Chapter Fifteen
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“Huaqing! Don’t you know what’s happening at home? Hasn’t Fu Chen told you?” The moment Shen Huaqing sat down, her phone was bombarded by her mother’s call. The woman on the other end sounded urgent, her voice tinged with sobs.
She was at a complete loss. “What’s wrong, Mom? What did Fu Chen say?”
Her mother sighed deeply, pausing for a few seconds before speaking. “Come home, let’s talk in person.”
After hanging up, Shen Huaqing frowned, her slender brows knitting together. She instinctively licked her dry, cracked lips.
Whenever she did that, it meant she was deeply unsettled.
Half an hour later, she arrived at the Shen family’s old mansion.
The atmosphere felt stifling as soon as she entered. The servants kept their heads bowed, busy with their chores. Even Housekeeper He, who always greeted her with a smile, now wore a heavy expression.
“Can’t you cook? If you can’t, then get out! The Shen family can afford a better chef!” Before she even reached the main hall, she heard her mother’s sharp voice berating the staff.
A deep male voice followed. “Enough! Must you throw the house into chaos?”
Her mother shot back, undaunted, raising her voice at her father. “Why are you taking it out on me? Go fight with the Fu family if you have the guts!”
“You—” Her father was about to retort when he noticed Shen Huaqing standing at the entrance. He swallowed his words, putting on a kindly face and beckoned her over, shooting his wife a fierce look in the process.
Shen Huaqing caught only fragments of their quarrel, unable to piece together much. She feigned obedience, nodding politely and sitting beside her father.
“Mom, Dad, what’s going on? Does this have something to do with Fu Chen?” Her innocent eyes looked from one parent to the other.
Her mother shot her a disdainful glance, snorting. “How dare you ask? Don’t you know what your husband has done? You’ve been sold and you’re still counting money for them! I really don’t know what use you are!” Her mother exploded, venting all her pent-up anger at Shen Huaqing. Gone was the dignified lady of privilege—she now seemed every bit the shrew.
Shen Huaqing had no wish to invite more trouble and simply stayed silent.
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Her father, seeing her subdued demeanor, coughed discreetly. The servants, sensing the mood, withdrew from the hall, and her mother composed herself, gulping down a glass of water.
Her father patted her shoulder and spoke gently. “I can tell you really didn’t know, but I have to tell you now. Only you can help us in this crisis.”
“Recently, the family’s finances have hit a wall. The bank is pressing for loan repayments, and too much money is tied up in various projects. We can’t free up any cash. We hoped the Fu family could help us through this rough patch, with the intention of repaying them later.”
He looked deeply embarrassed, and Shen Huaqing could see fresh strands of white in his hair, likely from the stress of recent days.
“But when we approached Fu Chen yesterday, he said the money wasn’t a problem—but only in exchange for ten percent of the Shen family’s shares! Isn’t that taking advantage of our misfortune? No matter what I said, he wouldn’t budge. That’s why we called you, hoping you could persuade him.”
It was impossible for her not to be shocked. Suddenly, Fu Chen’s recent tenderness made sense—it was all calculated. She wondered why not even the magazine had leaked such big news; she’d been completely kept in the dark.
“Mom, Dad, I really didn’t know. I’ve been preoccupied with other things at home, and if Fu Chen wanted to keep this from me, I couldn’t have found out on my own.”
“And this is indeed a tough situation. You know there’s not much affection between Fu Chen and me. Even if I tried, it might not help.”
She pursed her lips and spread her hands with a helpless gesture.
The couple exchanged a glance. Her mother immediately seized her hand, her weary gaze fixed on her daughter. “If you can secure the Fu family’s help, we’ll double the money for the hospital.”
Shen Huaqing’s eyes went wide—this crisis was clearly fatal for the Shen Group. She withdrew her hand, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and replied with an air of nonchalance, “I’ll do my best.”
Only then did relief flicker across her parents’ faces, and they hurried to persuade her to stay for dinner.
By the time Shen Huaqing returned to the Fu residence, night had fallen. She heard Fu Chen on the phone as she entered; the moment he saw her, he hung up.
She kept her head down as she changed her shoes, but watched him from the corner of her eye, speaking lightly: “What’s wrong? Afraid I’ll overhear your call?”
“It was just work.” Fu Chen’s jaw lifted slightly, his voice cool.
She strode over and tossed her bag onto the sofa beside him, looming over him with a glimmer of anger in her eyes. “Were you discussing my family’s affairs?”
He glanced at her, his tone indifferent. “You’re overthinking it. So—you went to see your parents today?”
The sight of his calm, almost cynical demeanor only fueled her anger. In one swift move, she straddled his lap, forcing him to meet her gaze.
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“Drop the act. My parents told me everything. You really had me fooled—completely in the dark.”
Fu Chen was startled, instinctively wrapping an arm around her waist as if afraid she might fall.
“So, are you here to demand answers?” His brows knit briefly, then he offered a faint smile.
Huaqing pouted in displeasure, cupping his face in her hands so close she could count his eyelashes. “What do you really mean by all this?”
“Nothing much. It’s just a business arrangement. If you’re hoping to sway me for your parents, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed, my dear wife.”
His eyes suddenly darkened, and his lips pressed into a cold, detached line.
“So this is your idea of teaching my family a lesson?”
She withdrew her hands, her tone airy, a beautiful, mocking smile playing on her lips.
“You married me—what’s mine is yours. Why concern yourself with the Shen family’s troubles?”
“If it comes to it, I can give you a separate sum. Just tell them you have no say in the matter.”
He reached up, caressing her cheek, his gaze softening as he lowered his voice, luring her ever closer to the trap he’d set.
Huaqing wavered, but only for a heartbeat. She quickly regained her composure, cold and distant, and brushed his hand away with a flick of her wrist.
“This isn’t about money. It’s about my parents—my family.”
Fu Chen’s long fingers gently encircled her smooth neck, his smile unwavering, but his face growing colder and his eyes chill and emotionless.
“Is that so? Do you truly care about them—about the Shen family?”
“Why not join forces with me? I can offer you far more than they ever could.”
Huaqing didn’t dare to move recklessly; at that moment, she felt like a lamb waiting for slaughter, her life hanging by the slightest pressure of Fu Chen’s hand.