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Psst! We're moving!
Yu Qing got into the car, lowered both side windows, and let the cold wind blow through. She could still smell the lingering scent of hot pot on her clothes.
She pulled down the sun visor and looked at herself in the mirror.
She didn’t notice anything different from before.
She knew she had lost two pounds—not because she saw it, but because she weighed herself every day.
Fu Jichen had somehow noticed it with his naked eye.
Her phone vibrated—Yu Jingxin was calling.
“Sis.”
“Mm.” Yu Jingxin always spoke directly. “Dad asked me to persuade you to come home. He wants to have a proper talk with you face-to-face. After much thought, I think you should go back this time. Otherwise, Dad won’t give up. This time, he’s probably going for an emotional route to make you feel guilty. Just keep that in mind.”
“...”
Yu Qing was quite grateful to this sister she barely knew, including during the incident at the club when her identity was revealed—Yu Jingxin had fully cooperated in the act.
“Sis, thank you and your husband for everything.”
“No need to be so formal. We’re family; being polite like this feels distant.”
Yu Qing decided to see Crocodile Dad.
________________________________________
The weather was nice today, and Yu Jingxin brought her child home.
There were plenty of large toys scattered around the courtyard, and Yu Jingze entertained his nephew.
Originally, Yu Jingze had been working overtime at the company. After receiving Yu Jingxin’s call, saying they hadn’t visited their father in a while, he also realized he hadn’t spent much time at home either.
He was usually too focused on work, and the concept of “home” felt distant to him.
So, they both came back together.
Unexpectedly, their father had asked Jingxin to call Yu Qing.
After finishing the call, Yu Jingxin said, “Is Yu Qing coming?”
“She is. She’ll give me face.” Yu Jingxin instructed, “You take care of the kids, and I’ll go upstairs to tell Dad.”
When Yu Shaohong heard that Yu Qing was coming, he started humming a tune. He picked up a piece of white paper and began writing furiously.
“Dad, what are you doing?”
“This time, I can’t lose to that brat. She may be sharp-tongued, but I’ll use a strategy she can’t handle. I’m drafting first to prepare myself.”
Yu Jingxin: “...”
She sighed deeply.
Her father was a completely different person when dealing with Yu Qing versus his employees.
A car drove into the courtyard.
Yu Jingxin thought it was Yu Qing, so she went to the terrace, only to find it was Ji Qingyuan’s car.
She hadn’t told Ji Qingyuan about her visit today, so she was surprised to see him here.
That tall figure stepped out of the car, putting on his coat as he walked toward the child. “Baby, Daddy’s back.”
She stared at this man who was both familiar and unfamiliar, her thoughts swirling.
Ji Qingyuan didn’t see Yu Jingxin and asked Yu Jingze, “Where’s Jingxin?”
“In the study upstairs.” Yu Jingze was playing with the child.
Ji Qingyuan instinctively looked up toward the second floor.
Yu Jingxin turned abruptly just before their eyes met.
Her movement was so quick that Ji Qingyuan wasn’t even sure if she had been looking in his direction.
“Are you not busy today?” Yu Jingze asked.
Ji Qingyuan squatted down and picked up his son. “Busy. The baby has early education class this afternoon.”
As long as he wasn’t traveling, no matter how busy he was, he would attend the classes with his son.
Yu Jingze found it intriguing. “Your kid is only six months old, can’t talk or walk yet, and you’ve already started classes?”
Ji Qingyuan: “It’s not a class—it’s parent-child bonding time. It helps train parents, especially fathers, to be patient and responsible. It’s pretty good.”
Yu Jingze nodded. It did sound good.
He thought maybe his father and Yu Qing should sign up for such a program.
Yu Jingxin stayed upstairs chatting casually with her father. Her father urged her, “Qingyuan is here. Go find him. What are you doing up here with me?”
“Keeping you company.”
“Don’t use me as an excuse.”
Yu Shaohong stared at the sentence he had just revised. It wasn’t perfect enough, not sharp enough to hit that brat right in the heart.
He erased it with an eraser and searched on his phone.
“Go downstairs now,” he urged again.
Yu Jingxin ignored him, leaning on her father’s shoulder, watching him revise the draft—it was already the third version.
