“A-Wu, Yutong didn’t do it on purpose. Don’t be angry with her.”
“I can’t get away from the celebration banquet. I’ll come find you later.”
“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.”
The call hadn’t even ended when someone slipped his arms around Jiang Wu’s slender waist from behind.
Long, lean fingers roamed along her arm, setting her skin alight. After ending the call, he slid his fingers between hers.
Jiang Wu turned around, her almond-shaped eyes hazy. She lifted her chin toward him of her own accord.
Fu Qingheng asked in a husky voice, “Jiang Wu, who am I?”
Jiang Wu swayed unsteadily as she answered, “You’re Fu Qingheng.”
“How much did you drink?” Fu Qingheng asked.
“Just one glass.” Jiang Wu held up one finger. Like a fish gasping for air, she rose onto her tiptoes, trying to touch his Adam’s apple. “Fu Qingheng, there was something wrong with that drink.”
Her soft, sweet voice was like the paw pads of a cat with its claws sheathed, gently brushing his heart.
Fu Qingheng breathed out, his breath as fragrant as orchids. “I’ll help you.”
In the damp heat of a rainy midsummer, a red mark bloomed into a gorgeous rose.
Outside the window, mist billowed and clouds churned.
That night, Jiang Wu felt weightless and unsteady, like someone drowning who couldn’t find a piece of driftwood to cling to.
When she woke, Fu Qingheng was still asleep.
Jiang Wu quietly lifted her lashes and studied him.
His brows were sharp as arrows, his lips thin and red. One glance was enough to make him unforgettable.
Jiang Wu checked the time. It was already past seven. She didn’t linger. She slipped out of bed, dressed quietly, and left his place.
As she passed a shopping mall, Jiang Wu stopped. She looked up and saw footage of the previous night’s awards ceremony playing on the giant screen.
In the footage, Lu Jinnian, the newly crowned Best Actor in a black suit, stood beside Wen Yutong, a rising singer in a white mermaid gown. They looked like a perfect couple.
Jiang Wu stood among the crowd as the surrounding chatter washed over her like a tide.
“Lu Jinnian made it official last night! The couple I ship is real—does anyone understand? I seriously want to cry.”
“I’m so jealous of Wen Yutong. She just debuted, and she’s already dating a man like Lu Jinnian.”
“I wasn’t a fan before, but now I am. Lu Jinnian is such a real man—he’d give up his future for love.”
“…”
Jiang Wu glanced at them without expression. “Their relationship is fake.”
“How do you know? Are you their manager?”
“Girl, don’t mind her. She’s just jealous.”
“Because Lu Jinnian is my fiancé,” Jiang Wu replied calmly. Not a trace of emotion showed in her amber eyes.
“I might as well say Peng Yuyan is my husband,” one of them said, rolling her eyes.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Jiang Wu didn’t argue with them.
One was a celebrity, the other an ordinary person. It went without saying who seemed more credible.
Jiang Wu turned and walked away from the noisy crowd.
When she got back to her apartment, the rooms were empty, and her phone remained silent.
Lu Jinnian hadn’t come home all night.
Jiang Wu showered, then sat in front of her vanity. Red marks dotted her otherwise fair skin.
“Fu Qingheng must have been born in the Year of the Dog,” Jiang Wu muttered.
She dabbed on foundation to cover them. Then she swept her dark hair into a side-swept updo and changed into a white qipao with touches of blue before heading to her shop.
Jiang Wu owned a qipao shop on a relatively quiet street corner. She had a regular clientele and didn’t need to worry about sales.
Fu Qingheng was one of them.
This was the third qipao he’d commissioned from her. The reason she’d gone to his place last night was to deliver it.
Someone had found out and deliberately interfered. Jiang Wu thought she might as well give that person what they wanted.
It wasn’t as if she’d lost anything.
Her phone vibrated with a buzz.
A WeChat message from Fu Qingheng.
Just one short sentence—
“Someone had her fill and ran off.”