5 – What is his quirk?
Tang Ru: “I’m not sure about his hobbies, and you’d only find out about his quirks through intimate contact. Other than that, there’s one taboo.”
Xu Ni: “Oh?”
Tang Ru: “You can’t mention his uncle in front of him. His uncle is apparently quite a formidable figure, the fifth-born in the family. I’ve even heard my father say that the Fu family’s youngest son is a ruthless character—the kind who would actually kill someone. He’s been raised in seclusion since he was a child, so there’s almost zero information on him. He’s incredibly mysterious.”
Xu Ni let out a yawn. “Then it has nothing to do with me. We might not even meet.”
So what? The one she was provoking wasn’t that ruthless character anyway.
After finishing her IV drip, Xu Ni felt like she had finally come back to life.
However, her body was still incredibly sore and weak.
As she walked toward the elevator, she frowned, recalling last night—the man’s features, his expression, and his long, slender fingers as they carelessly brushed against her waist.
And.
The way he had thrown her down the stairs without a change in expression.
Tang Ru was worried she would become obsessed with the so-called love and hate of such a man.
But a man like that—how could he ever offer any affection?
He was ruthless to the core.
Not a nut that could be easily cracked.
If a man like him wasn’t considered ruthless, then what level must the Fu family’s reclusive fifth son be at?
Xu Ni looked at her reflection in the elevator’s mirror.
Though she looked frail from her illness, her eyes hid a restless ambition.
How could a villainess go it alone?
She was looking forward to subduing this “Buddha” and making him her loyal, vicious hound.
Ding.
The elevator arrived.
Xu Ni stepped out, only to see a tall figure entering the hospital’s main entrance. His face was tense, his brow furrowed with annoyance as he looked down at his phone while walking.
The world was never short of those who acted like heart-wrenching lovers.
When they played such a role, it was as if the whole world had wronged them.
Xu Ni watched him coldly before circling around to exit through the back door.
It wasn’t hard to guess how Fu Qibai had found her so quickly; there was likely a tracker in her phone. On the surface, they were a loving couple, but in reality, they were both on guard. Fu Qibai was a calculating man who knew exactly how to maximize his own interests.
Xu Ni popped out the SIM card.
She rolled down the car window and tossed the phone directly into a trash can.
Her gaze fell on that building, as if she could already see that indifferent figure in the white lab coat.
A moment later, she drove away.
After buying a new phone, Xu Ni went back and slept for a long time.
Once darkness fell, her phone started ringing.
Xu Ni rubbed her hair as she crawled out of bed. She picked up the call, only to hear a lecture from the other side: “Xu Ni! What time do you think it is? How can you still be playing truant?! Have you settled the investor? You knew we were meeting the big-shot sponsor tonight, yet I couldn’t get a hold of you for half the day!”
Xu Ni got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.
As she washed her face, she replied, “I’m just a director. Is it my turn to flatter the investors?”
Zhao Yang was her boss. She had graduated from the Directing Department of the Jinggang Film Academy, but she was currently just an obscure, small-time director. Because a five-minute animated short she produced in the first half of the year had won an award, she had managed to break into the market, and the company had finally assigned her a TV drama.
“You’re the director, so of course you have to accompany the investors. Did you think you could just slack off?”
Zhao Yang’s tone was more than a little sarcastic and passive-aggressive.
“Besides, you have the advantage of your looks. If you don’t use them now, who’s going to give you opportunities in a few years when you’re past your prime?”
Xu Ni raised her eyelids. “Opportunities?”
Zhao Yang: “Don’t get emotional. The people coming tonight are all big names. If you play this right, your career will take off. 8:00 PM tonight, third floor of Lingyun Pavilion. Don’t be late!”
Xu Ni hung up the phone and looked at herself in the mirror.
Her face was cold and translucent, clean without a trace of worldly dust. And yet, those eyes of hers were filled with aggressive colors—seductive and full of desire. Her lips were a bewitching red, and her aura had an indescribable way of capturing one’s soul. Her beauty was bold, her grace difficult to approach.
