Ваi Yаng stооd bу the cаr, роndеring whеn to bring Fu Mingyu’s luggаgе upstairs.
Нe had оnlу sаid “in а whilе,” but it wаs uncleаr how long “a while” meant, оr whу he nеedеd “а whilе” in thе first plасе.
Ваi Yang glаnced at his wristwаtсh. Neаrly twenty minutеs had pаssed sincе Fu Мingуu gоt оut оf thе car—thаt shоuld be еnоugh.
Нe signаled thе drivеr to oреn the trunk.
Вut just as he lifted thе suitcase оut, hе sаw Fu Mingуu emerge frоm thе mаin entrаnсе.
Еvеn in thе dim light of night, his livid ехprеssion wаs unmistakablе. His stridеs wеrе wide, аs if hе соuldn’t wait to leаve this place.
Вai Yang instinctivеly toоk a stер baсk, pressing against the car. “Mr. Fu, did you forget something?”
“Back to Huguang Residence.”
That was all he said. Bai Yang felt uneasy and hurried to open the car door.
But Fu Mingyu didn’t get in immediately. Bai Yang turned and saw him standing by the roadside, lighting a cigarette.
Fu Mingyu wasn’t a heavy smoker—a pack would last him nearly half a month, and he rarely smoked in public.
Bai Yang thought, over the past two weeks, he had traveled from Lincheng to Paris, made a detour to Seychelles, and finally returned to Jiangcheng. With severely insufficient sleep, he must truly be exhausted.
Yet in the darkness, the tiny ember flickered on and off, and the tension on Fu Mingyu’s face showed no sign of easing.
An hour later, the car entered Huguang Residence.
As it slowed along the lakeside road, streetlights cast shimmering ripples on the glittering water. Magnolia blossoms hung heavy on the branches, swaying precariously.
Fu Mingyu rolled down the window, letting in gusts of evening breeze. Finally, his expression softened slightly.
Auntie Luo came out to open the door, welcoming Fu Mingyu inside.
“You haven’t been back in over half a month. Madam was talking about you this morning.”
Fu Mingyu glanced around but didn’t see his mother, who had supposedly been talking about him. Instead, a golden retriever bounded over.
After bending down to pet it a couple of times, Fu Mingyu looked up and asked, “Where’s Madam?”
Auntie Luo quickly explained, “The gallery had an opening today, with an afterparty. Madam hasn’t returned yet.”
“Hmm.”
By the time Fu Mingyu went upstairs to take a shower, He Lanxiang had returned.
Holding up the hem of her silk evening gown with one hand and removing earrings the size of pigeon eggs with the other, she glanced at Fu Mingyu as they passed each other on the stairs.
“Come to the dining room later and join me for a late-night snack.”
With that, she walked off like an empress issuing a decree.
Fu Mingyu had planned to eat something anyway.
When he arrived at the dining room, the table was already set with light porridge and side dishes suited to his taste.
Not long after, He Lanxiang came downstairs, having changed out of her formal attire and undone her hairstyle. She sat directly across from Fu Mingyu.
“What exactly happened with Yan An?”
“What do you mean?”
Fu Mingyu looked up, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “It’s been a month. Why are you still asking?”
He Lanxiang stirred her spoon but didn’t take a bite. Though she tried to hide it, her eyes gleamed with gossipy curiosity.
“I heard about it at the banquet. His girlfriend is a minor internet celebrity? I heard she’s been publicly criticizing him online lately, accusing him of cheating and having affairs. Is that true?”
Fu Mingyu lost his appetite. He set down his spoon and replied calmly, “I’m not sure. And she’s his ex-girlfriend.”
“Oh, right. With a mess like that, they must have broken up.”
He Lanxiang knew Fu Mingyu wanted to leave and frowned. “Sit still. How long has it been since you were last home? Can’t you spare some time to talk with me?”
“Go ahead.”He Lanxiang was dissatisfied with Fu Mingyu's attitude, but what could she do? He was her own flesh and blood.
