Chapter 93: Chapter 93

Fu Jichen lowered his neck and smiled comfortably: "Aunt, you’re so afraid of me scheming against you, rushing to confront me , how many guilty deeds have you done?"

"Don’t change the subject on me." Fu Jianfang was too lazy to pretend to be calm and her words were mocking, "You don’t even care about your grandfather’s health, do you have any humanity?"

Fu Jichen’s face turned cold: "Aunt, you’d better be careful with your words when there’s no evidence."

"Fu Jichen, I really underestimated you." Fu Jianfang, though half a head shorter than him, wasn’t lacking in presence. She was the old man’s only daughter, and reaching her current position without some brains and tricks was impossible, "Everyone thought Fu Da in Yicheng was irresponsible, buying estates and fooling around with women. I understand now, these were all smoke screens you released to deceive others. You deliberately made people think you were indulging in pleasure, while secretly planning everything, causing chaos as soon as you returned home."

She thought she had seen through Fu Jichen, and her expression was arrogant and indifferent.

"Aunt seems to know so much about my life, I guess you’ve sent quite a few people to watch my every move day and night." Fu Jichen rubbed the handle of the object in his hand, casually exposing her tricks.

Having hit the mark, Fu Jianfang was not embarrassed, a snort escaped, "Same goes for you."

"Then there’s nothing more to say."

Fu Jichen stepped aside, brushing past her, with one hand in his pocket, his gleaming leather shoes striking the hospital corridor, gradually fading away as he walked toward the old man’s VIP room.

Fu Jianfang’s voice pursued him relentlessly from behind: "Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell the old man all of this, and have him deal with you? He hates internal family conflict the most!"

Fu Jichen paused his steps, his tone hauntingly said: "Aunt says I did it, but where’s the evidence? Do you think grandfather will favor your one-sided claims?"

Fu Jianfang suddenly froze; she indeed had no evidence, all were her suspicions.

Who would have thought Fu Huaxian had so many ways to secretly fool around with women, even causing a fatal incident. This was his personal habit, no one could manipulate him into doing such things. As for Fu Yunhan, he’d always had a gambling problem, being cautioned by the old man multiple times. It was his own stubbornness that led to troubles, he couldn’t blame others.

Analyzing thoroughly, Fu Jichen indeed appeared innocent without any suspicion.

Yet, Fu Jianfang just refused to believe he was innocent.

His return to Beicheng was evidently well-prepared.

He aimed to undermine them one by one and claim that position. Though his father was still alive, his urgency couldn’t be restrained. Whose ambition could match his?

Fu Jichen took his hand out of his pocket, gripping the door handle, just about to push the door open when Fu Jianfang’s sinister voice said: "You’re so ruthless; you will surely face retribution."

Fu Jichen’s lips curled into a mocking smile, as he pushed the door open and seeing the scene inside, he turned his head gently, "Aunt, grandfather is awake, won’t you come over to see him?"

Wasn’t she about to complain to the old man? Now was as good an opportunity as any, everyone was present.

Fu Jianfang tightened her grip on the handbag handle, sneering inwardly.

They were all duped by Fu Jichen!

Having thought he cared so much for that Shen Family’s daughter, turned out it was all an act.

After the truth was cleared, Fu Jichen’s intentions were not hard to guess. If he had chosen an insignificant woman to act out with, those watching him from the shadows wouldn’t believe it, simply thinking he was just fooling around. It had to be someone like Shen Jianian, with her breathtaking beauty, originally noble identity yet fallen from grace, with a touch of tragic experience—most likely to evoke men’s protective instincts.

Fu Jichen being entangled with such a woman made them believe he was truly ensnared, thus relaxing their vigilance and giving him a chance to retaliate upon returning.

On the fifth day of the New Year, as the holiday came to an end, Bai Changxia flew to Yicheng to visit Shen Jianian.

Later in the morning, around eleven, Shen Jianian picked her up at the airport and took her to eat.

Last time Bai Changxia visited, it was during Shen Jianian’s working hours, and in a rush, she didn’t manage to entertain her well. This time, with ample time, Shen Jianian took her to dine at Yicheng’s most expensive restaurant.

The restaurant was on the thirty-sixth floor, with panoramic glass. Sitting at a prime seat by the window, looking out, a vast array of tightly packed skyscrapers lay beneath.

Even during the day, the restaurant’s lights were astonishingly bright, like a resplendent galaxy. Amidst the flowing brilliance, crystal glasses sparkled like diamonds.

Shen Jianian received the menu from the waiter and slid it in front of Bai Changxia: "Order anything you like, my treat."

Bai Changxia flipped through a few pages, with the dishes in the pictures displayed intricately plated, in small portions, but the prices were staggering. Leaning slightly forward to avoid the waiting waiter nearby, she whispered: "It’s really expensive here."

An unremarkable pumpkin soup cost over three hundred, why not just rob!

