18
One low-alcohol fruit wine after another, and Yun Li got drunk without even realizing it.
Ouyang Mengyao noticed something was off with Yun Li and touched her burning cheek. “Damn, how many of these did you have?”
“Just a little bit!” Yun Li grinned foolishly, holding up her fingers to show a tiny amount.
“What’s one plus one?”
“Eleven!”
“Yeah, right. You’re definitely drunk!” Ouyang Mengyao rolled her eyes. “Little Yun Li, your tolerance is terrible!”
Just a few glasses of fruit wine, and she managed to get herself drunk.
Luckily, Yun Li was relatively well-behaved when drunk. She lay on the couch, squinting and listening to the band on stage play.
Zhang Zihan called her over to play dice and compare scores, but thinking Yun Li was asleep, she went over and played with them instead.
But Yun Li wasn’t asleep at all. She had been staring at the band’s lead singer the whole time. The moment Ouyang Mengyao wasn’t paying attention, Yun Li stumbled and staggered her way to the front of the stage, fixing her watery, glistening eyes on the lead singer.
She was completely drunk and mistakenly thought the lead singer on stage was Yun Jian, the object of Ouyang Mengyao’s secret crush.
Ouyang Mengyao lost another round, took a drink, and looked back at Yun Li, only to find she had wandered over to the edge of the stage.
“Crap, how did Yun Li get all the way over there!”
Scanning the room, she spotted Yun Li standing near the stage. Ouyang Mengyao cursed under her breath and rushed over, grabbing Yun Li by the arm.
“Yun Li, what are you doing?!”
“I want to see if he’s good-looking!”
She squinted her beautiful fox-like eyes, staring at the man before her. Unfortunately, he was swaying and blurry, his head splitting into several images. She couldn’t see him clearly at all.
But she could still reach a conclusion. This lead singer couldn’t compare to her brothers at all.
Yun Li let out a little hiccup, her cheeks flushed a deep red. “Ouyang, he’s not good-looking at all!”
“Why do you even like him?”
Ouyang Mengyao was so embarrassed she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself right there. This little ancestor would say anything when she was drunk!
Criticizing the lead singer’s looks right to his face! Wasn’t she afraid he’d hit her?
Besides, the person she liked was Yun Jian, not this guy.
Screaming internally, Ouyang Mengyao gave an awkward smile and apologized to the lead singer. “Sorry, she’s drunk. Please don’t take what she said to heart!”
The lead singer felt incredibly awkward being told he wasn’t good-looking by a girl.
Sure, he wasn’t as handsome as Yun Jian or as popular, but he wasn’t bad-looking either. Yet now, a girl had publicly declared he wasn’t good-looking.
A flicker of anger rose in his chest. Curious, he looked down at the drunk girl by the stage. He wanted to see just how good-looking this girl had to be to say something so bold.
But the moment he saw Yun Li, he was captivated. The small spark of anger was extinguished by a gentle spring breeze.
“It’s fine,” the lead singer said softly. “Is she okay? She looks like she’s had quite a bit. Would she like to rest in the backstage area?”
Ouyang Mengyao was puzzled too. She hadn’t given Yun Li any hard liquor, just fruit wine with the lowest possible alcohol content. How did she get this drunk?
A guy being overly attentive wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Little Yun Li was so pretty. What if someone took advantage of her? Ouyang Mengyao had to protect her.
Ouyang Mengyao refused decisively. “No, we need to go home!”
She grabbed Yun Li’s arm and dragged her toward the exit.
But the moment Yun Li heard she was going home, she started to resist.
“I don’t want to go home.”
“You don’t want to go home? What do you want to do, fly up to the sky?”
“Fly? I can do that!” Yun Li answered honestly.
Ouyang Mengyao was speechless. How much had she had to drink? Saying crazy things like that.
Yun Li wasn’t lying. She really could fly.
Seeing the disbelief on Ouyang Mengyao’s face, she was about to demonstrate her magic.
