Chapter 25 "It hurts a little, just bear with it."...
Chapter 24
Rong Weiyue thought back to when they graduated, Fu Linzheng bought a lot of styles, and wanted to try them on with her.
Once, after using this, Fu Linzheng, being both wicked and mischievous, insisted that she describe her feelings. Her cheeks turned as red as peaches, and she leaned against him, whispering, "I don't like this."
"Why?"
"It feels too thick, not clear enough, not as good as the last one. The first one was like you didn't..."
A dark fire ignited in Fu Linzheng's eyes. He rolled over, trapping her beneath his chest, and gripped her waist, a smirk playing on his lips: "Hmm? I'm fine? What's not clear enough?"
She blinked her watery eyes and softly uttered two words that were so direct they drove Fu Linzheng crazy. He kissed her swan-like neck and breathed heavily, "Baby, how can you be so bold?"
She gave a shy, soft "hmm," and Fu Linzheng said in a hoarse voice that they should try other things. She couldn't remember the details of that night, only that there were several white, bulging things in the trash can at the end. She was so tired that she almost fainted, and she could barely walk the next day.
At that moment, Fu Linzheng's voice fell like a thunderclap from a clear sky. Rong Weiyue's heart trembled violently, and her face flushed with heat.
No, why doesn't this person deny their relationship, and why does he still remember things from so long ago...?
The salesman, sensing the awkwardness, left. Rong Weiyue's cheeks felt like soft bread from an oven, her whole body warm. She looked up at Fu Linzheng, blushing and asking, "Why did you say that..."
The man said nonchalantly, "If I didn't say it like that, would she really give up completely?"
"..."
He lowered his eyes and glanced at her indifferently: "And—"
He was stating a fact from the past.
Rong Weiyue guessed the second half of his unspoken words, her heart pounded wildly, her face turned red to the roots of her neck, and she tried to retort but couldn't utter a word.
She walked forward, her shyness suppressing her thoughts.
Forget it, what's there to be embarrassed about as an adult?
He might have tried it with other girlfriends afterward...
Following Fu Linzheng into the interior, Rong Weiyue found herself in a high-end pet-friendly supermarket that allowed small dogs inside. She picked up Hu Hu and placed him on a special pet seat.
The dog licked her hand and looked around like a curious child. She patted its head, took the shopping cart, and said she would push it: "I want to buy some laundry detergent. Is there anything you need?"
Fu Linzheng walked lazily beside her:
"You buy it, I'll look around as I walk."
Rong Weiyue has been busy lately and hasn't been to the supermarket in a long time. She was picking out daily necessities that were almost gone and comparing several brands of laundry detergent. Fu Linzheng saw her struggling for a long time and said helplessly, "Do you have to think about it for so long?"
Rong Weiyue looked conflicted: "I like this one, but it's not on sale today, and it's a bit expensive..."
Fu Linzheng simply grabbed what she liked and put it in the shopping cart, his voice lazy and nonchalant: "These are public area items, I can't use cheap stuff, understand?"
...Well, the young master is indeed picky.
Ahead was a row of women's menstrual products. Rong Weiyue heard a man's casual voice above her: "Aren't you going to buy these?"
"Um?"
He said casually, "Your period is coming soon."
Rong Weiyue was stunned. The night her car was maliciously cut off, Fu Linzheng drove her home. She was having her period and had menstrual cramps. She didn't expect him to notice...
Back in high school, Fu Linzheng remembered her menstrual cycle even better than she did. A week before her period started, he would tell her to eat less cold food. He would put sanitary napkins and ibuprofen in his bag beforehand, and when her period started, he would make her brown sugar water and put on heat packs. He would also keep an extra clean, thick coat in her drawer in the classroom, just in case she caught a cold.
At first, she felt a little embarrassed, but Fu Linzheng said, "Menstruation is a normal physiological phenomenon, what's there to be ashamed of? Besides, as your boyfriend, shouldn't I take care of you like this?"
She was being taken care of by him and seemed to have nothing to worry about.
