Chapter 569: Protect her for life without worries.

As Fu Chenxuan recognized the person dining across the room, his face gradually darkened. He glanced at Fu Shuyi, who guiltily turned her head away, not daring to meet his eyes.

"I must not be mistaken, it’s Mr. Bai, right? Shuyi, who’s the person with him, his sister?" Lu Yimeng continued to speak.

Fu Shuyi tugged at her hand under the table, signaling her to stop talking. Lu Yimeng seemed to realize she had misspoken as she noticed Fu Chenxuan’s displeased expression, looking rather embarrassed.

Fu Chenxuan’s face was gloomy as he stared firmly at his sister. He had just recently told her not to get too close to Bai Junnan, and now here she was, behind his back, associating with him. Was she completely disregarding his words?

After enduring in silence, Fu Chenxuan could barely contain his inner turmoil. If it weren’t for Gu Qingzhu firmly holding his hand, reminding him they were in public and with company, he probably would have already begun scolding his sister.

Fu Shuyi felt the hairs on her neck stand on end under her older brother’s gaze. If you asked her who she feared most in the world, it would certainly be an angry Fu Chenxuan. She glanced at Lu Yimeng with a flash of displeasure in her eyes.

After a while, Fu Chenxuan shifted his gaze and naturally placed a spare rib into Fu Shuyi’s bowl, "Don’t you love spare ribs the most? These taste pretty good, eat more." His demeanor was casual, no different from usual.

Fu Shuyi’s heart was in turmoil. It was over; her brother was truly angry, probably quite severely so. What was she to do this time—would she be punished?

Feeling uneasy, Fu Shuyi turned to Gu Qingzhu for help. Gu Qingzhu gave her a reassuring look, but Fu Shuyi’s heart did not feel any lighter.

With Fu Chenxuan there to keep things in check, Fu Shuyi couldn’t possibly concern herself with who Bai Junnan was dining with.

After only a few bites, Fu Chenxuan put down his chopsticks. Noticing this, the ever-attentive Fu Shuyi immediately sensed something was amiss. Seeing Fu Chenxuan stand up, she nervously asked, "Brother, where are you going?"

Fu Chenxuan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, "It’s rare to run into a good friend; naturally, I should go over and say hello." Not only was he angry at Fu Shuyi for not listening to him but also at Bai Junnan. He had explicitly told him that his feelings toward his sister were purely fraternal, but now he had swallowed his own words. Wasn’t this a slap in the face, and a painful one at that? Besides, how dare Bai Junnan flirt with other women behind his sister’s back? Did he think he was as good as dead?

When it came to matters involving Fu Shuyi, not even the Jade Emperor himself would be of use.

Gu Qingzhu held his hand, speaking softly, "Let’s eat first."

Fu Chenxuan glanced at her hand and then at his sister, who kept her head down. He gently pulled away and spoke warmly, "I’ll be right back."

Gu Qingzhu couldn’t stop him. She gave Fu Shuyi a helpless look—not that she didn’t want to help, but she really couldn’t. Fu Chenxuan was a sister-con; when it came to his sister, he wouldn’t just let things slide.

Since Fu Chenxuan’s face had darkened, Lu Yimeng had been holding her breath. Now, seeing him walking over, she looked anxiously at Fu Shuyi, "Shuyi, did I say something wrong?"

Fu Shuyi gave her a thoughtful look and replied indifferently, "Now is not the time to talk about this."

Lu Yimeng tensed, wondering if Fu Shuyi had noticed something. Surely not, she had acted naturally enough. Perhaps she was overthinking it—after all, Fu Shuyi was just an innocent heiress who wouldn’t understand such cunning.

Thinking this, Lu Yimeng slowly calmed down, looking apologetically at Fu Shuyi.

Fu Shuyi had no time to bother with what she was thinking. Her eyes followed Fu Chenxuan, who was approaching Bai Junnan. Her hands on her lap clenched into fists; she was genuinely worried her brother might start arguing with Bai Junnan.

Only when Fu Chenxuan got closer did Bai Junnan realize someone was approaching. He turned to see it was Fu Chenxuan and, taken aback, he smiled, "Chenxuan, what a coincidence, you’re here for dinner too."

