Chapter 57:

Lin Qiao wanted to explain to her father that although she and Shen Qingzhou had decided to get married, they hadn’t yet set a date and there was no need to rush things. However, before she could speak, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll go see who it is,” Lin Qiao said to her father and hurried to the door. Through the video intercom, she saw a classic oval face, red lips, long eyebrows, and a refined, elegant makeup—none other than Xie Jiayi.

Lin Qiao hesitated for a moment and took out her phone to call Shen Qingzhou, but she realized it wouldn’t be proper to keep a guest waiting outside, so she opened the door instead.

Xie Jiayi lifted her gaze and saw Lin Qiao. Unsurprised, she walked in calmly and casually asked, “Where’s Qingzhou?”

Lin Qiao replied quickly, “He’s at the hospital with Xiao Ning.”

Nodding, Xie Jiayi said, “If he doesn’t have anything important, tell him to come back and have lunch with me. Let Xinling take care of Xiao Ning for now.”

Hearing this, Lin Qiao suddenly felt a twinge of pity for Du Xinling. She had just heard similar words from her father, and now Xie Jiayi was saying the same thing—it seemed as though, in their subconscious, Du Xinling was merely Shen Qingzhou’s personal assistant. Cough, this business partner role was turning out to be somewhat tragic.

Obediently accepting Xie Jiayi’s request, Lin Qiao led her into the living room and then went to make the call. After notifying Shen Qingzhou, she returned to the living room to accompany Xie Jiayi. As she entered, she saw her father and Xie Jiayi standing there, staring at each other awkwardly.

Suddenly remembering she hadn’t introduced them, Lin Qiao feared Xie Jiayi might misunderstand and quickly rushed forward, saying, “Auntie, this is my father. He just came back from abroad to visit me.”

Xie Jiayi glanced at the luggage on the floor and smiled, “I see. I understand now. Don’t be nervous, Qiaoqiao. Do you think I’d actually suspect you of anything? I have full confidence in my son.”

Lin Qiao awkwardly scratched her head. Lin Huiming looked at Xie Jiayi with a strange expression. Although this was their first meeting, he felt she looked oddly familiar.

“Mr. Lin, are you staring at me because there’s something wrong with how I look?” Xie Jiayi asked, checking her outfit as she spoke.

Lin Huiming withdrew his gaze and smiled, “Not at all. Mrs. Shen, you are dignified and beautiful—you look far younger than your age. There’s nothing wrong at all.”

Xie Jiayi ignored his compliment and asked, “Then why were you staring at me?”

Lin Qiao was afraid they might argue. Although Xie Jiayi’s tone was gentle, Lin Qiao still felt a deep sense of reverence toward her. She always felt Xie Jiayi was the kind of person who remained calm no matter what happened—even when angry, she wouldn’t show it. And by the time she did, it would already be too late.

But Lin Huiming was not intimidated by Xie Jiayi’s directness. He said calmly, “I just feel like I’ve seen you before. Have we met in the past?”

Xie Jiayi covered her mouth and laughed lightly, “Mr. Lin, I forgot to mention earlier—please don’t call me Mrs. Shen anymore. I divorced my ex-husband a long time ago. He passed away when Qingzhou was very young.”

Lin Huiming had never heard Shen Qingzhou talk much about his family background. Although he knew about the things Fang Zheng had done to the Wang family, he was only a friend of the Wangs and had never met their parents-in-law—those matters were beyond his jurisdiction.

After the Wang family’s downfall, he knew Shen Qingzhou had helped and had a general understanding of what had happened. But he had always assumed Shen Qingzhou’s involvement was because of Lin Qiao, and Lin Qiao had been the one actively handling things. At the time, Lin Corporation was in a critical period, and he had been too busy managing the company to ask many questions, so he didn’t know the full story. Therefore, if he had never met Xie Jiayi before, it was strange that she looked so familiar.

Hearing that Shen Qingzhou’s father had passed away long ago, Lin Huiming’s expression turned solemn. After a moment of silence, he said, “I’m very sorry.”

Xie Jiayi replied, “It’s fine. It was a long time ago. Even if I felt sad back then, it’s all in the past now.” She turned away, seemingly unwilling to continue the topic.

But seeing her back, Lin Huiming suddenly furrowed his brows and blurted out, “May I ask, do you know Shen Yinming?”

Deep in his heart, Lin Huiming had already guessed the likely connection. Shen Qingzhou surnamed Shen, and Xie Jiayi’s back looked exactly like the woman he had seen many times in the past.

At the mention of Shen Yinming, Xie Jiayi turned back around immediately. Her eyes looked at Lin Huiming with clear displeasure, clearly unwilling to bring up the subject.

Lin Huiming noticed her reaction but, as the future mother-in-law of his daughter, he felt he needed to understand the family background she was marrying into.

“Although it’s been many years,” Lin Huiming said directly, “I don’t think I’m mistaken. Mr. Shen Yinming must have been very close to you. Back then, I worked at a company that collaborated with his firm. I saw him many times, though we rarely spoke. But I remember seeing him pick up a lady several times—I believe that lady was you.”

Lin Qiao had told Xie Jiayi that her father greatly admired Shen Yinming and had many books about him at home. Shen Yinming was considered a legend in the industry, and her father had always managed his company following Shen’s methods and thinking. Therefore, it was understandable that he was so interested in Shen Yinming’s background.

Xie Jiayi quickly regained her composure and politely said with a slight smile, “Yes, you’re not mistaken, Mr. Lin. You have a great memory. That was indeed me. Shen Yinming was Qingzhou’s father. After our divorce, I took Qingzhou abroad. He stayed in China and passed away not long after. Later, I remarried overseas—to Fang Mingjun, Mr. Fang Zheng’s father. I believe that’s what you wanted to know, Mr. Lin.”