Just as spiritual energy began to flow from her fingertips, the access pass bound to her wrist detected that its owner was using magic. The device, tightly fitted around her wrist, emitted a faint glow. The next second, Yun Li’s wrist throbbed with pain.
Yun Li sucked in a sharp breath. She remembered now – she couldn’t use magic.
Feeling wronged and wanting to cry, Yun Li suddenly crouched down and started sobbing.
“Uh… what’s wrong?”
Ouyang Mengyao was baffled. How could this kid just start crying like that?
She quickly crouched down and tried to help Yun Li up. “Yun Li, stop crying!”
Yun Li wailed loudly, crystal tears soaking her lashes. “Ouyang, I can’t fly anymore!”
“So what? I can’t fly either!”
Ouyang Mengyao pulled her to her feet. She really had no experience comforting girls.
Remembering that Yun Li loved chicken legs, she had a sudden stroke of inspiration. “Stop crying. Come on, I’ll take you to get some chicken legs, okay?”
At the mention of chicken legs, Yun Li’s ears perked up. She lifted her tear-filled eyes and spoke softly, “I want KFC.”
As long as she stopped crying, KFC was fine – even McDonald’s.
Ouyang Mengyao agreed immediately. “Okay!”
Yun Li blinked her teary eyes. “But I want to eat it right now.”
She patted her little belly. She had only been drinking; her stomach was hungry.
Where was she supposed to get KFC at this hour? The chill bar didn’t sell it.
“I’ll order it for you once we get back to our seats?”
“My stomach is so hungry. I can’t walk!”
“…”
Ouyang Mengyao’s mouth twitched. What kind of excuse was that?
Yun Li blinked her tear-filled eyes again, looking utterly pitiful and impossible to refuse.
Gritting her teeth, Ouyang said, “Fine. Wait right here. Don’t talk to strangers, and definitely don’t leave with anyone. You have to wait until I get back!”
Ouyang Mengyao glanced at Zhang Zihan not far away, rushed over, told her to order KFC delivery, and dragged another guy over to help.
The lead singer was extremely curious about Yun Li. It was the first time he had ever heard a girl say she was too hungry to walk.
So he simply crouched down next to her. Yun Li tilted her head and looked at him, remembered Ouyang’s words, didn’t speak to him, and even scooted a little further away to keep her distance.
Feeling thoroughly rejected, the lead singer was quite hurt, but his curiosity about Yun Li remained.
Such a beautiful girl, he had never seen anyone like her before.
“Is this your first time here?” he asked.
Yun Li pretended not to hear him and didn’t feel like talking. Her mind was completely fixated on KFC, thinking that she would eat the chicken legs first.
The lead singer refused to give up and moved a little closer. “What’s your name?”
She had no idea when she would get to eat KFC. This “Yun Jian” was so annoying. Why did he have to talk to her?
“Yun Jian” had no idea what Yun Li was thinking. Recalling that the girl she was with had gone to order KFC for her, he had an idea. He pulled a lollipop from his pocket.
“Do you want a lollipop?”
It was a small ball on a stick, which immediately piqued Yun Li’s curiosity.
Lollipop – it sounded like food.
Yun Li immediately turned her head to look at “Yun Jian.” The ears beneath her hair twitched slightly. “Is this tasty?”
“Yun Jian” was surprised. “You’ve never had a lollipop before?”
Yun Li shook her head honestly. “I’ve never seen one before.”
The young man looked stunned. Not only had she never eaten one, she’d never even seen one.
“This is strawberry flavored. Try it. It’s really good!” “Yun Jian” handed her the strawberry lollipop, looking a bit embarrassed himself, his face slightly flushed, worried that Yun Li might refuse.
Yun Li had never had a lollipop before and was extremely curious. She tilted her head and asked uncertainly, “Is it really that tasty?”
