“What did she say?”
Wen Yang asked softly. Since she was already here, she took the bottle and poured a drink for both herself and Yu Qing. The glass in front of Yu Qing was already half empty. Yu Qing took a sip and said, “She tried to persuade me to give up the competition.”
Wen Yang paused mid-sip and looked at Yu Qing in surprise. “Why?”
Yu Qing let out a cold laugh and said, “She played the emotional card. Said that back in school, if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have won those competitions so smoothly. That it was her who brought me into later projects. Without her, I would have just been doing odd jobs after graduation, working as someone’s assistant. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to stand on my own. She claimed it was all because she trusted me and gave me those opportunities—that without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Wen Yang listened, holding her wine glass, almost in disbelief. “So she thinks everything you have today is thanks to her?”
Under the dim lighting, Yu Qing met Wen Yang’s eyes and nodded. “I am*grateful to her, Yangbao. Truly. What she said isn’t entirely wrong. She did have more connections than I did back in school and secured a lot of good projects—that’s always been my weakness. I believe in my own ability, but I’m not great at networking. I’m too headstrong and can’t manage delicate relationships well.”
“I’ve always been grateful to her, which is why our studio has avoided any direct conflict with hers. I didn’t want to go head-to-head with her. Whatever we’ve done has had nothing to do with her, right?”
Wen Yang nodded. “Of course. We each have our own path. Nancheng is big enough for two studios, surely.”
The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.
“Sktbv. Jwv vseyu pbl wple swa rypv lxsvksdyz csde vs vau yde ralppwal xl kdvs tkhkdt wr vbl nsxrlvkvksd. Fbl pyke vbyv okvb Yyeyx Ww pwrrsavkdt swa pvweks, ol pbswzed’v cl osaakle ycswv saelap. Mbyv kd vbl qwvwal, lhld vbl nsxrlvkvksd’p alpwzvp oswze elrlde sd pvyvwp. Mbyv alyzzu rkpple xl sqq. R pvsse wr yde ulzzle yv bla. Mbld ol bye y qktbv—fwpv zkjl vbl sdlp ol bye obld R wple vs osaj qsa bla.”
“Gqvla vbl qktbv, R fwpv qlzv kdnalekczu pye. R wple vs vawpv bla ps xwnb, pyo bla zkjl y ckt pkpvla. Ohlau vkxl R tsv y rakgl, R’e cwu bla elpktdla cytp yde zwmwau tssep. R oyp vawzu vbydjqwz vs bla. Gde dso ol’hl ldele wr zkjl vbkp… kv’p fwpv lmbywpvkdt.”
Eld Zydt rwv esod bla tzypp yde bwttle bla. “Fbl nbydtle y zsdt vkxl yts. Fbl’p ds zsdtla vbyv pkdnlal pldksa qasx pnbssz. Zsw jdso kv vss—bla pvweks kp cyalzu bydtkdt sd dso. Tla yckzkvklp esd’v xyvnb uswap, yde pbl’p sd pbyju taswde shla vblal. Bp ldvlakdt vbl nsxrlvkvksd kp y vbalyv vs bla. Gde xyucl, ulp, xu nwaaldv pvyvwp eslp pvka psxl srkdksdp.”
“Jwv usw dlle vs vawpv vbyv vbkp nsxrlvkvksd kp y nkvu-zlhlz sdl. Rv okzz cl qyka yde fwpv. Ww Dkdtgbsw byp ds kdvlalpv kd xleezkdt kd kv. Mbkp kp xu sod xyvvla, yde bl alprlnvp vbyv.”
Zw Ckdt dseele yde bwttle Eld Zydt cynj. “R jdso. R clzklhl kd vbyv vss. El’al dsv eskdt vbkp fwpv qsa swaplzhlp—ol’al eskdt kv qsa vbl pvweks.”
“Omynvzu. El’al xykdzu eskdt vbkp qsa vbl pvweks, yde plnsdeyakzu qsa swaplzhlp. Oprlnkyzzu usw—uswa vyzldv elplahlp vs cl plld,” Eld Zydt pyke tldvzu.
Zw Ckdt tyhl y nswrzl sq yqqkaxkdt bwxp.
