling Lin grabbed the water jar and left the room with the excuse of getting warm water, leaving his young master alone with Fang Qing. Xu Yi placed the chair closer to the bed and sat down. He was satisfied with Fang Qing¡¯s timely restraint. He was a person who could be persuaded by reason but not cowed by force. ¡°I¡¯m a businessman and also a law-abiding citizen. There will be no hanky-panky business involved. I won¡¯t ask much from you. Just follow me home, and perform well in front of my parents.¡± Although it seemed easy from the way Xu Yi put it, it was trouble for Fang Qing. ¡°We get married for real?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not a liar.¡± Fang Qing let out an awkward laugh, then uttered helplessly. ¡°But I¡¯m already married, on paper. There¡¯s no ceremony yet, but I¡¯m legally married¡­¡± She and Bai Han had already signed the marriage certificate. After she carefully studied Xu Yi¡¯s facial expression, she explained before he said another word. ¡°But if you¡¯re fine with it, I¡¯ll find a way to resolve this. Or you can make another request. I¡¯ll try to fulfill your wish if you continue paying for my brother¡¯s medical fees.¡± Xu Yi lightly scratched his nose and looked at the information he had just found out. Then he closed the document and smiled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good for you that you¡¯re not married then. Bai Han faked the marriage certificate you signed.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fang Qing¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at Xu Yi in disbelief. She pulled on her blanket to help herself up and moved closer to him to look at his phone. ¡°Can I see? How did you find out?¡± However, Fang Qing could only glimpse the screensaver and a picture. The screen went black before she could take another look. Xu Yi moved backward to distance himself away from her and coughed. ¡°Miss Fang, allow me to repeat myself. I will not lie to you.¡± Chapter 5 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°May I know why you chose me?¡± Fang Qing could never understand, even if she had an oracle for her heart. Xu Yi stared at her and thought to himself. ¡°Because I feel sorry for you?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re easy to control, and we can fulfill each other¡¯s needs.¡± ¡°Alright, aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯ll pester you?¡± ¡°Miss Fang, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re capable of that. I¡¯m doing that to make grandfather happy. Don¡¯t think too much, lest you cause any trouble for me.¡± Xu Yi¡¯s wasn¡¯t soft-spoken anymore. His words were laced with warnings instead. Fang Qing heaved a sigh of relief at his explanation. If it was just that simple, it was great for her. But¡­ Making his grandfather happy? ¡°Making your grandfather happy? Does your family still believe in such a custom? What is the purpose of this?¡± Even marriage was a child play to him. Xu Yi kept silent for a moment before he explained. ¡°My grandfather is very ill and is being treated. I want him to be happy. So, it was to do with custom and belief. You can ask me if you have questions. But think twice when you speak in front of him.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Fang Qing appeared to be very obedient. She accepted with an open heart now that she was sure the marriage was purely transactional. Else she could only submit herself to other¡¯s mercy if she had no negotiation power in this transaction. Relieved that they had come to an agreement, Fang Qing wanted to change the topic immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just curious. Oh yea, your phone rang¡­¡± Fang Qing had wanted to ask about the picture she glimpsed on earlier. It seemed familiar to her, and she wanted to take another look. But she was interrupted by the phone call. Xu Yi stood up, but he did not answer the call immediately. Instead, he left her words. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up. Rest well in the hospital until then. Don¡¯t cause any trouble. I¡¯ll definitely take care of your brother¡¯s matter.¡± Fang Qing knew what he meant. ¡°Sure.¡± Xu Yi strode out from the ward. Having nothing to do, Fang Qing lay down on her bed and organized her thoughts. When Xu Yi was out of the ward, he smiled a little to himself before he picked up the call from his grandfather. ¡°Hello, Grandpa. I¡¯ll come and see you right away. Something happened, and I got delayed in taking care of some matters.¡± His voice was gentle and warm, a voice that made people feel at ease. It was unlike the tone he used when he spoke to Fang Qing, casual and distant. In old Mr. Xu¡¯s heart, everything about his grandson was good. But he was not a child anymore. He was at the age of marriage. ¡°I can see you anytime. But I wonder whether I will have the chance to meet your future life partner.¡± As soon as Old Mr. Xu finished speaking, Xu Yi could hear the wry comment of his father in the background. ¡°Dad, we are arranging blind dates for Yi. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Mrs. Xu chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right, Dad. This is a marriage. We can¡¯t afford to go easy on it.¡± The phone was in loudspeaker mode. All three of them could hear Xu Yi¡¯s cheery voice from the other end. ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡­ You can stop arranging blind dates. I met someone I had a crush on. We got together and will be getting married soon.¡± Mr. Xu and Mrs. Xu were immediately dumbfounded. Mrs. Xu impatiently interrogated her son. ¡°Why did you never tell me? She was someone you had a crush on? Who is she?¡± Old Mr. Xu exclaimed when he heard the news from his grandson. ¡°Yi found someone he likes? That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll be waiting for him to bring her home to meet me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Xu Yi hung up and walked along the hospital corridor. A few minutes passed when his mother called. A series of questions came from the other end the moment he picked up the call. ¡°Xu Yi, why did you not discuss with us your marriage before you decide? Who is that girl? Which family¡¯s daughter is she? Have I met her before? Can you let us meet her before you bring her to meet Grandpa?¡± Xu Yi smiled and explained, ¡°I did not have the time to tell you yet. But I¡¯ve decided the moment I fell for her. So, what¡¯s there to discuss?¡± Mrs. Xu let out a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± ¡°I know, Mom. Don¡¯t worry. I have good eyes with people.¡± ¡°Then tell me, who is she?¡± Mrs. Xu¡¯s tone softened. She surrendered. ¡°Fang Qing.¡± Mrs. Xu searched for that name in her vast sea of memories after she hung up. But it rang no bell. Puzzled, she glanced at Mr. Xu and asked, ¡°Who is Fang Qing? Have you met her before?¡± Puzzled, she glanced at Mr. Xu and asked, ¡°Who is Fang Qing? Have you met her before?¡± Mrs. Xu let out another sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not anxious. I was at a loss when he says he¡¯s getting married. The news came too suddenly.¡± Chapter 6 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Fang Qing slept for a while and was wakened up when the drip she was on finish. The nurse came in to remove the drip needle from her hand. She rubbed her eyes groggily and acknowledged the nurse leaving the room. Unknowing to her, there was another person in the room. She appeared demure and elegant in the traditional cheongsam and seemed gentle from the charming smile on her face. She had kept her appearance well, as Fang Qing couldn¡¯t tell of her age judging from her look. ¡°Hi, you must be Fang Qing. I¡¯m Lin Xiang, Yi¡¯s mother, the daughter of the Ling family. We owned the Ling Group. You were the eldest daughter of the Fang. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of me.¡± Fang Qing smiled shyly and nodded, appearing a little awkward. This seemed to be a weird occasion to meet his parents. Fang Qing knew her. She ran the corporation like a raging fire and had eminent authority in the Lin Group. The Lin Group was on equal footing with the Xu Group on their influence in the commerce world. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Fang Qing.¡± Lin Xiang shot her a deep glance before she gave her a wry smile. ¡°Yi was never in a relationship before this. I agree that you¡¯re beautiful and elegant. But you¡¯re no longer the daughter of the Fang family. So, your identity was rather awkward at this moment. And to be honest, the Fang was not exactly a prominent family.¡± Fang Qing smiled sheepishly, feeling embarrassed hearing the insults coming from Xu Yi¡¯s mother. Lin Xiang had no care of embarrassing others as she took out a blank cheque from her handbag. She handed the piece of a blank cheque to Fang Qing and said, ¡°You may fill up an amount. If I accept the proposed amount, it¡¯s a deal.¡± Fang Qing did not take the blank cheque from Mrs. Xu. She politely replied instead, ¡°I cannot accept your money. You¡¯re putting me in a difficult position. You can ask Xu Yi to discuss this with me. I¡¯ll accept anything he proposed.¡± Lin Xiang raised her eyebrows and smiled. Was she playing hard to get? Very well. She met many women who thought too highly of themselves. She thought she would get more from Yi. She had obviously overestimated herself. ¡°I know my son. None of the women he dated last more than a week. He dated most of them to entertain his grandfather. When he got bored with them, he would pay them off. I can tell you that he won¡¯t be paying you as much as I do. You won¡¯t be able to see much of him, either. He¡¯s a busy man.¡± Lin Xiang was familiar with dealing with such situations. In fact, it was rare for her to be dealing with such a situation. But a stupid woman like Fang Qing was an effortless task. Fang Qing was a little lost. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you save yourself some money? There¡¯s no need for you to go through these troubles as well.¡± Fang Qing felt her face hardened from the smile she had been putting on since she noticed Lin Xiang in the room. This atmosphere was making her very uncomfortable. Lin Xiang¡¯s expression turned glacial. ¡°Because you are illegitimate. You almost got married. Then, your family disowned you. Your reputation will drag Yi through the mud. Else, what makes you think that I¡¯m willing to meddle in these trivial matters?¡± Fang Qing bit her lips and looked away. She whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not married. The marriage certificate is fake.¡± ¡°I know. But this is not acceptable for the Xu.¡± Lin Xiang shoved the cheque into Fang Qing¡¯s hand, but Fang Qing pulled back her hand in protest. Lin Xiang increased her force and tried to slip the cheque into Fang Qing¡¯s hand insistently. ¡°Take it, be sensible, and leave him. I can also solve your brother¡¯s problem for you. You have nothing to lose.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Fang Qing¡¯s eyes twitched. She was hesitant to accept the blank cheque from Lin Xiang. She was indeed afraid that there would be no turning back once she made the wrong decision. Lin Xiang noticed the change in Fang Qing¡¯s expression and immediately stopped. She gently patted her hand and gave her a warm smile. ¡°My words might have made you uncomfortable. But I don¡¯t mean any harm.¡± A clanging sound suddenly came from the door. Startled, Lin Xiang turned around to see his son standing at the door. She quickly got up and pretended to be calm. ¡°Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you visiting your grandpa?¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see Miss Fang. There¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Mom, you need to give up on your plans for my marriage. I¡¯m going to marry Fang Qing. That¡¯s for sure. Stay out of this matter, or things are going to turn ugly.¡± Xu Yi¡¯s decisive words hurt Lin Xiang. She looked at her son in disbelief and tried to coax him. ¡°What has the basta*d done to you? Don¡¯t you know her current status? How could you marry her with no serious thought? Do you think marriage is a child¡¯s play?¡± ¡°Dad was a nobody when you married him. If I remember correctly, not only was he a nobody, but he was also buried in debts that he was almost locked up for it.¡± ¡°Xu Yi!¡± Lin Xiang never thought that he would talk back to her with this matter to support his action. ¡°I did this for your own good. He¡¯s your father. How can you say things like that about him?¡± Lin Xiang was so furious that her entire body was trembling. All her efforts were in vain. Why did she have to go through this? Chapter 7 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi knew. His words hurt his mother¡¯s heart. ¡°Mom, can¡¯t I decide for my love life? If you have any preference for the daughters of other families, you can adopt them if you like.¡± Lin Xiang was speechless at her son¡¯s suggestion. She stood petrified, facing her son. After a moment of staring contest with her son, she left fuming. Fang Qing watched the drama happening before her eyes with glassy stares. After Lin Xiang left, she lowered her eyes and stared at her finger, unsure of the right word to say to Xu Yi. Deep inside her heart, she was screaming, ¡± This is too dramatic!¡± ¡°Get yourself discharged. We will meet my grandpa today.¡± Fang Qing blinked and hesitantly stood. But she remained standing on the spot. ¡°This is so sudden. I¡¯m not ready.¡± ¡°What do you want to prepare?¡± Although Xu Yi had no meaning behind his words, the words reminded her of her current situation. Yea, she was a bast*rd. She had nothing she could prepare. How about being mentally prepared? But he certainly would not take that into consideration. He might even find her incompetent. She lowered her head in silence. A few moments passed before she forced a wry smile on her face. ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± Xu Yi frowned. He never got too close to any girls, and it was the same with Fang Qing. He couldn¡¯t understand the reason for Fang Qing to be upset. When they were on the way to meet old Mr. Xu, Fang Qing kept to herself at the far end of the passenger seat. She had her eyes on the sceneries outside the car, with her chin propped on one hand while another hand holding on to her shoulder on the other side. With her huddled-up position, she was obviously cautious of her surrounding. Xu Yi looked away from her and said, ¡°Be confident. I don¡¯t care about your family, but you¡¯re now with me.¡± ¡°What?¡± She was lost in her own thought that she was momentarily puzzled by Xu Yi¡¯s words. Their eyes met. Fang Qing was staring at the eyes as dark as obsidian, staring back at her. His words carried a power that intimidated her. He explained, ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re going to be a bride soon with that sunken face and depressed look of yours. Do you know that some women would gloat over a few simple words from me for a long time?¡± ¡°And you are my fianc¨¦e.¡± Her identity as Xu Yi¡¯s fianc¨¦e alone carried so much power. Fang Qing¡¯s pupils immediately constricted. She felt like her heart exploded, shooting out beautiful fireworks. She suppressed the throbbing in the depths of her heart and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Xu. I¡¯ll take note.¡± Xu Yi frowned. ¡°You sounded distant.¡± If she kept calling him Mr. Xu, his grandpa would not even believe her to be his girlfriend, not to mention his fianc¨¦e. ¡°What? What do you mean by I sounded distant?¡± Xu Yi turned to face her, intensity burning in his eyes. ¡°Call me hubby.¡± Stunned by his request, Fang Qing blinked in disbelief. ¡°What?¡± she uttered again in shock. ¡°My dear fianc¨¦e, I courted you in the past, and we parted ways after some misunderstanding. We got back together now that we¡¯ve cleared the misunderstanding. I proposed, and you said yes. So, aren¡¯t you being too distant if you call me Mr. Xu?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Fang Qing found his explanation logical after a moment of thought and nodded in agreement. But calling him hubby¡­ She subconsciously caressed her cheek. A frown appeared between her brows as she convinced herself that this was all fake, and she was playing the part of being his fianc¨¦e. If actors could call another person their father, calling Xu Yi her husband was nothing in comparison. ¡°I will take note, hubby.¡± Xu Yi raised his brows. ¡°So much excitement?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s tone down. I will always, always remember this, hubby.¡± ¡°Good wifey.¡± He spoke with the same calm tone the entire journey, even when he called her his wife. But Fang Qing¡¯s little heart was beating wildly from the waves of emotions she was experiencing. She kept repeating to herself that it was all not true¡­ But her heart melted when he called her his wife¡­ They reached the private hospital Old Mr. Xu was in soon after. The private hospital was well-equipped with the latest medical equipment and the best medical team available. It was definitely built to serve the rich and the powerful. Xu Yi headed straight for his grandfather¡¯s ward. Fang Qing followed closely from behind from the moment she got out of the car and walked alongside Ling Lin instead of Xu Yi. She even stood behind Xu Yi with Ling Lin in the elevator. But when the door of the elevator opened, Xu Yi reached out and held her hand. The warmth of his hand flowed like a current into Fang Qing¡¯s hand, so warm that Fang Qing could feel the sensation of his arms on hers. Ling Lin kneaded his temples with his hand in disbelief. His young master¡¯s action was certainly out of his expectation. ¡°Come closer.¡± Fang Qing continuously nodded her head as she strengthened her grip on Xu Yi¡¯s big palm. Chapter 8 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Older Mr. Xu watched entertainment channels for the sake of cheering himself up. But the entertainment did not seem to work its magic, as his expression remained deadpan. His sight immediately fell on the couple that walked in hand-in-hand. The sound of the video playing on his phone somehow intensified the atmosphere in the ward. Old Mr. Xu quickly put down his phone and exclaimed in surprise, ¡°My granddaughter-in-law is here? Come to me, let me have a good look at you.¡± Fang Qing felt Xu Yi¡¯s hand gently patted her on her small back. She put on a perfect smile and greeted Grandpa Xu and Mr. Xu. Then she sat by Grandpa Xu and placed her hand on his bony one. Countless tubes surrounded him as if his mere existence seemed to depend on these tubes at a glance as if he might be gone once these tubes were taken off him. But these tubes did not affect his joy when he saw her. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m Fang Qing. You can call me Qing.¡± ¡°Alright, Qing. How far have you gotten with Yi? I did nothing for the past two days other than picking your wedding date. You should get married right away.¡± Fang Qing was dumbfounded at his words, but concealed her shock well. She smiled and blinked before she gently replied, ¡°I said yes to his marriage proposal.¡± Her words were laced with happiness. ¡°Qing, you look like a good girl. Yi is blessed to have you. You¡¯re so pretty. That¡¯s good.¡± Grandpa Xu kept gazing at Fang Qing and showered her with praises. He had liked her at his first sight, thus everything about her was good in his eyes. He then threw a glance at Mr. Xu when he remembered something he wanted to tell, and whispered complaints to Fang Qing. ¡°You probably have no idea. All the girls Yi¡¯s parents wanted to set him up with have to be brought to me first before I let them introduce to him. I rejected every one of them.¡± Fang Qing looked at him in surprise, and asked curiously, ¡°Why did you reject them?¡± ¡°How would I be able to see the girl he picked himself if I did not reject them? Why do you still ask such a stupid question, silly girl?¡± Fang Qing couldn¡¯t help but let out a hearty laugh. Grandpa Xu too, laughed heartily, making him look lovable and friendly. The uneasiness she felt earlier was easily resolved facing an elderly like Grandpa Xu. Grandpa Xu pulled Fang Qing to his side and happily chatted with her. He only called for Xu Yi when it came to wedding preparation and instructed him to have it organized properly and not to delay it any longer. Xu Yi agreed with everything Grandpa Xu requested and continued to watch them talk and laugh from the side. An hour flew by. The doctor knocked on the door and walked in. He observed Grandpa Xu¡¯s condition and said cheerfully, ¡°Grandpa seems to be in a good mood today. Keep it up. All the health indicator looks better this way.¡± Grandpa Xu was elated at the doctor¡¯s words. After going through all the procedural checks, the doctor reminded Grandpa Xu with a smile, ¡°However, it¡¯s time to rest. Let¡¯s continue chatting with your family later on?¡± Grandpa Xu glanced at the Doctor and said. ¡°I¡¯ll rest later.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to attend your grandson¡¯s wedding? You won¡¯t be able to go if you haven¡¯t recovered by then.¡± Grandpa Xu sulked a little at the doctor¡¯s words. He then reluctantly gazed at Fang Qing. ¡°I will not miss the wedding. What do you do, Qing? Are you usually tied up with work?¡± ¡°I paint, Grandpa. So, I¡¯m quite free. I can visit you whenever you miss me.¡± Her reply kept Grandpa Xu happy as he excitedly nodded. ¡°Okay¡­¡± All three of them left the ward together to allow Grandpa Xu to have his rest. As the wards in the hospital were designed to be suite, they walked into living space when they left the ward. But Mr. Xu had no intention to leave after they left the ward. He asked them to stay instead. ¡°Don¡¯t leave just yet. There¡¯s something I wanted to discuss with you.¡± Xu Yi paused but said nothing. He walked towards the sofa and sat, holding on to Fang Qing¡¯s hand the entire time. Mr. Xu¡¯s sight moved from their hands to Xu Yi¡¯s face and said with a smile, ¡°You get to decide on your personal matters. Your mother and I have no objection to that. But there¡¯s one non-negotiable matter.¡± Fang Qing learned about Mr. Xu from the world wide web. Xu Che¡¯s distant gaze was enough to make her extremely pressured. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Xu Yi stared at his father. ¡°We are fine with you getting married, but you will need to keep it a secret first. You cannot announce it to the public. Right now, you¡¯re the mainstay of the company. Any news about you could cause an enormous impact on the company. You know deep down we are currently at the critical juncture?¡± Xu Yi unconsciously rubbed his fingers against Fang Qing¡¯s hand, seeming to be in deep thought. Then, he smiled and answered solemnly, ¡°What should we do about the wedding? Grandfather will know.¡± ¡°And it was unfair to Fang Qing as well. We get married only once, after all. Do we need to mistreat her like this?¡± Chapter 9 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi wanted it to be a real wedding so that his grandfather wouldn¡¯t have any regret. He wanted the wedding to be organized in the way his grandfather wanted it to happen. ¡°Do you really want to plan your own wedding in a rush because of your grandfather?¡± Xu Che solemnly asked. ¡°Xu Yi, this is not a discussion. This marriage has to be a secret.