Chapter 346: Good Relationship

Su Mushi heard from someone in the afternoon that Pei Xu had skipped class with other students from the International Class. He was apprehensive and felt that it must be related to the gambling, so he took an early leave and went home.

When Su Mushi arrived at the living room, he heard a harsh and angry voice coming from the study, so he ran over terrified.

“Dad, it’s really not me. Shi was the one who begged me and insisted that I set up this bet. You know how hung up he was about ‘The Smiling Nation’. He just wanted to use this opportunity to get back at them.”

“Shi asked you to do it? Why would you just do as he asked?”

“He’s my brother and he begged me, so what else can I do? Shi said that the ratings will definitely not exceed 2%, and when the time comes, we can make money and you’ll be happy. How would we know that the ratings exploded?”

The conversation continued in the study. Su Muyan argued that it was Su Mushi who begged him to set up this bet and put all the blame on his brother, shirking off the responsibility.

Su Mushi stood at the door and listened to the argument. It was pathetic and ridiculous. He clenched his fist tightly and hatred surged in his eyes.

‘Ha! What a good brother! I can’t believe I trusted him wholeheartedly. When everything was fine, Yan’s a good brother, but when things went wrong, he put all the fault on me saying that I forced him to set up the bet?! I even thought of taking on the responsibility if something were to go wrong so that Yan won’t have to suffer with me… But look what he did?! He betrayed me and put all the blame on me. Since that’s the case, don’t blame me for being unkind.’

The bickering in the study was getting more intense, interspersed with the sound of things being smashed.

Su Mushi sneered. His eyes were blood-red as he pushed open the door. He looked like a demon that had just crawled out of hell and he had a sinister smile. “Dad, I proposed this bet, but Second Brother made the call.”

‘Well, this is only fair. Since we did this together, we should also share the responsibility. I was so ridiculously naive to think that my good brother would exculpate me from this…’

Su Muyan looked at him incredulously. “Third Brother, what are you talking about? You were the one who wanted to set up the bet. If you didn’t beg me, I wouldn’t have done such a thing!”

Su Mushi sneered mockingly. “Is that so? Second Brother, how did I force you to set up the bet? Did I hold a gun to your head?”

Su Muyan was annoyed. “Third Brother, you said at that time that you’ll take the blame for whatever happened. What are you saying now? You don’t wanna admit that it was your fault?”

Su Mushi smirked, “Second Brother, that’s not right. Even though I suggested it, you agreed because you wanted to show some achievements to Dad, isn’t that right?”

“I…” Su Muyan’s face turned red. “You’re spouting nonsense! Clearly, you’re the one who holds a grudge against ‘The Smiling Nation’ and you’re dragging me down in the process. My achievements in music are already enough for Dad!”

This matter had escalated. The two of them no longer cared about brotherhood and tried to drag one another through the mud.

“Shut up!” Su Yi swung the whip in his hand and beat his sons ruthlessly.

‘Look at these imbeciles! When things go wrong, they only know to pass the buck to each other. How did I raise such irresponsible bastards?! Even now, they’re blaming each other for such a small matter. How would they not kill each other when they fight for the family fortune in the future? Will they also kill their father to seize power?!’

Su Muyan and Su Mushi did not dodge the beating and stood in place, letting their father beat them as they glared at each other like they were looking at their mortal enemy.

Su Muxuan heard something had happened and rushed home. When he pushed open the study door, he saw Su Mushi and Su Muyan standing with their clothes torn by the whip. He quickly stopped his father. “Dad, do you wanna kill them?”

Three billion yuan was not a small amount to the Su family. It would be difficult to fork out so much at once with their current cash flow. If they suddenly liquidated this much money, it would be a considerable blow for the Su family’s business operations.

Su Mushi endured severe pain and strained his neck to look at his father. “I’ll pay whatever I owe.”

This was the first time he was whipped. It was extremely painful. No wonder Shen Xi would faint when she was beaten with a whip.

“You wanna pay?! How are you gonna pay?” Su Yi flung the whip again. He was so infuriated that he wanted to whip the two of them to death. This would be better than letting them lose their family fortune.

