On the second floor, Yu Xiaoxuan and Shen Qinglan witnessed the scene unfold before them. Yu Xiaoxuan sighed, "What a pity, Anan has just been spirited away. He was the son-in-law I had in mind for more than twenty years."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan chuckled, "Guoguo and Haohao are also a good match." Although she was very fond of Guoguo, the affection between children ultimately required their own willingness.

"Haohao is certainly excellent," Yu Xiaoxuan said with a smile, feeling just a bit of regret—very little, just a tad.

This year, Guoguo was staying in the United States to take care of Pei Hao and hadn’t come back to China for the New Year. Han Simiao was even more direct; she made a phone call to wish her parents a happy new year and then left with her backpack to travel with classmates.

Han Yi was livid and threatened to sever ties with the two thankless brats; then, he packed his things and took his wife to celebrate the New Year at the Fu Family’s home, otherwise it would have been too pitiful just the two of them at home.

Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t mind, though. Children grow up and eventually leave home. If Guoguo couldn’t come back, they could go to see her. However, as soon as she said this, Han Yi rolled his eyes, "She wishes we would rush to see her, hmph, I won’t go. Let her come back if she wants, I’m happy to be free."

Remembering Han Yi’s reaction made Yu Xiaoxuan laugh out loud. Shen Qinglan glanced sideways, and Yu Xiaoxuan recounted the details to her. Shen Qinglan smiled warmly.

"When do you plan to fly to the United States?" Shen Qinglan asked, as the likelihood of not going to see Guoguo was quite low. Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t care much, but it was likely Han Yi would be unable to resist.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Yu Xiaoxuan said with a laugh. For all Han Yi’s tough talk, he had turned around and booked the tickets.

"When does Anan plan to set a date for the engagement?" asked Yu Xiaoxuan. Since they’ve officially brought it up, the actual date probably won’t be too far off.

"That’s up to them, probably not too soon."

"Are you really that hands-off?" Yu Xiaoxuan said, surprised that Shen Qinglan wouldn’t even inquire about her children’s marital affairs. Sometimes Yu Xiaoxuan couldn’t help but admire Shen Qinglan’s resolve; she was truly able to keep her cool.

Among the Fu Family’s children, aside from Fu Shuyi, who was more strictly managed by Fu Hengyi, the other two were really left to their own devices, and she wasn’t worried about them going astray.

Yu Xiaoxuan felt she was lax enough with her children; sometimes even Han Yi complained that she didn’t discipline them enough. But compared with Shen Qinglan, her approach hardly counted as anything.

Shen Qinglan was very open-minded about these things. Children and grandchildren have their own luck; she and Fu Hengyi wouldn’t be able to accompany their kids for a lifetime. It’s better for them to get used to flying solo early on so that when she and Fu Hengyi were gone, they would be able to take control of their own lives.

"Fu Chenxuan and Qingzhu have their own plans," said Shen Qinglan calmly.

Speaking of Gu Qingzhu, Yu Xiaoxuan commented, "I have to say, Anan’s got a good eye. She’s a great girl, generous, calm, and composed, somewhat reminiscent of you when you were younger."

Shen Qinglan smiled faintly, and after a brief chat with Yu Xiaoxuan, she went downstairs. After all, she was the hostess, and with so many guests at home today, she couldn’t be away for too long.

Right then, Fu Shuyi was playing cards with some peers when she received a call from Bai Junnan. She handed her cards to Fu Shuchen and walked to the yard to answer the phone.

"Brother Jun Nan," Fu Shuyi said, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

Bai Junnan listened quietly for a moment, and with her side sounding very peaceful, he asked, "Are you at home?"

"In the yard. Everyone’s inside chatting; it’s quite noisy."

Bai Junnan frowned slightly, "It’s cold in the yard, don’t stay outside too long."

"I’m wearing a down jacket. Brother Jun Nan, did you call just to say something?"

"Nothing much. I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year," Bai Junnan said gently.

"Brother Jun Nan, Happy New Year to you too, may everything go your way next year."

Hearing the sweet voice on the other end of the line, Bai Junnan’s eyes brimmed with a tenderness that rippled like water, "Do you have any plans for after the New Year?" He didn’t ask about tomorrow since the first day of the Lunar New Year would inevitably be spent at home.