Six years have passed, and her menstrual cycle has changed and become very irregular, sometimes only coming once every two months. She herself doesn't bother to remember it, but Fu Linzheng did.
Her heartstrings trembled slightly, she mumbled a reply, and finally picked out a few bags.
Moving forward from the daily necessities section, the two went to the snacks section. Rong Weiyue wanted to buy some snacks, but Fu Linzheng took all the ones she wanted first.
He took two packets of braised chicken feet and turned to look at her:
"Spicy flavor?"
"Um."
He grabbed some popcorn and asked her, "Caramel flavor?"
"Um……"
He accurately guessed her favorite flavors, leaving one wondering, "How did you know what I like to eat?"
Fu Linzheng said leisurely, "That's perfect, it's also one of my favorite foods."
oh……
A few seconds later, he said lazily again, "We've lived together for so long, and when you're watching TV in the living room, you only ever talk about the same few things. Do you think my observation skills are that bad?"
He noticed that she had eaten snacks in the living room a few times.
Walking up to the potato chip shelf, Fu Linzheng looked down at her and said, "As your roommate, let me test you: what's my favorite flavor of potato chips?"
She blinked blankly, trying hard to recall, but couldn't remember: "It should be... cucumber flavor?"
Fu Linzheng scoffed: "Fine, Xia Sili likes Gojo Satoru, you've remembered that since high school, but you don't even remember mine."
"?"
"Rong Weiyue, you really have no heart."
"..."
Rong Weiyue realized that she hadn't really paid attention to what he liked. Given their current status, there was no need to. But compared to his actions just now, she inexplicably felt that she had made a mistake.
She asked, somewhat embarrassed, "So what flavor do you like? Spicy? Barbecue? Tomato?"
Fu Linzheng raised an eyebrow: "I don't like potato chips at all."
"..."
No, can she hit him?
After buying the snacks, she pushed the shopping cart forward. Two children were playing in front of her. One of them put his front foot on the base of the shopping cart, pushed off with his back foot, and the whole cart rushed towards her.
She was completely unaware that the car was about to hit her wrist just moments before—
A hand with distinct knuckles quickly reached out from the side, its large palm firmly covering hers, and a tall figure stood in front of her without hesitation.
Fu Linzheng was knocked forward by the car, moving closer to her as if he were pulling her into his arms.
Her arm bumped into his strong body, and heat rushed towards her. The man's tall figure loomed over her, and the warmth of his palm seeped into her skin little by little, spreading a tingling sensation like an electric current.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked up to meet Fu Linzheng's eyes.
His eyes were dark and intense, reflecting her porcelain-white face. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his breathing became a little unsteady.
Time seemed to slow down.
Her breath caught in her throat, her mind went blank for a moment, and her heart rippled slightly.
Soon a parent came over, apologized to them, and left with their child, grumbling.
While she was still in a daze, Fu Linzheng released her hand and said in a deep voice, "Don't hold onto the side when pushing the cart, you don't know you'll get your hands caught or bumped?"
"oh……"
Rong Weiyue lowered her eyes and thanked him softly. Fu Linzheng took the shopping cart and said, "Stand aside, I'll push it."
Rong Weiyue responded gently and followed him to the fruit section. She said she wanted to eat some tangerines: "What do you want to eat? I'll weigh them for you."
"Pick what you like, have a lot to share, and buy some bananas and blueberries for Huhu too."
"good."
After she finished shopping, she went to the deli section. Many foods were on sale, including a nut cake. She took a box intending to have it for breakfast the next day. Fu Linzheng frowned slightly: "This was made two days ago, it's not fresh anymore."
"It's okay, it doesn't expire until the day after tomorrow, we can finish it by tomorrow."
Fu Linzheng said helplessly, "I want it made fresh that day. Give me a box."
She took it for him, then went to the refrigerated section to find some fresh milk on sale. There was a buy-one-get-one-free promotion. Just as she was about to take it, Fu Linzheng couldn't stand it anymore and frowned as he stopped her: "This is about to expire."
She glanced at the date. "There are still three days left. We can finish it."
