The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife

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In summer, the sun blazed down on the earth; there were pitifully few pedestrians on the street, and if there were any, they hurried along.

In front of a western restaurant in the Jing City District, a bus slowly came to a stop at the platform. The door opened, and down came a girl with an oval face, arching willow eyebrows, and clear, pure eyes. Her long lashes fluttered gently—these were eyes that one would never forget.

The girl's features were very delicate, her skin fair. Her long hair was tied into a neat ponytail, showing off her elegant, white neck. She wore a set of white, short-sleeved casual clothes, looking quite youthful, her face full of collagen. Paired with those eyes, her smile must surely be captivating, but at the moment, her face was serene.

The girl got off the bus; the heatwave hit her face, but she seemed unfazed and walked straight toward the western restaurant.

At the restaurant entrance, a girl in a pink dress saw her and her eyes lit up as she rushed over.

"Qinglan, you finally came. I thought you were going to stand me up."

Qinglan slightly turned her body, making the girl miss her target. Yet her face showed no surprise; she quickly regained her balance, clearly knowing this outcome in advance.

"Sorry, something came up when I was heading out," Qinglan said calmly, her voice clear and pleasant.

Yu Xiaoxuan waved her hand repeatedly, "No worries, no worries, as long as you're here. Can you believe I'm only twenty-one, still young, and my mom is already setting me up on blind dates? Is she afraid I won't get married? Thank goodness you're with me; otherwise, I wouldn't have come for sure."

Talking all the while, she followed Qinglan into the restaurant door.

"Where's the guy supposed to be sitting? How do we find him? Seriously, couldn't he pick a smaller place for the meet-up? This restaurant is so big. How am I supposed to find him?" Entering the restaurant, Yu Xiaoxuan looked all around, muttering with her little mouth.

Qinglan seemed used to this sort of Yu Xiaoxuan. She paid her no mind, glanced around, paused her gaze, and walked in a specific direction.

Yu Xiaoxuan was still muttering. When she turned her head, she discovered Qinglan had left and hurried to catch up.

Midway, as Qinglan inadvertently glanced over, she met a pair of deep, bottomless eyes. Her gaze paused slightly, then she nonchalantly withdrew her sight and walked straight past without breaking stride.

Seated in the middle of the restaurant was a man in a suit, occasionally glancing at the watch on his wrist, impatience evident in his expression.

Just as he contemplated leaving, a shadow fell over him.

The man instinctively looked up, and in his line of sight was a delicate face, enough to leave anyone in awe. His eyes were full of admiration as he gazed at it.

"Wei Lin?" Qinglan asked mildly.

The man's face broke into a smile; his earlier impatience vanished. "Yes, I am Wei Lin, and you must be Miss Yu, hello." He extended his right hand, gesturing for a handshake.

Qinglan did not extend her hand. Instead, she slightly turned her body and pointed to Yu Xiaoxuan behind her. "You have the wrong person. This is Yu Xiaoxuan. I'm just her friend."

Wei Lin felt a bit awkward; his gaze shifted to Yu Xiaoxuan, taking in her not-so-pretty face in a pink dress. His smile faded slightly.

"Miss Yu, hello," he said without shaking her hand, offering only a polite smile.

"How should I address this young lady?" Wei Lin's eyes fixed on Qinglan, openly filled with awe.

Qinglan remained calm, "You can call me Miss Shen."

Noticing Qinglan's indifference, Wei Lin did not press further.

"The sirloin steak in this restaurant is quite good. Would you two like to try it?" Wei Lin asked, holding the menu and seeking Qinglan and Yu Xiaoxuan's opinion.

"We're not picky eaters. Mr. Wei, just go ahead and order what you like." Knowing Qinglan didn't like handling such situations, Yu Xiaoxuan spoke up.

Wei Lin smiled and didn't object, placing the order.

"I heard Miss Yu is still a student?" Wei Lin initiated conversation, though his question was directed at Yu Xiaoxuan; his peripheral vision lingered on Qinglan.

He was a senior white-collar worker with a decent income, considered handsome, and his family conditions were good. Naturally, he was not short of female friends, having seen many beautiful women. However, he had never seen someone as pretty as Qinglan. Her cold aura and indifferent attitude naturally piqued his interest.

"Yes," Yu Xiaoxuan answered, somewhat perfunctorily. She wasn't interested in this guy; if her mom hadn't forced her to come, she wouldn't have shown up.

"Are Miss Shen and Miss Yu in the same school?"

"Yeah, she's my classmate." Yu Xiaoxuan didn't mention that they were roommates. She had already seen through it; Wei Lin was interested in Qinglan. Although he kept talking to her, he always tried to gather information about Qinglan indirectly.

She knew that Qinglan found such men the most troublesome, and in her heart, she felt a twinge of guilt for dragging Qinglan to accompany her on a blind date.

Qinglan continued sipping her orange juice, vaguely feeling the naked, invasive gaze directed at her from across. Her slender fingers gently rubbed the rim of the cup, a habit when she felt impatient.

