Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Is that... the smell of Fu Xu? ...
Fu Xu was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously stroking the spine of the book, his voice a little muffled: "It's not that I like it... It's that only when I read the book, I feel..." He paused, as if looking for the right words, "I feel that I still..." There is still hope.
Chen Louchen said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
"I went to junior high school at the orphanage," Fu Xu's voice lowered, a hint of subtle inferiority in it. "Then the orphanage ran out of funds, so we couldn't continue our education. When I returned to the Fu family, I saw that my other brothers had books to read, so I secretly picked up their finished books and hid in a corner to learn a little... I don't know if I understood them correctly."
And although it is nominally a junior high school, in reality, the textbooks for omegas are all things like "How to Soothe an Alpha", and there are very few things that they can actually learn that are the same as what the Alphas learn.
He raised his head, with a hint of confusion and expectation in his eyes, and looked at Chen Louchen: “I don’t understand many words in the book that Doctor Gu gave me, and the principles it talks about, I also…”
Chen Louchen's heart seemed to be gently bumped by something. He looked into Fu Xu's clear eyes, which contained no pretense at all, only the most genuine desire and uneasiness.
The junior high school level is indeed far from enough for a 19-year-old boy.
"Do you want to continue learning?" Chen Louchen suddenly asked, his tone calm, but with an unquestionable power.
Fu Xu suddenly opened his eyes wide, almost thinking he had misheard: "Huh?"
Mr. Shen had just agreed to let him go to the study, and now he was asking this, is it... is it... Fu Xu felt an unprecedented sense of anticipation rising in his heart.
"What I mean is," Shen Louchen repeated, his eyes fixed on his face, "If you want, I can first look at your foundation and then help you make a study plan. You are only 19 years old. It's completely in time for you to go back to your senior year and take the college entrance examination."
Fu Xu stared at him blankly, his mouth slightly open, unable to speak for a long time. The sunlight shone in through the window, falling on his eyelashes and casting a small shadow. He felt his heart beating wildly in his chest, as if trying to break free and fly out. Study? Take the college entrance examination? These words that had only appeared in dreams before were now spoken by Chen Louchen, clear and real.
"I...can I?" His voice trembled with disbelief, his eyes slightly red, "Mr. Shen, I..."
"No problem," Chen Louchen looked at his excited expression, and the entanglement in his heart caused by the address issue seemed to fade a little, "As long as you want to learn, there is no problem."
Fu Xu sniffed suddenly and nodded vigorously, tears almost falling from his eyes. He had never thought that a person like him who was taken in by the Fu family as a servant after being released from an orphanage would have the opportunity to study and take the college entrance examination. For him, this was simply a luxury that he dared not even think about.
"Thank you... Thank you, Mr. Shen!" His voice was thick with nasal sounds, and his gratitude almost overflowed. "I will definitely study hard! I will not let Mr. Shen down!"
As his emotions became more and more excited, Chen Louchen keenly noticed that there seemed to be a comfortable smell in the air, gently brushing across his nostrils.
That’s right, it was the same floral scent as the previous times, or even stronger.
Chen Louchen has always been sensitive to pheromones. A few times before, he thought that he was terminally ill and began to hallucinate, but at this moment, although this breath was still weak, it was unusually peaceful, and even had a hint of... pleasure?
Was it because of happiness? Or because he felt at ease? Chen Louchen looked at Fu Xu's cheeks, which were flushed with excitement, and had doubts in his heart.
He didn't know much about the changes in omegas' pheromones, especially special omegas like Fu Xu. It seemed that he had to find an opportunity to ask Lin Yunzhou next time, or... ask Gu Wangyan directly?
But now, looking at the light rekindled in Fu Xu's eyes and his longing for the future, Chen Louchen felt that no matter the previous entanglement or the troubles later, they all seemed to have some meaning.
Chen Louchen reached out his hand, and this time, without hesitation, he gently ruffled Fu Xu's hair. "Well, let's start with the basics. Starting tomorrow, I'll set aside two hours every afternoon and teach you."
Fu Xu was stunned by his rubbing, and then her cheeks turned even redder, but she did not avoid him. Instead, she raised her head slightly, her eyes full of gratitude. The faint floral fragrance in the air seemed to become clearer.
