Chapter 60 I'm in [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Fu Xianyin turns around.

When Fu Xianyin woke up, it was already completely dark.

She jumped out of bed and checked her phone, only to find it was already 5 a.m.

When I opened it again, the call had lasted for almost seven hours.

Gu Linzhao... he actually survived.

An indescribable bittersweet feeling filled my heart, and every crevice was filled with a tingling sensation.

Fu Xianyin's index finger hovered over the phone, but he hesitated to press it.

Long, drawn-out breaths came from the other end of the phone. As Fu Xianyin listened, she suddenly chuckled softly.

The laughter startled her. Fu Xianyin quickly muted her own voice and then turned on speakerphone, turning the volume up to the maximum.

She turned off the lights, lay down on the bed, placed her phone next to her pillow, and stared blankly at the ceiling in the dimly lit room.

After some time, I heard some rustling sounds coming from the other end of the phone.

Fu Xianyin glanced at the time and realized it was already six o'clock.

She turned off the mute and asked softly, "You're awake?"

"Hmm," Gu Linzhao responded softly.

Perhaps because he had just woken up, his voice was still a little hoarse: "When did you wake up?"

With the phone right next to her ear, she turned it on speakerphone.

Gu Linzhao's hoarse voice reached her ears.

It was as if Gu Linzhao himself was speaking in her ear.

For some reason, Fu Xianyin suddenly felt her cheeks getting hot.

Her throat seemed a little dry. She pursed her lips and said, "I woke up around five o'clock last night..."

The person on the other end of the phone laughed when he mentioned last night.

His laughter pounded against Fu Xianyin's eardrums, making her heart pound.

She suddenly felt a little embarrassed and annoyed, and muttered in a low voice, "What are you laughing at?"

Gu Linzhao said, "It's nothing."

Fu Xianyin became even more annoyed.

In the past, if she had lost her temper, she would have hung up the phone immediately, without caring about anything else.

But now, my finger hovers over the red hang-up button for a long time, and I can't bear to press it.

She cursed herself in her heart, feeling sorry for her misfortune and angry at her lack of ambition.

After grumbling for a long time, his body betrayed him; the little red button lingered on his fingertip for a long time, but he just couldn't press it.

Feelings are such a strange and annoying thing.

Fu Xuanyin gently stroked the side of her phone, and heard the person on the other end say, "Are you angry?"

Fu Xianyin bit her lip, let out a soft hum through her nose, and said nothing.

Gu Linzhao said good-naturedly, "I have to go to my morning reading session. Do you still want to make a phone call tonight?"

Fu Xianyin retorted stubbornly, "Why would I want to make a phone call? Didn't you ask me if I wanted to? If anyone should be asking, it should be you who wants to make the call."

Gu Linzhao said, "Alright, I want to play."

His tone was gentle and helpless, brimming with indulgence.

Fu Xianyin finally laughed out loud.

She said, "Alright then, since you want to make the call, I'll reluctantly agree."

With a beep, the call ended.

Gu Linzhao looked at the screen on his phone and chuckled to himself.

After hanging up the phone, Fu Xianyin reviewed yesterday's vocabulary and memorized today's words.

It was already bright outside. She estimated the time and went downstairs to her classroom.

At the hotel entrance, Fu Xianyin saw a familiar person.

Shao Yang sat on the hotel sofa, his gold-rimmed glasses hanging on his wrist. His long legs were bent, and his usually impeccably tailored suit was slightly wrinkled.

Fu Xianyin paused, preparing to leave quickly, when she heard footsteps behind her.

She took a deep breath, turned around, and met Shao Yang's smiling face.

Shao Yang politely asked, "Ms. Fu, how have your studies been these past two weeks?"

Fu Xianyin remained unmoved: "When will Fu Dongyuan give me shares?"

Just when everyone thought this tactic would still work, Shao Yang said, "I came here today to talk to Miss Fu about this matter."

Oh wow.

Fu Xianyin raised an eyebrow and sized up Shao Yang.

Shao Yang's smile widened: "Then I wonder if Miss Fu is available now..."

"inconvenient."

Fu Xianyin said.

She saw Shao Yang's smile freeze on his face, and felt even more relieved.

She smiled and said, "I have an exam next week. I finally managed to snag a spot. I have to go to class now. We can talk after class."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Shao Yang paused for two seconds, looked at Fu Xianyin's back, and then took a step to catch up with her.

He said, "Miss Fu, let me see you off."

