Chapter 74 Brother-in-law [VIP]

The subtle alcohol in the champagne stimulates the senses.

The dense, tiny bubbles continuously burst in the mouth, combining with the mellow fruit sweetness to create a light and unique taste.

Just like Qingran in Fu Qingyan's eyes at this moment.

The other person stood far away at the entrance of the banquet hall, a solitary figure in white, separated from the crowd of people clinking glasses and gleaming in their finery.

The other person didn't turn around to look at him, but it was like fireworks suddenly rising into the night sky, blooming with colorful hues in his heart.

He couldn't help but be attracted to this person.

"Oh, so you're acting like a waiting-for-husband rock." A hand reached out and draped over Fu Qingyan's shoulder, teasingly.

Fu Qingyan snapped out of her daze, glancing down the hand on her shoulder at Jiang Ling's mischievous grin, and saw Chen Siqi behind him.

"You arrived quite early."

Jiang Ling winked at him: "Of course, how could I not give face to Crown Prince Yongming?"

Although given their relationship with Xi Qingning, they would have come if Xi Qingning had sent them an invitation, they wouldn't have been this proactive and enthusiastic.

God knows how shocked he was when Lao Fu approached him and asked him to help find someone!

After hearing Lao Fu's speculation about Xi Qingran leaving without a word, he admired Xi Qingran even more.

Goodness, he's got a fiery temper. Luckily, Chen Qilin stopped him in time that day, preventing him from asking that question about death.

Otherwise, wouldn't Xi Qingran slap Lao Fu on the spot and tell him to get lost? Wouldn't Lao Fu tear him apart then!

Fu Qingyan glanced at him indifferently, ignoring Jiang Ling's teasing.

"How are you two doing?" Chen Siqi asked, clinking his wine glass against his.

The three were all exceptional individuals, both in terms of family background and appearance. At this moment, they adopted an attitude of refusing to socialize, and for the time being, no one dared to approach them for the time being.

Fu Qingyan said, "It's fine."

I'm not sure if Qingran's recent avoidance is genuinely due to being busy or if she's trying to avoid him.

He was unsure of himself, but that didn't stop him from being stubborn.

"What's going on outside about me and Qing Ning?"

Chen Siqi's gaze fell on the woman in the red dress who was greeting guests at the door. He shrugged and said, "Thanks to the fact that you two don't usually interact, most people believe it."

"Shouldn't we thank our Miss Xi for devoting herself to her work?" Jiang Ling interjected.

"Whatever the reason, the result is good overall," Chen Siqi said, then asked, "When do you and Qingran plan to go public?"

Fu Qingyan: "..."

The man casually took a sip of his drink: "No rush."

Unaware of the inside story and genuinely believing that the two had reconciled and their relationship was stable, Chen Siqi said, "That's fine. The time interval is too short, so it's inevitable that people will associate it with his sister, Qing Ning."

Fu Qingyan, who had actually been called brother-in-law before: "..."

"But this is too amazing! Old Fu finally found a girlfriend, and it turns out she's Qing Ning's brother!" Jiang Ling exclaimed.

Chen Siqi suppressed a laugh: "Yeah, it's even more amazing that Qingning is pretending to date Lao Fu."

Jiang Ling stroked his chin: "What a convoluted and bizarre setting. If you swapped the genders, it would be perfect for TV. It might even become another hit drama."

Chen Siqi: "Huh, when did you start getting interested in the family business?"

Jiang Ling smiled sweetly: "Oh dear, Yueyue is an actress, so she has learned a bit from what she sees and hears."

I overestimated you. You're still that love-struck fool who wouldn't even eat a dog's food. Three years of being a celebrity in an entertainment company is less valuable than having a relationship.

The two chatted back and forth, seemingly lamenting the unpredictability of life and the wonder of human encounters, but in reality, they were subtly mocking Fu Qingyan for almost being dumped.

After listening for a while, Fu Qingyan briefly reflected on why he had such two bad friends.

"That's enough for you two." His tone was tinged with a hint of speechlessness.

Chen Siqi and Jiang Ling exchanged a glance and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

After laughing, Jiang Ling said, "That person is too bold to dare to do something like switching children! I've only ever seen similar things on TV and in novels. Who would have thought it would happen in real life, especially right here in my neighborhood?"

Chen Siqi nodded: "Qingran is indeed unlucky."