Fu Shuyi tilted her head in thought, "I don’t think we have any special plans, probably just eating and drinking at home." Every year was more or less the same.

"Would you like to join me at the amusement park on the third day of the Lunar New Year?" Bai Junnan offered.

"On the third day?"

"Yes. Are you free then?" Bai Junnan’s voice was warm, but his hand holding the phone tightened slightly, betraying his nervousness.

"Sure, come pick me up then. I don’t like driving."

Bai Junnan exhaled softly, relieved, "Okay, see you on the third day."

"Okay, see you then," Fu Shuyi responded with a smile before hanging up. As she turned around, she saw Fu Chenxuan standing behind her, arms crossed, looking at her. Fu Shuyi stepped back in surprise, patting her chest reproachfully, "Brother, what are you doing? You could scare someone to death like that."

Fu Chenxuan’s expression was enigmatic, "Who were you talking to just now?"

Fu Shuyi’s eyes flickered, "A classmate. It’s the New Year, isn’t it normal for everyone to call and wish each other well?"

Fu Chenxuan watched her silently. "You call your classmate ’Brother’?"

Fu Shuyi rolled her eyes. "Brother, since you heard it already, why are you asking me?"

Fu Chenxuan’s expression remained unchanged. "Do you contact Jun Nan frequently?"

"Not really, just an occasional phone call to say hello. He’s your friend, after all, so he can’t be a bad person."

"I don’t oppose you being friends with him, but if you’re thinking of dating him, I won’t agree," Fu Chenxuan made his stance clear to his sister.

Fu Shuyi frowned. "Brother, isn’t he your good friend? Why not?"

"Friends are friends, Tangtang. Listen to your brother. As a friend, Jun Nan is a great choice, but as a boyfriend, he’s not suitable." The Bai Family’s household is too complex. It may appear shiny and bright on the outside, but the inside is already rotten. Every second is a display of cunning and deception. One careless step could trap you in their scheming. Fu Chenxuan would never agree to let his sister date someone from such a treacherous family.

"I have my eyes on him, not his family," Fu Shuyi muttered quietly.

"What did you say?" Fu Chenxuan didn’t hear her clearly.

"Nothing, I said I understand," Fu Shuyi brushed it off.

Fu Chenxuan knew very well that the girl hadn’t taken his words to heart and darkened his face. "Shuyi, tell me the truth. Do you really like Bai Junnan?"

Fu Shuyi blushed slightly, thankful that it was night and Fu Chenxuan couldn’t see clearly. She shook her head, "Brother, don’t talk nonsense." What liking or not liking? She and Bai Junnan weren’t even close to that stage.

"It’s best if you don’t. Dad just said that on the third day of the Lunar New Year, our family is going to visit Aunt Fang Tong." He came out to inform his sister about the visit, not expecting to overhear the matter of Bai Junnan asking her out.

"Brother, you know that I have plans to go out with friends on the third day of the Lunar New Year," Fu Shuyi was slightly annoyed.

"This is dad’s decision. If you have any objections, talk to him."

Fu Shuyi: "..." If her dad knew she was going out to play with a guy, he’d never agree to let her go.

Seeing his sister stomping off angrily, Fu Chenxuan sighed. He truly admired Bai Junnan, which was why he became friends with him. If he were judging purely on Bai Junnan’s character, he naturally wouldn’t object. However, considering the Bai Family’s involvement, that was a different story... He didn’t want to interfere with his sister’s emotions; he just didn’t want her to get hurt.

Fu Shuyi was young and thought of love and family as separate entities. She didn’t realize that marriage and family are never independent. If she and Bai Junnan didn’t make it to the end, she’d be the one hurt. If they did, she’d face a family that her personality couldn’t adapt to. Either way, Bai Junnan wasn’t a suitable partner.

But matters of the heart can’t be stopped just because they are deemed unfit. This was what troubled Fu Chenxuan the most. Moreover, by the look of his sister just now, she didn’t seem indifferent to Bai Junnan. If dad found out, Fu Shuyi might not be affected, but he couldn’t be sure, especially since Bai Junnan’s introduction to his sister was his doing.