“Yeah, my little sister loves these things.” “Yun Jian” had a younger sister who was seven or eight years old. She loved eating candy like this every day. The lollipop in his hand was actually one his mother had forbidden his sister from eating, so she had secretly hidden it in his pocket.
Just as “Yun Jian” thought Yun Li wouldn’t accept the lollipop, Yun Li quickly snatched it from his hand. “Thank you!”
After getting the lollipop, Yun Li couldn’t open it. She had to rely on “Yun Jian” to help her before she could eat it.
She took one lick. It really was strawberry flavored.
Yun Li’s eyes widened in shock. This was really, really delicious.
Humans lived such happy lives. They could eat so many delicious things from childhood.
Thinking about her own past two hundred plus years, she had only ever eaten roast chicken. What a waste of a life.
“Yun Jian” looked at Yun Li’s blissful expression and felt as if he were looking at his own little sister. “What’s your name?”
The lollipop was truly delicious. Yun Li looked at the boy in front of her. He didn’t seem much older than her, nor did he look like a bad person.
“My name is Yun Li.” Yun Li said, sucking on the lollipop. “So you’re Yun Jian? What a coincidence. I have a brother also named Yun Jian, exactly the same as your name.”
The young man was taken aback. “I’m not Yun Jian.”
“Huh? But Ouyang said you were Yun Jian. She also said she really loves listening to you sing!”
Ouyang must be the other girl.
The young man never expected to be mistaken for Yun Jian. He clarified, “I’m not Yun Jian. My name is Zhou Jing.”
Zhou Jing saw Yun Li’s confused look. “You don’t know Yun Jian?”
Yun Li shook her head honestly.
Yun Jian was very famous at this chill bar. The vast majority of girls who came to support the place did so because of Yun Jian.
Yet this girl didn’t know him. That was quite remarkable.
Fu Qingheng stood up to leave when he suddenly noticed two figures crouching by the stage.
His peripheral vision was unconsciously drawn to them. When he clearly recognized the familiar side profile, his face darkened completely.
Skipping class, and coming here of all places.
She had some nerve!
The little girl was sucking on a lollipop, smiling radiantly at some other boy.
A suppressed fury suddenly ignited in Fu Qingheng’s chest. He strode forward quickly.
But someone beat him to it – Ouyang Mengyao.
She had only gone to get someone to help support Yun Li, and already some sleazy guy was trying to bribe her with candy.
Ouyang Mengyao felt as if her own prized cabbage was being rooted up by a pig. Furious, she rushed over and called out Yun Li’s name, momentarily cutting off what Fu Qingheng was about to say.
Yun Li turned her head at the sound. Ouyang Mengyao stormed over. “Didn’t I tell you not to talk to strangers?”
Yun Li didn’t speak. Her eyes were fixed intently on someone behind Ouyang Mengyao. Then, a look of excited joy spread across her face.
“This kid, why are you smiling?” Ouyang Mengyao was about to blow a gasket.
Then she heard Yun Li call out cheerfully, “Brother Fu, what are you doing here?”
Brother Fu? Who was that?
Ouyang Mengyao saw Yun Li’s excited expression as she looked behind her. She followed her gaze and turned her head, only to see a man standing not far away.
The lighting in the distance was dim, but it couldn’t hide the man’s handsome features. Just one look, and Ouyang Mengyao was stunned by him.
Who was this handsome guy?
Fu Qingheng stood still, his gaze towards Yun Li cold as ice. “You skipped class to come here?”
Although chill bars weren’t as chaotic as nightclubs, there were still plenty of people with bad intentions.
With her naive nature, if she met some guy here who was even slightly more sophisticated than her, wouldn’t she get completely taken advantage of?
His chilling gaze fell on Zhou Jing’s face. This pretty boy had managed to win her over with a single piece of candy.
The man exuded a powerful aura that Zhou Jing felt a shiver run down his spine after being glanced at by him, unable to suppress a tremble.
Anyone could tell this man was not to be trifled with.
