L&H - 103

At the end of July, Yu Qing moved into the villa in front of their old house. Originally, they planned to wait two more months, but with the need to set up the nursery for Little Yu Miao, they decided to move in early.

Living in the new house offered far more freedom than staying at home. One thing Yu Qing particularly enjoyed was that she could kiss Fu Ji Chen anytime without worrying about whether they were in a public area of the house.

Yu Qing’s workload had drastically decreased. All that remained was ensuring the success of the upcoming concert, after which her mission would be complete, and she could focus on preparing for childbirth. During this time, not only the higher-ups at Lemong but even Yu Qing herself felt the pressure, fearing any unforeseen complications.

It was the weekend, and Yu Qing was resting. Fu Ji Chen hadn’t gone to the office either. He now made sure to spend at least half a day to a full day each week at home with her.

Though the time he spent with her wasn’t much, for him, it was already squeezing out every possible moment he could afford to give her.

Fu Ji Chen leaned against the sofa, reading books related to pregnancy. Not having purchased any new ones recently, he had brought over the books he’d bought earlier to review them from the beginning.

Yu Qing rested her head on his lap, lying on her side.

They lived on the third floor of their new home, which was just the right height.

Outside the window, the view of the lake stretched out before them.

When Fu Ji Chen turned to the dog-eared page, he couldn’t help but frown.

He gently stroked Yu Qing’s cheek and looked down at her. “Once Little Yu Miao gets bigger, we won’t be able to have physical intimacy anymore.”

Yu Qing nodded. “Mm, I know.”

Her gaze remained fixed on the shimmering surface of the lake, rippling under the summer breeze.

Fu Ji Chen set the book aside and added, “For now, we can still do it twice.”

Yu Qing: “… “

She turned her face toward him, smiling. “Just say what you want…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Fu Ji Chen’s lips descended, covering hers completely.

On the sofa, someone’s phone kept vibrating incessantly.

Yu Qing reminded Fu Ji Chen to check his phone.

But Fu Ji Chen ignored it, pulling the curtains shut instead.

With only the two of them at home, they could indulge without restraint.

Fu Ji Chen kissed her in the way she liked, giving her everything she wanted.

She loved deep kissing while they made love, a moment when they could fully possess each other. But now, with Little Yu Miao between them, that wasn’t possible anymore.

Yu Qing couldn’t reach him to kiss him now. With her arms outstretched, her fingers threaded through his short, messy hair, feeling his possessiveness reflected in his gaze.

“Fu Ji Chen.”

Unconsciously, she called out to him in a coquettish tone.

The strenuous activity finally ended, leaving both of them drenched in sweat.

Fu Ji Chen gently wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead with his thumb. Half of her sweat was from nervousness. “This will be the last time before childbirth.”

For the time being, he wouldn’t put her through anything strenuous.

Yu Qing glanced at him, suddenly recalling something and breaking into laughter.

Fu Ji Chen: “What’s so funny?”

Yu Qing: “Actually, when we first got together, we had a date every week.” Though they never went out—their dates were either on the bed or the sofa.

Back then, whenever they were home, they naturally gravitated toward each other. Sometimes, when he was working overtime in his study, she would lean against the doorframe and whistle at him.

He couldn’t resist her.

When it came to her, his self-control was weak.

Nine times out of ten, he would drop whatever he was working on and carry her straight to the bathroom.

Fu Ji Chen pondered for a moment but couldn’t recall those supposed “dates.”

He kissed her. “Get up and take a shower.”

After detaching himself from her, he carefully helped her up.

From the sofa, the phone vibrated again.

Yu Qing grabbed her pajamas and headed to the bathroom, reminding him, “Maybe there’s something urgent. Check your phone.”

Fu Ji Chen quickly rinsed off, put on his bathrobe, and finally picked up his phone. As expected, some gossip had exploded in the group chat, flooding the screen.

He opened his phone and was taken aback.

In every big and small group chat, people were tagging him. It wasn’t just in the groups—hundreds of private messages had poured in, even from Qin Mo Ling, who asked: [What’s going on?]