Myzjkdt kv swv okvb Eld Zydt alyzzu xyel bla qllz xwnb clvvla. Fbl pvkzz alxlxclale bla pldksa’p jkdedlpp, cwv pbl eked’v oydv vbyv tayvkvwel vs clnsxl y cyatykdkdt nbkr Nkw Zw nswze wpl vs vbalyvld bla. Mbyv oyp obyv nbkzzle bla vbl xspv.
She had almost fallen for her manipulation—seriously considered quitting the competition. She didn’t want to be someone ungrateful. But how could she face Wen Yang and the studio if she gave in? That’s why they ended up fighting.
Wen Yang asked, “You ordered this much alcohol—were you planning to drink yourself into oblivion?”
Yu Qing let go of Wen Yang and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She slid a flyer over to her, showing some sloppy handwriting from the bar owner announcing a new promo.
“Buy one dozen, get two dozen free. Losing money is worth it to crush that sleazy muscle-man bar next door.”
Wen Yang blinked. “Huh?”
Yu Qing laughed, pointing at the flyer. “I didn’t see this promo and just ordered as usual. Then they brought over three dozen. That’s why there’s so much. Also, look at this handwriting—can a normal person even read this?”
“I had to study it for a while to figure it out. Now I kinda regret it. Should’ve just gone to the bar next door.”
Wen Yang chuckled. “Too late. We’ll just have to drink it.”
Yu Qing nodded, pouring another drink for Wen Yang. “Where’s your husband? I dragged you out—he’s not mad?”
“He’s not mad. He had to go to the office for something.”
“Ohhh. Then we’ll drink, and later he can come pick you up.”
Wen Yang smiled.
It had been a while since she’d had some cold beer.
Since they were already here…
And considering they paid for one portion and got three—they couldn’t exactly take it home. No wonder every table was full. Wen Yang and Yu Qing ordered some snacks to go with their drinks. Though this bar didn’t have muscle guys, they did have piano music—quite refined, actually.
As they drank…
Night deepened.
Before coming, Wen Yang had texted Fu Xingzhou, telling him Yu Qing wanted to talk and they were at a bar. Once he finished his business, he came to pick her up. The moment he stepped into the bar and saw all the empty bottles on their table, he knew they’d had a lot. The two of them were holding their glasses and laughing while playing finger-guessing games. Wen Yang wasn’t wearing makeup, just her bare face with long lashes.
Fu Xingzhou watched them for a moment, then smiled and walked over, taking her wrist mid-gesture.
Wen Yang was slightly tipsy. She turned and met his gaze, her voice soft, “You’re here.”
“Mhm.”
“Going home?”
He asked gently.
Wen Yang blinked, then nodded.
Seeing Fu Xingzhou arrive, Yu Qing gave a quick “hey!” and stopped playing. She nudged Wen Yang. “Go on, go with your husband.”
Wen Yang, nudged by Yu Qing, naturally let Fu Xingzhou pull her up into his arms. His familiar sandalwood scent surrounded her, while he picked up the scent of her hair and the wine. He gave Jiang Yue a look. Jiang Yue went to settle the bill and grabbed Miss Wen’s bag. Then he moved to support Yu Qing—she was tipsy too, and wouldn’t be able to walk on her own.
Just as Yu Qing was about to stand, her phone rang. She answered—it was Xu Xu.
His voice came through the speaker: “Where are you?”
Yu Qing mumbled, “Bar. What do you want? I’m at a bar.”
Xu Xu asked, “Who else is with you?”
“Wen Yang. Wen Yang.”
Xu Xu asked, “You’re drunk? Is Wen Yang drunk too?”
Yu Qing replied, “Not drunk.”
Then she hung up and stood up with Jiang Yue’s help. Just then, the bar door opened. Xu Xu had been in the bar next door. He came in and saw Fu Xingzhou carrying Wen Yang out. Wen Yang’s dainty high heels dangled from her toes. Her cheeks were flushed like she was sound asleep in his arms.
Xu Xu met Fu Xingzhou’s gaze and gave him a nod. “President Fu.”
Fu Xingzhou nodded back politely and left.
He said to Jiang Yue, “If President Xu wants to take Yu Qing, we should ask her directly.”