Su Muxuan went forward and stopped him. “Dad, this is not the time to be angry. We have to discuss how to solve this matter first.”

Su Yi was ruthless and fierce when beating them, so that vented off some of the pent-up anger in his heart. After all, these two were his sons. Even if he was exasperated, he could not possibly kill them.

“Dad, private gambling is against the law. We can just threaten them with this and make it a big deal. Let’s go all out and get the police involved. We can return the principal to them, then find a scapegoat for this. We’ll say that we don’t know anything and that the scapegoat did it behind our backs.”

On the way back, Su Muxuan had already thought of a solution.

This way, the Su family would only suffer temporarily. With a scapegoat, they could get away unscathed and they would not have to pay so much. Over time, this scandal would fade away.

“Su Mushi, tell your big brother who are the people involved in the bet!” Su Yi gave a reprimanding roar.

‘Do you think I haven’t thought about it?’

They had to look at who was behind these kids. Those involved were the rich and influential second generations in the Capital. This group of kids were fearless, so they would certainly not fear the Su family.

Su Mushi was so scared that his body trembled. He replied honestly, “They’re from my school’s International Class, the group of rich second-gen students led by Pei Xu.”

Su Muxuan’s face which was smug earlier turned glum. “Dad, that group of people can’t be messed with. Third Brother, how could you even pick a fight with them?”

He knew who the International Class students were. They were a bunch of cynical and feral youths who happened to be the elites in China, the second generation of power and wealth. If they went against them, it would not be easy to get away unscathed.

Su Muyan sat on the side with his head hung low. He did not speak and only felt hatred and indignation in his heart, which made his eyes look vicious.

If he had known that things would turn out this way and even if Su Mushi was on his knees begging him, he would not have agreed to this.

Now they knew the bettors were not ordinary people but a gang of lunatics from the International Class, they would have to pay up even if they did not want to, especially if they were hell-bent on making a fuss.

“Dad, I’ll pay back the money. Just wait until I become popular. I’ll take on more variety shows and TV series roles. In a few years, I’ll be able to pay it off.” Su Mushi was confident.

The entertainment industry was such a lucrative business that it would be easy to make money anywhere. When he had become a first-tier celebrity after winning various film and television awards, any regular drama could make him hundreds of millions.

He would take up more ads and variety shows as well. In a few years, he would be able to pay off three billion or even five billion yuan.

“Shut the f*ck up!” Su Yi slapped him. He had a sinister look in his eyes as he asked, “Don’t your sister and Pei Xu have a good relationship?”

Chapter 347: Two Coincidental Encounters

Su Mushi took a while to react and instinctively replied, “How could Wanwan have a good relationship with Pei Xu?”

“I’m talking about Shen Xi!” Su Yi glared at him viciously, pointed at him, and clenched his teeth. “Get changed now and come with me to find her!”

Su Mushi was weak from the beating and dared not speak. His body was wounded and even breathing was painful, but he obediently went to get dressed.

Su Muyan did not speak. Su Muxuan glanced at him, and they saw the same abhorrence in each other’s eyes.

‘Shen Xi? That vicious brat probably wanted our family to die, so why would she help us? Dad is really dreaming.’

**

In the evening, Shen Xi accompanied Yun Jinping to the neighborhood supermarket to buy groceries. From afar, she saw a black Bentley parked about 500 meters in front of them.

A man was standing next to the Bentley and talking on the phone. The warm orange sunset shone on him, eliminating some of his coldness and unapproachable vibes.

The man stood out and had such a kingly aura that it was hard to ignore.

Yun Jinping noticed him too and felt that her daughter was looking at the man. She asked in a soft voice, “He’s very handsome, huh?”

Shen Xi snorted and averted her gaze. She muttered, “So what? What’s so good about being handsome?!”

The man was Fu Qingli.

‘What kind of sh*tty luck do I have to bump into him twice in a day?!’

Yun Jinping took her daughter’s arm and said with a smile, “Well, you’re right, but at least he’s pleasing to the eye.”

“Mom, if you do this again, I’ll tell Old Shen about this!” Shen Xi threatened.

Yun Jinping said, “Go ahead then!”

