Chapter 85
Shi Nuan's eyes darted towards the rear-view mirror so she could see Su Yian. "I've noticed Rongrong is a bad influence on you!"
"What do you mean? I'm a great influence!" Song Rongrong said unhappily. "Yian and I just can't bear to watch anyone pick on you. They treat you like this because you still see them as family and refuse to retaliate. If I were you, I would have hung them up and beat them with a stick!"
"Oh, come on!" Shi Nuan laughed. "I know what kind of person you are anyway. You're sharp-tongued but always mean well!"
The three women chatted in the car. Shi Nuan drove steadily and very slowly. Suddenly, a speeding car overtook them and its driver even rolled down the window to beckon at them provocatively. "Sh*t, who the hell was that!?" Song Rongrong was a person who got aggravated easily, so she naturally couldn't let this go. "Overtake him, Nuan."
Shi Nuan pursed her lips and shook her head. "I'm not that skillful! Why should I compete with someone I don't know? We're almost there, anyway." Shi Nuan's nonchalant behavior caused Song Rongrong to explode. "Didn't you see the guy taunting us?"
Shi Nuan shook her head with a smile. "Maybe I blocked his path?"
"You seriously make me so mad." Song Rongrong could only swallow her anger when she saw how mild-tempered Shi Nuan was.
As the three arrived at the Wutong Residence, they saw that same car parked outside. Song Rongrong was dumbfounded. "Don't tell me that's Chengyan's car!"
"It's not!" Shi Nuan shook her head. Fu Chengyan had many cars, but he never owned one so ostentatious.
"It's probably his friend's," Shi Nuan said doubtfully.
They got out as Shi Nuan arrived at the parking lot. Then, she brought Song Rongrong and Su Yian in. On the way in, Song Rongrong behaved like someone who had just landed in a new world. She looked hilarious. "Tsk tsk, Nuan, I know your man's rich, but I didn't think it was to this extent. Does this whole place belong to him?"
Song Rongrong scanned the entire exterior of the Wutong Residence. It was at least a few hundred square meters here, and there were no other houses round. "Doesn't it feel kind of empty living here?"
"It is pretty big," Shi Nuan said with a smile and opened the door to look for some indoor slippers. "Here, put these on." Just then, they heard a voice coming from inside. "Seriously, Chengyan? I haven't seen you cook for so long. Did you know that I was coming over and prepared all this for me?"
Shi Nuan raised a brow and exchanged glances with Song Rongrong and Su Yian. Then, they heard Fu Chengyan's cold and unamused voice. "Why are you here?"
"How could you treat me like this, Fu Chengyan? Who else would you prepare so much food for, if not for me- Huh?" Su Shaoqing was leaning against the kitchen door when he saw the three women in the living room. His charming eyes were full of smiles. "You're back, sister-in-law?"
Shi Nuan's lips twitched and she nodded slightly. "Yeah. Hello!"
"Do you still remember me?" Su Shaoqing stood there with his arms folded and legs crossed. He looked very relaxed.
Fu Chengyan walked out of the kitchen and glared at Su Shaoqing. "Get out of here, and go back to where you came from!" He said without a hint of warmth before turning to Shi Nuan. "You're back?" That gentle tone of his could give someone goose bumps.
It wasn't just Su Shaoqing; even Song Rongrong and Su Yian could see how differently Fu Chengyan treated Shi Nuan.
"Yeah," Shi Nuan said with a smile.
"Hello, brother-in-law! Do you still remember me?" We met last night," Song Rongrong said with a wave. "I'm Nuan's friend, Song Rongrong. This one here is called Su Yian."
"Nice to meet you!" Fu Chengyan was full of smiles and treated them especially well because of how they addressed him.
"Hey, hey, hey! What kind of friend are you, Chengyan?" Su Shaoqing was miffed when he realized he was the only one that was receiving the cold shoulder.
"Is there a problem?" Fu Chengyan challenged while glancing at Su Shaoqing. "What are you here for this time?"
"I have not seen you in a while. What's wrong with me dropping by?" Su Shaoqing had never met someone this ungrateful. A smile appeared in his gorgeous eyes, but there was something lurking underneath his innocuous façade. His expression unsettled everyone present.
Fu Chengyan narrowed his eyes, not wanting to bother himself with Su Shaoqing. Instead, he walked over to Shi Nuan and took the shopping bags from her. "You must be tired. Go take a rest with your friends and watch some TV. Dinner will be ready soon."
Then, he turned to Song Rongrong and Su Yian with a light nod. "It's my first time having you here. Please excuse any shortcomings!"
"No, no, no! We're the ones troubling you." Song Rongrong was a talkative woman, but she was still sophisticated when it came to the ways of the world.