¡± Xu Che stood up and left. There was really no room for negotiation. Xu Yi was still seated on the sofa as if he was completely undisturbed by his father¡¯s warning. Lost in his own thoughts, he continued the motion of his fingers of rubbing them against her hand. Fang Qing hesitated for a moment and thought she should chip in. ¡°Mr. Xu, your father is right. Getting married in secret will not affect you in any area. It was my identity that put you in a difficult position. I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± Her heart was filled with guilt, as she had caused him trouble, after all. Xu Yi stared at her with a straight face. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about my grandfather and me, not you. You can call me anything you want, but make sure you do not spill the bean in front of my family.¡± The warmth in his hand disappeared, while the remaining warmth quickly seeped away because of the cool air. Fang Qing stood up as well, showing that she understood. She shouldn¡¯t have said anything. Aargh! Fang Qing¡¯s good mood was gone too. ¡°Don¡¯t feel troubled. At least, I picked you, and you¡¯re not someone chosen by my family. I¡¯m doing this for my future, and it has nothing to do with your identity.¡± Xu Yi explained as soon as Fang Qing joined him in the car. Fang Qing was overwhelmed with mixed feelings all of a sudden. She felt that everything seemed unreal, although touched by his words. ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Xu Yi brought her to his residence and instructed the butler to bring her to her room. She was also to give her the key to the residence. The butler explained as they made their way to the room she prepared for her. ¡°There¡¯s a few sets of new attire in the closet. You may choose one that fits and put them on. Young master will arrange to get you a new wardrobe later on. You may also let him know if you need anything else. Do come to me if you have any issue or request related to accommodation.¡± Fang Qing nodded. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± ¡°My pleasure. This is our job.¡± The butler smiled and brought Fang Qing back to Xu Yi. She reported, ¡°Young master, I¡¯ve already shown Miss Fang to her room.¡± ¡°Alright, take a seat. Go through the document. Sign in if you have no problem with the contract. Our cooperation will come to effect officially.¡± After replying to the butler, the rest of his words were directed to Fang Qing. Fang Qing took the contract from him and went through the terms stated in the contract. It was a contract drawn for the relationship between them. She would return to her single status when the contract ended. Other than some conditions required concerning their relationships, they were not bound to each other for any other matters. All the contract terms were specifically drawn out except for one, which Fang Qing found overbearing. She would need to cooperate with him for necessary interactions in front of his family. Even if it was unacceptable for her then, she was now allowed to bring it up again after that. Fang Qing picked up the pen. She scratched her head and asked in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t see any problem, but what kind of interaction are we talking about?¡± She pointed out the terms with the pen in her hand as she spoke. Xu Yi glanced at it and said with a poker face, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, so you have to be prepared.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°What is not acceptable to you? Can you accept kissing?¡± Xu Yi asked after a moment of consideration. It would be weird if they never kissed during the wedding ceremony. ¡°About that¡­¡± Fang Qing was just about to sign when she paused with hesitation and straightened up. She had no idea what was unacceptable to herself as well. ¡°Let¡¯s find time to rehearse that if this is not acceptable to you. You have to accept this interaction. Else, it wouldn¡¯t make sense. And, you almost got married. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t even kissed before?¡± Fang Qing had no answer for that. The key point was, she never kissed him, Xu Yi, before. And she had to rehearse kissing him? ¡°Is there a need for that?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Fang Qing was doubtful whether Xu Yi was taking advantage of her. But his status and reasons made his request sounded perfectly logical. She handed one to Xu Yi and kept one as her own copy after she signed the contracts. She would take it as it came as she gave up continuing to dwell on this matter. ¡°What¡¯s my brother¡¯s situation now? Can I see him?¡± Puzzled by her question, Xu Yi said, ¡°Why not? Lin handled your brother¡¯s situation. Go ask him.¡± Chapter 10 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He never told her. How could he expect her to know that she could ask Ling Lin herself? ¡°Alright, thank you, Mr. Xu.¡± Now that she depended on him, she could not afford to offend him. Xu Yi left after the contract signing to attend to some other matters, and Ling Lin would leave with him. Worried about Fang An, fang Qing couldn¡¯t let go of this opportunity. She walked up to Ling Lin. She whispered, ¡°Mr. Ling, how is my brother now? Can I see him?¡± Ling Lin was about to reply when Xu Yi, who was walking in front of him, turned to face them and interrupted, ¡°Lin, send her to see Fang An. I¡¯ll drive myself and meet you there later.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Can she drive?¡± Xu Yi stopped and glanced at Fang Qing doubtfully. Fang Qing shook her head. ¡°Yes, young master.¡± Ling Lin watched his young master left before his sight returned to Fang Qing. With a smile on his face, he told her, ¡°Your brother has completed his surgery and is currently recuperating. Young master had an apartment arranged for him to stay. The apartment has a pleasant environment, and he will have a caretaker to take care of him. Don¡¯t worry. Young master had everything taken care of.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved. Sorry for the trouble.¡± Despite her effort to hide the joy in her heart, she couldn¡¯t help smiling at the thought of seeing her brother. ¡°No problem at all. Get in the car. I¡¯ll take you there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They arrived at the apartment shortly after. Fang Qing¡¯s idea of an apartment was totally changed when she saw the so-called apartment. The apartment was like a small villa. The place was beautiful, with quiet surroundings, perfect for recuperation. Although the Fang was rich, their wealth was nothing compared to the Xu. Fang Qing felt as if they were from a totally different world. ¡°The doctor and the caretaker will all live here. He doesn¡¯t need to take care of himself in his daily life. He only needs to recuperate quietly. This place is better for recuperating compared to the hospital and was less depressing too. So, the young master decided without telling you.¡± Ling Lin led the way into the villa as he explained to Fang Qing. Fang Qing was deeply grateful to Xu Yi, but words can¡¯t express the gratitude in her heart. She could only keep thanking them, which seemed pale compared to what they did for her. ¡°Thank you! Please let Mr. Xu know that I¡¯m grateful for everything he did.¡± She would remember everything he did for her, always. Fang An was watching television in the living room when Fang Qing entered the villa with Ling Lin. On the coffee table in front of him was an exquisite plate decorated with fresh fruits. There was an occasional sound of laughter coming from the living room. Fang An was watching a variety show, which he loved very much. Tears welled up in Fang Qing¡¯s eyes as she looked at the familiar scene in front of her. She hurriedly wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, sniffled, and walked over. ¡°Fang An, how¡¯s your recovery going on?¡± Fang An abruptly turned at the voice of his sister. He immediately cheered up and walked towards Fang Qing when he saw her, then gave her a bear hug. He was more than a head taller than her, standing tall at 1.85 meters. Fang Qing looked younger than he was when they stood side by side. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here. I¡¯ve been waiting for you. It¡¯s so boring here. No one could give me any answers for every question I asked.¡± ¡°What did you ask?¡± Fang Qing smiled and patted Fang An¡¯s shoulder, gesturing for him to sit and stop moving. The surgery ended not too long ago, and he was still recovering from it. ¡°What¡¯s going on with Dad? Why is Liang Meng the one who married Bai Han? You guys have been dating for so long. Aren¡¯t you preparing to get married?¡± Fang Qing vaguely recalled; she would update Fang An on the interesting anecdotes between her and Bai Han whenever she visited him at the hospital. So, Fang An knew a lot about her relationship with Bai Han. Fang Qing stared deeply at Fang An. She smiled and pretended to be relaxed as she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. The most important thing now is your health. How are you feeling now?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m recovering very well. The doctor said that I should recuperate well during this period. After that, I should be fine as long as I don¡¯t stress my body with intense activity.¡± But his mind was somewhere else. ¡°Qing, are you planning to hide it from me? Are you not going to tell me?¡± Fang Qing gave him a bitter smile. ¡°I have no intention to hide anything from you. Fang Gang is no longer our father. We will no longer have anything to do with the Fang from now on, understand?¡± Since they started the conversation about their family, Fang Qing filled Fang An up with everything that happened. Since they started the conversation about their family, Fang Qing took the chance to fill Fang An up with everything that happened. Fang An was upset with everything his sister had to endure when he was sick in the hospital. ¡°Fang Gang, that a**hole. If he disowns us, we can do the same to him. Wait for me to get better, and I¡¯ll take care of you. He¡¯s getting muddle-headed as he gets older. He will soon lose the little intelligence he had in his head.¡± ¡°It was such a pity for mum to have married him.¡± Fang An furiously bellowed. Chapter 11 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Fang An mentioned her mother, her expression turned sorrowful. ¡°Mother shouldn¡¯t have given birth to me. Otherwise, all wouldn¡¯t turned out like this. Sister, you wouldn¡¯t even have a stepmother.¡± ¡°Fang An! What are you talking about? I won¡¯t allow you to think like this. Mum had a miscarriage. It has nothing to do with you. You weren¡¯t even born yet. How could you possibly know what would happen then ahead of time?¡± Every time Fang Qing heard this, she would grit her teeth and feel very unhappy. Fang An noticed this and immediately shut up. She laughed in her misery and sneered, ¡°Sister, you can¡¯t be sad because of someone like Fang Gang, do you know that? He¡¯s so heartless! We have to be happy, not sad! That¡¯s the right thing to do!¡± Fang Qing patted his head with a bitter smile and said, ¡°Of course, sister knows! Do you have to tell me? We are living well without the Fang family.¡± ¡°Wow, you have the nerve to tell me. You told me at such a late hour. Sister, you are so awesome. You even took down Xu Yi. You have good taste. Xu Yi is a hundred times better than Bai Han. Let me tell you, sister, I have even met brother-in-law!¡± Fang An said mysteriously. ¡°Is he handsome?¡± ¡°He¡¯s too handsome! He¡¯s a perfect match with big sister!¡± Fang An was so happy that her eyes were narrowed. She collapsed on the sofa happily. Fang Qing hid the bitterness that was boiling in the depths of her heart. She was also brimming with a happy smile as she said with a grin, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Big Sister¡¯s taste is really good, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes! Big Sister-in-law is handsome and talented. Let me show you what I¡¯ve found!¡± Fang An got up and pulled Fang Qing upstairs. It was a room with all kinds of instruments. Fang An walked in and picked up the guitar on the chair. He sat down and winked at Fang Qing. ¡°Do you want to listen to my beautiful voice? I¡¯ve been preparing this for you for a long time.¡± Fang Qing found a seat and sat down. ¡°When have I ever rejected you?¡± Fang An laughed heartily and winked at Fang Qing for a while. He shook off the goosebumps that he had pretended to have on his body before he sat down and prepared to begin. Fang Qing was tickled by his actions and could not stop giggling. Lin Lin was like an outsider in a play. When he saw the interaction between the two siblings, a warm feeling melted in his heart. He also sincerely lamented that their relationship seemed to be really good. He leaned against the wall at the door and listened. A song, ¡°My sister¡±, accompanied by long, white fingers jumping on the strings of a guitar, rang out. A low, melodious, and melodious voice could be heard. Fang Qing stared at him without blinking. How long had it been since he had been so energetic? it has been so long that Fang Qing could no longer remember. In her memory, Fang An was always lying on the bed doing nothing. However, this peaceful look under the sun was definitely Fang An. All of this was because of Xu Yi. Without him, she did not know how Fang An would have turned out because of the first aid. She did not want to think about it anymore. The song ended. Fang Qing immediately clapped excitedly and jumped in front of Fang An while cheering. She praised, ¡°Brother An is so amazing! It¡¯s so good! You can make a debut with your singing!¡± ¡°Your praising of others is very good. You must have praised many people before, right?¡± Fang Qing was stunned by his words. After thinking about it, she patted Fang An¡¯s shoulder and burst out laughing. ¡°Your singing is very good.¡± A familiar voice sounded behind Fang Qing. She blinked and her body stiffened. Her face inexplicably turned red. Her conversation with her younger brother must have been heard! She even laughed in front of him! Ah¡­ ¡°Brother-in-law is here!? Come quickly, my sister is blushing, hahaha.¡± Fang An looked as if he had discovered something new. He hurriedly called Xu Yi over to take a look. Xu Yi also came over to cooperate! One person was laughing wantonly, while the other was calm and composed. His gaze was deep. Even if her face was not red initially, with this teasing, Fang Qing knew that her face would definitely become extremely red. Fang Qing glared at the two of them, covered her face, and rushed into the bathroom. She turned on the tap and hid. Behind her, Fang An smiled dotingly. When he saw his sister like this, he felt happy for her from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Fang An, if you have talent, you have to display it well. Only then can you shine, right?¡± Fang An was stunned by this sentence and laughed out loud randomly. ¡°It¡¯s just a hobby. I¡¯m just casually playing around.¡± ¡°Really? Playing around and polishing my violin for me?¡± Xu Yi chuckled and looked at Fang An¡¯s embarrassed face. Then he said, ¡°Follow me.¡± Chapter 12 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Xu Yi handed a brand new guitar to Fang An, his eyes instantly widened. The excitement in his heart made him unable to control himself as he touched it. When he touched the signature on the surface, he hurriedly asked, ¡°Brother-in-law, did he make this himself?¡± ¡°Yes, I was lucky enough to see it and immediately bought it.¡± ¡°Slo made it himself! How many people dream of playing the guitar? It¡¯s already a great blessing for me to be able to touch it today.¡± Slo was Fang An¡¯s idol, the driving force behind his progress. He often saw his own shadow in Slo, and Slo¡¯s influence was indeed unprecedented in the world of guitars. Even though he had lost both his legs and his body was getting worse, his persistence and optimism deeply inspired Fang An! ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. I¡¯m just collecting it, but it has a very different meaning in your hands.¡± Xu Yi handed the guitar directly to Fang An¡¯s arms without any explanation and let go of the guitar. Fang An hugged it carefully, then raised her head and said in a slightly panicked manner, ¡°No, no, no, brother-in-law, the guitar in your room is already very good for my usage. I can¡¯t take this. Besides, this has a lot of collection value.¡± ¡°Keeping it as part of a collection is the biggest insult to it.¡± Xu Yi had no intention of taking it. He closed the display cabinet and locked it. Fang An was helpless and could only say regretfully, ¡°I really don¡¯t need it, brother-in-law. Thank you, but I¡¯m just a hobbyist. I¡¯m not a professional. This guitar would shine in the hands of others. Only then will it be worthy of its value.¡± He would not accept it. He looked at Xu Yi with a determined gaze. Unexpectedly, Xu Yi smiled and asked, ¡°Why do you think you won¡¯t shine with it? It just so happens that I have a friend who runs an entertainment company. I¡¯ll introduce you to receive professional training. How about that?¡± Since you don¡¯t think you have the ability to shine, then let me put the opportunity in front of you. Fang An admitted that he was tempted. The desire in his heart made his eyes shine. However, it was fleeting. Fang An tried his best to suppress it. He blinked and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, brother-in-law! Can I discuss it with my sister before telling you?¡± ¡°Opportunities disappear very quickly. I have already tried to help you. Your life should be your choice. After your body recovers, you won¡¯t have the same problems as before.¡± Xu Yi shook his phone and handed him a brand new phone. ¡°I bought this phone for you. You can use it. He¡¯ll contact you on his own initiative.¡± Fang An was still in a daze from the joy. Brother-in-law was right! This opportunity was really rare. He gladly accepted it. He solemnly bowed deeply to Xu Yi. When Fang Qing came out of the bathroom, she realized that the two of them were no longer in the room. Just as she was about to look for them, she saw Fang An happily holding a guitar as she walked over happily. ¡°Brother-in-law is so nice! You must praise him, Hehe.¡± After saying that, Fang An returned to the room and began to find a perfect place to practice the guitar. Fang Qing was left confused about the current situation. She came to Xu Yi¡¯s side and said. ¡°Thank you for spoiling my brother so much.¡± ¡°Stay here for the night. I need to take care of some things here.¡± Xu Yi didn¡¯t answer her question. But Fang Qing immediately smiled after hearing that. ¡°Thank you, Boss! Boss is so nice!¡± Xu Yi raised his eyebrows. ¡°I think it¡¯s necessary for you to disguise yourself in front of your brother. I don¡¯t want to complicate this matter.¡± ¡°Okay, husband.¡± Fang Qing said with a smile. Soon, a blush appeared on her face, which made her look even more beautiful. Lin Lin¡¯s head was almost to his chest, but his smile was almost to the back of his head. Even if it was a fake contract, it didn¡¯t stop him from eating candy! ¡°Stay in my room tonight. I¡¯ll be in the study.¡± ¡°No need, no need. I can make do wherever I am. Go back to your room and sleep.¡± Fang Qing immediately rejected without thinking. ¡°We¡¯re getting married soon. Is there a reason for us to sleep in separate rooms?¡± Xu Yi said meaningfully and walked straight in, right in front of Fang An. Fang Qing was left standing in a mess. How could she not have thought that kissing was nothing? In the eyes of others, they were already in the same room! Who would have guessed that they were the ones who had to rehearse kissing! The time spent playing with her younger brother was always short. Time passed quietly as they chatted and laughed. The night quickly turned dark before Fang Qing even felt that she had gotten anything done. It was nighttime. ¡°Fang An, it¡¯s time for you to sleep. The doctor said that you have to get enough sleep every day.¡± ¡°Ah! Sister, I have already slept for a long time during the day.¡± Chapter 13 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°You¡¯ll sleep better at night. Go to sleep.¡± Fang Qing came up to him and urged him. She had the intention of nagging him if he didn¡¯t sleep. ¡°Sister, you¡¯ll get old if you nag too much.¡± Fang An grunted with a smile. He cooperated well and returned to his room. Before closing the door, Fang An grinned and gestured behind Fang Qing. Fang Qing turned around and saw Xu Yi with a bag in his hand. After handing it to her, Fang Qing realized that it was filled with daily necessities and pajamas. He had even prepared clothes for the next day. Everything was ready. Fang Qing was overwhelmed by the favor and warmth flowed in her heart. It felt really good to be remembered like this. ¡°Mr. Xu is really thoughtful in this regard. Thank you.¡± Xu Yi did not look at her, but behind her. Fang An stuck out his tongue at the door, and only then did he completely shut the door. Fang Qing suddenly reacted and immediately covered her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just call me husband on any occasion? It¡¯s just a form of address. What do you think?¡± As Xu Yi spoke, his gaze met Fang Qing¡¯s gaze. His eyes did not move, just as he said. It was just a form of address. ¡°Alright.¡± Fang Qing lowered her head apologetically and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t be too formal. Treat it as your own home.¡± Xu Yi¡¯s tone was gentle. Fang Qing¡¯s cautiousness was seen by him. After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment and reached out to pat her head. Then, he went to the study room. When Fang Qing raised her head again, her face was red. She did not know what was wrong with her. After hearing these words, her heart palpitated and floated to the tip of her heart. It made her heart thump, and she wanted to jump out and shout! Has this man really never been in a relationship? Kill him by touching his head! Fang Qing slapped her own face hard to calm herself down. It was a trade! Although he was really outstanding, gentle, and good to her and her younger brother, all of this was based on the fact that she was still useful! Carrying the bag, Fang Qing went straight to her room and headed straight to the bathroom, ready to wash up. A handful of cold water splashed onto her face, calming her down considerably. She exhaled slowly, looking around at the spotless, simple yet extravagant decorations. Looking at herself in the mirror, she was still as beautiful as ever without any makeup. She knew the advantages of her face, but it was a pity that she was born in the wrong place. In a place where money and status were the important things, beauty was just an accessory. It would not be a sharp weapon that would allow her to stand firmly on her feet. Instead, it would make it easier for others to push her into the abyss. She understood¡­ Fortunately, this man did not give her a bad feeling. After washing up, Fang Qing wiped the place clean bit by bit before leaving the bathroom. Before she was ready to sleep, Fang Qing stared at the door for a while, but in the end, she did not lock it. After thinking about it, she felt that it was unnecessary. She believed that Xu Yi was a man of his word. After she had mentally prepared herself, it was much easier for Fang Qing to accept it. Soon, she felt drowsy and fell asleep. An unknown amount of time passed. The door opened with a click, and the light from outside shone in. Fang Qing, who had slept very lightly, instantly woke up. Squinting her eyes, she looked at the door and saw a familiar figure. One look and she knew it was Xu Yi. What was he doing in the room? Could it be that he was here to take something? Then it would be better if she didn¡¯t move, or else it would be too awkward! But why was he walking towards the bed? Fang Qing tried her best to slow down her breathing so that it wouldn¡¯t become hurried. Perhaps the things were on the bedside table. That was what she thought, but she also sat down. Even with her eyes closed, Fang Qing could feel the intense gaze from above. ¡°You¡¯re still awake?