“Of course he’s coming—he’s my baby,” Lin Qing said, grabbing Yuanbao by the scruff and lifting him off the floor into her arms.
Seeing Fu Sinian’s slightly stiff expression, Lin Qing suddenly remembered—he had a cleanliness obsession. She let out a snort of laughter and teased, “Don’t tell me that fancy Jinmao Mansion of yours can’t even handle one cat?”
“O-of course not,” Fu Sinian replied, trying to act composed.
Lin Qing took a few steps forward and deliberately rubbed the cat against his suit. Yuanbao spread his paws, bared his teeth at Fu Sinian, and let out a couple of sharp meows.
Fu Sinian quickly stepped back. “S-stop!”
His look of alarm made Lin Qing burst into laughter.
_______
After a while, Lin Qing put the cat into the carrier, walked into the study, and gave Jiang Yuan detailed instructions on which books needed special care—no bumps or scratches allowed. Then she headed to the walk-in closet to help Linda pack up the clothes.
Half an hour later, Lin Qing came out of the room and saw Fu Sinian standing at the door, a cigarette between his fingers, just about to light it.
“Ahem, ahem,” Lin Qing deliberately cleared her throat.
Fu Sinian looked up and saw her staring at him. He froze for a second, then quickly put the cigarette back into its pack and walked over to take the suitcase from her hand.
“All packed?”
Lin Qing stretched out her hand in front of him. “Hand it over.”
Fu Sinian raised an eyebrow, pretending not to understand. “What?”
“The cigarettes,” Lin Qing said, a little displeased. “I’m pregnant. You need to quit smoking, or I’m not moving in with you.”
If they were going to live together, then it had to be on her terms. She didn’t like men who smoked—so her husband would have to quit.
Fu Sinian leaned down slightly, stared into her eyes, and smiled. “You’re this bossy, huh?”
Lin Qing glared at him and snorted softly. “That’s right. I am this bossy.”
Still smiling, Fu Sinian pulled the cigarette pack from his trouser pocket and handed it to her. “Don’t worry. I’ll quit starting today.”
Lin Qing tossed the pack straight into the trash can. “Now that’s more like it.”
_________
The group moved the luggage to the back seat of the Land Rover. Jiang Yuan drove the Land Rover ahead with the luggage, while Linda was in charge of driving Lin Qing’s white Mercedes to Jinmao Mansion.
5:15 PM, Jinmao Mansion Complex.
Fu Sinian drove Lin Qing inside. Jinmao Mansion was a villa community, different in layout and design from Jinxiuzhuang Garden. Located halfway up a mountain, the property covered over 10,050 square meters and housed just ten families.
As they went further uphill, the view became more expansive. Lin Qing sat in the convertible, gazing out. From here, she could see the entire cityscape. The lights in the city below twinkled like scattered stars, gradually lighting up before her eyes.
The breeze rustled the trees on both sides of the road, the wind whooshing gently past.
It gave off a peaceful sense of seclusion from the world.
Fu Sinian parked the car in the garage and said to Lin Qing, “We’re here. Get out.”
Lin Qing stepped out, but her gaze paused for a moment.
Standing inside the garage, she looked a little surprised.
Fu Sinian didn’t just have one car. Parked before her were a Bentley, Porsche, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes, and BMW.
She glanced at him and said, “You’re seriously loaded.”
“I told you, being with me—you won’t lose out.”
“I’ll give you a key to each of these cars. You can drive whichever one you want.”
Lin Qing replied, “I’ll stick with my little Mercedes.”
Driving her own car always felt more comfortable and familiar.
Jiang Yuan and Linda had already arrived at Jinmao Mansion ahead of them and were busy moving the luggage inside one item at a time.
Lin Qing followed behind Fu Sinian into the villa.
It was her first time coming to the Jinmao Mansion community. She remembered hearing Lin Nanshan mention it five years ago when the development had just started.
Back then, her father had his eyes on that piece of land too. But in the end, he had lost out to Fu Sinian.