Fu Linzheng's face darkened: "Back in high school, you would vomit and have diarrhea after eating something not fresh. Don't you know how fragile your stomach is?"
Now we have cakes and milk that are close to their expiration date. What if we get sick from eating them?
He noticed that she usually cooked very simple meals at home, mostly vegetarian dishes with very little meat. Her refrigerator contained only some vegetables, eggs, and frozen dumplings and buns. The only exception was when she cooked for him that time, when she bought expensive snow crabs. Also, when they lived in that old, run-down apartment, he secretly followed her home and saw that she also picked out the cheapest fruits at the fruit shop.
Rong Weiyue's food, clothing, and daily necessities during high school were not luxurious, but after all, she was born into a scholarly family, so how could she lack these things?
"Didn't you just say you received the money from the production crew? Is it really necessary to be so frugal?"
Rong Weiyue pursed her lips, rubbed the water droplets on the milk can, and said softly, "I guess I'm used to it. I ate like this in college because I had to work part-time to earn living expenses, so I had to be careful with my spending."
At that time, she worked part-time at the school cafeteria during the week and taught at art institutions outside on weekends to earn extra money. After paying for accommodation and books at the beginning of her freshman year, she only had about a hundred yuan left in her pocket. She cooked vegetable noodles in her dormitory for half a month and was almost sick of it.
Fu Linzheng was slightly taken aback: "Why didn't your family give you any money?"
Her eyes trembled slightly. "...I don't want that. I can support myself on my own."
Fu Linzheng looked at her delicate profile, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
In the past few years, he was training, competing, and socializing abroad, living a life of unparalleled success, while she was alone in a place so far from home, suffering countless hardships.
No wonder she's so thin.
Bitterness spread like needles piercing his heart.
Fu Linzheng's dark eyes churned with emotion. Rong Weiyue met his gaze and seemed to sense his heartache. She paused for a moment and then softly said, "It's alright. My stomach is much better now. It's not that fragile."
Fu Linzheng put the milk she was holding back with a stern face, picked up a large bottle of freshly produced milk, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "I drink milk too. It's more cost-effective for two people to share this large bottle."
She did the math and found it to be true, and nodded.
Fu Linzheng took some meat and vegetables, and after finishing buying Hu Hu's things, he went to the self-service counter to pay.
After scanning a full shopping cart of items for a long time, Fu Linzheng said to her when they were almost finished, "Huhu is thirsty, give it some water."
Rong Weiyue looked over and saw that the little guy was indeed fiddling with the kettle.
She ran to give it water, and when she came back, she found that the bill had already been paid. The screen returned to the main page and the amount could not be seen. She was stunned and went to get the receipt. "Let me calculate and we'll split it."
Fu Linzheng snatched it and stuffed it into his pocket. "You're going to try and calculate this with me on the street?"
"Then remember to tell me the price when you get back."
Fu Linzheng scoffed helplessly, "Alright, let's go."
The items were packed into three bags, two large and one small. Fu Linzheng carried them lightly with both hands and walked forward. Rong Weiyue, holding Hu Hu's hand, followed behind: "Can you carry all of this? Let me help you carry the small one."
The man turned and glanced at her: "No need, I can lift another one, you believe me?"
"..."
She had witnessed his strength firsthand.
Stepping out of the supermarket, it was already completely dark outside. The neon lights across the street were dappled, and people were scattered about in twos and threes. There were children laughing and playing, and couples walking hand in hand.
Fu Linzheng was carrying things, and Rong Weiyue was leading Huhu beside him. They saw a middle-aged couple walking past them with a dog, talking and smiling sweetly, as if they had just finished eating and were taking a walk.
It was the beautiful picture of married life she had once looked forward to.
Later, she stopped hoping for it.
She glanced at Fu Linzheng beside her. The streetlights cast a gentle glow on him, and she suddenly felt as if they were a couple.
Her ears burned slightly as she suppressed her inappropriate thoughts. When they arrived at the parking lot, Fu Linzheng handed her the car keys and said familiarly, "Open the trunk, then carry Hu Hu and get in the car first."
She responded.
