Chapter 12: Do You Know Shen Fangfei?

“Dad, don’t be angry. It’s understandable that she’s a little headstrong, having grown up without her parents,” Yu Fei said, glancing at his considerate daughter. Thinking of Shen Qing’s stubborn attitude, he suddenly regretted bringing her to Fancheng.

“Let’s not worry about her. Let’s eat first.”

*

It was two days later before Xia Mang reached out to Shen Qing.

“Well, finished with your work?” Shen Qing asked, her Bluetooth earpiece in, eyes fixed on the stock market analysis on her computer.

The numbers were climbing quickly.

Xia Mang yawned, her tone lazy. “Don’t even mention it. My back’s still aching.”

Shen Qing clicked her tongue. “That young man’s got stamina, huh? Day and night, no breaks.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, you’re one to talk. Underage?” Xia Mang giggled.

“Qing, the Luo family moved up their schedule. They’ll be here in three days.”

“Mm, have the boss’s people arrived yet?”

“They’ve been here for a while, acting all high and mighty. What have you been up to these days?”

Shen Qing got out of bed and stretched. “Busy studying.”

“Yeah, right! Who are you trying to fool?” Xia Mang was utterly unconvinced.

She still remembered the first time she’d met Shen Qing in Jiang City. That girl who supposedly loved studying was always fighting, and even the rowdy students in school uniforms called her ‘boss’.

Shen Qing paused. “My grandpa’s only wish was for me to go to college.”

Xia Mang was taken aback; Shen Qing’s grandfather had passed away in June this year.

“Let your big sister hire ten tutors for you!” Xia Mang joked with a laugh. She didn’t know how to comfort people, and she knew Shen Qing didn’t need comforting.

“By the way, how long do you plan to stay with the Yu family?”

“The Yu family? The day after tomorrow is Yu Min’er’s birthday. I should go to the old Yu residence for the festivities.”

Xia Mang secretly grumbled. This was bound to drive the old lady of the Yu family mad.

“Alright, remember to come to the abandoned factory in the northern district of Fancheng in three days. There’s a road nearby.”

“Okay, I’m hanging up.”

Shen Qing ended the call. The numbers on her computer had risen a bit more.

*

In a villa at the center of Fancheng, Mo Wuxie was browsing gossip online.

“Damn it! That bastard Mo Yunzhou leaked dirt on my artist again!” Mo Wuxie gritted his teeth.

“Damn this company! There’s always some scandal—if it’s not male artists harassing people, it’s female artists being passed between old sugar daddies! Why do these paparazzi always write about such trash?”

“It couldn’t be any blacker. Beyond redemption!”

Dongfang Cheng glanced at Mo Wuxie and silently handed him a cup of chrysanthemum tea. “Good news travels slow, bad news travels fast. Calm down, man.”

“It’s only been a few days and I’ve lost another ten million,” Mo Wuxie said irritably, slamming his laptop shut.

“The stocks you bought a few days ago have gone up quite a bit. If you sell now, you’ll make some pocket money,” Gu Ting said, looking up from his tablet after sending a file.

Mo Wuxie, hearing this, rolled his eyes and began plotting about Shen Qing.

“Ting, can I talk to you about something?” Mo Wuxie sidled up, grinning obsequiously.

Gu Ting’s expression turned stern as he refused flatly. “No.”

Dongfang Cheng couldn’t help but speak up. “Come on, Ting, help him out. Look at him, he’s as pathetic as a stray dog.”

Mo Wuxie: …

Is that any way to talk about your brother?

“I’ll ask her for you,” Gu Ting finally relented.

Mo Wuxie grinned. “Great!”

*

In a downtown Fancheng ice cream shop, a tall, slender teenager paid with his phone and carried three drinks to a window seat.

“Dad, Mom,” he said, distributing the drinks before sitting across from the middle-aged man.

Lin Feng eyed the murky, almost black caramel milk tea, reluctant to take a sip.

Lin Ruiyang glanced at him and pushed over his lemon juice. “Dad, want to swap?”

“Sure.” Lin Feng nodded and quickly exchanged drinks with Lin Ruiyang.

Lin Tai couldn’t help but laugh. “Lin Feng, just look at yourself, acting like you’ve never had milk tea in your life.”

Lin Ruiyang looked down at the milk tea. It looked dreadful. Without expression, he took out his phone, opened up the question bank app, and squeezed in a couple of problems.

Lin Feng and Lin Tai exchanged a glance. This child thought about nothing but studying—he was becoming a complete bookworm.

Lin Tai was even more annoyed. What boy these days doesn’t play games? Look at her son: aside from the default music app, there wasn’t a single entertainment app on that expensive phone.

What a waste of such a pricey device.

Lin Tai stretched out her leg and nudged Lin Ruiyang’s shin, about to say something when a slender figure caught her eye.

“Feifei?” Lin Tai was startled, catching only a glimpse of her profile as the girl grabbed a milk tea and left the shop.

Lin Ruiyang was baffled. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

Lin Feng was also confused. Who was Feifei?

Lin Tai got up and hurried out of the shop.

“Mom, you—” But she was already gone.

“Let’s go, see what’s up.” Lin Feng grabbed Lin Tai’s unfinished drink and followed.

Lin Ruiyang had no choice but to put away his phone, his face expressionless as he walked out.

Seeing the woman rushing over, Shen Qing raised an eyebrow and asked politely, “Auntie, is there something you need?”

Lin Tai studied the face that bore a strong resemblance to Shen Fangfei. She took a deep breath and said, “Young lady, do you know someone named Shen Fangfei?”

“You have business with her?” Only then did Shen Qing pay attention to the woman in front of her.

Though she was middle-aged, her waist was slender, her features delicate, and her bearing dignified. Her hair was permed in the current popular style, making her look much younger.

Lin Tai recalled the old days, a bright smile lighting up her face. “Feifei and I were college roommates, but we lost touch a few years after graduation.”

Hearing this, Shen Qing’s attitude softened.

“I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed, Auntie. My mother passed away nine years ago.”

“What?” Lin Tai was stunned, her mind spinning as she swayed and started to fall backward.

“Xiaohui!” Lin Feng rushed out just in time to see Lin Tai tottering, his heart pounding.

Shen Qing was quick, catching Lin Tai and holding her steady.

Lin Feng and Lin Ruiyang finally caught up. “Thank you, young lady,” Lin Feng said, taking Lin Tai from Shen Qing.

“It’s nothing,” Shen Qing replied with a smile. She knew she was the cause of the woman’s faintness.

Noticing something was wrong, Lin Feng asked with concern, “Xiaohui, you look so pale. Are you alright?”

Lin Ruiyang, also noticing, regarded Shen Qing with a hint of wariness in his eyes.