I Want a Lifetime with You
Chapter 376

Shen Qianan took a step backward instinctively out of shock and her face became drained of color instantly.

I've underestimated Shi Nuan. I thought she's just another dumbass little b*tch that I can easily chase off. But this person doesn't play by the rules. She hasn't once fallen into any trap I've set. Instead, she has turned the tide in her favor. And now, I can no longer hold my ground against her.

Shen Qianan's face turned pale as the thoughts crossed her mind. Her eyes became watery as she bit her lip, yet not a single drop of tear ran down her face.

A moment later, she lifted her head to look at Fu Chengyan. "Yan... Please tell Shi Nuan that I-I don't have any ulterior motive. As you know, we were once engaged to each other, even though things didn't work out in the end. I'm sorry, but I've never intended to be a homewrecker. In fact, there's nothing I can do that will ruin your marriage if you two have a strong relationship, isn't that so? I hope that she'll not overthink things-"

"She hadn't read too much into things, nor can you mess up our relationship!" At last, Fu Chengyan broke the silence and declared in a cold tone. Then, he fixed his eyes on Shen Qianan emotionlessly. "It seems like I didn't make myself clear back then. This is a great opportunity to clarify things once and for all. I, Fu Chengyan, have never once fallen in love with you. Furthermore, we were never engaged and the child that you bore..." Fu Chengyan paused for a moment. Then he smiled. "Only my wife will give birth to my progeny, and Shi Nuan is my wife."

The crowd gasped in unison. But Fu Chengyan clasped Shi Nuan's hand and continued in a serious tone, "I will only ever be a widower and never a divorcee. If she dies, I'll never marry again. Likewise, she'll always be my wife even after I've passed on."

Shi Nuan raised her head to peer at Fu Chengyan as she felt a little discomfort from his grip on her hand. Then, she raised a corner of her lips.

She remained silent the entire time as her eyes met with his. Finally, after a long, awkward pause, someone could be heard laughing teasingly. A figure with a burly stature could be seen approaching Fu Chengyan and Shi Nuan. The man scrutinized the two before letting out a laugh. "Hah! Chengyan, you've been showing off your love in front of us all the time. Well, not that we hate it. Still, displaying your affection in a public place is going a little overboard, don't you think?"

There was a hint of banter in his playful tone, clearly indicating that he was teasing them. But at his words, the crowd realized that Jiang City's Big Four knew about the marriage, and they were rooting for the couple.

"Mrs. Fu, don't be fooled by Chengyan's sweet talks. If he dares to bully you, you may come to look for us anytime. Pei Jingxiu and Li Heng might not be around, but you still have me. Oh yeah, and also my brother." Su Shaoqing cocked his brows while glancing at Su Bancheng, who agreed with a nod. The latter remained expressionless, yet the look in his eyes was full of sincerity.

Shi Nuan smiled. "I thank you in advance then." Following that, she turned to Fu Chengyan and reiterated, "You've heard that. If anyone dares to bully me, including you, I'll get them to help me."

"Good!" Fu Chengyan flashed a smile and nodded. "I'll punish myself if I ever bully you. There's no need for Jingxiu to dirty his hand."

At that, Shi Nuan nodded in satisfaction. "I'm feeling tired already. How about you?"

Fu Chengyan nodded his head. "Me too."

"Let's go home!"

"Okay!" Fu Chengyan agreed. "We should go back now!" Without further ado, he wrapped his arm around her and they prepared to leave.

Fu Zhengyun was enraged by Fu Chengyan's indifferent attitude and slammed his cane on the floor. "Listen, you rascal! If you dare to leave with this woman, I will never consider you as one of us again! And I'l never acknowledge her as my granddaughter-in-law!"

At that, Fu Chengyan turned to glance at Fu Zhengyun and Shen Qianan. "Grandpa, since you insist on siding with an outsider, I have nothing else to say to you. After all, many people are celebrating your birthday, so my absence won't make any difference. Zhou Zheng!"

"Yes, Mr. Fu!" Zhou Zheng hurriedly showed up from a corner. "How may I be of service?"

"Give the gift to my grandfather." After a short pause, he added, "Also, give a large gift to Ms. Shen as well."

"Yes, sir!"

Following that, Fu Chengyan put his arm around Shi Nuan's shoulder and left the scene. Both their arrival and departure were attention-grabbing.

In any case, there would be no reason for the Su brothers to stay around after the couple's departure. However, as a person who loved poking his nose into others' affairs, Su Shaoqing approached Zhou Zheng and interrupted, "Is that the gift Chengyan mentioned earlier?"

"That's right, sir." Immediately after Zhou Zheng clapped his hands, a servant holding a gift box came over swiftly, while another two people could be seen carrying a gunny sack.

All the people at the scene were curious to know what kind of gift Fu Chengyan had prepared for his grandfather. As Fu Zhengyun's curiosity got the better of him, he quickly ordered someone to open the gift. "Mr. Fu has especially gifted this calligraphy from the Ming dynasty to you, sir."

