《I Became Super Rich After Resigning》


 Chapter 2 - 2 The Genuine Rich Heiress

    <h4>Chapter 2: Chapter 2 The Genuine Rich Heiress</h4>


    Gu Hanchen stood up from the leather chair upon hearing this and scratched his short, cropped hair. "Are you joking? You got pregnant before Mi Chen''s IPO?"


    "You''re not married yet, how did you get pregnant?"


    Yuan Xi''s voice was calm, "I am not married, the child was just an ident."


    "Mr. Gu, I want to resign."


    She did work hard in the past five years at Mi Chen, true, but her sry was not low either.


    By now, she might not be financially free, but she had managed to acquire a small 100-square-meter apartment in the heart of Jiang City, where real estate was worth its weight in gold, along with a car formuting.


    Although her savings weren''t substantial, they were enough for her to have the child.


    Moreover, once Mi Chen''s shares were listed, they would be sufficient to support her two children.


    It was the right time to find a more rxed job, given that her pregnancy-induced vomiting was severetely and needed proper rest.


    Not to mention, Gu Hanchen''s fianc¨¦e Yu Xiaoxiao was troublesome to deal with, and she couldn''t afford to offend either the Yu Family or the Chu Family...


    Better to resign now and take care of her pregnancy.


    Gu Hanchen frowned and said, "Resign? Impossible. How could you have the gall to resign at such a crucial point in Mi Chen''s n to go public?"


    Yuan Xi said, "Although having a child was an ident, I still want to bring my child up properly. Since joining Mi Chen after graduating, I have never taken a day off. Now that I have a child, I want to find another job that is rxed and allows me to take care of the child."


    "I won''t approve it; you can''t resign!"


    Gu Hanchen said coldly, "Yuan Xi, you need to think clearly. Is it worth sacrificing your career for a child? It seems like the child''s father doesn''t even know he has a child, does he?


    If the father of your child doesn''t take responsibility, can you raise the child alone?


    You are still young, you will have other children in the future. You might as well have an abortion. Nothing is more important than Mi Chen''s IPO."


    Yuan Xi looked at Gu Hanchen coldly; how could he say such a thing?


    "Mr. Gu, I have been an orphan since I was eighteen, and I crave having a child more than anyone else. I will never willingly give up this child."


    Yuan Xi gently stroked her t abdomen, her determination to resign growing firmer, "Mr. Gu, I will submit my resignation request via the OA system. In principle, I can leave after finishing the handover of my work. Please expedite the process of finding someone to take over my job."


    Gu Hanchen''s voice was cold, "Yuan Xi, you should understand the consequences of offending the Gu Family of Jiang City. If you dare resign at this time, I''ll make sure you can''t find a job in Jiang City in the future, and we''ll see how you support your child!"


    "Mr. Gu, the police are here; they say they want to see Yuan Xi."


    Special Assistant Wang opened the door of the office and hurried in.


    Gu Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi, "How did you get involved with the police?"


    Yuan Xi looked outside; there were several familiar police officers, and behind them followed Jiangcheng''s Richest Man, Chu Qing, and his wife Yang Ying.


    The Chu Yan who had stopped her in the parking garage earlier was Chu Qing and Yang Ying''s most adored daughter.


    The police approached Yuan Xi, "Yuan Xi, congrattions, you have found your parents. The DNAparison results are out, and you are Chu Qing''s daughter."


    Upon hearing the police officer''s words, Yuan Xi stood frozen, more shocked than when she learned of her pregnancy.


    At the age of eighteen, Yu Xiaoxiao was left orphaned after her adoptive parents died unexpectedly. Thepensation money became a point of contention; her aunts and uncles, eager to snatch away what her parents left behind, imed she was a child bought by her parents and kicked her out of the house.


    At first, Yu Xiaoxiao refused to believe it, but when the DNA test results wereid before her, she was forced to ept the truth.


    For eight years, Yu Xiaoxiao had been searching for her parents, never imagining that they could be Jiangcheng''s Richest Man!


    After hearing the police''s statement, Gu Hanchen looked at Chu Qing with confusion and asked, "Uncle Chu, what''s going on? How could Yu Xiaoxiao be your daughter? And what about Chu Yan?"


    Chu Qing exined, "Twenty-six years ago, Xinxin, who was only three months old, was kidnapped by the nanny, who then demanded a million-dor ransom. While we were trying to raise the ransom, Xinxin was again abducted from the train station and went missing."


    "At that time, your Aunt Yang was devastated. After searching for a year with no sess, we adopted a daughter from the orphanage to raise as if she was Xinxin, who is now known as Chu Yan."


    With tears brimming in her eyes, Yang Ying embraced the stunned Yu Xiaoxiao, "Xinxin, I''m sorry, it''s all mom and dad''s fault. We''ve never given up on looking for you all these years, but we never imagined you were right here in Jiang City, and it took us so long to find you."


    Yu Xiaoxiao stood there in shock, embraced by her mother, a feeling she hadn''t experienced in a long while.


    Her foster parents weren''t wealthy, but they had treated her very well; before she reached eighteen, she had lived almost like a little princess.


    Her adoptive mother was quite short, less than 1.5 meters, while Yu Xiaoxiao stood at 1.7 meters, yet her mother always liked to hold her.


    Now Yang Ying, wearing high heels, was even taller than her and had the scent of a high-end, elegant perfume. Perhaps it was the connection of blood, but that single embrace made Yu Xiaoxiao feel as if she was back in the days when her adoptive mother was still alive.


    "Mom..." a voice came from deep within Yu Xiaoxiao''s throat, "Mommy."


    Tears streamed down Yang Ying''s face uncontrobly, "My Xinxin, my Xinxin... Mommy has finally found you, let''s go home with mommy."


    "No!"


    Just as the mother and daughter were having this touching reunion, Gu Hanchen interjected, "Aunt Yang, Uncle Chu, it is still working hours. Yu Xiaoxiao is still my secretary and can''t just leave with you!"


    With tear-filled eyes at having found his daughter, Chu Qing said, "It wouldn''t be a big deal just to take a day off."


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    Gu Hanchen, with a headache, said, "How can it not be a big deal, one of the major shareholders of Mi Chen specifically requested that Yu Xiaoxiao deliver the financial report to him, he''s the god who has the power of life and death over ourpany... if Yu Xiaoxiao doesn''t go now, he might really pull his investment!"


    Chu Qing replied, "How is that a big problem? If the major shareholder pulls out, Uncle Chu will invest in your venture."


    Hearing about the major shareholder from Gu Hanchen, Yu Xiaoxiao paused slightly and stepped out of Yang Ying''s embrace, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.


    "Dad, mom, even though I''ve handed in my resignation letter, I haven''t officially left yet. I want to continue to work diligently to the end."


    Chu Qing smiled and said, "Resigning is good, after quitting,e and seed at Chu Group. I''ve always heard your brother say how capable Gu Hanchen''s Secretary Yuan is. It''s much better to work for our family business than being a secretary for someone else."


    Gu Hanchen frowned, wondering how Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly became the daughter of the Chu Family.


    How could she be the daughter of the Chu Family?


    Mi Chen might do without Gu Hanchen, but not without Yu Xiaoxiao.


    He definitely couldn''t let Yu Xiaoxiao resign.


    Chu Qing and Yang Ying instructed Yu Xiaoxiao toe back to the Chu Family as soon as she got off work. After agreeing, she returned to the office and printed the first-quarter financial report.


    It was already May; Huo Shiyuan should have seen the first-quarter financial report by now. Why did he still need her to report it?


    After organizing the financial reports, Yu Xiaoxiao thought for a moment, took out the ultrasound report from her bag, and slid it in with the financial statements.


    Looking at the fetal sac on the ultrasound, Yu Xiaoxiao gently touched her t belly, unsure if he would force her to terminate the pregnancy once he knew about the child...

 Chapter 4 - 4 Blue Diamond Ring

    <h4>Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Blue Diamond Ring</h4>


    Yuan Xi helplessly said, "My brother, Chu Lin, and Gu Hanchen grew up as close as brothers, so taking you to meet my parents is essentially the same as telling Gu Hanchen about our marriage."


    Huo Shiyuan was slightly surprised by Yuan Xi''s background, "Then, how long do you n to keep it from Gu Hanchen?"


    "After Mi Chen''s IPO," she replied.


    Yuan Xi said, "I have to go now."


    Huo Shiyuan stopped Yuan Xi, "Wait."


    Huo Shiyuan took a brocade box out of the car, opened it, and inside was a teardrop-shaped deep blue diamond, approximately twelve carats, as deep blue as the ocean depths, the main diamond surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds.


    Huo Shiyuan ced the blue diamond ring on Yuan Xi''s ring finger; it fit just right.


    Yuan Xi looked up at Huo Shiyuan and said, "You..."


    Huo Shiyuan smiled softly, "When I saw this diamond, I felt it was very suitable for you."


    Yuan Xi looked at the deep blue on her hand; she remembered this blue diamond, named Charlotte Blue Diamond. It had been trending on social media, just auctioned off a month ago for 339 million yuan.


    Yuan Xi knew so much about it because it was initially intended by Bo Fan, a good friend of Gu Hanchen, as an engagement diamond ring for Chu Yan, but unfortunately, it was out of Bo Fan''s budget when it reached 300 million yuan.


    At that time, several junior secretaries in the secretary office had even talked about whose hand could wear this blue diamond, worth as much as an old Western-style house in A City.


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan; a month ago, he bid for this blue diamond¡ªwas it to make up for that night of drunken confusion?


    Huo Shiyuan escorted Yuan Xi to the car and fastened her seat belt for her.


    Yuan Xi looked at the close-up Huo Shiyuan, feeling her cheeks warm.


    Huo Shiyuan said softly, "Give me a call when you leave the Chu Family, and I''ll have the driver pick you up."


    "I can drive on my own."


    Huo Shiyuan said, "It takes forty minutes from the Chu Family to Ruohu Mansion on the elevated road; it''s better to have the driver pick you up."


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan, he was insistent on her staying at Ruohu Mansion...


    Now that they were already legally married and even had a child, Yuan Xi couldn''t find a reason not to go to Ruohu Mansion. She smiled at Huo Shiyuan, "Okay, I''ll give you a call after leaving the Chu Family."


    Yuan Xi drove all the way to the Chu Family. Having been Gu Hanchen''s secretary for five years, it was not her first time at the Chu Family; she had apanied Gu Hanchen there several times over the years as his partner.


    Recently, the engagement ceremony between Chu Yan and Bo Fan was held at the Chu Family, and Yuan Xi had attended the engagement banquet as Gu Hanchen''s partner.


    Chu Yan was radiant at the engagement banquet, the envy of all the high societydies in Jiang City. At that time, Yuan Xi couldn''t imagine that she was the real heiress of the Chu Family.


    As the car entered the grounds of the Chu Family, the main mansion was fully styled in European architecture,plete with a fountain in front.


    As Yuan Xi''s car circled past, the water from the fountain seemed to scatter rainbow light under the sun.


    Yuan Xi got out of the car and saw Chu Lin at the door.


    As soon as she got out, Chu Lin approached, "What wind blew Secretary Yuan here? Did Hanchen send you to find me?"


    Yuan Xi looked at Chu Lin, "Didn''t mom and dad tell you?"


    Chu Lin puzzled, "What?"


    Yang Ying came out from inside the house, saw Yuan Xi, and said with a smile, "Xinxin, you''re back."


    Hearing Yang Ying''s words, Chu Lin was startled, "Xinxin? What Xinxin? Mom, she''s Gu Hanchen''s secretary, Yuan Xi."


    Yang Ying said, "It''s too sunny outside; let''s go inside and talk."


    Yuan Xi followed Yang Ying into the Chu Family''s living room, which wasvishly decorated in European style.


    Yang Ying asked the housemaid, Nanny Zhang, to call Chu Yan downstairs.


    Chu Yan descended the stairs and upon seeing Yuan Xi sitting beside Yang Ying, she slightly furrowed her brows, "Yuan Xi, how did youe to my house?"


    Chu Yan looked down on Yuan Xi, knowing well that despite Gu Hanchen having a fianc¨¦e, Yuan Xi still repeatedly apanied Gu Hanchen as his female partner to banquet asions, such women who wanted to climb to the top in one step were too many in their circle.


    Yang Ying spoke up, "Yanyan, this is also Xinxin''s home, and Xinxin is indeed Yuan Xi, my daughter."


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    Chu Yan, stunned by Yang Ying''s words, stood frozen in ce, "Mom, what are you saying?"


    Yang Ying reached out, took Chu Yan''s hand, and had her sit beside her, "Yanyan, you are actually a child adopted by our family."


    "At that time, our Xinxin went missing, and after searching for her for a very long time without sess, we adopted a baby girl from the orphanage who was about the same age as Xinxin, which is you."


    "Yanyan, over the years, Dad and Mom have always treated you as our biological child, and in the future, you will still be the daughter of the Chu family, that will not change."


    Yuan Xi, sitting on a sofa to the side, maintained the faint, polite smile she had grown ustomed to in the workce upon hearing Yang Ying''s words.


    Meanwhile, Chu Yan was so shocked she could not utter a word; she clenched her hands so tightly that her diamond-adorned nails dug painfully into her palms.


    This is not a dream!


    Chu Lin incredulously asked, "Mom, do you mean that Yuan Xi is my biological sister?"


    "Yes, Yuan Xi is Xinxin, Chu Xinyan."


    Chu Lin began to scrutinize Yuan Xi''s face closely, "So, Secretary Yuan Xi is actually my biological sister!"


    Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi, struck as if by a bolt from the blue. Yuan Xi''s long straight ck hair was tied into a ponytail. Without makeup, Yuan Xi was not the type that would be considered a beauty at first nce, but she was definitely pleasing to look at, wearing a light blue business suit dress that suited her professional demeanor.


    Chu Yan then nced at the blue diamond on Yuan Xi''s hand, shimmering brilliantly. Compared to that diamond, which seemed to be over ten carats, the five-carat engagement diamond ring on her own hand suddenly seemed much less impressive.


    Chu Yan remembered the warning she had given Yuan Xi in the underground car park today; she had said the ugly duckling turned into a swan because it was a swan all along...


    At this moment, Chu Yan felt she was the biggest joke of all, having lived the life of a wealthy heiress for twenty-six years, only to be told today it was all a lie!


    Was she just an adopted child?


    Yang Ying patted Yuan Xi''s hand and said, "Xiao Lin, now that Xinxin is back, don''t call her Yuan Xi anymore."


    Yuan Xi, touching the blue diamond that Chu Yan had been staring at, lightly smiled and said, "Mom, keep calling me Yuan Xi; I''ve grown ustomed to this name."


    Yang Ying slightly frowned and said, "Now that you''re back, how can you still use the surname of the buyers? Your dad and I investigated, and your foster parents did not treat you well at all. You should go back to your original name, Chu Xinyan."


    Yuan Xi replied, "All my identification now bears the name Yuan Xi; changing it would be too troublesome."


    Yang Ying, not just any richdy living off her husband but also the vice president of the Chu Group, was known for her firm decisions. "Xinxin, you are called Yuan Xi because your foster parents bought you. If not for them buying you, maybe your dad and I would have found you sooner. Are you sure you want to keep the name given by the buyers, which saddens us?"


    Yuan Xi said, "Mom, what if I said I want Chu Yan out of the Chu family, would you agree?"


    Chu Yan gripped her white dress tightly.


    Yang Ying said, "We adopted Chu Yan when she was one year old, and it''s been twenty-five years¡ªa lot of deep feelings are involved."


    "My foster parents raised me for eighteen years, giving me all their love, even losing their lives at work to provide me with a better living condition," Yuan Xi spoke softly, "So I''m sorry... I can''t let go of the name Yuan Xi."


    Chu Lin, trying to ease the tension, said, "Mom, Yuan Xi is also a nice name, everyone is used to it, and it would be troublesome for Xinxin to change it now."


    Yang Ying frowned, and because Yuan Xi had just returned, she did not force the name change.


    Chu Yan sharply eyed the blue diamond ring on Yuan Xi''s hand, "Yuan Xi, wearing a fake diamond is not good for one''s health, dyed stones can cause skin erosion, and wearing a fake diamond ring in our family is quite... improper."


    Yang Ying looked at the diamond ring on Yuan Xi''s hand, "It looks pretty real."


    Chu Lin also took a nce, "Isn''t that the Charlotte Blue Diamond? I wonder who won it at the auction; the person on the phone during the bidding didn''t hesitate at all."


    Chu Yan pursed her lips, "Brother, the Charlotte Blue Diamond was auctioned off not long ago, how could it have been made into a ring so quickly?"


    Chu Yan looked kindly towards Yuan Xi, "If you like diamonds, you can pick anything you like from my walk-in closet. The wealthy circle in Jiang City is very small, and it looks bad for you to wear a fake diamond..."

 Chapter 5: The Return Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 5: Chapter 5: The Return Banquet</h4>


    Chu Lin, worried about Yuan Xi''s embarrassment, said, "What''s fake and what''s real, in the end, it''s just a stone. If Yuan Xi really likes it, when there''s a simr diamond at the auction, I''ll bid for it and give it to you."


    Yuan Xi smiled faintly, not bothering to exin the authenticity of the diamond ring.


    Yang Ying patted Yuan Xi''s hand and said, "Dinner is still a while away. Mom will take you to see your room first."


    Yuan Xi said, "No need, Mom. I didn''t n to stay here..."


    "How can you not stay here?" asked Yang Ying. "You''re already back home."


    Yuan Xi whispered, "It''s a bit far from mypany. I''d prefer to stay at my own ce, which is closer to work."


    "You''ve already resigned, haven''t you?" Yang Ying inquired.


    Yuan Xi replied, "I put five years of my heart into Mi Chen. I think I should part with Mi Chen on good terms. The transition will probably take about a month."


    Chu Lin said, "You finally brought up resigning. The fact that you could endure Gu Hanchen''s nasty temper for five years is impressive."


    Yuan Xi smiled, "Gu Hanchen gave a lot."


    Chu Yan, who was listening, clenched her skirt, "Yuan Xi, one must have principles. You can''t just sell yourself for more."


    Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan, "I don''t understand what you''re saying."


    Chu Yan pursed her lips and turned to Yang Ying, "Mom, you know that Xiao Xiao and Hanchen began talking about marriage two months ago. But during these two months, whenever Gu Hanchen attended various banquets and parties, he always had Yuan Xi as hispanion, even at my engagement party. Now that Gu Hanchen is a married man, Yuan Xi should be avoiding suspicion..."


    Yang Ying asked, "Xinxin, do you like Gu Hanchen? The marriage agreement between the Gu family and the Yu family has only been discussed verbally; it''s not set. If you like Gu Hanchen..."


    Yuan Xi immediately shook her head, "Mom, I haven''t gone crazy. Even if Gu Hanchen were thest man on Earth, I couldn''t possibly like him."


    Chu Linughed along, "Gu Hanchen would explode if he heard you say that."


    Chu Yan watched her siblings joking, pouting slightly.


    Even if Yuan Xi was the true daughter of the Chu family, she had once, using her status as a secretary, tried to climb up the socialdder and transform into a phoenix by associating with Gu Hanchen.


    Chu Yan still looked down on Yuan Xi. A secretary driving a Panamera, wearing a fake diamond ring, and unwilling to admit her seduction attempts on Gu Hanchen just showed how vain she was...


    Chu Qing returned home and greeted Yuan Xi with a smile, "Xinxin is back."


    Yuan Xi stood up and called out, "Dad."


    Chu Qing replied with a smile, "Let''s head to the dining hall. Today, our family is finally reunited, and we should have a nice meal together."


    Yuan Xi followed them to the dining room, where the solid wood French dining table was adorned with fresh flowers, various exquisite porcin tes, and an array of delicious dishes, both meat and vegetables, that looked extremely appealing.


    After Yuan Xi took her seat, Chu Lin poured her a ss of wine from the decanter and handed it to her, "Congrattions oning back. Have a drink."


    Seeing the wine ss, Yuan Xi waved her hand, "My stomach is weak; I can''t drink."


    "I heard from Gu Hanchen that you have a good tolerance for alcohol. He said that just a month ago, you managed to outdrink thergest shareholder of Mi Chen..."


    Yuan Xi really didn''t want to bring up that drinking session from over a month ago; it was all trouble caused by Gu Hanchen.


    Yang Ying showed concern, "Your stomach is weak? You need to take care of it. I know a great traditional doctor; should I have him take a look?"


    "No need, Mom. It''s just a minor issue; I''ll be fine if I don''t drink."


    Chu Yan took the wine ss from Chu Lin''s hand, "If Yuan Xi can''t drink, I''ll have it."


    Chu Yan boldly took a sip, "Brother, you really are biased. Romanee Conti? That''s wine you don''t even let me drink usually."


    Chu Lin replied with a smile, "Where''s that? Half the wine in my cer has been drunk by you. Xinxin is back today, so of course, I have to serve quality wine. It''s a pity that Xinxin can''t drink."


    Yuan Xi maintained a professional smile, "Once my stomach condition improves, I''ll have the chance to drink in the future."


    Yang Ying served Yuan Xi some food, "I don''t even know what you like to eat. This lobster is very fresh; give it a try."


    Yuan Xi said, "Thanks, Mom."


    The Chu family''s dinner table was mostly quiet, with Chu Yan doing most of the talking, discussing the ns for her wedding to Bo Fan.


    Yang Ying and Chu Qing doted on Chu Yan, "Our Chu family will make sure our daughter''s wedding is grand. As long as Yanyan is happy, that''s all that matters."


    Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan. She didn''t seem affected by the fact that she wasn''t her biological parent, still as radiant as ever and still the pampered daughter of Jiangcheng''s richest man.


    Chu Yan turned to Yuan Xi, "Dad, Mom, can I have Yuan Xi be my bridesmaid?"


    Yuan Xi didn''t expect Chu Yan to ask her to be a bridesmaid. She wanted to refuse, but then a strong smell of meat hit her nostrils, making her feel nauseous, and she suddenly stood up.


    "I''m sorry."


    The dining room of the Chu Family was convenient with its small door leading to the outside. Yuan Xi exited and started vomiting.


    Seeing Yuan Xi''s retching figure, Chu Yan gently frowned.


    Yang Ying followed her out and, seeing Yuan Xi''s state, hastily asked, "What''s wrong, Xinxin?"


    Yuan Xi replied, "It''s just an upset stomach, nothing serious."


    Yang Ying soothed Yuan Xi''s back and asked, "Have you seen a doctor?"


    "Yeah, I just went today, it''s nothing major."


    Chu Yan came out too and, looking at Yuan Xi with tightly sped hands, she said, "Yuan Xi, is it that you don''t like me? Is that why you..."


    Yuan Xi took a cup of water offered by a maid of the Chu Family, rinsed her mouth, then politely smiled and said, "It''s just a stomach issue."


    Chu Lin and Chu Qing both came out, concerned for Yuan Xi.


    Chu Lin said, "Why don''t I take you to see a doctor?"


    "There''s really no need, I''ve just been to the hospital today."


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    Yuan Xi returned to the dining table, afraid of morning sickness; she didn''t dare to eat much else.


    After Chu Qing and Yang Ying finished their meal, the family sat together for a chat.


    Looking at Yuan Xi with eyes full of guilt, Yang Ying said, "Xinxin, your father and I are nning to hold a wee-back banquet for you, to wee you back to the Chu Family, and to let our friends and rtives know you''vee home."


    Yuan Xi said, "There''s no need for now, Mom. I haven''t formally resigned yet, and I''ll probably be too busy with the handover to have time for a banquet."


    Chu Yan said with a smile, "Let me take care of the banquet; I love organizing parties."


    Chu Qing said, "Right, we must hold it. I want everyone to know that the precious pearl of the Chu Family hase home. We''ve been looking for you for so long; this banquet is a must."


    Yang Ying asked, "Xinxin, you graduated from Jiangcheng University as well, right? Come to think of it, you might have been university ssmates with Yanyan?"


    "I was one year ahead of her," Yuan Xi said with a light smile.


    Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi and said, "Then I shall call you ''sister'' from now on. Sister, what kind of wee party do you want? What color theme do you like? Do you have any favorite dress brands? If it''s a custom-made dress, it will take at least three months to make. Or should we just buy ready-to-wear?"


    Yuan Xi nced at the time and softly said with a smile, "Then I''ll leave the wee banquet to you, and I''ll prepare my own dress."


    "Mom, Dad, it''s gettingte, I should head back."


    Yang Ying still wanted to persuade Yuan Xi to stay, "Leaving so soon? Are you sure you don''t want to stay at home? In the morning, the driver can just take you to work."


    Yuan Xi looked at Yang Ying, "Mom, a lot has happened today, and I need some space to quiet down and ept all these things."


    "Okay," Yang Ying said, "then why don''t youe home and stay for a couple of days this weekend?"


    Yuan Xi responded with a wry smile, "I don''t have weekends off."


    Yang Ying frowned and said, "What kind of terriblepany is Hanchen running that doesn''t even give weekends off? Chu Lin, you need to have a word with him."


    Yuan Xi got into her car and waved to Chu Qing and Yang Ying, "Dad, Mom, I''m going now."


    "I''ll give you a ride," Chu Lin approached Yuan Xi.


    Yuan Xi looked at Chu Lin with a smile, "You''ve had a drink; I can get back by myself."


    After leaving the grounds of the Chu Family''s estate, Yuan Xi sent a message to Huo Shiyan and, after driving through two traffic lights, saw a Maybach parked by the roadside.


    Recognizing the familiar license te, she pulled over.


    Huo Shiyan, who got out of the Maybach, walked up to Yuan Xi''s car and knocked on the window.


    After Yuan Xi rolled down the window, she said, "President Huo, didn''t you say you''d send a driver to pick me up?"


    Huo Shiyan gave a shallow smile, "I''ve been driving for nine years; I can drive better than the driver."


    Yuan Xi got out of her car and took a seat in the passenger side, ncing at Huo Shiyan as he drove. Compared to bing the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City, she felt even more like she was dreaming to be Mrs. Huo.


    Counting back, she had known Huo Shiyan for just over a year and had seen him only a handful of times.


    Yet, they were married now, and tonight was their wedding night.


    Yuan Xi clutched her phone, barely concealing her nervousness...

 Chapter 6: Huo Shiyuan鈥檚 Childhood Sweetheart

    <h4>Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Huo Shiyuan''s Childhood Sweetheart</h4>


    Ice Raspberry''s Panamera sped along the elevated road, the streetlights shimmering like stars.


    After entering Ruohu Mansion, Huo Shiyuan turned his head to Yuan Xi, "This car isn''t suitable for a pregnant woman. Do you have time this weekend to go with me to pick out a new one?"


    Indeed, thefort of Yuan Xi''s new car wasn''t great, especially with Huo Shiyuan''s tall stature of 1.9 meters. It definitely wouldn''t be suitable for her to drive in herte pregnancy. She really needed to change the car.


    "President Huo, I don''t have any days off this weekend."


    Huo Shiyuan replied, "Then wait until after you resign and we''ll buy a new car. In the meantime, I''ll have a driver take you around."


    Huo Shiyuan parked the car, opened the door for Yuan Xi, and together they walked into the house.


    Reaching the spiraling staircase, Yuan Xi hesitated slightly. Owing to work, she had visited Ruohu Mansion several times but had never stepped above the second floor.


    There was a shoe-changing area at the foot of the stairs, containing a pair of t, blue women''s slippers.


    Huo Shiyuan handed the slippers to Yuan Xi, "I picked these out especially for you."


    Yuan Xi changed into the slippers presented by Huo Shiyuan, and followed him up to the master bedroom on the third floor. Inside the living area, and further in was the bedroom, its color scheme of gray, white, and ck suited Huo Shiyuan.


    "This is the master bedroom, the master bathroom is over there, the study room is in the room next door, and here is the dressing room and makeup room I just prepared for you. The cosmetics are all selected to be suitable for pregnant women. I don''t know if they are your usual brands..."


    Yuan Xi entered the dressing room and the makeup room to find various types of clothing, some with the tags still on. The majority of the clothes were shades of blue.


    Yuan Xi nced at her own pale blue outfit, "President Huo, you didn''t think I like blue just because I''m wearing it today, did you?"


    Huo Shiyuan asked, "You don''t like blue?"


    Yuan Xi smiled, "It''s not that I have a particr favorite. I usually wear professional clothing like suits and shirts, so I like all kinds of colors in my clothes to avoid monotony. Actually, I do like blue."


    Huo Shiyuan must have bought every blue series from the major brands in the mall.


    Yuan Xi nced at a cupboard beside her, again full of blue...


    Huo Shiyuan breathed a sigh of relief, "As long as you like them. The pajama section is here."


    Yuan Xi opened the pajama section and saw silk camisole nightgowns hanging inside. Thankfully, they weren''t all blue. However, she had never worn such mature-style camisole nightgowns before.


    Yuan Xi blushed instantly when she saw the undergarments in the drawer beneath the nightgowns.


    "President Huo, I''m going to take a shower."


    Huo Shiyuan responded solemnly.


    Yuan Xi went to the bathroom, but Huo Shiyuan''s bathroom was bigger than her small bedroom at home.


    After quickly finishing her bath, Yuan Xi dried her long hair, looking in the mirror at herself wearing the silk camisole nightgown.


    The whiteness beneath her corbones, Yuan Xi tried to cover it with her dried hair as much as possible...


    She already had a child, there was nothing to be nervous about.


    Yuan Xi took a deep breath, casually tying her hair into a messy bun.


    Inside the bedroom, Huo Shiyuan had also finished his bath. He was wearing a set of gray-and-ck silk pajamas, conservatively not revealing any skin.


    Huo Shiyuan heard movement, put down his mobile phone, and looked at Yuan Xi, his Adam''s apple moving involuntarily.


    From the two-meter-wide bed, there was a distance of about one and a half meters between Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan. She stayed as close to the edge of the bed as possible, picking up her mobile phone to see it was low on battery, "President Huo, do you have a charging cable?"


    "Yes."


    Huo Shiyuan unplugged the charger from the bedside and handed it to Yuan Xi. After she plugged in her phone, she forcefully suppressed her nervous heartbeat.


    Yuan Xi opened WeChat and sent a message to her group of girlfriends.


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: I got married.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: ???


    Sui Sui: ???


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: I quit my job.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Did you finally decide to leave Gu Hanchen?


    Sui Sui: Secretary Yuan, you''ve been saying you would quit every year for thest five years, but you never actually did.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Her WeChat name is still Mi Chen Game, believing she would quit is like believing I''m the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City.


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Sorry, I''m the one who''s the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City.


    Sui Sui: Fine, fine, if you two are the Daughters of the Richest Man in Jiang City, then I''m the Daughter of the Richest Man in A City.


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: The Daughter of the Richest Man in A City is my daughter, I''m pregnant.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: You''re so busy every day we barely even see you, which dynasty was itst time we had a meal together? And you still have time to get pregnant?


    Sui Sui: Believing you''re pregnant is harder than believing I''m the daughter of the richest man in A City.


    Seeing her two best friends in disbelief, Yuan Xi sent them a photo of her marriage certificate with the identification number blurred out.


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: I really did get married, and I''ve been pregnant for five weeks now.


    Sui Sui: I''ve gotten married too.


    [Wedding Photo.jdp]


    Yuan Xi clicked on the marriage certificate photo sent by Liang Suisui. The groom in the photo against a red backdrop was a very handsome face.


    @@novelbin@@


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Liang Suisui, when did you get married?


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Liang Suisui, we have the same husband, Lin Mu is my husband!


    Yuan Xi: "..."


    Yuan Xi checked her old pal Lin Mu''s name; he was a popr young idol at the time, obviously, Liang Suisui''s wedding photo was photoshopped.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Yuan Xi, where did you find such a hot guy to Photoshop into a wedding photo? Is he a web celebrity? How have I nevere across such a handsome man?


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Because he really is my husband.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: I won''t believe it unless he''s right in front of me.


    Yuan Xi nced at Huo Shiyuan, and upon meeting her gaze, Huo Shiyuan asked, "What''s up?"


    Yuan Xi said, "My friend wants to meet President Huo."


    Huo Shiyuan responded, "Okay, you arrange a meeting."


    "Also, we''re married now, I hope you won''t call me President Huo anymore, you can call me Shiyan, or...husband."


    Huo Shiyuan moved closer to Yuan Xi.


    Yuan Xi felt her ears heat up but suddenly rushed out of bed and into the bathroom to throw up.


    Huo Shiyuan followed her; seeing the vomit, he didn''t flinch but patted Yuan Xi''s back, asking, "What''s wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital?"


    After rinsing her mouth, Yuan Xi said, "Morning sickness, it''s okay; I''ve been vomiting badly these days. Eating some sour and sweet fruit will help."


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi''s t belly and called his assistant, "Buy some sour and sweet fruits."


    Yuan Xi said, "No need, it''s too much trouble."


    Huo Shiyuan replied, "It''s fine, not a bother."


    Yuan Xi insisted, "Really, no need, I don''t want to be like Gu Hanchen, making my secretary''s assistant buy food for him in the middle of the night."


    Gu Hanchen had made her buy supper for him after she had already bathed, not just once or twice.


    Huo Shiyuan said, "Then I''ll go buy it for you."


    While Yuan Xi was still dazed, Huo Shiyuan had already left.


    Yuan Xi heard the sound of the car starting; she touched her belly, thinking Huo Shiyuan would make a good father.


    Yuan Xi looked at a photo frame by Huo Shiyuan''s bedside. Moving closer, she saw it contained a photo of a girl around twelve years old.


    The girl wore a blue Dior princess dress, holding a Bb little magical fairy''s magic wand in her hand.


    Looking at the girl''s eyes and brows in the photo, Yuan Xi paused; the little girl looked a lot like her.


    Was this little girl in the photo the childhood friend Huo Shiyuan had mentioned?


    So the Huo Shiyuan, who was supposedly indifferent to women as per Gu Hanchen, had a wild night with her after getting drunk because she resembled his childhood friend?

 Chapter 9 - 9 Where Did You Kids Come From

    <h4>Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Where Did You Kids Come From</h4>


    Chu Yan said, "Aren''t there those synthetic diamonds now? I heard that without professional equipment, the naked eye can''t tell if they''re real or fake."


    Chu Yan shifted to hold Bo Fan''s hand and twirled in front of him, "Bo Fan, does this dress look nice? Should I wear it for the toasting ceremony at our wedding?"


    Chu Yan then turned to Yuan Xi, "Sister, would you be my bridesmaid at the wedding?"


    Yuan Xi declined, "I''m afraid I can''t. I''m quite busy with work."


    Bo Fan wasn''t joking about wanting to poach Yuan Xi, "Secretary Yuan, I heard from Hanchen that you''re resigning, have you found a new job? Fanyan Entertainment is in need of a deputy general manager."


    Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi with a nervous expression.


    Yuan Xi replied, "I haven''t found a new job yet, but I''m not considering Fanyan Entertainment. I want to find a job that''s a little more rxed."


    Bo Fan said, "That''s a pity. I was hoping to be colleagues with Secretary Yuan."


    @@novelbin@@


    Chu Yan clung tightly to Bo Fan''s arm, looking worriedly at Yuan Xi.


    Yuan Xi pointed at a red dress on disy and told the salesperson, "I would like to try on that red dress."


    The salesperson took down the red dress for Yuan Xi to try on.


    Chu Yan, not wanting Bo Fan to stay too long with Yuan Xi, pulled on Bo Fan, "Bo Fan, let''s go."


    Bo Fan looked at Chu Yan, "Aren''t you going to change out of the dress?"


    "No need to change, I''ll wear it today. After all, I still have several haute couture pieces."


    As Bo Fan and Chu Yan left the store, Bo Fan saw a young man enter.


    The young man wore casual clothes without any logos and a in Apple watch on his wrist, but he exuded an indescribable air of noble grace.


    Chu Yan scoffed at the sight of the Apple watch on the young man''s wrist, "These days anyone dares to enter a luxury shopping mall. But with May 20thing up, maybe he''s scrimping and saving to buy a luxury bag as a 520 gift for his girlfriend. Bo Fan, let''s leave."


    Huo Shiyan entered the shop and saw Yuan Xi in a strapless silk red dress.


    He had never seen Yuan Xi in a dress before; over the year, she was either in shirts or suits, and even during the hot summer, she wore work dresses.


    Huo Shiyan''s breath faltered at the sight of Yuan Xi''s fair shoulders.


    Yuan Xi, looking at her reflection in the mirror, turned to Huo Shiyan, "How does it look?"


    "Very beautiful."


    Huo Shiyan took out his phone and snapped a photo of Yuan Xi.


    Yuan Xi asked, "Why are you taking a photo?"


    Huo Shiyan smiled faintly, "To show my grandmother her granddaughter-inw."


    Yuan Xi lifted her gaze to Huo Shiyan, "Your family knows we''re married?"


    Huo Shiyan nodded, "Such a big matter as marriage, naturally I have to tell my family. They all wanted to meet you, but they are busy, and I was afraid of scaring you, so I stopped them."


    Yuan Xi said, "How could I let the elderse to see me? I should be the one to visit them."


    Huo Shiyan smiled lightly, "After you resign, I''ll take you to meet my family."


    Yuan Xi nodded, "Okay."


    When they returned to Ruohu Mansion, it was already dark.


    Yuan Xi looked at the table full of dishes and turned to Huo Shiyan, "Who made these dishes?"


    Huo Shiyan replied, "The chef did. They live in the small western-style house in the back, they onlye to the main courtyard when they work. I didn''t ask what you like to eat, so they just made some dishes."


    Yuan Ximented, "With so many dishes, it would be a waste not to eat them all."


    Huo Shiyan said, "We won''t cook so much in the future. Let''s just waste a little today."


    As Yuan Xi enjoyed the meal, she wondered where Huo Shiyan found the chef as the taste was very much to her liking.


    Yuan Xi: "It''s really good, especially this sweet and sour pork ribs. It''s rare to find such authentic cooking methods outside now, with most being pre-made sweet and sour ribs. This is the sweet and sour pork ribs I loved as a child."


    Huo Shiyuan said, "If you like it, eat more."


    Yuan Xi, patting her belly, said, "I''ve already eaten quite a lot. I''ll save the rest in the fridge and bring it to the office for lunch tomorrow. I''ve grown tired of the Mi Chen cafeteria after five years."


    Huo Shiyuan replied, "Now that you''re pregnant, you need to be careful of Listeria; it''s better to eat less from the fridge. After the chef cooks fresh tomorrow, I''ll deliver the meal to you."


    Yuan Xi hastily said, "No need, what if I run into Gu Hanchen?"


    Huo Shiyuan said, "You can pick it up from the underground garage; you won''t run into him."


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan and said, "President Huo, you already drive me every day, but if you deliver lunch to me as well, that''s over a hundred kilometers back and forth. Won''t it affect your work?"


    Huo Shiyuan shook his head, "It''s fine, it won''t affect work. After all, the child in your belly is important."


    Yuan Xi looked at her belly; indeed, she was benefiting from having the two children.


    After bing pregnant, Yuan Xi was particrly sleepy. After taking a bath and dealing with some work in the study, it was only nine o''clock, but Yuan Xi already felt incredibly sleepy.


    Huo Shiyuan stood by Yuan Xi, lifted her sleepy self horizontally, and ced her on the bed: "If you''re tired, then sleep."


    Yuan Xi looked at the movement and nced at Huo Shiyuan before falling into a deep sleep.


    Huo Shiyuan covered Yuan Xi with the quilt and gently kissed her forehead, "Goodnight."


    ...


    With Mi Chen about to go public, Yuan Xi''s work was still quite busy. She could not simply not care about the life or death of Mi Chen and resign without managing anything.


    Yuan Xi got to the office early and began working. Being busy until noon, if it had not been for Huo Shiyuan''s phone call, she wouldn''t have realized it was almost twelve o''clock.


