“We met when we were young. Brother, you might not remember.”
Fu Yanchi clearly sensed Luo Yunmian’s tense body relax, and he let out a soft chuckle.
Fu Tingshen frowned slightly, his expression serious as he adopted the tone of an elder brother, lecturing Fu Yanchi earnestly.
“There are plenty of good girls in this world. She’s not the only one.”
Fu Yanchi chuckled lightly, looking up to meet his gaze as he spoke word by word.
“But I only want her.”
Stubborn and resolute.
In that instant, Luo Yunmian’s heart tightened, and she almost instinctively said, “Forced affection never brings happiness.”
“I’d still have to take a bite to know.”
Fu Yanchi raised an eyebrow, his eyes showing no sign of backing down.
Luo Yunmian lowered her head and clenched her hands.
The atmosphere grew awkward until Fu Tingshen’s phone suddenly rang. When he saw the number on the screen,
his gaze froze for a moment.
He quickly walked to a corner of the room.
Fu Yanchi turned his head to look at Luo Yunmian, his leg unconsciously brushing against hers.
Luo Yunmian glared at him in frustration, but he seemed completely unfazed.
“I have something to attend to. You two take your time.”
Fu Tingshen grabbed his coat from the chair, looking anxious as he tossed out the words and turned to leave.
Before Luo Yunmian could even ask her question, Fu Tingshen was already gone.
Fu Yanchi moved closer to Luo Yunmian, placing a hand on her shoulder.
The cool scent of sandalwood from him washed over her, mingling with the masculine aura that surrounded her.
“Yunmian, Tingshen just left you like that. Could it be he has someone else outside?”
Luo Yunmian irritably pushed his hand away. “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll tell your brother.”
With that, she put down her chopsticks, picked up her phone and bag, and walked out without looking back.
Luo Yunmian worried all night, but Fu Tingshen didn’t send a single message, nor did he reply to her asking if he had returned.
What could possibly make someone as stoic as him so anxious?
For once, Luo Yunmian found it hard to sleep.
The next morning, as per her usual routine, she went to Fu Tingshen’s place for breakfast. As she approached, she noticed a strange woman sitting beside him.
Sensing her gaze, the woman smiled gently at her.
“Yunmian, sit here with me.”
Fu Yanchi broke the awkward silence, naturally pulling out a chair for her.
She instinctively looked at Fu Tingshen, only to find him focused on his laptop, completely ignoring her.
“This is Shen Xin’er. Her family and ours have been close for generations. She lives in the villa behind ours.”
Ignoring Fu Yanchi’s look of amusement, Luo Yunmian nodded slightly. “Nice to meet you, Miss Shen.”
“Yunmian, she’s nine years older than you.”
Shen Xin’er’s smile stiffened for a moment, but she maintained her composure and smiled. “Just call me Xin’er.”
After speaking, she instinctively glanced at Fu Tingshen. Age was the biggest issue between them, but fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind.
As long as she played the role of the gentle older sister, she believed she could eventually secure the position she wanted.
She curled her lips as she scrutinized Luo Yunmian, Fu Tingshen’s nominal girlfriend.
Luo Yunmian was the kind of person who captivated attention at first glance. Her almond-shaped eyes were lively and expressive, and her waist-length black hair was tied up high, giving her a refreshing appearance.
There was no denying that Luo Yunmian was young and beautiful, but Shen Xin’er held the advantage of being the “white moonlight” in his heart.
Fu Tingshen finally looked up and introduced to Luo Yunmian, “This is Shen Xin’er. She just returned to the country and officially starts today as the Design Director of Shenghua Group.”
Fu Tingshen paused and glanced at Shen Xin’er.
“You two should get along well in the future.”
Shen Xin’er smiled and naturally placed her hand on Fu Tingshen’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I certainly will. But where did you find such a beautiful assistant as Miss Luo?”
“Family friends.”
Two simple words explained their relationship.
Luo Yunmian was momentarily stunned, a sour feeling spreading in her heart.