Shen Jianian smiled slightly: "It’s okay."

"Then I’ll order?" Bai Changxia swallowed hard. She had woken up late this morning and only had a coffee to catch the plane, her stomach had long been empty.

Shen Jianian: "Order, go ahead."

Bai Changxia pointed at the menu’s signature recommendations and ordered a few dishes, the waiter noted them down one by one. The menu passed to Shen Jianian, who added a few more dishes according to their tastes.

While waiting for the dishes, they chatted casually, and Bai Changxia mentioned a news story that had been hotly debated online a few days ago: "Did you see the news about the eighteen-year-old girl who jumped off a building?"

"I glanced at it, but didn’t really follow up," Shen Jianian sipped her lemon water, "Why?"

Bai Changxia whispered, "That night I couldn’t sleep and saw a post on Douban from the breaking news group vaguely hinting that it was related to the Fu Family, but when I checked the next morning, the post was already taken down. It seemed credible."

Shen Jianian held her cup, her expression somewhat dazed.

Bai Changxia said, "Yes, the Fu Family you know."

Shen Jianian remembered seeing the news on New Year’s Eve, and it seemed to mention the word "Fu" at some point. There are many people with the surname Fu in the world, and she hadn’t thought of Fu Jichen’s family. Could it really be...?

The waiter arrived to serve the dishes, and Bai Changxia promptly stopped the topic.

Halfway through the meal, Bai Changxia excused herself to the restroom, intending to settle the bill beforehand to avoid letting Shen Jianian pay. She was not like before; saving a bit for Shen Jianian seemed considerate.

Unexpectedly, she was informed by the cashier that their table’s bill was already settled.

Shen Jianian had been sitting there all along and hadn’t left; how could she have settled the bill? Bai Changxia asked the cashier, "Sorry, may I ask who paid for it?"

The cashier politely replied, "Mr. Lu just passed by and said it should be put on his tab."

Bai Changxia murmured "Mr. Lu," not knowing who that was.

Back at the table, she confessed to Shen Jianian, "I just went to pay the bill, and the cashier told me that Mr. Lu has already paid. Jianian, do you know a gentleman with the surname Lu?"

Shen Jianian was slightly taken aback, put down the spoon, and wiped her mouth with a napkin, her eyes searching the restaurant. Sure enough, she saw Lu Yanzhi not far away, seated opposite a young elegant woman.

Lu Yanzhi also saw her, his lips slightly curled, nodding in acknowledgment.

Bai Changxia turned her head following Shen Jianian’s gaze and saw a young man in a dark blue suit, with handsome features and a debonair demeanor.

"Lu Yanzhi, a friend of Fu Jichen," Shen Jianian introduced.

Bai Changxia thoughtfully withdrew her gaze, looking at Shen Jianian.

To be treated kindly by a friend of Fu Jichen suggests that Fu Jichen usually treats Jianian with enough respect, at least not publicly degrading her.

These second-generation elites are known for treating people according to their status; if Fu Jichen didn’t care about Shen Jianian, his friends would simply follow him in disregarding her.

Bai Changxia was the only one who knew about the deal between Shen Jianian and Fu Jichen and was always worried about Shen Jianian’s situation. Today, unexpectedly catching a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg, she could slightly relax.

After dinner, Shen Jianian took Bai Changxia shopping at the mall, picking out a few clothes as New Year gifts.

Bai Changxia did not refuse, accepting her kind gesture.

They still had dinner together, choosing a well-reviewed hot pot place. Bai Changxia treated this time, and after dinner, returned to the hotel, the same Mandiri they stayed at before.

Shen Jianian originally intended to accompany her at the hotel, but while sitting in the taxi, received a call from Zhou Rongzhen asking when she would return.

Over the phone, she heard Zhou Rongzhen cough a few times and found out she had caught a cold in the afternoon.

Aunt Zhen had been taking good care of her; with her illness, Shen Jianian couldn’t help but be concerned and planned to check on her before deciding whether to go to the hotel or not.

"I’ll be fine alone," Bai Changxia hugged her shoulders and said, "Don’t trouble yourself coming back at night; it’s not safe. We have a whole day tomorrow to be together."

Shen Jianian naturally leaned her head against her, "Alright then."

The taxi first sent Bai Changxia to the hotel and then carried Shen Jianian back to Rose Manor.

Turning into a road, the car had trouble; the driver opened the door, went down to prop up the hood to check, then leaned over the back window to apologize to Shen Jianian, saying he needed to go to the repair shop because he couldn’t fix it himself.

Shen Jianian reluctantly paid and got out of the car. She looked around, not knowing where she was; it didn’t seem easy to hail a cab.

She walked forward while trying to book a ride on her phone when suddenly someone approached from behind, a rope was thrown ahead to strangle her neck, forcefully pulling her back.

Her phone fell to the ground with a "pop," shattering into pieces.