Yun Li was so happy to see her “poop scooper” that she forgot she was supposed to be in class. She immediately felt guilty and didn’t dare approach him.
Her “poop scooper” looked really fierce right now.
Would he hit the palm of her hand, like her own mother used to?
“Come here.”
Yun Li didn’t dare go over.
A fire of rage burned in Fu Qingheng’s chest. He loosened his tie and said impatiently, “Don’t make me say it twice.”
Yun Li pressed her pink lips together. Her “poop scooper” was even fiercer now. If she didn’t go over, she would definitely get hit.
Worse still, what if he stopped liking her, stopped wanting her…
She imagined herself wandering the streets, a drenched little fox. How miserable.
Compared to that, she would rather have her palm smacked than be abandoned by him.
Without hesitation, Yun Li tried to stand up and walk towards Fu Qingheng.
But she had been crouching for too long. Her legs were numb and she couldn’t get up.
When Fu Qingheng saw her looking at him with pitiful eyes but refusing to come over, his last shred of patience vanished completely.
“Fine. If you don’t want to come, then just stay here!”
Fu Qingheng turned around, his irritation growing by the second.
Logically, without this burden, he could return to his original life. But that restless fire in his heart only burned stronger.
Upon hearing this, Yun Li felt desperate and wanted to cry again.
Stay here?
So he really did want to abandon her!
Seeing her “poop scooper” turn to leave, she quickly called out, “I-I’m sorry, my feet are asleep! I can’t walk!”
The chill bar was a bit noisy. The man seemed not to hear her words, striding away quickly on his long legs.
Yun Li stared anxiously at his retreating back, enduring the pins and needles in her legs as she stood up and hurriedly tried to catch up.
Ouyang Mengyao and Zhou Jing both watched Yun Li desperately chase after him, dumbfounded. Ouyang Mengyao was the first to snap out of it.
“Yun Li, where are you going?!”
She admitted that this “Brother Fu” had the kind of looks that drove women crazy, but what exactly was Yun Li’s relationship with him?
Fu Qingheng hadn’t gone far. He stopped after a few steps.
Yun Li couldn’t control her momentum and crashed into him with a thud, her body stumbling backward.
Fu Qingheng’s hand shot out and caught her. His tone was harsh. “Why are you following me?”
Yun Li tilted up her delicate, fair face, her dark eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “G-going home.”
She answered in a small voice and gently reached out to tug at the man’s sleeve.
Fu Qingheng gave a cold snort. “You looked like you were having a lot of fun. I thought you didn’t want to go back.”
“I d-do want to go back,” Yun Li answered quickly.
Lu Zhen, who had been watching the whole scene from the sidelines, nearly spat out his drink.
He had thought Fu Qingheng had a kid through mitosis, but it turned out the truant was a girl, and she looked underage?
Damn! When did he hook up with her?!
Seeing that Fu Qingheng had already made the little girl cry, Lu Zhen, as his good brother, couldn’t just stand by.
How could anyone have the heart to yell at such a delicate little beauty? Was that something a person did?
Lu Zhen grew more and more curious about Yun Li’s identity. He wanted to go over and say hello, but Fu Qingheng didn’t give him the chance.
Fu Qingheng gave him a cold glance, took Yun Li’s hand, and quickly walked outside.
As soon as they stepped out, the cold night wind blew against them.
But her “poop scooper’s” hand was warm, enveloping her small one. Yun Li didn’t feel cold at all.
Not only did she feel warm, she felt her little heart start acting up again.
Thump, thump, thump. She could actually hear her own heartbeat.
She was doomed. She really thought she might be close to death.
Fu Qingheng led her outside before letting go. He turned around, ready to lecture her, but when he looked down and saw Yun Li’s miserable expression, the words he had prepared died in his throat.
He hadn’t even started scolding her, and she was already looking pitiful.
Fu Qingheng cleared his throat lightly. “Get in the car first.”
Yun Li obediently got into the car. Fu Qingheng called a designated driver.