Fu Xianyin remained unmoved by either soft or hard approaches: "No need, the classroom is very close to here, I can walk there."

She turned to look at Shao Yang and said, "If Fu Dongyuan wants to drag it out, then I'll drag it out too. Anyway, I've made my demands very clear, so there's nothing to talk about."

Shao Yang sighed silently.

This Miss Fu was tall and slender, with a bright and beautiful appearance. Her eyes crinkled when she smiled. When Shao Yang first met her, he thought she was the kind of easy-going young lady.

I never imagined he was practically a carbon copy of his boss.

Talking to smart people is very simple. You can say two sentences and they will understand five. It saves you time and effort.

Dealing with smart people is the most frustrating thing in the world. You say five sentences, and a smart person will only reply with one, leaving you to guess the remaining four.

Especially someone like Miss Fu, who is both intelligent and stubborn.

The most difficult to deal with.

Shao Yang silently repeated to himself ten thousand times: Fu Dongyuan pays my salary, Fu Dongyuan pays my salary, Fu Dongyuan pays my salary...

Then, resigned, he followed.

There is one week left before Fu Xianyin's first exam.

After memorizing vocabulary for two weeks and learning many test-taking skills, Fu Xianyin gradually felt that reading was not so difficult.

The teacher set a goal for her: a TOEFL score of 100 and an SAT score of 1500.

The math section of the SAT wasn't difficult for Fu Xianyin; the main challenge was the reading section.

Fu Xianyin even felt that she had spoken more English than Chinese in the past two weeks.

She took a mock test this morning, scoring 24 in reading and 18 in listening. Her teacher also graded her speaking and writing on the spot, giving her scores of 21 and 22 respectively.

Ms. Qin was not very satisfied with her score: "Your total score is 85, which is still a bit short of 95."

Looking at her grades on the computer, Fu Xianyin said, "I will work hard."

Qin Yi said, "Let's take a break."

Fu Xianyin nodded and said, "Okay, teacher."

Qin Yi was the tutor that Shao Yang found for her; she was mainly responsible for the TOEFL listening section.

She looked at Fu Xianyin, who was slumped over the table, and left without saying anything more.

About ten minutes later, a box of grilled meat bibimbap was placed on the table.

Qin Yi said calmly, "There's a mock exam this afternoon, so eat something for lunch."

After saying that, she left the classroom without giving Fu Xianyin a chance to refuse.

Fu Xianyin was already quite exhausted last night, waiting for the mock exam in the afternoon.

She rubbed her temples, preparing to pack her things and leave. Just as she stepped out of the classroom, she heard Qin Yi's voice coming from not far away.

She said, "Xianyin studies very hard and has made good progress. The English of students in regular high schools is generally not good, so she is already considered to be one of the best in regular high schools."

Shao Yang said, "I'll have to trouble Teacher Qin to keep an eye on her."

Qin Yi said, "Xianyin knows her own limits and doesn't need me to push her much. She's already working very hard. Improving English takes time, and ability is also a very important factor. Right now, apart from listening, her other scores are pretty good."

Fu Xianyin walked out with her schoolbag on her back, and Shao Yang smiled when he saw her.

He said, "Then I won't bother Teacher Qin any longer. I'll take her back first."

Fu Xianyin followed Shao Yang slowly.

As soon as they stepped out the door, the instant Shao Yang spoke, Fu Xianyin preemptively asked, "When will I get the shares?"

She emphasized, "I told Fu Dongyuan it was 10% of the shares."

Shao Yang felt that his smile was about to crumble.

He sighed and said, "Mr. Fu means that he intends to give you three percent of the shares, but he can give you two million every year."

Fu Xianyin sneered: "Two million, in US dollars?"

Shao Yang: "...Miss Fu is joking."

Amidst the bustling traffic of the office building, Shao Yang spoke up: "This isn't a suitable place to talk, Miss Fu. Shall we find another spot?"

"Milk tea shops, coffee shops, um..." Shao Yang tried hard to think of places that kids this age would like.

Until Fu Xianyin spoke coldly: "A bar."

Shao Yang: ...

How could he categorize Miss Fu with children of this age?

No child her age is as difficult as her.

He chuckled twice and said, "Miss Fu is joking."

Fu Xianyin's uncooperative attitude was so obvious that Shao Yang was even considering whether to just go back and report this time.

Unexpectedly, Fu Xianyin suddenly spoke up and asked, "Shall we go over there to chat?"

Shao Yang looked in the direction she was pointing, and then fell silent.

