Chapter 69 Brother-in-law [VIP]

Outside the Red Mansion, a group of people who had finished their private chat were discussing the impact of recently introduced policies on the cultural and entertainment industry.

All three families have businesses related to the cultural and entertainment industry.

The Jiang family mainly operates clubs, bars, KTVs, and dance halls; the entertainment company is merely a product of their foray into the industry to test the waters.

Chen Siqi's family is involved in magazine publishing and the fashion industry; many well-known publishing houses in China are owned by his family.

The Fu family leans towards media and film, and also has some involvement in real estate, such as various offline cinemas, opera houses, art galleries, and auditoriums that host large-scale performances. Their businesses span the globe.

Jiang Ling lacks ambition and has been drifting through life for the past few years. He wasn't very interested in the topics Fu Qingyan and Chen Siqi were discussing, and his eyes wandered around aimlessly, only occasionally chiming in with a word.

So Qingran, who was the first to discover the bamboo forest, stood there for an unknown amount of time.

Jiang Ling smiled and waved, "Hey, what are you standing there for?"

The two people stopped talking at the right moment.

Fu Qingyan turned his head to look and saw that several clumps of green bamboo had been planted outside the public restroom of the Red Building for aesthetic purposes.

As dusk fell, slender bamboo branches swayed in the wind, bamboo leaves rustled, and dappled bamboo shadows cast the youth's well-proportioned figure onto the red wall behind.

The vibrant orange-red hues and the pale shadows complemented each other, and a line of poetry suddenly came to Fu Qingyan's mind.

Sparse shadows slant across the clear, shallow water; a faint fragrance drifts in the twilight.

The scenery is beautiful, and the people are even more beautiful.

Qingran pretended to come back to her senses and walked up to the group.

This change in expression was subtle, just enough to make sure Fu Qingyan noticed but not to overthink it, before he asked, "Are you leaving?"

Some self-organized friendly matches are taking place on the mountain path below. There are no prizes or rewards, but the cheers from the audience tell you that they are just as exciting.

"Want to watch a little longer?" Fu Qingyan asked.

Qingran looked up and said, "If it were you participating in the competition."

His clear, dark eyes reflected the glow of the sunset, like a pool of golden water. When he looked up like that, it seemed as if his gaze was so focused that it could only hold him, making him all the more captivating.

With his heart pounding in his chest, Fu Qingyan rubbed his fingers together, finally unable to resist raising his hand and stroking the delicate skin at the corner of the young man's eye with his fingertips.

"I haven't been in traffic jams for years, so I'm out of practice. If I were to actually get involved, it would probably ruin my image in your eyes."

Jiang Ling leaned over and said, "There's a special collection room in the Red Mansion that displays old Fu's old racing photos."

Qingran smiled faintly: "Then we must go and see it to make the trip worthwhile."

Fu Qingyan: "..."

He only stored modified sports cars and racing suits here; the photos are undoubtedly from Jiangling.

The group then turned and headed towards the internal collection room of the Red Mansion.

Qingran followed Jiangling, listening to him enthusiastically share Fu Qingyan's past youthful arrogance, while Fu Qingyan and Chen Siqi lagged behind.

Chen Siqi glanced at the man beside her who was squeezed so tightly that there was nowhere for him to stand.

This person usually acts like he's in complete control and has everything under control, which is quite annoying. But when he suffers a setback, he's actually quite gloating and doesn't seem to enjoy it.

Fu Qingyan, who appeared silent, traced the supple waist of the young man in front of him, noticing the gazes directed at him from the side.

"Jiang Ling is in love again?"

They used to chatter like birds in the forest, but how did they manage to get over their heartbreak so quickly this time?

"No, he desperately tried to reconcile with someone else, and they're secretly having a secret relationship." Chen Siqi replied.

"Secret relationship," Fu Qingyan raised an eyebrow.

No ambition.

*

After seeing the photos and Fu Qingyan's beloved sports car from his youth, the group drove down the mountain and found a Michelin-starred restaurant for dinner.

Jiang Ling muttered to Qing Ran the whole way: "...There's someone in our little circle named Xi Qingning."

Mentioning Xi Qingning reminded Jiang Ling of Lao Fu's fake relationship, and he choked on the words he was about to say.

Qing Ran's expression turned indifferent, not hearing what he said next: "What's wrong with Xi Qingning?"

Fearing he might let something slip, Jiang Ling looked to Fu Qingyan for help.

Fu Qingyan gave him a calm yet extremely intimidating look before replying.

“Xi Qingning is also a friend of our circle. She has been busy with company matters in the past two years and has rarely come out to get together. I will introduce you to her when I have the chance.”

Now was not the time to explain, so he didn't say anything more.

