Chapter 83 Out of Control President Fu, you humans…
Zhilan did not respond directly, but simply shook her head.
Fu Yun wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he vaguely heard Zhi Lan let out a soft laugh.
He glanced to the side and saw that although Zhilan did not respond to his question, her eyebrows were slightly curved, and a faint smile was radiating from her.
It's clear she's in a good mood today; a hint of a smile lingers in the corners of her eyes.
Fu Jun felt even more relaxed at this moment. He seemed to see Zhi Lan's eyes filled with smiles, and his mood also became inexplicably light and cheerful. He didn't mind Zhi Lan's silence and speculated, "Since it's not a troublesome matter, then something good must have happened?"
Zhilan finally couldn't help but chuckle: "Have you forgotten that your shop opened today?"
She turned her head slightly to meet Fu Jun's gaze. Her slightly curved eyebrows were dreamlike in the pale golden sunset, and her eyes were like the shimmering lake and mountains in the morning light, dazzling and radiant.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!" Fu Jun was instantly stunned. For a moment, his heartbeat became unbalanced. He seemed to hear his own heartbeat, like a drum, echoing in his ears. It was so passionate and surging, as if it would jump out of his chest at any moment.
"What's wrong?"
It wasn't until Zhilan asked a strange question that Fu Yun snapped out of his daze. He quickly shook his head, almost losing his composure as he looked away, and forced himself to remain calm, saying, "It's nothing, I was just thinking about something."
Zhilan raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised: "Oh? What is it?"
Fu Jun felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and a sudden bad feeling. Although he had never been in a serious relationship or had any intimate interactions with women because he had taken over the family business at a young age, how could an adult not know what it felt like to be moved?
He only accepted the mission assigned by Xiao Ba in order to survive and return home. He was trying his best to establish himself in the matriarchal country and eventually had to go back. No matter how outstanding or charming Zhi Lan was, he must not develop romantic feelings for her.
[Mr. Fu, just a friendly reminder: according to our understanding, human emotions are beyond your control!]
Fu Yun: "..." Don't say anything. Everyone understands the logic; you don't need to remind them.
Furthermore, even if he did develop different feelings for Zhilan, it would only be wishful thinking on his part.
Given Zhilan's resilient and strong character, she would never be swayed by romantic feelings. Take the original owner's ending in the novel, for example. As the most handsome man in Lingzhou City, he tried everything but failed to win her over. This shows just how strong Zhilan's willpower was.
Putting aside whether Zhilan would even look down on him as a mere merchant, just considering her title as the ruler of a country, he dared not entertain any wild thoughts, much less act recklessly. What if she were to have a harem of three thousand concubines like an ancient monarch? How would he possibly cope?
For Fu Yun, a modern man living in a monogamous society, accepting that men raise children is already a major challenge, let alone having to serve his beloved woman alongside other men.
In his view, if he truly loved someone, regardless of whether the laws of the time allowed polygamy, he would absolutely not accept sharing his partner with others; he could only accept that both of them were his one and only.
Fu Yun's thoughts churned for a moment before she finally took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. After suppressing the chaotic emotions in her heart, she somewhat abruptly changed the subject: "Did you come to see me specifically about the store opening?"
"That's only one aspect." Perhaps sensing Fu Yun's emotional fluctuations, Zhi Lan's smile suddenly faded, replaced by a hint of murderous intent: "The people can probably tell that you have a close relationship with Ye Lan, which means your shop is connected to the imperial court. However, those who deliberately provoked and caused trouble at your shop showed no regard for the imperial court. Their arrogance and recklessness can only mean that they have someone backing them up and are not afraid of being punished by the imperial court."
Zhilan's eyes turned sharp as knives, and a cold chill settled between her brows: "These audacious and reckless commoners dare to oppose the court. I think they think their heads are too heavy and want to loosen up their necks."
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something, her gaze fixed on Fu Yun, as if she didn't want to miss the expression on his face: "If I were to take action against the people behind these troublemakers, would you have anything to say?"
