Nan Yin felt utterly mortified.
Fu Shi, however, looked at her bruised face and felt a pang of sympathy. “I was just passing by.”
“I had some business in the area and heard arguing upstairs.”
Huh? They could run into each other like this?
Nan Yin never doubted Fu Shi would lie, because back in high school, he was famously upright.
No one would suspect him of lying—he disdained dishonesty.
But at this moment, Nan Yin almost wondered if he was lying.
Then again, considering his status and reputation… it was unlikely.
“Oh… sorry you had to see that. You should go on with your business.” Nan Yin wanted to flee. After all, no one wanted to look so pathetic in front of the man they liked.
She had to take her mother back to the apartment right away.
Fu Shi released her and looked toward Nan Meiling, who had gotten up but was even more bruised, muttering curses under her breath. “Can you handle this?”
“Should we call the police?” Fu Shi asked, his gaze fixed on Nan Meiling.
Nan Meiling was sizing him up too. Honestly, she didn’t know Fu Shi, but judging by his tall, imposing figure and intimidating gaze, he didn’t seem easy to mess with. If she continued fighting Nan Yin…
She and her daughter would definitely lose. She could only glare viciously at Nan Yin before grabbing her daughter’s hand and scurrying away.
With the despicable mother-daughter pair gone, Nan Yin rubbed her stinging lip and quickly pulled her mother toward the apartment.
Lín Wēiwǎn, however, thanked the man who had suddenly appeared to help them. “Hello, you are…”
“Thank you for helping my daughter just now.”
Fu Shi cleared his throat. “Hello, Auntie. I’m Fu Shi.”
“Nan Yin’s high school classmate.”
Ah, a high school classmate?
Lín Wēiwǎn scrutinized Fu Shi closely. She remembered her daughter mentioning an exceptionally handsome top student in her high school class, but he never paid her any attention, so she didn’t dare bother him.
Now it seemed this Mr. Fu must be that person.
He was indeed impressive. But considering the embarrassing scene her family had just caused, Lín Wēiwǎn felt guilty toward her daughter. “Sorry you had to witness such a spectacle.” Her daughter had returned to their hometown to pursue a boy.
Could that boy be the one standing right in front of her?
“Actually, my Yinyin is a wonderful girl. It’s all because of me—I’m useless.”
Fu Shi didn’t overthink it. “Auntie, I wasn’t laughing at you.”
“You should take her to tend to her injuries first.”
Nan Yin was already thinking the same. She was mortified and embarrassed.
She quickly tried to pull Lín Wēiwǎn inside, but her mother refused to move. Instead, Lín Wēiwǎn wiped her tears and invited Fu Shi in. “Mr. Fu, would you like to come in for some water?”
“Thank you again for earlier.”
Fu Shi was about to decline, but Nan Yin spoke up first. “Mom, he’s very busy.”
“We can invite him another time.”
As Nan Yin prepared to go inside, Fu Shi looked at her. Suddenly, he found her evasive demeanor quite a contrast to her bold, flirtatious self from before. He felt an unexpected urge to stay for a drink.
“Alright, thank you, Auntie.”
With that, Fu Shi walked into the apartment first.
Seeing he was willing to stay for a drink, Lín Wēiwǎn quickly pulled Nan Yin inside. Once the three of them were in, Lín Wēiwǎn went to pour water for Fu Shi. Fu Shi looked at the woman standing in the living room, covering her face. “I didn’t expect you to be so shy now?”
Nan Yin wanted to punch him…
“Are you making fun of me?”
Fu Shi smirked slightly. “It’s just… a bit of a contrast.”
“I thought you’d flirt with me recklessly in front of your mother.”
Nan Yin:…
She didn’t dare.
Her mom would kill her.
“Fu Shi, are you doing this on purpose?” Nan Yin seriously suspected he was actually stalking her, not just passing by: “Are you deliberately following me?”
Fu Shi: “No.”
“I really need to handle some business here.”
Nan Yin frowned: “This is a residential building.”
“You work with low-altitude aircraft—what does that have to do with anything here?”
Fu Shi chuckled: “There’s a client in this area.”
That made sense.
Nan Yin was left speechless. Just then, Lín Wēiwǎn brought over some water. Fu Shi took it, and Nan Yin hurried off to find the first aid kit, wanting to deal with the injuries on her face first.
Embarrassing or not, she couldn’t let her face get ruined.
She still liked herself looking pretty.
Lín Wēiwǎn stayed in the living room, chatting with Fu Shi for a bit. Nan Yin found the first aid kit and placed it on the coffee table, preparing to apply the medicine herself.
Seeing this, Lín Wēiwǎn wanted to help her daughter with the medicine.
