Song Fengwan originally thought that interacting with Fu Chen would be nerve-wracking. But after drawing the sketch, which took the entire night, they actually got along quite well.
No matter how many rumors the outside world had about how eccentric Fu Chen was, he was still a human in the end.
For the next few nights, when Song Fengwan went to the art studio room at home after school, Fu Chen was basically already there. The two of them seemed to have formed a tacit understanding. One focused on drawing, and the other cooperated seriously.
Other than the sound of the carbon pencil drawing on the paper, the only other sound in the room was Fu Chen flipping the pages of a book. The ambiance was quiet and harmonious.
Suddenly, Fu Chenâs phone vibrated. He narrowed his eyes and took out his phone.
It was a message in his group chat.
Someone just sent a red packet in the group chat.
[Fellow single dogs, itâs the annual Singlesâ Day[1] once again. Iâm here to give you all some dog food.]
Fu Chen narrowed his eyes. It was already past midnight, and it was November 11th.
[I finally have a f*cking signal. Donât sleep anymore. Letâs get up and party!]
There was still no response in the group chat.
But a certain someone didnât give up and @ everyone in the group chat.
Fu Chen narrowed his eyes and silently quit the group chat. A certain someone immediately messaged him privately.
[Oh? I didnât expect you not to be asleep yet. Donât you sleep at ten every night? Did you work overtime? Is your company organizing an event this year?]
Nobody knew when Singleâs Day started to be a battleground for all large businesses.
Fu Chen narrowed his eyes. [No.]
[As if I would believe that. If youâre not working overtime, why would you be staying up?]
Fu Chen smiled. [Iâm accompanying my wife.]
The man was silent for a long time before making a call directly. Fu Chen looked at Song Fengwan opposite him. âIâll go out and answer a call.â
âOkay.â Song Fengwan looked at her watch. It was already past midnight.?We really worked on this for so long today.
Fu Chen walked out with his phone and answered the call. âHello.â
âF*ck, Third Fu, did you really f*cking kidnap that little girl? Sheâs not even an adult yet. Do you have any shame? You even quit the group chat.â
âPeople not on the same page are unable to work together.â Fu Chen sneered.
âDonât talk bullshit.â
âYouâre all single, but Iâm not, so weâre not on the same page.â
The man on the other end was silent for a few seconds. âDamn it. Fu Chen, just you wait. When I come back from the snow mountains, the first thing Iâll do is kill youâ¦â
He was still shouting when Fu Chen hung up, making him furious.
Fu Chen is devious and vicious-tongued, full of quirks, and no fun at all. Yet even an old man like him can get a girlfriend?
Iâm so good-looking and suave, yet no one likes me?
What kind of world is this?
***
The next dayâ¦
Song Fengwan had stayed up late last night to finish drawing Fu Chenâs sketch, so she was a little tired the next day during school.
She didnât eat much of her lunch before she prepared to rush to the atelier.
It was already late autumn in Beijing. The cold wind blew, and leaves fell everywhere.
As soon as she walked out of the school gates, she saw a familiar figure and frowned slightly.
This person was standing under a tree at the entrance of the school. She was wearing a white dress and a sweater jacket. Her face was slightly pale, and she looked inexplicably desolate. Judging from her expression, she had already been waiting for a long time.
Song Fengwan turned around and was about to leave from another direction when this person ran over. âWait!â
Jiang Fengya had been waiting for her. When she saw Song Fengwan come out, there was no reason for her to let Song Fengwan leave. She ran over and blocked her path.
âWhat do you want?â Song Fengwan naturally didnât have a good expression on her face when talking to Jiang Fengya.
âI want to talk to you.â
âThereâs nothing for us to talk about. I have something to do, and Iâm in a hurry,â Song Fengwan said while striding forward.
Jiang Fengya grabbed her arm. âI know you hate me, and you donât want to see me, but I really have no other choice other than looking for you. I donât know what to doâ¦â
She was speaking in a sobbing tone and looked very pitiful.
Song Fengwan gritted her teeth and suddenly pulled back her hand. But Jiang Fengya refused to let go and grabbed her clothes again. âI know I shouldnât have looked for you, but I really donât know who else to look for.â
School had already long ended, so there were only a few people at the school gates.
As Jiang Fengya spoke, her tears pattered down. The security guards in the guardhouse at the school entrance walked out, wanting to see what was happening.
Jiang Fengya was already weeping like a pear blossom with raindrops on it. She was dressed simply and looked frail. Her shoulders were trembling slightly due to her sobbing. Song Fengwan, standing in front of her, had a cold face from beginning to end. At first glance, it seemed as if Song Fengwan had bullied her.
âWhat exactly do you want?â Song Fengwan gritted her teeth. âIf you continue pestering me like this, Iâll call the police!â
âI canât find Yuxiu or contact him. Do you know where he is now? How is he?â Ever since they had parted that night, he hadnât replied to any of Jiang Fengyaâs text messages or answered any of her calls. She had even waited outside the compound for a few days, but there was no news from him.
She had bet all her chips on Fu Yuxiu, so how could she not be anxious?
Before, she had heard Fu Yuxiu casually mention that Song Fengwan was studying at Beijing Second High School, so she decided to give it a go. After all, apart from Fu Yuxiu, she only knew Song Fengwan in the enormous capital.
âDid you find the wrong person? How would I know where he is?â Song Fengwanâs tone was cold. âYour boyfriend is gone, but why are you looking for me?â
âI couldnât contact him after that night. Donât you live in the Fu family house? How can you not know what happened?â
âEven if I knowâ¦â Song Fengwan smiled faintly. â⦠why should I tell you?â
She had actually heard of some things. She heard that after she and Fu Chen left that night, Old Master Fu beat him a few more times and punished him to go to the study to copy the family rules. Later, she heard that he was beaten up until he was hospitalized, and his fever wasnât subsiding. But she had only heard a few words by chance.
People who didnât care naturally wouldnât put it on their minds.
But if the Fu family was bent on preventing them from meeting, Jiang Fengya really wouldnât be able to do anything about it.
Jiang Fengya choked, and her face turned even paler.
Song Fengwan suddenly exerted force in her arm, broke free from Jiang Fengyaâs grip, and left.
Jiang Fengya gritted her teeth. She was certain that Song Fengwan knew the inside story. She stepped forward and grabbed her again.
âJiang Fengya, donât go overboard!â
â¦
Not far away, Shi Fang was sitting in the car and yawned. He nudged Qian Jiang. âOld Jiang, havenât you always been very active in your work? Why arenât you moving this time? Hurry up and go over.â
Qian Jiang didnât say anything.
âWhat are you waiting for? Hurryâ¦â Just as Shi Fang was about to move, Qian Jiang grabbed his arm and pointed in a direction.
Shi Fang narrowed his eyes. On the street opposite them, there was also a black sedan parked at the side of the road, and a woman was standing beside the car.
She was wearing a long misty blue coat and a pair of black sunglasses, with her hair tied up neatly. Her gaze was focused on Song Fengwan.
âThis person looks a little familiar.â Shi Fang frowned.
âYeah.â Qian Jiang nodded.
âWhy canât I recall who she is?â
âMrs. Song, she went to see Old Master before, and Third Master was there too,â Qian Jiang said calmly.
Shi Fangâs eyelid twitched.?Isnât that Song Fengwanâs mother?
He hurriedly lowered his head to send Fu Chen a message. [Shit. Your future mother-in-law is here.]
[1] An unofficial Chinese holiday and shopping season that celebrates people who are not in relationships.