    Yuan Xi got off the elevator and went to the garage, where she saw Huo Shiyuan''s Maybach. She walked to the back seat, where Huo Shiyuan opened the little table and ced food on it.


    Upon seeing the still-steaming sweet and sour pork ribs, Yuan Xi''s appetite grew.


    Huo Shiyuan peeled shrimp for Yuan Xi, "These shrimp were caught from Ruohu just this morning, give them a try."


    Yuan Xi took the peeled shrimp meat from Huo Shiyuan and said with a faint smile, "Delicious, the shrimp and crab from Ruohu are the best."


    Huo Shiyuan said, "I think so too, the shrimp and crab from Ruohu are the best. When I was studying in the United States, I missed Ruohu''s shrimp and crab very much."


    Yuan Xi coughed and said, "Coincidentally, I have a friend who also studied in the United States. When he first went there, he would call me every day saying how much he missed the shrimp and crab from Ruohu."


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, "Your friend?"


    Yuan Xi nodded, "A childhood friend. After he went abroad to study in junior high, we gradually lost contact. It''s been nearly thirteen or fourteen years with no news; I don''t even know how he''s doing now."


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi; she actually didn''t recognize him?


    "Knock, knock, knock!"


    Someone knocked on the Maybach''s door; Huo Shiyuan opened the window and saw Gu Hanchen outside.


    Gu Hanchen saw Yuan Xi in the back seat of the Maybach, biting into the ribs, and was startled, "President Huo, it really is you. I thought this license te looked like yours. Why is Yuan Xi eating... in your car?"


    Huo Shiyuan said, "Secretary Yuan is reporting to me the budget for June and the data on the new game. To save time, we''re reporting while eating."


    "Is it necessary to eat crammed in a car?" Gu Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi, "Why didn''t you inform me when President Huo came? And to have President Huo apany you to eat in the underground garage, how impolite!"


    Gu Hanchen then turned to Huo Shiyuan with a sycophantic smile, "President Huo, pleasee to my office to chat."


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi and said, "Wait until Secretary Yuan finishes eating. She''s pregnant and can''t be left hungry, that''s why we''re reporting and eating in the underground garage."


    Gu Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi and said, "You also know Secretary Yuan is pregnant? s, Yuan Xi now only cares about her and some wild man''s child, abandoning both me and our child."


    "Cough, cough, cough."


    Yuan Xi choked so hard that food went all over the back seat.


    Huo Shiyuan raised an eyebrow and looked at Gu Hanchen outside, "What child are you talking about?"


    Yuan Xi coughed twice, "Gu Hanchen, what child are we talking about?"

 Chapter 11 - 11 When are you planning to have the wedding?

    <h4>Chapter 11: Chapter 11 When are you nning to have the wedding?</h4>


    "Sister Yan!"


    Chu Yan greeted her warmly, "Sister Yan, long time no see, you''ve be even more beautiful."


    Yuan Xi looked at the young woman dressed in a cheongsam, entuating her delicate figure, and judging by Chu Yan''s form of address, she must be Bo Fan''s sister, Bao Yan.


    In fact, Chu Yan and Yu Xiaoxiao were wary that she might try to seduce Gu Hanchen, partly because of Bao Yan, or more precisely, because of Bao Yan''s ex-fianc¨¦, the president of Youzi Film and Television.


    Youzi Film and Television is one of thergest video tforms in the country, and its president, Si Chen, made it into the Forbes rankings at just thirty years old.


    The Bo Family, having shifted to the entertainment industry in recent years, naturally wanted to forge a marriage alliance with a film and televisionpany like the Si Family, and the Si elders were inclined to arrange a marriage between Bao Yan and Si Chen.


    However, just before the engagement could be announced, Si Chen suddenly dered he would marry his secretary, who had been by his side for three years.


    Ignoring his family''s objections, Si Chen resolutely registered his marriage with his secretary, and the wedding invitation for Si Chen and his secretary stilly in Gu Hanchen''s office.


    It appeared the wedding was scheduled for May 20th.


    Looking at Yuan Xi with disdain, Bao Yan warmly linked arms with Chu Yan: "Yanyan, you are so sweet with your words. Rest assured, the Bo family recognizes only you as our daughter-inw, and I only see you as my sister-inw. Some people should not harbor the illusion that they can enter our Bo family''s doors."


    Mrs. Bo also chuckled, as if Yuan Xi''s status as the true daughter of the Chu Family didn''t matter ¨C after all, years of upbringing could not be hidden.


    Everyone knew Yuan Xi was Gu Hanchen''s secretary, and even if she transformed into the daughter of the Chu Family, it would not change the fact that she came from the countryside and used to be someone''s secretary.


    Chu Yan, with her arm around Mrs. Bo''s, said, "Auntie, let''s go take a look at the jewelry. I want to buy a No Matter te made of jade for my mother to wear at my sister''s homing banquet."


    Mrs. Bo chuckled lightly, "We just got a few pieces of Emperor green No Matter tes in recently."


    Yuan Xi followed them into a guest room, filled with antique furniture and burning incense, which she could not bear to smell due to her pregnancy and covered her nose with her hand.


    "Auntie, Bo Fan thought of having my sister work as his secretary... It seems that Bo Fan is very satisfied with my sister. If not for me, my sister would be the Bo family''s daughter-inw..."


    Mrs. Bo chuckled lightly, "I''m in the business of jade. The Myanmar Jade and the Guatem Jade are both types of jade, but there is a world of difference in their price. Where the jade is sourced from greatly differs in value, and the Bo family doesn''t just take any jade ¨C we don''t want Guatem Jade."


    Several attendants dressed in traditional Chinese dresses came in and served tea.


    Yuan Xi pretended not to understand the hidden meanings behind Mrs. Bo''s words.


    Mrs. Bo said to Yuan Xi, "Secretary Yuan, this must be your first time tasting this type of tea, why don''t you have a try?"


    Yuan Xi smiled faintly, "I''m sorry, but I have a stomach ailment and can''t drink tea."


    Bao Yan sneered from the side, "Is it really a stomach ailment, or are you just afraid of embarrassing yourself because you don''t know how to appreciate fine tea? Don''t worry, we know you grew up in a vige and we won''tugh at you for not understanding tea."


    Yuan Xi felt extremely bored in her heart but still maintained the professional smile of the workce. Just as she was looking for an excuse to leave, Huo Shiyan''s call came through at the perfect moment.


    Yuan Xi answered, "Off work now, yes, okay..."


    Standing up, she addressed Mrs. Bo, "Mrs. Bo, I have other things to attend to and must leave now."


    Chu Yan said, "Sister, why are you leaving so soon? What about the jewelry for Mom?"


    Yuan Xi replied, "I have some things to take care of, and I will choose the jewelry for Mom from somewhere else."


    Chu Yan had clearly set a trap for her; Yuan Xi had no interest in participating in their mockery of herself, nor did she want to give them any money.


    Yuan Xi went outside and called a car to meet Huo Shiyan at the agreed-upon location. After getting into Huo Shiyan''s passenger seat, she sighed softly.


    Huo Shiyan looked at Yuan Xi, "Why not at Mi Chen Game?"


    Yuan Xi replied, "Don''t mention it. Chu Yan insisted on thinking I wanted to marry Bo Fan. Today she took me to Mrs. Bo''s to intimidate me; she really is... way too idle."


    Huo Shiyan said, "Why didn''t you tell her you''re already married? Letting her know would save a lot of trouble."


    "I was afraid she''d pry into who my husband is,"


    said Yuan Xi, "which would eventually reveal to Gu Hanchen that we''re married."


    Huo Shiyan responded, "Even if Gu Hanchen finds out we''re married, it wouldn''t matter. If he really wants to y the hands-off boss, should I find a new CEO for Mi Chen?"


    "Okay," Yuan Xi agreed.


    Huo Shiyan said to Yuan Xi, "I''m taking you to dinner with a friend tonight."


    "Now?" Yuan Xi opened the mirror on the passenger side and nced at her tired makeup after a day''s work.


    Huo Shiyan said, "Yes, you might have met him before."


    Yuan Xi took out the air-cushion lipstick from her bag to touch up her makeup, ncing sideways at Huo Shiyuan, "Who?"


    "Si Chen."


    Yuan Xi said, "I just met Bao Yan."


    Huo Shiyuan asked, "Who is Bao Yan?"


    Yuan Xi raised her eyebrows and said, "Isn''t Si Chen your friend?"


    "Yeah, when I was studying in the United States, he was my neighbor, and he''s three years older than me. He helped me a lot when I was there."


    Yuan Xi said, "Since Si Chen is your friend, how could you not know that he almost got engaged to Bao Yan half a year ago?"


    Huo Shiyuan said, "Was it something the elders decided on their own? Si Chen has never mentioned it, he and Qin Yue have been dating for three years, how could he possibly get engaged to someone else?


    Qin Yue is Qin Lang''s twin sister, and she used to be one of my assistants. Si Chen took a fancy to her and lured her away from me. Technically, I''m the matchmaker for them."


    Yuan Xi said, "So you''ll be attending their wedding in a couple of days?"


    Huo Shiyuan nodded and said, "I will be going. What about you?"


    Yuan Xi said softly, "Gu Hanchen asked me to be his date for the wedding. We had already agreed upon receiving the invitation a week ago..."


    Not apanying her husband but instead going with her boss, Yuan Xi felt somewhat guilty.


    Huo Shiyuan didn''t say much else and took Yuan Xi to a private restaurant by the side of Ruohu.


    Upon entering the private room, what came into view was a huge floor-to-ceiling window. Yuan Xi had thought that the view of Ruohu from the Ruohu Mansion was the best, but she hadn''t expected the view from this restaurant, looking out at Ruohu in the sunset, to be even more breathtaking.


    Yuan Xi took out her phone and snapped a photo, "I grew up by Ruohu, but I''ve never seen such a beautiful Ruohu."


    Huo Shiyuan said, "The view of Ruohu from here is indeed magnificent."


    "Shiyan, are you really not going to be my best man?"


    @@novelbin@@


    Yuan Xi turned her head to the voice at the door, it was Si Chen and Qin Yue.


    Qin Yue was quite surprised to see Yuan Xi.


    Si Chen said, "Thisdy looks familiar, I think I''ve seen her somewhere before."


    Yuan Xi extended her hand generously and said, "President Si, I''m Yuan Xi, Secretary to Gu Hanchen of Mi Chen Game. We''ve met a few times at inte conferences and Jiang Cityic conventions."


    Si Chen shook hands with Yuan Xi, "So it''s Secretary Yuan."


    Huo Shiyuan put his hand on Yuan Xi''s shoulder, "My wife, Yuan Xi."


    Si Chen was surprised, "You''re married? Why didn''t you announce such big news earlier?"


    Huo Shiyuan said, "We just got married a few days ago, and Yuan Xi doesn''t want Gu Hanchen to know about her marriage to me, so don''t mention it in front of Gu Hanchen."


    Si Chen said, "I''m not close with Gu Hanchen, don''t worry, I won''t spill the beans. No wonder you didn''t want to be the best man, it turns out you''ve already tied the knot."


    Huo Shiyuan said, "Also, don''t let anyone know I''m in Jiang City."


    "I got it, I got it," Si Chen said, "Don''t worry, we''ll tell others you are Qin Yue''s cousin; we won''t say you are Huo Shiyuan."


    Qin Yuemented, looking at the blue diamond ring on Yuan Xi''s hand, "That blue diamond suits Mrs. Huo well."


    On hearing the title of Mrs. Huo, Yuan Xi smiled and said, "Just call me Yuan Xi."


    Qin Yue also smiled, "What would you like to drink?"


    Huo Shiyuan put his hand on Yuan Xi''s waist, "She''s pregnant, so let''s have coconut juice."


    Si Chen looked at Huo Shiyuan with surprise, "You sure moved quickly. When do you n to hold the wedding?"


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, and Yuan Xi looked back at him. She actually had no ns to have a wedding...


    Yuan Xi didn''t want to wear a wedding dress with a big belly, moreover, she and Huo Shiyuan weren''t truly in love when they got married. It was just an ident in one night that led to marriage for the sake of the child.


    Yuan Xi felt nauseous, "Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom."


    Yuan Xi spent quite some time vomiting in the bathroom. After rinsing her mouth with water, she saw Qin Yue handing her a soft towel, "Thank you."


    Qin Yue watched Yuan Xi and said, "I used to see your photos in President Huo''s office all the time, and finally, today I see you in person. You''ve grown up to be prettier than the little girl in those photos."


    Using the soft towel to wipe her face, Yuan Xi said apologetically, "I''m sorry, you''ve mistaken me for someone else. I am not his childhood sweetheart. I just happen to look simr to her."

 Chapter 15: Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Roses

    <h4>Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Nine Hundred and Ny-Nine Roses</h4>


    Saturday morning.


    The rm rang, Yuan Xi, groggy, turned off her phone rm and was about to get out of bed when a force wrapped around her waist.


    Huo Shiyuan said hoarsely, "Isn''t today Saturday, our day off? Why are you getting up so early?"


    Yuan Xi could no longer remember thest time she truly rested.


    This rare Saturday off made Yuan Xi somewhat dazed.


    "I forgot," Yuan Xi yawned, "Sorry for waking you up. You go back to sleep."


    Huo Shiyuan tightened his hold around Yuan Xi''s waist and fell back asleep.


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan''s sleeping face close to her, her lips slightly curved.


    Rather than calling it a drunken mistake a month ago, it was more urate to say that she had been drawn to his face the first time she saw Huo Shiyuan, which led to a spring night''s fling after getting drunk.


    Yuan Xi nced guiltily at the photo of the little girl in blue on the bedside table.


    She didn''t understand why Huo Shiyuan didn''t pursue his childhood sweetheart and chose to marry her instead.


    But Yuan Xi thought that even if she was a substitute, she wasn''t at a loss.


    With Huo Shiyuan''s gics, even if she had a child and he left, she would still benefit.


    Even if one day Huo Shiyuan regretted it and chose his childhood sweetheart, at least she would still have their child.


    Yuan Xi''s phone lit up, showing messages from her best friends'' group chat.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: @Shi Shishitou, hey big boss, working on Saturday too? Aren''t you afraid the workers will rebel and raze your factory?


    Shi Shishitou: Shiyi Group ising to our area to build a high-end resort, so our factory will be relocating after this summer. So, we are working this Saturday [Smiley].


    Sui Sui: So, the rumor about relocation is true? I''m bing a second-generation relocated person, already wealthy and now I''ve gained three more properties [Heart]. This username really works; I really did get rich!


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: If changing usernames works, then should I change mine to Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City? Will I be the actual rich man''s daughter?


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: I heard that Chu Yan isn''t the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City, she was adopted. The Chu Family has a lost daughter; could it be me?


    Shi Shishitou: No way, you look exactly like your grandma!


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Actually, I am the lost daughter of the richest Chu Family.


    @@novelbin@@


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Are you guys free on the 22nd? The Chu family is nning a banquet for me. If you''re free, you coulde too.


    Sui Sui: Yuan Xi, what are you joking about this early in the morning? That sounds pretty believable.


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: No joke, it''s true. I also found out not long ago. You''re wee to join the banquet on the 22nd.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Life imitating fiction? Really? Are you serious?


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Really.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Daughter of the Richest Man! Ahhhhh! Let''s not forget each other in times of wealth!


    Shi Shishitou: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, richdy, is your Chu Family looking for a son-inw? I don''t want to try hard anymore.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Hah, have you looked in the mirror? Could you even match up to our Yuan Xi?


    Yuan Xi chuckled at the group chat messages as she heard Huo Shiyuan''s voice.


    "Shi Shishitou, is he a guy?"


    Yuan Xi didn''t know when Huo Shiyuan had woken up, "Yes, his name is Shi Lei, his family has a clothingpany, and my family used to run a thread factory. Our factories were close, so we grew up ying together. Him wanting to marry in is just a joke; he and Chen Yuan are about to get engaged."


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, "Doesn''t he know you''re married?"


    "I posted our marriage certificate photo, but Chen Yuan and Liang Suisui didn''t believe it, thinking I photoshopped it with some handsome guy from the inte."


    Yuan Xi had only intended to keep her marriage hidden from Gu Hanchen, not from her best friends.


    Huo Shiyuan let out a lightugh, photoshopping a marriage certificate, indeed something Chen Yuan and Liang Suisui would do.


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan''s lightugh, noticing the dimples on his cheeks.


    Yuan Xi yfully poked Huo Shiyuan''s dimples, "President Huo, you actually have dimples."


    Huo Shiyuan grasped Yuan Xi''s fingers and looked into her eyes. His breath deepened, and he lowered his head to kiss her red lips.


    Yuan Xi''s body trembled, and she slowly closed her eyes, allowing Huo Shiyuan to take what he wished, his thin lips feeling soft...


    In the quiet room, the sound of breathing was clearly audible.


    At that moment, the temperature-controlled room seemed to gather heat.


    ...


    Inside the duplex t on the top floor of Jiangjing No.1 in the center of Jiang City.


    Chu Yan was awakened by Bo Fan and moaned, "Bo Fan, you woke me up again."


    Bo Fan listened to Chu Yan''s coquettishint and chuckled helplessly, "It''s eight o''clock, time to get up."


    Chu Yan stretchedzily. "It''s only eight o''clock. I didn''t sleep well yesterday."


    "Bo Fan, I always feel so guilty towards my sister. I''m like the fake heiress in the novels who steals everything from the real one. My sister is so pitiful, she has already returned to the Chu Family, but she married such a loser..."


    Bo Fan looked at Chu Yan and said, "All of this has nothing to do with you; you don''t have to me yourself."


    Chu Yan pouted, "I still feel sorry for my sister. The husband she chose is really terrible. I want to go and persuade her."


    Bo Fan said, "Everyone has their own thoughts; you shouldn''t interfere too much."


    Chu Yan pursed her lips, "But I still feel sorry for my sister. If it weren''t for me, she wouldn''t possibly have married a man from the countryside."


    Bo Fan saw a message on his phone and frowned, not bothering to console Chu Yan.


    Chu Yan asked Bo Fan, "What''s wrong?"


    Bo Fan said, "President Huo of Shixi Finance is in Jiang City. I want to find him to invest in Fan Yan, but I don''t know his whereabouts. Gu Hanchen knows where President Huo is but won''t tell. I hired a private detective who only found out that President Huo''s car had an ident, but couldn''t track down his specific address."


    "Is this President Huo of Shixi Finance that impressive?" Chu Yan asked.


    Bo Fan nodded, "You''ve heard of Shiyi in City A, right? That''s his family''s enterprise. He studied abroad in the United States and Germany in his early years and established Shixi Finance upon returning. Michen and Youzi Film and Television both hold half the shares in Shixi, and Huo Shiyuan is known as the ''Cash King'' of City A. If Fan Yan could secure his investment, it would be a huge boost for us."


    Chu Yan asked, "Is Fan Yan running short on funds?"


    Bo Fan said, "Not exactly short, but Fan Yan wants to make two movies, and having Huo Shiyuan''s help would be ideal."


    Chu Yan tilted her head, "Since Shixi has invested in Youzi Film and Television, perhaps Huo Shiyuan will attend Si Chen''s wedding in a couple of days? Maybe we should also attend Si Chen''s wedding?"


    The Bo Family naturally received an invitation to Si Chen''s wedding, but initially did not n to go because of their rtion with Bao Yan.


    However, Bo Fan thought that for the sake of Huo Shiyuan''s investment, it might be worth attending.


    ...


    Over the weekend, Yuan Xi finally managed to get some good rest.


    On Monday morning, she woke up on her own without an rm. The girls'' group chat was filled with 520 emojis, and social media was bustling with people showing off flowers, transfers, and gifts.


    Yuan Xi didn''t intend to ask Huo Shiyuan for any 520 gifts. After all, though married, they hadn''t married for love.


    Huo Shiyuan drove Yuan Xi to the Michen Company and then took the executive elevator with her.


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan beside her and asked, "Aren''t you going back?"


    Huo Shiyuan said, "Today is Si Chen''s wedding. I need to apany him to pick up his bride this afternoon. In the morning, I''ll stay at Michen to assist Gu Hanchen with the pre-IPO roadshow draft, so I won''t be going back."


    Yuan Xi smiled faintly, "Okay."


    After Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan arrived on the fifty-eighth floor and left the elevator together,


    Yuan Xi received a call from the front desk through the secretary''s office, "Roses?"


    The person at the front desk was excited on the other end of the line, "Yes, nine hundred and ny-nine roses. We wanted to bring them up to you, but a few of us together couldn''t even lift them."


    Yuan Xi said, "I''lle down right away."


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan beside her and whispered, "You really didn''t have to send me so many roses."


    Huo Shiyuan said calmly, "I didn''t send you roses."


    Yuan Xi paused, "It wasn''t you? Then who else would send me nine hundred and ny-nine roses?"

 Chapter 17 - 17 Has Huo Shiyuan from Shixi Finance Arrived?

    <h4>Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Has Huo Shiyuan from Shixi Finance Arrived?</h4>


    Chu Yan, upon hearing Yu Xiaoxiao''s words, felt intensely curious. How could Yuan Xi''s husband know Si Chen''s bride?


    After Yuan Xi had extinguished Gu Hanchen''s cigarette butt, she quickly spotted Huo Shiyuan chatting with Qin Yue in the group photo area.


    Gu Hanchen followed Yuan Xi''s gaze, "Hey, Shi Dazhuang is here today too?"


    Yuan Xi was puzzled, "Shi Dazhuang?"


    Gu Hanchen leaned close to Yuan Xi and whispered, "That''s Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan doesn''t want people in the circle to know he''s in Jiang City. Later, don''t call him President Huo by mistake. If you blow his cover and he pulls his investment, that''ll be troublesome. Just call him Shi Dazhuang."


    Yuan Xi said softly, "Isn''t that a bit disrespectful?"


    Gu Hanchen replied, "Shi Dazhuang, pretending to be dead, isn''t that what he wants? If you give him a nicer name, it might reveal his identity as Huo Shiyuan. Call him Dazhuang, and absolutely no one will think he''s the president of Shixi Finance."


    Yuan Xi, "..."


    As Gu Hanchen said this, he walked toward the bride, calling out to Huo Shiyuan from a distance, "Shi Dazhuang!"


    When Huo Shiyuan saw Yuan Xi, who was dolled up and dressed in a formal gown, she was so beautiful that people couldn''t look away.


    Gu Hanchen approached Huo Shiyuan and said, "Shi Dazhuang, you''re here too?"


    Huo Shiyuan frowned and looked at Gu Hanchen, "Shi Dazhuang? Are you calling me?"


    Gu Hanchen hooked his arm around Huo Shiyuan''s shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Didn''t you want me not to expose your whereabouts in Jiang City? I came up with this nice-sounding name to hide your identity."


    Huo Shiyuan, "Should I be thanking you for this?"


    Gu Hanchen patted Huo Shiyuan''s shoulder, "What''s our rtionship? No need to thank me, Dazhuang!"


    Yuan Xi approached Qin Yue and presented the mary gift from Mi Chen Game, "Congrattions, and best wishes for your wedding."


    Qin Yue smiled at Yuan Xi, "Thank you."


    @@novelbin@@


    Gu Hanchen noticed Chu Lin, Chu Yan, Yu Xiaoxiao, and Bo Fan approaching, frowning, "Why is Ms. Yu here too?"


    Yu Xiaoxiao examined Yuan Xi''s dress, which matched Gu Hanchen''s suit in tone, and was displeased.


    Yu Xiaoxiao looked at the handsome man next to the bride, "Secretary Yuan, aren''t you going to introduce this man?"


    Gu Hanchen, fearing that Yuan Xi might make a mistake, spoke first, "His name is Shi Dazhuang."


    The bride, Qin Yue, smiled lightly, "Yes, his name is Shi Dazhuang, my distant cousin."


    Chu Yan smirked contemptuously. So, Yuan Xi''s husband was the bride''s cousin. Because of Bao Yan, Chu Yan knew the bride came from an extremely poor background.


    A distant cousin of the bride, one could imagine he was only able to mingle in their circle by virtue of his cousin marrying Si Chen, without the need to lean on Yuan Xi.


    No wonder Yuan Xi was reluctant to mention her husband at first. With a name like Shi Dazhuang and a rural family background, indeed, it was not something one would proudly introduce.


    Yu Xiaoxiao approached Gu Hanchen, looped her arm through his, and said, "Hanchen, I heard you ordered 999 roses to give to me at the flower shop, thank you~"


    Gu Hanchen removed Yu Xiaoxiao''s arm wrapped around his, "Those weren''t for you, the 999 roses were for Yuan Xi."


    "And Yu Xiaoxiao, our rtionship isn''t at the point where you can cling to my arm. Bride, I''lle find youter for a photo. I''m going to the restroom first."


    After saying that, Gu Hanchen quickly walked away, keeping his distance from Yu Xiaoxiao.


    Yu Xiaoxiao red at Yuan Xi, "Quite capable, aren''t you? With your husband present, you still dare to ept Gu Hanchen''s roses? Acting smug as if bing a true rich family''s daughter, are you nning to abandon your poor husband?"


    "Yu Xiaoxiao!" Chu Lin frowned, "Be polite to Yuan Xi."


    Yu Xiaoxiao, in her ten-centimeter-tall heels, stomped angrily and turned to Huo Shiyuan, "You better keep your wife in check. Don''t let her entice the president under the guise of a secretary even when she''s married and pregnant!"


    Chu Lin red at Yu Xiaoxiao, "Yu Xiaoxiao!"


    Chu Yan added, "Brother, don''t me Xiaoxiao. She is Hanchen''s fianc¨¦e, and today, on Valentine''s Day, Hanchen didn''t send flowers to Xiaoxiao, but to my sister instead, so it''s no wonder Xiaoxiao is upset and blunt."


    Huo Shiyuan gently ced his arm around Yuan Xi, looking at Yu Xiaoxiao, "Is Gu Hanchen engaged? Without an engagement, how can one speak of a fianc¨¦e?"


    Chu Yan, seeing Yu Xiaoxiao''s ugly expression, turned to Huo Shiyuan, "Brother-inw, you grew up in the countryside and are unaware of the rules in our circle. Marriages are generally determined by the parents and elders. Yu Xiaoxiao is already engaged to Gu Hanchen in the opinion of the Gu family elders."


    Huo Shiyuan said, "Indeed, I don''t know, as forced marriages have long been out of practice in the vige."


    Yu Xiaoxiao, incensed by the mention of arranged marriages, stomped her foot and left to find Gu Hanchen.


    Yuan Xi decided not to argue with Chu Yan and Yu Xiaoxiao. After all, today was Si Chen and Qin Yue''s big day, and she didn''t want to cause any unpleasantness at their wedding.


    Qin Yue said to Yuan Xi, "Secretary Yuan, shall we take a photo together? Let Huo... Dazhuang take it for us."


    Yuan Xi replied, "Sure."


    Huo Shiyuan borrowed a camera from a nearby photographer, adjusted the settings and took a photo of Qin Yue and Yuan Xi.


    Yuan Xi leaned in to check the photo and had to admit Huo Shiyuan indeed had quite good photography skills.


    Huo Shiyuan said softly, "What do you think?"


    "Very well."


    "Brother-inw Dazhuang, could you take a few photos for us too?"


    Chu Yan sweetly smiled at Huo Shiyuan.


    Huo Shiyuan returned the camera to the photographer andpletely ignored Chu Yan.


    It was the first time Chu Yan had been so tantly disregarded by a man, and she frowned tightly.


    Huo Shiyuan asked Yuan Xi in a gentle voice, looking down, "Are you hungry?"


    "A little."


    Huo Shiyuan said, "There''s a dessert table over there, and it might be more than half an hour before the banquet begins. How about we go have some small cakes to stave off the hunger?"


    "Okay."


    Yuan Xi followed Huo Shiyuan to the dessert table.


    After getting pregnant, she indeed felt hungry quite easily.


    Huo Shiyuan, watching Yuan Xi eat the small cake, said quietly, "I''ve been abroad for a long time and I didn''t know about today''s 520 festival. I''m sorry I didn''t prepare flowers and gifts for you."


    Yuan Xi quickly replied, "There''s no need to prepare them. I didn''t prepare anything for you either. 520 sounds like ''I love you,'' and we got married just because of the baby, so we can skip the 520 gifts."


    Just as Huo Shiyuan was about to exin, he saw Yuan Xi set down her dessert and go to greet and make small talk with those coborating with Mi Chen.


    ...


    Chu Yan looked towards the retreating figures of Yuan Xi and her husband, her brows slightly furrowed.


    "Brother, why is Sister''s husband socking in manners? I asked him nicely to take a photo, but hepletely ignored me, and he didn''t even greet you."


    "Even if Sister''s husband grew up in a vige, he shouldn''tck such basic social etiquette and upbringing. Now that he''s married to Yuan Xi, he''ll be our son-inw in the Chu Family. This petty behavior is truly embarrassing.


    I hope he won''t be so disrespectful and ignore us at Sister''s homing banquet in a few days. Otherwise, the banquet might be aughingstock!"


    Chu Lin furrowed his brows slightly.


    Bo Fan saw Si Chening over to greet the guests and stepped forward to exchange pleasantries, "Brother Chen."


    Although the rtionship between the two families was quite delicate due to the matter involving Bao Yan, Bo Fan still addressed him as Brother Chen, and Si Chen maintained a cordial demeanor as well.


    "Bo Fan, this must be your fianc¨¦e? She has quite a presence, truly worthy of being a Miss from the Chu Family."


    Chu Yan followed Bo Fan and called out, "Brother Chen."


    Bo Fan asked Si Chen, "Brother Chen, did Shixi Finance''s Huo Shiyuane today?"


    Si Chen answered, "Oh, he just dropped off a gift and left early."


    Bo Fan felt it was a pity.


    Seeing Bo Fan''s disappointment, Chu Yan smiled at Si Chen and said, "Brother Chen, do you have Huo Shiyuan''s WeChat? Could you perhaps introduce us?"


    Si Chen replied, "I''m afraid that would be inappropriate."


    Dusk was approaching, and the guests were taking their seats.


    The seating arrangement for the main and secondary tables at the Si Family wedding was quite distinct.


    The bride, Qin Yue, was not from Jiang City, so she didn''t have many rtives attending; they were all at the main and secondary tables.


    Aside from the parents of the couple, the main table was reserved for well-known and influential figures from Jiang City.


    Chu Qing and Yang Ying were seated at the main table.


    At the main table, there were still two seats empty, facing south.


    Chu Yan and Bo Fan were seated near the main table.


    Chu Yan, noticing the empty seats, questioned, "Who are those two seats reserved for? Even the Si Family patriarch has to sit to the side?"


    Bo Fan replied, "Maybe they''re for some VIPs known to the Si Family."


    All the guests had taken their seats for the banquet, so Yuan Xi began looking for Gu Hanchen to join him, but after a long search, she couldn''t find him.


    Huo Shiyuan apanied Yuan Xi in the search and said, "Could he have already left? Why don''t you check your phone for any messages from him?"


    Yuan Xi replied, "My phone is at the coat check, I''ll go look for it."


    Yuan Xi headed to the coat check area and found her phone. Upon opening WeChat, there indeed was a message from Gu Hanchen.


    Mi Chen''s Most Handsome: Yu Xiaoxiao is too annoying, I''ve taken off first. You represent Mi Chen and enjoy the wedding banquet.


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: .......


    Si Chen and Qin Yue approached the two: "Shiyan, Yuan Xi, so you are here. The wedding banquet is about to start, and we''ve reserved two ces for you at the main table."

 Chapter 18: How Dares Yuan Xi Take the Main Seat

    <h4>Chapter 18: Chapter 18: How Dares Yuan Xi Take the Main Seat</h4>


    Yuan Xi put down her phone and said, "President Si, I''m terribly sorry, Mr. Gu suddenly had to leave early due to urgent matters."


    Si Chen replied, "It''s no problem."


    Qin Yue, dressed in a custom-made silk cheongsam, smiled softly, "The banquet is about to start, please take your seats first."


    Qin Yue led Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan to the main table. Seeing the reserved seats, Yuan Xi whispered, "This seat..."


    @@novelbin@@


    Qin Yue smiled faintly, "President Huo is our matchmaker, and it''s fine for the matchmaker to sit at the main seat."


    Huo Shiyuan took Yuan Xi''s hand and calmly took their ces at the main table.


    Upon arriving at the main table, Yuan Xi first greeted Si Chen''s grandparents and parents, then turned to look at Chu Qing and Yang Ying, "Mom and Dad, this is my husband."


    Chu Qing and Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi and then studied Huo Shiyuan by her side.


    "Mr. Chu, is this your daughter? I remember Chu Yan doesn''t look like this," said Gu Hanchen''s father, Gu Jiujin, one of the leaders of Jiangcheng''s four major families, the Gu Family.


    Gu Jiujin scrutinized Yuan Xi, "Mr. Chu, wasn''t it said your daughter engaged to Bo Fan? Have you changed people?"


    Gu Hanchen''s mother said, "Ah, Gu Jiujin, this girl isn''t Chu Yan, she is Yu Xiaoxiao, the secretary by our Xiao Chen''s side! You''ve seen her several times; don''t you remember?"


    Gu Jiujin retorted angrily, "I''ve even forgotten what that scoundrel looks like, let alone his secretary''s appearance! Gu Hanchen is always up to no good, nearly ruining our Gu Family''s shipbuilding reputation, whereas President Si is truly fortunate to have a son like Si Chen."


    Father Si sighed, "Is that so? I heard that Michen is going to IPO soon; it seems Hanchen is quite capable."


    Gu Jiujin sneered, "Thatpany of his is just child''s y."


    Yuan Xi knew Gu Hanchen''s parents despised the fact that Gu Hanchen had started a gamingpany.


    It was understandable that the traditional shipbuilding industry, flourishing at the moment, disdained the inte gaming sector.


    However, Gu Jiujin might not know that if Michen sessfully went public, based on current estimates, on the first day of listing alone, Gu Hanchen''s worth would far surpass the century-old shipbuilding foundation of the Gu Family.


    Mrs. Gu asked Yang Ying, "Why did Secretary Yuan call you ''mom and dad''?"


    Yang Ying smiled, "Her original name is Chu Xinyan; she is our daughter who we lost 26 years ago."


    Mrs. Gu asked, "Ah? Then what about Chu Yan?"


    "Chu Yan is the child we adopted," Yang Ying said slowly.


    Mrs. Gu was incredibly shocked, "You lost your daughter, such a major event, howe we never heard about it?"


    After Yuan Xi was seated, Huo Shiyuan poured her a ss of orange juice. Holding the beverage, Yuan Xi thought about how few knew in their circles about the loss of a billionaire family''s daughter...


    While working during her college years, Yuan Xi encountered various parents searching for their abducted children, wearing t-shirts printed with their children''s information, holding signs with photos from when their children were abducted.


    Some parents of the missing children would go wherever there was a crowd¡ªconcert entrances, busy tourist sites¡ªholding their signs, hoping more people would see their child''s information, hoping more people would notice, in case someone could provide a clue.


    Even when chased away by security, these parents stubbornly moved through various crowded tourist spots.


    Many thought these parents, disturbing the scenic beauty and causing trouble for security, were objectionable. Such methods impact others negatively and are undesirable, but these grieving parents were persistent, driven by the hope that one more person seeing might mean one more chance of finding their child...


    Yet, the Chu Family kept the news of their lost daughter tightly concealed, to the extent that even Chu Lin didn''t know.


    Yuan Xi thought that perhaps the Chu Family, being so wealthy, feared causing amotion once the news spread, attracting many who might falsely im kinship, so they decided to investigate quietly instead.


    But if the Chu Family had started searching for their missing daughter in a high-profile manner, considering their resources as Jiangcheng''s richest family, how could they possibly not find their daughter?


    Moreover, she was right there in Jiang City.


    Indeed, Yuan Xi heard Chu Qing responding, "We didn''t mention losing our daughter because twenty-five years ago, during our high-profile search, many coveted the Chu Family''s wealth, bringing girls iming kinship, trying their luck to strike it rich.


    Every time we did a DNA test, it just led to more disappointment, and Yang Ying gradually couldn''t take it anymore...


    So, we simply decided to adopt Chu Yan, iming we had found our daughter, but we continued searching for her privately."


    Si Chen''s grandmother said, "Thank goodness, finding her back is truly a joyous asion."


    Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi and smiled, "Yes, having Xinxin back is wonderful."


    Yuan Xi also smiled faintly.


    Beside the main table, Chu Yan had been wondering who would take those two most prestigious seats, and to her surprise, it turned out to be Yuan Xi and her husband.


    Chu Yan nudged Chu Lin with her elbow, "Brother, look, are Yuan Xi and her husband crazy? Don''t they know those are the most important seats at the main table? How dare they sit there!"


    Chu Lin looked over, "Mom and Dad are over there, maybe they went to greet them?"


    Chu Yan replied, "Yuan Xi has already sat down and started drinking orange juice. Yuan Xi''s husband must be from some vige and doesn''t understand manners. How can she not understand manners either? Does she think she can sit at the main table just because she became a daughter of the Chu Family?"


    Chu Yan pursed her lips and stood up, "I can''t let them sit in the main seats. If those two important guests arriveter, it will be terrible. I don''t even know who these VIPs are, but we can''t afford to offend them for the Chu Family."


    Just as Chu Yan was about to walk over.


    Si Chen grabbed the microphone on stage and said, "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend mine and Qin Yue''s wedding. We also sincerely want to thank our matchmaker, John."


    The waiter handed the microphone to Huo Shiyuan, who then said, "I wish you both early fertility and a lifetime of happiness."


    After speaking, Huo Shiyuan passed the microphone to Si Chen''s grandfather.


    At a nearby table, Chu Yanmented, "I didn''t expect him to be a matchmaker, and also to take such a funny English name. Doesn''t he know that John is a name for those middle-aged Caucasian men? He probably has never been abroad and just randomly picked an English name for himself!"


    Chu Lin furrowed his brows and said, "Yanyan, quiet down a bit, he is already Yuan Xi''s husband."


    Yu Xiaoxiao said, "Brother Chu Lin, Yanyan is just annoyed by people who pretend."


    At the wedding, Yang Ying and Chu Qing kept watching Huo Shiyuan, seeing him taking care of Yuan Xi, peeling shrimp for her, which slightly raised their opinion of him, but not by much.


    Yang Ying asked, "John, I didn''t expect you to be Si Chen''s matchmaker. How did you meet?"


    Huo Shiyuan replied, "Qin Yue and Si Chen are my colleagues, and I just happened to pair them up."


    "What work do you do now?"


    Huo Shiyuan replied, "I am currently working in construction."


    Huo Shiyuan was reluctant to hide his identity from Yuan Xi''s parents, but given the variety of people attending the wedding today, revealing that he was the president of Shixi Finance could mean he would not have a single quiet day in Jiang City.


    The Ruohu development project could also be considered part of the construction industry.


    Regardless of what Yang Ying and Chu Qing asked, Huo Shiyuan confidently answered.


    Mrs. Gu remarked, "Yuan Xi found a good husband. He is handsome and eloquent. You are fortunate to have such an outstanding son like Xiao Lin and two good sons-inw like Bo Fan and John."


    Chu Yan scoffed nearby. How could Yuan Xi''s husband possiblypare with Bo Fan?


    Construction industry? Bricyers are also part of the construction industry, and so are construction workers...


    As guests at the wedding began to leave in groups of three or two.


    Yuan Xi got up and said to Chu Qing and Yang Ying, "Mom and Dad, we are going to head back now."


    Chu Yan, remembering Mrs. Gu''s words, approached Yang Ying and said, "Mom, my sister and her husband live in a vige, who knows how far it is from Shiyi Hotel. It''s worrisome for them to drive back.


    Why not book them a suite at Shiyi Hotel? Shiyi is the best among five-star hotels; it is much morefortable than a vige house."


    Chu Yan wanted Mrs. Gu to know that Yuan Xi''s husband simply couldn''tpare with Bo Fan.