Jiang Ling: "Yeah, yeah, if he had grown up properly in the Xi family, he might have gotten to know and gotten together with Lao Fu long ago, and there wouldn't have been any fake romance."

They subtly brought it up again.

Chen Siqi: "What happened to that couple in the end?"

"Let's see how the Xi family handles it," Fu Qingyan replied.

Qingran wanted to avoid suspicion from him, so it was inconvenient for him to handle the matter without the Xi family's permission.

But if Xi Zhenye intends to go easy on him out of consideration for his adopted son, he wouldn't mind taking matters into his own hands.

"What are you talking about?" a curious question broke in.

"The main character of today has arrived," Jiang Ling greeted with a smile, then called over a waiter. "We were talking about how if you had been able to grow up in the Xi family, you might have been with Old Fu by now."

Qingran took a glass of orange juice and seemed to understand something when she heard this.

[Zero Zero, do you have any dream-related products in your store?]

The system frantically searched through the nearly dusty online store, finally finding a product that barely met the requirements.

[There's a Dream Pill that guarantees you good dreams, but you can't control what those dreams will be like.]

Qingran made a note of this and replied, "At that time, Mr. Fu will still be Qingning's classmate, so he probably won't look down on me, a little kid who's not even an adult yet."

Oh my, he's even calling me Mr. Fu.

He stood next to Jiang Ling, holding a wine glass, with Chen Siqi between him and the man, maintaining a perfect distance.

Fu Qingyan's eyes darkened slightly. She naturally strode to his side, making no unnecessary movements, as if they were just having a casual conversation: "How do you know I don't like you?"

Qingran gently inhaled the sweet and sour fruity aroma in the glass: "I'm not an adult yet."

Fu Qingyan: "I can wait."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a touch of delicate pink on the ear of the young man who was looking down at him, his black hair framing his face. It was like a ripe peach on a branch, its sweetness bursting forth at the tip, tempting one to pick it.

The man suddenly remembered the bright light that had flashed before his eyes.

Just thinking about the person standing solemnly beside me now, wearing the anklet he gave me beneath their neat clothes...

At this moment, in this setting where everyone is wearing masks and putting on an act, it is nothing short of seduction for him.

"You brought up the banquet that day on purpose, didn't you?" Qingran asked at the opportune moment. "Actually, I don't care whether there's such a formalized ceremony or not."

Snapping out of her reverie, Fu Qingyan felt that even her breath was burning hot.

However, he disguised it very well; he clearly enjoyed the subtle flirting in his heart, but on the surface he still appeared refined and proper.

"You may not care, but you can't live without it."

Jiangling, unaware of their trickery, chimed in.

"Old Fu is right about that. The higher up the social circle, the more important formalities become, like in the circle before..."

He talked on and on about gossip, while Qingran and Fu Qingyan listened quietly without saying a word.

The two did not have a single physical contact or eye contact, yet an ambiguous atmosphere lingered around them, making even an accidental brush of their sleeves seem thrilling.

The gossip about Jiangling couldn't be shared for long, because the banquet was about to begin and Xi Zhenye was preparing to go on stage to speak.

After finishing her socializing, Xi Qingning picked up a glass of water and found the small group taking a break, blending in quite naturally.

Suddenly the lights dimmed, leaving only a bright spotlight on the stage.

The crowd in the banquet hall naturally quieted down and turned their attention to the middle-aged man holding a microphone as he walked toward the center of the lighting.

"Good evening, everyone. I am Xi Zhenye. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend my son's meet-and-greet..."

Xi Zhenye took the microphone and spoke on stage, first thanking everyone for attending, and then explaining the reason for holding the banquet today.

After expressing gratitude to heaven and earth and thanking the child for returning to his side, he gave a speech.

"His name is Qingran. He is my wife's and my second child. He is exceptionally beautiful."

"Come on, Qingran, come up on stage and introduce yourself so everyone can get to know you."

Unexpectedly, Qingran had her own things to do, but she wasn't going to obediently go on stage to perform. She stood still.

What's going on? In my past life, from junior high to university, no teacher ever asked them to come up on stage and introduce themselves.

Xi Zhenye, who hadn't seen anyone, looked a little embarrassed under the lights.

Fortunately, the organizers were very experienced in handling emergencies, and a beam of light immediately shone on Qingran's side.

Qingran squinted slightly at the sudden bright light, her face dazzlingly beautiful under the intense light.

