Shen Xingsui was taken aback after hearing this. He asked, "Who invited me over?"
The attendant smiled and said, "It is the old lady."
Shen Xingsui had heard his mother say that the old lady's noodle soup was delicious. Although his mother didn't describe the old lady in much detail, he could roughly guess that she must be a good person.
Shen Xingchen said, "Go ahead, the old lady is very kind, she even gave me a red envelope!"
In Shen Xingchen's simple world, giving a red envelope equals being a good person.
Shen Xingsui smiled, nodded, and said, "Okay, I'll go over now."
Together they walked through the bustling hall, stepped up the rustic wooden stairs, and quickly reached the top. The Fu family's old house was decorated in a very simple and unpretentious style, giving off a sense of historical weight. Calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, and exquisite vases were displayed in glass cabinets in the armrests.
The servant in front said as he walked, "Before you arrived, the old lady kept talking about you."
Shen Xingsui asked, "Does the old lady know me?"
"I know," the attendant smiled. "She often watches your programs and listens to your songs."
"..."
Shen Xingsui fell into deep thought.
It's not for any other reason than it suddenly occurred to me that I feel my songs seem to be particularly popular with older people.
Is this reasonable?
It seems there's nothing wrong with it.
The two walked together to the door of a room. The servant opened the door so that Shen Xingsui could go in. Shen Xingsui took a deep breath, feeling a little nervous, before stepping inside.
The room seemed to be filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, which was elegant and pleasant.
An elderly woman sat on the sofa, seemingly holding a book beside her. Hearing someone enter, she turned around, met their gaze, and smiled, saying, "Sui Sui, you've come."
Shen Xingsui was somewhat surprised to see the old lady.
She is very young, about the same age as her grandmother, but she takes good care of herself. Even with gray hair, she is still very delicate and beautiful.
Shen Xingsui bowed: "Hello, Madam Fu."
"No need to be so polite," the old lady said. "You can just call me Grandma, Grandma Fu."
Shen Xingsui felt that this seemed a bit improper. How could someone immediately claim kinship? He thought about refusing, but when he met the old lady's gaze, he couldn't bring himself to say anything to refuse.
The old lady beckoned to him and said, "Child, come and sit next to me."
Shen Xingsui walked over and sat down next to her.
"You're even more handsome than you appear on TV," the old lady said with a smile. "You really look like your parents."
Shen Xingsui felt a little embarrassed by the compliment and said shyly, "Thank you for the compliment."
The old lady's smile suddenly faded, and she said in a low voice, "Actually, from the very beginning, before you even spoke, when I heard that Lina had arranged a marriage for our eldest grandson without my consent, I was already unhappy."
Shen Xingsui's heart jumped.
He hadn't expected the old lady to call him over to talk about this; he was somewhat prepared, but not entirely.
The old lady continued, "Later, I heard that it might be a boy, and I was even more unhappy. Although technology is advanced now and we are not going to die out, our family has always been a single-lineage family. If something unexpected happens, how will we, with such a large family business, cope?"
As Shen Xingsui listened to the old lady's words, his hands unconsciously clenched. He responded haphazardly, his mind in turmoil.
The old lady seemed to understand what he was thinking, and patted his hand reassuringly, saying, "But later, I heard that something happened to your family. Although the betrothal was called off, I don't know why, but I still felt very bad. And he hasn't looked for this child yet. I was thinking that maybe you two were destined to be together. Many things should be left to nature."
Shen Xingsui had mixed feelings after hearing this. He said, "You flatter me. Teacher Fu hasn't looked for someone yet, maybe he just hasn't met the right person."
The old lady shook her head.
As if she had just remembered something, she took out a photo album from the side. If Shen Xingsui remembered correctly, this photo album was the one that the old lady had been looking at when she first entered the room.
The old lady opened the photo album, flipped to a page, and handed it to him: "Look."
Shen Xingsui came closer and saw a family photo.
In this family photo, the woman standing next to President Fu, holding his arm, is not Lina.
Shen Xingsui said in surprise, "This person is..."
"She is Jin Xiao's biological mother, Wen Rong." The old lady looked at the woman in the photo and said with some emotion, "Wen Rong died in childbirth when she gave birth to this child. She didn't make it through the ordeal."
Shen Xingsui had always heard that Teacher Fu and her father had a bad relationship, but she never knew that there was such a relationship between them.
The old lady said with some emotion, "After Wen Rong died, Lina entered the family not two years later. She treated Jin Xiao as her own daughter, which was good. But Jin Xiao always blamed her mother's death on her father."
Shen Xingsui: "Why?"
The old lady originally thought that family scandals should not be aired in public, but she still told Shen Xingsui the truth: "Because he suspected his father of having an affair."
Shen Xingsui's pupils widened.