    Upon hearing this, Mrs. Gu eximed, "Yikes, Yuan Xi, why are you still living in a vige? Mr. Chu, Mrs. Yang, if I had lost my daughter for 26 years and she came back, I would be willing to blow up Hanchen''s Michen Building to build my daughter a castle, how can you still bear to let your own daughter live in a vige?"

 Chapter 19 - 19 You Will Always Be My Sister

    <h4>Chapter 19: Chapter 19 You Will Always Be My Sister</h4>


    Mrs. Gu''s words plunged the room into sudden silence.


    Chu Yan hurried to exin, "My parents have repeatedly wanted my sister toe back and live at home, but she didn''t want to. She said our home is too far from Michen Building and it was inconvenient for work, living at her ce is closer..."


    Mrs. Gu said, "But then, wouldn''t living in the vige near Ruohu make it even more inconvenient for her to get to Michen Building?"


    Yuan Xi, smiling, said, "Mrs. Gu, thanks to Mr. Gu, I do have an apartment in Jiangjing No.1. Since I''m pregnant now, the scenery and air in Ruohu are good and quiet, and I grew up near Ruohu, so I have an emotional attachment to that ce. It might be better for my pregnancy if I stay there."


    Mrs. Gu said, "The air is definitely good there; I''ve been to y golf a few times. I heard Ruohu is going to develop a high-end tourist area, with several holiday vi estates nned. Maybe buy a vi there someday, retire and on weekends take Xiao Chen''s children to fly kites or fish by theke.


    Sigh, you''re pregnant, and my Xiao Chen doesn''t even have a girlfriend yet. I don''t know when I''ll be able to hold my grandson. You should also persuade Xiao Chen for me."


    Chu Yan quickly said, "Aunt Gu, Hanchen and Xiao Xiao..."


    Mrs. Gu red at Gu Jiujin,ining, "Times are different now; arranged marriages are the ways of the older generations. Xiao Xiao is such a good child; I wouldn''t dare let my Xiao Chen hold her back."


    Yu Xiaoxiao, sitting at the next table, looked very upset. She red at Chu Yan; the engagement between her and Hanchen had been agreed upon by Hanchen''s grandmother, but Mrs. Gu had always been nonmittal.


    Mrs. Gu saying Hanchen didn''t have a girlfriend now, and Chu Yan bringing her up, made Yu Xiaoxiao face an outright rejection in front of everyone, leaving her feeling humiliated.


    Sticking to her principle, Yu Xiaoxiao blurted out, "Chu Yan,Is that necessary? Didn''t you know already that Yuan Xi has an apartment in Jiangjing No.1? Wasn''t it you who told me it might have been bought by Hanchen for Yuan Xi? What''s this pretense about having her stay in Shiyi Hotel now?"


    Chu Yan''s face flushed red, her eyes teary, "Sister, I wasn''t pretending. I was truly worried about your safety. I thought that the apartment in Jiangjing No.1 was rented and that the lease had expired. I was really afraid it wasn''t safe for you to drive back to the vige..."


    Tears fell from Chu Yan''s eyes as she turned to another table, "Oh dear, I''m not good with words. Brother, Bo Fan... can you help me exin?"


    Chu Lin frowned.


    Bo Fan was about to speak when Yang Ying interrupted.


    "Yanyan, apologize to Xinxin!"


    Chu Yan kept apologizing, "Sister, I''m sorry, so sorry. I shouldn''t have said you live in a vige with your husband, but believe me, I was really worried about the idents you might encounter driving back. I didn''t mean to look down on rural life.


    After all, I know that Jiangcheng CBD was also considered rural fifteen years ago; I''ve never felt inferior about being from a rural area..."


    A frustrated Yuan Xi thought, "Isn''t this what she said to Chu Yan?"


    Chu Yan dering she didn''t feel inferior about rural areas was surely trying to suggest Yuan Xi felt insecure about her rural origins.


    Not to mention Huo Shiyuan wasn''t a farm person from near Ruohu, even if he were, Yuan Xi wouldn''t feel inferior¡ªher friends, her family before, they all came from viges near Ruohu.


    @@novelbin@@


    Ruohu and Huxi Vige carried her carefree childhood, the most beautiful memories of her life.


    In front of Chu Yan, Yi felt she could hardly keep her patience, with one incident following another.


    But considering it was someone else''s wedding and many prominent figures were present, she had to hold it in.


    Chu Yan and Yu Xiaoxiao might disregard their dignity, but today she represented Michen, Hanchen had already left without saying anything, she couldn''t discredit Michen by quarreling with Chu Yan.


    Yuan Xi said, "It''s best if Miss Chu thinks that way. Elders, President Si, Mrs. Si, we will take our leave now."


    After Yuan Xi left, Chu Lin frowned deeply at Chu Yan, "You shouldn''t have spoken so much."


    "Brother, is it because your sister came back that you think whatever I do is wrong?"


    Chu Yan, in tears, said, "I was really just worried about Sister. Aren''t I your sister for twenty-five years? Don''t you trust me at all?"


    Chu Lin said, "Stop crying; it''s not good to cry at someone else''s wedding. I know you are frank, but Yuan Xi has just returned. Even if you were truly worried, you shouldn''t have mentioned the rural house in front of Mrs. Gu."


    Chu Yan, sniffling, said, "I know I was wrong."


    Chu Lin gently touched Chu Yan''s head and said, "Don''t cry, you will always be my little sister."


    Chu Yan stretched her hand to wipe away her tears and smiled at Chu Lin.


    ...


    Huo Shiyuan didn''t leave the hotel with Yuan Xi; instead, they took the elevator.


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan and asked, "Aren''t we going back to the mansion?"


    Huo Shiyuan said, "I''m afraid Chu Yan''s jinx mighte true; let''s stay at the hotel today."


    Chu Yan had mentioned more than once that the road was unsafe, and although Huo Shiyuan was not superstitious, he still felt it was ominous.


    They reached the duplex suite on the top floor of Shiyi.


    A month''s memories flooded back, and Yuan Xi felt her cheeks heating up.


    Upon entering the bedroom, Yuan Xi saw her clothes from a month ago neatly ced by the bedside.


    Yuan Xi, who had been worried about not having clothes for tomorrow, now had no such concern.


    "I''m going to take a shower first."


    With flushed cheeks, Yuan Xi went into the bathroom.


    Inside the bathroom, she looked in the mirror, constantly cooling her cheeks with cold water, reminding herself not to be nervous.


    After showering, Yuan Xi realized she hadn''t brought pajamas, and there was only one bathrobe in the bathroom.


    Seeing that Huo Shiyuan hade without making a reservation, it was clear this was no ordinary hotel suite but one reserved for Huo Shiyuan''s use; the only bathrobe must be his.


    After putting on the bathrobe, which was quiterge; even at her height of 170 cm, it reached her ankles.


    Coming out of the bathroom, Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi wrapped in his robe and smiled lightly, "Sit down, let me dry your hair for you."


    Huo Shiyuan picked up the hairdryer beside him and began to dry Yuan Xi''s long hair.


    Yuan Xi''s nervous mood rxedpletely, perhaps because the hair drying was soforting, she fell asleep in the chair.


    Looking at Yuan Xi''s peaceful sleeping face, Huo Shiyuan put down the hairdryer, lifted her horizontally, ced her on the bed, and gently stroked her abdomen.


    ...


    Chu Yan and Bo Fan saw off Chu Qing and Yang Ying, then boarded a Rolls-Royce.


    After getting in the car, Bo Fan looked up and had the driver stop.


    Chu Yan asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Bo Fan said, "A light is on in the sub-top floor of Shiyi Hotel."


    "A light on? So what?"


    Bo Fan exined, "The sub-top floor of Jiang City Shiyi Hotel has always been reserved for the Huo Family, probably because Huo Shiyuan''s mother is from Jiangcheng. So the sub-top floor has always been reserved for the Huo Family when theye to Jiangcheng, even if any big shot stays at Shiyi, that floor is never open to the public.


    Today, given Si Chen''s wedding, it''s very likely that Huo Shiyuan is staying on the sub-top floor."


    Chu Yan suggested, "Should we go up and pay a visit now?"


    Bo Fan replied, "We probably can''t ess the sub-top floor. Tomorrow morning, we''ll just stake out the hotel entrance early."

 Chapter 21 - 21 Yuan Xi Gets Promoted

    <h4>Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Yuan Xi Gets Promoted</h4>


    There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone, and after a while, Yuan Xi heard Huo Shiyan''s voice.


    "I didn''t dial the wrong number, I mentioned I wanted to invite Secretary Yuan for lunch."


    Gu Hanchen nced at Yuan Xi, "An invitation to lunch in the underground garage?"


    Yuan Xi took Gu Hanchen''s mobile phone from his hand and turned off the speaker, "I''ll be down soon."


    "No need, I''ve alreadye up."


    As the voice faded, the elevator doors opened.


    Huo Shiyan arrived carrying several lunch boxes.


    Gu Hanchen promptly went forward and tteringly helped Huo Shiyan with the lunch boxes in his hands, "President Huo, let''s go to the lounge."


    Huo Shiyan saw the half-drunk coffee cup on Yuan Xi''s desk and slightly furrowed his brows.


    Yuan Xi followed him into the lounge.


    Gu Hanchen instructed, "Make a cup of coffee for President Huo."


    "Okay."


    "No need," Huo Shiyan said, "Let''s eat first, Secretary Yuan shouldn''t stay hungry now."


    Yuan Xi sat down on the sofa, with Gu Hanchen opening the lids of the lunch boxes.


    Gu Hanchen: "Stir-fried prawns, sweet and sour ribs, steamed opium fish, is this scallion oil lobster? Oyster sauce greens, asparagus shrimp stir-fry, gourd and ham soup... Isn''t this toovish for Secretary Yuan alone?"


    Yuan Xi looked up at Gu Hanchen and asked, "Do you want to eat together?"


    "Then I''ll be fortunate thanks to Secretary Yuan."


    Seeing only one set of cutlery, Gu Hanchen unceremoniously got Special Assistant Wang to fetch two sets from the downstairs cafeteria.


    Gu Hanchen gave one set of utensils to Huo Shiyan, "President Huo, don''t be shy."


    Huo Shiyan: "..."


    After tasting, Gu Hanchen kept on praising, "President Huo, your chef''s cooking skills are really good. It''s rare to find these Jiang City home dishes made this tasty, no wonder you didn''t invite Yuan Xi to the Shiyi Hotel. Your chef''s skills are even better than those at Shiyi."


    Huo Shiyan looked at Yuan Xi, who was quietly eating, and picked a piece of sweet and sour rib for her, almost all of which had been eaten by Gu Hanchen.


    Yuan Xi gave Huo Shiyan a faint smile.


    After eating, Gu Hancheny down on the sofa without any CEO''s air, "President Huo, when you return to A City, could you introduce me to your chef? There are so few chefs in Jiang City who can make dishes taste so good¡ªAh!"


    Gu Hanchen burped.


    Huo Shiyan said, "I cannot."


    Gu Hanchen said, "I''ll find a way to poach your chef myself. No, I''ve eaten too much, haven''t had home-cooked food for a long time. I need to go out for a walk to aid digestion, Yuan Xi, you take good care of President Huo."


    After Gu Hanchen left, Huo Shiyan started peeling shrimp for Yuan Xi, "Gu Hanchen really doesn''t have any CEO''s airs."


    Yuan Xi: "He onlycks CEO''s airs when ites to eating; when ites to work, people can hardly bear his temper."


    Huo Shiyan asked, "Yuan Xi, do you n to keep drinking coffee every day before you resign?"


    Yuan Xi said, "I''ve checked it out, up to 200 milligrams of caffeine is fine. Work is too busy; I really get sleepy if I don''t drink coffee."


    Huo Shiyan wiped his hands with a napkin, took out his mobile phone, and said, "I will find someone to rece you; this way, your work could be much easier."


    "Okay." Yuan Xi nodded.


    After finishing the meal, Yuan Xi''s drowsiness became more evident.


    Huo Shiyan said, "Why don''t you rest here on the sofa for a while?"


    "There''s still a lot of work..." Yuan Xi said helplessly.


    Huo Shiyan embraced Yuan Xi, letting her lie on hisp, "Half an hour of rest won''t make a difference. I''ll wake you up in half an hour."


    Listening to Huo Shiyan, Yuan Xi eventually fell asleep on his legs.


    ...


    Yuan Xi woke up an hourter. She noticed the curtains in the reception room had been drawn at some point, and when she rose, she saw Shiyan, who was also resting with his eyes closed.


    @@novelbin@@


    Shiyan sensed the movement and opened his eyes. "You''re awake?"


    "Didn''t you say I should sleep for half an hour? It looks like I''m going to have to work overtime today."


    Shiyan said, "I''ve already got someone from Shixi to help you with your work. You might have met her, Monica."


    Yuan Xi was familiar with Monica. When Shiyan first invested in Shixi, it was Monica who followed up on the project. Monica, thirty-two this year, was a true career woman with an impressive educational and professional background.


    "Isn''t having her work as Gu Hanchen''s secretary a waste of her talent?"


    "No, she''ll be your secretary. Ever since Mi Yi left, Mi Chen has been missing a vice president. You should have been promoted to vice president long ago. Have Monica be your secretary while you''re pregnant, so you don''t have to quit. After you''ve given birth, Monica will go back to Shixi."


    In fact, Yuan Xi''s current job was less that of a secretary, and more that Gu Hanchen had handed over his own duties and those of the vice president, after Mi Yi left, to Yuan Xi.


    That''s how Yuan Xi, a CEO''s secretary, ended up being busier than the CEO himself.


    Shiyan said, "Monica ising from City A and will be at Mi Chen in about an hour. I''ll talk to Gu Hanchen about your promotion in an hour."


    Yuan Xi was stunned. Was she really getting promoted just like that?


    The suggestion Shiyan gave seemed indeed to be the best solution.


    After the promotion, she could find a secretary like Hanchen did who would take care of everything, which would indeed make her pregnancy period a lot easier.


    Monica was fully capable of handling most of her duties.


    In a year, Monica would be able to continue her work at Shixi, and she would still be able to stay at Mi Chen without sacrificing five years of her hard work.


    ...


    The Chu Family.


    Having waited at the Shiyi Hotel entrance for a long time without seeing anyone who looked like Shiyan, Chu Yan returned home.


    One reason was to prepare for the return banquet tomorrow, and the other was to surprise Bo Fan. For the Chu Family, investing a few billion in a movie project was not a difficult task.


    Chu Yan coordinated with the decorators, continuously adjusting the estate''s setup.


    "Mom, how do you like the venue I''ve prepared for sister''s return banquet? This ce will be filled with flowers!"


    Yang Ying said, "Did you ask if your sister would like it?"


    "She''s definitely going to love it. I''ve hired the best team in Jiang City. Look at the design render I have, and I''ve also prepared a surprise for her. I bought a DIOR haute couture gown from the bridal store that matches these decorations perfectly."


    Yang Yingughingly said, "You''ve worked hard, Yanyan."


    "Mom!" Chu Yan wrapped her arms around Yang Ying''s arm. "Bo Fan wants to invest in making two movies. In terms of funding..."


    "How much do you need?"


    Chu Yan said, "It depends on what you think is worth investing, Mom!"


    "We recently installed two new offshore drilling tforms, and currently, thepany''s liquid assets aren''t abundant; we could probably only invest two billion."


    Chu Yan smiled faintly, "Thank you, Mom. Bo Fan''s movie will definitely turn our two billion into at least five billion."


    Yang Ying stroked Chu Yan''s head. "Has Bo Fan ever treated you differently because you''re not our biological child?"


    "No." Chu Yan smiled sweetly at Yang Ying. "I know I''m not your biological child, but I am the child you chose yourself. My sister and brother were chosen by Mom, but it was Mom who chose me..."


    Yang Ying embraced Chu Yan and said, "Yes, it''s good you think that way. We were so preupied with finding Xinxin that we forgot about your feelings. It''s good as long as you''re not upset."


    "I''m not upset. Having a sister and parents who managed to find their long-desired daughter makes me happy too. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure sister makes a stunning appearance tomorrow in front of our friends and rtives."


    Chu Lin came over and said, "By the way, Yuan Xi told me she''s got three childhood friendsing over for the return banquet tomorrow."


    Chu Yan said, "What? I''ve already set the seating. Why are you only telling me now?"


    Chu Lin said, "It''s Yuan Xi''s return banquet, haven''t you asked her if her friends would be attending?"


    Chu Yan said, "I''ll prepare ces for her friends right away, three people, right? I''ll have them seated at the main table then."


    Chu Yan scoffed coldly, Yuan Xi really wasn''t afraid of losing face¡ªher childhood friends, weren''t they just like Yuan Xi''s husband, just countryfolk from near Ruohu?


    Yuan Xi''s friends probably didn''t even own a decent dress.


    Since Yuan Xi wasn''t afraid of losing face, she was happy to oblige.

 Chapter 23 - 23 Pollen Allergy

    <h4>Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Pollen Allergy</h4>


    Shi Lei asked, "Whichpany do you work for?"


    Shiyan replied, "Shixi Finance."


    Shi Lei, who had never heard of Shixi Finance, took out his phone and searched for Shixi Finance on the mobile app in front of Shiyan.


    He saw a densely packed list ofpanies in which Shixi Finance held shares, including well-known intepanies.


    Among the media tforms were Youzi Film and Television, Lizhi Entertainment, VE Media, and also online shopping tforms like Haopin and Yiyi.


    The most prominent was Mi Chen, with Shixi holding fifty-one percent of its shares.


    Shixi Finance had only two shareholders, Shiyan and Shiyi Group.


    Tapping into the shareholders of Shiyi Group, the surnames were either Huo or Shi.


    Shi Lei stood up and eximed, "Oh man, when Yuan Xi said that her daughter was the richest heiress in A City, she wasn''t kidding, was she?"


    Shiyan smiled lightly, "If she''s carrying a daughter, then it''s no joke. She''s pregnant with twins, so there''s indeed a good chance they could be girls."


    Shiyan did not n to let Yuan Xi have a second child; having one son and one daughter would be ideal.


    Shi Lei: "..."


    Inside the fitting room.


    Chen Yuan said, "Yuan Xi, I can''t believe your husband is for real, and he''s so handsome too!"


    Liang Suisui said, "Is good looks enough to live off? How old is he, where does his family live? Why did you get married without discussing it with us? And what does he do? Just because you''re married doesn''t mean everything''s settled; you still have to pass our best friend test even with a marriage certificate."


    Yuan Xi lightly smiled, "He''s 27, a year older than me, from A City, has a suite at Ruohu Mansion by Ruohu, works as the president at Shixi Finance, and Shiyi Group belongs to his family. He''s the only child in his family, and technically, Shiyi is also his..."


    Both Chen Yuan and Suisui widened their eyes.


    Suisui eximed, "How on earth did Huo Shiyuan fall for you?"


    Chen Yuan asked, "You haven''t been tricked by him, have you?"


    Suisuimented, "You are pretty, but he''s the crown prince of Shiyi, surrounded by beautiful women. Why would heck options?"


    Chen Yuan remarked, "Are you sure you''ve seen his assets? There are plenty of scams out there; he might be pretending to be Shiyan to deceive you."


    Yuan Xi was unruffled by her childhood friends''ments, understanding that only close girlfriends dared to speak so frankly; even she found it unbelievable that Shiyan married her.


    Yuan Xi said, "His identity is real, but he probably didn''t fall for me; he has had a childhood crush he liked from a young age. I just happen to look like her, and since I got pregnant, we ended up getting married because of the baby."


    Chen Yuan said, "A stand-in? Your lifetely seems straight out of a drama, doesn''t it? Real heiress, bing a childhood crush''s stand-in for a CEO, marrying because of a baby... This plot could stretch over a dozen episodes in a prime-time TV series."


    Suisui turned to Yuan Xi, "Bing someone''s stand-in? How can you tolerate that? You used to hate novels about stand-ins back in high school."


    Yuan Xi shrugged, "Back then, I was young and naive. Shiyan is handsome, young, wealthy, and capable; besides treating me as a stand-in, as a husband, he is wless."


    Chen Yuan acknowledged, "Yeah, handsome, rich, andpetent ¡ª being a stand-in is indeed quite a sweet deal."


    Suisui questioned, "Have you ever considered what if Shiyan''s childhood crushes back?"


    Yuan Xi responded, "Even then, it would be worth it. Where else could I find better genes to father my child than those of Shiyan?"


    Suisui found herself momentarily at a loss for words.


    After each choosing a dress, Suisui greeted a designer she knew; she transferred the money to rent the dresses to the designer, who did not ept payment, only requesting that they take good care of the dresses.


    As the three of them left, Shi Lei inquired, "Don''t you think Shiyan looks familiar to you?"


    Suisui responded, "Why would we be familiar with President Huo?"


    Yuan Xi suggested, "Let''s go eat."


    With their new knowledge of Shiyan''s identity, both Chen Yuan and Suisui dared not joke any longer, showing noticeable unease during the meal.


    At the quiet dinner table, Suisui asked, "Since President Huo is from A City, has he been living in Jiang City all along, or will he return to A City once the Jiang City project ends?"


    Shiyan, looking down at Yuan Xi, responded, "It depends on Yuan Xi. After all, she grew up in Jiang City, and all her friends are here. We''ll see whether she prefers A City or Jiang City."


    "Do your parents allow you to stay in Jiang City?" Liang Suisui asked.


    Shiyan replied, "My grandmother raised me, and I went abroad for school in middle school. My parents probably won''t care in which city I live."


    Liang Suisui didn''t ask further.


    After dinner, while waiting for their cars to arrive, Liang Suisui patted Yuan Xi on the shoulder and said, "I think he doesn''t see you as a stand-in for his childhood friend, but genuinely likes you."


    Yuan Xi was stunned for a moment; looking at Shiyan, who was chatting with Shi Lei, she dared not hope for Shiyan''s affection.


    After the dinner party, when Yuan Xi returned to the mansion, it was already almost 10 PM. She almost fell asleep as soon as she finished her shower.


    Shiyan watched Yuan Xi''s sleeping figure, looked over at the photo of the little girl in blue on the bedside table, and held Yuan Xi tightly in his arms.


    Yuan Xi woke up very early in the morning and saw the message from Gu Hanchen, saying she could take the day off to go get styled at the Chu Family early.


    The return banquet was in the evening; Yuan Xi had initially nned to go to the Chu Family after work. Now, since Gu Hanchen had given her a day off, presumably because of the Chu Family, she had no choice but to go there in the morning.


    Yuan Xi changed into the cocktail dress she bought thest time and put yesterday''s chosen haute couture dress in the car.


    After Shiyan came downstairs, he saw Yuan Xi having breakfast and said, "I saw Gu Hanchen''s message to youst night, saying you don''t need to go to the office today. Why did you get up so early?"


    "I couldn''t really sleep anymore."


    Yuan Xi stirred the bird''s nest soup with her spoon. It had been a week, but she still couldn''t ept that she had found her biological parents.


    Shiyan put his hand on Yuan Xi''s shoulder and said, "Is it because you are nervous about the return banquet?"


    Yuan Xi nodded, "A little."


    "Just treat it like any ordinary banquet. I''ll take you to the Chu Family after breakfast."


    "Okay."


    Shiyan drove his newly acquired Continental, taking Yuan Xi to the Chu Family.


    Upon arriving, Shiyan saw the garden full of roses in various shades of white, blue, and pink and furrowed his brow.


    Yuan Xi sneezed loudly, covering her nose.


    Chu Yan approached the car and said, "Sister, you really bought a Continental huh..."


    "Achoo!" Yuan Xi sneezed heavily again.


    Shiyan told Chu Yan, "Yuan Xi is allergic torge amounts of Rosa Chinensis pollen. Remove all the Rosa Chinensis here."


    Yuan Xi asked, "How do you know I''m allergic? Achoo."


    Shiyan took a mask from the car and ced it on Yuan Xi, without answering her.


    Yuan Xi indeed had an allergy to pollen, but her allergy was peculiar; she was not allergic to all types of pollen, even small amounts of modern Rosa Chinensis wouldn''t affect her.


    She only reacted torge amounts of modern Rosa Chinensis, a situation she seldom encountered unless, like two days ago when Gu Hanchen had prepared 999 roses to convince her to stay at thepany, causing her to sneeze a few times.


    Since her allergy was so unusual, Yuan Xi never publicly disclosed her pollen allergy.


    "That''s not Rosa Chinensis." Chu Yan said, "These are roses, what do roses have to do with Rosa Chinensis allergies?"


    Shiyan exined, "These aremonly known as roses in flower shops and to the public, but scientifically they are called hybrid tea roses, also known as modern Rosa Chinensis. If these were true roses, Yuan Xi wouldn''t be allergic. She is only allergic torge amounts of this modern Rosa Chinensis."


    "What roses, what Rosa Chinensis, it''s so annoying."


    Chu Yan frowned anxiously, his tone harsh.


    "Why bring up pollen allergies now? Why didn''t you mention it earlier? None of our family members are allergic. Where am I supposed to find other flowers to rece all these roses in the decorations now?"


    "What''s wrong, Yanyan?"


    Chu Lin approached, seeing Yuan Xi wearing a mask, "Are you sick?"


    @@novelbin@@


    Yuan Xi sniffed her itchy nose, "Pollen allergy."


    Chu Yan said, "Brother, what do we do now? The return banquet is only six or seven hours away, and distant guests might arrive this afternoon. It''s toote to find other fresh flowers and redo the decorations."


    Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi, "How about we just have Sister stay in her room today and note out?"

 Chapter 24 - 24 The Dowry

    <h4>Chapter 24: Chapter 24 The Dowry</h4>


    Yuan Xiughed in frustration at Chu Yan''s words, "Hide myself? Chu Yan, do you know why we are hosting this party today?"


    Chu Lin frowned and instructed the party nner standing by side, "Quickly remove all the roses first, contact all the major florists to see if other flowers can rece them. Don''t worry about the price, thank you for your hard work."


    The nner responded, "I''ll get it done right away."


    Chu Yan, with a deeply furrowed brow, said, "It took me several nights to finalize the design. Recing it with other flowers would look so ugly! If others saw how ugly I made my sister''s return party, they would think I did it because I dislike her!"


    Yuan Xi retorted, "So hiding me away and not letting mee out isn''t out of dislike then?"


    Chu Yan stamped her foot and said, "I don''t dislike you at all. If I disliked you, would I spend so much time and effort taking charge of everything for the return party? You previously told me to find a ss to attend; you don''t understand our circle. Organizing a sessful party is much harder than working. I''ve spent so much energy... I have really put my heart into it for you. I drew all these flower designs with the nner, I cannot count how many nights it took. And you say I did it out of dislike?"


    Tears slid down Chu Yan''s cheeks.


    Chu Lin said, "Alright, alright, don''t cry today. Yuan Xi, we didn''t know about your pollen allergy, and Yanyan didn''t think about your allergy either. Now, we''ll just rece the roses with other flowers, just go inside."


    Chu Yan wiped her tears and, feeling aggrieved, clutched Yuan Xi''s arm. "I''ll take you to get ready."


    Yuan Xi expressionlessly pulled her arm away from Chu Yan''s grasp and walked inside.


    Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan entered the house where Yang Ying and Chu Qing were contacting important guests.


    "Dad, Mom."


    Huo Shiyuan also followed Yuan Xi''s lead, calling out, "Dad, Mom."


    Seeing Yuan Xi wearing a mask, Yang Ying became extremely nervous, "What''s wrong? Xin''er, are you ill?"


    Chu Yan spoke before Yuan Xi could, crying, "Mom, it''s all my fault. I never asked my sister if she was allergic to rose pollen before deciding to use them... I didn''t mean to bother her. I only wanted to give her a grand return party which is why I used so many flowers."


    "Don''t cry, don''t me yourself."


    Chu Qing said, "It''s not a big deal. Hurry up and contact the floral wholesalers to send over flowers that Xin''er is not allergic to. Some glitches are inevitable in hosting a party."


    Yuan Xi chuckled upon hearing the word ''glitches''.


    Huo Shiyuan grabbed Yuan Xi''s hand.


    Yang Ying asked, "Do you have any allergy medicine? Should I get Nanny Zhang to buy some?"


    Yuan Xi replied, "No, please bother Nanny Zhang. Loratadine will do."


    Yang Ying, looking at Huo Shiyuan, said, "Last time at someone else''s wedding, I didn''t ask very thoroughly. John, you work in construction, what projects?"


    "Currently, I am working on the demolition project over at Ruohu."


    Yang Ying somewhat frowned and said, "John, since you''re already married to our Xin''er, I''ll speak frankly. Both Xin''er and Yanyan are our daughters. For Yanyan, we have prepared a vi worth a hundred million yuan, an eighty million yuan t at Jiangjing No.1, another hundred million in cash, and a billion in shares as her dowry. We owe Xin''er a lot, her dowry should be more. But you should also be aware of the gap between you and Bo Fan. I still can''t trust you, so I''ll temporarily keep Xin''er''s dowry myself. I hope you join Chuneng Group and show us your efforts. Once we recognize your capabilities, I''ll give Xin''er''s dowry to you..."


    Yuan Xi interjected, "It''s not necessary, Mom. I don''t need the dowry. John won''t be joining Chuneng Group either."


    Yuan Xi understood that Yang Ying was afraid she''d chosen a freeloader, amon concern for many mothers, and her approach was nothing to be criticized.


    However, Huo Shiyuan''s assets were several times those of the Chu Family, and his wealth was only growing, it made no sense for him to safeguard against him, and for her to do so was indeed ridiculous.


    Yang Ying frowned and said, "Xinxin, you can''t just be smitten by his good looks and go all what''s the word the young people use?"


    Chu Lin chimed in, "Love-struck."


    Yang Ying continued, "Xinxin, Mom is really looking out for your best interest here. If he''s unwilling to join the Chuneng Group, at least have him sign a prenuptial agreement stating that assets acquired after the marriage won''t be divided equally in case of a divorce."


    Huo Shiyuan assured with a deep voice, "Mom, Yuan Xi and I will never get a divorce, not in this lifetime!"


    Chu Yan whispered, "He''d definitely not want to get divorced."


    A rural man marrying into the wealthiest family, nobody would willingly let go of that.


    Yuan Xi spoke softly, "Mom, there''s no need to sign that agreement. I trust Huo ... John, and you don''t need to provide a dowry for me either."


    Yang Ying was visibly annoyed, "Without a dowry, do you n to just live in the vige until your child is born?"


    "The vige is quite nice," Yuan Xi stated, "It''s no worse than a vi in the city center."


    Chu Lin quickly tried to mediate, "Mom... let Xinxin go get her makeup and styling done first."


    Yuan Xi felt a lump in her throat and clutched her hand as she ran to the bathroom to vomit.


    Yang Ying followed her, looking at Yuan Xi with sympathy, "When I was pregnant with your brother, I also vomited severely. But when I carried you, you were so well-behaved, rarely causing me morning sickness. I knew then it must be a daughter."


    @@novelbin@@


    After rinsing her mouth, Yuan Xi took the wet wipes Yang Ying handed her and gently dabbed her face.


    Yang Ying said, "I''ll still give you the dowry that''s due to you. The Chu family doesn''tck that little, but you should still be cautious with John. Go get your makeup done now."


    Yuan Xi caressed her belly and was led by Yang Ying to a guest room for styling.


    Yang Ying instructed the stylist, "She''s pregnant, so try to avoid using hair spray if possible, and use the special makeup I provided."


    "Okay, Mrs. Chu."


    ...


    Three hours had passed by the time Yuan Xi finished her styling.


    In the afternoon, the guests began arriving one after another.


    Before Yuan Xi had time to change into her haute couture gown, she received a call from Chen Yuan saying they were almost there.


    Yuan Xi hurried to the entrance of the estate to meet them.


    "Wow, Yanyan, isn''t that this year''s new haute couture from Elie Saab? You got it so quickly?"


    Chu Yan held her head high, pridefully saying, "This dress was so hard to obtain. I had to fly to Dubai twice just to secure it, but it was worth it. This haute couture is just too beautiful."


    "It''s only Yanyan who can debut in new haute couture dresses at every g. The dress is indeed beautiful, and you''re even more so."


    "Yeah, it has to be Yanyan. We wouldn''t dare think about debuting in that dress."


    Yuan Xi looked over; the haute couture that Chu Yan wore today looked familiar. Wasn''t it the same dress that Liang Suisui picked out yesterday?


    Could there really be a sh in haute couture dresses from this year''s new collection?


    From afar, Chu Yan spotted a white Porsche Cayenne parked at the entrance of the estate and scoffed, "Whose car is that? Who would drive a Cayenne to an event like today? It''s practicallyughable."


    Chu Yan, unfamiliar with the car, walked toward the entrance.


    Shi Lei rolled down the car window as he drove up to the entrance, "Xiao Xi!"


    Yuan Xi walked quickly over and said, "Shi Lei, just leave the car here and give the keys to the security. They''ll handle the parking."


    Chu Yan sneered disdainfully, "If you had said it was your sister''s friend, we could have had our driver pick him up. There''s no need to rent a Cayenne, especially an old one from eight years ago..."

 Chapter 27 - 27 Chu Yan, Stop Being a Green Tea B*tch

    Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Chu Yan, Stop Being a Green Tea B*tch


    In the Chu Family¡¯s grand hall, guests filled the space to the brim.


    Chu Qing held the microphone, his eyes slightly red, ¡°Thank you all foring to my daughter Chu Xinyan¡¯s wee home banquet. Xinxin was not even a year old and still in swaddling clothes when she left us. We¡¯ve kept her nursery intact, and every time I enter and see the scene inside, my heart aches like it¡¯s being cut with a knife.


    Heaven has shown us mercy, and I also must thank the police officers and everyone else who helped us in finding my daughter, Xinxin.


    Here, I promise to donate twenty million to aid families of abducted children in finding their own.¡±


    ¡°Next, let¡¯s wee our Xinxin¡­¡±


    Dressed in a pale blue gown that was tailored to fit, Yuan Xi slowly descended the spiral staircase, the warm light from above casting an ivory glow on her skin.


    Due to her pregnancy, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t wear high heels, choosing ts instead. However, the marble tiles covering the Chu Family¡¯s staircase were quite slippery, prompting Yuan Xi to quickly grasp the handrail for support.


    Yuan Xi had seen a red carpet when she went upstairs earlier, so she hadn¡¯t bothered to scuff the soles of her new shoes.


    Yuan Xi had not anticipated that the red carpet would be removed; her smooth leather soles slipped on the marble floor with almost every step.


    After taking two steps while holding onto the handrail, Yuan Xi dared not continue.


    Chen Yuan noticed something was amiss and frowned at Chu Lin, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Xixi is pregnant? Why would you suddenly remove the red carpet from the stairs?¡±


    Chu Yan said, ¡°I thought it looked better without the red carpet, so I had it removed on purpose. See, isn¡¯t my sister more beautiful without it? The photos won¡¯t have that reflective re from the red carpet.¡±


    Chen Yuan red at Chu Yan, ¡°Chu Yan, stop pretending to be so innocent. Don¡¯t you know that Yuan Xi¡¯s shoes today have a new leather sole? These tiles are so slippery¡­ If anything happens to the child in Xixi¡¯s belly, don¡¯t think you will have an easy time!¡±


    Frightened, Chu Yan hid behind Chu Lin, ¡°Brother! I¡­ Even with leather-soled shoes, these tiles shouldn¡¯t be too slippery. I wear leather-soled shoes on these stairs every day and never slipped. Sister is just being too timid. How can sister¡¯s friend call me an innocent faker?¡±


    Chen Yuan was nearly livid with anger, ¡°Shitou, I am so angry!¡±


    Shi Lei chimed in from the side, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry. Today is a significant day for Xiao Xi. Let me go and help Xiao Xi down the stairs.¡±


    Just as Shi Lei was about to go up to help Yuan Xi, he saw Huo Shiyuan already ascending the spiral staircase to assist Yuan Xi.


    Yuan Xi saw Huo Shiyuaning to her aid and ced her hand in his, offering him a faint smile.


    Huo Shiyuan held Yuan Xi¡¯s hand tightly and slowly walked down the stairs. The entire hall was silent, everyone¡¯s gaze fixed upon the two figures descending the staircase, Yuan Xi in the pale blue mermaid gown shining brightly under the lights.


    Chu Yan saw Bo Fan off to the side, all his attention on Yuan Xi, and pursed her lips in slight annoyance.


    Huo Shiyuan helped Yuan Xi to the middle between Chu Qing and Yang Ying, then stepped aside.


    Yuan Xi took the microphone and said, ¡°I am very thankful to the police for their help in reuniting me with my mom and dad. After my foster parents passed away, I learned that I still had a mom and dad. I¡¯ve imagined countless times whether my parents had abandoned me or had lost me¡­¡±


    Yang Ying, her eyes reddening, interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xinyan¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi responded with a light smile, ¡°Now that I have found my mom and dad, I am very happy. In fact, I had met my parents a long time ago, never imagining that they were really my mom and dad. Heaven has pitied me, giving me parents once again, letting me know my real birthday and my true heritage.¡±


    Yuan Xi turned her gaze toward the night sky outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, ¡°My mom and dad in heaven can rest easy now, I have a home again.¡±


    As Yuan Xi said this, the expressions on Chu Qing and Yang Ying¡¯s faces grew uneasy; they had not expected Yuan Xi to mention her foster parents, who in their eyes were just the buyers.


    ¡°I also thank everyone for attending my wee home banquet. I will personally donate a million to assist in the search for parents of abducted orphans. Thank you, everyone.¡±


    After finishing her speech, Yuan Xi handed the microphone to the host nearby.


    As the feast began, Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan took their seats at the main table.


    Chen Yuan, sitting beside Yuan Xi, said, ¡°Chu Yan, that innocent faker, is so infuriating. She¡¯s not the slightest bit remorseful for removing your carpet, and even criticized you for being timid. Can¡¯t you, with all the bearing of the real heiress, drive out this fake heiress?¡±


    Yuan Xi spoke softly, ¡°She¡¯s different from the typical fake heiresses; she¡¯s adopted. In a way, she¡¯s also a real heiress of the Chu Family.¡±


    Chen Yuan retorted, ¡°Rather than donating to help kidnapped children find their biological parents, why not help Chu Yan find hers? Wouldn¡¯t it be best if everyone returned to their own homes?¡±


    Chen Yuan quickly added, ¡°No, that¡¯s wrong. ording to my experience of reading novels, if you insist on being the real heiress jealous of the fake, forcing her to find her biological parents, then her biological parents will turn out to be incredibly influential figures¡­¡±


    Yuan Xiughed, ¡°It couldn¡¯t be that melodramatic, could it?¡±


    Chen Yuan shot back, ¡°Have the melodramatic events of the past ten days been few and far between for you?¡±


    Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    During the post-dinner courtyard dance party,


    Yuan Xi helped Chen Yuan take photos among the flowers.


    Shi Lei and Huo Shiyuan stood by, with Shi Lei looking at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s profile, ¡°I still feel like I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before; we definitely must have met.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan sipped his red wine lightly, ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Listening to Huo Shiyuan¡¯s indifferent three words, Shi Lei said, ¡°Just now I heard them all saying that the real heiress¡¯s husband is just a little farmer from the vige who builds houses. Aren¡¯t you the President Huo from Shixi Group?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan lowered his voice, ¡°There are simply too manypanies wanting to invest with Shixi Group, I don¡¯t want to be disturbed, so I didn¡¯t reveal my identity to them.¡±


    Shi Lei said, ¡°Is it that you don¡¯t want to be disturbed, or you don¡¯t want your childhood sweetheart to know that you found a stand-in to get married?¡±


    ¡°Childhood sweetheart? Stand-in?¡±


    Shi Lei said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Xiao Xi look exactly like your childhood sweetheart? Aren¡¯t you using Xiao Xi as a stand-in?¡±


    Holding his wine ss, Huo Shiyuanughed lightly and shook his head.