The more Fu Chenxuan thought about it, the more he got a headache. After a long time without coming up with a better solution, he shook his head and went inside. Fu Shuyi had already sat back down to play cards, acting as if she hadn’t seen her brother coming.

**

Early on the third day of the Lunar New Year, the Fu Family drove to Aunt Fang Tong’s house. Fu Shuyi left after lunch, though it was unclear how she explained it to Fu Hengyi; in the end, he agreed to let her go out with her classmates.

Not long after she left Fang Tong’s neighborhood, Bai Junnan arrived. She opened the door and got into the car, "Let’s go."

Bai Junnan took a small bag from the back seat and handed it to her. "Your New Year’s gift."

Fu Shuyi was stunned, "Brother Jun Nan, why are you giving me a gift again?" It hadn’t been long since he gave her a pair of earrings, and now it was a New Year’s gift.

"They are just some small things, I bought them because they suit you. Have fun with them," Bai Junnan said with a warm smile.

"But I haven’t prepared a gift for you," Fu Shuyi felt embarrassed.

"Then the next time you see something suitable, you can give it to me," Bai Junnan chuckled. Today, he wore a white casual outfit, making him look years younger. Without mentioning his age and based on appearance alone, someone might believe they were the same age.

"Alright, let’s agree on that," Fu Shuyi’s eyes curved with her smile.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the amusement park was quite crowded. Bai Junnan had bought the tickets in advance, and they played from the afternoon until evening.

"It was so much fun, I haven’t enjoyed myself like this for a long time." Fu Shuyi sat in the restaurant with Bai Junnan, her face beaming with joy and her eyes filled with contentment.

Seeing this, Bai Junnan’s eyes deepened with mirth. He liked seeing Fu Shuyi this happy.

The restaurant wasn’t busy, and Fu Shuyi noticed they were the only customers there, which made her frown. "Isn’t this restaurant’s food good? It’s the New Year, and there’s no one here."

Bai Junnan laughed, "People have their New Year meals at home, not out and about. Today’s our lucky day. Usually, you’d need a reservation to dine here. Their fish dishes are particularly good. You’ll see when you try."

Fu Shuyi nodded with a smile.

The dishes were ordered by Bai Junnan, and seeing how familiar he was with the menu, Fu Shuyi grew curious. "Brother Jun Nan, do you often come here to eat?"

Bai Junnan just smiled. "You could say that." The restaurant was owned by the Bai Group, and to be precise, it had been transferred to his name a month before. He was now the restaurant’s owner.

Fu Shuyi really liked the food at this restaurant, eating so joyously. Bai Junnan loved watching her eat, as even ordinary meals became appetizing.

Before they realized it, the two had polished off the four dishes and one soup on the table, and Fu Shuyi inevitably overate once again.

"Brother Jun Nan, I can’t eat with you anymore. Every time I come out with you, I eat too much. If we keep this up, I’m going to turn into a little fatty," Fu Shuyi said with her hand on her distended belly, frowning.

Bai Junnan smiled, "Even if you became a little fatty, you would still be the most beautiful fatty in the world in my eyes, and I would still like you."

The sudden confession caught Fu Shuyi off guard, and she stared at Bai Junnan in stunned silence.

Bai Junnan gently looked back at her, then suddenly walked up to her, crouched down, and took her hand, "Fu Shuyi, I like you. Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Fu Shuyi’s heart thumped wildly, the hand he held felt like it was burning.

"Shuyi, I want to be your boyfriend, to take care of you, to protect you. Is that okay?" Bai Junnan’s voice was filled with tenderness.

After a long moment, Fu Shuyi nodded shyly, her face flushed, having forgotten all about her brother’s advice.

Bai Junnan’s eyes brightened with joy, and he hugged Fu Shuyi, "Shuyi, I’m so happy."

A smell both strange and familiar wafted to her nose. Fu Shuyi reached out and hugged his waist, the corners of her mouth curving.

Time seemed to stand still until a ringtone from a mobile phone interrupted them. Fu Shuyi thought they might have kept hugging forever otherwise.

