Lin Qing froze for a moment.
When she realized what was happening, she quickly reached for the test reports in Fu Sinian’s hand.
“Give it back.”
Fu Sinian said calmly, “Let’s talk, Lin Qing.”
“Talk about what?” Lin Qing replied as she kept walking, clearly wanting nothing to do with him.
“About the baby. About us.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. I don’t believe in marriage. As for this child, I don’t plan to keep it.”
Lin Qing’s words were sharp, completely cutting off any emotional leeway.
She was always like this—cold and absolute.
If Fu Sinian hadn’t seen the prescription the doctor had written, he might’ve believed her when she said she wasn’t keeping the baby.
So many medications—clearly for protecting the pregnancy.
“You’re lying. If you didn’t want the baby, why did you get all those medications?”
Fu Sinian exposed her lie without hesitation.
Lin Qing’s expression turned ugly. She stopped in her tracks, took a deep breath, and said:
“Fu Sinian, you say you want to talk—but talk about what? It’s not like you’d marry me. Being a single mother is my only option. What’s there to talk about? Even if I decide to keep the baby, it has nothing to do with you. My family isn’t short on money. I won’t ask you for a dime in child support. Talk? About what?”
She let out a bitter laugh and turned to leave.
Fu Sinian suddenly grabbed her wrist.
“Let go.”
“No.”
His palm was warm against her skin.
Her gaze slowly lifted and rested on his face.
The strong smell of disinfectant filled the air—it was especially pungent here near the pediatric wing. Nurses, children, and parents bustled around them.
In the midst of all that noise, she heard the man in the white shirt and black trousers say in a quiet, steady voice:
“Why are you so sure I won’t give you marriage?”
Everything around her seemed to fall silent for a moment.
Lin Qing was stunned, just staring at him blankly.
Fu Sinian took a step closer, placing both hands on her shoulders. He looked down at her, eyes filled with a rare seriousness.
“Keep the baby. Let’s get married.”
___________
One hour later, Lin Qing returned home, poured herself a glass of water, took out the bread she had just bought from the bakery to fill her stomach a little, took her medicine as the doctor instructed, and lay down to rest.
But lying in bed, she didn’t feel sleepy at all. Her mind kept replaying what Fu Sinian had said to her at the hospital:
—”Keep the baby. Let’s get married.”
She didn’t understand why Fu Sinian was so certain, so confident that he could convince his family to marry her.
Given the relationship between the Lin and Fu families, breaking the ice would be anything but easy.
She didn’t believe Fu Sinian could really pull that off.
Lin Qing closed her eyes to rest.
When she woke up and checked her phone, it was 11:40 AM.
She had slept for over two hours, and felt much more refreshed.
Getting out of bed, she went to the kitchen, planning to cook something herself. She didn’t have much appetite, but there was a child in her belly—she couldn’t skip meals.
Just as she was about to boil some noodles, the doorbell rang.
Lin Qing frowned and walked to the door.
She opened it—then froze.
Standing there was a man, now dressed in casual sportswear, holding a lunch box in his hand, wearing a bright smile.
She guessed why he came, and asked grumpily, “What are you doing here?”
Fu Sinian smiled, “Bringing lunch for the mother of my child.”
He took off his shoes and stepped inside—without waiting for her permission.
Lin Qing was completely caught off guard by his bold move.
“Hey! This is my house. I never said you could come in.”
Fu Sinian glanced around her home. Light wood floors, soft cream-toned furniture, anime-style oil paintings on the wall—the whole place had a clean and cozy aesthetic.
“Nice décor,” he commented.
He placed the lunch box on the table and looked at Lin Qing, who was standing with her arms crossed, clearly annoyed.
“If you can’t stand me, I’ll leave later. But first, eat something. Look how skinny you are.”
He opened the lunch box. Warm steam rose from the millet porridge inside, accompanied by a few side dishes.
Lin Qing didn’t react.
Fu Sinian added, “Even if you don’t eat, the baby has to. Be good, come have a bite.”
Only when he mentioned the baby did Lin Qing reluctantly walk over.
Fu Sinian went to the kitchen, fetched a bowl and chopsticks, and scooped a small portion of porridge for her, placing it in front of her.
“Had the housekeeper make it. Not sure if it suits your taste—give it a try.”
Lin Qing sat at the table, took the spoon, and brought a small mouthful to her lips.
The subtle aroma of millet gently melted in her mouth.
She muttered softly, “It’s okay.”
Fu Sinian grinned, “Then eat a bit more.”
He sat across from her, watching her eat.
A few seconds later, Yuanbao—her cat—came dashing out of the room, tail swishing, and rubbed itself against Fu Sinian’s pant leg. A few tufts of cat fur stuck to his pants.
Fu Sinian immediately stood up, brushed off his pants, and frowned deeply. Then he walked over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.
Lin Qing glanced at Yuanbao, then at Fu Sinian washing his hands, blinking a few times.
In that instant, something clicked in her mind—and she let out a laugh.
Fu Sinian came out of the kitchen and heard her laughter, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face.
“What are you laughing at?”
Lin Qing seized the chance to tease him:
“The mighty president of Ruifeng Group… afraid of cats?”
She couldn’t help but remember something from fourteen years ago.
They were in their third year of middle school at the time, and the class had a rotating cleaning schedule. Each day, a different group was assigned the job.
One day, she and Fu Sinian happened to be in the same group.
After they finished cleaning the classroom floor once, everyone in the group thought it was clean enough—except Fu Sinian. He insisted they clean it again.
