Chapter 88

“Mhm, Lihuan, slower.”

You Changqing tilted up her graceful swan-like neck, a crystal-clear bead of sweat sliding down its curve. The cool fragrance on her body began to spread beneath the covers.

Shen Lihuan’s peach blossom eyes flashed red for a moment. She kissed that spot, her hot lips and tongue leaving a small red mark.

You Changqing’s slender fingers couldn’t help but clutch at the pink bedsheets. Her body arched slightly as Shen Lihuan found her hand and interlaced their fingers.

You Changqing felt like a drifting waterweed on the ocean, rising and falling with the waves. Each time a wave surged, it lifted her into the air.

Mindful that Changqing still had work in the afternoon, Shen Lihuan didn’t keep going for long. As You Changqing snuggled in her arms, humming contentedly, she acted coy and complained of a sore waist.

Shen Lihuan coaxed her like a child, got out of bed to clean her up, then used her powers to massage the sore spots until You Changqing relaxed completely and fell sound asleep.

At 1:30 PM, the alarm rang out. Shen Lihuan reached out to silence it, rubbed her face to shake off the drowsiness, and yawned as she got up to fetch clothes and dress Changqing.

Even though she moved gently, You Changqing slowly woke up. She nuzzled Shen Lihuan’s hand like a kitten, sat up and stretched, “Lihuan, what time is it?”

“It’s one-thirty. Go wash your face and brush your teeth, I’ll change first.”

Shen Lihuan patted her flushed cheeks and sent her to the bathroom while she quickly changed, then went to wash her face as well.

“Lihuan, who was that calling you earlier?”

You Changqing slung her small purse over her shoulder and asked curiously, recalling how quickly Lihuan had hung up the call.

Shen Lihuan locked the door and walked with her toward the elevator. “It was Brother Ye. I think Mu Xi has recovered. Brother Ye mentioned before that Mu Xi had regained memories from before age thirteen. It’s been two months, so he’s probably regained everything by now.”

Shen Lihuan figured there couldn’t be any mistake with the prescription she gave. She couldn’t think of any other reason.

“Ah, that’s wonderful news. Should we call Brother Ye back?”

Hearing the good news, You Changqing beamed with a smile.

“He said he’d call again tonight.”

Shen Lihuan pinched her cheek. “I’m guessing he figured out what we were doing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have hung up without a word.”

You Changqing’s face turned beet red instantly. She buried her face in Shen Lihuan’s chest. “Ah! It’s all your fault. I’ve totally lost face.”

Shen Lihuan burst into laughter. “Don’t be shy, Changqing. Brother Ye wouldn’t say anything. He’s probably just jealous. He’s still single, after all.”

No matter what was said, You Changqing refused to lift her head. Shen Lihuan simply scooped her up in a princess carry and walked out of the elevator. You Changqing dangled her legs and gave her neck a gentle nibble.

Shen Lihuan carried her into Luo Yi’s car. “Alright, stop pouting. Intimacy is natural. Brother Ye will understand.”

You Changqing pouted and bargained with her, “Then remember to pick me up after work. I want C Bakery’s blueberry cream cake.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring it to you for sure.”

Shen Lihuan didn’t mess up her hair for fear of ruining her look, but she gave her a kiss on the cheek.

You Changqing waved, reluctant to part. “I’m off to work, then.”

“Go on, be careful on the road.”

Shen Lihuan watched her with a gentle expression.

Luo Yi, meanwhile, felt that being the young miss’s bodyguard meant he was doomed to a life of consuming dog food. It wasn’t fair—she was only seventeen and already had a girlfriend, while he was pushing thirty and hadn’t even held a woman’s hand. Utter failure.

Suppressing his inner misery, Luo Yi turned the wheel and drove away from Jintang Estate.

…

Gu Qinglan was over the moon when she learned that her younger brother had a good impression of Guan Kening, his blind date. If things kept progressing this way, he might even get married within the year.

Her second child would be born in just three months. When the baby arrived, her sister-in-law would already have a child of her own, and their kids could grow up together.

Gu Tingyu had no idea his sister was already picturing their kids playing together. After all, he had only met Guan Kening once. Still, he didn’t think she was wrong—he and Guan Kening were both young, so having children was bound to happen eventually.

Not only was Gu Qinglan pleased with their budding relationship, but Guan Kening’s parents were also thrilled.

When they heard their daughter was going on a date with President Gu, they were beyond excited. They took her to the beauty salon for a full makeover to ensure she looked her best. After she left, they were so anxious they couldn’t sit still, worried she might not make a good impression.

Finally, at 9 PM, she came home. Guan’s father managed to maintain his composure and didn’t get up, but Guan’s mother rushed forward and grabbed her daughter’s hand. “So? Did President Gu say he wanted to keep seeing you?”

The shyness on Guan Kening’s face faded a little. She felt like there was something off about her parents’ attitude, so instead of answering directly, she said, “Mom, Dad, I know you’re afraid I’ll miss out on a catch like President Gu, but we’re not some family that only values wealth. I hope you can calm down. There are plenty of men in the world—if I miss out on President Gu, I can still find someone else.”

