Chapter 34 People are more fragrant than flowers
Teasing and ridicule came through the screen. Fu Chengyun smiled helplessly, put the phone in his pocket, and sat back in his seat by the window.
It was two or three in the afternoon, and the sun was blazing brightly. Dazzling golden light streamed down from behind the clouds, distorting the scorching air slightly, and even the wind carried a scorching heat. The sky was a deep blue, like a flawless sapphire.
Fu Chengyun: Look at the sky
My little fox: very ugly
Two people are looking at the same sky, but seeing different views.
The clouds hung low, their edges rimmed with gold. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground, like a faded painting.
Ning Che stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding his phone in a daze.
Fu Chengyun is the true ruler of the Fu Group. He possesses power and status as well as inexhaustible money. He can command the support of hundreds of people and enjoys an unparalleled status.
And what about the other end of the phone?
Falling from the clouds into the mire, his inner strength completely drained, he was left alone, without a single foundation in this unfamiliar world, not even understanding its rules. Useless and kept as a mistress by Fu Chengyun, he spent his days and nights in this world of four directions.
His shoulders suddenly sank, and Butler Li took a coat and put it on him. He said with concern, "The wind is strong outside the window, be careful not to catch a cold."
A wry smile appeared on his lips, his eyes filled with despair. "Can the early summer wind make me sick? Wouldn't that make me a useless person?"
"Xiao Che, you are not allowed to say that about yourself." Steward Li frowned and scolded, "You have ascended to the position of Demon Lord through your own strength. Your methods and strength are undoubtedly top-notch. Don't underestimate yourself."
"Yes, I was once unattainable." He turned to look at Butler Li, his face pale and his nostrils twitching uncontrollably. "But what am I now? Fu Chengyun's pet?"
Butler Li patted his head lovingly. "I can see that Cheng Yun likes you. He really loves you."
"So what? He doesn't understand me at all, let alone what I want!" Ning Che shook off Butler Li's hand, resentment swirling in his eyes.
"Grandpa naturally understands you. But it is so difficult to revive the Demon Cult in this world!"
"Why would it be so difficult? As long as I am still alive, I will never give up. One day, I will revive the Demon Cult and return to the position I deserve."
He looked at the brightest cloud in the sky. The sunlight shone on his sharp profile, and it seemed that his whole body was glowing.
"It's not difficult." Butler Li sighed, sat on the chair by the window, and counted on his fingers.
"The Demon Cult has at least 3,000 members, right? A servant gets one or two taels of salary per month, and each promotion increases by one tael. You've been the head of a sect for a few years, so your salary should be around 50 taels per month. Add to that the land and property, and you'd have tens of thousands of taels. Add to that the monthly expenses for food, clothing, weapons, and favors between the various sects. A hundred taels per month isn't too much, is it?"
His brows were furrowed, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes became more pronounced. He simply spread out his hands for Ning Che to see. "I can't figure it out. Can you calculate how much this is?"
"No matter how things change, the essence remains the same. You want to start from scratch. Let me ask you, how much money do you have?"
Ning Che: "You've lived here for decades, and you don't have any savings?"
"I've saved less than a million over the years." Butler Li pointed to a green-glazed ice-patterned vase at the entrance to the living room. "Here! Just enough to buy that."
"I, I can choose not to buy something so expensive." Ning Che was stunned for a moment, stiffening his neck and retorting. "We can keep it simple."
"You can keep it simple. You need to buy a house, 1.5 million at least. Then buy a few cars, 300,000 at least. Hire more people, the minimum wage is 2,500. Then pay for the five social insurances and one housing fund, at least 750 per person per month, plus food, property fees, water, electricity, and a business license. This amount of money is a drop in the bucket."
"Ah?" Ning Che was stunned. He only knew that he had to practice martial arts diligently, be good at attacking people's minds, and use any means to trample everyone under his feet.