The neon lights illuminated the city instead of the sunset. When Rong Weiyue returned to Heshengting, she saw that her old car was already parked in the parking lot. The exterior seemed to have been repainted and looked brand new. She sat down and touched the steering wheel and seat, finding them soft to the touch. All the leather had been replaced, making it particularly comfortable.
When I started the car, the steering wheel was precise and responsive, and the response was smoother than before. The previous battery problem was also gone.
She was shocked: "Fu Linzheng, you've done so much extra maintenance for me? How much did it cost in total? I'll transfer the money to you."
"unnecessary."
"ah?"
He said lazily, "It wasn't like our team just casually got your car sorted out. It was a piece of cake, I didn't even think about it."
She tried to speak, but Fu Linzheng wouldn't let her, saying, "Alright, let's go upstairs. Aren't you hungry?"
She had no choice but to give up and return home. Fu Linzheng asked her to organize the things she had bought while he carried steak and pasta to make dinner.
After dinner, the two went about their own business. Later, Rong Weiyue finished showering and sat on the bed, sending Fu Linzheng a message: [Have you calculated the supermarket bill? How much should I transfer to you?]
After waiting for more than ten minutes, the other end, as if deliberately delaying, finally sent a message: 【200.】
Rong Weiyue: ? ?
"How could it only cost 200 yuan after buying so much stuff? Show me the receipt."
Fu Linzheng leaned against the table, wiping his wet black hair, and threw the receipt with an amount over a thousand yuan into the trash can. He tapped the screen: [Couldn't find it, this is the estimated amount.]
Rong Weiyue: [You've got the calculations wrong, haven't you? The steak you bought today cost several hundred yuan.]
Fu Linzheng bought very high-quality beef, and she thought it was for himself, but tonight he fried a piece for her, and she thought she should have some too.
A voice message came back from the other end, the voice languid: "That's all the money you bought. The rest was stipulated in the rental agreement. I'll pay for the common utilities because I have high standards. You're forced to accommodate my spending habits. What, do you want to break the contract? The penalty is three months' rent."
Rong Weiyue: Huh? ???
She hadn't expected the contract to be so "domineering," but she still earnestly told him, "I know you have a high standard of living, but I still have to pay you something; I can't take advantage of you."
Fu Linzheng drawled, "Rong Weiyue, how many times have you taken advantage of me?"
"..."
She urged him to get serious, and five minutes later, Fu Linzheng sent a message: "I don't have time lately. Buy some toys and winter clothes for Hu Hu. You'll be responsible for its winter 'outfit' from now on."
Rong Weiyue paused for a moment, then smiled gently: "Okay."
Fu Linzheng: [Don't buy the expensive ones, choose the ones with good value for money. It's been behaving so poorly lately, let it experience a bit of hardship.]
No, Huhu has been so well-behaved lately...
She hurriedly went to a shopping app to pick out clothes for the young master. Actually, she had wanted to buy things for Hu Hu for a long time, but she found that Hu Hu was wearing luxury brands, with just one choker costing 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. So she had never dared to buy anything, fearing that Fu Linzheng would look down on it because it was too low-end.
Fu Linzheng sent her several affordable brands, saying they were of good quality and she could choose from them. She felt like she was choosing baby clothes for a little one, which was quite interesting.
As she picked through her choices, she also wanted to give Fu Linzheng something else as a token of her gratitude.
One night passed.
The next morning, Fu Linzheng woke up, got out of bed to wash up, changed his clothes, took his phone and walked out of the bedroom. He saw several screenshots of orders that Rong Weiyue had sent him around midnight the night before.
Hu Hu woke up too, ran over and wagged its tail and circled around him. Fu Linzheng smiled and said, "Look how much your mother spoils you. She picked out more than ten outfits for you. I don't even get this kind of treatment. She almost asked for a necklace back when she finally gave it to me."
Huhu patted his hand with its paw.
It seemed to be an attempt to offer comfort.
Fu Linzheng rubbed its chin, "Spend more time with your mom, she loves you the most."
