Chapter 59: Fu Xingzhou Helping Wen Yang Put on Shoes

Returning to the residential area to fetch her luggage, Wen Yang had consciously packed everything this morning. With the suitcase standing upright, Fu Xingzhou took it from her, and the two headed downstairs. The weather in Paris today was gray and somewhat cold.

As they passed by the Western-style kitchen island on the first floor, Wen Yang said to Fu Xingzhou, “There’s still some marinated beef in the fridge. I only marinated a little. Just pan-fry it briefly and it’ll be ready to eat.”

“There’s also Lingzhi soup I made for Auntie—two bowls left. Remember to heat them up for her.”

Fu Xingzhou already knew this, but Wen Yang still reminded him again.

Fu Xingzhou’s voice was clear and crisp. “I’ll remember.”

He held her hand.

Wen Yang linked arms with him as they walked out the door.

In just four days, the previously messy first floor had become much more orderly, including the kitchen. Over the years, Qiu Pei had always employed a housekeeper, but once the help was gone, the place would quickly become a mess.

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Wen Yang felt more at ease hearing that. She said, “That’s good.”

The silver sedan arrived at the airport. It was still early. Fu Xingzhou got out, took her suitcase, and held her hand as they went to check in and entered the VIP lounge.

When Wen Yang saw Fu Xingzhou checking in her luggage, she was a bit surprised. “You booked first class?”

Fu Xingzhou took the card and looked at her. “You can get some good sleep on the plane. First class will be more comfortable.”

Wen Yang responded softly, “Okay.”

Actually, business class wasn’t much different. When she came earlier, it was business class too—mainly because economy tickets were sold out. Fu Xingzhou led her out to find some food. In the huge shopping center, fragrances from various perfumes floated through the air. They sat down in a restaurant, and Wen Yang glanced at him. “Did you arrange food for Auntie?”

Fu Xingzhou noticed that even though she was about to return to China, she was still thinking about Qiu Pei. His eyes softened as he said, “Uncle Chen already delivered the food.”

Wen Yang felt reassured.

After eating, they strolled around casually. It was almost time to board. Fu Xingzhou accompanied her inside, pulling her suitcase for early check-in, and they finally arrived at the boarding gate.

The wind was strong. Night had fallen, and neon lights lit up the city of Paris.

Wen Yang looked up at Fu Xingzhou.

He looked down at her.

In the wind, both of them knew they were about to part.

They had agreed to meet in a week, and after that week, he flew to Paris. If she hadn’t made this trip, they would have been apart even longer. These four days felt stolen and had passed quickly.

Fu Xingzhou put one arm around her waist and kissed her lips.

Under the night sky, with a massive airplane behind them, Wen Yang tilted her head to meet his kiss, which deepened into a long one. In the romantic city of Paris, everything felt so natural.

After a while.

Wen Yang’s eyes were misty, her arms around his neck.

Fu Xingzhou gazed at her, his reluctance evident in his eyes. He said softly, “Get some rest on the plane. Message me when you land.”

Wen Yang nodded.

She whispered, “Taking care of Auntie is important, but you need to rest too.”

He had barely slept the past two nights.

Fu Xingzhou gave a soft “Mm.”

People were boarding now—time waits for no one. Wen Yang released his neck, and Fu Xingzhou held her hand to escort her to the gate. As she climbed the steps, she looked back at him. The man stood below, watching her depart.

Today, he was dressed in a black shirt and pants—casual, with eyes as dark as ink.

Wen Yang met his gaze for a few seconds before turning to walk up the steps. Only when she entered the cabin did Fu Xingzhou finally leave. As soon as Wen Yang sat down, the flight attendant came over to serve her. She brought her a blanket and some desserts and spoke to her in English.

Wen Yang was well taken care of.

The flight attendant even bent over with a smile and asked if she needed anything else—she could have whatever she liked.

Wen Yang smiled and shook her head. “Nothing for now.”

The flight attendant nodded and left.

