Chapter 16: Duplicity
The hilt is wrapped with red silk thread, ensuring it remains firm even when held for a long time. Near the sheath, the characters "Bai Yan" are inscribed, their strokes sharp and imposing, as if a murderous aura emanates from them.
"What a fine sword!" Fu Chengyun stroked the sword carefully, the sword like a dormant dragon. "It's just right that you're learning swordsmanship. It would be so impressive to carry this sword with you."
"That's right! I will take him to the sword-fighting hall tomorrow to open their eyes!" Bai Yan stroked the Sword God, his eyes filled with uncontrollable joy.
Fu Chengyun tried to cheer up his aunt and asked, "Who gave it to you? It's so unique and thoughtful."
Bai Yan rolled his eyes at him. "Don't try to take advantage of me! Are you trying to get me to praise your wife?"
"My wife?" Fu Chengyun was puzzled. "He didn't come?"
"I've been here a long time ago, unlike you who are late!" Bai Yan slapped Fu Chengyun, scolded him for being confused because of working overtime, and nodded in one direction.
Fu Chengyun looked in the direction of his gaze.
Among the guests in the room, among the elegantly dressed people, that man was wearing a white suit, which made his skin look like snow and his eyebrows and eyes look like a painting.
His long hair was casually tied to one side, and his lips were as red as ripe cherries in summer.
While others were chatting and drinking, he sat in a corner and raised his glass to greet them, with a faint smile on his face, polite yet distant.
Noticing the scrutinizing gaze, he raised his eyelids slightly, his eyes clear and deep.
"Xiao Che, you really touched my heart."
"I heard that you were in poor health and had been practicing swordsmanship. I was just catering to your interests." Ning Che stood up and nodded slightly.
Bai Yan studied the two characters near the sheath. "You're such a thoughtful kid. Did you commission a master to carve these characters? The calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, with bold strokes. It's my favorite style."
"As long as you like it."
"I like it. Who carved it? I want to visit them someday to ask for advice!" Bai Yan asked.
Ning Che just smiled indifferently and didn't answer.
"Wait a minute!" Bai Yan exclaimed, "Did you carve this?"
Ning Che nodded, humble and polite.
There were sounds of surprise all around, and Bai Yan felt like she had discovered a great treasure. Her hobbies were so niche, and when she finally met someone knowledgeable, she naturally dragged Ning Che along to ask him all sorts of questions.
The man could also speak a few words with familiarity, which made Bai Yan look at him with new eyes. As they chatted and laughed, he seemed to treat Ning Che as a like-minded friend regardless of age.
Fu Chengyun was still standing beside Bai Yan, holding his sword, looking at Ning Che blankly.
The man had a dignified and calm demeanor, hidden in the laughter and joy, as if all the splendor in the room served as his foil.
As they talked and laughed, Fu Chengyun felt that the glitz and glamour around him faded away in an instant.
The qi and blood surged up and the body suddenly became hot.
The one-in-a-million S-rank alpha would never be attracted by any pheromone, but now, for an omega of such low rank that he had no idea of his own rank, he was forced to do it.
The man didn't even release any pheromones, but just a curve of his lips almost made Fu Chengyun lose his composure.
"Are you staring blankly?" Chen He pushed Fu Chengyun, "Why are you standing there? Take a seat."
Fu Chengyun finally came to his senses, suppressed the heat that was escaping from his heart, and sat down next to Ning Che.
There are all kinds of delicacies on the glass plate, each one is enough to whet your appetite.
Fu Chengyun only noticed that there was only one candied plum in the white porcelain plate in front of Ning Che.
He whispered in her ear, "Are you not used to it?"
Ning Che nodded slightly.
"I really like Xiao Che's sword. Do you like swordsmanship too?" Bai Yan asked.
Ning Che smiled calmly and said, "I know a thing or two."
Bai Yan's eldest son, Chen Ping, who was on Bai Yan's right, also chimed in. "Mom, you've got a swordsman partner this time."
Bai Yan laughed heartily, "That depends on whether they are willing to do me the honor."
Ning Che turned to look at Fu Chengyun, "That depends on whether President Fu is willing to let me go."
"Wow! You're watching so closely!"
"What do you know? This is called newlyweds being inseparable!"