    Shi Lei, confused, said, ¡°So you¡¯re not treating her as a stand-in?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°You think I look familiar, don¡¯t you? Think about it.¡±


    Shi Lei scratched his head, ¡°I can¡¯t remember, I couldn¡¯t possibly have any interaction with a young master like you in my memory.¡±


    Shiyi Group had been one of the top businesses in the hotel industry even before Shi Lei was born.


    It was no wonder Shi Lei would never have had the chance to meet someone like Huo Shiyuan, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.


    ¡­


    ¡°Yanyan, the floral design for your courtyard party is so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°You truly are Yanyan, the parties you design are always the best.¡±


    Chu Yan, beingplimented by a group of young heiresses, sighed, ¡°It was supposed to be even more beautiful, but my sister said just today she¡¯s allergic to roses, so we had to change to the current flowers. If it were roses, I wonder how beautiful that would be! All my hard work staying upte these past few days has been wasted.¡±


    Chu Yan appeared somewhat annoyed.


    ¡°Secretary Yuan is really making things difficult for you, huh? You¡¯re just so good-natured, Yanyan!¡±


    ¡°If my hard work were trampled on and I were deliberately troubled like this, I would be absolutely furious. You are truly kind-hearted, Yanyan.¡±


    Chen Yuan listened to these few words and felt very frustrated, whispering to Yuan Xi, ¡°Do these young heiresses have issues with their IQ? They don¡¯t hesitate to offend you to tter the fake heiress? When I read novels before, I didn¡¯t believe there could be such brainless viins, but now I believe it.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    Qin Yue came over with a ss of red wine and said, ¡°They¡¯re not brainless. Aside from being a fake heiress, Chu Yan is soon to be the Bo Family¡¯s young mistress, the CEO¡¯s wife of Fan Yan. She will always be a part of the top circle of wealthy elites in Jiang City.


    Even if President Yuan is the real heiress, she¡¯s just married to a ¡®countryman¡¯¡­ It¡¯s normal for this circle to fawn over the powerful and step on the downtrodden. President Yuan shouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    After Qin Yue finished speaking, she raised her ss to Yuan Xi, ¡°Congrattions to President Yuan on the promotion.¡±


    Yuan Xi picked up a nearby cup of a drink and clinked sses with Qin Yue, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°This is my friend, Chen Yuan. Chen Yuan, this is the CEO¡¯s wife of Youzi Film and Television.¡±


    ¡°Youzi Film and Television?¡± Chen Yuan looked at Qin Yue and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, CEO¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Qin Yue.¡±


    Chen Yuan then asked, ¡°Countryman? Isn¡¯t your husband from Shixi¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°A countryman is not bad either; it lets you see people¡¯s true colors clearly.¡±


    ¡°Yuan Xi, aren¡¯t you going too far?¡±


    Bao Yan walked up to Yuan Xi, ¡°Even if you are the real Chu Family heiress, you can¡¯t bully Yanyan like this. Yanyan is still going to be our Bo Family¡¯s young mistress, not someone you can trouble and bully.


    When Gu Hanchen sent you 999 roses, why didn¡¯t you say you were allergic? Now today youe and say you¡¯re allergic? Also, what about saying you¡¯d tear up the red carpet and then you couldn¡¯t walk on floor tiles, why are you being so fussy?¡±

 Chapter 31 - 31 Yanyan, Apologize to Yuan Xi

    Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Yanyan, Apologize to Yuan Xi


    Yuan Xi heard Chu Yan¡¯s defense and smiled faintly, ¡°The gown on Suisui is indistinguishable from yours in both fabric and stitch craftsmanship, even thece and beading. How did youe to know that my and her dresses are knockoffs? You¡¯ve worn couture gowns, haven¡¯t you? Hundreds, if not thousands. Can¡¯t you even tell the difference between a counterfeit and the real deal?¡±


    Chu Yan said, ¡°Impossible, there is generally only one customer per country for this haute couture dress. When I ordered it, there was only one person in the country who had done the same, Miss Fu Qin from the Fu Family in A City. How could you possibly know Fu Qin?¡±


    Liang Suisui said, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we know Fu Qin? She¡¯s a fashion designer who can¡¯t easily customize fabric at big textile mills. Opening her own would have been a hassle to manage, so she found us and partnered with our family¡¯s textile mill. Both Xiao Xi and my gowns are from Fu Qin¡¯s private collection, which she lent to us. Now that you¡¯ve ruined my gown, pay up!¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    Chu Yan looked at Liang Suisui with disbelief, ¡°It¡¯s impossible, you couldn¡¯t possibly know Fu Qin!¡±


    ¡°Do I need to call her toe over?¡± Liang Suisui raised her cell phone and asked.


    Chu Yan¡¯s face turned rather ugly.


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Go on, call her over. I heard she grew up with Huo Shiyuan as childhood sweethearts¡­¡±


    Huo Shiyuan red at Gu Hanchen, who enjoyed stirring up trouble.


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan, the six degrees of separation really did exist. Who would have thought that the designer Liang Suisui knew was Huo Shiyuan¡¯s childhood sweetheart?


    Chu Lin said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble the daughter of the Fu Family toe here, Yanyan, quickly apologize to Yuan Xi and her friends.¡±


    Chu Yan, feeling everyone¡¯s gazes on her, felt as if they were filled with mockery.


    Chu Yan looked at Yang Ying, seeing an unusual disappointment in her gaze, and apologized continuously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sis, and your friends, I, I, I didn¡¯t realize you knew Fu Qin and thought you were wearing knockoffs. I meant well reminding you, see how my good intentions led to trouble. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯llpensate for the gown.¡±


    ¡°I will personally go and apologize to Miss Fu, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. Sis, can you forgive me?¡±


    Yuan Xi scoffed. Chu Yan always apologized quickly, but there was little sincerity in those apologies.


    ¡°Xinxin, since Yanyan has apologized, forgive her this time.¡±


    After saying that, Yang Ying approached Yuan Xi and whispered, ¡°Xinxin, mom knows you¡¯ve been wronged today, but Yanyan really had no ill intentions. Consider the bigger picture, the Bo Family is here, give them some face.¡±


    Chu Yan bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sis, sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have said you were wearing fakes. I really did mean to remind you properly¡­ Bo Fan, you believe me, right? I really didn¡¯t mean to insult sis intentionally, I was truly trying to help.¡±


    Bao Yan came over and said, ¡°Yanyan, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve known each other since we were young, we trust your character. Bo Fan, you agree, right?¡±


    Bao Yan red at Bo Fan, who was aware of the crisis facing the Bo Family at the moment. If they couldn¡¯t get through it, Chu Yan would be their lifeline.


    Bo Fan took Chu Yan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I believe you, but you were indeed wrong today. Apologize properly.¡±


    Chu Yan said again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Gu Hanchen coughed and said, ¡°If apologies were effective, what would be the need for police?¡±


    Hearing Gu Hanchen¡¯s words, Liang Suisuiughed, ¡°Forget it, Xiao Xi is magnanimous and won¡¯t hold grudges against anyone.¡±


    Yuan Xi eventually considered the intricate rtionships within the circle and did not pursue justice further.


    After the crowd dispersed, Yang Ying said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Xinxin, I will have a good talk with your sister. You indeed suffered an injustice today. Let your friend change their clothes in the guest room, I¡¯ve already had someone rush to buy a new outfit. Xinxin, your dad and I still have to entertain our guests, you¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, mom, you go entertain the guests.¡±


    Yang Ying looked worriedly at Yuan Xi and then went to greet the guests.


    Liang Suisui wrapped herself in a jacket and returned it to Gu Hanchen, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m going to change my clothes.¡±


    Gu Hanchen took it and said, ¡°No need to thank me, I¡¯m just ying the good guy to the end today, what a good feeling.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Gu Hanchen and said, ¡°Being hit and then taking someone to the hospital doesn¡¯t seem like you.¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°I¡¯ve just thought of a great publicity strategy for Mi Chen. Just wait until tomorrow when the news breaks about President Mi Chen¡¯s good Samaritan act of taking the woman who caused the ident to the hospital. It¡¯s definitely going to attract a lot of praise for Mi Chen, and I bet people can¡¯t wait to buy Mi Chen¡¯s stocks.¡±


    Yuan Xi frowned slightly. Something about what Gu Hanchen said didn¡¯t seem right to her, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was.


    Yuan Xi asked Gu Hanchen in a soft voice, ¡°Is it true what you said about Fu Qin being Huo Shiyuan¡¯s childhood friend?¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be truer. The Huo and Fu families are neighbors.¡±


    Yuan Xi let out a soft ¡°oh,¡± contemting whether the photo of the little girl beside the bed was indeed Fu Qin.


    Yu Xiaoxiao approached Gu Hanchen and asked, ¡°Brother Hanchen, what¡¯s your rtionship with Liang Suisui?¡±


    Gu Hanchen smiled, ¡°Rtionship? Nothing has happened yet, but who knows, it might happen soon.¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao bit her lip and ran off, her eyes brimming with tears.


    Yuan Xi red at Gu Hanchen, ¡°Please refrain from speaking disrespectfully about my friend in the future, Mr. Gu.¡±


    Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Would Yu Xiaoxiao have left if I hadn¡¯t said that?¡±


    Liang Suisui came back in a new outfit and said, annoyed, ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to exin to Fu Qin after dirtying her dress. She told me to take good care of it, and now I¡¯m too ashamed to face her.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said beside Yuan Xi, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about dirtying Fu Qin¡¯s dress; I¡¯ll exin it to her. She¡¯s always been generous and won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Yuan Xi gently bit her lip, ¡°Thank you for helping Suisui exin.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi and gave a gentle smile.


    Gu Hanchen stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to grab something to eat. Doing good deeds has starved me. Suisui, right? Let¡¯s go eat together.¡±


    Liang Suisui was indeed hungry and followed Gu Hanchen to the dessert table.


    From behind the dessert table¡¯s disy board came the voices of several heiresses.


    ¡°Yanyan, we know you meant well, don¡¯t be upset. It¡¯s only because Fu Qin pitied them that she lent them the dress. It¡¯s just a dress, no need to be angry about it and harm your health.¡±


    ¡°Borrowed items are never truly theirs. They just borrowed those designer dresses for a single asion. Unlike you, Yanyan, even if you dirty a dress, requesting another designer piece is just a matter of words. Yuan Xi wouldn¡¯t even dare to dream of such a thing. Would her rural husband ever allow her to spend a million on a single piece of clothing?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Miss Chu, in not-too-distant future, you¡¯ll be the Young Lady of the Bo Family. Yuan Xi married nothing more than a rural man. Your lives are worlds apart; there¡¯s no need for you to be upset orpare yourself with her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Yanyan. Look at you, about to marry Bo Fan¡ªthat¡¯s Bo Fan of Jiang City, a man many top female stars dream of marrying¡ªa far cry from some rural resettlement dweller.¡±


    ¡°Even if Yuan Xi truly is the Chu Family¡¯s daughter, after she¡¯s married, her life will still be vastly different from yours. Her husband could never match up to Bo Fan.¡±


    Surrounded by the adtion of other heiresses, Chu Yan smiled, ¡°A woman¡¯s marriage is like reincarnation. My sister indeed has poor taste; I¡¯m actually worried for her. Marrying a construction worker from the countryside, sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yanyan¡¯s heart is truly kind.¡±


    Hearing the ttery from the group of heiresses, Liang Suisui, standing at the dessert table, took a bite of her cake and chuckled lightly. Chu Yan had just been humiliated, yet they were still so eager to fawn over her.


    ¡°Gu Han, this must be Miss Liang, right?¡±


    Bo Fan came over and extended his hand to Liang Suisui, ¡°Miss Liang, I¡¯m Bo Fan.¡±


    Liang Suisui couldn¡¯t be bothered to give Bo Fan any respect and rolled her eyes.


    Gu Hanchen said to Bo Fan, ¡°Bo Fan, what is it?¡±


    Bo Fan replied, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about Miss Chu dirtying Miss Liang¡¯s dress. I heard it belonged to Fu Qin, and I¡¯d like to personally visit Miss Fu to apologize. I was hoping Miss Liang could provide me with Miss Fu¡¯s contact information and address?¡±


    Gu Hanchen had already said that Huo Shiyuan and Fu Qin were childhood friends, and Bo Fan figured he might be able to get in touch with Huo Shiyuan through Fu Qin.

 Chapter 32: A Rift Cannot Be Dissolved in a Day

    Chapter 32: Chapter 32: A Rift Cannot Be Dissolved in a Day


    Suisui nced at Bo Fan, ¡°I will give you the card number, and you can just transfer the money for that dress to my bank ount, there¡¯s no need to meet Fu Qin!¡±


    Bo Fan said, ¡°Miss Liang¡­ I truly am very sorry.¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Being sorry is enough withpensation, the rest of visiting and such is unnecessary.¡±


    Suisui nodded in appreciation. ¡°Yes, just transfer the money, nothing else is necessary.¡±


    Bo Fan felt a little defeated but didn¡¯t continue to ask Suisui about Fu Qin¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡­


    Around nine o¡¯clock, Yuan Xi felt drowsy, as her pregnancy made her very sleepy.


    Huo Shiyuan, seeing Yuan Xi yawn, asked, ¡°Heading back?¡±


    Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yuan Xi went to inform Chu Qingyang Ying, who was hosting the guests, that she was going back.


    Yang Ying said repeatedly, ¡°It¡¯ste today, just stay at our ce.¡±


    Yuan Xi shook her head, ¡°No need, I¡¯m particr about where I sleep.¡±


    Yang Ying whispered to Yuan Xi, ¡°Are you not staying because of what happened with Yanyan earlier? Xinxin, Yanyan indeed has been spoiled by us. Since she was young, she¡¯s hated giarism intensely; she dislikes copycat designs. Her nature is to be straightforward and spontaneous, to do whatever she wants¡­


    I know she was in the wrong just now, but her wedding with Bo Family is already set. Xinxin, Yanyan is still the would-be youngdy of Bo Family. The incident just now shouldn¡¯t have escted too far; it would make Bo Family lose face. She¡¯s already apologized¡­¡±


    Hearing Yang Ying¡¯s exnation, Yuan Xi still distanced herself with a light smile, ¡°Mom, we¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    Watching Yuan Xi leave, Yang Ying sighed deeply.


    Just as Chu Qing finished seeing off a leader from Jiang City, he asked, ¡°Why did Xinxin leave?¡±


    Yang Ying choked up, ¡°After all, it¡¯s been twenty-five years¡­ Such estrangement can¡¯t be resolved in a day.¡±


    Chu Qing embraced Yang Ying, ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, Xinxin will understand one day; let¡¯s make it up to her from now on.¡±


    ¡­


    Ruohu Mansion.


    In the car, Yuan Xi fell asleep for a while, and after reaching home and taking a shower, her drowsiness had significantly diminished.


    While Huo Shiyuan was still in the bathroom, Yuan Xi nced at the photo of a little girl on his bedside table. She knew she shouldn¡¯t care, but seemed unable to ignore it.


    Yuan Xi, hearing a noise, quickly returned to bed and picked up her cell phone.


    Huo Shiyuan came over to Yuan Xi and said, ¡°You seemed upset after the fuss Chu Yan made, do you think your parents handled things unfairly?¡±


    The conflict with Chu Yan earlier wasn¡¯t something Yuan Xi held on to.


    The arrogance of Chu Yan, the tycoon¡¯s daughter, was something Yuan Xi experienced in college.


    Although many ssmates considered Chu Yan¡¯s behavior as vivacious and unrestrained.


    Parents siding with Chu Yan didn¡¯t truly upset Yuan Xi; she thought if her foster parents were still alive.


    Even if Chu Qingyang Ying reached out, Yuan Xi might still be more biased towards her foster parents.


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan softly said, ¡°Every time you are unhappy, you tend to bite your lip.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan in surprise; she didn¡¯t even know this habit herself, but now that she thought about it, it was indeed true.


    @@novelbin@@


    Huo Shiyuan, hearing the phone¡¯s notification sound, picked it up and smiled knowingly.


    Yuan Xi rarely saw Huo Shiyuan with such a smile, ¡°Are you chatting with Fu Qin?¡±


    As soon as she asked, Yuan Xi regretted it. They were married because of an idental pregnancy, and whatever Huo Shiyuan and Fu Qin did, she shouldn¡¯t interfere.


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s Shi Lei who sent a photo of you from your childhood.¡±


    Yuan Xi leaned forward to see; her childhood face nearly identical to the little girl¡¯s photo on the bedside table, but she remembered she couldn¡¯t have worn luxury princess dresses as a child.


    Huo Shiyuan scrutinized one photo with some confusion, ¡°This one¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi stepped forward to look; it was her and Brother Zhuangzhuang in the vige church pretending to get married, probably around five or six years old.


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°It was just ying house when we were kids.¡±


    Shi Lei really, what photos he wouldn¡¯t send.


    Huo Shiyuan, ¡°You have many photos with this chubby little boy, what¡¯s his name.¡±


    Yuan Xi: ¡°I don¡¯t know his real name, because he was very chubby, and in Jiang City dialect, chubby trantes to ¡®strong,¡¯ so we all called him Brother Zhuangzhuang.


    Heter went abroad to study, and I¡¯ve never been in contact with him since. As children, we indeed yed best with each other, but by sixth grade, we hardly interacted, and ying house and getting married were just childish mischief¡­¡±


    Huo Shiyuan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly, ¡°You didn¡¯t like Brother Zhuangzhuang?¡±


    ¡°I did enjoy ying with him when I was a kid.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan: ¡°I mean the kind of liking between a man and a woman¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi chuckled lightly, ¡°President Huo, not everyone falls in love with a childhood ymate like you do. Brother Zhuangzhuang always had two streams of snot under his nose when he was small. I vividly remember how he got stuck in the mud while catching crayfish at theke and couldn¡¯t pull himself out, and how loudly he cried and threw tantrums not to leave the vige; how could I possibly like him?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan frowned; he couldn¡¯t always have had two streams of snot or thrown tantrums. Yuan Xi was simply ndering him.


    But getting stuck in the mud was true.


    Huo Shiyuan turned off his phone, but his notion of telling Yuan Xi that he was Brother Zhuangzhuang vanished.


    Yuan Xi felt somewhat happy recalling her childhood fun and set aside her phone to sleep with closed eyes.


    Leaving Huo Shiyuan pondering if he had any other dark past from his childhood.


    Huo Shiyuan looking at his childhood photos, was relieved to see that he bore no resemnce to his younger self.


    ¡­


    When Yuan Xi woke up the next morning, she saw her phone bombarded with messages.


    The group chat of the public rtions department was full of them.


    Yuan Xi knew there must be trouble again. She logged into her Weibo, and thements section was filled with insults, something Yuan Xi was already ustomed to.


    Mi Chen Game had been criticized by yers not just for a day or two.


    Yuan Xi nced at the Weibo trending topics, just as Gu Hanchen wished, the good deed of him taking the culpable female driver to the hospital yesterday had trended.


    Four of the top ten trending topics were rted to Gu Hanchen.


    #GuHanchenInsultsFemaleDriver#


    #BoycottMiChenGame#


    #MiChenGameDegradesWomen#


    #GuHanchenGoodDeeds#


    Clearly, the ¡°Gu Hanchen Good Deeds¡± topic must have been paid for by Gu Hanchen himself.


    Yuan Xi opened Gu Hanchen¡¯s Weibo.


    Last night at ten o¡¯clock, he posted a Weibo:


    Mi Chen¡¯s Most Handsome: ¡°Took the female driver tailgating me to the hospital  Female drivers, be careful while driving!¡±


    Yuan Xi knew something was off about Gu Hanchen¡¯s words yesterday.


    The term ¡®female driver¡¯ she had heard countless times while learning to drive, and she found it distasteful.


    Male learners made the same mistakes, but the instructor and other learners wouldn¡¯t tease them as ¡®male drivers.¡¯


    But any slight error she made, she would be teased by the instructor and male learners as a ¡®female driver.¡¯


    Later, Yuan Xi switched to a female instructor and passed the second and third tests with full scores.


    When Yuan Xi bought her first car, male salespeople would tease her as a ¡®female driver¡¯ during test drives, even though male drivers who were also newbies did no better, yet no one teased them, only the ¡®female drivers.¡¯


    The term ¡®female driver¡¯ and the discrimination that came with it was pervasive and grating.


    Did Gu Hanchen think the IPO process was too smooth and needed to stir up some controversy?


    If Yuan Xi weren¡¯t relying on the sry from Gu Hanchen, she would have liked to scold him for causing such a public rtions issue before the IPO.


    Yuan Xi nced at Huo Shiyuan sleeping soundly, then went to the balcony and called the PR department manager, Fang Qin.


    Fang Qin answered Yuan Xi¡¯s call, ¡°Thank goodness you finally picked up. We still can¡¯t reach Mr. Gu, the official ount of Mi Chen has already issued an apology and rified that there was no intention to insult female drivers, but since we can¡¯t reach Mr. Gu, his personal ount can¡¯t issue an apology, and now the female gamers are boycotting¡­¡±


    Fang Qin continued, ¡°Moreover, this time we discovered that someone seems to be fueling the fire behind the scenes, specifically highlighting Mr. Gu¡¯s insult to women, and the public opinion fermented very quickly, with work starting soon in the morning. We need Mr. Gu to post an apology early to resolve this issue.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯ll go find Gu Hanchen right away. Have you found out who is fueling the public opinion from behind the scenes?¡±


    Fang Qin replied, ¡°It¡¯s some marketing ounts that usually post entertainment gossip; I am still investigating. With the public opinion so inmed before the IPO, many gamers are asking for refunds and boycotting, which could significantly impact the roadshow.¡±


    ¡°Entertainment circles¡­¡±


    After hanging up, Yuan Xi opened Qin Yue¡¯s WeChat and sent a message.

 Chapter 34 - 34 Chu Yan: He is Huo Shiyuan? How is that possible?

    Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Chu Yan: He is Huo Shiyuan? How is that possible?


    Hanchen chuckled lightly when he heard Chu Yan personally admit that Fan Yan was employing a whole bunch of marketing ounts. Bo Fan really was a good ¡°brother¡± to him!


    Yuan Xi, seeing Hanchen yawning continuously, didn¡¯t dare let him drive and went to sit in the driver¡¯s seat.


    As Hanchen sat in the passenger seat, he took out his phone and began texting Special Assistant Wang, asionally shing a sly smile.


    Upon reaching the fifty-eighth floor of Michen Building.


    Yuan Xi had just returned to her office when she saw Huo Shiyan waiting inside.


    Huo Shiyan had a food container with him, ¡°Why did you leave without having breakfast?¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Bo Fan caught wind of the Weibo post that Hanchen madest night. Bo Fan is using marketing ounts to stir up public opinion against Michen; it¡¯s not looking good for us. I left early in the morning, and I¡¯ve already had breakfast.¡±


    Huo Shiyan took the bird¡¯s nest out of the food container and handed it to Yuan Xi, ¡°Then eat the bird¡¯s nest, it was just freshly stewed by the nutritionist.¡±


    Looking at the bird¡¯s nest in the bowl, Yuan Xi picked up a spoon and began eating, ¡°I didn¡¯t think Bo Fan would do such a thing; I thought he and Hanchen were good brothers.¡±


    Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Fan Yan has been seeking investment from Shixi since half a year ago. Shixi has been refusing, not only because they don¡¯t see a bright future for Fan Yan but also because Bo Fan is not as straightforward as Hanchen.¡±


    Yuan Xi saw the online public opinion getting more and more intense and didn¡¯t understand why Hanchen was still dragging his feet.


    Huo Shiyan, seeing Yuan Xi frowning, reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if this small matter is too much for Hanchen to handle, then I really should consider finding a new CEO for Michen. Isn¡¯t it about time for the baby¡¯s check-up?¡±


    Yuan Xi, thinking about the baby, felt somewhat relieved, ¡°Last time during the ultrasound scan, we couldn¡¯t see the fetal heartbeat or the embryo, and the doctor said that a check-up between six to eight weeks would be more suitable. It¡¯s been over six weeks now, and we n to go for a check-up this weekend.¡±


    Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll make time on Saturday to apany you to the check-up. I should go now; the nanny will bring you lunchter, make sure to eat more.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The public opinion worsened during the lunch break; some marketing ounts even started spreading rumors about Hanchen¡¯s endless private affairs with women, and they were demanding female gamers to get refunds and cancel their ounts¡­


    Hanchen was eating lunch sent from the nanny at Ruohu Mansion, looking utterly unfazed.


    Seeing him like this, Yuan Xi also started to feel more at ease.


    Hanchen¡¯s cellphone rang, and Yuan Xi saw ¡°Bo Fan¡± on the caller ID, asking the smiling Hanchen, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer it?¡±


    Hanchen handed his phone to Yuan Xi, ¡°You take it, tell him I¡¯m in Michen meeting with Huo Shiyan.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Huo Shiyan? Didn¡¯t he just leave?¡±


    Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Why would Bo Fan spend money to harm me? Can¡¯t you see through his shallow intentions? Just answer the phone.¡±


    Yuan Xi answered Bo Fan¡¯s call, ¡°Hello, Mr. Bo, Mr. Gu is in a meeting with Huo Shiyan, yes, President Huo is currently at Michen.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    After hanging up the phone.


    Hanchen took his phone back and called Special Assistant Wang, ¡°Did you find the person I asked you to look for at Jiang City Film City among the crowd of extras to y Huo Shiyan? Did you find anyone? Hurry up, you¡¯re dragging your feet.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Hanchen in surprise, ¡°Finding someone to y Huo Shiyan?¡±


    Hanchen said, ¡°Yeah, why do you think Bo Fan would spend money to harm me? After all, we grew up together, brothers. Even if he is jealous of my handsome and dashing looks, there¡¯s no need to spend money to harm me. This public opinion is just a small wave affecting the flotation process; it doesn¡¯t do any significant harm to Michen¡¯s outlook. If he doesn¡¯t have a motive, why would he waste the money?¡±


    Yuan Xiughed in realization, ¡°Bo Fan is thinking about taking advantage of Michen¡¯s PR crisis to step in and help you settle it, thereby making you owe him a favor and help him get introduced to Huo Shiyan? After all, Huo Shiyan holds 51% of Michen¡¯s shares, and by helping Michen, Bo Fan is also helping Huo Shiyan. Through your mediation, Huo Shiyan might agree to meet him because of the favor he did for Michen?¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Hmm, since he wants to meet Huo Shiyuan, let him meet! He¡¯s using me, so I have to y a trick on him.¡±


    Yuan Xi responded, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit childish? It¡¯s not a good idea to find someone to y as Huo Shiyuan, right?¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°What¡¯s so bad about it? I just want to tease Bo Fan, nothing more.¡±


    Yuan Xi still didn¡¯t want to agree, ¡°Mr. Gu, I think this is inappropriate.¡±


    Gu Hanchen argued, ¡°What¡¯s the harm in seeking a bit of satisfaction? Bo Fan uses me, can¡¯t you even let me have a little fun at his expense? I¡¯ll have Special Assistant Wang find a handsome guy. It won¡¯t embarrass your husband, I promise. Why don¡¯t you lend your husband¡¯s sub-penthouse in the Shiyi Hotel to my actor for a while?¡±


    Yuan Xi, recalling what had happened in that room, firmly said, ¡°Not there!¡±


    Gu Hanchen then suggested, ¡°Then lend the presidential suite on the 21st floor of Building 8 at Jiangjing No.1 to my actor.¡±


    Yuan Xi sent a WeChat message to Huo Shiyuan, who quickly replied.


    Yuan Xi told Gu Hanchen, ¡°Huo Shiyuan has agreed, but he wants rent.¡±


    ¡°Stingy¡­¡± Gu Hanchen muttered.


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t approve of you getting someone to impersonate him, so by charging rent he¡¯s showing he¡¯s also a victim of the impersonation.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Gu, President Yuan, we¡¯ve found the person, and he¡¯s absolutely perfect!¡± Special Assistant Wang dered confidently as he arrived.


    Yuan Xi looked over and saw a handsome young man standing behind Special Assistant Wang. He had very pale and thin skin, exuding an indescribable gloomy aura, but it was his overwhelming stench of cigarette smoke that made Yuan Xi unable to stop herself from retching into a nearby trash can, though nothing came out except for nausea.


    Gu Hanchen spoke to the young man with a teasing tone, ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, who would¡¯ve thought Jiang City had such a fine specimen. Don¡¯t mind her, she¡¯s pregnant and feeling sick, not because she saw you.¡±


    Yuan Xi, having calmed the queasiness in her chest after a moment of retching, looked at the man who was about the same height as Gu Hanchen.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Fu Yi looked Yuan Xi over, a hint of disdain in his eyes, ¡°Fu Yi.¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Special Assistant Wang must have briefed you, right? You just need to be Huo Shiyuan for a while around Bo Fan, get him to treat you with respect. Just entertain me, and after the act, you¡¯ll receive one million as your acting fee. Think you can pull it off?¡±


    Gu Hanchen then directed Special Assistant Wang, ¡°Go get one of my newly arrived suits from the lounge, and also bring over that new Richard Mille watch.¡±


    Yuan Xi sighed helplessly at Gu Hanchen¡¯s childish antics, catching Fu Yi¡¯s gaze and feeling an odd difort in her lower abdomen.


    She didn¡¯t trust this Fu Yi from the bottom of her heart; perhaps she simply didn¡¯t like the idea of someone impersonating Huo Shiyuan.


    After Fu Yi changed into a shirt and suit, the smell of tobo on him dissipated, and he truly exuded an ineffable charisma.


    Gu Hanchen appraised Fu Yi, ¡°Not bad, with that outfit you really do look like a CEO. Remember, from now on you are Huo Shiyuan. I¡¯ll provide you with fancy cars and houses. Just y the part well around Bo Fan without giving yourself away. Focus on taking from Bo Fan, on epting his ttery, but always drag your feet on investing in Fan Yan.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Bo, Miss Chu, President Huo, and Mr. Gu along with President Yuan are in the lounge,¡± Special Assistant Wang¡¯s voice came from outside.


    Upon hearing the three words ¡°Miss Chu,¡± Fu Yi looked visibly ufortable but quicklyposed himself and looked toward the door.


    Chu Yan entered, clinging to Bo Fan¡¯s arm, ¡°Hanchen, sister, Huo¡­¡±


    Chu Yan turned to the young man in the custom-made suit, a frown forming, ¡°Is he Huo Shiyuan? That¡¯s impossible?¡±

 Chapter 36: The Fu Family鈥檚 Illegitimate Son

    Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The Fu Family¡¯s Illegitimate Son


    Michen Building.


    Yuan Xi was in the office, showing Monica the ropes of the day-to-day workflows she normally dealt with.


    Upon seeing Huo Shiyuan appear at the door, Monica repeatedly called out, ¡°President Huo.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked up and saw Huo Shiyuan at the doorway, dressed in a casual white short-sleeve shirt and light-colored jeans, and she felt as if her surroundings had suddenly brightened.


    Huo Shiyuan said with a lightugh, ¡°It¡¯s seven o¡¯clock, time to get off work.¡±


    ¡°The sky is still bright, it¡¯s already seven?¡± Yuan Xi nced at the time on the bottom right of herputer, and indeed it was already seven o¡¯clock.


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s nearly June, so it gets darkte, but you and the baby should have dinner.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    Yuan Xi touched her belly and organized the items in her purse, then said to Monica, ¡°You should get off work too, thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Monica smiled faintly, ¡°It¡¯s not hard.¡±


    After all, she was collecting two sries, from both Shixi and Michen.


    Yuan Xi grabbed her purse and followed Huo Shiyuan down to the parking garage. Seeing Yuan Xi¡¯s bare left wrist, Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°What kind of watch do you like?¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Anything is fine.¡±


    After getting in the car, Huo Shiyuan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Fu Qin said she wants to meet you. Are you avable to dine with her today?¡±


    Yuan Xi pursed her lips; justst night she had stained Fu Qin¡¯s gown. Even though she hadpensated for it, she still felt embarrassed, and by all ounts, it was only proper to treat Fu Qin to a meal, ¡°I¡¯m avable.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan drove to a private dining restaurant by the river.


    While in the car, Yuan Xi felt her phone ringing nonstop. She opened her phone and first clicked into her bestie chat group.


    Sui Sui, rich and skinny: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, you¡¯re trending, you¡¯re trending!


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: The diamond ring that looks like a fake actually worth three hundred million? Oh my God!


    Shi Shishitou: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, do you need a bodyguard? I think walking around with three hundred million without hiring three bodyguards is risky. I can be your bodyguard for a monthly sry of half a million.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: I¡¯ll take one hundred thousand a month.


    Sui Sui, rich and skinny: I¡¯ll take fifty thousand a month, ck belt in Taekwondo.


    Shi Shishitou: Don¡¯t disrupt the market value, if it¡¯s half a million, then it¡¯s half a million. To protect three small targets, how could it be less than half a million a month?


    Yuan Xi looked at their chat messages with a faint smile. She opened the hot search on Weibo and saw Gu Hanchen¡¯s livestream upying the top spot.


    The third one was #MiChenFemaleExecutivesPredominate#, which was obviously a paid hot search from Michen¡¯s PR department.


    #MiChenDeputyGM, Charlotte Blue Diamond#


    #ThreeHundredMillionDiamondSpotted#


    Yuan Xi clicked in and saw that, strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t her trending, but the blue diamond on the ring finger of her left hand that was in the hot search.


    The Charlotte Blue Diamond had previously trended when it was auctioned. After all, spending over three hundred million on a stone is something many would click to see.


    Yuan Xi was d that the inte¡¯s focus was on her blue diamond. Gu Hanchen¡¯s livestream footage was simply beyond words.


    ¡°When I saw Yuan Xi pull out a Continental car key, I was envious. Seeing the three hundred million diamond on Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, I don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡±


    ¡°Does Yuan Xi really not need a bodyguard?¡±


    ¡°How much money has Michen made over the years, even the female executives¡¯ cars are not under a million.¡±


    ¡°What does wearing a three hundred million diamond ring on your finger actually feel like?¡±


    The restaurant was not far away, and Yuan Xi had not finished reading thements when she arrived inside.


    Fu Qin was already waiting inside the restaurant. When Yuan Xi entered, she saw that Fu Qin was wearing a modified cheongsam, her hair done up elegantly, portraying the very image of a well-mannered youngdy.


    Fu Qin nced at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Finally, I get to see the living.¡±


    Huo Shiyan frowned and said, ¡°Speak nicely.¡±


    Fu Qin let out a lightugh, then turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Huo Shiyan has been talking about you all the time.¡±


    Yuan Xi was stunned. Huo Shiyan had been talking about her all the time?


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Miss Fu, I¡¯m truly sorry about the gown yesterday.¡±


    Fu Qin: ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Sui Sui has exined it all to me already, I don¡¯t mind. Just custom-make another one; it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve also heard about your marriage, congrattions, congrattions. You¡¯re pregnant, aren¡¯t you? Grandma Shi has been boasting to my grandmother every day that she¡¯s going to cradle a great-grandchild. She¡¯s so happy.¡±


    Listening to Fu Qin¡¯s words, Yuan Xi nced at Huo Shiyan again.


    Huo Shiyan said, ¡°My grandmother can¡¯t keep a happy event secret. When she found out you were having kids, twins no less, she¡¯s been showing off to her friends all over the world.¡±


    Yuan Xi gently ced her hand on her stomach; she had yet to tell Huo Shiyan whether her two children were healthy¡­


    After all, they had indeed drunk quite a bit that night¡­


    Yuan Xi was afraid that the elder¡¯s expectations might be dashed.


    ¡­


    In another private room of the restaurant.


    Chu Yan, with a smile brimming on her face, watched Bo Fan and Fu Yi chat about everything under the sun, with Bo Fan not immediately pushing for an investment.


    Listening to Fu Yi speak at length, Chu Yan held her hand tightly; indeed, he was Huo Shiyan.


    Chu Yan¡¯s phone kept chiming with notifications. Opening it, she saw that many people had sent her news about Yuan Xi trending online.


    She had thought it would be the news that Yuan Xi was the real daughter of a conglomerate that was trending but turned out it was the story about Yuan Xi¡¯s fake diamond that had gone viral.


    Rising to her feet, Chu Yan said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the restroom.¡±


    Just as Chu Yan reached the restroom, she saw Yuan Xi washing her hands by the sink, the blue diamond ring on her ring finger still dazzling.


    ¡°Sister, you should hurry up and take off and throw away that blue diamond. Initially, it was just embarrassing within Jiang City, but now you¡¯ve embarrassed yourself nationwide!¡±


    ¡°After trending online, even the true owner of the Charlotte Blue Diamond will know about it. You, as the daughter of the Chu Family, wearing a fake blue diamond¡ªwhere will you leave mom and dad¡¯s faces?¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan beside her, ¡°Didn¡¯t you learn your lesson at all from yesterday?¡±


    Chu Yan, reminded of how confident she had been yesterday in iming their gowns were knock-offs, got even more irritated, ¡°You could¡¯ve said your gowns weren¡¯t knock-offs all along. You had ess to the gown, but could you also rent a Charlotte Blue Diamond worth over three hundred million?¡±


    Chu Yan, looking at the blue diamond on Yuan Xi¡¯s finger said, ¡°I advise you to quickly post a Weibo to exin, admit that your blue diamond is fake and that you wore it for fun. In case the true owner of the blue diamondes forward and says your diamond is fake, Mi Chen, having just quieted down from public opinion, will be badmouthed byizens again¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi flicked the water droplets off her hands, ¡°You need not concern yourself with Mi Chen or me. There¡¯s no need for me to exin anything on Weibo.¡±


    Chu Yan frowned and said, ¡°Yuan Xi, a fake is a fake. Even ifizens praise you now, even if they envy you for wearing a three-hundred-million diamond ring, everything you¡¯re getting is fake.


    You may embarrass yourself all you wish, but at the return banquet yesterday, you have already made your appearance. Everyone of significance in Jiang City knows you¡¯re the daughter of the Chu Family. If you get exposed by the real owner of the Charlotte Blue Diamond that yours is fake, the Chu Family will be humiliated alongside you!¡±


    Yuan Xi ignored Chu Yan and went back to the private room.


    Inside, Fu Qin¡¯s voice was heard:


    ¡°That bastard child shouldn¡¯t even dream ofing back. Whether the bastard child is a boy or girl, whether dead or alive, whether they were even born, we don¡¯t know. Eldest brother is now in a vegetative state, but it¡¯s not certain he won¡¯t wake up. Even Uncle Fu is so eager to find that bastard child, who might not even have been born¡­¡±


    Huo Shiyan spoke in a low voice, ¡°Uncle Fu wishes to groom his own flesh and blood to take over the Fu Family business. You have no desire to inherit the Fu Family legacy, and elder brother¡¯s condition shows no signs of improvement. Besides that child, who else would take over the Fu Family business?¡±


    Fu Qin spat, ¡°What kind of flesh and blood is that? His mother was aiming to gain status through her son, hoping the mistress could rece the wife. I believe my brother will recover, will wake up. That bastard child shouldn¡¯t even dream ofing back to inherit the Fu Family fortune.¡±

 Chapter 37: Sister is Too Vain

    Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Sister is Too Vain


    Yuan Xi pushed the door open, and inside, Fu Qin was still quite annoyed as he said, ¡°My grandma has already spoken. Even if that illegitimate child was born, she wouldn¡¯t allow him to enter our Fu Family¡¯s door. She¡¯d rather find a girl with a clean background to have a test-tube baby for my brother than let that illegitimate child inherit the estate left by my grandfather.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan responded with a faint smile, ¡°Brother Yixian will definitely wake up safely.¡±


    Fu Qin nodded, ¡°Yeah, I also believe that my brother will definitely wake up.¡±


    Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t stay long in the restaurant and said goodbye to Fu Qin before getting into the car.


