Chapter 77: She Kicked Fu Xingzhou Lightly

After briefly learning about each other’s family backgrounds, it was just about time for dinner. The old madam personally selected Chef Liu to take charge of the kitchen and specially prepared dishes from Nanan. Everyone made their way to the dining room.

Zhu Yun and Wen Li saw the table full of delicious dishes, all from the Nanan cuisine. Qiu Pei smiled as she pulled Zhu Yun to sit down and said, “Nanan’s cuisine is famously delicious. Thanks to the in-laws and to Yangyang, I finally get to enjoy it.”

Zhu Yun smiled as she took her seat. “Old Madam is very thoughtful.”

Qiu Pei laughed, “The old madam has a very open-minded personality. After being her daughter-in-law for so many years, she only nags a bit when I get too busy and don’t come home often.”

Zhu Yun nodded with a smile, “That’s easy to see.”

The old madam pulled Wen Yang to sit beside her. Fu Xingzhou pulled out the chair for the old madam, and even after she sat down, she still held onto Wen Yang’s hand. Fu Xingzhou smiled and pulled out the chair beside her.

Wen Yang sat down, right next to the old madam.

The old madam asked Wen Yang what kind of drink she liked. Wen Yang softly replied, “Anything is fine.”

“Then have some orange juice. It’s just sweet enough today.”

“Okay, thank you, Grandma.”

Fu Xingzhou sat next to Wen Yang, poured her a glass of juice, and used the communal chopsticks to serve her some candied potatoes she liked. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his wrist.

Since the meal was Nanan cuisine, it was obviously arranged with Wen Yang’s family in mind. Zhu Yun and Wen Li both felt the sincerity from Fu Xingzhou’s family. And with the old madam’s unwillingness to let Wen Yang leave her side, it was clear that she truly liked her. Moreover, the old madam spoke gently and had a kind face. Zhu Yun, who had good judgment of people, could see she wasn’t like some other old women from Nanan families.

People from large families valued decorum.

Qiu Pei was clearly from a large family as well, yet didn’t act superior. She even used her chopsticks to serve dishes to Zhu Yun. Zhu Yun laughed and said, “That’s enough. You should eat some yourself.”

Qiu Pei suppressed a cough and replied with a smile, “I can’t eat much, just want to taste a bit.”

Zhu Yun noticed a trace of weariness under her delicate makeup. She picked up a bowl, served Qiu Pei some soup, and said, “If you can’t eat much, then drink some soup. Take it slow. I can tell you want to cough.”

Qiu Pei looked at Zhu Yun’s smiling face and thought to herself that Wen Yang’s attentiveness and sensitivity must have come from somewhere. She was indeed holding back her cough and smiled, “Then I’ll drink some soup.”

“Good.”

After dinner, both families moved to the small living room, which was more comfortable with softer sofas. Qiu Pei and Zhu Yun sat together chatting. After eating, Qiu Pei needed to take her medicine. The housekeeper brought it over, and Qiu Pei took a glass of water. She originally intended to take it with tea, but Fu Xingzhou reached over and swapped it for warm water. Qiu Pei pouted and took the medicine.

Zhu Yun saw this and noticed the medicine as well—Wen Yang had told her about Qiu Pei’s condition.

After taking the medicine, Qiu Pei said to Zhu Yun, “I was sick for a while recently.”

Zhu Yun nodded. “Are you feeling better now?”

Qiu Pei: “Much better.”

Wen Yang walked over from the side with a candy and handed it to Zhu Yun, who then passed it to Qiu Pei. When Qiu Pei saw the candy, her eyes lit up. She smiled at Wen Yang and then at Zhu Yun. “How sweet.”

She popped the candy into her mouth.

The bitterness from earlier was gone.

Qiu Pei held Zhu Yun’s hand and said, “You see our family’s setup: an elderly grandma, a sick mother, and a man who has to manage the family business on behalf of his grandparents.”

“Wen Yang coming into our family is like adding a ray of light. Regarding the betrothal gifts, the old madam will contribute money and gifts, I will offer gifts and shares in our overseas companies. Wen Yang will also have a share in those. We’ll set up an account for her, and the fund will be managed by trustees—she can withdraw or deposit freely.”

Zhu Yun was slightly stunned.

