Rebirth and Conquest

A subtle, ambiguous atmosphere began to emerge between Chen Yan and Wen Mu. Although neither of them explicitly stated it, they tacitly understood each other and were moving towards a closer and closer relationship. University time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for final exams.

The day before the holiday, Wen Mu asked Chen Yan what she planned to do during the holiday, and Chen Yan simply replied, "Go home and visit my family."

"How about coming to my house for a couple of days?" Wen Mu asked tentatively, looking at Chen Yan with some anticipation.

“Okay, then you’ll have to treat me well as a guest.” Chen Yan readily agreed, which made Wen Mu smile with delight and say, “Of course.”

Wen Mu's home is in this city, but for some reason, he has never been back since he came to school. When he went home for the holidays this time, he was picked up by someone in a car, and of course, Chen Yan went with him.

Standing before this somewhat ancient gate, Chen Yan felt for a moment as if she had traveled back decades. The walls beside the gate were covered with a thick layer of wisteria and withered leaves, giving the villa a strong sense of historical weight. This was Wen Mu's home.

"Young Master, it's time to go in." A butler-like person reminded him at the right moment, and Wen Mu led Chen Yan into the villa.

The villa's architectural style is a blend of Chinese and Western elements, combining modern extravagance with ancient restraint to create a low-key luxury. Wen Mu once told Chen Yan that his family was in business, but he didn't specify what they did or how far they went.

In the reception room on the first floor of the main building, Chen Yan met Wen Mu's parents. His father was a man who was almost fifty years old, and his mother looked to be in her forties. She was a very elegant woman, and unlike the average wealthy woman, she exuded the refinement and nobility of a lady from a respectable family in the old days. However, she seemed to be in poor health, with a thick blanket covering her legs and a sickly pale face.

"Dad, Mom, this is my classmate Chen Yan," Wen Mu introduced Chen Yan to the two of them.

Chen Yan stood up and said, "Hello, Uncle Wen. Hello, Aunt Wen."

"Okay," Wen Mu's father nodded, his face expressionless, and then said in a formulaic way, "Remember to treat your classmates well. If you need anything, you can also tell the housekeeper." The last sentence was addressed to Chen Yan.

There was a strange atmosphere in the reception room. The relationship between Wen Mu and his parents was not cold, but there was a polite distance between them. Chen Yan could even feel the tension in Wen Mu sitting next to him. After a few words, Wen Mu and Chen Yan came out.

Standing in front of the room arranged for Chen Yan, Wen Mu held two cups of hot drinks in his hand. After knocking on the door, he went in. At this moment, Chen Yan was standing by the window, looking outside.

"What are you looking at?" Wen Mu asked as she walked towards Chen Yan.

“Look at your garden,” Chen Yan turned her head. “It’s very neatly trimmed.”

"It was all repaired by workers." Wen Mu walked over to Chen Yan and handed her a drink. "How is it? Is this room alright?"

"Yes, that's good."

"That's good. We're having a family gathering the day after tomorrow, and some people should be coming."

"Do you need me to prepare anything?"

"No, no, I was just telling you, it has nothing to do with us." Wen Mu quickly explained, then took the cup from Chen Yan's hand and said with a smile, "Are you tired? Why don't you go and rest first, and we'll go out and have fun tomorrow."

After Wen Mu stayed there for a while, he left. As soon as Wen Mu left, Chen Yan called Yan Minghui: "Minghui, can you help me investigate something? I need information on the Wen family in this city..."

The Wen family gathering two days later was very grand, exceeding Chen Yan's expectations. Many people from the Wen family came that day, and they were all celebrities with wealth and status, making it a true gathering of the upper class.

At this moment, on the second-floor balcony, Chen Yan and Wen Mu stood side by side leaning against the railing. Above them was a bright starry sky, and below was a glittering cocktail party. The guests were all in the lobby on the first floor, and the atmosphere was lively with clinking glasses. However, the two of them did not seem to have any intention of going down.

The Wen family is in the jewelry business. Wenshi Jewelry Store was established before the founding of the People's Republic of China and has a history of over a century. It is considered one of the top jewelry merchants in China. Their jewelry is high-end and mainly serves the upper class.

The previous owner of the Wen family had no sons, only a daughter named Wen Qian. So he married a son-in-law who moved into the family, who is now the owner, Zhou Shaocheng. Wen Qian was a very well-mannered young lady, but she was in poor health. After marrying Zhou Shaocheng, she gave birth to a son, but he was born with a heart condition and died not long after. After her son's death, Wen Qian's health deteriorated further, and she never had another child.

