Chapter 130 Fleeting Affection: Doing Joyful Things with My Beloved
In the study, Song Huaiyan was having tea with Qin Shu and Jiang Xiuyuan.
The father-in-law and son-in-law chatted happily. On the other hand, Jiang Xiuyuan usually preferred to drink sugary drinks, and he really couldn't appreciate the nuances of tea.
Qin Shu took out the painting "Spring Banquet".
As an expert in cultural relics, Song Huaiyan immediately recognized it as an authentic work by the great calligrapher and painter Han Xi.
He quickly turned on all the lights in the study, put on gloves and reading glasses, and carefully observed with a magnifying glass.
"Over the years, there have been several forgeries of the 'Spring Banquet' painting in China. It wasn't until the beginning of this year, when Mr. Qin purchased the genuine work, that this trend of forgery was finally curbed. I had been wanting to see the original for a long time, but I never had the chance. Now that the genuine work has been delivered to me, I must take a good look at it!"
Jiang Xiuyuan, equally clueless about the intricacies of the situation, found it even more boring.
While Song Huaiyan was carefully appreciating the painting, he glared at Qin Shu.
Qin Shucai ignored his childishness and drank his tea with an elegant demeanor.
"Wow, that's wonderful! The brushwork is so smooth, even the finest details of a single hair are depicted. These are truly treasures left by our ancestors!"
"If Dad likes it, we'll see which spot is best tonight, and hang it up at home after dinner."
"No, no, no, that won't do."
Song Huaiyan straightened up. "This is an ancient painting, it's not cheap. I'll just take a look. When you leave, take it back for your father."
Qin Shu smiled and politely declined.
"To be honest, this painting was a return gift from the old man to Aying for his birthday two months ago. Aying didn't refuse it then, so I certainly couldn't."
"Flowers are given to beauties, and swords are given to heroes. In our family, only you understand this. Rather than letting me take it back to gather dust, it's better to keep it with you. Only then can the painting truly show its value."
Now that things have come to this point, Song Huaiyan had met with Old Master Qin before when they were discussing their children's marriages, and knew what kind of person the old man was.
So he stopped refusing.
"Okay, then when you get back, be sure to thank your grandfather for me. Speaking of which, it's been quite a while since I've seen Grandpa Qin. How has his health been lately?"
"Thankfully, I can eat, drink, and sleep well; everything is normal."
Qin Shu did not mention the old man's previous hospitalization.
Firstly, the matter involves many complexities and is difficult to explain.
Secondly, the old man needs to rest and has already declined many visits recently.
After exchanging a few more words, the topic somehow shifted to Qin Shu and Song Ying's marriage.
Song Huaiyan carefully rolled up the ancient painting and put it back into the box.
"We previously said we'd hold your wedding at the end of the year, but now, as we count down the days, we need to start preparing for the wedding dress, the hotel, the invitation design, the guest list, and so on. Getting married is a big deal, and we can't be careless."
“Ah Ying is a careless girl. I see she has a lot of work to do these days, and with all the commotion online, she probably doesn’t have the time or energy to focus on this.”
"But Ah Shu, we only have this one daughter, and we absolutely cannot let her suffer any injustice."
"We considered your jobs and convenience, and respected your wishes, so we let you get your marriage certificate earlier. But that doesn't mean you can just throw together a casual wedding, do you understand?"
Song Huaiyan spoke earnestly, and Qin Shu also straightened his expression and solemnly promised.
"Don't worry, my wedding with Aying will definitely not be a casual affair. You love Aying, and I love her just as much. A decent wedding is the most basic respect that I, as her husband, should give her."
"I'm relieved to hear that."
Song Huaiyan sat down, and Qin Shu quickly poured him some tea.
After spending so much time together, Song Huaiyan actually knew what kind of person Qin Shu was, but as a father, he still couldn't help but say some things.
“Aying’s job is special, and I’ve seen a lot of news about her online recently.”
“Back in the Lan’an era, things weren’t this chaotic. Now that the internet is so developed, people online are so aggressive and say such hurtful things.”
"I wanted to say a few words for her before, but she and Lan'an wouldn't allow it, saying that if I showed up, it would cause unnecessary trouble. So I don't know how to help her, and I'm even more afraid that if I say something I shouldn't say, I will not only fail to help, but also cause trouble for Aying."
