Rose Manor: Tycoon's Relentless Chase-Chapter 381 - 356: Don’t Lie to Me Anymore

Yin Shuyao’s words drilled into her ears once again, echoing in her mind, over and over, stimulating every nerve, leaving her unsure of how to face Fu Jichen’s face.

Fu Jichen, sharp as ever, noticed Shen Jianian’s unease almost immediately, stopped in his tracks and softly asked her, "Are you too tired?"

"I’m fine, not very tired."

Shen Jianian held her skirt up with one hand, taking slow steps; it was fine walking on flat ground in high heels, but on grass, it was a bit difficult.

Fu Jichen thought she was just being stubborn, tightened his hold around her waist, drawing her into his embrace for support, and gently guided her through the crowd.

The toasting part was canceled, yet Shen Jianian still held a glass of light champagne, following Fu Jichen, expressing thanks to several elders of the Fu Family.

There was also a middle-aged man whom Shen Jianian didn’t recognize. His face was gentle and refined, and so was his demeanor. Holding a glass of red wine, he was chatting and laughing with the man next to him. Dressed in a well-tailored ash gray suit with a deep blue pocket square, every move exuded the elegance and noble grace of a great family.

Fu Jichen led her over to greet the man.

The man said something to the man beside him, who nodded, smiled, and walked away with his wine glass.

Not knowing how to address the middle-aged man in front of her, Shen Jianian slightly raised her gaze, indicating for Fu Jichen to introduce her.

Fu Jichen’s voice dropped a little, whispering three words in her ear: "Call him Uncle."

Xiao Hesheng’s gaze shifted from Fu Jichen to Shen Jianian, with a smile extending to the fine lines around his eyes. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Even though Shen Jianian was puzzled inside, she didn’t hesitate, and as Fu Jichen had said, she called the middle-aged man, "Uncle."

"Mm." Xiao Hesheng acknowledged, casually placing his wine glass on a nearby rectangular dining table. He reached into the pocket of his trousers, pulling out a square exquisite box, handing it to Shen Jianian, speaking to Fu Jichen, "It’s a meeting gift prepared by your mother for the daughter-in-law. You got married, and if she knew, she would be pleased."

Shen Jianian did not know whether to accept it and once again looked up towards Fu Jichen.

Fu Jichen curved his lips: "If Uncle gives it, take it."

Politely, Shen Jianian thanked him and accepted the gift.

Fu Jichen chatted a bit with Xiao Hesheng about some family matters. Shen Jianian listened, without interrupting, and as they talked, the puzzle in her heart unraveled.

The middle-aged man in front of her was probably not Wei Ronghua’s brother, but Xiao Heting’s brother, Fu Jichen’s biological mother’s brother, his real uncle.

Xiao Hesheng didn’t disturb the couple much longer, picked up his original glass from the table, and left.

Shen Jianian was still in a daze, when Fu Jichen brought a ping-pong ball-sized strawberry cake to her lips. She snapped out of it, took a bite from his hand, raised her hand to cover her mouth, and slowly chewed and swallowed it.

"Didn’t have a chance to snag something to fill your stomach while changing and freshening up?" Fu Jichen asked.

"Hmm." Shen Jianian was choked up a bit, mumbled, "Time was tight, didn’t get a chance to eat."

Fu Jichen frowned slightly and fed her the rest of the cake.

"Let me do it." Shen Jianian went to take the cake but realized she still held the wedding gift from her uncle. Without her handbag, she scanned the area, finally placing it in Fu Jichen’s trouser pocket, then she took the cake, eating it slowly.

Fu Jichen replaced her champagne with juice, handing it to her.

After eating two small cakes and drinking some juice, Shen Jianian’s stomach felt much better.

As night fell, the lights around the castle sparkled even more brilliantly. The symphony orchestra switched to a new tune, cheerful and sweet. Suddenly, the young men and women at the scene egged on the newlyweds to start the dance.

Shen Jianian wasn’t shy under the guests’ coaxing. Having learned social etiquette since childhood, although she wasn’t particularly talented in dancing, she could handle such occasions with ease. Her concern was more about Fu Jichen—could he?

Forgive her limited imagination, as she couldn’t picture the usually cold and serious Mr. Fu dancing.

Not just her, the attending guests couldn’t imagine it either. They unanimously believed no amount of coaxing would work; Fu Jichen wasn’t one to be forced into anything.

To everyone’s surprise, the next second, Fu Jichen released his hand from Shen Jianian’s waist, stepped in front of her like an elegant English gentleman, extended one hand towards her, the other behind his back, slightly bowing, making an inviting pose, his eyes smiling, full of tenderness.