Qingran picked up the red wine that came with the meal and took a sip: "Then she must be very outstanding, right? There are four of you in your little circle. Haven't you sparked any romance over time?"

There was no spark, but there was a fake romance.

Sensing a hint of danger, Jiang Ling kept his mouth shut and remained as quiet as a chicken, but that didn't stop him from watching Fu Qingyan, ready to see what would happen.

Chen Siqi cleared his throat and spoke up to help Fu Qingyan out of the awkward situation: "We're too familiar with her. In our eyes, she's more like a brother than a woman."

Qingran smiled and said, "That's just a coincidence. Mr. Fu happens to like men."

He said it as if he were joking. No matter how much the three of them treated Xi Qingning as a brother, Xi Qingning could never become a man.

Therefore, none of them thought of this as a romantic relationship; they were just a little uneasy because they hadn't talked about it clearly yet.

While Fu Qingyan felt uneasy, he also had a vague feeling that Qing Ran's words had a hidden meaning.

Looking up, the young man, who had drunk a little, had watery eyes and flushed cheeks, exuding an alluring, slightly tipsy charm.

Perhaps noticing his gaze, the young man raised his long eyelashes and looked up. His blank eyes were so innocent that one wanted to strip him naked, hold him in one's arms, and kiss him until he was wet with tears.

After dinner, it was already late. Fu Qingyan waved goodbye to the two who had to rush off to spend time with their girlfriends and had another appointment, and put his arm around the unsteady Qingran as they got into the car.

As he leaned over to fasten his seatbelt, he smelled a strong odor of alcohol on the young man.

"Why did you drink so much?" He gently brushed aside the fine strands of hair on the young man's forehead.

Qingran leaned weakly against the back of the chair, closed her eyes, and held up two fingers.

He only drank two glasses.

Fu Qingyan touched his face; her hand was a little hot. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Qingran: "My head is spinning, I'll feel better after a nap."

Fu Qingyan: "Okay."

He kissed the young man on the eye, sat back down, and drove off. The man smiled to himself, thinking, "I didn't realize when I tried a couple of sips last time. Turns out my darling has such a low alcohol tolerance."

Then he remembered Xi Qingning's matter and frowned.

Let's talk about it when we get home.

We stopped briefly at a 24-hour convenience store before continuing on our way home.

With one arm around the person and the other holding hangover medicine, Fu Qingyan put the person down on the sofa after arriving home, and then went to the water dispenser to get water.

After getting the water, I returned to the sofa, placed the glass on the coffee table, and picked up the hangover medicine to check the instructions.

Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out and hugged him from behind.

The person behind me was very mischievous, rubbing their cheek against my shoulder and back, while the hand in front of me was also restless, pulling out the hem of my clothes and groping inside without any politeness.

Fu Qingyan's abdominal muscles tensed reflexively as he endured the itching sensation that felt like a reptile slithering across his skin.

"Are you still dizzy? Should you take a couple of hangover pills?"

The muscles under his hands are clearly defined, and you can imagine how smooth and clear the lines are just by touching them.

“Mr. Fu,” Qingran said, resting her head on the man’s shoulder, seemingly ignoring the question, “when I saw your photo in the collection room, I was thinking, your eyes were so fierce when you were young…”

Stripped of its refined exterior, it reveals an aggressive and threatening nature, reminiscent of a man in bed.

His words were straightforward and bold.

"I want you more than hangover cures."

Fu Qingyan then realized that Qingran would be unusually proactive after drinking. With the invitation right in front of him, how could he refuse?

The man tossed the medicine back onto the coffee table and, to make it easier for the young man to move around, slowly unbuttoned his shirt.

His expression was languid and his movements casual; if one didn't consider the state of the two people at the moment, his elegant demeanor would make one seem as if they were attending a ball.

After unbuttoning his shirt, he said in a hoarse voice, "Come to the front."

Qingran shuffled forward.

Looking at his still flushed face, Fu Qingyan felt as if he had been severely bullied, and couldn't help but think of the incident with Xi Qingning.

There's something I need to say—

Qingran held up a finger to his lips: "Shh, let's not talk about anything else tonight."

That's fine, they have plenty of time, one more night won't make a difference.

The man didn't insist; he lifted the young man's head and leaned down to kiss him. The two stumbled and moved to the French windows.

When she was turned over and pressed against the window, the cool temperature against her face woke Qingran from her daze. She gasped, "We'll...we'll be seen."

The man turned off the indoor lights through the smart home system, held the young man's hand, and gently kissed the back of his neck.

"Not anymore." The man's voice was hoarse and ambiguous, his breath seeming to carry sparks.

Qingran flinched as she was burned.

"real?"

His hands and body were pressed tightly against the window, his back against the man's broad chest, a mixture of cold and heat, leaving him no room to struggle.