The call was from Lu Yimeng, and as soon as she picked up, she heard Lu Yimeng’s anxious voice, "Shuyi, where are you right now?"

Fu Shuyi was puzzled, "I’m out, what’s up?"

"Can you come to the bar? I rushed out today and forgot my wallet," Lu Yimeng said embarrassingly.

Fu Shuyi instantly understood, "Where are you?"

After Lu Yimeng gave her the address, Fu Shuyi hung up, turned to Bai Junnan, who seemed to have already guessed what happened and picked up their coats, "Let’s go, I’ll come with you."

Fu Shuyi nodded and followed Bai Junnan out of the restaurant.

The bar where Lu Yimeng was happened to be quite a distance from their location. Even though there were not many cars on the streets, it still took them nearly an hour to get there.

After paying for Lu Yimeng, the three left the bar.

"Yimeng, how could you order such expensive drinks?" Fu Shuyi had thought it was just going to be a thousand yuan, but it turned out to cost tens of thousands of dollars. Although this amount of money didn’t mean much to her, Lu Yimeng didn’t seem like someone who would casually spend a fortune.

Lu Yimeng looked upset and spoke vaguely, "I was treating a friend to drinks, but then he brought some friends along, and one of them ordered a really expensive bottle. I was in such a rush when I left home that I didn’t bring much money, but I couldn’t let them pay, so I had to turn to you for help."

"I see."

Lu Yimeng glanced at the man in the driver’s seat, lowering her voice, "Shuyi, I’ll pay you back after school starts."

Fu Shuyi nodded, "No worries, you can pay me back whenever." She didn’t say there was no need to return the money, as between friends, it was important to maintain a certain distance, especially regarding financial matters – things must never get muddled. Favors become grievances over grains of rice; help must have its limits.

After dealing with that, Lu Yimeng finally noticed something else and whispered to Fu Shuyi, "How come you’re with him today?"

"Just hanging out. It was so boring staying at home over the New Year," Fu Shuyi said casually.

"Are you now boyfriend and girlfriend?" Lu Yimeng was curious. She had seen this man with Fu Shuyi many times, and today she had called Fu Shuyi on a whim, not expecting to find them together.

Fu Shuyi’s cheek turned a light pink, "It’s not what you’re thinking."

Her evasive look was a dead giveaway that she was lying. Lu Yimeng saw right through it, chuckled softly, and did not tease her further.

After dropping Lu Yimeng at the entrance to her complex, Fu Shuyi and Bai Junnan left.

Lu Yimeng waited until the car disappeared before turning around to head across the street where her actual home was. Her neighborhood was just an ordinary one, whereas the neighborhood across the street where she had told Fu Shuyi she lived was a high-end residential area.

Fu Shuyi arrived home in a particularly good mood, and she was early too, with a full hour left before curfew. Fu Hengyi and the others had not even returned.

She first made a call to Fu Hengyi to report that she was home, then went back to her room to video chat with Bai Junnan. Having just confirmed their relationship, they had endless things to talk about.

**

When the winter break ended, and it was time for Fu Shuyi to return to school, Fu Chenxuan was the one who took her. She initially refused since Bai Junnan had said he would come, but Fu Chenxuan insisted, so she told Bai Junnan not to come. After all, they were still keeping their relationship a secret from their family.

There was already someone in the dormitory, if not Lu Yimeng, then who else? Her eyes briefly lit up at the sight of Fu Chenxuan, only to dim again with the realization that he already had a girlfriend, "Brother Fu, happy new year."

Fu Chenxuan smiled, "Happy new year. Why did you come so early?"

"Staying at home was boring, so I decided to come early and take the opportunity to clean the dorm a bit."

Only then did Fu Chenxuan notice that the dormitory floor was very clean, showing not a speck of dust despite being unoccupied for a month.

After placing Fu Shuyi’s belongings at her spot, Fu Shuyi herself walked in, "Brother, can you take this for me? I can’t carry it anymore."

Fu Chenxuan quickly relieved her of her load, gently chiding, "Didn’t I tell you not to carry anything, to wait for me to get it?" Even though he was reproving her, his tone was indulgent.

