The bar was well-heated, and within two minutes of sitting down, Su Luoyan already felt a bit warm, so she took off her down jacket.
To match Fu Siqi’s outfit as a “bestie look,” she wore a black V-neck fitted knit dress underneath. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she had deliberately applied heavy makeup for the day—dark hair, red lips, and meticulously done eye makeup that shimmered with every glance, creating ripples of allure.
Resting her chin on her hand, she wore a translucent emerald-green jade bracelet on her wrist—a priceless gift from Fu Cheng Shen for her coming-of-age, which she had worn ever since.
Fu Siqi also rested her chin on her hand, gazing at her. Although the two had known each other since childhood, and Fu Siqi herself was a pretty girl with bright eyes and gleaming teeth, she was still captivated by Luoyan every time.
Her beauty was enchanting without being overly seductive, her demeanor refined and gentle. Every slight frown or faint smile resembled a delicate woman from a Jiangnan painting.
Su Luoyan noticed her staring like an infatuated fool. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Fu Siqi blinked, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath her eyelids, and said eagerly, “Yan Yan, what do you think of my Eldest Brother? How about you become my sister-in-law?”
Such a wonderful girl like Yan Yan—she didn’t want her to end up with some unworthy man outside.
Su Luoyan lowered her gaze, a fleeting shadow of sadness crossing her expression, hidden in the dim lighting of the bar. Then, she raised a smile. “Your Eldest Brother’s marriage should be decided by Grandpa Fu. Your family is too complicated.”
Back at the Fu residence, there was a large study. She often followed Fu Cheng Shen there—he would read while she did her homework nearby.
For a while, Fu Cheng Shen was particularly fond of reading about the Song Dynasty. Later, she found the book and flipped through it, stumbling upon “The Biography of Liu Ziluan,” which left a lasting impression on her.
“As Ziluan faced death, he said to those around him, ‘May I never be born into an imperial family in my next life.’”
In these wealthy and powerful families, marriages could be used as bargaining chips for interests, and familial bonds as stakes in ruthless struggles, where every step was calculated and battles were fought to the death.
Fu Siqi sighed deeply. “Yeah. In our family, it’s only because my father married into the family and has no right to compete for the inheritance, and because Eldest Brother looks out for me, that I can live so freely in the Fu household.”
Then she added smugly, “But I just love seeing how much they despise me yet can’t do anything about it.”
Fu Siqi’s expression was so adorable that Su Luoyan couldn’t help but pinch her chubby cheek. “Let’s not talk about these things anymore.”
“So, do you still like your senior now?”
Mentioning her senior, Fu Siqi had a whole basketful of complaints. “Like him? I wish him a miserable end!”
“To have an ordinary romance, I deliberately acted plain at school, only wearing Uniqlo clothes and Huili shoes. And then this scumbag ruined my first love. Do you know how many times I imagined it? Holding hands and strolling across campus at sunset, him riding a bicycle with me on a shady summer path, cuddling together to read in winter, and then him leaning down to kiss me.”
“Now, all those beautiful scenes are gone, replaced by a cheating man. Just thinking about how I held his hand makes me want to wash my hands twice more. Can you imagine how disgusting that feels?”
“Yes, it’s truly disgusting.” When a best friend is unhappy, it’s best to go along with her—right or wrong, a best friend is always right.The bartender brought the drinks and placed them on the table. Fu Siqi, having talked herself thirsty, downed half of hers in one gulp. Su Luoyan, on the other hand, took a small sip, savoring the flavor of the Icelandic black tea.
After Fu Siqi had calmed down a bit, Su Luoyan asked, “So, are you more upset that he ruined your first love, or that he cheated?”
The pointed question made Fu Siqi pause and think.
Scratching her head, Fu Siqi seemed a bit confused herself. “When I first heard he was cheating, I was furious. He’d always been this perfect senior in my mind, so seeing those ambiguous photos with another girl really made me angry. But later, I think I was more upset about the first love part. You know, I’ve always wanted to fall in love—have a beautiful romance I can look back on when I’m old, sitting under the sunset. It just sounds so romantic.”
Su Luoyan teased her, “Your Fu family are all realists. How did a romantic like you end up among them?”
Fu Siqi puffed up with pride. “Well, I take after my dad. Otherwise, what man would be willing to marry into the wife’s family? My dad almost got removed from the family register, but after he funded road repairs and built a school in the village, they invited him back.”