“When Wen Rong gave birth, he happened to be on a business trip in the United States and didn’t have time to come back.” The old lady sighed. “Lina is also American, so there may be some misunderstanding. But Jin Xiao is a very stubborn child. Wen Rong’s death, including his long-standing discord with his father, has made him very resistant to marriage. There was a time when I even worried that this child would never date anyone in his life.”
Shen Xingsui was also shocked, but after hearing the old lady's words, he blushed and stammered, "You misunderstood, I am not Teacher Fu's boyfriend."
The old lady had an expression that said, "This was bound to happen sooner or later."
Shen Xingsui didn't know how to explain, but then she saw the old lady take out a seal from behind her and hand it to Shen Xingsui, saying, "That's my grandson. I can't tell. I'm very happy about your relationship. This is a gift for your first meeting. I hope you won't find it offensive."
Shen Xingsui took one look and immediately recognized that the seal had a high-quality feel and was definitely not an ordinary object.
He quickly declined, saying, "Grandma, this is too precious, I can't accept it."
“This is what you deserve,” the old lady patted his hand and said, “Child, just accept it.”
Shen Xingsui refused for a long time, but finally couldn't persuade the old man and had to accept it.
Just as the banquet was halfway through and the ball was about to begin, the old lady asked him to go downstairs to play, and Shen Xingsui was able to leave.
As soon as I got downstairs, I could hear music playing in the lobby, interspersed with melodious piano music.
Shen Xingchen waved to him and said, "You only came down when it was almost starting."
Shen Xingsui walked to his side and looked towards the center of the stage, where she saw Fu Jinxiao playing the piano. The man was wearing a dark blue suit and sitting by the piano. The bright white lights of the hall shone down on him, and his back was straight, his posture was elegant, and his handsome profile had the charm of a mature man.
Many guests were gathered around, all listening attentively to the piano music.
Fu Jinxiao's long, slender, fair hands fell on the piano keys, and in everyone's eyes, he seemed to be the protagonist, attracting attention.
Shen Xingchen remarked from the side, "Teacher Fu plays the piano really well."
“Hmm.” Shen Xingsui looked at that person and smiled gently: “He once said that music has no distinction of high or low, noble or base, and everyone is the only one in their own world.”
That was the day after Jane smashed his sheet music.
That night, he locked himself in his room and couldn't sleep at all. His love and longing for music felt like a mirror being shattered and trampled on. He couldn't utter a single word.
That same night, he accidentally clicked on a video, which was a music talent show that Fu Jinxiao was participating in. At that time, Fu Jinxiao had just fallen out with his father and entered the entertainment industry alone. As a young man without a background, he naturally suffered all kinds of unfair treatment. In the show, his music was criticized for having no content, no promotion, and low quality, far inferior to the other group.
At that time, the young man on stage did not show the slightest sadness because of those words.
Fu Jinxiao stood there, even in defeat, he remained calm, smiled slightly, and said, "Music has no distinction of high or low, noble or base; everyone is unique in their own world."
This statement left the judges in the audience speechless with disparaging remarks.
Later, Fu Jinxiao participated in the competition again after a year's absence and won the championship. This marked the beginning of his stepping stone into the entertainment industry. It was also at that time that Shen Xingsui was greatly encouraged. When he lacked self-confidence, Fu Jinxiao was like a guiding light for the world, giving him hope and strength.
Even today.
Fu Jinxiao remains a shining star in his life, hanging high in the sky, not to be underestimated.
When the song ended, applause erupted from all sides.
The ball thus began, and the elegantly dressed young ladies from wealthy families stepped forward one after another. They all shared the same goal, and soon some of them went up:
"Mr. Fu, may I dance with you?"
"I would like to invite you to dance."
"Mr. Fu, I wonder if I have the honor..."
At a ball, it is usually the men who invite the women to dance, but today, at the Fu family's house, the situation is completely reversed.
Fu Jinxiao stood up, his tall figure allowing him to look down at the crowd. A fake yet kind smile graced his face: "Thank you all for your attention, it's my honor. However, everyone is so outstanding, it's truly difficult..."
The ladies exchanged glances, each seeing hostility in the other's eyes.
Just as everyone was hesitating, they heard Actor Fu say, "To be fair, let's use this flower to decide who gets it. Whoever it lands on becomes the winner."
It does seem quite fair.
Everyone readily agreed, and Fu Jinxiao casually took a flower from behind. The red rose looked exceptionally vibrant and beautiful in the man's hand. He raised his hand, and as a result, the flower flew in an arc and hit Shen Xingsui, who was watching the show from the side, on the head.
"ah."
Fu Jinxiao drawled out, "My hand slipped."
“However, since the rules have already been explained, in order to be fair,” Fu Jinxiao said slowly, a smile playing on his lips, “we have no choice but to choose him. Does anyone have any objections?”
The ladies: "..."
