Chapter 69: The Fragrance of Tea Fills the Air

As soon as those words were spoken, Lin Jiancheng was stunned. Lin Wanyu was bewildered, and Fu Tingxiu was left frustrated. No one had expected Qin Chuan to declare his claim at such a moment, and for an instant, the atmosphere in the room grew subtle and tense.

"Wanyu, really, you have a fiancé and didn't tell me? If I had known, I would have prepared a more generous gift!" Fu Tingxiu quickly masked his irritation and then, adopting the tone of someone extremely close, reproached her lightly.

"I'm sorry, Senior Fu. Actually, Qin Chuan is only my fiancé in name. Our engagement will be dissolved soon, so I didn't mention it," Lin Wanyu explained, a bit embarrassed.

"I see!" A spark reappeared in Fu Tingxiu's eyes as he looked at Qin Chuan with a certain implication. "Brother Qin, that's truly a pity! A woman as outstanding as Wanyu—anyone who marries her would be blessed for three lifetimes. To be honest, if my elders hadn't forced me to study abroad back then, our child might be old enough to run errands by now."

Though the last part was said in jest, it was clear to everyone that he meant to convey: my relationship with Wanyu is not ordinary.

What made the difference even starker was that Lin Wanyu, after hearing this, did not step in to clarify. In contrast, when Qin Chuan had claimed to be her fiancé, she had immediately offered an explanation. This glaring double standard left Qin Chuan feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

"Hey, the two of us are hardly acquainted, so there's no need for all these brotherly terms," Qin Chuan corrected him, then, shifting his tone, continued, "And as for those old stories, there's really no point in bringing them up. Since you and Wanyu dated for a while, you must know her pride—she's not one to return to old flames. So why bother making a fool of yourself?"

Fu Tingxiu's mouth twitched. As unwilling as he was to admit it, what Qin Chuan said was true. It was precisely because of this that he had spent a small fortune on an antique painting to present to Lin Jiancheng, hoping to kindle a spark of old affection.

"Allow me to introduce myself again. Fu Tingxiu, General Manager and Director of Pharmaceutical Research and Development at Binhai Biopharmaceuticals," Fu Tingxiu said, extending his hand.

Qin Chuan deliberately dawdled before finally offering his own. But the moment their palms met, Fu Tingxiu suddenly gripped hard, intending to teach Qin Chuan a lesson.

Fu Tingxiu worked out regularly and had studied martial arts with the family’s private instructor for years; his grip was strong. Yet, to his shock, no matter how much force he exerted, Qin Chuan remained utterly unaffected, his smile growing even brighter.

Sensing something amiss, Fu Tingxiu tried to withdraw his hand, but found it locked in Qin Chuan’s iron grasp.

The next moment, a pain like his bones were being ground to dust shot through his hand, and Fu Tingxiu couldn't help but suck in a breath, appalled at the strength Qin Chuan possessed.

"Qin Chuan, what are you doing? Senior Fu is my guest. Taking advantage of a handshake to pull tricks—don't you think that's going too far?" Lin Wanyu quickly noticed something was wrong. Fu Tingxiu's expression was one of forced composure, struggling to mask the pain. Coupled with what she'd heard from Lan Jin about Qin Chuan's formidable combat skills, she could guess the truth. She never imagined Qin Chuan could be so childish.

"I—"

"Don't 'I' me. I saw everything. Do you really think I'd accuse you unjustly? Let go, now!" Lin Wanyu cut him off, her words tinged with anger.

Qin Chuan’s lips twitched violently. He thought to himself: Are you sure you really saw everything clearly? I’m more wronged than Dou E right now.

Still, he had no intention of explaining. He wanted to see just how long Fu Tingxiu could keep up the act.

Taking advantage of the brief slackening in Qin Chuan’s grip, Fu Tingxiu quickly withdrew his hand. He even thought his finger bones might have cracked, but after flexing his fist a couple of times and finding nothing amiss, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wanyu, you’re being a little harsh. Brother Qin was just joking with me," Fu Tingxiu forced out a smile.

Lin Wanyu smiled apologetically, asking, "Senior, are you alright?"

"Don’t worry, I’m fine," Fu Tingxiu waved his hand.

When Qin Chuan made a show of sniffing the air, Lin Wanyu frowned slightly and asked, "Qin Chuan, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, nothing, I just thought the aroma of tea was everywhere. Didn’t you smell it?" Qin Chuan asked, feigning confusion.

He didn’t seem to be joking, so Lin Wanyu sniffed delicately but couldn’t detect any tea fragrance.

"Nope... you must be mistaken," she muttered.

Fu Tingxiu's mouth twitched. How could he not realize that Qin Chuan was mocking him for being a "green tea"?

But there was no way to argue this point—otherwise, he risked exposing his earlier sneak attack—so Fu Tingxiu had no choice but to change the subject.

"Uncle, would you care to take a look at this painting?" he said, handing over a beautifully crafted scroll box.

Lin Jiancheng, never one for formalities, accepted the box and opened it, revealing a scroll. Eagerly, he took it out, but after glancing around, a faint frown appeared on his brow.

"Let’s take it to the study for a closer look," he said, waving for everyone to follow him upstairs. Lin Jiancheng was a well-known connoisseur of antiques, especially calligraphy and paintings.

Seeing Qin Chuan hurrying after him, Lin Wanyu couldn’t help but tease, "So eager—do you even understand what you’re looking at?"

She still hadn’t forgiven Qin Chuan for the time he’d seen her naked under the pretense of treating her illness. Now, whenever she had the chance, she was quick to jab at him.

"That’s exactly why I want to learn more from Uncle," Qin Chuan replied, unfazed by her mockery.

Fu Tingxiu hastily stepped in to smooth things over. "Wanyu, Brother Qin’s eagerness to learn is admirable! By the way, Brother Qin, I’m the honorary vice president of Binhai’s Calligraphy and Painting Artists Association. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Of course, Uncle Lin’s expertise far exceeds mine—I wouldn’t dare show off in his presence."

His words showcased both his artistic credentials and flattered Lin Jiancheng in passing. Inwardly, Fu Tingxiu congratulated himself on his smooth maneuvering, feeling as though even Lin Wanyu’s gaze had changed, resembling the admiration she’d shown him in college.

"How many donations did it take to earn that honorary vice presidency?" Qin Chuan mercilessly exposed his pretensions, then added, "But you’re right about one thing: it’s best not to show off in front of Uncle Lin, or you’ll just make a fool of yourself."

Fu Tingxiu’s mouth twitched again. He suddenly realized that Qin Chuan’s verbal dexterity far surpassed his own. While others might offer a compliment, this man managed to flatter and mock all at once. Not only was it audacious, it was infuriating—and worst of all, there was nothing he could say in response. Anyone in the know understood that his honorary title was bought, and if he tried to argue, he’d only prove Qin Chuan’s point and embarrass himself further.

"Don’t mind him, Senior Fu. He’s always had a sharp tongue," Lin Wanyu shot Qin Chuan a fierce glare.

Though she had no intention of rekindling old feelings, Fu Tingxiu was clearly more pleasing to the eye than Qin Chuan.

They soon reached the study. Lin Jiancheng couldn’t wait to unroll the painting, and when he saw the image, his eyes shone with love and excitement.

"Uncle, what do you think? I spent three million on this piece," Fu Tingxiu said, eager for praise.

But before Lin Jiancheng could respond, a mocking, discordant voice sounded from behind: "Spending three million on a forgery—should I say you have no eye for art, or just too much money and too little sense?"