Shen Qingqing turned back in astonishment, then instantly regained her composure and nodded faintly.
The man's eyes flickered, and a slightly cunning smile spread across his face. "Miss Shen, have I only seen you after a few days, and you're already this cold to me? I'm truly heartbroken! As compensation, would you do me the honor of a dance?"
"I'm sorry, I don't dance."
The man sighed softly. "Miss Shen, can you bear to refuse me like this? I came with a sincere heart, and this heart has been wounded by you. I'm just secretly in love with you, not plotting against you. Why are you so defensive?"
Shen Qingqing's lips twitched. This person really hadn't changed one bit.
The man cast her a mournful glance. "Forget it, since Miss Shen is unwilling, I can't force you. I can only regret missing out on your company."
The way he said it, anyone unaware might think they had an unusual relationship.
Shen Qingqing secretly rolled her eyes. "It's best to miss out. Is there anything else?"
"A beauty who truly lacks charm."
The man struck a pose like Xi Shi clutching her chest, as if too heartbroken to speak, and turned to leave with a sorrowful air.
What a drama queen!
Shen Qingqing's brow twitched. Suddenly, she felt an unusual gaze. She looked up and met the deep, dark eyes of Fu Jingshu.
There seemed to be a hint of inquiry in the depths of his gaze.
This man was indeed sharp!
Shen Qingqing smiled subtly, raised her wine glass to signal him, then turned her back, avoiding his gaze.
The banquet was drawing to a close, and Fu Jingshu and Shen Qingqing left together.
People at the banquet stole glances at their retreating figures. Many had tried to probe the woman today but had learned nothing, concluding only that she was definitely not a simple person.
As expected of Master Fu, the women he chose were all so capable!
In the car at this moment, the two protagonists remained silent for the entire journey. Shen Qingqing was feeling tired and sleepy. Fu Jingshu, sitting beside her, suddenly looked up and glanced at her.
Her head was nodding, and she seemed on the verge of falling asleep.
...She was quite bold!
Fu Jingshu's gaze slowly shifted away. The car hit a bump, and he quickly reached out to support Shen Qingqing's head.
Sensing the warmth on her forehead, Shen Qingqing flinched like a startled rabbit, quickly pulled away, and looked at Fu Jingshu with vigilance.
Lin Mo, driving in front, almost widened his eyes in disbelief!
Fu Jingshu's gaze shifted to Lin Mo, and he pursed his lips.
Having followed him for many years, Lin Mo naturally understood his intentions but couldn't quite believe it. He hesitantly slowed down the car. Looking again at Master Fu, he was still engrossed in his documents.
Lin Mo felt a chill.
Master Fu actually had such a considerate side!
Unfortunately, this was a luxury car. Even at a slower speed, it took less than half an hour to reach the vicinity of Shen Qingqing's home. As soon as the car stopped, she slowly opened her eyes.
"Thank you, Master Fu, for sending me home today. It's late, so I won't invite you up for a drink."
She curled her lips, smiling beautifully and boldly, giving Fu Jingshu no chance to speak. She opened the door, got out, and left, her actions a seamless sequence.
Fu Jingshu watched her graceful back until she disappeared before retracting his gaze. "Let's go."
Lin Mo stepped on the accelerator, and the car slowly drove away.
"Master Fu, I've compiled the information on Shen Qingqing's past five years and sent it to your email."
"En."
Fu Jingshu opened his laptop, his fingers flying across the keyboard. A file appeared on the screen, along with a passport-sized photo. In the photo, Shen Qingqing had short hair and a genuine, innocent smile.
Not like now, where she looked like she had a belly full of bad ideas.
He pursed his lips slightly, carefully read the contents of the file, then closed the laptop and slowly closed his eyes.
There was nothing unusual. The information indicated she was an ordinary woman working hard to make a better life for herself, no different from any other striving individual.
But...
He opened his eyes and gazed out at the rapidly receding scenery.
The absence of anything unusual was the biggest abnormality.
...
Dongcheng Teahouse.
As soon as Shen Qingqing entered, a waitress led her to the second floor. She pushed open the door to a private room and saw a man with a roguish smile sitting there lazily.
Seeing her arrive, the man immediately stood up. "Qing, you're finally here! At the banquet, you pretended not to know me, which truly chilled my heart!"
Shen Qingqing walked over and sat down. "There was a reason for that."
The man's name was Lu Junze. He was a friend she'd met abroad. He appeared dissolute and flirtatious, but he was someone worth befriending. At his core, he possessed the same stubborn defiance as her.
"About Master Fu, who attended the banquet with you, what's the deal? Do you know him?" Lu Junze asked curiously.
A hint of disgust flashed across Shen Qingqing's face. "This person is nothing good!"
She briefly recounted what had happened between them. Lu Junze clicked his tongue. "Is he even a man? Bullying a girl like that. I thought he was a decent person before, but now it seems he's no different from those other people."
Mentioning "those people," his face filled with disgust.
"Be careful yourself and don't expose your identity," Shen Qingqing warned, knowing her friend was prone to impulsiveness. "Especially don't act rashly on my behalf."
"Got it, I'll listen to you."
Lu Junze was also a rebellious and arrogant person, but he listened to Shen Qingqing.
Her phone rang.
Shen Qingqing answered. After a few words from the other side, her expression changed. She hurriedly stood up. "I understand. I'll head back now."
"What's wrong?"
"I have something to attend to. We'll talk on the phone later."
Shen Qingqing didn't have time to explain. She grabbed her bag and phone and rushed out, returning to Xiangshe Villa.
As soon as she entered, she hurried to the second floor. She saw Chu Zisheng examining Chenchen. Her breathing was uneven, and her voice was hoarse. "How is he?"
Chu Zisheng finished his examination and breathed a sigh of relief. "He's fine. He just needs to rest well from now on. However, the child's heart is too fragile. You still need to pay more attention to him, lest he does anything drastic."
Shen Qingqing's heart ached. "What happened? Why did he suddenly have an episode?"
"It's probably because of this."
Chu Zisheng picked up a mobile phone, which belonged to Shen Qingqing. When she was away, she would leave her phone with Chenchen to play with, worrying he would be bored. "Is there something wrong with the phone?"
He didn't speak, so she had to look for herself.
The screen was faintly lit. On it was a video of Shen Yaoyao. This video had been on the old phone.
She had forgotten about it and hadn't deleted it.
"Chenchen had an episode because he saw Shen Yaoyao on the phone?" she asked, her voice almost grinding her teeth.
Chu Zisheng nodded, his expression grave. "If you want the child to recover, you must keep him away from the source of his fear."