While waiting for the driver to arrive, he called Yang Qing and Guo Ziyang to let them know Yun Li had been found.
Skipping class at her age to go drink at a chill bar.
He really needed to give her a proper talking-to, to stop her from doing other things in the future.
“Who was that boy you were talking to?”
Yun Li tilted her head, leaning against his shoulder. Hearing the man’s question, she groggily opened her eyes and answered, “The singer. He also gave me a lollipop!”
Hearing “lollipop,” Fu Qingheng’s expression soured. “A piece of candy was all it took to win you over?”
Fu Qingheng prepared his opening, deciding to start with Yun Li drinking. He opened the car door, but the speech he had rehearsed died on his lips again.
Because Yun Li was asleep.
A weight fell into his arms. Asleep, Yun Li’s head lolled downwards and rolled into his lap.
Apparently finding lying on her side uncomfortable, Yun Li mumbled a couple of times, squirmed, and found a comfortable position in the man’s embrace.
Fu Qingheng: “…”
He couldn’t exactly wake her up to lecture her.
Forget it. He’d let her off today and talk to her tomorrow.
The designated driver arrived shortly. Fu Qingheng, worried Yun Li might fall asleep alone in the back seat and tumble off, carefully lifted Yun Li’s head and placed it on his thigh. After making sure she wouldn’t wake up, he told the driver to go.
Yun Li slept soundly. She turned over and nearly rolled off the back seat.
Fu Qingheng’s hand shot out and caught her around the midsection. He breathed a small sigh of relief.
Just as he was about to pull his hand back, Yun Li squirmed slightly, and her hands suddenly wrapped around his arm, hugging it tightly. She even rubbed her face against it.
When he tried to pull away, Yun Li only held on tighter, as if protecting her most precious treasure.
He then realized that his palm was pressed right against Yun Li’s stomach.
His palm made slight contact. The softness of her belly made him want to give it a little squeeze.
Staring at the girl’s sleeping profile, Fu Qingheng resisted the urge and clenched his hand into a fist.
This woman. Even asleep, she was tempting.
The car was getting hotter. Rolling down the window wasn’t enough. Fu Qingheng loosened his tie and unbuttoned a few buttons of his shirt.
Learning that Yun Li had been found, Yang Qing rushed home.
He waited for over half an hour, and finally, they arrived back.
The car door had just opened, and Yang Qing was about to call out “Ah Li” when he saw Fu Qingheng carrying Yun Li out of the car.
Yang Qing immediately fell silent, his eyes widening as he watched Yun Li sleeping soundly in Fu Qingheng’s arms.
Fu Qingheng lowered his voice. “Let’s go inside first.”
Fu Qingheng carried her back to her room. Little Yun Li still wouldn’t let go of his arm, holding on tight.
With no other choice, he picked up a pillow from the side and slowly stuffed it into Yun Li’s arms to replace his own arm.
The whole process took over three minutes. Fu Qingheng carefully extracted his hand, making sure Yun Li wouldn’t wake up, then breathed a sigh of relief and walked outside.
Yang Qing was waiting by the door. “Young Master, where did you find Miss Yun?”
“At a chill bar!”
The little girl appeared well-behaved and obedient on the surface, but she was actually a mischievous troublemaker at heart.
At home, she tried to catch koi fish. At school, instead of paying attention in class, she went to a chill bar to drink.
If he hadn’t caught her, Yun Li might very well have been lured away by some pretty boy with a lollipop.
Yang Qing also never expected Yun Li to be taken to a chill bar by her classmates. That place really wasn’t suitable for her.
“Young Master, perhaps we should transfer Miss Yun to a different class?”
A class with better academic performance, maybe that would encourage Yun Li to study properly.
“Do you really think someone who hands in blank exams can get into a class like that?”
Yang Qing: … Even if she couldn’t get in through grades, money could do a lot of things.
Having drunk alcohol, Yun Li slept very soundly.