Fu Chenxuan returned the smile faintly, "Yes, I didn’t expect to see you here. And who might this be?" His gaze settled on the woman sitting opposite Bai Junnan.

Bai Junnan replied naturally, "This is Feng Qian, a partner of the Bai Family. We happened to run into each other today and decided to dine together. And you? Are you here alone?"

Fu Chenxuan nodded toward Feng Qian in greeting, then gestured with his hand, "No, I came with Tangtang for dinner."

Bai Junnan followed his direction and met Fu Shuyi’s gaze. Fu Shuyi quickly turned away to avoid his eyes.

Bai Junnan frowned slightly, glanced at Feng Qian, and couldn’t help worrying if Fu Shuyi had misunderstood something. But with Fu Chenxuan present, it wasn’t the right time to explain. He thought about clarifying over a phone call later that evening.

"Since we’re all here, why not eat together?" Bai Junnan suggested, only to realize he had not asked Feng Qian’s opinion. He turned to Feng Qian.

With a light smile on her face, Feng Qian agreed, "Yes, encountering each other is fate, let’s dine together."

"No, thank you. Our food has already arrived. I just came to say hello; we’ll get together another time. Junnan, you’re free tonight, right?"

Bai Junnan nodded subconsciously.

"In that case, at Charming Color Bar, I’ll wait for you at eight." After saying that, Fu Chenxuan didn’t wait for Bai Junnan to respond and turned to leave. Bai Junnan was left with a puzzled expression; why did he get the sense that Fu Chenxuan’s looks were filled with fire today? Who had irritated him?

Not being able to figure it out, Bai Junnan didn’t dwell on it and instead smiled warmly at Feng Qian.

**

Over here, Fu Shuyi saw his older brother return, his eyes flickering, but he dared not look at him. Fu Chenxuan sat down, his expression as usual, "During mealtime, just focus on eating, and stop looking around."

"Oh." Fu Shuyi softly responded, bowing his head and hastily shoveling food into his mouth.

Not long after, Fu Chenxuan spoke again, "Are there needles pricking your bottom?" His tone was particularly cold.

Fu Shuyi felt as if he was being frozen solid, chuckling awkwardly, "No, I’m just eating here."

Gu Qingzhu couldn’t bear to watch this, and served Fu Shuyi a bowl of soup, "Shuyi, drink your soup first, it tastes pretty good." After speaking, she secretly glared at Fu Chenxuan, with a sidelong glance in the direction of Lu Yimeng, signaling that there were outsiders present and it was about time to stop.

Fu Chenxuan restrained his emotions and bowed his head to continue eating.

Fu Shuyi gratefully glanced at Gu Qingzhu, rose to take the soup, "Thank you, Sister Qingzhu."

Gu Qingzhu gave a faint smile.

This meal was not to Shuyi’s satisfaction, as she had little appetite, she ate a few bites and then put down her chopsticks. Lu Yimeng, knowing she had caused trouble, also stopped eating when she saw Shuyi had stopped.

"Finished eating?" Fu Chenxuan asked indifferently.

Fu Shuyi nodded her head, "I’m done eating."

"Since you’re finished, let’s go." Fu Chenxuan stood up first, pushing Gu Qingzhu out the door. Fu Shuyi hurriedly grabbed her bag and followed. Lu Yimeng, walking behind, glanced in Bai Junnan’s direction, with a glimmer of obscure light flashing in her eyes, and also followed.

Fu Chenxuan first dropped off Lu Yimeng at the school entrance. Fu Shuyi wanted to get out of the car as well but was stopped by Fu Chenxuan, "Shuyi, go home today; I’ll take you to school early tomorrow morning."

Fu Shuyi inwardly groaned, knowing this issue wasn’t going to blow over so quickly, desperately looking at her big brother, "Brother, I have to report to the academic office early tomorrow, it would be more convenient to stay at the school."

"No matter what time your report is tomorrow, I’ll make sure to take you to school on time, sit tight." Fu Chenxuan’s attitude was firm.

Knowing she couldn’t argue with her big brother, Shuyi could only turn to Lu Yimeng and say, "Yimeng, I have to go home first, you head back on your own."