Watching this scene, Lu Yimeng was filled with envy. Such doting was what she had longed for since childhood but had never enjoyed.

"Shuyi, do you have a lot of stuff? Let me help you carry some," Lu Yimeng offered proactively.

Fu Shuyi waved her off, "No need, it’s not much. It’s all here. Once I get this sorted, let’s go eat, and my brother will treat us. Brother, you don’t mind, right?"

Fu Chenxuan smiled helplessly, "Do I dare to have an opinion?"

"I’ll help you sort it out; it will also save some time."

This time, Fu Shuyi didn’t refuse. After all, most of what she brought were clothes, which didn’t take much time to organize.

Lu Yimeng had long known of Fu Shuyi’s affluent life, with her wardrobe full of designer brands, numerous in quantity, and seldom repeated. But seeing the clothes that Fu Shuyi brought, which were new and mostly unopened, filled Lu Yimeng with an even stronger desire for that kind of life. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Fu Shuyi had always lived in such an environment, so for her, it was the norm. She didn’t notice the look of envy in Lu Yimeng’s eyes, and soon had her clothes sorted out. She then led Lu Yimeng downstairs to find her brother.

It was only when they reached the car that Lu Yimeng realized there was someone in the passenger seat—a woman.

Fu Shuyi directly opened the car’s rear door, "Yimeng, hurry in. What are you standing there for, dazed?"

"Oh, oh." Lu Yimeng came back to reality, bent down, and got into the back seat. The woman in the passenger seat turned to glance at her and smiled slightly, "Hello."

With a tightening heart, Lu Yimeng guessed what was happening, "Hello, I am Shuyi’s classmate, Lu Yimeng."

"Gu Qingzhu." Gu Qingzhu’s response was short and simple.

"Yimeng, this is my brother’s girlfriend. Pretty, isn’t she?"

Indeed!

Even though Lu Yimeng had mentally prepared herself, her heart still ached upon hearing this, and she nodded absent-mindedly, "Yes, very pretty, well-matched with Brother Fu." Uttering these insincere words, Lu Yimeng regretted joining them for the meal.

"Where would you like to eat?" Gu Qingzhu asked Fu Shuyi.

"Anywhere is fine, wherever is tasty. I’m not picky," was the response.

"There is no ’anywhere’," Fu Chenxuan said irritably. This girl always said ’anywhere,’ and yet she was always the hardest to please.

"Then let’s go to Cloud Restaurant. I’ve been there before, and the taste is really good," Gu Qingzhu suggested, and it was unanimously agreed upon.

Cloud Restaurant was located to the south of the city and was actually quite far from Fu Shuyi’s university. Combined with the traffic congestion, they arrived right at peak dining time, when the place was crowded.

Gu Qingzhu had made a reservation on the way there, so they didn’t need to wait for a table.

Once the car was parked, everyone got out, except for Gu Qingzhu who remained seated. As Lu Yimeng was wondering why, she saw Fu Chenxuan take a folding wheelchair out of the trunk and then lift Gu Qingzhu out.

Lu Yimeng was shocked. She was disabled!

"Sister Qingzhu injured her foot during a mission, and it hasn’t recovered yet." Noticing her confusion, Fu Shuyi explained softly in her ear.

"Is she a police officer?" asked Lu Yimeng.

"No, Sister Qingzhu is a soldier. She was in my dad’s unit. She and my brother used to be classmates," Fu Shuyi didn’t elaborate, as some things were not for Lu Yimeng to know. She was aware of the details surrounding Gu Qingzhu’s injury because she had heard it from Sister Qingzhu herself.

Lu Yimeng felt even more puzzled. How could someone who was classmates with Fu Chenxuan join the army? She wanted to ask Fu Shuyi, but Fu Shuyi had already gone to talk to Gu Qingzhu. Lu Yimeng pursed her lips, pushed down her doubts, and followed the others inside.

As they were ordering, Lu Yimeng suddenly pointed to the southeast corner and asked, "Shuyi, is that your boyfriend over there?"

Her voice wasn’t quiet, promptly drawing the attention of everyone at the table. When Fu Chenxuan saw clearly who was sitting there dining, his face gradually darkened.