Chapter 585: Forced Cooperation

Her coming here to deliver snacks was actually just a pretext; the main point was those two sentences.

Although the words were simple, the content was rich.

One sentence was to praise Shi Ran.

Somehow, Lady Qi found out about Shi Ran winning first prize in the A Country mathematics competition, and she came all this way to offer praise, aiming to ease the awkwardness of running into Shi Ran sleeping in class yesterday.

In Lady Qi's heart, since one's grades are good, of course one can sleep in class.

Never mind sleeping; talking, causing trouble, or fidgeting are all fine—as long as the grades are good, nothing else is a problem.

The other sentence was about Zhu Yiwen; Lady Qi told her that the person supporting the civil unrest in L Country was Zhu Yiwen.

Just that one sentence, and after saying it, she hurried away!

It seemed she was even more anxious than Shi Youxuan.

……

At Jian Yixin's home.

The two children were playing together, and with a nanny watching them, the two women had it easy.

As they chatted together, Jian Yixin noticed that she was always distracted and absent-minded.

"Xuanxuan, what's wrong? Do you have something on your mind?"

Before she came out, she told Jian Yixin about the sentence Lady Qi had said to her at home.

After hearing it, Jian Yixin's expression also turned grave; she advised Shi Youxuan to bring more bodyguards when going out to protect her personal safety.

Shi Youxuan shook her head: "No, Zhu Yiwen is definitely not just messing around this time. If he makes a move again, it will certainly be a major one. We cannot let him succeed; we absolutely must not let him succeed!"

After all, having been nominal husband and wife for five years, Shi Youxuan still had some understanding of Zhu Yiwen.

He had great ambition; the gain or loss of a single city or territory meant nothing to him, and he would never be constrained by personal grudges.

Zhu Yiwen was not Sheng Yukai; tactics like kidnapping would not be used over and over again.

Although he was now ten thousand miles away, Shi Youxuan had already caught the scent of a conspiracy.

"Xuanxuan."

Jian Yixin held her hand: "Whatever you want to do, go ahead and do it boldly. This time, no matter the consequences, we will bear them together."

Last time, when she went to the sea to look for someone, she hadn't followed because of her mother's obstruction, and she regretted it terribly every time she thought about it.

She felt she owed Shi Youxuan, and had always been in her debt.

So this time, Jian Yixin was sincerely determined to be bound together with her; no matter what lay ahead, everyone would face it together!

"Listen to you, what consequences could there be?"

Shi Youxuan didn't tell the truth, smiling to comfort Jian Yixin: "It's nothing, I don't want to do anything. It's just that I seem to have stayed at home a bit too long and am too idle."

"People shouldn't always be idle; when idle, it's easy to let one's imagination run wild. It's fine, it's fine."

Saying it was fine was just to comfort Jian Yixin; she didn't want to get Jian Yixin involved!

When she got home in the evening, she told her husband about this matter.

When Sheng Hanyu first heard this news, his expression was the same as hers when she had first heard it.

He asked: "What are your thoughts on this?"

Shi Youxuan: "I'll listen to you."

Sheng Hanyu: "At a time like this, why are you being modest? I'm asking what you think. Don't tell me you have no thoughts; I don't believe it."

Shi Youxuan: "I want to cooperate with the Qi Family. Some things cannot be avoided just by hiding."

He suddenly smiled and nodded: "We thought of the same thing. Wife, if we fail, you won't be a wealthy lady anymore. We probably won't even be able to keep the house we live in now and will have to move into relocation housing. Are you willing?"

Shi Youxuan nodded very seriously: "I am willing. As long as I can be with you and the children, let alone relocation housing, even if we have to sleep under a bridge, I am willing."

In fact, neither of them was telling the truth.

Even if the entire family fortune were lost, what would it matter if it went down the drain?

Sheng Hanyu had the ability to make a comeback in a very short time; as long as they were alive, money was simply not a problem.