Lu Yimeng responded with an okay, and the car quickly disappeared from her sight.

Gu Qingzhu was still living in Fu Chenxuan’s apartment. He took Fu Shuyi straight back to the apartment.

Despite her extreme reluctance, Fu Shuyi obediently followed Fu Chenxuan home. As soon as they entered the door, Fu Chenxuan’s face fell, and he sat on the sofa in silence.

Fu Shuyi looked at Gu Qingzhu, hoping she could plead on her behalf. But with Fu Chenxuan in his current mood, nothing said would be of use. Gu Qingzhu clearly understood Fu Chenxuan’s temperament, and appealing at this moment would be like adding fuel to the fire, so she just gently shook her head.

Knowing the siblings had things to discuss, Gu Qingzhu spoke softly, "You two have a good talk, I’ll go find a book to read in the study."

Fu Shuyi desperately signaled with her eyes, but Gu Qingzhu acted as if she saw nothing and wheeled herself away.

Now alone in the living room, Fu Shuyi stood there, anxiously looking at her silent brother.

Fu Chenxuan lifted his head and looked at her, pointing to the sofa opposite him, "Sit down."

Fu Shuyi didn’t dare to resist and obediently sat down, her legs pressed together, back straight, like a well-behaved child.

"Tell me, what exactly is going on?" Fu Chenxuan spoke with a heavy tone, seemingly calm, but Fu Shuyi didn’t dare to actually think he was no longer angry.

"It’s just... just like what you saw," Fu Shuyi replied in a low voice, as quiet as a mosquito. Fu Chenxuan frowned, "Speak up."

Fu Shuyi gritted her teeth, eyes shut tight, "I’m just dating Brother Jun Nan, he’s my boyfriend now, that’s all there is to it."

Fu Chenxuan’s expression turned icy, "Fu Shuyi, have you taken my words for naught? What have I told you?"

Of course, Shuyi hadn’t forgotten, "I haven’t forgotten, but I like Brother Jun Nan, and Brother Jun Nan likes me too, what’s wrong with us being together? I know you think his family is too complicated and not suitable for me, but what I love is him, not his family."

Fu Chenxuan frowned, his sister really had grown up too sheltered, family and love were never isolated entities.

"Do you plan on dating Jun Nan for a lifetime? Not marry him?" Fu Chenxuan questioned her. There was a fundamental difference between dating and marriage.

Fu Shuyi blushed slightly, "Brother, I’m only twenty-one years old, what marriage are you talking about." Marriage was a distant concept for her, and being with Bai Junnan, she hadn’t thought that far ahead.

"Shuyi, I’ve made my stance clear. If you only want to date Bai Junnan, then I have no objections, but if you plan to marry him, I will firmly disagree, and I believe Mom and Dad will feel the same," Fu Chenxuan was certain, his father would definitely not agree to Shuyi marrying into such a family. Bai Junnan’s mother alone was more than Shuyi could handle.

The woman who controlled the Bai Family her entire life was extremely domineering. Although she wouldn’t make life too difficult for Fu Shuyi, considering she was the Fu family’s daughter, there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t make small passive-aggressive moves or pull rank on her occasionally. Knowing Shuyi’s temperament, most likely she would cause a scene. Rather than letting her be unhappy later, it would be better not to let her marry in. Their Fu Family’s daughter had no reason to go suffer in someone else’s home.

"Brother, you’re overthinking it. Right now, my relationship with Brother Jun Nan is just a simple romance, we haven’t considered taking it to the stage of marriage." She was still so young.

Fu Chenxuan looked steadily into her eyes, knowing she wasn’t lying. But some things were too complicated to explain to her right now, so he chose not to mention them. She didn’t understand, but the other person certainly would.

"Let’s leave that matter aside for now. I have something else to talk to you about today."

Fu Shuyi’s eyes lit up, directly ignoring his latter words, "Brother, are you really not angry anymore?"

Fu Chenxuan said irritably, "If I were angry with you all the time, you’d irritate me to death." She always insists on doing whatever I tell her not to. She has never given me a peaceful day. I miss when she was young, tender and obedient, she was so sweet and cute.