Stepping through the main gate and into the courtyard, she looked down and saw a pathway paved with bluestone slabs. Neatly planted willow trees lined both sides. The gentle breeze swayed their branches, producing a soft rustling sound. The further they walked in, the quieter it got. The silhouette of the villa emerged faintly in the glow of the setting sun. The building’s exterior was in traditional Chinese style, and the overall atmosphere felt like a moving ink-wash painting.
The lights inside the villa were already on.
Lin Qing changed into indoor slippers and walked in.
The interior style was completely different from the villa’s exterior. As soon as she stepped in, she was greeted by a spacious living room with double-height floor-to-ceiling windows. Gray-and-white sofas sat atop wooden floors. Sunlight streamed in through the glass, casting a warm glow. The feature wall behind the couch was made of marble, with a single, elegantly hung painting.
Lin Qing immediately recognized it as a piece by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
Yayoi Kusama—a female artist Lin Qing greatly admired.
The signature dotted lines and pumpkin motif were bold yet unpretentious.
A piece like that would cost at least tens of millions.
Lin Qing walked over and looked up to carefully study the artwork.
“Didn’t expect you to have an artistic side,” Lin Qing teased.
Fu Sinian curved his lips into a smile. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know yet. You’ll find out in time—we’ve got all the time in the world.”
Hearing his words, Lin Qing turned her head to glance at him.
The setting sun cast light on one side of his face, highlighting a unique gentleness in his features. Flecks of golden light shimmered in his eyes.
He’s really good-looking, she thought to herself.
All of a sudden, Lin Qing found herself feeling just a little bit excited about their upcoming marriage and living together.
_________
After Jiang Yuan and Linda finished moving all the luggage, they left.
The large villa was now quiet, with only Lin Qing and Fu Sinian remaining.
Lin Qing had specifically instructed Jiang Yuan to bring over all the books from her study. Fu Sinian looked at the piles of books in the room and said helplessly, “Why do you have so many books?”
Lin Qing walked over to the bookshelf and straightened a few that were tilted. “Is it a crime to like books? I studied law—of course I have a lot of books. If I don’t read enough, how am I supposed to quote references and argue with people?”
She paused for a moment, then lowered her voice and added, “It’s not like I have your kind of talent—able to remember everything right after reading it once.”
Fu Sinian was wiping the dust off some books with a tissue. When he heard what she said, he looked at her.
There was a hint of quiet disappointment in her eyes and her tone.
He knew she was thinking about their childhood again.
Back in middle and high school, no matter how hard she tried, she could never outperform him.
They were young back then, and the relationship between their families wasn’t good. He was competitive by nature, always putting forth his best effort—just so he wouldn’t lose to her.
Looking back now, he realized the pressure and hurt he had unknowingly caused her.
It didn’t seem worth it anymore.
“I didn’t know it mattered to you that much. If I’d known we’d end up married, I would’ve gone easy on you a few times.”
Lin Qing let out a snort. “Who wants you to go easy? That wouldn’t be a fair win.”
Fu Sinian chuckled. “We were both such top students. I wonder if our kid will outshine us one day… or completely disappoint us.”
“I don’t care how they turn out. Good grades or not, they’re still my child. Hey, Fu Sinian, you can be the strict dad—I’m not going to be some tiger mom.”
When she was young, because Fu Sinian always outperformed her, Lin Nanshan and Zhou Yan often pushed her hard in her studies. She gave it everything she had, and though she had managed to make something of herself now, when she looked back on those ten-plus years of studying, it all just felt exhausting and difficult.
She didn’t want her own child to be born into wealth and still unable to enjoy life.
If they want to lie flat and take it easy, so be it.
As the evening sun slowly faded, night began to fall.
Lin Qing’s stomach growled with hunger.
She said, “Fu Sinian, I’m hungry. What are we going to eat? I don’t know how to cook—how about we order takeout?”
Just as she picked up her phone and opened Meituan, Fu Sinian stopped her.
“You’re pregnant. No junk food or takeout. I’ll cook.”
He took Lin Qing’s hand, led her out of the study, and gently pressed her down into a chair at the dining table.