She even dreamed about the big fat chicken Lailai had mentioned, as big as a Kun Peng (a mythical giant bird), roasted until fragrant and crispy. Happily, she pounced on it and took a bite, eating all night long.
When she woke up, Yun Li found herself biting her pillow.
She had to go to school today. After washing up, Yun Li went downstairs and saw her “poop scooper” was there too.
“Brother Fu!”
Fu Qingheng had almost finished eating. “After school this afternoon, I’ll come pick you up.”
“Okay!”
As soon as Yun Li arrived at school, Ouyang Mengyao cornered her with questions.
“Who was that ‘Brother Fu’ from last night?”
“My poop scooper.”
“What?”
“The person who takes care of me. He’s really good to me.”
Ouyang Mengyao rolled her eyes. “So he’s your guardian!”
“But your Brother Fu is really handsome. Even more handsome than my idol! Well, no, they’re different. My idol has that cool, edgy kind of handsome. Your Brother Fu has that CEO vibe.”
Yun Li didn’t understand what “CEO vibe” meant, but it sounded like she was complimenting her “poop scooper,” so she nodded seriously.
He was coming to pick her up after school. Because of this, Yun Li was over the moon all day, too excited to even nap.
When Ouyang Mengyao found out her “Brother Fu” was coming today, she teased, “Anyone listening would think you’re waiting for your sweetheart, not your guardian!”
As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Yun Li packed her backpack and dashed out.
On the main road, onlookers saw a figure sprinting towards the school gate at top speed.
Afraid Fu Qingheng might get impatient waiting, Yun Li ran up to the car out of breath, called out “Uncle Yang,” and immediately opened the door and climbed inside.
Seeing the man in the back seat, Yun Li couldn’t help but raise her voice happily. “Brother Fu!”
Fu Qingheng glanced at her. Seeing her sitting there, looking up at him with an expression that seemed to beg for a pat, she really did look like a little pet.
He gave a noncommittal “Mm” and told Yang Qing to drive.
“Brother Fu, where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to buy something.”
Hearing this, Yun Li was so excited she nearly jumped out of her seat. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him. “Are we buying KFC?”
“No!”
Not KFC?
Yun Li was a little disappointed, but quickly asked again, “Then is it roast chicken?”
Fu Qingheng lifted his eyelids. “Is there anything else in that head of yours besides roast chicken?”
Yun Li started counting on her fingers. “Roasted sausages, potato chips, and Happy Cola.”
Listening to her list off all those snacks, Fu Qingheng got a headache and rubbed his temples.
A little creature who only knew how to eat.
Fu Qingheng then asked about her schoolwork. The chatty Yun Li suddenly turned into a little mute, unable to utter a single word.
The teacher’s voice was just too hypnotic. She really couldn’t focus on a single thing. The man beside her glanced sideways at her. Yun Li looked up and tentatively asked, “Can I not go to school?”
She really didn’t like studying. The moment she saw a book, her head started to ache.
The little girl’s eyes held a pitiful gleam. She bit her red lip slightly, looking utterly wronged.
Anyone else probably would have given in and agreed to let her skip school.
But Fu Qingheng just glanced at her, his expression indifferent. “We haven’t even settled last night’s account yet.”
Yun Li’s expression froze. Guiltily, she lowered her head.
She really hadn’t expected that skipping class would result in her “poop scooper” catching her and bringing her home.
Yun Li rarely stayed quiet, but now she sat obediently beside Fu Qingheng.
The man had been busy all day and finally closed his eyes to rest.
Seeing that the man seemed to be asleep, Yun Li curiously leaned in closer, happily staring at Fu Qingheng’s face.
Her “poop scooper” was truly handsome. If he didn’t act so fierce with her, he would be the most handsome person in the whole world.
The mall was brightly lit, filled with all kinds of goods as far as the eye could see.
It was Yun Li’s first time in a human mall, and she was curious about everything.