Shen Xi looked at her. “Mom, I’ve noticed that since you started working, you’ve taken more interest in handsome men. Don’t get influenced by my teacher.”

Yun Jinping smiled. “Everyone would appreciate youths that are full of vitality!”

She herself had noticed that after working and gaining exposure to new things, she could maintain a young mind and felt energized.

As the pair of mother and daughter walked and talked, they soon approached where Fu Qingli was standing.

Shen Xi did not look at him and brushed past him.

Fu Qingli saw the little girl the moment she appeared in his sight. Her face that had an uncanny resemblance to his mother was bright with smiling eyes.

The older woman with gentle eyes that she was holding was her adoptive mother.

When the two came toward him, he had a momentary hallucination; perhaps because the sunlight was too soft.

He thought he saw Shen Xi holding his mother’s arm as they waved at him.

After a moment’s illusion, everything returned to normal. The little girl standing across from him only took a glance at him, then averted her cold eyes and did not look at him again.

On the contrary, her adoptive mother looked at him several times.

Fu Qingli did not mean to do anything when he saw her pass by, but he became irritated when he saw her ignore him and brush by him indifferently.

He was certain she recognized him and she most likely did too from a previous encounter in her hometown.

“Shen Xi.” Fu Qingli instantly regretted calling out to her.

However, his actions preceded his thoughts. He had already shouted her name.

Shen Xi did not even turn her head and pretended not to hear him.

Yun Jinping tugged on her daughter’s arm. “Xixi, do you know him?”

Shen Xi shook her head and quickened her pace. “No.”

Fu Qingli was not only rebellious but also arrogant. When he saw that she still ignored him, he shouted, “Shen Xi!”

His voice was loud and clear.

Yun Jinping felt that it was impolite to ignore anyone and pulled her daughter to a stop. “Xixi, he’s shouting your name…”

‘Who’s that young man? He looks nice…’

“Mom, maybe it’s one of my fans…” Shen Xi explained and kept pulling Yun Jinping to leave.

Fu Qingli watched her flee and disappear. He sighed and opened the car door to get in.

‘Damn it! She actually affected me! It must be that face of hers that screwed with my head…”

Shen Xi walked a long distance away from Fu Qingli while Yun Jinping asked her who that person really was.

“Mom, I really don’t know…” Shen Xi met Yun Jinping’s skeptical gaze and conceded. “Okay, okay… He’s Fu Qingli.”

“Fu Qingli?” Yun Jinping paused for a moment. “Qingxuan’s older brother?”

Shen Xi nodded reluctantly. “Mm.”

Although he was Fu Qingxuan’s older brother, he was not at all likable. He was proud, arrogant, and brutal, a self-righteous tyrant.

“Xixi!” Yun Jinping hit her. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? How can I face Qingxuan and Qingye after this?”

Shen Xi dodged and looked at her with pitiful eyes. “You hit me because of an outsider? Am I still your baby?”

Yun Jinping pointed at her and was speechless. “You can go ahead to the supermarket and wait for me. I’ll go over and ask what’s going on. Maybe he needs help.”

The young man was Qingxuan’s older brother. Qingxuan had taken care of her daughter previously, so Yun Jinping could not neglect his older brother even though her daughter was young and clueless.

Since his car stopped by the side of the road, there must be something wrong with it.

“Mom.” Shen Xi sighed and ran over to hold her. She gave in, “Fine, I’ll go with you…”

‘Even if this big boss’ car broke down, he could get a new car in a minute. Why should commoners like us concern ourselves with him?’

Fu Qingli saw from the rearview mirror that the mother and daughter were walking toward him and looked doubtful.

‘That girl’s smart and must have known that I have a prejudice against her, so she’s holding a grudge and is giving me the same treatment.’

Yun Jinping walked over to the car window and looked at him with an apologetic smile.

Shen Xi stood behind her mother smiling perfunctorily.

Fu Qingli looked at her fake smile and felt suffocated. She really did not like him. He opened the car door and looked at Yun Jinping. “Do you need something?”

Yun Jinping smiled shyly and wanted to confirm with him. “You’re Qingxuan’s brother, right?”

Fu Qingli replied, “Yes, I’m Fu Qingxuan’s brother, Fu Qingli. Hello.”