These exponentially growing numbers that Grandpa Li mentioned made him feel overwhelmed.
He stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence, "Then why?"
"Why were you able to sit on the throne of the Lord before?"
Ning Che nodded vigorously.
Steward Li stroked his nonexistent beard, an unfathomable expression on his face. "Because the old master laid the foundation for you back then, all you had to do was eliminate dissidents, build your own strength, and bring down Xu Jia. You're good at these matters of life and death, but you're completely clueless when it comes to living behind closed doors."
"Is that so?" His eyes were as clear as a deer's, and he didn't know where all the surging resentment had gone.
He lowered his head and counted his fingers one by one, mumbling to himself, still trying to prove that he could get back on his feet without much money.
Butler Li patted his head and said, "Silly boy, you have a long way to go."
"Then what should I do?" Ning Che was touched by the unknown. He grabbed the corner of Butler Li's clothes like an innocent child and refused to let go, determined to find the answer from his grandfather.
"Wait for the opportunity." Butler Li closed the window and turned away, leaving him with only a back that was full of hope but not much.
"When will the time come?" Ning Che took a step forward and asked.
"Don't worry, I'll tell you when I get there." Butler Li walked into the room, closed the door, and sat down on the bed. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and muttered softly, "Reviving this demonic cult? That's the underworld! Nothing is better than a couple living a good life together!"
The old man had spent all his words and tricks trying to fool his silly grandson. It was inevitable that he was a little tired.
He turned on the radio on the bedside table and tuned it to the opera channel. He leaned back on the bed and swayed his head to the humming sounds.
The melodious tune came in through the window, but Ning Che couldn't hear it clearly. He only heard the sentence "the sad sound makes my heart feel like it is being pounded".
He smiled bitterly, thinking that who could be more miserable than him now?
The roses in the garden were in full bloom, their subtle fragrance surging, attracting several butterflies to linger around the branches. Ning Che reached out from the window and gently stroked the corolla, feeling that he and the rose shared a common affliction.
As the sky gradually darkened, he remained unaware, still sitting by the window in a daze. Even when the bodyguards at the gate all bowed in one direction, he didn't notice.
Fu Chengyun returned home from the main gate of the courtyard today, holding nine iceberg roses in his hands, his heart pounding.
As soon as I got off the car, I saw Ning Che's face in front of the floor-to-ceiling window from a distance.
The person was wearing a set of white pajamas, the silk fabric giving it a subtle sheen. Her bright eyes and white teeth accentuated her beautiful face. Her long black hair draped casually over her shoulders, making her face appear only the size of a palm.
Fu Chengyun looked at him standing tall and gracefully behind the clusters of flowers, and felt that all the vitality in the garden was eclipsed.
The beauty leaned against the window, her silk sleeves hanging down. Fu Chengyun smacked his lips, and it really felt like he was eagerly waiting for his husband's return.
When he reached the door, he didn't go in. Instead, he walked around to Ning Che's window and knocked on the glass.
Ning Che suddenly came back to his senses and was startled.
My pupils focused, and the image gradually became clearer. Before me was a handsome face, a gentle smile etched in the corners of its eyes and eyebrows. On his chest lay a large bouquet of white roses, delicate and gorgeous, the water droplets on the petals more translucent than those in the garden.
He suddenly felt melancholy.
A thin white arm poked out of the window, picked up a petal, and smiled. "Lizzie said he likes white. Is this for her?"
Fu Chengyun imitated his speaking speed and said slowly: "I only care about whether you like it or not?"
The corners of his mouth curved deeper, and Ning Che said lazily, "Just make do."
His Adam's apple slid twice uncontrollably, and Fu Chengyun's heart felt like it had fallen into honey. He held the flower in one hand and reached for the hand that was teasing the petals with the other.
She caught it, intertwined her fingers, and brought it to her lips for a sip. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against the tip of the man's nose and whispered, "You smell better than this flower!"
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