The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 513 - 516. Indecent behavior after drinking

"Jiajia, being persistent doesn’t always ensure success in matters of the heart." As the only younger sister of Gu Jiamin, Duan Ling didn’t want her to be so obstinate.

"And what about you? Pei Yinong is getting married to someone else. Why won’t you give up?" Gu Jiajia stared steadily at him.

Duan Ling paused, stunned. Yes, knowing he could never have her, why couldn’t he let go? He didn’t want to give up either, even though he knew that pestering Pei Yinong would only make her despise him more. Yet, they had the deepest bond, they should have been a family. To watch the woman he loved marry someone else tore him apart. Duan Ling had to admit, jealousy nearly drove him mad, yet he dared not do anything for fear that Pei Yinong would come to hate him.

The mere thought of her hateful gaze was unbearable, and even now when she looked at him as if he were a stranger, it pained his heart. He wanted to win Pei Yinong back, but didn’t know where to start, and even his own son wouldn’t help him.

Duan Ling felt like a failure in life, and it could even be said, particularly miserable.

"Duan Ling, if you can let go, then I am willing to let go of you too," Gu Jiajia said.

Duan Ling’s expression was indifferent as he spoke softly, "Jiajia, I am speaking to you as your brother-in-law. Whether you listen or not is up to you." He had said what he needed to say; the rest was no longer up to him to decide.

He needed to leave, but Gu Jiajia caught up to him, "Brother-in-law, wait for me, I came to pick you up. You can ride in my car."

Duan Ling pushed her away, "No need, I’ll just take a taxi."

Gu Jiajia watched resentfully as Duan Ling walked away, stamping her foot on the spot.

Since he planned to live in Beijing, Duan Ling bought an apartment there after returning to the country, so he no longer needed to stay at Cui Zeyu’s place. At home, Duan Ling lay on the sofa, looking at the calendar on the wall. On a day later in the year, a red pentagram was marked—it was the day of Pei Yinong’s wedding, and now it was only a little over a month away.

"Zeyu, let’s go out for drinks tonight," Duan Ling said, feeling frustrated, as he called Cui Zeyu.

That evening, at Charming Color.

Cui Zeyu watched Duan Ling chug one drink after another, his brow furrowed with concern. Just as Duan Ling was about to continue, Cui Zeyu held down his glass, "Duan Ling, stop drinking."

Duan Ling looked at him, "Zeyu, I’m suffering inside."

"What’s got into you?" Cui Zeyu didn’t understand; everything had been fine just a short while ago. "Didn’t you take your son to see your parents a few days ago? And now you’re brooding with alcohol. You missing your son?"

Duan Ling shook his head, "Zeyu, Yining is getting married next month."

Hearing this, Cui Zeyu appeared unconcerned, "You’ve known about this for a while, right?" If this had been two years earlier, Cui Zeyu might have tried to help Duan Ling win back Pei Yinong. But after two years, he no longer held such thoughts.

"Zeyu, I regret it. I regret not just giving up Yining back then, but I also regret leaving two years ago. I thought by leaving, I could let go of Yining and let her live the life she wanted, but what about the outcome?" While Pei Yinong did move on with her life, he still hadn’t managed to let go.

"Aling, just let it be. You and Pei Yinong are impossible." Once a woman hardens her heart, she can be fiercer than a man. Pei Yinong would never look back in this lifetime. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

At those words, a glimmer in Duan Ling’s eyes faded, "I know. But I can’t reconcile myself to it. I used to tell myself that even if Pei Yinong never spent her life with me, as long as she was happy, it would be alright. But now, I realize I can’t do it. Today at the airport, as I watched her holding Haohao, walking away, my reluctance welled up like a volcanic eruption, submerging me. Zeyu, I really can’t reconcile myself to it. I’ve loved this woman for over a decade, we even have a child, and yet she is going to marry someone else. Zeyu, I was supposed to have a happy family just like you, but I lost it all myself. How can I reconcile with that? How can I not harbor hatred?"

Listening to him, Cui Zeyu felt not a shred of sympathy, "So what now? You plan to disrupt the wedding?"