“This is my daughter, Shen Xi. She was Qing Ye’s stylist. When she went to Vienna before the New Year, she stayed at your house.” Yun Jinping pulled Shen Xi forward. “So thank you for taking care of my daughter.”

Fu Qingli said, “You’re welcome.”

He was not made aware of this. ‘If that bastard didn’t come home for New Year’s Eve, I wouldn’t have known that these two idiots found our sister’s doppelganger behind my back!’

“Do you have a problem with your car? If you have time, come in and have a seat at my house. We live nearby.” Yun Jinping smiled gently. “My daughter’s given you a lot of trouble, so I should thank you properly.”

When Shen Xi saw her mother’s enthusiasm, she said, “Mom, Mr. Fu is a very busy man. He still has to work.”

Fu Qingli intended to refuse, but when Shen Xi stole his words and wanted him to get lost, Fu Qingli smiled and said, “Auntie, I have time.”

Shen Xi’s heart roared. ‘Get lost!’

Yun Jinping quickly nodded and agreed. She took out the house keys and gave them to Shen Xi. “Xixi, Mommy’s going to buy groceries, so you can take Mr. Fu home first.”

Shen Xi handed the keys to Fu Qingli. “You can go there by yourself first. My house number is 507. My mom can’t carry so many things, so I’ll go with her.”

Fu Qingli took the key, looked at her, and said, “I’ll come with you then.”

Since coincidence brought him to meet her twice in one day, this was fate. Fu Qingli wanted to see what was so special about this little girl that made his two brothers so happy that one of them did not even want to return home for the New Year.

Chapter 348: You Hate Me

Yun Jinping was embarrassed but seeing Fu Qingli’s resolute response, she could only let him tag along.

She understood her daughter best and knew that her daughter was prejudiced against the eldest of the Fu brothers.

This was the first time Shen Xi went to a supermarket with a tyrant. With Fu Qingli’s looks and attire, this big boss seemed to attract everyone’s attention wherever he went as if his body was glowing.

This was a lively neighborhood with stalls selling snacks on both sides of the road. There were all kinds of things and 5:30 pm was the peak hour.

Shen Xi knew that Fu Qingli had a purpose in tagging along and seemed to be testing her. If so, she would play along as well.

Yun Jinping watched as her daughter bought so many snacks from both sides of the road and threw all the things she bought to Fu Qingli.

Fu Qingli was good-natured and did not seem to mind carrying whatever Shen Xi chucked at him. However, such a noble-looking and striking man carrying a handful of plastic bags just seemed incongruous.

Many of the snack stall owners knew Yun Jinping who often bought from them since she had lived in this area for a long time. She was a frequent customer.

“Is this your son-in-law?” The florist’s lady boss was in her forties and asked Yun Jinping in a whisper when she was receiving payment.

The man was tall and handsome. With one glance, she knew that he must come from an extraordinary background. However, his hands were full, with plastic bags of food and a bunch of flowers that Shen Xi just stuffed into his arms.

He just stood there like a mannequin and was so good-looking that people could not move their eyes away from him.

Yun Jinping took the change and said in a warm voice, “No.”

The Fu family was prestigious, so their family could only wish to be connected with them. Moreover, her daughter was still young and was not of marrying age.

However, Yun Jingping felt that her daughter treated Fu Qingli differently from others as if she had a problem with him and was deliberately making things difficult for him.

The owner of the florist smiled and looked at her dubiously. “It’s not easy to find such a good-looking and good-tempered man! I think he’s fine and a good match for your girl.”

Yun Jinping coughed slightly and said, “Don’t talk nonsense, my daughter isn’t an adult yet!”

“How is this nonsense? You should lock down a good man before it is too late. Xixi’s almost 18 anyway.” The florist looked like a sage imparting her wisdom.

Yun Jinping was a little vexed.

When the florist saw that Yun Jinping was unhappy, she changed the subject. “Your daughter left.”

‘What’s so wrong talking about such a good-looking man? Who wouldn’t want him? Why is she unhappy about it? Every girl will grow up and get married one day. Won’t any parents want their daughter to marry a good-looking man with some background?’

