A gift from Mu Chen

As Qin Yuheng led Shen Ning through the room, he leaned closer, his voice low. "Don't worry. They're friendly, and it won't take long."

He took her hand, guiding her confidently toward a group of well-dressed individuals.

A moment later, she glanced at him nervously. "I... I won't embarrass you, will I?"

He stopped briefly, his gaze steady and reassuring. "Why would you? As long as it's you, there's no embarrassment."

A faint warmth spread through Shen Ning's chest. She tightened her grip on his hand as they stepped forward together.

"This must be Mrs. Qin, right?" A man in a black suit extended his hand, shaking Qin Yuheng's first before turning to Shen Ning.

"Hello, I'm Shen Ning," she said with a polite smile.

"We've heard so much about you from Mr. Qin," a woman chimed in with a laugh, her tone warm.

"Mr. Qin must love Mrs. Qin very much, don't you think?" they added, their eyes shifting toward Qin Yuheng, who smiled as he introduced them to Shen Ning.

"This is Mr. Liang, from the Liang Group," he said, gesturing to a man with a neatly groomed beard and sharp features.

"This is Mr. Ji, CEO of Ji Industries," Qin Yuheng continued, nodding toward a tall, authoritative figure who stood confidently in a tailored suit.

Lastly, Qin Yuheng pointed to a graceful woman in an elegant dress. "And this is Mrs. Li, from Li Investments."

Mrs. Li extended her hand to Shen Ning with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Qin."

Shen Ning smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you too."

After a while, Qin Yuheng turned to her with a slight, knowing smile. "See? I told you, no need to worry," he said softly.

Shen Ning didn't speak and smiled.

Shen Ning tugged gently on Qin Yuheng's arm, leading him toward her friends. "Let's go say 'hi' to my friends."

"Nan Nan, Xie Xie, Sisi," she called, referring to her friends, with Yun Xi's nickname being Sisi.

"Happy birthday!" the three of them said in unison.

Xu Xie, pulling Shen Ning into a hug, added, "Happy birthday, Ning. I missed you so much."

Shen Ning patted her back affectionately. "Hmm, I missed you too." She gently broke the hug and, still smiling, looped her arm through Qin Yuheng's. "You guys probably haven't met my husband yet, right? This is Qin Yuheng."

Her friends hadn't met Qin Yuheng before; it was his assistant who had sent them the invitation.

Shen Ning continued, "This is Lu Nan, Yun Xi, and Xu Xie."

"Hello, Mr. Qin," the trio greeted in unison.

"Hello," Qin Yuheng responded politely. "Thank you for taking care of my wife. Ms. Lu, Ms. Yun, and Ms. Xu, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out."

Lu Nan and Yun Xi, slightly embarrassed, quickly replied, "It's nothing, really... We didn't prepare anything special, but we hope you'll like it." They handed her a birthday gift.

Shen Ning smiled warmly, taking the present. "Don't say that. I like it already."

Xu Xie reached into her bag and leaned in to whisper in Shen Ning's ear. "I prepared a gift for you too. I hope both you and your husband will like it."

Nearby, Qin Yuheng glanced at Wang Xu. "Take the gifts to the car," he instructed, referring to the ones Shen Ning's friends had brought.

Wang Xu stepped forward, nodding politely. "Happy birthday, Mrs. Qin."

"Thank you, Assistant Wang," Shen Ning replied with a smile.

Turning back to Shen Ning, Qin Yuheng said, "You stay and chat with your friends. I'll go find those three bachelors."

Shen Ning smiled and gave him a soft reminder. "Alright, but don't drink too much."

"Hmm," he murmured, his lips curving into a faint smile before walking away.

-----

"Oh, so you finally remembered us?" Huo Siang teased, his tone playful as he leaned back in his chair.

Qin Yuheng chuckled lightly, unbothered by the teasing.

After talking for a while, Fu Sinan spoke up suddenly, a smirk playing on his lips. "A public confession from sister-in-law. You must be over the moon, right?"

Qin Yuheng's smile widened. Yes. It was the first time she said those words to him, and it felt like a moment he would treasure forever.

-----

A while later, Shen Qiao approached Shen Ning, a small box in her hands. "Sister, happy birthday," she said softly, extending the gift toward her.

Shen Ning took the pendant box, her expression softening. "Thank you," she said with a gentle smile.

Shen Qiao's shoulders relaxed, visibly relieved, when she saw her sister wasn't being distant from her because of their previous arguments.

She hesitated for a moment before handing over another small package. "This is from Brother Mu. He wanted to give it to you himself, but he wasn't feeling well, so he left early," her expression tinged with guilt.

Shen Ning hesitated before accepting it without a word.

(✯ᴗ✯)