After feeding Hu Hu breakfast, Fu Linzheng opened the refrigerator and saw two boxes of nut cakes inside. He took them out, opened the one that was about to expire, and quickly stuffed it into his mouth, swallowing the dry bits. Then he put the other fresh box on a plate and threw both boxes into the trash can.
There were still some not-so-fresh promotional foods in the refrigerator, such as toast and soy milk that the little girl had bought before. He thought of what she had said yesterday, frowned with heartache, and took out all the things and ate them.
Around 8 a.m., Rong Weiyue woke up and went to the restaurant, but Fu Linzheng had already left.
She saw a plate of nut cake, boiled eggs, sliced kiwis and bananas, and a salad on the table.
Did he just happen to prepare an extra breakfast for her...?
She went to open the refrigerator, intending to get the half-empty bottle of milk from yesterday, but found that all the near-expiry items were gone.
She was confused and asked Fu Linzheng, "Thank you for breakfast, but where did all the food in my fridge go?"
A few minutes later, a message came back, its tone indifferent: "I was too hungry when I woke up this morning and ate it all. Would you mind if I bought you another one?"
He really did eliminate them...
Of course she didn't mind, but those were all near their expiration dates. Didn't he look down on them when he went to the supermarket yesterday?
She didn't dare ask any more questions: "No, it's nothing."
She looked down at the salad on the plate, her heart fluttering slightly.
In the morning, Rong Weiyue went to the studio to revise her manuscript and received a notification that there would be a script reading for "Shuang Xue Yin" in the afternoon. She thought she could come.
Rong Weiyue immediately agreed. She wanted to see the actors in person so she could refine the accessories based on their skin tone and temperament.
Around 2 PM, the main creative team entered the conference room one after another. Rong Weiyue greeted each of the celebrities. Some people had a neutral attitude towards her, while others respected her profession. However, everyone's gaze lingered on her for a few more seconds.
Because Rong Weiyue is too beautiful.
She wore a classic Chinese dress, her hairpins with tassels swaying gently. Her features were sophisticated and distinctive, and her temperament was cool and bright, even surpassing the celebrities in the room.
After a while, the conference room door was pushed open again, and Xiang Anyue, the art director, walked in. When she saw Rong Weiyue, her eyes changed slightly, but she walked in without changing her expression.
Rong Weiyue calmly withdrew her gaze, not paying any attention.
Once everyone had arrived, the reading session began. Today, the director and screenwriter were present, but Fu Linzheng was not.
One afternoon, Rong Weiyue sat in a corner quietly taking notes. As she gained a deeper understanding of the characters in the story, inspiration kept flowing.
After the meeting, the director asked her, "Ms. Rong, did you gain anything from today's lesson? I was worried you'd be bored, but I was surprised to see you were quite engrossed in it."
Rong Weiyue smiled and said, "It wasn't boring at all. I gained a lot. When I got back, I had more ideas for revising the draft, and I'm looking forward to this drama more and more."
The director smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work. We really like your design. You told Teacher Xiang, right?"
Xiang Anyue, standing to the side, pursed her lips and said, "Yes, we all thought it was good and are really looking forward to the finished product."
After the director left, Xiang Anyue and Rong Weiyue walked at the back. The former looked at her and asked, "Weiyue, I heard about Du Binhai's situation. Are you alright?"
Rong Weiyue's expression was indifferent. "It's alright."
"I heard Fu Linzheng stood up for you?" Xiang Anyue chuckled. "You two are still on such good terms even after breaking up?"
Rong Weiyue didn't want to cause gossip for Fu Linzheng and herself, so she simply said, "As the producer, he doesn't want to affect the normal operation of this project."
Xiang Anyue smiled and said, "That's true. Fu Linzheng is just stating the facts, not the person. Besides, you two were together before, so there's still some affection between you."
When they reached the elevator, one went down and the other went up.
Looking at the elevator floor number, Xiang Anyue sighed, "Fu Linzheng had a lot of girls who liked him in high school. Just the other day, a friend asked me if he had a girlfriend. I think someone like Fu Linzheng should at least be a rich and beautiful heiress. I told my friend to give up and not to even think about having his eye on him. What do you think, Weiyue?"
