Song Jinyue and Li Wenzhu simultaneously turned toward the voice, wearing identical expressions of shock.
A row of lush weeping willows stood between the two paths. The drooping branches obscured most of the man’s figure, making it impossible to see his face clearly.
Still, that voice sounded far too familiar.
Li Wenzhu swallowed hard.
No.
Impossible.
He must have heard wrong!
Just then, a gust of wind swept past, pushing the willow branches aside.
The figure that had been concealed behind them was suddenly revealed.
Buzz—
Li Wenzhu’s mind went completely blank.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
“U-Uncle?!”
The instant his gaze met Fu Sinian’s dark, unfathomable eyes, Li Wenzhu felt as though an invisible hand had wrapped around his throat.
Even breathing and speaking suddenly became difficult.
Uncle?
The moment Song Jinyue heard that form of address, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
She had recognized Fu Sinian’s voice the moment he spoke earlier, but she hadn’t dared to be certain.
After all, she had only met Fu Sinian once.
Someone as cold and aloof as him seemed completely untouchable. Why would a man like that suddenly appear and help her out of this situation?
Yet not only had he appeared—
He was Li Wenzhu’s uncle?!
Li Wenzhu and Song Jinyue both stood frozen in place, staring unblinkingly at Fu Sinian across the path.
Under their shocked gazes, Fu Sinian strode forward on his long legs, passing through the lush willow branches until he stopped in front of Song Jinyue.
Seeing her staring at him with her large almond-shaped eyes wide open, looking completely dumbfounded, the corner of Fu Sinian’s lips lifted almost imperceptibly.
Without thinking, he raised his hand and gently patted the back of her head.
How could there be such an adorable girl in this world?
The instant he realized what he was doing, his pupils contracted.
Pretending as though nothing had happened, he calmly moved his hand behind his back.
Yet the palm that had just brushed against her hair was already burning hot.
When Li Wenzhu saw Fu Sinian’s actions—and especially the unmistakable tenderness in his eyes—his jaw nearly dropped to the ground.
In his memories, his uncle had always been cold, decisive, and intimidating.
He constantly carried an unapproachable air, and the imposing pressure surrounding him made people instinctively afraid to offend him.
From childhood until now, his uncle had never once smiled at him.
Of everyone in the Fu family, the person Li Wenzhu feared most was this stern and untouchable uncle.
After learning that his uncle had been carrying out a mission in the capital recently, Li Wenzhu hadn’t even dared return to the Fu residence when he ran out of money.
Instead, he’d asked his mother to call his grandmother and have her send the money to his school.
He never expected to run into his uncle here!
And his uncle had even said he wanted to marry Song Jinyue!
“Uncle, you… you two… What exactly is your relationship with Song Jinyue?”
Li Wenzhu’s gaze darted repeatedly between Fu Sinian and Song Jinyue.
He desperately wanted to know what was going on.
Hearing Li Wenzhu’s voice finally snapped Song Jinyue back to her senses.
Her gaze happened to meet Fu Sinian’s.
She was just about to speak when Fu Sinian beat her to it.
“I’m pursuing her.”
Li Wenzhu’s expression cracked.
“Impossible! That’s impossible!”
How could his uncle possibly be pursuing Song Jinyue?
She must have deceived him!
At that thought, Li Wenzhu gritted his teeth and glared furiously at Song Jinyue.
This damn woman!
Just moments ago, she’d called him a two-timing scumbag, yet she was no better herself!
She had secretly seduced his uncle behind everyone’s back!
He had to expose this woman’s true colors!
“Uncle, you can’t let Song Jinyue deceive you! She only looks obedient and well-behaved on the surface. In reality, she’s arrogant, domineering, and has no respect for anyone! She bullies her own sister, and she doesn’t even respect her father or stepmother!”
“Besides, she’s the descendant of capitalists! She’ll only drag down the people around her and bring disaster upon them!”
Li Wenzhu spoke with absolute conviction, repeating everything Lu Manman had told him.
He had expected Fu Sinian to become disgusted with Song Jinyue after learning her so-called “true nature.”