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan with curiosity and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this about an illegitimate child that Fu Qin mentioned?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan exined, ¡°Twenty-six years ago, Fu Qin¡¯s granduncle had an affair with a young model, who delusionally thought she could use the child in her womb to force her way into legitimacy, the mistress turning into the wife, showing up at the Fu Family¡¯s doorstep heavily pregnant with a nine-month belly. The Fu Family outright denied that the child was theirs, forced the model out of A City, and she was about to give birth around that time. She probably gave birth shortly after leaving A City, but whether it was a boy or a girl is unknown to anyone.¡±


    Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Did the model ever try to contact the Fu Family afterward?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan gave a shallowugh, ¡°As long as the Fu Family doesn¡¯t want to see her, no matter how hard she tries, she can¡¯t get close to them. The Fu Family¡¯swyers also warned her and probably gave her some money privately. She never troubled the Fu Family again.¡±


    Yuan Xi sighed softly, ¡°So why are they looking for the illegitimate child now?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°The Fu Family heir, Fu Yixian, had an ident abroad during his New Year¡¯s holiday, and he is now in a vegetative state, uncertain if he will ever wake up. Fu Qin never nned to be the heir of the Fu Family; he has his own life ns. There are two attitudes in the Fu Family now. Grandpa Fu and Uncle Fu hope to find the illegitimate child and groom him to inherit the estate, while Grandma Fu and Aunt Fu think that although Brother Yixian is in a vegetative state, it doesn¡¯t prevent having a child with his genes, and they can groom Yixian¡¯s next generation in the future.¡±


    Yuan Xi remarked, ¡°Twenty-six years ago, if that illegitimate child is alive, he would be 26 years old? Also surnamed Fu; it couldn¡¯t possibly be him, could it?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°Who?¡±


    Yuan Xi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not likely to be such a coincidence. Although the surname ¡®Fu¡¯ isn¡¯tmon, there should still be many people with that name. It wouldn¡¯t be him.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be who?¡±


    Yuan Xi answered, ¡°The actor Gu Hanchen brought today to y you, named Fu Yi, who is also 26.¡±


    Remembering Gu Hanchen hiring someone to impersonate him, Huo Shiyuan was somewhat helpless, ¡°¡­ Gu Hanchen really is extremely childish.¡±


    Yuan Xi smiled gently, ¡°Indeed, quite childish.¡±


    When Yuan Xi returned to Ruohu Mansion, the Charlotte Blue Diamond was already the number one trending topic.


    Yuan Xi thought about the enduring poprity and considered that her friend Shi Lei¡¯s concerns in their group chat weren¡¯t unreasonable; after all, wearing a diamond ring worth three billion on her hand was quite dangerous.


    After taking a bath, Yuan Xi removed the diamond ring and ced it in the drawer of the bedside table next to her.


    Seeing this, Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing it anymore?¡±


    Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°Gu Hanchen went live today, and my diamond ring made it to the trending list. I¡¯m afraid of being robbed while walking¡­¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Shall I arrange two bodyguards for you?¡±


    Yuan Xiughed and shook her head, ¡°No need, it¡¯s fine if I just don¡¯t wear it. Such a big diamond ring is indeed inconvenient, and I¡¯m also worried about gaining weight when I¡¯m pregnant, making it difficult to remove the ring, so it¡¯s better not to wear it at all.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi¡¯s t stomach, ¡°Alright, then don¡¯t wear it.¡±


    ¡­


    After saying goodbye to Fu Yi, Bo Fan and Chu Yan got into the car.


    Bo Fan nced at Chu Yan and said, ¡°Yanyan, aren¡¯t you and President Huo high school ssmates? Why did you barely talk to him today?¡±


    Chu Yan let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯m not very close to him. What I¡¯m more worried about is my sister. Her fake diamond made it to the trending searches. I¡¯m afraid that the person who bought the real diamond will be unhappy and cause us, the Chu family, to lose face¡­¡±


    Bo Fan said, ¡°Indeed, Yuan Xi shouldn¡¯t have been so high-profile on the trending searches.¡±


    Chu Yan sighed, ¡°Anyone who can spend 339 million to buy that diamond would definitely be angry knowing my sister unted a fake as trending news. I¡¯ve advised my sister to post an apology blog and admit that the diamond she wore was just for show, but she¡¯s immersed in the vanity ofizens¡¯ praises and doesn¡¯t want to rify, sigh.¡±


    ¡°Her vanity is just too much, sigh!¡±


    Chu Yan was browsing the trendingments on Weibo with furrowed eyebrows.


    Xiao Bai 66 Tu: I heard that the diamond was initially for the CEO Bo Fan to give to his fianc¨¦e, the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City as a wedding ring, but Bo Fan stopped bidding after it surpassed three hundred million.


    Mi Chen Game closed down: That diamond ring Yuan Xi has, which even the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City couldn¡¯t get ¨C what¡¯s the background of Yuan Xi? Wasn¡¯t she just Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary before? Are secretaries at Mi Chen paid that well?


    Colleague Boss in Heaven: The diamond sits on her ring finger, obviously a wedding ring. It must be a gift from her husband! Her husband must be a big shot!


    Gu Hanchen, His Wife: Yuan Xi graduated from a prestigious university, is beautiful, andpetent. A year ago when Mi Chen faced a public rtions crisis, it was her who attended the interviews. If I were a tycoon, I¡¯d like her too. Yuan Xi¡¯s looks are soforting. Not immediately stunning, but the more you look, the prettier she seems¡­


    ¡ª¡±Is it the three hundred million diamond that¡¯s pretty?¡±


    ¡ª¡±Is it the European key that¡¯s pretty?¡±


    Chao Qingqing, my goddess: A blue diamond ring that even the wife of CEO couldn¡¯t get, and Yuan Xi got it, doesn¡¯t this mean her husband must be an even more incredible tycoon than Bo Fan and Gu Hanchen?


    Chu Yan looked at theizens¡¯ments, filled with annoyance, ¡°What some big tycoon? Her husband is just a construction worker from a rural area. Netizens are really easily deceived. What do you mean by a blue diamond ring I can¡¯t get? It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t afford it! I want a better diamond ring from you, Bo Fan.¡±


    Bo Fan looked at Chu Yan and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we already buy a diamond ring?¡±


    Chu Yan replied, ¡°Though that diamond ring is twenty-one carats, it was only eighty million. Its value is nothingpared to the Charlotte Blue Diamond ring.¡±


    Bo Fan furrowed his brows, then patiently exined to Chu Yan, ¡°The estimated value of the Charlotte Blue Diamond is really at the top of three hundred million. Going above that isn¡¯t worth it. I¡¯ll make it up to you next time there¡¯s a chance.¡±


    Chu Yan chuckled softly, scrolling through morements.


    No Recharge in Games: Yuan Xi¡¯s husband definitely spoils her. The estimated price of the Charlotte Blue Diamond is around 298 million. The bidding was fierce initially, but after 298 million, it was just the domestic diamond mogul and Yuan Xi¡¯s husband left bidding. I watched that auction. The auctioneermissioned by her husband was very decisive, even giving off the feeling that no matter the price, he would match it.


    Chao Qing Number One Hater: CEO Fan Yan markets how much he loves his fianc¨¦e, but when it reached about 2.8 billion, each bid he made was extremely cautious, clearly not genuinely wanting to buy it, unlike Yuan Xi¡¯s husband who, at 339 million, had the auctioneer not even make a phone call to check.


    @@novelbin@@


    Chao Qing Number One Hater: Everyone knows Bo Fan intended to buy a three hundred million diamond ring for his fianc¨¦e, but he never finalized the payment or purchase, yet his reputation profited. From top to bottom, Fan Yan is just hypocrisy and nauseating. The CEO¡¯s wife is probably scrolling through ourments insanely jealous of Yuan Xi right now.


    Chu Yan was infuriated by thisment from Chao Qing Number One Hater.


    After some thought, she created a new Weibo ount and posted a status.


    Busting Fake Mi Chen Blue Diamond: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, can you have some shame? Don¡¯t think the real owner of the blue diamond doesn¡¯t browse the inte. Using a fake diamond to deceiveizens just to satisfy your vanity must make you think your husband is truly wealthy, huh? Not rifying on trending searches that your blue diamond is fake because you¡¯re afraid to admit your husband is actually just a construction worker?

 Chapter 38 - 38 Chu Family鈥檚 True Heiress Exposes the Fake Yuan Xi

    Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Chu Family¡¯s True Heiress Exposes the Fake Yuan Xi


    In the early morning, light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, Yuan Xi opened her eyes and reached for her phone to check it.


    Yuan Xi first dealt with messages on WeChat, nced at her work email to see if there were any urgent matters requiring a response, then once again opened Weibo to see if the trending topic had been removed.


    But to Yuan Xi¡¯s surprise, she was still the number one trend.


    #Chu Family¡¯s Real Daughter Exposes Mi Chen Yuan Xi#


    #Fan Yan CEO¡¯s wife identally Likes Post#


    Yuan Xi clicked in and saw that an ount called ¡®Exposing Fake Mi Chen Blue Diamond¡¯ had mentioned her in a post which Chu Yan had identally liked.


    Looking at the title ¡®Exposing Fake Mi Chen Blue Diamond¡¯, Yuan Xi chuckled softly, not the least bit annoyed.


    She didn¡¯t even want Chu Yan to go to work; such clumsy tactics wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in the corporate world. Using an alt ount to insult her, at least they should change their tone.


    Yuan Xi opened the besties¡¯ chat group, where Chen Yuan had posted several screenshots of Weibo and sent her a video from a marketing channel on a short-video website.


    Bingxixi the socialite: So, Yuan Xi¡¯s blue diamond is fake, huh? That¡¯s way too vain. No wonder the real Chu Family daughter stepped up to expose the fake.


    Opening the video from the marketing ount named ¡®Exposing the Socialite¡¯, the ount¡¯s voice yed out and Yuan Xi quickly turned down the volume, yet still woke Huo Shiyuan beside her.


    Huo Shiyuan wrapped his arm around Yuan Xi, his voice hoarse, ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Seven thirty, sorry, I didn¡¯t realize the phone was so loud, I woke you up.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan opened his eyes to look at Yuan Xi, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Since Yuan Xi didn¡¯t bring her earphones, she listened to the marketing ount¡¯s video at a low volume.


    Exposing the Socialite: ¡°Sisters, this is a sight for sore eyes, finally seeing the real heiress stepping up to expose the fake rich girl boasting online. Yesterday, Mi Chen Vice President Yuan Xi was trending for her blue diamond, everyone praised it as a three billion yuan piece, but it turns out to be fake, fake! A mogul with real diamonds posted on Weibo to call out Yuan Xi, and the Chu Family heiress and CEO¡¯s wife Fan Yan identally liked it, solidifying that Yuan Xi is indeed a fraud.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan, hearing the marketer¡¯s voice, frowned deeply, stood up, and went to get the authentication certificate from the auction house for Yuan Xi, ¡°I didn¡¯t give you a fake.¡±


    Of course, Yuan Xi wouldn¡¯t suspect Huo Shiyuan of giving her a fake diamond.


    Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s a mix of opinions online, we don¡¯t need to verify it for ourselves. I know it¡¯s real and that¡¯s enough for me.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I don¡¯t wantizens who are in the dark to call you vain.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan took a photo of the diamond certificate and sent it to Qin Lang, instructing Qin Lang to post it using the official ount of the Shiyi Group.


    Shiyi Group: The most exquisite Charlotte Blue Diamond, only for the best girl @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi.


    Underneath was a photo of the certificate Huo Shiyuan had just taken.


    Yuan Xi saw a new mention pop up on her phone, she clicked it to see it was from the Shiyi Group, and looked over at Huo Shiyuan beside her.


    ¡°Using the official Shiyi Group ount to rify for me, won¡¯t it affect thepany in some way¡­¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I just don¡¯t want others to insult you, not even online strangers.¡±


    Yuan Xi smiled softly and reposted the Shiyi Group¡¯s Weibo, simply replying with two words: Thank you.


    Then, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t bother with the online drama anymore, with the Shiyi Group¡¯s post, the public opinion should calm down too.


    Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan went to freshen up together, and after brushing their teeth, Yuan Xi saw the sleepy-eyed Huo Shiyuan in the mirror, who was, through the mirror, looking back at her.


    Yuan Xi quickly cast her gaze down, not daring to look at him any longer.


    Huo Shiyuan noticed Yuan Xi¡¯s apparent difort; given the number of events that had happened to Yuan Xitely, he thought she hadn¡¯t yet adjusted to the fact that they were married¡­


    Yuan Xi changed into a crisp dress shirt and zer. As she was zipping up the skirt, she found it somewhat difficult to pull up the zipper. She looked at her reflection in the fitting mirror ¨C had she gained weight?


    However, she was now eating three square meals a day, unlike before when she would often miss meals due to her busy schedule.


    Recently, Huo Shiyuan had been making sure she ate three meals a day, and sometimes there were even snacks for afternoon tea.


    The Huo Family¡¯s cook made dishes that really suited her tastes, far more delicious than the meals at the Mi Chen Cafeteria.


    Yuan Xi stepped out and asked Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Do you have a scale in your house?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°What do you need to weigh? There should be a kitchen scale. Ask the chef or the housekeeper.¡±


    Yuan Xi said softly, ¡°A body scale ¨C I think I¡¯ve gained some weight. Clothes that used to fit me perfectly are now a bit tight¡­¡±


    Six weeks into her pregnancy was not enough to show, but it wasn¡¯t weight gain just around the waist. Yuan Xi felt that she indeed had been eating moretely.


    Huo Shiyuan responded, ¡°Looking a bit plumper is nice. If the clothes don¡¯t fit, just buy new ones.¡±


    Yuan Xi pursed her lips and thought, that¡¯s true. The child in her belly was the most important thing. There was no need to consider dieting during pregnancy.


    ¡­


    Inside the Chu Family home.


    Chu Yan had not returned to Jiangjing No.1 with Bo Fan the previous night. Instead, she returned to the Chu Family home, just to have breakfast early in the morning and to see Yang Ying and Chu Qing.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, big brother!¡±


    Seeing Chu Yan in a white dress nightgown, Yang Ying was momentarily dazzled. She truly wished that Yuan Xi could also leap towards her as brightly and happily, calling her mom.


    Unfortunately, due to a 25-year gap, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t even want to stay at home¡­


    Chu Lin said to Chu Yan, ¡°Why did youe home? I thought with Bo Fan around, you¡¯d have forgotten all about us.¡±


    Chu Yan chuckled, ¡°How could I? Even after I marry Bo Fan, I¡¯ll stille home often to be with Dad and Mom, as long as you don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Yang Ying smiled and said, ¡°How could we possibly mind? You¡¯re such a sweetie.¡±


    Chu Yan sat down next to Chu Lin and whispered while eating bird¡¯s nest porridge, ¡°Dad, Mom, big brother, I did something wrongst night that I feel really sorry about. Sister doesn¡¯t like me, and I¡¯m too embarrassed to apologize to her¡­¡±


    Chu Lin asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Chu Yan whispered, ¡°I was scrolling through Weibo yesterday and identally liked a post from an ount that was insulting sister, calling her vain and telling her to ¡®have some shame.¡¯ The like caused a bacsh against sister, withizens calling her vain, and she was criticized harshly. I didn¡¯t mean to like it, and I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d slip up like that¡­


    By the time I realized and unliked it, many people had seen it. Now there are marketing ounts on the inte saying that I¡¯m exposing my fake sister. I don¡¯t know how to exin it!¡±


    Yang Ying and Chu Qing rarely got involved with the inte, and as a traditional business, they had no need to rely on online marketing.


    @@novelbin@@


    Chu Lin opened up the trending marketing ount¡¯s video alleging to unmask the fake socialite, and a sentence about ¡®exposing Yuan Xi¡¯ made Yang Ying very angry.


    Yang Ying said, ¡°That¡¯spletely nonsensical, Xinxin is also our child. You must get on Weibo right now and exin that she is also the heir to the Chuneng Group.¡±


    Chu Yan softly said, ¡°Mom, but if we acknowledge that sister is the heir to Chuneng Group, wouldn¡¯t it be even more embarrassing for us if she¡¯s seen wearing a fake diamond ring? Could it disgrace the Chuneng Group online?¡±


    Chu Lin gave Chu Yan a deep look, ¡°How do you know Yuan Xi¡¯s diamond ring is fake?¡±


    Chu Yan replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t that ount exposing the fake Mi Chen Blue Diamond say so? The real collector of the Charlotte blue diamond was there.


    I was at that auction too. The bidding agent acted like cost wasn¡¯t an issue when bidding, which shows that the real owner of the blue diamond might be someone much more influential than even our Chuneng Group could afford to offend.


    Mom and Dad, I think we shouldn¡¯t be the ones toe forward and exin. Instead, sister should apologize and admit that she was just ying around with a fake diamond and didn¡¯t expect things to blow up like this¡­¡±

 Chapter 40 - 40 But I Just Despise Chu Yan

    Chapter 40: Chapter 40 But I Just Despise Chu Yan


    Yuan Xi had gone to the restroom and vomited for a while, gargled, and reapplied her makeup before returning to the interview meeting room. She hadn¡¯t even entered when she heard Gu Hanchen¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Just settle on Ren Tian, no need to say more.¡±


    ¡°Brother Hanchen!¡± Yu Xiaoxiao said from the side, ¡°I also want to be your secretary.¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°We have enough secretaries already, you should go back. Mi Chen isn¡¯t that easy to get into.¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao was full of dissatisfaction, ¡°Why not? In what ways am I inferior to this woman?¡±


    Gu Hanchen: ¡°You¡¯re not as pretty as Ren Tian. Being my secretary requires attending banquets as mypanion. That¡¯s settled then; we¡¯re going directly with Ren Tian.¡±


    Yuan Xi nced at Ren Tian standing beside her and looked at Gu Hanchen, ¡°You won¡¯t ask further and just settle on her?¡±


    Being the president¡¯s secretary, Gu Hanchen was being somewhat too arbitrary.


    Gu Hanchen whispered to Yuan Xi, ¡°She has to be better than Yu Xiaoxiao, right?¡±


    Yuan Xi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao saw Gu Hanchen and Yuan Xi whispering and talking softly to each other, and she furrowed her brows and approached Yuan Xi, ¡°You wait!¡±


    Yuan Xi looked innocently at Yu Xiaoxiao.


    Ren Tian walked up to Yuan Xi, revealing her slightly yellowed teeth from smoking and smiled lightly, ¡°Mr. Gu, when do I start working?¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    Ren Tian was startled, ¡°Isn¡¯t tomorrow the weekend?¡±


    Gu Hanchen: ¡°Weekend? Who¡¯s Weekend? I don¡¯t know Weekend.¡±


    Yuan Xi said to Ren Tian, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Mr. Gu. Ourpany¡¯s office hours are from 9:30 to 5:30, with weekends off. You can start on Monday.¡±


    Gu Hanchen frowned, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®don¡¯t listen to me¡¯? Yuan Xi, am I invisible to you?¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°The president¡¯s secretarial office has always had weekends off.¡±


    Only she did not have them, but now she did too.


    On Friday night, Yuan Xi stayed at work until nine, briefed Zhong Xiaoyi on her work processes and then went down to the underground garage. Just as she was getting in her car, she saw Huo Shiyuan taking a short nap.


    ¡°Sorry for making you wait so long.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Monicae? Why are you still busy until now?¡±


    Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°The weekend ising up, so I worked a few extra hours. Monica is okay with my job, but Mr. Gucks a secretary who has the patience to handle him properly. A new junior secretary, Zhong Xiaoyi, joined today, and I spent some time training her. She¡¯s quite smart and caught on quickly.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°It seems you are quite satisfied with the new junior secretary?¡±


    ¡°I see a bit of myself when I first left school in her. I was very confused then, uncertain about the future. Many of my ssmates who just graduated weren¡¯t earning much, and most of them chose to pursue further studies. I too was scared I wouldn¡¯t find a suitable job.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pursue further studies?¡± Huo Shiyuan asked.


    Yuan Xi helplessly replied, ¡°I had no money back then. After my adoptive parents passed away, rtives on my grandparent¡¯s side seized all the inheritance they left behind. My maternal grandmother¡¯s family was also facing some troubles at the time, hardly able to fend for themselves. It was already quite a feat for me to finish four years of university.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan¡¯s brows lightly knit, ¡°Shi Lei and Liang Suisuie from well-off families, didn¡¯t their families help you?¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t always rely on their families¡¯ help, even though they are my best friends. I couldn¡¯tfortably keep using their money.¡±


    ¡°I usually paid them back whenever I earned money from my part-time jobs. It¡¯s true that both families weren¡¯t short of money, but the ie from the textile factory wasn¡¯t very good either, and it was all built up through the hard work of Uncle Liang and Uncle Shi. I was also afraid of owing too much and not being able to pay it back.¡±


    ¡°Back then, working part-time was exhausting. With a busy school schedule, earning fifty a day from part-time jobs was already not easy. Tutoring kids during summer and winter vacations could earn a bit more, but it was barely enough to cover tuition and book fees. To continue with my graduate studies, I didn¡¯t know how many more milk teas I would have to make, or how many more favors I¡¯d owe. I didn¡¯t want to keep making milk teas anymore¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi hadn¡¯t expected to talk about her past¡ªwhich she never wanted to recall¡ªin front of Huo Shiyuan.


    She had been really poor back then, but fortunately, she knew good people.


    Her roommates had never looked down on her for her poverty; learning that she was an orphan, they had even taken the initiative to cover most of the electricity bill since she spent little time in the dorm.


    When they saw Yuan Xi wearing the same clothes for a long time, they would intentionally buy clothes a size toorge and give them to her, iming they were too cheap to return because of a coupon and were toozy to do so.


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Won¡¯t you ask Brother Zhuangzhuang for some help?¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Him? I don¡¯t even have his contact anymore, and he hasn¡¯t reached out to me either. Besides, it¡¯s been over six years since west met. It wouldn¡¯t be right to ask for his help now, and if he helped, I would need to pay him back.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan drove onto the highway, grasping the steering wheel tightly, he couldn¡¯t imagine Yuan Xi had quit her studies because of poverty.


    Nor could he imagine she had experienced such a tough time.


    @@novelbin@@


    He hadn¡¯t failed toe back looking for Yuan Xi. Since his first year in high school, he couldn¡¯t get in touch with Yuan Xi. When he hurriedly flew back, Yuan Xi was living at school, and outsiders were not permitted to enter.


    Huo Shiyuan finally got the chance during a weekend and saw Yuan Xi walking side by side with a boy; her ssmates said they were a couple.


    At that time, Huo Shiyuan thought Yuan Xi didn¡¯t want to contact him, but he still didn¡¯t let his family get rid of thendline phone. Nowadays, not many homes still have andline phone.


    But Huo Shiyuan still didn¡¯t allow his family to remove it; he thought if Yuan Xi ever needed him, she would call.


    Later, when Huo Shiyuan was twenty, he visited Huxi Vige again. That time, neither Shi Lei nor Suisui were there.


    Huo Shiyuan went to Yuan Xi¡¯s house, only to learn she had moved and no one knew where to. Due to needing to return to school urgently, he didn¡¯t continue searching.


    Huo Shiyuan thought, if he had continued searching then and found where Yuan Xi was, even just seeing her once and knowing her situation, would¡¯ve spared her almost not graduating because of money during her four years at university.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Hearing Huo Shiyuan utter those three words of apology, Yuan Xi was a bit puzzled, ¡°Why do you say sorry to me?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan exined, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, for not being there when you needed help the most. If I had met you during your college years, your life wouldn¡¯t have included those tough times, and you wouldn¡¯t have had to abandon your studies.¡±


    Yuan Xi paused, then smiled slowly, ¡°President Huo, if I had met you during my college years, we definitely wouldn¡¯t have ended up together. Back then, I would have thought you were as unreachable as a star in the sky.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan also chuckled lightly and turned on the car¡¯s music, ¡°That time must have been tough, right?¡±


    Listening to the soothing music, Yuan Xi said, ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t too bad. The days weren¡¯t too difficult. I knew even if I didn¡¯t work, anyhow Shi Lei and Suisui would support me. My roommates were also kind, and my part-time job bosses were good people. Actually, society still has more kind people. Knowing I was an orphan, many people treated me kindly.¡±


    ¡°Only¡­ The only time I felt aggrieved and broke down was one day after a rainstorm. It had rained heavily, business was bad, and there were still many leftover drinks. I had to wait until veryte to close. On the way back to the dorm, Chu Yan, driving a Bugatti, sshed me with muddy water.¡±


    ¡°At that moment, I thought the world was really shitty. Chu Yan¡¯s Bugatti, I couldn¡¯t shake milk tea fast enough to afford it, and even though I was living my life as hard as I could, I still got sshed with muddy water by her.¡±


    ¡°My roommate couldn¡¯t stand it and posted aint about Chu Yan on the confession wall, but otherments on the wall said our dorm was just jealous of Chu Yan being rich, jealous that she was the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City, saying our dorm was ugly and making a fuss over getting sshed with water, which is amon urrence¡­¡±


    ¡°Even though I knew those could very well be Chu Yan¡¯sckeys ttering her and seeking favor, in that moment, looking at the muddy clothes and feeling all the grievances, oppression, and exhaustion umted over more than two years, I justpletely broke down. Later, I convinced myself, Chu Yan was just born luckier, no need for me to be upset, just continue to work hard and live my own life.¡±


    ¡°But I never expected Heaven would y such a big joke on me¡ªI am actually the real heiress of the Chu family¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi gave a hollowugh, cing her hand on her stomach, ¡°I find it hard to get along well with Chu Yan. It feels hypocritical even saying I am not jealous of her. Despite the fact that she¡¯s the adopted fake heiress, I still despise her. I know in the novels, real heiresses who despise adopted fake heiresses like me typically don¡¯t have happy endings, but I just despise Chu Yan¡­¡±

 Chapter 45: The Person Who Isn鈥檛 Family Refers to Chu Yan

    Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The Person Who Isn¡¯t Family Refers to Chu Yan


    Yuan Xi listened to Chu Yan¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but smirk internally. Chu Lin must have used some thick filter to perceive such rudeness as straightforwardness.


    Yang Zhang didn¡¯t scold Chu Yan, he just nced at Yang Ying, his face full of displeasure, ¡°For future family dinners, those who are not family members need not be brought to the Yang Family.¡±


    Yang Ying was stunned.


    Chu Yan chuckled from the side, ¡°Brother-inw, did you hear that? It¡¯s your first time at Uncle¡¯s house, and bringing this kind of homemade tea from your rural rtives was definitely inappropriate. You didn¡¯t treat Uncle as family. You should apologize to Uncle; he¡¯s generous and won¡¯t exclude you from the family after you apologize¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan and gently shook her head. She was actually quite envious of Chu Yan; she must be so na?ve from never having worked a day in her life.


    Yang Zhang ignored Chu Yan and turned to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°John, please to the tea room.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan nodded indifferently, taking Yuan Xi by the hand to the tea room.


    Yuan Xi asked in a low voice, ¡°Have you met Uncle?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan also whispered, ¡°He had worked under my aunt¡¯smand and I¡¯ve met him a few times at my aunt¡¯s house.¡±


    Yuan Xi didn¡¯t know the specific position of Huo Shiyuan¡¯s aunt, but the respect Yang Zhang showed Huo Shiyuan indicated that it must be quite a significant position.


    Chu Yan looked at their retreating figures and murmured to Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t Uncle dislike the tea that brother-inw brought? Why did he then invite brother-inw to the tea room?¡±


    Yang Ying looked at the na?ve Chu Yan, realizing that when the older brother spoke of ¡®those who are not family¡¯, he was referring to Chu Yan.


    ¡°Yanyan, you should speak less. Regardless of the quality, it¡¯s the thoughtfulness of your brother-inw¡¯s gift that counts. You can¡¯t be so impolite, especially with your uncle¡¯s status, you need to be careful not to cause trouble with your words. Why would your uncle only drink collector¡¯s grade tea? Such words, if spread, could greatly affect his future prospects.¡±


    Chu Yan was quick to admit her faults and with a sweet smile, she said, ¡°Mom, I realize my mistake now. I guess Uncle¡¯s inviting brother-inw to the tea room to show his down-to-earth manner.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    ¡­


    Once Huo Shiyuan entered the tea room and took a seat, he smiled, ¡°I heard from my uncle that you also enjoy tea. This tea was personally roasted by him at the tea mountain by Ruohu in March. It¡¯s not rare, but homegrown and roasted without any chemicals or artificial vors; it¡¯s safe to drink. I will humbly make a cup of tea in front of you.¡±


    Yang Zhang smiled lightly, ¡°I cannot im mastery, but tea roasted by Minister Xiao himself must be excellent.¡±


    Yuan Xi watched Huo Shiyuan prepare the tea. Gu Hanchen had gone through a phase where he was obsessed with tea ceremony and learned to make tea for a couple of days; Yuan Xi had joined him in learning from a tea master as well.


    However, after two days, both she and Gu Hanchen gave up.


    Making tea was simply too hot for them; their hands almost blistered from picking up the tea bowls.


    Gu Hanchen asked the tea master, ¡°What to do if the tea is too hot?¡± The tea master¡¯s answer was just one word, ¡°Endure.¡± So, Gu Hanchen gave up on making tea altogether.


    Now, seeing Huo Shiyuan making tea, it seemed like he didn¡¯t find it hot at all, nor did he seem to be enduring it. His movements were smooth and graceful.


    Huo Shiyuan handed the freshly brewed tea to Yang Zhang, and also passed a cup to Yuan Xi.


    Yuan Xi took the tea, took a sniff, and was greeted by a burst of tea aroma.


    Yang Zhang tasted a sip and said, ¡°This is good tea, smooth on the pte with a lingering sweetness. Homegrown tea really is different, and the roast is done just right too.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan smiled lightly, ¡°I¡¯m d Uncle likes it.¡±


    Yang Zhang set down his teacup and asked, ¡°Shiyan, how did you be the ¡®farmborer¡¯ that Chu Yan mentioned?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I live in Ruohu Mansion by thekeside of Ruohu. When my family found out I was settling in Jiang City, they asked me to oversee the Ruohu Shi Yi high-end resort project. Chu Yan assumed I was a construction worker living in the countryside.¡±


    Yang Zhang said, ¡°Chu Yan has been spoiled by her family. Ah, why didn¡¯t you exin your identity?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan did not conceal his reasons, ¡°The Bo Family has found itself in some trouble and wants Shixi to invest. However, in my opinion, there is no need to invest in Fan Yan, and several domestic investmentpanies agree, assessing that it¡¯s not worth investing in. Bo Fan has tried to contact me more than once, and there are many like Bo Fan in Jiang City. Thekeside of Ruohu is still quite serene. Letting outsiders know my identity would likely disturb the peace, especially now that Yuan Xi is pregnant. It¡¯s crucial we keep Ruohu Mansion quiet.¡±


    Yang Zhang said, ¡°Xinyan is pregnant, congrattions! Xinyan, we must have met before, right?¡±


    Yuan Xi listened to the unfamiliar name and responded with a professional, faint smile, ¡°Yes, a year ago when you were giving the award to the outstanding young entrepreneurs of Jiang City, I was right beside Gu Hanchen, and I saw you then.¡±


    Yang Zhang said, ¡°No wonder you looked familiar to me. It¡¯s good that you coulde back. For twenty-five years, our family has never stopped looking for you. The nanny and the human trafficker said you were taken to the North, and we kept searching there without realizing that you were actually in Jiang City¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°I heard from the vigers that my parents found me by Ruohu, about to be thrown into theke.


    My parents never had children and thought the people who were there to work from outside the vige couldn¡¯t afford to raise me and didn¡¯t want me anymore, so they bought me from her.


    My adoptive parents had already nned to adopt a child from the orphanage that day, and they went to bring a child home, but the orphanage told them that the child had been taken back by their biological parents.


    My adoptive parents were very disappointed at first, but on their way back, they found me by Ruohu, about to be thrown into theke, and felt it was fate that they encountered me, so they bought me.


    If it wasn¡¯t for my adoptive parents, I would have died a long time ago. It can be said that they gave me a second life, just like my biological parents.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan frowned slightly, ¡°After the human trafficker took you, instead of selling you for money, they chose to kill you?¡±


    Now that Yuan Xi thought about it, it was quite strange¡ªchild traffickers generally chose to sell children for money.


    Why did that trafficker decide to let her drown in theke?


    If it weren¡¯t for her adoptive parents happening to see her, she would¡¯ve ended up at the bottom of Ruohu.


    Yang Zhang said, ¡°It does seem strange indeed¡ªthe trafficker even deliberately made us think you had gone to the North.¡±


    Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Is it possible that my parents offended someone? Someone intent on revenge?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°If it was intentional revenge, then killing Chu Lin would have been more valuable. At that time, Chu Lin was already two years old.¡±


    Knock knock, the door to the tea room was struck.


    A young woman dressed in a cheongsam entered, ¡°Is this Xinyan? She¡¯s so beautiful.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at the woman in front of her, unfamiliar.


    ¡°I am your Aunt Yang.¡±


    Aunt Yang stepped forward and took Yuan Xi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Aunt Yang,¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°You look very young, almost the same age as me.¡±


    Please with thepliment, Aunt Yang said cheerfully, ¡°Oh, I am much older than you. I¡¯m already thirty-six.¡±


    Hearing that Aunt Yang was thirty-six, Yuan Xi was also surprised at her age.


    Her uncle was almost fifty¡ªthis was a case of an older man with a younger woman¡­


    Yuan Xi didn¡¯t say it out loud, but Aunt Yang, Ye Zhu, started to exin, ¡°Your uncle and I are both in our second marriage, so there is quite an age gap. We can eat now. Today is a rare asion with you back; let¡¯s talk while we eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yuan Xi agreed.


    On ate May evening, a gentle breeze wafted under the setting sun, and dining in the courtyard while enjoying the view of the nts and flowers had a unique charm.


    Chu Yan saw that she and Bo Fan were seated at the very end of the table and immediately looked upset. She turned to see Ye Zhu holding Yuan Xi¡¯s hand warmly and sitting in a forward position, which made her even more displeased.


    Chu Yan thought to herself, her Aunt Yang truly didn¡¯t hide her opportunistic intentions with her second marriage, cozying up to Yuan Xi, thinking she was a truedy of wealth.


    Little did she know, Yuan Xi had married a construction worker from a rural area; the highest ss she could ever belong to was probably just being a deputy manager in Mi Chen¡¯s firm¡ªa kind ofpany that was hardly recognized by the old elite circles of Jiang City.


    Bo Fan saw Yang Zhang walking over with Yuan Xi¡¯s husband, both chatting amicably.


    And thinking back to how he wanted to ask Yang Zhang about the development of cultural entertainment in Jiang City, only to be snubbed, he narrowed his eyes and took a scrutinizing look at Chu Yan beside him.


    Chu Yan whispered to Bo Fan, ¡°Bo Fan, our uncle¡¯s status is not ordinary; it¡¯s essential that he¡¯s not caught in the crosshairs for favoring the rich over the poor. That¡¯s why he¡¯s so friendly and close to my sister and brother-inw¡ªit demonstrates our uncle¡¯s populist image¡­ not that he¡¯s deliberately close to my brother-inw while snubbing you.¡±

 Chapter 47 - 47 Everything Chu Yan Has is Thanks to Yuan Xi

    Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Everything Chu Yan Has is Thanks to Yuan Xi


    Chu Lin said, ¡°Alright, indeed Grandpa has been sick and discharged from the hospital, and I haven¡¯t visited him yet. I¡¯ll go speak with Yuan Xi about it.¡±


    Chu Lin walked over to where Yuan Xi was surrounded by three cousins.


    Yuan Xi was generously giving out game skins and equipment to her three cousins.


    ¡°Thank you, cousin! Mwah!¡±


    An eight-year-old cousin kissed Yuan Xi after receiving a favorite skin.


    @@novelbin@@


    Yuan Xi smiled faintly. Being pregnant, she simply had no resistance to such adorable girls.


    Chu Lin frowned and said, ¡°Yuan Xi, she is only eight years old and it¡¯s not the age to be ying online games. And yet you¡¯re giving her skins. Isn¡¯t this encouraging her obsession with gaming? You¡¯re harming her.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Even though I no longer y games now, I too grew up ying Obi Ind and 4399. It didn¡¯t stop me from getting into Jiang University. I¡¯ve always believed that a child¡¯s addiction to games isn¡¯t due to the games themselves, but rather theck of proper guidance from parents. I believe my uncle and aunt will manage my cousin well, and won¡¯t let her be consumed by games.¡±


    The little cousin nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, I only y during the weekends for a little while, cousin. I¡¯m very good, I won¡¯t get addicted to the games.¡±


    Chu Lin, still displeased, said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Tomorrow you¡¯ll take John to Grandpa and Grandma¡¯s for lunch.¡±


    Yuan Xi frowned slightly upon hearing Chu Lin¡¯s instruction.


    Yang Kexin interjected, ¡°Brother, did you forget? Tomorrow I am supposed to go see Diamond at cousin¡¯s ce, if you ask her to go for lunch at Grandpa Chu¡¯s, what about me?¡±


    Chu Lin said, ¡°You can go together.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not free.¡±


    Chu Lin frowned and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t tomorrow Sunday? You don¡¯t have to work.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Oh, so basically I just don¡¯t want to see you both days of my weekend off.¡±


    Yang Kexin, sensing the awkward atmosphere between the siblings, didn¡¯t mind stirring the pot, ¡°Cousin, why don¡¯t you want to see your brother? Do you dislike him?¡±


    With Yang Kexin asking this, everyone at the table turned to look.


    Yuan Xi nodded without hiding her distaste for Chu Lin, ¡°Yes.¡±


    MR. Chu and Yang Ying frowned at Chu Lin.


    Mr. Chu said sternly, ¡°Xiao Lin, what have you done to your sister?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said evenly, ¡°He called Yuan Xi sensitive and petty¡­¡±


    Yang Ying stood up and gave Chu Lin a sharp p on the shoulder, ¡°How could you say things like that about your sister? Apologize at once!¡±


    Huo Shiyuan continued calmly, ¡°He also threatened a cousin from the Liang Family who is about to sit for college entrance exams, saying that Grandpa and the principal of Ren¡¯an Middle School are good friends. This cousin is studying at Ren¡¯an Middle School, and even threatened the future of a student about to take his exams.¡±


    Yang Zhang frowned heavily at Chu Lin, his face also showing displeasure, ¡°There are only a few days left until the exams, and you¡¯re threatening a student?¡±


    Old Sir Yang was also furious, ¡°Are you tarnishing Grandpa¡¯s reputation in this way?¡±


    Yang Ying was angrily reprimanding Chu Lin.


    Faced with the rebukes from the elder family members, all Chu Lin could do was bow his head and apologize to Yuan Xi, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mr. Chu, please don¡¯t call me that, I¡¯m not your sister, Chu Yan is your sister.¡±


    Chu Lin frowned and said, ¡°Must you be so unrelenting when you¡¯re right?¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°You even realize I am right?¡±


    Yuan Xi then stood up and said, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, it¡¯s gettingte. We¡¯ll be taking our leave now.¡±


    Yang Zhang also stood up, sending off Huo Shiyuan and Yuan Xi, ¡°The way you talked to Chu Lin just now reminds me of your mom when she was young. Drive safely and let us know when you get home.¡±


    Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°Will do.¡±


    After getting in the car.


    Huo Shiyuan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°The Yang Family elders will teach Chu Lin a good lesson for you.¡±


    Yuan Xi replied with a soft smile, ¡°Hmm, if my cousin ising over tomorrow, will there be any inconvenience at home?¡±


    Actually, Yuan Xi herself had not really explored the Ruohu Mansion; she dared not enter many of the rooms at will.


    Huo Shiyuan responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be any inconvenience.¡±


    ¡­


    Inside Jiangye, the dim light flickered on the side of Chu Lin¡¯s face as he drank.