Rong Weiyue met Xiang Anyue's smiling face, and after a few seconds asked with a faint smile, "Is the friend you're talking about you? She looks quite like you."
"..." Xiang Anyue's face froze, and she forced a laugh to make amends, "How could that be? I don't like him."
The elevator doors opened, and Rong Weiyue ignored her and went straight in.
Xiang Anyue was furious when she thought of Fu Linzheng's cold attitude towards her.
Inside the elevator, Rong Weiyue had two assistants standing behind her, and they were talking:
“I went downstairs to get coffee and snacks, and that young lady from the Sheng family arrived.”
"Waiting for Mr. Fu?"
"Yes, I've been here several times. She's really beautiful with fair skin. Today she was carrying a limited edition crocodile Hermes bag. I heard her family is in the aviation business, so they're quite wealthy."
"They're a perfect match, a good couple indeed. The chairman is most concerned about young CEO Fu's marriage, and he's probably making all sorts of arrangements for him..."
Upon reaching the first floor, the elevator doors opened, and Rong Weiyue snapped out of her daze, raised her eyelashes, and stepped out.
As she drove away, the evening sky was tinged with a pale blue sunset. Rong Weiyue drove on, the sounds she heard echoing in her ears, and ripples spread through her heart.
She recalled that in high school, Fu Linzheng lived in the spotlight, full of vigor and arrogance.
During the summer before his senior year of high school, he spent most of his time flying abroad. In August, he won the F3 junior championship. When school officially started, many students flocked to him to take photos with him.
On the day of the flag-raising ceremony, Fu Linzheng, as an outstanding student, gave a speech, sharing his learning experiences. The head of the teaching department knew that he hadn't prepared, so he handed the script to Fu Linzheng, who was leaning against the wall, and repeatedly instructed him: "Read according to the script! No improvisation allowed, understand?"
“Hey,” the boy took it, grinning nonchalantly, “Old Zhang, don’t worry, I’ll definitely deliver a thought-provoking speech.”
"?"
The head of the teaching department's eyelids twitched, and he suddenly sensed that something terrible was about to happen.
As expected, when Fu Linzheng walked onto the stage, the students below saw him slowly fold his manuscript and lazily say, "Everyone's time is precious, so I won't read this nonsense."
The boy, dressed in a white shirt and school trousers, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, exuded a cool and rebellious vibe, causing a stir and applause among the students.
"Brother Zheng is truly Brother Zheng, he's gone off-script again!"
"Oh no, I can already picture the dean of students' faces turning red with rage, hahaha..."
Fu Linzheng ignored the calls from the head of the teaching department backstage and said with a lazy smile, "The head of the department asked me to talk to everyone about study methods. I'm sorry, my grades are just average. The main reason is that I don't have time to study. I don't even have time to win awards in competitions. I can't have all the advantages in this world. It wouldn't be fair to others."
A burst of laughter erupted from below, saying he was still as flamboyant as ever. Fu Lin, with a touch of arrogance, replied in a serious tone, "But what I do know is that in this world, whether it's studying or racing, there is no success without a price."
"If you want to get good grades, you have to be able to endure the hardship of studying. Just like I trained thousands of times in the racing track and simulator, until I was covered in sweat and exhausted, all for the sake of improving by a fraction of a second in the race."
Fu Linzheng raised his eyes and looked at the faces on the playground:
"But I think not everyone has to take the same path."
"You can study hard to get into a 985 or 211 university, or you can choose a less traveled path and forge ahead. The worst thing is to choose nothing, yet want everything, and then turn around and blame the world for being unfair."
Fu Linzheng curled his lips into a smile: "I hope that what makes you proud in this life is that you were my classmate, but I hope even more that this is not the greatest pride of your life."
"So senior year is a precious time. Study hard, pursue the people you like, and boldly dream about the future."
Under the bright sunlight, the boy casually folded the manuscript in his hand into a paper airplane, flicked his wrist, and it soared into the air, a defiant smile playing on his lips.
"Because we are all young, we still have the capital to make mistakes—at worst, we'll just hit a wall and turn around."
