When Su Luoyan woke up the next day, her head was throbbing with pain. She sat up against the headboard, rubbing her temples, and let her mind go blank for a few minutes before slowly coming back to her senses.
She looked down at herself—she was wearing a spaghetti-strap nightgown, with vivid red marks on her chest. Her makeup had been completely removed.
Memories from the previous night gradually returned. Su Luoyan closed her eyes, and vivid, intimate recollections flooded her mind. She remembered how she had pleaded, the streetlight streaming in from outside, casting its glow over the two of them. She had been like a ragdoll, completely at his mercy.
The more she remembered, the more ashamed she felt. So last night, she hadn’t just gotten drunk—she had also indulged in passion.
The temperature in her face kept rising. She cupped her cheeks and let out a soft “ah”—it was too embarrassing.
How was she going to face Fu Cheng Shen later? Maybe she could just pretend she didn’t remember anything.
Suddenly, that seemed like a great idea. Although last night had indeed been intense, there had been times even more intense than this.
As long as I’m not embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to others.
Just as Su Luoyan was about to throw off the covers and get out of bed, the door was pushed open from the outside. The man was dressed in a suit, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. His face, usually stern and resolute, softened instantly when he saw her.
Fu Cheng Shen placed a glass of water on the bedside table, along with a hangover pill.
First, he pressed the back of his hand against Su Luoyan’s forehead to check her temperature. It was normal. Softly, he asked, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
Even after all these years, Su Luoyan still couldn’t resist his gentleness. She wrapped her arms around Fu Cheng Shen’s waist, pressing her cheek against his abdomen, where she could feel the firmness of his abs.
He carried a clean, refreshing scent, with a faint hint of freesia. Her headache eased slightly. “Brother, my head hurts.”
When they were alone in private, Su Luoyan loved to call him “Brother” whenever she acted spoiled. In front of others, she addressed him as “Brother Shen,” and in ordinary private moments, she usually called him “Fu Cheng Shen” directly.
Probably only she could call him by his full name like that.
Normally, Fu Cheng Shen adored these girlish gestures of hers, but hearing her complain of a headache, he felt nothing but heartache. “Take the medicine first, okay?”
He also felt a twinge of regret—had he been too rough with her last night?
Su Luoyan looked at the white pill on the bedside table and pouted. “It’s too bitter. I don’t want to take it.”
Fu Cheng Shen coaxed her like a child, gently patting her back with his large hand. “Be good. Didn’t you say your head hurts? It’ll feel better after you take it.”
Before Su Luoyan could refuse, Fu Cheng Shen had already popped the pill out of its blister pack and placed it in his palm, holding the glass of water in his other hand.
Su Luoyan obediently swallowed the pill and quickly took a sip of water, but a bitter aftertaste still lingered in her mouth.
“Open your mouth.”
Before Su Luoyan could react, a soft candy was slipped into her mouth. The sweetness of the candy spread, masking the bitter taste.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had this kind of fruit candy.”
This candy was something Fu Cheng Shen would slip into her mouth when she took medicine, just like now.
Later, she grew to love this flavor, and it became an essential part of her life. When she couldn’t find this candy abroad, she gradually gave it up.
The candy could be given up, but the sweet taste lingered in her heart, unforgettable.She came to the Fu family at the age of ten. In the early days after her arrival, perhaps due to her unfamiliarity with the new environment, she often fell ill.
Living under someone else’s roof, she was afraid of causing trouble for the Fu family and worrying her brother. So every time medicine was brought to her by the maid, she obediently took it to put the maid at ease. But after each dose, once the maid closed the door, she would rush to the bathroom and retch for a long time.
Over time, not only did her illness fail to improve, but her body also grew so thin that she was little more than skin and bones.
Fu Cheng Shen was sixteen at the time, in his final year of high school. His parents had rented an apartment for him near the school, and he only occasionally returned to the Fu family home.
Coincidentally, it was a weekend, and Fu Cheng Shen was home when he saw the maid carrying medicine upstairs. He told the maid he would deliver it himself.
Su Luoyan thought it was the maid and went to open the door, only to find Fu Cheng Shen standing there. She stared at his tall figure, momentarily forgetting to greet him.
It was Fu Cheng Shen who spoke first. “Do you remember me? I’m Fu Cheng Shen, your brother’s good friend.”
“I remember. You’re Brother Shen.”
During their first meeting, his attitude had been somewhat aloof, but this time it felt different.
“Aren’t you going to let me in?”
Hearing this, Su Luoyan quickly opened the door to let him in.
After entering, Fu Cheng Shen glanced around the room. It was originally a guest room, furnished simply with only the essential furniture.
Although he had a sister, Fu Siqi lived elsewhere with their parents, so he wasn’t entirely sure what a girl might need.
