Fu Chengyan was in a good mood now and couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.
On the way, he sent a message to He Qinrui, simply asking how he managed to win over girls.
It couldn’t be helped—among their group, only He Qinrui had some close female friends. Though it wasn’t clear if they were girlfriends.
Fu Chengyan had never asked.
But he was the only one among the brothers who was popular with women.
He Qinrui was an excitable sort.
He called back immediately, chattering noisily. Fu Chengyan thought someone’s Howler Monkey had escaped.
“Bro, dear brother, you’ve got something going on? What’s the deal? Who is it? Do I know her? Which family’s young lady is she?”
His words were rapid and dense.
He Qinrui had one big trait: a poor memory and a tendency to forget things.
He had completely forgotten that just a few days ago, Fu Chengyan had acted like a jerk to a young girl at a bar.
Fu Chengyan rubbed his temples, annoyed by the noise, and hung up the phone.
Assistant Lin and Wen Li exchanged a glance, but neither said a word.
On the other end, He Qinrui, who had been chattering away, wasn’t bothered at all by the hang-up—it was practically routine for him. Grabbing his car keys, he rushed straight to Fu Chengyan’s lair, eager to get a taste of fresh gossip.
He even arrived home before Fu Chengyan.
“Bro, Brother Yan,” he said excitedly. “Who is it? Do I know her? Is she pretty? When did you two get together? I never would’ve thought! The great Second Master Fu, famously known as Shengjing’s ice king, would actually ignite the flames of love at the age of twenty-seven. No one would believe it if word got out.”
Fu Chengyan had a headache from all the noise and truly regretted making that damn call.
“One more word, and I’ll have Butler Liu see you out.”
He Qinrui reluctantly shut his mouth, but his curiosity didn’t diminish in the slightest—instead, it grew even stronger.
“Brother Yan, you ask me for advice but won’t let me talk. Do you want me to use hand gestures?” he couldn’t help but say, sounding a bit aggrieved. “But I don’t know how. Should I go learn?”
This reminded Fu Chengyan: the little girl couldn’t speak. How would they communicate in the future? Rely solely on typing?
Forget it, typing was too tiring. Better to use that little bit of rest time to give her wrists a massage.
Maybe he should hire a sign language teacher instead.
He could learn it—after all, more skills never hurt.
Fu Chengyan looked at He Qinrui with a hint of appreciation.
He Qinrui: “Brother Yan, when you look at me like that, it feels weird.”
It was really strange.
Fu Chengyan tapped the door with his slender fingers, his meaning clear.
He Qinrui chuckled foolishly. “Bro, don’t be like that. I won’t say anything more.”
Aunt Liu had prepared a late-night snack. He Qinrui eagerly and dutifully went to fetch bowls and chopsticks, even thoughtfully trying to pull out a chair for Fu Chengyan.
Fu Chengyan told him to get lost, but he didn’t mind.
After the meal, He Qinrui still spent several hours explaining how to win over girls.
He rambled on and on, talking to himself.
Fu Chengyan listened for the first few minutes but soon realized it was all useless nonsense—just He Qinrui’s self-praise and narcissism.
So he opened his laptop to work, treating He Qinrui’s chatter as background noise.
Early the next morning, the diligent Assistant Lin brought the carefully screened sign language teacher to the office and left, thoroughly confused.
Fu Chengyan studied all morning, roughly mastering some basic sign language gestures. He then hurriedly sent a message, hoping to reinforce the little girl’s impression of him.
y.[What do you want to eat for lunch?]
After waiting quietly for a while without receiving a reply, Fu Chengyan thought she might still be busy updating her novel. He opened the reading app again and, sure enough, she had just posted a new chapter fifteen minutes ago.
He was no longer in a hurry. After asking what groceries had been bought at home today, he planned to go back and cook to tempt the little girl.
