Chapter 19

Feng Yan obviously already knew what had happened today.

Just as Sheng Xia answered the phone, she heard his low, magnetic voice on the other end: “Don’t worry about the hot search. I’ve already had someone clarify things and suppress the hype.”

It should be nighttime where Feng Yan was, obviously just returning to his hotel room. He took off his suit jacket, revealing a meticulously neat white shirt underneath, making his broad and straight shoulders appear even more masculine, like a rare and cold flower on a high peak, exuding a mature sense of restraint.

“You already know?”

Looking at the screen, at the man with deep and handsome features that were almost unbearable to look at, Sheng Xia blinked gently, and a hint of watery emotion instantly appeared in her misty black eyes.

She lightly bit her pale pink lips, her long and thick eyelashes trembling slightly as they drooped a bit, casting a shadow, giving her a charming and pitiful look.

“I never expected that so much time had passed since the incident, yet you’re only calling now, husband. Sigh, I’m obviously not as important as others, so it’s only my turn now, right?”

“I was thinking about your request before, wanting the three children to get closer, so I specially planned to take them out to play. Who would have thought that we would be criticized like this? It’s all my fault.” Sheng Xia’s tone was full of grievances, even imitating the way a butler would hold a tissue and pretend to wipe away tears.

“Sob, if I had known being a stepmother was this hard, and that I would be criticized, I wouldn’t have gone out.”

She indulged in self-pity, unaware that Feng Yan, on the other end, couldn’t help but feel like laughing.

Sitting up straight, he nodded slightly in apology, his voice low and magnetic. “I’m sorry, I really didn’t handle this in time. The gemstone necklace I won at the auction a few days ago should arrive tomorrow. It can serve as an apology gift. Is that okay?”

After a pause, Sheng Xia received the picture he sent. Skipping over the long introduction, she only noticed that the sapphire necklace was worth fifty million.

Counting again, wow, it really is seven zeros, fifty million!

The already beautiful sapphire suddenly shone with a layer of golden brilliance, reflecting a dazzling light.

Sheng Xia’s mood instantly became joyful, her black eyes seeming to turn into symbols of money, radiating a bright and charming light.

“But who made me love my husband so much?” She quickly changed her tone, covering her heart with her hands, her voice full of deep affection, her pale face showing a hint of shy affection. “Even if it means being criticized and insulted, being old and a woman, if I had to do it again, I would still help the children bond for the sake of our family.”

“So you can rest assured, my husband, with me and Shaoyu at home, we will definitely take care of the children.”

Feng Yan clearly heard what she was emphasizing. “…”

After gradually understanding the current Sheng Xia, the conversation seemed to become easier. Seeing the woman acting so weak and considerate but also unyielding in her words, he couldn’t help but smile.

Knowing what she meant, the man deliberately composed his expression and nodded slightly to her. “Alright, I’ll come back after I finish up here. You’ve worked hard during this time, Xia Xia.”

“Is that really okay?” Sure enough, upon hearing his hidden agenda, Sheng Xia immediately widened her eyes, pretending to be hesitant. “Although I’m glad to know you’re still here, it seems like there’s no place for you at home.”

She gave him a knowing look. “Moreover, wouldn’t the sudden appearance of a nonexistent person scare the children?”

While she was acting, she still wanted her husband to be sensible and not come home, allowing her to enjoy the joy of being the mistress of the villa alone, ah no, the feeling of emptiness and loneliness would be more appropriate, right?

“Xia Xia, are you worried that if I come back, I won’t be able to earn as much money, slowing down your spending spree?” Feng Yan raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly back in his chair, mimicking her tone with a hint of laziness.

“Even a donkey in a farm should have some rest time so that they can work harder. What happened to the agreement on rational resource utilization? Xia Xia, are you being too much?”

Sheng Xia: ?

Listening to these somewhat familiar words, she couldn’t help but look serious. Is the black market butler some kind of reincarnated tattletale spirit? Why does he have to report everything to Feng Yan, word for word?

The system added in a whisper: [I’ve reminded the host before, Feng Yan has been keeping an eye on you. It’s better to be more composed and not always talk nonsense.]

Look at now, she’s been caught, right?

“Don’t panic, stay calm.” Sheng Xia blinked, a calm and composed expression on her face, “As long as the main system program doesn’t warn me, rounding it off means I didn’t mess up.”

System: [……] It secretly turned off that warning!

— Can you please be more reliable, host?!

“Who told Sheng Lanqiu to provoke me like that? Husband, you told me back then not to think about anything else, to just treat you as if you didn’t exist.”

Ignoring the system’s accusations in her mind, Sheng Xia patted her chest, showing a face of unbearable but still pretending to be strong, “So, to save face, I had to say that to her.”