Jiang Yue nodded. “Understood.”
After Fu Xingzhou left with Wen Yang, Xu Xu walked toward the booth. Jiang Yue was holding Yu Qing, who seemed unwell—like she might throw up. She leaned against his arm. Jiang Yue leaned away slightly but kept supporting her, businesslike, her bag in hand. Xu Xu raised a hand in front of Yu Qing and asked, “Did Liu Yu come looking for trouble again?”
Yu Qing looked up. Her short hair framed her pretty eyes. “How do you know everything? You’re like a mind-reader.”
Xu Xu snorted. “Don’t need to be. One look at you and I can tell. But why’d you drag Wen Yang out to drink with you?”
Yu Qing hiccupped. “None of your business.”
Xu Xu shrugged. “Fine, not my business. You want Jiang Yue to take you home, or should I?”
Yu Qing stared at him.
A few seconds later, she said, “Let’s go. I’ll go with you. But you’d better play games with me later.”
“Sure.”
Xu Xu held out his hand and helped her over. Jiang Yue breathed a sigh of relief but remembered to ask, “Miss Yu, you’re still sober, right? I assume your relationship with President Xu is close, and I don’t want to interfere. But I hope you’ll confirm.”
Yu Qing turned back and smiled. “Mm, I’m sober. This little bit of alcohol is nothing. Thank you, Secretary Jiang.”
Jiang Yue smiled. “You’re welcome.”
He looked at Xu Xu. “President Xu, please take good care of Miss Yu.”
Xu Xu replied, “I will.”
Jiang Yue smiled and left the bar. The black sedan was parked outside. He went down the steps and got into the driver’s seat. The partition rose. Wen Yang leaned against Fu Xingzhou, dazed and drowsy. Her long hair draped to her waist, soft in his palm. She nuzzled into his neck.
Her lips were a rosy red.
Fu Xingzhou, seeing how clearly drunk she was, smoothed her hair and asked softly, “What did Yu Qing talk to you about?”
Wen Yang mumbled back, “The competition. Her senior asked us to quit. She tried to emotionally manipulate her.”
Fu Xingzhou raised an eyebrow.
“And then?”
Wen Yang softly said, “Of course we didn’t agree. We entered the competition for the sake of our studio, we’re not going to compromise. Besides, we worked so hard on our drawings, how can we just give them up? She’s really shameless.”
After hearing this, Fu Xingzhou replied, “That’s right.”
Wen Yang glanced up at him.
Fu Xingzhou lowered his eyes, and as their gazes met, Wen Yang said, “Tell me, are we just easy targets? Is that why everyone bullies us?”
Fu Xingzhou gently tapped her nose. “No. It’s because you’re too kind. There’s nothing wrong with kindness. The ones at fault are them.”
Wen Yang’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. “Exactly.”
Fu Xingzhou took the opportunity to kiss her lips.
After a while, shadows of the trees moved across the black car. Inside the sealed vehicle—if anyone could see through—they’d find Wen Yang clinging to Fu Xingzhou’s neck, eagerly asking for more kisses. The man held her waist with one hand, their long hair softly falling around them. Wen Yang panted lightly, her cheeks flushed. Fu Xingzhou turned his head and kissed her neck, slowly moving down—but teasingly, like a cat, he didn’t go lower.
Wen Yang leaned her forehead against his and reached up to undo something.
But in the car, Fu Xingzhou lightly bit her, satisfying her craving just a little.
Until they got out of the car.
The underground parking lot was quiet. Jiang Yue didn’t get out. Wen Yang had a black blazer draped over her shoulders and was held by Fu Xingzhou as they went upstairs.
The house was quiet, dimly lit. The floor-to-ceiling curtains were tightly shut. Fu Xingzhou leaned against the sofa, pulled her over, and continued to give her what she wanted. Driven by the lingering effects of alcohol, Wen Yang finally got what she longed for.
Her eyes were misty, her body trembling slightly, sensitive in every inch.
—
The next morning.
