Chapter 55: Chapter 55 - 55 055 Proposal

Chapter 55: 055 Proposal Chapter 55: 055 Proposal After finishing that sentence, He Xing hung up the phone directly.

Strangely enough, if Fu Han had heard He Xing’s tone, as if someone owed him money, she would have been infuriated; but now, she found his voice carried an inexplicable soothing power that settled her heart instantly.

Suddenly, the smell of burning food wafted over.

“Ah, my noodles,” screeched Fu Han, no longer caring about the things on the net, as she rushed to the kitchen in a panic.

The kitchen was already a total mess. The noodle soup had boiled over; the stove was covered with it, and the noodles in the pot were burnt to a crisp. The situation in the kitchen was beyond disheveled, it was nauseating.

Fu Han let out a deep sigh; indeed, multitasking was a bad idea. Now, not only were the noodles inedible, but she also had to clean up the kitchen.

She rummaged through the cabinets looking for gloves, and though she didn’t find them, she heard someone knocking at the door.

Remembering He Xing’s warning, Fu Han didn’t speak but instead peered through the peephole. To her surprise, she saw Su Cheng standing outside, a look of urgency on his face.

She opened the door and let Su Cheng in, only then noticing that Su Cheng was laden with bags big and small.

“Why did you bring so much stuff over?” Fu Han cocked her head, her face filled with confusion.

“Brother Qinghe told me to,” Su Cheng said as he started to unload the bags, “Brother Qinghe said this might be a prolonged battle. To prevent you from running out of supplies, he asked me to buy you some extra food.”

Although Fu Han was reluctant to admit it, she couldn’t help but appreciate Luo Qinghe’s thoughtfulness. It was likely that she wouldn’t be able to leave the house for days.

Su Cheng wrinkled his nose: “Fu Han, what’s that smell in your house?”

“That…” Fu Han stuck out her tongue and said sheepishly, “I burnt the noodles I was cooking and was just about to clean up.”

At that thought, she quickly added, “Thank you for bringing me these things, but you should leave now before you get caught up in this if they block the door later.”

Su Cheng’s head drooped. Just when Fu Han thought he wouldn’t say anything, he suddenly spoke, “Fu Han, I wish it was me appearing with you on Weibo. I’m not afraid of anything. If you’re willing, I can call a press conference right now and announce you as my fiancée.”

Is this… a proposal?

Fu Han’s face flushed red. She took two steps back, widening the distance between them, and said seriously, “Su Cheng, I know how you feel about me, but my answer is the same as it was a few months ago. I only see you as a friend.”

There was a moment of silence in the room. Su Cheng’s head sank lower and lower, then suddenly, he looked up, his chubby face beaming with a bright smile, “Fu Han, you didn’t really think I was serious, did you? Do I look like the kind of person who takes advantage of a crisis? If I were to propose, I wouldn’t choose a time like this.”

“You scared me to death.” Fu Han patted her chest in relief, making an exaggerated face, “You better leave now; if you don’t go now, the situation will just get messier.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than another knock sounded at the door. Fu Han made a “shush” gesture and quietly walked to the door. Through the peephole, a dense crowd was visible, each person holding a huge camera.

Paparazzi!

Fu Han was so anxious she could hardly stand it. How could Su Cheng leave now?

Su Cheng, apologetically scratching his head, whispered an apology, “Fu Han, I… I didn’t mean it, I really didn’t know they would come so soon. Maybe I’ll just leave from the balcony.”

“This is the 25th floor. Are you planning to commit suicide if you climb the balcony?” Fu Han was quite agitated. Yet, she managed to keep her calm, “Never mind. Just stay here for now. We’ll see how things play out.”

“Okay.” Su Cheng suddenly smiled, then belatedly realized that now was really not the time for smiling. He scratched his head as he whispered softly, “I’ll help you clean up the kitchen.”

…

Nan Qing silently looked at the four people sitting in front of her; two men and two women, whose attire betrayed their high status. Any single piece of their jewelry might be worth more than an ordinary person’s life savings.

In comparison, Nan Qing’s attire could only be described as plain. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt splattered with various paint colors—whether it was part of the shirt’s design or from when she was painting, it wasn’t clear.

Her lower half was clad in ripped jeans with knee holes as big as washbasins, exposing sections of her fair thighs. On her feet were dirty sneakers.

The middle-aged woman sitting to her left held her hand with a pained expression, “Xiaoqing, look at yourself, your hands are all rough now. Come back home with us. Your father and I miss you every day.”

Nan Qing wanted to pull her hand away but seeing the tears welling up in the other’s eyes, she refrained and instead sighed, “Mom, if I go back, wouldn’t you and Dad just try to make me join the company again?”

“We are doing this for your own good.” The middle-aged man opposite Nan Qing looked at her with the same concern, “This will all be yours someday. We thought it better you get involved earlier. In case anything unexpected happens to your mother and me…”

Nan Qing interrupted him, clearly impatient, “Enough, Dad. Every time we meet, it’s always the same speech. Don’t you get tired because my ears are practically calloused from hearing it. Can you just stop?”

Mr. Nan coughed awkwardly and shifted his gaze to Mrs. Nan, deciding to remain quiet.

The middle-aged woman sitting to Nan Qing’s right, Mrs. Huangpu, affectionately tucked a stray hair behind Nan Qing’s ear and said with a smile, “Xiaoqing has finally agreed to meet us. Let’s not bring up things that might upset her.”

The quiet middle-aged man, Mr. Huangpu, immediately agreed, his expression the calmest among the four.

Nan Qing mused over her thoughts while sipping orange juice. As her glass neared empty, she cleared her throat, “Mom, Dad, godparents, I have to go now. I’ve got something to take care of.”

“Where are you going?” Mrs. Nan caught hold of her wrist, “You wanted to be independent, so we let you go abroad for a few years. Now that you’re finally back, you won’t stay at home. But your roommate is now the town’s villain; how can you go back there?”

“Yeah, don’t go back.” Mrs. Huangpu also held onto Nan Qing, “You always say how wonderful your roommate is, but look at what she’s done. Engaged to the He Family’s heir and still entangled with Qinghe. You shouldn’t be around such a person.”

“Did you hear?” Mrs. Nan leaned toward Mrs. Huangpu, “The Li Family was supposed to host a banquet tomorrow, but it’s now been canceled last minute, probably because of this mess.”

“Of course, I heard. The servant answered the phone,” Mrs. Huangpu responded with a smile, then glanced at Mr. Huangpu across from her. She straightened up, adopting a serious tone, “The Li Family deserves sympathy. The older son is mediocre, and the younger one might be smart but sadly doesn’t carry the Li surname.”