¡± Fang Qing ignored it and continued to remain motionless. Then, she could not help but let out a soft laugh. Fang Qing¡¯s forehead was tapped. The warm and cool touch made her open her eyes, which were already clear and bright. She did not feel sleepy at all. There was only confusion. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I recommended Fang An to an entertainment company, but don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re very friendly with people and will take good care of him. It¡¯s very rare for a gold-medal manager to have a vacancy. It would be a pity if I didn¡¯t seize it, so I didn¡¯t inform you in advance.¡± Xu Yi said it lightly. It didn¡¯t seem like he would inform her at all. He had already considered every aspect thoroughly. But¡­ Fang Qing sat up immediately. In a moment of desperation, she blurted out, ¡°Why do you want him to be a celebrity?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a celebrity yet. Let¡¯s start with becoming a singer first. He¡¯s very talented.¡± Chapter 14 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Fang Qing was naturally aware of this. It was true that Fang An liked these things, but the current situation could not afford for Fang An to do those things. ¡°You can go again in the future. Right now, Fang An needs to recuperate. His body is lacking in exercise. In the past, he was in bed and rarely moved. He is very weak physically.¡± Even Fang Qing did not realize how tough her own tone was when she said these words. Xu Yi was not surprised. From observing Fang An, he already knew that Fang Qing would not agree. ¡°They won¡¯t wait for him. It¡¯s a rare opportunity, and he¡¯s looking forward to it.¡± Fang Qing pursed her lips, and her slightly furrowed brows could tell that she was not in a good mood. ¡°But shouldn¡¯t all of this be based on his health being good in the first place?¡± Fang Qing couldn¡¯t understand, and she wouldn¡¯t compromise either. ¡°Mr. Xu, I¡¯m really grateful to you for giving Fang An and I a chance to live well again. I just heaved a sigh of relief, and I don¡¯t want to bring it up again. If anything were to happen to his body again, I really can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± A large part of the reason why she was still persisting was because of Fang An. She gritted her teeth and continued to charge ahead. She didn¡¯t want Fang An¡¯s future to be bleak. ¡°I don¡¯t care if our future lives will become ordinary or mediocre. I only hope that we can live happily, happily, and healthily.¡± Xu Yi looked at her deeply and expressed his understanding. ¡°Hmm, if I¡¯m not wrong, this is the result of your own careful consideration, right?¡± ¡°Of course, these opportunities are already very rare.¡± Fang Qing was rather determined. ¡°Look at this, you might understand. Your brother¡¯s health may be your happiness, but it may not be his.¡± Xu Yi brought her to the piano room. Through the window, there was only a very dim light inside. If one did not look closely, one would not be able to notice it. And inside, Fang An was holding a guitar, the one that he often used. He would play the piano, stop, and play again and again, and then scribble on the paper. ¡°He often comes at night. In fact, no one cares even if he plays during the day, but he rarely plays during the day.¡± This was something that Xu Yi discovered by chance. When Fang Qing heard this, she suddenly thought of something and smiled bitterly, ¡°I never knew that he would practice in secret. When I paid in the past, I even heard the nurse complain that there was a piano playing in the middle of the night. Although it was pleasant to hear, it was also quite scary. I don¡¯t know which ward it came from.¡± It seemed to be her younger brother Fang An. Fang Qing did not think so in the past. She thought that the dusty piano case must have never been opened. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that he didn¡¯t want everyone to find out.¡± Xu Yi naturally saw the intense sadness on Fang Qing¡¯s body. He comforted her softly, ¡°The doctor probably didn¡¯t allow it in the past either. It¡¯s different now. He¡¯s actually not much of a problem. It¡¯s just that he needs a long time to recover. You can watch more in the early stages and do less in the future.¡± Hearing that, Fang Qing suddenly turned to look at the man behind her. She couldn¡¯t help but tease him, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s like Fang An¡¯s family. It¡¯s only been a few days, and you already know him better than I do as his elder sister.¡± Xu Yi shook his head and retorted, ¡°I just happened to realize that I chose to respect his personal wishes, and your starting point isn¡¯t wrong. Moreover, these two points can be compromised, right?¡± How could there be no mistake? Fang Qingguang felt uncomfortable suppressing a person¡¯s hobby to such an extent. That person was still her younger brother! Back then, for the sake of her hobby, she painted during the day and continued painting at night. How could she not understand? ¡°Thank you! I apologize for my loss of composure just now. I was thinking too one-sidedly.¡± Fang Qing said sincerely. ¡°No need to thank me. Besides, I¡¯m not like his family. Am I not?¡± This time, Fang Qing was stunned. Under her puzzled gaze. Xu Yi said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m his brother-in-law.¡± Fang Qing did not expect to be waiting here! She looked at Xu Yi like this. The expression on her face changed from being stunned to lowering her head in embarrassment. All her small expressions were clearly seen. Xu Yi leaned against the wall and carefully sized up the woman in front of him. ¡°Are you becoming shy?¡± Fang Qing¡¯s appearance was very recognizable. It was not the same beauty, especially her eyes. At this moment, she was even more shy and charming. Obviously, she did not know it. ¡°How is that possible?¡± As Fang Qing spoke, she covered her face. At that moment, her face became even redder. Her face was burning¡­ Chapter 15 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi looked at her with a burning gaze. Fang Qing had never felt such a serious gaze from him. It was as if they were really engaged. As soon as this thought appeared, Fang Qing suppressed it! She quickly dismissed this thought in her mind! ¡°You¡¯re quite cute. I¡¯m complimenting you.¡± ¡­ After Fang Qing heard this, she was at a loss. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know what to say. She was so excited that she completely forgot that they were still peeping at her! Just as she was about to blurt out those words, she took a big step back and blurted them out. ¡°It¡¯s better if we don¡¯t say things that will be easily misunderstood by others.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always calling me hubby. Doesn¡¯t that make it easier to misunderstand?¡± Xu Yi couldn¡¯t help but continue to tease her. Moreover, what he said was indeed the truth. ¡°But we don¡¯t need to act now.¡± Xu Yi raised his eyebrows and asked in return, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re a qualified actor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an actor¡­¡± Fang Qing was rendered speechless by this ridiculous question and could only deny it. Xu Yi said matter-of-factly, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not an actor. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t act and treat this relationship as reality. After all, only by acting can you play your role well.¡± ¡°Alright, go back to sleep.¡± After Xu Yi said that, he knocked her head and told her to quickly come back to her senses. It was time for her to do what she needed to do. ¡°Ah, aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± Xu Yi looked at her meaningfully and smiled. ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s only that one bed.¡± Xu Yi¡¯s words seemed to make some sense, but why was Fang Qing looking at him now as if she was waiting for her to agree? It was as if if she nodded, he would really choose to go to the bedroom to sleep¡­ This made the atmosphere more and more awkward. Fang Qing could only smile awkwardly. Taking a step back, she said, ¡°I can sleep on the sofa, you can sleep in the bedroom!¡± Xu Yi! A legendary figure in the business world. If word got out that he was not allowed to sleep on a bed, he would have to stay up all night working in the study. He would be forced to stay up all night. Wouldn¡¯t that immediately cause a huge uproar? Fang Qing was just about to head downstairs to the living room when Xu Yi grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into the bedroom. Throughout the whole process, Fang Qing could clearly feel that her beating heart was really about to break through the layers of defense in her body! All the cells in her body were clamoring. She even began to think that at a time like this, she should still reject him! There was no limit to the contract, right? But¡­ Before she could continue thinking, Xu Yi pressed her down on the bed and said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. Go to sleep. I do have work to do.¡± After saying that, he looked at her. It was as if he would not leave until she lay down to sleep. Fang Qing nodded her head repeatedly and quickly hid under the blanket. Xu Yi went out. Fang Qing touched her nose and buried her head under the blanket, but she could not fall asleep. She was very energetic. Fang Qing could not remember when she fell asleep. When she woke up the next day, Xu Yi had some matters to attend to. He had to go on a long trip and Lin Lin had to follow him, so she had to follow him back early. She couldn¡¯t stay in this small villa forever. There weren¡¯t enough rooms here! It was a very important matter! Fang An hadn¡¯t woken up and was sleeping soundly. She didn¡¯t disturb him and left a note to say goodbye to her brother. She left first. After Xu Yi sent her home, he left immediately. He didn¡¯t say when he would be back. Fang Qing didn¡¯t know what he was doing. She wasn¡¯t used to living here. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t many servants. Otherwise, it would be too awkward if she ran into one just by walking a few steps. She knew the butler here. She looked for the butler for a long time. In the end, she saw the butler watering the flowers in the garden. When Fang Qing went over, the butler was shocked. After the butler cried out in surprise, he quickly put down the shower in his hand and lowered his head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Fang. I lost my composure just now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m the one who scared you. I just wanted to ask if there are any places around here where you can buy painting paper?¡± Her things were still at the Bai Family¡¯s residence, so she didn¡¯t take them out at all. She didn¡¯t know what to do at the moment, so she just continued to paint. There was no Fang triad here, and no one would tear up all her paintings with disgust. The butler quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s a bit far. But if Miss Fang needs it, I¡¯ll go buy it for you.¡± ¡°Then please do, thank you so much.¡± Fang Qing said gratefully. ¡°This is my job. If Miss Fang needs anything else, please just let me know.¡± Chapter 16 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Fang Qing was moved by Xu Yi. She felt that she owed him too much. Now that she had more time, she could take the opportunity to draw another one. Not only could she sell it to support her family, but she could also save some money for her future plans. It would be even better if she could afford her younger brother¡¯s expenses. This way, she would not end up empty-handed without accomplishing anything after the contract ended. The butler had prepared everything. After Fang Qing received it, the moment she started drawing, she had already said goodbye to time. Even when it was time for lunch, the butler would come up to remind her. ¡°Miss Fang, can we continue after having some lunch?¡± Fang Qing glanced over and smiled at the butler. She quickly said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right over.¡± After saying that, she put down her brush and went straight to the bathroom without moving. She washed her hands, then went downstairs to eat. In the end, she saw Xu Yi, who was going on a business trip, sitting at the dining table and eating leisurely. Lin Lin saw that Fang Qing was puzzled, so he explained, ¡°There¡¯s a change in the schedule. It¡¯s raining heavily over there, so it¡¯s not suitable to fly there. The weather is bad.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s really a bit of a delay,¡± Fang Qing sighed. This wasn¡¯t the first time she and Xu Yi had eaten together. She remembered that when she sat at this dining table before, she felt an invisible pressure that caused her to not have the mood to eat properly. However, ever since she had interacted with Xu Yi more and more, she had become more and more relaxed. On the contrary, Fang Qing felt much more relaxed. She began to eat seriously to fill her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m done eating. Take your time.¡± After Fang Qing finished eating, she wiped her mouth and ran upstairs, looking much more anxious than usual. Xu Yi stared at her back and asked the butler, ¡°What is she doing?¡± ¡°Miss Fang is drawing. She has been drawing all morning.¡± Xu Yi was surprised. She actually knew how to draw? However, after Xu Yi finished eating, he went to the room where Fang Qing was drawing. When he walked behind her and saw the drawing she had drawn, he was slightly surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at drawing. You have great talent in drawing.¡± Fang Qing¡¯s drawing was only halfway done, but even so, this manuscript was still very impressive. It was obvious that Fang Qing was a professional. When Fang Qing heard this, she continued to draw without even raising her head. She said with a smile, ¡°My mother¡¯s drawing is also very good. I was taught by her, and she¡¯s quite famous. Unfortunately, due to some reasons, she had to stop drawing.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t learned how to draw professionally?¡± ¡°My mother¡¯s teaching is already very good,¡± Fang Qing said with certainty. What she said was also the truth. If it were not for Fang Gang, her mother would definitely have become a famous painter and would have been able to complete the art exhibition that she had always dreamed of! However, all of this had been ruined by Fang Gang! Thinking of this, Fang Qing¡¯s strokes became a little heavier. Xu Yi had been looking at it the entire time. When he saw this, he could not help but sigh. ¡°Although it¡¯s not bad, it still can¡¯t compare to Lu Si.¡± Lu Si was a famous young painter. Just because of one painting, she became famous in one fell swoop. She was also well-known in the industry and had won many awards. It could be said that she had relied on that painting to overcome all obstacles along the way, and her status soared. Others might not know, but Lu Si and Fang Qing were very familiar with it. She could not help but reveal a bitter smile. That painting was not by Lu Si, but she had personally completed it. To her, it had an extraordinary meaning. It was a painting that her mother had personally instructed her to complete. In the end, in order for it not to be discovered by her father, she had sold it without her signature on it. Every time she thought of this, Fang Qing could not help but feel dejected. ¡°My mother was delayed by my father. Otherwise, she would have been able to continue on the path of her dreams. What a pity.¡± ¡°She sacrificed her dreams for my father.¡± Fang Qing repeated it again, as if she wanted to remember this matter deeply in her heart and encourage herself. Xu Yi looked at her dejected expression and felt a little heartache. He comforted her, ¡°If you become famous, you can also make your mother feel very gratified.¡± Fang Qing smiled and shrugged. ¡°It would be great if she could see it.¡± ¡°She will.¡± Fang Qing put down the pen in her hand. She could no longer calm down. She could no longer continue drawing. ¡°The reason I came back this time is that there is an auction. There are paintings that I want to bid for. Do you want to come along and take a look?¡± Calling Fang Qing was something that was not part of the arrangement. However, it was easy for Xu Yi to get an extra ticket, even if the sale of them had already stopped. Fang Qing blinked her eyes. She was bored. It would be great to look at paintings! ¡°Sure!¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Then let¡¯s pack up. We¡¯ll leave in half an hour.¡± Before Xu Yi left, he couldn¡¯t help but fix his gaze on the drawing paper again. Lu Si¡¯s drawing had a different meaning to him. It was indeed inappropriate to compare her to Lu Si just now. Clearly, Fang Qing¡¯s standard was also very outstanding. It wasn¡¯t difficult to become famous. ¡­ At the auction venue, Fang Qing followed Xu Yi in. She was dressed very plainly, and time was tight. There wasn¡¯t much opportunity for her to go into detail, but besides Xu Yi, she was also baptized by gazes. There were all kinds of gazes. Even though Fang Qing had mentally prepared herself, she still felt a little lost. Compared to Xu Yi¡¯s temperament, Fang Qing appeared a little cramped. She lost her gracefulness, but instead, she felt like a jade from a small family. ¡°Since when did President Xu have a woman by his side? Who is this person? Why do I feel like I¡¯ve never seen her before?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her before either. However, this is the first time that I can¡¯t tell who she is. Since President Xu has taken a liking to her, her status must be quite high. However, her attire is too casual.¡± ¡°She might not even take this kind of event seriously. You guys might not know, but the organizers have spent a lot of money in order to invite President Xu.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The person at the center of the conversation was not around Xu Yi, so they did not know about his influence. Extraordinary¡­ Even the host¡¯s opening remarks mentioned Xu Yi. ¡°Today, we are going to shoot Lu Si¡¯s first painting. There are quite a number of people who came because of his fame.¡± Xu Yi had just sat down when he started to explain to Fang Qing. And his real purpose for coming was not to be praised by the host. Fang Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Is it a famous painting?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fang Qing could not hide her excitement. She held it in for a while, took a deep breath, and sincerely wished him well. ¡°I hope you can successfully bid for it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The auction began. Those who had come up for the auction at the beginning quickly ended, and Xu Yi remained unmoved the entire time. He had a strong purpose. When it was time for the real Lu Si¡¯s painting¡­ Fang Qing could feel Xu Yi sitting up straight, staring intently at the stage. When the painting was safely placed on the stage and the big screen began to play¡­ Following a commentary, an intense bidding war began. This was clearly growing faster than before! Everyone¡¯s bids increased by a million compared to before. But when it came to Xu Yi¡­ He calmly said a number that caused an uproar among the people present. ¡°50 million.¡± One had to know, that the previous bidder had only bid nine million. This sudden increase in bidding instantly destroyed many people¡¯s thoughts. Although all of Lu Si¡¯s works were very famous, they were not as expensive as her famous paintings. ¡°50 million going once.¡± The host could no longer control his hands. Before he could finish shouting, the gavel was about to fall. A crisp female voice sounded. ¡°60 million.¡± She sat at the back of the auction. Normally, her status was not high, but when she opened her mouth, she attracted the attention of most of the people present. ¡°70 million.¡± Xu Yi continued to shout. Fang Qing, who was beside him, could feel that she couldn¡¯t move at all. She could deeply feel that what Xu Yi shouted out was just a number, and it didn¡¯t seem to be related to money. However, Fang Qing¡¯s heart was indeed overturning. She could never have imagined that her painting would actually be auctioned off at such a price! ¡°80 million.¡± The people behind chased after her relentlessly. ¡°90 million.¡± ¡°100 million.¡± ¡°200 million.¡± Xu Yi frowned and directly bid 200 million. He did not want to play such a lame game with the other party. It was very boring. Cunning! But he did not expect the other party to actually follow! ¡°210 million.¡± The steady growth was not affected at all. Xu Yi turned his head, but he did not look at the person who was competing with him. Instead, he looked at Fang Qing. Seeing her flabbergasted look, he could not help but ask her, ¡°Do you want to continue? What do you think?¡± Fang Qing gulped and looked at him. ¡°I think we can give up.¡± 210 million¡­ Fang Qing was dumbfounded. She had finally opened her eyes today. Xu Yi listened to her words and did not continue bidding. He was still the same. Everyone looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to reveal another bomb-like figure. The exclamations were all ready. But Xu Yi did not. He watched the price set expressionlessly as the painting was auctioned off. There was not a hint of regret on his face. ¡°It¡¯s over. Shall we leave?¡± Just as they were about to get up and leave¡­ ¡°Mr. Xu Yi, please wait.¡± Chapter 18 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi looked over when he heard the voice. It was an unfamiliar woman. He did not recognize her. He did not speak, but just looked at her quietly. It was best if she had something important to say. Otherwise, with Xu Yi¡¯s current mood, she would make this woman pay the price as long as he was delayed. Fang Qing was shocked at the price of the painting. At the same time, she felt dejected. If it weren¡¯t for the situation back then, she would never have sold this painting! ¡°Mr. Xu, sorry to bother you. I¡¯m Lu Si¡¯s assistant. My name is Li Yan. Lu Si would like to invite you to discuss something. I wonder if you have the time now.¡± Lu Si was looking for him? Xu Yi narrowed his eyes and carefully sized up the woman in front of him. Could it be that there were other paintings that she wanted to sell? However, he was too lazy to think about it. It was because the other party was Lu Si. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Li Yan had prepared many excuses to persuade Xu Yi to stay, and she was extremely nervous. When she heard Xu Yi agree so readily, she did not react in time and raised her head in astonishment. In less than three seconds, Li Yan revealed a smile. ¡°Follow me. She is waiting for you in the living room.¡± Xu Yi nodded and took the lead to walk in front. Fang Qing followed closely behind. However, when Li Yan saw that she was following, she revealed a troubled expression. She stopped Fang Qing and said apologetically, ¡°Miss, please wait for a moment. Can I arrange for you to wait in the lounge? Lu Si wants to meet Mr. Xu alone.