Rose Manor: Tycoon's Relentless Chase-Chapter 341 - 322: Give Me a Title

In the living room, the silence had stretched on for too long, and no one spoke to break the stillness.

Fu Jianfang leisurely blew on the tea leaves floating in his cup, sipping slowly and methodically, exhibiting an unconcerned and relaxed demeanor.

Fu Qizhen and Fu Huaxian exchanged glances. Nowadays, since the old man had shut himself away, Junshan Group was led by Fu Jichen, and they had lost hope entirely. In the company, they had to watch their nephew’s mood and act accordingly, not daring to meddle in his affairs. Unlike the fourth brother, who was still not resigned to his fate, constantly scheming to make trouble for Fu Jichen.

"Dad, calm down first." Fu Jianfang finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up, leaning forward to set down her water cup, glancing at Fu Jichen, and persuading the old man, "Don’t disregard your own health—it hasn’t reached that point yet, right? We all know Fu Da is filial to you, and surely he wouldn’t go against your wishes. Right, Fu Da?"

Fu Jichen said not a word, not stepping down as she had prompted.

Fu Jianfang’s face showed slight embarrassment.

Seeing Fu Jichen like that, the old man realized that he was stubborn as a mule: "What’s so good about that woman? She’s had a major car accident, and bearing children will certainly be more difficult than it is for a healthy person. You should think about your future. I’m your closest kin; I wouldn’t harm you."

Fu Jichen’s gaze was firm, without the slightest hint of wavering: "Without her, I have no future."

"You..."

The old man nearly choked, taking a heavy breath.

Fu Jichen stood up, making an excuse to leave: "There’s a matter at the company that needs handling, so I’ll take my leave first. Regarding the marriage, I won’t change my mind; it’s best if grandpa can support it, if not..."

His tone paused slightly; he left the rest unsaid and proceeded out of the main hall. At the door, he encountered the butler and instructed him to take good care of the old man’s health.

Fu Jichen’s figure disappeared from their sight; the old man was really angered this time, pointing with trembling fingers at the doorway, unable to speak for a while.

"Dad, don’t be angry—your doctor advised you to avoid large mood swings." Fu Jianfang moved to his side, patting his back to ease his breathing, while criticizing Fu Jichen’s behavior, "Fu Da is really something, knowing you’re not well, yet still maintaining such a tough stance rather than speaking softer words. All because of a woman, he’s forgotten even his own surname, not giving any regard to his elders."

Fu Qizhen and Fu Huaxian watched their sister with identical looks; she only dared to speak ill of Fu Jichen when he was not present.

Fu Jianfang’s provoking words left the old man both angry and pained.

"Dad, if you trust me, let me handle this affair." Fu Jianfang said, "Persuading Fu Da is useless; this matter needs to be approached from Miss Shen instead."

Why Shen Jianian left Beicheng alone back then was likely not unrelated to Wei Ronghua. With Wei Ronghua’s temperament, how could she allow a destitute woman to marry her beloved son? That’s probably why Fu Da became estranged from Wei Ronghua.

She’s not Wei Ronghua—she wouldn’t use such extreme methods to force someone away.

A girl in her twenties values purity in love; if she discovers this relationship isn’t so pure, she’d willingly distance herself, not requiring coercion.

The old man gradually calmed down, casting a skeptical look at his daughter, who was overly cunning yet insufficiently capable.

Fu Jianfang assured him: "Don’t worry, I know my limits."

*

On the way back to Yunding Palace, Fu Jichen smoked in the back seat, lowering the car window to its lowest. Rain was imminent, and the humid wind blew in, scattering ash everywhere, irritating his eyes.

The old man was more stubborn than he had imagined; there were signs of yielding last time, but he had suddenly changed his mind. Just like the weather, clear skies one moment, dark clouds the next.

Qu Mo glanced a few times from the rearview mirror; he could tell the boss’s mood wasn’t great, seemingly becoming heavy-hearted every time he returned from the old residence.

As soon as they arrived at Yunding Palace, the rain poured down vehemently.

The car was parked under the porch; Fu Jichen didn’t get wet when he got out, but his clothes absorbed some moisture. He walked and loosened the buttons around his shirt collar.

No one was in the living room; upon asking Cheng Jin, he learned Shen Jianian was on the third floor. He took the elevator up, instinctively heading to his bedroom, where he indeed found Shen Jianian.

She had already showered and changed into a cream-colored home dress, its hem adorned with small pink bow ribbons, her long hair draped over her shoulders. She was reading a book by the window.

It was raining, and the indoor light was dim; she hadn’t turned on the light. Fu Jichen asked, "Why don’t you turn on the light?" and then casually pressed the light switch.

"I forgot." Shen Jianian lifted her head from the book, "Why are you back? I thought you’d have dinner over there."