The pills and water were placed on the desk, where a homework notebook lay open. A pencil case, pencils, and an eraser were scattered on top of the notebook.
“Come over and take your medicine first.”
Out of Fu Cheng Shen’s sight, Su Luoyan frowned, a natural fear of taking medicine welling up inside her. Yet, she forced herself to appear obedient.
“Okay, thank you, Brother Shen.”
Looking at her frail figure, Fu Cheng Shen couldn’t help but feel that this girl was overly well-behaved, stirring a sense of discomfort in his heart.
Su Luoyan sat down and, as usual, numbly placed the pills in her mouth, took a sip of water, and gently pressed her hand against her chest, trying to suppress the nauseating taste.
“Open your mouth.”
Then, unexpectedly, a piece of candy was slipped into her mouth, filling it with sweetness.
Fu Cheng Shen crouched down to meet her eye level, his expression full of concern. “I’m your brother’s good friend. You can think of me as your brother too. If you’re feeling unwell or need anything, you can always tell me.”
Su Luoyan felt the defenses she had built up crumble. She lowered her head, her eyes reddening, and said in a choked voice, “Thank you.”
She just didn’t dare to look at him, afraid of revealing her vulnerability.
A question had lingered in Su Luoyan’s mind for many years.
“When you brought me medicine for the first time, how did you know to prepare candy?”
“Little Si always needs candy when she takes her medicine, and a whole crowd to coax her. So I thought to prepare some for you too, to make it easier after taking the medicine.”
It was a fortunate coincidence that solved a major problem for Su Luoyan when it came to taking medicine.
After that, every time she took her medicine, there was always an extra piece of candy.
She knew it was Fu Cheng Shen who had instructed the maid to prepare it.
Fu Cheng Shen gently pinched her cheek. “How come you’re still so afraid of taking medicine even now that you’re all grown up?”
“I just hate taking medicine,” Su Luoyan said with a pout.Fu Cheng Shen looked at her dotingly, “Get ready, we’ll have a meal in a bit.”
“Okay.”
After Fu Cheng Shen left, Su Luoyan slipped on her slippers and went to the bathroom to freshen up. After washing her face, she applied a face mask before slowly making her way out.
She didn’t see anyone in the living room, so she checked the kitchen, but he wasn’t there either.
Knowing him well, she headed to the study, where the door was tightly shut.
Knock, knock—
A voice came from inside, “Come in.”
Su Luoyan turned the doorknob, opening it just a crack, and peeked inside. Fu Cheng Shen was facing his computer, likely working.
She didn’t enter, just spoke from the doorway, “Brother, I’ll wait for you to eat.”
Fu Cheng Shen looked up at her, “You go ahead, don’t wait for me. I’ll probably be a while longer.”
Su Luoyan didn’t say anything, closed the door, and left. Thinking it would still be some time before they could eat, she went to find her painting supplies.
She had been busy with her graduation thesis, graduation ceremony, and packing to return home over the past two months, and her hands felt almost out of practice.
After watching the door close, Fu Cheng Shen said to the stunned executives in front of him, “Continue.”
The meeting wasn’t with Fu Corporation employees but with the tech company he had co-founded with a few close friends. Aside from Mo Lin, Chen Yisheng was also participating in this meeting.
While the others didn’t know, Mo Lin and Chen Yisheng, as Fu Cheng Shen’s longtime friends, understood the situation perfectly.
Chen Yisheng was the youngest among the brothers and loved stirring things up the most.
He sent a message in their private group chat.
Chen Yisheng: Was that Yan Yan’s voice just now? A Shen is hiding a beauty away in a golden house.
Mo Lin: A Shen took Yan Yan from my bar yesterday.
Chen Yisheng: [Smirking] So, is it breakfast or lunch now?
Fu Cheng Shen glanced at WeChat, muted the group, and began calling on people.
“With 5G networks now widely adopted and the latest national healthcare policies in place, how should we adjust our strategy for 5G+healthcare services given current development trends?”
“Yisheng, you go first.”
The named Chen Yisheng lowered his head and muttered a few curses under his breath. He’d only teased a little in the group, and this was how he was treated.
Still, he had to face it with a smile.
“As we all know, competition in 5G+healthcare is growing increasingly fierce, not just domestically but internationally, especially in the medical field. The most critical aspect is the data layer—patient health data, hospital system data…”
Chen Yisheng was the head of the tech department, and he had earned his position with real skill. His logical thinking, forward-looking ideas, and strategic insights provided plenty of food for thought, and everyone listened with keen interest.
Dijing Court was their shared residence, a place even the Fu family had never visited. Aside from a weekly housekeeper who came to clean, no one else ever came by.
The kitchen was rarely used, and neither of them was particularly skilled in cooking, only occasionally preparing simple meals.