¡± Fang Qing blinked and looked at Xu Yi. She listened out for Xu Yi. But now that Xu Yi thought he was going to see Lu Si himself, he couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. ¡°You and Miss Li go to the lounge and wait for a moment. I¡¯ll come to you when I¡¯m done.¡± Because of the painting? Fang Qing pursed her lips, her heart felt empty, she did not know why the expectations of a moment dissipated, she had no other choice. She had to nod her head and hum softly. She didn¡¯t even want to open her mouth. Xu Yi might not have noticed Fang Qing¡¯s change. However, Li Yan could still see it clearly. When she sent Fang Qing to the resting room, she smiled and started a conversation. ¡°What is your relationship with Mr. Xu? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Mr. Xu bringing a lady to an event.¡± Li Yan naturally knew a lot about Xu Yi. It was necessary to know a lot before coming into contact with a person. Fang Qing was stunned for a moment, but she quickly replied, ¡°A superior-subordinate relationship.¡± That relationship could not be mentioned. If she were to say they were friends, there might be rumors and gossip. Fang Qing had to deal with these things on purpose. ¡°Is that so? Mr. Xu is a very attractive person. He¡¯s very charming. May I ask if he has a lot of people chasing after him? As long as it¡¯s a woman, you can¡¯t refuse yourself taking a liking to him, right?¡± Li Yan looked meaningfully at Fang Qing¡¯s reaction and pretended to be unintentionally emotional. Fang Qing smiled. ¡°I have nothing to say. Regarding Mr. Xu¡¯s personal matters, I don¡¯t ask or understand.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Faced with Fang Qing¡¯s merciless rejection, Li Yan was not annoyed at all. Instead, she smiled and brought up the topic. She opened the door to the lounge and turned to the side. ¡°Please come in. I¡¯ll contact you after they¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Fang Qing nodded politely and went straight in. There was no one inside. After Li Yan left, Fang Qing was like a pile of mud. She collapsed on the sofa and looked at the ceiling above her head with a helpless and bitter smile. She tried her best to let herself be at ease. This painting was indeed no longer related to her. Indeed, she shouldn¡¯t think too much about it. This way, she wouldn¡¯t be disappointed. ¡­ As soon as Xu Yi entered the room, Lu Si stood up immediately. She was wearing a high-end custom-made gown. The red color showed her elegance. Lu Si was obviously dressed up exquisitely. From top to bottom, every part of the gown was designed perfectly, magnifying her beauty. Just like at this moment, when Lu Si smiled, her entire body seemed to have its own light. It was dazzling. Xu Yi naturally knew a lot about Lu Si, but the Lu Si in front of him still made his eyes light up. ¡°Hello, Mr. Xu. I¡¯m Lu Si. Nice to meet you.¡± Xu Yi suppressed the excitement in his heart and held Lu Si¡¯s hand like a gentleman. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Xu Yi.¡± As a woman, Lu Si had a strong sixth sense about Xu Yi¡¯s expression. She knew very well that this man had been completely taken by her beauty. The smile on her face became brighter and brighter. Just as she was about to speak, Xu Yi spoke first. ¡°Regardless of the reason Miss Lu invited me here, before you talk, I have to thank you.¡± Chapter 19 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Si was stunned. For a moment, she did not understand what she had just heard. ¡°Thank you for your painting that has helped me a lot. Your famous painting is of great significance to me.¡± Lu Si sucked in a breath of cold air, and her heart raced uncontrollably. She smiled in slight surprise and said, ¡°No wonder Mr. Xu has been biting and not letting go. It has also caused me to bleed a lot, but it¡¯s a little painful.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Under Xu Yi¡¯s puzzled gaze, Lu Si looked over and smiled helplessly. ¡°This painting was bought by my assistant, Li Yan. After all, it¡¯s not easy for me to bid for it. My status is a little awkward.¡± ¡°Why do you want to buy your own painting? Were you unwilling to sell it?¡± Why bother? If it was for the sake of reputation, this painting was completely unnecessary. It was already very famous. ¡°Then, Mr. Xu, why are you thanking me? What kind of help did a painting give you?¡± Lu Si saw that Xu Yi was getting along very well with her, and her eyes were twinkling. She was extremely happy. She could not help but move closer to Xu Yi, showing that she was very interested in him. Xu Yi did not move his body away. Instead, he looked deeply at her and said with a serious expression, ¡°It¡¯s this painting that helped me to walk out of my low point. Whether it¡¯s the meaning of this painting or its own color, it¡¯s very worthy of praise. Just looking at it can ease one¡¯s mood.¡± Lu Si took a deep breath and said with a smile like a flower, ¡°Mr. Xu¡¯s praise is really the most pleasant thing I¡¯ve ever heard. Thank you very much for helping Mr. Xu in a substantive way. It¡¯s also my honor.¡± Lu Si lowered her head and smiled. She put her hand on Xu Yi¡¯s and said, ¡°I invited Mr. Xu this time because I was touched by your love for my painting. So, I asked my assistant to buy it and give it to you as a gift.¡± Xu Yi pulled his hand back and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful to you. There¡¯s no need to give it to me.¡± In a moment of desperation, Lu Si realized that she had been too hasty and was about to explain herself. Xu Yi continued, ¡°I can buy it from you at a high price. You can name your price. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s higher than the previous auction price.¡± When Lu Si heard this, her smiling eyes fell on Xu Yi¡¯s face. She teased, ¡°Then I definitely have conditions. Of course, I¡¯m not giving it to you for no reason.¡± Who was Xu Yi? He was an extremely famous existence in the country. What Lu Si saw in Xu Yi was not the money and status he brought, but the innate charm of this man. Lu Si fell deeply in love with him with just a glance. Love at first sight. It was exactly like this. Looking at him, she could not control the smile on the corner of her mouth. ¡°What conditions?¡± ¡°Accompany me to dinner tonight. I¡¯m inviting you out of kindness. If you refuse, it would be too hurtful to me.¡± Lu Si¡¯s intentions were more than obvious. It was simply blatant. But Xu Yi still agreed despite knowing everything. He could not refuse Lu Si¡¯s initiative. ¡­ Fang Qing waited in the lounge, but in the end, she received a text from Xu Yi. It might be late before he could go back. Xu Yi asked Lin Lin to send her home first, so she didn¡¯t have to wait for him. Fang Qing didn¡¯t need to think to know who Xu Yi had been spending time with. It was also because of that painting that he was so interested in Lu Si. Fang Qing couldn¡¯t help but start to edit the text messages. She had already organized her words, but when she saw the send button, Fang Qing still let out a deep sigh. She deleted all those messages. Then, she replied with an ¡®okay¡¯. Then, she let herself put this matter to the back of her mind and gave Lin Lin a call. She should keep her promise. The painting had nothing to do with her anymore. When she returned home, Fang Qing estimated the time. She had nothing to do, so when she saw her auntie preparing dinner in the kitchen, she went in as well. The auntie was a chef, and in the Xu family, she was only responsible for cooking. It was very delicious. Fang Qing liked it very much. After she came in, she smiled sweetly. ¡°Can I make a dish?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The auntie was initially surprised, but after hearing it, she smiled and agreed. Fang Qing¡¯s specialty dish. She did not know how to cook, and she rarely had the opportunity to cook, but this dish was what she liked to eat. She had been patiently learning for a long time! After fiddling around in the kitchen, Fang Qing still didn¡¯t handle some parts well. With the help of her auntie, she finally successfully cooked the dish! It was a very simple dish. Shredded pork with fish sauce. Chapter 20 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In a high-end restaurant with a quiet and comfortable decoration style, as well as melodious slow music, the atmosphere was relaxing and comforting. The pace of eating here has slowed down. Lu Si often comes to this restaurant to eat, she likes the taste of this restaurant, and another reason is that the food is served up very slowly. But this is also a feature of this place. It allowed each stage of the meal to be used rationally so that there would be enough time for the guests to actually taste the delicacies. It was not a fast-food style. What was important here was that it was slow. ¡°This restaurant is very famous. Has Mr. Xu been here before?¡± ¡°Yes, the taste is not bad.¡± Xu Yi had been to many places, so he knew a little about eating. ¡°I hope I haven¡¯t been rude to you today, Mr. Xu. If there¡¯s anything wrong, you must let me know.¡± Lu Si smiled gently as she poured Xu Yi a glass of red wine. She raised her glass. At the moment of the collision, a clear and melodious voice reverberated in Lu Si¡¯s heart. Especially when she saw Xu Yi shake his head. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be acquainted with Ms. Lu.¡± Lu Si giggled when she heard this. She looked at Xu Yi with even more infatuation in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be recognized by Mr. Xu.¡± Xu Yi smiled and asked, ¡°Why did you create this painting?¡± That painting was a landscape painting, as if this place really existed. In fact, this place really existed. After Lu Si realized that more and more people liked this painting, she went there. It could be said that they were carved from the same mold. However, on the day that Lu Si went there, the weather was not perfect. The color was very light, and it did not give people the feeling of being amazed by the painting. It could be said that the most unique part of this painting was the color. The color combination was novel and bold. ¡°Before I became famous, I was just an ordinary person. With this face, not only did it not bring me any benefits, it actually brought me lots of danger.¡±Lu Si chuckled. She sighed unintentionally and continued, ¡°I came there by chance to empty my mind. My family told me to give up painting, or else they would expel me from the house and not allow me to come back.¡± ¡°This was the last painting of that period, and it was also my turning point.¡± Lu Si¡¯s story was half-true and half-false. This was the story of the artist, not Lu Si¡¯s. However, she had said this too many times. Now that she said it, it was as if she was talking about herself. Xu Yi did not expect her painting experience to be so difficult. ¡°Then you are also very strong. To be able to walk out of such an environment, let me congratulate you.¡± Xu Yi sincerely wished her well. He picked up his glass and clinked it with hers. Lu Si thought that she would succeed. She just did not expect that she would have such a good conversation with Xu Yi. A person like Xu Yi would spend so much time with her! It was rare for Lu Si to be so excited. She lost control of her alcohol tolerance. Even though she was only slightly tipsy, she still looked at Xu Yi with her drunken eyes. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re very charming? You¡¯re someone who can easily make people unable to separate themselves from you once they get intoxicated.¡± Xu Yi looked up at her. The emotions in his eyes were hard to fathom. Even Xu Yi did not understand what he thought of Lu Si. However, the respect that had always existed in his heart was certain. ¡°It¡¯s very late. I¡¯ll send you back to rest.¡± Xu Yi stood up, reached out his hand to her, and pulled her up. When she stood up and was about to let go. Lu Si fell down and collapsed into Xu Yi¡¯s arms. However, before Xu Yi could react. Lu Si quivered and looked at him with clear eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I felt a bit dizzy just now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Seeing that she had completely stabilized herself, Xu Yi did not say anything more. Lin Lin drove Lu si directly to the hotel. Xu Yi was worried, so he got out of the car and walked Lu Si to the door of the room. He watched her enter before he was ready to leave. He was about to instruct her to lock the door. However, the person who had just entered turned around and rushed into his arms. Lu Si hugged his waist with both hands. She stood on her tiptoes, raised her head, and quickly dropped a dragonfly on Xu Yi¡¯s mouth. Her eyes were filled with lust. However, after she kissed him, she immediately turned around and entered the house, closing the door. Xu Yi stood at the door and paused. A complicated look flashed across his eyes. He was actually somewhat resistant to Lu Si¡¯s brazen approach, but he had always respected her. This caused Xu Yi to hesitate, which led to the current situation. Xu Yi rubbed his temples and turned to leave. Along the way, Xu Yi¡¯s expression was grave. He did not feel any joy from obtaining the painting. Chapter 21 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi could not tell what he was thinking. A woman¡¯s approach and probing. He knew it like the back of his hand. When he returned home, the house was brightly lit. Only then did he see Fang Qing sleeping on the sofa. There was still some untouched food on the dining table. Lin Lin did not expect to see this scene. He gave Xu Yi a deep look. Lin Lin had seen Lu Si kissing him just now. However, he had no right to ask about young master¡¯s matters. Some of them could even pretend not to have seen it, let alone understand it. Xu Yi¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. Fang Qing slept very quietly. Even her movements were curled up together, like a kitten. Xu Yi suddenly moved closer. Fang Qing felt Xu Yi¡¯s breathing stop. She was not asleep at all. She was just resting with her eyes closed. Xu Yi gently carried her in his arms. Fang Qing¡¯s entire body was stiff, but she could not show it at all. Her head touched Xu Yi¡¯s chest, and the rhythmic beating of her heart made her feel the man¡¯s warmth. She could not suppress her little thoughts. Fang Qing¡¯s eyebrows trembled, and she suppressed the throbbing in her heart. Xu Yi carried her back to the room and covered her with a blanket. Then he left. However, Fang Qing could not calm herself down for a long time. This time, not only could she not fall asleep, but her stomach was also still hungry. She could only rejoice about the fact that when she was in Xu Yi¡¯s arms, her stomach did not growl. When she closed her eyes, they were black, and when she opened them, they were also pitch black. Fang Qing let out a deep breath. Now, she could be considered to admire those actors. They were able to control their own feelings, but at the same time, they had to put in an endless amount of effort to present a fake but realistic love. It made people feel very sweet. However, she was different. She was not an actress. Fang Qing only had one voice in her heart. All of this was fake. It was best not to have feelings that she should not have! Fang Qing frowned and eventually fell asleep. Fang Qing woke up early in the morning. She was so hungry that she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. If she didn¡¯t eat something, she wouldn¡¯t sleep anymore and would faint. Fang Qing endured her weakness and washed up before going downstairs. Breakfast was still being prepared. But Xu Yi had already woken up and his expression wasn¡¯t good. He did not even notice Fang Qing coming down. He was still focused on his phone. She poured herself a glass of milk and drank two mouthfuls to fill her stomach. She blinked and looked at Xu Yi. What could he be looking at? By getting closer, Fang Qing saw what he was looking at. The photo was not very clear, but Fang Qing recognized it at a glance. It was Xu Yi and Lu Si together. And they were kissing! That outfit, wasn¡¯t it the same one Xu Yi wore yesterday? ¡°When did you wake up? Why are you walking so quietly?¡± Xu Yi had noticed her small movements, but he decided not to point it out. He just turned off the phone screen. Breakfast was served. Xu Yi handed the egg soup in front of him to Fang Qing. ¡°I had auntie specially prepare it for you. Eat something to warm up your stomach first.¡± Fang Qing lowered her complicated eyes and took the egg custard. She hummed, ¡°I just woke up. Maybe you were too engrossed in it.¡± She was telling the truth. A strange feeling spread endlessly in her heart. She shouldn¡¯t have said such misleading words. After saying that, she felt awkward and added, ¡°What were you looking at? You were so focused.¡± Fang Qing smiled and looked at him. Xu Yi ate his breakfast slowly and replied, ¡°The news.¡± ¡°What news?¡± Fang Qing blurted out those two words instantly and a trace of nervousness flashed across her eyes. She quickly retracted her gaze and quickly ate a mouthful of breakfast to resolve the discomfort. ¡°The news about me and Lu Si.¡± ¡°Xu Yi! Your mom is here to see you. What¡¯s going on between you and Lu Si?¡± Just as Xu Yi finished speaking, Lin Xiang¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Fang Qing heard the voice and looked over. She saw Lin Xiang walking over with a face full of curiosity. Obviously, she had been in a hurry and was walking with the wind. ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡± Lin Xiang looked at Xu Yi with excitement and said with a smile, ¡°Why can¡¯t I come? Why? You made your mom so angry last time. Don¡¯t you know how to coax your mom? Why do you have to make mom come to see you personally?¡± After Lin Xiang came, she treated Fang Qing as if she was invisible. She didn¡¯t even glance at Fang Qing, let alone greet her. Xu Yi also smiled, ¡°As long as mom respects my decisions, you won¡¯t be angry.¡± ¡°Mom has already done some reflection before coming, of course, mom respects you!¡± Lin Xiang¡¯s eyes were shining. Obviously, she meant something else. Chapter 22 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi had most likely understood Lin Xiang¡¯s purpose for coming here this time. But he pretended to be stupid. ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± But Lin Xiang was not the kind of person who would let him go. She sat down opposite Xu Yi. ¡°You¡¯re in a relationship with Lu Si? When did this happen? I think that kid is pretty good.¡± Xu Yi glanced at Fang Qing. He explained without batting an eyelid, ¡°No, it¡¯s all groundless stuff. It¡¯s fake.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s fake, then why are you guys kissing? One look and I can tell that it¡¯s you!¡± Xu Yi chuckled and sighed from the bottom of his heart. ¡°So, it makes sense for a boy to take good care of himself when he¡¯s out there.¡± Xu Yi put down his chopsticks, picked up a napkin that he had prepared, and wiped the corner of his mouth. He looked at Fang Qing. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Fang Qing finished the last mouthful of porridge and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡± Lin Xiang did not want to miss this opportunity, but she did not dare to say it out loud. She could only continue to beat around the bush. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Lu Si is courting you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, mom. Please don¡¯t get involved in my affairs.¡± Lin Xiang became unhappy when she heard this. She looked at Fang Qing, who had been silent the whole time, and said righteously, ¡°If it were another woman, I wouldn¡¯t care. But it¡¯s Lu Si. Haven¡¯t you always liked her?¡± ¡°And if you think that Miss Fang is unfair, we can give Miss Fang a generous compensation. I believe that Miss Fang will understand and accept it.¡± ¡°Last time, Miss Fang was tempted to accept, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Lin Xiang smiled at Fang Qing. She looked harmless, but in fact, her smile was a warning to Fang Qing. Fang Qing did not retort. She remained silent. There was no use in retorting. To Xu Yi, Lu Si indeed had a different status. But she was still very touched just now. Xu Yi did not embarrass her in front of her. After all, to others, they were the fianc¨¦ and fianc¨¦e. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve already decided to marry Fang Qing. Naturally, I won¡¯t change my mind.¡± Xu Yi¡¯s determination made Lin Xiang¡¯s expression change immediately. She was also tired of Xu Yi¡¯s straightforwardness. ¡°Little Yi, marriage is a matter of life and death. How can you act on impulse?!¡± Xu Yi rubbed his temples and sighed. He took Fang Qing¡¯s hand and walked out. ¡°Grandpa is still waiting. The doctor told us to arrive within an hour. We can¡¯t delay any longer. We¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°Xu Yi!¡± Lin Xiang was really weak. She felt like she was punching cotton. No matter what, Lu Si was a decent person. Although she was not good enough for Xu Yi in all aspects, she was much better than Fang Qing! ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like her, you still want to kiss her! I really don¡¯t understand young people like you!¡± Lin Xiang came to the sofa and threw her bag on it. Then, she sat down with a sad face. When she sat in the car, Fang Qing pursed her lips. She had just read it online. Xu Yi and Lu Si had become the top searches. The spread of the headlines was quite astonishing. They were also people with extremely high influence. There were even people who directly dug out Xu Yi¡¯s admiration for Lu Si¡¯s paintings from a few years ago. In an instant, all sorts of love stories started to unfold. Fang Qing was amused and helpless at the same time. ¡°What are you so engrossed in?¡± Fang Qing came back to her senses and looked over. Their eyes happened to meet. She abruptly averted her gaze and smiled sheepishly. ¡°No, I¡¯m just quite touched. Thank you for your consideration, but if the two of you happen to have feelings for each other, it won¡¯t affect anything if I withdraw in time.¡± It was a good thing that they didn¡¯t make their ¡®relationship¡¯ public. Otherwise, Fang Qing really didn¡¯t know how to end things. ¡°Grandpa already knows about you. You can¡¯t withdraw anymore.¡± Xu Yi dismissed these words lightly, but he didn¡¯t mention Lu Si. Fang Qing was too embarrassed to ask further. ¡°Then you just have to explain clearly to her about our relationship. Otherwise, there will be a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°If one more person knows, there will be an additional risk involved. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know this?¡± Xu Yi felt that Fang Qing was being a little abnormal. It could be seen that she was very concerned about Lu Si¡¯s matter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I definitely won¡¯t embarrass you, even in front of Lu Si. You¡¯re not the only one who is holding up their end of the contract.¡± It was like a promise. After Xu Yi finished speaking, Fang Qing was really comforted by these words and heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. As for how he had brought it up, she didn¡¯t know. But the fact is that the matter had already been exposed. Was he really willing to distance himself from Lu Si for her sake? Chapter 23 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At the hospital, Fang Qing was also stunned by the atmosphere when she first saw her grandfather. Her heart skipped a beat for no reason. ¡°Yiyi, you¡¯ve never handled things so improperly before.