She hadn’t expected them to bring up dowry matters so soon. She said, “Wen Yang has been through a broken marriage. As her parents, we don’t have many specific demands—just that she finds someone who treats her well, is responsible in marriage, and will stand by her through thick and thin.”

“Of course. We all want true love. We’re already grateful that you don’t mind Fu Xingzhou’s past…”

At that moment—

Zhu Yun and Wen Li both paused, stunned.

Zhu Yun narrowed her eyes slightly. “Fu Xingzhou’s past?”

Qiu Pei froze.

What’s going on?

She immediately looked at Fu Xingzhou and Wen Yang. Wen Yang had been sitting with the old madam, looking at old photos from when Fu Xingzhou was in school. Upon hearing those words, she looked up too. Fu Xingzhou had been making tea, and now he raised his eyes.

He glanced at Qiu Pei, then looked at his girlfriend beside him.

Wen Yang’s ears turned red. She looked at Zhu Yun. “Mom, I forgot to tell you.”

She nudged Fu Xingzhou with her foot. “Didn’t you say anything?”

Fu Xingzhou put down the teapot. He had assumed Wen Yang had already told them, so he hadn’t mentioned it. He turned to his future mother-in-law, about to explain.

But Qiu Pei quickly coughed, stopping Zhu Yun from getting the wrong idea. Even the old madam frowned. Qiu Pei quickly took Zhu Yun’s hand and said, “In-law, here’s what happened. Xingzhou was previously married, but it was more like a business arrangement—a marriage arranged by the parents. Yes, I was the one who arranged it.”

“You see, my husband passed away early, and Fu Xingzhou took over Qingzhou Group at twenty. He’s usually aloof and never paid attention to romance. When he reached marriageable age, the old madam tried to find him a suitable match. I, on the other hand, wanted someone who could help him in his career, so I introduced him to Li Man. They had a contract marriage.”

“Li Man?”

Zhu Yun was extremely sensitive to that name. She turned to look at Wen Yang.

Wen Yang gave an awkward “mm” and quickly stepped off the sofa, coming to her side and whispering, “Yes, it was Li Man.”

Zhu Yun and Wen Li hadn’t expected it to be connected to that mistress. She looked at Fu Xingzhou. Seeing the tense situation, he summoned the housekeeper and said a few words.

The housekeeper quickly went upstairs.

Soon, she came down with a document folder. Fu Xingzhou reached for it and took out the documents inside, including the initial terms of the contract marriage. He placed it in front of Zhu Yun.

“This is the marriage agreement between me and Li Man,” he said.

Zhu Yun reached out and picked it up.

Wen Li also stood and came over to read.

The terms were clearly written.

This was obviously a transactional marriage. During its term, both parties were to uphold the contract and its responsibilities.

Zhu Yun had dealt with legal matters for years.

As a family law attorney, she had handled many bizarre cases—there was nothing people wouldn’t do. Compared to those, this agreement was clean and clear.

Although not every detail was spelled out, it was evident that Li Man was to receive all necessary resources and connections in return—mutual benefit.

So when Li Man cheated, she broke the contract.

Fu Xingzhou choosing divorce was natural.

But the key point was—

Zhu Yun looked at Fu Xingzhou. “And how do you feel about Wen Yang?”

Was it sincere love—or revenge?

Facing her question, Fu Xingzhou responded in a calm, clear voice, “I love her.”

“Meeting her through such a complicated situation wasn’t what I wanted, but everything that followed—I followed my heart and made the right choice. When I pursued her, I thought it over for a long time before taking the step to approach her.”

Zhu Yun looked at Wen Yang.

Wen Yang nodded.

As her mother, Zhu Yun knew her daughter well. She had her flaws and her strengths—but her strengths were more evident. Though she appeared soft, gentle, and kind, she had a strong mind. When her previous marriage with Cheng Yanyu fell apart and her dream shattered, she didn’t wallow in grief. Instead, she decisively chose divorce, freeing herself. Even if she was covered in scars, she refused to be entangled with Cheng Yanyu any longer.

That was her daughter’s bravery.

So if she agreed to be with Fu Xingzhou, it meant she had understood the entire situation—and truly had feelings for him.

That much, Zhu Yun believed.