A collective gasp of amazement rose from the surrounding crowd, followed by whispers of discussion.

"Xi Zhenye said his son is exceptionally handsome, and he is right."

"It's definitely much better looking than the previous one."

"Young Master Fu from Yongming is here too, along with the second generation of the Jiang and Chen families. It seems Xi Qingning takes good care of her younger brother and is willing to introduce her friends to him."

"After all, he's my own brother, unlike an adopted son who isn't valued."

This statement is a reversal of cause and effect, but nobody cares.

No, Xi Qingsong cares.

Xi Qingsong was also present today, but he didn't show up at the entrance. Now, he was mixed in with the crowd and heard everyone discussing him. He was so ashamed and indignant that his face turned red.

Who cares!

On stage, Xi Zhenye let the atmosphere build up for a while before speaking up to draw attention back.

He expressed his deep anger and pity for Qingran's past suffering, stating that he would take legal action to bring the culprits to justice and would also compensate Qingran doubly...

Qingran watched the whole thing like she was watching a traditional opera.

"Pfft." Jiang Ling couldn't help but laugh and said, "Hey, I didn't realize your dad had such a talent for acting."

Xi Qingning: "...To be honest, I just found out myself."

As the two were complaining, Xi Zhenye on stage suddenly changed his tune.

"...Qingran is my child, and so is Qingsong. Humans aren't plants or trees, how can they be without feelings? Alas, after loving him like a son for so many years, his mother, sister, and I are all very reluctant to part with him..."

The implication is that Xi Qingsong will not be kicked out of the family; he will remain a member of the Xi family.

Chen Siqi and Jiang Ling looked at each other, but with Qing Ning present, neither of them said anything.

There's really nothing wrong with this. It's perfectly normal to feel attached to a son you've raised for nearly twenty years and not want to part with him. But from Qingran's perspective, it's a bit unpleasant.

"Qingran, don't misunderstand. The old man acted on his own initiative. I never said that," Xi Qingning explained.

After years of her parents' favoritism, she found it hard to have any goodwill towards Xi Qingsong, who was inactive. However, even without the previous bias, she felt that her parents had not handled this matter well.

Just like I told Lao Fu on the phone earlier, I really don't understand what they're thinking.

Are you sad?

The light that had been shining on them had been moved away. In the dim light, Fu Qingyan quietly tightened his grip on Qingran's hand, his tone filled with tenderness.

Qingran shook her head, answering both the man and Xi Qingning.

Xi Qingsong didn't provoke him for the time being, and he didn't really care whether Xi Qingsong stayed or left.

Besides, he didn't go back to the Xi family to actually reunite with his relatives. He doesn't show even a shred of affection to those he doesn't respect.

But showing favoritism towards Cheng Xizhenye and his wife...

He said to Xi Qingning, "Go for it, Qingning! Try to replace Xi Zhenye and take over the company as soon as possible!"

Xi Qingning didn't care that the old man was being addressed by his full name, and laughed, "Alright, I'll try my best."

Qingran didn't care, but Fu Qingyan couldn't bear to see him suffer, so he lowered his head and whispered in his ear, "If the Xi family doesn't want you, why not come to the Fu family?"

They just didn't send Xi Qingsong away; it's not like they'd abandon him.

Qingran deliberately asked, "As an adopted son of the Fu family?"

Fu Qingyan was amused and annoyed. After being called his brother-in-law, this guy still wanted to call him brother, huh?

After thinking about it for a moment, hmm, it doesn't seem so bad.

"As Fu Qingyan's future partner."

Qingran asked in confusion, "When did Mr. Fu get a girlfriend? Sister Qingning? But didn't he just clarify that it was just a bet?"

"Baby, if you keep pretending to be stupid, I'm going to kiss you."

Qingran turned and left, and behind her came the man's muffled laughter.

[Host, how about I steal all of Xi Zhenye's secret stash and give it to you?]

The female lead is so generous, but her biological father, Xi Zhenye, is as stingy as a miser. Disgusting!

[Have you forgotten about getting arrested in the first world?]

[Hey, we were inexperienced that time. This world's technology is way behind ours, we definitely won't be detected!]

Even if it goes undetected, the source of the funds remains unclear.

Qingran did not agree.

[But if you're so angry, you could cause him a little trouble.]

The system perked up: [What trouble!]