That damn thing actually was a bar!

Shao Yang's expression was somewhat complicated.

Fu Xianyin, who was standing next to her, was not very patient. She said, "If you don't want to go, then I'll go back."

"Go away, go away." Shao Yang silently chanted to himself: Boss, pay me my salary, boss, give me a raise, boss, pay me my salary, boss, give me a raise...

He took a deep breath and started walking.

Fu Xianyin followed behind him, smiling happily.

She originally didn't want to talk to Shao Yang.

However, after completing the two mock exams today, Fu Xianyin's mind needs to relax before returning to study mode.

It wasn't dark yet, the bar had just opened, and there were almost no people there.

Fu Xianyin found a corner, and Shao Yang sat down opposite her. The waiter handed over the wine list and asked, "What would you two like to drink?"

Shao Yang handed the wine list to Fu Xianyin, who flipped through it carefully, her gaze lingering on it for a moment before she said, "I'd like a pineapple juice."

Shao Yang: ...

He closed his eyes and said, "Give me a cup of black tea, thank you."

Fu Xianyin sat casually in the chair, raised his chin like a young master, and said, "Speak."

Shao Yang repeated what he had just said, but before he could finish saying "What do you think, Miss Fu?", he was interrupted by Fu Xianyin.

Her face darkened, and she sneered, "Does Fu Dongyuan think I'm stupid? I asked for 10%, and he said 3%. Even feeding a dog would require more."

Shao Yang pushed up his glasses and said, "Ms. Fu, you are still a minor. Having such a large amount of shares in your possession is not a very safe thing for you. In comparison, money is what you need right now."

He said, "Studying abroad requires money, and two million a year is enough to ensure you have no worries about food and clothing."

Fu Xianyin said, "I am quite well-off now."

The bar was dimly lit, and Fu Xianyin sat in a corner, half of her small face hidden in the darkness.

She said, "Since it's not safe for these shares to stay with me, Chen Huimei is an adult, so it would be much safer to keep them with her. Let them get a divorce then."

The drinks were served, and Fu Xianyin gently swirled the glass of pineapple juice.

Just when Shao Yang thought that this Miss Fu was going to pour the pineapple juice over his head, he heard Miss Fu speak.

“From a young age, I studied hard and tried my best to maintain the precarious relationship between Fu Dongyuan and Chen Huimei. My dad went out to brothels and indulged in debauchery, while I stayed at home studying hard and even got first place in my grade, but my mom still scolded me for being a good-for-nothing. That’s why my dad went out to find other women and didn’t even want to come home to see them.”

“Even so, I would still say nice things to both sides. When Fu Dongyuan asked me if Chen Huimei was crazy, I would tell him that Chen Huimei missed him very much, that Chen Huimei loved him very much, and that she had cooked his favorite dishes at home and was waiting for him. When Chen Huimei asked me if Fu Dongyuan was soliciting prostitutes, I would tell her that Fu Dongyuan was just too busy with work to come home.”

“I have hardly ever felt any love from my parents growing up. The little bit of warmth they showed me was enough to make me kneel down and beg them to look at me more.”

Her tone was calm, but Shao Yang still saw a fleeting flicker of emotion in her eyes.

Fu Xianyin raised her head, looked at Shao Yang, and said, "Secretary Shao, this is what happens when you become the daughter of a rotten cucumber and a crazy woman."

Shao Yang fell silent.

To be precise, he didn't know what to say.

Fu Xianyin looked at his silence and suddenly laughed: "So, I've endured this for seventeen years, and now Fu Dongyuan wants to squeeze the last bit of profit out of me. Tell me, how do you think I'll feel?"

The glass clattered on the table with a thud.

Fu Xianyin stood up, leaving only one sentence:

"I want to take a knife and stab Fu Dongyuan and Chen Huimei to death, and then jump off the building myself."

"My life is already so bad, we might as well all die together."

Outside the bar, Fu Xianyin felt refreshed and invigorated.

Indeed, going crazy is the best way to relieve troubles. She's finally understanding that now.

She walked back with her schoolbag on her back, her steps becoming much lighter along the way.

I've relaxed my brain to the fullest, and I've gone crazy to the fullest.

Fu Xianyin opened her book, set an alarm, and continued studying.

Fu Xianyin had arranged to call Gu Linzhao this morning, and now that it was just getting dark, her heart was already fluttering with excitement.

After finishing my physics exercises and memorizing some vocabulary, the alarm clock went off.

