Chapter 176 Did he really have no romantic feelings for her at all?
Feeling frustrated and feeling stifled being alone at home that night, Jiang Shiyuan invited Su Xier over for hot pot.
On her way there, Su Xier bought a bag of fruit-flavored beer and two boxes of crayfish. The two of them enjoyed hot pot, peeled crayfish, and drank beer, as if they had returned to their college days, living a simple, unpretentious, and carefree life.
"Holy crap! That bastard Jinghuai actually used such despicable means to threaten you?! What kind of so-called 'elite young master of Beijing' is he? He's just a damn scumbag!"
Su Xier downed a glass of beer, forcefully wiped the foam from the corner of her lips, and was so angry she almost crushed the glass. "Even if the whole world experiences inflation, he's still a complete jerk! Despicable and wicked!"
“Well said, I’ll take it.” Jiang Shiyuan closed her eyes, raised her slender, snow-white neck, and drank the entire glass of beer in one gulp.
"WOW~! Awesome!" Su Xier exclaimed and clapped her hands, the atmosphere team had it all figured out.
Jiang Shiyuan can drink a little, but her face turns rosy after just a little, as cute as a ripe spring peach.
Su Xi'er rested her chin on her hand, completely engrossed in watching. "My Shiyuan is so good. How could that heartless hypocrite, Diao Jinghuai, bear to treat you like this? Doesn't he have a heart?"
“He has, but his heart has never been with me.” Jiang Shiyuan smiled faintly and drank another glass of wine.
"I'm not going to talk about that bastard anymore, he's bad luck!"
Su Xier's eyes welled up with tears, and she changed the subject, "Shiyuan, do you have any ideas about attracting investment?"
Jiang Shiyuan gulped down another glass of wine. "I think I should go ask Fu Chenzhou."
"Sister, we're on the same wavelength! I had the same thought!"
Su Xier's eyes shone brightly like the morning star. "Fu Chenzhou is the president of Lighttrack Ventures China, a true financial tycoon. Moreover, he's interested in you, and you treat his son like your own. If you talk to him, he'll definitely help you to the end!"
"His feelings for me..."
Jiang Shiyuan recalled that night when Fu Chenzhou gave her a hug from behind, so deep it felt like he wanted to swallow her whole.
And that kiss, lingering, intense, stirring up her tranquil spring waters…
Did he really have no romantic feelings for her at all?
Who hasn't been drunk? But even when he's completely drunk, does he really not know who he's holding or kissing?
Also, why was he crying?
"Ten yuan? Ten yuan?"
Su Xier called her repeatedly and waved her hand in front of her before she absentmindedly came to her senses.
"Fu Chenzhou is good to me not because I am special, but because I am honest and kind, which is the essence of his humanity."
"Alright, alright, even if he's a nice guy, you've helped his son time and time again. He should reciprocate by helping you this time, right? Otherwise, it would be a bit too unfair."
"Business is business, and personal relationships are personal relationships..."
Suddenly, Jiang Shiyuan remembered something and abruptly stood up.
“One thing,” she said to herself.
Su Xi'er was bewildered. "Huh? Shi Yuan, are you drunk?"
Jiang Shiyuan took a deep breath and secretly made up her mind:
"I need to see Fu Chenzhou as soon as possible."
After dinner, both of them were slightly tipsy, in their most relaxed and comfortable state.
Su Xier originally wanted to stay and help Jiang Shiyuan clean up the mess, but she received a desperate call from Shen Zhantang, asking her to rush to the airport immediately to accompany him on his overseas project inspection trip.
"What's with the rush! If we're too late, we'll be reborn as animals! What?!" Su Xi'er angrily slammed her phone on the table.
Jiang Shiyuan, not wanting her to be put in a difficult position by Shen Zhantang, gently advised, "Go ahead, official business is more important."
"Why is he in such a hurry? He's just deliberately making things difficult for me, picking a fight right here!"
Su Xier gritted her teeth, rolled up her sleeves, and said, "Never mind him, I'll help you wash the dishes and clean up before I leave."
Jiang Shiyuan couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she had no choice but to let her have her way.
The two best friends washed the dishes side by side, chatting idly.
Jiang Shiyuan glanced at Su Xier unintentionally and noticed that her eyes were somewhat fixed, as if she had something on her mind.
"Xi'er".
Su Xier looked up, snapping out of her daze, "Hmm?"
"When will things take a further step between you and Young Master Shen?"
Jiang Shiyuan couldn't help but care about her future life, like a sister and a mother, "He just plans to keep dragging things out like this, neither making the relationship public nor acknowledging your status. When will this end?"
She endured a clandestine relationship for five whole years, and no one understood the bitterness of it all better than she did.
