Chapter 39: The Master of Throwing Shade

After watching the movie, the family of four took a cab straight to the compound. Once they arrived and signed in, the atmosphere was still pretty good as they walked inside together.

It was the weekend, and the weather outside was fairly cool. Quite a few people were taking advantage of the time before dinner to stroll around the courtyard.

Da Dan and Er Dan were a little curious, but didn’t show it too obviously. Instead, it was the people idly wandering around who couldn’t quite hide the odd looks in their eyes as they watched them.

Su Qinghu more or less knew what they were thinking. But at the end of the day, her marriage to Chen Lie wasn’t a case of being a homewrecker, so she had nothing to feel guilty about.

She let them look her over with a calm, open air. If she happened to catch someone staring before they could look away, she’d give them a smile. And if her smile caught someone off guard, she’d flash a few neat, white teeth.

She wasn’t the delicate, pitiful type.

She was poised and beautiful, bright and bold. When she smiled, it was the kind that could lift everyone’s spirits—a smile that made people like her instantly.

So, those who’d initially suspected that Chen Lie’s previous divorce was due to a third party now found themselves doubting their own theories, if not dismissing them entirely.

And seeing how the two kids didn’t reject Su Qinghu at all—in fact, they even seemed a bit attached and happy around her—after a moment’s hesitation, everyone greeted Chen Lie and Su Qinghu openly and without reservation.

“The kids’ clothes are new, and not cheap,” a woman who had some ties to the Chen family whispered her suspicions to her husband after Chen Lie’s group had walked away. “Chen Lie and his new wife don’t seem like they knew each other before…”

“You mean—” Her husband, wary from years in his line of work, didn’t look over at Chen Lie, but quietly replied, “Chen Lie only met her after his divorce?”

“Ninety percent sure,” the woman said with a knowing smile. “Otherwise, she wouldn’t be a ‘greenhorn’.”

“What do you mean?” the man asked.

“Oh, how can you be so dense!” The woman pinched him. “Don’t you remember Zhang Dongsheng’s dad sent him to the station for a talking-to?”

“I remember, but what’s that got to do with what we’re talking about?” The man was confused.

“Didn’t Zhang Dongsheng’s dad say he ran into Chen Lie that day? That means Chen Lie was already back yesterday,” the woman rolled her eyes. “Even if they didn’t have time for a wedding night, if there were real feelings between them, a little absence would make the heart grow fonder. You think they wouldn’t have done anything?”

Had he forgotten how eager he’d been when they first got married? Once a man has his wife, what man could resist? Impossible!

“These two just don’t look like they’re in love…” the woman mused. “Honestly, I think those two kids mean more to her than Chen Lie does.”

The man agreed with her earlier analysis, but was lost on this last point. “How can you tell they’re not in love?”

“Just think back to when we were dating, and then look at them!”

With that, the woman headed home. The man hurried after her, and as he remembered their own youthful days, he leaned in and whispered something in her ear, making her blush bright red.

Su Qinghu had no idea about these whispered conversations behind her back. What she did notice was that Chen Lie’s expression changed when he saw who opened the door.

The relaxed, even slightly excited look on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by a complete poker face.

Oho, something’s up~~~

Su Qinghu quickly glanced between the two of them, itching to whistle to express her own little thrill.

“Yanyan, why are you blocking the door?” Father Chen, who’d been chatting with his son-in-law, noticed his daughter open the door but say nothing. His heart skipped a beat and he immediately stood up. “Is Chen Lie back?”

The question was like a stone thrown into still water, instantly shattering the tense air.

Chen Yan awkwardly looked away and stepped aside to let them in.

At that moment, Father Chen also came to the door. The first thing he saw was his tall, handsome son blocking the entrance. He turned his gaze, intending to greet Su Qinghu, but couldn’t see her—or even the two kids.

Chen Lie was blocking the way quite thoroughly. He called out, “Dad,” but still didn’t reveal Su Qinghu.

“Chen Lie’s back?” Qian Yin, who’d stood up with his father-in-law, came over and smiled when he saw Chen Lie. “It’s been years, but you’re still as sharp as ever.”

He’d only met this brother-in-law once, at Chen Lie’s wedding. Now, four years later, they were meeting again.

“Hello,” Chen Lie nodded at him, then handed what he was carrying to Father Chen and stepped inside first.

As soon as he moved, Su Qinghu was exposed to everyone’s view.

“Hello,” Su Qinghu greeted them with a smile—not too warm, not too distant, striking just the right note between family and familiar neighbors.

Her greeting snapped everyone out of their shock at her looks, her bearing, and even her clothes.

Father Chen and the Chen Yan couple were just about to greet Su Qinghu when Chen Lie stepped in and blocked their line of sight.

Chen Lie took out a new pair of women’s slippers and placed them by Su Qinghu’s feet. “Change your shoes.”

“Thank you, Comrade Chen Lie.” Su Qinghu beamed as she entered, holding onto Chen Lie’s arm as she slipped off her little sheepskin shoes and put on the new slippers he’d found for her.

Those six words were nothing special, but coming from Su Qinghu, with her eyes curved like crescent moons, they sounded intimate no matter how you heard them.

Chen Lie’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and the corners of his mouth finally lifted a little.

She wasn’t just bold—she was clever and mischievous too. That response was unexpectedly perfect.

Chen Yan’s face went pale for a moment. Her gaze, which had been sizing up Su Qinghu, snapped away as if burned. Qian Yin didn’t notice his wife’s odd reaction—he just felt that these two gave off a vibe like an acid-base titration: a little too much and it’s sour, a little too little and it’s alkaline.

Compared to the previous one, there was a lot more harmony and tacit understanding between them—something hard to put into words.

Just one look between the two, and Qian Yin suddenly pictured the reaction between nitric oxide and air in a chemistry experiment.

—That was the exclusive blush-and-heart-racing of the young.

He felt a bit emotional and couldn’t help glancing at his wife. Seeing her pale face, he paused in surprise. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

He spoke softly, but Chen Lie heard him clearly. He shot Chen Yan a glance, then looked away to check on the kids. Seeing they’d changed their shoes, he led Su Qinghu into the living room.

Chen Yan was rattled by that look from Chen Lie and couldn’t help glancing at Father Chen. Father Chen sighed inwardly, then smiled and said to Su Qinghu, “Xiao Su, from now on we’re all family. If Chen Lie ever bullies you, just tell us—we’ll stand up for you.”

“Alright!” Su Qinghu smiled at Chen Lie, then turned to Father Chen. “I’ll remember what you said, Dad.”

Er Dan pouted. “My dad would never bully you! When you smile, he even holds you up so you don’t hurt your back…”"