Talking to smart people was always easy—just a little guidance and you could get the answers you needed.

Lin Huiming nodded slightly and said apologetically, “I’m truly sorry. I might have said something inappropriate just now. I hope Mrs. Fang doesn’t take offense.”

Xie Jiayi’s expression subtly changed as she said softly, “Mr. Lin, you’re quite humorous. It seems you don’t know that I’ve also divorced Fang Mingjun. I won’t mind if you make the mistake again.”

Lin Huiming was stunned and looked at Lin Qiao in disbelief. Lin Qiao, pressing her forehead with a pained expression, reluctantly nodded at her father.

Lin Huiming didn’t know what to say. Xie Jiayi noticed his discomfort and said indifferently, “I go by Xie now. You can just call me Ms. Xie.”

Lin Huiming quickly replied, “Alright, Ms. Xie. I’m sorry, really, I’m just—”

“No need. We’re future in-laws. No need for such formalities,” Xie Jiayi interrupted him, casually walking around the living room and sighing, “My son is truly capable. This villa must have cost a fortune. He’s definitely more accomplished than his father.”

“I could hear you talking about me even before I walked in.”

Shen Qingzhou’s voice came from the doorway. The three people in the living room turned to look. There he was, dressed sharply in a suit, keys in hand, his black shoes spotless enough to use as a mirror.

“You’re back,” Lin Qiao softly called out to him, her voice slightly embarrassed, like she was both seeking comfort and help.

Shen Qingzhou walked to her side, draped an arm over her shoulder, and nodded at Lin Huiming, “Father returned later than I expected.”

Lin Huiming smiled, “The scenery there was nice, so I stayed a few extra days.”

Shen Qingzhou’s lips curled slightly as he said softly, “You look well, Father. If you enjoyed the trip, then my efforts weren’t in vain.”

Lin Huiming praised, “I really enjoyed it. You thoughtfully arranged everything.”

Xie Jiayi silently observed Shen Qingzhou and Lin Huiming chatting, her eyes betraying a hint of jealousy that was subtle yet unmistakable, making Lin Huiming feel strangely flustered.

Shen Qingzhou glanced at Xie Jiayi and asked flatly, “Why didn’t you call before coming?”

Xie Jiayi replied in a plaintive tone, “I thought since Qiaoqiao was home, you would always be here taking care of her. I didn’t expect you to be out.”

Shen Qingzhou looked slightly awkward at Lin Huiming, who coughed and turned his head away. Lin Qiao, on the other hand, blushed and lowered her head.

Shen Qingzhou frowned slightly at Xie Jiayi and asked, “You came for a reason, didn’t you? You never visit without one. Should we eat first or talk first?”

Xie Jiayi showed no sign of being caught off guard and replied directly, “No rush. Let’s eat first. I’m hungry. I want to taste my son’s cooking.”

Shen Qingzhou rejected her flatly, “No ingredients at home. It’s too last-minute. We’ll eat out. You can have anything you want.”

Xie Jiayi raised an eyebrow, “I specifically want what you cook.”

“No discussion,” Shen Qingzhou made a move to leave.

Xie Jiayi asked, “Then can you take me anywhere I want to eat?”

Shen Qingzhou sensed something unusual in her words but still said, “Yes.”

Xie Jiayi gave a mischievous smile, “I want Peking duck.”

“…” Lin Qiao looked at Xie Jiayi in surprise. Seeing Xie Jiayi wink at her, she turned her gaze helplessly to Shen Qingzhou.

Shen Qingzhou looked down at Lin Qiao, remained silent for a moment, and under Lin Huiming’s puzzled gaze, said flatly, “Then let’s go.”

If Xie Jiayi specifically wanted Peking duck, then that duck must not be simple. There was a famous Peking duck restaurant in Beijing, tucked away in a small alley. Shen Qingzhou had walked this street before, and Lin Qiao had walked it countless times. Today, they were here again—with both sets of parents—for what was supposed to be a pleasant meal. Yet the two walking ahead showed no signs of joy.

Just before entering the restaurant, Lin Qiao grabbed Shen Qingzhou’s hand and whispered, “What if Qin Xue is here?”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t look at her but stared ahead and said, “If he’s here, he’s here. He owns the restaurant, and we’re here to eat. There’s nothing strange about that.”

“But…” Lin Qiao hesitated.

Shen Qingzhou finally looked at her, his gaze sharp and deep, “What? Are you having second thoughts?”

Lin Qiao felt slightly overwhelmed by his stare, but she knew she couldn’t show any hesitation now—otherwise, Shen Qingzhou would start suspecting things. She forced herself to meet his gaze and said firmly, “Of course not. I’ve never doubted my decision from the beginning. Even if someone might try to shake my resolve, it wouldn’t be him.”

Shen Qingzhou’s expression was hard to read as he listened. He simply said flatly, “I won’t give you any reason to doubt your decision, nor will I allow anyone to shake your confidence. So go ahead and enjoy the meal.”

Unable to change his mind, Lin Qiao reluctantly agreed and walked into the restaurant with him.

Fate often enjoys toying with mortals, delighting in watching them struggle. While that might be a bit too dramatic for Lin Qiao’s situation, it described her predicament perfectly.

As soon as they entered the restaurant, they saw Qin Muyao sitting by the bamboo in the courtyard, reading a book. As the owner of the restaurant, he naturally noticed the new customers. He lifted his head from his book, saw who had arrived, and his expression subtly changed.