    Gu Hanchen watched Chu Lin drown his sorrows in alcohol and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to your grandpa¡¯s house today? From the look on your face, it seems you got a scolding?¡±


    Chu Lin frowned and replied, ¡°I never realized before how touchy and petty Yuan Xi¡¯s temper was.¡±


    Gu Hanchen kicked Chu Lin, ¡°How is Yuan Xi touchy and petty? Yuan Xi has a great temper; there¡¯s not a single person in Mi Chen who dislikes her.¡±


    Yuan Xi treated people gently; even when there were mistakes at work, she never scolded anyone. Instead, she gently pointed out what was wrong and where improvements were needed. The staff under Mi Chen liked Yuan Xi much more than they liked him.


    Chu Lin scoffed, ¡°Yuan Xi has a good temper? Compared to Yanyan, she falls far short. At least Yanyan is never so sensitive and insecure. Being with sensitive people is really exhausting.¡±


    Gu Hanchen frowned and red at Chu Lin, ¡°Chu Lin, get something straight. Who is your biological sister? She was lost for twenty-five years; you have no idea what a tough life she had when she first came to Mi Chen.


    Back then, Mi Chen didn¡¯t have a cafeteria, and meal and transport allowances were only given out at the end of the month. She ate ten yuan Shaxian meals from downstairs every day for several months, and it¡¯s a wonder she didn¡¯t get sick of it.


    Sometimes she finished work at eleven o¡¯clock, and if she couldn¡¯t return to the school dorm, she would sleep on the floor at the office, just like those programmers. There were only two or three girls who stayed overnight at thepany, and those were the programmers who needed to get up at any time to fix bugs. Yuan Xi was the only one from the administrative staff who stayed overnight at thepany.


    Her sry wasn¡¯t high at the start, and she mentioned having to pay her tuition fees. It wasn¡¯t until Forest Pursuit became a big hit and Mi Chen¡¯s earnings increased that her sry rose a bit. After she graduated and no longer had a dorm to stay in, she moved ten kilometers away to rent an inexpensive small apartment. She rushed to catch thest subway every day.


    Sometimes, when she missed thest subway due to workingte, she rode a bicycle home. I didn¡¯t like seeing her pinch and scrape like that, so I simply gave her a high sry and year-end bonus to make her life easier.


    And what about Chu Yan during that time? She was either attending various Fashion Weeks or dinner invitations from various brands, carefree and happy, shopping as much as she liked. You really shouldn¡¯tpare Chu Yan and Yuan Xi.


    Everything Chu Yan has, rightfully belonged to Yuan Xi.


    If Yuan Xi had not been taken away, would your family have adopted Chu Yan? Would she have had such a good life?


    Everything Chu Yan has is thanks to Yuan Xi, and now you say Yuan Xi isn¡¯t as good as Chu Yan? Are you sick? Seriously sick?¡±


    Gu Hanchen was so angry he didn¡¯t even care about their brotherhood anymore.


    Chu Lin gripped his ss tightly, ¡°Give me Yuan Xi¡¯s card number.¡±


    ¡­


    The next day.


    Yuan Xi woke up around nine o¡¯clock and didn¡¯t see Huo Shiyuan next to her. She picked up her phone and responded to several messages.


    After replying, Yuan Xi got out of bed to wash up.


    While brushing her teeth, she nced at a text message from her bank, saw the long string of digits transferred into her ount, and counted the zeros¡ªeight million¡­


    Who sent her such arge sum in the middle of the night?


    Yuan Xi opened a WeChat message from Gu Hanchen.


    Mi Chen¡¯s Handsomest: Your brother transferred eight million to you. Remember to treat us on Monday!


    Mi Chen¡¯s Handsomest: Your brother said you blocked him on WeChat. He asked me to tell you to remember to have lunch at Grandpa and Grandma¡¯s house tomorrow.


    Mi Chen¡¯s Handsomest: Eight million for a meal, what a deal! Under my reprimand, your brother has deeply realized his mistake. Let¡¯s forgive him this time for the sake of our elders!


    Mi Chen¡¯s Handsomest: Do me a favor¡ª if not for my sake, then for the sake of eight million [smile].


    When Huo Shiyuan came over and saw Yuan Xi was already up, he nced at the messages on her phone and asked, ¡°Are you going?¡±


    Yuan Xi looked back at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Let¡¯s go. For the sake of eight million, we can donate a school to the children in the mountains.¡±


    Money obtained so easily, instead of using it to buy Chu Lin luxury cars and watches, why not donate it to the children left behind in impoverished mountain areas?

 Chapter 50 - 50 Xixi, Let鈥檚 Have a Heart-to-Heart Talk Between Mother and Daughter

    Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Xixi, Let¡¯s Have a Heart-to-Heart Talk Between Mother and Daughter


    Yuan Xi rubbed Little Shihuo¡¯s cheek lightly with a faint smile, ¡°You¡¯re so cute, but where did your brother tell a lie?¡±


    Little Shihuo looked up at Yuan Xi with his small face, ¡°Daddy said that my brother wasn¡¯t as handsome and good-looking as me when he was little.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan with pity, realizing that she wasn¡¯t the only one suffering from parental favoritism.


    Huo Shiyuan red at Little Shihuo, ¡°Children shouldn¡¯t talk nonsense, and you can¡¯t just barge into our room. If you don¡¯t listen, I¡¯ll send you back to A City immediately.¡±


    Little Shihuo hugged Yuan Xi¡¯s leg and looked up, ¡°Sister good, brother bad¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi crouched slightly to pick up Little Shihuo, ¡°What a good boy. Don¡¯t worry, your brother won¡¯t send you back to A City alone.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan frowned, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant so don¡¯t carry him, he¡¯s quite heavy.¡±


    Little Shihuo protested, ¡°I¡¯m not heavy, I¡¯m much thinner than brother~¡±


    Indeed, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t dare to continue holding him and gently put Little Shihuo down with a lightugh.


    Huo Shiyuan received a call from Qin Lang saying the childcare nannies had arrived, so Yuan Xi went downstairs with him to see the two childcare nannies that Qin Lang had selected; both were around forty years old.


    Yuan Xi knew nothing about how to choose childcare nannies. However, because she was kidnapped by a nanny herself, she felt that a reliable background was the most important. Yuan Xi asked about their families and felt much relieved knowing that they were both local to Jiang City.


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°You two will work in shifts, one during the day and the other at night, taking care of all his needs. We have a chef who will cook the meals; you just need to keep an eye on him.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan also had the housekeeper prepare a room for Little Shihuo on the first floor.


    That night, Little Shihuo clung tightly to Yuan Xi¡¯s leg, ¡°Sister, I want to sleep with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Huo Shiyuan frowned, ¡°How old are you? Sleep by yourself!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only four years old,¡± Little Shihuo said, counting on his fingers.


    Yuan Xi touched Little Shihuo¡¯s head and looked at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°He¡¯s still young, anyway. Why not let him sleep with me?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t agree and said to Little Shihuo, ¡°Sleep on your own or go back to A City; choose one.¡±


    Little Shihuo took a pink fox out of his suitcase, hugged the pink fox, and obediently entered his own room.


    ¡°Bye-bye, sister. See you tomorrow.¡±


    Yuan Xi waved at Little Shihuo, ¡°Bye-bye, see you tomorrow.¡±


    Pregnant Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t resist the overflow of maternal love. She touched her belly with the child inside and looked at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Having a baby like Little Huohuo would be quite nice.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t feel the same. He was merely indulging in the joy of marrying Yuan Xi and having children,pletely forgetting that after having children, there would no longer be a world for just the two of them¡­


    Huo Shiyuan seemed to understand why his parents disliked taking care of him back then and why they left Shihuo with him when they went on trips¡­


    Back in their room, Yuan Xi started looking for kindergartens for Little Shihuo.


    There were many unmarried and childless employees at Michen, but there were also those with children. For example, Michen¡¯s finance department¡¯s Vice Manager Meng, who had to take leave repeatedly around this timest year for his child¡¯s kindergarten interviews.


    At that time, Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t understand why kindergarten interviews required taking leave so often.


    This time, in looking for a top kindergarten in Jiang City for Little Shihuo, Yuan Xi learned about the many rules, and transferring into sses was almost impossible.


    Yuan Xi touched her abdomen. From looking into how to get into kindergarten, she saw the primary school entry process and the secondary school entrance examination preparation. Thepetitive intensity faced by children now waspletely different from her own childhood.


    Yuan Xi now realized how naive her thought to resign and be a single mother was. Top kindergartens and elementary schools in Jiang City required interviews with both parents.


    If she resigned, she wouldn¡¯t even meet the threshold for entering Pudun.


    Whether choosing public or private education, it was no longer a time when just having money was enough.


    ¡°Getting into a top kindergarten is quite difficult,¡± Yuan Xi said to Huo Shiyuan. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my colleagues if they can help get Little Shihuo transferred into the Pudun Kindergarten next to mypany. This way, if I have to pick him up, it will be on my way.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan replied to Yuan Xi, ¡°Thanks for the trouble.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡±


    Yuan Xi sent a message to Vice Manager Meng, who replied fairly quickly.


    ¡°President Yuan, Pudun usually doesn¡¯t ept transfer students, but there is one exception, which is corporate investment. The Children¡¯s Day ising soon; if Michen could sponsor an event at Pudun Kindergarten with an investment of around one million, it should not be difficult to get him enrolled,¡± Meng responded.


    After saying thank you, Yuan Xi told Huo Shiyuan about it.


    The exorbitant entry fee even slightly surprised Huo Shiyuan, ¡°A million just for admission to a kindergarten? Well, let him spend it.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Then tomorrow I will take him to thepany, and in the afternoon, I will take him to the kindergarten for an interview.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°Won¡¯t that be too much trouble for you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Yuan Xi lightlyughed, ¡°Just like your father said, I should get some practice.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi¡¯s light smile and said, ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡±


    The next morning.


    Yuan Xi woke up without an rm, and by the time she went downstairs, Xiao Shihuo was already obediently eating bread at the dining table.


    ¡°Big sister, good morning.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Good morning. Today you¡¯lle with your sister to thepany, then in the afternoon I¡¯ll take you to your kindergarten interview. If it goes well, you can start at the new kindergarten tomorrow, which is right next to your sister¡¯spany.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Shihuo obediently replied.


    After Huo Shiyuan got up, he took Yuan Xi and Xiao Shihuo to the Michen Building.


    When getting out of the car, Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t forget to remind Xiao Shihuo, ¡°Listen to your sister, or you¡¯ll be sent back to A City.¡±


    Xiao Shihuo clung to Yuan Xi¡¯s leg.


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s also the nanny.¡±


    Yuan Xi held Xiao Shihuo¡¯s hand and they took the elevator up to the top-floor office.


    There, they ran into Gu Hanchen who had unusuallye in early.


    Gu Hanchen looked at Xiao Shihuo in front of him and eximed in surprise, ¡°What, is Conan¡¯s ¡®Shrinking Medicine¡¯ actually real? How did President Huo be small?¡±


    Gu Hanchen squatted down and fiercely pinched Xiao Shihuo¡¯s small chubby cheek, ¡°Haha, even you have today, President Huo.¡±


    Yuan Xi admired Gu Hanchen¡¯s train of thoughts, to actually imagine Huo Shiyuan had taken ¡®Shrinking Medicine¡¯¡­


    No wonder those few receptionists always said Gu Hanchen was silly; indeed, quite silly.


    ¡°Mr. Gu, this is President Huo¡¯s younger brother, Shihuo. I¡¯m taking him to Pudun Kindergarten for an interview this afternoon, so I¡¯ve brought him here to my ce.¡±


    Gu Hanchen frowned and said, ¡°Bringing a child during work hours? Yuan Xi, where did you put thepany rules and regtions?¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Would it be okay if I said I¡¯m on annual leave today?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Yuan Xi settled Shihuo in the waiting room and began her work. When it was noon, she received a call from Yang Ying.


    Not long after, the president¡¯s office elevator doors opened.


    Yang Ying and Chu Yan stepped out from the elevator.


    @@novelbin@@


    Yuan Xi approached and said, ¡°Mom.¡±


    Yang Ying looked towards Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Xinxin, shall we have lunch together? Have a good chat? We haven¡¯t had a heart-to-heart talk since you returned. How about a mother-daughter heart-to-heart today?¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°It¡¯s quite inconvenient today. My husband¡¯s brother has a kindergarten interview, and he is also in thepany. It might not be convenient to have lunch together.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked toward Shihuo, who was peeking out of the waiting room, and said, ¡°Xiao Shihuo,e and say hello to your aunt.¡±


    Xiao Shihuo looked up at Yang Ying and said, ¡°Auntie.¡±


    ¡°Big sister, I¡¯m hungry, can we eat now?¡±


    Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Sure, what would you like to eat?¡±


    Xiao Shihuo said eagerly, ¡°KFC. I¡¯ve never had KFC before. Every time we passed by KFC, my mom wouldn¡¯t buy it for me. I really, really want to try KFC, my friends say it¡¯s so delicious!¡±


    Chu Yan sneered on the side, ¡°Indeed, KFC is hard toe by in the countryside.¡±


    Chu Yan turned to look at Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, can you believe my brother-inw¡¯s family can¡¯t even afford KFC, yet they still decided to have a second child¡­ Isn¡¯t this just leaving their kids for my sister to help raise with her inws? Sister, don¡¯t be too foolish¡­¡±

 Chapter 52: The Chu Family Can Only Have One Daughter

    Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Chu Family Can Only Have One Daughter


    At the coffee shop at three in the afternoon, it was very quiet, with only a few employeesing in to buy a cup of coffee.


    Yuan Xi handed a cup of coffee to Yang Ying and took a seat, looking out of the window at the wide view of the river in Jiang City.


    Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Was everything okay with your hospital check-up yesterday?¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°It was okay, nothing serious.¡±


    Yang Ying set down her coffee and said, ¡°Xinxin, yesterday Kexin told me on the phone about the incident in Chu Li¡¯s social circle, and I want to exin to you that Chu Li was leaving at noon, and you hadn¡¯t arrived yet so she took a photo that said it was a family reunion. She didn¡¯t intentionally exclude you, so you really shouldn¡¯t have stayed away from your grandparents¡¯ house because of that.¡±


    Yuan Xi¡¯s smile faltered slightly and she replied, ¡°Mom, if you¡¯re just here to question me and use me of why I didn¡¯t go to my grandparents¡¯ house, then I think there¡¯s no need to talk further.¡±


    Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, your father and I are usually very busy at work, and since you returned, your father and I haven¡¯t really had the chance to sit down and talk with you properly. Actually, Xinxin, not a single day has passed in these twenty-five years when we haven¡¯t thought of you.


    Do you know how heartbroken I was when you turned your phone off on Saturday, choosing to stay with the so-called grandmother of the people who bought your house?¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Yang Ying and said, ¡°What about you? Since I returned to the Chu Family, have you ever thought about me whenever you showed favoritism towards Chu Yan? Chu Yan smashed the green jade bracelet I gave you, and my brother said Chu Yan meant well, and that it would be fine if he paid for it.


    At my homing party, Chu Yan openly criticized my and my friend¡¯s dresses as knockoffs, yet you still asked me to endure it¡­ Did you ever consider that I might be hurt too?¡±


    Yang Ying was taken aback, ¡°Xinxin, Yanyan was raised by me, and she didn¡¯t mean any harm. She initially thought the bracelet was fake and smashed it in her concern for my well-being without considering the facts. She has apologized to you.


    As for the dresses, your father and I were busy, and the homing party was managed by her. That day the Bo Family was also present, and you spilled your wine, and Yanyan was embarrassed as well. After all, we are family¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°So, being family means having me wear a high-end dress that a female celebrity wore to my homing party?¡±


    ¡°Xinxin, I didn¡¯t realize you still remembered that incident. It wasn¡¯t that we didn¡¯t want to prepare a dress for you, but custom dresses take at least three months. You just happened to have a simr body type to the one that female celebrity wore, so Yanyan specifically bought it for you¡­


    Yanyan really treats you like a sister, including just now in the office when she told you to get a divorce, she was truly considering your best interest.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°If we¡¯re really family, why couldn¡¯t I wait a bit to put on a custom dress at my homing party, but Chu Yan had to wear a new seasonal high-end dress instead of ready-to-wear?¡±


    Yang Ying was taken aback, ¡°Xinxin¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s just act like distant rtives from now on, even if Chu Yan truly has good intentions towards me. I am petty and sensitive; I can¡¯t be family with a ¡®sister¡¯ who doesn¡¯t share blood ties with me.¡±


    Yuan Xi took a sip of her iced Americano, the bitter taste spreading between her lips and teeth, also helping her clear her head quite a bit.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m really busy with work, and I don¡¯t want to spend more energy on trivial matters.¡±


    ¡°If you really consider me as Xinxin, as your daughter, thenpletely rify the rtionship and dere that Chu Yan is no longer the daughter of the Chu Family.¡±


    Yang Ying hurriedly said, ¡°Xinxin, Yanyan is the daughter we¡¯ve raised for twenty-five years. When you went missing, I was truly about to break down, and after repeated disappointments that led to despair, I was consuming handfuls of sleeping pills and was rescued.


    Later your father suggested we adopt a child, and we adopted Yanyan. Xinxin, Yanyan is your recement, and all the love and affection we show her are because of you¡­ I often look at Yanyan and think of you¡­


    Ultimately, Yanyan is our adopted daughter; we can¡¯t just disregard the twenty-five years of emotions and abandon her after finding our biological daughter¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°If you are unwilling to sever ties with Chu Yan, then there¡¯s no need for further discussion. We should just treat each other as distant rtives from now on.¡±


    When Yuan Xi uttered these words, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    Yang Ying asked, ¡°Xinxin, why do you detest Yanyan so much?¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Just think of me as sensitive, petty, and jealous. The luxurious life she enjoyed for twenty-five years should have been mine. If I hadn¡¯t been stolen by the nanny, she would never have been able to live those twenty-five years. Everything she has should have been mine. Now, she uses the life that should have been mine to look down on me with pity. Why can¡¯t I despise her?¡±


    Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, you know that Yanyan is already aligned with the Bo Family through marriage. If we sever ties with Yanyan now, how are we supposed to interact with the Bo Family? We are all in the Jiang City circle. It¡¯s not like we can just sever ties with Yanyan that easily¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi knew this would be the oue and felt it was reasonable. Yang Ying choosing Chu Yan didn¡¯t hurt her at all.


    ¡°Alright, I understand, Mom. If there¡¯s nothing important, let¡¯s not contact each other anymore. My time may not be as precious as yours and Dad¡¯s, but it¡¯s still quite valuable.¡±


    After saying this, Yuan Xi stood up and said, ¡°I need to get to work now.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    ¡°Xinxin!¡± Yang Ying stood up.


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk? I¡¯ve already made my intentions clear. There can only be one daughter in the Chu Family. If Chu Yan is in the Chu Family, I can¡¯t possibly return.¡±


    Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, Chu Yan is getting married to the Bo Family in four months, in September. We can¡¯t just kick out the future Young Madam of the Bo Family from our house now. If we really do that, we¡¯dpletely burn our bridges with the Bo Family. Can¡¯t you consider the bigger picture?¡±


    Yuan Xi took a deep breath and said with a distant, light smile, ¡°So, your so-called dearly missed biological daughter can¡¯tpare to the Chu Family¡¯s reputation and standing?¡±


    Yang Ying replied, ¡°Xinxin, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi nced at her watch, ¡°I really have a lot of work to do. You¡¯ve heard about Mi Chen going public, right? I¡¯m really quite busy.¡±


    Yuan Xi didn¡¯t stop Yang Ying.


    When Yang Ying returned home, she discussed on the living room sofa with Chu Qing the situation of Yuan Xi wanting Chu Yan to leave the Chu Family.


    ¡°This child¡­sigh!¡± Yang Ying sighed deeply.


    Chu Qing frowned and said, ¡°Yanyan has also been our daughter for twenty-five years; we can¡¯t just tell her to leave like that.¡±


    Yang Ying¡¯s eyes teared up, ¡°But our daughter, whom we searched for twenty-five years, can¡¯t just be abandoned, right? I see that Xinxin is quite determined. If Yanyan doesn¡¯t leave the Chu Family, she won¡¯te back to the Chu Family¡­ She insists that Yanyan must leave.¡±


    Chu Qing said, ¡°Actually, Yanyan is already twenty-six years old, and we have fulfilled our duties of adoption. The dowry we¡¯ve given her should be enough for her to stand firm in the Bo Family. We truly owe a lot to Xinxin and can¡¯t hurt her anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Yanyan.¡±


    At the front door, Chu Lin¡¯s voice caught the attention of the two inside.


    Chu Lin chased after Chu Yan who had run out, grabbed her arm and said, ¡°Yanyan.¡±


    Chu Yan leaned on Chu Lin¡¯s shoulder and cried out with grievance, ¡°Brother, now that sister is back, I¡¯m just superfluous in this home¡­¡±

 Chapter 55 - 55 Sibling Affection

    Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Sibling Affection


    Gu Hanchen nced at Chu Lin, then at Liang Suisui, understanding clearly that these two didn¡¯t get along.


    Gu Hanchen broke the ice, ¡°If Suisui wants to hook me, I¡¯d be more than happy to be hooked.¡±


    Liang Suisui was quite attractive too, although not in the inte-celebrity kind of way, but with a charm of a water township girl.


    There were no traces of stic surgery, evidentlying from a middle-ss family with a good-girl image.


    In other words, she was the type Mrs. Gu would like.


    Gu Hanchen originally had no thoughts about dating or marriage, but with Bo Fan and Si Chen getting engaged and married respectively, his family was on his back about it every day.


    Now he was using the uing IPO as an excuse to fend off the marriage pressures, but once the IPO was over, he would inevitably be pushed into marriage. If he could really end up with Liang Suisui, Gu Hanchen actually wouldn¡¯t mind.


    Liang Suisui smiled slightly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare try to hook Mr. Gu.¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Why not dare? You are Yuan Xi¡¯s friend, by association, you¡¯re my friend too.¡±


    Liang Suisui said, ¡°I¡¯m an only child, and my family is hoping I find a live-in son-inw. Mr. Gu surely wouldn¡¯t stoop to being my son-inw, right?¡±


    Gu Hanchenughed, ¡°What age are we living in that we¡¯re still talking about live-in sons-inw?¡±


    Liang Suisui said, ¡°How can we not? I¡¯m the only one in my family. What else if not marrying in?¡±


    Gu Hanchen just smiled and called over Bo Fan and Fu Yi to y cards, ¡°Come on, Bo Fan, President Huo, stop chatting, let¡¯s y cards.¡±


    Chu Lin looked at the brooding man beside Bo Fan, ¡°Is he Huo Shiyan?¡±


    Fu Yi stood up and reached out his hand to Chu Lin, ¡°Junior President Chu.¡±


    Chu Lin shook hands with Fu Yi, ¡°President Huo.¡±


    After the handshake, Fu Yi turned to Bo Fan and Gu Hanchen, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, I should be going.¡±


    Bo Fan said, ¡°Let me walk you out, President Huo.¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Hey, only one of you can leave, because once you¡¯re gone, we¡¯ll be one short again.¡±


    Liang Suisui suggested, ¡°Just y ¡®Landlord¡¯ with three people.¡±


    Gu Hanchen thought it was a good idea, letting Bo Fan walk Fu Yi out.


    Gu Hanchen personally cut the cards, then asked Chu Lin, ¡°How is your mom doing? Why did she suddenly end up in the hospital?¡±


    Chu Lin nced at Liang Suisui, ¡°Yuan Xi insists that my parents choose between her and Yanyan, isn¡¯t that utterly thoughtless? Yanyan and Bo Fan¡¯s wedding is just three to four months away. If our family, the Chu Family, kicks Yanyan out now, how am I supposed to face Bo Fan?¡±


    Gu Hanchen dealt the cards, ¡°Why can¡¯t you face him? Do you believe if you guys kick Chu Yan out the Bo Family would cancel the wedding immediately?¡±


    Chu Lin said, ¡°That¡¯s even more reason not to let Yanyan leave our family. She would be so pitiful.¡±


    Liang Suisui sarcasticallyughed, ¡°If you think the fake daughter is pitiful, then you marry Chu Yan. That¡¯s how they write it in novels anyway. The fake daughter gets abandoned by her fianc¨¦, and then her brother, feeling pity and ignoring his true sister¡¯s feelings, falls for the fake daughter and marries her. I can list you a dozen books like that right off the bat.¡±


    Liang Suisui added, ¡°Besides, you and Chu Yan are a perfect match of ¡®no brains meets green tea.''¡±


    Chu Lin clenched his teeth, ¡°Liang Suisui, Yanyan is my real sister, what nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    Liang Suisui picked up the cards, her tone dripping with sarcasm, ¡°Right, right, right, Yanyan is your real~sister~¡±


    Chu Lin picked up the sarcastic tone and was so annoyed he didn¡¯t even want to pick up the cards.


    Gu Hanchen urged, ¡°Come on, pick up the cards.¡±


    Chu Lin stood up to leave, and Liang Suisui taunted, ¡°What, scared of losing money before even ying?¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Chu Lin, do me a favor and sit down to y, don¡¯t leave the impression with this youngdy that you can¡¯t take a loss.¡±


    Annoyed, Chu Lin picked up the cards, staring at a terrible hand, he even suspected Gu Hanchen had dealt the cards on purpose. In this round, Liang Suisui was thendlord and won quite a bit.


    For several games in a row, whether the cards were good or bad, Liang Suisui kept winning.


    Liang Suisui nced at the time, ¡°It¡¯s twelve already, oh no I¡¯m in big trouble, they¡¯ll break my legs when I get home.¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, at twenty-six, your family still imposes a curfew?¡±


    ¡°Yep, my family curfew is at nine p.m. and I wasn¡¯t even watching the time,¡± said Liang Suisui as she got up, ¡°I need to leave.¡±


    Having lost all night, Chu Lin frowned, ¡°Onest round, if you win, this watch is yours, if you lose, all the money you¡¯ve won tonight stays.¡±


    Liang Suisui looked at the watch Chu Lin had taken off, ¡°What use do I have for a second-hand broken watch you¡¯ve worn? I have my own watch.¡±


    Gu Hanchen looked at the blue balloon in Liang Suisui¡¯s hand, ¡°If he sells that watch second-hand, it will still pay for your thousand-dor watch.¡±


    Liang Suisui was slightly surprised, ¡°Really? I bought this watch at an international airport duty-free and it nearly cost me forty thousand. His can cover a thousand-dor watch for me?¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true, if you win his watch, I¡¯ll immediately transfer forty million to buy it from you.¡±


    Liang Suisui felt tempted, and since it was already past the ess control time, she didn¡¯t mind ying another round.


    Chu Lin said, ¡°I¡¯ll deal the cards this time.¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Making it seem like I would cheat. I¡¯ve lost quite a bit today too.¡±


    After Chu Lin had dealt the cards, he said to Gu Hanchen, ¡°y well this round. If you win against her, I¡¯ll give you the watch for free. You won¡¯t need to spend forty million.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Suisui.¡± Gu Hanchen happily looked at the watch in front of him.


    Liang Suisui asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to gamble with me?¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Yes, I will certainly win against you this time.¡±


    Liang Suisui picked up the threendlord cards in front of her and asked again, ¡°You guys won¡¯t cheat, right? If I win, I won¡¯t be able to leave Jiangye, will I?¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°I¡¯m the president of Mi Chen, he¡¯s the young boss of Chuneng Group, we are people of status, what are you afraid of?¡±


    Liang Suisui said, ¡°Then I¡¯m ying my cards.¡±


    As Chu Lin and Gu Hanchen looked at the cards in their hands, they were certain that all the money Liang Suisui was winning tonight was a sure bet. Just as they were about to y their cards, they saw Liang Suisuiy all her cards out on the table.


    Her cards astonishingly formed a sequence from three sevens, three eights, up to three jacks, along with her threendlord cards, making a perfect ne. She finished her hand in one go.


    @@novelbin@@


    Chu Lin and Gu Hanchen didn¡¯t even get a chance to y.


    Gu Hanchen looked at Chu Lin, ¡°Damn, Chu Lin, how did you deal these cards?¡±


    Chu Lin was obviously stunned as well. Was all this woman¡¯s luck in her lifetime spent on this set of cards?


    Liang Suisui stood up and said, ¡°I might have spent all my luck in life here. Thank you, Mr. Gu, thank you, Mr. Chu. Mr. Gu, here¡¯s the watch, remember to transfer the money, this is my bank card number.¡±


    ¡­


    Yuan Xi woke up early in the morning and saw that messages in her besties group kept popping up.


    She scrolled up and saw a bank transfer notification from Liang Suisui sent at half past midnight, filled with zeros like a Photoshopped image.


    Suisui (looking for a husband version): I¡¯ve achieved my wish to get rich instantly, now I just need a husband. Sisters, help me find someone!


    Shi Shishitou: What did you do? Earn forty million overnight? Did you rob a bank? I¡¯ve been working myself to death at the factory for a year and I haven¡¯t made even a tenth of what you made in one night.


    Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: I make five thousand a month, and I would need to work a thousand months, basically a lifetime.


    Seeing messages from Shi Lei and Chen Yuan breaking down, Yuan Xi thought about her own sry, she would also need to work dead tired for seven or eight years¡­


    Suisui (looking for a husband version): Yesterday I yed a card game with Gu Hanchen and Chu Lin, and just like that, I won so much. I still can¡¯t believe I have forty million now, I¡¯m so thrilled I didn¡¯t sleep all night.


    Suisui (looking for a husband version): @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, oh yeah, Mr. Chu asked me to do him a favor, to take him off the cklist.


    Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: ¡­


    Speechless as she was, Yuan Xi still did Liang Suisui the favor and removed Chu Lin from the list.


    ¡°Sister.¡±


    Yuan Xi walked to the door where Huo Shiyan had already gotten up early, and Xiao Shihuo was dressed and ready for kindergarten.


    Huo Shiyan told Yuan Xi, ¡°He has to get to the kindergarten half an hour earlier than you need to be at work.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get up earlier next time.¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll have the driver take him, and then I¡¯ll take you to the office.¡±


    Yuan Xi replied with a light smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, getting up half an hour earlier isn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    After a rushed breakfast, Yuan Xi was making up in the back of the car to catch up with Xiao Shihuo¡¯s school time when she received a WeChat message from Chu Lin.


    Chu Lin: Yuan Xi, Huo Shiyan is approaching you just to get back at Yanyan. You better be sensible and not foolishly dream of bing Mrs. Huo.


    After reading the message, Yuan Xi put Chu Lin back into the cklist.


    Inside the cklist, only Chu Liny there alone. After giving it some thought, Yuan Xi epted Chu Yan¡¯s friend request and then blocked him too.


    After all, sibling affection runs deep.

 Chapter 56: Is Mi Chen Going to Have a CEO鈥檚 Wife?

    Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Is Mi Chen Going to Have a CEO¡¯s Wife?


    Huo Shiyuan dropped off Yuan Xi at the entrance to Michen Building. Because Xiao Shihuo had to go to school, Yuan Xi arrived a good half an hour early, and the two receptionists in the lobby had just arrived.


    ¡°President Yuan, President Yuan!¡±


    Yuan Xi heard the receptionist¡¯s voice and approached, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    While watering the fortune tree on the desk, the receptionist said, ¡°President Yuan, Mr. Gu made it to the trending searches again. Paparazzi caught him leaving Jiangyest night with a girl. The girl was sitting in Mr. Gu¡¯s passenger seat, smiling so wide she couldn¡¯t close her mouth, looking very happy. Does that mean we¡¯re about to have a CEO¡¯s wife soon?¡±


    Yuan Xi leaned in to look at the trending searches on the receptionist¡¯s phone. Wasn¡¯t that Liang Suisui, who was smiling so wide even her back teeth were showing?


    @@novelbin@@


    The paparazzi had originally gone to get a shot of a top male celebrity¡¯s scandal, but instead caught Gu Hanchen and posted it online.


    As the CEO of Michen, Gu Hanchen was no stranger to online attention.


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°No, that¡¯s a friend of mine in the photo.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were about to have a CEO¡¯s wife.¡±


    Yuan Xi then went to the fifty-eighth floor. In the secretary¡¯s office, several had arrived early to work and were quizzing her about the gossip concerning Gu Hanchen.


    Sitting in the corner, Ren Tian was all ears. She wasing to work the next day, and if Gu Hanchen really had a girlfriend, wouldn¡¯t her effort to go to work early be in vain?


    Yuan Xi¡¯s gaze shifted toward Ren Tian, noting her shirt¡¯s top three buttons undone and frowned slightly, but said nothing after all, as Michen had always practiced a policy of freedom in attire.


    Yuan Xi returned to her own office where the gossip group was buzzing about Liang Suisui trending.


    Liang Suisui had stayed up all night and was now fast asleep.


    ¡°President Yuan.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked up at the door to see Zhong Xiaoyi knocking, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Zhong Xiaoyi said, ¡°President Yuan, I¡¯m having trouble understanding some of the data on these forms¡­ Could you give me some guidance?¡±


    Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°Come on over.¡±


    As Zhong Xiaoyi approached, Yuan Xi smelled a strong scent of alcohol on her. Already gued by severe morning sickness, she threw up straight into the trash can and took a while to rinse her mouth before she felt better.


    ¡°Xiao Yi, the work at Michen is actually quite busy, especially now that you are Mr. Gu¡¯s secretary, and in many cases, you have to be avable 24/7. This is the nature of your job. Even if it¡¯s not during your working hours, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t indulge in heavy drinking. If you must, having a few light drinks is alright, but after all, alcohol isn¡¯t something to mess with¡­¡±


    Zhong Xiaoyi said quietly, ¡°President Yuan, the smell of alcohol on me is from taking care of Mr. Gu early this morning, I should have taken a shower beforeing to work, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yuan Xi remembered that Zhong Xiaoyi¡¯s mother was Gu Hanchen¡¯s housekeeper, and Zhong Xiaoyi lived with her mother at Gu Hanchen¡¯s ce. It was inevitable that she would have to look after him when he got drunk.


    Yuan Xi had seen Zhong Xiaoyi helping her mother take care of Gu Hanchen when she was his secretary.


    ¡°Did he drink after sending Liang Suisui homest night?¡±


    Zhong Xiaoyi nodded, ¡°Yes, he drank at home with Junior President Chu, both of them got very drunk.¡±


    Yuan Xi thought no wonder Chu Lin had sent her that strange message in the morning, he was probably drunk.


    Today, Michen received numerous calls from the media, most of which were inquiring whether Gu Hanchen was nearing a happy event.


    It was not only the media. After ten, Mrs. Gu also came to Michen Building.


    The Gu Family didn¡¯t think much of the gamepany Gu Hanchen had created, and the elders from the Gu Family seldom visited Michen.


    Mrs. Gu asked, ¡°Yuan Xi, where¡¯s Gu Hanchen?¡±


    Yuan Xi responded with a light smile, ¡°Mrs. Gu, Mr. Gu usually arrives at work around eleven or twelve at noon. I heard he was drinkingtest night. He mighte to the office after one.¡±


    Mrs. Gu patted Yuan Xi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s really thanks to you that Michen has reached its current scale. Do you know where he lives now?¡±


    ¡°He lives over there at Jiangjing No.1, not far from here.¡±


    Mrs. Gu asked Yuan Xi, ¡°Is it convenient for you? If it is, can you take me there?¡±


    Yuan Xi nodded and led Mrs. Gu to Jiangjing No.1. When they arrived at Gu Hanchen¡¯s house, Yuan Xi skillfully entered the password.


    Once inside the house, Mrs. Zhong was cleaning up the living room, with wine bottles scattered all over the floor and the expensive leather sofa stained with red wine. ¡°Miss Yuan, Mrs. Gu.¡±


    Seeing the scattered wine bottles, Mrs. Gu got so angry she felt a throbbing pain in her temples. ¡°His Michen going public? It¡¯s really thanks to my annual temple visits to burn incense and pray.¡±


    Yuan Xi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mrs. Gu walked to the bedroom door, saw that it was unlocked, and opened it, only to be greeted by the stench of alcohol. She disdainfully pulled open the curtains and opened the windows.


    Yuan Xi held back her nausea as she looked towards Gu Hanchen¡¯s bed, and it was obvious there was someone in Gu Hanchen¡¯s bed.


    Mrs. Gu also saw and what was once disdain turned into a lightugh, ¡°Wow, this boy is something else, telling us he¡¯s too young and too busy with work, in no rush to find a girlfriend and get married, even iming that having a girlfriend would only slow down his money-making, but here he is, sharing a bed with someone.¡±


    Yuan Xi felt it was not good to pry into others¡¯ privacy and was about to persuade Mrs. Gu to leave so as not to embarrass the girl, when she then saw the face of the person holding Gu Hanchen in sleep¡­


    Mrs. Gu saw the handsome, attractive face too and felt a surge of emotion, so much that she felt dizzy and copsed onto a small sofa nearby.


    ¡°Aiyo, aiyo! My head is spinning! Yang Ying is still in the hospital, what should I do now?¡±


    As she spoke, Mrs. Gu didn¡¯t forget to take out her phone to snap a photo, ¡°Aiyo, aiyo, I need to go to the hospital too.¡±


    Theirmotion woke the two people in the bed.


    Chu Lin opened his eyes to see Yuan Xi before him, his brows slightly furrowed.


    Gu Hanchen noticed Yuan Xi and gently touched his temple, ¡°Nothing¡¯s gone wrong with Michen again, has it? You¡¯re here so early to get me.¡±


    Mrs. Gu sharply said, ¡°A big deal? What could be more important than you and Chu Lin being together? When did you two start? No wonder, a beauty like Yuan Xi has been around you for five years and you¡¯ve shown no interest, it turns out you fancy Chu Lin!¡±


    Mrs. Gu clutched her head, ¡°In this day and age, I can ept it if it¡¯s true love¡­ but can your father and Uncle Chu ept this kind of true love? Oh, my head feels so dizzy¡­¡±


    Eventually, Gu Hanchen noticed Chu Lin beside him and eximed, ¡°What the hell, how did you end up on my bed?¡±


    ¡°Chu Lin, I didn¡¯t expect you to be this kind of person!¡± Gu Hanchen moved away on the bed.


    Chu Lin exined, ¡°I was drunkst night, and I vaguely remember your maid helping me here. Aunt Gu, please don¡¯t misunderstand; Chu Lin and I are nothing but clean brothers.¡±


    Gu Hanchen also hurried to rify, ¡°Yes, Mom, it¡¯s a misunderstanding. Don¡¯t overthink it; I like women.¡±


    Mrs. Gu took out her phone and opened the photo sent to her in a trending search.


    ¡°Gu Hanchen, what¡¯s going on with you and this girl? It¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve been caught leaving Jiangye with another girl, her reputation could be affected by your actions, and if you really like women, then you should settle down and marry her.¡±


    Gu Hanchen responded, ¡°Mom, how does ying cards together threaten anyone¡¯s reputation? The girl in this picture is Yuan Xi¡¯s friend, Liang Suisui. She saidst night that her family has only one daughter and only epts sons-inw, I surely can¡¯t go and be a son-inw in her family, can I?¡±


    Mrs. Gu replied, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing, I¡¯m not some antique who insists on carrying on the Gu family name. The girl¡¯s surname is Liang, and I think it sounds quite nice to have a grandson with thest name Liang.¡±


    Gu Hanchen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mrs. Gu turned to Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Since she¡¯s your friend, I trust her character. Anyone who can be friends with you can¡¯t be bad. Can you help set this up?¡±


    Chu Lin frowned slightly upon hearing Mrs. Gu¡¯s words and for some reason felt a pang of difort, ncing at Yuan Xi with a look that suggested she should not agree.