It was exactly this kind of face.
It hadn’t given her a smooth path in the industry.
On the contrary, it brought nothing but trouble from people with obvious intentions.
Everyone lusted after her beauty. To have her, to make her bow her head, many had filled her path with thorns to make things difficult for her.
Xu Ni splashed her face with water.
She checked the time.
Seven o’clock.
In the past, she might have refused.
But things were different now. Sooner or later, she would break away from the Xu family. She was going to pave her own path to success, and she would seize any opportunity as long as it was within her control.
After applying exquisite makeup, putting on a white bodycon skirt, and stepping into black high heels, Xu Ni headed out.
Lingyun Pavilion was one of the top restaurants in Jinggang, a place frequented only by high-ranking officials and the wealthy.
The private rooms were member-only; it wasn’t a place just anyone could enter.
She went upstairs.
Xu Ni stood before the private room door, staring at it for a moment.
Then, she pushed it open.
The smell of smoke and alcohol immediately rushed at her.
A faint smile played on her lips. “Traffic was heavy. I’m late, sorry.”
The room was filled with men and women, though mostly men. As soon as Zhao Yang saw her, he immediately stood up and pulled her to his side. “This is our drama’s lead director, Xu Ni. Xu Ni, this is President Yang, and this is President Lin.”
Xu Ni looked up. They were middle-aged men over forty, their eyes roaming over her body wantonly.
“So talented, and yet such a young and beautiful girl! In my opinion, female celebrities don’t even have half of Xu Ni’s beauty!” President Yang had already pushed a glass of wine toward her.
President Lin even stood up and walked over to her side. “I heard from President Zhao that Miss Xu Ni also studied ballet. You’re late today, so we can’t let you off easily. How about you penalize yourself with three drinks and then give everyone a dance as an apology?”
Immediately.
Every man and woman in the room cast strange, expectant looks at Xu Ni.
There were many actors present, yet she, the director, was being humiliated like this—forced to drink and dance in front of so many people. If this were ancient times, how would this be any different from a customer asking a prostitute to perform?
It was highly insulting.
But this was how the vanity fair worked; once the veil was torn away, it was just this filthy.
Xu Ni didn’t move.
Zhao Yang grew anxious and nudged her shoulder. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank President Yang and President Lin for giving you a chance to make amends!”
Xu Ni wasn’t some fake-virtuous person. As long as one lived in this world, unless they were of the absolute elite, everyone was on a path where they had to bow.
So many eyes were watching her.
She walked to the dining table, her pale hand gripping a bottle of white liquor. “My dancing is actually quite mediocre, so I won’t ruin everyone’s mood. This bottle—I’ll finish it.”
The girl’s eyes remained calm and steady throughout. Despite her youth, she possessed a sophisticated grit that didn’t match her age.
Everyone watched in shock as she actually raised the bottle and began to chug.
That boldness and the ruthlessness in her bones left them speechless.
Even President Yang and President Lin forgot to react.
“This…”
“What is the meaning of this…”
They had originally intended to use Xu Ni’s dancing as entertainment. Now, how could they continue to make things difficult?
After all, who could actually down half a bottle of hard liquor?
She was too ruthless.
The scene became extremely awkward for a moment.
Then, someone cried out in surprise.
“Mr. Fu…!”
The room suddenly became restless.
Xu Ni placed the bottle on the table, her stomach burning. She turned around as well, only to see a man at the entrance.
He had arrived at some point. She hadn’t closed the door when she entered, which meant anyone passing by could see exactly what was happening in this room.
Xu Ni’s eyes met those beautiful, indifferent, Buddha-like eyes. They were too clear, too cold. It felt as if she could see her own reflection in his pupils—a reflection stained with the vulgarity of the world.
Xu Ni pursed her lips.
—Damn it.
Of all times, he had to see her in this fierce state.