Located in the prime, gold-mine district of the city center, the headquarters building of the Fu Group was a structure that everyone slowed down to look at twice. This award-winning building, which combined Chinese romanticist aesthetics, was truly the landmark of the city.
Infusing a commercial building with romantic meaning sounded like blending ice into magma, yet it was immensely aesthetic.
As for the designer of this building, those in the know were aware that it was not crafted by some internationally renowned veteran, but rather by a very young painter from the romanticist school.
He was none other than Fu Xingran, the son of the chairman of the Fu Group.
A silver-gray Lamborghini pulled up right in front of the headquarters building, just in time for a few female employees who had just arrived for work to catch sight of the familiar vehicle.
“Isn’t that Young Master Fu’s car?”
“Seems like it.”
“Young Master Fu hasn’t been coming to the group lately, so why is he suddenly here?”
“What’s so surprising about him coming to his own company? Besides, I heard Young Master Fu has been in charge of the design drafts for the Jiang Tian Yi Su villa district lately. He probably came to discuss it with the Chairman.”
“Don’t even mention it. First thing in the morning, Young Master Fu’s looks are killing me.”
“I have to say, Young Master Fu’s fashion sense is genuinely great. As expected of someone who studies art, his aesthetic is on point.”
The door of the Lamborghini swung open, and a pair of striking, long legs stepped out. It was Fu Xingran, dressed in black jeans and a dark green shirt. The white T-shirt and white sneakers layered beneath the dark green shirt gave off an overwhelming wave of youthful energy.
That was, provided one could completely ignore his gloomy aura.
Fu Xingran parked right at the main entrance, locked the car, and strode into the group. Today, he was going to find his father and get a clear answer about what exactly happened four years ago.
“Good morning, Young Master Fu.”
Stepping into the elevator, Fu Xingran heard a group employee greet him. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have bothered responding; he always disliked this kind of meaningless socializing.
“Yeah, morning.”
He was simply trying to make a small change so that Su Lixu could accept his transformation.
The employee standing nearby was somewhat taken aback. The high-and-mighty flower of the peak had actually acknowledged his greeting. How magical.
The elevator stopped at the top floor. The moment the doors opened, Fu Xingran headed straight toward the chairman’s office.
The secretary sitting outside the chairman’s office stood up immediately upon seeing Fu Xingran. “Young Master Fu, why are you here today?”
“Is my dad in?” Fu Xingran asked expressionlessly.
“Yes, the Chairman just arrived.” Looking at the young master she hadn’t seen in months, the secretary wondered what kind of rare wind had blown this big boss over. It was bound to be an unusual gust. “Shall I prepare a cup of coffee for you?”
“No need,” Fu Xingran said, pushing open the door to the chairman’s office.
The door slammed shut with a resounding bang, carrying every ounce of force behind it.
The secretary thought to herself that this was bad.
The chairman’s office occupied the location with the best view, facing due east with 180-degree floor-to-ceiling windows providing abundant lighting. Mr. Fu, dressed in a sharp suit and tie, sat at his desk browsing the morning news on a tablet.
The sudden, loud closing of the door displeased him.
“Fu Xingran, what are you doing this time?” Mr. Fu looked up from his tablet, meeting his son’s foul expression with accustomed familiarity. “Giving me a dirty look bright and early in the morning? Are the design drafts for Jiang Tian Yi Su finally finished?”
“Four years ago, why did you say Dr. Su’s treatments were ineffective?”
Fu Xingran’s cold interrogation echoed sharply inside the office. Mr. Fu’s hand holding the tablet paused for a second, looking somewhat surprised that his son knew about it, before thinking it over.
“Dr. Su told you?”
“If he hadn’t told me, was he just supposed to swallow this grievance? What right did he have to suffer this wrong, what right did you have to question him, and what right did you have to cut off my treatments?” Fu Xingran walked up to the desk, planted both hands on the surface, and lowered his gaze to glare at his father with a gloomy look in his eyes. “You even made me think he abandoned me. Why would you do something like that? Did you threaten him?”
Hearing Fu Xingran’s words, Mr. Fu let out an amused, speechless laugh. “In your eyes, is your dad some brainless parent from an idol drama? Threatening people? Why on earth would I threaten a little doctor, and you don’t even look at what you did yourself? You bit the man and still had the nerve to shamelessly stick by his side. I feel embarrassed for you.”
