Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
Yu Qing felt that she had sufficiently stunned Fu Jichen. With a serious expression, she said, “President Fu, didn’t we agree before we got together? It’s just the two of us. No romance, no talk of love, no mention of marriage, and no involvement of any interests.”
Fu Jichen was left speechless. She had all the logic on her side.
But when he had agreed to those terms, he hadn’t known that she was the daughter of his competitor, nor that she was engaged to Qin Moling, his greatest rival.
What interested him now was how long she would stay by his side, how she planned to handle things when she left, and when she would finally come clean with him.
Of course, there was one more thing he wanted to know.
Would she one day return to marry Qin Moling?
They arrived at the reserved court.
Yu Qing held the green tennis ball and said, “Don’t get distracted today, alright? Don’t let the ball hit you because you weren’t paying attention.”
Fu Jichen handed her the racket. “Better it hits me than you.” After a pause, he added, “Otherwise, someone as manipulative as you might find some way to take advantage of me.”
He picked up his racket and moved to his side of the court.
Yu Qing stared at his back as he walked away, watching him for a few meters.
On the court, Yu Qing transformed into a different version of herself.
Aside from not being able to match Fu Jichen’s stamina, her skills were on par with his.
During the mid-game break, the staff handed them towels and water.
Sweat dripped from Yu Qing’s forehead onto her eyelids, but she didn’t wipe it. Instead, she tilted her head slightly back, half-closing her eyes to keep the sweat from sliding down. “President Fu, help me out here.”
Fu Jichen glanced at her. She really knew how to be alluring.
A single drop of sweat, and she could turn flirtation into an art form.
He leaned in and kissed the droplet away.
“Thanks,” Yu Qing raised her hand, pressing her finger against his lips. “What did that drop of sweat taste like?”
“The taste of minerals.”
“...”
“Why aren’t you talking? Is something bothering you?” Fu Jichen leaned in again and kissed her lips. “Let me give you some artificial respiration.”
The staff around them turned their faces away, pretending not to notice.
Even during a tennis match, they couldn’t stop being affectionate.
In the previous games, it was obvious that Fu Jichen had been letting her win.
“Did you train specifically when you were younger?”
“Mm. I was interested, so I trained for about five or six years.”
No wonder.
Fu Jichen brought up his coach. “It was Qiao Yang’s second uncle. We’re still close.”
Yu Qing nodded, teasing him. “So you and Qiao Yang go way back, huh?”
Fu Jichen handed her the half-drunk bottle of water. “Don’t talk nonsense. I only met her after I graduated from university. She applied to work at Fu Corporation on her own, and her promotions were all due to her abilities.”
“Are you rested enough?” he asked.
Yu Qing tightened her ponytail and resumed the match.
After sweating profusely, they showered, changed, and left the club.
Yu Qing sighed in relief. Luckily, they hadn’t run into Fish Spirit or Qin Moling again.
“Shall we go shopping downtown?” she asked.
“Mm.” Fu Jichen made a call and booked a time slot from 2 PM to 3 PM.
Yu Qing looked at him. “Did you make another appointment?”
Fu Jichen put away his phone and mentioned the name of the flagship store. “I’ve booked an hour for you. Will that be enough time for you to shop?”
Yu Qing slowly nodded. “It’s enough.” She couldn’t believe he had the privilege of private shopping when the store was closed.
That store was always closed on weekends, allowing no more than six customers inside at a time to ensure top-notch service. Either you had to book in advance or wait in line.
She smiled faintly. “Did you often buy clothes for your ex-girlfriends here and become a VIP?”
Fu Jichen pulled out a black card. “I used this to book the appointment. It works anytime and is better than what you call VIP.”
As for ex-girlfriends, he met her curious gaze. “I’ve never dated anyone before. Where would I get an ex-girlfriend? My first love is still intact.”
Yu Qing: “...”
Calling him shameless didn’t even begin to cover his audacity.
They arrived at the flagship store five minutes before 2 PM.
Two sales assistants stood at the entrance, and there were other customers inside. A queue had formed outside.
Coincidentally, Qiao Yang happened to be out shopping on her rare day off.
She had booked her slot yesterday, and it was almost her turn to enter.
She didn’t expect to run into Fu Jichen and Yu Qing here.
They were both wearing sportswear, likely having just played tennis.
Yu Qing’s long hair was loose and damp. Without any makeup, her skin glowed pink and delicate, smooth and radiant. Even as a woman, Qiao Yang couldn’t help but admire her beauty.
Approaching them, Yu Qing greeted her as usual. “Hello, Manager Qiao.”
“What a coincidence,” Qiao Yang smiled.
Fu Jichen took out his wallet and discreetly slipped it into Yu Qing’s bag.
Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, “Buy whatever you like. Use any card, and I’ll send you the password later. I’ll wait for you in the car.”
Yu Qing didn’t ask why he wasn’t staying with her. “Go ahead, you’re busy.”
Fu Jichen gave Qiao Yang a slight nod and walked away.
Once he was out of earshot, Qiao Yang turned to Yu Qing and casually chatted, “You and Fu Jichen have kept things very low-key. Every time I’ve run into you two, I haven’t noticed anything unusual.”
Yu Qing smiled faintly. “We’re both actors.”
Qiao Yang crossed her arms lightly. “Fu Jichen really has the makings of an actor. He’s managed to fool everyone. Even his friends don’t know he’s in a relationship or engaged.”
“Some of my friends often joke about how hard it is to pursue Fu Jichen. In the past, many wealthy women tried to chase him, but none succeeded.”
With a familiar, teasing tone, she asked, “Is he really that hard to pursue?”