She naturally didn't want her best friend to follow in her footsteps.
Su Xier's expression stiffened for a moment, then she smiled nonchalantly, "Sigh, he wants to go public with me, but I'm not willing. It'll delay my marriage in the future."
I slept with him simply because he was good-looking. I was around him 24/7, and I didn't see a single man, not even a male mosquito. I'm a normal woman with normal physiological needs, and he was attractive, so it was a perfect match.
She spoke so casually, but Jiang Shiyuan knew that she wasn't telling her the truth.
Beneath Xi'er's delicate and beautiful face lay a body covered in scars.
Almost all the scars on her body were left for Shen Zhantang.
Even now, the gunshot wound in her left shoulder still aches on rainy days, and she has to take painkillers to get through it.
Jiang Shiyuan really wanted to ask Shen Zhantang.
Whenever they are honest with each other, when he looks at the girl covered in wounds, does he feel even the slightest bit of pity for her?
However, I think that's not the case.
If he had it, how could he bear to watch her risk her life for him time and time again? How could he not give her a stable life?
"Xi'er, perhaps you should quit your bodyguard job."
Jiang Shiyuan's throat tightened slightly as she suppressed her emotions, "I have enough savings. I'll take care of you from now on."
"ha?!"
Su Xier's heart pounded, but she still laughed heartily, "How pathetic would I be to let you support me!"
"But Xi'er..."
"Don't worry about me. I've been doing this for many years, I'm used to it, and I'm very good at it. I'm not used to it yet, having to retire early and leave this thrilling life behind."
Su Xier said this, but she secretly made up her mind.
Yes, I will.
Once I've saved enough money and settled my grandmother in, one day I will leave Shen Zhantang completely.
My patience today is for my freedom tomorrow. So please understand my choice.
...
After Su Xier left, Jiang Shiyuan sat on the sofa clutching her phone, and after a long period of mental preparation, she finally dialed Fu Chenzhou's number.
However, the call rang for a long time, but no one answered.
Jiang Shiyuan thought that Fu Chenzhou probably hadn't heard her, so she called again.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
In the children's room, Fu Chenzhou, wearing a bathrobe, was leaning against the headboard, holding Fu Yansi, and telling the child a bedtime story.
The storybook is entirely in English and doesn't contain very deep or obscure vocabulary, but it is still somewhat challenging for a five-year-old.
But Fu Yansi could understand almost everything and listened with great interest.
Fu Chenzhou read the English fluently, his deep, magnetic voice speaking softly, his peach blossom eyes gleaming with gentle light.
"Um... Dad, your phone is ringing." Fu Yansi was half asleep when he heard his phone vibrate.
Fu Chenzhou closed the book, his deep, dark eyes slowly glancing at the phone placed on the bedside table.
Above it, the words "Aunt Jiang" are displayed.
Actually, he knew it was her calling the first time his phone vibrated, but he didn't answer it.
"Dad... was that Aunt Jiang calling?" Fu Yansi asked in a soft voice.
It's like I'm connected to Jiang Shiyuan and her son.
"no."
Fu Chenzhou calmly withdrew his gaze, tucked the blanket around the child, and said, "It wasn't an important call. Go to sleep."
"Dad, did you... have a fight with Aunt Jiang?" Fu Yansi suddenly asked.
Fu Chenzhou's breath hitched, and he lowered his head. "Why do you say that?"
“These days, I haven’t seen you contact Aunt Jiang… and I haven’t heard you mention her.”
Fu Yansi, being sensitive, shook her father's strong arm. "Dad... I miss Aunt Jiang. When you have time, give her a call and let me see her, okay?"
"Banban, Dad is very busy lately, I'm afraid it's not possible."
The man's peach blossom eyes instantly turned cold, and his voice became hoarse and deep, "Besides, Aunt Jiang has her own life and her own work. You can't keep bothering her; that's very impolite."
"Well... okay then."
Fu Yansi was too tired and soon fell asleep.
Fu Chenzhou picked up his phone, quietly got out of bed, left the room, and gently closed the door behind him.
In the dimly lit corridor, his phone vibrated again, and the screen lit up.
Fu Chenzhou leaned against the wall, his solitary figure looming over the screen. His dark, tousled hair obscured his unfathomable, beautiful eyes.
A few more sounds rang out, then the vibration stopped.
The next second, Jiang Shiyuan sent a WeChat message, which was very polite:
Mr. Fu, I apologize for disturbing your rest. Are you free these next couple of days? Could I meet with you to discuss something?
Fu Chenzhou stared intently at every word, his left hand clenched so tightly that his fingertips dug deep into his palm, the stinging sensation making him calm and restrained once again.
His eyes reddened, and he stood there for a long time before turning off his phone.
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