A nearby passenger glanced at Wen Yang. Who is this woman? He felt the flight attendant was much more enthusiastic toward her than him—was he imagining things?

Wen Yang wanted to sleep a bit, but once the plane was in the air, she still wasn’t sleepy. She opened her laptop to sketch. Her cabin door was open, and the passenger next to her, after returning from the bathroom, placed a business card on her table.

Wen Yang was startled. She picked up the card and looked up, asking in English.

The man smiled and asked for one of her business cards in exchange.

Wen Yang glanced at his—he worked in finance.

She smiled, took one from her bag, and handed it to him.

He looked pleased and returned to his seat.

—

She arrived in Nancheng around 1:30 p.m. the next day. The weather in Nancheng wasn’t great either—overcast and gray. A black car with a Hong Kong license plate was parked by the road. When Jiang Yue saw her, he immediately came forward.

Wen Yang was slightly surprised. “Secretary Jiang, when did you get here?”

Jiang Yue smiled. “Just arrived, Miss Wen. President Fu said it might rain today, and since I happened to be in Nancheng, I came to pick you up.”

Wen Yang responded softly, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Going home or to the studio?” Jiang Yue asked.

Once Wen Yang got in the car, she said, “Let’s go to the studio first—I need to submit a draft.”

“Got it.”

Jiang Yue started the car.

In the back seat, Wen Yang yawned. She had barely slept all night. She picked up her phone and messaged Fu Xingzhou.

Wen Yang: I’ve landed.

She sent him a photo too.

It was around 7:30 a.m. in Paris. Fu Xingzhou had just showered after returning home, poured himself a coffee at the island, and replied:

Fu Xingzhou: Okay.

Wen Yang suddenly remembered the business card from the plane.

She sent him a photo of it too: A guy in first class gave me his business card. He works in finance.

Fu Xingzhou glanced at it: I know this company.

Wen Yang: Is it useful to you?

Fu Xingzhou: Not really.

Wen Yang: Oh.

Wen Yang: How’s Auntie?

Fu Xingzhou: Just fell asleep.

Fu Xingzhou: She misses you.

Wen Yang paused.

A few seconds later, Fu Xingzhou sent another message:

Fu Xingzhou: I miss you too.

Wen Yang looked out at the familiar scenery of Nancheng and replied:

Wen Yang: Me too.

Endless longing was hidden in the words.

Fu Xingzhou lifted his gaze to the Post-it note on the fridge with her handwriting and a small doodle.

The car arrived at her studio building.

Jiang Yue helped her with the suitcase. Wen Yang took it and smiled, thanking him before heading upstairs. As soon as she exited the elevator, Yu Qing, munching on bread, turned and saw her.

“You’re back! My Yang Bao!”

Tao Li and the others also saw her and gathered around. At that moment, Wen Yang was like a god of wealth—everyone was waiting for her to return and hand out salaries. Tao Li hugged her tightly.

Wen Yang laughed. “Alright, alright. I’ll make sure everyone gets paid today.”

Tao Li cheered. “Sister Wen Yang is the best!”

Wen Yang chuckled. “Stop flattering me.”

She went to the lounge area, opened her suitcase, and took out some small gifts. Yu Qing hugged her from behind and peeked in. “You even had time to buy gifts for us?”

Wen Yang placed the duty-free perfumes on the table. “Bought them at the airport before I left.”

She picked them out herself.

Fu Xingzhou had quietly paid the bill.

The others all gasped in delight and rushed over to choose perfumes. Yu Qing pinched Wen Yang’s cheek and picked a bottle. “So good—I love this scent.”

Wen Yang smiled. “Glad you like it.”

Yu Qing sniffed the fragrance and asked about Fu Xingzhou’s mother’s condition. Wen Yang packed her suitcase and sat at her desk, opening her laptop to contact clients, answering Yu Qing as she worked.

Yu Qing sat beside her. “These days, medical advancements are amazing. The survival rate for this illness is quite high.”