"I think Yan An probably wouldn't go that far. But if a girl is making such a fuss, he definitely bears some responsibility. He must have treated her poorly or been involved with some other girl."
Fu Mingyu perfunctorily grunted in acknowledgment.
He Lanxiang continued on her own, "I heard that girl has one or two million followers? This is going to be hard to smooth over. Your Uncle Yan is very angry right now. This incident has damaged the company's image. On one hand, he's sidelined Yan An; on the other, he won't let that girl off either—she's going to face a lawsuit. If it really is slander, then that girl is in serious trouble. Sigh, you young people these days, why can't you just talk things out properly? Why must you make such an ugly scene?"
This time, the person across from her didn't even grunt in response.
He lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on the bowl in front of him, seemingly lost in thought.
"Forget it, talking to you is so boring." He Lanxiang covered her mouth as she yawned. "Where's the gift?"
Fu Mingyu tilted his chin, gesturing for He Lanxiang to look at the cabinet behind her.
"At least you still think of me."
He Lanxiang stood up and walked over to the display shelf. The first thing she saw was an exquisite velvet box embroidered with the letters "Piaget."
Opening it, she found the high-end jewelry piece she had wanted—the Golden Oasis collection.
After having Auntie Luo put the box away, she noticed another gift beside it.
This box was smaller. She casually opened it to find a string of pearl bracelet resting on black velvet, delicate and lustrous, quite exquisite.
As someone who loved jewelry, she could naturally tell these were natural pearls from the early 1990s.
"Is this for me too?"
Fu Mingyu glanced up at her briefly before looking away again.
"If you like it, take it."
With that, He Lanxiang understood perfectly.
She closed the box and lazily headed upstairs. "I'm not going to take someone else's things."
Halfway up, she leaned against the railing and looked down. "There's a Basel art exhibition at the convention center tomorrow morning. Aren't you free? Come with me."
"No time."
"Hmph."-
Meanwhile, most of the lights in Mingchen Apartments were still on.
Ruan Sixian had taken a bath and felt so comfortable she could have fallen asleep in the tub.
If it weren't for the doorbell ringing, she really wouldn't have wanted to get up.
Who could be visiting so late? Ruan Sixian hurriedly put on clothes, wrapped her hair in a towel, and rushed to check the monitor.
It was actually Yan An.
At this hour, at her home—it was somewhat awkward.
But considering he was, after all, a person of some standing, Ruan Sixian still opened the door.
"President Yan?"
Yan An stood smiling at the doorway. "Why still call me President Yan? That's too formal. You can just call me by my name."
Ruan Sixian nodded. "Is there something you need?"
"Nothing much," Yan An said. "I went to Italy a few days ago, remember? I just got back tonight and brought you a little gift."
As he spoke, he revealed what he had been hiding behind his back.
Even without opening it, Ruan Sixian could tell from the logo alone that it was expensive luxury jewelry.
Ruan Sixian tried to decline, but after a few back-and-forths, Yan An simply stepped inside and placed the box on her entryway table.
"It's just a small token of appreciation. If you don't accept it, you're really not giving me any face."
"..."Ruan Sixian remained silent, and Yan An had nothing else to say. After asking a few questions about her recent situation, to which Ruan Sixian answered one by one, he left when he saw she had no intention of even inviting him in for a glass of water.
Ruan Sixian closed the door and looked at the jewelry box. Yan An’s habit of giving gifts at every turn as a way of pursuing her was truly giving her a headache.
She had been seriously considering it, but his behavior left her feeling stuck in an awkward position.
After blow-drying her hair, she collapsed onto the bed, tossing and turning twice but unable to fall asleep.
She thought again about how Fu Mingyu had stormed off in anger earlier that day.
At the time, he hadn’t said a word. Even though he was so furious he seemed on the verge of exploding, he only stared at her for a few seconds before turning and striding away.
Perhaps it was the night that made her feel relaxed, or maybe the bath had left her drowsy, but Ruan Sixian gradually let her guard down.