Shi Youxuan also possessed this kind of ability and confidence!

……

Qi Residence.

Qi Xiansheng and his wife stood at the entrance of the mansion to welcome Sheng Hanyu and his wife. Sheng Hanyu drove himself, and Shi Youxuan sat in the passenger seat.

They hadn't brought a single bodyguard; the two of them just came like this.

Qi Xiansheng was slightly stunned.

Although today was nominally a private gathering, they were the ones asking for help, and this was the perfect opportunity for Sheng Hanyu to make demands.

Under normal circumstances, the other party would first use a grand display to intimidate them and show off their superiority to seek greater benefits.

In fact, since arriving in Jiangzhou, Sheng Hanyu was not the only person he had sought out, but others had all done exactly that, and he had become accustomed to it.

Since the changes in his home country, he had seen too much of the coldness and warmth of human relationships; just being willing to see him was a good thing, and putting on airs was simply not an issue.

But Sheng Hanyu and his wife did not.

The two of them came to the house just like they were visiting old friends, and after the initial pleasantries, they presented gifts—a whole pile of them.

Dried chili peppers, cured meat, donkey-hide gelatin, red dates, Calming Tea, and various fabrics of pure cotton, real silk, and satin...

There were plenty of gifts, but not a single one was particularly valuable.

Yet it made Lady Qi incredibly excited, and she thanked them repeatedly!

Although these things were ordinary, they had been prepared with care.

The dried chili peppers and cured meat they brought were not produced in Jiangzhou; they were unique to L Country. The Qi family loved this taste, but they hadn't eaten it since they escaped.

The donkey-hide gelatin and red dates were for nourishing the blood.

The Calming Tea was primarily for treating insomnia and excessive worrying.

There is no shortage of clothes in Jiangzhou, and one can buy any style, but the family is homesick; last time Lady Qi mentioned in passing that she wanted to buy fabric to make loungewear for her family by hand, so today they brought it along for them.

The four of them sat down in the living room.

After the servant served tea and snacks, they walked out backward, making not a single sound while walking on the wooden floor.

Qi Xiansheng and Sheng Hanyu chatted very well; the two of them talked about everything from the international situation to the local customs of L Country for a long time, yet they did not say a single word about Zhu Yiwen.

"Xuanxuan, I saw a set of tableware yesterday that was very beautiful, so I bought it. Could you come over and help me decide what kind of occasion it would be suitable for?" Lady Qi said.

Shi Youxuan smiled and agreed: "Sure."

She understood in her heart that this was Lady Qi intentionally taking her away so the two men could discuss serious matters.

The two of them went to the small reception room, but Lady Qi did not take out any tableware; instead, she wiped away tears: "Xuanxuan, do you know? It has been a long time since I have seen my husband smile. Today, being able to have you all come over, he couldn't be happier..."

"Meiqi, don't be like this, don't cry. Weren't you going to let me see the tableware? Take it out and let me see."

Shi Youxuan was not quite used to this version of Lady Qi; her former self was better—straightforward, composed, and confident.

However, Shi Youxuan could also understand her being like this now.

Leaving their homeland for Jiangzhou, they went from being high and mighty to suddenly being stranded and helpless.

With so many burdens on her shoulders, naturally, she could not be as calm and composed as before.

"Okay, I'll take it out right away."

Lady Qi also realized she had lost her composure, so she embarrassedly took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears and brought out the tableware for Shi Youxuan to admire.

The tableware she took out was indeed a fine item, with gold-rimmed fine bone china and clear, translucent glaze.

Although Shi Youxuan did not know much about these things, she could tell at a glance—it was not cheap!

Once Lady Qi took out the tableware, her attention shifted, and she talked incessantly to Shi Youxuan: "I saw this set of tableware when I was strolling through the mall, and I fell in love with it at first sight. The porcelain in Jiangzhou is truly good; L Country cannot compare..."