As if recalling something, Fu Xingran narrowed his brows. “So you told Dr. Su his treatment was ineffective just because I bit him?”
“Otherwise what? My son bit his own psychological counselor, with ulterior motives and right on an unspeakable spot. I didn’t want Dr. Su to be harassed by you anymore.” Mr. Fu glanced at Fu Xingran, picked up the coffee by his hand, and took a sip.
“Of course, at first I didn’t tell Dr. Su he was unprofessional; I just said I was taking you abroad for treatment. But who knew Dr. Su would argue with reason, saying that cutting off your treatment would be bad for you? Of course I knew it would be bad. But I never expected that even after being hurt, he could still say those words. He is responsible and a good doctor. But my son is a bastard, so just to be safe, I could only say things that hurt Dr. Su to cut off future trouble at the root.”
Fu Xingran’s thin lips trembled slightly, his eyes turned red with anger as he found it incomprehensible. “Then what about me? Did you ever think about how much it would hurt me? Back then, I thought Dr. Su didn’t want me anymore, and I was so distressed I tried to slit my wrists and commit suicide. Now you tell me it was all caused by you single-handedly. If I had died because of that, wouldn’t you feel any guilt at all?”
Mr. Fu did not speak, simply placing the tablet back down onto the desk.
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Fu Xingran couldn’t read any emotion on his dad’s face. He nodded, averted his face, and let out a self-deprecating laugh. “You’re good to everyone except me. I get it now. You’d practically prefer I dropped dead so I wouldn’t annoy you. You must really regret that I didn’t die, right?”
“What kind of nonsense are you saying again? When was I ever bad to you? What did you ever ask for that I didn’t give you?” Hearing Fu Xingran use that tone and expression again, Mr. Fu’s face darkened heavily. “And I am your father, so speak to me properly.”
“Right, you think being good to me means giving me money and making sure I’m well-fed and clothed. But have you ever thought about whether those were the things I actually wanted? Even if I had those things, they wouldn’t make me happy.” Fu Xingran felt there was no point in continuing this conversation with this man. “The fact that you wronged Dr. Su, I’ve remembered it. You can question anyone, but you should never have questioned him.”
Seeing his son circle back around and fixate on this single issue, Mr. Fu rubbed his temples in exasperation. “I know. What I did back then was wrong, and I already apologized to Dr. Su. I just didn’t expect him to return to the country so soon.”
“So you messed up and just wanted to gloss it over?” Fu Xingran sneered. “As expected, the only thing you care about is profit, and you think time can make everything else fade away. If Dr. Su had never returned to the country, were you planning to keep quiet and let it slide forever? Not only did you hurt Dr. Su, but you also hurt me.”
He even made him misunderstand Su Lixu and almost do something reckless.
“Could I have done any of this if you hadn’t pulled that kind of stunt on Dr. Su?!” Seeing Fu Xingran standing there, Mr. Fu slammed his hand onto the desk in fury. “Sit down!”
“I don’t have time.” Fu Xingran pulled a USB flash drive from his pocket and casually tossed it in front of Mr. Fu. “Also, find someone else for the Jiang Tian Yi Su design drafts. I’m not drawing them anymore. Find whoever you want, just don’t look for me.”
With that, he turned to leave.
“You stop right there!” Mr. Fu stood up abruptly. “Fu Xingran, what do you mean by this?”
Fu Xingran paused his steps, hearing the anxious tone from his father behind him. “Exactly what it sounds like.”
“Are you out of your mind? Everything is ready, and you’re telling me you won’t draw?! How am I supposed to explain this to the developers? This isn’t a small project, Fu Xingran! It’s billions of yuan, I’m not joking with you!!”
The man’s angry reprimand suddenly echoed through the office.
Fu Xingran turned his head to meet his dad’s furious glare. Sure enough, whenever money was involved, this person would fly into a rage. He raised an eyebrow. “That’s right, I am out of my mind, because I’m in a bad mood. You’re the one who messed up first, so you can’t blame me. The moment you apologize to me is the moment I’ll draw again. Otherwise, forget it.”
He finished speaking and walked out of the office.
“Fu Xingran! Get your ass back here!”