Everyone teased Fu Chengyun for being clingy, and there was another round of laughter and joy at the table.
A plate of diamond strawberries was passed in front of Fu Chengyun, and he picked up one and put it on Ning Che's plate.
The moment they looked up, their eyes met, one amused, the other understanding.
Just by bringing him to the birthday party, Ning Che accurately guessed his intention.
He suddenly brought the topic to himself because he thought he was taking too long to get to the point.
Fu Chengyun laughed in his heart: What a cunning little fox!
"Hey~" Fu Chengyun frowned, pretending to be distressed, and continued: "It's not that I'm clingy, it's that someone won't let us go."
The laughter stopped abruptly, and everyone became serious at the same time because of his frustration.
"Don't be anxious, talk slowly." Chen He is gentle and meticulous, and can always soothe people's hearts.
Ning Che liked this older sister very much. He picked up a caviar macaron and put it on Jiaer's plate before picking up his own strawberry and putting it in his mouth.
As Fu Chengyun exaggerated and exaggerated the facts, everyone became more and more silent, and finally even gasped.
"Why are you so harsh? You want to get rid of me as soon as possible!" Chen Ping slapped the table in anger.
Chen He was filled with righteous indignation. "How could he bully our new daughter-in-law like this?"
Bai Yan waved his hand. "Cheng Yun, don't worry about your business trip. I'll take care of Xiao Che."
This is exactly what Fu Chengyun was waiting for.
"Thank you, Auntie. I feel at ease with your words."
Ning Che stood up with Fu Chengyun, and they both toasted Bai Yan.
Bai Yan smiled and agreed, looking at Ning Che with a hint of pity in his eyes. "Although this is our first meeting, I really like this kid, Xiao Che. He's polite and well-mannered, yet not restrained or pretentious. He's completely different from what people say online."
"Yeah, that's all nonsense on the Internet, it's not credible."
"What a wonderful child! He's handsome and sensible."
Ning Che was praised without any shyness and stood up to serve Bai Yan the dishes.
He accepted all the compliments graciously, as if he was really as calm and indifferent as he is today.
Fu Chengyun's mouth twitched, but he still followed the mindless praise, but silently criticized it in his heart.
Actually, everything that is said about him on the Internet is very credible...
"Uncle, where are you going?" The childish voice interrupted the endless flattery.
Fu Chengyun jumped over Ning Che and touched his head, "Go to France."
"My mother is going to France too!" Jia'er suddenly became excited: "Uncle, you and my mother can go together and come back together."
"Why?" Fu Chengyun asked casually, not taking it to heart.
"Because this way Mommy can come back earlier, Jiaer doesn't want to stay overnight." The child is like a blank sheet of paper, laying out all the entanglements and depressions in his heart.
Everyone at the table had different expressions. Bai Yan wanted to say something, but Chen He blocked Jiaer's mouth with a piece of fish. "Don't talk while eating! Eat!"
"Mom, remember to take your blood pressure medicine." She changed the subject stiffly.
Everyone was very tactful and took the opportunity to chat about family matters.
The diamond strawberry was transferred to Jiaer, and Ning Che helped him pick it up and put it on the plate. He lowered his eyes and glanced at the little guy subtly.
The lunch ended with laughter and joy, and Fu Chengyun and Ning Che returned in the same car.
Ever since Ning Che's arrival, the internet has been buzzing with trending topics, and the usually low-key Fu family has become a hot topic of gossip and entertainment. Bringing this controversial omega to her aunt's house was a risky move.
Fu Chengyun never thought that the hot-tempered little fox with a strange way of thinking would dare to face a room full of strangers alone, and have the ability to make his aunt's family praise him.
The car passed through the downtown area, and a series of fleeting lights and shadows flashed across the interior. Fu Chengyun glanced sideways, and saw a few halos flashing on the man's well-defined profile, quiet yet playful and lively.
He felt a sense of satisfaction from taking his beautiful wife out and looking very impressive.
"The susceptible period should be over." Fu Chengyun calculated the days and still released a weak cedar pheromone.
Ning Che leaned back in his seat, tilting his head to look at the scenery passing by outside the window. He replied lazily, "Hmm."