Duan Ling shook his head with a bitter smile, "I wouldn’t dare; I’m afraid she would hate me. Zeyu, I can’t bear her hatred."

"Aling, let go, even if it’s for your son Haohao’s sake," Cui Zeyu advised him. "You can’t win back Pei Yinong’s heart, no matter what you do; you’re only making her resent you more. The one who’s really suffering is Haohao. He grew up without a father, and now that he finally has one—if you antagonize Pei Yinong too much and she completely forbids you from seeing him—what are you going to do about Haohao?"

Cui Zeyu knew that Duan Ling cared a lot about Haohao, so he had to start there.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Duan Ling’s dejection somewhat subsided, "I know, so I won’t do anything. Zeyu, I won’t do any of the things you’re worried about. I’m just feeling sad and wanted to have a drink with you."

With things said to this point, there was not much left for Cui Zeyu to say, "Fine, I’ll drink with you tonight." As long as Duan Ling didn’t do anything foolish, Cui Zeyu was relieved. A night of drunkenness was something he could handle.

Without anyone to stop them, both men naturally got drunk. But Cui Zeyu was somewhat better off than Duan Ling, even somewhat sober, "Aling, it’s late; we should go home." He helped Duan Ling to his feet, but after just a couple of steps, Duan Ling slumped to one side, and would have fallen to the ground if the bartender hadn’t timely supported him.

Cui Zeyu was about to ask a waiter to help Duan Ling to the car when Duan Ling’s phone rang—it was from Gu Jiajia. It was only later that Cui Zeyu found out that Gu Jiamin had a younger sister.

A few months ago, the news of Gu Jiajia breaking her contract with Shengxuan was all over the place; everyone was calling her an ingrate. Shengxuan had given her such great resources, and yet she decided to break the contract and join a rival company. In the end, it was Duan Ling who paid several tens of millions in a high compensation fee before Shengxuan let her go.

Cui Zeyu didn’t have much of an opinion about Gu Jiajia, other than one point—this girl was no simple matter.

After Gu Jiajia called three times, Cui Zeyu finally answered.

"Brother-in-law, what are you doing? Why haven’t you answered my calls for so long? Are you still mad at me? I know I said some harsh things this morning, can you please not be mad?" As soon as the call was connected, Gu Jiajia’s voice came through, tentative.

Cui Zeyu was silent for a moment before speaking gently, "I’m not Duan Ling; this is Cui Zeyu."

Gu Jiajia was slightly startled, thought about what she had just said, and finding nothing amiss, relaxed, "Why do you have my brother-in-law’s phone? Where is my brother-in-law?" She knew that Cui Zeyu and Duan Ling were friends.

"Your brother-in-law is drunk. I was about to take him home."

"What! He’s drunk? Where are you now? At a bar? Which bar? I’ll come pick you guys up."

Originally, Cui Zeyu didn’t want Gu Jiajia to come fetch them, but looking at Duan Ling’s state of severe inebriation, he thought it over and gave her the address. It would indeed be difficult to get Duan Ling home by himself.

"Got it, I know. I’m on my way immediately; wait for me for half an hour." She was downtown, a bit far from Charming Color, but half an hour was enough.

Duan Ling wasn’t completely unconscious, tugging at Cui Zeyu’s sleeve, "Zeyu, let’s keep drinking."

Cui Zeyu frowned, "Drink what, you’re going home."

At the words "going home," Duan Ling furrowed his brows, "Not going, I don’t have a home. I’m just a lonely man without a family. I don’t have a home; I’ve lost it and can’t find it again." He murmured softly, his expression sorrowful.

Upon hearing this, Cui Zeyu felt a pang of sadness in his heart, "Look at you, if only you had known; now it’s too late for regrets. You reap what you sow; you have to face it yourself. It’s not that I don’t want to help you, brother, it’s that I’m truly powerless to do so." If there were even the slightest hope, Cui Zeyu would help, but it was clear that struggling was futile, so why seek more pain?