She sprang up from the table with a start, then slowly sat back down. Her hair, which had been casually styled in a messy bun, was now carefully untied and clipped back into place.

A glass of warm water to soothe the throat was placed on the table, and she had tidied up the table, which was originally cluttered with various exercise books.

Everything was ready. Fu Xianyin opened the chat window with Gu Linzhao and waited quietly.

Shortly after, a message popped up: [Want to make a call?]

Fu Xianyin picked up her phone to reply to the message, but after she had already typed "OK" and the message was displayed in the chat box, she suddenly pressed the lock screen button.

"I can't reply so quickly," Fu Xianyin told herself.

It's as if she spends all day squatting in front of her phone waiting for his messages.

After silently counting to sixty in her mind, Fu Xianyin sent out the word "good".

Gu Linzhao's call came instantly.

Fu Xianyin answered the call, pursed her lips, and said, "Can you hear me?"

Gu Linzhao said in a low voice, "I can hear you."

Fu Xianyin asked, "Have you gone back to your dorm?"

Gu Linzhao said, "Yeah, I just got back. I'll go to sleep later."

Fu Xianyin said, "Then let's study a little longer." After saying that, fearing that Gu Linzhao would think she didn't want to make the call, she added, "The call will stay connected."

Gu Linzhao said, "Okay."

There was nothing wrong with it, but Fu Xianyin suddenly felt that her intentions seemed a little too obvious.

She quickly explained, "I live alone, and it's too quiet in the house. I'm talking to you on the phone to hear what's going on."

This time, Gu Linzhao's voice contained a smile.

Fu Xianyin continued working on the problems.

The other end of the phone was quiet, except for the occasional rustling of writing and the turning of pages.

That's enough.

Fu Xianyin thought.

There's no need to say anything, just stay with her, let her hear some noise, and let her feel that she's not alone, that he's with her.

After finishing his physics assignment, Fu Xianyin began working on his chemistry assignment.

With less practice problems, Fu Xianyin felt like everything had returned to the beginning of the semester.

After writing two pages of questions, she closed her pen, sighed, and suddenly couldn't help but speak up: "Gu Linzhao."

Gu Linzhao's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hmm?"

Fu Xianyin didn't say anything, but continued to call his name: "Gu Linzhao".

A soft sigh escaped from the other end, followed by a helpless reply: "I'm here."

A smile involuntarily crept onto my lips, and my heart pounded with joy.

"Gu Linzhao".

"I am here."

"Gu Linzhao".

"I am here."

...

"Gu Linzhao?"

"I am here."

For several days in a row, Gu Linzhao would call her after returning to his dormitory from evening self-study.

Actually, we don't say much. Most of the time, we just make a phone call, then each of us studies our own thing, and hang up around 11 or 12 o'clock.

Sometimes, after a long silence, Fu Xianyin would call out Gu Linzhao's name.

He will always respond to her.

Fu Xianyin hasn't seen Shao Yang since that day at the bar.

Fu Dongyuan probably realized that she was not easy to fool, and was preparing to raise the stakes a bit more.

This is exactly what Fu Xianyin wanted to do.

She actually knew that she couldn't possibly get 10% of the shares.

Holding 10% of the shares is equivalent to having some real power.

She has the authority to convene temporary shareholder meetings and participate in some of the company's major decisions.

Fu Dongyuan probably didn't think she was so cunning. Her asking for 10% of the shares was probably because she thought she knew some negotiation skills, so she made an outrageous demand right from the start. As for how much she would give, Fu Dongyuan probably initially thought that no matter how much he offered, she would agree.

That's why she asked Shao Yang to persuade her to give less shares and more money.

But Fu Xianyin refused.

This made Fu Dongyuan realize that his daughter didn't seem to be completely uninvolved in the company's competition, contrary to what she had said.

Sometimes, Fu Xianyin would wonder if she was being too greedy. It didn't seem like a good thing to make Fu Dongyuan wary of her at this point.

But then she thought about it again. Fu Dongyuan was already using her as a tool. If she didn't take advantage of this great opportunity to get something out of Fu Dongyuan, Fu Xianyin even suspected that if the company had any bad debts in the future, it wouldn't be impossible for Fu Dongyuan to push her out to take the blame.

She wanted the shares, but didn't want to get involved in anything scandalous.

She wants both.

Why can't it be done?

She also has the surname Fu, so there's no reason why Fu Dongyuan can have everything while she has nothing.

