Chapter 29: Yingxia’s Sense of the Bigger Picture

At the invitation of Yingchun and Yingxia, Su Wenqi set off with them toward the venue of the Talent Gathering.

Yingchun and Yingxia were, needless to say, recognized as a pair of peerless twins. As for Su Wenqi, her enchanting face, combined with a mature charm, made her no less striking than the sisters. The appearance of these three women on the street immediately drew the gazes of everyone they passed.

As for Chen Fan, who followed by their side, the looks he received from passersby were filled with jealousy and hostility. "You, a penniless brat still wearing patched clothes—what right do you have to walk alongside these three beauties?"

Chen Fan merely smiled faintly, then deliberately and provocatively draped his arms around the waists of the two sisters. If looks could kill, Chen Fan would have been sliced to ribbons by the surrounding onlookers.

"Auntie, it’s been many years since Uncle passed away. Have you felt lonely all these years?" As the four of them strolled, Yingxia, perhaps having a sudden lapse in judgment, blurted out the question.

As soon as these words left her lips, both Chen Fan and Yingchun had a sinking feeling; they already anticipated what she was going to say next. Su Wenqi, hearing this, immediately flushed with a mix of shame and nervousness. Did Yingxia know about what happened between her and Chen Fan that night? The thought made her even more anxious, to the point where cold sweat began to bead on her forehead.

"I... I am... fine," Su Wenqi replied nervously. Her mind was already racing, trying to figure out how to explain things to the sisters.

"Yingxia, there’s a jewelry shop over there. Let’s go take a look!" Yingchun, sensing the gravity of the situation, immediately stepped in, hoping to divert the topic.

But Yingxia shook her head. "We can look later. I have something very important to tell Auntie," she said with a solemn expression.

Hearing that it was something important, Su Wenqi became even more tense. She considered confessing proactively, hoping it might earn the sisters' forgiveness.

"That night—"

"Auntie, I know you must have been very lonely all these years. Why don't you marry our husband? That way, our family can be together forever. With us and our husband by your side, you won't be lonely anymore. Plus, it keeps the wealth within the family."

Just as Su Wenqi was about to offer an explanation, Yingxia interrupted her. Upon hearing this, Yingchun nervously glanced around, only letting out a sigh of relief when she confirmed that no one else had heard. Chen Fan secretly slapped his forehead; Yingxia was great in every way, but she sometimes spoke without thinking. Yet, a flicker of anticipation stirred in Chen Fan's heart as he looked at Su Wenqi.

Su Wenqi came to a sudden stop, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at Yingxia.

"Auntie, I'm serious. You must have been lonely living alone all these years. If you marry into the family, we'll have a companion," Yingxia continued, looking earnest as she feared Su Wenqi might refuse. "Besides, our husband is a good man; he will certainly treat you well."

Hearing this, Su Wenqi silently exhaled—it seemed Yingxia didn't know about the night she spent with Chen Fan after all. However, reflecting on Yingxia's words, her face burned even redder, her heart rate accelerated, and a hint of unexpected anticipation welled up within her.

"Yingxia, shut your mouth!" Yingchun snapped, glaring at her sister with a look of fury. Seeing her sister angry, Yingxia grew fearful and fell silent.

"Auntie, Yingxia was just talking nonsense. Please don't take it to heart," Yingchun said, offering an apologetic smile to Su Wenqi. Su Wenqi merely gave an awkward smile, waved her hand dismissively, and a trace of disappointment flickered across her face.

"Let's go, the Talent Gathering is about to begin," Chen Fan said, stepping in to break the awkward tension. The four continued on their way. As they walked, Su Wenqi turned her head to cast a complex look at Chen Fan before quickly looking away. No one knew what she was thinking.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan looked at Yingxia’s back, thinking to himself that sometimes, being too sensible isn't necessarily a good thing.

They soon arrived at the venue, which was already packed with young men dressed in scholarly robes. As soon as the three women approached, every scholar present turned to look in unison. Some, gazing at their beauty, were already lost in their own imaginations.

"Yingchun, Yingxia, long time no see," a voice called out. Zhao Hongwei approached with a smile, followed by Chen Hao and others. Chen Fan knew immediately that Chen Hao had latched onto Zhao Hongwei, becoming his lackey.

Upon seeing Zhao Hongwei, Yingchun and Yingxia frowned and instinctively moved closer to Chen Fan. This Zhao Hongwei had harassed them incessantly in the past, but the sisters had no interest in him and had consistently rebuffed his advances.

"Yingchun, Yingxia, I heard about the trouble between the Su and Fan families. I pulled many strings in the Imperial City and finally managed to speak with the Fan family," Zhao Hongwei said with a solemn expression. "Fortunately, it helped resolve the crisis for the Su family. It’s just a pity it was a bit late; had I acted sooner, you wouldn't have had to marry this penniless brat."

The surrounding crowd, hearing this, nodded in realization. The reason why the Fan family had suddenly abandoned the Su family's ancestral grave and left in such a hurry had been a mystery in Dongyang County. Now, hearing Zhao Hongwei's words, they felt they had finally uncovered the truth.

Chen Fan watched Zhao Hongwei with curiosity. How could someone lie so naturally? If one didn't know the truth, they would truly believe he was the one who solved the crisis.

"You're lying! The matter with the Fan family was clearly solved by our husband. What does it have to do with you?"

"Exactly! You’ve gone to study at the Imperial College, yet you’ve become even more shameless than before!" the sisters retorted immediately.

Zhao Hongwei didn't get angry at their words, merely casting a look of disdain at Chen Fan. "Him? Are you joking? A penniless brat can go up against the Fan family and save your family?"

Sun Liwen pointed at Chen Fan with an expression of contempt. The surrounding crowd broke into mocking laughter.

"Chen Fan, you have quite the nerve to deceive Miss Su," Chen Hao, standing behind Zhao Hongwei, stepped out and scolded him coldly. "You were always a liar back in the Chen family, but I didn't expect you to keep at it, and even get worse. The Su family's crisis was clearly resolved by Young Master Zhao. Who gave you the audacity to steal the credit for such a grand achievement?"