That's just too "fair".
Fu Jinxiao didn't care what everyone thought. She stepped over the girls and stood in front of Shen Xingsui, whispering, "Did it hurt?"
Shen Xingsui shook his head, and asked hesitantly, "What does this mean?"
Fu Jinxiao bowed slightly, her posture elegant and polite, and raised her arm, extending it in front of Shen Xingsui, saying, "So, Mr. Shen, would you be so kind as to invite me to dance?"
The man's handsome features appeared even more striking under the lights, and his deep, magnetic voice made him seem like a noble prince.
Shen Xingsui pointed to herself in disbelief and said, "Me, me?"
Fu Jinxiao curled her lips: "Otherwise what?"
"But I haven't danced in a long time."
"It doesn't matter."
"But I'm not very good at dancing the female steps..."
Fu Jinxiao said slowly and deliberately, "I'll dance."
!!
Not only was Shen Xingsui shocked, but Shen Xingchen, who was standing next to her, was also shocked.
Who would be so fortunate as to dance the first dance with Fu Jinxiao? The most bizarre thing is that this person actually managed to get Fu Jinxiao to settle for dancing the first dance!
Shen Xingsui quickly said, "No, it's okay. I can try dancing the women's steps. I might be a little rusty, but please don't mind."
Fu Jinxiao took his hand and led him into the dance floor.
The other girls at the scene were stunned. They had been watching all night and never dreamed that their date would be snatched away by someone, especially by a boy!
Fu Jinxiao led Shen Xingsui in a dance, their movements natural and practiced.
Shen Xingsui felt the unfriendly gazes behind her and stammered, "Teacher Fu, won't inviting me upset some people?"
Fu Jinxiao responded indifferently, "Is that so?"
Shen Xingsui nodded cautiously.
"What do I care if they're happy or not?" Fu Jinxiao said matter-of-factly. He turned Shen Xingsui around, wrapped his arms around her waist, lowered his head slightly, and whispered in her ear, "As long as I'm happy, that's all that matters."
"..."
Shen Xingsui's earlobes slowly turned red.
It was as if she had suddenly been soaked in a honey pot, and she was completely at a loss. In her panic, she even stepped on Fu Jinxiao's foot.
Shen Xingsui quickly said, "I'm sorry, Teacher Fu!"
Fu Jinxiao sighed, put his arm around Shen Xingsui's waist, patted her gently, and said in a low voice, "Relax, baby."
!!
Shen Xingsui felt as if the voice and warm breath beside her ear were blowing into her heart.
Not only did he fail to relax, but he also made several mistakes, stepping on the wrong foot several times. When the dance ended, Shen Xingsui was so ashamed that his face turned as red as if it were about to bleed, and he had to apologize to death.
Fu Jinxiao did not condemn him.
"Sui Sui, your dancing skills are terrible." The man smiled helplessly and gently patted Shen Xing Sui's head. "Remember not to dance with anyone other than me in the future."
!!
Shen Xingsui was filled with shame and indignation.
Is his dancing really that bad? Waaah!
Halfway through the ball, Shen Xingsui withdrew because he couldn't bear the embarrassment. Since Shen Xingchen hadn't danced either, he dragged him to the party in the backyard, where there was plenty of delicious food on the table.
Shen Xingchen said, "I'm really starving, you know? The little cakes in the lobby are delicious, but they're too greasy to eat. The braised pork ribs here are much better."
Shen Xingsui, who was eating fried chicken next to him, understood this all too well.
Nobles and upper-class people like to prepare some exquisite pastries and display them on the table when they have nothing to do with them. They look nice but are not very practical. Meat is much more satisfying to eat.
Halfway through the meal, Shen Xingchen suggested, "Oh right, Sui Sui, you see, Teacher Fu was busy upstairs last night, and now he's attending a dance party and stuff, he probably hasn't eaten anything, right? Why don't you take some of these things to him?"
Shen Xingsui thought his brother made sense, and he nodded, "Okay."
After the ball ended, he seemed to hear Fu Jinxiao say that he was going upstairs to pay his respects to his grandmother. Since he knew the way, he could wait for him in the corridor.
Shen Xingsui carried the plate through the corridor back upstairs, climbed the stairs, and followed his memory to his grandmother's room. However, the house was so big that he got a little lost.
In the study on the second floor, an argument is also taking place:
President Fu said sternly, "I'm not discussing this with you now, but you should know when to stop being willful."
Fu Jinxiao's voice was slow and gentle, but it was clear that he was not in a good mood: "Since Father did not come to discuss this with me, why bother with all this pretense?"
"I'm doing this all for your own good," President Fu said. "How could the path I've laid out for you be wrong? With your abilities, I'm very confident in entrusting the Fu Corporation to you. Once you're in my position, you'll understand that this wasn't a wrong choice at all."
