Shen Xingsui was shocked by how quickly her mother's expression changed.

Fu Jinxiao, however, was reluctant to let him hold the box. Instead, she handed it to Aunt Wu, who was standing next to her. After the nanny took it, Fu Jinxiao gave her some instructions before letting it go.

Xu Enzhen was talking quietly with Lina in front, while the two younger people walked behind.

Seeing Shen Xingsui's slightly furrowed brows, Fu Jinxiao said in a low voice, "It seems that your uncle and you, Shen Minglang, are both inside."

Shen Xingsui looked at him in surprise and said, "How did you know?"

Fu Jinxiao smiled and said, "Judging from the way Auntie looked at me just now, you can probably guess that they know about us?"

Shen Xingsui nodded slightly, and said in a slightly guilty voice, "I told my family about it."

Shen Xingsui was actually a little nervous about saying it without discussing it beforehand.

Unexpectedly, the man beside her only chuckled softly. Shen Xingsui looked up and met his handsome eyes. Fu Jinxiao's expression was gentle as he slowly said, "It's nothing shameful. It should have been said a long time ago."

Shen Xingsui felt relieved to see him like this.

Then, thinking of his father's and brother's expressions, he whispered, "But Dad and the others don't seem to agree..."

If an ordinary person were to face the head of the Shen family, or the youngest chairman of the Shen family, and the potential difficulties they might encounter, they would have been so nervous that they wouldn't know what to do. But Fu Jinxiao was different. The man was relaxed and composed, exuding a mature and steady aura, without the slightest fear.

Upon entering, all eyes in the living room turned to him.

Fu Jinxiao smiled and greeted, "Hello, Uncle."

Shen Minglang glanced at her coolly, but Fu Jinxiao's smile remained unchanged as she said unhurriedly, "Minglang, what a coincidence. I couldn't go to the golf game we arranged last time because of my schedule. I'll treat you to a game another day."

Shen Minglang closed the magazine and said sarcastically, "You're such a busy person, do you even have time to host a dinner? This is my house, how could it be a coincidence?"

"Oh really?" Fu Jinxiao spoke slowly, a smile that could infuriate anyone: "Then I'll have to come more often in the future, so you don't miss me too much."

Shen Minglang: "..."

Only a ghost would miss you.

Fu Jinxiao then took out an exquisite gift box from her pocket and placed it on the table in front of Shen Yong. Her voice was kind: "Uncle, I was on a business trip abroad some time ago and happened to attend an auction. This watch is the last limited edition work of the master watchmaker Richard before his death. I was fortunate enough to come across it and bought it at auction. I thought you have always been quite knowledgeable about watches, so I brought it here for you to appraise."

Shen Yong's gaze fell on the box, which was opened to reveal a clock.

Even Shen Yong, who has seen many grand occasions, was attracted by the exquisite beauty of this watch and its simple yet elegant design. It is a masterpiece left by Richard, the legendary watchmaker, and it is hard for any man to resist it.

But Shen Yong simply shifted his gaze and said indifferently, "I appreciate the sentiment, but the item is rare. I think we should take it back..."

His meaning was clear: he didn't want the watch, but he also wanted to maintain a more distant relationship with Fu Jinxiao.

She refused to accept the offer of kindness, denied that she and Fu Jinxiao were family, and did not want to hand over her youngest son so soon.

“You’re too modest. The craftsmanship of this watch and the ingenuity and cleverness of Master Richard are so exquisite that it would be difficult for others to appreciate even a fraction of its subtlety.” Fu Jinxiao seemed completely unfazed by the challenge, maintaining a refined demeanor even in front of a high-ranking elder, and said with a smile, “Therefore, it would be a waste if this watch were merely collected or ended up in the hands of someone who cannot truly appreciate it, and it would also be a waste of Mr. Richard’s hard work. Only you are truly worthy of him.”

That was absolutely brilliant.

He subtly praised Shen Yong, and the reasons he gave were hard to refuse.

Even Shen Yong's initially cold expression softened considerably. He said, "It seems you know a bit about watches, and have done some research on them?"

Fu Jinxiao smiled and said, "I know a little, but I'm still far behind you."

Shen Yong lowered his eyes and glanced at the watch. Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to think that Fu Jinxiao really thought he and that priceless watch were kindred spirits, so he came to find a suitable match for the watch. If he used his brain a little, he would know that she was obviously looking for a marriage match for herself.