[Isn't Xi Zhenye keeping a mistress? If he takes some photos and lets his wife know, the Xi family will surely be in for a stir again soon.]

[Yes, I'll get right on it!]

Before Qingran could speak.

[Don't worry, host, I'll send it tomorrow.]

Qingran expressed her satisfaction: [Lingling and I are becoming more and more in sync.]

[Hehe~]

After they finished talking, they bumped right into the person they had just decided to do something bad in a few words.

Upon seeing him, Xi Zhenye immediately handed him a card and complained, "You child, why didn't you tell your father when you needed money?"

Qingran: [What happened?]

The system reviewed the venue surveillance footage: [Xi Zhenye was chatting with someone, who asked about the compensation arrangements.]

He then added, "By the way, this person is a business rival of the Xi family."

Qingran wasn't foolish enough to refuse money that was offered to her, so she put away the card and asked, "[How much is in it?]"

[One million! It was originally intended as my little sweetheart's allowance for the next six months!]

[Tsk.]

Qingran smiled sarcastically to herself.

At this point, Xi Zhenye, after handing over the money, said, "Your family will arrange some tutors for you. Don't run around anymore. Just stay home and study. When school starts, you can go to university to register."

“We, the Xi family, cannot only have a high school education.”

"As for which university to attend, I'll figure that out—"

“Uncle, you don’t need to worry about this. I’ve already made arrangements,” said Fu Qingyan, who had come along.

Hearing Qi Zhenye's disdain for Qing Ran's educational background, he was extremely displeased. He only addressed him as "uncle" out of respect for Qing Ran.

Xi Zhenye thought this was him showing affection to the Xi family.

There's no doubt that Fu Qingyan arranged the banquet because of Qing Ning's connections.

He secretly rejoiced, thinking that since Fu Qingyan cared so much about the Xi family, it seemed that a relationship with Qing Ning wasn't impossible.

"Qingran and I have some things to talk about at school, please excuse me."

Xi Zhenye waved his hand with a smile: "Alright, you young people should exchange ideas more."

Fu Qingyan then pulled Qingran out of the banquet hall.

Night had fallen outside the hotel, with twinkling stars adorning the deep night sky and the moon hanging quietly on the treetops, like a graceful maiden.

Qingran moved her wrist, which was being held.

The man released his grip: "Money from your dad is acceptable, but my money isn't?"

Qingran strolled along the street: "You said it yourself, he's my father, so what's your identity?"

“Brother-in-law?” he gave an example.

Fu Qingyan said helplessly, "Can't we get past this form of address?"

Qingran secretly smiled, and Fu Qingyan couldn't help but smile back when he saw him chuckling.

The two walked forward side by side.

Several claw machines were lined up in front of a shop, and a group of girls who had gone out shopping and playing together were busy in front of the machines, occasionally letting out excited or disappointed exclamations.

Intrigued by the exclamations, Qingran noticed an empty claw machine and walked over to it.

The claw machine, with its small light bulbs lit, was filled with plush toys of various shapes and colors. Metal claws hung above, and the exit was right in front of you, making it seem like it would be easy to grab one.

The man tossed the coin he had earned into the slot, his gaze tenderly fixed on his lover: "Let's play."

The Xi family has no vision, but in front of him, Qingran can be a child for a lifetime.

Qingran did not use spiritual power, but manipulated the hand claw towards the target doll.

He failed once, failed twice, and by the time the girl next to him happily walked away with her favorite doll, he still hadn't caught a single toy.

He pursed his lips and stopped what he was doing.

Amused, Fu Qingyan covered his hand from behind and explained while operating the device: "Merchants usually set the probability of grabbing the device very low in order to make money, so be patient."

Then, *thud*, the doll fell.

Qingran sneered, "You're one of those people, aren't you the same?"

Fu Qingyan sighed, "Well, it seems I'll have to buy one myself and adjust the odds."

"Domineering CEO behavior." Qingran turned her head and glanced at him, her lips inadvertently brushing against the man's lips.

The man's breathing became erratic instantly.

The delicate fragrance wafted to my nose, like a fast-acting aphrodisiac that made my body heat up.

He tightened his arms around the person in his arms and said in a hoarse voice, "Baby, let me see your ankle."

A note from the author:

Thanks for the lightning strike, thanks for the watering, chirp!

In the middle of the night, the Koi Fairy threw a landmine.

27903361 threw a landmine.

Yue Minghui threw a landmine

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