For a moment, she wondered if she had been too harsh today.
Thinking calmly, Fu Mingyu had only been helping her retrieve the pilot’s license, and as for touching her hand, it was probably truly accidental.
After all, he was someone with status and reputation—no matter how flawed he might be, he wouldn’t stoop to such behavior.
But she couldn’t help it. Even though she wasn’t usually a hot-tempered person, the sight of Fu Mingyu always seemed to set her off.
Ruan Sixian decided it must be his fault.
She turned over again, and her phone chimed with a notification.
Seeing that the message was from Fu Mingyu, her heart skipped a beat.
[Fu Mingyu]: Do you have any plans tomorrow during the day?
What did this mean?
Had Fu Mingyu finally realized something and decided to invite her to his office for a “chat”?
[Ruan Sixian]: Very busy.
[Fu Mingyu]: You’re on leave tomorrow and the day after.
If he already knew, why bother asking?
[Ruan Sixian]: Can’t I be busy while on leave? I’m going running, working out, and practicing boxing.
After sending it, Ruan Sixian thought for a moment and added another line.
[Ruan Sixian]: In case anyone tries to get handsy again in the future, I won’t even need the police—I can handle it myself.
There was a long silence on the other end, and Ruan Sixian wondered if he had been so angry he’d dropped dead on the spot.
Half a minute later, he sent a voice message.
“Ruan Sixian, I’m telling you for the last time—today was not intentional!”
From his tone, he was clearly furious. For some reason, Ruan Sixian felt a little pleased and curled the corners of her lips, replying with a single “.”
Whether his phone had exploded or he had, there was no further reply. Ruan Sixian gradually drifted off to sleep.
The next day, her alarm went off on time. After washing up, Ruan Sixian put on her workout clothes, tied up her hair, and prepared to go out for a run.
As she was changing her shoes by the door, she heard voices outside.
Thinking it might be her neighbors, she paid no mind. Once her shoes were on, she opened the door, only to find a man and a woman standing right in front of her apartment.
Both were holding their phones, and when they saw Ruan Sixian open the door, they abruptly stopped talking and froze for a moment.
The unexpected turn of events happened in an instant.
Before Ruan Sixian could react, the two suddenly raised their phones and charged forward.
“Where’s Yan An? Come out! Yan An! Get out here!”
Completely unprepared, Ruan Sixian was shoved aside. It wasn’t until the two barged into her apartment that she snapped back to reality.
“What are you doing?”
She chased after them in two strides. “Who are you? Are you insane? Get out!”
The two had come prepared, with clear roles assigned.
The man was responsible for blocking Ruan Sixian, while the woman charged inside with her phone to record everything.Watching helplessly as the woman pushed open her bedroom door, Ruan Sixian was powerless to stop her.
The disparity in physical strength between men and women was simply too great; she couldn’t break free from the man’s grip.
“I’m calling the police!”
But her phone was still in the room, and Ruan Sixian couldn’t get to it.
The woman kicked the door open with a furious momentum and shouted inside, “Yan An!”
She paused for a moment, seeing only a neatly made bed inside.
At this point, even a fool would know what these two were here for.
Ruan Sixian was seething with anger, using all her strength to break free. The man shoved her hard, sending her crashing to the floor.
Her thigh slammed into the coffee table, and Ruan Sixian gasped in pain, unable to get up. Meanwhile, the woman had already started rifling through her wardrobe.
“Yan An! Are you in here?”
“Are you insane?!”
Ruan Sixian struggled to stand, but the man moved to restrain her again.
Before his hands could reach her, a sharp, intense pain suddenly shot through his side, so fierce it felt as if his insides were about to explode.
He collapsed to the floor, his vision swimming with stars. Looking back, he saw the man who had kicked him standing there, his expression icy and his gaze as dark as an abyss.
Their eyes met for only a second before Fu Mingyu turned away, crouching down to offer Ruan Sixian a hand. A faint, mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“Didn’t you say you could handle it yourself?”
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