Li Man almost doubted her own eyes. Was that Fu Xingzhou?
Three years ago, when they first discussed their contract marriage, she had sat on the sofa across from him. He had taken the agreement handed over by Jiang Yue and placed it on the table. His brows were indifferent, his fingers to his arms all exuded distance. Even though he sat right in front of her, it felt as though he were thousands of miles away.
In all the times they met afterwards, unless it was absolutely necessary, his attitude was always aloof. Cold detachment seemed to be the only label that belonged to him, even when she tried to talk to him about trivial matters.
He would merely nod—perhaps he heard, perhaps he didn’t—rarely offering any other opinion, always keeping his words to the bare minimum.
When she wanted him to introduce someone, he would simply lift his eyes and instruct Jiang Yue to arrange it.
Only in those moments did she feel a slight sense that she was his wife.
When she found out that Cheng Yanyu’s former delicate wife, Wen Yang, was now with Fu Xingzhou, she had secretly wondered if perhaps Fu also harbored some kind of revenge in his heart. She imagined their relationship must be just like hers with him during their marriage—at most, maybe just a bit gentler—or perhaps a dynamic where the man dominated and the woman submitted. After all, Cheng Yanyu’s ex-wife clearly lacked a strong personality; she seemed like the type of woman who would be on the losing end of a relationship.
She never expected to see such a scene.
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Wen Yang immediately covered her mouth.
Fu Xingzhou looked up at her.
They met each other’s eyes. Wen Yang let go of her hand and muttered softly, “Alright, yes—I caught a cold.”
Fu Xingzhou looked at her, then picked up the shoe for her other foot. Wen Yang lifted her foot and gently said, “This color’s a bit nicer than the last one. I think it matches better.”
Fu Xingzhou tapped her ankle, “I think so too.”
Wen Yang looked down and said, “Then let’s take this pair.”
Fu Xingzhou nodded, stood up, took her hand and helped her up. Wen Yang, in turn, casually picked up his jacket and hugged it in her arms. Fu Xingzhou turned to the sales associate to speak.
Wen Yang also turned with him, and in that moment, both of them saw Li Man and Cheng Yanyu standing by the counter. Wen Yang immediately noticed Li Man holding onto Cheng Yanyu’s arm and froze.
Strictly speaking, this was the first time she’d seen them together face-to-face since the divorce.
Fu Xingzhou showed no expression when he saw them. He merely glanced at the woman beside him, then wrapped his arm around her waist. Wen Yang looked up at him.
Fu Xingzhou didn’t meet her gaze, he simply said to the sales associate, “Everything she tried on earlier—wrap them all up.”
The sales associate had been watching this man closely since he entered. Now that he spoke, she immediately knew this sale was secure. Smiling brightly, she asked, “Alright, alright. Should I wrap the old pair too?”
Fu Xingzhou turned to Wen Yang, “Do you want it?”
His tone was gentle, full of consideration.
Wen Yang nodded, “Yes, I just took those out. I don’t like them that much, but I can wear them occasionally.”
Fu Xingzhou let out a quiet “mm.”
The sales associate immediately turned to pack everything up. Fu Xingzhou took Wen Yang’s hand to go pay. Wen Yang hesitated, then tiptoed to say to him quietly, “I tried on quite a few pairs just now—you’re buying them all?”
Fu Xingzhou said while paying, “You didn’t say you didn’t like any of them.”
Wen Yang blinked. Alright then, she thought.
You can never have too many shoes.
The checkout counter wasn’t far from the entrance and was quite large. On the entrance side, Li Man and Cheng Yanyu stood, with another sales associate now recommending shoes to them.
One counter, two sides.
Four customers. Two couples. All previously entangled.
Once Fu Xingzhou finished paying, he took Wen Yang’s hand and walked out. After leaving the store, Wen Yang linked her arm through his. Fu Xingzhou looked down at her and tapped her nose, “How long have you been sick? Tell me honestly.”
Wen Yang let out a soft “ay,” and whispered, “About a week.”
Fu Xingzhou asked, “So it started on the night of that thunderstorm?”
Wen Yang nodded.
She tightened her hold on his arm, her voice carrying a trace of a pout.
Fu Xingzhou glanced at her, then led her toward the elevator.
He had suspected it all along. But every time he asked, she’d say she wasn’t sick, trying to hide it so he wouldn’t worry. Fu Xingzhou understood her intention.
But that only made his heart softer.
As they stepped outside, Fu Xingzhou lowered his head and affectionately pinched the tip of Wen Yang’s nose—a scene clearly visible from inside the store.
Li Man sat down on a chair. A sales associate knelt in front of her, helping her try on shoes.
Li Man stared at the associate in a daze.
Cheng Yanyu sat down nearby, replying to messages on his phone. His screen slid a few times, then returned to the top—clearly distracted. Li Man noticed another sales associate holding a shoe box.
She looked up and asked, “Do you have that pair of pale silver shoes the woman tried earlier?”
The associate froze for a second, then replied, “I’m sorry, no. That pair was a limited edition.”
Li Man pressed her lips together.