Fu Jinxiao seemed to sneer: "It seems Father doesn't regret his choice at all?"
This sentence seemed to have hit a nerve with President Fu.
"Fu Jinxiao!" President Fu roared, "I've told you countless times, what happened to your mother was just an accident, it has nothing to do with Lina, and it has nothing to do with me either..."
Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow: "It has nothing to do with you, right?"
Mr. Fu suddenly choked up.
Fu Jinxiao sneered: "You know perfectly well that she's nearing her due date. Is that business deal really that important that you have to fly to the US to negotiate it in person?"
"The business deal clearly ended two days ago, but instead of coming back, you left the company and went somewhere else." Fu Jinxiao paused, her voice laced with sarcasm: "So it has nothing to do with you, right?"
The difficult childbirth might really have nothing to do with this man.
But how desperate was that woman before she died, when she needed her husband the most?
President Fu sighed: "That was all an accident. I didn't expect it to happen like this. I thought nothing would happen."
The sarcasm in Fu Jinxiao's eyes intensified.
"Besides, I married Lina, and she's been good to you, hasn't she?" President Fu looked at his son. "I thought you hadn't met Wen Rong. Lina will be a good mother to you, take good care of you, and won't let you have any regrets in your childhood..."
Fu Jinxiao remained silent.
Looking at his proudest eldest son, knowing his stubborn nature, President Fu relented and said softly, "Alright, I won't force you. As for that Wang family heiress I mentioned before, if you don't like her, that's fine. I heard the Shen family's youngest son is back. You know the Shen family has always had a good relationship with our company, and it seems you're quite satisfied with him..."
Shen Xingsui searched for a long time but couldn't find it. Just as he was about to give up, he passed by a room and happened to hear some familiar conversations inside, so he unconsciously stopped in his tracks.
President Fu continued, "If you think it's alright, you can get to know Shen Xingsui better."
Shen Xingsui was taken aback. Wasn't this President Fu?
What did he mean by that...?
Because he hadn't heard the whole thing, Shen Xingsui was both nervous and expectant. He had never dared to mention the engagement to Fu Jinxiao, and he just didn't know what the movie star Fu was thinking.
then
Sure enough, a familiar voice rang out in the room. It was Fu Jinxiao's voice, cold, yet seemingly tinged with a smile: "Father, you've even planned this out?"
President Fu said, "You're not willing?"
"Do you know what I hate most about you?" Fu Jinxiao lifted her eyelids to look at him. The man sitting on the sofa had a fierce aura, and his gaze towards President Fu was also hostile: "What you think is what you think? My affairs are none of your business. As for my marriage, it will absolutely not be affected by any engagement you have made. Do you understand?"
President Fu was completely speechless.
He now fully understands that his child is no longer the same as before, and is no longer someone he can control at will.
Shen Xingsui outside the door also froze. He had been harboring some unrealistic fantasies, but now he was back to reality. Sure enough, the whole marriage contract thing was ridiculous. Fu Jinxiao was never someone bound by rules, so why would she be with him because of a marriage contract?
Shen Xingsui, what are you thinking?
He left somewhat sleepwalking, turned a corner, and surprisingly found the old lady's room, which he had been looking for all along.
The servants at the door were helping the old lady out. The old lady was very happy to see Shen Xingsui: "Suisui, what brings you here? Did you come to see Grandma?"
Shen Xingsui didn't know what to say, but could only nod stiffly.
The old lady noticed his pale face and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Shen Xingsui forced a smile. As if he remembered something, he added, "Grandma, I have something I want to tell you."
Grandma looked at Shen Xingsui suspiciously, feeling that something seemed off, but she didn't refuse. She simply asked gently, "Okay, come in first."
Shen Xingsui didn't go in. He simply took out the seal he had previously accepted and respectfully placed it back in the old woman's hand. Then he bowed deeply and said, "I'm sorry, Grandma. I've thought about it carefully. This seal is too valuable. I can't accept your gift."
The old lady quickly helped him up: "Sui Sui, didn't Grandma say that this is what you deserve?"
Shen Xingsui shook his head and said, "No, this is not what I deserve. I think the owner of this seal should be someone more suitable and more deserving than me. I understand your good intentions, but right now, I really have no reason and am not worthy of it. Thank you for your kindness, I'll be going now."
The old lady stared blankly as Shen Xingsui bowed to her again and left. Everything had been fine before, so why had everything changed?
...
Just as she was wondering, the old lady turned the corner and ran into Fu Jinxiao, who had just finished arguing with his father. The movie star Fu's expression wasn't good either, but he still greeted his grandmother.
The old lady beckoned to him: "Come here, I have something to ask you."
Fu Jinxiao asked, "What's wrong?"
"You...you and Sui Sui, did you have a fight?" The old lady hesitated, "Or did he dump you?"
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