    Yuan Xi saw Chu Lin¡¯s furrowed brow; he probably thought that a girl from a vige like hers wouldn¡¯t be a match for Gu Hanchen.


    Out of courtesy, Yuan Xi replied to Mrs. Gu, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try.¡±

 Chapter 58 - 58 Sister Yiren

    Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Sister Yiren


    Bo Fan said as he gently caressed Chu Yan¡¯s cheek, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you for the matter concerning Huo Shiyuan.¡±


    Chu Yan looked up at Bo Fan and threw herself into his arms. When she learned that she was not the biological daughter of the Chu Family, both Bo Fan and the Bo Family stuck by her side without changing their marriage arrangement. She had no reason not to help Bo Fan this time.


    ¡°Bo Fan, I love you!¡± Chu Yan¡¯s gaze lifted to Bo Fan¡¯s eyes.


    Bo Fan chuckled, ¡°I love you too.¡±


    Chu Yan nced at the time on her phone, ¡°Yu Xiaoxiao has asked to meet with me this afternoon, so I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    Bo Fan watched Chu Yan¡¯s retreating figure, the smile in his eyes momentarily faltering. He hadn¡¯t expected Huo Shiyuan to be Chu Yan¡¯s ex-boyfriend.


    Chu Yan rushed to a skincare salon, where Yu Xiaoxiao was lying face down, getting a massage on her back. Upon seeing Chu Yan, she said, ¡°You¡¯lle with me to Huxi Vigeter. We¡¯ll have a proper meeting with Liang Suisui. I want her to fully understand that she has absolutely no right topete with me over anything in Jiang City!¡±


    Chu Yan at Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s side, ¡°Liang Suisui? You mean the one who wore the same dress as me at theeback banquet a while ago?¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao nodded, ¡°That¡¯s her. She even made the hot search today, saying she¡¯s going to be Mrs. Mi Chen.


    Liang Suisui doesn¡¯t even look in the mirror. How could she possibly think she¡¯s fit to marry Gu Hanchen?


    Yuan Xi does have some skills, seeing no hope in getting married and bing Mrs. Gu herself, she¡¯s now trying to hook up her friend with Gu Hanchen, the golden bachelor.¡±


    Chu Yan said, ¡°Why should you stoop down to find trouble with Liang Suisui? Dirtying our hands by dealing with her kind isn¡¯t worth it. And going to that vige, aren¡¯t you afraid it¡¯s filthy, chaotic, and smelly? It might just taint us.¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Exactly, I even dread the filthiness I might catch by going to that vige. But we can¡¯t let Liang Suisui off too easily, right? Have you seen the photos taken by the paparazzi? She looks so happy by Gu Hanchen¡¯s side.¡±


    Chu Yan smiled, ¡°I remember Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter¡¯s birthday is this Saturday, right?¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao nodded, ¡°Yes, Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter was born on Children¡¯s Day. The Gu Family always hosts a birthday party for her every year.¡±


    Chu Yan said to Yu Xiaoxiao, ¡°If you hysterically go after Liang Suisui and use power to pressure her, it won¡¯t be meaningful. It might even provoke Gu Hanchen¡¯s protective instincts towards a fragile little white lotus like Liang Suisui.


    Why don¡¯t you kindly invite Liang Suisui to Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter¡¯s birthday party? Let Liang Suisui see with her own eyes the vast difference between her and the Gu Family.¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao said, ¡°But will Liang Suisui even attend Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter¡¯s birthday party?¡±


    Chu Yan said, ¡°If Gu Hanchen really has something with Liang Suisui, he will certainly invite her. And if Liang Suisui doesn¡¯t even attend Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter¡¯s birthday party, what¡¯s there for you to fear? It would just show that Gu Hanchen also knows that Liang Suisui is not presentable.¡±


    ¡­


    Mi Chen.


    After a busy day, Yuan Xi got off work. As the night approached, it was still bright outside at seven in the evening, and the distant sunset was very beautiful.


    Yuan Xi opened the rear car door and sat next to Xiao Shihuo. Huo Shiyuan no longer used a driver since installing the child seat; he mostly drove himself now.


    @@novelbin@@


    ¡°Sister!¡± Xiao Shihuo, with his hands supporting his cheeks, said, ¡°Sister, you finished work sote. I already had a piano lesson and a programming ss.¡±


    Yuan Xi turned to look at Huo Shiyuan in the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°The interest sses you arranged for him?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan nodded, ¡°His kindergarten ends a while before you finish work, so I let him attend more interest sses. Can¡¯t let him idle away.¡±


    Yuan Xi patted Xiao Shihuo¡¯s head, ¡°How was your first day at kindergarten? Did you make any friends?¡±


    Xiao Shihuo nodded, ¡°I made a good friend! She even invited me to her birthday party.¡±


    Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°When is the birthday party? If I have time, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°On June 1st, on Children¡¯s Day. She said there will be KFC at her birthday party~¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°June 1st? That might be inconvenient. My boss¡¯s niece also has her birthday on June 1st. I¡¯ll have to apany my boss to celebrate for his niece.¡±


    Gu Hanchen¡¯s biological elder sister, Gu Nuan, brought a child back from abroad five years ago, but no one knew who the father was.


    After Gu Hanchen founded Mi Chen, Gu Shipping was handed over to Gu Nuan to manage, and as Gu Nuan¡¯s child was fatherless, he was still considered a future sessor of the Gu Family. For this reason, no one in Jiang City¡¯s circle of the wealthy dared to look down upon the child.


    Thus, his birthdays were always celebrated with great pomp and circumstance.


    Yuan Xi said to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring Xiao Shihuo to his ssmate¡¯s birthday party?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°What Xiao Huo was talking about is the birthday of Gu Hanchen¡¯s niece.¡±


    Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°How coincidental.¡±


    However, it wasn¡¯t surprising to encounter Gu Hanchen¡¯s niece at Pudun, which is known to be the top kindergarten in Jiang City.


    Yuan Xi then said to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Then make a trip to Hengfan to buy a birthday gift for Xiao Ying.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan added, ¡°And let him have a meal at KFC on the way, to keep him from thinking about it all the time.¡±


    ¡°Big brother is the best, the very best, the most awesome!¡±


    At these words, Xiao Shihuo danced around joyfully.


    Upon arriving at Hengfan,


    the trio first stopped at a KFC, where business was surprisingly good at the time.


    Xiao Shihuo wanted to try everything and almost ordered one of each item on the machine.


    Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t indulge him, ¡°You can¡¯t waste food. You should only order as much as you can eat; wasting food is shameful.¡±


    Yuan Xi chuckled beside them; the dishes Huo Shiyuan prepared for her were always quite generous, especially the ones delivered at noon. It was fortunate that Gu Hanchen would eat with her, otherwise a lot would have gone to waste.


    She had originally thought that with the Huo Family¡¯s financial status, they really wouldn¡¯t fret about food wastage.


    ¡°Psst¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi heard a familiar snicker and turned to see Bao Yan and Bo Fan, apanied by several smartly dressed men she didn¡¯t recognize.


    Upon seeing Yuan Xi, Bo Fan approached and said, ¡°Ordering food? Let me treat you, don¡¯t disappoint the child.¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need. The child hasn¡¯t had it before and just wanted to try, neither my husband nor I will eat, so it would indeed be wasteful to order too much.¡±


    Bao Yan retorted, ¡°The sry Gu Hanchen gives you isn¡¯t low, right? Do you really need to be so tight-fisted and only feed the child? Or is it that the bold move of giving Aunt Yang that thirty million bracelet the other day has depleted all your savings? There¡¯s no need to pretend to be rich when you¡¯re not.¡±


    Bo Fan leaned in closer to take a look at the watch Huo Shiyuan was wearing to make the payment and couldn¡¯t help but show a mocking expression in his eyes.


    Xiao Shihuo paid no mind to the adults¡¯ convoluted exchanges, his eyes fixated on the food in front of him.


    ¡°Mr. Bo, President Qian from Fu An Group has arrived,¡± someone behind Bo Fan announced.


    Bo Fan stepped out and saw a young woman descend from a Rolls-Royce that had pulled up right at the entrance of the mall. She had slightly curly long hair, wore a blue dress, and seven-centimeter heels ¡ª her presence was formidable.


    Bo Fan¡¯s eyes quickly noticed the logo on her clothes, the same one on the garments worn by Yuan Xi¡¯s husband that he had just seen.


    ¡°Sister Yiren!¡±


    From inside the KFC, Xiao Shihuo spotted the young woman at the entrance and was excited to see a familiar face.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s Sister Yiren! Sister Yiren keeps asking when you¡¯lle home.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Focus on eating your burger. You shouldn¡¯t talk while eating.¡±

 Chapter 59: Yuan Xi鈥檚 Appearance Deeply Disappoints Her

    Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Yuan Xi¡¯s Appearance Deeply Disappoints Her


    Yuan Xi¡¯s gaze followed Little Shihuo¡¯s pointing finger and looked outside, only to see a young woman entering through the door, wearing a neatly tailored blue sleeveless dress, which made her look noble and capable.


    After sending a message, Huo Shiyuan took away the c Little Shihuo had sipped twice. ¡°No more c for you, drink orange juice instead.¡±


    ¡°But I want c!¡±


    Little Shihuo tried to take back the c that Huo Shiyuan had taken.


    With a gentle voice, Yuan Xi spoke to Little Shihuo, ¡°You can¡¯t drink any more, c is full of sugar, and drinking too much will turn you into a little fatty.¡±


    Hearing ¡°little fatty,¡± Little Shihuo obediently picked up the orange juice on the side to drink, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a little fatty like Brother.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked towards Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Your brother isn¡¯t fat.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan must work out regrly, because he had a good physique, the type that appears slim in clothes but has muscles underneath.


    Little Shihuo looked at Yuan Xi, confused. ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    Huo Shiyuan interrupted Little Shihuo¡¯s words, ¡°The situation with the Bo Family might be worse than we know. Qian Yiren is the niece of the Fu Family¡¯s matriarch, and now she is also the Vice General Manager of the Fu An Group, in charge of some shopping mall acquisitions and operations. Her visit to Hengfan is to consider acquiring Hengfan.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Hengfan is the Bo Family¡¯s cash cow. If the Bo Family has to sell Hengfan, isn¡¯t that pretty much the same as being desperate?¡±


    Hengfan could be considered the Bo Family¡¯s foundation.


    Indeed, the crisis faced by the Bo Family was far more serious than what Qin Yue had described.


    It wasn¡¯t just about the loss of a mere 1.5 billion yuan.


    After finishing their meal at KFC, the three of them went to select a gift for Gu Hanchen¡¯s niece.


    Little Shihuo walked into a jewelry store specializing in diamonds and pointed at the Diamond Crown disyed in the showcase outside, ¡°I want to give this to Yingying.¡±


    Yuan Xi nced at the string of zeros and was taken aback.


    But Huo Shiyuan nonchntly handed over his card to the clerk, ¡°Just this little crown, wrap it up.¡±


    The clerk was stunned, not expecting the store¡¯s treasured item to be sold. Although Hengfan is one of thergest luxury malls in Jiang City, this crown was usually just for disy. ¡°Please wait, I¡¯ll find a box.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Isn¡¯t giving this little crown to a child a bit too extravagant?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan responded, ¡°It¡¯s not too extravagant, little girls all like crowns like these.¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°That¡¯s true, I also liked crowns full of shiny diamonds when I was a child. For my birthday, Brother Zhuangzhuang also gave me a little crown, which I wore yfully in the first and second grade of elementary school. By the third grade, though, I felt the diamonds on the crown were too big and gaudy, so I put it on the teddy bear that had grown up with me.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°Is, is that crown still around?¡±


    That crown had been custom-made when his parents got married; even in that era, it had been rather valuable.


    Yuan Xi said with a light smile, ¡°It is. After I was driven out of the house, I only took the birthday presents my friends had given me.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan thought that if Yuan Xi just took a closer look at the diamonds on that little crown and saw the identification number on the diamond, she could have sold the crown and wouldn¡¯t have had to struggle so much in her four years of university.


    ¡°Brother, I need to pee!¡±


    Shihuo looked up at Huo Shiyuan.


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Go by yourself.¡±


    Yuan Xi protested, ¡°How can you let him go alone? He might get lost.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°There are bodyguards following.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked outside the store, indeed there were several tall and sturdy men in ck shirts, all over 1.8 meters tall, who seemed to have followed them the entire way.


    ¡°The guy driving the Audi A6 we saw on the road these past few days is a bodyguard too? I was wondering why those A6¡¯s came and went at the same time as us.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°It¡¯s the bodyguard¡¯s car.¡±


    Little Shihuo, holding Huo Shiyuan¡¯s hand, ¡°I just want Brother to apany me.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    Yuan Xi waited in the store for the clerk to package the crown.


    Huo Shiyuan, with no other choice, took Little Shihuo to the restroom.


    While Huo Shiyuan waited outside the restroom for Little Shihuo, he saw Qian Yiren, who hade to use the facilities.


    Qian Yiren looked at Huo Shiyuan and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, I just saw you at the KFC at the entrance of the mall when I came in. I didn¡¯te over to greet you because of your message. When did you return to the country?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I¡¯ve been back for a little over a year, staying in Jiang City all the while.¡±


    Qian Yiren was slightly stunned, ¡°For the Ruohu project?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan shook his head with a light smile, ¡°For Yuan Xi.¡±


    Qian Yiren pursed her lips lightly, ¡°I¡¯m really curious about what that Yuan Xi, whom you¡¯ve been obsessed with since childhood, is like. Is she breathtakingly beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Sister Yiren?¡± Little Shihuo came out of the restroom and hugged Qian Yiren¡¯s thigh, ¡°Sister Yiren.¡±


    Qian Yiren smiled softly as she picked up Little Shihuo, ¡°What brought you to Jiang City?¡±


    ¡°My mom and dad went to Switzend to have fun and didn¡¯t take me with them, so they sent me to hang out with Brother and Sister.¡±


    Qian Yiren chuckled and kissed Little Shihuo on the cheek, ¡°Then you must be a good boy and listen to what Brother says.¡±


    Yuan Xi came to the restroom to find Huo Shiyuan and Little Shihuo after the crown was packaged. She saw a young woman holding and kissing Little Shihuo¡¯s cheek.


    Yuan Xi approached Huo Shiyuan and professionally smiled at Qian Yiren, ¡°Hello, President Qian.¡±


    ¡°Sister!¡± Little Shihuo lunged toward Yuan Xi, wanting to be held by her.


    Huo Shiyuan stepped forward and took Little Shihuo first, ¡°Your sister has a baby in her belly now, you can¡¯t let her hold you anymore.¡±


    Qian Yiren examined Yuan Xi, who was dressed in a shirt and A-line skirt. Her long hair was pinned up, giving off a gentle vibe, and her makeup was elegantly light, hardly different from the average officedy she had seen.


    Yuan Xi¡¯s appearance made Qian Yiren give a wryugh.


    Yuan Xi could be considered beautiful, but such petite beauties were a dime a dozen in City A; there was nothing instantly eye-catching or stunning about her.


    Qian Yiren couldn¡¯t ept that the woman in front of her was the Yuan Xi that Huo Shiyuan had been fixated on since childhood, ¡°You¡¯re Yuan Xi?¡±


    Yuan Xi extended her hand, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to meet you, President Qian.¡±


    Qian Yiren found itughable; she had always imagined Yuan Xi to be an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She even feared to investigate just how beautiful Yuan Xi was, to imagine why Huo Shiyuan, even after many years abroad, would choose to marry her.


    Qian Yiren¡¯s current feeling was like looking at heavily filtered photos of beautiful scenic spots posted by travel bloggers before a trip, full of anticipation, only to be disappointed when the actual scenery turned out to be no different from her family¡¯s estate after a long flight.


    Over the years, Qian Yiren continuously fine-tuned her looks through cosmetic procedures, anxious about her beauty, always thinking she was less pretty than Yuan Xi¡­


    But clearly, Yuan Xi¡¯s looks were a tremendous letdown to her.


    Qian Yiren was stunned for a good while before shaking hands with Yuan Xi, ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you.¡±


    If Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t tell that Qian Yiren was interested in Huo Shiyuan, then she would have wasted her five years as Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary. She didn¡¯t engage in too much conversation with Qian Yiren.


    Huo Shiyuan said to Qian Yiren, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re busy with work, so we won¡¯t keep you any longer. We¡¯ll be heading off first.¡±


    Qian Yiren, ¡°Mmm, Shiyan, could you pick a time in the next few days for the two of us to have a meal together? It¡¯s been so long.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan declined, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have the time; my schedule for the next few days is quite full.¡±


    Qian Yiren, ¡°You don¡¯t even have time for a lunch together?¡±

 Chapter 60 - 60 Chu Yan鈥檚 Wealth Comes Later

    Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Chu Yan¡¯s Wealth Comes Later


    Huo Shiyuan: ¡°I need to deliver lunch to Yuan Xi at Mi Chen¡¯s at noon, so it¡¯s not convenient to have lunch together.¡±


    Qian Yiren looked at Yuan Xi and smiled faintly at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll catch up next time you are back in City A.¡±


    After agreeing, Huo Shiyuan let go of Xiao Shihuo and took Yuan Xi¡¯s hand to the elevator.


    Once they were in the elevator,


    Yuan Xi looked up at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°I noticed the logo on Qian Yiren¡¯s clothes is the same as yours, FQ. Is this Fu Qin¡¯s brand?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan nodded, ¡°Yes, ever since Fu Qin went to university to study fashion design, I¡¯ve mostly worn clothes designed by Fu Qin, except on some important asions. Fu Qin¡¯s designs were pretty good before. However, recently she started dating a male college student and her designs for summer outfits are getting more college student-like. If you have time, help me pick a few sets you like.¡±


    Yuan Xi listened to Huo Shiyuan¡¯sints and chuckled, ¡°I think they look good on you.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan: ¡°As long as you like them.¡±


    ¡­


    June 1st.


    On Saturday, Yuan Xi slept in, a rare urrence.


    Because she was going to the Gu Family¡¯s birthday party, Yuan Xi chose a dress from her wardrobe and headed downstairs.


    Huo Shiyuan and Xiao Shihuo were already waiting for her.


    Just as Yuan Xi sat down, she received a call from her cousin at the Liang Family, ¡°Hello, Xiao Hao, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Big sis, grandma and grandpa asked me to bring you some eggs from our own chickens. They insisted I bring them to you. I¡¯m outside your mansion now, but the bodyguards stopped me.¡±


    Yuan Xi turned to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Xiao Hao brought over some eggs from our own chickens, but the bodyguards are stopping him¡­¡±


    Huo Shiyuan nced at the butler nearby, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Liang Hao came in carrying a bucket full of eggs and, seeing the decor inside, said somewhat shyly, ¡°Sis, I know your brother-inw¡¯s family isn¡¯tcking good eggs, but grandma and grandpa insisted those store-bought eggs aren¡¯t authentic. Don¡¯t look down on these.¡±


    Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°How could we? Have you had breakfast yet?¡±


    Liang Hao smiled, ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    Yuan Xi noticed the FQ embroidery on Liang Hao¡¯s clothes andmented, ¡°That shirt looks nice.¡±


    ¡°My girlfriend made it for me, of course it¡¯s nice!¡±


    ¡°You are dating at such a young age?¡± Yuan Xi was a bit surprised.


    Liang Hao nodded, ¡°Sis, what era are we in now? Isn¡¯t it normal for high school students to have girlfriends?¡±


    Before Yuan Xi could react, Huo Shiyuan, noticing the familiar logo on Liang Hao¡¯s clothes, asked seriously, ¡°Does your girlfriend know you¡¯re a high school student?¡±


    Liang Hao guiltily said, ¡°I¡¯m about to take the college entrance exams. If you round it off, I¡¯m practically a university student.¡±


    Only then did Yuan Xi understand the implication of Huo Shiyuan¡¯s words, leaving her quite shocked, ¡°You¡­ do you know who your girlfriend is?¡±


    Liang Hao: ¡°How could I not know who my girlfriend is? Sis, I need to go now.¡±


    Yuan Xi was certain Liang Hao didn¡¯t know his girlfriend was the daughter of the Fu An Group.


    But considering the boy had the college entrance exam in a week, she didn¡¯t want to scare him and affect his mood, she refrained from saying more, ¡°Good luck with your exams.¡±


    Liang Hao smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sis, at worst I¡¯ll still have my guaranteed spot at University A.¡±


    After delivering the eggs, Liang Hao rode off on his little electric scooter, leaving Yuan Xi speechless watching him go.


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Xiao Hao is still young, and Fu Qin generally doesn¡¯t date anyone for more than three months. It¡¯s probably just a fling, no need to fuss over it.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan asked the maid to store the eggs in the fridge, and Yuan Xi breathed a sigh of relief.


    After breakfast, Xiao Shihuo urged Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan to go with him to his ssmate¡¯s birthday party.


    When they arrived at the Gu Family¡¯s ce, they were among the early ones.


    ¡°Huohuo!¡±


    ¡°Yingying!¡±


    Xiao Shihuo ran to Little Yingying, who was dressed in a princess dress, as soon as he got out of the car, ¡°Yingying, happy birthday.¡±


    Gu Nuan said beside Little Yingying, ¡°Yingying, so this is the Xiao Shihuo fellow you¡¯ve always been talking about? My daughter truly has great taste.¡±


    Xiao Shihuo then sweetly called out to Gu Nuan, ¡°Sister.¡±


    Being thirty-one, Gu Nuan heard a child of her daughter¡¯s age call her ¡®sister¡¯; she immediately burst into a joyful smile.


    ¡°What ¡®sister¡¯? Even ¡®aunt¡¯ makes her sound young!¡±


    Gu Hanchen walked over to Xiao Shihuo and picked him up, pinching his face.


    Xiao Shihuo swatted Gu Hanchen¡¯s hand away, ¡°I don¡¯t like you, why do you always pinch my face whenever you see me?¡±


    Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Because I can¡¯t pinch your brother¡¯s face.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    Gu Nuan looked towards Gu Hanchen, ¡°You know this child?¡±


    ¡°Yuan Xi¡¯s little brother-inw,¡± Gu Hanchen introduced.


    Gu Nuan said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it, Yuan Xi¡¯s inws really are unreliable, how could they just let their son-inw, who married the daughter of a wealthy family, practically raise their younger son too?¡±


    Gu Hanchen asked, ¡°Sister, who¡¯s been spreading such nonsense?¡±


    Gu Nuan answered, ¡°That¡¯s the rumor going around everywhere, both are daughters of the Chu Family. Chu Yan is much luckier than Yuan Xi. I heard recently that Hengfan and the Fu An Group from A City are cooperating.¡±


    Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan came over with gifts, ¡°Miss Gu, Mr. Gu, Little Yingying.¡±


    Gu Nuan looked at Huo Shiyuan standing next to Yuan Xi andughed, ¡°No wonder you¡¯d rather live in the countryside just to marry him, his looks are indeed worth it.¡±


    Yuan Xi just gave a slight smile, ¡°I just heard Miss Gu mentioning that Fu An Group and Hengfan are in cooperation?¡±


    Gu Nuan said, ¡°Yes, the Fu An Group¡¯s chairman¡¯s wife¡¯s niece, Qian Yiren, came to Hengfan for an investigation a few days ago. The news has spread far and wide. The Bo Family is going to climb even higher, and you don¡¯t know how arrogant Bao Yan is yet.¡±


    Gu Hanchen and Yuan Xi looked towards Huo Shiyuan.


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Fu An never cooperates; it only acquires.¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Then the Bo Family is quite bold to call it a cooperation. Could the news of Hengfan changing owners be hidden temporarily but for a lifetime?¡±


    Xiao Shihuo wriggled out from Gu Hanchen¡¯s hold and took a gift from Huo Shiyuan¡¯s hands, handing it to the little girl in front of him, ¡°Here¡¯s your birthday gift.¡±


    Little Yingying opened the box, saw the crown inside, and covered her small mouth in surprise, ¡°I love it so much.¡±


    Xiao Shihuo helped Little Yingying put on the crown.


    Yuan Xi looked at this scene and remembered a time Brother Zhuangzhuang had put a crown on her. She was older then, about seven or eight years old.


    Having put on the crown, Little Yingying started to spin around and show off.


    Gu Nuan gave another look to Huo Shiyuan; the crown looked very expensive. Using it as a birthday gift among children showed their family was wealthy, likely not as the rumors suggested.


    Gu Hanchen said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Liang Suisui hasn¡¯t replied to my messages for several days now. I invited her to a banquet at my house, and she also said she was too busy toe. What is she busy with?¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°She¡¯s busy going on blind dates. Isn¡¯t the demolitioning soon? Getting married before the demolition allows for an extra housepensation.¡±


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°She took forty million, does she still need the money?¡±


    Yuan Xi just smiled, ¡°She said, ¡®Why not take advantage if it¡¯s cheap?¡¯¡±


    The Gu Family¡¯s guests were gradually arriving. Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan sat in a corner watching Xiao Shihuo and Little Yingying y, while overhearing some heiress¡¯ conversations.


    ¡°Howe Chu Yan is so lucky? Though revealed as a fake heiress, now with the Bo Family and Fu Family from A City cooperating, as the future Mrs. Bo, her wealth is yet toe!¡±


    ¡°Being a true heiress, is Yuan Xi really willing to watch Chu Yan be so fortunate?¡±


    ¡°How could she be willing? I heard Yuan Xi made the Chu Family choose between the two daughters, they could only have one.¡±


    In the midst of their conversation, they saw Chu Li, Chu Yan, and Yu Xiaoxiao approaching. The heiresses gathered around them quickly.


    Circling past them, Chu Li approached Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Yuan Xi, have you heard about the Fu An Group and Bo Family¡¯s Hengfan cooperation? You should look in the mirror and assess yourself; how could you dare to let Chu Yan leave the Chu Family?¡±


    Chu Li snorted, ¡°It¡¯s good our parents didn¡¯t spoil you and ept your unreasonable demands, otherwise we would have offended not just the Bo Family but the Fu An Group as well.¡±


    Chu Yan quickly said, ¡°Ah, Lily, don¡¯t talk about Sister like that. I believe Sister didn¡¯t mean any harm. We¡¯re all family. As long as Sister apologizes to me and stops making it hard for Mom and Dad to choose between us, Bo Fan and I won¡¯t mind.¡±

 Chapter 61 - 61 Huo Shiyuan and Qian Yiren Are to Enter Into a Marriage Alliance

    Chapter 61: Chapter 61 Huo Shiyuan and Qian Yiren Are to Enter Into a Marriage Alliance


    Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t helpughing at Chu Yan¡¯s words, ¡°An apology? What gives you the right to demand an apology from me?¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao stood to the side with her arms crossed, looking down at Yuan Xi, ¡°The Qian Yirening to discuss cooperation with Hengfan on behalf of Fu An Group, I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s going to marry Mi Chen¡¯s major shareholder Huo Shiyuan. She¡¯s undoubtedly the future Young Madam of the Huo Family. Now that the Bo Family is cooperating with Qian Yiren¡­¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Chu Yan interrupted loudly, ¡°You¡¯re saying Huo Shiyuan and Qian Yiren are getting married?¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao replied, ¡°Yes! Huo Shiyuan and Qian Yiren are childhood sweethearts.¡±


    Yuan Xi nced sideways at Huo Shiyuan beside her. How many childhood sweethearts does he have, really?


    Fu Qin is one, Qian Yiren another, and then there¡¯s that little girl in the blue dress on the bedside table. Huo Shiyuan¡¯s childhood seemed rather lively, having so many people to y with.


    Huo Shiyuan exined softly to Yuan Xi, ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡±


    ¡°Yu Xiaoxiao, what brings you to my Gu Family?¡±


    Gu Hanchen saw the group of rich girls surrounding them and walked over just in time to hear Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s words.


    Seeing Gu Hanchen, Yu Xiaoxiao dropped her arrogant pose, ¡°Brother Hanchen!¡±


    Gu Hanchen felt goosebumps rise, ¡°Today, no one invited you over.¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Grandma Gu invited me. Brother Hanchen, you¡¯re Yuan Xi¡¯s boss. Could you have Yuan Xi apologize to Chu Yan?¡±


    ¡°This time Yuan Xi did indeed go too far. It¡¯s unreasonable to make the Chu Family drive away Chu Yan now that she¡¯s back. With Fu An and Hengfan¡¯s cooperation, the Bo Family will surely rise to the next level.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the person leading the cooperation with the Bo Family is Qian Yiren, the marriage partner of Mi Chen¡¯s major shareholder Huo Shiyuan. Don¡¯t let Yuan Xi leave an impression that Mi Chen¡¯s employees love to bully others.


    Brother Hanchen, please have Yuan Xi apologize to Chu Yan here, and let the matter of her bullying Chu Yan pass.¡±


    Yuan Xi stood up, looking down at Chu Yan who was a head shorter, ¡°Chu Yan, you say I¡¯m bullying you. Don¡¯t you find that ridiculous?¡±


    Chu Yan replied, ¡°Sister, isn¡¯t you making me leave the Chu Family a form of bullying?¡±


    Chu Li chimed in from the side, ¡°Exactly, have you considered that the Bo Family¡¯s cooperation with Fu An this time could lead to connections and partnerships for the Chu Family? Do you realize how much loss you will cause our Chu Family by driving away Chu Yan?¡±


    The group of young socialites around them also started to express their indignation on behalf of Chu Yan.


    Chu Yan continued, ¡°Sister, just give me an apology. I¡¯m magnanimous and won¡¯t hold a grudge.¡±


    Yuan Xi, annoyed by the noise, turned to Gu Hanchen, ¡°Gu Hanchen, now it¡¯s your turn to make a choice. At today¡¯s birthday party, either Chu Yan stays, or I will leave. You decide.¡±


    Gu Hanchen looked at Chu Yan and then at Yuan Xi.


    Just then, Bo Fan arrived, and Chu Yan stepped in front of him to speak to Gu Hanchen, ¡°Hanchen, we¡¯ve been good friends for many years, grown up together. For my sake, please don¡¯t hold a grudge against my sister or pay heed to her ultimatum.¡±


    Does Yuan Xi think too highly of herself?


    Even the Chu Family wouldn¡¯t make such a choice for her sake. Does she really believe her five years as Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary could sway him to offend lifelong friends like Bo Fan and Chu Lin?


    Huo Shiyuan got up and called out to Xiao Shihuo ying nearby, ¡°Huohuo, it¡¯s time for us to go back.¡±


    Gu Hanchen turned to Special Assistant Wang, ¡°Get the security guards here to escort them out.¡±


    Chu Yan clung to Bo Fan¡¯s arm, ¡°Bo Fan, please persuade Hanchen not to stoop to my sister¡¯s level. If my sister gets thrown out of this Gu Family banquet, how will she ever face anyone in Jiang City again!¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao said to Chu Yan, ¡°Chu Yan, she asked for the ultimatum herself. If she gets thrown out, so be it. Why plead for her? Isn¡¯t this a consequence Yuan Xi brought upon herself?¡±


    Special Assistant Wang arrived with the security guards and approached Chu Yan, ¡°Miss Chu, please leave.¡±


    Chu Yan looked incredulously at Special Assistant Wang, ¡°Are you sure you understood Mr. Gu¡¯s intentions correctly? Hanchen, did Special Assistant Wang misunderstand you?¡±


    Gu Hanchen ced his hand on Yuan Xi¡¯s shoulder, ¡°No misunderstanding!¡±


    ¡°Chu Yan, who gave you the nerve toe to my territory and insult my people?¡±


    ¡°Did you think I, Gu Hanchen, am easy-going?¡±


    ¡°Even if Yuan Xi is nothing special, she¡¯s still my deputy general manager at Mi Chen. Even when you beat a dog, you have to look at its owner!¡±


    Huo Shiyuan stepped forward and removed Gu Hanchen¡¯s hand from Yuan Xi¡¯s shoulder, giving Gu Hanchen a dark nce:


    ¡°Who¡¯s the dog? Who¡¯s the owner?¡±


    Gu Hanchen touched his nose and said, ¡°Just an inappropriate analogy.¡±


    Gu Hanchen swept his gaze over Yu Xiaoxiao and Chu Yan, ¡°Not to mention that Qian Yiren is here to acquire Hengfan, even if it really were a Hengfan partnership, what so what? What right does Chu Yan have to use Qian Yiren¡¯s name to gold-te her own face?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can bully Yuan Xi just because she doesn¡¯t have anyone to protect her?¡±


    ¡°The Chu Family may not protect Yuan Xi, but I, Gu Hanchen, will!¡±


    ¡°Today I make it clear, anyone who bullies Yuan Xi in the future is disrespecting me, Gu Hanchen!¡±


    ¡°Chu Yan, Yu Xiaoxiao, you two can leave now!¡±


    Chu Yan looked at Bo Fan who was by her side. Bo Fan spoke up, ¡°Hanchen, we¡¯re all friends. Why must it be like this? Today we¡¯re here to celebrate Xiao Ying¡¯s birthday, let¡¯s not talk about driving anyone away. Chu Yan is also like a sister you¡¯ve watched grow up.¡±


    Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have such a sister!¡±


    ¡°Chu Yan, you¡¯d best leave on your own. It would be quite embarrassing to have my bodyguard escort you out.¡±


    Chu Yan took a deep breath, unable to believe Gu Hanchen would go this far for Yuan Xi.


    Chu Yan saw the looks on the faces of the other youngdies of wealth staring at her and felt a burning pain on her face.


    Bo Fan looked at Gu Hanchen and said, ¡°Are you really going to drive Chu Yan away for the sake of one Yuan Xi and risk offending the Bo Family, Chu Family, and Yu Family?¡±


    Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who first came to my ce and bullied my people? Who¡¯s offending whom, let¡¯s get that straight!¡±


    Yu Xiaoxiao spoke up, ¡°I won¡¯t leave, Gu Hanchen. Grandma Gu is the one who invited me to the birthday party. If you drive me and Chu Yan away, how will you exin it to Grandma Gu?¡±


    Gu Nuan was entertaining her friends on the side. When she saw a crowd gathering and involving bodyguards from afar, she hurried over to take control of the situation.


    ¡°Gu Hanchen, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s this about driving people away?¡±


    ¡°Sister Gu Nuan.¡±


    Chu Yan looked at Gu Nuan, ¡°Today is Xiao Ying¡¯s birthday party. We came here happily to celebrate her birthday, but Yuan Xi insists on making Hanchen choose between us, saying the party can¡¯t have both her and me. Isn¡¯t that too presumptuous?¡±


    Chu Yan didn¡¯t believe that if Gu Hanchen was helping Yuan Xi, Gu Nuan would still take Yuan Xi¡¯s side.


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Sister, it was Chu Yan and her group who disrespected me first, bullying my deputy general manager at my own Gu Family¡¯s ce.¡±


    Chu Yan feigned a smile, ¡°Sister Gu Nuan, we are all friends. We won¡¯t hold this against Yuan Xi. Let¡¯s just all have a good time celebrating the kid¡¯s birthday.¡±


    Chu Yan then turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister, let me apologize to you again, and we can let bygones be bygones.¡±


    ¡°You made it difficult for mom and dad by forcing them to choose, let¡¯s not make it difficult for the Gu Family now. After all, today is the birthday of their child. Don¡¯t make it hard for Hanchen anymore.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Gu Hanchen with a light smile, ¡°Mr. Gu, is this difficult for you?¡±


    ¡°Not difficult at all.¡±


    Gu Hanchen raised a finger, ¡°Chu Yan, I¡¯m going to count to ten. If you don¡¯t leave on your own by then, you¡¯ll have to choose between being dragged out by my bodyguard and being taken away by the police.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    ¡°1, 2, 3¡­¡±

 Chapter 62: Time to Help Chu Yan Find Her Biological Parents

    Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Time to Help Chu Yan Find Her Biological Parents


    When Gu Hanchen shouted to five, he took out his phone and entered 11, just shy of pressing 0.


    Chu Yan looked pitifully at Bo Fan, ¡°Bo Fan.¡±


    If she really left the Gu family today, by tomorrow the whole of Jiang City would likely be abuzz with talk of Gu Hanchen driving her out of the Gu family for Yuan Xi.


    Chu Yan, always so proud, how could she afford to lose face like this?


    Bo Fan frowned and looked at Gu Hanchen, ¡°Hanchen, we¡¯re all friends, why must you be so ruthless?¡±


    When Gu Hanchen counted to six, he heard Bo Fan¡¯s remark and scoffed, ¡°How many times has Chu Yan bullied Yuan Xi? The fact that Yuan Xi takes care of her brother-inw for her parents-inw has spread throughout the social circles, isn¡¯t it all because Chu Yan has been a gossip behind her back?¡±


    Chu Yan¡¯s face turned ugly.


    Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Today, Chu Yan brought her bullying of Yuan Xi onto my turf, and I can¡¯t bear it anymore.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan and said, ¡°Chu Yan, you kept saying how important the child¡¯s birthday is and asked me not to make things difficult for Mr. Gu. What about now? Mr. Gu has already asked you to leave, yet you insist on staying. Who is really making things difficult for Mr. Gu?¡±


    Chu Yan¡¯s face turned an iron shade of green.


    Gu Hanchen stretched out his finger and began counting numbers.


    ¡°7, 8, 9, 10!¡±


    Gu Hanchen turned to the Gu Manor¡¯s bodyguards, ¡°Go ahead and drive Chu Yan out.¡±


    Naturally, Chu Yan wouldn¡¯t let the bodyguards touch her, she red at the approaching bodyguards and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave on my own.¡±


    Her face turned from pale to green as she grasped Bo Fan¡¯s hand, ¡°Bo Fan, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Bo Fan hesitated for a moment. Today, with Chu Yan being driven away, it was clear that Gu Hanchen didn¡¯t regard him highly.


    Normally, Gu Hanchen not giving face to the Bo Family should warrant a stormy departure.


    But if Chu Yan leaves alone, it could be interpreted as Gu Hanchen making a statement with a subordinate vice president, not really a snub to the Bo Family.


    If Bo Fan left with Chu Yan and Gu Hanchen didn¡¯t ask him to stay, it would signify discord between the two families.


    Now, the Bo Family could not afford to make enemies within the top echelons of Jiang City¡¯s elite circles.


    After all, if the Bo Family and Gu Family became antagonistic, many elites in Jiang City might not side with the Bo Family when choosing sides.


    @@novelbin@@


    The Bo Family was in dire need of connections; making an enemy of the Gu Family would do them no favors.


    Thus, Bo Fan turned to Chu Yan and said, ¡°Yingying, Hanchen is right; why bully Yuan Xi unnecessarily at Little Yingying¡¯s birthday party today? You should go back and cool off.¡±


    ¡°Yuan Xi, Hanchen, don¡¯t be too upset either.¡±


    Chu Yan, noticing Bo Fan had no intention of leaving with her and even used her of bullying Yuan Xi, furrowed her brows and her face grew even darker.


    Gu Hanchen looking at Bo Fan in front of him, could only feel that the brother he had grown up with had be despicable.


    Tears filled Chu Yan¡¯s eyes, but she still held her head high and looked proudly at Gu Hanchen:


    ¡°Gu Hanchen, you will definitely regret driving me away.¡±


    Chu Yan walked out of the Gu Manor, looking at Yuan Xi and Gu Hanchen chatting happily inside, she clenched her fists tight.


    Her face ashen with rage, Chu Yan felt the indignity of today, and she vowed to return it to Yuan Xi and Gu Hanchen!


    Hesitating, Chu Yan picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number, ¡°Huo Shiyuan.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    The voice on the other end of the phone was a woman¡¯s.