At the dining table, Fu Tingshen picked up a piece of braised fish for Luo Yunmian, then picked up another piece and passed it to Shen Xin’er.
Luo Yunmian stared blankly at the fish in her bowl, her thoughts drifting far away.
She had been with Fu Tingshen for three years, yet he didn’t even remember that she adored cilantro and detested scallions. A wave of melancholy washed over her.
“What’s wrong?”
Fu Tingshen noticed Luo Yunmian’s unusual demeanor and asked.
“Sister Mianmian doesn’t eat scallions, Brother. How could you not know that?”
Fu Yanchi picked up his chopsticks, took the fish from Luo Yunmian’s bowl into his own, carefully removed all the scallions, and even meticulously picked out the fish bones before placing it back into Luo Yunmian’s bowl.
She looked up and met the gaze of Fu Yanchi across the table, unexpectedly plunging into his intense, scorching eyes that held nothing back.
She shuddered all over.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been too busy lately and forgot.”
“But, Brother, you remembered that Sister Xin’er likes scallions! You even specifically asked Auntie to add extra scallions to this fish.”
Fu Yanchi chuckled lightly.
Fu Tingshen coughed awkwardly, as if about to explain, but Luo Yunmian spoke first.
“It’s fine. Miss Shen is a guest, after all.”
Luo Yunmian found the breakfast tasteless. She put down her chopsticks. “I’m heading to the company.”
“Let’s go together.” Fu Tingshen started to rise.
“Wait a moment, Tingshen. Go change your clothes. You were taking care of me for so long yesterday that you forgot to change.”
Shen Xin’er tugged at Fu Tingshen’s sleeve.
Luo Yunmian looked at Fu Tingshen’s attire and only then realized he was still wearing the same suit from yesterday.
Their eyes met. Luo Yunmian stared at him intently, waiting for an explanation.
“Xin’er just returned yesterday and wasn’t feeling well, so I went to take care of her.”
Luo Yunmian said nothing more. Fu Tingshen stood up and went upstairs.
Only then did Shen Xin’er act as if she had misspoken, offering an apologetic smile and explanation to Luo Yunmian.
“Miss Luo, I’m truly sorry. I thought Tingshen had already told you about this. Please don’t misunderstand.”
Luo Yunmian lowered her head, her emotions unreadable.
The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, revealing a trace of bitterness. “Miss Shen, there’s no need to apologize to me.”
When Fu Tingshen came downstairs after changing, the three of them sat on the sofa in silence.
“Let’s go.” Fu Tingshen said.
Shen Xin’er was the first to rise, walking up to Fu Tingshen and naturally reaching out to adjust his tie.
She teased him, “Almost 30 years old and still can’t tie a tie properly.”
Luo Yunmian looked up. Fu Tingshen’s eyes were filled with a gentle light. He lowered his head, a smile playing on his lips, his focused gaze firmly locked on Shen Xin’er, seeming to thoroughly enjoy such treatment.
Luo Yunmian felt the morning light at that moment was particularly harsh. She instinctively lowered her head again, her hand gripping the strap of her handbag so tightly it was deformed.
Fu Yanchi noticed the change in Luo Yunmian’s mood and looked over.
The girl’s knuckles were already faintly white, the veins on the back of her hand slightly bulging, even her eyelashes trembling.
He stood up, his voice ringing out without restraint.
“Sister Xin’er, aren’t you overstepping? Sister Yunmian is my brother’s girlfriend.”
Shen Xin’er’s hands paused as she tidied up. She turned to look at Fu Yanchi not far away, the boy’s eyes filled with undisguised mockery.
“Sorry, I’m just used to it from before.”
“Anyone who didn’t know better would think Sister Xin’er was the one my brother is engaged to!”
Only then did Fu Tingshen realize Luo Yunmian was still there. He took a step back from Shen Xin’er and looked toward Luo Yunmian, about to explain.
But Luo Yunmian’s expression had already turned cold. She stood up and walked straight out without looking back.