Wen Yang nodded. “Yes.”

Yu Qing thought for a moment and added, “His mom invests in luxury brands—that’s impressive. Very lucrative too, and it takes real vision.”

Wen Yang thought of Qiu Pei—so stylish and individualistic despite her seemingly carefree nature—and nodded. “She’s definitely amazing.”

Qiu Pei had an artist’s flair in some ways.

Elegant, fashionable, laid-back, with a kind yet sharp personality.

Yu Qing: “Looks like your boyfriend’s whole family is something else.”

Wen Yang nudged her.

Yu Qing just giggled.

The client saw the draft and gave quick feedback — she was very satisfied and sent Wen Yang a thumbs-up, saying, “I had a good feeling about you from the first time I saw your videos. I’m looking forward to the day my house is finished and I can move in. Finally, I won’t have to worry about being kicked out by the landlord anymore.”

Wen Yang replied, “Congratulations! You finally have your own little place.”

The female client replied cheerfully, “Yes! Thank you so much!”

Wen Yang: “You’re welcome, it’s my pleasure. I’ll get in touch with the renovation team. Do you need to pick a date on your end?”

Client: “Wen Yang, can you choose for me? I don’t really know how to.”

Wen Yang said, “Sure.”

Previously, when the stairs had to be redesigned, Wen Yang also helped the client make decisions. Zhu Yun was quite knowledgeable about these things, so Wen Yang usually relied on Zhu Yun to help understand them. This client was easy to communicate with, and Wen Yang enjoyed working with her.

But when she thought of another client, she felt a slight headache coming on. That client had already submitted their requirements, but Wen Yang was still hesitating about when to start drawing. If the client wanted to keep making changes during the process, it would be a real hassle.

Still, getting the requirements was at least a step forward.

In the afternoon—

When Yu Qing saw Wen Yang return, she called everyone to go out for a group dinner. Mainly because everyone had just gotten paid and had some money in their pockets. Wen Yang took her suitcase back to her place and joined them for the dinner.

Who knew—

After the dinner, on the way back with Yu Qing, it started to rain. The restaurant they chose was close to Yage, so they didn’t drive the mini car and instead walked. They got thoroughly soaked on the way back. Spring rain in Nancheng is cold.

Wen Yang’s shoes got waterlogged and couldn’t be worn anymore.

When the two got back, they quickly showered. Wen Yang sat in bed sipping ginger tea. Just then, Fu Xingzhou called. Wen Yang put on her Bluetooth earphones, hugged a pillow, sniffled, and said, “It’s raining in Nancheng.”

Fu Xingzhou heard her voice. “Caught a cold?”

Wen Yang didn’t want him to worry and immediately shook her head. “Nope.”

Fu Xingzhou went quiet for a few seconds. “Don’t lie to me.”

“Really, I didn’t.” Just as she said that, a flash of lightning lit up outside. Wen Yang quickly put her cup on the nightstand in case she accidentally knocked it over in panic.

She hugged her pillow tightly and softly said, “There’s thunder.”

Fu Xingzhou: “Are you afraid of thunder?”

Wen Yang pursed her lips. “Just a little.”

“But tonight’s not too bad, the thunder’s not very loud.”

At that moment, Fu Xingzhou had a strong urge to return to her side. He said, “Go to bed early. Will you be able to sleep?”

Wen Yang nodded. “Of course.”

“What about you? Are you still at the hospital?”

Fu Xingzhou: “Yeah.”

“How’s Auntie?”

“She’s watching a drama.”

Wen Yang replied with an “Oh.”

It was 4:30 PM over there. She had added Qiu Pei on WeChat, and Qiu Pei had just shared the American drama she was watching to kill time.

When Wen Yang was there, she had someone to talk to. Now that she was gone, Qiu Pei didn’t have much to say to her son, so watching dramas became her only pastime.

Chen Shang and Li Luo would occasionally visit and talk to her about business matters. Her company was pretty much separate from Fu Xingzhou’s group; they were in completely different fields.