It was unclear whether Duan Ling heard or not, as he lay slumped over the bar muttering nonstop. His voice was so soft that Cui Zeyu couldn’t make out what he was saying; after a while, he gave up and waited for Gu Jiajia to arrive.

Gu Jiajia arrived quickly and immediately saw Cui Zeyu and Duan Ling upon entering. Duan Ling lay unconscious on the bar top.

Gu Jiajia watched Duan Ling drink to such a state, her eyes suddenly widening as she turned to Cui Zeyu, "How could you let my brother-in-law drink so much? What if he gets alcohol poisoning?"

Cui Zeyu had a look of innocence on his face, "He wanted to drink, could I have stopped him? Don’t worry, at most this amount of alcohol will just make him sleep it off."

He knew Duan Ling’s drinking capacity. The amount of alcohol he had tonight would get Duan Ling drunk at best, but alcohol poisoning was far from likely.

Gu Jiajia rolled her eyes in frustration, "It’s easy for you to say since you’re not the one getting drunk or feeling sick—you’re not the one suffering the consequences."

"Hey, you little girl, do you have any sense at all? I was being kind and let you know, and now you’re blaming me. Your help isn’t needed here, so you better leave," Cui Zeyu snapped back, urging Gu Jiajia to hurry up and go.

But Gu Jiajia didn’t leave, her eyes still glaring, "I’m not going anywhere. How’s he supposed to take care of himself looking like this? At least I can stay and look after him. If you send me away, will you take care of him?"

At her words, Cui Zeyu suddenly fell silent; of course, he wouldn’t take care of Duan Ling.

"Really, how could you be so insensitive at your age? Why would you force him to drink to the point of discomfort?" Gu Jiajia muttered under her breath, voicing her dissatisfaction towards Cui Zeyu.

Cui Zeyu, hearing this, couldn’t be bothered to argue with a little girl and just rolled his eyes, "Hurry up and help him into the car. Do you seriously plan on spending the night at the bar?"

Gu Jiajia stepped in, and it took a great deal of effort for the two of them to finally get Duan Ling into the car, "Alright, you guys go ahead. I won’t join you; I’ll take another taxi," Cui Zeyu waved his hand, panting hard. A drunken man really was too heavy to handle.

In fact, Duan Ling hadn’t completely lost consciousness; he knew Gu Jiajia had come looking for him. He simply didn’t want to deal with her, so after getting into the car, Duan Ling kept his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep.

Sitting beside him, Gu Jiajia gazed at his peaceful sleeping face, her eyes softening. She reached out wanting to touch Duan Ling’s face, but just as her hand was midway, she saw Duan Ling frown in discomfort and awkwardly withdrew her hand, "Brother-in-law, are you feeling okay?"

Duan Ling just frowned and remained silent. Gu Jiajia asked again but still got no response. She sighed in relief, thinking that he probably hadn’t noticed her little gesture.

Traffic was a bit congested on the road. By the time they arrived at Duan Ling’s house, an hour had passed. After this hour of rest, Duan Ling’s consciousness had somewhat returned.

Seeing that he opened his eyes, Gu Jiajia asked softly, "Brother-in-law, are you sober now?"

Duan Ling wasn’t completely sober, but his awareness had improved quite a bit. Seeing that he didn’t respond, Gu Jiajia said, "Let me help you inside." Duan Ling nodded.

Duan Ling was a bit unsteady on his feet, and with Gu Jiajia’s modest strength, it took a lot of effort to get Duan Ling into his room. Seeing him lying on the bed with a frown, Gu Jiajia felt a pang of pity.

She reached out to help Duan Ling take off his clothes, but he held her hand.

Gu Jiajia explained, "Brother-in-law, I’ll help you change clothes."

Duan Ling pushed her hand away, "No need, I can manage." He himself undid his tie and recklessly tore open the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing his sturdy chest.

Gu Jiajia’s face turned red at the sight. She had seen men’s bodies before, having even shot passionate scenes, but it was her first time seeing Duan Ling like this. Especially now, with Duan Ling’s drunken appearance, his partially exposed attire added an alluring charisma.