Moreover, she and Su Yian understood that if it weren't for Shi Nuan, they would not even have the chance to meet someone like Fu Chengyan, let alone be his guest. "You're too kind, brother-in-law. Please carry on with what you were doing and don't mind us! We'll take care of ourselves, right, Nuan?" Song Rongrong winked at Shi Nuan. The latter could only smile in resignation. "Go on ahead. I'll keep them company."
"OK!" Fu Chengyan nodded then headed upstairs to put everything down.
As the three women sat in the living room and began to chat, Su Shaoqing felt that things would be rather interesting today. He followed Fu Chengyan upstairs and leaned against the bedroom door. "Looks like you're serious about this!"
Fu Chengyan looked up and paused for a moment. Then, he looked at the new clothes Shi Nuan bought and shook his head, asking, "Since when have I not been serious?"
Su Shaoqing's expression instantly became stern and he stared at Fu Chengyan solemnly. "I know I don't have the right to say this, but we're practically brothers, so I have to remind you this: once you start, you can't disappoint her."
Fu Chengyan frowned. "I know what I'm doing!" He didn't need anyone's reminder.
Hearing that, Su Shaoqing curled a corner of his lips. "You're also aware that it's not easy for people like us to obtain love."
"I'm not the same as you, Shaoqing!" Fu Chengyan said with a cold look on his face and one hand in his pocket. "I've never been the same as you. You should know that!"
Su Shaoqing wanted to say more, but eventually just raised his brows and let out a begrudging smile. "Yeah, we're not the same. Forget it. Since she's willing to bring her best friends over, I guess she's accepted you."
A broad smile formed on Fu Chengyan's face. "You came over for...?"
"Oh, right! For this!" Su Shaoqing took out a piece of paper and handed it to Fu Chengyan. "It's about the sleeping drug your wife inhaled last night. Its ingredients have been revealed. It comes from K Nation, so you'll have to be careful. This woman, Shi Wei, is probably just a smokescreen. We still don't know who the real person behind the scenes is."
Fu Chengyan took the paper and glanced at it before frowning. "Are you sure?"
"You still don't believe me? I personally analyzed it," Su Shaoqing replied. "So you'd better be more careful. Same goes for your wife!"
"OK, I got it." Fu Chengyan nodded and put the lab report away safely. "Since you're here, you should stay for dinner."
"Of course."
The two men headed down together and saw the women chatting away. The living room was filled with cheerful laughter. Fu Chengyan's lips curved into a smile and he had a warm expression on his face. Su Shaoqing looked over at Fu Chengyan and clicked his tongue. "You've really fallen under her spell."
Fu Chengyan glared at him. "Do you want to leave without dinner?"
"I'm just kidding. You don't have to take it so seriously!" Su Shaoqing shrugged.
Shi Nuan and her friends were just talking about the embarrassing incidents they had experienced during their college years. Having been classmates and dorm mates, they stuck together every day, so they knew each other all too well.
"What are you three beauties chitchatting about?" Su Shaoqing walked over with an innocent smile.
Shi Nuan's smile faded away instantly. "Mr. Su."
"There's no need to be so courteous, Shi Nuan. You can just call me Qing or Shaoqing," Su Shaoqing responded affably. "And these two lovely ladies are..."
"Oh, let me introduce you to each other. This is Su Shaoqing, Yan's good friend. Shaoqing, these are my two best friends. This is Song Rongrong, and this is Su Yian."
"Hello!" Su Shaoqing nodded virtuously.
"Hi!" Su Yian smiled.
But Song Rongrong suddenly asked, "Does that car at the entrance belong to you?"
Su Shaoqing quirked an eyebrow and nodded. "Yes. Is something the matter, Ms. Song?"
Song Rongrong clenched her jaw. "So you were the one who provoked us on the road earlier?"
With her gritted her teeth and fierce expression that looked like she could devour him whole, Su Shaoqing remembered that he had indeed provoked someone on the road. But the car Shi Nuan drove once belonged to him - he had given it to Fu Chengyan after losing a bet.
That was why Su Shaoqing went to challenge Shi Nuan and her friends when he saw the car moving so slowly. He had thought Fu Chengyan was the one inside the car, and was wondering when his friend had become this bad at driving.
Yet, after sending out a challenge, they didn't chase after him, so Su Shaoqing thought he had mistaken a random car for the one he gave to Fu Chengyan.
As Su Shaoqing looked at Song Rongrong, then Shi Nuan, he immediately got it. "Did Chengyan let you drive that car?"
Shi Nuan nodded. "My workplace is kind of far from here, so..."
"I get it now," Su Shaoyong said with a smile. "I gave this car to Chengyan after losing a bet. But you know he's not a fan of flashy cars, so he's never once driven it. I think it's fitting that he gave it to you." Su Shaoqing then proceeded to explain the misunderstanding: he had challenged them because he thought Fu Chengyan was the one driving.
"So it's all a misunderstanding," Shi Nuan chuckled. "I'll go check up on Yan to see how he's doing. Make yourselves at home!"