Tao Qiyue and Chen Jinshao finished their ablutions and prepared to go out for breakfast before heading to the Fu family.
Not long after they left, Fu Yun's call came through. Tao Qiyue turned to Chen Jinshao, seeking his opinion on whether to answer.
"Listen to it. Let's see what he's plotting," Chen Jinshao said.
Tao Qiyue hummed and answered Fu Yun's call.
Fu Yun smiled and said, "Qiyue, perhaps I gave you a bad impression just now. It was mainly because I didn't sleep well last night, so I apologize to you here."
"It's alright. Are you calling me just for this matter?" Tao Qiyue's impression of Fu Yun improved slightly. Knowing one's mistakes and correcting them is a great virtue.
"Of course not."
After Fu Yun denied it, he continued, "I told Grandpa about your situation. Grandpa said he wants you to bring your boyfriend along so he can take a look. You know, your grandfather is imprisoned and can't help you vet him, so as an elder, my grandfather naturally has to help you."
Tao Qiyue remembered her grandfather and paused for a moment before saying, "Okay, I understand. I'll bring him to visit Grandpa at noon."
"Yes, see you at noon."
Fu Yun hung up the phone and instructed the driver to head back to the Fu family.
He intended to persuade his grandfather to cooperate with his plan, to give Chen Jinshao a taste of his power and make him realize he should leave Tao Qiyue of his own accord. If that didn't work, he would have to resort to force.
Meanwhile.
Tao Qiyue relayed Fu Yun's words to Chen Jinshao and said suspiciously, "At first, I thought he had improved somewhat, but after thinking about it, I feel there's something fishy. Do you think today's lunch is a banquet of Hongmen?"
"So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?" Chen Jinshao smiled.
"When danger comes, we'll deal with it."
Tao Qiyue suddenly felt a sense of peace.
The two ate breakfast, then wandered around the city center of Fengtian, bought a few gifts, and then headed to the Fu family in Fengtian.
The Fu family was considered a prominent family in Fengtian. Even if not among the very top tier, they had their own territory.
Such a family's influence should not be underestimated.
The northern land was vast. After arriving in the suburbs of Fengtian City, it opened up into endless plains, allowing one to see distant snow-capped mountains. These mountains were hundreds of kilometers away from Fengtian, illustrating how flat the land was.
However, due to the extreme cold in the north, the population was sparse, so the houses were built quite large.
Standing at the entrance of the Fu family in Fengtian, Chen Jinshao's most immediate impression was—
The mansion was too big!
It was comparable to a prince's mansion in ancient times.
"This is too grand! In my impression, the Su family in Jiangnan isn't this grand, and the Fu family's status is much lower than the Su family's," Tao Qiyue gasped. Chen Jinshao withdrew his gaze and said, "It seems the waters in the north are much deeper than we imagined. A family like the Fu family is only considered a second-tier family, not even reaching the threshold of the first tier."
"How terrifying must the first-tier families in the north be?" Tao Qiyue asked.
Chen Jinshao did not know either.
Upon receiving a report from a servant, Fu Yun immediately came to the entrance to welcome Tao Qiyue and Chen Jinshao.
Tao Qiyue had changed into a woolen coat and was elegantly dressed, looking even more radiant and captivating than when Fu Yun saw her at the hotel, almost to the point of making Fu Yun's eyes widen.
His mind was consumed by a single thought: to possess Tao Qiyue.
A hint of greed flashed across his eyes, but it was noticed by both Tao Qiyue and Chen Jinshao, who finally saw Fu Yun for what he was.
"Qiyue, please come in," Fu Yun said with a smile.
"My grandfather has always wanted to see you. He was very happy to hear you were coming."
Tao Qiyue said politely, "Then please lead the way."
Fu Yun smiled brightly and excitedly led the two into the Fu family compound. Upon entering the courtyard, the two realized they had underestimated the grandeur of the Fu family compound. It was truly a princely mansion. Tao Qiyue lowered her voice and said to Chen Jinshao, "I feel like a country bumpkin entering the city."
"Me too," Chen Jinshao replied.
Fu Yun heard their conversation and felt a surge of pride.
This was the Fu family!
Led by Fu Yun, they crossed several large gates before finally entering the main hall of the Fu family.
Old Master Fu, Fu Songhu, sat in the center of the living room, smiling as he observed Tao Qiyue. Chen Jinshao was completely ignored, as if he didn't exist.
"Grandpa Fu, I've come to see you," Tao Qiyue said with a sweet smile.
"This is a small token of my affection. I hope you will accept it."
She handed over the gifts she and Chen Jinshao had chosen that morning. Fu Songhu had Fu Yun accept them. "Hehe, I remember when you last visited our home, you were still seventeen or eighteen. A girl truly blossoms as she grows. You've become very beautiful."
"I've accepted your gift, and I like it very much."
Tao Qiyue said with a smile, "As long as Grandpa Fu likes it, I was afraid you wouldn't. Oh, and the person standing next to me is my boyfriend, named Chen Jinshao."
Chen Jinshao?
Fu Songhu vaguely felt he had heard this name somewhere.
"Is that so? What does your boyfriend do for a living?" Fu Songhu did not ask Chen Jinshao directly but inquired through Tao Qiyue.
This was a disrespectful act.
Tao Qiyue turned to look at Chen Jinshao. Chen Jinshao replied, "Sir, I am a serving soldier, stationed in Jiangnan."
Fu Songhu and Fu Yun looked at Chen Jinshao in surprise. However, considering Tao Qiyue had also spent some time in the military before, they were somewhat relieved.
"Oh, I see," Fu Songhu nodded.
He had initially wanted to ask Chen Jinshao his military rank, but considering Chen Jinshao's youth, he assumed he was just a common soldier and dismissed the idea.
"Please, sit down. Dinner is almost ready," Fu Yun invited them.
Tao Qiyue and Chen Jinshao sat down.
A short while later, the dishes were served. Tao Qiyue noticed that only Fu Songhu and Fu Yun were at the dining table; no one else was in sight. This suggested that the Fu family did not attach much importance to her, and she felt it was appropriate to maintain a certain distance.
At the dinner table.
Fu Yun was very attentive, even going so far as to serve Tao Qiyue, which made her uncomfortable.
Initially, the conversation between the three was sporadic and awkward. Fu Yun kept making eye contact with Fu Songhu, signaling the old man to speak.
Fu Songhu nodded slightly at this, put down his wine glass, and said to Chen Jinshao, "Young Chen, I actually don't think you and Qiyue are a good match. Why don't you let go? Do you know Qiyue's grandfather? He was my comrade-in-arms back then, and I can't just stand by and watch the descendant of an old comrade fall into such circumstances."
"You must have seen our Fu family's courtyard on your way here. Ask yourself if you have the ability to give Qiyue a life like this."
"There are some things I don't want to say too directly, lest I hurt your pride."