Fu Qingli attracted a lot of attention with his handsome face, extraordinary figure, expensive suit, and noble aura. Even the plastic bags he was holding seemed to be glowing.

Shen Xi was eating a candied hawthorn. She looked at him through the corner of her eyes and still could not figure out why he wanted to follow them to the supermarket.

Fu Qingli walked behind her and looked like her little follower as the sun gradually set.

Shen Xi pulled her long hair into a messy bun and skipped around. The small bun on the top of her head bounced and made her look like a small penguin.

“Hey, do you eat this?” Shen Xi turned around and asked him as she pointed to the stewed dishes next to her.

Fu Qingli glanced over and did not know what they were.

Shen Xi approached the stall and said, “Can I get two pig’s trotters, one boneless and one with bone. Another half a catty of boneless chicken feet, please.”

Fu Qingli looked at the things in his hands, then looked at her. She was chewing on the candied hawthorn. From the side, her fair cheeks were bulging like a small hamster. It was adorable.

Shen Xi happily ate the last candied hawthorn and threw the bamboo stick into the trash can. She looked at the plastic bags Fu Qingli was carrying and tilted her head to look at him. A moment later, she wore a disposable plastic glove and began to eat the stewed chicken feet that she just bought.

Fu Qingli frowned and was rendered speechless.

‘What kind of bad habit is this?! She walked and ate the whole way… I can’t even keep track of all the things she ate.’

Shen Xi bought snacks and was indeed eating all the way. Ten minutes later, they finally arrived at the supermarket entrance.

She removed the gloves and threw them away, then looked at Fu Qingli. “The supermarket doesn’t allow us to bring things from outside. Go leave the stuff over there.”

Fu Qingli was a little vexed. ‘This little girl really treats me as her slave?!’

Yun Jinping could not bear to see this and went over to help. She was embarrassed and said, “Mr. Fu, let me do it. Just give me the things.”

Fu Qingli looked at the little girl’s smug face and said in a deep voice, “Auntie, wait here. I’ll go with her.”

Shen Xi hooked her finger at him. “This way.”

Yun Jinping watched the two leave and looked puzzled. Her daughter was not a reckless child and usually treated people with courtesy. Yun Jinping did not know why Shen Xi was acting so strange today with such an aggressive and bad attitude like she was deliberately looking for trouble.

Shen Xi bought a little too much stuff, so she got two storage boxes. One was at the top, so she tiptoed to put the bag of stewed dishes inside.

Suddenly, someone took the bag from her and she felt a figure overshadowing her. She tilted her head and saw the man’s chiseled, sharp jaw that made him look so aloof.

Fu Qingli looked down at her. His eyes were cold and deep as he scrutinized her as if he wanted to look into her soul.

They looked at each other with the same cold, deep, and black eyes that bore suspicion and query.

Shen Xi’s cold face was no longer smiling. Her voice was clear, cold, and a little dangerous as she said, “Mr. Fu, just ask whatever you want to ask. There’s no need to follow me and test me. As long as I can answer, I’ll tell you whatever you wanna know.”

Fu Qingli looked at the girl in front of him, and for a while, he was curious and wondered which version was her true self.

Was she the scrawny teenager that he ran into at Tianheng Entertainment?

Was she the girl that pretended not to see him earlier and brushed past him to deliberately draw his attention?

Was she the girl who ate while she walked, like a cute little hamster?

Or was she the girl in front of him now who suddenly turned cold and sharp as she spat out frank and unforgiving words?

Shen Xi saw that Fu Qingli was silent and was only staring at her with his deep, dark eyes. She felt annoyed and said, “Let’s be upfront with each other. You hate me, and I hate you too. We might as well make this clear.”

Fu Qingli took a step back. His thin lips parted slightly. “What do you have to say?”

“Aren’t you here to tell me to stay away from your brothers?” Shen Xi then extended her hand. “Then show me your sincerity!”

Chapter 349: I Don’t Hate You

Fu Qingli was unfazed and even looked interested. “I do want to know why my brothers are only interested in you.”

His second brother was sensible and calm. It was impossible for Fu Qingye to treat Shen Xi so well just because she resembled their mother or because of her miserable life.