Fu Shuyi laughed and, no longer fearing her brother, went over to sit beside him, hugged his arm, and acted like a spoiled child, "I knew my brother loved me the most."

Fu Chenxuan snorted coldly, "Don’t think I’ve forgiven you just because you said some nice words, this matter isn’t over."

Fu Shuyi’s smile faltered, "Brother, what do you want me to do then? You can’t possibly want me to break up with Brother Jun Nan?"

Fu Chenxuan indeed had that thought, but would this girl agree? If he were to say that, she would certainly rebel against him. Fully understanding his sister’s temperament, Fu Chenxuan wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake. Annoyed, he gave her a look, "I’m reminding you, you can date, but there are certain things you must absolutely not do. You’re a girl, you need to know how to protect yourself."

Fu Shuyi didn’t understand his meaning at first, blinking her eyes. It took her a while to catch on, and her face immediately flushed, "Brother, what are you talking about!" Her relationship with Bai Junnan at most involved holding hands.

"I’m just giving you a reminder, just remember that, okay? Don’t just follow someone else because they whisper sweet nothings to you. Men have a bad nature; once they get what they want, they no longer cherish it." He spoke with a serious expression.

Although Fu Chenxuan spoke earnestly, he felt awkward discussing these topics with his sister. But he also worried that she might do something foolish. Any possibility that could harm his sister, Fu Chenxuan would try to nip in the bud.

"Brother, you’re a man too," Fu Shuyi muttered.

Fu Chenxuan glared, and Fu Shuyi quickly added, "I remember, I promise to take good care of myself." She was absolutely sure her brother was just worrying needlessly.

"Brother, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head home first, okay?" Fu Shuyi, seeing his lecture was over, was looking to escape.

"Wait, I have something else to ask you. You and your classmate Lu... what’s his name."

"Lu Yimeng."

"Right, Lu Yimeng, how is your relationship with her?"

Fu Shuyi was puzzled, wondering why her brother suddenly took an interest in her social life, "Not bad, we’re roommates, and we get along well. We spend a lot of time together having fun. What’s up, brother?"

"How much do you know about her?"

Fu Shuyi frowned, about to say "She’s a nice girl," when something crossed her mind, and she altered her reply, "So-so, I guess. After all, we mostly just hang out together, we’re not really confidantes or anything."

Fu Chenxuan nodded, understanding. He spoke with a deep meaning, "Shuyi, you may not harbor ill intentions, but you cannot afford to be without defense."

Fu Shuyi nodded, "Brother, I understand."

After the conversation ended, Fu Shuyi didn’t linger any longer. She refused Fu Chenxuan’s offer to drive her to school and took a cab to leave instead.

"Shuyi, you’re back already? Your brother didn’t give you a hard time, did he?" Lu Yimeng asked with concern upon seeing Fu Shuyi’s return.

Fu Shuyi looked at her, puzzled, "Why would my brother give me a hard time?"

Lu Yimeng explained, "At lunch, I genuinely didn’t know your brother was unaware of your relationship with Mr. Bai. I accidentally let it slip, I’m so sorry, Shuyi."

Fu Shuyi waved it off, "That’s okay, now he knows, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I would have told him sooner or later."

"Shuyi, are you really not mad at me?" Lu Yimeng still sounded uneasy.

Fu Shuyi shook her head, "Not mad. Just for this little thing? Do you think I’m that petty?"

Lu Yimeng let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest, "That’s good. I was afraid you’d be mad at me."

Fu Shuyi smiled, and as if it were an afterthought, she asked, "Yimeng, I keep forgetting to ask you, what were you doing at the Charming Color Bar over winter break?"

"I’ve always heard that Charming Color is a famous spot in Beijing for luxury and entertainment, but I’ve never had the chance to go. I just happened to have a friend with a membership card, so they took me there to see what it was like."

This explanation seemed reasonable, so Fu Shuyi just nodded, without offering an opinion, "By the way, that rich playboy didn’t give you any trouble afterward, did he?"

Lu Yimeng’s body stiffened abruptly, with a flash of hatred in her eyes that quickly faded. She forced a smile, "No, he doesn’t even know who I am. Even if he wanted to trouble me, he wouldn’t be able to find me."