Since he was class monitor, no one dared challenge him. Lin Qing had no choice but to grit her teeth and go along with it.
After three rounds of cleaning, she finally snapped and lashed out:
“Fu Sinian, what the hell is wrong with you? Do you have OCD or something? Why clean it so many times? It’ll be dirty again as soon as people step on it tomorrow!”
Fu Sinian didn’t deny it. He simply looked at her with a broom in hand and went right back to sweeping.
Lin Qing twitched her mouth.
“Hopeless,” she had thought.
At that moment, she was sure—he must have a cleanliness obsession.
Thinking of that memory, she quipped,
“Now I remember—you really do have OCD. No wonder back then in class you made us mop the floor five times.”
Fu Sinian dried his hands with a paper towel and said calmly,
“I don’t think being clean is a bad thing. A tidy home is bright, and it lifts your mood.”
Lin Qing rolled her eyes.
“Stubborn.”
As she brought up the past out of nowhere, Fu Sinian narrowed his eyes at her and curved his lips in a half-smile.
“Lin Qing, how do you remember so much about me?”
His question carried a deeper undertone.
Hearing that, Lin Qing froze with her spoon in hand, and looked up at him in surprise.
The man’s lips held a clear smile, his eyes glimmered faintly, and in the depths of his pupils was a softness that was hard to notice but undeniably there.
“How do you remember so clearly…”
His voice echoed in her ears, and Lin Qing’s face began to heat up. She didn’t respond—just lowered her head and quietly resumed eating her millet porridge.
Fu Sinian chuckled, picked up some side dishes and placed them in her bowl.
“Eat more.”
His teasing left her flustered. She avoided looking at him and focused silently on her meal.
Halfway through eating, her phone rang.
Lin Qing looked down and saw that it was her grandmother calling.
She frowned—why would Grandma be calling at this time? Something must be wrong.
Not daring to delay, she immediately answered.
Her grandmother’s anxious voice came through the phone, choked with emotion:
“Qingqing…”
Lin Qing’s heart tightened.
“Grandma, what’s wrong?”
“Qingqing… something’s happened at home.”
Lin Qing shot up from her seat, grabbed her car keys, and rushed toward the door.
“Don’t worry, Grandma—I’m coming back right now!” she said as she walked.
Fu Sinian, unsure what was happening, quickly asked,
“What happened to your family?”
“I’m not sure yet. My grandma just told me to come home immediately.”
“Don’t worry about me. You stay here.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“Don’t. You? Drive me? Are you kidding? Did you forget our families are mortal enemies? If my dad sees you, he’ll throw you out on the spot.”
“Then be careful on the road.”
“I’ll just tidy up the dishes, then I’m off.”
Lin Qing was in a rush and just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. She gave a quick “okay” and headed straight for the elevator.
_________
She drove her white Mercedes straight toward home.
Half an hour later, at Jinxiu Manor.
Lin Qing parked the car and walked into the villa.
Old Madam Lin was sitting on the sofa, wiping her tears repeatedly. Sun Miaoyun sat beside her, trying to comfort her.
“Mom, Nanshan has already gone to ask friends for help. Don’t worry too much, things might still turn around.”
Old Madam Lin cried helplessly,
“Boohoo… This is the family business Nanshan’s father built from scratch. We can’t just let it go to waste like this.”
Lin Qing stepped inside just in time to hear this. Confused, she took off her shoes and walked into the living room.
“What happened?” she asked.
When Old Madam Lin saw her, it was as if she had seen her savior.
“Qingqing, you’re back! Come—help Grandma think of a solution.”
Lin Qing sat beside her grandmother and listened as she explained what had happened.
“Qingqing, your father’s company has run into major trouble. The company’s performance has tanked. According to the equity agreement, the controlling stake will have to be handed over. But this is the business your grandfather built with his own hands. We can’t just sell it like that. Right now your father can’t raise enough funds, and if we can’t resolve the debt issue within a month, the company will belong to someone else.”
Though Old Madam Lin was elderly, her speech was still sharp. Having helped Lin’s grandfather start the company in her younger years, she had a clear understanding of its operations and explained everything quickly.
Lin Qing, having studied economic law, understood all too well how brutal the consequences of losing an equity agreement could be.
She was furious.
“Something this big happened, and you’re only telling me now?!”
Sun Miaoyun tried to reason with her.
“Qingqing, we didn’t want you to worry. Your father thought the company would bounce back this year. Who knew this financial crisis would hit so hard?”
Lin Qing gave her a cold look.
“You just didn’t want me involved, did you?”
A company doesn’t fall into massive debt overnight—it takes years of mismanagement. You don’t lose an equity agreement from a short-term dip.
Clearly, Lin Nanshan and Sun Miaoyun had deliberately kept her in the dark, not wanting her to have any say in the company.
Lin Qing turned to her grandmother.
“Grandma, how much debt is the company in?”
If it was a manageable amount, she could try borrowing money from friends to buy time.
“Around 100 million.”
“100 million?!” Lin Qing was stunned.
Old Madam Lin clutched Lin Qing’s hand.
“Qingqing, think of something, help your father… This company was your grandfather’s life’s work—we can’t just let someone else take it!”
Lin Qing gently patted her grandmother’s hand.
“Don’t worry, Grandma. There’s still a month. I’ll think of something.”
Just as she was trying to comfort her grandmother, Lin Nanshan came home.
He walked in while on the phone, his tone growing desperate.