Everyone widened their eyes in astonishment.

Shen Jianian was equally surprised, completely forgetting to react, standing there dumbfounded.

Fu Jichen didn’t feel embarrassed; instead, he patiently asked, "May I, my beautiful lady, my wife, invite you to dance with me?"

Oh my God! The guests gasped, never expecting to hear Fu Da speak in such a tone. Their attendance today was well worth it!

Shen Jianian wasn’t initially shy, but under the deep gaze of Fu Jichen and after he uttered that sentence, her face suddenly flushed. From her cheeks to the tips of her ears, everything was warm.

Inhaling deeply, she lifted her hand, placing it in his palm. His fingers closed around hers with a sense of cherishing, gently pulling, instantly closing the distance between them.

The onlooking guests consciously stepped back, leaving a circular space in the center. Fu Jichen held Shen Jianian’s hand with one hand and placed the other on her back, leading her into a slow waltz.

Shen Jianian was amazed to find that his dance steps were correct, his posture standard; every rhythm, whether turning, leaning, or flowing, was flawlessly executed.

"Have you learned before?" Shen Jianian moved her lips, quietly asking him.

She thought the proud Mr. Fu would disdain learning such things, assuming instead that he started learning economics from an early age, and as for social skills, perhaps learned golf skills, never touching dance.

Fu Jichen smiled faintly, "Never seriously learned it."

"Then how do you know it?"

"Last-minute cramming," Fu Jichen said. "Guessing there might be a dance session at the wedding banquet, I didn’t want you to bear the guests’ gaze alone, so I watched a few instructional videos beforehand."

Just as Shen Jianian guessed, he never learned this from childhood. Even if the elders arranged related courses for him, he was unwilling to attend.

Shen Jianian admired him genuinely, being able to dance like this after watching a few instructional videos. She wondered if she should praise his extraordinary memory or his high talent in dance.

"How was it, okay?" Fu Jichen asked softly, "I didn’t embarrass you, did I?"

Shen Jianian smiled faintly, "It was more than okay, if you were any better, it would incite jealousy."

As the dance neared its end, guests began to join in, the scene enveloped in the fragrance of flowers, the aroma of wine, and the brilliance of music, slightly intoxicated people embraced their partners, gracefully dancing.

The symphony played fast-paced then slow-paced pieces, elevating the atmosphere of joy and happiness to its peak.

Shen Jianian had only one glass of champagne, supposedly wouldn’t be drunk, yet her steps were messy towards the end, even stepping on Fu Jichen’s foot. She stopped dancing, her movements slowing down until stopping, leaning against Fu Jichen’s chest, hearing his steady, strong heartbeat clearly in such a noisy environment.

Fu Jichen stopped too, his arms wrapping around her, chin lightly brushing against her cheek.

Was it his illusion? She seemed a bit unhappy.

Fu Jichen felt a bit uneasy, his heartbeat’s rhythm following suit, turning erratic. With her ear against his chest, Shen Jianian quickly noticed, slightly raised her head, asking, "Why did your heartbeat speed up?"

With dancers all around them, the two of them embracing didn’t seem out of place at all. Fu Jichen tuned out the swaying people around him, having eyes only for her.

After several seconds of silence, he spoke slowly, "The wedding and tonight’s party were all planned by me. I didn’t ask for your opinion beforehand. I wasn’t sure if you’d like it. Now, it seems you might not enjoy such a lively setting."

It was he who wanted to give her a grand wedding, an unforgettable party, but he never asked if she could accept it.

The symphony switched to another piece, perfectly covering Fu Jichen’s words; there were a few words Shen Jianian didn’t hear clearly, but she could guess what he said from the context.

"Why do you think I don’t like it?"

Shen Jianian didn’t dislike it; everything he arranged was too dreamy, exactly the kind of wedding she fantasized about as a child. However, after experiencing certain things, she had fewer extravagant wishes as she grew up, which didn’t mean she didn’t like such a wedding.

"Stop lying to me." Fu Jichen touched her face, as if indicating her expression betrayed her true feelings inside. He could distinguish between her happiness and unhappiness.

"What about you then." Shen Jianian found a breakthrough, "Have you ever lied to me?"

Fu Jichen suddenly froze, lowering his eyes to look at her, trying to discern if she was joking or serious.

Her gaze was calm, without a hint of a smile, as if she were serious.

The first thing Fu Jichen thought of was her losing a child in that car accident. He had always kept this from her, never mentioning it.

And also...

Shen Jianian moved away from his warm embrace, straightened her body, and stared directly at him, speaking the words hidden in her heart without thinking.

"Was the destruction of the Shen Family really caused by the Pei Family?"