The man standing in the doorway was none other than the owner of the villa.
Fu Yan.
Standing nearly 190 centimeters tall, he had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and an imposing physique. He wore a black shirt with the top two buttons casually undone.
There was an unmistakable air of authority about him, the kind that came from years of being accustomed to giving orders.
Unlike the polished, meticulously groomed young businessmen of the capital, Fu Yan possessed a distinctly untamed quality.
Even when standing casually, he radiated such an overwhelming presence that it was difficult for anyone around him to breathe easily.
Wen Shushu’s heart pounded wildly.
Her voice trembled as she spoke.
“Why didn’t you… knock?”
Fu Yan slipped one hand into his trouser pocket and leaned lazily against the doorframe.
His gaze swept over her, direct and unapologetically commanding.
A hint of impatience colored his voice.
“Do I need to knock when I’m entering a room in my own house?”
His eyes fell on the guqin she was holding.
The corner of his mouth curled into a mocking smile.
“You really are an old-fashioned little thing. You even brought something like that with you.”
Wen Shushu tightened her arms around the instrument.
Summoning her courage, she raised her eyes to meet his gaze.
But the moment their eyes met, she hurriedly looked down again.
Her long eyelashes fluttered, and her pearly teeth gently caught her lower lip.
She didn’t dare say another word.
She had always been gentle and reserved, especially around unfamiliar people.
And this man, with his fierce expression and intimidating presence, made her particularly nervous.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of the bold, fearless woman who dominated the racetrack.
Fu Yan watched her timid reaction and raised an eyebrow.
“What? We’ve barely registered our marriage, and you’re already planning to live separately from me?”
“N-no…”
Wen Shushu’s voice was barely audible.
She was so nervous that she stumbled over her words.
“We still… don’t really know each other.”
“Don’t know each other?”
Fu Yan gave a low chuckle.
His laughter was deep, slightly roguish, and utterly shameless.
What he said next was so blunt that it could make anyone blush.
“How are we supposed to get familiar with each other if we don’t sleep together?”
Wen Shushu’s mind went completely blank.
Then, with a sudden rush, memories of that chaotic night flooded her thoughts.
The man’s scent.
The warmth of his body.
The weight of him pressing against her.
Every fragmented sensation she had tried so desperately to bury came rushing back.
Her entire face burned.
The blush spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, even staining her slender neck a delicate pink.
She was so embarrassed that she wanted nothing more than to find somewhere to hide.
Fu Yan watched her flustered expression and gave a cold snort.
He hadn’t even done anything, yet she was already blushing like this.
He couldn’t be bothered to tease her any further.
Instead, he held out the document he had been carrying.
When he noticed that both her arms were occupied with the guqin, his brows drew together.
With a rather rough movement, he tossed the papers onto the table.
“Stop fantasizing about me and sign this.”
He gave another disdainful snort.
“You want to sleep with me?”
“Keep dreaming!”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Bang!
The door slammed shut behind him with decisive force.
Wen Shushu’s face grew even hotter.
She felt both embarrassed and a little wronged.
What a terribly crude man!
Did he always speak so rudely?
Only when his footsteps faded down the corridor did she dare to move.
She carefully set down the guqin and approached the table.
Picking up the document, she began reading.
It was a marital agreement.
The terms were written clearly in black and white.
During the marriage, neither party would publicly disclose their relationship as husband and wife.
They would not interfere in each other’s private lives.
They would only act as a loving couple in front of their respective elders.
There would be no emotional obligations between them and no financial entanglements.
Wen Shushu read through the clauses.
The tension that had been gripping her heart suddenly eased.
This was exactly what she wanted.
They would stay out of each other’s affairs and live their own lives peacefully.
Nothing could be better.
She picked up a pen.
Although her fingertips still felt strangely warm, she signed her name without hesitation.
Wen Shushu.
Her handwriting was delicate, graceful, and elegant.
Just like the young lady herself.
Outside the window, night gradually deepened.
And within this enormous, cold, and unfamiliar villa, Wen Shushu’s new life began before she had even had time to prepare herself.