She had already found a lawyer in Beijing, and Fu Dongyuan's decision to bring her to Beijing made it easier for her to make plans for herself.

If it were in Beichuan, Fu Xianyin would also have to worry about whether Fu Dongyuan would find out about the lawyer she had hired, and whether Fu Dongyuan would get involved.

But in Beijing, Fu Dongyuan's reach couldn't extend that far.

She can actually feel a little more at ease.

Besides the shares, Fu Xianyin's mock exam scores also improved this week.

I seem to have broken through some key points in the TOEFL reading section, and I've been able to get around 25 in several mock tests. My listening score is still hovering around 20, but all in all, my total score is over 90.

Looking at the latest mock exam results, Qin Yi looked at Fu Xianyin and said, "To be honest, you have indeed made great progress."

In terms of exam preparation, Fu Xianyin was a complete one-sided student.

English proficiency from regular high schools is often insufficient for the TOEFL, especially in listening. Even after practicing for a while, Fu Xianyin still cannot meet Qin Yi's requirements.

However, Fu Xianyin's mathematical abilities were astonishing.

When Fu Xianyin first arrived in Beijing, Qin Yi arranged for her to take a mock exam.

The results that time were naturally disastrous; the TOEFL score was just over 80 points, which, in Qin Yi's words, was enough to not be able to get into any good school.

However, Fu Xianyin scored 760 in math, which, despite her weak reading score, brought her SAT score up to over 1300.

By the end of the first week, Fu Xianyin will have scored full marks in math.

After three weeks, I can score around 100 on the TOEFL and nearly 1500 on the SAT.

Language is difficult to master quickly, but Qin Yi had to admit that Fu Xianyin's progress was remarkable.

However, the difficulty in applying is not only due to the exam, but also the time commitment.

Fu Xianyin started learning too late.

The second SAT exam will be held in February of next year, and some schools have already closed their applications before February.

This means that Fu Xianyin can only use this one score to apply.

Standardized tests are not an advantageous path, so Qin Yi, who values ​​Fu Xianyin's excellent science scores, decided to switch her to a different track.

She used competitions to fill out her resume.

It's highly unlikely that Fu Xianyin will ever take a break.

Qin Yi was initially worried that such high-pressure studying would make Fu Xianyin rebellious, but she didn't expect that the child really had a talent for learning.

Not only is he smart, but he also has the patience to learn.

This saved Qin Yi a lot of trouble.

The SAT is held on Saturdays, and there are no test centers in Beijing, so Fu Xianyin has to fly to Hong Kong Island on Friday night.

Gu Linzhao said the day before yesterday that there would be a unified mathematics exam for senior high school students on Friday afternoon.

On Friday afternoon, Fu Xianyin returned to the hotel early to pack her luggage.

Judging from the fact that the exams must have been over, Fu Xianyin sent a cat emoji with a peek in the group chat and asked everyone how the exams went.

This immediately drew everyone's attention.

Chen Nianke, Cheng Zhaozhao, and Lin Anxu kept complaining, saying that this exam was so difficult it was practically inhuman.

Cheng Zhaozhao: [Yinyin, you don't know, I feel like even getting a 70 is uncertain, it's just too difficult.]

Chen Nianke: [I've always felt that the meaning of my life shouldn't be writing this.]

Lin Anxu: [Nian Ke, +1]

The three of them were chatting enthusiastically in the group, but Gu Linzhao didn't say a word.

He was probably studying, so Fu Xianyin didn't disturb him.

Fu Xianyin packed a few things and headed to the airport after spending two days on Hong Kong Island.

The evening rush hour traffic jam in Beijing lasted until after 8 p.m., and Fu Xianyin was afraid that she would be stuck in traffic and not make it in time if she took a taxi, so she chose to take the subway.

Carrying her suitcase and carrying her bag, she endured each subway stop on the difficult journey where even finding a place to stand was a challenge.

When she arrived at the airport, Fu Xianyin found that her hair was messy and static-filled, and her short down jacket had slipped off one shoulder and was hanging loosely on her body.

Fu Xianyin put down her schoolbag and was about to find a place to tidy up her clothes when her phone suddenly rang in her pocket.

She was already in a bad mood due to the long and crowded journey, and the persistent ringing of the phone only made her angrier.

Thinking it was Shao Yang, she took out her phone from her pocket, and answered it while cursing without even looking at it.

However, the voice coming from the other end of the phone made her heart skip a beat.

It was Gu Linzhao.

He said:

"Fu Xianyin, turn around."