Xu Zhizhi didn’t see the message until 11:50. Propping her chin in her hands, she stared at her phone screen for a long time before slowly typing: [Beef noodles]
Soon, Fu Chengyan replied: [Just beef noodles? Don’t you want some stir-fried dishes or soup?]
Xu Zhizhi slowly typed: [ ]
Fu Chengyan took a photo of the freshly cooked spicy beef strips and sent it over.
On the other end, the “beef noodles” message was quickly withdrawn and replaced with: [I want to eat it].
Fu Chengyan curled his lips. Sure enough, a little foodie was easier to coax.
At exactly one o’clock, Fu Chengyan called Xu Zhizhi on time. “If you’re not busy, come down and press the elevator button for me.”
Ever since he sent that picture, Xu Zhizhi had been craving it so much she kept swallowing. Her eyes were fixed on the image, unwilling to look away.
As soon as the phone rang, she answered immediately. After hearing what he said, she dashed out in her slippers.
Delicious food—here she comes!
Spicy beef strips, sweet and sour pork, four-happiness meatballs, and oyster sauce lettuce.
Fu Chengyan hadn’t cooked too much, unsure of her tastes. “The lamb soup was made by the auntie at home. Try it and see if it’s good.”
Simmering soup takes time. Fu Chengyan had told Auntie Liu about it when he left in the morning—there was no way he could have made it fresh after returning.
Xu Zhizhi nodded coolly, her gaze lingering on the meatballs, practically drooling with craving.
Fu Chengyan found it amusing. “Go wash your hands.”
Xu Zhizhi made an “oh” sound but didn’t move. Instead, she stared at Fu Chengyan’s slender, well-defined hands, indicating that he should also wash his hands and pay attention to hygiene.
Fu Chengyan clearly misunderstood. “Do you want me to wash them for you?”
Xu Zhizhi was stunned for a moment. Before she could react, the man took her by the wrist and led her to the bathroom.
She quickly pulled her hand back, pressed a little flower of hand soap onto Fu Chengyan’s hand, and then pressed another for herself.
Fu Chengyan understood—she was reminding him to pay attention to hygiene.
Cleanliness—a good habit.
Having worked all morning, Fu Chengyan hadn’t eaten either. After much coaxing, he finally managed to lure her out of her little nest, which was when he realized why that nest looked so familiar.
Fu Chengli had one just like it in his house, placed in a corner of the side hall—it was a golden retriever’s bed.
Exactly the same, not a single difference in size.
Soup might drip onto the bedding, and it was too low to sit comfortably. After listing a whole basket of drawbacks, he finally brought her to the dining room to eat.
It felt novel—Fu Chengyan had a sense of stepping into her space and taking charge.
“I came in a hurry today and didn’t bring you any pastries or desserts,” he said. “Tomorrow, I’ll have the auntie at home make egg tarts and bring them. Do you like them?”
Xu Zhizhi hummed in response, then nodded. After thinking for a moment, she picked up her phone, found Fu Chengyan’s chat, and boldly transferred him five hundred yuan.
For her, this was a huge expense, but Fu Chengyan’s expression didn’t look too pleased.
He set his phone aside and looked at her calmly. “Are you treating me like a delivery driver?”
Sensing his displeasure, Xu Zhizhi shook her head in confusion.
Fu Chengyan added a four-happiness meatball to her bowl, his tone softening. “I genuinely want to be friends with you. Friends shouldn’t keep track of money—it hurts the relationship. What you did really upset me.”
“Alright then, friends should reciprocate. Next time, you can treat me to a meal.” Fu Chengyan kindly helped her solve this ‘big problem.’
Xu Zhizhi fiddled with her fingers. If she were to cook for him, what could she make?
Instant noodles seemed like a good option.
Xu Zhizhi nodded firmly.
Fu Chengyan understood—so she could cook after all.
It seemed he would have to put in more effort in the future, or else the young lady might think his culinary skills were lacking and gradually grow tired of him.