“I’m getting old, but you’re still young, Shu. You two are going to support each other for the rest of your lives. Ying is a sensible girl who likes to shoulder many things on her own, but a person can get tired if they’re too strong for too long. So if there’s anything you can do to help her, please do so, and try to put her mind at ease when things happen.”
Song Huaiyan was mild-mannered and a typical old scholar.
Aside from his extensive knowledge, he was completely clueless about things online, let alone celebrities in the entertainment industry.
Before Song Ying became famous, there weren't so many controversies surrounding her.
Now that praise and slander go hand in hand, it's no wonder that fathers worry.
Qin Shu said earnestly, "Dad, don't worry. In my eyes, Aying is always more important than myself. Even if you don't say anything, I will do everything in my power to protect her and not let outsiders bully her."
Jiang Xiuyuan glanced at Qin Shu.
Suddenly, I realized that this brother-in-law wasn't so bad after all.
To reassure Song Huaiyan, he patted his chest and made a promise.
"That's right! Uncle, don't forget, Yingjie has the Jiang family behind her! We will never let Yingjie suffer any injustice!"
-
Meanwhile, in the kitchen.
Jiang Lan'an was the head chef, and Song Ying was helping out. The mother and daughter were also chatting.
Halfway through the conversation, Jiang Lan'an hesitated and brought up recent events.
"I've seen all the controversies online lately..."
Jiang Lan'an was a strong-willed person throughout his life.
In most families, the father is strict and the mother is kind, but in the Song family, the mother is strict and the father is kind.
The era in which Jiang Lan'an lived was a time when women were establishing their self-awareness, moving from the old-fashioned male superiority system to the idea that women could hold up half the sky.
Life and experience taught her that relying on her parents, no matter how great her achievements, would never earn her the true respect of others.
So from childhood to adulthood, she held her daughter to the same standards.
Even when Song Ying wanted to enter the entertainment industry, she didn't want anyone to know that this was her daughter.
She would watch Song Ying's dramas more than once, and she would watch the videos circulating online repeatedly.
Jiang Lan'an is proud of his daughter.
I want to tell everyone, look, this is my child!
See how excellent and outstanding she is?
But she was also afraid.
They fear that their status as a celebrity's child will cause trouble for their daughter.
She was even more afraid that her daughter's hard-earned achievements would be attributed to her own connections and that others would say she had "gotten in through connections."
For the past two months, Jiang Lan'an has often had trouble sleeping through the night.
Especially whenever there are criticisms of Song Ying online, she always wishes she could help her daughter fight back, but she is afraid that it would cause trouble for her daughter.
In the end, all I could do was secretly register a fake account and argue with those people online.
But no matter how much cultured people curse, they only use the same few phrases over and over again, which is never quite satisfying.
There was a time when I was so angry that my blood pressure almost spiked, so I finally snapped and yelled "Shameless!"
Jiang Lan'an, who used to think she was successful in both her family and career, suddenly realized that she might not be a good mother.
At least when her child is wronged, she doesn't even have the ability to stand up for her daughter and not cause her any trouble.
Jiang Lan'an nervously tugged at her apron, quickly creating a small bulge.
"I'm sorry you've had to go through all this time..."
This was the first time Song Ying had ever seen her mother like this.
After a moment of surprise, she quickly remembered what her father had told her.
These past two months, she's been busy with work and traveling around, so she hasn't had time to go home and visit her parents.
But Song Ying knew everything about her family, her mother's changes, and how her mother stayed up all night to reason with netizens.
“There’s nothing to feel wronged about. I chose this path, and I have to finish it even if I have to crawl. Besides, this is nothing. If I can’t even face this little setback, how can I call myself Jiang Lan’an’s daughter?”
Song Ying spoke in a relaxed tone, without any complaints.
She understood her mother's good intentions.
Not only that.
“Before, when no one knew I was Jiang Lan’an’s daughter, I could slack off. But now everyone knows that my father is Song Huaiyan and my mother is Jiang Lan’an. Even for the sake of your reputation, I have to work twice as hard. These rumors won’t defeat me.”
If you can't avoid it, then face it.