At this moment, Qinglan failed to notice that two men sat diagonally opposite them, discussing her.

One of the men was strikingly handsome, with sword-like eyebrows and a pair of charming eyes full of untamed allure. An earring studded with ruby on his ear intensified the allure of his features.

The man sitting opposite him had a robust build, a copper-tinged complexion, and distinct, profound features. His sword-shaped brows and starry eyes gave off an aura of a tough guy.

These were two men with entirely different temperaments, both equally captivating.

"I didn't expect to see the second miss of the Shen Family here," said the strikingly handsome man, his gaze fixed on the departing figure of Qinglan.

"Do you know her?" the man across from him, Fu Hengyi, asked in a low, magnetic voice, very pleasing to the ear.

"You know her, too." Han Yi replied, "She's Shen Junyu's sister, the little girl who always trailed behind us when we were kids."

Fu Hengyi frowned, then suddenly realized, ah, it was her.

A sparkle flashed in his deep eyes. Who would have thought the little dumpling from back then had grown into a young lady? Upon closer inspection, emotions undetectable to others flickered in his eyes.

The Fu and Shen families were old acquaintances, so Fu Hengyi naturally understood the Shen Family's circumstances.

Miss Shen, Qinglan, was abducted by a human trafficker at five years old and was missing for many years before being found eleven years later.

"You rarely return home, even during holidays, and since this Miss Shen is usually low-key and seldom appears in public, it's normal you didn't recognize her at first. Rumors have it that this Miss Shen, having wandered far from home since childhood, lacked proper upbringing, which is why the Shen Family kept her from public view. People only know of the Eldest Miss Shen, not the second miss. Seeing her today, the rumors seem untrue," Han Yi spoke nonchalantly.

He had seen many people and, though stunned by Qinglan's beauty, preferred voluptuous women. A cold type like Qinglan didn't interest him. Moreover, considering the Shen Family's status, they weren't people he could provoke easily.

"You said it yourself, those are just rumors," Fu Hengyi replied, his gaze briefly resting on Qinglan's straight back before moving away.

Han Yi, upon hearing this, raised his eyebrows, looking at Fu Hengyi with interest, "Are you interested in her?"

Fu Hengyi cast him a cool glance with a hidden warning, "If I remember correctly, she's only twenty-one." The implication was clear: she was still a kid, especially since he was already thirty-one that year.

Han Yi simply brushed off the warning, teasingly saying, "Don't you know the latest trend is the uncle-loli pairing?" Although this loli did seem a bit cold.

Fu Hengyi ignored Han Yi's teasing and spoke carelessly, "I happened to be talking to my aunt last night. She's very concerned about your marriage and plans to introduce you to some noble ladies."

"Brother, brother, I realize my mistake; I won't say anything more," Han Yi pleaded. For someone who flitted among flowers, marriage was a cage, a topic he avoided at all costs.

**

Qinglan had sensed the barely there gaze behind her but didn't mind since it contained no malice.

"Where is Miss Shen from?" Unsatisfied with the information provided by Yu Xiaoxuan, Wei Lin took the initiative to ask.

"A local from Beijing," Qinglan replied with an indifferent tone.

"That's quite a coincidence, I'm also from Beijing. We should meet up more often when we have time. This weekend, we happen to have a gathering, and Miss Shen is welcome to join if available." Wei Lin put on what he assumed was a gentlemanly smile, extending an invitation, his eyes hinting at playful flirtation.

Qinglan gave him an indifferent look, her expression calm, not responding.

"Miss Shen, are you not giving Mr. Wei some face?" Seeing her lack of response, Wei Lin grew slightly displeased. He liked beauties and conquering them, but he didn't appreciate being ignored by them.

Although occasionally goofy, Yu Xiaoxuan wasn't stupid. Noticing the teasing glint in Wei Lin's eyes, her expression slightly changed. What kind of taste did her mother have? How could she let her meet such a person?

Just as she was about to retort, a hand grasped hers under the table, slightly cool, gently pressing—instantly quelling her anger.

Yu Xiaoxuan felt relieved. How could she forget that Qinglan, despite her cold nature, was not someone to mess with? She had invited her this time, also to bolster her courage during the blind date.

"An elder in the family is ill and hospitalized. I planned to visit and care for them this weekend, but thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Wei," Qinglan answered with her usual coldness.

Given the elder's supposed hospitalization, no matter the exaggeration, Wei Lin couldn't possibly let Qinglan ignore her elder to attend his gathering, yet he remained somewhat reluctant to let go.

"Miss Shen, could you leave a contact number for easier communication? We often go on self-driving tours on weekends; if you're free, you could join us. I have a car and can give you a ride," he persisted.

A flicker of impatience passed through Qinglan's eyes, disappearing so quickly it was hard to catch. "It seems Mr. Wei isn't as busy with work as you claimed."

Though her tone remained calm, Wei Lin detected the sarcasm in her words. After all, hadn't he just mentioned his busy work schedule, often working late with little time for gatherings? Qinglan's remark clearly implied he was lying. Wei Lin's usually gentle demeanor finally changed.

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