Although his third brother was too emotional, Fu Qingxuan was not dumb. He knew what kind of friends he should befriend and would not keep those with ulterior motives.

This little girl was smart, calm, mysterious, and spoke so frankly without mercy.

If she was trying to use this to get Fu Qingli’s attention, then she had succeeded. He was now fascinated with her.

Shen Xi sneered and beckoned him. “One hundred million. If you give me a hundred million yuan, I promise not to actively interact with your brothers in the future.”

‘He wants to play? I’m not afraid of him! I can play till the end.’ Shen Xi hated the feeling of being led around by the nose. If she could not beat him, then she would catch him off guard, mess up his plans and piss him off so that he would never appear in front of her again.

She would make Fu Qingli hate her, so much so that he would want her to disappear when he saw her.

Mutual hatred could not be better.

“Do you think you’re worth this price?” Fu Qingli’s face did not flinch at the slightest to reveal any emotion. His eyes were just as cold as ever.

‘This girl is trying to turn the tables, huh? Does she hate the feeling of being controlled that much?’

“I’m smart, cute, kind, and generous enough to give you such a cheap offer.” Shen Xi covered her mouth and laughed flirtatiously, but her eyes were filled with admonition. “So Mr. Fu, don’t even try to test me.”

Shen Xi hated this feeling of getting her emotions stirred up by him. It made her feel out of control, which made her anxious, annoyed, and miserable.

She flat out hated it when others tried to probe her.

Whatever his intentions were, Shen Xi would never allow herself to be part of his game, especially when she was at a comparative disadvantage and felt overwhelmed.

“Ms. Shen, I don’t think you want money.” Fu Qingli’s long and slender fingers suddenly clasped her chin. His fingertips were just about to touch her cheeks when he suddenly felt a chill on his lower body.

When Shen Xi exerted all her strength to knee his crotch, her eyes were stern and dangerous.

Fu Qingli dodged immediately. The girl’s raised leg just brushed along the outside of his thigh. It had a cold and murderous feeling. His eyes turned colder and darker.

‘Ha! She’s really good to have used this trick… If I hadn’t dodged in time, I would’ve been severely injured…’

Shen Xi was the first person who had the audacity to attack Fu Qingli when he was in complete control of a situation and this close to succeeding.

The feeling of his prey getting out of his control gave him inexplicable anxiety. His pupils constricted a little as he moved closer to her. His voice was dangerously deep. “You should be glad that you have this face.”

‘That perfect face…’

Fu Qingli saw the girl’s cold gaze that seemed to crack under his question.

‘That’s right. You should be led around by me, not the other way around. How can someone see through me and affect my emotions?! As the Head of the Fu family, I shouldn’t and couldn’t have any emotions.’

Fu Qingli did not care what relationship Shen Xi had with his brothers. After all, they were both adults and he should not interfere.

However, it was different for his mother. He would never allow a girl with this face that was skilled at manipulating others to appear before his mother because his mother could not take such a devastating blow.

When Shen Xi heard this, the corner of her lips hooked up with bone-chilling derision.

‘I should be glad to have this face? If it was possible, I don’t want this face that looks like Li Jingran!’

“Fu Qingli, what do you mean by that?” Shen Xi saw that he was about to leave and shouted at him.

‘Were Fu Qingxuan and Fu Qingye nice to me because of this face? Why would it be because of this face?’

“Ms. Shen, you’re a smart person.” Fu Qingli paused in his footsteps and looked back at her. His voice was cold and deep as he said, “Also, I don’t hate you.”

‘I kinda like you even.’

Fu Qingli liked smart people, especially smart women. The smarter they were, the more he grew an interest in them. As opponents, it would be all the more intriguing.

However, most of the women he met were dumb. She was different. She was the first woman who dared to provoke and confront him face to face.

“Fu Qingli, just a word of advice…” Shen Xi knew that she could not get any answer from him and sneered, “People like you will never be able to make friends.”

This kind of person deserved to be alone for the rest of his life. He was proud, arrogant, headstrong, cold, and ruthless, just like a sheathed blade. When it was out of its sheath, it would just hurt anyone without knowing it.