“Come on, we’ve known each other for years—please, just do me this favor. Hey—hey, don’t hang up! Hello…?”
He slammed the phone onto the table in frustration.
“Tch! These people, always pretending to be like brothers with me, but now they won’t even answer my calls. What a joke!”
Sun Miaoyun picked up the phone and gently coaxed him.
“Don’t get angry. We’ll think of a way, step by step.”
Lin Nanshan sat down and shook his head repeatedly.
Just then, Sun Miaoyun said,
“Nanshan, I might have an idea.”
“What idea?” he asked.
Sun Miaoyun looked at Lin Qing and hesitated.
“If you have an idea, say it! Don’t beat around the bush!”
Old Madam Lin added,
“Speak up!”
Sun Miaoyun gritted her teeth.
“Given the company’s current situation, if we want financial support from another business… the only option is a marriage alliance.”
She wrapped her arm around Lin Nanshan’s and continued,
“Didn’t you ask me to look into potential suitors for Qingqing? I’ve done some digging—apparently the second young master of the Jiang family from North City has taken an interest in her.”
Lin Nanshan froze for a moment.
“The Jiang family from North City? Isn’t that…”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
When Lin Qing heard the words “Second Young Master of the Jiang family in North City,” the corner of her mouth twitched.
Her stepmother really had a talent for coming up with terrible ideas.
The Jiang family of North City? Hah. That was basically pushing her into a pit of fire.
“Aunt Sun, are you deliberately trying to ruin my life? With Jiang Ziyuan in a half-paralyzed state, are you planning to marry me off to be a living widow?”
Old Madam Lin understood immediately—marrying off her eldest granddaughter to the Jiang family for a corporate alliance? She was furious.
“Absolutely not! That’s out of the question! What kind of terrible idea is that!”
But Sun Miaoyun wasn’t ready to give up.
“That Second Young Master of the Jiangs has admired you for years. You even went to the same kindergarten when you were little. It’s true he had an accident later and can’t walk now, but he’s got a good personality, and his wealth? You’d never be able to spend it all in a lifetime.”
Lin Qing’s face darkened.
“If he’s so great, why don’t you marry your daughter to him?”
Sun Miaoyun let out a startled “Eh?”
“Xiaoqi hasn’t even graduated college yet. She’s too young for someone like Jiang Ziyuan.”
Lin Qing scoffed.
“I think they’re a perfect match. One’s paralyzed, and the other’s lazy and ignorant. A real pair.”
“Qingqing, I was only trying to help…” Sun Miaoyun, now on the defensive, looked extremely aggrieved and tugged on Lin Nanshan’s sleeve.
Lin Nanshan immediately lost his temper, siding with Sun Miaoyun.
“Your Aunt Sun was just making a suggestion. Is there any need to speak so harshly?”
Being scolded like this, Lin Qing—proud and never one to take unfairness lying down—couldn’t bear it.
“If that’s how it is, then you can deal with the company problems yourselves. I’m not getting involved. I’ve got things to handle at the firm, so I’ll be leaving now.”
With that, she grabbed her bag and walked out.
“Qingqing, Qingqing!”
Old Madam Lin called after her, but Lin Qing didn’t look back, her heart full of anger.
Once outside the gate, she muttered under her breath:
“Damn it, no good deed goes unpunished.”
She had come back to help come up with solutions, not to be insulted.
Lin Qing quickly got into her car and drove off.
As she passed by the Fu family’s house, she glanced over. Fu Sinian’s car was parked there, but he was nowhere to be seen.
At the thought of Fu Sinian, her heart felt like a tangled mess again.
Should she agree to marry him or not?
If she did, the company’s crisis could be resolved, and the child could be born and raised with its father.
Even though she didn’t have a strong desire to get married, at this moment—faced with this predicament—there seemed to be no other way out but to marry him.
Lin Qing couldn’t make up her mind.
___________
Halfway through the drive, Zhou Yan called.
Lin Qing picked up. “Hello, Mom? What’s up?”
“Where are you?”
“I just came back from the old house, heading home now.”
“Aren’t you filming? How come you have time to call me?”
“Come back to Crescent Bay immediately.”
Lin Qing thought it was just a routine call, but Zhou Yan’s voice on the other end sounded like it was soaked in ice.
Her heart skipped a beat. Something was wrong.
She’d left the house in a hurry—the medication from the hospital hadn’t been hidden properly.
If her mother had come home unexpectedly, she definitely would’ve found the prenatal meds.
What do I do? What do I say?
Her heart pounded furiously. She blamed herself for being careless.
Slamming her foot on the gas, she sped up to over 80 mph.
She raced home, sparks flying, her mind spinning with how to face her mother’s fury—and how to explain her way out of it.
Half an hour later, she returned home with her car keys in hand. She slipped off her shoes and saw Ms. Zhou smoking on the balcony.
It was drizzling outside, the sky gloomy and gray. No lights were on in the house, making Zhou Yan’s expression seem even darker.
She stared straight at Lin Qing.
Lin Qing stepped forward cautiously, bit her lip, and mustered up the courage to approach—but stopped two meters away, not daring to get too close.
She spotted the bag of medication sitting on the table and knew instantly: there was no hiding her pregnancy anymore.
So she lowered her stance and took the initiative to confess.
“Mom, I know I was wrong.”
Zhou Yan crushed the cigarette, looking at her daughter with bitter disappointment.
“What are you standing there for? Come here!”
“…Okay.”
Lin Qing clenched her teeth and forced herself to take a few more steps forward.