Gu Jiajia turned and went to the bathroom, touching her hot face and feeling her heart race. After a while, she returned with a towel, "Brother-in-law, wash your face." She handed the towel to Duan Ling, but he showed no reaction, breathing evenly with his eyes closed, seemingly really asleep. Gu Jiajia had no choice but to carefully wipe his face for him.

Duan Ling felt a hand causing mischief on his face and grabbed the wrist, blurting out subconsciously, "Yining, stop it."

Gu Jiajia’s body stiffened abruptly as she stared blankly at Duan Ling, unable to believe that this man, even in his drunken state, was still obsessed with Pei Yinong. A flash of anger flickered in her eyes, but seeing Duan Ling’s condition at the moment, she couldn’t bring herself to argue with him. Instead, she sat to one side, sullenly stewing in her own frustration.

"Yinong, I love you—I love you so much. But why won’t you be with me? We used to love each other so much. Didn’t we agree to spend our lives together?" Duan Ling’s expression was filled with sorrow.

Gu Jiajia’s complexion turned paler. Why, why, when that woman doesn’t love you anymore, when she’s going to marry someone else, are you still thinking about her? Wasn’t it for my sister that you left her? Then that should mean you love my sister the most, but now you’re treating Pei Yinong in such a way. Where have you put my sister, and where have I been placed in your heart?

"Yinong, don’t go. Come back to me, okay? As long as you’re willing to come back, I can give you anything you want." Duan Ling said, holding onto Gu Jiajia’s hand and repeating himself incessantly.

Gu Jiajia’s face grew uglier by the second. She very much wanted to shake off Duan Ling’s hand and shout, "I’m not Pei Yinong, I’m Gu Jiajia!" Yet, in the end, she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she helped adjust Duan Ling so that he could lie down more comfortably.

Suddenly, Duan Ling opened his eyes and fixedly looked at Gu Jiajia. Gu Jiajia was taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly wake up, "Brother-in-law..."

Duan Ling looked at her, silent. At this moment, Gu Jiajia’s hand was on Duan Ling’s belt. She was trying to help Duan Ling change clothes, for sleeping in a suit all night would surely be uncomfortable the next day. However, Duan Ling woke up.

Gu Jiajia felt awkward. Would Duan Ling misunderstand her, thinking she was up to something else?

As Gu Jiajia was still in a daze, Duan Ling suddenly rolled over, pinning her beneath him.

The sudden movement startled Gu Jiajia, and it took her a moment to react, "Brother-in-law..."

"Yinong, I knew you wouldn’t leave me," Duan Ling said with a smile on his lips, but his mouth was calling out Pei Yinong’s name.

The timid shyness in Gu Jiajia’s eyes disappeared instantly, "Brother-in-law, I’m Gu Jiajia, not Pei Yinong."

But Duan Ling didn’t seem to hear her words. He looked at Gu Jiajia tenderly, "Yinong, you actually love me too, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had Haohao and raised him so well. I love you too. I’ve always regretted leaving you. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you over the years. Yinong, please come back to me, okay? I’ll give you everything that’s best, anything you want, even my life."

Duan Ling spoke tenderly, but Gu Jiajia felt as if every word was a sharp blade, stabbing mercilessly into her heart, leaving it riddled with wounds in an instant.

She wanted to push Duan Ling away, to shout at him, "I’m not Pei Yinong, I’m Gu Jiajia." But something stopped her, and with a change of expression and a clench of her teeth, she took the initiative to wrap her arms around Duan Ling’s neck. "Aling, I won’t leave you. I will never leave you." Gu Jiajia could clearly see the surprise in Duan Ling’s eyes upon hearing her words.

Her heart ached, so much that she could hardly breathe, yet her face bore a gentle smile, "Aling, I love you. For you, I can do anything." She closed her eyes and initiated a kiss on Duan Ling’s lips.

The next morning, when Duan Ling woke up, he felt his head splitting. He rubbed his forehead, taking a long time to recover, then suddenly realized there seemed to be someone else lying next to him. Turning his head, he saw Gu Jiajia, still asleep.