“I don’t need friends,” Fu Qingli said before turning around and left.

Shen Xi looked at the man’s tall back. The moment he turned around, she actually saw a hint of self-deprecation and loneliness in his eyes that made her heart stall. She went a few steps forward and shouted, “If you want to make friends, you have to show your sincerity in exchange for trust.”

Fu Qingli got into the car and could still hear the girl’s crisp and anxious voice echoing in his ear. “If you want to make friends, you have to show your sincerity in exchange for trust.”

He touched his heart and could clearly feel his heart beating in his palm. There was a complex look in his eyes. The belief that he had always held onto was shaken and started to crack.

A few moments later, Fu Qingli regained his usual coldness and ruthlessness.

‘No. I don’t need any of that. I don’t need friends or feelings!’

Fu Qingli was the Head of the Fu family, so he should not have these disturbing and distracting emotions. Only by discarding these feelings could he take the Fu family to the next level and keep the Fu family’s status so that he could protect his loved ones from getting hurt.

Shen Xi finally got rid of Fu Qingli. Even though she felt refreshed, she somehow also felt a little heartbroken.

‘Damn it! How can I feel sorry for that robot Fu Qingli who doesn’t even understand feelings? He’s just a tyrant and a crazy devil! I should feel sorry for myself for being bullied by him!’

However, his last glance and that look on his face just left her feeling suffocated and sad.

He was the Head of the Fu family and held such a high position, so it was only right to feel lonely occasionally, right? This was what it meant when people say it was lonely at the top.

Yun Jinping was waiting at the entrance of the supermarket. When she saw her daughter coming alone, she asked, “Where’s Mr. Fu?”

Shen Xi ran over and grabbed a shopping cart. “He had an emergency, so he left.”

Yun Jinping looked at her inquisitively, but she did not see anything unusual. ‘That’s too bad… I wanted to invite him for dinner…’

Shen Xi pushed the trolley heading into the supermarket. Looking at the crowd of people, her eyes returned to their usual calmness. ‘I should live my own life and not worry about others…’

Also, the person she was worried about did not need her concern anyway.

Chapter 350: Secretly Dating

When Shen Xi and Yun Jinping returned from the supermarket, they saw Shen Zhangqing sitting at the door with a large knife in hand. His face was red with anger.

Shen Xi ran over nervously. “Dad, what’s wrong with you? Did someone rob us?”

Shen Zhangqing was furious and cursed. “That scumbag Su Yi came again! I’ve warned him to stay away so many times and told him that if he dares to come, I’ll chop him up!”

Shen Xi laughed out loud and walked over to help him up. “So you chased him away?”

Old Shen waved the knife in his hand and looked at his daughter proudly, waiting for her praise. “That scumbag even brought his son over, so I chased both of them away!”

“Dad, you’re awesome!” Shen Xi complimented him and took away his knife, then gave him the shopping bags.

Shen Zhangqing took the shopping bags from her, then ran to meet Yun Jinping to take over her grocery bags. He weighed them and looked distressed. “Why did you buy so many things? They’re so heavy! Why didn’t you call me so that I could pick you guys up?”

“How are they heavy?” Yun Jinping tugged it. “Pass me a small one.”

“Nope.” Shen Zhangqing brought them and went into the house.

Yun Jinping laughed helplessly and chased after him, then asked him why Su Yi came over with his son. Xixi would not go back to the Su family anyway.

“What else is he here for? I’m sure he wants to bring Xixi back,” Shen Zhangqing snorted. “The next time he comes, I’ll definitely call the police!”

Shen Xi smiled mockingly and thought, ‘What else can it be for? They must’ve wanted me to talk to the International Class students about the debt.’

**

After Su Yi and Su Mushi were chased out of the Shen family home, they were frustrated and thought of waiting nearby for Shen Xi to come home.

However, a car approached them suddenly and hurled them inside. They were beaten up and then thrown to the outskirts of the city.

They both walked for two hours before they managed to see someone to help them make a call. They took a cab and headed to the hospital to tend to their injuries before anything else.

“Dad, who attacked us?” Su Mushi was terrified and did not know who they had offended.