“How could other men possibly compare to President Gu? Look at his background—sure, the Gu family might have declined, but they were once a top-tier family. As for capability, he built LY Group from scratch. His looks? Top-notch. Connections? Just having a sister married into the Shen family puts him above 99% of people in the capital. You tell me—how can other men compete?”

Hearing that, Guan’s mother was immediately displeased. With a man like President Gu as an option, of course she wanted her daughter to marry him. Only a fool would pass up someone like that.

“I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with Mr. Gu. I just think you two are way too nervous. It feels like you’re trying to gift-wrap me and hand me over to him, like I should be licking his toes or something. How am I supposed to be happy about that?”

Right now, Guan Kening liked Gu Tingyu. How could she want him to see her as someone who only chased after power and tried too hard to please? She wanted an equal relationship so she wouldn’t feel off-balance.

“How are we making you lick his toes? Is that really what you think of your parents? Aren’t we just doing this for your own good? If you miss your chance with Mr. Gu, do you think you’ll be able to find anyone better?”

Mrs. Guan looked at her daughter, heartbroken. She and her husband had done all this out of care, but why couldn’t their daughter understand?

Mr. Guan saw that his wife was so upset she looked about to collapse. He quickly came over to hold her. “Kening, we’re really not what you think. Our family might not be super rich, but we live comfortably and have decent savings. We’d never need to sell our daughter. You’re our one and only precious girl. If we weren’t thinking about your future, would we old folks be this anxious?”

Seeing the matching looks of sadness on both her parents’ faces, Guan Kening started wondering if she’d been too sensitive. “Mom, Dad, I just hope you can stay calm about this. If it works out, great. If not, that’s just how fate goes. I wasn’t trying to accuse you of anything.”

She lowered her head slightly, her face tightening unconsciously. Mrs. Guan, seeing her daughter’s discomfort, couldn’t stay angry. She immediately held her hand. “You’re our precious girl. We’d never want you to go out of your way to please someone. We just want you to put in a bit more effort. Of course it would be wonderful if you could marry Mr. Gu.”

Mr. Guan nodded earnestly in agreement.

“Then I feel better. You know I was spoiled by you both since I was little. I’m not about to go crawling after anyone—King or not.”

Guan Kening breathed a sigh of relief. As long as her parents weren’t pushing that kind of pressure on her, she could relax a little.

“You’re so stubborn. Been like this since you were a kid. I don’t even know who you take after.”

Mrs. Guan sighed but knew her daughter was right in a way. She had probably come on too strong, which made Kening misunderstand. Fine then. Children are always a handful. With Kening acting like this, it was probably a sign she wasn’t that into Mr. Gu after all. She and her husband would just have to start thinking again—surely there were still some decent young men in the capital. Their daughter was already twenty-five; they couldn’t wait too long or she’d end up an old maid.

“Hehe, of course I take after you. I’m your daughter—who else would I be like?”

Feeling a little guilty for misunderstanding her parents, Guan Kening quickly pulled them to the sofa, helping massage their shoulders and backs.

Mr. and Mrs. Guan both laughed.

After a while, Guan Kening finally stopped and leaned against her mother. Mrs. Guan teased her for still being clingy at her age. Guan Kening scrunched up her nose, “No matter how old I get, I’ll always be your baby girl.”

Mr. Guan burst out laughing. “That’s right. Even when you’re eighty, you’ll still be our baby girl.”

“Oh right—Mom, Dad, I have good news for you.”

As soon as she thought of Gu Tingyu, Guan Kening blushed.

“What good news?”

Seeing her flushed cheeks, Mrs. Guan suddenly felt hopeful.

Guan Kening covered her face. “Tingyu-ge and I are getting along well. He asked me to watch a movie with him this weekend, and I said yes.”

“Really?! You little rascal—just now you were saying all that stuff about ‘if it happens, great, if not, oh well.’ You nearly scared me to death thinking the two of you weren’t going anywhere.”

A huge weight lifted from Mr. and Mrs. Guan’s hearts. Their daughter was their only child, and of course they wanted her to marry the best possible person. Mr. Gu came from a simple family situation. If their daughter married him, there’d be no meddling in-laws. The only two elders to speak of were Mrs. Shen and Mr. Shen—and Mrs. Shen had a stellar reputation. She was gentle, composed, and everyone who met her praised her. She was even the one who helped introduce their daughter and Mr. Gu in the first place. There was no way she didn’t like their daughter.

Looking at it that way, Mr. Gu was practically the perfect candidate. If their daughter really married him, they could die in peace.

At 6 PM sharp, Shen Lihuan picked up You Changqing to go home. Before they even got home, You Changhong called.

“Jie, I’m inside the Jintang complex. Which building do you live in? I’ll come up to find you.”

You Changqing was a little surprised. “Why did you come over?”

You Changhong seemed a little hesitant but finally said, “Jie, I have something private I want to ask you. Just tell me where you live—I’ll come find you.”

“We’re still on our way home, just entered the complex. Are you at the entrance?”

As You Changqing spoke, she spotted him up ahead—head down, kicking pebbles with his phone in hand. Well, no need to ask now.