Substitute Bride to the Crippled Billionaire-Chapter 191: Coaxing

"Angry?" Fu Yihan let out a cold laugh. "Why would I be angry?"

Though his words said so, the chill in his eyes deepened.

Su Qingnuan had spent so many years in the Su family, relying on reading her mother’s expressions to navigate situations—how could she not see through him now?

How did I coax him back the last time he got upset?

Frowning in thought for a moment, Su Qingnuan’s eyes lit up. She turned to Fu Yihan and said, "Mr. Fu, do you want some soup?"

Fu Yihan cast her a sidelong glance, wordless.

Seeing his silence, Su Qingnuan pressed on: "I just learned a new recipe with Auntie—made from bone broth. They say it’s good for your bones."

"Hmph!" Fu Yihan’s tone remained icy. "Good for the bones? All nonsense passed around by fools like you who believe such myths."

His words were cutting, but his demeanor had noticeably softened.

Su Qingnuan chuckled lightly. "That’s fine, even if it doesn’t strengthen bones, it’s still good for your health, isn’t it?"

His slightly chilly gaze swept over her, but he didn’t rebut her statement.

Seeing this, Su Qingnuan stood up. "Alright then, I’ll go make the soup now. You sit here for a while, Mr. Fu."

With that said, she turned and headed into the kitchen.

It was almost dinnertime, and the household staff were busy in the kitchen.

Finding Auntie, Su Qingnuan smiled helplessly. "Auntie, I hate to bother you again."

Auntie grinned. "Young Madam is here to make soup again?"

"Yes." Su Qingnuan awkwardly adjusted her clothing hem with a small smile. "Bone broth. Do we have the ingredients today?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"We do." Auntie promptly brought out the ingredients, placing them on the counter with a broad smile. "Now, all the staff at the villa know—whenever Young Madam comes to make soup, it’s because Eldest Young Master is upset."

"...That obvious, huh?"

A warmth surged in her chest, and Su Qingnuan’s cheeks flushed slightly.

"Oh my, Young Madam’s blushing!" Auntie teased.

Lowering her head, Su Qingnuan said softly, "Auntie, stop teasing me. I don’t have any other choice, you know."

If there were another way to pacify that man outside, Su Qingnuan wouldn’t have to keep running to the kitchen every time.

"Don’t be embarrassed, Young Madam. In marriage, it’s always a good thing when one person is willing to back down! Our Eldest Young Master may have a temper, but he has a good heart."

Fu Yihan, a good heart?

It was as if Su Qingnuan had just heard the funniest joke in the world. She covered her mouth, laughing silently.

"You don’t know, Young Master was such an obedient, sweet child back in the day," Auntie said, her eyes narrowing as she smiled, lost in happy memories.

Su Qingnuan chuckled. "Alright, Auntie, let’s focus on the soup for now. We can talk about this another time."

"Alright."

Su Qingnuan stayed in the kitchen, keeping watch over her soup, all the way until dinnertime.

During dinner, Old Master’s gaze kept circling around Su Qingnuan. Even someone as composed as she was couldn’t withstand such a piercing stare for long.

"Grandpa." Su Qingnuan set her chopsticks down, sighing softly. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Ahem." The Old Master pulled his gaze back and smiled. "I heard you were the one making soup?"

"...Yes."

How did even Grandpa know about this?

She instinctively glanced at Fu Yihan, who was quietly eating, entirely uninterested in her situation.

"Yihan, just look at how good Qingnuan is to you, and yet you keep that sour face on all the time!"

Fu Yihan raised an eyebrow and finally deigned to lift his head. "Having a sour face is my business—what does that have to do with her?"

"Can’t you at least smile once in a while? Otherwise, Qingnuan will lose heart!" The Old Master chastised, his tone serious.

"Lose heart?"

Fu Yihan’s frosty gaze landed on Su Qingnuan as he coldly asked, "Are you losing heart?"

"...No."

With an expression that clearly said "as expected," Fu Yihan turned back toward the Old Master, his gaze practically daring him to argue.

The Old Master’s lip twitched. Shooting Fu Yihan a glance, he muttered under his breath, "So smug now."

"Always have been."

That calm, collected demeanor brimming with an unspoken air of smugness was enough to make Su Qingnuan let out a helpless sigh.

"Grandpa, would you like some soup too?" Su Qingnuan cut into the exchange between the two men.

The Old Master raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "No, I’m just envious—some people can be so cold yet still have someone taking care of them."

Su Qingnuan smiled awkwardly and turned her head toward Fu Yihan. "Mr. Fu’s health isn’t great, so I just thought... if I can do more, I might as well help more."

"That’s wonderful." The Old Master nodded approvingly, his gaze filled with appreciation. "Indeed worthy of being the granddaughter-in-law I chose—well done."

"..." This almost childlike form of praise left Su Qingnuan lowering her head in embarrassment.

"Hmm, true."

Su Qingnuan froze momentarily, looking at Fu Yihan in surprise.

Unbothered, he continued eating as though her gaze meant nothing to him.

His rare acknowledgment even drew a smile of approval from the Old Master.

"Well done." The Old Master beamed. "A couple should always show mutual understanding."

Fu Yihan said nothing, setting his chopsticks down. "Are we eating or not?"

"Eating! Of course we’re eating." The Old Master hurried to reply, "How could we not?"

Unlike the usual tense meals, tonight’s dinner table was much more harmonious. Even Fu Yixing, who often liked to stir up trouble, wore a smile and refrained from saying anything unpleasant.

After dinner, Fu Yihan went upstairs.

Watching his retreating figure, Su Qingnuan fetched the soup from the kitchen and followed him upstairs.

"Mr. Fu," she said with a gentle smile, carrying the soup over. "I packed it in a thermos for you. If you feel like having it later, just take it out."

Fu Yihan lifted his eyelids slightly, glancing at the thermos placed beside him, his brows furrowing faintly.

Noticing his displeasure, Su Qingnuan quickly asked, "Mr. Fu, what’s wrong?"

He lifted his head, his icy gaze locking onto her.

Startled, Su Qingnuan silently panicked—how could his mood shift so suddenly? Nervously, she asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

Her eyes widened slightly as she spoke, giving her an innocent and pitiful look.

Fu Yihan raised an eyebrow, the chill in his gaze easing slightly. "Pour it out. I’ll drink it now."

Relieved at his words, Su Qingnuan quickly stepped forward to pour out the soup.

Nothing frightened her more than Fu Yihan’s silence.

As long as he was willing to speak, everything could be worked out.

"Here, Mr. Fu." Su Qingnuan handed the bowl to him, smiling softly. "Do you have any other types of soup you especially like?"

The last time he had her soup, Fu Yihan had been in a good mood for two days, behaving with rare calm—she hoped this time would be no different.

Fu Yihan gave her a sidelong glance, the corners of his lips curving into a barely perceptible smirk, as though he saw through her intentions.

Feeling awkward, Su Qingnuan averted her gaze, lowering her head and avoiding his eyes.

In the quiet bedroom, only the sound of a spoon clinking against the bowl broke the tranquil silence.

Feeling the strain of standing for too long, Su Qingnuan took a seat nearby, waiting for Fu Yihan to finish his soup.

Her gaze landed on a file on the table. Noticing the familiar handwriting, she froze for a moment.

"What is it?" Fu Yihan set his bowl down, following her gaze. "You recognize this project?"