“No need to be modest, you are very excellent.” Shen Yong said slowly, intending to establish their relationship on the surface: “We are both young and have always relied on your guidance and care in the industry. We should thank you properly for being such a good teacher.”

Fu Jinxiao smiled: "It's only right that I take care of him. Sui Sui is very cute and clever. I like him very much. It's my blessing to be able to take care of him."

Shen Yong insisted, "I don't know much about the entertainment industry, but I've heard a bit about it. Mr. Fu is very charming and I've heard he has a lot of luck with women. We are still young and not as sensible as those beautiful ladies. I'm afraid we can hardly accept Mr. Fu's care and would feel unworthy."

"dad…"

Shen Xingsui, who was standing next to her, said timidly, "Actually, Teacher Fu's surroundings are very clean, not as messy as rumored."

Shen Yong: "..."

This kid is biased and turns his elbow outwards.

Fu Jinxiao remained smiling, showing no anger even when questioned like this. In public, everyone had to be mindful of Fu Jinxiao's mood, but in front of his father-in-law, Fu Jinxiao showed no temper whatsoever. His composure and refinement were on full display: "There are many beautiful women in this world, but few who understand and resonate with you. I've heard that President Shen was quite a prominent figure in his youth, but in the end, he met and fell in love with your mother, which became a beautiful story."

Shen Yong's face softened as he recalled his wife.

Meanwhile, not far away, his wife was already chatting with Lina about the future, even discussing what dress their child should wear for the wedding, what jewelry to wear, and what the child's dowry should be. They were having a lively conversation.

As evening fell, the rain outside stopped.

Shen Xingsui finally found a chance to slip away downstairs. He said to Fu Jinxiao behind him, "You really scared me to death. When you were chatting with Dad, I felt more nervous than you two."

The two people went into his music room.

Fu Jinxiao closed the door behind her and smiled, "What's there to be nervous about?"

Shen Xingsui paused.

He couldn't quite put his finger on what he was nervous about. He sat down at the piano and played a few keys, trying to clear his head, but his mind was a bit of a mess. As he played, his thoughts drifted away. He only felt a warm body press against his back. Fu Jinxiao's slender, fair hands landed on the piano keys, and the beautiful piano music pulled him back to his senses. The man was very close to him, and they could both feel each other's breath.

The beautiful, smooth sound of the piano soothes the mind.

For a moment, Shen Xingsui seemed to suddenly recall the opening of the "Starlight" talent show that year, where this man, dressed in a neat suit, sat on an exquisite and gorgeous stage playing the piano and was the focus of attention of all the trainees.

Fu Jinxiao didn't stop moving. His voice was deep and magnetic, with a hint of amusement: "Are you worried that your father won't approve, so you can't be with me?"

Shen Xingsui blushed, but he still said, "Because my father and brother looked really serious before, I was afraid..."

Are you afraid they'll make things difficult for me, or are you afraid I'll give up?

“But it seems I worried for nothing.” Shen Xingsui smiled, then continued Fu Jinxiao’s zither playing: “You look perfectly fine.”

Fu Jinxiao was silent for a moment.

Shen Xingsui only noticed his silence after playing several beats. Just as she was wondering what was going on, she heard the man say in a low voice, "Actually, I'm scared too."

Shen Xingsui was taken aback.

"I'm scared too, Sui Sui." Because she was carrying him, Shen Xing Sui couldn't see the man's expression, but she could feel the seriousness in his voice when he spoke softly.

Shen Xingsui hesitated and asked, "Afraid of... what?"

Fu Jinxiao seemed to chuckle softly, then the man kissed his cheek before slowly saying, "I'm afraid I haven't met your family's requirements."

Shen Xingsui subconsciously said, "How could that be? If even you can't reach that level, who could be more outstanding than you?"

Fu Jinxiao was slightly surprised, then laughed. His charming phoenix eyes were filled with laughter as he looked at Shen Xingsui in his arms with a mix of teasing and doting. He was truly charmed by his lover's cuteness. Why could she say things that were so pleasing to him?

Who knew

The next second, Shen Xingsui slowly said, "Even if I had to say something, my family doesn't really have any requirements. It's just that my parents always say I'm too young and inexperienced. It seems like there's only a five or six year age difference between us, while Teacher Fu is a bit older."