His complexion changed, and he looked at the state of both their bodies—completely bare. Without needing to guess, he knew what had happened between them the night before.

Duan Ling’s expression turned very ugly. He couldn’t remember what exactly happened last night, only that he had been drinking with Cui Zeyu in the bar, then got drunk, and Gu Jiajia had brought him home.

So, after bringing him home, Gu Jiajia didn’t leave but stayed instead? At this thought, Duan Ling’s gaze toward Gu Jiajia gradually turned icy.

"Brother-in-law, you’re awake?" As soon as Gu Jiajia opened her eyes, she saw Duan Ling’s look. Her face turned red as she recalled how wild Duan Ling had been last night, feeling somewhat embarrassed to face him.

But Duan Ling had already gotten up, looking at her coldly, "Did you plot this?" Though it was a question, his tone was certain.

Gu Jiajia couldn’t believe it. She woke up only to find Duan Ling suspecting her of scheming against him. She looked at Duan Ling incredulously, "Brother-in-law, you don’t really think that I deliberately took advantage of you being drunk to then...?"

Duan Ling’s gaze was icy, "If not, why would you appear in my house, on my bed?"

Gu Jiajia’s tears fell in an instant, "Brother-in-law, how can you think of me like that? Last night, it was because Cui Zeyu said that you were drunk that I went to pick you up and take you home. I just wanted to help you take off your suit jacket, but then you mistook me for Pei Yinong. I resisted, but you insisted on..."

She couldn’t continue, and her tears fell like beads off a string, landing on the bedsheet.

Duan Ling was taken aback. His head ached terribly, and he truly couldn’t recall what had happened last night, but he vaguely remembered seeing Pei Yinong. Could it be that he really mistook Gu Jiajia for Pei Yinong? At that thought, Duan Ling’s headache intensified, and his complexion darkened.

"Brother-in-law, we’ve known each other for so many years. Do you really see me as such a scheming person? I like you, but I’ve never thought to gain your affections through such means. I just wanted to stay by your side, show you my good qualities, and then slowly have you fall for me," Gu Jiajia said, a look of grievance on her face as she made her case.

Duan Ling now believed Gu Jiajia’s words. He hadn’t expected that his drunken self would end up sleeping with Gu Jiajia, "Jiajia, I..."

Gu Jiajia waved her hand, "Brother-in-law, I know you don’t like me. We are all adults. Let’s pretend what happened last night never occurred. I won’t ask you to take responsibility." As she spoke, she picked up her clothes from the floor, threw them on haphazardly, and retreated into the bathroom. The ambiguous traces all over her body hinted at the intensity of last night’s encounter.

Gu Lin stood still on the spot for a long time. When Gu Jiajia came out of the bathroom, Duan Ling was still standing there. Gu Jiajia had changed into her clothes, and as she tried to pass by Duan Ling to leave the room, Duan Ling caught hold of her arm, "Jiajia."

"Brother-in-law, if you still think that I’ve plotted against you, then just believe that I did," Gu Jiajia said, her voice laced with sadness and disappointment.

"Jiajia, I’m sorry, I was drunk last night. I don’t know why things ended up this way... I..."

"Brother-in-law, there’s no need to say anything. Although I was initiative last night, in the end, it was also my own willing choice. You can’t blame yourself alone. I’m an adult; I can take responsibility for my actions. If I say you don’t need to take responsibility, then you really don’t need to worry about it. Since you’re awake now, just forget about what happened. You will still be my brother-in-law, until you actually fall for me—nothing will change."

The more Gu Jiajia said this, the more Duan Ling felt guilt towards her. He wished he could slap himself hard for drinking so much without reason. Now, what was he to do about this situation?

"Brother-in-law, you don’t have to say anything. I know what you want to say, and truly, it doesn’t matter. It was just a drunken fling. I won’t take it to heart," Gu Jiajia said nonchalantly, then brushed off his hand and walked straight out of his house.

Duan Ling stood, staring blankly at the plum blossom on the bedsheet, silent for a long time.