¡± Her grandfather looked at Xu Yi with a serious expression. He no longer had the kind smile he had when they first met. Fang Qing could clearly feel that Xu Yi was pulling her hand harder. He said confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa. I¡¯ll only marry Fang Qing. I¡¯m already handling the matters on the Internet.¡± When Grandpa heard this, he sized her up and asked doubtfully, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Grandpa snorted coldly and looked at Fang Qing. His gaze instantly became gentle. ¡°You¡¯re still tactful. If my grandson is so irresponsible and has a bad character, I might as well kick him out!¡± ¡°Grandfather, you must be joking.¡± Xu Yi smiled bitterly. His grandfather waved at Fang Qing, signaling her to come over. After holding Fang Qing¡¯s hand, his grandfather tried to persuade her. ¡°Child, you¡¯ve been wronged. However, you can¡¯t take this matter to heart, understand? It¡¯s not worth it! Furthermore, grandfather is certain that it was definitely not Yiyi who took the initiative.¡± Xu Yi touched his nose and agreed, ¡°It was definitely not me who took the initiative.¡± ¡°Stop talking! Hurry up and coax our Qing Qing. Seriously, what did you do? Go and reflect on it!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Yi agreed readily without any signs of anger. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a punishment. Push the wedding date forward!¡± From the way his grandfather was acting, it seemed like he couldn¡¯t wait for them to get married right now. Xu Yi agreed with a smile. Fang Qing listened the whole time. Actually, when Xu Yi said that he would definitely marry her, her grandfather had already lost the emotions they had when they came. He was very satisfied with Xu Yi¡¯s words. Fang Qing also understood Xu Yi¡¯s dilemma. If it weren¡¯t for her grandfather, he wouldn¡¯t have had to control himself in front of the person he liked. He still had to take her into consideration. It could only be said that they had met too early and it wasn¡¯t a coincidence. Fang Qing looked at her grandfather and said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, grandfather. I might not be able to bring it forward. I might have to go abroad to study for a period of time.¡± Her grandfather wasn¡¯t the only one who was puzzled. Even Xu Yi didn¡¯t expect her to say this. Her grandfather was also stunned. He looked at Xu Yi and smiled. ¡°Did you just arrange it today?¡± He thought that Fang Qing was still bothered by this. ¡°No, I applied before. I just approved it recently.¡± Fang Qing opened her mouth and spoke as if it was true. His grandfather nodded thoughtfully and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll show you all another auspicious day! When will you be back?¡± Fang Qing scratched her head and said embarrassedly, ¡°The notice hasn¡¯t been sent yet. I¡¯ll tell grandfather then.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll push it forward. Alright, you guys can go. Don¡¯t bother me anymore.¡± After Grandpa said that, he started to bombard Fang Qing. Fang Qing was stunned. She thought he was going to choose from the future, but she didn¡¯t expect him to choose from the future! She was about to organize her words to explain to grandpa. Logically speaking, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to make it in time. But who knew that Xu Yi would directly drag Fang Qing out without giving her a chance to explain. As soon as they came out. Xu Yi went straight to the point and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know about you going abroad to study?¡± Fang Qing was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect Xu Yi to be so angry. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you discuss it with me in advance?¡± So that was the reason! Fang Qing hurriedly explained, ¡°I had just received this email suddenly as well. I just found out about it.¡± ¡°Let me see the email?¡± Fang Qing pursed her lips and looked up at him. Finally, she lowered her head and said helplessly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good that I¡¯m leaving? Everything here can be easily resolved. You can blame it all on me. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Are you thinking for my sake?¡± Xu Yi raised his eyebrows as if he understood. ¡°We can consider for each other. This is more appropriate.¡± Fang Qing was really touched by herself. She was such a good person. Just as her grandfather had said, she should have been wronged. However, she could not. Their relationship could not be sustained. Rather than torturing each other, it was better to cut all ties. She could still maintain her dignity in front of Xu Yi. ¡°Do you think I like Lu Si?¡± This was definitely not just a thought¡­ ¡°This is what you said before,¡± Fang Qing did not understand the point of this question. ¡°I¡¯ve never said that.¡± Xu Yi denied it outright. ¡°So, the studying is fake, you¡¯re just using it as a reason, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fang Qing forced a smile. The feeling of being seen through was really terrible. Xu Yi was originally blaming her. Her willful behavior had a great impact on him. He couldn¡¯t believe that the reason for it all was actually this. Chapter 24 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°That¡¯s a very good reason, isn¡¯t it?¡± Fang Qing let out a smile. No matter what, she had done what she had to do. ¡°I can tell that Lu Si is interested in you, and you happen to have her in your eyes as well. It¡¯s very appropriate for me, the ¡®rushing joy¡¯ partner, to leave at this time.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve helped each other out. I¡¯m very grateful to you, Mr. Xu.¡± Xu Yi lowered his head and smiled. He did not know why, but he could only hear a hint of jealousy? ¡°I only came into contact with Lu Si because of the painting. Please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Fang Qing looked as if she understood. ¡°Mr. Xu has yet to clearly understand his feelings. You guys can slowly cultivate them.¡± She was not going to accompany him. ¡°Then do you mind following me somewhere?¡± It seemed to be a question. In fact, Fang Qing¡¯s hand was already held by Xu Yi as he strode in front. The person driving this time was Xu Yi. They arrived at the Xu Corporation and went straight to the top floor. This place was not empty. It was an elegant little garden with a deck chair that was exquisitely arranged together. There were many artistic decorations. No matter how beautiful it was, at a glance, the height could not be ignored. Fang Qing took a deep breath and could not help but tease, ¡°Why did you bring me here? Are you planning to ¡®kill me to silence me¡¯?¡± ¡°Have you seen the fireworks during the day?¡± Fang Qing was shaking her head when there was a loud sound. It was muffled as if it exploded in her heart and struck deep into her heart. It was gorgeous and colorful, and the color combination was extremely bold. It was so gorgeous that even during the day, it did not lose the instant beauty brought by the fireworks. Fang Qing was lost in her thoughts. It was hard not to let her imagination run wild. Xu Yi prepared this for her? She was not sure, but the fireworks in front of her were so dazzling. ¡°You were the one who prepared this?¡± As Fang Qing spoke, she looked at Xu Yi. He was already on one knee, holding a ring in his hand, and his eyes were burning. Her emotions surged. For a moment, she was in a daze, feeling that it was very unreal. ¡°I said that I would marry you, so I will definitely keep my promise. Even if it¡¯s a secret marriage, a promise is still a promise.¡± Fang Qing did not understand. She looked at him hesitantly and asked in return, ¡°Between Lu Si and me, did you really choose me?¡± How was she worth it? She was not worthy at all! ¡°I¡¯m only grateful to her. There¡¯s no way I have other feelings for her. Moreover, since I chose you, it¡¯s definitely not just talk. I¡¯m responsible for what I said.¡± ¡­ Fang Qing was stunned. She had never thought that she would have such a day. ¡°Shall I put it on for you?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Fang Qing felt a wave of sourness rush up to her nose. It had been a long time since she had been chosen with such certainty. It would be a lie to say that she was not moved. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to say to you. If you really chose a person like me, who is not worthy of the limelight, for the sake of this so-called promise, then it definitely wouldn¡¯t be worth it.¡± Xu Yi put on the ring and stood up. After he stood up, he looked at her with certainty. ¡°Although this marriage is only in name, the proposal still has to be formal. You¡¯re feeling too inferior, Fang Qing. Let go of the past and move on. That¡¯s what you should do the most.¡± ¡°Are you choosing me so that I won¡¯t feel inferior anymore?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m doing so because I know you¡¯re worth it.¡± Xu Yi gestured for her to look up. A new round of fireworks bloomed in the sky once again. Fang Qing sniffled and looked up at the sky with a wry smile. Her expression was a little awkward, and she managed to control her surging emotions with great difficulty. Finally, a big smile bloomed on her face. ¡°How romantic. The kind of fireworks you chose is really beautiful.¡± ¡°Fang Qing, cheer up. Life is full of hope.¡± Fang Qing turned her head to look at him. This was the first time she felt that although this man had a very cold bone structure and had a feeling that strangers would not be able to get close to him, the way he usually did things and the way he took care of Fang Qing made her view of Xu Yi change quite a bit. ¡°Thank you, Xu Yi.¡± This was the first time Fang Qing had called him by his name. He was not the polite Mr. Xu, nor was he the husband who needed to act. He was like a friend, a little more intimate. Xu Yi smiled faintly and shrugged. ¡°You have an irresistible face, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You have a sense of intimacy that makes it hard to ignore you. I quite like getting along with you.¡± When Fang Qing heard this, she could not hide the smile on her face. Finally, she could not help but laugh, and her eyes were filled with vigor. ¡°Then, do you want to go try out some wedding dresses? I¡¯ve already chosen a place.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Xu Yi put his arm around Fang Qing¡¯s shoulder, about to take her away. Chapter 25 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Fang Qing really couldn¡¯t be blamed. She knew in her heart that it would be very difficult for her to suppress that feeling in her heart. She only felt that her right shoulder was on fire. She secretly swallowed her saliva. This entire journey was so erratic that she felt like she was floating in the air even as she walked. Xu Yi. He was indeed a very outstanding man, and not only in the workplace. ¡°This wedding dress has a style that I like very much. Why don¡¯t you try it on later?¡± Xu Yi had come to take a look a long time ago. All the arrangements were already in full swing, but Fang Qing did not know about it. Just like this proposal. It was also in his plans. Unfortunately, it became a hidden marriage. ¡°Alright, your taste shouldn¡¯t be bad, right?¡± Fang Qing asked with a smile, but the sweetness at the corner of her mouth could not be suppressed. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see it. Wait here for a while, I¡¯ll contact you.¡± After entering, Xu Yi took his phone and left first. She obediently waited here. She looked around. She knew that when she was preparing to get married, she had chosen this house. However, because the price was too expensive, she had to bear the pain and give up. Even if there was a voice clamoring her from inside. Marriage only happens once in a lifetime. Shouldn¡¯t it be a little more extravagant? It was Bai Han who had made her give up. Bai Han¡¯s pained expression was etched deeply in her mind. ¡°Fang Qing? Why are you here?¡± Just as she was thinking, Bai Han¡¯s voice rang out. Fang Qing suddenly quivered and looked in the direction of the voice. It was really¡­ ¡°Why are you here, Fang Qing?¡± Bai Han was more than puzzled. With the Fang family¡¯s strength in the past, it would be difficult for them to buy the wedding dress here. And the penniless Fang Qing, who had been banished, was actually here! It was unusual! ¡°I¡¯m waiting to try on the wedding dress.¡± Fang Qing ignored him and did not show any signs of anger. She was in a very casual state. The Bai Han in front of her was not worth her hatred. She did not take it to heart at all. She did not even need to take a second look. The doubt in Bai Han¡¯s heart deepened, and he became curious about Fang Qing. ¡°Oh, I told Liang Meng to take another wedding photo.¡± Taking a photo in such a high-class place was a huge investment. However, she did not care at all. She only felt a chill. ¡°How have you been recently? What are you doing now? Why are you trying on the wedding dress?¡± Are you asking me a million questions? ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think you were so inquisitive before? If you have nothing to do, stay away from me. I don¡¯t really want to talk to you.¡± Fang Qing waved her hand in disdain. ¡°Fang Qing, I¡¯m just concerned about you. I really had no choice that day. But if you have any difficulties, you can tell me. I¡¯ll help you.¡± When she said this, Fang Qing wanted to laugh. This was too ridiculous! She had already been exposed. How could she hide it? Did she think that a human¡¯s memory would be lost so quickly? However, some people didn¡¯t think so. She felt that Fang Qing had nowhere else to go and had come to harass her husband. When Liang Meng came over, she saw this scene. She even heard Bai Han¡¯s words, and her anger immediately flared up! ¡°Fang Qing! We haven¡¯t seen each other for a few days, and you¡¯re starting to be Shameless?¡± Liang Meng¡¯s sharp voice sounded, and it came menacingly. Fang Qing rubbed her temples and looked over unwillingly. She saw Liang Meng carrying a bag of clothes and rushing over with an anxious expression. Needless to say, Fang Qing really felt that she had learned something. Liang Meng had always been delicate and weak, but today, she was able to walk swiftly with a big bag of clothes. Fang Qing ignored her. She did not even want to look at the two of them. However, Bai Han was extremely curious. He still did not give up and said, ¡°Why, have you not given up? Are you still thinking of marrying me? It¡¯s really strange to be here trying on a wedding dress. Do you have a boyfriend?¡± Fang Qing secretly rolled her eyes. She blurted out, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liang Meng threw the bag at Bai Han and shouted in exasperation, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to connect it for me? All you know is to talk to this little b*tch? Look, she¡¯s even putting on makeup. How shameless.¡± Fang Qing narrowed her eyes and stood up. She decided to go somewhere else. ¡°Stop! I haven¡¯t finished talking to you. What are you in a hurry for?¡± Liang Meng grabbed her shoulder and forcefully stopped her. Fang Qing gritted her teeth and looked at Liang Meng coldly! She reached out and pushed her hand away. Bai Han¡¯s gaze was fixed on Fang Qing¡¯s hand. He didn¡¯t see it clearly, but it must have been a ring! He had never seen it before! Chapter 26 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Your seamless connection is really fast. It¡¯s only been a few days, and you already have a marriage partner? Fang Qing, you¡¯re really not simple.¡± Bai Han approached her with a strange expression, his eyes staring straight at her hand. He grabbed it and pulled it in front of him! This time, he saw it clearly. It was an expensive ring. He knew this brand. He had taken a fancy to one, but he couldn¡¯t afford it at all. It was a top-tier luxury brand. Every single one of them was designed by a designer, and they were all unique. ¡°And a nouveau riche? He¡¯s definitely a piece of trash. Otherwise, why would he take a fancy to you?¡± The harsh words made Bai Han unable to hide his malevolence. Liang Meng looked at Bai Han in bafflement and asked, ¡°Bai Han! Are you jealous?¡± Fang Qing sneered and pulled her hand back forcefully. ¡°We don¡¯t have much contact. It¡¯s normal for problems to arise in relationships. I can understand, but in public, if you¡¯re embarrassed, just stay away from me, okay? The two of you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t afford to be embarrassed.¡± ¡°Fang Qing!¡± Liang Meng was flustered and exasperated. She walked up to Fang Qing angrily and raised her hand to slap her. ¡°You shameless woman! Do you think you have the right to lecture me?¡± Liang Meng¡¯s hand that was raised fiercely was grabbed by someone in the middle. The intense pain in her wrist made her cry out in shock. Xu Yi stood in front of Fang Qing with a cold face, while Fang Qing was pulled behind him. When Liang Meng met Xu Yi¡¯s gaze, she was stunned. She quickly reacted, frowned, and growled impatiently, ¡°Let go of me! You¡¯re a man, and you still want to hit a woman? If this gets out, you won¡¯t be afraid of being laughed at!¡± Her wrist was released. Liang Meng¡¯s eyes darkened. This man was too handsome. Liang Meng had fallen for him with just a glance. What kind of dogsh*t luck did Fang Qing have? Whether it was her temperament or her appearance, she was a few streets ahead of Bai Han! ¡°You bullied my wife in public. I was polite when I attacked you. Compared to the price I made you pay, the difference is like the difference between heaven and Earth.¡± Xu Yi¡¯s words seemed to carry a knife. Each knife stabbed into Liang Meng¡¯s body, so deep that the blade could not be seen. Bai Han narrowed his eyes and sized up this man carefully. He actually felt that he looked a little familiar. But he couldn¡¯t figure out who he was no matter how hard he tried. ¡°There are still people who like to pick up broken shoes and wear them.¡± Bai Han smiled casually. His smile was unbridled, and his eyes were filled with ridicule. ¡°From what I see, it seems like we haven¡¯t known each other for long. I don¡¯t think you know what kind of woman Fang Qing is. Aiya, if you have time, then investigate! Do you understand?¡± Liang Meng snorted coldly and didn¡¯t get angry first. No one knew what kind of identity the person who could enter this place had. ¡°I¡¯m not an unreasonable person. Apologize to me. Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind wasting time to have a good talk with your boyfriend.¡± Liang Meng looked at Fang Qing confidently. She was going to destroy Fang Qing with her own hands and leave her with no way out! Her jealousy swelled in her heart. She could not bear to see this woman be any better. Hearing this, Fang Qing laughed lightly. She walked to Xu Yi¡¯s side and hooked her arms around his arms. Half of her body leaned against him as she said scornfully and coquettishly, ¡°Hubby, look at them. They really look like a pair of clowns.¡± Xu Yi nodded thoughtfully. ¡°What you said makes sense.¡± The two of them chimed in, causing Liang Meng and Bai Han¡¯s faces to instantly turn black. Their eyes turned cold. Liang Meng was so angry that she laughed instead. ¡°You really found a wild man to stand up for you. They¡¯re not the same type of people who won¡¯t come into the same house. Today, you¡¯ve really opened my eyes!¡± Liang Meng shook her hand in frustration, stepped back, and rolled her eyes. A sharp voice reverberated in the air. The argument had attracted the attention of the people around them. At first, they were embarrassed to get close to each other, but now they were in a small circle. Everyone was whispering to each other. Fang Qing let out a long sigh and looked at Liang Meng pitifully. ¡°Bai Han lied to me, which means that he is such a deceptive person. Otherwise, when he saw me just now, he wouldn¡¯t have asked me about the situation and even used his so-called concern to cover up his pitiful jealousy.¡± As Fang Qing spoke, she also laughed. Bai Han¡¯s temples twisted into the shape of a river. Clearly, he did not expect Fang Qing to criticize and insult him like this. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re unbearable.¡± Fang Qing raised her chin and looked at them arrogantly. She scoffed disdainfully. ¡°Everyone knows who¡¯s unbearable. You¡¯ve been in a secret relationship for so long. Liang Meng, you¡¯re also able to endure it. Don¡¯t you feel disgusted? I want to vomit whenever I see him. You¡¯re the only one who treats him like treasure.¡± Chapter 27 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi raised his eyebrows. He had never seen Fang Qing with such a sharp tongue. She was so unreasonable that she left the other party speechless. Liang Meng narrowed her eyes dangerously. ¡°I¡¯m really amused by your ridiculous appearance.¡± She had really endured so much! Liang Meng wished that she could tear Fang Qing apart right now! After saying that with a smile, she walked in front of Fang Qing and looked straight at her with a cold glint in her eyes. Fang Qing wasn¡¯t afraid at all. She stood straight in front of her. This woman was just bluffing. In reality, she couldn¡¯t do anything. Reality proved that it was true. Liang Meng took her phone and was about to smash the corner of her phone at Fang Qing. The two of them were very close to each other, and everything happened very quickly. Only Xu Yi, who was beside her, reacted. Amidst the exclamations of the crowd, Xu Yi blocked it, and his punch directly knocked Liang Meng¡¯s hand off balance. There was a loud slap, and the intense pain in her wrist caused Liang Meng¡¯s face to contort. ¡°Ah!¡± She could not bear the pain and shouted out. Bai Han rushed to her side, looked at Xu Yi fiercely, and said, ¡°What else can you do besides hitting women, you useless thing!¡± ¡°Oh my God, this, this, this¡­¡± The manager of the wedding dress shop rushed over. When he saw that Xu Yi was inside, he was scared out of his wits! A gust of wind blew under his feet and he rushed over. Bai Han knew the manager and his expression softened. He and the manager had a pretty good relationship. He did not stand on ceremony and directly requested, ¡°This pair of dogs, hurry up and chase them out. Them coming to your shop has made your shop quite unlucky!¡± The manager of the wedding dress shop did not even look at him. He quickly went in front of Xu Yi, clasped his hands together, and repeatedly apologized, ¡°Hey, President Xu, it¡¯s our negligence. Sorry, sorry, we¡¯ve brought you a bad experience. We¡¯ll deal with it right away.¡± Bai Han was dumbfounded. The manager did not even care about him. He did not even take him seriously. Liang Meng was not only shocked. She stepped back and looked at Xu Yi again. Her heart was beating very fast. Xu Yi waved his hand and stopped the manager. He said bluntly, ¡°Get rid of them. I don¡¯t want to see them in this shop.¡± ¡°No problem, President Xu. They will be blacklisted from now on.¡± As he spoke, he gestured for the security guards to deal with them quickly. The security guards went forward. Before they could make a move, Liang Meng screamed and interrupted them. Without saying a word, she went to Fang Qing¡¯s side. Without any explanation, she hugged Fang Qing. She blurted out, ¡°Sister, I admit that I¡¯m jealous. I¡¯m angry, but you shouldn¡¯t have treated me like this!