Later, Zhou Shaocheng got involved with a nightclub hostess, who gave birth to his son. When Wen Qian found out, she was furious and refused to let Zhou Shaocheng bring the illegitimate child into the Wen family. She even forced them to break off their contact. Eight years ago, Zhou Shaocheng, who was already over forty, and Wen Qian still didn't have a child. Wen Qian had no choice, and the Wen family's huge fortune couldn't be without an heir, so she had to agree to bring the child over. However, the child couldn't take Zhou Shaocheng's surname; he could only take the surname Wen, which is now Wen Mu.

Thinking about what Yan Minghui had said on the phone during the day, Chen Yan couldn't help but feel a little emotional. No wonder Wen Mu, despite his wealthy status, always gave people a feeling of timidity and inferiority.

Chen Yan looked down at the scene. The party was still going on. Actually, this party was a charity event to raise money for children with heart disease. The Wen family would auction off their company's latest jewelry designs at the party, and all the proceeds would be donated to children with heart disease. The Wen family held this party every year at this time. Chen Yan suddenly realized that this charity party was probably because of Wen Qian's child who died young.

"Chen Yan." Wen Mu suddenly called out, pulling Chen Yan back to her senses. Chen Yan turned her head and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you." In the dim light, Wen Mu's expression was hard to see clearly, but from his voice, it was clear that he seemed a little nervous.

"What?"

"Actually, I've always liked—"

"Young Master." At this moment, the butler suddenly walked in, interrupting Wen Mu, "Madam wants to see you."

"Oh, I understand, I'll be right there." Wen Mu turned to the butler and replied, then looked at Chen Yan with a slightly embarrassed expression: "Chen Yan, I'm sorry, I have to go over there first."

"Okay, sure." Chen Yan nodded.

Not long after Wen Mu left, Chen Yan also came downstairs. At this time, several single-legged tables were set up in the hall on the first floor, each with a glass box containing jewels that looked very valuable. The people in the hall were looking at the jewels with great interest. The auction would not start for a while, and they were only in the appreciation stage for now.

Chen Yan looked around the hall when suddenly his eyes caught sight of several unexpected people: Yan Haobo, Qi Wenqing, and Xi Yichen. The three of them were gathered together, talking about something.

Chen Yan turned to leave, not wanting to run into Yan Haobo and the others here. But as soon as he turned, he saw someone walking towards him, anxiously making a phone call: "How could this happen? How is he? Okay, don't say anything else, get him to the hospital first, I'll be there right away." This person was Lu Mengli.

Lu Mengli hung up the phone and looked up to see Chen Yan. He was stunned for a moment, then immediately smiled and asked with some surprise, "What are you doing here? That's great, I was just looking for you."

Chen Yan frowned, but still forced herself to say, "I'm sorry, Mr. Lu, I have something to attend to right now, so I'll have to go."

"Wait." Lu Mengli grabbed Chen Yan's arm and stopped her. Perhaps realizing he had overreacted, Lu Mengli immediately let go. "Sorry," he said with a smile, his face returning to its usual expression. He chuckled and said, "I gave you my business card last time and have been waiting for your call. I didn't expect you to not reply to me for so long."

"By the way, did you come with Young Master Xi today? I just saw him—" Lu Mengli made conversation with Chen Yan, then suddenly looked behind Chen Yan and said, "Hey, isn't that Young Master Xi? I'll call him over." He was about to call Xi Yichen.

"Stop yelling." Chen Yan was startled and quickly stopped him.

"What's wrong?" Lu Mengli asked, puzzled, but quickly realized what was going on. "Didn't you come with Young Master Xi?"

Seeing that Chen Yan didn't answer, Lu Mengli smiled and said, "It seems you really came with someone else. What, do you need me to keep it a secret for you?" He looked at Chen Yan as if he had caught her red-handed, and then said, "Actually, it has nothing to do with me who you come with, but I have something I need your help with today. Oh! Young Master Xi and the others are here." Lu Mengli suddenly called out in a low voice, and sure enough, Xi Yichen and the others walked over.

"Help me get out of here, and I'll agree to your conditions," Chen Yan said.

“Okay.” Lu Mengli immediately laughed. As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly pushed Chen Yan against the pillar next to him and then pressed his whole body against it. From behind, it looked like the two of them were passionately kissing. Yan Haobo and the others walked past, only glancing at Chen Yan and the others, without paying any attention to them.

As soon as Yan Haobo and the others left, Chen Yan immediately pushed Lu Mengli away. His face was cold, and he wiped his cheek with his hand.

"It's a pity I didn't get to kiss your lips." Lu Mengli licked his lips and said ambiguously, "Now that it's alright, let's go."

...