"..."

Suddenly, a profound silence fell over the room.

Fu Jinxiao narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with danger. Then, the man slowly stood up, his aura turning dangerous and dark. Although he still wore a kind smile, his words were chilling: "You think I'm too old?"

Shen Xingsui was stunned, realizing he had said the wrong thing. He turned around and looked up to explain, but his chin was grabbed and his lips were kissed. Fu Jinxiao bent down slightly and gave him a somewhat forceful, punitive kiss. Unlike the tender and lingering feeling before, this time Shen Xingsui could completely feel the dominance of the other person, as if everything was in the other person's hands. He was immersed in this intimacy, feeling as insignificant as a small boat.

"Is this uncomfortable?" After the kiss, Fu Jinxiao's rough fingertips traced the corners of Shen Xingsui's slightly reddened eyes. Looking at the pitiful appearance of the person in his arms, there was a hint of aggression in the man's eyes. He curled up the corners of his mouth and said slowly and magnetically, "It seems that I need to prove something to Teacher Shen about my age and energy in the future."

"..."

Shen Xingsui chickened out.

Waaah, he was wrong, and I don't want to be proven wrong.

…

A few days later

An Ran and Jian Zhi's management companies issued statements apologizing for their artists' misconduct, but these statements were met with public backlash. Today's netizens are no longer as easily fooled as they used to be.

"Drugging someone, cheating on someone—that's so vicious. Is an apology all it takes to get it over with?"

"I do not accept it."

"Get out of the entertainment industry."

This incident has caused quite a stir, even attracting the attention of the authorities. A youth league publicly criticized Jian Zhi and An Ran, as public figures and idols, for failing to set a positive example and greatly harming the physical and mental health of teenagers. Such disgraced artists should not exist, and such behavior is shameful.

Following the official review, the labels of misconduct on Jianzhi and Anran have been formally defined.

Former endorsement deals all terminated their contracts with Jian Zhi and An Ran and demanded compensation for breach of contract. Almost overnight, major platforms also removed works related to Jian Zhi and An Ran. The total amount of compensation demanded by the company was as high as tens of millions of yuan. Such a large sum of money was undoubtedly a double blow to the Jian family.

Jian's company also faced pressure from the two leading companies in the market. It was already losing money, let alone repaying the debts for its two children. Jian Kuo even publicly stated that he would not help repay the debts at all. Naturally, the media's attention also fell on the boy band, since An Ran was also a member of the team.

Therefore, as the leader of the boy group, Shen Xingchen naturally received attention and interviews.

An Ran has actually been blacklisted by his own company, and his boss will definitely not give him any resources. All his hopes are now pinned on Shen Xingchen, hoping that Shen Xingchen can say a few words for him during an interview.

The media surrounded them, asking, "Xingchen, something like this has happened to a member of your team. What's your take on this?"

Standing on the platform, the arrogant Shen Xingchen said nonchalantly, "How do I see it? I see it with my own eyes. I was there at the time. Oh, and I occasionally check Weibo now."

The media: "..."

Everyone was somewhat speechless at this guy's antics.

One reporter reacted quickly, holding up her microphone and asking, "So what are your thoughts as a whole boy group, regarding the arrangements for your teammate An Ran, etc."

"What were you thinking?" Shen Xingchen waved his hand: "My manager told me not to say. He told me when he came on stage that I should say I didn't know."

"..."

Silence fell again.

The agent in the audience even closed his eyes, as if he wanted to escape from this world.

Some of the reporters were amused and asked in their interviews, "And what about yourself? What do you think?"

"Me? I'm just happy right now." Shen Xingchen scratched his head. "Because I heard that this limited-time group is going to disband in a few months. I told you before that I didn't really want to be in the group, but you guys insisted that I be in it, saying that I couldn't leave the group because of the contract. I only persisted for the sake of the fans. Now I don't have any particular thoughts. I'll just make do with it. It's not like we're going to re-enter the group. Actually, my younger brother Shen Xingsui is really good, but I don't think it would be good for him to join the group now, after all, he's with Teacher Fu now..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, and everyone perked up their ears.

Shen Xingchen coughed lightly: "Oh, sorry, I went off-topic. You can cut this part out and pretend I didn't say anything."

Everyone: ? ? !!

If you can talk, then say more!

Let's talk about that off-topic one, the one we're interested in!