"Shen Xitong, is this how a lady of your standing behaves?" Shen Qinglan’s clear voice rang out; taken aback, Shen Xitong instinctively released her hold on the hem of Fu Hengyi’s clothes and looked towards the source of the voice.
Shen Qinglan stood there with a serene expression, her face cold and unmovable. Even her gaze was calm, but it made Shen Xitong feel exceptionally embarrassed.
"Shen Qinglan, how come you’re here?" Shen Xitong’s face turned sour, and it was reflected in his tone.
Shen Qinglan looked at her faintly, "I’m here looking for my husband." She emphasized the word "husband" purposely, which successfully caused Shen Xitong’s face to turn pale.
Shen Qinglan glanced at the box in her hand, guessing much of the situation. She glanced at Fu Hengyi’s icy expression, a hint of a smile flickered in her eyes as she walked over, "Had too much to drink?"
Fu Hengyi shook his head, holding her hand, "Why did you come out?"
Of course, Shen Qinglan couldn’t say that she came out because she saw Shen Xitong leaving, yet Fu Hengyi hadn’t returned, and she was afraid Shen Xitong was up to no good. Instead, she said, "I was afraid you might fall over if you drank too much."
Fu Hengyi chuckled softly, not exposing her, and they exchanged a glance before leaving hand in hand. Shen Xitong watched their departing figures, standing there motionless for a long time.
A while later, Shen Xitong finally came in, "Xitong, are you not feeling well? Why does your face look so bad?" Chu Yunrong asked worriedly.
Shen Xitong forced a smile, "Grandfather’s liquor was too good, I had a few too many just now, got a bit drunk."
Chu Yunrong glared at her playfully, "Don’t you know your own alcohol tolerance, yet you still drink so much." Her tone was more one of doting.
Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Chu Yunrong suggested going home to rest, and nobody objected.
That night, Shen Qinglan and Chu Yunrong didn’t drink, so they were the designated drivers.
Chu Yunrong, Shen Xitong, Old Sir Shen, and Shen Junyu shared one car, and Fu Hengyi, Shen Qinglan, and Old Sir Fu shared another.
After dropping Old Sir Fu back at the compound, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi headed home.
As soon as they got home, Shen Qinglan headed straight to the bathroom without exchanging a word with Fu Hengyi, who touched his nose, understanding that the incident with Shen Xitong at the hotel had upset her, yet he felt secretly pleased inside.
After her shower, it was Fu Hengyi’s turn. He was quick, and soon came out. Shen Qinglan was unusually playing with her phone, leaning back on the bed.
Fu Hengyi walked over and caught a glimpse, apparently, she was chatting on WeChat with Yu Xiao Xuan.
He lay down on the other side of the bed, his hand naturally resting on Shen Qinglan’s waist. Shen Qinglan paused mid-text but didn’t react otherwise and continued typing.
Fu Hengyi waited for a while, and seeing that his beloved wife was entirely ignoring him, reached out, took her phone, "It’s getting late, we should go to sleep."
Shen Qinglan didn’t wrestle her phone back but obligingly turned off the light and lay down to sleep.
He lay down as well, naturally pulling Shen Qinglan into his embrace, "Wife, today is my birthday," Fu Hengyi’s deep, magnetic voice entered Shen Qinglan’s ears.
"So?" Shen Qinglan finally deigned to speak.
"Where’s my birthday present?"
With the lights turned off, Shen Qinglan’s expression was unclear, and one could only hear her voice, "Didn’t someone already send you a gift?" Her tone was calm, making it hard to discern her emotions.
"Wife, you saw it, I didn’t accept anyone’s gift," Fu Hengyi declared his innocence.
Shen Qinglan had seen it, and she knew it was all Shen Xitong’s unrequited love, but watching Fu Hengyi being bothered by this unwanted affection, she couldn’t help feeling stifled and took it out on him.
Seeing that Shen Qinglan didn’t respond, Fu Hengyi continued, "Wife, didn’t you prepare a birthday gift for me?"
This was the first time in Fu Hengyi’s thirty-one years that he had ever asked someone for a gift. If his buddies saw, their eyes would pop out in surprise.
Shen Qinglan was amused by Fu Hengyi’s childlike begging for candy, and she chuckled softly. She hadn’t been mad, and now looking at him, she couldn’t be mad at all.
Fu Hengyi relaxed, finally smiling.
Shen Qinglan snuggled into Fu Hengyi’s embrace, and he played with her hair, their atmosphere cozy.
But at some point, Fu Hengyi’s gaze fell to the area below Shen Qinglan’s neck because she had changed into a different nightgown that exposed a patch of snowy white skin.
Fu Hengyi’s eyes deepened, he glanced at her once, glanced again, then slowly lowered his head and kissed her lips.
Shen Qinglan was already accustomed to Fu Hengyi’s closeness, and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. However, Fu Hengyi was not satisfied with just the kiss, and his hand reached under the hem of her nightgown.
His hand was a bit rough, causing a slight tickle. Shen Qinglan shivered gently, and an involuntary moan escaped her lips. Then she froze—was that charming sound really her own?
A gleam flickered in Fu Hengyi’s eyes as he swallowed, deepening the kiss.
His hand moved higher, touching the softness. He paused, gazing at Shen Qinglan, his eyes intense, "Qinglan, may I?"
Shen Qinglan slowly uttered, "Mhm," her voice very soft.
Joy sparked in Fu Hengyi’s eyes, and with a gentle hook of his finger, Shen Qinglan’s nightgown fell to the bed, revealing swathes of her gleaming white skin.
The temperature in the bedroom rose more and more, soon the floor scattered with clothes.
Shen Qinglan groaned quietly, her eyebrows furrowing. Fu Hengyi stiffened, not daring to move, waiting for her pain to subside.
It took a while, but Shen Qinglan finally recovered and tilted her head up to kiss Fu Hengyi’s chin.
Receiving her unspoken permission, Fu Hengyi slowly began to move.
Outside the window, a crescent moon hid behind the clouds, almost too shy to witness this earthly spectacle.
The next day, when Shen Qinglan woke up, it was already broad daylight, her biological clock malfunctioning for the first time. She blinked, her mind still a bit muddled.
"Wife, good morning," Fu Hengyi’s deep voice sounded above her head, then a warm, wet kiss pressed on her forehead.
Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "Good morning." Then she blushed because she saw the bright, bloody tooth mark on Fu Hengyi’s neck—she had bitten it last night.
Scenes from last night flashed through her mind, making Shen Qinglan a bit uneasy. Ah, last night, she had presented herself as a birthday gift to Fu Hengyi.
Mr. Fu expressed, he really liked this gift from Madame.
Knowing Shen Qinglan was shy, Fu Hengyi didn’t tease her and got up, "I’ll make breakfast, you sleep a little longer."