At that time, she had deliberately given the girl the cold shoulder, then used the chance to scold her daughter and intimidate the girl.
Originally, she had wanted the girl to make a fool of herself so she could use it as an excuse to suggest breaking off the engagement to Old Fu and then send the girl back home.
But unexpectedly, the girl remained composed, calm, and graceful, without the slightest change in expression.
Later, she had deliberately arranged for the girl to stay in the storage room, only for the girl to effortlessly turn the situation back on her with a few words, forcing her to switch her to a proper room.
Qin E narrowed her cold, elegant eyes as she recalled the investigation reports sent from Banyang Village.
This girl was definitely not simple.
…
“Commander, you’re really not going back to take a look? What if she gets bullied in your house?”
Huo Wei looked worriedly at the man in the distance wearing a sleeveless shirt, his muscles taut as he did pull-ups.
After effortlessly finishing fifty pull-ups, Fu Shimo landed lightly on the ground. His tank top rolled up slightly, revealing sharply defined muscles as sweat slid along the lines of his body.
He bent over and picked up the enamel basin filled with cold water from the stool nearby.
He poured it over his head. Cold water streamed from his hair down his neck as he quickly grabbed a towel from the side and wiped himself dry.
When he looked up again and saw Huo Wei still standing there waiting for an answer, his perfectly sculpted jaw tightened as he shot him a cold glance.
“If you’re worried, then you go.”
“But she’s your wife.”
“She won’t be for much longer,” Fu Shimo replied indifferently as he strode toward the military base.
“Huh? What do you mean by that? Are you going to abandon her after messing around with her?”
Huo Wei hurried after him and asked.
Fu Shimo suddenly stopped and turned to stare at Huo Wei’s anxious expression, frowning slightly.
“Why are you more concerned than I am?”
Huo Wei’s heart skipped a beat and his whole body stiffened.
Fu Shimo coldly looked him up and down before adding, “Don’t randomly use new words you just learned.”
What “abandon after messing around”? He hadn’t even messed around with her in the first place.
As Fu Shimo walked toward the base, a pure and youthful face gradually surfaced in his mind, along with those alluring peach blossom eyes.
It was as if, through the air itself, those captivating eyes were blinking softly at him, their clingy and sweet gaze wrapping tightly around him and refusing to let go.
Instantly, the heat he had just cooled down with cold water surged up again, this time mixed with an indescribable restlessness.
Fu Shimo’s expression darkened as he abruptly turned around and headed back.
“Commander, weren’t you going to organize training? Why are you going back again?” Huo Wei asked in surprise.
Fu Shimo glared fiercely at him. His cold and intimidating eyes looked even more terrifying now, filled with suppressed irritation.
Huo Wei shivered and dared not speak another word as he watched the commander head back into the washroom.
…
Su Wanyin spent the entire morning resting and settling into her new room.
When she went downstairs for lunch at noon, there was an additional middle-aged man and an unfamiliar girl at the table.
Su Wanyin walked calmly into the dining room, her gaze falling on the man seated at the head of the table. His sharp features and commanding aura naturally carried the authority of someone long accustomed to a high-ranking position.
She greeted him calmly and politely.
“Hello, Uncle Fu. I’m Su Wanyin.”
Her voice was soft, her Mandarin fluent, and her appearance delicate and beautiful, though her body looked somewhat thin and frail.
Fu Aiguo’s brows instantly relaxed as he waved her over kindly.
“Come sit down. I had matters at the military district this morning, so I wasn’t home.”
“It’s alright. I’m already troubling you enough by staying here, Uncle.”
Su Wanyin spoke gently as she sat in the empty seat across from the unfamiliar girl.
Hearing her polite words, Fu Aiguo smiled.
“What trouble? If you need anything, just ask your Aunt Qin.”
Su Wanyin nodded lightly and met Qin E’s seemingly gentle gaze. Qin E smiled warmly.
“Hurry and eat. The logistics department just delivered some fresh seafood today. It’s perfect for welcoming you to Beijing.”
Seeing Qin E’s thoughtful arrangements, Fu Aiguo nodded in satisfaction and added,
“That’s right. Eat more and don’t be shy.”
Then he looked at the girl seated to Qin E’s left and introduced her.
“This is Song Zhishu, the daughter of one of your Aunt Qin’s close friends. The other one is my younger daughter—you’ve probably already met.”
Following his gaze, Su Wanyin looked at the girl dressed in a pale yellow dress, with slightly curled long hair and refined features. Her eyes swept over the understated yet luxurious necklace around the girl’s neck, immediately telling her that she came from a wealthy family.
Song Zhishu also discreetly sized her up. Her gaze lingered briefly on Su Wanyin’s exquisite face before sliding over her ordinary, worn clothes. Losing interest, she withdrew her gaze and politely greeted her.
“Alright, stop talking and eat. These crabs need to be eaten while they’re hot, otherwise they’ll taste fishy.”
Qin E patted her husband’s arm and interrupted.
Fu Aiguo quickly came back to his senses and waved his hand grandly, announcing the start of the meal.
Su Wanyin glanced at the steamed hairy crab specially placed before her on a blue-and-white porcelain plate.
Because it had been prepared using the simplest steaming method, a strong fishy smell hit her face. Having grown accustomed in her previous life to spicy fried crabs and braised crabs, she instinctively frowned slightly in discomfort.
Fu Ya had been quietly watching her the whole time. Seeing her hesitate without touching it, even frowning awkwardly, she burst into laughter.
“Haha, don’t tell me you don’t even know how to eat it?”
The moment those words came out, Fu Aiguo glared at her angrily.
“Shut your mouth!”
Then he turned to Su Wanyin. Thinking that the girl had just come from the countryside and might truly not know how to eat crab, he awkwardly said,
“It’s alright. I didn’t know how to eat this stuff at first either. I’ll peel a few for you, and you’ll understand once you watch.”
Immediately, Fu Ya—already upset after being scolded by her father—became even more resentful. Tugging at her mother, she complained unhappily,
“Why does Dad have to peel crab for her? Dad’s never peeled crab for me before. Who does she think she is?”
“If she doesn’t know how to peel it, then she just shouldn’t eat it. Acting all delicate and precious.”
Qin E listened to her daughter’s not-so-quiet grumbling without changing expression. Only after the last sentence did she lightly smack the back of her head before her husband could lose his temper.
“How can you talk like that? She just came from the countryside and doesn’t know how to eat crab. Don’t tell me you don’t know either? You’re old enough already—do you still need your father to help you?”
Though it sounded like she was speaking up for Su Wanyin, her words subtly stabbed at her pride.
If it had been her former self at this moment, her fragile heart probably would have been overwhelmed with inferiority.
But Su Wanyin’s expression remained unchanged as she softly said,
“There’s no need, Uncle. I know how.”
“Tch, don’t end up eating a pile of crab guts instead of actual crab meat and land yourself in the hospital.”
Fu Ya curled her lips, clearly not believing her. She simply thought Su Wanyin was pretending.
After hearing his daughter’s words, Fu Aiguo frowned. Though unpleasant, what she said was true. Crabs were cold in nature, and if she accidentally ate the heart or lungs, it would be very harmful to a girl’s body.
“How about letting Wanyin learn from Zhishu? Zhishu is an expert at eating crab,” Qin E gently suggested as she noticed her husband’s furrowed brows.
Watching Song Zhishu skillfully dismantle the crab, Fu Aiguo’s expression immediately relaxed and he nodded in agreement.
But just as he turned to persuade Su Wanyin again, he froze.