Fu Yuanchao acted as though he had not noticed Mingyue at all. He gently squeezed Jiang Tang’s fingers and said, “Your hands are a little cold.”
Jiang Tang’s voice was soft and sweet. “Then warm them for me.”
Fu Yuanchao naturally wrapped her entire small hand inside his broad palm. “Wear more clothes when you go out next time.”
“Okay.”
Fu Yuanchen’s chin seemed to hit the floor with a loud clang.
He stared in disbelief. “Brother? Are you blind? Can’t you tell that she was deliberately targeting Sister Mingyue just now?”
Fu Yuanchen’s repeated provocations had already made Jiang Tang displeased. She was about to say something when a pair of warm hands suddenly grasped her wrist.
Jiang Tang raised her head suspiciously, only to meet Fu Yuanchao’s gaze directly.
“Don’t be angry.”
Fu Yuanchao said it so quickly that Jiang Tang tilted her head slightly, almost wondering if she had heard him correctly.
Fu Yuanchao actually knew how to comfort someone.
“Fu Yuanchen, is this how you treat your elders?”
“Your allowance is suspended for two months, and you are to stay at home for one month and reflect on your behavior.”
Fu Yuanchen: “???”
Jiang Tang pursed her lips and smiled at him.
Fu Yuanchen still wanted to defend himself, but after seeing the warning in Fu Yuanchao’s eyes, he wisely shut his mouth. This was only a small punishment. If his brother were truly angry, the consequences would not be limited to this.
Fu Yuanchao’s attitude was already very clear. Before, he simply had not cared, but now he had made up his mind to protect his little wife. Rather than warning Fu Yuanchen, he was telling everyone in the Fu family something else.
Jiang Tang was his woman. Before anyone wanted to criticize her again, they should first think carefully about whose support they depended on.
Mingyue slowly lowered the hand she had raised. Holding her small red leather bag with both hands, she gave an apologetic smile. Despite Fu Yuanchen frantically signaling to her with his eyes, there was no embarrassment on her face.
“I’m sorry. I was a little too presumptuous today.”
Fu Yuanchao nodded faintly. There was no noticeable change in his expression, as though the entire dispute had been nothing more than an insignificant game in his eyes.
“Hmm.”
The old madam sitting at the head of the table narrowed her eyes and tapped her cane against the floor.
“All right. Since you are here, stay for dinner.”
There were many people present today. The long dining table stretched from one end of the room to the other. Jiang Tang followed Fu Yuanchao and sat in a position just below the head of the table, while everyone else took their seats according to their status.
The Fu family had a rule that one should not speak while eating or sleeping, so no one said a word during the meal. Chopsticks silently picked up food and slowly carried it to everyone’s mouths.
Jiang Tang found the meal somewhat stifling. Even the wide variety of delicious dishes in front of her seemed to have lost their appeal.
She swallowed a piece of lobster with little interest. From the corner of her eye, she saw Fu Yuanchao reaching for a dish of spicy braised fish. Its bright red color alone was enough to make her tongue feel the heat.
She immediately reminded him softly, “It is spicy. You cannot eat it.”
The wound on Fu Yuanchao’s chest had not healed yet, so naturally he could not eat anything this spicy or stimulating.
Fu Yuanchao’s hand did not stop. His target had always been clear, and the piece of fish landed steadily in the small bowl in front of Jiang Tang without spilling even a drop of sauce.
Jiang Tang raised her eyes.
The dish had been quite far from her. Although she had wanted to eat it, she had never reached out for it. She had not expected Fu Yuanchao to notice even such a small detail.
Jiang Tang tilted her head slightly. The two of them were sitting very close, their shoulders touching.
The room was warm and crowded, so Jiang Tang had removed her outer white cloak. Her arm could clearly feel the soft woolen texture of Fu Yuanchao’s suit.
Without making it obvious, Jiang Tang moved a little closer. Her palm sized face lifted slightly, and her long eyelashes fluttered. Her light brown eyes were like exquisite glass, and when she smiled, they curved into beautiful crescent shapes.
“Thank you, husband. I really like it.”
“Hmm.”
Progress value +1 +1 (23/100)
Fu Yuanchao always looked so calm and composed. Only when his emotions were stirred did his brows and eyes become slightly tense, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure. The muscles that were always hidden beneath his calm exterior would tighten with force, and sweat would trickle down the contours of his chest before disappearing beneath his clothes.
Jiang Tang lowered her head to hide the curve of her lips.
She was even more eager to see the moment when Fu Yuanchao could no longer suppress that refined exterior and revealed the beast hidden underneath. It would certainly be an interesting sight.
Their quiet conversation stood out particularly clearly in the silent dining room.
After the meal, Mingyue took the initiative to step forward.
