Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

Xu Qingcheng seemed to snap out of a daze. She smiled and said very obediently, "Thank you, big brother."

Zhong Wanxiu smiled faintly. She pulled Fu Sichen out and said, "Go and call your father down. Don't hide in the study pretending to be deep."

"Yes, Mom!"

Fu Sichen skipped upstairs.

Fu Pingxiu was a man of few words, barely uttering a single sentence throughout the night.

Fu Pinghui was pleased and had a few drinks with Fu Jingting, warning him about the preciousness of marriage and that he should not have any second thoughts.

Fu Jingting said yes, turned his head to look at her, took her hand under the table, and played with her fingers one by one.

Xu Qingcheng blushed and tried to break free, but he grabbed her again. After a few times, Fu Sichen looked at them curiously, and she dared not break free anymore, so she had no choice but to let him have his way.

After drinking, the man's eyes and brows were filled with a flirtatious air. One glance at her seemed to make her swoon, and he had the air of a charming rogue.

Xu Qingcheng turned her eyes away from him, talking to other people instead of paying attention to him.

As Fu Pinghui got into the swing of things, he suddenly said, "I've gotten quite a few beatings because of your mother's tears. You were actually treated leniently that day."

Zhong Wanxiu reached out and shoved her, "What nonsense are you talking about? Aren't you afraid the children will laugh at you!"

Xu Qingcheng looked over and saw a slight reproach on the woman's beautiful and graceful face. She was a person who had been pampered by time. Even though she had a son and a daughter and was no longer young, the tenderness between the two of them had seeped into their daily lives, and it seemed that the air was filled with sweetness.

"What kind of look is that? Envious?"

Fu Jingting suddenly leaned close to her ear. As he spoke, his lips deliberately touched her ear. Others thought they were just whispering, but Xu Qingcheng blushed and pushed him away.

Fu Sichen really couldn't stand it anymore; they were being fed handfuls of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection).

She looked at the old man who was also alone, Fu Pingxiu, who nodded and ate his meal. His movements were as dignified and composed as a posed painting, completely unaffected by anything.

She pouted.

Pick up your phone and send a message.

[Ughhhh, I was forced to eat a meal and my mouth was filled with dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection)!]

[This makes me want to be in a relationship too.]

[Please, Brother Nan, give me a handsome guy!]

Yu Shinan stared at the message that had just been sent, a cigarette dangling from his lips, typing on his phone with both hands: "[Underage, what do you need handsome guys for? Be careful, they might scam you out of your money and your body.]"

Fu Sichen stared at the message that had just been sent, his face darkening.

You think everyone is like you, getting played by a woman? I won't be fooled!

Also, I'll be eighteen in a few days.

Being mocked by a girl seven or eight years younger than him for bringing up his past, Yu Shinan clicked his tongue, "You shameless Nan-ge, you keep bringing up my little secrets every day."

Fu Sichen chuckled, resting his hand on his chin as he smiled. "Nan-ge, do you have any new dishes lately? I'd like to go try them."

Busy. No time to serve you.

What are you busy with?

[Flirting with girls.]

The phone fell to the table with a thud, and the whole family looked up at her. Zhong Wanxiu frowned, "Don't keep looking at your phone while eating."

Fu Sichen then placed his phone face down on the table.

She will be eighteen years old after the New Year.

It will take 24 years to complete a combined bachelor's and master's degree.

At that time, my eldest brother was thirty-five and my second brother was thirty-two.

Nan Ge and Er Ge are the same age.

Omg.

No one knew what she was planning, but Fu Sichen suddenly said, "Big brother, I actually don't think you're old at all. Men are still in their prime at forty, and you're only twenty-eight. You'll be just the right age to get married in another four or five years."

Fu Pinxiu was choked, and he glanced at Fu Sichen without giving her a proper response.

After dinner, they chatted casually. Fu Pingxiu left, and Fu Jingting followed him out.

Zhong Wanxiu pulled Xu Qingcheng into the room. "This room belongs to Jingting. I tidied it up a bit. He stays here occasionally when he comes back."

Then, considerately, he asked her if there was anything else she needed.

Xu Qingcheng said no.

Zhong Wanxiu told her to rest for a while.

Upon exiting the door and seeing Fu Sichen rushing over, Zhong Wanxiu immediately grabbed him and carried him away. "Don't disturb her, let her rest for a while. Go and help me pack your things."

Only when she was alone did Xu Qingcheng quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

Even though no one puts pressure on her, she still gets nervous without realizing it.

She stood at the window and looked out.

Fu Jingting and Fu Pinxiu stood and sat in the courtyard of the villa, dappled shadows of the trees falling on them.

She pondered the relationship between the two, but from her perspective alone, it wasn't very clear.

The driver pulled the car out, and Fu Pingxiu looked at him. "What do you see in her?"

