Chapter Nine: That Girl

Shen Huaiqing stood contentedly before the full-length mirror. Her hair cascaded in voluminous waves down to her waist, and she wore a black evening gown with a deep V neckline. Most striking was the daring slit climbing almost to her upper thigh, revealing long, fair legs and delicate seven-centimeter heels.

This was her first time attending a banquet with Fu Chen, so she had dressed to the nines. The only flaw was that she hadn’t found a suitable necklace. With a faint sigh, she glanced at her jewelry box, picked up a diamond necklace at random, and was about to fasten it.

Suddenly, a pair of hands silently encircled her neck. Shen Huaiqing looked up at Fu Chen. He was dressed in an immaculate white suit, the cool aloofness about him unmistakable. His deep eyes were focused as he fastened a necklace around her throat; his slender fingers finished the job with practiced ease, then lingered to brush her smooth, delicate shoulder.

“Do you like it?” Fu Chen asked in a quiet, detached tone, as if admiring a work of art.

Shen Huaiqing glanced down at the necklace. It was set with pale blue teardrop diamonds, and a butterfly pendant encrusted with black diamonds shimmered brilliantly beneath the lights. Another butterfly! The design was almost identical to that of the earring.

She turned obediently, wrapping her slender arms around Fu Chen’s waist and resting her head against his chest, her tone playful. “I love it. It matches my dress perfectly. Thank you.”

Fu Chen gazed at the woman in his arms, a rare flicker of surprise crossing his dark eyes. He reached out to stroke her hair. “As long as you like it. Let’s go.”

Shen Huaiqing let him take her hand and followed him out to the car, heading to the hotel where the banquet was held.

At the hotel entrance, a crowd of reporters had already gathered. As soon as Fu Chen and Shen Huaiqing stepped out of their car, the reporters surged forward.

“Miss Shen, it’s rumored you and Mr. Fu never met before your marriage. Is this an arranged marriage?” a female reporter pressed, almost shoving her microphone to Shen Huaiqing’s lips.

Shen Huaiqing maintained a polite smile, offering no reply. Security guards blocked the flood of reporters with their bodies, but it was barely enough.

Seeing her refusal to answer, the reporters became even more relentless, eager to dig into every detail of their private lives.

“Mr. Fu, did you marry the Shen family heiress in order to acquire the Shen Corporation?”

“Is this marriage nothing but a show?”

“Miss Shen, did you marry into the Fu family because of a crisis within your own company?”

A barrage of sharp, intrusive questions followed, blocking their path and making progress impossible.

Annoyed, Shen Huaiqing was just about to speak when a cold voice sounded at her side.

“Tonight is a charity auction, not a press conference about our marriage. If any publication dares to spread nonsense and harass my wife, I will not be lenient,” Fu Chen declared, his expression unchanging but his words ringing with authority.

Instantly, the reporters fell silent, and some began to disperse. Security seized the opportunity to clear the way.

Fu Chen gripped Shen Huaiqing’s hand tightly, and she compliantly held his in return as they entered side by side.

Charity banquets were a well-known arena for business networking, where donations were made under the guise of philanthropy and then auctioned off, both to demonstrate one’s power and to win public favor.

Arm in arm, Shen Huaiqing and Fu Chen navigated the crowd, constantly greeted by people eager to speak with Fu Chen. With control over the city’s most profitable industries and the support of the Shen family, Fu Chen’s dominance was unrivaled—everyone wanted a share.

Most of the conversation fell to Fu Chen, while Shen Huaiqing simply kept smiling and responded with polite pleasantries as needed.

She watched him from the side. This man was flawlessly handsome, his demeanor usually gentle rather than cold, and there was a depth to his eyes that could mesmerize anyone.

Sensing her gaze, Fu Chen wrapped up his conversation and led her to their seats.

“What is it? Have you fallen for me?” he teased, a wicked smile playing at his lips.

Shen Huaiqing looped her arm around his neck, her tone flirtatious, “Am I not allowed?” Her foxlike eyes sparkled mischievously.

“I couldn’t wish for more,” Fu Chen’s deep voice rumbled in her ear.

From a shadowy corner, camera lenses captured the two of them.

Soon, the auction began. The host displayed one donated item after another, with waves of bidding echoing below. It was all rather dull.

Until—

The host brought out the final item, covered with a red silk cloth, its shape suggesting it was a painting.

“This is our highlight of the evening! Please take a look,” the host announced as security lifted the cloth, revealing a painting.

For the first time, Fu Chen’s expression changed when he saw the painting. Shen Huaiqing, her arm still linked with his, felt his entire body tense, even tremble.

Fu Chen’s dark eyes were fixed on the artwork, emotion swirling within them.

“This is Miss Lin Yiqing’s latest piece, sent from Italy for its debut tonight!” the host exclaimed excitedly.

The crowd was abuzz.

“Isn’t Lin Yiqing the young painter who’s made such a name for herself in Italy these last two years?”

“Yes, and she’s an heiress herself. I heard her parents own a company in England.”

“I recall one of her paintings sold for twenty million yuan in Italy last year!”

Conversation swirled around Shen Huaiqing, but her attention was on Fu Chen.

He seemed utterly spellbound by the painting.

“It looks like everyone’s excited. The starting bid is one million.”

“One and a half million.”

“Two million.”

“Three million.”

“Ten million!” Fu Chen’s deep voice rang out, echoing through the hall. All eyes turned to him.

He looked utterly confident, unconcerned by the attention, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“One million, going once, going twice... Sold for ten million!” The host called the bidding in the customary fashion, finalizing the sale with a resounding gavel strike.

Shen Huaiqing realized that Lin Yiqing must be the girl from the photograph—she had never seen this side of Fu Chen before.

After the banquet, they returned home. Fu Chen retreated straight to his study, while Shen Huaiqing, sensing his mood, went to shower in the bedroom, finally collapsing onto the soft bed.

She rolled restlessly across the sheets, replaying the past few days in her mind, yet unable to connect the threads.

What she did know was that Lin Yiqing had openly declared war on her. The earring had been a warning; tonight’s painting was a thunderclap. Who knew what the papers and magazines would have to say about it all?