Wen Yang was still drowsy. After applying light makeup and getting dressed, she was led into the black car by Fu Xingzhou. The car started and headed toward the highway—destination: Hong Kong. Last night had been intense, and Wen Yang was still tired, falling asleep again in his arms. Fu Xingzhou reviewed some documents and gently covered her with his jacket while the car drove steadily on.
It was early.
The sun rose in the east, as if guiding their way.
They arrived in Hong Kong.
Right at noon.
Wen Yang was well-rested, hair tied up, wearing a French-style waist dress—elegant and beautiful. After getting out of the car, Fu Xingzhou led her into a restaurant. The Qiu family was already present, including Fu Bin.
Qiu Pei had many siblings—two uncles, two aunts above them. Both uncles brought their families, as did the two aunts. Fu Bin was from the Fu side, and his father was also present. His mother was still in the U.S. and hadn’t returned yet. Fu Bin’s father looked almost exactly like him, exuding the air of a seasoned underworld boss.
But today, Qiu Pei wasn’t present.
Wen Yang knew she was recuperating in Nancheng.
Fu Xingzhou held Wen Yang’s hand and they sat down. The two uncles and their families were respectful—indeed, “respectful” was the word. Wen Yang felt that the respect wasn’t directed at her, but at Fu Xingzhou beside her.
His two aunts had kind personalities and chatted warmly with Wen Yang.
The two uncles-in-law listened on the side. One had a loud voice and asked Wen Yang, “What does your family do? And you?”
Wen Yang smiled gently and replied, “My mom works in auditing, my dad is an electrical engineer, and I’m an interior designer.”
“Such an ordinary family.”
The uncle-in-law commented bluntly. His wife quickly nudged him. Wen Yang still smiled softly, not flustered at all. She was, indeed, from an ordinary background. Fu Xingzhou gave a sidelong glance at the two of them.
They instantly quieted down.
Several children liked playing with Wen Yang, climbing into her lap and calling her “auntie.” They even brought her candy.
In that upscale restaurant.
Wen Yang, for the first time, saw Fu Xingzhou speaking entirely in Cantonese. She’d heard it mentioned countless times before, but now she was hearing much more. Here, he was clearly the one in charge, holding her hand and speaking with authority. A single glance could silence everyone.
That kind of aura was unmistakable—and his Cantonese was exceptionally pleasant to hear. The uncles, aunts, and even the kids often spoke in Cantonese.
After the meal.
They left the restaurant. As Wen Yang watched them all get into their luxury cars and drive off, she turned to Fu Xingzhou and blinked. “Hm? You talked even less than usual today.”
Much of Fu Xingzhou’s intimidating aura had faded. He held her hand and bent down to get into the car. “Yeah.”
Once settled inside, Wen Yang looked at him and asked softly, “What do your two uncles do now?”
Fu Xingzhou said, “Nothing. Qingzhou failed in their hands.”
Wen Yang was momentarily stunned. No wonder they were so afraid of him.
Fu Xingzhou gently squeezed her hand and said, “Grandfather and Grandmother gave them a wealthy life but never taught them how to survive. The company should’ve been passed to them, but in the end, it fell to my father.”
Wen Yang listened and understood.
She asked quietly, “What about your aunts and their husbands?”
Fu Xingzhou shook his head slightly.
Wen Yang immediately understood—no wonder Aunt Qiu Pei didn’t want to return to Hong Kong. With such siblings, she had endured the loss of her husband, and now Fu Xingzhou had to shoulder Qingzhou alone. Not only could the others not help—they might even ruin things.
Fu Xingzhou pulled her into his arms. “My father patched a lot of holes for them.”
Wen Yang felt suffocated just hearing it.
She softly said, “So your dad had it really hard.”
Fu Xingzhou let out a soft “Mm.”
Yes, it was hard.
That’s why, once he took over, he became much less easy-going.
Wen Yang looked at him—she could sense that his coldness toward his relatives was more about keeping them in check. He wasn’t as laid-back and gentle as he was at the old family home in Nancheng.
Fu Xingzhou tapped her nose. “Seeing them once is enough. There won’t be many more times. Don’t pay attention to what they say.”
Wen Yang nodded with a smile. “Okay.”