“You just sit and wait to eat.”
With that, he walked into the kitchen and put on an apron.
The sizzling sounds of stir-frying came from the kitchen. Lin Qing rested her chin in her hands, bored, watching the man in front of her.
He kept flipping the food with the spatula, adding oil and salt in perfect amounts—his movements were swift and practiced.
Lin Qing stared in surprise.
She hadn’t expected Fu Sinian to know how to cook.
Half an hour later, the dishes were ready and brought to the table.
Stir-fried beef with green peppers, sautéed seasonal vegetables, braised prawns in oil—everything looked delicious.
“Try it, see if you like it.”
Lin Qing picked up her chopsticks and tasted a bite.
“Tastes pretty good.”
“If you like it, eat more.”
“I seriously didn’t expect you to know how to cook. Where’d you learn it?”
“When I was studying abroad. I taught myself. Western food is terrible.”
Fu Sinian peeled a shrimp and placed it in her bowl.
“You also lived abroad for four or five years. How come you didn’t learn to cook?”
“I’m not picky. Western food may taste bad, but as long as it fills me up, I’m good.”
“No wonder you’re so skinny.”
Just as Fu Sinian took a bite, his phone rang.
He answered it and listened silently to the person on the other end.
“I got it. I’ll bring her back tomorrow.”
He hung up.
Lin Qing asked, “That call was from your family?”
“Yeah.”
“Lin Qing, get ready for tomorrow. I’ll take you to meet my family.”
He paused for a moment and added, “And we’ll also go see your family.”
The Lin and Fu family homes were both in Jinxiuzhuang Garden, only about a few dozen meters apart. Might as well meet both sets of parents at once tomorrow.
At the mention of meeting the parents, Lin Qing got a little nervous—especially about Fu Sinian’s grandfather.
From what she remembered, Grandpa Fu was pretty strict.
“What if your grandpa doesn’t let me through the door tomorrow?”
“I’m really not what your family would consider the perfect daughter-in-law.”
She never thought of herself as gentle or cute enough.
Given how bad the relationship between the Lin and Fu families used to be, Lin Qing was worried his family might not accept her.
“Don’t worry. They don’t get to decide anything for now, and we’re not going to live with them anyway. What they think doesn’t matter.”
Fu Sinian’s words were like a calming pill for Lin Qing.
She said, “Alright then, I’ll leave work early tomorrow and pick up a few things.”
___________
After the two of them finished dinner and washed the dishes, they went about settling in.
This villa was huge—just the side bedroom alone was over fifty square meters, including the walk-in closet.
Linda had already hung up all of Lin Qing’s clothes in the closet. When Lin Qing walked in, she noticed several rows of brand-new clothes hanging on one side of the wardrobe.
Casual loungewear, dresses, women’s suits—everything was there.
On the closet counter were matching accessories: handbags, shoes, necklaces, watches. All top luxury brands—Dior, Gucci, Chanel, and the like.
Lin Qing was very satisfied with the clothes and jewelry Fu Sinian had prepared for her.
Half an hour later, she took out her contact lenses, grabbed a set of pajamas, and went into the bathroom to shower.
She turned on the faucet and adjusted the water temperature. Her phone was placed on the vanity counter where she kept her toiletries.
Water splashed down with a soothing rush.
She lathered body wash onto her skin—it smelled of roses, very pleasant.
Foam spread all over the floor beneath her.
Lin Qing closed her eyes and let the water flow through her hair.
Steam filled the bathroom.
The next moment, everything suddenly went dark.
“Sh*t! Ah! Why did the power go out?!”
Severely nearsighted, Lin Qing instinctively tried to walk out, but couldn’t see clearly in front of her.
“Lin Qing!” came Fu Sinian’s voice from outside the door.
Click—the door opened.
A beam of bright light shone in. Lin Qing blinked in surprise.
“Ah! Fu Sinian, why did you come in?!”
She suddenly realized she wasn’t wearing anything and jumped in fright, quickly using her hands to cover all her important parts.