¡± Her tears fell as soon as she said that. Fang Qing tugged at her with disdain and sneered, ¡°I¡¯m no longer a member of the Fang Family. Don¡¯t be so hypocritical with me. I¡¯ll only disgust you and make you even more embarrassed.¡± ¡°Sister! How can you be so heartless¡­¡± Liang Meng had never expected that the man beside her would be so amazing. She didn¡¯t even have the right to enter this shop. If it weren¡¯t for her friend bringing her along, her wedding photo with Bai Han wouldn¡¯t have been taken in this shop. Bai Han had given this manager too many benefits. He was also boasting and flattering her, calling her brother. This was more convenient. As for the man by her side, the manager was fawning over him in fear¡­ Liang Meng did not dare to imagine his identity. She looked at Fang Qing with tears in her eyes. She was really crying. Why didn¡¯t she have such good luck! Everything good belonged to Fang Qing! Just when she thought everything was hers, there was something even more unreachable by Fang Qing¡¯s side¡­ Fang Qing ignored it, her expression cold. How could the manager not see it? He asked the security guards to quickly make a move! ¡°A woman changing her expression is really faster than flipping through a book. I¡¯ve really learned a lot. Hahaha, that woman is too funny.¡± ¡°Maybe she was born a joke, jumping around in front of President Xu. I reckon that in the future, she won¡¯t even know how she died.¡± ¡°Sigh, they deserve it. I thought they were some big shots just now, but I¡¯ve never seen them before. In the end¡­¡± The surrounding people discussed animatedly. They looked at Liang Meng and Bai Han with ridicule in their eyes. It wasn¡¯t a big deal to just watch a show. There were even people who came out to see how they were thrown to the ground. One had to know. This was the first time they had seen someone go out like this in such a high-end place! Liang Meng was extremely embarrassed. Her face was extremely red. The moment she stood up from the ground. She felt that the world was coming to an end, and she was willing to do so! She would die a hundred times over! She did not know how Liang Meng had left that place, but those gazes could not be forgotten for a long time. She grabbed the dazed Bai Han by the side and exerted force on him! Gritting her teeth, she asked, ¡°Who is that man?¡± Chapter 28 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Han was also annoyed. Being questioned like this, his gaze instantly turned cold. Not only did he not answer her, he even started to criticize her. ¡°Is there anyone in there that you can offend? Why are you so brainless?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Liang Meng knew that she was in the wrong, and she couldn¡¯t say anything to refute. ¡°You what? ! It¡¯s fine now! If Fang Qing wants to mess with us, it¡¯s just a matter of words. Do you think that I really have feelings for her? The fact that she can appear there means that she¡¯s not simple, do you understand? !¡± The more Bai Han spoke, the angrier he got. Not only had all his plans been ruined by this woman, but he had also even gotten himself into trouble. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I realize that you were so jealous in the past? !¡± No matter what Bai Han had said, he could not get rid of the annoyance in his heart. His furrowed brows and disdainful expression were no longer a blow to Liang Meng¡¯s self-esteem. Liang Meng hung her head low and shut her mouth dejectedly. She took small steps on the road and took deep breaths several times, but she could not get rid of the grievance in her heart. ¡°In the past, no matter what happened, I had to act coquettishly before you would satisfy me. In the end, if father did not agree, your thoughts would only be on Fang Qing, right? You are a businessman, but I am an infatuated person.¡± ¡°Bai Han, since things have come to this, I will bear the consequences that I deserve. I will also go and beg Fang Qing. You Don¡¯t have to throw your face at me, I will do it.¡± Liang Meng seemed to have used all the strength in her body to finish saying these words. She stopped in her tracks and squatted down on the ground, her eyes lifeless. She did not want to leave. Her heart was very tired, and her body was unable to bear the burden. Bai Han looked at her impatiently. His fists loosened, tightened, and loosened. Finally, he said unwillingly, ¡°Bear the consequences yourself. I¡¯ll go and drive. Wait here.¡± Liang Meng laughed self-deprecatingly. Why was he so irresponsible? No one knew. The two of them were speechless the entire way. Back at the Fang family home. When Liang Meng saw her mother, the aggrieved gate suddenly opened. Filled with unwillingness and all kinds of negative emotions, she hugged her mother and began to cry. Liang Xiao saw her daughter crying like this. Bai Han¡¯s face was still heavy. He did not seem to care at all and understood that they were quarreling. After a sigh, Liang Xiao said earnestly, ¡°Aiya, you guys are already adults. In the future, you will have to live your entire lives with each other. Don¡¯t fight over small things every day, understand? It will affect your feelings.¡± Liang Meng did not say anything. She did not explain anything and just buried her head in tears. Helplessly, Liang Xiao¡¯s words were all directed at Bai Han. One of them was still calm, and the other was listening. Bai Han pursed his lips. He did not even lift his eyes. He looked at his phone and was very anxious. ¡°I still have things to do. You can go ahead and comfort me.¡± He had found out that this man was Xu Yi! Xu Yi! For someone of his level, dealing with them was as easy as killing an ant! Cold sweat dripped down uncontrollably. The more Bai Han looked at himself, the more empty his heart became and the more terrified he became. The consequences were too big! How could she, Liang Meng, be able to shoulder it so easily! After gritting his teeth for a while, Bai Han shot a fierce glance at Liang Meng¡¯s side. It was all because of this woman. She was really not doing enough to make things better! Liang Xiao caught the look in his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. It was impossible for a small fight to be like this. ¡°Daughter, tell me what happened between you and Bai Han. Do you know? Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to help you solve it.¡± Liang Xiao released Liang Meng and reminded her with a serious face. Liang Meng shook her head and lowered her head, sobbing. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom. I can solve it myself first.¡± ¡°Something happened. Something happened.¡± Fang gang was wearing baggy pajamas. He came out with his laptop with his upper body naked. He had no time to care about others. He ran straight to his study. He was still holding the phone in his hand and shouting at the other side! ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did you guys offend someone? ! I¡¯ve already said that no matter what grievances you¡¯ve suffered, you have to endure it! Endure it! Do you understand? Now You¡¯re in big trouble! Can you guys handle it?!¡± The moment he rushed into the study, Fang Gang was covered in sweat. Liang Xiao was shocked by the scene in front of him. She quickly let go of her daughter and followed him in. Liang Meng¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling spread in her heart. ¡°Fang Qing, you can¡¯t be serious, right? Are you so eager to harm us?¡±Liang Meng widened her eyes in fear and followed him in without any explanation. On Fang Gang¡¯s other end of the phone, he was already in a terrible state and had even heard a lecture. He also said in a bad mood, ¡°Director Fang! We had a very happy negotiation! We were supposed to sign the contract today, but in the end, they didn¡¯t come¡­¡± Chapter 29 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Moreover, the company¡¯s previous projects are now in trouble. Even the bank is not cooperating with us anymore¡­¡± ¡°What? The bank is not cooperating? Our financial chain is definitely going to break. What¡¯s going on with you guys!¡± Fang Gang put down his computer and rushed to his cell phone. He had no idea what to do now. ¡°Contact Director Wang. He¡¯s been working with our company for a long time. He¡¯s reliable and has a good relationship with me.¡± Fang Gang tried his best to calm himself down. Now was not the time to be anxious. If he got anxious, nothing could be saved. Liang Xiao stood at the side in a daze. He could not help but look worried. ¡°Director Wang said that you provoked someone you shouldn¡¯t have provoked. He can¡¯t do anything about it. He said that you shouldn¡¯t contact him. He won¡¯t help.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fang Gang threw his phone on the table and racked his brains. He was being cautious. How could he provoke someone? ¡°Do we have any enemies? Think quickly. Did I make others uncomfortable when I was dealing with something?¡± Fang gang looked at Liang Xiao. As the saying goes, when in a desperate situation, one would turn to the doctor. He could only ask her now. Even Director Wang would not give any help. Fang Gang knew that there was nothing he could do. ¡°Now we can only find the source! Or who did you offend? Ah? Quickly tell us, and the company can still be saved. Otherwise, the Fang Family will be finished, understand?¡± Fang Gang really was having a splitting headache. He suppressed the anger in the depths of his heart and asked patiently. Liang Xiao held her forehead and looked at him in confusion. She said helplessly, ¡°How can we provoke others? We¡¯re usually at home. The few times we go out with you, you¡¯re always there. You know everything!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t provoke anyone! I didn¡¯t!¡± Fang Gang¡¯s anger was directly raised. He was in a very irritable mood. Liang Meng struggled for a long time. When she heard Fang gang say that the Fang family might be finished. She also knew that if that person was Fang Qing, the matter would be exposed sooner or later! ¡°Dad, it might be me, but I didn¡¯t do anything. Really, it¡¯s all Fang Qing. She holds a grudge against our family. She asked the nouveau riche on her ranking to stand up for her! It¡¯s like this, it¡¯s her, Fang Qing!¡± ¡°A person who can¡¯t even afford the medical fees can deal with the entire Fang Family?¡± Fang gang thought she was joking. He just felt that an nouveau riche couldn¡¯t possibly pose any threat to the Fang family. Bai Han had already heard the noise and came over. He looked at Fang gang with a grave expression and said, ¡°She¡¯s right, but that person isn¡¯t an nouveau riche, but Xu Yi, a legendary figure in the business world. She provoked someone she shouldn¡¯t have provoked.¡± Xu Yi? Fang gang widened his eyes and stood up in disbelief. He looked at him in confusion and asked, ¡°Xu Yi? The person on Fang Qing¡¯s roll is Xu Yi?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Han¡¯s heart was as dead as ashes. He knew now that there was no hope for him at all. ¡°What the hell is going on!¡± Fang Gang looked at them in exasperation and roared angrily! ¡°Let Liang Meng say it herself. I can¡¯t stop her.¡± Bai Han swept his own matters aside with a single sentence. He had no intention of implicating himself at all. Liang Meng was also frightened by the situation in front of her. She was at a loss and did not know what to do. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know that Xu Yi was behind Fang Qing at all. She only hates us. What does that have to do with me?¡± Liang Meng immediately tried to explain herself, trying to shift the blame. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°How long has it been since she left? I know very well that Fang An had a transplant on the same day! It was very successful. How many years did he wait for it? He found it right after he left the Fang family, and he even had the money to pay so much for the surgery?¡± Fang Gang also felt that he was old and muddle-headed. How could he not have noticed it long ago! ¡°If she hated the Fang family, she would have attacked the Fang family long ago! If you hadn¡¯t provoked her, how could you have killed us?¡± Liang Meng panicked. She couldn¡¯t think straight and still felt that Fang Gang¡¯s words were very reasonable. She was so scared that tears streamed down her face. She came in front of Fang Gang and cried, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad. I was wrong. I don¡¯t know what to do now. Can I go and beg Fang Qing? I¡¯ll go now! I didn¡¯t think that there would be such consequences!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fang Gang narrowed his eyes. His heart had already been attacked by the tornado. Fury instantly surfaced on his face. In his fury, his entire body couldn¡¯t help but tremble! He raised his hand angrily and slapped Liang Meng¡¯s face mercilessly! This sound caused everyone¡¯s hearts to tremble.. Liang Meng directly fell to the ground. Chapter 30 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°B*stard! All of my life¡¯s work has been destroyed by you! I don¡¯t care who you look for or what you do, go and solve this matter for me now!¡± Fang Gang took a deep breath. He couldn¡¯t control his emotions anymore. His breathing became much faster. ¡°If the Fang family gets implicated because of you, you¡¯ll definitely be in for a rough ride!¡± After Fang Gang angrily reprimanded her, he picked up his phone and left in a huff. He didn¡¯t want to see Liang Meng at all. He only felt extremely unlucky! If he took another look, he would be annoyed! Liang Xiao was stunned. She hadn¡¯t been able to endure the things that had happened before her eyes up until now. ¡°Liang Meng, tell mommy why it¡¯s so serious. What exactly happened?¡± Liang Meng was already lying on the ground and crying bitterly. She had never suffered such grievance before! Liang Xiao looked at Bai Han and came up to him at a loss. ¡°Bai Han, tell auntie, what¡¯s the situation now? What did you do? What can you do? Quickly resolve it!¡± Bai Han was also annoyed! It was still unknown whether the Bai family would be affected! If it was the same! He had nowhere to cry! ¡°Auntie, let Liang Meng handle the Fang Family¡¯s matters herself. The Bai family might be affected because of her. I¡¯m also in a terrible situation!¡± Bai Han sighed with a distressed expression. However, the feeling of luck in his heart was even greater. He believed that Fang Qing would not be so heartless towards him. When Liang Meng heard this, she suddenly stood up from the ground. The violent undulations made her head dizzy. Her body swayed, but she could not stabilize herself. She fell down again with a bang! This time, Liang Xiao was scared out of her wits! She quickly came to Liang Meng¡¯s side and asked worriedly, ¡°Mengmeng! What happened to you?¡± Liang Meng did not have time to feel the pain in her body. She waited until her head was no longer dizzy before she rubbed her legs. She was supported to stand up and was about to scold Bai Han. Can you be as responsible as a man?! Unfortunately, Bai Han was long gone. Liang Meng¡¯s eyes widened, and her anger continued to build up in her heart. Finally, she could not bear the heavy burden and cried out in pain! ¡°They¡¯re all bastards! They¡¯re all big bastards! The man I found isn¡¯t responsible! The man you found isn¡¯t good either!¡± Liang Meng pounded on Liang Xiao¡¯s shoulder crazily. The more she pounded, the weaker her strength became. Her crying voice gradually weakened, and she was so angry that she wanted to carry her back. ¡°Mom, what should I do? Do I really have to go look for Fang Qing?¡± She didn¡¯t want to! She really didn¡¯t want to! Even if she had to eat chaff! ¡°Daughter, you have to weigh the pros and cons!¡± ¡°¡­¡± On the other side. After what happened in the wedding dress shop, Fang Qing no longer had the mood to continue trying on the wedding dress. Xu Yi quickly noticed this. It was not easy to arrange the wedding dress, but Xu Yi did not even take a look at it. He had someone put it away and come back again. He brought Fang Qing and left the wedding dress shop. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know once we get there.¡± Xu Yi drove very slowly. Fang Qing rarely sat in the front passenger seat. She usually sat behind the passenger seat. Safety. It was more important than anything else. However, the moment Xu Yi opened the passenger door, she hesitated for a second, but she did not refuse. Xu Yi brought her to a dessert shop. As soon as they entered the house, there was a dazzling array of desserts in various colors and shapes, small and exquisite. The interior decoration was also gentle and breezy. It made people feel very comfortable just by looking at it. Xu Yi held the dessert menu in his hand and flipped through it. After pondering for a moment, he made a decision. ¡°Is there anything you don¡¯t like to eat?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then how about I choose one for you? I usually choose this type of dessert when I come here.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Fang Qing did not reject him. She did not know much about desserts and had never been here before. She guessed that he would probably let her order it based on the name and whichever sounded better. She was just very surprised. ¡°Why did you suddenly think of bringing me here?¡± Xu Yi looked at her deeply and replied with his hand on his cheek, ¡°Because when I was young, I was unhappy. My mother would always bring me to the dessert shop. She said that eating sweet food would make one¡¯s mood better. The facts have proven that what she said makes sense.¡± Fang Qing felt a little sweet as she listened. This made her think of the Fang family. When her mother was still around, Fang Qing was also a little princess. She collected her thoughts and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re treating me like a child.¡± Xu Yi was a little surprised that she would say this. He had been prepared to accept this woman¡¯s gratitude! Chapter 31 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°But coming to think of it, you can also be a child in front of me. Don¡¯t live such a tiring life.¡± Fang Qing smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. However, she couldn¡¯t help but lower her head and forcefully suppress her surging emotions. She used a smile to cover up her grievance. She also didn¡¯t understand why she had to endure all this when she hadn¡¯t done anything! A relationship of more than ten years could not be compared to a new lover? Fang Qing pretended to raise her head in a relaxed manner. She pretended to smile naturally. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Xu. I feel that even if the contract ends, we can still become friends. As long as you need any help from me, I can do it. I will definitely help you.¡± Xu Yi¡¯s gaze as he looked at Fang Qing gradually turned profound. He did not know what kind of magic this woman had. It always made people involuntarily think about her feelings. Especially now. Xu Yi stood up and sat down beside Fang Qing. He placed his hand behind Fang Qing¡¯s back and patted her shoulder, comforting her, ¡°I don¡¯t really understand, but some people can do it, right?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± Fang Qing looked at her side in confusion. However, her entire body stiffened and she didn¡¯t dare to move. If she wasn¡¯t dreaming, Xu Yi was kissing her right now! Moreover, at this moment, she noticed from the corner of her eye that the waiter had delivered the dessert! The waiter was already used to it! But Fang Qing wasn¡¯t! She widened her eyes and leaned back a little, and the two of them separated physically. Xu Yi still had some sense of propriety? It wasn¡¯t too much. They just brushed against each other like dragonflies brushing against the water, that was all! Fang Qing turned around, her eyes staring blankly at the dessert in front of her. She was stunned. ¡°Once you get sad, your heart will soften.¡± Fang Qing didn¡¯t say anything. She was already in a mess in the wind. Up until now, her heart hadn¡¯t stopped beating violently! Xu Yi looked at her with a smile and suddenly teased, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve realized that your face can actually be so red.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Fang Qing screamed in her heart! She glared at Xu Yi, deciding not to say anything. It was better to be not mute than to be mute! ¡°Someone like you can be easily misunderstood. There¡¯s no need to comfort me like this.¡± Fang Qing still hadn¡¯t calmed down. She might as well get straight to the point. She couldn¡¯t let the atmosphere continue to be so awkward, right. Her face would turn even redder! ¡°Hmm¡­ what misunderstanding? You¡¯re already going to marry me, yet you still feel unfamiliar with kissing me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you said.¡± Fang Qing¡¯s face cracked open. She really wanted to get to the bottom of this, but even though she didn¡¯t want to admit it, the feeling of her heart palpitating couldn¡¯t fool her! This feeling was a little different from Bai Han¡¯s. ¡°There¡¯s no need to put on an act at such an occasion. Why did you take the initiative to kiss me?¡± Xu Yi chuckled. Faced with her question, he replied generously, ¡°That means you¡¯re charming. Oh right, I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯ll announce the wedding news in a high-profile manner. We¡¯ll treat it as a real wedding and arrange it. I can handle my parents myself.¡± Fang Qing was stunned. This was a plot that she had not expected. ¡°Do you really want to do this?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I feel. What about you?¡± Xu Yi looked at her with a serious expression. Fang Qing was stunned. That was bold. Fang Yi¡¯s father had offered a lot of money and asked Fang Yi to give it to him. Did he want it? ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± How could he be rejected! Anyway, Fang Qing would not refuse. ¡°Oh, by the way, How was your drawing last time?¡± Xu Yi placed the dessert in front of her and the fork beside her hand. He even carefully wiped away the water stains on the outside of the drink cup before putting it over. ¡°Which one? The one you saw?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to continue drawing. I¡¯ll show it to you when I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Do you like Lu Si as well? I feel that your manuscript¡¯s style is very similar to Lu Si¡¯s.¡± Xu Yi was very curious about this. This was what he had always been puzzled about. After all, when he was able to meet Lu Si, she did not act as if she had seen her idol. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. My style has always been like this.¡± Fang Qing said firmly. After saying that, Fang Qing felt that it was inappropriate. If he were to ask, she would be in a situation where she wouldn¡¯t be able to defend herself. After all, that painting had nothing to do with her! She couldn¡¯t say anything either. Anything she asked would feel far-fetched and pretentious. Fang Qing took a bite of the dessert and felt its instant sweetness. She changed the topic. ¡°Speaking of which, I have an idea. I want to open a studio. What do you think?¡± Xu Yi blinked and suddenly smiled. ¡°Sure, I think it¡¯s a pretty good idea.¡± He didn¡¯t expect her to have such an idea. Chapter 32 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi paused for a moment and quickly continued, ¡°Doing paintings?