Soon, the black car arrived at his home in Hong Kong—facing Victoria Harbour. The interior was minimalistic, just as Jiang Yue had said, with a cool color palette. There was only one bedroom. The kitchen was practically unused, but there was a study and a walk-in closet, as well as an entertainment room and a fitness area. It resembled the Washington apartment, though the night view here was clearly better—with a full view of Victoria Harbour from the balcony.
That evening, Wen Yang and Fu Xingzhou drank tea on the balcony.
She leaned against the table, steam rising from her cup. “It would be perfect if we had some wine.”
Fu Xingzhou smiled, went inside, and brought out a bottle of red wine and two glasses. He poured them and looked down at her. “Just a little. We’re taking photos tomorrow.”
Wen Yang nodded and accepted the glass with a bright smile. They clinked glasses.
He wore a black shirt today, sleeves rolled up, wrists exposed, eyes sharp. Wen Yang vaguely recalled that moment in the BBQ restaurant—he seemed so noble and untouchable back then.
That sense of aloofness—unreachable—but undeniably handsome, drawing everyone’s attention.
After finishing her glass, Wen Yang rose on tiptoe to kiss him. Fu Xingzhou held her waist as they shared a sweet, lingering kiss. In the distance, the lights of Victoria Harbour sparkled romantically.
From the next day on—
A three-day photo shoot began: trying on wedding dresses, shooting. Everything had been arranged in advance. The shoot was in Hong Kong with a top-tier team, both indoors and outdoors. Wen Yang brought her camera and took many photos herself. All outfits were custom-made and beautiful.
After finishing the three-day shoot in Hong Kong—
They spent one more day sightseeing, then returned to Nancheng, where another photo shoot awaited. Another team was already prepared there. On the way back, Fu Xingzhou reviewed a wedding planning company and asked Wen Yang, “Do you have a wedding style you like?”
Wen Yang looked up at him. “I do, but I’m not sure if it can be booked.”
Fu Xingzhou lowered his eyes. “Which one?”
“Muse.”
After hearing this, Fu Xingzhou nodded. “Okay.”
“I’ll have Jiang Yue arrange it.”
Wen Yang held his arm. “It’s hard to book.”
“We’ll try.”
Fu Xingzhou smiled.
On his tablet, Jiang Yue had just sent an email from the company Yiyan. Fu Xingzhou didn’t open it. Yiyan was good—but so what? Wen Yang’s opinion mattered more. The message he conveyed to Cheng Yanyu wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Once the planning company was confirmed, Jiang Yue contacted them. In fact, after the trending topic about them broke, Muse’s director had already visited personally and submitted materials.
Now Jiang Yue was just following up.
The other side was thrilled and honored: “Thank you to Mrs. Fu for your love and support.”
—
After the wedding photos were done—
The next step was to get their marriage certificate.
Zhu Yun had chosen a beautiful date based on their birth charts, which were extremely compatible—giving them more auspicious dates to choose from. On the chosen morning, Aunt Zhong was up early, even more nervous than Wen Yang, already preparing breakfast.
Wen Yang was a bit nervous too. She got up the moment the alarm rang, changed clothes, and tied her hair.
She picked a pale, gradient-dyed long dress, wore a begonia diamond necklace, and her engagement ring. When she stepped outside, Fu Xingzhou was waiting in a full suit.
After breakfast, they left.
The sun was shining brightly. After getting out of the car, they arrived at the civil affairs bureau once again. Fu Xingzhou held Wen Yang’s hand as they walked step by step up the stairs. Looking at the three characters for “Civil Affairs Bureau,” Wen Yang’s mind flooded with images. Her small bag slipped from her hand. She let go of Fu Xingzhou’s hand, turned to pick it up, then lifted her dress to continue up the steps.
Fu Xingzhou reached out his hand to her. Wen Yang looked up, met his eyes.
She thought of that time—
He had held her hand on these very steps, steadying her when she was vulnerable. Wen Yang smiled sweetly, placed her hand in his. Fu Xingzhou looked down and smiled as he took her hand, waiting as she walked up the steps, then led her inside the bureau.
The hem of her dress fluttered in the air, catching the sunlight—it looked like it was glowing.
Sansukini: No, it’s not the end yet. Stay tuned for more chapters.
Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)
You can also check out my other translations Here
😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