Zhu Yun set down the agreement and said to Fu Xingzhou, “I believe what you’ve said. Since you already know about my daughter’s past and were involved in it, I hope that in the future, you will treat her well, take responsibility for your marriage, and for your choices.”

Fu Xingzhou nodded. “You have my word.”

The old lady immediately said, “If he treats Wen Yang badly, I’ll be the first to not forgive him.”

Qiu Pei added, “Me too.”

Zhu Yun was helpless.

Wen Yang held tightly onto her arm and smiled at her.

Zhu Yun gave her a little pinch.

Really something.

Dropping such a big bombshell on her.

—

The black car left the old residence.

Wen Yang, feeling guilty for having hidden things from Zhu Yun, stopped at a garden square. She took Zhu Yun for a walk to talk and have a heart-to-heart. As they walked under the wisteria blossoms, Zhu Yun looked at Wen Yang and said, “I really didn’t expect that he was Li Man’s ex-husband.”

Wen Yang looked at her, her tone slightly coy. “Mom, after I got divorced, I had quite a few interactions with him. The first house I designed was his. Back then our studio was small—we needed fame, we needed projects. Xu Xu helped us and recommended us to his secretary. They gave us a chance for Xu Xu’s sake. It was originally supposed to be Yu Qing who went, but she got tied up with something, so I went instead.”

She continued softly, “He looked very cold, but he was quite patient with me.”

Zhu Yun listened and commented, “He seems very well-mannered.”

“Yes, very well-mannered. After we added each other on WeChat, I often messaged him about design requirements, and he always replied. He never nitpicked us just because we were a small studio.”

Zhu Yun kept listening.

“And then?”

“Later on… well, he helped me a few more times. But at the time, I really couldn’t tell that he liked me. He only helped out with some emergencies, all rushed. He said he started having feelings for me when I went to Hong Kong for a break. I was taking photos on Nathan Road, and he saw me.”

“He also likes photography, but he got too busy with work and set the hobby aside.”

Zhu Yun quietly listened.

“After his father passed away, it must’ve been hard for him to keep Qingzhou afloat, right?”

Wen Yang nodded. “I think so.”

“You remember those fireworks during New Year’s?”

“New Year’s Eve?”

Wen Yang nodded and looked at Zhu Yun. “That was him.”

Zhu Yun met her daughter’s beautiful eyes and paused. “He was in Nanan at the time?”

“No, but he arranged everything.”

Zhu Yun said, “Then he’s really thoughtful. And he has a good sense of boundaries.”

Wen Yang smiled. “Yes, exactly—he knows how to keep the right distance.”

At that time in Wen Yang’s life, that’s exactly what she needed. Zhu Yun pinched her daughter’s nose gently. “Anyway, no matter what his past was, it’s enough that he treats you well.”

“Mm, Mom.”

Not far away, by a black car—

Two men stood beside it: future father-in-law and son-in-law.

Wen Li looked at Fu Xingzhou. “Why did you agree to the marriage contract in the first place?”

Fu Xingzhou looked at his future father-in-law and replied, “The chance of meeting true love is so small. I didn’t have the energy to think about it much, so I went along with my mother’s wishes and agreed.”

Wen Li replied, “Understandable.”

Though he didn’t come from a powerful family, he knew of many marriages of convenience, people getting by with mutual compromise. For wealthy families, there were often more tangled interests involved. All things considered, his future son-in-law was also a victim.

—

After the parents from both sides had met—

The wedding was officially placed on the schedule. It wouldn’t be arranged too soon, since there were still many procedures to go through. Tentatively, it would be held in South City.

Zhu Yun and Wen Li needed to return to Nanan to start preparing.

Fu Xingzhou had to go back to Hong Kong to handle some matters. He originally wanted to take Wen Yang with him, but she was still participating in the Flower House design competition and needed to stay focused. So Fu Xingzhou went ahead alone.

He would come back in a week to pick her up and take her to meet relatives in Hong Kong.

—

Early that morning.

Wen Yang, still in her pajamas, sat on the edge of the bed. Fu Xingzhou bent down to kiss her lips and gently brushed her hair. “Go back to sleep for a while.”

Wen Yang nodded and reached out to help him with his tie. She wasn’t very good at tying it, but Fu Xingzhou let her take her time. Wen Yang softly said, “Be safe on the road.”