However, once she had left Duan Ling’s house, Gu Jiajia’s lips curled into a smug smile. Although what happened last night was indeed an accident, and she had merely taken advantage of circumstances, the union meant that she believed Duan Ling would never ignore her as before. She had, after all, made an impression on his heart, and this was just the beginning. She wanted not only Duan Ling’s person but also his heart.

But for her, the biggest obstacle was Pei Yinong. As long as Duan Ling wasn’t completely over Pei Yinong, she could never have his heart.

"What did you say? You actually slept with Gu Jiajia?" Cui Zeyu looked at Duan Ling with disbelief. Duan Ling looked downcast, nodding, "I really was drunk last night, and I don’t know how things happened."

Cui Zeyu was speechless as he looked at Duan Ling, "Big brother, this isn’t something you can just brush off by saying you can’t remember or don’t know. Gu Jiajia is your sister-in-law." If it had been any other woman, it wouldn’t have mattered as much if you slept with her.

Duan Ling rubbed his head in frustration, "I know all that you’re saying. But what’s done is done; what can I do now? I certainly can’t marry her, can I?"

"Is she asking you to marry her?"

Duan Ling shook his head, "She hasn’t made any demands. Instead, she told me not to worry about it. But the more she says that, the more uneasy I feel." If Gu Jiajia had actually made some demand, things would be simpler.

"If she herself isn’t worrying about it, what are you brooding over?" Cui Zeyu rolled his eyes, "In this day and age, casual relationships and flings are common occurrences."

"I asked you to help me think of a solution, not to talk about all this nonsense."

"Big brother, you’re the one who slept with her. What can I do? You don’t want to marry her, and she hasn’t asked to marry you, so let’s just forget it. Besides, are you really going to rush to tell her you want to marry her? I’m asking you, do you really want to in your heart?"

Duan Ling certainly didn’t want to. His love wasn’t for Gu Jiajia, and he had not the slightest bit of romantic feeling for her. If it weren’t for last night’s accident, Gu Jiajia would forever be his little aunt, and he would have treated her like a brother treats a sister.

"Aling, I don’t know what to say to you about this. If you really don’t like Gu Jiajia, then stop dwelling on what happened last night. Pretend it never happened, forget about it. But if you feel guilty towards Gu Jiajia, then marry her and forget Pei Yinong."

If Duan Ling could really get over Pei Yinong, Cui Zeyu actually thought marrying Gu Jiajia wouldn’t be a bad thing. The problem was whether the man in front of him could let go.

Of course, Duan Ling couldn’t let go. If it were that easy, he wouldn’t have gotten so drunk last night.

Not getting any results from discussing with his friend, Duan Ling quickly went home. He called Gu Jiajia, but she didn’t answer, and even turned her phone off. Duan Ling thought he had hurt her with his words this morning, and he felt increasingly guilty.

But what was Gu Jiajia doing at this time? She was shopping with a friend at the mall.

After having had intimate contact with Duan Ling, she knew that their relationship could never be clear again. Given Duan Ling’s character, he would most likely take responsibility for her. Just thinking about the possibility of marrying Duan Ling in the future and having a child belonging to them made her heart soar with joy. When one is in a good mood, the desire to shop arises. She made a call to a friend, and the two of them went on a shopping spree at the mall.

During their spree, Gu Jiajia received a call from Duan Ling, which she deliberately ignored, even turning off her phone.

Her friend looked at her, "Jiajia, who is this? You don’t even want to answer his call."

Gu Jiajia shook her head, "Nobody important, just an annoying suitor who keeps pestering me. Quite bothersome."

"Now you’re a big star pushed by the company, surrounded by countless pursuers. Such situations will only increase in the future, you can’t just keep turning your phone off."

"Let’s talk about future issues in the future. These guys are all unsuitable, I don’t fancy any of them," Gu Jiajia said with her brows dancing.

Hearing this, her friend looked at her with a teasing glance, "The way you talk, it seems like you have someone in mind?" Gu Jiajia smiled without saying a word.

Her friend immediately knew there was definitely something up and became more curious, "Hey, tell me, who have you taken a liking to?"