"A new housekeeper will be here tomorrow. I transferred him from the old house. He is also the one who supervises this house, so he will be more familiar with it. You should follow the housekeeper to adapt to this place, otherwise it will be difficult to integrate into the learning environment." Chen Louchen said as he retracted his hand.
He knew that Fu Xu couldn't continue to be so timid. Whether it was the previous villa or the current house, Fu Xu hardly dared to go out when he was not at home. This was definitely not a solution. It seemed that Gu Wangyan's suggestion was indeed pertinent.
"I, I will try my best, Mr. Shen." Fu Xu tried to make his voice louder.
"Yeah." Chen Louchen rubbed his brows, "I still have things to deal with, you should rest early too."
"Okay, okay."
*
Before daybreak, Chen Louchen had already gotten up, wearing a neatly tailored dark suit, his tie tied meticulously, and even the cufflinks on his cuffs exuding a noble metallic luster.
Fu Xu is a light sleeper, and the slight sound of a door closing is enough to wake him up. At Fu's house, he also has to get up around this time to make breakfast for everyone. Every time he wakes up in the morning, his temples throbbing with pain, and his eyes are sore. He has slept too long in the hospital recently and almost forgot this feeling.
Fu Xu opened his eyes drowsily and went downstairs. He only saw the tall figure at the door disappear in the morning fog.
The living room was quiet, with only faint sounds coming from the direction of the kitchen. Fu Xu just took a step forward when his vision suddenly went dark. He quickly squatted down, and it took two minutes for his vision to become clear again.
Thinking of what Chen Louchen said yesterday, Fu Xu slowly stood up and walked over. He saw a beta in a butler's uniform arranging breakfast neatly. He looked to be about forty years old, with a gentle face and eyes that showed a sense of comfort and familiarity that came from the years.
"You're awake, Madam." Beta Butler turned around and nodded slightly, his tone respectful but not flattering. "I'm the new butler, my last name is Chen, you can just call me Old Chen. Mr. Shen went to the headquarters early this morning and told you not to wait for him for breakfast."
Fu Xu clutched the corner of his clothes awkwardly and replied in a low voice, "Butler Chen."
He was still feeling uneasy about this huge and unfamiliar house, and was not used to dealing with people.
Butler Chen seemed to notice his restraint and handed him a cup of warm milk: "Mr. Shen specifically told me to take good care of you before he left. If there is anything you are not used to, please tell me."
Fu Xu held the warm milk in his hand, the warmth spreading from his fingertips to his heart. He whispered "thank you" and his eyes unconsciously looked towards the entrance. The back of Chen Louchen as he left the house was still clearly imprinted in his mind.
He knew that Chen Louchen was very busy. From the time he was kept after their first meeting until now, the Chen Louchen he saw was always respectfully addressed as "Mr. Chen", "Minister Chen", and "Head of the Family". He received constant phone calls and messages, as if the entire world was related to him. Once he entered the working state, he became a different person, strong, cold, and with an aura that kept strangers away.
"Is Mr. Shen... so busy every day?" Fu Xu couldn't help but ask, his voice as low as a mosquito.
Housekeeper Chen was clearing the dishes and smiled when he heard this. "Yes, Mr. Shen has a heavy burden on his shoulders. He has been responsible for the life of the entire Shen family since he was very young. Especially recently, it must be because the department is busy. Sometimes the head of the family will stay up all night to review documents." He paused, glanced at Fu Xu, and there was a hint of subtle emotion in his tone. "But Mr. Shen knows what's going on. Don't worry."
"I, I'm just asking." Fu Xu scratched his hands awkwardly. Did the butler think he was here to inquire about the alpha's whereabouts?
"It's normal to care about your own alpha." Butler Chen pulled out a chair. "Since the madam is awake, let's have breakfast first."
"Thank you... I, I can do it myself." Fu Xu walked over in small steps. He always served others. Sometimes when Fu Jiaze got angry, he would slap him twice. When had he ever been treated like this?
As soon as Fu Xu finished breakfast, Butler Chen took the initiative to suggest taking Fu Xu to familiarize himself with the house. Fu Xu nodded and followed the butler after cleaning up the kitchen.