Just then, Nan Yin’s phone rang—it was her uncle calling. Nan Meiling’s visit and the fight had probably reached his ears, and he was about to complain about her mom again.
Why did she always have to put up with it?
Lín Wēiwǎn didn’t want to cause trouble because Nan Meiling was her late husband’s only younger sister.
She could endure the grievances herself, but she couldn’t wrong her deceased husband.
She quickly got up to calm down her hot-tempered uncle.
Nan Yin sat down on the sofa, took out a cotton swab, and held up a mirror, ready to apply the medicine. Fu Shi looked at her and, as if possessed, once again did something he considered out of line.
“Let me help you.”
As soon as he said it, Nan Yin’s eyes widened in disbelief, her pretty face even feeling a little flushed: “You’ll help me?”
“Aren’t you annoyed by me?”
Fu Shi: …
“No.”
“Where did I ever say I was annoyed by you? I just don’t want you bothering me.”
“I don’t have time to play games with you. Besides, you’re my classmate. Helping you out is no big deal—don’t overthink it.”
“Oh, you’re really good at keeping your distance.” Nan Yin was teasing him; she knew he was a good guy.
He just didn’t dare to give things a try with her.
It was fine—they could take it slow.
No rush.
“Then I’ll trouble Brother Fu Shi to help me.” Nan Yin set aside her little schemes, knelt in front of Fu Shi, and accepted that since he’d witnessed her injuries firsthand, there was no point hiding—she might as well let him handle it: “Thank you, Brother.”
That damn, soul-snatching, cutesy voice was back.
Fu Shi felt his throat tighten at the sound, but he couldn’t exactly scold her in her own home. He bent down and patiently applied the medicine for her.
The corner of her mouth was a bit swollen and slightly broken.
Fu Shi held her chin and disinfected the area. As the antiseptic was applied, a burning pain shot through.
Nan Yin quickly bit her lip: “Ah, it hurts.”
Fu Shi raised an eyebrow at her: “I’ll be gentler.”
“Be gentle, Brother.” Nan Yin blinked at him.
Fu Shi instantly let out a soft scoff: “Can’t live without that cutesy voice?”
“Can’t you talk normally?”
Nan Yin grinned: “No.”
“It sounds nice—men like it.”
“This is called being cute. You like it too, don’t you?”
Fu Shi didn’t deny it—when she put on that voice, it really was soft and adorable.
“I don’t like it.” But he wouldn’t admit it.
Nan Yin hummed: “But I still want to use it.”
Fu Shi ignored her and focused on applying the medicine. Her skin was thicker than his.
“Actually, you’re fiercer than I thought.”
Fierce?
What’s fierce?
“Where? In fighting?”
Fu Shi nodded, his fingertip brushing past the corner of her eyebrow: “Close your eyes. I’ll apply medicine near your eye—don’t let it get in.”
Nan Yin obediently closed her eyes and lifted her face, letting Fu Shi apply the medicine.
“If you’re not fierce, you’ll just get bullied.”
“What’s wrong? Haven’t you met any girls around you who know how to fight?”
Fu Shi lowered his gaze, staring at her face. “No.”
“Want me to fight you sometime?” Nan Yin’s mouth itched again, falling back into her old habit of teasing him: “Interested?”
Since he’d never seen it before.
She could spar with him in bed.
At first, Fu Shi didn’t quite grasp what kind of “fighting” she meant. After applying the ointment, she opened those clear, bright eyes, and he saw the whirlpool within them.
Only then did he belatedly realize what she meant by “fighting.”
The man’s ears flushed faintly, almost imperceptibly, before he released her hand, his voice rough and hoarse: “Do you flirt like this in the capital too?”
Nan Yin burst out laughing: “Think too much.”
“I told you, I only tease you.”
Fu Shi’s lips twitched: “Is that so?”
“Never teased anyone else, yet you spout one suggestive line after another.”
Nan Yin couldn’t stop laughing at his crude remark. “Hey, brother, when flirting with a guy, saying stuff like this is no big deal, right?”
“Just scroll through those otome boyfriend games online, and you’ll pick it up.”
“You’ve never played them? Want me to recommend some next time?”
Fu Shi: “No need.”
Today, he must have lost his mind, following her here and saying so much.
It was very unlike him.
“I have things to do.”
Nan Yin stood up and reached out to grasp the man’s rough, calloused hand. His hands were beautiful—not the pale, delicate, slender kind you see in magazines, but long fingers with a rugged texture, full of strength when held.
“Honestly, were you following me today?”
Fu Shi turned to look at her, pausing briefly: “No.”
“I was just passing by.”
With that, he pulled his hand away and left first.
Nan Yin stood in the living room, rubbing her brow, a smile curling at the corner of her lips.
Yeah, right!