Chapter 143: Chapter 143

Shen Jianian’s gaze didn’t linger on her for long, walking straight ahead, when passing by, more than a meter away from each other, she heard the Xu Family’s second young lady let out a cold snort: "Bad luck."

Sitting in the car, Shen Jianian suddenly recalled the words the Xu Family’s second young lady had said in the private room that day.

——Do you know my sister is about to return to the country? Her belongings have already been sent back from abroad.

The Xu Family’s second young lady appeared at the airport, unclear whether she was traveling or picking someone up.

Shen Jianian looked at the scenery outside the window for a while, withdrew her gaze, took out her phone to call Yan Qiusheng, clarified which hospital Mrs. Yan was staying in, and then told the driver not to go home first, but detour to the hospital.

Shortly after she left, Xu Jingyi received Xu Youxuan, who had returned from the United States.

Among the bustling crowd, it was the two sisters who were most noticeable.

Both were beautiful, judging by their attire, one lively and energetic, the other gentle and elegant.

Xu Youxuan wore a blue long dress, the hem reaching her ankles, made of silk which flowed gracefully. The temperature wasn’t high, so she wore a long knitted cardigan over the dress, a lighter shade of blue, with straight black hair falling behind her, gentle and refined.

Her pale hands held the handles of the luggage cart, pushing it forward, atop the cart were two stacked silver-gray large suitcases, giving a calm yet resilient impression.

Xu Jingyi held her arm, eyes filled with excitement, affectionately rubbing her cheek against her shoulder: "Sister, you’re finally back! I missed you so much, if you hadn’t returned, I would have flown to the United States to find you!"

The housekeeper accompanying Xu Jingyi took over the luggage cart, following behind the two young ladies.

Xu Youxuan hugged her sister’s shoulder, revealing a faint dimple as she smiled: "I heard from mom that you haven’t been home often since you started university, must be having a great time."

"No way!" Xu Jingyi pouted, acting spoiled.

As the sisters walked out, Xu Jingyi recalled the scene just now, her expression turned grim, unable to resist complaining to Xu Youxuan: "As soon as I got to the airport, I saw that little mistress Fu Jichen is keeping, it’s really enough."

"Who are you talking about?"

"I mentioned it to you over the phone last time, didn’t I? Have you forgotten?" Xu Jingyi puffed up in anger, "I saw Fu Jichen dining with a girl in a western restaurant!"

Xu Youxuan remembered the incident, her sister had called her while she was busy, she hadn’t listened closely.

"Don’t speak about others like that, maybe she’s his legitimate girlfriend." Xu Youxuan patted her sister’s head, gently teaching her, "It’s impolite."

Xu Jingyi pouted more intensely, almost hanging a bottle: "Aren’t you upset? Fu Jichen is your fiancé, isn’t he? Now he’s entangled with another woman, where does that leave you? I’m standing up for you."

Mentioning Fu Jichen made Xu Youxuan uneasy: "It’s just a joke from the two families, doesn’t count, don’t use ’fiancé’ anymore, or people will laugh."

Xu Jingyi widened her eyes in surprise, touching her forehead, has her sister changed after studying abroad?

"Are you still the sister I knew?" Xu Jingyi muttered.

Xu Youxuan was amused by her, pinching her cheek: "Why wouldn’t I be?"

In fact, the last time she saw Fu Jichen was when she was fifteen or sixteen, at a family gathering. Her impression of him was cold and profound. Afterwards, Fu Jichen went abroad to study, they had no chance to meet, and then she also went abroad, busy with studies, rarely returning, every time during holidays her family mentioned him, talking about how capable he was, but she personally felt nothing, knowing well her family intended to match them, yet feelings cannot be forced.

She now has a boyfriend and has no desire to have any relations with Fu Jichen.

Only her parents are unaware, she doesn’t dare to reveal it.

Every step of her life had been planned by her family, aspiring to make her the top socialite in the circle, and she indeed did not disappoint them, excelling academically, proficient in arts, courteous and sensible.

