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This wasn’t the first time Zou Le Xiao had run errands for Fu Cheng Lin, but what used to be small favors had now escalated into rescuing him from an embarrassing situation.
Her mother was right—having Fu Ji Chen and Fu Cheng Lin as her safety nets meant that no matter how embarrassing things got, she wouldn’t lose face completely.
Indeed, happiness is comparative.
She couldn’t compare herself to Yu Qing and Fu Ji Chen anymore; now, she compared herself to Fu Cheng Lin.
The club where Fu Cheng Lin was currently holed up happened to be the one invested in by Yu Jing Xin. Zou Le Xiao was a regular there, though she rarely visited private rooms, preferring the quiet bar on the first floor.
Pushing a suitcase into the club inevitably drew curious glances, but luckily, she didn’t bump into anyone she knew on her way to the private room.
“Fu Cheng Lin, open the door!”
Within half a minute, the door cracked open just wide enough for a hand to emerge. “You can leave now.”
Zou Le Xiao’s curiosity only grew. “How bad did they get you? Are you too embarrassed to show your face?”
“What about your gift? Still want it or not?”
“…” Zou Le Xiao pushed the suitcase toward him. “I’ll be downstairs at the bar.”
The response was a loud slam of the door.
At the bar, a live singer was crooning a melancholic love song.
Zou Le Xiao ordered two drinks and found a corner seat.
Chin resting on her hand, she watched the singer perform, humming along softly to the tune.
As she sang, a shadow suddenly blocked her view.
Looking up, she saw Fu Cheng Lin, now dressed in clean clothes. Earlier, when he reached out for the suitcase, he had been wearing a white shirt, but now he had changed into a black one.
Perhaps the wine stains were too obvious on the white shirt, whereas black could hide them better.
Fu Cheng Lin sat across from her and took the other drink on the table.
Zou Le Xiao noticed his damp hair—he must have rinsed it in the private room’s bathroom. His disheveled bangs were slightly messy, but it didn’t detract from his appearance. A man with high颜值, even when disheveled, exuded a different kind of charm.
“So, they poured wine all over you from head to toe?”
Fu Cheng Lin didn’t respond, crossing his legs and leaning back in his chair. He took a sip of his drink.
Zou Le Xiao was intrigued by his restraint. Unlike Fu Ji Chen, who was patient and calm, Fu Cheng Lin was known for being cunning and cold-hearted.
From a genetic standpoint, this was clearly a case of mutation.
Today, a woman had dared to douse him in wine, and she wondered what he was thinking at this moment.
She admired the guts of the woman who had done it. If it were her, she wouldn’t have dared to provoke Fu Cheng Lin—teasing him occasionally was fine, but going all out? She wouldn’t dare.
Fu Cheng Lin remained silent, swirling the wine in his glass.
Zou Le Xiao assumed he was angry. “The woman must’ve been deeply hurt by you, otherwise, how could she bear to pour wine on someone she once liked?”
Fu Cheng Lin suddenly looked up. “If you don’t know what to say, then don’t say anything.”
Zou Le Xiao realized that mentioning the past had struck a nerve. Serves him right! He hadn’t cherished what he had back then.
If one day Yu Jing Ze came back to her, she wouldn’t forgive him easily either. Maybe she’d even throw wine at him.
But she wasn’t that lucky.
And Yu Jing Ze wasn’t Fu Cheng Lin.
Fu Cheng Lin asked her, “What were you doing at Fu Ji Chen’s place?”
“To see Little Yu Miao. He’s so cute now.” Zou Le Xiao showed him the short video she had taken earlier. “How long has it been since you last saw him?”
Fu Cheng Lin thought for a moment. “Two weeks.”
He opened the video and watched. Little Yu Miao had changed a bit since then.
“Were you really there to see Little Yu Miao, or were you there to see Yu Jing Ze?”
Zou Le Xiao: “… Do you think I’m like you?” She spoke of her resolve. “It’s over between us. Today, I canceled my card at Yu Bank.”
Then she mentioned tonight’s errand. “Everyone wanted to stay for dinner at Second Brother’s house, including Yu Jing Ze, but I turned down the invitation.”
She clarified, “It’s not because of your gift.”
It was because of her determination.
In the past, she wouldn’t have cared about Fu Cheng Lin, putting Yu Jing Ze at the center of everything. Making that decision and leaving those two chocolates behind had cost her every ounce of resolve she had.
________________________________________
Zou Le Xiao stayed at the bar until 10:00 PM, drinking two cocktails before Fu Cheng Lin forbade her from having more. He paid the bill and escorted her home.
Staring out the car window, they passed by Yu Bank’s headquarters again.
“Brother, if the woman you loved got married to someone else and had children, would you…”
Before she could finish, Fu Cheng Lin interrupted. “That won’t happen to me.”
Zou Le Xiao kept looking out the window, even though they had long passed the bank building. She chuckled bitterly. “Have you forgotten? You were just doused in wine.”
Fu Cheng Lin: “I have plenty of clothes.”
Zou Le Xiao: “… “
His implied meaning was clear: Pour away. If his clothes got wet, he’d simply change into another set.
Before the car turned onto another road, she glanced back at the building’s sign.
At home, both Mr. and Mrs. Zou were waiting in the living room. They never pressured Zou Le Xiao or asked where she had been.
But she always had her limits.
When Zou Le Xiao walked in, her parents were watching TV. From the sound alone, she recognized the film—it was yet another rerun of a classic movie her father had watched with her mother countless times.
“Why are you back so early today?” Mr. Zou asked casually.
“Big Brother didn’t let me stay out too late.”
“You went out with Fu Cheng Lin?”
“Yes. We had a couple of drinks at the bar.” Zou Le Xiao sat next to her mother.
