He Changbai looked at Feng Tingshen, pausing for a moment before taking the glass. "Thanks."
The two of them clinked glasses, beginning to chat as they drank.
After a while, Feng Tingshen suddenly cast another glance at him.
He Changbai looked up. "What is it?"
Qi Yuming interjected, "You... seem a bit off today."
Feng Tingshen smiled slightly. It was clear he agreed with Qi Yuming's observation.
He Changbai's expression remained unchanged, his voice cool. "Do I?"
Qi Yuming raised an eyebrow. "Don't you?"
He Changbai took a small sip of his wine and said nothing more.
At that moment, several people came over to greet them. Once they had left, He Changbai checked the time. Worried that Dandan might be hungry, he was just about to head toward her when Dandan and Feng Jingxin returned.
Dandan asked, "Uncle, can I have some of those little cakes over there?"
Dandan had a highly allergic constitution and many things were off-limits to her. He Changbai said, "Sit here, and Uncle will get them for you."
"Okay."
Feng Jingxin was different. Accustomed to freedom and possessing a healthy body, she simply went to get whatever she wanted to eat. After returning, she even asked Feng Tingshen, "Papa, do you want some?"
Feng Tingshen rubbed her head. "No, thank you."
The two children sat to the side eating. Whenever Lin Wu found something tasty, she would share it with Feng Jingxin.
Feng Jingxin accepted happily. "Thank you, Auntie Wuwu."
Dandan looked up at Lin Wu with a puzzled expression before turning to Feng Jingxin. "Xinxin, is this auntie not your mother?"
The moment she said this, the entire area fell silent.
Feng Jingxin paused, then shook her head. "No, she isn't."
Dandan asked tentatively, "Do you not have a mother anymore either?"
Feng Jingxin shook her head again. "No, I have a mother."
"Oh..."
The cruise ship was handing out souvenirs, and Dandan had taken a liking to a specific crystal keychain. She had picked out two. There were only two of that style in total.
Feng Jingxin actually liked them quite a bit herself. Seeing that Dandan had taken both, she couldn't help but ask, "Dandan, can you give one to me? I want to give it to Auntie Wuwu."
Dandan was a bit reluctant. "I... I want to give mine to my auntie, too..."
Thinking of Rong Ci, Dandan couldn't help but share with Feng Jingxin, "Today, Uncle and Auntie took me to fly kites. We also went fishing, rode bicycles, and chased butterflies... Auntie is very beautiful. She will definitely like this crystal..."
The adults were all present. Initially, they hadn't paid much attention to the children's chatter.
But upon hearing this, Lin Wu, Qi Yuming, and Feng Tingshen all turned their eyes toward He Changbai.
Qi Yuming spoke up immediately. "Changbai, what's the situation here? Or rather... is there already a 'situation'?" Qi Yuming grew more excited as he spoke. Without waiting for He Changbai's answer, he pressed on, "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us a word? Right, Tingshen!"
Feng Tingshen chuckled, simply watching He Changbai, waiting to see what he would say.
He Changbai's expression was indifferent. "It was just a chance encounter."
"Is that so?" Qi Yuming didn't believe him. As if remembering something, he added, "So, you had lunch with her too? I was wondering how a grown man like you was handling a kid so easilyit turns out you had help!"
He Changbai stopped speaking.
Feng Tingshen looked at him and delivered the final verdict: "You're interested in her."
He Changbai froze. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he offered no rebuttal.
Lin Wu was stunned, her smile fading.
"Damn, it's actually true?" Qi Yuming had only been teasing, but he hadn't expected it to be real. He asked hurriedly, "Who is she? Do we know her? Why didn't you bring her over to introduce her to us?"
He Changbai remained silent. Qi Yuming assumed he just didn't want to talk about it because things were still in the early stages.
Knowing it was useless to ask him, Qi Yuming smiled and crouched down to ask Dandan, "Dandan, that auntie you ate lunch with... how many times have you seen her? Do you know her name?"
He Changbai's grip on his glass suddenly tightened. "Yuming!"
Dandan didn't understand the adults' hidden motives. She wasn't close to Qi Yuming, but hearing him ask about Rong Ci, she thought for a moment and replied without any guard, "Three times!"
"What is the auntie's name...?"
When He Changbai and Rong Ci had met today, he hadn't even addressed her as "Miss Rong." Dandan truly couldn't recall what Rong Ci's name was.
She looked to He Changbai for help. "Uncle, what is Auntie's name?"
He Changbai looked down. "Dandan can ask her yourself the next time you see her."
Dandan nodded happily. "Okay!"
Qi Yuming muttered, "...Stingy."
He Changbai ignored him.
Seeing how much Feng Jingxin liked the crystal keychain in her hand, Dandan felt a bit of a sting, but she still gave one to her.
Feng Jingxin was overjoyed. "Thank you, Dandan."
Lin Wu also offered her thanks.
Dandan replied, "You're welcome..."
Seeing how happy Feng Jingxin was, Dandan asked her, "Xinxin, aren't you going to pick one for your mother, too?"
Feng Jingxin stiffened, her voice weakening as she said, "I'll pick one in a bit..."
"Oh..."
After finishing her dinner, Rong Ci read for a while and then went to the bathroom to shower.
Just as she came out, she received a call from Rong Changsheng. "Xiao Ci, I just saw Xiang Rufang in the neighborhood."
Xiang Rufang, Lin Wu's aunt?
Rong Ci was stunned. Before she could react, she heard Rong Changsheng continue, "I didn't notice at first, but after I got inside, I realized she entered the villa being renovated directly across from our house!"
Rong Ci's expression changed instantly, and she bolted upright from the bed.
Rong Changsheng usually had a good temperament, but at this moment, he was gnashing his teeth. "They... they must be doing this on purpose!"
Feng Tingshen's assistance in helping the Lin family establish themselves in Ducheng was now common knowledge within the city's business circles. Although the Rong Corporation was currently struggling, Rong Changsheng was still part of that world. How could he not know?
He simply hadn't mentioned it to Rong Ci because he didn't want her to be sad.
If the Lins were planning to settle in Ducheng, he could understand them purchasing property. But Lin Wu and her family knew perfectly well that the Rongs lived here. Ducheng was massive, yet they had chosen to buy a house directly across from the Rong home. If that wasn't intentional, who would believe it?
Rong Ci understood his meaning as well.
She gripped her phone tightly and said, "I'll... call Feng Tingshen."
"Good."
If it were anything else, Rong Changsheng would never have let Rong Ci beg Feng Tingshen. But this matter was different. If Xiang Rufang and the others truly moved in, they would likely flaunt their presence in front of the Rongs every day. Rong Ci's grandmother wasn't in the best health right now and couldn't handle that kind of provocation...
After hanging up, Rong Ci immediately dialed Feng Tingshen's number.
It took a long while before anyone picked up.
"Hello?"
It was Lin Wu's voice.
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