His voice echoed across the playground, met with thunderous cheers:
"Master Zheng is too awesome!"
"He's so handsome! He's the only one who dares to talk about being in a relationship under the national flag!"
The sunlight that day was dazzling. Rong Weiyue looked at the young man on the stage from the crowd. She never thought that someone could be so high-profile, flamboyant, and unscrupulous.
From then until now, Fu Linzheng remains the same unrestrained person he always was.
Suddenly, he wondered what kind of girl Fu Linzheng would like now.
He has gone higher and farther, seen a bigger world, and is surrounded by more outstanding girls. His perspective is definitely different from when he was eighteen.
There are countless standards for liking someone, but in the eyes of outsiders, only those rich young ladies are worthy of him, and it would never be her from the past.
She could sense that Fu Linzheng was treating her very well now, so well that it made her increasingly control her thoughts. But she was afraid that it was all wishful thinking on her part, that he was only being affectionate as a roommate, and that those special moments he showed her were just lingering effects of past feelings, or the natural hormonal collisions that occur when a man and woman are close.
Does she not know if she can indulge in fantasies?
Even if she was the one who let go first, is there anyone who can transcend six years and continue to love someone who isn't special at all...?
As darkness fell outside the window, her eyes slowly dimmed.
A faint bitterness, like seawater, slowly washes over my heart.
An hour later, she returned to Heshengting and her phone's memo app popped up with a reminder to pay rent.
She transferred money to Fu Linzheng via WeChat, then prepared dinner for Hu Hu, and ate a simple meal herself.
After dinner, she went to bring all the clothes down from the balcony.
A few days ago, she saw last month's water, electricity and property management fees. The prices were not low, but Fu Linzheng did not ask her to pay a single cent. Since she could not pay, she should do more housework and not owe him too much.
After collecting the laundry, she went to the living room, which was a mess, with various toys scattered on the floor. She rubbed the fuzzy head and said, "Baby, you really are a master of destruction."
She was cleaning when she didn't notice when Huhu had darted to her feet. As she stepped back, she heard its startled cry.
She quickly moved aside, but the mop in her hand bumped into the decorative shelf near the entrance.
"Bang--!"
A bronze horse inlaid with gold and silver on the display shelf crashed to the ground and shattered into pieces, accompanied by a sharp pain in her ankle.
The whooshing sound startled her, and she ran away, her ears ringing and her head spinning.
She was stunned by the sight of the broken pieces on the ground.
Oh no, what's wrong with her...?
The scene was a mess. Several sharp copper pieces cut her ankle, and beads of blood oozed out. She didn't care and hurriedly squatted down to pick them up.
She remembered that when she was little, she accidentally broke one of her mother's teapots while playing with her younger siblings. She rushed to pick it up, but her father heard the noise and came over, scolding her for always causing trouble. "This teapot was passed down from your great-grandmother. Do you know how much it's worth?"
She felt guilty and her eyes were red with embarrassment. Later, her father punished her by making her face the wall. She didn't dare to go over when the family was having meals. In the end, her mother and sister came to take her to eat.
Rong Weiyue picked up the bronze fragments with unease. She took out her phone to check and found that the auction market price of a genuine bronze galloping horse was over two million yuan, and the one from Fu Linzheng's family was probably even more expensive.
Everything went black before her eyes, and she felt like the sky had fallen.
It's over, even selling the studio won't cover the losses...
She even tried to save money by buying discounted bread and milk, but all her savings went to waste...
Panic and guilt surged up, and she suppressed the stinging in her nose, picking at the broken pieces with trembling fingers. She looked down at the shattered edges, thinking of a million ways to make amends or repair the damage.
Suddenly, a sound came from the front door.
Fu Linzheng has returned.
He spent the whole day training at the racetrack. In the afternoon, the group called to say that a daughter of a certain family was visiting, but he simply said he wouldn't see her and ignored them completely. After finishing his work, he rushed home.