Below the message was a screenshot of today’s gossip.

He hadn’t expected to stumble upon rumors about himself.

Apparently, word had spread that when Yu Qing worked in the legal department of Fu Corporation and started dating him, she had concealed her true identity.

Not only did she hide her identity, but she also excelled at pretending. From being a lavish spender, she transformed into a frugal woman, wearing shoes worth a few hundred yuan, commuting by subway, and avoiding vanity or pretentiousness.

During that time, he had been somewhat smitten and defended her at work.

In the end, he uncovered her deception.

Fearing his wrath toward the Yu family, Yu Qing orchestrated a plan, getting pregnant.

As for the napkin ring he made during that dinner—it was because Yu Qing threatened him. She said that if he didn’t take the initiative, she would marry Qin Mo Ling and take the child with her. Qin Mo Ling, his archenemy, was more than happy to cooperate.

That public relations battle between Lemong and Duo Xin was orchestrated by Yu Qing. Its real purpose was to expose their relationship and force him to acknowledge her identity.

Using the child as leverage, he had no choice but to compromise.

As for Duo Xin’s slogan, “Love at First Sight,” it had nothing to do with Yu Qing. At that time, she hadn’t even returned to the country, and he didn’t know her.

Many well-meaning friends sent messages advising him:

[Ever since you publicly announced your relationship, we’ve all heard about Yu Qing’s reputation. People in the circle even gave her a nickname: Money Shredder.]

[A woman like her is too expensive for an ordinary family to marry. Her approach to you must surely have ulterior motives.]

[Yu Qing is intelligent, charming, and beautiful—most men probably can’t resist such allure. But now that you know how calculated she is, shouldn’t you reconsider marriage?]

[Negative Two, so there’s this backstory between you and Yu Qing, huh?]

[I was always puzzled about when you became so high-profile, announcing your relationship.]

[If Yu Qing is really as they describe her, even with a child, you shouldn’t marry her. In the end, she might scheme to take half of Fu Corporation from you.]

Fu Ji Chen clicked on a voice message from another friend:

[No wonder you only registered the marriage six or seven months into the pregnancy—it seems you were forced to. Don’t get me wrong, but you shouldn’t have registered at all. Is Grandpa Fu desperate for a great-grandchild?]

There were hundreds of such messages, most of which he didn’t bother opening. They were all variations of the same advice: think carefully—Yu Qing isn’t someone he should keep.

In the large friend group chat, messages continued flooding in, though most were directed at Ji Qing Yuan.

[Is this because you offended Leng Wen Ning last time?]

Ji Qing Yuan: [It shouldn’t have anything to do with me. Those issues are long resolved.] He tagged Fu Ji Chen: [You should have a clear idea of what’s going on, right?]

Everyone in the big group knew about Fu Ji Chen and Yu Qing’s situation. But now, no matter how they explained it externally, it would only make things worse.

Since Fu Ji Chen and Yu Qing were already married, outsiders viewed them as a single entity. Any explanation would seem like a defense of their interests rather than their genuine feelings.

Fu Ji Chen couldn’t quite grasp the intent behind the fabricated lies.

Was it simply venting dissatisfaction, or was there another motive?

In business, it was impossible not to offend someone.

But very few people knew that Yu Qing had concealed her identity while being with him. Even Yu Shao Hong only found out later, let alone others.

Including his friends, most assumed Yu Qing had only hidden her true identity from her colleagues at Fu Corporation. They had always believed he knew who Yu Qing really was.

This sudden rumor revealed details about Yu Qing’s past that few were privy to.

“Mr. Fu.”

Yu Qing emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair.

Fu Ji Chen turned around and, after a moment’s hesitation, told her everything. “I don’t know if this is targeted at me, you, or us both.”

Yu Qing lightly wrapped her wet hair in a dry towel and blinked. “The only people who knew I was wearing my ‘little vest’ with you back then were Yu Jing Ze and Qin Mo Ling.”