“How should I know?” Su Yi roared. His eyes were bloodshot and he was so angry that he was about to explode.

They were just squatting in the Shen family’s neighborhood and were somehow taken away. After a violent beating, those thugs said that they got the wrong person?

“Dad, so what do we do now?” Su Mushi’s eyes were dark and gloomy. When he thought he was beaten up because he went looking for Shen Xi, he felt like killing her.

“Shen Xi’s adoptive father doesn’t know what’s good for him. She’s my daughter! Mine!” Su Yi gritted his teeth at the mention of Shen Zhangqing. “If he hadn’t interfered, Xixi would’ve come home with me. They’re so selfish and want to keep Xixi for themselves since she can earn so much money now! Back when she was not capable of anything, they were willing to give her to us.”

“Yeah, when Shen Xi was with us, she was so obedient and did everything she was told to do without any complaints,” Su Mushi was fanning the flames. “She was taught to have such a bad attitude by the Shen family after she returned to them.”

‘Doesn’t Shen Xi care a lot about her damned adoptive parents? Then I’ll have them dead and once they’re dead, she has no one to rely on and will have to eventually return to the Su family. Then I can treat her however I please.’

Su Yi’s eyes were ruthless. ‘Right, Xixi must’ve been brainwashed by that couple. That’s why she hates our family. As long as the Shen couple is dead, everything will be smooth sailing. They crossed me first, so don’t blame me for being ruthless and unkind to them!’

**

Shen Xi exercised more caution lately since Shen Zhangqing asked about their next-door neighbor the other time. She would not stand too blatantly on the wall and was careful as if she did not want to be caught by her parents for dating in secret.

This feeling was sweet, apprehensive, and tormenting.

“Dad, Toffeecito’s missing. I’m going out to look for him!” Shen Xi grabbed her fried chicken and ran out while eating it.

Shen Zhangqing looked outside and saw her shouting for Toffeecito as she ran to the wall again. He asked Yun Jinping, “Honey, have you seen the neighbor in the past two days?”

Yun Jinping shook her head. “No, but I’ll pay attention next time. I’ve asked our other neighbors, but no one’s seen him before.”

This person was just too mysterious that no one saw him before.

Shen Zhangqing grunted. “I don’t believe it. He’s not a god, so he certainly can’t come and go without leaving a trace. I’m sure we’ll catch him one day.”

Yun Jinping nodded and reminded him. “Don’t control Xixi too much. She’s in her rebellious stage. If you ask too many questions, you’ll hurt her self-esteem.”

Shen Zhangqing nodded and looked outside again. He heard his daughter shouting for Toffeecito and was not talking to anyone, so his mind was at ease and thought that the neighbor was probably not at home.

Shen Xi was sneaking around like a thief. She looked at the man and said in a low voice, “Brother, my father is getting suspicious and thinks that we’re dating, so you should be more careful. He wants to catch you!”

Li Yuan smiled and nodded, then asked her back, “Are we dating?”

When Shen Xi heard the word “dating” coming out of his mouth, it shook her heart and her face turned red. She shook her head in denial. “No.”

Li Yuan felt a pang of disappointment, but when he heard the girl’s tense voice, he felt much better. “Mm.”

‘Wait a little longer. She’s not an adult yet, so there’s no hurry.’

Shen Xi’s heart was racing when she heard Shen Zhangqing calling her for dinner, so she coughed and said, “I’m going to eat. Quick, give me Toffeecito!”

Toffeecito jumped out of Li Yuan’s arms and climbed into the basket with its short legs and sat upright.

Shen Xi picked it up and held it in his arms. “Brother, I’ll get going. Be careful for the next few days! Don’t let my dad catch you!”

Li Yuan looked at the girl’s scurrying back and felt his heart pounding. He vaguely had a sense of excitement like they were secretly dating behind his father-in-law and mother-in-law’s back.

Kun Lun stood not far away. After he hung up the phone, he walked up to Li Yuan and reported in a whisper of a situation before he asked in a low voice, “Should we take action on the Su family?”

Su Yi was getting more vicious and even dared to hire a hitman.

If they had known sooner, they would have dumped that filthy father and son on the outskirts of the city this afternoon so that there would be less trouble.