Chapter 76: The Shen Family's Secret?

Fu Chen looked coldly at Lin Yu, who was sitting on the floor. He shook off his hand, picked up the coat from the sofa, draped it over his shoulders, and strode out.

The late night wind in the southern city cut across his cheeks like sharp knives, making his skin sting. His body was still flushed from the alcohol, but this bitter wind felt soothing, as if it could lower his temperature.

Fortunately, Uncle Liu arrived just in time. Seeing Fu Chen swaying unsteadily at the door, he hurried to help him into the car.

From the rearview mirror, Uncle Liu watched Fu Chen lying crookedly in the back seat and sighed softly. Lately, Fu Chen had been burdened with too much—facing the difficulties posed by Fu Heniang and the senior management at the company, the news of Lin Yiqing's pregnancy had angered Ke Jing, and now he heard that Fu Yixing was returning as well.

The young mistress had left. There was no one who could share the weight for the young master.

Uncle Liu looked at Fu Chen with a touch of pity.

When they arrived home, Fu Chen ignored Aunt Feng's attempts to stop him and rushed straight to the study. He turned on the computer and pulled up the surveillance videos from earlier. His gaze softened as he watched the woman's figure in the footage, a faint smile playing at his lips. He gently traced his fingers over the screen, as if he could truly touch her.

Aunt Feng stood at the doorway, watching Fu Chen as if he were possessed, shaking her head in resignation and muttering under her breath, "Ah, what a fateful entanglement."

————————

Song Hui feared that staying at Yu Yunxi's place any longer would only bring unnecessary trouble to her friend. She hurriedly settled her new home, packed up her luggage, and left without notifying Yu Yunxi.

She didn't have much to carry, and if she had told Yu Yunxi, her friend would surely have come back to see her off. She had already troubled Yu Yunxi enough; no matter how close they were, one shouldn't take advantage without restraint.

Blue Maple Apartments.

Song Hui dragged her suitcase into her new home, panting with exertion. Sweat trickled down her temples; despite the cold weather, she was drenched. Pregnancy had truly diminished her endurance—she hadn’t carried anything heavy, just walked from the gate to the building, yet she was exhausted.

She sat on the sofa, catching her breath as she surveyed the tidy room, feeling satisfied.

After resting for a while, she began to unpack and organize her things. She even cooked herself a simple meal, and by the time she finished, night had fallen.

“Huihui! That’s really not fair! You left without telling me!”

Just as Song Hui was about to turn on the television to relax, Yu Yunxi called, her tone clearly tinged with annoyance.

“I didn’t want to disturb your work. Besides, I didn’t have much to move, so I just left. Don’t be mad,” Song Hui replied softly, tossing a grape into her mouth.

“That’s not okay! Your body isn’t the same as before—you can’t afford to be careless,” Yu Yunxi replied, background noises of rustling plastic bags suggesting she’d brought takeout again.

“I know, I know. You should cut down on takeout too. If you’re free after work, come eat at my place,” Song Hui said sincerely.

“You’re already tired cooking for yourself, let alone including me. I’m used to eating takeout anyway.” Yu Yunxi slurped her food, swallowed with effort, then added, “Lin Yu called me today, probably to ask after your whereabouts.”

Song Hui’s eyes stayed fixed on the TV, unconcerned. “If they want to find me, it’s too easy. Just tell them you don’t know. I don’t want you involved.”

“But I heard Fu Chen’s walking on thin ice in the Fu family these days.”

Song Hui paused, licking her lips, hesitating for a while before she couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

Yu Yunxi’s voice dropped to a mysterious whisper. “I think it has something to do with what you said last time about his older brother. Recently, the magazine has been hearing rumors—apparently the Fu family is about to change hands.”

So soon? Song Hui was surprised.

Fu Chen had surely cultivated his own loyal people. How could he be dethroned so easily?

“Don’t worry about it. Let the magazine follow normal reporting procedures, but if anything important comes up, let me know,” Song Hui cautioned.

“I understand, I get it.” Yu Yunxi sounded serious for a moment, but it lasted barely three seconds before she burst into laughter. “I’ll hang up now, my favorite drama is starting. Take care of yourself, bye~” With that, she ended the call.

Song Hui smiled, looking at the disconnected phone. Yu Yunxi was truly adorable in her contradictions—serious and composed at work, like a woman in her thirties, but in life, just a playful girl.

Yet her words today reminded Song Hui of something odd. The Shen couple hadn’t called her once lately, nor had they inquired about the Fu family. That was far too unusual.

She needed to find out what was going on. The Shen family knew all her secrets; nothing could go wrong on their end.

——————

Early the next morning, Song Hui put on one of her few designer outfits—a pale blue silk blouse paired with a white midi skirt, topped with a camel coat. She bought some fruit and went to the Shen family residence.

The Shen mansion looked just as it had when she last visited, unchanged.

But the butler was startled to see her, taking a moment to regain his composure.

“Are Mom and Dad home?” Song Hui asked, her face expressionless.

The butler nodded quickly, leading her inside.

Through the huge glass window, Song Hui saw Shen Father leisurely practicing calligraphy, while Shen Mother sat nearby, sipping tea and watching television. The scene only made Song Hui feel more uneasy.

At the doorway, the butler called out, “Sir, Madam, Miss is back!”

Both Shen Father and Shen Mother looked at Song Hui in surprise, but she acted quite naturally, placing the fruit on the coffee table and smiling at Shen Mother.

“Mom, it’s been so long since I’ve visited you and Dad.”

Shen Mother’s expression was slightly awkward, even a bit embarrassed. Her gaze drifted, and she forced a smile.

“It’s nothing. I saw the Fu family’s been quite chaotic lately, so I figured you must be busy. There are rumors online about a woman pregnant with Fu Chen’s child—have you managed that situation?”

Song Hui picked up an apple from the table and began to peel it, her lips curved in a gentle smile.

“That’s for Fu Chen to handle; I don’t really interfere.” She finished peeling and handed it to Shen Mother, wiped her hands, and said delicately, “You haven’t even called me all this time. I thought something had happened at home and rushed over to check.”

Shen Mother took the apple, bit off a tiny piece just for form’s sake, and set it down, her eyes unconsciously flicking toward Shen Father.

“There’s been a lot going on at home too. We didn’t want to trouble you, so we didn’t call.”

Song Hui sneered inwardly—such a flimsy excuse. If anything were wrong, the Shen family would definitely have contacted her. There was certainly something hidden beneath the surface.