Fu Xingran didn’t care about any patriarchal authority anymore, completely ignoring the rage storming behind him. Right now, not even the emperor of heaven could appease him; if he didn’t feel like drawing, he simply wouldn’t draw. Even kneeling and begging him wouldn’t work.
How dare they wrong his Dr. Su? Blowing up a project worth billions was nothing.
A fierce glint flashed through the depths of his lowered gaze.
As expected, in Fu Wen’s eyes, money would always be more important than his own son.
Outside Room 1303
He Shi stood holding the latte that Su Lixu loved to drink, staring at the door with a puzzled expression. He couldn’t get through on the phone no matter how many times he called, and no matter how hard he pressed the doorbell, the door wouldn’t open. Didn’t Su Lixu say he wanted to meet at his place for lunch at noon?
He glanced at the time; it was already close to eleven. Based on his understanding of Su Lixu, this man was extremely self-disciplined and never slept in.
If he wasn’t sleeping right now, where else could he be?
His fingertips swiped across the screen, pulling up the message Su Lixu had sent him last night. The sending time was 2:33 AM.
“He Shi, help me. I don’t really know what to do right now, and I want to talk to you about Fu Xingran. Do you have time tomorrow at noon? Come over to my place for lunch.”
He Shi raised his head from the screen, looking thoughtfully at Su Lixu’s front door. Why would he suddenly want to talk about Fu Xingran in the middle of the night? There was nothing worth discussing about that arrogant brat who thought he owned the world. Thinking about what the kid had said to him yesterday made his blood boil.
What did he mean by “I only studied psychology because of Su Lixu, so that we would have a common language, but in reality I don’t like psychology; I only studied it because of him, and I didn’t expect to run into Professor He and make you my advisor, and I am very sorry for that”?
What did he mean by “If the professor feels my attitude is poor you can reject me, but I will still study it, because I like Su Lixu and want to understand him better”?
What did he mean by “So, Professor, whether you think my study attitude is poor, or whether you dislike me because I like Su Lixu, the fact that I like Su Lixu and everything I do because of him, I will not deny any of it. Troubling the professor to worry, I still have a date with Teacher Su shortly, so I’ll be leaving first”?
Wait, a date?
A date?!
He Shi’s eyes widened in shock. Could it be that last night, last night Su Lixu hung out with Fu Xingran until past two in the morning, and something happened which prompted him to send that message? Then, right now, what was happening?
“Professor He, why are you able to come up here?”
Just as He Shi was lost in thought, a voice suddenly rang out from behind. He turned around and saw Fu Xingran walking out of the elevator. Looking down, Fu Xingran was holding a latte from the exact same shop as the one in his own hand.
This particular latte was Su Lixu’s favorite drink.
“Why are you able to come up here?” Seeing He Shi standing right outside Su Lixu’s door, Fu Xingran’s expression darkened abruptly. The apartment’s security was so strict that it required a keycard to reach this floor. Why did He Shi have Su Lixu’s access card?
The moment their eyes met, a silent confrontation filled with hostility and wary sparks erupted between them.
He Shi wore a half-smile as he met Fu Xingran’s gloomy gaze, leisurely pulling the access card out of his pocket and casually dangling it between his fingertips.
“Because I have a card, that’s why I can come up.”
Fu Xingran stared at He Shi dangling the access card in his hand, looking as though he were declaring ownership. That suave, scoundrel-like, cynical demeanor made it feel worse than anything in the world.
The apartment cards in Romance all contained the resident’s ID information, and moreover, aside from swiping the main building entrance, these cards could only unlock the apartment doors themselves. In other words, these cards belonged exclusively to the residents. So why did He Shi have a card to Su Lixu’s home?
A bubbling wave of sour jealousy spread through his chest. He stared fixedly at the card in He Shi’s hand, wanting one for himself.
Seeing Fu Xingran looking like he wanted to devour him, He Shi chuckled inwardly and slipped the card back into his pocket. As if a card could actually unlock the door, Su Lixu’s front door used fingerprint recognition anyway.
“I’m pursuing him,” Fu Xingran stated bluntly.
The half-smile on He Shi’s lips slowly faded, his gaze turning indifferent as it reflected Fu Xingran’s silhouette. “Oh? Is that so? I’ve known Lixu for over a dozen years, and I never knew he liked men.”
Over a dozen years?!