If you can't wake them up, force them to look up.
Preventing the people from speaking is more difficult than preventing a river from overflowing.
Instead of constantly worrying about being labeled a "resource-backed" person, Song Ying prefers to use her talent to crush those doubts—this is her latest feeling.
"Okay, Mom, don't overthink it. The time for the potato and chicken nuggets is almost up. If they're not cooked soon, the chicken will get tough."
Song Ying promptly spoke up to urge him on, cutting off Jiang Lan'an's further thoughts.
The sounds of pots and pans clattering in the kitchen, along with the aroma of food, finally silenced all the words spoken.
In a family, often a single glance is enough for them to understand what each other is thinking.
Some things don't need to be said; they're all conveyed in the small, everyday moments of love.
-
After dinner, the family sat around in the living room and chatted for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, Qin Shu and Song Ying got up and left.
Jiang Xiuyuan originally wanted to go with them, but Jiang Lan'an insisted that he stay, so he had no choice but to stay at the Song family's house overnight.
The summer night breeze carries heat, but sitting in the car with the top down offers a different kind of comfort and pleasure.
The night breeze ruffled Song Ying's long hair. She leaned back in her chair, took a deep breath, and hummed a little tune she had made up.
"You seem to be in a good mood?" Qin Shu asked.
"Be more confident, remove the 'seems like,' and add 'very'—you're in a great mood!"
Go home and have a meal cooked by my parents.
When I was a child, I didn't think it was anything special.
It wasn't until I grew up that I realized this was the happiness found deep within the ordinary.
Seeing Song Ying's childlike excitement, Qin Shu also smiled.
"Then, Ms. Song, would it be convenient for you to share half of your happiness with me?"
Song Ying tilted her head and blinked.
How do you plan to divide it?
"I'll be home soon."
Qin Shu stared at the familiar road sign ahead and suddenly said something completely unrelated.
Song Ying turned around and looked, puzzled, but still agreed.
"That's right, it's just past the next intersection, another kilometer away—so what?"
"Now that we're home, shouldn't we do some fun things that only people at home can do?"
Song Ying was taken aback at first.
Soon, her face flushed red as she understood Qin Shu's implication.
Do joyful things with your loved one.
That's all there is to it.
but.
"Who says it can only be done at home?"
It was just a casual remark, but Qin Shu suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road and looked at him with a deep gaze.
"Where would Miss Song like to go?"
Song Ying: ……
SOS, that's not what I meant at all!
-
Qin Shu is a scoundrel.
No, Qin Shu is a dog!
Song Ying confirmed and affirmed this.
Mo City was hot, and on the day of her departure, Song Ying had already prepared her own outfit: a suspender dress paired with a white gauze cardigan. With her slender waist and beautiful legs, she was sure to be the most stylish person at the airport.
It's all ruined now.
The strawberry hickeys were so obvious that even a thin veil couldn't cover them.
Enraged, Song Ying punched the person who started it all, yelling, "It's all your fault!"
"Okay, okay, it's all my fault. I apologize to my wife."
Qin Shu readily complied, letting his wife pound his chest with her little fists, then pulled her close, held her in his arms, and massaged her waist.
With just the right amount of force, the anger that had been rising within him quickly subsided, leaving only a satisfied feeling.
Song Ying let out a soft yawn and snuggled closer to Qin Shu.
"My flight is this afternoon. I'll go see Grandpa later. I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had a chance to go to the hospital. If I don't go soon, the old man will be heartbroken. By the way, how has Grandpa been these past few days?"
After getting familiar with CEW's work, Qin Shu has been staying at the hospital to take care of her recently.
Hearing this, he said, "It's fine. My second uncle and aunt had a little commotion before, but it's been fine since then. They've been watching TV in the ward all day and are having a good time."
"Those two ancestors have gone over again?"
Song Ying sat up straight, and frowned as she thought of the couple's behavior. "Is it about dividing the family property again?"
Not entirely.
Qin Shu said, "The verdict for the Xu family is out. Because the amount of tax evasion by the Xu family was too high, and in addition, Xu Lanyan and Xu Shengshan have been doing a lot of embezzlement behind the backs of the company's shareholders over the years, plus some other illegal activities, they can't avoid going to jail."
