All heads turned as Fu Qian strode in, his presence exuding power and confidence. Su Ming, caught off guard, blurted out, "Who are you?"
He fixed her with a sharp gaze before introducing himself. "I'm Fu Qian, head of the Fu Group. And I can vouch for this painting. It's as genuine as it gets."
Han Sheng's grandfather's face brightened even more as he stepped forward to greet Fu Qian. "Ah, Mr. Fu! Thank you for coming to my birthday. It's an honour to have you here."
The room filled with murmurs of respect, but I noticed Han Sheng's expression twist into one of unease. His eyes darted between Fu Qian and me, as though wondering what connection we shared. For a moment, the grandeur of the evening was eclipsed by the growing tension in the air.
After introducing himself, Fu Qian turned to the crowd with a confident smile. "I can vouch for Su Yan. I personally helped her acquire this painting. It's an original, created by one of my grandfather's closest friends. He handed it directly to her, so there's no question about its authenticity."
Su Ming's jealousy flared brighter, her voice sharp. "Even if it's real, where did you get the money to buy something like this? Someone like you couldn't possibly afford it." Her eyes narrowed, trying to corner me into revealing something embarrassing.
But I wasn't about to back down. Instead, I grabbed Han Sheng's hand, squeezing it tightly with an innocent expression. "It's all thanks to Han Sheng, of course!" I announced, a mischievous glint in my eyes.
Han Sheng's eyes bulged, his face a mix of surprise and disbelief. But before he could react, I added, "We're husband and wife, after all. What's his is mine. Naturally, I used his money to buy this painting. Isn't that right, dear?" I shot him a playful, puppy-like look, batting my lashes.
Han Sheng froze, caught between disbelief and the mounting pressure of the crowd's gaze. I gave his hand a subtle pinch, signalling him to go along with it. Reluctantly, he cleared his throat and muttered, "Y-yeah, of course. What's mine is hers. I bought it for her."
The room fell silent for a moment, before Su Ming's face turned crimson with fury. Her lips parted to argue, but before she could say anything, Han Sheng's grandfather let out a booming laugh.
"Well said! That's the spirit of a true family!" he declared, his face glowing with delight. "Yes, every property of my grandsons belongs to my granddaughter-in-law. She can do whatever she wants with it. That's how it should be!" His laughter echoed through the room, filling it with his amusement.
Su Ming, seething but outmanoeuvred, could only glare as the atmosphere shifted. The tension in the room dissolved, replaced by grandfather's contagious joy and pride. Meanwhile, Han Sheng shot me a sideways glance, still struggling to process what had just happened, while I gave him a sweet, triumphant smile.
After the gift-giving, everyone drifted into small groups, chatting about business and family matters. Meanwhile, Fu Qian and I found a quiet corner and started joking about how Su Ming got slapped in her face with disappointment. We couldn't stop laughing, especially when we caught sight of Su Ming's jealousy-filled glares.
As we laughed, I suddenly remembered leaving Fu Qian alone at the bar that one night. "That day I left you at the party. What did you even do? It must have been a waste of the models." I pouted dramatically.
Fu Qian waved it off with a smirk. "Waste? Are you kidding? I had a great time with them. Let me tell you, those models? Fantastic! If Heaven had people like that, I wouldn't have left," he joked, earning a snort from me.
"You've got a point," I said, nodding sagely. "Earth really does have its perks."
Then, Fu Qian turned serious, a playful yet hesitant look on his face. "You know... I need to tell you something," he began.
"What?" I asked curiously.
"I have a boyfriend now," he said, his voice low but firm.
"What?!" I exclaimed, my voice shooting up before I could stop myself. "You have a boy—"
Before I could finish, Fu Qian slapped his hand over my mouth. "Shh! Lower your voice!" he hissed, glancing around. Sure enough, everyone had stopped their conversations to stare at us.
Fu Qian quickly smiled at the room. "Sorry, just a private joke!" he said smoothly, brushing it off as we both awkwardly waved.
Once the attention shifted back, I leaned in, whispering furiously, "Even though you are a girl, you are inside a boy's body, and now, if you have a boyfriend, if anyone finds out, they will think you are a ...'gay!'" I barely managed to keep my voice down for the last word.
Fu Qian smirked. "Even though I look like a boy, I'm still a girl inside. Naturally, I'd have a boyfriend. It's only logical."
I blinked, trying to process this. "But—"
"Shh! Stop overthinking it," Fu Qian cut me off, his expression half-amused and half-annoyed. "You are going to make this weirder than it already is."
"Okay! Okay!" I said, rolling my eyes but couldn't help laughing. Only Fu Qian could turn something this bizarre into casual banter.