Cheng Yanyu looked up, “What are you doing?”
Li Man turned to him, her eyes carrying a hint of flirtation, “I like that pair too. Is that not allowed?”
Cheng Yanyu met her gaze.
When they first met, she had looked at him like this as well—smiling, eyes brimming with seduction. Cheng Yanyu paused for a few seconds, then said, “Pick another. That pair was limited edition.”
He looked at the sales assistant and asked, “Are there any other limited edition styles?”
The sales assistant shook her head at him.
Li Man also looked up at the sales assistant. “Then bring out whatever else is expensive.”
The sales assistant thought for a moment and said, “There’s one more pair, please wait a moment.”
She went inside to get it.
Another sales assistant came over and said quietly, “The good pairs were all bought by the previous customer after trying them on.”
The first assistant replied, “I remember there’s one more pair from the new season. The owner’s wife said she was keeping it for herself, but it can be sold if a customer wants it.”
She went in and brought it out.
Returning to Li Man, she took out the shoes — light brown stilettos. Li Man asked to try them on. She glanced over at Cheng Yanyu, who was replying to work messages. Watching him type away, she pressed her lips together, and in the end didn’t ask him for help putting on the shoes.
She snapped out of her daze and tried on the shoes, bored. Then she asked the assistant to pack them up and rang up the purchase.
She also picked out two more pairs, making the total number of shopping bags equal to what Fu Xingzhou had taken away earlier.
Cheng Yanyu paid for them.
The total, however, didn’t match what Fu Xingzhou had spent.
The moment Fu Xingzhou had walked into the store, the sales assistant with good sense had brought out the best shoes.
Outside the store.
Li Man wanted to continue shopping, but at that moment, Cheng Yanyu’s phone rang. The call was from Cheng Shan. He answered it, and Cheng Shan said over the phone, “It’s the flower season in Nancheng this time of year. Your mother tends to overthink things staying at home, so I plan to take her to Nancheng to see the flowers and also to visit you. Since you’ve started a new relationship, for the sake of this family, she should know that the past is behind us. What matters now is moving forward.”
Cheng Yanyu paused.
These past days, whenever he called home, Zheng Guili still treated him coldly. To avoid worsening her mood, he had been calling less often.
His father had been mediating all along.
Now, if his mother was willing to come to Nancheng, that was a good sign.
Cheng Yanyu quickly replied, “Great, when are you coming?”
Cheng Shan said, “I’m still trying to convince your mother. I’ll let you know once we’re on our way. We’ll look around first, no need to worry about us. Once we’re done, we’ll come find you.”
Cheng Yanyu replied, “Okay, Dad.”
After hanging up, he let out a breath of relief. Li Man was looking at silk scarves and casually asked, “Who’s coming?”
Cheng Yanyu walked over and said, “My parents.”
Li Man casually responded, “Oh,” then handed a scarf to the clerk. “This one.”
Cheng Yanyu glanced at her.
Li Man held the scarf up for him to see. “How about this?”
Cheng Yanyu looked at her eyes for a few seconds, then at the scarf. He smiled and said, “Looks good. The color suits you.”
Li Man smiled. “Then let’s add another one in a different color.”
She went to pick out more.
—
After buying the shoes, they got into the elevator.
Wen Yang kept feeling like sneezing and had no intention of continuing to shop. The skyscraper was a massive shopping mall with different levels for various brands. The luxury brands were at the top.
Fu Xingzhou saw her rubbing her nose and asked, “Want to keep shopping?”
Wen Yang shook her head and said, “No, I want to go home.”
She looked up at him. “Where’s your suitcase?”
Fu Xingzhou replied, “Jiang Yue took it back to the club.”
“Then let’s go home?” Wen Yang was about to sneeze again and rubbed her nose. Fu Xingzhou reached out and rubbed it for her, saying, “Okay, let’s go home.”
They went downstairs. Jiang Yue drove the car over, and Wen Yang and Fu Xingzhou got in the backseat. Jiang Yue, being familiar with Wen Yang, greeted her, “Good afternoon, Miss Wen.”
Wen Yang smiled and said, “Good afternoon, Secretary Jiang…”
“Achoo.”
Wen Yang sneezed before finishing her sentence.
Fu Xingzhou signaled to Jiang Yue to turn up the air conditioning. Jiang Yue immediately understood and adjusted it. Fu Xingzhou handed her a few tissues. Wen Yang took them and pressed them to her nose, looked at him, and said, “I was almost better, but now that you brought it up, it’s itchy again.”
Fu Xingzhou replied softly, “So it’s my fault?”
Wen Yang blinked. “Maybe it is.”
That sounded a bit unreasonable.
Fu Xingzhou looked at her and pinched her nose.
Driving up front, Jiang Yue overheard the exchange and thought, Miss Wen is really bold—but only Miss Wen dares to talk to Mr. Fu like that. Being loved gives you confidence.
They arrived at the club.
Wen Yang and Fu Xingzhou went inside. Several pairs of shoes were neatly arranged in the shoe cabinet. The housekeeper had prepared dinner in advance. Hearing movement, she came out with a dish. Wen Yang’s eyes curved in a smile. “Hello, Auntie.”