“Brother Fu, I came this time because I wanted to discuss a business partnership with you. I wonder if you have some time now? I have already brought the proposal with me. It will only take about ten minutes of your time.”
Then Mingyue added in a joking tone, “Brother Fu is always so busy with work. I have tried several times to make an appointment through your secretary, but I could never get one, so I had to take advantage of today’s family gathering and rely on the friendship between our families from the past to approach you. I hope you do not mind.”
Mingyue’s words put Fu Yuanchao in a difficult position and even brought up the former relationship between their two families.
Fu Yuanchao had already been interested in her family’s business, so he agreed.
He lowered his voice and said to Jiang Tang, “I will go discuss some business first. I should be back in about half an hour. You can take a walk around the back garden.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
Jiang Tang skillfully and affectionately kissed the corner of Fu Yuanchao’s lips, then straightened the clothes on his chest.
“Go ahead.”
Fu Yuanchao watched Jiang Tang until she disappeared from his sight. Only then did he point toward a quiet corner.
“Come with me.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Tang made her way to the back garden. The area was enormous, and everywhere she looked there were rare and precious flowers and plants, all carefully tended by professional gardeners. In the distance, she could see layers of lush green mountains winding across the horizon.
Jiang Tang found a swing and slowly rocked herself back and forth.
The Fu family certainly knew how to enjoy life. The scenery was beautiful and peaceful, and simply sitting here for a while was enough to make her feel relaxed.
“Miss Jiang, what a coincidence.”
Jiang Tang placed her toes against the ground and stopped the swing. Then she turned around.
The man approaching her was dressed casually and wore gold rimmed glasses. He had a gentle and relaxed smile. He stopped several meters away from Jiang Tang, maintaining a comfortable distance for speaking with a stranger.
“Who are you?”
Jiang Tang remembered that the original owner had never met him.
“I forgot to introduce myself first.”
“I am Mingyue’s elder brother, Mingzhou. She is still young, and if she said anything inappropriate, I hope Miss Jiang will forgive her.”
“Oh? Then why didn’t she apologize to herself?”
Jiang Tang found it rather amusing. The excuse he had used to approach her was quite clumsy.
Jiang Tang was very aware of the beauty of her own face and the charm she possessed. She also knew exactly when she could make someone fall for her. She was very good at using her advantages to achieve her goals.
“Does Miss Jiang like the Fu family?”
Jiang Tang suddenly smiled. The corners of her lips curved upward slightly.
Sunlight passed through the gaps in the grapevine canopy above her and fell into her already dazzling eyes, filling them with shimmering light and an irresistible allure that made people want to hold that brightness tightly in their hands.
Jiang Tang tilted her head slightly in confusion, and a loose strand of hair fell beside her ear.
“What do you mean by that, Mr. Ming?”
“I am Fu Yuanchao’s wife, so naturally I like the Fu family.”
Jiang Tang quietly studied Mingzhou, trying to determine what exactly lay behind his words. Was he simply interested in her, did he intend to pursue her, or was there some larger scheme behind his approach?
“As a potential business partner of the Fu family, isn’t it inappropriate for you to come here and try to sow discord between my husband and me?”
Mingzhou raised a hand and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
He smiled with refined elegance, as though the sharp question he had just asked had never happened.
“I was being presumptuous.”
“I only heard that your marriage with Mr. Fu was arranged by your elders.”
“There have always been rumors outside that the two of you had already developed a rift. Now that I have seen you together, it seems those rumors were simply untrue.”
Jiang Tang’s gaze passed over him and landed on the arched entrance leading from the back garden to the main hall. She smiled until her eyes curved beautifully.
“Those are just rumors spread by outsiders. My relationship with my husband is very good.”
Mingzhou seemed to notice something as well. The smile in his eyes faded slightly, and he turned around.
Fu Yuanchao and Mingyue appeared together beside the flower covered archway, with Mingyue holding a stack of business proposals in her arms.
Fu Yuanchao naturally walked over to Jiang Tang. He helped her tidy the loose strands of hair around her face and brushed away the tiny flower petals that had fallen onto her head.
“Finished talking?”
“Hmm.”
“How did it go? Did everything go smoothly?”
“Pretty well.”
Jiang Tang gently swung her lower legs, while almost her entire upper body rested against Fu Yuanchao’s chest. She lowered her voice and whispered into his ear. Her warm breath brushed against the curve of his ear like a soft feather, lightly teasing his heart before drifting away with the spring breeze.
“It has only been ten minutes, Mr. Fu. Were you really that impatient to see me?”
Fu Yuanchao placed a hand lightly against her waist and gave it a warning squeeze.
“Jiang Tang.”
“Hmm?”
Jiang Tang looked up at him as though she did not understand what he meant, her expression carrying a hint of confusion.
The tips of their noses were almost touching. They were so close that even their breathing seemed intertwined.