Su Luoyan had met Fu Siqi’s father before. He worked at a museum, restoring cultural relics—a humorous and witty man. Though he earned a modest salary, he never felt inferior or pitied himself because his wife was a Fu family heiress.
“Yan Yan, what about you? Did you date anyone while abroad?”
After saying this, Fu Siqi’s gaze drifted to Su Luoyan’s chest. “I feel like this area has gotten even bigger.”
Then she glanced down at her own, which was as flat as a board.
Su Luoyan couldn’t stand her blatant staring and covered her chest. Suddenly, she remembered last night—Fu Cheng Shen’s warm, large hand caressing her soft, fair skin, his voice low as he murmured, “These little bunnies have grown quite a bit lately. Seems my efforts over the years haven’t been in vain.”
Thankfully, the darkness of the night had hidden her embarrassment. She instinctively picked up her glass and took a sip.
“Stop talking nonsense. There’s no boyfriend.”
“No boyfriend, then no boyfriend. No need to get so worked up.” Fu Siqi continued on her own, “You’re just like my Eldest Brother. I wonder who could ever be worthy of either of you.”
She genuinely wished the two of them could be together, but the Fu family’s status held her back from trying to play matchmaker.
“Don’t worry about my affairs,” Su Luoyan said.
“I’m going to the restroom. Keep an eye on my bag for me.”
Although everyone here was wealthy and unlikely to care about her small belongings, it was better to be cautious—you never really knew people’s true intentions.
“Alright, go ahead.”
After Fu Siqi left, Su Luoyan opened her phone. Fu Cheng Shen and a few friends had sent her WeChat messages.
Fu Cheng Shen’s chat was pinned at the top of her list. She tapped on it, and a prompt appeared: “Unpin chat?”
After a moment of thought, ignoring the feelings in her heart, she clicked “Unpin chat.”
Forgive her cowardice.
She was afraid of being found out.
Fu Cheng Shen: When are you finishing up? I’ll come pick you up.
Su Luoyan: I’ll probably be keeping Siqi company a bit longer.
After a pause, she added another line.
Su Luoyan: I drove here myself. I’ll just get a designated driver to take me back. No need for you to come.
Fu Cheng Shen replied quickly: I’m not comfortable with that. Wait for me, I’ll come get you.Su Luoyan’s lips unconsciously curved upward, sweetly, as she replied: Okay, drive safely.
“Miss, hello, can I add you on WeChat?”
A voice came from above. Su Luoyan didn’t even look up, coldly refusing, “No.”
“Don’t you want to look up and see me? Maybe you’ll change your mind after you do.”
Su Luoyan let out an “oh,” tinged with sarcasm, then raised her head to look at the person standing before her. His appearance was indeed decent—refined and well-featured.
But having grown up surrounded by handsome men, not to mention the man by her side, even the owner of this bar, Mo Lin—a good friend of Fu Cheng Shen—shared a somewhat similar demeanor with him, yet this guy couldn’t compare even one in ten thousand.
“Now I’ve seen you. You can leave.” She then gestured with her eyes for him to hurry up and go.
“Beauty, don’t be so unfriendly. My buddy just wants to be friends with you.” His face was filled with confident greasiness.
Another young man walked over, slinging an arm around the shoulder of the previous guy.
Su Luoyan had initially thought she was saving face for them, but she hadn’t expected to run into two “average yet confident men” who insisted on making her spell things out clearly.
With a smirk, she mocked, “You two are too ugly. I’m not interested.”
The faces of the two young men instantly fell. They were locals of Jingbei, from well-off families, and were considered popular figures at school, always pursued by girls. Now, they suddenly found themselves humiliated.
“Beauty, you’re really pushing it, aren’t you?” Their words carried an implicit threat.
Su Luoyan crossed her arms, looking at the two of them with amusement. “Looking for trouble? Do you know whose turf this is?”
The refined-looking guy dropped his act, revealing his true colors as he looked down at Su Luoyan condescendingly.
“Of course I know. Coincidentally, our family also has business dealings with the Mo family.”
The Mo family?
A family that had nearly fallen out of the wealthy circles of the capital. If it weren’t for Mo Lin these past few years, they would have been written off long ago.
“Ohhh~~” Su Luoyan drew out the sound, pretending to be impressed and admiring. “The Mo family, huh? That’s really something.”
She even gave them a round of applause.
The two young men exchanged a smile. No matter how polished their exteriors, they were merely superficial. At their core, they were just as vulgar and money-worshipping.