C10 Secret Plan

Fu Yunyi had already fallen asleep, the candle in the room casting a peaceful glow.

A man stood in the moonlight, opening his palm. On his long ring finger, a simple yet elegant wedding band gleamed.

The corners of his mouth spread into an unconscious smile. Shen Qingli slowly parted his lips, "Mrs. Shen?"

He whispered the title, his smile deepening at the thought. From this day forward, Fu Yunyi would carry his name, Shen Qingli – she was his.

One day, he vowed to keep her and her heart close to him.

The wedding suite was silent, but the adjacent room was ablaze with light.

Chen Xueli pressed her ear against the wall, straining to catch any sound from next door, her breath hushed in anticipation.

"Mom, can you hear anything?" Fu Jianing asked, tapping her foot with impatience. "Come on, tell me!"

"What's all this fuss about?" Chen Xueli rose to her feet, clearly agitated. "With the hotel's soundproofing, what could I possibly hear?"

After all, she thought, what one expects to hear on a wedding night was no mystery.

Anxiety gnawed at Fu Jianing as she perched on the bed's edge, biting her lip in frustration. "Mom, do you think Mr. Qingli really touched that woman?"

If he had indeed been with that despicable Fu Yunyi, wouldn't she just be picking up the leftovers when it was her turn?

"What he does tonight isn't what's crucial. The important thing is to prevent her from ever having the chance to bear Qingli's child."

The word "child" stoked the flames of Fu Jianing's jealousy, her lovely features contorting with spite.

No, she couldn't allow Fu Yunyi to bear Mr. Qingli's child!

Fu Yunyi was already the respected Mrs. Shen, and with Mr. Shen's fondness for her, if she were to become pregnant, a hundred supportive aunts would make no difference.

"It can't happen, absolutely not!" Fu Jianing's brows knitted together as she clutched her mother's hand in desperation. "Mom, what do we do? We simply cannot let Fu Yunyi get pregnant!"

If she did, she might well secure her position as Mrs. Shen for life.

"Don't panic. As long as we can get Fu Yunyi to take the birth control pill and you step in before she notices, everything will be fine!"

"But... how can I get her to take the birth control pill?"

Fu Jianing was acutely aware that, given her relationship with Fu Yunyi, even disguising the pill as a health supplement might not work; she probably wouldn't accept it.

And if it were mixed into her food, considering Fu Yunyi would be living in the Shen family's ancestral home, how could Jianing possibly get close to her?

With a meaningful tilt of her chin, Chen Xueli gently tapped her daughter's shoulder and whispered, "Remember, if you can make Qingli's mother fond of you, she will become your stepping stone."

A stepping stone...

Pondering this, Jianing nodded and a ruthless smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Just you wait, Fu Yunyi. I won't let you claim the title of Mrs. Shen that easily!"

The following day marked the homecoming celebration. Regardless of how much Fu Yunyi dreaded returning to her so-called "maternal home," she couldn't afford to ignore the implications for her reputation.

"Young Master, Young Madam, this time we've prepared five boxes of bird's nest, three boxes of shark fin, a landscape painting with an ink jade desk for Master Fu, and jade jewelry for Madam Fu. Everything is packed and ready."

The butler handed the inventory to Fu Yunyi with a respectful smile. "Young Madam, would you like to check if there's anything else you need to bring?"

"No need." Fu Yunyi casually flipped through the dense list of gifts and shook her head with a hint of sarcasm. "These items should keep them content for a while."

"This..."

Confused by the woman's words, the butler glanced helplessly at Shen Qingli.

With a dismissive wave, Shen Qingli chuckled and leaned in close to her, "With such a cold attitude towards your parents, I'm starting to wonder if I should even bother returning with you today."

"If you're reluctant, then don't bother. It's all just for show anyway."

Fu Yunyi spoke nonchalantly, their relationship nothing more than a facade.

The man's smile faded as he gazed intently at Fu Yunyi's stunningly beautiful face, then he turned away with a scoff.

"If that's the case, I might as well take my friend out for a race," Shen Qingli snapped his fingers. "Driver, please take the young mistress back to the Fu family."

Fu Yunyi sat in the car with an impassive face. It wasn't long before she caught a glimpse of Shen Qingli's burgundy sports car zooming past the window, its thunderous roar filling her ears.

The sports car sped down the road like an arrow shot from a bow. Despite the sunglasses perched on his prominent nose, Shen Qingli's brooding eyes were unmistakable.

His slender fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly, his thin lips pressed together in a sign of his irritation.

That obstinate Fu Yunyi, truly heartless. He had kindly offered to accompany her back to her family home, and yet, what was her attitude in return?