“Dad, are you holding a debate competition?”
Yu Shaohong: “This isn’t a debate—it’s defending the dignity of being a father.”
After a while...
“Jingxin.”
“What is it?”
“If you keep dawdling like this, I have reason to suspect that you’re memorizing my draft to inform Yu Qing.”
Yu Jingxin chuckled twice. “Dad, I don’t mean to discourage you, but if I really took a picture of your draft and sent it to Yu Qing, she’d think it was a waste of time and might turn around halfway home.”
Yu Shaohong: “...”
He pushed his daughter away. “Get out, go quickly.”
Yu Jingxin laughed.
Finally, it was time for the baby’s class. Yu Jingxin slowly emerged.
She got straight into the car, and Ji Qingyuan followed with the child.
The two cars left one after another.
Yu Jingze shook his head and called someone to clean up the courtyard.
The next battlefield belonged to his father and Yu Qing. He didn’t linger.
As the last rays of sunlight faded, Yu Qing’s car drove into the courtyard.
Before coming, she had taken a shower, changed into a new long skirt, and applied simple makeup.
“Father.” Her voice preceded her presence.
Yu Shaohong sat on the sofa, pretending to read a magazine.
This “Father” made him nostalgic.
Only when Yu Qing was little would she call him with such a cheerful, coquettish voice. Once she grew up, she became sharp, like thorns.
He reminded himself—this was a trap.
Yu Qing entered the house, took off her coat, and hung it up. “Dad.”
“Mm.” Yu Shaohong removed his glasses and closed the book.
Yu Qing approached. There was a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses on the coffee table.
Yu Shaohong began speaking: “Yu Qing, let’s cut to the chase. Today, if you can convince me or move me, whether you want to get married or not will be entirely up to you.”
He looked at his daughter. “But if you fail, the wedding date remains unchanged.”
“Do you dare to take the challenge?”
“I know you’re not the kind of cowardly child.”
Yu Qing sat sideways on the sofa, propping her chin up with her hand, and smiled. “Dad, I forgot to tell you—I’m not brave at all these days. I basically chicken out in seconds.”
Yu Shaohong: “... Yu Qing, be serious! You can’t do this!”
He mentally calmed himself, reminding himself not to let her derail him.
After a pause...
“Yu Qing, listen carefully to what I have to say. I’ve never exchanged my children’s marriages for personal gain, neither yours nor your sister’s.”
A few seconds of silence.
“I admit that I failed as a man, but my judgment of men hasn’t been wrong. Your brother-in-law and Qin Moling—they’re both good choices.”
Yu Qing stuffed a pillow under her neck. “Dad, self-awareness and boasting—thanks to your efforts, these two words have finally united in this century.”
Yu Shaohong: “... Where exactly is my judgment wrong? How is this bragging?! Ah?!”
After saying that, he patted his chest.
He reminded himself not to get angry.
Getting angry meant falling into her trap.
He poured a glass of red wine to calm himself.
Yu Qing also asked for a glass, leisurely swirling the wine in her glass.
Under the light, the red wine appeared alternately seductive and deep, beautifully mesmerizing.
Yu Shaohong recalled his earlier draft and continued: “To find you a suitable match, do you think it’s easy for me? I have to weigh whether this son-in-law will be someone I can control after marriage, ensuring he behaves properly. I also have to carefully prepare your dowry.”
He sipped the red wine. “You probably don’t realize—you spend too much money. Ordinary families wouldn’t dare marry you. Tell me, who can handle your spending habits?”
“Since you started spending money and since you learned to argue with me, financial crises and such are nothing compared to what I’ve dealt with.”
Yu Qing choked and started coughing.
Yu Shaohong reached out and patted his daughter’s back.
He clinked glasses with her. “Thank you for this. Because of you, Dad’s stress tolerance has become exceptionally strong.”
“My dear girl, no matter how strong Dad’s heart is, there will come a day when I grow old and can’t earn money anymore. By then, your siblings will have their own families. What will you do? Will you still feel comfortable taking their money?”
“Dad, I also hope I can live to be a hundred years old and keep earning money until then. That way, I can take care of you until you’re seventy, letting you spend as much as you want.”