The man, dressed in a neat windbreaker, carried ribs and vegetables he had bought at the supermarket near the entrance of the residential area, as well as a bag of cherries and a box of cream puffs. As soon as he entered, he saw the little girl squatting on the ground, frantically picking up the broken pieces. She was thin and small, like a pitiful little animal.
He frowned and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Rong Weiyue hadn't expected him to return so quickly, assuming he might be having dinner with that rich girl. Feeling guilty, she said, "I'm sorry, I accidentally broke your bronze galloping horse..."
Fu Linzheng changed his shoes, put his things down, and walked straight over without even looking at the horse. His voice was deep: "Is it injured?"
She shook her head and whispered, "I'm fine, let me pick up the pieces first..."
"Don't move, aren't you afraid of cutting yourself if you grab it with your bare hands?"
Fu Linzheng noticed the particularly noticeable gash on her ankle, and his brows furrowed instantly: "You still say you're not injured?"
"Let me tidy up the floor first..."
Fu Linzheng was furious that she was still concerned about other things. "It's just a broken horse, what's the point of picking it up?"
He bent down and lifted her up in his arms.
Rong Weiyue's body lifted into the air, her mind in turmoil: "Fu Linzheng, I can walk..."
"If you yell again, do you believe I'll let go right now?"
The man's tone was forceful.
He was strong enough to hold her in his arms like a cat with just one arm. The taro-purple knit sweater covering her snow-white skin rubbed against the folds of his windbreaker, instantly creating a warm sensation.
The intense minty scent emanating from Fu Linzheng filled her senses, domineeringly taking over all her senses. She could hear the powerful beating of his heart in his chest, and her heart skipped a beat.
He carried her to the sofa, then went to get the first-aid kit. When he returned, he frowned and scolded her, "You got hurt and you didn't treat it right away? Don't you know what's important? You even tried to pick it up with your bare hands. What if you cut yourself? How are you going to draw?"
The little girl used to be most afraid of pain. Once, she fell while running and scraped her knee so badly that tears streamed down her face. He felt so sorry for her.
Rong Weiyue felt a slight sting at the sound of his usual scolding, and lowered her eyes, saying, "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt..."
"Don't I know how delicate you are?"
We always try our best to protect him, but he gets injured like this the moment he's not home.
Fu Linzheng opened the first-aid kit and took out iodine. Rong Weiyue said softly with guilt, "Fu Linzheng, I checked and that bronze horse costs around two million. I don't have that much money right now. Can I give you an IOU and pay in installments? I'll pay you back..."
"Pay my ass, I don't need that little bit of money."
Her red lips parted slightly: "Then why did you say before that you didn't have money to buy a combination lock?"
"..."
Fu Linzheng said lazily, "The main thing is that I hate this horse. My dad gave it to me a while ago, saying it would bring me great success in business. What a load of bull. I haven't made any money since this horse came to my house. It's good that you fell. My luck has definitely turned around. I should thank you."
"..."
She didn't know how this person could still be in the mood to say such things, so she suppressed her lips and muttered softly, "But I still have to compensate."
He couldn't persuade her otherwise, and scoffed, "Fine, I'll decide what compensation I owe you. You can owe me for now."
Fu Linzheng dipped a cotton swab in iodine and held her ankle:
"It hurts a little, just bear with it."
He patiently treated the wound, the warmth of his palm penetrating through her skin. Rong Weiyue gently looked up at him, her heart pounding wildly.
Fu Linzheng asked, "What happened just now?"
"I just wanted to sweep the floor, but I accidentally stepped on a puff, took a step back, and bumped into it..."
"Why are you sweeping the floor for no reason? Didn't I already say that you're not responsible for the cleanliness of public areas?"
"I was thinking that since you're not charging me for water and electricity, I figured I should at least help with some housework..."
Fu Linzheng scoffed helplessly, "I hired a cleaning lady, but can you get it as clean as her?"
Hmm...
She was speechless, and lowered her head. Fu Linzheng looked at the obvious bloodstain on her fair ankle, his brows furrowing with heartache, and his voice was low and hoarse:
"Just take good care of yourself. We didn't let you move in to be a maid. There's no housework for you to do, understand?"
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