She blinked, her tone soft and innocent, “I said that, you won’t be angry, will you, husband?”

“Of course not, these are indeed my fault, I shouldn’t have said that back then.” Feng Yan replied seemingly indulgently, his black eyes calm and profound, “So I’m here to make up for it now. Xia Xia should agree, right?”

Tch, despicable man.

Sheng Xia showed a reluctant professional smile, “Of course, husband, since you’re finally willing to come home, I’m very happy to welcome you.”

— Afterward, she would renovate all four floors, not leaving him a single room!

Seeing her seemingly happy and beautiful smile, Feng Yan knew that she had probably cursed him a thousand times in her heart by now. He couldn’t help but clear his throat and change the subject, “By the way, there’s one more thing.”

“About Miss Ye… I’ve already heard from Uncle Zhao.” Feng Yan tried to recall the name of Ye’s nanny, but since he had no impression, he simply skipped it and whispered, “You did the right thing. Someone with such malicious intentions should not be allowed to stay around Chenchen and Ranran.”

In fact, not only the butler but also Shaoyu and Jingxu had conveyed this matter to him, just with different emphases.

The butler would try to be as objective as possible in his narrative, presenting a relatively comprehensive picture, but still couldn’t hide his bias towards Sheng Xia.

Shaoyu, on the other hand, focused on the issues between the three children, suggesting that Feng Yan should talk more with Xiao Xu and resolve their misunderstandings.

Jingxu simply took full responsibility for driving away the nanny, even though his tone was harsh, he was still trying to distance Sheng Xia from the incident.

Feng Yan was keenly aware of these nuances.

He didn’t expect that in just over a month, Sheng Xia had managed to make the whole family unconsciously biased towards her. He was indeed curious and appreciative of Sheng Xia for this.

“This matter is my fault. I didn’t discover Miss Ye’s issue in time and deliberately left her to take care of the children,” he calmly criticized himself. “I’ve reflected on the issues you mentioned to Uncle Zhao and will try to communicate more with the children.”

“However, I haven’t spent much time with the children, so I might need to trouble Xia Xia.”

“Ah, about this—”

Just as Sheng Xia was about to find a way to refuse, he calmly continued, “Of course, when I come back, I’ll remember to bring gifts. Or perhaps, do you like the houses in Biyun Garden?”

Looking at the photos of the luxurious four-story townhouse that the system urgently searched for, reportedly owned by Feng Yan, Sheng Xia’s eyes lit up, and she quickly changed her tune, “…That’s not impossible.”

Her beautiful eyebrows curved slightly, and she said happily, “Even if there are no gifts, I’m willing to help for the sake of the children. Husband, you don’t need to be so polite.”

“…Alright, I’ll leave it to you then.” Feng Yan’s black eyes revealed a smile, and he straightened his expression, thanking her as gently as possible. “I also want to thank Xia Xia. If it weren’t for you helping Xiao Xu resolve his issues, the three children might not have been able to get close in the future.”

“Thanks to you for everything.”

“I’ve already told Uncle Zhao that you are the mistress of the house, so you will naturally be in charge in the future. If you encounter similar situations again, just handle them directly.”

Sheng Xia: Wow, he’s really good.

Even though she knew he was using sweet words to coax her, trying to prevent her from going crazy and harming the children, he was really good at speaking!

The system was still worried: [I knew it, the car accident must have alerted Feng Yan, so he has been on guard against you. Look, he never contacted “Sheng Xia” before, but now not only does he want to stabilize you first, but he also wants to come back early.]

It said heavily: [Feng Yan is indeed deep-minded. It seems we need to be more careful, host.]

Sheng Xia agreed, “Yes, let’s start with renovating the fourth floor first.”

—Main quest: Regain control of the fourth floor!

System: ?

After finally hanging up the phone, Sheng Xia casually opened the hot search list and found that all the entries about them had indeed been suppressed. The abusive comments she had seen earlier were no longer visible.

Only the topic #Sheng Lanqiu, the most beautiful stepmother#, was still there. Clicking on it, she saw comments praising how beautiful she had become after marrying into a wealthy family and how close she was to the children, indicating that she had gained the acceptance of the Shi family.

Shi Jingxu’s company had already clarified that the two were only relatives and appealed to everyone to look at the facts rationally. But the fans were obviously not buying it and were dissatisfied with their vague explanation, so they went to Sheng Xia’s Weibo to ask.

After scrolling through several pages of comments, she finally saw a serious analysis from a fan: [Honestly, if they really are relatives, then those who are spreading rumors might be taking advantage of the situation to frame Shi Jingxu, right?]

In the midst of summer, with a casual repost, and feeling quite good, they added their own explanation.