Even now, with plain congee, tomato seaweed egg soup, and a braised beef with potatoes dish, it was pretty much Fu Cheng Shen’s limit.
Su Luoyan sat at the dining table, idly waiting for Fu Cheng Shen. She had already reheated the food, but he still hadn’t finished his work.Her fingers tapped on the table. Perhaps it was time for her to think about what she wanted to do as well. Her friends and family were all busy, each with their own goals and moving forward steadily. She, too, needed to contemplate her future.
With her educational background—having studied fashion design at a school ranked among the top three globally, and with mentors and teachers who were highly renowned in the industry—it wouldn’t be difficult for her to find a good company and secure a high-paying job. But none of that was what she truly wanted.
Fu Cheng Shen turned off his computer and glanced out the window. The sun was nearly setting. He shut down the screen, raised a hand to massage his stiff neck, and heard a faint “crack” as he did so.
Stepping out of the study, he saw the girl sitting at the dining table, chin resting in her hands, her hair pinned up with a few stray strands hanging by her ears. She hadn’t gone out today and was wearing white loungewear. On the table were dishes, two blue ceramic bowls, and two pairs of chopsticks.
Two people, three meals, four seasons—time suddenly felt slower, with someone waiting at the table to share a meal with him.
Su Luoyan was caught off guard when someone wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. Startled, she looked at Fu Cheng Shen.
She patted her chest. “You scared me.”
“What were you thinking about so deeply?” he asked as he walked toward the kitchen, squeezing hand soap to wash his hands.
Su Luoyan wasn’t in a hurry to answer. She heard the sound of water running from the faucet, then the water stopping as Fu Cheng Shen emerged.
She pulled two tissues from the dining table and handed them to him to dry his hands, observing his movements—slow and deliberate, as if performing an artistic act.
Her bright eyes followed him, her eyelashes fluttering like they could speak.
“Brother, have you ever felt lost?” she asked instead of answering.
Fu Cheng Shen sat down and nodded. “Of course. I’m only human, after all.”
Su Luoyan thought to herself, He’s anything but ordinary. He started university at 16, founded his own company at 18, and had it listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange by 22. Now, with a market value in the hundreds of billions, his work in AI healthcare was a monumental endeavor benefiting all of humanity. That was far from ordinary.
“Can you tell me about it?” Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. She really wanted to know what kind of problems could make Fu Cheng Shen feel lost.
Fu Cheng Shen’s gaze was profound, always filled with boundless affection when he looked at Su Luoyan. When they were alone, he never hid it.
He was a master at masking his emotions. Ever since he was groomed as the successor and head of the family, Father had advised him on this very point: never expose your emotions to anyone.
But Su Luoyan was the exception.
“Let’s eat first.”
He picked up a bowl and ladle, serving a bowl of soup for Su Luoyan.
“I’ll serve you some too,” she said, returning the gesture by serving him a bowl.
“Thank you.” He then asked, “Is it about work?”
“Was it that obvious? How did you guess?” She had grown up with Fu Cheng Shen and, while she couldn’t manage her emotions as perfectly as he did, she didn’t think she was that transparent.
“Most college graduates either pursue further studies, take civil service exams, or worry about work. You clearly have no interest in further studies or civil service exams, so it must be about work,” Fu Cheng Shen said with certainty.
“Why do you think I have no interest in further studies or civil service exams? Maybe I’m considering them too?””Whether to pursue graduate studies, I believe your advisor may have already spoken with you, and he would likely be happy to write you a recommendation letter. As for the civil service exam, you dislike being constrained, and since you graduated from a foreign university, your major isn’t in popular fields like literature or STEM. There aren’t many positions for art-related majors, and the competition is fierce.”
He knew her too well; analyzing her wasn’t difficult.
But with this analysis, Su Luoyan felt even more disheartened. She had to pick up her bowl and take a sip of soup to soothe her confused heart.
“Brother Shen, this soup you made is really delicious.”
Fu Cheng Shen couldn’t help but smile. She certainly knew how to change the subject quickly.
“Have you ever thought about starting your own business?”
“Starting a business?” She paused. “I’ve thought about it, but I’m not ready yet.”
Many of her classmates, including some second- or third-generation heirs in their circle, had already started businesses during college. Some became self-media bloggers; others opened studios, using their skills to take on projects; and some participated in various competitions, securing corporate sponsorship or getting involved in corporate projects in other ways.
That was why she felt lost. Everyone else was striving toward their dreams, whether succeeding or failing, all spirited and ambitious young people.
“You can take a break to think things through and start when you’re ready.” Fu Cheng Shen’s voice was deep and carried an authoritative tone, making his words convincing.
Su Luoyan shook her head. “Let’s not think about this anymore. Eating is what matters most.”