Mrs. Zou glanced at her daughter. “You seem to be in a good mood?”
Zou Le Xiao smiled. “Not bad. Big Brother had it worse than me.”
Mrs. Zou: “Then hang out with him more often. It’ll make you feel better.”
Zou Le Xiao laughed. “That’s a great idea.”
Leaning against her mother, she opened her phone and posted on social media: 【Today’s happiness~】 The accompanying photos were of the two cocktails at the bar.
________________________________________
At Yu Qing’s house, after dinner, they gathered for a card game.
Yu Shao Hong had also joined them for dinner and stayed afterward to play cards with the younger generation.
Yu Qing received a message from Zou Le Xiao: 【I’m home. Let Second Brother know.】
【Alright, sleep early.】 Yu Qing casually opened her social media feed and saw Zou Le Xiao’s post. “Zou Le Xiao went to a bar with her classmate and drank.”
Yu Jing Ze’s movements paused slightly as he glanced at Yu Qing out of the corner of his eye but said nothing.
Yu Qing zoomed in on the photo and deliberately held up her phone vertically for Yu Jing Xin to see. “It’s from the bar you invested in.”
Yu Jing Ze caught a glimpse of the photo: two glasses of wine, one held by Zou Le Xiao’s hand, the other by a man’s hand—long fingers, distinct knuckles.
To the uninformed, it might look like a couple’s photo.
Yu Jing Xin joked, “They ordered a couples’ drink. Seems like their relationship is progressing well.”
Yu Qing played along, taking the phone to look again. “Do they have couples’ drinks at your bar? I didn’t know that.”
Yu Jing Xin explained casually, “Probably because you don’t go there often. Last time you visited, you only drank juice—you weren’t allowed alcohol. Next time, I’ll take you to try it.”
She pretended to chat idly with Yu Qing. “Zou Le Xiao isn’t just a member of the club; she’s also a VIP customer at the bar. She’s quite familiar with the bartender—they even added each other on WeChat. Ordering this drink might mean she’s planning to start dating her classmate.”
Yu Qing nodded slowly. “Possibly.”
She liked the post on Zou Le Xiao’s feed. “I hope she moves on and finds a guy her age to date. Every time I see her so upset, I feel guilty.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Yu Jing Ze. “Brother, you’re finally free. No need to feel guilty anymore.”
Yu Jing Ze remained silent, sorting through his cards.
Yu Shao Hong glanced at his son and added fuel to the fire. “I’ve discovered you’re like a wishing pool—very effective. This evening, you mentioned hoping Zou Le Xiao would find someone her age, and tonight your wish came true.”
Yu Jing Ze: “… “
Everyone struggled to suppress their laughter, trying not to ruin the atmosphere.
Fu Ji Chen chimed in with a serious tone, “If Zou Le Xiao ends up with this guy, we’ll all breathe a sigh of relief. Especially Governor Zou—he’s such a devoted father. He’s been worried about her for the past six months.”
One by one, everyone spoke earnestly, their expressions solemn. It didn’t feel like teasing—it seemed genuine happiness for Zou Le Xiao.
For a fleeting moment, Yu Jing Ze began to doubt whether Zou Le Xiao was truly planning to date someone. Otherwise, why would she have left those two chocolates behind?
Another round of cards ended, and the loser was still Yu Jing Ze.
Taking advantage of the brief pause while Fu Ji Chen shuffled and dealt the cards, Yu Jing Ze opened WeChat. Though Zou Le Xiao had deleted him, she was still in his contacts list. He couldn’t send messages or see her posts, but he hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to send a friend request.
Zou Le Xiao had just returned to her bedroom, preparing to shower and sleep. Tomorrow was Monday, and she needed to wake up early.
Just as she was about to put her phone down, a friend request popped up. Seeing Yu Jing Ze’s profile picture and username, she thought she was dreaming.
She tapped on it and saw the verification message: 【It’s me, Yu Jing Ze.】
She had no idea why Yu Jing Ze suddenly wanted to add her back. After all the effort she had put into deleting him, accepting the request would undo all her hard work.
The days of constant anxiety and endless speculation had been unbearable.
At least, she no longer wanted to torture herself like that.
Instead of immediately accepting, she replied in the verification box: 【President Yu, hello. What’s the matter?】
Yu Jing Ze was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected her to hesitate. With no choice, he continued typing in the verification box: 【I heard you’re planning to date your university classmate. I hope it’s not because of me that you’re rushing into a relationship. I also don’t want you to regret it later.】
Zou Le Xiao was utterly confused. Her recent social media post must have sparked some teasing from Yu Qing, leading to this misunderstanding.
She replied in the verification box: 【Thank you for your concern. Knowing you has been fortunate for me. I’ll approach this relationship seriously.】
“Are we playing cards or not?” Yu Shao Hong tapped the table impatiently.
Yu Jing Ze brushed it off. “I’m checking tomorrow’s flight information. Just a moment.”
The others could guess he was messaging Zou Le Xiao, but no one teased him. They pretended not to notice.
Yu Jing Ze stared at Zou Le Xiao’s reply. It gave no indication whether she was dating the man or not. He decided to ask directly: 【Are you already together?】
Zou Le Xiao: “… “
Was he so eager to free himself?
【He’s been pursuing me for a while. I’m still considering. We’ll spend more time together. If it works out, I’ll date and marry. I also wish President Yu luck in finding your other half.】
Yu Jing Ze: 【So, you’re saying you’re not together yet?】
Zou Le Xiao: “… “ 【Yes. But we’re close. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you anymore. In the future, I’ll try to avoid visiting Second Brother’s house. Good night.】
Yu Jing Ze stared at the lengthy conversation in the verification box. He was probably the first person to have a full-blown chat in the verification box without the other person ever adding him as a friend.
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