Zhou Yan yanked her by the ear.
“I leave to film for just six months, and you go out and find some random man?”
“Tell me—who’s the father?”
She had come home in a good mood after wrapping up a shoot, wanting to celebrate with her daughter—only to walk through the door and find prenatal pills on the table.
Her pride and joy, her perfect daughter, had gotten pregnant before marriage.
To Zhou Yan, it felt like the sky had fallen.
“Mom, please listen to me—let me explain!”
Lin Qing cried out, her ear hurting from the tug as she pried her mother’s hand away.
“It was an accident.”
“An accident? You expect me to believe some guy forced you?”
Zhou Yan saw her hesitating, clearly reluctant to speak, and her heart turned cold.
“Don’t tell me… it really was against your will?”
Her guesses became more and more outrageous. Lin Qing frantically waved her hands.
“No, no! Nothing like that. I wasn’t forced.”
“It was really just an accident, Mom, please let me explain!”
“Then talk already!” Zhou Yan couldn’t take the dragging-out any longer.
“The baby’s father… he’s… he’s—”
Lin Qing took a deep breath and just said it:
“It’s Fu Sinian.”
The moment the words dropped, the world seemed to stop.
A few seconds later, once Zhou Yan processed it, she got even angrier.
“You’re dating him? I knew it! I knew something shady was going on between you two! No wonder the tabloids caught you together a few days ago—and you still had the nerve to deny it!”
Zhou Yan yanked Lin Qing’s ear again.
“Ow! Stop pulling my ear! It really hurts!”
Lin Qing quickly took two steps back, keeping some distance while explaining, “I didn’t lie to you, I really wasn’t with Fu Sinian. It’s just that at Ruifeng’s annual party a month ago, someone deliberately drugged us. We ended up sleeping together—that’s how I got pregnant.”
Even after hearing the explanation, Zhou Yan was still skeptical.
“You’re really not in a relationship?”
“No! I swear, we’re not!”
“You said someone set you up—who was it? Who would dare try to harm the two of you?”
“Fu Sinian is investigating it already.”
Since the truth wasn’t fully uncovered yet, Lin Qing didn’t plan to tell her mom who was behind it all.
After she explained everything clearly, Zhou Yan’s anger finally cooled down. She looked at her daughter’s dark circles and thinned cheeks, and her tone softened. “How far along are you?”
“Five weeks.”
“Been having a lot of morning sickness lately?”
Faced with her mom’s concern, Lin Qing nodded, her eyes turning red.
Zhou Yan sighed and stepped forward, wrapping Lin Qing in a hug.
“Something this big happened—why didn’t you tell me?”
With her cheek resting on her mother’s shoulder, Lin Qing choked out, “Mom…”
All the hurt and stress she’d been carrying alone suddenly poured out.
“It’s okay. I’ve got plenty of money. Raising a baby? No big deal—we can handle it.”
Lin Qing didn’t say anything, but she hugged her mom tighter and nodded silently.
After returning home, she took a nap and didn’t wake up until 7 p.m.
Zhou Yan had already prepared dinner and was waiting for her.
“You’re awake. Come eat something.”
Even though Lin Qing didn’t have much of an appetite, she still sat down and forced herself to eat a little.
Zhou Yan sat across from her, putting food into her bowl while asking, “Why did you go back to the old house today?”
Lin Qing didn’t plan to hide it from her. “Mom, Dad lost the bet in the equity agreement. If he doesn’t come up with 100 million this month, he’ll lose controlling shares in the Lin Corporation. Grandma called me over today because of that—hoping I could come up with a solution.”
Zhou Yan’s chopsticks paused midair.
Hearing that the Lin family was on the brink of bankruptcy didn’t really stir much emotion in her. Her divorce from Lin Nanshan hadn’t ended well, but after all, he was still Lin Qing’s father. Holding grudges between parents would only make it harder for Lin Qing, so they had kept a civil relationship over the years.
Still, the fact remained—it was Lin Nanshan who had cheated first.
Zhou Yan had spent years fighting her way through the entertainment industry, amassing considerable wealth under her name. But she had no intention of helping her ex-husband out of his mess.
Zhou Yan’s voice was calm. “A hundred million isn’t a small sum. Given the current state of the Lin Corporation, I doubt any other company would be willing to help your father through this crisis. But… saving the company isn’t entirely impossible.”
She set down her chopsticks and looked directly at Lin Qing.
Lin Qing lifted her eyes to meet her mother’s gaze—and instantly understood what Zhou Yan was thinking.
“Mom, I don’t want to use the baby as a bargaining chip. What kind of person would that make me? Besides, even if Fu Sinian was willing to help, Grandpa Fu might not agree to it.”
Zhou Yan, frustrated, gave her a light smack on the forehead. “Are you stupid? The Fu family has been hoping for Fu Sinian to get married and have a child for ages. Just a few days ago, I heard Jiang Li was trying to arrange blind dates for him. Our two families have been like oil and water for years—but now you’re pregnant. If you marry Fu Sinian, not only could the relationship between the families be repaired, but the child wouldn’t have to grow up without a father. It’s a win-win!”
“But—”
“But what?”
Lin Qing was at a loss for words.
The argument caught in her throat, and she didn’t know how to refute it.
Her mother had analyzed the situation perfectly, laying out all the benefits of marrying Fu Sinian. But she had overlooked one crucial fact:
Lin Qing and Fu Sinian didn’t love each other.
Could two people who didn’t love each other really find happiness together?