Li Wenzhu was already feeling smug about it—
But in the next second, he was kicked straight to the ground.
Fu Sinian calmly withdrew his long leg and looked down at Li Wenzhu lying on the ground.
“Calling an elder directly by her name and shouting at her disrespectfully—is this what your parents have taught you all these years?”
“Uncle! Song Jinyue is only twenty years old! Since when is she my elder?”
Ignoring the pain in his chest and backside, Li Wenzhu protested with a flushed face.
“I already told you. I’m pursuing her.”
Fu Sinian’s tone remained calm.
“If she accepts me, she’ll become my wife in the future.”
“And that will make her your little auntie.”
Song Jinyue blinked.
She stared directly at the man standing beside her, openly defending her.
Although she knew using someone else’s authority to bully people wasn’t exactly right…
Sometimes it felt incredibly satisfying!
Especially now.
Looking at Li Wenzhu’s expression, which looked worse than if he’d swallowed something disgusting, Song Jinyue felt absolutely delighted.
Since she had someone backing her up now, she naturally had to make the most of the opportunity and infuriate this damn scumbag!
Song Jinyue raised her chin slightly and shamelessly borrowed Fu Sinian’s authority as she looked at Li Wenzhu.
“Didn’t you hear him?”
“Hurry up and call me Little Auntie!”
Hearing this, Fu Sinian turned his head toward her in surprise.
Looking at the smug little expression on the young woman’s face, a hint of amusement appeared in his eyes without even realizing it.
“Song Jinyue, don’t go too far!”
Li Wenzhu gritted his teeth, looking as though he wanted to tear her apart.
However, the instant Fu Sinian swept a glance in his direction, Li Wenzhu immediately shrank back like a frightened quail.
Under their watchful gazes, his throat felt as though it had been filled with lead.
Clenching his teeth, he finally forced the words out.
“L-Little Auntie.”
“Yes! What an obedient nephew.”
Song Jinyue smiled brightly.
“What a shame. Your auntie didn’t bring any money with her today, so I’m afraid I can’t give you a greeting gift for calling me that. Maybe next time. I’ll make it up to you then.”
Seeing Li Wenzhu suffer left Song Jinyue feeling refreshed from head to toe, and her eyes sparkled with laughter.
Li Wenzhu clenched both hands into fists so tightly that he nearly ground his back teeth to pieces.
When he spotted several people approaching from ahead, he hurriedly climbed to his feet, terrified that others would see him making a fool of himself.
“You have arms and legs of your own. If you need something in the future, go home and get it yourself. Stop making other people wait on you.”
Fu Sinian tossed him a wallet.
Inside was the money Li Wenzhu needed to purchase equipment.
“Understood. If there’s nothing else, Uncle, I’ll return to the classroom.”
Li Wenzhu caught the wallet and immediately turned around to flee.
He felt as though every passerby was staring at him, and an overwhelming sense of humiliation washed over him.
Fu Sinian’s kick had sent him crashing onto his backside earlier, and it still hurt badly.
As a result, he limped away awkwardly, looking utterly ridiculous.
Watching Li Wenzhu flee in embarrassment, Song Jinyue burst into laughter, bending over as she laughed.
She had already washed off yesterday’s thick layer of foundation and hadn’t applied any today, revealing her natural complexion.
Her fair skin glowed softly beneath the sunlight.
Her large, bright almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents as she laughed, making her already exquisite features appear even more radiant and captivating.
Fu Sinian turned his gaze toward her.
The gloomy feeling that had settled over him yesterday when he learned she’d come to the capital to find her fiancé had now completely disappeared.
After Li Wenzhu vanished from sight, Song Jinyue finally turned toward Fu Sinian.
“Comrade Fu, thank you for helping me today. I know what you said just now was only meant to get me out of an awkward situation, so I won’t take it seriously.”
“And of course, you shouldn’t take what I said seriously either. I only said those things to annoy Li Wenzhu.”
Song Jinyue thanked Fu Sinian sincerely, her expression filled with gratitude.
Fu Sinian lowered his gaze to her.
His dark eyes were completely serious.
“Everything I said was true.”
Song Jinyue froze.
“Huh??”