Fu Qingyan slipped her fingers between the young man's fingers, stretched out his curled fingers and intertwined them, a sexy voice escaping from her throat.

"real."

The two figures were swallowed up by the dark light inside the room.

Through the colorful neon lights shining in from outside the window, one can vaguely see the mechanical watch and platinum bracelet overlapping.

The small metal plate kept hitting the floor-to-ceiling window glass, making a crisp "ding-ding-ding" sound.

After the affair ended, Qingran fell into a deep sleep, and Fu Qingyan even cleaned his body for him.

Seeing that it was already past midnight, the man sent Xi Qingning a message before going to bed, saying that he had something to discuss and asked her to meet him.

I received a call back from them the next morning.

It was still early for the two of them who had only gone to bed late the night before. Fu Qingyan, who was woken up by the ringing of the phone, glanced at the caller ID.

Swipe the answer button to silence the ringtone, then quietly get out of bed and go to the living room.

"Hello?" The voice was hoarse, with a very noticeable graininess.

"You...you just woke up?" Xi Qingning asked incredulously on the other end of the phone.

"The answer is obvious."

"Okay, sleeping in late really doesn't fit your persona."

Fu Qingyan ignored this casual remark: "Did you read the text message I sent you?"

Xi Qingning: "I've seen it. If we're going to meet, I'm only free this morning. I can't wait any longer, as I have to treat a client to lunch this afternoon."

Fu Qingyan: "Okay, let's set a time this morning."

"So urgent?" Xi Qingning said in surprise. "Then let's meet at the Ping'an Road intersection coffee shop at ten o'clock."

Since we agreed to meet at ten o'clock, Fu Qingyan needs to wash up and get ready to go out now.

The man changed into his outdoor clothes in the dressing room, then pushed open the bedroom door. The person on the bed was still fast asleep, wrapped in a blanket.

"Honey, I have to go out for a bit."

"Hmm." The person on the bed mumbled unhappily, as if annoyed that he was disturbing their sleep, and pulled the blanket up to hide themselves even deeper.

Fu Qingyan felt helpless. Worried that Qingran hadn't heard him, he left a note on the bedside table before leaving the room.

"Clatter".

The very faint sound of the door closing.

As the footsteps faded away, Qingran opened her eyes on the bed in the bedroom. Her gaze was clear and calm, showing no sign of drowsiness whatsoever.

He should pack his things and leave.

Before Fu Qingyan returned.

A note from the author:

Thanks for watering! *kiss*

Reader "嘒彼小星" watered the plant with nutrient solution +1

Reader "karry"wife, irrigated with nutrient solution +1

Reader "Matthias" irrigated with nutrient solution +5

Reader "Pumpkin Beast" watered with nutrient solution +10

Reader "Vanished" - Watering with nutrient solution +1

Reader "Yan Chen" watered the plants with nutrient solution +3

Reader "", irrigate with nutrient solution +1

Reader "How can I live without you, Gold Sands?" watered with nutrient solution +2

Reader "", Irrigate with nutrient solution +5

Reader "网彡" watered the plants with nutrient solution +5

Reader "Carp Tail" watered the plant with nutrient solution +2

Reader "Green Qi" added 2 units of nutrient solution to the water.

Reader "Xingci" watered the page with +1 nutrient solution.

Reader "I Dance and Fly" watered the page with +10 nutrient solution.

Readers who "don't leave the building" will receive +1 nutrient solution.

Reader "Yutang" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.

Readers "pushed the cup," adding 3 units of nutrient solution to the irrigation solution.

Readers who "can't afford to pick up trash" watered their plants with nutrient solution +8.

Reader "Shi Chuya" added 1 nutrient solution to the water.

Reader "Xiao Mi" watered the plants with 10 nutrient solutions.

Reader "Lu Lulu" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.

Reader "Yuzuru" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.

Reader "Daytime" watered with nutrient solution +5

Reader "Hibiscus" added 10 units of nutrient solution to the water.

Reader "Yaojia's Little Rabbit" watered the plant with nutrient solution +1

Reader "Lynn" irrigated with nutrient solution +2

Reader "I'll Give You a Punch to Eliminate the Game" watered the page with +1 nutrient solution.

Reader "鸿鹄" watered the plant with nutrient solution +1

Reader "Grape Sleeping" watered the plants with 10 nutrient solutions.

Reader "Red Photinia" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.

Reader "Pomegranate Fried Watermelon" added 3 units of nutrient solution to the water.

Reader "Feifafa" added 2 units of nutrient solution to the irrigation water.

Reader "Red Morning and Green Evening" irrigated with 24 units of nutrient solution.

Reader "Yunshu" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.

Reader "Cang Shibu" added 13 units of nutrient solution to the water.

Reader "yi" irrigated with nutrient solution +20