Later, when he planned to uncover her disguise, only her father, sister, and Ji Qing Yuan found out. Oh, and Lu Chen.

Other than them, no one knew she had been hiding her identity while with Fu Ji Chen.

Afterward, during the public relations battle, Fu Ji Chen publicly announced their relationship.

At that time, everyone was focused on their dramatic love-hate romance as rivals. No one paid attention to how Fu Ji Chen and Yu Qing met or how they ended up together.

Fu Ji Chen took the towel from her hands and dried her hair for her. “Did you think of something?”

Yu Qing: “The people who know about us are just those few. My family wouldn’t talk about it, and yours even less so. As for Lu Chen and Qin Mo Ling, I trust their integrity.”

So, where was the problem?

Fu Ji Chen mentioned the earlier group chat: “They were also asking Ji Qing Yuan if it was Leng Wen Ning.”

Yu Qing shook her head. “Leng Wen Ning learned her lesson once; she wouldn’t fall for it again. If she had something to say, she’d make it known openly. Besides, she couldn’t have uncovered this.”

Still, with such an incident occurring, those in the know would naturally associate it with Leng Wen Ning.

After all, Fu Ji Chen and Leng Wen Ning’s relationship had been strained before.

And Leng Wen Ning was at odds with both her and Yu Jing Xin. Lemong had also cut off Leng Wen Ning’s financial lifeline. Her actions seemed plausible.

Yu Qing looked at Fu Ji Chen. “I’ve always considered potential disruptions to Lemong’s concert, including Zhou Si Yuan. But I couldn’t figure out how she’d make trouble for me. Now I think I understand.”

By throwing dirt directly at Leng Wen Ning, damaging her reputation, and creating negative buzz around Lemong’s concert, it was a triple threat.

Aside from Zhou Si Yuan, no one else could come up with such an idea.

She walked over to the sofa, picked up her phone, and called Yu Jing Ze.

Yu Jing Ze answered, “Don’t pay attention to what others are saying.” He reassured her.

Yu Qing wasn’t bothered: “Not a single word of it has reached my heart.”

What worried her was Lemong’s star-studded concert.

Now that this rumor was spreading within the circle, the person behind it likely intended to wait until the concert days to make it go viral. By then, it wouldn’t just affect the concert but also the stock price.

“Our couple-themed beverages collaboration with Duo Xin will also be impacted.”

After all that, she asked directly: “Brother, did you ever mention to Zhou Si Yuan that I was with Fu Ji Chen without revealing my true identity?”

Yu Jing Ze paused, admitting: “I might have mentioned it once.”

Yu Qing: “… “

Truly, careless words had caused trouble.

In that case, there was a nine out of ten chance that Zhou Si Yuan was behind this.

She couldn’t understand: “How could you discuss my private matters with Zhou Si Yuan? Are you even my brother?”

Yu Jing Ze: “I didn’t mean to say it.”

He thought carefully. “At the time, you were still working in Fu Corporation’s legal department and had a conflict with Xiao Yi Lin. Fu Ji Chen publicly declared you his fiancée at the cafeteria entrance.”

He had learned this news through Zhou Si Yuan.

One noon, Zhou Si Yuan came to Yu Bank to have lunch with him. During their conversation, she mentioned Yu Qing and joked that he had gained yet another wealthy brother-in-law surnamed Fu.

He didn’t say much, asking Zhou Si Yuan what she meant.

Zhou Si Yuan complained: “Don’t tell me you didn’t know! How could you keep this from me? Your sister Yu Qing is engaged to Fu Ji Chen, and you didn’t tell me a thing. Do you still consider me part of the family?”

He immediately called Yu Qing, but she hung up, saying she was busy in Fu Ji Chen’s office and couldn’t talk.

Zhou Si Yuan was confused: “Isn’t your sister supposed to be engaged to Qin Mo Ling? Why is she with Fu Ji Chen? And as his fiancée?”

He told Zhou Si Yuan: “Fu Ji Chen doesn’t know who Yu Qing really is.”

