He had never considered letting his mother know about this matter. He had always carefully hidden his feelings, but when his mother suddenly found out at this moment, he suddenly felt relieved.
"Mom, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"How could you!" Yuan Fang looked at him, disappointed that he had failed to live up to her expectations. However, seeing her son, who had always been spirited since childhood, now dejected, she couldn't bring herself to scold him.
She took a deep breath. "Forget it, blaming you for what has already happened is useless. Zi Chen, you must remember what I told you today. When you know something is impossible, you must nip it in the bud the moment the thought arises."
"Mom..." Yuan Zi Chen wanted to ask if he could simply like her from afar without disturbing her, and if that would mean he wouldn't have to extinguish his feelings.
Yuan Fang shook her head almost indifferently. "Absolutely not. When your feelings are not yet deep, you might think you only need to watch from afar and keep this affection hidden in your heart. But if you let it fester, as it slowly ferments, your thoughts will not remain so simple. You will gradually become greedy."
"I won't!" Yuan Zi Chen retorted almost instinctively, but as he looked into his mother's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, he suddenly felt unable to continue.
"Child, let it go."
Yuan Zi Chen clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and slowly nodded. "I understand. Don't worry, Mom, I won't make you worry about me."
"I know you're sensible."
Yuan Fang sighed inwardly.
If that girl were not married, she would have been happy to see her son and that girl together. But she had already formed a family and even had children. It would not be appropriate for her son to interfere.
It was all fate!
...
For the next few days, everything at Shen Qingqing's company was normal. She didn't go to the company but stayed home to accompany her two children. Instead, Fu Jing Shu was extremely busy.
He left early and returned late every day.
Shen Qingqing knew he had a lot of work at the company, so she cooked him all sorts of delicious meals to replenish his health.
As a result, after all the effort, he not only didn't look gaunt but even looked better than before, clearly well-nourished.
This made Lin Mo envious and jealous.
...
Shen Qingqing received a call from Ke Lin.
He started with a lot of pleasantries, talking about how well the company was doing, how happy the employees were, and how smoothly the company's projects were progressing.
After listening to him, Shen Qingqing picked up her phone. "Get to the point."
Ke Lin rubbed his forehead. "General Manager Shen, you know about the old city development project, right? The government has handed this over to subordinates. Whoever gets this land means a huge profit. It's also a way to enrich the city's appearance and cooperate with the government. Should we try to bid for it?"
"Then have someone draw up a proposal."
"General Manager Shen, are you serious?" Ke Lin was somewhat surprised by this answer.
"Didn't you ask me?"
Shen Qingqing was a little impatient.
Ke Lin stammered for a rare moment. "N-no. General Manager Shen, are you serious?"
He had hesitated for so long before calling General Manager Shen because he was struggling with this matter. Reith Group was also a contender for this land; everyone knew that. If General Manager Shen wanted to compete, it was fine, but wouldn't that mean the husband and wife would be competing for the same piece of land? This didn't seem right.
"General Manager Shen, have you and Master Fu had a fight?"
He asked tentatively.
Shen Qingqing was slightly taken aback. "Who told you we had a fight?"
"If you didn't fight, why would you snatch a project from him?"
Ke Lin was baffled. And didn't General Manager Shen worry about Fu Jing Shu getting angry by doing this?
Shen Qingqing raised an eyebrow slightly and said slowly, "Of course, I have my own considerations when I ask you to do this. What, are you also concerned about my marital life?"
Ke Lin's mouth twitched. He said dryly, "Of course not. I'm just worried about you. Since you've already made up your mind, I'll do as you say."
"Mm."
After hanging up the phone, Shen Qingqing heard her two children calling her and went out downstairs.
Evening.
Fu Jing Shu returned late as usual. Shen Qingqing had dinner and took a walk with her two children, then tucked them into bed and read them a story.
The two children slept soundly.
Shen Qingqing tiptoed away and returned to her room. As soon as she pushed the door open, she bumped into the bedroom, which was pitch black.
She felt along the wall for the light switch.
Suddenly, she was embraced from behind.
The familiar warmth and embrace, along with the faint, lingering scent of cold, made her feel exceptionally clear. Instead of struggling, she leaned into his arms.
"Why don't you turn on the light when you come back?"
"Waiting for you," Fu Jing Shu's low voice echoed in her ear.
Shen Qingqing smiled slightly. She felt herself being turned around in the darkness, and they gradually embraced, their breaths audible to each other.
After a lingering kiss, Shen Qingqing rested her hands on Fu Jing Shu's neck and said softly, "Is the company's business going smoothly?"
Fu Jing Shu hummed in response. "The necessary materials and proposals have been prepared. We'll just wait for the auction tomorrow."
Shen Qingqing wanted to say something but stopped.
Even though it was dark and he couldn't see the expression on his wife's face, Fu Jing Shu still sensed something unusual in her silence.
"What's wrong?"
Shen Qingqing pursed her lips, and finally swallowed the words that had reached her tongue. "It's nothing. Do you need me to accompany you tomorrow?"
"No need." Fu Jing Shu reached out and found the switch on the wall, and the bedroom was instantly illuminated.
However, the sudden disappearance of darkness made Shen Qingqing's eyes a little unaccustomed. Before she could close her eyes, she felt a hand cover her vision.
She smiled slightly. "Actually, I don't have anything to do tomorrow. If you need me, I can go with you."
"No need." Fu Jing Shu thought of the people who would be there tomorrow and insisted that she not go. He pulled her to sit by the bed, drew his wife into his arms with one arm, and said, "You wait for my good news at home. I don't want you to see anyone you don't want to see."
Shen Qingqing sighed softly. "Alright, I understand. Then, if you need anything or have any problems, call me immediately."
"Mm."
Fu Jing Shu's gaze fell on her lips.
They had been married for a while, so Shen Qingqing knew what that look from her husband meant. She wasn't the shy, coy type, so she simply raised her hand and hugged her husband's neck.
"Honey, do you want to?"
The little woman's eyes were alluring, her breath like orchids. Fu Jing Shu's eyes deepened abruptly, and all his exhaustion vanished with that look from his wife.
He slowly got up, placed his hands on either side of his wife on the bed, leaned down slightly, and kissed her full, red lips.
"Don't beg for mercy."
Shen Qingqing chuckled. "Okay."