“Grandma—” Yu Yue answered the phone, calling out affectionately.
“Yueyue, Jingyan has returned to the country.”
“…Alright, I’ll come back right away.”
After hanging up, Yu Yue was quite surprised—it was truly a case of someone offering a pillow just as she was getting sleepy.
She had been wanting to find Fu Jingyan, and now he had actually returned to the country?
Before heading back to the Fu family’s old mansion, Yu Yue made a detour to Zhongsheng Hall to pick up two boxes of calming pills for the Old Madam.
Yu Yue’s plump face was highly recognizable. Even though it had been some time since she last visited the old mansion, the residential property staff still recognized her.
They were well aware of how unwelcome she was among the Fu family members. Unless Yu Yue spoke first, no one would actively approach to curry favor.
Although Yu Yue was plump, she wasn’t unattractive. In fact, when she smiled, she had two adorable dimples that made her quite endearing.
Old Mrs. Fu was very fond of her and, aside from Lin Lan and Jin Yao, was the only one who could see Yu Yue’s inner beauty beyond her plumpness.
In the entire Fu family, with over a hundred members, only the Old Madam liked her.
Even her in-laws, whose only son owed her his life, were reluctant to publicly acknowledge her as their daughter-in-law.
Yu Yue had never cared about any of this.
It took her nearly half an hour to walk to the old mansion.
A bit tired and slightly out of breath, Yu Yue leaned against the main gate, panting.
The butler spotted her immediately and hurried over. “Young Madam, did you… walk here?”
“Yes,” Yu Yue nodded. “I thought I’d try to lose some weight.”
“Was it intentional on their part?” The butler had been promoted by the Old Madam and was someone who repaid kindness. Since Yu Yue had saved their eldest young master, he respected her as the Young Madam. “I’ll report this to the Old Madam.”
Yu Yue shook her head. “No need, Butler Lei. It’s better to avoid unnecessary trouble.”
The Old Madam was getting on in years and had stopped managing affairs ever since Fu Jingyan went abroad. Yu Yue didn’t want to cause her any trouble.
Butler Lei: “…”
Among the over a hundred members of the Fu family, Butler Lei was the second person, after the Old Madam, who thought Yu Yue was a decent Young Madam.
She never flaunted her kindness or acted entitled and was particularly reasonable.
Beep—
A sharp honk sounded from behind.
Yu Yue turned around to see a silver Maybach charging toward her like a leopard before stopping just two or three meters away.
Butler Lei’s face turned pale with fright, but Yu Yue beside him didn’t even furrow her brow.
Seeing that she hadn’t managed to scare the “fatty,” Fu Ruoxi rolled down the car window and sneered, “Well, well, look who it is. Isn’t this my sister-in-law, the one my eldest brother can’t stand?”
“Weren’t you supposed to observe a year of mourning? Has it ended? If not, showing up like this out of the blue—aren’t you just bringing bad luck to our Fu family?”
Just as Butler Lei was about to step forward to speak up for Yu Yue, she took the initiative herself and retorted, “If Miss Fu finds it unlucky, you don’t have to come. What, does Miss Fu not have a home of her own?”
Hearing Yu Yue not only talk back but also speak to her so disrespectfully, Fu Ruoxi’s expression instantly darkened.
Was she implying that the old mansion wasn’t her home?
Fu Ruoxi wasn’t a true Fu family heiress. She was the daughter brought over by Fu Jingyan’s third uncle’s second wife. Since she came to the Fu family at a young age, she took on the Fu surname.
Ever since Yu Yue married into the Fu family as a “bride of fortune,” Fu Ruoxi had been targeting her.
At first, Yu Yue simply thought that the other person, like everyone else, despised her for being fat and believed she was unworthy of Fu Jingyan, so she was standing up for him.
Later, Yu Yue realized that Fu Ruoxi was jealous of her because she liked Fu Jingyan.
Fu Jingyan had been in a long-term coma, and Fu Ruoxi had repeatedly expressed to Old Madam her willingness to marry for auspiciousness to save Fu Jingyan’s life. However, due to her unfavorable birth chart and a face that displeased Old Madam, she was rejected.
The position of the eldest daughter-in-law of the Fu family, which she had worked so hard to obtain, was effortlessly taken by Yu Yue, this overweight woman. It was no wonder Fu Ruoxi hated her.