"I won’t tell you. What if you end up liking him too? He’s my treasure; I need to hide him away."

"Look how smug you are."

Her friend rolled her eyes at her, "You’re looking so smug."

Gu Jiajia chuckled, her face full of triumphant joy; she indeed had every reason to be pleased. The only regret was that last night, Duan Ling had thought the person he was with was Pei Yinong. However, it didn’t matter. With this new relationship, she and Duan Ling would only grow closer, and someday Duan Ling would see her worth and forget about Pei Yinong.

"Come on, didn’t you like that bag just now? I’ll buy it for you," Gu Jiajia declared magnanimously with a wave of her hand.

Her friend’s eyes shone with surprise, "Are you serious?" Usually, Gu Jiajia was generous, but never as much as now – she must be in a great mood today.

"I wouldn’t lie to you—I’m a puppy if I do. I said it’s a gift and we’ll go buy it right now."

"Hehe, then I’ll take you up on your offer without holding back."

Duan Ling couldn’t get in touch with Gu Jiajia and drove straight to her place. The house was also bought by Duan Ling and wasn’t very far from his own neighborhood. When he got there, nobody was home.

Unable to reach her on the phone and finding no one at home, Duan Ling couldn’t help but feel worried, afraid that Gu Jiajia might do something foolish. But thinking of Gu Jiajia’s personality, he felt that she wouldn’t go to such extremes and had to wait patiently at the door.

Gu Jiajia was in a good mood today and had a great time shopping with a friend until late before she returned, while Duan Ling was still waiting at the door.

Seeing Duan Ling, Gu Jiajia was somewhat surprised, "Brother-in-law, what are you doing here?"

"Jiajia, you’re finally back. Are you alright?" Duan Ling immediately sized up Gu Jiajia, and upon seeing her safe and sound, he let out a long sigh of relief.

A look of confusion spread across Gu Jiajia’s face, "I’m fine. Brother-in-law, you don’t think I’d do something stupid over what happened last night, do you?"

Duan Ling’s face flushed with embarrassment. He couldn’t admit that he had actually thought that, and had even planned to contact the police if Gu Jiajia hadn’t returned by tonight.

Gu Jiajia’s smile faded slightly as she looked intently at Duan Ling, "Brother-in-law, I indeed wasn’t in the best of spirits today, but I’m not so foolish as to do something rash. Look, I went for a walk around the mall, and I feel much better now. You should head back."

Duan Ling had already seen the shopping bags in Gu Jiajia’s hands and, with a flicker in his eyes, he took out a bank card from his pocket.

Handing it to her, "If there’s anything else you want to buy, go ahead and get it. There should be enough money on this card for your purchases."

"Brother-in-law, you don’t think that I’m after your money, do you?" Gu Jiajia looked hurt, "Or do you feel guilty about me and are trying to compensate me with money?"

Duan Ling faltered, "Jiajia, you’ve misunderstood, that’s not what I meant. I was just..." Duan Ling was at a loss for words, unsure of how to explain.

Gu Jiajia’s face was bitter, "Brother-in-law, take your bank card back. I don’t want your money; I have my own. It’s getting late, and I want to sleep. You should go home too."

Gu Jiajia opened the door, entered, then closed it behind her all in one smooth motion, without any intention of asking Duan Ling to stay. Left outside, Duan Ling stared at the door for a while before ultimately turning to leave.

**

Ever since Anan stood up for Jingjing, their relationship suddenly became much closer. Shen Qinglan would drop her son off at school every day and often ran into Jingjing’s mother, who was also there to drop off her daughter. Over time, they became acquainted with each other.

Later on, Shen Qinglan learned that Jingjing’s mother was a Chinese literature professor at C University, while Jingjing’s father was an officer in the military. Since he wasn’t in the same unit as Fu Hengyi, the two men didn’t know each other.

As they saw each other more frequently, they naturally became friendlier, and because their children got along so well, Jingjing’s mother often brought her daughter to visit the Fu Family.

