The little secretary, Xu Ni, stood in a luxury store she had only dreamed of visiting, wishing she could turn around and leave immediately.
She had always believed she had Hu Xingfa under control; once their son was born, she would step into the role of the company’s proprietress.
But Hu Xingfa’s words just now?
What did he mean by sending her to an old man’s bed? And feeling ashamed?
Wasn’t that saying that he, too, thought her being with an old man like him was something that would shame her parents?
Thinking this, Secretary Xu Ni felt like she was about to explode and wanted to just walk away.
But… thinking of the child in her belly, the little secretary finally gritted her teeth and endured it.
At this moment, Hu Xingfa’s entire face, not just the side that Liu Fang had hit, but his whole face, neck, and behind his ears were red with anger, like someone’s face flushing after drinking.
“Damn you!” Hu Xingfa roared, rolling up his sleeves and lunging towards Liu Fang, raising one hand high to strike downwards, veins bulging with force.
His palm, carrying the fury of a typhoon, descended, but stopped mid-air.
Chen Long stepped forward, standing in front of Liu Fang, and with one hand, gripped the wrist of the red hand that looked as if it would smash the table.
Chen Long smiled as his hand gripping the wrist tightened.
“Be civilized, sir. Only uneducated beasts lay hands on frail women.”
Hu Xingfa tried to resist at first, but the pain in his wrist escalated, forcing him to concede and call out.
“Let go, let go, let go! I was just trying to swat a mosquito, you misunderstood, brother!”
“Heh, really?”
Releasing the hand he was holding, Chen Long adjusted the collar of his coat and then looked up with a satisfied smile at Hu Xingfa, who was rubbing his pained wrist.
“We’re meeting for the first time. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Liu Fang’s partner, Chen Long.”
Liu Fang’s partner?
“How is that possible!”
Upon hearing this, Hu Xingfa stopped rubbing his wrist and almost immediately expressed his disbelief.
However, after his doubt, before the person involved could speak, he immediately wore a knowing smile and pointed at Liu Fang.
“If it weren’t for our daughter, I wouldn’t even bother reminding you. I’ve seen plenty of these liars. Do you think someone as old as you, halfway to the grave, can find a prince charming? You’re dreaming. They’re just fooling idiotic women like you. Just you wait! For every ten thousand yuan he spends on you, he’ll scam you out of a hundred thousand, a million!”
Hu Xingfa expected to see panic on Liu Fang’s and the pretty boy Chen Long’s faces after he finished speaking, but he saw clearly that nothing of the sort happened.
Not even the sales assistants showed any shocked or disgusted expressions?
Hu Xingfa even began to doubt if he had actually spoken his words. As Hu Xingfa was about to say more, opening his mouth, two security guards with arms thicker than his legs appeared on either side.
“Sir, please accompany us to the VIP lounge to calm your emotions.”
After speaking, the two security guards, without waiting for Hu Xingfa’s reply, each took him by the arm and escorted him out of the store.
“Stop! Do you know who I am!”
No matter how Hu Xingfa protested, the two security guards turned a deaf ear. It was a luxury mall in C City; they must have some clout behind them.
With Hu Xingfa being escorted away, the little secretary hesitated for a moment before waddling after the two security guards with her pregnant belly.
It was too embarrassing to stay.
After Hu Xingfa and the little secretary left, Liu Fang, who had been somewhat happy about buying new clothes for her daughter, became dispirited.
Chen Long placed an arm around Liu Fang’s shoulder and picked up the shopping bag from the floor, acting as if nothing had happened. He smiled and said, “Let’s go. We still need to go to the supermarket to buy some bowls and snacks for watching the Spring Festival Gala tonight.”
Liu Fang’s lips moved, then she sighed softly, and with a hint of petulance, said,
“Yes, we still have the Spring Festival Gala to watch. Let’s go, Chenchen. It’s New Year’s Eve, I’ll allow you to have those spicy chicken feet today.”
They conversed like a real family, discussing what to eat while watching the Spring Festival Gala, where to burn incense on the first day of the lunar new year, and where to play cards on the second day.
Liu Chen walked behind them, listening to their serious discussions, occasionally bickering about Chen Long’s gifts for the visit.
Of course, most of the time, his mother felt that just coming was enough, buying some milk powder and fruit would suffice, and there was no need for the tonics like ginseng that Chen Long suggested; it was too extravagant.
Liu Chen, meanwhile, kept tossing the snacks he wanted into the shopping cart, and even added a large bottle of rice wine.
After all, he was an adult, and it was the New Year; a little rice wine to celebrate was acceptable.
The two young people, already attractive, walked through the supermarket with a beautiful tall-legged girl, and passersby instinctively glanced at them.
‘Look at this attractive family of three.’
Fortunately, because the supermarket prices were not cheap, despite it being New Year’s Eve, there were many shoppers but few paying customers, so checkout was quick. They left the mall just after nine o’clock in the evening.
Carrying their bags and packages, the three got into the car. Liu Fang looked at herself in the rearview mirror. Her youthful, fair, oval face now had a less defined jawline. She was still fair, but her eyes looked tired.
The flesh on her cheeks had also become a little loose, lacking the elasticity of a young girl. She reached out and poked her cheek.
“I’m getting old.”
Chen Long, who was driving, heard this and smiled.
“Everyone gets old. Besides, it wouldn’t be right if I had a face full of wrinkles and you were still by my side like an eighteen-year-old siren. People would say I was perverted. This is perfect. We’ll grow old together slowly.”
Liu Fang withdrew her gaze from the rearview mirror, turned to look at Chen Long, who was holding the steering wheel, and said softly,
“Okay, we’ll grow old together slowly.”
Liu Chen, sitting in the back seat, felt like he was too bright a lightbulb.
He lowered his head to look at his phone.
Messages in the QQ class group were rapidly updating, but Liu Chen didn’t open it. He first opened Mi Zhuzhu’s message.
Mi Zhuzhu: Liu Chen, Liu Chen, where are we going to play on the second day of the lunar new year?
Then came Ren Mo’s message.
Ren Mo: Sister Chen, Sister Chen, when are you coming to my place? My mom and my brother have started another cold war. Ahhh, I’m freezing!
Cold war?
Liu Chen hesitated for two seconds before he couldn’t help himself.
Liu Chen:
Why the cold war? Do you know the reason?