Fu Xingzhou was more calm and decisive in handling things.

Qiu Pei was more laid-back and gentle. The mother and son didn’t interfere in each other’s affairs — their approaches were so different it would upset the balance if they did.

Wen Yang’s nose was a bit stuffed, but she didn’t want Fu Xingzhou to notice. She kept drinking ginger tea and said, “We got paid today, so we went out for dinner.”

“What’d you eat?”

Wen Yang smiled warmly. “Hotpot.”

Fu Xingzhou raised his eyebrows. “Spicy?”

Wen Yang: “A little. We ordered a dual-flavor pot. What about you and Auntie? Did you eat steak?”

Fu Xingzhou: “Yes. It was delicious.”

Wen Yang smiled, her eyes curving gently.

They chatted for a while. As her nose got stuffier, Wen Yang pretended to be sleepy and said she wanted to hang up. Fu Xingzhou said, “Good night.”

Wen Yang: “Good night.”

After hanging up, Wen Yang got out of bed to grab a nasal spray and used it.

Yu Qing also came in rubbing her nose. “Ugh, I think I’m catching a cold.”

She grabbed a tissue and blew her nose.

Wen Yang gave a helpless smile.

The next day, both of them really did catch colds. Thankfully, they didn’t get fevers. But the cold lingered for nearly a week.

A week later, Qiu Pei was discharged from the hospital. She sent Wen Yang a photo of herself wearing a dress after being discharged.

Wen Yang replied: “You look great.”

Qiu Pei: “You really know how to talk.”

Wen Yang: “I mean it. You look beautiful.”

Qiu Pei: (kiss emoji)

Wen Yang smiled and sent back an emoji.

Right after texting with Qiu Pei—

Fu Xingzhou also messaged: Where are you?

Wen Yang blinked, replying: At the skyscraper.

Fu Xingzhou: Okay.

Wen Yang was at a mall in the skyscraper, buying shoes. The rain that day had ruined her previous pair. She was trying on shoes when she saw his message and asked: You’re back in the country?

Fu Xingzhou: Yeah. Which store are you in?

Wen Yang told him the store name.

“Miss Wen, how about this pair?” the sales assistant brought over a pair of shoes and knelt to help her try them on. Wen Yang looked down and tried them.

After a while, when she looked up, she saw Fu Xingzhou walking in, an overcoat slung over his arm. He looked travel-worn but tall, noble, and handsome.

Wen Yang was slightly stunned. “You’re here already?”

Fu Xingzhou’s voice was crisp and clear. “The airport’s not far.”

He glanced at the shoes in the assistant’s hand, casually picked up one, walked over, crouched down, and took hold of her foot. “What happened to the other pair? Weren’t they new?”

Wen Yang’s ears turned slightly red at his gesture. She said softly, “I just wanted to change them.”

She didn’t dare admit they were ruined.

Fu Xingzhou looked at her, then bent down and helped her put on the shoe.

The sales assistant was stunned — this handsome man just casually crouched down like that, and the watch on his wrist was clearly expensive, showing he was no ordinary person.

Wen Yang wore a light-colored dress, and Fu Xingzhou a light shirt. One sitting, one kneeling — they made a beautiful picture.

Wen Yang leaned in a bit and said, “That original style is sold out. This is all they have left now.”

Fu Xingzhou held her ankle and said, “This pair’s not bad. Do you like it?”

Wen Yang nodded.

The two of them continued chatting softly. Fu Xingzhou asked the assistant to bring another pair for her to try.

Just then—

Two people walked into the store.

Li Man walked in holding Cheng Yanyu’s arm. As soon as they entered, they looked up to find a sales assistant — and instead immediately saw the two people in front of them: Fu Xingzhou helping Wen Yang with her shoes, and Wen Yang, hair pulled up in soft curls, revealing her beautiful side profile as she chatted with him.

---

Sansukini: It sucks to be Li Man and Cheng Yanyu right now.

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