"Qinglan, these are some pastries I made myself; bring them for you all to try. If they’re good, let me know and I’ll make more next time," Jingjing’s mother handed a beautifully packaged box of pastries to Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan accepted it and put it aside, "It’s good enough that you come visit; you don’t have to bring gifts every time." Jingjing’s mother was polite and brought something every time she visited, and although they were never expensive items, the repeated gestures made Shen Qinglan feel quite embarrassed.

"It’s hardly a gift. They’re just some pastries I tinkered with in my spare time. I might not be good at cooking, but I’m quite skilled at making pastries. Give them a try," Jingjing’s mother said with a smile.

Anan had already pulled Jingjing off to see his toy room. Shen Qinglan and Jingjing’s mother sat in the living room chatting, while Old Sir Fu had gone to the Shen Family to meet with Old Sir Shen, leaving just Shen Qinglan and Jingjing’s mother in the living room.

While chatting, Shen Qinglan suddenly received a phone call from Yu Xiaoxuan, who said she had already arrived at the entrance of the Military District and asked Shen Qinglan to come pick her up. Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow slightly, "Why are you coming over today?"

"It’s all because of Guoguo insisting on coming over to see Anan. I finally got a day off today and wanted to sleep in at home," Yu Xiaoxuan explained.

"What about Han Yi? Why didn’t you let him bring her over?" Guoguo liked Anan very much and often visited their home, so Shen Qinglan was no longer surprised.

Yu Xiaoxuan arrived at the door, took off her shoes, and as she walked in, said, "He went to a company meeting. This little girl made such a fuss all morning that she gave me a headache. I had no choice but to bring her with me." Seeing the strangers sitting in the living room, she was somewhat surprised; it seemed she had come at an inconvenient time, "There are guests at home today," she whispered.

Shen Qinglan introduced the two, "This is Jingjing’s mother, the mother of Anan’s classmate? And this is my friend, Yu Xiaoxuan."

"So you are Yu Xiaoxuan," Jingjing’s mother said with a smile, "I’ve only seen you on TV before. I never expected to meet you in person here today; you are even prettier than you are on TV."

Compliments about being beautiful are welcomed by almost every woman, and Yu Xiaoxuan was no exception, smiling warmly, "You’re very pretty too."

Jingjing’s mother gave a soft smile and looked towards Guoguo, "Is this your daughter?"

Yu Xiaoxuan nodded, "Guoguo, say hello to aunty." Guoguo called out in her milky voice, "Aunty," but her eyes were looking around as if searching for someone.

"Brother An’an is in his room upstairs. You can go up and find him," Shen Qinglan said gently.

Guoguo frequently visited and was familiar with the Fu Family, so naturally, she knew where Anan’s room was. Once Yu Xiaoxuan set her down, she ran upstairs on her own.

The three adults chatted downstairs. Jingjing’s mother seemed demure and quiet, but she was actually very good at conversation. They were chatting merrily when suddenly, crying from a child echoed from upstairs. Listening carefully, it was Guoguo.

Yu Xiaoxuan stood up, "I’ll go up and see what’s the matter." She seemed calm and unrushed.

Shen Qinglan felt a bit uneasy and followed her up, with Jingjing’s mother naturally coming along.

In Anan’s nursery, Guoguo was bawling her eyes out. Anan stood in front of her, bewildered, holding a little toy car, apparently trying to comfort Guoguo.

"What’s going on? Guoguo, why are you crying?" Yu Xiaoxuan asked, crouching down to wipe her daughter’s tears and speaking softly.

Guoguo sobbed and complained to Yu Xiaoxuan, "Brother An’an is ignoring me."

Shen Qinglan looked at Anan, "What’s this about?" she asked in a gentle tone.

Anan looked wronged, "I didn’t ignore my sister."

"Brother An’an only plays with her, not with me," said Guoguo, pointing to Jingjing who stood on one side, saying nothing.

Anan felt even more aggrieved upon hearing this, "Guoguo wanted the toy in Jingjing’s hands, but since Jingjing is a guest, I didn’t give it to her. Guoguo got mad, and then she started crying."

The three adults did not expect this; they were at a loss whether to laugh or cry.