Fu Jichen took the book from her hands, placing it on the table beside them, then held both her hands, his eyes filled with intense emotions, making it difficult for anyone to discern exactly what they were.

Shen Jianian rose from the armchair, tilted her head up and gazed into his eyes, "What’s wrong with you?"

Fu Jichen raised a hand to caress her cheek, his fingertips gliding across her ear, jaw, neck, down to her collarbone. Shen Jianian’s nape broke out in goosebumps, and she whispered, "It tickles a bit."

"I’ll take a shower."

Fu Jichen leaned down to her ear, speaking hoarsely and with restraint, before releasing her to head to the bathroom.

Shen Jianian cupped her face with both hands, turned to glance in the direction of the bathroom, and the sound of rain outside drowned out the sound of the shower, leaving only the growing steam on the glass door.

His words, could they possibly mean what she thought?

Fu Jichen came out while drying his hair, the damp strands a deeper shade of black, the tips brushing past his eyebrows, his handsome face expressionless.

Shen Jianian secretly observed him, thinking he didn’t look like he was about to do such a thing.

"Aren’t you tired just standing there?" Fu Jichen tossed the towel aside and walked over to the dazed woman, picking her up.

In that upright embrace, Shen Jianian had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck, spreading her legs to cling to his waist. As he leaned in to kiss her, she turned her face away, saying, "It’s almost time for dinner."

"Are you hungry?"

"No..." Shen Jianian continued to find excuses, "In broad daylight, it’s not very appropriate."

Fu Jichen glanced at the weather outside, torrential rain pouring down without a sliver of light, making it indistinguishable from night. His high-bridged nose nuzzled her smooth, delicate neck, his voice low to the point of inaudibility, "Who says it has to be daytime?"

Shen Jianian couldn’t argue against him, nor could she afford to, as her mouth was silenced.

The sound of rain covered all the intimate noises, and the two of them seemed like they were on the only boat in the sea, surrounded by rippling waters, with peace and beauty within the cabin.

Summer rain comes quickly and goes quickly. When the rain stopped, the surroundings fell silent, and certain sounds became clearer.

Shen Jianian persistently expressed her dissatisfaction, "My back hurts."

"Where does it hurt?"

"My back!"

"The aftereffect of hanging from wires."

"..." Shen Jianian gritted her teeth, squeezing out the words from her glistening wet lips, "Are you a chef?"

Fu Jichen turned this sentence over in his mind, doubting his comprehension skills for the first time, "Not sure what you mean."

Shen Jianian: "An expert at shifting blame."

Fu Jichen laughed, his thin lips branding her neck, and she struggled to push his face away, "I’m having lunch with Xiaxia tomorrow, summer clothes can’t cover my neck."

If he continued to mess around, she’d lose face going out.

The two lingered on the bed for quite a while, nightfall complete, dinner time long past, and Cheng Jin hadn’t come up to call them.

Fu Jichen reclined on the headboard, casually wrapped in a bathrobe, the sash untied, his chest and defined abs exposed.

Shen Jianian lay beneath his arm, her rounded snowy shoulders half-revealed, her fingers twirling his bathrobe’s sash repeatedly, "Are you troubled by something?"

He returned without expression, but she could sense his heavy mood, like the oppressive weather before a storm.

Fu Jichen pulled up the blanket to cover her shoulders, his palm resting on her head, not wanting to bother her with such things, "No."

Shen Jianian looked up at his face, and he took the opportunity to stroke her cheek, curling his thin lips into a slight smile, "What, you don’t believe me?"

"It’s like you’re hiding something from me." Shen Jianian poked his firm chest with an extended finger, spelling it out in a straightforward manner.

Fu Jichen just smiled, not responding. He used to think she was easy to fool; now he realized she was insightful, hard to trick. He covered her eyes, "Don’t look anymore, you’ll see right through me."

"Shen Jianian, will you marry me?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jianian blinked a few times, her lashes brushing softly against his palm.

Fu Jichen removed his hand, met with a pair of perplexed eyes, his tone hurt, "Is it that hard for you to accept?"

"You misunderstood." Shen Jianian raised her left hand, the diamond ring on her ring finger still dazzling, remembering how domineeringly he placed it on her during New Year’s Eve, "You’ve already proposed, why propose again?"

While filming, she couldn’t wear the ring and had kept it away, now wearing it again after wrapping up the shoot. Honestly, she found the diamond ring too flashy for everyday use and had considered discussing with him to swap it for a simpler design.

"You’re the one misunderstanding." Fu Jichen grasped her raised hand, kissing it, "I mean getting married, the registration part. When do you have time? Let’s go get the certificate first, give me a proper status. As for the wedding, we’ll do it according to your convenience."

Shen Jianian was stunned, so sudden?