“I will.”

“Message me when you arrive.”

“Mm.”

Fu Xingzhou kissed her lips again. The tie was done. He stood and kissed her forehead.

Wen Yang, still sleepy, put on a coat and walked him to the door.

Jiang Yue came to carry his luggage. The two of them went downstairs.

Wen Yang watched him get into the elevator, then yawned and went back to bed—it was still early. He had left just after six.

The black car merged onto the highway, headed toward Hong Kong.

At the same time—

A news headline began trending:

#Qingzhou Group CEO Fu Xingzhou to Remarry, Bride Is Wen Yang, Designer from Yunchi Studio#

The topic didn’t reach the very top of the trending list, but it stayed visible, low-key yet impossible to ignore.

Both Qingzhou Group’s official South City and Hong Kong social media accounts neither denied nor stopped the rumor. They even reposted it. Few words, but a clear stance:

Fu Xingzhou was getting remarried—and his future wife had been identified.

—

At Mengbai Jewelry—

Li Man sat in her office. Not only had she seen the trending topic, but she also saw a proposal video posted by Lu Zhan at some unknown time. It was a video of Fu Xingzhou proposing to Wen Yang.

Dreamy and romantic.

The man she had once longed for was now kneeling before Wen Yang, calling her the greatest gift of his life and asking if she would marry him.

Li Man stared at the video, at the dreamy scene, and at his face as he spoke. Her fingers trembled slightly.

Just then—

The office door burst open. Li Man set her phone down and looked up. Her mother, Wen Yuexian, came in and tossed her phone on the desk in front of her.

“You saw the news, right?”

Li Man glanced at it. “And?”

Wen Yuexian sneered, tapping her phone on the desk. “You handed over a perfect man to another woman. Do you know why Fu Xingzhou had that news posted?”

Of course Li Man knew. She pressed her lips tightly together.

Wen Yuexian tapped the desk. “From now on, you’d better learn to behave. No one is going to take responsibility for you anymore. The privileges you gained from Fu Xingzhou will now become weapons used against you. Li Man, wake up—this is the result of chasing love.”

At that moment, Li Man felt Fu Xingzhou had been cruel beyond words.

She gritted her teeth and said, “Is it wrong that I loved him? Is it wrong that I wanted him to love me back? Why did I have to stay in a loveless marriage for three years, while she—who has nothing over me—just has to wave and he comes running? Why?”

Wen Yuexian looked at her coldly, disappointed.

She said, “You know she’s not better than you, so why did you go steal her man? If you’d just stayed by Fu Xingzhou’s side—three years didn’t work? Then five. Five didn’t work? Then ten. Be patient. If you’re patient, what can’t you get?”

Li Man pointed to herself. “He’s seen through me. He’ll never love me.”

“And you made me become this kind of person.”

“You made me live like this.”

She was so angry she cried.

Wen Yuexian took a step forward. “Didn’t I tell you? You need to distinguish love from power and money. If you wanted his wealth and power, then don’t expect his love. You could seduce him, you could gain his pity, but you can’t fall for him first!”

“Did I tell you to hold your head high? Didn’t I tell you to act weak when it’s the right time? Just because you went to a good university, started a good company, and made a name for yourself in the industry—you think you’ve made it?”

“You’ve got a long way to go, Li Man.”

Li Man’s eyes were filled with tears. She bit her lip and stared at her mother.

Since childhood, her mother had been surrounded by all kinds of men. Money had always come easily to her. She’d invested generously in her daughter. Everything she used was the best, the most expensive. Her life had always been more luxurious than others’. She believed her future would be bright—she’d rise into higher circles and be better than her mother.

Not like this. Not being scolded like this.

Wen Yuexian tapped the desk and looked at her daughter with a bitter heart. “Remember this—from today on, stay far away from them. If Fu Xingzhou strikes back again, even I won’t survive it.”

“What you need to do now is bless them. If Fu Xingzhou really loves this Wen Yang, you’d better show the right attitude.”

Li Man: “I can’t.”

Wen Yuexian stared at her. “Li Man, don’t force me to cut off all ties with you.”

Sansukini: Both mom and daughter are utilitarian, but at least the mom knows when to bend.

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