    Soon, Fu Yi¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Yingying, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Chu Yan, her voice trembling with a crying tone, said, ¡°Huo Shiyuan, can youe and pick me up?¡±


    Fu Yi, hearing Chu Yan¡¯s trembling sobs, quickly asked, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    After Fu Yi received the address Chu Yan sent over, he looked at Ren Tian by the window and said, ¡°You should go back. This ce is, after all, provided by Gu Hanchen for me to live in. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to stay here.¡±


    Ren Tian, looking down at the stunning view of Jiang City from the twenty-first floor¡¯s floor-to-ceiling window, said softly, ¡°It seems like the rainy season has arrived again. It¡¯s been really stuffy and hottely. Thendlord still hasn¡¯t fixed the air conditioning in the rental, and it seems he won¡¯t fix it at all. Can¡¯t I stay here? At least it¡¯s not hot.¡±


    Fu Yi said, ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble.¡±


    Helplessly, Ren Tian left the building. She watched as Fu Yi drove away in the Aston Martin that Gu Hanchen had lent him.


    If Ren Tian didn¡¯t know that Fu Yi, like her, had been abandoned by their parents since childhood, she would truly believe that Fu Yi was a super-rich tycoon.


    ¡­


    Inside Gu Manor.


    Without Chu Yan around, Yuan Xi¡¯s ears suddenly quieted down, and she started ying games with Xiao Shihuo and Little Yingying.


    Yuan Xi looked at the two children in front of her, eagerly anticipating the twins in her own belly.


    Huo Shiyuan exined to Yuan Xi, ¡°There¡¯s no prestigious family marriage between me and Qian Yiren. She¡¯s not my childhood sweetheart. I only have one childhood sweetheart.¡±


    Yuan Xi¡¯s smile paused slightly. She tried hard to show a professionally restrained smile, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°We need to help Chu Yan find her biological parents.¡±


    Yuan Xi, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Chu Yan repeatedly humiliates you in public. I fear such instances won¡¯t decrease in the future. Gu Hanchen has driven her away, but it may not happen in every situation, and we can¡¯t let her be too idle. We need to get her into some trouble.¡±


    Yuan Xi gave a faint smile, ¡°That¡¯s true, but finding Chu Yan¡¯s biological parents might not be so easy, right?¡±


    Yuan Xi had searched for her parents for eight years, and the Chu Family had spent twenty-five years looking for her.


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s not that easy, but it¡¯s not that difficult either. Chu Yan was in an orphanage, which makes it somewhat easier to find her than investigating trafficking cases.¡±


    Yuan Xi thought of human traffickers, and remembered her own origins, ¡°I heard that the nanny who stole me and the trafficker were both sentenced to twenty-five years. By my calctions, they should be released from prison this year.¡±


    The nanny who had stolen her and the trafficker who had taken her from the nanny had only abducted her, which wasn¡¯t considered a severe case. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t have been sentenced to twenty-five years.


    It was because the Chu Family had hired the topwyers in the country that they managed maximum penalties.


    Although she had spent a wonderful eighteen years with her foster parents, she thought if she had grown up with her biological parents and brother, their lives wouldn¡¯t be in such a mess today.


    Yuan Xi felt that the twenty-five-year sentence was still too lenient.


    Huo Shiyuan gently held Yuan Xi¡¯s hand. ¡°Most traffickers, after being caught, reveal where the children were sold to in hopes of reducing their sentences.


    But after that trafficker was caught, although knowing that twenty-five years was a harsh sentence, providing your whereabouts could reduce several years, yet they stubbornly imed you were sold to the north, refusing to disclose your location to reduce their sentence. It¡¯s quite unusual.¡±


    Yuan Xi also felt suspicious, ¡°That trafficker is indeed strange.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan sent a message to Qin Lang, asking him to hire a private detective to investigate thoroughly.


    ¡­


    On the tree-lined avenue outside Gu Manor.


    Chu Yan waited by the roadside for Huo Shiyuan to arrive.


    Once Huo Shiyuan arrived, she nned to show Gu Hanchen just how big a mistake he had made by helping Yuan Xi drive her out of the Gu Family earlier.


    Chu Yan couldn¡¯t wait to see if, after Huo Shiyuan brought her into Gu Manor, Gu Hanchen would dare to drive both her and Huo Shiyuan away.


    She was also eager to see Yuan Xi¡¯s surprised face when Yuan Xi saw her and Huo Shiyuan entering Gu Manor together.

 Chapter 63: Absolutely Forbidden for Liang Suisui to Become the Chu Family鈥檚 Daughter-in-law

    Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Absolutely Forbidden for Liang Suisui to Be the Chu Family¡¯s Daughter-inw


    Chu Yan listened to everyone inside the manor singing ¡°Happy Birthday,¡± her eyes filled with unwillingness as she gazed at the entrance.


    The sky turned overcast and rain began to fall.


    Raindrops kept falling on Chu Yan.


    Squatting on the ground, her white dress was soon soaked at the hem by the rain.


    Even the delicate makeup she had put on early in the morning was washed away by the rain.


    When she heard the roar of the Aston Martin, Chu Yan raised her head to look toward Huo Shiyuan stepping down from the car, tall and slender.


    ¡°Huo Shiyuan.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Chu Yan squatting on the ground in a miserable state, moved forward, and took the rain-soaked Chu Yan into his arms, ¡°Yanyan!¡±


    Tears fell from Chu Yan¡¯s eyes as she was in Huo Shiyuan¡¯s embrace, ¡°Shiyan, Gu Hanchen threw me out, he actually kicked me out, can you take me inside, please? Take me in?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan held Chu Yan¡¯s face with both hands, looking into her tearful eyes, ¡°Why would Gu Hanchen kick you out?¡±


    Chu Yan sniffled, ¡°It¡¯s Yuan Xi, Yuan Xi made Gu Hanchen throw me out!¡±


    Chu Yan shed tears in Huo Shiyuan¡¯s arms, looking pitiful, ¡°Huo Shiyan, take me inside.¡±


    It took a moment for Huo Shiyuan to reply, ¡°Let¡¯s get you home first.¡±


    Chu Yan clenched Huo Shiyuan¡¯s hand, ¡°No, I want to enter the Gu Family.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan reached out to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes, ¡°Yanyan, you¡¯repletely soaked, how can Jiang City¡¯s high and mighty top socialite be so disheveled at a party? Let¡¯s go home first.¡±


    Chu Yan knew how disheveled she must have looked, got into the car, and let Huo Shiyuan fasten her seatbelt.


    While in the car, Chu Yan wiped the tears mixed with rainwater from her face with the back of her hand, thinking, revenge is a dish best served cold.


    She would definitely make Yuan Xi and Gu Hanchen realize how big a mistake they made today by driving her out of the Gu Family.


    ¡­


    After Chu Yan was driven away from the birthday party, Yu Xiaoxiao stopped causing a scene; she just kept looking up at the entrance.


    Until the luncheon started, Yu Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t see Liang Suisuiing, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    It was Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter¡¯s birthday, and Liang Suisui did note, which showed her position in Gu Hanchen¡¯s heart.


    Yu Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care how hard it was for Chu Yan after being kicked out; she happily reported to Chu Yan that Liang Suisui did not attend the Gu Family¡¯s birthday party.


    ¡­


    In Jiang City, at a high-end French restaurant in the north of the city.


    Liang Suisui looked at the blind date in front of her; the man was introduced as being 175 cm tall, but even in her regr sneakers, she was a bit taller than him ¨C he definitely wasn¡¯t even 170 cm.


    ¡°Miss, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m thirty years old and a graduate from Jiang University. I¡¯m a sales team leader at a subsidiary of the Chuneng Group, with an annual sry of 200,000.¡±


    Liang Suisui had been meeting nearly three men a day for the past few days, to the point of bing numb.


    Especially after she and Gu Hanchen went viral, her family elders were pressing her even harder to get married.


    Liang Suisui didn¡¯t oppose marriage and having children; since she was going to get married, with the ongoing relocations, it made sense to take advantage of the situation and not pass up the chance to get a house worth millions more.


    But after so many days of blind dates, meeting more than a dozen men, she hadn¡¯t met even one taller than 175 cm.


    Although this man wasn¡¯t tall, he did have a decent education and job.


    Liang Suisui asked the man in front of her, ¡°Did the matchmaker tell you about marrying into the family?¡±


    ¡°He did, but it wasn¡¯t easy for my family to support me through my graduate degree at Jiang University. So if I marry in, I still want to bring my parents from my hometown to live in Jiang City.


    If I marry into your family, you should buy me a house in the Jiangcheng City Center and a Mercedes E-ss, and give me a betrothal gift of 380,000; I don¡¯t need more than that. The first child can take yourst name, and the second child can take mine.¡±


    Liang Suisui took a deep breath, ¡°Do you know what marrying into a family means? It means you be a son to my Liang Family, not that my children take yourst name and that I should pay you on top of that. There¡¯s no such good deal in the world, have some shame!¡±


    The blind date scoffed, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know you¡¯ve been yed with and dumped by Gu Hanchen. Unable to reel in a rich husband like Gu Hanchen, you want to find an honest person to take over, what a gold digger you really are!¡±


    ¡°Gold digger? Who¡¯s the gold digger here?¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s words in front of her, Liang Suisui was about to lose her mind. Just as she was about to ssh her drink on him, the man made a quick getaway.


    Liang Suisui took a deep breath.


    ¡°Chu Lin, Chu Lin?¡±


    Inside the same restaurant, the young woman sitting opposite Chu Lin was calling for him.


    ¡°Sorry, Jiameng, you go back to thepany first, I¡¯ve got something else to deal with.¡±


    Zhou Jiameng looked at Chu Lin, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Chu Lin didn¡¯t exin to Zhou Jiameng, but instead walked over to Liang Suisui seated in the back, ¡°At least you¡¯ve got some self-awareness, knowing that Gu Hanchen is out of your league, and haven¡¯t deluded yourself into wanting to be Mrs. Gu.¡±


    Liang Suisui was already full of frustration with no outlet, regretting that she hadn¡¯t thrown her drink faster.


    Hearing what Chu Lin said, she sshed the entire ss of red wine on him.


    Chu Lin didn¡¯t have time to dodge and got drenched from head to toe.


    Zhou Jiameng witnessed the whole scene and began taking soft tissues out of her bag to wipe Chu Lin, resenting Liang Suisui, ¡°Who are you? Are you sick or something? Chu Lin, are you okay?¡±


    Chu Lin looked at Liang Suisui in front of him. Her eyes seemed to be reddened. After sshing him with wine, she was crying?


    Liang Suisui took out her phone and sent a voice message to her friends¡¯ group,ining, ¡°These past few days, I¡¯ve only met disgusting men. After this blind dating spree, I¡¯m starting to develop a phobia of men. There¡¯s not a single decent man in the world. I¡¯m giving up on the cheap resettlement house.¡±


    Liang Suisui was about to leave, but Chu Lin grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°You sshed wine all over me, dirtied my clothes, and you think you can leave withoutpensating?¡±


    Liang Suisui frowned, ¡°How much? I¡¯ll pay.¡±


    ¡°Twenty thousand,¡± said Chu Lin.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    Liang Suisui was stunned.


    ¡°This shirt is worth twenty thousand,¡± Chu Lin said.


    Liang Suisui gritted her teeth, ¡°Can¡¯t I just wash it clean for you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a mall next door. Youe with me and buy a new set. I¡¯ll give you the dirty clothes, and you can wash them clean and return them to me,¡± Chu Lin said.


    Liang Suisui nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhou Jiameng sized up Liang Suisui¡¯s outfit. Liang Suisui was wearing domestic designer brand clothes that averaged no more than two thousand yuan each, carrying a Chanel golden globe bag, and on her left wrist were a Cartier Ballon Bleu watch and Van Cleef red clover bracelets.


    When Zhou Jiameng saw the Ballon Bleu watch, she felt relieved about Liang Suisui. Liang Suisui¡¯s family background was at best middle-ss, a far cry from Jiangcheng¡¯s richest man, the Chu Family.


    ¡°Chu Lin, it¡¯s just a shirt. Let¡¯s not make a fuss,¡± Zhou Jiameng coaxed Chu Lin.


    Chu Lin looked at Liang Suisui, ¡°I do want to make a fuss.¡±


    The rain had stopped by the time Liang Suisui followed Chu Lin to the nearby mall.


    Zhou Jiameng had been following Chu Lin closely.


    @@novelbin@@


    Chu Lin frowned at Zhou Jiameng, ¡°You don¡¯t need to follow us anymore.¡±


    Zhou Jiameng chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s no problem, I¡ª¡±


    Chu Lin stopped walking, and Zhou Jiameng found herself with no choice but to say, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going.¡±


    After Chang Lin and Liang Suisui went to the mall and he changed into a new shirt,


    Chu Lin threw his wine-stained shirt at Liang Suisui, ¡°Remember to wash it clean and return it to me.¡±


    Liang Suisui, clearly disgusted, pinched the shirt with two fingers, ¡°I¡¯ll take it to the dry cleaners for you right now.¡±


    Chu Lin said, ¡°This fabric is very precious; you need to wash it by hand.¡±


    ¡­


    Having just showered at Fu Yi¡¯s ce, Chu Yan received a voice message sent by Zhou Jiameng and listened to it.


    ¡°Yanyan, do you know this girl who¡¯s with your brother?¡±


    Chu Yan promptly got a picture as well.


    The girl holding Chu Lin¡¯s clothes was none other than Liang Suisui, who she had had a run-in over clothes with the other day.


    Yu Xiaoxiao had just messaged her, happy that Liang Suisui hadn¡¯t gone to the Gu family banquet. It turns out Liang Suisui was interested in fishing for a more valuable golden bachelor than Gu Hanchen.


    Chu Yan would never allow Liang Suisui to step through the Chu family¡¯s door, to be the Chu family¡¯s daughter-inw¡­

 Chapter 64 - 64 Chu Yan鈥檚 Biological Father is from Nanxiang

    Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Chu Yan¡¯s Biological Father is from Nanxiang


    Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan returned to Ruohu Mansion, Yuan Xi then checked the messages in her besties¡¯ chat group.


    Just as Yuan Xi opened the chat group to read the messages, she received a video call from Liang Suisui.


    Liang Suisui¡¯s nanny was at home, struggling with a shirt stained with red wine, ¡°Xiao Xi, could you ask your husband how they usually wash their super expensive shirts after they get stained with red wine?¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Normally if they get dirty, they just throw them away; they don¡¯t particrly spend time and effort to clean them.¡±


    Liang Suisui eximed, ¡°Ah? If only I hadn¡¯t been so impulsive just now.¡±


    Yuan Xi asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Liang Suisui replied, ¡°It was your brother¡¯s fault. I was already angry from meeting a disgusting blind date, and then he had toe and make me even more sick, so I couldn¡¯t help but ssh red wine all over him, only to find outter that his shirt cost two hundred thousand.¡±


    Yuan Xi¡¯sughter suddenly stopped, ¡°Suisui, he¡¯s not my brother.¡±


    Liang Suisui sighed, ¡°s, the nanny has been trying to clean the shirt for a long time and it still isn¡¯t clean. We¡¯ve tried several dry cleaners, but none of them dared to take it. It looks like I really will have topensate after all. I must never be so impulsive in the future.¡±


    After chatting with Liang Suisui for a while and listening to her rant for about half an hour about the ridiculous blind dates she had met over the past few days, Yuan Xi received a WeChat message from Chu Qing.


    It said that Yang Ying was being discharged from the hospital and that they would have lunch at the Chu Family¡¯s home the next day.


    As Yuan Xi was wondering whether to decline, Chu Qing added a sentence, ¡°Chu Yan won¡¯t be there tomorrow at noon.¡±


    Seeing the words ¡°Chu Yan won¡¯t be there,¡± Yuan Xi agreed toe, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yuan Xi went to Huo Shiyuan¡¯s study and saw that he was in a video conference. She didn¡¯t disturb him and went downstairs to y games with Xiao Shihuo.


    When it was almost dinner time, Huo Shiyuan came downstairs, ¡°Did you need me for something earlier?¡±


    ¡°My mom is being discharged from the hospital tomorrow. My parents want us to have lunch at the Chu Family¡¯s ce tomorrow. Chu Yan won¡¯t be there.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°You agreed?¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to agree?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan held Yuan Xi¡¯s hand and said solemnly, ¡°Every time you meet with the Chu Family, youe back unhappy.¡±


    Yuan Xi bit her lip lightly. In fact, she didn¡¯t need to actually visit the Chu Family to feel unhappy. Just the thought of going there tomorrow made her feel like she had a stone pressing on her chest.


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°My mom is discharged, so¡­¡±


    Huo Shiyuan gently touched Yuan Xi¡¯s head, ¡°If you want to go, then let¡¯s go. But let¡¯s not take Xiao Shihuo.¡±


    ¡°I want to go, I want to go!¡±


    Xiao Shihuo, who was ying beside them, came up to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Where are we going? I want to go.¡±


    Yuan Xiughed lightly, ¡°We¡¯ll take Huohuo with us.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan looked at Xiao Shihuo and always felt like he was dealing with a little drag.


    Huo Shiyuan called his own parents, and to his disbelief, his unreliable parents had actually blocked his number, clearly to avoid having Xiao Huo returned to them.


    Yuan Xi, listening to the call tone on the side, looked at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Did uncle and auntie block you?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan took a deep breath, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. When our own child is born, we can just leave the baby with them and block their number.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Considering her inws¡¯ irresponsibility, evident from them leaving Xiao Huo, not even five years old, on the doorstep of Ruohu Mansion alone, Yuan Xi would never dare let them take care of her child.


    Yuan Xi gently caressed her tummy, ¡°I can raise two children by myself; there¡¯s no need to trouble uncle and auntie.¡±


    ¡­


    Sunday.


    Due to the impending visit to the Chu Family, Yuan Xi barely slept the night before and woke up early.


    Yuan Xi woke up early in the morning and nced at her work email. Monica had already handled many things for her. Monica was very capable at her job; in just a few days, she had gotten the hang of it.


    Huo Shiyuan noticed the movement beside him and opened his eyes to speak to Yuan Xi, ¡°You¡¯re up so early?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep anymore, so I just woke up.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan got up with Yuan Xi. He pressed a button on the bedside, and the electric curtains slowly moved aside.


    Yuan Xi looked out at the blue sky, white clouds, and theke view of Ruohu. The scenery outside the window was like a painting, rxing her mood quite a bit and diminishing her anxiety about going to the Chu Family.


    After breakfast.


    Yuan Xi departed for the Chu Family with Huo Shiyuan and Xiao Shihuo, arriving there just after nine o¡¯clock.


    Chu Qing and Yang Ying were already waiting at the door early on.


    Yuan Xi had just unbuckled Xiao Shihuo from his child safety seat when Xiao Shihuo couldn¡¯t wait to run out of the car.


    Following him out of the car, Huo Shiyuan said to Chu Qing and Yang Ying, ¡°Dad, Mom.¡±


    Xiao Shihuo looked up at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°They¡¯re not our parents, our parents don¡¯t look like this.¡±


    Yuan Xi walked over to Xiao Shihuo and patted his head, ¡°These are my parents, you should call them uncle and aunt.¡±


    Xiao Shihuo said, ¡°Uncle, Aunt.¡±


    Chu Qing looked at Xiao Shihuo and softly smiled, ¡°What a good boy.¡±


    Chu Lin came out from the house, and upon seeing the child who looked so much like Huo Shiyuan, he frowned slightly, ¡°Yuan Xi, are you sure this is your little uncle, and not an illegitimate child?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Chu Lin!¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    Xiao Shihuo said in a milky voice, ¡°I¡¯m not an illegitimate child, my name is Shihuo!¡±


    Yang Ying saw Yuan Xi¡¯s expression change suddenly and frowned at Chu Lin, ¡°Chu Lin, if you don¡¯t know how to speak, then speak less.¡±


    Chu Lin approached Yuan Xi and said, ¡°I heard that yesterday you had Gu Hanchen kick Chu Yan out of the Gu Family? Do you know that Qian Yiren and the Bo Family have coborated, and now that the Bo Family is prospering, you¡¯re giving the Bo Family a hard time like this, and Gu Hanchen is also helping you create a mess, which is really¡­¡±


    Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi incredulously and asked, ¡°You kicked Yanyan out of the Gu Family?¡±


    Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°I did indeed kick Chu Yan out of the Gu Family. If you want toe at me for this, then I¡¯ll leave right now.¡±


    Yang Ying quickly took Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, ¡°We don¡¯t mean toe at you, if you don¡¯t like Yanyan, that¡¯s fine, Mom won¡¯t me you.¡±


    On the side, Chu Lin said, ¡°Mom, why do you spoil her? Doesn¡¯t she understand any sense of the bigger picture after five years at Mi Chen? Hengfan is now tied up with Fu An Group, and it¡¯s predictable that the Bo Family will rise even higher, yet she let Gu Hanchen publicly disgrace the Bo Family like this, which is really too willful, and I can¡¯t believe Gu Hanchen would also go along with her willfulness.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan spoke up, ¡°Hengfan has not tied up with Fu An Group, but has been acquired by the Fu An Group.¡±


    Chu Lin looked at Huo Shiyuan and asked, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said indifferently, ¡°Fu An Group¡¯s department ofmerce only acquires, never cooperates, for ease of management.¡±


    Chu Lin heard this and slightly knitted his brows.


    Yang Ying said to Yuan Xi, ¡°We called you over today because of the dowry matter I talked to you aboutst time. After this time in the hospital, I¡¯vee to understand a lot. Your father and I have worked hard, all for the sake of you kids. Today we brought you here to sign the share transfer agreement. Your father and I are giving you three percent of the shares, which are worth about ten billion in today¡¯s market price.¡±


    Yang Ying let Yuan Xi inside, and on the coffee table in the hall, there were three share transfer agreements.


    Yuan Xi saw one with Chu Yan¡¯s name on it.


    Chu Qing said, ¡°Xinxin, you and your brother, as well as Yanyan, all three of you kids are now receiving three percent of the shares, the rest will be distributedter.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan¡¯s phone beeped with a notification. He nced at the message sent by Qin Lang and said, ¡°I suggest you wait on giving Chu Yan her shares.¡±


    Chu Lin frowned and said, ¡°How our Chu Family divides our shares is none of your business!¡±


    Huo Shiyuan sat on the sofa and said, ¡°Chu Yan has been in the welfare home twice. The first time she was in the welfare home, she was taken away by her biological father, so her biological father wouldn¡¯t need to exert much effort to find her, there are records in the welfare home. Her father is a Nanxiang person¡­¡±


    Chu Lin said, ¡°So what?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Interestingly enough, the child traffickers who abducted Yuan Xi were also Nanxiang people.¡±

 Chapter 65 - 65 You May Soon Have a Sister-in-Law

    Chapter 65: Chapter 65 You May Soon Have a Sister-in-Law


    Chu Lin looked towards Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Are they all from Nanxiang?¡±


    Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Nanxiang is a poor small county in Xiang Province with a low poption. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence that the human trafficker and Chu Yan¡¯s biological father are from the same small county.¡±


    Chu Lin said to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Do you mean the human trafficker and Yanyan¡¯s biological father knew each other? Did they conspire to abduct Yuan Xi and have Yanyan rece her? But Yuan Xi was stolen by the nanny, and then abducted by human traffickers; Yanyan was adopted by my parents a few monthster from the orphanage. How could it be their scheme?¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°My adoptive parents bought me because the human trafficker intended to throw me into Ruohu Lake. Normally, human traffickers sell the children they abduct for money, not drown them in ake. At that time, my adoptive parents thought I was the child of a young girl who hade to Jiang City to work and didn¡¯t dare tell her family that she was pregnant out of wedlock, intending to drown me; they never suspected that I was trafficked.¡±


    Huo Shiyuan continued, ¡°When the nanny stole Yuan Xi back then, her n was to ask the Chu Family for a ransom of one million. How could she let the child be abducted again right under her nose? There are too many dubious points in this matter.¡±


    Upon hearing what Yuan Xi said about being thrown into theke, a chill rose from the depths of Yang Ying¡¯s heart.


    Huo Shiyuan looked towards Yang Ying and Chu Qing and said, ¡°Although it is your freedom to decide who to give your property to, if Yuan Xi¡¯s abduction really has something to do with the Chu Family, then Chu Yan does not deserve the shares worth one billion.¡±


    Chu Lin looked at Huo Shiyuan and spoke to Chu Qing and Yang Ying, ¡°Dad, Mom, let¡¯s wait on allocating Yanyan¡¯s shares for now. I¡¯ll have someone investigate the connections between the nanny, the human trafficker, and Yanyan¡¯s biological father.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at Chu Lin, as he had seldomly shown such forethought.


    Nanny Zhang came in and said, ¡°Mr. Chu, Junior President Chu, Miss Zhou has arrived.¡±


    Yang Ying responded, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Zhou Jiameng arrived with two boxes of bird¡¯s nest and fish maw, ¡°Aunt Chu, I heard you were discharged from the hospital, so I came to see how you are doing. Are you feeling better?¡±


    Yang Ying replied with a lightugh, ¡°The doctor said I just need plenty of rest.¡±


    Zhou Jiameng said, ¡°You have been working hard for Chu Neng all your life, you really should rest more.¡±


    Yang Ying smiled faintly, ¡°After Chu Lin gets married and has children, I n to retire and help Xinxin and Lin¡¯er with their kids.¡±


    Zhou Jiameng looked at the woman sitting on the couch; she looked somewhat familiar and took a while before she remembered seeing her with Gu Hanchen, ¡°Aunt Chu, who is this¡­?¡±


    Yang Ying said, ¡°She is Xinyan, Xinxin. She is Zhou Jiameng, the daughter of Mr. Zhou and Chu Neng, who have been good friends for many years.¡±


    Yuan Xi stood up and greeted Zhou Jiameng with a professionally polite smile, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Zhou Jiameng learned from Chu Yan that the woman who had thrown wine at Chu Lin was a friend of Yuan Xi, and now seeing Yuan Xi, she instinctively disliked her.


    Moreover, Zhou Jiameng was very clear that even if Yuan Xi was the Chu Family¡¯s biological daughter, with her marriage to a powerless, influence-less, and poor rural husband, it would only be Yuan Xi who would climb onto the Chu Family.


    Yuan Xi was sure to be a lifelong burden, seeking benefits from her maiden home, bing a nuisance for her and Chu Lin, a bottomless pit they would constantly have to fill.


    Unlike Chu Yan, who was backed by the Bao Family and could add luster to the Chu Family.


    Zhou Jiameng just gave Yuan Xi a smile, then went to Chu Lin¡¯s side and said, ¡°Chu Lin, you left in a hurry yesterday. I still have some things to discuss with you regarding the Guanming Bay project.¡±


    Chu Lin said, ¡°Come with me to the study.¡±


    Seeing Chu Lin go upstairs with Zhou Jiameng, Yang Ying smiled lightly at Yuan Xi, ¡°You may soon have a sister-inw. Jiameng is a very nice girl¡ªintelligent, sensible, generous, and appropriate. She will make an excellent future mistress for our Chu Family.¡±


    As Yang Ying praised Zhou Jiameng, Yuan Xi just smiled faintly on the side.


    She didn¡¯t even acknowledge Chu Lin as her real brother; whoever Chu Lin married was a stranger¡¯s issue to Yuan Xi.


    Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi with a light smile and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just sign the share transfer agreement now? We really owe you an apology.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked at the share transfer agreement in front of her, but she did not sign it. ¡°Dad, Mom, I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Chu Qing said, ¡°You should take it. We¡¯ve truly wronged you over the years, and we¡¯ve also bought you a fully-furnished vi in the new housing project Jiangyan Vi in Jiang City. Take a look and see if you like it. If you don¡¯t like the style of decoration, you can demolish and redesign it. There¡¯s no need to live by Ruohu anymore.¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°The drive from Jiangyan Vi to the Michen Building takes almost half an hour, which is not much different from the drive from Ruohu. I find Ruohu morefortable to live in. As for Chu Neng¡¯s shares, we can talk about that when the timees.¡±


    If the Chu Family still intends to give those shares to Chu Yan in the end, then Yuan Xi wouldn¡¯t ept them.


    Yang Ying said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it inconvenient for you to live in the vige?¡±


    Yuan Xiughed softly and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not inconvenient.¡±


    Yang Ying let out a sigh and said, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t find it inconvenient, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    At lunch, Yang Ying also invited Zhou Jiameng to join them.


    The table was loaded with dishes, and Yuan Xi eyed the te of crabs with envy.


    The best time to eat crabs is in September and October, but Yuan Xi also liked the tender crab meat of the June yellow crabs that came out in June and July.


    However, now that she was pregnant, Yuan Xi dared not eat theke crabs.


    Huo Shiyuan peeled a crab for Yuan Xi, ¡°Eating just one crab shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Yuan Xi watched as Huo Shiyuan skillfully removed the crab meat with the tool beside him.


    Yuan Xi smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xiao Shihuo watched Huo Shiyuan eagerly and said, ¡°I want to eat crab too.¡±


    ¡°Peel it yourself!¡± Huo Shiyuan handed a crab to Xiao Shihuo.


    Xiao Shihuo pouted, ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to peel it.¡±


    Yuan Xiughed gently while showing Xiao Shihuo how to peel the crab.


    @@novelbin@@


    After eating the crab roe, Xiao Shihuo spat it out, ¡°It¡¯s bitter, not tasty. I don¡¯t want this crab; it¡¯s not good.¡±


    Yuan Xiughed and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    Zhou Jiameng interjected, ¡°Actually, the best time to eat crabs is in October. Crabs now have little meat, and the roe is bitter, which no one likes to eat. Yuan Xi, you probably haven¡¯t had the delicious hairy crabs in October, so you think the crabs now are good.¡±


    Watching Yuan Xi eat theke crab as if it was a delicacy, Zhou Jiameng thought she truly was someone who hadn¡¯t eaten much good food.


    Yuan Xi heard Zhou Jiameng¡¯s insinuation that she hadn¡¯t eaten anything good and wasn¡¯t upset.


    Definitely, the Chu Family didn¡¯t know she liked the June yellow crabs, and since she was pregnant, the crabs weren¡¯t prepared for her. Zhou Jiameng¡¯s words were akin to saying that the Chu Family hadn¡¯t eaten good things either.


    Chu Lin picked up a crab and said, ¡°I just like eating the crabs from this season. The meat of the June yellow crabs is the freshest and most tender.¡±


    Yuan Xi, knowing Chu Lin also liked eating these seasonal crabs, looked at the crab meat in her bowl and suddenly didn¡¯t want to eat it anymore.


    Hearing Chu Lin¡¯s words, Zhou Jiameng said, ¡°Then I will try it too. Chu Lin, could you peel one for me?¡±


    Chu Lin indeed took the crab tools and started peeling a crab for Zhou Jiameng.


    With a lightugh, Zhou Jiameng said, ¡°By the way, Chu Lin, was the shirt that Yuan Xi¡¯s friend sshed with red wine yesterday cleaned? If it can¡¯t be cleaned, let¡¯s just forget it for Yuan Xi¡¯s sake. After all, I don¡¯t think her friend¡¯s family is very wealthy, and two hundred thousand is a lot for them.¡±


    ¡°Xinxin¡¯s friend spilled red wine on you?¡± Yang Ying asked from the side, ¡°Chu Lin, what is this about?¡±

 Chapter 66: Seeking Justice for Yuan Xi

    Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Seeking Justice for Yuan Xi


    Chu Lin merely smiled and said, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s nothing, just ying around.¡±


    Yang Ying was surprised; Chu Lin was not someone to mess with. For him to pass off getting sshed with red wine as just ying around was indeed unusual.


    Zhou Jiameng felt a bit anxious when she heard the words ying around.


    Zhou Jiameng had been privately told by Chu Yan that both Yang Ying and Chu Qing had their hearts set on her bing the future Mrs. Chu of the Chu Family.


    Over the past year, every time Zhou Jiameng invited Chu Lin out for meals, he had never turned her down, leading Zhou Jiameng to believe her position as Mrs. Chu was secure.


    But upon hearing Chu Lin¡¯s lightugh mentioning Liang Suisui, she began to feel a bit panicked.


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s not ying around, Mom. It was Chu Lin who first insulted my friend. He saw my friend in Jiangye and spread rumors that she wanted to snag Gu Hanchen as a wealthy husband. Yesterday, he insulted her again, which is why she got angry and sshed the red wine on him.¡±


    Chu Qing frowned and mmed the table, ¡°Chu Lin, how can you be socking in manners!¡±


    Chu Lin red at Yuan Xi.


    Yuan Xi stood her ground unafraid.


    Yang Ying also looked at Chu Lin with annoyance, ¡°Chu Lin, what you did was really going too far. She¡¯s a decent girl, and you¡¯re saying she¡¯s angling for a wealthy husband like Gu Hanchen. Aren¡¯t you afraid of damaging her reputation? You don¡¯t need topensate for the clothes, just buy a gift and go apologize in person.¡±


    With furrowed brows, Chu Lin said, ¡°Alright, got it.¡±


    After dinner, Chu Lin approached Yuan Xi and said, ¡°You sure know how to tattle.¡±


    Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I¡¯m not tattling. You really did go too far. If you dislike me, juste at me. There¡¯s no need to make things difficult for my friend.¡±


    Chu Lin scoffed, ¡°Make things difficult? If I wanted to make things difficult for her, would I have lost a watch I¡¯d only worn for two days to her in a bet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t make things difficult for my friend,¡± Yuan Xi said.


    Chu Lin inquired, ¡°Where does her family live?¡±


    Yuan Xi frowned at Chu Lin, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Go to her house to apologize, as you said. If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find out myself.¡±


    Frowning, Yuan Xi still gave Chu Lin Liang Suisui¡¯s home address.


    Just like he said, even if she didn¡¯t tell him, Chu Lin would have been able to find out.


    @@novelbin@@


    Yuan Xi didn¡¯t believe that Chu Lin would continue to trouble Liang Suisui after both Chu Qing and Yang Ying had spoken.


    Zhou Jiameng approached Chu Lin and said, ¡°Chu Lin, shall I go with you?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Chu Lin refused Zhou Jiameng and drove off in a new sports car.


    Huo Shiyan asked Yuan Xi, ¡°Go back to the mansion or shall we check on Liang Suisui at her ce?¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Chu Lin wouldn¡¯t be socking in decency as to trouble Liang Suisui at her home. Moreover, Liang Suisui¡¯s rtives live next to her, and the factory is nearby. If Chu Lin dares to trouble Liang Suisui at her ce, he won¡¯t get any advantage. Let¡¯s just head back to the mansion.¡±


    Yuan Xi hadn¡¯t slept wellst night, and she was already a bit sleepy, so on the drive back, she dozed off.


    In a daze, she dreamt of a church wedding.


    Most of the vigers living around Ruohu practiced Buddhism and Taoism, while a few were Christians.


    The church was built with contributions from several wealthy Christian businessmen from the nearby viges.


    Located by Ruohu, with its picturesque scenery, the church was a popr venue for couples to hold their weddings.


    As a child, after witnessing a church wedding, Yuan Xi and her friends entered the church and mimicked the adults, pretending to get married.


    ¡°ce your hand on the Bible, Xiao Xi. Do you take Brother Zhuangzhuang to be your husband, to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhuangzhuang, do you take Xiao Xi to be your wife, to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Brother, sister is sleeping so soundly¡­¡±


    The voices of children in Yuan Xi¡¯s dream merged with reality, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself back at the Ruohu Mansion.


    Yuan Xi thought to herself, she didn¡¯t practice Christianity, so the vows made inside the church shouldn¡¯t count.


    And she had no idea where that Brother Zhuangzhuang was now.


    Huo Shiyan saw that Yuan Xi had just woken up looking confused, ¡°Had a dream? Who did you dream about?¡±


    Yuan Xi had just woken up and without any thought said, ¡°Brother Zhuangzhuang.¡±


    Xiao Shihuo said, ¡°Brother Zhuangzhuang? I don¡¯t like Brother Zhuangzhuang; I like Xiao Mei, Shua Zi, and Grandpa Niu. I want to watch ¡®Big Ear Tutu¡¯; it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve watched cartoons!¡±


    Huo Shiyan ignored Xiao Shihuo, who was moring to watch cartoons, and asked Yuan Xi, ¡°What did you dream about?¡±


    Yuan Xi certainly couldn¡¯t tell Huo Shiyan that as a child, she had yed house and married another little boy in the church, ¡°Just dreaming about ying in the church when I was little.¡±


    ¡°I also want to y in the church!¡±


    Xiao Shihuo said on the side, ¡°I want to y!¡±


    After Yuan Xi slept in the car, much of her drowsiness had dissipated, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you to y in the church.¡±


    It¡¯s always better to y in the church than to watch cartoons.


    A five-minute drive and they arrived at the church.


    Today is Sunday, and the Christians in the vige were all gathered in the church for worship.


    ¡°You are Yuan Qing¡¯s child, right?¡±


    Yuan Xi heard someone speaking in regional dialect, turned around, and saw a former neighbor, ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Aunt Meng looked Yuan Xi up and down and said, ¡°You¡¯ve grown up so much, you¡¯ve finallye back. Your aunts and uncles really aren¡¯t good for anything. After such a big incident happened at your house back then, they drove you out of the house. Now that demolition is happening, they¡¯ve been looking for you!¡±


    ¡°Looking for me?¡± Yuan Xi asked.


    Aunt Meng said, ¡°Yes, the vige said that the big boss in charge of the demolition saw the list and said that the house left behind by your parents has you as the primary heir, and you need to sign off on the demolitionpensation.


    Now your grandfather¡¯s family is looking for you everywhere, wanting you to sign the papers to agree to the house demolition, otherwise, your house won¡¯t be torn down.¡±


    Yuan Xi looked towards Huo Shiyan.


    Huo Shiyan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°That should rightfully be yours.¡±


    Aunt Meng looked at Huo Shiyan standing next to Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Oh my, this young man is so handsome. Is this your¡­¡±


    Yuan Xi said with a light smile, ¡°My husband.¡±


    Aunt Meng said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re married? Why didn¡¯t you invite us for the wedding banquet?¡±


    Huo Shiyan said, ¡°We haven¡¯t had the banquet yet. We will invite Aunt Meng when we do.¡±


    Aunt Meng said with augh, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting to toast at your wedding!¡±


    Huo Shiyan said, ¡°We will definitely invite Aunt Meng when the timees.¡±


    After Aunt Meng left, Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyan and said, ¡°How did you know she was Aunt Meng?¡±


    ¡°I heard you call her Aunt Meng just now.¡±


    Yuan Xi was a bit puzzled, ¡°Did I say it?¡±


    Huo Shiyan said, ¡°You did, don¡¯t believe me? Ask Huohuo.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t necessary for Yuan Xi to dwell on whether she¡¯d called her Aunt Meng, nor did she seek confirmation from Xiao Huo, ¡°Was it you who said that my family¡¯s demolition must have my signature?¡±


    Huo Shiyan nodded, ¡°Yes, because that was originally yours.¡±


    Yuan Xi said, ¡°Forget it, let them have the house¡­ I have let go of it long ago; I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with them anymore.¡±


    Huo Shiyan asked Yuan Xi, ¡°When Mr. and Mrs. Yuan died, it was the most helpless time for you, yet they took all of the inheritance that should have been yours, leaving you nothing. You might let it go, but I can¡¯t. I need to fight for this justice for you.¡±


    Yuan Xi bit her lower lip; she would always remember how her adoptive parents stilly in the cold mortuary, while her grandparents and their family suddenly showed their true colors.


    Even the vige head and the vigers had advised them not to overdo it, but they still drove her out of the house, not even allowing Yuan Xi to mourn.


    It was the vige head, her uncle, and the parents of Liang Suisui who stepped forward to allow Yuan Xi to see her parents off onest time.


    Thinking back to eight years ago, Yuan Xi, who had juste of age, didn¡¯t know how she had managed to survive¡­


    ¡°Shiyan, thank you.¡±


    Huo Shiyan, ¡°In our rtionship, you don¡¯t need to thank me.¡±


    Yuan Xi¡¯s phone rang; she took out her phone and saw it was a call from Liang Suisui, ¡°Suisui, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Where are you? Hurry over to my house and take your brother away!¡±