"Moreover, in order to cover the losses, the Xu Group is facing bankruptcy liquidation and auction. My second uncle and aunt's assets are basically all in the Xu Group. After this incident, almost all of that money has gone down the drain, and they have to fill the gap again."
"They caused trouble at the company before, and I kicked them out. So they went to the hospital to cause trouble for the old man. Later, they set their sights on Aji, wanting him to sell the villa that his grandfather gave him. If that didn't work, they could set aside a company for them to pay off their debts."
"Grandpa was so angry that he had them kicked out. The two of them had no choice but to start fighting amongst themselves again. The woman that Second Uncle was keeping outside was exposed by Second Aunt. She wanted to sue Second Uncle for marital infidelity so that she could get a share of the Blue Creation he had and use it to pay off her own debts."
Although Lanchuang is riddled with debts, its market value is still intact, so repaying its debts is not a problem. No wonder Xu Jinhua is eyeing this lucrative opportunity.
If this lawsuit really goes to war, the company that Qin Zhen inherited after marriage is considered marital property.
Who knows, they might actually tear a piece of Qin Zhen's flesh off.
However, now that the family has separated, no matter how much trouble the second wife causes, it won't affect Qin Shu and Song Ying's small family.
"This is a complete mess, and I don't know how we're going to clean it up."
When the second son's family was mentioned, Qin Shu was speechless.
I used to think the couple was selfish and petty.
The current situation has escalated to this point, revealing their utter disgrace.
Song Ying recalled the day they recorded "The Voice of Heaven." Qin Shu was originally going to go out with her, but he was called away by company business on the way.
"So, the incident at the company that day was caused by my second uncle and his gang causing trouble?"
Qin Shu hummed in agreement, "They won't cause any major trouble."
"But we still need to be careful," Song Ying thought. "Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. I'm afraid they might really go all out and do something bad."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."
Qin Shu smiled and patted Song Ying's head, "Just focus on filming, I'll take care of everything else."
-
After washing up, Song Ying tied her hair into a high ponytail, changed into a white T-shirt with light blue jeans and white mesh sneakers, and set off with Qin Shu with their luggage.
The hospital is on the way to the airport, so we can visit the old man and then go together when Jiang Xiuyuan arrives.
The two were carrying fruit when they arrived at the ward door. A familiar voice came through the slightly ajar door.
Song Ying stood there, turned around and looked at Qin Shu, her face full of embarrassment.
"Is this the TV show that the old man has been watching lately that you were talking about?"
"It's a continuous brainwashing cycle."
Song Ying: "..."
They've already carved out a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment.
The TV show the old man was watching was none other than a long video edited by Song Ying's fan club based on the variety shows the couple had participated in.
From the previous dating reality show live stream to the final music reality show stage, it lasted for several hours.
The title is also quite ridiculous.
[Complete Collection! Top-tier looks and talent, the winning and losing couple is overflowing with sweetness! Real couples are all about being lovey-dovey!]
The production company is still Song Ying Studio's official video account.
It's clearly Wen Jinzhao's work.
When Song Ying entered, the screen was playing footage of the two of them kissing, which had been secretly filmed.
Seeing the two approach, the old man pressed pause. Song Ying looked up, and her embarrassment level instantly soared.
It was even more embarrassing than when I was a child watching TV with my parents and found out that the male and female actors in the show were kissing.
"grandfather……"
Song Ying greeted him with a forced smile, "You seem to be in pretty good shape today..."
"Come, come, sit down and have some grapes!"
The old man's eyes lit up when he saw it was his granddaughter-in-law.
Compared to his furious outburst during the previous division of the family property, he seemed like a completely different person.
Unable to resist the warm invitation, Song Ying had no choice but to sit down. However, as she turned around, she desperately tried to wink at Qin Shu.
Qin Shu immediately understood his wife's thoughts. While the old man was greeting Song Ying, he took the remote control from the side and turned off the TV.
"Hey? What are you doing?! I was watching something really nice, why did you turn off the TV?!"
"You've been watching this since you got up this morning, haven't you? Don't you have eyes anymore? Take a break. Besides, how long have you been watching the same video? Aren't you annoyed? I'm sick of hearing it."