Whenever "socialite" is mentioned in the upper-class circle, Xu Youxuan is undeniably one of them.

Except for the matter of romance, she doesn’t want to conform, marry a man she doesn’t love, trapped in a mansion, forever a puppet wife.

If Fu Jichen truly has a woman by his side, it would actually be beneficial for her.

Returning to the Xu Family villa, Xu Youxuan greeted all the seniors, dragged her weary body upstairs to rest in her meticulously arranged boudoir.

After bathing, she sat on the bed, video calling her boyfriend.

Her boyfriend is four years older, an engineer at a car manufacturing company in the United States. After graduating, she returned home at her family’s request, he changed his career plan, intending to return home, preventing their relationship from becoming a long-distance one.

Three days ago, he submitted a resignation application to the company, job handovers take time, so he hadn’t returned with her.

His resume is impressive, even though he’s not back yet, he’s received several offers.

"I just got home, resting in the room, yes, long flights are tiring, but not too bad, when will you return, is your ticket booked..."

Xu Youxuan’s face displayed a sweet, happy smile, startled when Xu Jingyi pushed the door open, hurriedly turning the phone screen down on the bed.

Seeing it was her sister, not her mother, she sighed in relief.

"Close the door." Xu Youxuan covered her chest, her heart racing, somewhat shaken.

Xu Jingyi closed the door in confusion, holding food: "Mom asked you to eat something before sleeping." Observing her sister’s guilty expression, hesitantly asked, "I think I heard you talking to a man just now."

The video call wasn’t disconnected, the man’s voice came through the phone at this moment: "Youxuan, what’s wrong? Poor signal?"

Xu Youxuan picked up the phone from the bed, adjusting the angle, smiled lightly at the camera: "Nothing, my sister suddenly came over, we’ll talk next time."

Hearing the man affectionately calling her sister "Youxuan," Xu Jingyi slowly walked over, placing the food on the bedside table, puzzled, asking her sister: "Who is he?"

With such an intimate tone, he couldn’t just be a regular friend.

Xu Youxuan, seeing she couldn’t hide it from her, straightforwardly admitted: "He’s my boyfriend I met abroad, I’ll introduce him to you once he’s back."

Xu Jingyi was quite startled by her words: "You’re saying you have a boyfriend?!"

"Don’t tell mom for now, I’ll find a way to talk to her." Xu Youxuan pondered, "I don’t want to marry Fu Jichen."

"Mom won’t agree." Xu Jingyi’s features scrunched up, already worrying for her sister, "Even if mom feels for you, stands by your side, remember dad, grandpa, and grandma. Yesterday afternoon, grandpa had tea with the Fu Family elder, discussing you and Fu Jichen, when grandpa returned, he said they’d arrange a day for the two families to sit together and discuss engagement dates and banquet preparations."

Xu Youxuan was stunned.

Apparently, after confirming her return date, her family was already preparing for the union of the Fu and Xu Families.

Though she was the involved party, in their eyes she was merely someone who needed notification.

At five in the afternoon, Shen Jianian finished visiting the patient, left the hospital, and took the car back to Yunding Palace.

En route, she received a call from Bai Changxia.

"Jianian, Pei Che’s father passed away just now, the hospital issued a death notification."

Shen Jianian felt dazed hearing this, even though she knew Pei Fengnan’s days were numbered, actually receiving the news was still hard to accept.

Now the Pei Family only has Zhou Ruo, a lonely and helpless woman.

In a daze, the car suddenly braked by the roadside, Shen Jianian was thrown forward by inertia, nearly hitting the seat back in front, hearing the driver curse: "Daring to block the car, don’t want to live!"

Shen Jianian lifted her head, brushed aside the hair on her face, and saw through the windshield that the person blocking the car was her long-unseen uncle, Yin Chengde.

He wore a dark brown jacket, with a gray sweater inside, his temples graying, face lined with more wrinkles, looking older than before.

Yin Chengde walked to the side of the car window, tapped it with his hand: "Jianian, I know you’re in the car, I need to talk to you."