The housekeeper also smiled upon seeing her. “Miss Wen, come try today’s new dish.”
“Okay.”
She went up to help with the chopsticks.
Fu Xingzhou hung up his coat, rolled up his sleeves, came over, pulled out a chair, and ladled soup for her.
The housekeeper brought out the last dish, took off her apron, and left to give the couple privacy. Wen Yang sipped her soup while Fu Xingzhou picked out food for her. Wen Yang asked softly, “Will Auntie start working again right after getting discharged?”
Fu Xingzhou put food in her bowl and said, “She’ll rest for a while.”
Wen Yang nodded. “That’s good. Returning to work too soon isn’t good for recovery.”
Fu Xingzhou said, “Uncle Chen and Uncle Li will split her duties. Don’t worry—she’s also preparing for retirement.”
Wen Yang listened while sipping soup. “Retirement sounds great.”
Fu Xingzhou glanced at her, a smile tugging at his lips.
She added, “My dad’s biggest dream is to retire.”
Fu Xingzhou smiled in his eyes and responded, “Mhm.”
Wen Yang thought for a moment and looked at him. “What about you?”
Fu Xingzhou looked at her and said, “I’m far from retirement.”
Wen Yang asked, “I mean your dream.”
Fu Xingzhou took a sip of soup. “Qingzhou is my dream.”
Wen Yang understood.
Every entrepreneur wants to grow their business as big as possible.
Fu Xingzhou looked at her and asked, “And yours?”
Wen Yang met his gaze and smiled. “Eat well, work well, and may clients not be too difficult.”
Fu Xingzhou raised his eyebrows and laughed.
After the meal, Wen Yang put the dishes in the dishwasher and washed her hands. When she came out, Fu Xingzhou was at the dining table and had prepared a cup of cold medicine for her—not the regular kind, but one brought from Hong Kong. Wen Yang took the bowl and wrinkled her nose. “Looks so bitter.”
Fu Xingzhou poured a few pieces of candy into his palm. “Drink it and eat the candy.”
Wen Yang said, “Alright.”
She downed it in one go. It really was bitter. She grabbed the candy and popped it into her mouth. The sweetness on her tongue made her feel better.
But the medicine made her drowsy. Fu Xingzhou was reviewing documents on the sofa. Wen Yang had planned to draw, but sleepiness crept in. She leaned into his arms. Fu Xingzhou held her and looked down. “Sleepy?”
Wen Yang looked up and nodded. “Bitter and sleepy.”
“Still bitter?”
She popped two more candies into her mouth.
Wen Yang murmured, “What kind of medicine is this, so bitter?”
Fu Xingzhou looked at her for a few seconds, then leaned down and kissed her. “Let me try.”
Wen Yang’s tongue, still numb from the medicine, touched his. She jerked back, but he held her tongue, sucked gently. He tasted a bit of bitterness, then the sweetness of the candy.
Overall, the sweetness won.
So the kiss deepened.
By the end, Wen Yang was breathless, her eyes misty. She curled up in his arms, too lazy to move.
Sleepiness took over, and she slowly fell asleep.
Fu Xingzhou pulled a nearby blanket over her, put on headphones, and started a business call. One of the companies in Qiu Pei’s portfolio was about to be transferred to him.
That company had just been acquired and was notoriously difficult. Its founder was an infuriating old man. Since Qiu Pei wasn’t in a position to deal with him, it was passed to Fu Xingzhou to handle.
Wen Yang slept soundly.
Fu Xingzhou kept his voice low. The executives, hearing his quiet tone, assumed he was still in Paris and didn’t want to disturb Qiu. They also lowered their voices accordingly.
Wen Yang’s long hair fell across his lap. He reached out and brushed her bangs aside. Her profile while sleeping was soft and beautiful, with long lashes—very eye-catching.
—
Late at night.
Li Man sat on the couch with her laptop open, casually watching fashion shows. A blog pushed a new article. Li Man paused when she saw it.
A few seconds later—
She released her crossed arms, picked up her phone, and after three login attempts, finally got into a blog app using a verification code. She tapped into her followed accounts.
She got in.
Fxz’s account.
The account hadn’t changed at all, but at the very top was his latest post.
It was a new photo.
In the photo was Wen Yang.
Sansukini: Heh, our OTP just ignored those two cheaters.
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It was amazing how they ignored like they were not even existing. 😍👏🏾
Li Man never learn. What does she want now logging into his account sneakily? Does she want to completely close all the way out for herself? Does she forget the warning?
She’s also very greedy & selfish..Cheng Yuyan, be careful that she will lead you into bankruptcy.
Why don’t you also learn something?!
Li Man is seriously such a vain person. How could she just bought anything expensive just to outperform what Wen Yang buy? Knowing Wen Yang, we know that she prefers comfortable, functionality and style that suits her instead of for the sake buying something expensive. That limited item thing Wen Yang probably didn’t even notice it because Xing Zhao was distracting her and knowing her she would probably say something about how expensive it is and opt for cheaper and reasonable one if she knows.