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I can sponsor you. I¡¯ll be the major shareholder, and you¡¯ll be free to do whatever you want,¡± Xu Yi recalled the brief glimpse that day and felt that Fang Qing was really talented. If she was willing to develop in this field. Presumably, she could be somewhat famous. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of losing money, President Xu?¡± Fang Qing joked with a smile, but her heart was warm. It felt great to have someone to support her. ¡°This is a long-term investment, and the benefits are very high,¡± Xu Yi said confidently. He changed the topic and cut off Fang Qing¡¯s path of retreat. ¡°What? You¡¯re not thinking of looking for someone else to invest, are you?¡± ¡°I have such a rich person in front of me who is willing to invest. Why should I give up the short term and seek the long term?¡± The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Fang Qing¡¯s heart also began to beat wildly because of Xu Yi¡¯s smile. An uncontrollable joy flowed through her heart. How could this not cause her to daydream? Fang Qing closed her eyes and stuffed another mouthful of dessert into her mouth. She swallowed it with difficulty and mustered up the courage to ask Xu Yi what his feelings for her were like. But Xu Yi spoke first. ¡°The studio is in the preparatory stage. You can participate in the competition sponsored by the Xu Corporation. The level is quite high, and it can help you make a name for yourself.¡± Xu Yi¡¯s suggestion hit the nail on the head of Fang Qing¡¯s heart. She thought so too. She had been paying attention to some competitions, whether intentionally or unintentionally, during this period of time. The Fang family had nothing to do with her. There was nothing bad about regaining her dream. She had to face it bravely! Only then would there be endless possibilities! After getting Fang Qing¡¯s approval, Xu Yi smiled. ¡°Alright, if you need any information, you can look for me.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± After the two of them finished eating dessert, Xu Yi still had something to do and was prepared to send Fang Qing home first. The car stopped outside the dessert shop. Fang Qing had just stepped out when she was blocked by someone. It was Liang Meng. She sobbed, her eyes were red, and there was even an extremely obvious palm print on her face. Fang Qing was stunned. She did not realize that Bai Han had a tendency to be violent. She retracted her hand, wanting to go around and ignore him. ¡°Sister, you can¡¯t treat me like this. If the Fang family ends up being done for, I¡¯ll be beaten to death by father! Fang Qing, Fang Qing, don¡¯t go!¡± Liang Meng hugged Fang Qing¡¯s arm and cried as her body kept falling. She felt extremely embarrassed. Although she had said it out loud, her face had been lowered so much that she didn¡¯t even dare to look at Fang Qing. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve never been so embarrassed in my life. I really understand my mistake. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have apologized to you on the street. Please forgive me.¡± Fang Qing lowered her head to look at her and said while holding back her temper, ¡°Let go of me first.¡± Liang Meng tightened her grip. Fang Qing frowned and rubbed her temples. She sneered, ¡°You¡¯re so funny, refusing to let go even though you¡¯re embarrassed.¡± She despised it very much. She directly waved away Liang Meng¡¯s hand and didn¡¯t want to say anything. ¡°Fang Qing! No matter what, that¡¯s the family you¡¯ve lived with for more than twenty years. No matter what the result is, father has raised you well! How can you be so heartless as to desert the Fang family!¡± How could Fang Qing not understand who did all this? It was so obviously Xu Yi. ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to look for me on this matter. I don¡¯t have that much ability. I can only say that you¡¯re more capable than others. You¡¯ve already made others unable to watch on. It¡¯s obvious how much you¡¯ve gone overboard.¡± Fang Qing forcefully pushed away Liang Meng¡¯s hand. However, both sides were evenly matched. There was no way she could pry it apart! She was furious! Xu Yi narrowed his eyes and grabbed Fang Qing¡¯s shoulder. He looked coldly at Liang Meng and berated, ¡°If you don¡¯t let go, the Fang family will only be in an even worse state.¡± Liang Meng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly raised her head to look at this man and reflexively released her hand. She did not understand. Why did Fang Qing hook up with this kind of man? She stood at the side with tears in her eyes. Her tone had softened as she sobbed, ¡°President Xu, I really know my mistake. Can you forgive me this once? I will never bully my sister again. Last time, I was stupid. I didn¡¯t understand the situation and spoke so arrogantly! I apologize¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a little punishment. Just bear with it.¡± After saying that, Xu Yi held onto Fang Qing¡¯s arm and walked away. The aura around him made it so that no one dared to get close to him. Liang Meng was scared, but yet she was also extremely indignant. She looked at Bai Han in the distance. The stares of the people around her made her lose the courage to step up against him. Chapter 33 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Watching the car leave, Liang Meng knew that not only did she lose face, but she also didn¡¯t manage to finish her task well. When she arrived in front of Bai Han, the extreme disdain on Bai Han¡¯s face made her heart sink even more. Before she could even say a word, she was scolded by Bai Han. ¡°Don¡¯t come to me after you¡¯ve thrown all my face away. You¡¯ve completely lost all my face! This time, you can go look for it yourself. I won¡¯t bring you along anymore!¡± Bai Han¡¯s change in attitude caused Liang Meng¡¯s gaze to turn cold. She clenched her fists and took a deep breath. She forced a smile and said, ¡°Bai Han, I¡¯ve always felt that I shouldn¡¯t have done this. You forced me to do all this. You think that I¡¯m unbearable and embarrassed, but what else can I do?¡± ¡°You must know that you can¡¯t reveal your secrets. Otherwise, I believe that you would have run away long ago. Why would you care about me?¡± ¡°Liang Meng! What do you mean by this? Are you taking my kindness for granted?¡± Bai Han clenched his fists and glared fiercely at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re afraid of? Then let¡¯s make it clear. You have to come with me to resolve this matter. Otherwise, we¡¯ll all be miserable together.¡± After saying this, Liang Meng turned around and left. Before she left, she left only a sentence for him. ¡°Fang Qing, go and beg. If you don¡¯t beg, I¡¯ll expose everything tonight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Han had thought of fighting to the death, but he did not expect Liang Meng to throw everything to him! He went forward and grabbed Liang Meng. Without saying a word, he pulled open the car door and stuffed her inside. With a bang, the car door was slammed shut! Liang Meng snorted coldly and looked at the group of people outside with disdain. They were reluctant to leave. They were just watching the show! ¡°What a bunch of busybodies!¡± After she said that in disdain, she closed her eyes and did not want to look outside again! She would not come to this place again no matter what! ¡­ Back in the car heading back to the Xu family, Fang Qing was looking out of the car window listlessly. Xu Yi suddenly said, ¡°No matter what, we still have to pay attention to the publicity. I¡¯ll send you the message first, and then both my official publicity team and you can forward it out. How about this?¡± Fang Qing was stunned. ¡°Do you want to use your account to send me a message?¡± ¡°Yes, this way, the publicity will be faster. However, there aren¡¯t many people who pay attention to me. Most of them still have to look at that official account. I¡¯m just a wailing head.¡± Fang Qing was well aware of this. ¡°I¡¯m the first person who can make President Xu be a wailing head.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Xu Yi raised his eyebrows, stepped on the accelerator, and sped up. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for admiring your talent in painting. Develop it well and show me how amazing it is.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Fang Qing pursed her lips, but her smile was still overflowing. When he returned home, even though Xu Yi had gone to work. However, all the promotions that he wanted to post had been completed. The paintings on it were the only two that Fang Qing had left, and the last one was a semi-finished product. One could imagine how tragic it was. Ever since she had posted it, Fang Qing looked at the account that she had just registered today. She waited for the response. Surprisingly, although the praises were only of average popularity and had little effect, Fang Qing had been reading the comments one by one on her phone for the whole afternoon. ¡°This lady is too amazing. Her paintings are so beautiful, so gentle! It¡¯s a pity that there are too few paintings. Is she a lady of treasure? Does anyone know her?¡± ¡°Fang Qing, why do I feel that she looks so familiar? She¡¯s not famous, but her mother seems to be a very famous painter. Her level is a little high. I didn¡¯t expect her daughter to have such talent in painting! Amazing! Only now has it been revealed! She really is a lady with a hidden treasure trove.¡± ¡°No way, someone even released unfinished paintings. Come to think of it, this is one of the more miraculous existences in this competition. To be able to get President Xu to post, this backdoor is really hard!¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were all sorts of things to say¡­ Fang Qing took the opportunity to take a picture of a painting that she was working on and posted it. These two pictures were done at the same time. She originally wanted to post it after it was completed, but she couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. This was because her Weibo account had already started to gain a steady stream of fans. Fang Qing didn¡¯t do anything. She continued to surf the internet. She hadn¡¯t had enough until dinner. Suddenly, her heart that wanted to paint swelled up. At the same time, the post that she had posted was even more popular than the one she had pre-heated up! After dinner, Fang Qing picked up her phone and looked at the messages that kept jumping on her phone. She was dumbfounded. The number of comments on this post had doubled compared to the previous one! Fang Qing covered her mouth and looked at the number of fans she had gained in disbelief. 300,000! Chapter 34 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio This rate of growth! She was truly impressed by the daily traffic on Weibo. Fang Qing picked up her phone and went to the sofa in the living room. She went back to her old place and started surfing the Internet again. She patiently browsed through every comment and private message. There were also people who made suggestions or extended an olive branch to her, indicating that they wanted to cooperate with her. They wanted a draft. Messages were everywhere. However, Fang Qing did not reply to any of them. Her focus was on the competition. Everything else was secondary, so she could not delay the important matter. This was a rare opportunity. Fang Qing wanted to grab it tightly. However, when she saw someone¡¯s message¡­ She still paused for a moment. He had already repeatedly sent over a hundred messages. From time to time, he would appear at the top of Fang Qing¡¯s message box. Down, up, down¡­ The cycle repeated itself. Luo Yu? Fang Qing tapped into the other party¡¯s homepage. The president of the Luo family was young and promising. He was recognized by the authorities. Although he had few fans, he still had quite a stable foundation. He had over a million more fans than the current Fang Qing. At the very least, such an account was not a scam¡­ ¡°Hello, Fang Qing. I am your loyal fan, Luo Yu. I would like to suggest that you open a studio. I have a deep understanding and interest in this area. I believe that I will be the most suitable partner for you. I also have a deep understanding of your paintings.¡± ¡­ In short, he had a lot of lofty words. In short, he wanted to open a studio with her. No matter what her request was, he would be able to satisfy it. Fang Qing hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°May I know your position and plan for the studio? What are your initial thoughts?¡± The other party was typing¡­ A moment later. ¡°Do you have time? Can we meet up? I have many ideas to suggest to you. We can meet up at whichever time you like. Furthermore, I am very experienced in this field! You can find a place close to you. I don¡¯t mind coming over.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fang Qing closed the chat box without replying. She rubbed her eyebrows and continued to read her comments. In the past, she didn¡¯t think much of it. Ever since she finished chatting with Luo Yu, she realized that many of her comments were related to this man. ¡°No wonder this name sounds familiar to me! I remember now. Isn¡¯t this the nameless artist that made Luo Yu go crazy? I¡¯m impressed! Luo Yu¡¯s Weibo has been trending before. Usually, he doesn¡¯t post anything. If he does, it¡¯s usually either his own promotion or when he¡¯s recommending a certain artist!¡± Fang Qing blinked. Out of curiosity, she immediately opened up the hundreds of comments. ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right! I just realized it¡¯s her! She¡¯s finally opened her Weibo. You have to know that Luo Yu has been crying all over Weibo looking for this artist¡¯s contact information. Unfortunately, other than a niche platform, she doesn¡¯t post anything else.¡± ¡°The heavens don¡¯t disappoint those who care. While my brother Luo is happy, he hopes that he can get his fans and babies to come back. If such a peerless brother doesn¡¯t try to persuade him to make his debut, the heavens won¡¯t tolerate it! And he¡¯s a domineering CEO!¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed like he was a rich person. He really was her fan. Fang Qing tapped in and took a closer look. She discovered his nagging. Many of them were related to her. She had casually posted it on an app, and now she had forgotten the password. She did not expect that someone would be able to like her all the time. Fang Qing was deeply moved. Her fingers kept rubbing against the screen, and in the end, she clicked on the chat box. ¡°The location has been chosen to be a coffee shop. Is this address okay?¡± She sent the address of the nearest coffee shop over. The other party replied very quickly. No problem. After meeting Luo Yu, Fang Qing put down her phone. She did not expect things to go so smoothly. This was somewhat out of her expectations. She exhaled slowly. Just as she was about to wash up. The sound of an argument outside made her stop. She opened the door and looked outside. It was Xu Yi who had returned. But there were two people behind him. They were Liang Meng and Bai Han. Oh, no, not only that, there were also Fang Gang and Liang Xiao. Liang Meng¡¯s eyes were still red and swollen. Seeing Fang Qing standing at the door, Fang Gang pulled Liang Meng and pushed her forward with a gloomy expression. With a swish, Liang Meng¡¯s tears flowed out. Fang Qing looked at Xu Yi in confusion, not understanding what he meant. Xu Yi was the first to come to her side. He let out a long sigh and said helplessly, ¡°Throwing them out or seeing them ¨C it¡¯s up to you.¡± ¡°What makes you think I want to see them?¡± Chapter 35 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi was silent for a moment. After a long while, he said, ¡°Actually, this matter is very easy to handle. Give them a chance to catch their breath, and they won¡¯t cause any trouble. However, this choice is in your hands. They have obscene photos of you in their hands and threatened to expose them unless I let them go.¡± ¡°What? Impossible!¡± Although she had been talking to Bai Han for a long time, she had never done such a thing before! ¡°It¡¯s fake. I didn¡¯t do it with him¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Regardless of whether it¡¯s real or fake, you¡¯re still in the warm-up period. I saw that the response was pretty good. Regardless of whether this matter is real or fake, once it goes online, it will cause a huge commotion. It will affect your reputation more or less.¡± Xu Yi was well aware of these things. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t control it, but it was just that it was hard for him to fight against one person. The other party was desperate, and even Xu Yi wasn¡¯t willing to take the risk to do such a thing. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I should accept their apology?¡± When Fang Qing said these words, she felt a little powerless, and her mood sank to rock bottom. ¡°Here¡¯s my suggestion.¡± Xu Yi said indifferently, his gaze fixed on Fang Qing. He knew that she was in a bad mood, but he still comforted her. ¡°This matter was brought up to you because I wanted to. You didn¡¯t have any intention of teaching them a lesson. It¡¯s fine for us to pretend that this matter never happened. Moreover, it¡¯ll be very difficult for them to recover from this.¡± Fang Qing closed her eyes and sneered after a while. ¡°Who says I didn¡¯t have the intention to teach them a lesson? I just don¡¯t have the ability to do so yet. Otherwise, I would have done it much more ruthlessly than you.¡± As she spoke, she opened the door and walked out. She bumped into Liang Meng, who was looking at everything here with a face full of desire and jealousy. However, the moment she saw Fang Qing, her gaze suddenly changed. She lowered her head and rolled her eyes. She spoke softly and weakly. ¡°Sister, we really have no other choice. Bai Han didn¡¯t want to do this either. Please ask President Xu to let us off. It was all a misunderstanding, right? There¡¯s no need for us to make things so ugly. We¡¯re all one family.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one family with you. The Fang family and I have no relations,¡± Fang Qing said indifferently. She only looked around the crowd and spoke in a cold voice. ¡°In the future, let¡¯s not meddle in each other¡¯s business. If we see each other on the road, let¡¯s not pretend to know each other as well. Is that okay with you?¡± Fang Gang lowered his voice and said unwillingly, ¡°Yes, of course. As long as this matter is resolved, I¡¯ll definitely teach the two of them a lesson they will remember! After all, I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with you as well!¡± Fang Gang was also furious. He did not expect Fang Qing to be so ruthless. He was so angry that his teeth were itching! His dignity as a father could not help but be displayed. Liang Xiao saw Fang Qing¡¯s expression change and hurriedly walked up to Fang Qing with a smile. ¡°What are you talking about? He is also angry. In the future, when you come to the Fang family, Auntie will still treat you as auntie¡¯s child!¡± ¡°No need.¡± Fang Qing pushed her away. After saying that, she turned around and went straight into the house. She did not forget to close the door tightly. Liang Meng scoffed and glanced at Liang Xiao. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Mom! It looks like President Xu isn¡¯t familiar with her. There must be something going on. If it¡¯s really what I think it is, how could President Xu make her accept an apology? Moreover, I didn¡¯t even mention that I am apologizing.¡± ¡°Silly girl, no matter what, we definitely can¡¯t offend President Xu.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡± Liang Meng narrowed her eyes and teased her well-groomed hair. She smiled sweetly. If she really took a fancy to that Fang Qing, she, Liang Meng, would naturally be able to get her hands on her! ¡°But to be honest, the way President Xu Looked at me today, I felt that the effort I put into dressing up was not in vain!¡± ¡°Lower your voice. Bai Han is here too.¡± Liang Xiao glared at her and said snappily. ¡°So what if he¡¯s here? He hasn¡¯t cared about me from the beginning to the end. I don¡¯t care about him! If we weren¡¯t married, I would have taken the initiative to attack long ago. He will only delay things!¡± After Liang Meng finished speaking arrogantly, she met Bai Han¡¯s gaze and looked at him with a face full of confidence. She did not have the slightest bit of guilt. Bai Han secretly curled his lips and looked at their backs as they left. A cold smile appeared on his face. Soon, when he was done with this matter, he would definitely not let this woman off so easily! Liang Meng! She had really underestimated her! Did she think that he would not be able to tell that she had set her sights on someone else? ¡­ After returning to the house, Fang Qing saw Xu Yi and greeted him. She let out a smile and said, ¡°Thank you. No matter what happens, I have a clear conscience.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Chapter 36 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The development of things was always dramatic. Ever since the so-called paternity test happened, Fang Qing started feeling indifferent about everything. She even composed herself the next day and prepared to go out and meet Luo Yu. The time was set at a coffee shop outside the villa area. The environment was elegant and there were few people. When Fang Qing went, Luo Yu had already arrived. He was sitting by the window and looking at her with a smile. Out of the blue, Fang Qing went straight for him without even asking. ¡°Fang Qing, right?¡± Fang Qing nodded and heaved a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that she hadn¡¯t mistaken him for someone else. Otherwise, it would have been awkward. Now that she had met him in person, she realized that Luo Yu was actually very young. In any case, he looked to be of the same age as her. His neat white shirt and wide shorts made him look like a teenager no matter how she looked at him. He was in university. He didn¡¯t look like a boss at all¡­ ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Luo Yu. I¡¯ve been very excited to meet you.¡± Fang Qing had just sat down when the other party suddenly stood up. He extended his hand respectfully, and the excitement in his words was clearly displayed. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m just an ordinary person. You don¡¯t have to be like this.¡± Fang Qing smiled sheepishly and hurriedly stood up to shake his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I might have scared you. Let me try to be a bit more normal, haha. You might not know this, but I really like your work. I really enjoy it a lot, so I hope that the matter regarding this studio can really be settled. This is me expressing my sincerity.¡± Luo Yu leaned against the edge of the table, trying his best to calm himself down. The moment he saw Fang Qing, he really did not expect her to be so beautiful! When he saw her, he could not help but smile. Smiling, he pushed a bank card over. ¡°There¡¯s two million in there, just a little token from me. Of course, I know this is far from enough, but don¡¯t worry, the amount inside will only increase as time and our work together progresses.¡± Fang Qing was stunned. She did not even look at the bank card. She scratched her head and said to ease the awkwardness, ¡°We can discuss the setting up of the studio. I can also pay for the studio myself.