This was the first time Fu Xu saw the entire villa. It had three floors. Butler Chen patiently led him from the living room, dining room, and kitchen on the first floor, to the study and guest rooms on the second floor, and then to Chen Louchen's meeting room and an empty terrace garden on the third floor.
"This is Mr. Shen's study. He usually handles his work here. Servants generally won't come in without his permission." Butler Chen pushed open a heavy wooden door. Inside was a wall of bookshelves. The air was filled with the faint scent of ink and leather. Behind a large solid wood desk was a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the garden. Fu Xu stood at the door and didn't dare to go in. He just felt that this place was filled with the aura of Chen Louchen, strong and steady.
When he walked to the terrace, Fu Xu's eyes lit up. Although there were only some basic flower stands and stone benches now, he could imagine what it would look like when the stands were full of flowers in spring.
Butler Chen said: "Mr. Shen loved to drink tea here when he was a child. Later, he became busy and rarely came here. If Madam likes, she can come here often and sit and bask in the sun."
After walking around, Fu Xu finally had some sense of reality about this home and no longer felt like an intruder as he did at first.
Back in the living room, Butler Chen took out a latest model smartphone from his pocket and handed it to Fu Xu.
"This is what Mr. Shen asked me to give you," Butler Chen explained. "My number is already saved in it, as well as Mr. Shen's and Assistant Zong's. If you have anything or want to find Mr. Shen, you can call or send a message. I'll teach you how to use it."
Butler Chen liked Fu Xu very much. He rarely saw such a well-behaved omega. He had been in the old house for so many years and had seen countless omegas. These people were either as numb as fake people or as scheming as snakes and scorpions. They would do anything to please the alpha, even the head of the family had to be taken into account. When he came, he also heard Adjutant Zong talk about the head of the family's purpose. He thought he was also a restless person pretending to be pitiful, but after seeing it with his own eyes, he found that Fu Xu was well-behaved from the bottom of his heart.
Fu Xu took the phone in surprise. The body was cold, but it felt like a thousand pounds in his hand. He looked at the simple interface on the screen and swiped his fingers across it somewhat helplessly. He had never used such a good thing before.
Butler Chen demonstrated patiently: "Look, click on this icon for a phone call, and this for a message... Mr. Shen's number is here. If you want to call him, just click on this avatar, dial and wait. If you want to send a message, click here, edit the content and send it."
Fu Xu watched intently, his fingers gesturing in the air. He was actually tempted to try, to ask if Mr. Shen was okay and if he'd eaten on time. But then he was immediately startled by his own thoughts. Mr. Shen was so busy, how could he have time to answer his call? Would he think he was being inconsiderate and interrupting his work?
"I...I'll learn first," Fu Xu said softly, clutching the phone in his hand, "I don't need it now...now."
Butler Chen didn't force it, but just smiled gently: "Okay, you can think about it slowly. If you don't understand, feel free to ask me. Mr. Shen still cares about you very much."
Do you care about him? Fu Xu's heart skipped a beat, his cheeks burning. He quickly lowered his head, pretending to study the phone screen, but his heart felt like it was gently bumped by something, causing a subtle ripple.
The two of them sat on the sofa, and Butler Chen casually chatted about some trivial matters at home, such as daily meal times, the weekly cleaning habits of the servants, the care of the garden, etc. Fu Xu listened quietly, nodding occasionally. As they chatted, he suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He lived in such a big house and was taken care of meticulously, but he could do nothing.
"Butler Chen," Fu Xu hesitated for a moment and said, "Can I...can I do something? Like...cleaning, or cooking? I learned a little bit at home before."
Fu Xu didn't explain clearly what his "previous home" was like, but when he mentioned cooking, a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes. It was one of the few things that made him feel safe and familiar.
Butler Chen was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Mr. Fu Xu, you're too polite. This is what we should do. You just need to rest well and adapt to life here."
Fu Xu shook his head and insisted, "I want to try, otherwise... I feel like a burden."
Fu Xu's voice was soft, but it was filled with stubbornness.
Butler Chen looked at his clear yet slightly uneasy eyes, sighed inwardly, and was about to say something else when the cell phone in his pocket rang.
It was Assistant Zong calling.
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