This timeframe hit Fu Xingran like a shockwave, adding several layers of crisis to his mind. He had originally thought he held the advantage of knowing Su Lixu for four years, but he never expected He Shi to have known Su Lixu for over a decade.
Yet, after thinking about it for a second, if He Shi had known Su Lixu for over a decade and still hadn’t won him over, his mood instantly improved.
“Yet Professor He still hasn’t won him over.”
He Shi found himself entirely speechless.
“Even a proximity to water doesn’t get you the first glance at the moon. Professor He, you’re failing.” Fu Xingran leaned casually against the wall, crossing his long legs and folding his arms as he looked at He Shi with a vastly improved mood. “I like him, so I’m definitely going to pursue him. Love needs to be spoken out loud.”
He Shi was left speechless again. Was he just lectured by a twenty-year-old kid? He averted his face and let out a laugh, though there wasn’t a trace of amusement in his eyes. This fellow was truly arrogant and insufferable. “Fu Xingran, is that how you act in front of Lixu? He doesn’t like your type.”
“Of course not. I’m very obedient in front of him,” Fu Xingran said straightforwardly. “Very, very obedient.”
He Shi felt his patience being tested by Fu Xingran’s thick skin. If Fu Xingran really had borderline personality disorder, he had genuinely never encountered a personality like this. Although borderline personality disorder came with many traits, from his perspective, Fu Xingran was radiating arrogance and even conceit from head to toe.
And people like that were usually the hardest to communicate with.
If Su Lixu wanted him to help provide psychological counseling for Fu Xingran, he sincerely hoped not.
Because he might just die of anger.
“Student Fu, don’t speak with such absolute certainty, or you’ll easily end up bruised all over.”
Fu Xingran smiled brilliantly, the possessiveness in his eyes glaringly obvious. “Professor He, I like speaking with certainty. I’m not afraid of falling, nor am I afraid of getting hurt. I have the confidence to win him over; he is my goal for this lifetime, and I won’t let him go. So you don’t stand a chance.”
He Shi didn’t know what had happened between Su Lixu and this guy back then, but judging by Fu Xingran’s tone, something definitely must have gone down. Otherwise, it would be impossible for someone with a personality disorder to become so stubbornly devoted.
The most obvious trait of borderline personality disorder was emotional loss of control. Therefore, Fu Xingran had locked onto Su Lixu as his emotional switch.
And that was precisely why he was worried.
Worried that Su Lixu would get hurt.
“How do you know I don’t stand a chance?” He Shi replied indifferently, slipping his card back into his pocket before turning around to press the doorbell again. “Before pursuing someone, you should figure out what the person you like actually likes. It’s not something you can achieve just by running your mouth, otherwise what sounds like a goal is actually just daydreaming. Lixu has always been self-disciplined and values his sleep. If you mess up his biological clock and disrupt his normal routine, he might ignore you for a whole week.”
Fu Xingran’s folded-arms posture stiffened. Disrupt his biological clock and normal routine? Ignore him for a whole week?
Then last night, what exactly did he do?
“What happened between you two last night? Why did he message me past two in the morning? Shouldn’t you reflect on whether you did something to cause him distress?” He Shi’s voice dropped lower. “Fu Xingran, Lixu has a good temper and he’s gentle, but you’re an adult. You don’t honestly think you can just act spoiled and cute and cause him trouble without any restraint?”
Fu Xingran’s mind went completely blank for a second. Crap, I didn’t think about that. Crap, crap, crap. Wait, that wasn’t right. Su Lixu even told him last night that there would be a reward today.
“Don’t try to scare me. Last night he even told me he’d give me a reward today.”
He Shi found it somewhat amusing. “Are you really this easy to fool? That reward is probably a whole week of being ignored.”
Fu Xingran replied, “You’re scaring me.”
“Do you think I can scare you?”
The two grown men stood right outside the door scaring each other back and forth, displaying a somewhat evenly matched, childish rivalry.
Just then, the door clicked open. Both men instantly dropped their standoff and assumed their best postures.
“Why are you guys so early?” Su Lixu pulled the door open, only to freeze when he saw the two men standing outside.
Seeing Su Lixu, Fu Xingran immediately raised a hand to wave at him, smiling brightly. “Good morning, Brother. Did you dream of me last night?”
Su Lixu was rendered speechless.
Help me. Why is Fu Xingran here?