Six months ago, Fu Ruoxi was used as a pawn by her stepfather to arrange a marriage alliance with the eldest son of Shengtai Bank. The man was a workaholic who rarely came home. In the six months since their marriage, Fu Ruoxi had only seen him two or three times, living a life akin to a widow.
The earlier incident was deliberately orchestrated by her to have the driver scare Yu Yue.
However, Yu Yue’s composure exceeded her expectations.
Fu Ruoxi felt utterly defeated.
Fu Ruoxi opened the car door and approached Yu Yue, her words dripping with venom: “Yu Yue, you’re just a discarded woman. Do you really think you’re the eldest daughter-in-law of the Fu family?”
“Even though I’m married off, the Fu family is still my maternal home. Do I need your permission to return to my own home?”
“Hmph, ridiculous.”
“Miss Fu, you’re the one who’s ridiculous. As the ancients said, a married daughter is like water spilled on the ground. Moreover, this is the old residence, not the Third Mansion of the Fu family. Are you sure your maternal home is here?”
“You—” Fu Ruoxi was left speechless.
She had heard that Fu Jingyan had returned to the country. It had been too long since she last saw him, so she eagerly dressed up, only to run into Yu Yue, this eyesore of an overweight woman, at the entrance of the old residence.
Even after taunting her, Yu Yue remained sharp-tongued, and Fu Ruoxi found herself unable to out-argue her.
“Eldest Young Master—” At that moment, Butler Lei called out.
The two women locked in confrontation turned their heads simultaneously.
The weather was pleasant today, with glaring sunlight. The man stood in the light, and the intense brightness made it impossible for Yu Yue to see Fu Jingyan’s features clearly—only his silhouette.
He was taller and more robust now.
Completely different from the sickly aura he had three years ago.
“Eldest Brother.”
Fu Ruoxi called out, deliberately bumping into Yu Yue as she passed by.
Caught off guard, Yu Yue nearly stumbled.
“Careful.”
Fu Jingyan reacted swiftly, stepping forward to steady Yu Yue firmly.
“Thank you.” After the close call, Yu Yue expressed her gratitude.
“You’re welcome.”
In that moment of closeness, a faint yet familiar fragrance drifted into Fu Jingyan’s senses.
He looked at Yu Yue in surprise.
Yu Yue was also looking at him, her eyes filled with confusion, because Fu Jingyan’s voice felt strangely familiar to her.
For some reason, she couldn’t help but think that Fu Jingyan’s voice sounded remarkably similar to that of the man who had been trapped in the car with her.
That night, it was pitch dark, and the streetlights were too far away to illuminate the car’s interior. As a result, Yu Yue couldn’t see the man’s face at all. She had only traced his refined eyebrows and eyes with her hands.
It was a face with sharp angles and well-defined contours.
However, such features were common among handsome male models.
Besides, at that time, Fu Jingyan was still abroad, so he could be ruled out.
At that moment, as Fu Jingyan shifted away from the angle of the sunlight, Yu Yue finally got a clear look at his face.
The sickly aura from his past had completely faded from the present Fu Jingyan. His brows and eyes now carried a sharp intensity, his suit was impeccably tailored, and his wristwatch exuded an air of refined elegance.
After ensuring Yu Yue was unharmed, he quickly withdrew his hand and took a step back.
The epitome of a gentleman.
Yet Yu Yue interpreted it as him looking down on her.
Then, Fu Jingyan turned to Fu Ruoxi and reminded her coldly, “You’re married now, yet you still dash around like this? You nearly knocked someone over and don’t even know how to apologize. Is this how our Fu family taught you?”
The smile froze on Fu Ruoxi’s lips. She felt utterly wronged but didn’t dare argue back.
Was he standing up for Yu Yue?
“What? Can’t apologize, or has your mouth been sewn shut?” Fu Jingyan pressed relentlessly.
Yu Yue didn’t intervene, simply standing there, waiting.
Finally, Fu Ruoxi forced out an apology through gritted teeth, “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry, but I don’t accept it,” Yu Yue said.
“You—” Seeing Yu Yue so unyielding, Fu Ruoxi glared at her fiercely.
“If apologies were enough, what would we need the police for? I didn’t fall today, but next time, I’ll file a report. So, I advise you, Miss Fu, to be more careful around me from now on. After all, people like us who are overweight often have underlying health issues. Don’t go accusing me of trying to extort you later.”
“…”