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯m the one who suggested setting up the studio, so I have to be the one to pay for it. But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll definitely own more shares in it than anyone else.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fang Qing even suspected that he was here to do charity. This naked love really made Fang Qing feel extremely uncomfortable. She forcefully changed the topic. ¡°May I know why you like my paintings?¡± At this point, Luo Yu took a sip of his coffee and lowered his head with a smile. ¡°Before that, may I take the liberty of asking?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Did the famous painting that Lu Si obtained from the auction come from your hands?¡± As soon as she said this, Fang Qing¡¯s hand that was holding the coffee spoon paused. She suddenly grinned and forced out a smile. ¡°Why would you say that? That painting belonged to her, it definitely must be from her hands then.¡± Luo Yu sized her up. When he heard this, he understood everything. He did not show any doubt. He understood. ¡°I¡¯ve been following you for many years. I¡¯ve long understood your style. You¡¯ve posted and deleted some of your paintings. I don¡¯t understand why, but I¡¯ve saved them all. You can say that I don¡¯t lack a single one of your works.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t lack a single one?¡± Fang Qing was stunned. That was her habit. She posted online for fear of being discovered by her mother and father, so she posted and deleted them all. They would go into the trash can, and she set the trash can settings to never delete them. For this, she even opened a membership. ¡°Mm, there¡¯s a USB drive that I own specially for your paintings. I didn¡¯t bring it with me this time. I¡¯ll show it to you next time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Actually, there¡¯s another main reason. Lu Si¡¯s paintings are all very ordinary. They were far from the standard of that painting. Let alone an expert, even a half-baked artist like me could tell.¡± Luo Yu clicked his tongue and sighed with disdain. It was already common for people to buy and sell paintings underground. Everyone in the industry knew about it. After all, everyone had their moments when they ran out of inspiration, but this era was too fast. There was simply no time for you to find inspiration. ¡°Her paintings are not touching enough, but every single one of your paintings is very eye-catching and heart-palpitating.¡± Luo Yu started to praise her, and his eyes started to shine. ¡°Fang Qing, why are you here?¡± The indifferent voice was familiar yet unfamiliar to Fang Qing. Such a cold tone was something Fang Qing had never heard before. Luo Yu raised his head and looked at Xu Yi. He chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s on a date with me. Are you here to spoil the mood for us?¡± Fang Qing widened her eyes and stood up abruptly. She shook her head repeatedly, but then she realized that Xu Yi¡¯s gaze was not on her at all. Chapter 37 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi¡¯s displeasure could be seen on his face. He was displeased seeing Fang Qing and Luo Yu together. These words were like adding fuel to the fire, a whole bucket of it! Xu Yi narrowed his eyes and looked at the stunned Fang Qing. ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± Fang Qing pursed her lips, and a bitter smile hung on the corner of her mouth. ¡°Mr. Luo and I are discussing something.¡± ¡°What can you discuss with Luo Yu? Did you two know each other before?¡± ¡°No.¡± Luo Yu raised his eyebrows and looked at Xu Yi disdainfully. Suddenly, he looked at Fang Qing seriously and said earnestly, ¡°Qing Qing, if he pursues you, you can¡¯t agree to it. I¡¯m telling you, this man is a piece of trash! He¡¯s a playboy and an extremely irritating one at that!¡± ¡°What bad luck!¡± Luo Yu did not hold back and belittled Xu Yi. At this moment, Fang Qing understood. These two men knew each other and had a grudge against each other. She was also the vortex of the storm. She was a lamb that had gone astray! She fell. Xu Yi put his hand on Fang Qing¡¯s body. ¡°You fell in love with her at first sight?¡± ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± ¡°She does have this charm, but unfortunately, you don¡¯t have the ability to court her. She¡¯s already my fianc¨¦e. No matter what you were talking about before, whether it¡¯s a relationship or cooperation, you have no chance at trying it out with her all.¡± Xu Yi had heard about the trivial matter of Luo Yu. Fang Qing lowered her head, her heart already beginning to stir into a mess. She did not seem to be able to get a word in edgewise. ¡°Unmarried and childless, that¡¯s freedom. Look at your possessiveness. There¡¯s a saying about how one¡¯s desire to dominate will be increased greatly when something he desires but does not own is placed right in front of him, right?''¡± Luo Yu gave a mischievous smile. This tit-for-tat made Luo Yu, who was originally a sunny boy, suddenly become serious. ¡°I think you¡¯re worrying too much.¡± Xu Yi said this right in front of him. He lowered his head and kissed Fang Qing gently. Fang Qing blinked. She did not resist. In her opinion, there was no need to kiss at such an occasion. But Xu Yi kissed her. What did this mean? He simply wanted to show off to Luo Yu! Luo Yu¡¯s lips twitched. Instead of being angry, he smiled. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more shameless.¡± After taking two steps, he stopped and looked meaningfully at Fang Qing. He curled his lips and said, ¡°But I don¡¯t mind. As long as it¡¯s a woman I like, I¡¯m willing to wait. I¡¯m also willing to pursue her. On the other hand, the more Xu Yi cares, the more interesting I find it.¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± After Luo Yu left, Xu Yi finally let go of Fang Qing. However, he had no intention of letting her go. They were destined to face each other. There was nothing shameful about the two of them. Fang Qing explained everything to him. However, Xu Yi was puzzled. ¡°Did I make you feel like I have no money?¡± ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s just a studio. It¡¯s really troublesome for me to open it alone, and I don¡¯t understand many things, so I agreed to meet him. I want to hear what he has to say.¡± Fang Qing told him the truth. However, to Xu Yi, these words were filled with danger. ¡°You know him online. He¡¯s someone you¡¯ve never met before. You don¡¯t even know him, and yet you dared to meet him. He¡¯s definitely out for you!¡± Fang Qing explained, ¡°I have already done some homework about him beforehand. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have acted so rashly.¡± ¡°Mm, so you only know him by reading his Weibo?¡± Xu Yi held her hand and was about to walk out. However, they hadn¡¯t even reached the door yet. A waiter immediately went forward to stop them. The commotion here had long been noticed by the people in the shop. However, even though there were conflicts between them, they had no way to intervene. Furthermore, they hadn¡¯t reached the point of making a move, so no one dared to go forward to stop them. However¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, sir and miss. Your bill hasn¡¯t been settled yet.¡± Fang Qing was stunned. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I forgot.¡± However, before she could finish her sentence, Xu Yi had already gone to settle the bill without saying a word. When he returned, he glanced at Fang Qing and sneered. ¡°You want me, your fianc¨¦, to pay for your bill with other men? This so-called man, Luo Yu, is really lacking in class.¡± Fang Qing touched her nose and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Don¡¯t work with him. If you need any professionals to work for you, tell me. I¡¯ll find them for you. Those that I can find will definitely be much better than him. He¡¯s just a dabbler and useless. He¡¯s too impulsive.¡± Xu Yi commented. Fang Qing nodded thoughtfully and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s the history between you two?¡± Chapter 38 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Yi¡¯s reply was crisp and clear. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Then you can¡¯t possibly be fighting each other every opportunity you get only because of me, right?¡± Fang Qing chuckled and denied it to herself first. From the way they acted, it was obvious that they had a grudge. ¡°His sister confessed to me, but I rejected her. Then, she chose to leave the country. There was an accident on her way overseas, and she left,¡± Xu Yi told her the whole story in a few sentences. Fang Qing immediately understood. She thought about the words and sighed, ¡°So he¡¯s putting the blame on you.¡± ¡°More or less, but I don¡¯t care.¡± Xu Yi held her hand tightly and pulled her home. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Don¡¯t change the topic. Do you know how dangerous meeting that man is?¡± Xu Yi suddenly stopped in his tracks with a serious expression. He frowned and said in an unfriendly tone. Fang Qing nodded again. ¡°I know. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°Girls have to protect themselves when they¡¯re out there. You¡¯re already so old, yet you¡¯re still letting others worry about you all the time.¡± Xu Yi said helplessly, but he was only saying it. Fang Qing could still hear the worried tone in his words. Her heart was filled with warmth. It would be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t touched. If it weren¡¯t for the contract on the bedside table in her room, she would have really thought that she was in a relationship with Xu Yi. Time passed slowly. It seemed very slow, but in fact, it was also very fast. In Fang Qing¡¯s life, there was only time to draw and rest. Everything slowed down. In order to catch up with her progress, she finished the drawing she was preparing. Four days had passed, and she hadn¡¯t left her house for the past four days. All she could think about was drawing. After she finished drawing, she stretched her back in relief. She opened the chat and sent a message to Fang An. [ An¡¯an, I¡¯ll look for you in the afternoon. Are you free? ] Fang An: [ Yes, today¡¯s practice is scheduled for the morning. You sure know how to pick times. I do happen to be free. ] Fang Qing curved her lips into a smile. After making some simple preparations, she headed straight for Fang An¡¯s apartment. ¡°Sister! I¡¯ve missed you so much! You don¡¯t even know how tired I¡¯ve been from practicing recently!¡± Fang An was beaming with joy when she saw Fang Qing. She started to complain while smiling. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, then reduce the amount of time you spend practicing. Do you know that your body will be unable to take it? You don¡¯t want to go back to the hospital either, right?¡± When Fang An heard this, she replied seriously, ¡°Aiya, don¡¯t worry, sister. Brother-in-law has arranged everything well. I¡¯ve consulted the doctor about this amount of practice. It¡¯s not a problem.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Sister-in-law is really good. Sister has finally met a good man!¡± Fang An smiled slyly and came over with a fruit plate in her arms. She then placed it in front of Fang Qing and began to peel the fruit for her sister. ¡°Train well and seize the opportunity! Mr. Xu Yi is our big benefactor.¡± Fang Qing sighed with emotion from the bottom of her heart. However, the way she addressed Xu Yi was deliberately said by her. It was as if she was reminding Fang An, but in fact, she was reminding herself. She could not fall into it. Calling her brother-in-law really almost made Fang Qing fall into it. She couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene of them kissing before¡­ ¡°Sister, what¡¯s wrong? Eat an apple.¡± A peeled apple was handed over in front of her. It was already in front of her, yet it was still shaking. Fang Qing was clearly distracted. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sister is thinking. The smile on the corner of her mouth is splitting to the back of her head,¡± Fang An asked despite knowing the answer. It made Fang Qing laugh out loud. She took the apple and took a bite. Fang An chuckled and fell into silence. She just watched Fang Qing eat the apple. When Fang Qing noticed it, she couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. ¡°What? It¡¯s contagious?¡± ¡°No, sister. I want to know if you have money?¡± Although Fang Qing was stunned, she still said honestly, ¡°Yes, how much do you want? I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± ¡°I¡­ I want three million.¡± As soon as she said this, Fang Qing stopped biting the apple, and her smile disappeared from her face. She looked at him in confusion and asked with concern, ¡°Does the company need so much money?¡± How could Fang Qing have so much money? Not to mention three million, she couldn¡¯t even fork out 10,000. It was just a small amount of money. Her studio hadn¡¯t been set up yet, so there was no income for her at all. ¡°No, sister, I need it.¡± ¡°What do you need it for?¡± Fang Qing looked at him patiently, but the grave expression on her face still made Fang An feel very confused. Chapter 39 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Yes¡­ Brother Bai Han¡¯s company has a problem. He asked me to lend him some money and said that you have money. He didn¡¯t dare to come and ask you to lend him money, so he contacted me.¡± Fang An hesitated for a while, but he still said it. When she heard this, Fang Qing waved her hand and clearly heaved a sigh of relief. But he still refused, ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any money. Even if I did have money, it belongs to your brother-in-law. It has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Then can I borrow it from my brother-in-law?¡± Fang An opened his big, innocent eyes, leaving Fang Qing speechless. ¡°No!¡± But just these three words extinguished the light in Fang an¡¯s eyes. Fang Qing looked at him in confusion. ¡°Since when were you so close with Bai Han?¡± ¡°Without you, isn¡¯t it quite difficult for him? Just say that he will help.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. When you were in the emergency room, I didn¡¯t see him reminiscing about old times. He said that he wanted to pay for your medical expenses, so he insisted on not borrowing. Do you understand? Fang an! Don¡¯t ask your brother-in-law for money! Three million is not a small amount! We can¡¯t afford to owe him!¡± His sincere words made Fang An nod. He didn¡¯t say anything more. After a while, he smiled again. He said affirmatively, ¡°You¡¯re right! We pity others, but they won¡¯t pity us! They will even kick us when we¡¯re down! We won¡¯t help them!¡± ¡°Alright! Be good. We just need to take care of ourselves.¡± Fang Qing said leisurely, feeling that her life was getting better bit by bit. She was imagining a beautiful future. In the end, Fang Qing settled down. When it was time to rest, they didn¡¯t chat anymore. Fang Qing went straight home. The next day, Fang Qing calmed herself down and prepared to go out for a walk to look for inspiration. She still needed to draw more, hoping that she could produce as many works as possible. On the other side. Fang An went to the company to train as usual. However, just as he was about to get off the car, Bai Han was already waiting on the spot. When he saw Fang An, he even smiled and walked up. He handed him a portion of breakfast that was prepared and said with concern, ¡°Eat some before training. This way, you¡¯ll have more strength during training.¡± Fang An shook her head and refused, ¡°The company prepared breakfast for me. Thank you.¡± ¡°Tsk, really? Fang An, you¡¯re not even a hit yet. He¡¯s just a trainee that no one cares about, and he¡¯s already putting on airs? Because of who? Xu Yi? You think that having such a backer will make it permanent, right?¡± Bai Han smiled meaningfully into his ear and said. The breath he exhaled seemed to itch, making Fang An very uncomfortable. He frowned. But he still said patiently, ¡°Bai Han, you can¡¯t get anything from looking for me. Why Don¡¯t you look for my brother-in-law? He¡¯s the one with the money.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Do you want me to look for your brother-in-law with a nude photo of your sister? Xu Yi?¡± Bai Han laughed wildly and looked at Fang An as if he was looking at a fool, full of mockery. When Fang An thought of this, his head exploded. He was really annoyed. His mind was filled with such images. That photo was like a brand, engraved in his mind! It could not be erased! It was torturing him to death! He growled angrily, ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait for me to earn money in the future, and then I¡¯ll give it to you?¡± ¡°You Earn Money?¡±? ¡°Stop joking, you sickly man, save it. I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ve waited long enough. If you still don¡¯t give me the money in two days, I¡¯ll definitely spread the nude photos of your sister. When that time comes, your brother-in-law won¡¯t want her anymore, and everything about her will be ruined.¡± ¡°What artist, what a joke!¡± Bai Han saw that he passed by a trash can and threw the breakfast prepared for Fang An directly into it. Then, he waved at Fang An arrogantly and said goodbye with a smile. Fang An was depressed and did not pay any attention to him. When he walked into the company, he did not realize that his hands were shaking crazily. He could not stop no matter what. Even when he was practicing, Fang An was absent-minded and not in the mood at all. When his teacher saw this, he looked at him with a sad face. ¡°Little Fang, What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen recently?¡± Fang An came back to his senses and was stunned for a moment. He quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I might have been too tired recently and am not in the right state to practice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. If you have something on your mind, then go settle it first. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to focus on your training. You know, I really don¡¯t like students like this.¡± ¡°I understand, teacher. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Fang An carefully put down the zither and stood up to bow to the teacher. Chapter 40 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Fang An finally noticed Xu Yi, Xu Yi was already in front of him. Fang An still had not made up his mind to say what was on his mind. Xu Yi looked at him doubtfully and suddenly said with a smile, ¡°If you have anything to say, just tell me. Don¡¯t hold back.¡± Fang An was comforted by Xu Yi¡¯s words and calmed himself down. He summoned up his courage to look at Xu Yi and started to lie with a straight face, ¡°Brother-in-law! It¡¯s my sister¡¯s birthday soon. I don¡¯t have the money to prepare a birthday present for her. Can I borrow some money from you? I really want to buy a present for her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Xu Yi thought it was ridiculous and laughed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do you mean by borrow? I can just give you as much as you want. But when is your sister¡¯s birthday?¡± Xu Yi had not paid attention to these things before. Now that he had been told about it, he realized that he could give her the present he had prepared for her on her birthday. ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Brother-in-law, I would like to borrow three million yuan.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll call you later,¡± Xu Yi¡¯s mind was filled with the arrangements for her birthday. Fang An¡¯s words did not even cross his mind. After he suddenly reacted, he frowned. Just when Fang An felt that his brother-in-law was really generous, Xu Yi asked uncertainly, ¡°How much did you say just now?¡± ¡°Three million.¡± When Fang An repeated the figure, he lowered his head again. Xu Yi looked at him suspiciously and asked in puzzlement, ¡°What do you want to give her? A cash gift of three million?¡± Based on his knowledge of Fang An, he was definitely not such a person. ¡°I want to buy her a house!¡± Fang An was basically speaking nonsense with a straight face. However, these words piqued Xu Yi¡¯s interest. His eyes lit up and he said, ¡°Your sister likes houses? Alright, leave it to me. You¡¯re so young, you definitely don¡¯t know what kind of house would be good for your sister. I¡¯ll buy it in your name and give it to your sister.¡± ¡°¡­ I, I¡¯ve already considered many options.¡± Fang An¡¯s instincts told him that he was about to be exposed and he had to stop the damage in time. However, when he thought of what Bai Han said, his head started to hurt! His hands started to tremble uncontrollably. ¡°Then bring me along to take a look,¡± Xu Yi kept smiling, but his eyes did not move away from Fang An¡¯s face for even a moment. All of his unnatural expressions had been captured by him. However, in the end, no matter what Xu Yi said, Fang An was stubborn and unwilling to reveal anything about the house. In desperation, Xu Yi did not give him any money, also ceasing to ask any more questions. When Fang An left, Xu Yi gave Lin Lin a call, asking him to follow Fang An to see what had happened to him recently. It was indeed a little abnormal for him to act like this. ¡­ It was Fang Qing¡¯s birthday. As usual, Fang Qing began to formally prepare her work for the competition. Right now, she was very busy. So busy that she even forgot it was her birthday. It was Luo Yu who had sent her a text to remind her that it was her birthday today. This was the first time Luo Yu had spoken to her again since that fateful day. Fang Qing admitted that she really couldn¡¯t handle being remembered for her birthday. Especially when Luo Yu said that he had prepared a surprise for her and asked for her to be there. Fang Qing put down what she was doing, packed up a little, and went to see Luo Yu. From what she knew, Luo Yu wasn¡¯t a bad person. The conflict between him and Xu Yi could definitely be resolved. Perhaps she could be the turning point? Luo Yu brought her to the outside of an art studio. Then, in front of the door, he solemnly handed the key with a red string to Fang Qing. ¡°I have prepared an art studio for you. I know what brand of paper and paint you like. I also know what kind of layout you like. When I saw your paintings, I¡¯ve already guessed some of your preferences. Your expression in art is bold and direct. This is also one of my favorite points regarding you.¡± Luo Yu opened the studio door. The moment he pushed it open, Fang Qing seemed to see a dream before her eyes. Everything was so unreal. It was like a studio that was set up specifically according to Fang Qing¡¯s preferences. Every part of it was a pleasant surprise to Fang Qing. She covered her mouth in excitement. When Luo Yu saw that she was happy, he could not help but laugh. As he was carefully explaining everything about the studio to Fang Qing, the atmosphere gradually became harmonious and everything was proceeding according to Luo Yu¡¯s plan. A phone call interrupted them. It was Xu Yi. ¡°Fang Qing, where are you? Your brother is missing. I¡¯ll go pick you up first before looking for Fang An.¡± Fang Qing¡¯s expression changed for the worse instantly. She looked at Luo Yu in panic and handed the phone to him. She urged, ¡°Luo Yu, tell him the address of this place, quickly!¡± When Xu Yi heard this, his eyes immediately darkened.