Yu Qing replied seriously, “I can’t answer that question. I don’t know if Fu Jichen is hard to pursue, but I’m definitely hard to win over. It took him nearly six months to catch my attention.”
Qiao Yang: “...”
She chuckled softly.
The door opened, and a few customers walked out. They could finally enter.
For the rest of the time, the atmosphere remained amicable.
Qiao Yang even helped Yu Qing pick out dresses, while Yu Qing offered some styling advice in return.
The two played their act of insincerity to perfection.
Qiao Yang was astonished by Yu Qing’s ability to spend money so casually—she shattered amounts in the millions without batting an eye. “Before, someone joked about President Fu, saying he makes so much money every day, how could he possibly spend it all?”
“In the future, they’ll have to joke about whether President Fu’s earnings can keep up with his fiancée’s spending.” Yu Qing took out Fu Jichen’s wallet to pay the bill. Inside the cardholder were nothing but black credit cards from major banks.
Qiao Yang stared at the dozens of shopping bags, each filled with several items.
The amount spent on these clothes nearly equaled two years of her salary.
Though she often shopped at this store, it was only for important occasions.
Unlike Yu Qing, who bought with her eyes closed, mentally reducing the prices by two zeros.
For a brief moment, Qiao Yang couldn’t help but wonder if Yu Qing had even glanced at the price tags.
Over an hour later, Yu Qing returned laden with purchases. There were so many items that two shop assistants helped carry them to the parking lot.
The driver quickly got out to assist, barely managing to fit everything into the trunk.
Once in the car, Yu Qing asked, “Why didn’t you come into the store with me after seeing Qiao Yang?”
Fu Jichen put away his phone. “I can watch you try on clothes, but after Qiao Yang entered the store, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go in. A boss watching his female employee pick and try on clothes? What kind of impression would that give?”
Yu Qing nodded, finding his reasoning quite sensible.
She handed her wallet to Fu Jichen. “Thanks. I’ve been in Beijing for so long, and today was the most meaningful day I’ve had here. I couldn’t be happier.”
Fu Jichen countered, “Were the other days meaningless?”
“That’s different,” Yu Qing replied, always able to paint things in vibrant colors. “Today I spent my man’s money. How could it possibly feel the same as usual?”
She then asked, “Did you get the bill?”
“Mm.”
“I spent quite a bit of your money.”
“Not much. I earned it back in half a day.”
“…”
He just had to flaunt his wealth.
As they spoke, Yu Qing’s phone vibrated. The caller ID read, ‘Crocodile.’
Instinctively, she glanced at Fu Jichen, who was also looking at her.
Clearly, he had inadvertently seen the nickname too.
With an unfazed expression, Yu Qing said, “It’s my dad.”
After a brief hesitation, she answered the call.
She stayed silent, waiting for her father to speak first.
There was a prolonged silence on the line.
Finally, Yu Shaohong let out a cold snort. “Do you even remember who I am?”
Yu Qing teased, “Hello, who is this?”
“…”
On the other end, Yu Shaohong exhaled deeply. “Yu Qing, at this rate, you’re probably forgetting your own surname.” He didn’t waste more words. “I’m out discussing business and happened to pass by your apartment. Come down in ten minutes; let’s talk.”
Yu Qing: “I don’t have time.”
Yu Shaohong wanted to hang up but managed to control the urge to press the disconnect button.
It had been months since he last saw his daughter.
It wasn’t about whether she missed home or not.
He just felt an emptiness in his heart.
A couple of days ago, Yu Jingze mentioned that Yu Qing was so broke she was selling her bags just to eat.
He knew how much she loved her bags, spending whatever money she had on perfumes and luxury handbags.
If she was selling them, it meant she was truly desperate.
He came over intending to lecture her while taking her out for a lavish meal. She had grown up with a personal chef preparing her meals, and when she went abroad, he hired two chefs to make both Chinese and Western dishes for her.
These days, she was eating out constantly, and he wondered if she could even stomach such food.
“If you don’t have time, it doesn’t matter. I won’t bother Lawyer Yu to come downstairs—I’ll come up myself.”
“No need to come up. I’m not home; I’m out.”
“Where are you?”
“On Earth.”
“…”
Yu Shaohong couldn’t take it anymore and hung up the phone.
Yu Qing silenced her phone and slipped it into her pocket.
Fu Jichen unscrewed a bottle of lemon tea, took a few sips, and looked at her. “Constantly quarreling with your father like this won’t solve anything.”
Yu Qing glanced at him sideways. “What else can I do? It’s a dead knot. No solution. He doesn’t understand me, doesn’t respect my thoughts, and insists that my stance against marriage is nonsense, something idle people indulge in. What else can I say to him?”
A moment of silence passed.
Fu Jichen appeared nonchalant as he asked, “From the tone of your call earlier, is your father in Beijing?”
Yu Qing paused briefly, catching on quickly. “Mm. He comes on business trips every now and then.”
Fu Jichen: “Why don’t you invite him to dinner tonight? I’ll accompany you. Any conflicts can be resolved through proper communication. Don’t worry, I won’t charge you an appearance fee. You’ll work better if you’re in a good mood.”
“!!”
No way was she letting him see through her little facade.
Yu Qing reached out to touch his forehead. “You don’t have a fever. Why are you talking nonsense?”
Fu Jichen: “…”
Yu Qing stifled a laugh and hugged him. “Thank you.”
Then, in a serious tone, she added, “My dad knows about the Fu Group and your name. If he sees you, he’ll only push me harder to get married.”
She thanked him again. “Thanks, President Fu.”
Fu Jichen gazed out the window, still feeling unsettled.
He didn’t know if he could endure until the day Yu Qing would voluntarily confess to him.
Google Sites
Report abuse