Fu Yun understood Zhi Lan's meaning. It seemed that she had received firsthand information, which meant that she had focused her investigation on Su Tan. If Su Tan was indeed the person behind it all, then she would have to take action against the Su family.
Although he has now left the Su family, this body still retains the blood of the Su family and can be considered a member of the Su family. If he really ignores the affairs of the Su family, he will seem somewhat cold-blooded and ruthless. In short, he is caught in the middle and it is not easy for him to be in a difficult position, and he is likely to be the subject of gossip.
It's understandable that Zhilan has these concerns. The reason she used "朕" (zhen, the imperial emperor) instead of "我" (wo, I) was to subtly remind him that even if the two had a relationship, as the ruler of a country, she would not treat the Su family leniently because of it.
In fact, Zhilan still imagined Su Fuyun to be indecisive. The original owner of this body was bullied and suppressed since childhood and never had a day of the privileged life that a young master should have. Judging from the extent of his dark turn in the later stages, he probably had nothing but resentment towards the Su family mansion. He would probably be happy if the Su family mansion were razed to the ground. As an outsider, Fuyun would naturally have nothing to worry about.
However, in the business world, there are still some principles of morality that need to be upheld. Otherwise, who would support a shop run by a cold-blooded, ruthless, and money-grubbing businessman? It would inevitably affect the shop's reputation.
Fu Yun said, "There's a saying that the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people, let alone a mere merchant. Those who make mistakes should bear the consequences; this is one of the basic principles of the law. You can handle it according to the law; you don't need to consider my side. Besides, she has never treated me like a son, and I have long since given up on her."
"Therefore, you can do whatever you want with her, I won't care. It's just that Su Tan is too cunning and treacherous, and it probably won't be easy to find evidence of her illegal and disorderly conduct. You'll probably have to spend a lot of effort and time collecting it."
Zhilan raised her eyebrows slightly, a deep, enigmatic meaning flashing in her eyes, and her tone became somewhat subtle: "Are you really not bothered by me taking action against the Su family?"
Fu Yun shook her head, about to say that she didn't mind at all, but then she realized something and asked, "If I were to say that I actually have a small request, I wonder if you would allow me to make it?"
Zhilan said, "You can suggest it, and I'll decide based on the situation."
After a moment's hesitation, Fu Yun slowly spoke: "My father is timid by nature and has always lived a secluded life in his mansion. He has never participated in any of Su Tan's actions. If one day you discover that Su Tan has committed an unforgivable crime, I would like to plead with you to spare my father's life."
Although the original owner's adoptive father didn't show much care, Su Tan's interference was also a factor. In the entire Su family, Su Tan was the only one who never verbally insulted or physically abused Su Fuyun. Let's just assume that he was willing but unable to do so.
Zhilan's gaze suddenly turned cold and stern. Just when Fu Jun thought she was about to get angry, the coldness in Zhilan's eyes vanished in an instant, and she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief: "I thought you really intended to be ruthless and not want any blood relatives. If I really wiped out the Su family, you'll probably blame me for being so ruthless and leaving no one alive."
[Oh my gosh! This is incredible! When has the Empress ever cared about what others think? You're the first in history to do so! It seems you hold a very important place in the Empress's heart!]
Fu Yun: "You talk too much. The reason she cares about my opinion is because I'm working for her. A qualified leader will consider the mental health of his subordinates. Otherwise, it's not worth it if psychological trauma affects the progress of things, right?"
[What you say makes some sense. After all, the Empress is career-oriented and devoted to the country; she's unlikely to give you special treatment.]
Fu Yun: "Isn't that it?"
[No matter what, you must be somewhat special to her, right?]
Fu Yun: "I don't know, maybe!"
How could he possibly guess what Zhilan was thinking?
Forget it, the most important thing right now is to open up the business path and earn more money for Zhilan. There are so many things waiting for me to do, I don't have time to think about these complicated and unclear emotional issues.
Fu Yun cleared his mind of all distractions and asked bluntly, "So Your Majesty has granted my request?"
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