"That’s good, I was worried he might take out his anger on you," Fu Shuyi said casually.

Lu Yimeng just chuckled, looking down at the book in her hands, yet not absorbing a single word.

**

At eight o’clock in the evening, Charming Color Bar. When Bai Junnan reached the private room, Fu Chenxuan was already there, with a line of bottles on the table. He raised his eyebrows slightly, "Are we going to battle it out until dawn?"

Fu Chenxuan’s expression was profound, "Don’t dare to?"

Bai Junnan chuckled lightly, "What’s there to be afraid of? If you want to drink, I’m naturally prepared to keep you company to the end."

Fu Chenxuan placed a bottle of liquor in front of him, "Then let’s do it."

Bai Junnan reached for a glass nearby, but then he heard Fu Chenxuan say, "Real men don’t need glasses to drink."

Bai Junnan silently retracted his hand and grabbed the bottle, "Drink."

It had been a long time since he had drunk straight from the bottle. Bai Junnan sipped as he scrutinized Fu Chenxuan’s expression, trying to catch some hints, but Fu Chenxuan had always been a master at hiding his feelings, so naturally, Bai Junnan could see nothing. He had a vague guess in his heart after their unexpected encounter at the restaurant earlier today.

"Junnan, we’ve known each other for many years, haven’t we?" After downing half a bottle, Fu Chenxuan finally spoke slowly.

"Yeah, indeed, for many years," since high school to now.

"I have many friends, but few true friends, and you count as one. Yet I had no idea that my good friend had actually become my sister’s boyfriend."

Bai Junnan inwardly exclaimed as he had expected; he had been guessing that Fu Chenxuan had learned about this, which was why he had invited him out for "drinks," and now his suspicion was confirmed.

How could he have found out? It couldn’t have been from Fu Shuyi since it was her who had asked to keep it a secret from the family, and naturally, she wouldn’t be the one to spread the word.

"Chenxuan, I really like Shuyi, sincerely," Bai Junnan spoke earnestly.

Fu Chenxuan scoffed, "Who was it that swore to me before that his feelings for Shuyi were just like mine?"

Bai Junnan touched his own face, speechless. The retort came too swiftly; he hadn’t expected to fall for Fu Shuyi.

"Chenxuan, I can only say that love comes in the most mysterious ways." He couldn’t clearly elaborate when his feelings had shifted.

"All I can tell you is that I’m serious about Shuyi, and I will treat her well for the rest of her life."

"You two have just started, what are you talking about the rest of your lives for? My sister has no experience in love. Whether her feelings for you are genuine or just a novelty is still uncertain," Fu Chenxuan said somberly.

Bai Junnan couldn’t help but laugh; if you weren’t so sour, your words would be more believable.

Fu Chenxuan stared at him intently, clearly displeased. His little cabbage had been rooted out by a pig, and he had been kept in the dark—even if the pig was of high quality, it still annoyed him.

Bai Junnan smiled slightly, "Time will naturally prove everything." He was able to discern Shuyi’s feelings for him; whether it was love or just a fleeting fancy, he could tell the difference.

"Junnan, do you remember what I told you before?"

Bai Junnan knew he was referring to their conversation during the camping trip and nodded, "I remember."

"My stance is the same as it was at that time. If you want to be with my sister, I don’t agree, and neither will my parents. Do you understand why?"

Bai Junnan nodded; of course, he understood.

"Since you know, why then did you approach Shuyi? She is pure-hearted and not suited for the Bai Family’s kind of environment."

"Chenxuan, do you think you’re underestimating Shuyi’s strength?" The Shuyi he knew was a bright girl; she might seem delicate on the outside, but she wasn’t on the inside.

"Even if she is strong, we don’t want her to go through those things. The daughter of the Fu Family has the means to live a carefree life. Can you offer her that?" The Bai Family was surrounded by wolves, a veritable pit of fire.

The smile faded from Bai Junnan’s face, but he wasn’t angry—he knew that Fu Chenxuan saw him as a brother and that was why he was speaking so plainly. After a long pause, he spoke in a softened voice, "I will clear all obstacles for her and protect her to live a worry-free life!"