Chapter 364: Chapter 364: Fu Family
After hanging up, Gu Jiaojiao started thinking. Just as Fu Guoguo had said, Jiang Ruyan was a college junior and quite pretty.
Her family background was good, too. So why was she so determined to marry Fu Guoguo’s dad?
There were plenty of rich, high-status, and talented young men out there. The Han family alone had several unmarried men in their twenties.
When Su Shuochi came out after washing the dishes, he saw his wife sitting by the telephone, staring blankly.
He walked over, took her delicate, boneless hand, and caressed it in his palm. "What are you thinking about, honey? Let’s go practice."
Gu Jiaojiao was taken aback, and a blush instantly spread across her face. She looked up into his deep, bright eyes, which were filled with affection and a smiling warmth.
She smiled as well. "Fu Guoguo answered the phone just now. She said her grandfather is already holding a family meeting to pick a date. Ugh, it’s none of our business. Let’s go to the hot spring and practice."
’I have so much to do. Who has time for other people’s drama?’ Gu Jiaojiao thought, gazing at the tall, handsome figure of the man beside her.
A deep sense of sweetness and happiness welled up in her heart, and the corners of her mouth lifted into an involuntary smile. In the next moment, she was soaking in the hot spring pool.
Su Shuochi was captivated by her smile, and the same deep sense of sweetness and happiness filled his heart.
The couple spent their time with one practicing techniques and the other soaking in the hot spring, after which they would feed the chickens and water the medicinal herbs and vegetable seedlings.
They were serious about their practice; after all, these were life-saving skills. When the time was right, he said, "Honey, let’s get out and go to bed~"
"Okay."
He swept her into his arms and appeared before the bed in an instant. Their bodies pressed together, their faces close.
He could even see the fine downy hair on her face and smell the faint fragrance of her skin. His breath grew hot.
Words became superfluous. Their lips slowly met, and an involuntary tremor ran through him.
He saw that her eyes were misty and moist, her face was flushed, tiny beads of sweat had formed on the tip of her nose, and her lips were slightly parted.
It was a mixture of innocence and allure. Her heart-stirring appearance made it impossible for him to resist. He lowered his head and captured her lips, and she trembled lightly as she accepted his affection...
The autumn wind was dry and hot, and the night was deep. Many people were still awake.
In an office at the Bureau of Secrecy, a man with downcast eyes sat in the seat of honor. He exuded a cold aura that kept others at a distance.
A sharp, cold light glinted in the corners of his eyes. The look he gave his subordinates on either side of him was as unfamiliar and piercing as a dagger.
A bone-chilling cold shot from his jet-black eyes, making the entire room freeze in an instant, as if it had been plunged into an ice chamber.
This was Han Jingshen. After winning several consecutive victories on the front lines, his men had captured several enemies who used poison. Following the lead, he had personally traced them to the Imperial City.
During the day, he had watched as several thugs tried to kidnap a university student as beautiful as a flower.
He had followed them, only recognizing at the critical moment that the female student looked very much like Divine Doctor Su Gu—like the savior who had once saved his life.
It scared him half to death. Just as he was about to reveal his identity and intervene, she took care of them in a few swift moves.
’Back then, I silently blamed my grandfather,’ he thought. ’Of all things, why did he have to adopt a sworn sister!’
’Wouldn’t it have been better to accept her as a granddaughter-in-law?!’
It wasn’t until today that he learned she was truly married. And one look at that man told him he was far more outstanding than himself.
Especially when they were walking hand in hand down the tree-lined avenue at the campus gate, looking so sweet together.
He desperately wanted to catch the people who tried to harm her. Unfortunately, those men all bit their tongues and committed suicide, and the trail went cold again.
"Chief, we’ve traced the four individuals from today. Three of them are scions of fallen families," one of the subordinates said, speaking under suffocating pressure.
"According to our investigation, the children of quite a few fallen families in the Imperial City have been bought off, but we don’t have conclusive evidence yet."
"Mm, continue the investigation. Don’t act rashly, and more importantly, don’t alert our targets. Report any developments to me immediately."
"Chief, you haven’t rested for two days and two nights. You should go home and get some sleep," a subordinate said cautiously.
He expected another reprimand, but to his surprise, their chief merely said softly, "Mm, you all get some rest, too."
****
At the Fu family’s old residence, the living room was full of people.
Mr. Fu sat in the center of the living room with a middle-aged man standing beside him.
The man looked to be in his forties. He had a scholarly and amiable appearance, with a calm and dignified bearing. He was clearly someone with a boundless future.
This was Mr. Fu’s fourth son, Fu Mingxuan. He had married the matriarchal heir of the Xiao Family.
Both he and his wife were politicians holding high-ranking positions. They had two daughters and one son, the youngest of whom was already eighteen.
The eldest of the Fu family, Fu Mingyuan, was Fu Junyuan’s father. He had two sons and one daughter. A widower for many years, he was now preparing to marry Jiang Ruyan.
The second daughter, Fu Mingyue, was married to the third son of the Xia family, who was also Xia Qiuming’s third uncle. Both she and her husband were doctors, and they had a son and a daughter.
The third child, Fu Mingxia, was married to Jiang Ruihao and had three sons. She was also Jiang Ruyan’s aunt by marriage.
The siblings sat on the sofa with their heads bowed. The grandsons all stood behind their respective parents, while none of the granddaughters were in attendance.
Together, they all respectfully called out, "Dad. Grandpa."
"Mm," Mr. Fu responded faintly, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone’s faces.
He raised a hand, signaling for his children and grandchildren to be at ease, then turned his gaze to the third child, Fu Mingxia.
The Fu family’s marriage ties were complex and intertwined, with the Xiao, Xia, and Jiang families being the most prominent among them.
Mr. Fu and the patriarchs of these in-law families were all old comrades-in-arms, so their relationships were extraordinary. They had supported each other for many years.
"Old Three, look at this. Your niece is about to become your sister-in-law. What kind of mess is this?" Mr. Fu said, rubbing his temples with a headache.
Fu Mingxia kept her head bowed, complaining silently in her heart: ’If you don’t approve, then just say so. Why blame me?’
’My niece becoming my sister-in-law... my sons and I will never address her as such. Besides, her husband and sons have already disowned that niece.’
But she didn’t dare say it out loud, only offering an obsequious smile. "Dad, our eldest brother likes Ru Yan. There’s nothing your daughter can do about it."
"Exactly. Third Sister is right. Our eldest brother likes young girls. What can we do about it?"
Fu Mingyue said with a hint of schadenfreude. Her daughter was the same age as Jiang Ruyan, and the number of outstanding young men in the Imperial City was limited.
It was a good thing for her daughter to have one less rival. Besides, her eldest brother would finally be getting remarried. Why wouldn’t she be happy about it?
Hearing this, Mr. Fu sighed. "Old Four, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
Fu Mingxuan had always looked down on the spineless second son of the Jiang family, and he thought even less of his daughter.
’How capable can a spineless man’s daughter be?’ he thought. ’It’s not like our Fu family is that desperate.’
"Dad, my eldest brother has had it rough all these years. It’s rare for him to find a girl he likes. Why not just let him have his way?"
Mr. Fu was dressed more formally than usual today, wearing a neat, black Zhongshan suit that made him look quite sharp.
His face was all smiles. "Jun Yuan, you are the eldest grandson of the Fu family, and this concerns your father. What are your thoughts?"
