CHAPTER 167: CHAPTER 167 WU SHI, YOU HELP ME MANAGE THE WU SHIPYARD

Li Yuan didn’t insist and said with a smile, "I’ve already moved out of the Qin Family Mansion, and now I’m renovating Anfu Orphanage, planning to turn it into a home. Whenever you and Jinhai are willing to come back, you can treat it as your home and settle down."

Fu Bing frowned. "Anfu Orphanage?"

It was there she met her mother. From then on, she was cherished and loved.

"Yes. Do you still remember?"

"I met my mother there."

Li Yuan’s smile became even more tender. "Did you just meet Fu Ya? Or do you remember anyone else?"

Fu Bing, of course, remembered. She also met a handsome yet fierce older boy. However, that older boy was probably no longer in this world. Before her mother arrived, the older boy was already unable to speak.

Fu Bing gently shook her head. "Other people, I don’t remember."

The smile on Li Yuan’s face stiffened for a moment. Then, her smile returned. "It’s alright if you don’t remember. From now on, Anfu Orphanage will only hold the memories that you create in the future."

"Did you seek me out just to tell me this?"

Li Yuan took out a thick stack of documents from her bag.

"These are documents detailing things Qin Sheng has personally done over the years; they might be useful to you."

"He is your husband. Are you willing to hand them over to me?" Fu Bing didn’t reach out to take them.

"Wasn’t Jinhai, my own son, also ruined by him?" Li Yuan’s lips trembled lightly. "Jinhai’s tragedy wasn’t caused by Qin Sheng alone; I’m also to blame. If I had recognized Qin Sheng’s true character earlier, Jinhai and Jinmo’s lives wouldn’t be like this."

"What’s done is done; blaming yourself won’t help. Are you sure you want to take revenge on Qin Sheng?"

"I recently found out he has other children." Li Yuan’s eyes were filled with bitter irony. "My two children were his experiments in his rebellion against the Qin Family, pawns used to protect the children of the person he truly cherished."

Li Yuan didn’t feel sad now. She had already grieved through countless late nights. She had repeatedly convinced herself, clinging to any shred of evidence, that Qin Sheng loved her and loved her children, thus missing many opportunities to help Jinhai. If she had bothered to investigate more thoroughly back then, she and her children wouldn’t have had to endure so many years of torment. She thought she and Qin Sheng were a couple who trusted each other, and she was willing to accompany him through the darkness. In the end, she discovered that to her, Qin Sheng was an utterly despicable man.

"Are you sure?"

"After I moved out of the Qin Family home and started living alone, I used my connections to investigate. Qin Sheng knew I was investigating him and once even intended to kill me."

Li Yuan suppressed all her emotions and nodded lightly. "You were the person Jinhai loved the most. Now that he’s gone, I also want to protect you for his sake."

"I know you hate Jinhai, and you also hate Qin Sheng. But the one you should hate most is Qin Sheng; he’s the one who orchestrated the darkness in your life."

"If you’re willing to trust me, I’m ready to assist you."

Fu Bing said softly, "How can I be sure this isn’t just another trap set for me by Qin Sheng, using you?"

Li Yuan looked slightly taken aback, then said earnestly, "Your suspicion is understandable. What do I need to do for you to trust me?"

"I’m sorry, but I’m wary of anyone from the Qin Family. I hope you understand."

"I understand. My purpose in coming here was to let you know that I’m on your side and can be your ally in dealing with Qin Sheng. Also, I want to seek revenge for Jinhai and myself."

"I understand. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going."

She hadn’t slept all night, and her mind felt like mush; she was unable to calm down and think.

"Alright, I will wait for your message."

Li Yuan also knew such matters couldn’t be rushed. The more urgent she appeared, the more Fu Bing would question her.

Fu Bing and Mu He went downstairs. When they were about ten meters from her room, Fu Bing saw that its door was open. Mu He immediately ran over, and when he saw the person inside, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Fu Bing quickly approached.

Wu Shi was sitting on the carpet in the room, assembling a LEGO set.

Fu Bing asked Mu He to return to his room to rest.

She sat down on the sofa behind Wu Shi, her voice soft, "With you here, I can rest easy."

"Sleep now. I’ll be here with you. When you wake up, we’ll figure out how to deal with the problems."

"Mhm."

Fu Bing lay down, hugging a pillow, and fell asleep almost instantly.

Wu Shi didn’t turn around, his hands continuously working, but his ears were always tuned in to the steady sound of her breathing. He feared that if he turned around, he wouldn’t be able to resist pulling her into his arms, feverishly claiming her. The closer he was to her, the more urgent his desire to possess her became. And she couldn’t possibly accept a new man in her life right now. He also didn’t want to cause her pain by using another identity. When it came to matters of love, he only wanted to be Qin Jinhai. Her love, her hate—it should all be for Qin Jinhai.

When Fu Bing woke up, Wu Shi had already assembled a collection of small LEGO creations, neatly arranged on the carpet in front of her. The setting sun cast its rays on them, a sight that could soften anyone’s heart. Fu Bing looked at them, then turned over to face the back of the sofa, wanting to laze in bed a little longer.

Wu Shi took in her rare, somewhat childish display and refrained from urging her to get up. She only acted this childishly in front of people she was especially close to.

Wu Shi continued washing and chopping ingredients. Only when all the dishes were on the table did he tap on it.

"It’s time to get up."

Fu Bing’s response was to cover her face with the pillow.

Wu Shi shook his head with a chuckle. "It seems you’ll only behave if Aunt Ning is here to look after you."

"Don’t. I can’t stand the pity in her eyes," Fu Bing mumbled.

"Then get up and eat. You can sleep again after that," Wu Shi said, his voice laced with a smile, warm and utterly disarming.

Fu Bing’s heart fluttered at his words, tinged with a smile. She didn’t understand how a man who had endured disfigurement and even death could still be so warm. How strong must his spirit be?

Fu Bing got up shakily to wash up.

When she returned to the dining area, Wu Shi had already ladled soup for her.

Fu Bing asked, "Did you finish dealing with your matters?"

"Not yet. I was worried you might run into a problem you couldn’t handle, so I came over as soon as I reached a stopping point with my own tasks," Wu Shi admitted, not hiding his concern.

"Indeed, I’ve encountered a difficult matter. Qin Jinhai left me Wu Shipyard. It’s the sort of place that harbors all kinds of illicit activities, and it’s beyond my capacity to handle. I don’t think I have the ability to manage it effectively. Do you have any advice?"

"You could find someone to manage it on your behalf. It would be best to keep Wu Shipyard’s operations separate from your personal affairs; otherwise, you could easily get implicated by it."

"That’s what I was thinking too. I even have someone in mind already."

Wu Shi raised an eyebrow. "Who’s chosen whom?"

"You," Fu Bing stated without hesitation.

Wu Shi’s hand, holding the soup spoon, paused. The spoon clinked crisply against the bowl.

"Why me?"

"You have the ability to handle this task."

"That’s not the only reason." A rare, pressing intensity appeared in Wu Shi’s gaze, revealing the sharpness he had always kept so well concealed.

Seeing this hint of his true edge, Fu Bing surprisingly felt reassured. Given Wu Shi’s past experiences, it was impossible for him not to have an edge, and even more impossible for him to be truly at peace. Who could fall from such heights to such depths without harboring resentment? She believed Wu Shi must have felt bitterness and hatred too. He just hid it very well.

Wu Shi’s brown eyes locked onto Fu Bing. "Xiaobing, tell me all your reasons. I want to hear them."