One moment she wanted to browse the store on the left, the next she was drawn to something displayed in a window on the right.
If Fu Qingheng didn’t keep a close watch on her for even a moment, she could disappear right under his nose.
“Yun Li!”
He called her name. “Come here!”
Yun Li had been captivated by a dress in a store window. Hearing the man call her over, she was reluctant to move.
Fu Qingheng’s face turned cold. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Yun Li: … Her “poop scooper” was definitely most handsome when he was asleep.
Reluctantly tearing her gaze away from the dress, Yun Li walked over to Fu Qingheng, still staring at the white dress in the window.
Fu Qingheng followed her gaze with a glance. “That’s a wedding dress.”
What was a wedding dress?
Yun Li tilted her head in confusion, her expression still full of longing. She practically had the words “I really want it” written all over her face.
“You can’t wear that right now.”
“Why not?”
Why couldn’t she wear a wedding dress?
Yun Li was completely baffled. That dress was white and beautiful, and it would match her fox fur perfectly. She really wanted to wear it.
“No reason.”
How could she not even know what a wedding dress was? Fu Qingheng couldn’t be bothered to explain.
He decided to take her to the hospital this weekend and have Ding Zhen give her another checkup.
Besides amnesia, had she also lost her intelligence and common sense?
Yun Li pouted her little mouth, gazing longingly towards the wedding dress, her feet uncontrollably moving towards it.
Fu Qingheng grabbed Yun Li’s hand. “Stay with me.”
“Oh.”
Not getting the dress she had been dreaming of, Yun Li wore her disappointment plainly on her face.
Her head drooped, and even her non-existent tail seemed to hang low, listless.
To prevent Yun Li from running off, Fu Qingheng kept holding her hand.
His goal in bringing Yun Li to the mall today was very clear: to buy her a cell phone.
That way, she wouldn’t pull another stunt like yesterday, skipping school and disappearing without a trace, leaving everyone frantic.
Yun Li didn’t know much about human things, so she let Fu Qingheng choose for her.
He had initially thought of choosing a black phone, simple and elegant but his peripheral vision caught sight of the unhappy little Yun Li. Silently sighing, he instinctively picked up the pink phone next to it for her.
“Like it?”
“Yes.”
Her answer was very perfunctory.
Clearly, her mind was still on that wedding dress.
Fu Qingheng bought the phone directly. After paying, he handed it to Yun Li.
Yun Li wasn’t very interested in the phone. She turned on the screen once, then stuffed the phone into her pocket, her gaze drifting back towards the wedding dress shop.
Fu Qingheng pretended not to see her displeasure. “Shall we go eat KFC now?”
“Okay,” Yun Li said, still listless.
Because of that dress, she couldn’t even muster much enthusiasm for her favorite food, KFC.
Before, whenever she heard about various kinds of chicken, the little girl’s face would light up with joy.
Fu Qingheng hadn’t eaten KFC in years. He led Yun Li around the mall until they finally found the KFC.
He guided Yun Li inside. “What do you want to eat?”
“I want a family bucket and cola.” Yun Li was still fixated on the wedding dress. She didn’t even have much appetite for the family bucket, taking twenty minutes to finish the whole thing.
Fu Qingheng watched her eat an entire family bucket by herself. Her appetite was quite large, so why didn’t she gain any weight?
After they finished eating, Fu Qingheng led Yun Li out.
On the way back, they passed the wedding dress shop again.
Yun Li’s gaze was once again drawn to that dress. She stopped walking and refused to go any further.
“Not moving?”
Yun Li tugged on Fu Qingheng’s sleeve, pointing at the wedding dress in the window. “Brother Fu, I want that dress.”
He really hadn’t expected her to be so persistent about that dress.
Yun Li’s temperament was sometimes more like a child’s. Fu Qingheng patiently tried to appease her. “There’s no time today. We’ll come buy it another time.”
He would never bring Yun Li to this mall again.