Lin Qing seriously doubted it.
“I’ll think about it. There’s still a month left—maybe Dad can find a way to raise the money.”
Zhou Yan scoffed softly, clearly unconvinced. She didn’t believe Lin Nanshan had what it took to pull the Lin Corporation out of this mess.
___________
Lin Qing took two days off to rest. After taking the medication prescribed by the doctor, she felt much better. On the third day, she returned to work at the law firm.
Not long after she arrived, the office suddenly erupted in chaos.
“Oh my god, what is this? Wait—this girl looks so familiar!”
“This is Lawyer Lin! Lawyer Lin and Young Master Fu—this is insane!”
“So it’s true! Lawyer Lin and Young Master Fu are actually a couple!”
Su Yi saw the news photo and was so shocked she rushed to Lin Qing’s office, pushing the door open and walking straight to her.
Lin Qing, who was busy writing up documents, hadn’t realized what was going on.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Xiao Qing, how can you still be calmly working? Look at the news online!”
Su Yi handed her phone to Lin Qing. As soon as Lin Qing saw the photo on the screen, her face turned ashen.
It was a picture of her and Fu Sinian kissing in bed. Both of their faces were flushed—Fu Sinian was on top, and she was underneath, her arms wrapped around his neck, responding to his passionate kiss.
Though their private parts were covered by the blanket, anyone with eyes could tell what they were doing.
“How did this happen? Who took this photo?” Lin Qing’s heart was in a panic.
She scrolled through the online news, but the next second, the webpage suddenly froze.
Thinking it was just her phone acting up, she took Su Yi’s phone and checked—same issue: the page wouldn’t load.
One minute later, the site returned to normal.
Su Yi frowned in confusion. “Huh? That photo of you and Fu Sinian—why is it gone?”
Lin Qing frowned too and refreshed the page several times. She clicked into news articles related to her, and sure enough, the intimate photo had vanished from the internet.
“It must’ve been Fu Sinian—he had it suppressed.”
“But what’s the use? The damage is done. The media’s already exploded.”
Within just one hour, they’d shot to the top of Weibo’s trending topics.
#1 Trending: [Second Young Master Fu Sinian’s New Relationship Officially Exposed]
#2 Trending: [The Mistress Appears]
#5 Trending: [The Real Reason for the Broken Engagement Between Fu Sinian and Miss Song]
#9 Trending: [The True Face of the Lin Corporation’s Heiress]
Out of the top ten trends, half were about her and Fu Sinian.
Even though the actual photo was gone, the comments under the trending topics were relentless:
“No wonder Fu Shao(Young Fu) broke up with the Song family heiress—it was because of this woman.”
“This Lin family daughter is shameless. She knew Fu Shao had a fiancée and still seduced him!”
“I heard this Fu family darling works at a prestigious law firm. Looks all proper and professional, but who knew she was so vicious behind the scenes.”
Lin Qing gasped, sucking in a breath of cold air.
On WeChat, her old classmates’ group chat was exploding. They were @-ing her and Fu Sinian nonstop—some congratulating them, some teasing, some shocked, some outright sarcastic. It was endless.
Her father, Lin Nanshan, kept calling, but Lin Qing simply turned off her phone.
With her phone off, the world quieted down a little.
Just then, Su Yi’s phone rang.
It was an unknown number.
Su Yi answered, puzzled.
A familiar voice came from the other end of the line.
“It’s me, Fu Sinian. Please let Lin Qing take the call—I have something to discuss with her.”
Su Yi could tell it was urgent and quickly handed the phone to Lin Qing.
Lin Qing took it.
“Hello?”
Fu Sinian’s low voice came through. “You saw the photo, right?”
“It’s all over the trending list. How could I not see it!” Lin Qing snapped.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it,” Fu Sinian said calmly. “For the next few days, the media might be hovering around your house or the law firm. Things are different now—you’re pregnant, you’re not alone anymore. Be extra careful when going out. Whatever happens, do not get into it with the reporters. If things get out of hand, go stay at Su Yi’s place for a few days, okay?”
He knew her temper well and was afraid she might explode and confront the paparazzi, so he repeatedly warned her.
Lin Qing pressed him, “And how exactly are you planning to deal with it?”
The online gossip was spiraling out of control. If this wasn’t handled properly, the label of “homewrecker” could follow her around for a very long time.
“I’ll tell the public the truth. How it plays out… we’ll leave it to fate.”
After the call, Lin Qing kept refreshing Weibo nonstop.
Su Yi stayed by her side in quiet support.
Half an hour later, Fu Sinian’s personal Weibo account posted a clarification statement.
Lin Qing tapped in to read it.
The post read:
[Clarification Statement]
The rumors online about Miss Lin and me are all false. Miss Lin is not a homewrecker.
A month ago, at Rui Feng Group’s 50th anniversary celebration, the two of us had too much to drink and accidentally went into the wrong room. That’s how the photo came about.
After the incident, I felt deeply guilty toward my then-fiancée, Miss Song, and thus called off our engagement.
Due to that unexpected night, Miss Lin and I developed mutual affection. We are currently in the process of getting to know each other.
Every word above is true.
We ask the public not to speculate baselessly about our relationship. Thank you.
Within two minutes, the post had over a thousand comments. In ten minutes, it passed ten thousand.
Top comments:
#1: I knew my idol was a responsible man. Wishing Fu Shao happiness with his girl!
#2: Looks like we misunderstood Miss Lin. Hoping the two of them have a lasting love.