“But who knows how long I’ll live?”
“I’m not forcing you to get married. It’s just that after finally finding a suitable son-in-law candidate, I want to secure him for you.”
Yu Qing remained silent.
She stared at her glass for a moment.
Clinking glasses with her father, she downed her wine in one gulp.
She set the glass down and leaned on her father’s shoulder.
“Dad, thank you for telling me so much today. You might not know this, but when I stand by the window of Fu Jichen’s office, I can see the bank building. I often wonder what you’re doing at that moment, and if you’re thinking of me. Sometimes, I even doubt whether you love me or not.”
“Then again, I think you do love me. If you didn’t, how could you have raised me to be so extravagant? But if you do love me, why force me into marriage?”
“After our fallout this time, when I ran away from home, I realized I can actually live any kind of life.”
“Wearing shoes that cost a few hundred yuan, carrying bags that cost a few hundred yuan—it’s fine too. Getting up early every day to squeeze onto the subway, even taking a taxi in the rain feels like a waste. At the start of each month, I look forward to payday.”
“I feel like that’s real life. Life has its ups and downs, sweet and bitter moments.”
“Sometimes, after working late, when I leave the subway station and the streets are empty, I walk alone and feel lost. Do I really belong to this city? Why am I here?”
“And then it’s like there’s a voice inside me saying, ‘Your dad is here, Fu Jichen is here.’“
“Dad, now I wake up early too—at five o’clock. Fu Jichen told me you wake up earlier than he does. Every time I pass by the bank building and see your office light on, I hope it’s because you forgot to turn it off the night before. But I know it’s not.”
“Now that it’s cold, getting up at five o’clock is painful, but when I think about how Dad is already on his way to the company, I feel like I need to accompany him.”
“Dad, you don’t need to worry about my life being difficult if I don’t get married. It won’t be. I can earn money, support myself, and in the future, I can support you too. Although I can’t make you live a life of extreme wealth, an ordinary, comfortable life is still possible.”
Yu Shaohong took several deep breaths in his heart. His eyes were blurry; this was the most emotional he’d been in over fifty years.
He patted his daughter’s head, afraid to speak lest he reveal his emotions.
Yu Qing sat up straight.
Without looking at his daughter, Yu Shaohong went upstairs.
When he reached the second floor, he wiped his face.
He stayed upstairs for a while until his eyes stopped being red, then came downstairs with a few bank cards and car keys.
Yu Qing stood up. “Dad, I’m going back. I still have overtime work.”
Yu Shaohong handed her the bank cards and car keys. “I always thought you were immature and heartless. Here are your cards. If you don’t need them, save the money for later use.”
He patted her head gently. “Dad still hopes that in my lifetime, I can walk you down the aisle and give you to a man worthy of your lifelong trust. Only then will I rest easy. But no matter what, starting now, I respect you. Maybe you’re just not ready yet.”
Yu Qing didn’t hesitate, putting the cards away and hugging her father. “Thank you, Dad. Rest early. I’m going back.”
“You’ve been drinking. Let the driver take you.”
“Okay.”
Yu Shaohong saw his daughter out, watching her car disappear before returning indoors.
The house fell completely silent.
He poured another glass of wine and sat on the sofa, reminiscing about the scene just now.
Lost in thought, his eldest daughter called.
“Dad, did Yu Qing go home?”
“Yes, she just left.”
“So soon? Did you two fight again?”
“No.”
Yu Shaohong sighed. “Xin, that little devil has deep skills. I lost both my dignity and peace of mind. The worst part is, I feel guilty towards her now.”
“Tell me, how did you lose so badly?”
“It’s better not to talk about it.” Yu Shaohong rubbed his temples. “If I’m not mistaken, she’s probably celebrating her victory right now.”
After a pause...
“Xin, do you think... can I ask her to return those bank cards?”
Yu Jingxin: “... Goodbye.”
“Don’t hang up. I’m just talking privately. Even if I regret it a little, I know I can’t go back on my word. Otherwise, she might never come back.”
Yu Shaohong still worried. “Her determination not to marry is killing me.”
________________________________________
Yu Jingze arrived home to find the living room filled with the aroma of takeout barbecue.