To the other two people, their intimacy was an unmistakable silent signal telling them it was time to leave.
“Brother? Why are you here? Weren’t you in the main hall?”
Mingyue had not expected to see her brother in the back garden.
Mingzhou’s gaze fell upon the overlapping shadows of the two people. Only after a moment did he look away, as though their meeting had been nothing more than an accident.
“Nothing. There were too many people in the main hall, so I came here to get some fresh air. How did the discussion go?”
Mingyue answered, “Very smoothly. In a few days, I will personally go to the Fu company to discuss the details. I will stay here for a while as well.”
“They are leaving.”
Fu Yuanchao watched the two people walking away side by side from the corner of his eye before straightening up.
Jiang Tang reached out and grabbed the tie around his chest, then pulled him toward her with force. The swing began to sway gently because of their sudden movement.
“Then does that mean we can…”
Before Jiang Tang could finish, she leaned forward and kissed him, using her actions to complete the meaning of her unfinished words.
The back garden was exceptionally quiet. The only sound came from the automatic sprinklers tirelessly spraying mist over the flower beds, while several bees and butterflies among the flowers competed for the fullest and most beautiful blossoms.
Fu Yuanchao’s fingertips pressed into Jiang Tang’s slender waist. With one hand, he held the back of her neck, forcing Jiang Tang to tilt her head high.
Her long, fair neck rested obediently in his palm.
Fu Yuanchao deepened the kiss again and again. He lowered his eyes slightly and looked at those breathtakingly beautiful pupils in front of him as they gradually became clouded with misty moisture.
When prey willingly came to the hunter, naturally it had to be locked away and completely devoured.
Progress value +1 (24/100)
After a long while, Jiang Tang’s entire body felt soft as she leaned against Fu Yuanchao’s chest. She raised her hand and plucked a tender leaf that was still curled at the tip. Her lower legs hung slightly above the ground as she sat on the broad wooden seat of the swing.
“Don’t you need to go back to the main hall?”
“The matter has already been settled.”
Jiang Tang nodded.
“How did it go?”
Fu Yuanchao’s fingertips gently brushed the flushed corner of her eye.
“We need to investigate further, but we can cooperate with them.”
“The Ming family has great ambitions. They have already occupied the overseas market, and now they want to take control of the domestic market as well.”
They had deliberately plotted to make use of the Fu family, completely unaware that they themselves were the rabbits about to fall into the trap.
This game had only just begun.
Jiang Tang raised her head and gently kissed the corner of the man’s lips.
“I don’t like Mingzhou, and I don’t like Mingyue either.”
“Mr. Fu, I believe you will definitely help me, won’t you?”
“What did Mingzhou come to see you for?”
Fu Yuanchao did not answer her directly. Instead, he asked another question.
Jiang Tang shrugged and then gently bit his chin, leaving an extremely faint tooth mark that would disappear within a few seconds.
“I don’t know. He was trying to sow discord between us.”
Jiang Tang’s gaze was gentle and affectionate. Her focused eyes seemed to be looking at the person she loved most in this life.
“I love Mr. Fu so much. How could he possibly persuade me to leave you so easily?”
The sunlight was too dazzling, causing Fu Yuanchao’s pupils to contract slightly.
Jiang Tang was just like her name suggested, like crystallized ginger candy.
The moment it entered your mouth, it was sweet, but only after savoring it carefully could you taste the spicy intensity beneath that sweetness. Yet the sweetness at the beginning made people unwilling to let her go. To obtain that sweetness, one had to accept the spiciness that came with it.
“If I help you, what do I get in return?”
“Hmm…”
Jiang Tang thought about it very seriously.
“How about giving myself to Mr. Fu?”
Fu Yuanchao pressed his fingers against the pulsing vein on the side of Jiang Tang’s neck. The beating of his heart traveled into the soft pads of his fingers.
“Don’t forget, you are my wife. You already belong to me.”
Jiang Tang’s skin was almost unnaturally fair. Even that brief pressure left a red mark that stood out clearly against her delicate skin.
“Then what should I do?”
Jiang Tang frowned in slight distress.
“Then I can only give my entire heart to Mr. Fu.”
“I wonder if Mr. Fu likes this gift?”
Jiang Tang took Fu Yuanchao’s hand and intertwined her fingers with his, letting them both feel the beating of her heart.
Fu Yuanchao appeared completely unmoved, but beneath the fabric of his clothes, the muscles in his arm had already tightened so forcefully that the veins stood out.
“Jiang Tang, where did you learn these seductive tricks?”
Jiang Tang knew that he had agreed. The smile at the corners of her lips became even brighter. She straightened her body, and her soft lips almost touched his.
“Of course I learned them specifically to tempt Mr. Fu.”
“So… have you been tempted?”