Afterward, he repeatedly warned Zhou Si Yuan not to say anything further. Yu Qing’s hornet’s nest had been stirred.

Yu Qing had a good sense of the situation: “It’s probably her. Everyone else in the circle is too busy making money to waste time on these antics.”

No one wanted to sour relations with Yu Bank or sever ties with Fu Corporation.

Even Leng Wen Ning, who swallowed her pride to collaborate with Lemong again, could overlook past grievances for profit. Yu Jing Xin, too, wouldn’t completely break ties with Leng Wen Ning for the greater good.

In the business world, people understood that alliances could form unexpectedly due to shared interests. Everyone left room for future cooperation, maintaining superficial harmony.

Zhou Si Yuan was different.

Otherwise, despite relying on Yu family resources and connections for years, she had failed to build her own network. Most people who worked with her once didn’t want to collaborate again.

She only sought to take advantage, but no one was foolish enough to fall for it.

“I’m hanging up now.” Just as Yu Qing was about to end the call, Yu Jing Ze’s voice came through again: “Wait.”

“What is it?” Yu Qing asked.

“What are you planning to do?”

Yu Qing reassured him: “I won’t drag Si Yuan Holdings down or add to their troubles. No matter what Aunt Lan has done, she’s still your and sister’s mother. As for Zhou Si Yuan, her extreme personality stems from her parents’ divorce. Whether it’s Aunt Lan or Zhou Si Yuan—”

She paused. “Human nature is always complex.”

She recalled a story Pang Lin Bin had shared with her: “Uncle Pang told me a small story at my graduation ceremony. When he was young, he lived in a slum where a group of young men fought, their faces bloodied and filled with hostility. A child passing by tripped and fell. One of the young men helped the child up and patted their head.”

“I only gradually understood the meaning of that story later.”

She brought the topic back: “Regarding this matter, I always consider it from the perspective of interests. I’ll resolve it with minimal cost to maximize benefits.”

Yu Jing Ze affirmed: “I won’t let anyone bully you.”

Yu Qing smiled. “Your words are enough.”

Yu Jing Ze asked with concern: “Then how do you plan to handle it? Is there anything I can help with?”

Yu Qing declined: “I don’t need anyone’s help. Don’t forget—I’m a lawyer.”

She wouldn’t waste time explaining. Whether others believed her or not was irrelevant.

Besides, even if she explained, it would only embolden the rumor-mongers and fail to address the looming public relations crisis for Lemong’s concert.

“If it’s really Zhou Si Yuan, after I gather evidence, I’ll sue her. I’ll make her apologize publicly, compensate me for emotional distress, and ensure she never dares to slander others again.”

Only by doing so could she ensure Zhou Si Yuan wouldn’t target Lemong’s concert.

Yu Jing Ze: “That’s a good idea. It’ll serve as a warning to Zhou Si Yuan, or she’ll only grow more reckless.”

Yu Qing asked: “Anything else? If not, I need to consult my lawyer.”

“Nope.” Before hanging up, Yu Jing Ze added: “Yu Qing, I’m your brother. I’ll never let anyone bully you.”

After the call ended, Yu Qing went to the study and opened her laptop to send an email to Yu Fei.

She detailed the entire incident and informed Yu Fei of her demands.

Fu Ji Chen didn’t disturb Yu Qing in the study. He respected all her decisions.

Messages kept pouring in, asking him what was going on.

He posted on his social media: [Here’s a unified response to everyone. Even if such matters can’t be fully explained, I still want to say a few words. I fell in love with Yu Qing at first sight. I pursued her actively for nearly a year. Our Little Yu Miao is what I wanted. Yu Qing didn’t want to marry, so I used the child to bind her to me. As for why we only registered our marriage now, it’s because she finally agreed to marry me. Everyone around me knows how much I love Yu Qing. You’ve teased me countless times about my burgundy shirt, asking if I’ve lost my mind. I haven’t. It’s because Yu Qing likes it. That keychain I always carry—it’s a gift from her. The song I practice at the club—it’s for her.]