The dining table was exceptionally long and wide.
Fu Yan and Wen Shushu sat facing each other, the distance between them seemed almost as wide as a corridor.
Wen Shushu sat perfectly upright.
Her back was straight, her posture impeccable.
She only reached for the dishes placed directly in front of her, taking small bites and chewing slowly before swallowing.
Every movement was light and careful, as though she were afraid of disturbing something.
Ever since childhood, her mother had taught her that one should not speak while eating or sleeping.
And Wen Shushu had followed that rule faithfully.
Fu Yan, sitting opposite her, couldn’t have been more different.
His posture was relaxed, almost careless.
He ate quickly, without paying the slightest attention to the elaborate dining etiquette expected of wealthy families.
There was a reason for that.
It was an old tradition of the Fu family that every designated heir had to spend several years training in the military.
The purpose was to strengthen both body and character.
Fu Yan had spent years living and training alongside rough, straightforward soldiers.
Naturally, his temperament had become equally rugged and unrestrained.
He had none of the delicate habits or excessive refinement commonly associated with young masters from prestigious families.
Once he finished eating, he set down his bowl and chopsticks.
Then he raised his eyes toward the woman sitting opposite him.
Even eating a simple meal seemed to be an elaborate demonstration of aristocratic etiquette for her.
Every movement was restrained.
Every gesture was carefully controlled.
She sat there as though trapped inside an invisible shell.
And for some inexplicable reason, Fu Yan found himself wanting to crack that shell open.
Wen Shushu grew increasingly tense beneath his undisguised gaze.
When she noticed that he had finished eating and put down his chopsticks, she immediately followed suit.
Then she sat quietly, her back straight and her hands resting neatly before her.
Neither of them spoke.
According to the etiquette she had been taught, she had to wait for the person seated in the position of honor to leave the table first.
Only then would it be appropriate for her to excuse herself.
So she waited.
And waited.
After quite some time, she cautiously raised her eyes.
Fu Yan was still sitting there.
He had leaned back against his chair and was studying her at a leisurely pace.
Not only did he show no intention of leaving, but the way he kept looking at her made her increasingly uncomfortable.
Fu Yan, meanwhile, had absolutely no understanding of the old-fashioned rules she was following.
He simply thought this little antique of a woman was behaving strangely.
She had finished eating ages ago.
So why was she still sitting there with her head lowered?
What exactly was she waiting for?
An awkward silence settled over the enormous dining room.
Wen Shushu didn’t dare look up again.
She could only maintain her stiff, perfectly upright posture.
Meanwhile, a single thought kept repeating in her mind.
Why isn’t he leaving?
Why is he still sitting there?
Eventually, the awkwardness became unbearable.
She finally gathered her courage and spoke.
“…Mr. Fu, I’ve finished eating.”
She didn’t dare directly tell him that she wanted to leave.
Fu Yan paused.
“Mm.”
He glanced at her empty bowl, then frowned.
“And?”
Wen Shushu froze.
Fu Yan raised an eyebrow.
“Are you waiting for breakfast?”
“N-no…”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
Wen Shushu hesitated before answering softly.
“Well… it’s my first time here. I thought it would be impolite to leave the table before you.”
Fu Yan gave a cold snort.
Was this woman seriously from the modern world?
Or had she somehow traveled here from the Qing Dynasty?
“We don’t have that rule in the Fu family.”
Wen Shushu slowly released the breath she had been holding.
She rose gracefully from her chair.
Her voice was gentle and polite.
“Then I’ll return to my room first.”
Without waiting for another response, she hurried toward the staircase.
She climbed the stairs, entered the secondary bedchamber, and gently closed the door behind her.
Only then did she lean against the door and begin breathing heavily.
Downstairs, Fu Yan watched her retreating figure with an utterly baffled expression.
He tapped his fingers slowly against the dining table.
So that was it?
She had sat there waiting all that time just for him to give her permission to leave?
What a strange little seamstress.
She wasn’t merely old-fashioned.
She was so old-fashioned that even her father would have to be an antique, and the person opening the door for him would be another antique.
A whole family of antiques.