"Does being pretty count?" Fu Jingting's eyes crinkled with a smile as he gave a rather unserious answer.

Fu Pinxiu looked at him, "Where is Tang Kejia?"

Fu Jingting suddenly laughed, a hint of coldness in his laughter. "What does this have to do with me? Does Big Brother think she likes me? Even if she does, I don't."

Fu Pingxiu simply asked, "So, is Xu Qingcheng pretty or is it because you like her?"

"..."

Fu Pingxiu didn't ask any more questions. He pushed the wheelchair to the car, leaving only the words, "Since you've chosen her, treat her well. I've agreed to the marriage proposal from the Tang family."

Fu Jingting wasn't surprised; he'd heard about it. It's just that the daughter the Tang family sent didn't really stand out.

Tangtang?! The name is sweet, though.

The Tang family has its own ideas, and they each have their own ideas; no one can say anything to anyone else.

Joy and sorrow are always experiences one must personally savor.

Standing there, watching him leave, Fu Jingting turned back.

On the third-floor balcony, the woman stood there, able to see him just by looking down.

Fu Jingting stood still and looked up. The light from the room behind her shone on half of her body.

In this winter, I suddenly felt incredibly warm.

Fu Jingting stood there and called out, "Qingcheng."

Xu Qingcheng was lost in her own thoughts when she suddenly heard someone call her name, and only then did she turn her gaze towards them.

"Get down, get ready to go."

The man had a smile playing on his lips. He looked up at her with one hand in his pocket, giving her orders with a somewhat smug air.

Xu Qingcheng stared at him for a moment, then suddenly turned around and went into the room.

Fu Jingting smiled and went into the villa. Fu Pinghui, who had drunk quite a bit, went back to his room to sleep.

Zhong Wanxiu had almost finished packing and came out to see that he had taken his coat. She said, "Go home early and get some rest. I think Qingcheng looks a little tired."

He added, "She's pregnant, so you need to be extra careful in every way. Do you understand?"

Fu Jingting gave a casual "hmm," clearly not having listened.

He looked up at the stairs, where Xu Qingcheng was coming down gracefully, her skirt swaying with her movements as she walked towards him.

I walked straight toward him.

He was holding her shawl in his hand.

Just as Xu Qingcheng was about to take it, he grabbed her shoulders and spun her around half a circle, turning her back to him, and the shawl was draped over her shoulders.

Zhong Wanxiu gave Fu Jingting a meaningful look. "It's good that you know how to cherish your wife. I won't keep you any longer, you should leave now."

On the way, Fu Jingting took a picture of their marriage certificate and posted it directly to the group chat.

The group chat exploded instantly.

Song Xingzhi: That speed is awesome!

Yu Shinan: Damn, I knew something was fishy! Did you have all the necessary permits when you came to pick up the ingredients?

Tang Jinchao: Okay, I'll even use Sun Tzu's Art of War for this little book.

Liang Zongyan: It's more than just Sun Tzu's Art of War!

Gu Feibai: Photo-edited? Which agency's model is she? She's beautiful!

Song Xingzhi: ...

Tang Jinchao: ...

Yu Shinan: ...

Liang Zongyan: ...

Fu Jingting: @Gu Feibai deserves a beating!

Gu Feibai: ? ? ?

Gu Feibai: Holy crap, you really got married?!

Gu Feibai: Why isn't there any movement?!

Gu Feibai: @Yu Shinan Chef, you're so unfair! You didn't even tell me about this exciting event.

Gu Feibai: Hmm, this name sounds familiar! Ye Tinghong's fiancée?

Song Xingzhi: Xiaobai, are you itching for a beating lately?

Liang Zongyan: It's not that you're itching for a beating, it's that you're courting death!

Tang Jinchao: You have a really good eye!

Gu Feibai retracted a message.

Yu Shinan: @Gu Feibai, get the hell out of here! If you call the chef again, he'll crack your skull open!

Fu Jingting: Xiaobai, what message did you retract?

Gu Feibai: I must say, sister-in-law is really beautiful!

Messages kept popping up, but Fu Jingting simply locked his screen and ignored them.

The news of their marriage registration was kept completely secret. No one else in the Fu family uttered a word, let alone outsiders. The information was kept strictly confidential.

Once the marriage certificate was tossed out, Fu Jingting knew that the news would spread throughout Ancheng this Spring Festival.

Xu Qingcheng's face was still burning hot, and the fever hadn't subsided even after they returned to Jingshan No. 1.

Fu Jingting reached out and pinched her cheek. "Is Mrs. Fu's skin that thin? It's so red that I want to take a bite."

His face was full of that roguish look, as if he were flirting with a beautiful woman. His improper manner was very annoying. "Aren't you annoying?"

She slapped his hand away and frowned as she scolded him.

But that angry voice, as if laced with drugs, overwhelmed him. Fu Jingting reached out and pulled her into his arms, saying, "How annoying?"