#3: Fu Shao and Miss Lin are a perfect match.
The tone of the public completely shifted. Even the harsh trending topics from just half an hour ago had disappeared.
Now, the comments were overwhelmingly supportive.
Lin Qing stared at Fu Sinian’s statement and cursed out loud:
“Arghhh! That damn Fu Sinian! I told him to clarify our relationship, not make it worse! ‘In the stage of getting to know each other’ — who the hell is getting to know him?!”
Su Yi burst out laughing. “Right, right, you’re not in the getting-to-know-each-other stage, you’re already on a rocket ship headed straight for the ‘soon-to-be-parents’ stage!”
“Su Yi! You’re making fun of me too!”
Lin Qing stomped her foot in frustration, inwardly cursing Fu Sinian ten thousand times over.
Su Yi scrolled on her phone, looking at how the trending tags had been suppressed, and couldn’t help but sigh.
“Tut tut, I wonder how much money he threw at this to clean up the mess. Lin Qing, are you sure you don’t want to give Fu Sinian a chance? I mean, public opinion’s already at this point. You might as well go along with it. His fans already assume you’re together anyway.”
“Together? I would never be with someone with such trash character.”
Lin Qing huffed angrily, poured herself a glass of water to cool down, but the more she thought about it, the more upset she got.
She couldn’t let Fu Sinian get away with setting her up like that.
“No way. I need to call him. He can’t just make stuff up like that.”
She turned her phone back on and dialed his number.
Beep beep beep…
“The number you’re trying to reach is currently on another call. Please try again later.”
She tried twice—both times, the line was busy.
Frustrated, Lin Qing hung up and looked helplessly at Su Yi.
“Yi Yi, what kind of crap luck is this I’ve gotten myself into?”
Su Yi comforted her, “Don’t stress, don’t stress—think of the baby.”
Lin Qing touched her stomach, gritted her teeth, and muttered,
“Baby, your dad is seriously the worst.”
From the scandalous photo spreading across the internet early in the morning to the public statement that flipped public opinion—everything happened within just one hour.
Old Master Fu was so furious, he made several calls to Fu Sinian’s office, ordering him to come home immediately.
By the time Fu Sinian finished his work and returned home, it was already 4 p.m.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw his grandfather sitting in the living room with a thunderous expression.
“Grandpa,” Fu Sinian greeted.
WHACK!
Old Master Fu struck his leg with his cane.
“Kneel.”
“I’m not kneeling.”
“You little brat! You cause such a scandal and still have the nerve to talk back? Last time you swore up and down that you had nothing going on with that Lin girl. I believed you. And now what? Intimate photos exposed all over the internet! What do you have to say for yourself now?”
When rumors first surfaced between Fu Sinian and Lin Qing, the old man had questioned him directly. Fu Sinian had firmly denied everything, so the old man let it go. But not even half a month later, intimate photos had been leaked.
After defying him again and again, Old Master Fu was ready to teach his grandson a proper lesson.
Off to the side, Fu Yiqing tried to calm his father down.
“Dad, it’s normal for young people to fall for each other. I’ve met the Lin girl—she’s good-looking, educated, a top-tier law firm lawyer, and capable too. If Sinian really likes her, why not give your blessing?”
Even though their families had fallen out over a business deal years ago, Fu Yiqing felt that at this point, his son’s happiness should come first.
Jiang Li chimed in, “Exactly, Dad. What Yiqing said makes sense. Since the two of them genuinely like each other, why don’t we just give them our blessing and let our families bury the hatchet?”
Old Master Fu snapped angrily at Fu Yiqing and Jiang Li, “You two are dreaming!”
He swung his cane at Fu Sinian again, landing another hit.
“As long as I’m still alive, don’t even think about being with that Lin girl!”
Fu Sinian didn’t dodge; he silently endured several strikes.
Then he said, “Grandpa, Dad, Mom, what happened between Lin Qing and me was an accident. At the company’s anniversary banquet a month ago, someone set us up. That intimate photo was secretly taken, and the surveillance footage from that night was stolen—it was all part of a plan to frame us.”
Fu Sinian explained everything that had happened that night in detail.
Old Master Fu’s expression shifted multiple times. By the end, his face had gone pale with fury, and he cursed loudly:
“That bastard! If I’d known this would happen, I never would’ve adopted him in the first place!”
Cough cough cough—
“Dad, please don’t get so worked up. Be careful with your health,” Fu Yiqing said as he patted his father’s back to help him catch his breath.
Jiang Li quickly poured a cup of tea. “Here, Dad, have some tea. Calm down.”
After a while, Old Master Fu’s anger finally eased a little.
He looked at his grandson and suddenly recalled the statement on Weibo, which had said the two were “in the stage of getting to know each other.” Suspicious, he asked:
“If that night was just an accident, then why didn’t you just clarify it plainly in the statement? Why leave it vague and open for the public to misinterpret?”
Having spent decades in the business world, Old Master Fu could smell something fishy right away. He figured his grandson must’ve already developed feelings for the Lin girl and had used the statement as an opportunity to quietly make their relationship public.
Fu Sinian looked sincere and said clearly, word by word, “Dad, Mom, Grandpa—I intend to marry Lin Qing.”
The room exploded with shock.
The word “marry” nearly made Old Master Fu faint. His whole body trembled as he pointed a shaking finger at Fu Sinian.
“You—what did you say? Say that again!”
Fu Sinian repeated calmly, “I said, I want to get married.”
This time, not only Old Master Fu, but also Fu Yiqing and Jiang Li were stunned.