Fu Zhengyun was elated the moment he caught sight of the calligraphy and fell in love with it instantly, "I-Is this authentic?"

Zhou Zheng nodded. "Mr. Fu will be glad to know that you're pleased with the gift, sir."

"This is good stuff! I absolutely love it!" Fu Zhengyun was grinning from ear to ear. But he followed up about the gunny sack. "What is inside the sack?"

"Oh, this is the gift Mr. Fu is giving to Ms. Shen." After Zhou Zheng signaled to the two men in black behind him, they opened the sack swiftly. Following this, the head of a person came into sight. The man was tied up with visible scars all over his body while his hands were noticeably crippled and blood was constantly dripping from his mouth.

Everyone was aghast and took a step backward impulsively; all of them had a haunted expression on their faces.

Shen Qianan looked horrified when she gazed at the person's face, and then she hastily covered Yu's eyes. "What is the meaning of this, Mr. Zhou? It is Old Master Fu's birthday today. How could you show something like this on a celebration day?" Shen Qianan shouted as she was evidently disturbed.

Nevertheless, Zhou Zheng said with a smile, "Red is an auspicious color, Ms. Shen. Mr. Fu has prepared this gift for you, and he also emphasized that the Fu clan's servants must listen to their masters only. Obeying an outsider is equal to betrayal. You may not know the consequences of that, but you'll know it soon enough."

Shen Qianan was startled by his words. She tightened her arms around Yu as her complexion turned duller. "Did Yan say that?"

Zhou Zheng furrowed his brows but the smile on his face didn't fade. "Ms. Shen, Mr. Fu has ordered that only his wife may address him as Yan."

Shen Qianan and the crowd were rendered speechless.

At his remark, Su Shaoqing chortled. "Haha. I love this. Chengyan is a man of principles, after all. Truth be told, Nuan is pretty popular. Many men would do anything to have a chance with her. But since she's in love with Chengyan, I have to root for them. Isn't that right, Bancheng?"

"Yes." Su Bancheng nodded. "It's getting late. Since Nuan left already, there's no point for us to sit around here. We should leave now."

"You're right. It's pointless for us to stay any longer." After Su Shaoqing spoke, he turned to Zhou Zheng and teased, "What are you waiting for, Mr. Zhou? Are you waiting for a unicorn to pop a rainbow so that you can replace the leprechaun's pot?"

"No, Mr. Su. After you."

With that, Su Shaoqing and the others left. But the crowd that remained was taken aback by their conversation.

The Su brothers addressed Shi Nuan so affectionately! Shi Nuan's status is significantly elevated now. After all, the Su brothers belonged to the Su family and the Jiang family. With those two prominent families supporting Shi Nuan, Fu Zhengyun would need to play his cards carefully before making his next move.

These incidents had Fu Zhengyun infuriated to the point that he was no longer in the mood to celebrate his birthday. After that, he ordered Fu Sheng and Fu Heng to entertain the guests before heading toward his room.

Damn it! I've made the wrong move this time! Who would've thought that the Su brothers would side with Shi Nuan?

The gloominess of his expression worsened after Fu Zhengyun threw a glance at Shen Qianan.

Hmph! Here I thought that this woman might be of some use! But she couldn't even stand a chance against the likes of Shi Nuan!

Shen Qianan, who was visibly shaken, carried Yu in her arms and followed behind Fu Zhengyun. "Grandpa..."

"Oh, Ms. Shen. I'm afraid you're not worthy to address me that way." Fu Zhengyun snorted. "Shen Qianan, you've disappointed me big time!"

"But Grandpa... It's not entirely my fault, either. It is because of Shi Nuan..." Shen Qianan had used up all the tricks up her sleeve and even brought Yu out as her last resort. Yet, Shi Nuan's reaction was unfathomable.

She had been shocked in the beginning. But I was completely defeated by her retaliation after she met Yu.

"Don't blame others for your incompetence. No wonder my grandson was uninterested in you since three years ago. It wasn't unfounded." Fu Zhengyun was never fond of Shen Qianan, for starters. Her upset expression only further contrasted with Shi Nuan's calmness just now and highlighted the latter's capability.

These two might look similar on the outside, yet their personalities and capabilities are worlds apart.

"Old Master Fu, please be reminded that you're the one who invited me back here. Yan is no longer the person I used to know. How could I possibly know what's going on in his head?"

"Hmph! Then you should think of a way to deal with Shi Nuan. Otherwise, you'll be of no use here." At that, Fu Zhengyun flung up his hands in disdain and glared at her. "You'd better come up with something o else I don't mind sending you back to C Country."

"No! Anything but that!" Shen Qianan was panic-stricken. "I'll think of something, and I'll definitely get them to divorce each other. Please give me another chance."