After changing his shoes, he glanced at Yu Qing. “Are you feeling down and drowning your sorrows in food?”
Yu Qing said faintly, “When have I ever felt down? The undefeated record holder isn’t just a title for show.”
Yu Jingze sat down and grabbed a skewer of grilled gluten. “Did Dad lose?”
“He tried to appeal to emotions, but I spoke sincerely. How could he compete with me?” Yu Qing poured him a beer. “Celebrate with me.”
She displayed all the bank cards and car keys one by one to Yu Jingze.
Yu Jingze: “When Dad regains his rationality tomorrow and fully wakes up, won’t he be devastated?”
Yu Qing put the cards into her wallet. “While he might feel devastated, he’ll also feel content somewhere deep inside. When emotional needs are met, material losses are inevitable.”
She said, “If someone could fill the void in my heart, it wouldn’t just be a few bank cards—I’d give them all my assets.”
Yu Jingze was slightly stunned. He wasn’t sure if it was just a casual remark or an unintentional expression of emotion.
He had always thought she didn’t care about anything.
After finishing eating, drinking, and cleaning up, it was already past eleven o’clock.
Yu Qing returned to her room and sat by the window for a while.
Amidst the lights of thousands of homes, it was quiet.
Having drunk two glasses of red wine at home and quite a bit of beer with Yu Jingze, she was feeling a bit tipsy.
Her phone rang—it was Fu Jichen.
“What are you doing?”
Yu Qing rested her head against the window glass. “I’m pondering something, finding it hard to believe.”
“What is it?”
“I realized that none of the people around me truly understand me. On the other hand, Qin Moling might understand me better than I do myself. What he said at lunch today really hit a nerve.”
Suddenly, there was silence on the phone.
Yu Qing rubbed her head, still feeling dizzy.
Fu Jichen’s slightly cold voice came through, “Does this everyone include me?”
“Mm.”
“Was my call untimely?”
“Yes.”
“Did I interrupt you thinking about how Qin Moling understands you?”
“No. You interrupted me wondering why my President Fu doesn’t understand me?”
Fu Jischen was silent for a moment. “Alright, I respect you and will try to understand you. Starting tomorrow, I’ll join you in navigating this world, eat spicy hot pot with you, and compete with you in business!”
Yu Qing laughed.
“Go to sleep.” Fu Jichen hung up.
Yu Qing tossed her phone onto the floor, turned her head, and leaned back on the couch, unknowingly falling asleep.
Throughout the weekend, Fu Jichen didn’t contact her.
At exactly five o’clock on Monday morning, the alarm rang on time.
Yu Qing pulled the blanket over her head as multiple alarms blared.
She fumbled a few times before managing to turn off the bedside lamp.
After sitting up and taking a few minutes to compose herself, she turned off the light and took a picture of the other side of the bed with her phone.
At five thirty-five, Yu Qing arrived at Fu Jichen’s apartment parking lot, where his driver was already waiting.
She lowered the car window and greeted him. “Uncle Yang, I’ll drive Fu Jichen to work today.”
The driver understood but, fearing Yu Qing might feel scared alone in the underground parking lot, didn’t leave. Instead, he moved the car to another parking spot.
Yu Qing watched the elevator, waiting for the number to change to ‘1.’ Then she sent the photo she took this morning to Fu Jichen: [I’m up, here’s proof.]
‘Ding-dong,’ the elevator arrived, and the doors opened.
Fu Jichen stepped out, looking at his phone.
The photo in front of him was pitch black, revealing nothing.
[What is this you took? Where are you?]
Yu Qing looked at him from a few meters away: [Don’t you have night vision? How come you can’t see me?]
Fu Jichen was slightly taken aback, thinking maybe he hadn’t looked carefully enough. He zoomed in on the photo as much as possible, but it was still completely dark, no human figure visible.
He held his phone high, tilting his head to examine it under the light.
Yu Qing couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing, “President Fu, I’m here! What are you looking for in the photo?”
Fu Jichen abruptly turned his head. In the car, that woman was leaning on the steering wheel, laughing so hard her shoulders shook.
He: “...”
His raised hands had nowhere to go.
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