Even Fu Yiqing, usually the mild one, couldn’t help but speak up.
“Marriage isn’t a joke. How long have you two even known each other?”
Jiang Li also voiced her disapproval, “Sinian, is it because she’s making you take responsibility that you’re thinking of marrying her?”
BANG!
The cane struck the wooden floor hard as Old Master Fu roared,
“I do not agree. Over my dead body!”
Jiang Li added, “Sinian, please think this through. There are so many good girls in our circle. There’s no need to tie yourself down just because of one mistake. A forced relationship never ends well.”
Fu Sinian shook his head and said firmly,
“She’s pregnant. I have to take responsibility.”
The moment the words left his mouth, everyone in the Fu family was stunned.
Lin Qing’s pregnancy hit them like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky.
They all stood frozen.
Fu Sinian continued, “Dad, Mom, Grandpa—I’ve made up my mind. Even if you’re against it, I’m still going to marry her. In a few days, I’ll bring Lin Qing home to meet you.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the door.
Jiang Li quickly called after him, “Sinian, where are you going?”
Fu Sinian tossed back a reply:
“Lin Qing isn’t feeling well. I’m going to take care of her.”
Old Master Fu watched his grandson’s retreating figure and let out a long sigh.
__________
Just as Fu Sinian stepped out the door, he received a call from Fang Huai.
“Hello? Cousin, there’s finally some progress on what you asked me to look into.”
“Tell me the details.”
After carefully listening to Fang Huai’s explanation, Fu Sinian said,
“Keep an eye on him. Wait until he leaves the school, then make your move.”
Fang Huai agreed.
Fu Sinian hung up the call.
Then he dialed Lin Qing’s number.
No answer.
He called again.
Still no response.
Unwilling to give up, Fu Sinian kept calling—again and again.
He called ten times in total, and not once did she pick up.
Fu Sinian cursed, “That damn woman—why is she so stubborn?”
Jiang Yuan asked, “President Fu, are we still heading to Miss Lin’s place?”
“No! She’s just going to slam the door in my face anyway.”
Fu Sinian clenched his teeth. “I need to come up with a way to deal with her.”
________
On the other side of the city.
Outside the Song Corporation building, inside a black Bentley.
A man sat in the driver’s seat, looking down at his phone, browsing the news with a pleased expression.
A woman appeared, dressed in a white tailored suit, five-centimeter stilettos on her feet, her black wavy hair falling over her shoulders. Holding a briefcase, she opened the car door and got into the passenger seat.
“Shuyao.” Fu Siyen looked up and put down his phone.
“Siyen,” Song Shuyao greeted him with a smile.
Fu Siyen handed her a bouquet of pink roses.
“Thank you.” Song Shuyao lowered her head and inhaled the fragrance. “They smell lovely.”
“You don’t have to pick me up from work every day. You just started your new job—you’ve got plenty to deal with.”
“I’m your boyfriend. Picking you up after work is what I should do.”
Looking at the woman in front of him, Fu Siyen couldn’t help himself. He tilted his head and placed a kiss on her forehead.
Song Shuyao froze for a second, hugging the roses. After all, she had only agreed to date him yesterday, and she still wasn’t used to such sudden intimacy.
But Fu Siyen didn’t seem satisfied with just a peck. He gently cupped her face with one hand, turning her toward him. His warm lips touched her forehead again, then her nose—lingering, inching—clearly torn between restraint and desire, until finally they pressed against the lips he’d longed for day and night.
Instinctively, Song Shuyao tried to push against his chest, but he cradled the back of her head, deepening the kiss step by step.
The temperature inside the car began to rise.
Just as he was about to pry her lips open, Song Shuyao reflexively pushed him away, gasping for breath.
Fu Siyen paused, visibly surprised that she had resisted going further.
Swallowing hard, Song Shuyao looked down at the roses in her hands, avoiding his intense gaze. In a soft voice, she said, “I… I’m not quite ready yet.”
Hearing that, Fu Siyen’s eyes darkened slightly.
Although disappointed, he kept a smile on his face, took her hand, and said, “It’s okay. I’ll wait until you are.”
He smoothly changed the subject. “What do you want to eat tonight? Chinese or Western?”
Seeing that he didn’t get angry, Song Shuyao relaxed a little.
She smiled. “Let’s do Western.”
“There’s a new French restaurant that just opened in Changning District. Want to try it?”
Song Shuyao nodded and agreed.
Fu Siyen started the car and drove off.
____________
Two days later, 5:30 in the afternoon.
Lin Qing finished her report analysis, organized the files, and packed up to leave work.
She drove back to Crescent Bay.
Her phone kept ringing—calls from Lin Nanshan and Grandma Lin, one after another.
Annoyed, she kept rejecting them.
As her car slowly pulled into the Crescent Bay neighborhood and she parked, she immediately saw her father’s black Land Rover not far away.
Lin Nanshan and Sun Miaoyun were helping Grandma Lin walk in her direction.
“Damn it, are they trying to drive me crazy?”
Lin Qing cursed under her breath, “Bloodsuckers. Total bloodsuckers.”
She took a deep breath and got out of the car.
Grandma Lin rushed over and threw herself into Lin Qing’s arms.
“Qingqing, Qingqing, you can’t just stand by and watch your father’s company be handed over to someone else. Please help your father, just this once.”
Lin Nanshan softened his tone, “Aren’t you dating that Fu family boy? Do us a favor—just ask him for a bit of money to help your father get through this crisis.”