Qin Shu deliberately placed the remote control where the old man couldn't reach it.
"And have you forgotten what the doctor said? You need to rest, do you understand?"
“You know, you know best! I’m almost fully recovered and could have been discharged, but they’re keeping me here. And to make matters worse, they won’t even let me watch TV! Ah Ying, look at this kid, he’s keeping such a tight rein on me now, like he’s my grandpa.”
The old man glared at Qin Shu, looking just like a child.
Upon seeing this, Song Ying finally realized that Qin Shu was right.
With that kind of energy, no one could tell that the old man had any problems.
“Grandpa, Ash is just trying to be helpful. He's worried that if you sit for too long, it will hurt your eyes! And if you sit for too long, your lumbar spine will also be damaged. When it really hurts, no one can take your pain away. So let's just bear with it for a couple more days and go home after we've fully recovered. If you want to beat him up then, I'll hand you the broom.”
Song Ying's words struck a chord with the old man.
The old man glared at Qin Shu: "Listen to this, now that's what you call filial piety! Learn from Aying! Do you hear me?"
"Yes, yes, I will definitely learn more from my wife."
Qin Shu glanced at Song Ying and smiled, readily agreeing.
Song Ying poured the old man a glass of water and peeled an orange for him.
"Grandpa, I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to visit you. I also have to go on a long trip to Mocheng to film a movie, so I'm afraid I won't be able to come back for a while. Grandpa, please take good care of yourself in the hospital. When I come back, I'll bring you your favorite Yu Gao (a type of sweet rice cake)!"
The old man knew that Song Ying's job was special, so he didn't mind.
"Don't worry, Ashu is here at the hospital. It's good for young people to work hard, but please take care of your health and do what you can."
Song Ying nodded, "Don't worry, I will!"
The old man laughed, "Alright, then I'll wait for you to bring back the Broken Jade Cake!"
After chatting with the old man for a while, Jiang Xiuyuan called to ask where the two of them were.
After a brief farewell to the old man, Qin Shu personally escorted Song Ying to the airport.
"Call me when you get there. If anyone bullies you, don't just sit there and let it go. Fight back, okay?"
At the security checkpoint, Qin Shu handed the suitcase to Song Ying and couldn't help but give her another word of advice.
Since officially becoming a couple, the two have never been separated by distance.
Song Ying was alright, but the unruly Qin Shu was reluctant to part, nagging and giving instructions nonstop, which even made Jiang Xiuyuan, the third wheel next to him, feel annoyed.
"Alright, brother-in-law, stop being so mushy! Mocheng is our Jiang family's territory. With me here, how could I let my sister suffer? Please get to the point and stop dawdling and delaying our boarding."
God knows what it feels like for a single person to be constantly bombarded with displays of affection from couples.
Jiang Xiuyuan chose to kick over the dog bowl and fart at the other person.
Qin Shu ignored Jiang Xiuyuan, then kissed Song Ying before reluctantly letting her leave.
Jiang Xiuyuan shrugged and shook his head, goosebumps falling all over his body.
"Men in love are devils."
Song Ying slapped him on the back of the head and then handed the suitcase to Jiang Xiuyuan.
"You brat, how dare you talk to your brother-in-law like that! Here! Do more work and talk less!"
Jiang Xiuyuan snorted, but still obediently carried her suitcase through security.
As Song Ying was about to cross the border, she turned around and saw Qin Shu still waiting for her like a statue. She couldn't help but run back and give Qin Shu a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Wait for me to come back, okay?"
The titmouse's eyes shone brightly as it flashed past as it ran back.
Qin Shu was secretly overjoyed.
Meanwhile, in the corner.
The paparazzi who captured the kiss clenched their fist and shouted "Yes!"
Not long after, a photo climbed to the top of Weibo's trending topics.
# At the airport farewell, the winning and losing couple shared a sweet kiss that was absolutely adorable!
Beijing First Hospital.
The person below pointed to the entry and asked about today's situation.
"Miss, should we suppress the popularity of this post?"
"What are you pressing for! You're so stupid!"
Wen Jinzhao gave the operations manager a flick on the forehead, "Such a great photo, give me a boost in exposure!"
Sugar is sweeter when eaten together!
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