"You're so smart." Fu Chengyun leaned closer to him, casually picked up a strand of hair from the person next to him and twisted it around his fingertips, his eyes filled with admiration and inquiry. "How did you guess what I was thinking?"
Ning Che snorted lightly, very disdainful. "A mere trifle."
Fu Chengyun became more and more aggressive and hooked Ning Che's straight nose with his knuckles. He had wanted to do this during the meal.
"How do you say that?"
Ning Che frowned slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable. But then he thought, since he had already slept, it didn't matter.
Green grass and white poplar trees sped backwards outside the window. Ning Che tilted his head and said slowly, "You dare to openly challenge your father. You will definitely be punished when you return to the company. If my guess is correct, the person who wanted to kill me yesterday must have been sent by your father, that old bastard."
With a smile on his lips, Fu Chengyun leaned his head on Ning Che's shoulder.
"continue"
"You must have encountered some difficulties, so you had to entrust me to your aunt. I believe your aunt's family must have treated you well. Besides Butler Li, they are the only two people you can trust."
His fingertips still refused to let go of the hair, and Fu Chengyun smiled brightly. "Anything else?"
"Grandpa Li told me that you were going to bring me before others to assert your sovereignty, but in reality you were seeking asylum."
Ning Che's face was suddenly attacked by a soft object, and he instinctively tensed his body and stepped back.
But there is no way to retreat.
There was a hard car door behind him, and a big hand suddenly wrapped around his waist, and with a slender grip, it pulled him into a strong embrace.
The strong and powerful smell of cedar entered Ning Che's nose, and his mind went blank for a moment.
There was a malicious smile in my ears.
"You're dumbfounded after just one kiss. Aren't you amazing?"
How outrageous!
The palm wind was fierce, it was raised high but fell softly.
Today's cedar pheromones were overbearing and Ning Che felt a little dizzy.
Her palm rested weakly on the side of Fu Chengyun's neck, which was more like flirting than hitting him.
A gleam of light flashed in his narrow eyes, and Fu Chengyun was not going to let Ning Che have an easy time.
He knew that using high-level pheromones to force an omega to have a fever was a shameless act.
But he didn't know why, he just wanted to control his body like this, even if it was only for a moment.
He found a high-sounding excuse for his despicable behavior.
Who asked you to seduce me at the table!
The person in his arms was just a low-level omega, and he really couldn't withstand the crushing of the S-level pheromones.
Ning Che lay in Fu Chengyun's arms, his whole body limp. A faint hum escaped from the tip of his nose.
"But why?"
Why would you protect me first even when you are in danger?
Isn't it true that people should be selfish and strong enough to trample all those with bad intentions under their feet in order to succeed?
Ning Che shook his head vigorously, and everything in front of him was blurry.
In the car on the wedding day, Fu Chengyun held his hand and said he was worried about him. Ning Che saw it clearly. There was no cunning in those calculating eyes. They just looked at him calmly.
How could it be possible? How could someone, a total stranger to me, be so sincere to me?
The green fingers twisted Fu Chengyun's big hand and trembled slightly.
Seeing that he was really uncomfortable, Fu Chengyun felt that he had gone too far and slowly restrained his pheromones.
"Why?"
He asked himself: Why did I plot against you?
But he asked another question: "Why should I help you?"
Because you are beautiful and awesome! I can't bear to leave you.
"Because we just officially announced our marriage, if anything happens to you it will cause me a lot of trouble. And there are elderly people at home who need your care."
Fu Chengyun gently stroked the back of the person in his arms with his big hand, and he was very satisfied with his answer.
"Hmm." As the pheromones diluted, his mind gradually became clearer. Ning Che hated the way he looked, letting himself be manipulated. He pushed Fu Chengyun away.
"Because I'm still useful?"
Without waiting for Fu Chengyun to react, he curled the corners of his mouth and revealed a self-deprecating smile.
The laughter was soft, a short hum, the tail of which lingered in the air like a wilted petal.
It fell on Fu Chengyun's heart, causing a slight pain.
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Ning Che calmed down in an instant and sat up straight.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the profit is gone, the friendship ends. This is how our relationship is. People in the world are bustling about, and only profit comes and goes.
"That's good."
The car turned into the basement and there was a moment of darkness inside. Ning Che did not see the fleeting sadness in Fu Chengyun's eyes.
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