Sun Miaoyun added, “Xiao Qing, you really know how to keep things quiet. You landed such a great boyfriend and didn’t even tell your family. If you’re willing to help, your father might be able to hold on to controlling shares in Lin Corporation.”
Great boyfriend?
The corner of Lin Qing’s mouth twitched. Just a few days ago, when the scandal broke out, her family nearly tore her apart with insults.
Now suddenly, Fu Sinian was some golden prize?
Lin Qing couldn’t believe Lin Nanshan was so desperate to save the company that he could bring himself to praise Fu Sinian—it was downright shameless.
“I’ll say this one last time: I will not ask Fu Sinian for money.” Lin Qing’s tone was firm.
Grandma Lin hadn’t expected her eldest granddaughter to be so heartless. Choked up, she clutched Lin Qing’s sleeve and begged,
“Qingqing, the company was your grandfather’s blood and sweat. He adored you when he was alive. For his sake, please help your father this once.”
“Grandma…”
Hearing her grandmother bring up her late grandfather, Lin Qing finally wavered.
“I—I—”
She was deeply conflicted inside.
Asking Fu Sinian for help? She just couldn’t swallow her pride to do it.
“Qingqing, you—you have to—”
“Mom! Mom!”
“Grandma!”
Grandma Lin suddenly gasped for air, her vision went dark, and she fainted.
_________
Inside the hospital, the strong smell of disinfectant made Lin Qing feel nauseous.
She took out her water bottle from her bag and drank a few sips of lemon water to suppress the discomfort.
After a while, the doctor walked in.
Lin Qing was holding Grandma Lin’s hand as she listened carefully.
“The patient fainted due to emotional agitation. Nothing serious.
You younger folks need to be more mindful of the elders’ feelings. Try to go along with them.
She already has high blood pressure—if she gets overly upset and something happens, you’ll regret it when it’s too late.”
Lin Qing nodded repeatedly at the doctor’s advice.
“We’ll keep her under observation for now. If her blood pressure returns to normal tomorrow, she can be discharged then.”
“Alright, thank you, doctor.”
On the hospital bed, Grandma Lin was still unconscious.
Lin Nanshan and Lin Qing stood watch on either side of the bed.
Sun Miaoyun had gone to handle the admission paperwork.
Grandma Lin’s face was pale, and Lin Qing couldn’t help but feel a little soft-hearted.
She asked her father, “Dad, how much money have you been able to borrow so far?”
“Qingqing, I haven’t been able to borrow a single cent.”
“But aren’t you close with Uncle He and Uncle Zhang? How could they not help?”
Lin Nanshan had always been on good terms with He Yongming, founder of Lifeng Enterprises, and Zhang Wandi, GM of Hengxing Enterprises. They regularly drank, played cards together, and their families were familiar with one another.
Lin Nanshan sighed,
“Just a few days ago, they said they’d lend a hand. But yesterday, they both called and said they were short on funds and couldn’t help after all.
Qingqing, the only person who can help your dad now is you!”
“Backing out last minute? How shameless. What kind of friends are those?”
Sure enough, it’s easy to add flowers to a brocade, but hard to give coal in the snow.
The wisdom of the ancients held true.
Lin Qing pulled out a bank card from her bag and handed it to Lin Nanshan.
“This is my savings. There’s about eight million in it. Use it for now. I’ll figure out the rest.”
At that moment, Grandma Lin slightly opened her eyes and weakly called out,
“Qingqing—”
Lin Qing leaned in and softly asked,
“Grandma, you’re awake. How are you feeling? Any better?”
But Grandma Lin was still focused on the money. She tightly grasped Lin Qing’s hand and rasped out,
“Qingqing… you must… must help—”
Before she could finish, Lin Qing interrupted quickly,
“Grandma, don’t worry. Leave it to me. I’ll raise the money. I won’t let Dad lose his shares in the Lin Corporation.”
Her words were a balm to Grandma Lin’s heart. Her eyes instantly reddened, and she affectionately patted Lin Qing’s hand,
“Good, that’s good, child.”
At that moment, Lin Qing’s phone rang.
She looked down—Fu Sinian was calling.
“Grandma, Dad, I’m going outside to take a call.”
She walked out to the hospital room’s balcony and answered.
“Hello?”
On the other end, the man’s voice was full of resentment.
“Miss Lin, this is the 18th call I’ve made to you since yesterday. You finally picked up.”
Lin Qing scoffed,
“Honestly, I really didn’t want to answer.”
Fu Sinian chuckled and asked,
“Where are you? I’ll come find you.”
“I’m at the hospital.”
As soon as Fu Sinian heard the word “hospital,” his heart nearly jumped into his throat.
“What happened? Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?”
Lin Qing explained,
“It’s not me. It’s my grandma—she was admitted.”
She stood on the balcony, gazing down at the nearby outpatient building.
Patients were coming and going. The sound of ambulance sirens rang in her ears.
The doors of an ambulance flew open as doctors and nurses rushed a patient toward the emergency room at full speed.
Doctors and nurses were racing against time, fighting to wrest lives away from death.
Standing in this place where life and death can hinge on a single moment,
she suddenly understood something—
In this life, apart from life and death, everything else is trivial.
She glanced back into the hospital room.
Her grandma was receiving IV fluids. A nurse had just come in to change the medicine.
Lin Qing no longer hesitated.
The sunset cast golden light at her feet.
She stood in the glow and slowly said—
“Fu Sinian, let’s get married.”