Shui Ruyue’s lips had turned a rosy red, their color now matching Fu Qingzhi’s perfectly.
She sat limply in the passenger seat, her cheeks flushed. She couldn’t quite describe what she was feeling—her heart skipped a couple of beats.
Just as she was about to sit up, Fu Qingzhi pressed her back against the seat.
“So… are you still going to lie to me next time?”
Shui Ruyue’s mind exploded with a buzz.
When did she figure it out?
Just as she was panicking, she heard Fu Qingzhi whisper softly into her ear.
“What? You can’t take it anymore?”
What?!
She’s looking down on me?
Shui Ruyue immediately glared at Fu Qingzhi like an offended kitten with its fur standing on end.
So what if she’d been single for twenty-four years?
She wasn’t so hopeless that one kiss would completely overwhelm her.
“I can handle it just fine!” Shui Ruyue declared. “Don’t underestimate me.”
Is she inviting me?
A shadow flickered through Fu Qingzhi’s eyes before she quietly started the car.
“Then prove it to me next time. Don’t go back on your word.”
What?!
I’m getting punished again?
Shui Ruyue wailed inwardly, regretting her impulsive retort more than ever.
Fu Qingzhi drove all the way to the neighborhood where Shui Ruyue’s small company was located before letting her out.
“Don’t come home too late. You must be back before eight.”
Leaving behind that commanding instruction, Fu Qingzhi’s car disappeared down the street.
Shui Ruyue felt another wave of dread wash over her.
She knows where my company is.
She definitely investigated me in secret.
Sure enough, Fu Qingzhi still didn’t trust her.
She’d deliberately been testing her with those questions.
Thinking of that, Shui Ruyue took out her phone and opened the company group chat.
Work was still the most reliable thing in her life.
When she switched over to the Big Boss’s WeChat, however, there were still no new replies.
Only that single message remained.
“Let’s meet sometime.”
Should I just contact them directly?
Having made up her mind, Shui Ruyue immediately sent another message.
“Big Boss, when would you be available? I can meet anytime.”
After waiting for a while, there was still no reply.
Well… big shots are allowed to be a little temperamental.
Shui Ruyue wasn’t discouraged and headed straight into the office.
Ever since landing that major contract, smaller orders had started pouring in one after another.
Sisi looked positively radiant.
“President Shui, we’ve had a lot of new orders today. The small business owners who want to meet with you have filled your entire afternoon schedule.”
Shui Ruyue’s eyes lit up.
By the time she finished entertaining the last client, it was already past midnight.
Her head was spinning from the alcohol.
After throwing up, though, she felt considerably more clear-headed.
She had barely stepped out of the restaurant when her legs gave way, and Sisi hurriedly supported her.
Not far away, two people whispered to each other.
“So that’s the Shui family’s eldest daughter? I heard she’s just a pretty face who can’t do anything. The Shui family practically doesn’t acknowledge her anymore. Jiang Yan has been grooming Shui Neng as the successor recently.”
“I also heard she climbed into President Fu’s bed, but even now she doesn’t have any real status. I bet she’ll have a miserable ending.”
The two customers walked past them without making any effort to lower their voices.
Anyone who could afford to dine here wasn’t short on money.
And in wealthy circles, there were no secrets.
“She’s even taking on tiny contracts like this. Looks like she’s really broke. Who knows? She might end up homeless before long.”
They continued one after another, their voices growing louder and louder.
Sisi tightened her grip on Shui Ruyue’s arm.
“President Shui… should we call the police?”
Calling the police would only make an even bigger scene.
Shui Ruyue suddenly remembered the comments she’d seen online.
Everyone insisted Zhao Ruru was the destined female lead, while she herself had long since been branded the homewrecker who got in the way.
But even if she was just a cannon-fodder character who’d been glossed over in the novel…
She had still been Fu Qingzhi’s wife openly and legitimately for an entire month.
She didn’t think she’d stolen anything from anyone.
Out of the corner of her eye, Shui Ruyue noticed someone filming with a phone.
Great… they’re trying to push me into the center of another public scandal.
Just as she was wondering what to do, she suddenly spotted Jin Meimei walking out of one of the private dining rooms.
Today she was dressed in a crisp black-and-white business suit.
Her softly curled long hair made her look both professional and gentle.
Shui Ruyue immediately felt her confidence return.
Straightening her back, she smiled.
“President Jin, may I ask if you were satisfied with our last collaboration?”
Who says I can’t land major contracts?
Jin Meimei paused in surprise before walking over.
“So it’s President Shui. We really have you to thank for that major order.”
She casually glanced toward the two people standing nearby and instantly understood what was happening.
“Exactly. Even your Big Boss said they wanted to work with me.”
If they wanted to meet me, then it had to be for business cooperation.
Jin Meimei immediately thought of Fu Qingzhi.
Recently, her schedule had been packed, and she hadn’t heard anything about another collaboration with Shui Ruyue.
But seeing the two snobbish rich kids nearby, she nodded without hesitation.
“That’s right. President Shui is far more capable than most second-generation heirs.”
The expressions of the two instantly turned pale.
Embarrassed and furious, one of them sneered quietly,
“Hmph. So what if she can negotiate contracts? She’s still nothing more than someone who slept her way into things.”
Shui Ruyue frowned.
Why does everyone know so much about my private affairs?
Who leaked all of this?
“My wife and I are deeply in love.”
“So what? Were you standing there watching us with your own eyes? Is that why you’re so certain?”
“Or… were you the one who planned the whole thing?”
Shui Ruyue planted her hands on her hips, showing no intention of backing down.
After all, when the original owner had awakened, she’d already been in Fu Qingzhi’s bed.
Fragments of those memories occasionally surfaced in Shui Ruyue’s mind.
The next day, after making a huge fuss, the original owner had been manipulated by Jiang Yan into accepting everything.
That gave Shui Ruyue plenty of confidence when saying those words.
The man was momentarily speechless.
His face darkened with anger.
He casually pulled the lighter from his pocket and hurled it toward Shui Ruyue.
“Besides…”
“My wife likes me very much.”
Well… she kissed me on her own initiative.
That counts as liking me… right?
Shui Ruyue thought guiltily.
Whether Fu Qingzhi liked her or not, she couldn’t just let those kisses go to waste.
She couldn’t be the only one taking the loss.
Too busy winning the argument, Shui Ruyue never noticed the lighter flying straight toward her forehead.
At that very moment—
Fu Qingzhi, who had just walked up from behind Jin Meimei, wrapped her arms around Shui Ruyue in one swift motion.
The edge of the lighter was sharp.
It scraped across the fair skin of Fu Qingzhi’s neck, leaving a cut.
The two troublemakers immediately panicked.
Hadn’t Shui Neng said that Fu Qingzhi had tried several times to throw Shui Ruyue out?
That their relationship had completely fallen apart?
That Shui Ruyue could barely survive in the Shui family anymore?
Otherwise, the two of them never would have picked a random target to vent their frustrations on.
Just then, the police arrived.
The two men were quickly taken away.
Shui Ruyue wanted to run too.
She had just publicly declared that Fu Qingzhi liked her.
She’s definitely going to hate me now, isn’t she?
She had only taken a step before someone firmly pulled her into an embrace.
“It’s already past midnight.”
Fu Qingzhi held her tightly as she spoke in her usual calm tone.
“Are you going to go home obediently on your own…”
“…or do you want me to help you?”