But Yun Li just let go of his sleeve, looking up at him with an expression that clearly said, “If you won’t buy it for me, I’m not moving.”
Girls couldn’t be indulged too much, or they’d get spoiled.
Fu Qingheng’s face hardened. “Are you coming or not?”
Yun Li shook her head and said in a small voice, “The dress!”
“If you won’t come, I’m leaving!”
Fu Qingheng actually walked away. He didn’t believe Yun Li wouldn’t follow him this time.
But he had underestimated a woman’s attraction to a dress.
He walked over a dozen steps forward and saw that Yun Li still hadn’t caught up.
He looked back and saw Yun Li standing there stubbornly, her watery black eyes full of hurt, as if tears would spill out any second.
He felt a flicker of reluctance.
Whenever Yun Li made that expression, a strange feeling always stirred in his chest, making him inexplicably soft-hearted towards her.
He even found himself thinking: ‘Forget it, it’s just buying a wedding dress.’
He quickly walked back to Yun Li’s side. Yun Li sniffled. “Brother Fu.”
Fu Qingheng’s face was tense, annoyed at his own weakness. “Just this once.”
Did that mean he agreed?
The next second, Yun Li’s face broke into a radiant smile. She hugged Fu Qingheng excitedly. “Brother Fu, you’re so good to me! I like you so, so much!”
She was smiling so brightly that he suspected her pitiful act earlier was just a routine tactic.
Fu Qingheng pushed Yun Li’s head away and strode into the wedding dress shop.
Yun Li followed happily.
Inside, all the wedding dresses came into view.
All kinds of beautiful white wedding dresses almost dazzled her eyes.
Yun Li felt the urge to buy every dress in the shop. She said excitedly, “Brother Fu, every single one is so beautiful!”
Her fair face clearly read: I want them all.
That was pushing it.
“No. Only one.”
Shi Jie had been deeply hurt by Fu Qingheng last time. Angry, she had left the Fu residence and hadn’t seen Ji Yan for several days.
Ji Yan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, running around in circles.
Every day, she sent Shi Jie dozens of messages to comfort her, and finally managed to get her to come out shopping.
The two of them got a spa treatment, then went shopping, buying things left and right.
Shi Jie paid for everything the entire day.
Coming out of Gucci, Ji Yan was carrying the latest designer bag on her left arm and held onto Shi Jie intimately with her right. “I know a new Western restaurant nearby. Their steak is amazing. Shall we go there to eat?”
The only reason Ji Yan was friends with Shi Jie was because Shi Jie’s family was rich and she was generous.
It was true that after Ji Chuan divorced, he had embezzled a sum of money from the Fu family and started his own business with his skills, gradually carving out a place for himself in Pingcheng.
But Ji Chuan was a man who favored sons over daughters. No matter how rich he was, he was reluctant to spend money on Ji Yan, preferring to provide for her useless younger brother instead.
Ji Yan moved in these social circles. She often had to eat and attend events with women from the debutante circle, where comparisons were inevitable.
She didn’t have much money herself, so she had to rely on Shi Jie.
Although they called each other sisters, their relationship was more like mutual exploitation.
Shi Jie was willing to spend money on her only because she was Fu Qingheng’s “beloved” younger sister, hoping Ji Yan could do her a favor.
Who would have thought that a vixen would slip in and steal the show?
Shi Jie responded lazily, “Have you looked into that vixen’s background yet?”
Right, the excuse Ji Yan had used to get her out today was precisely about that vixen.
If it weren’t for finding out about her love rival, she wouldn’t have wanted to come out with Ji Yan either. This woman was shameless, always mooching off her, making her pay for meals and even luxury goods.
Ji Yan had, of course, found out everything. “That vixen is just a schemer. She deliberately got hit by my brother’s car, and when she saw how handsome he was, she latched onto him!”
“Absolutely shameless!” Shi Jie was so angry her teeth itched.
“Have you ever seen a vixen with any shame?” Ji Yan echoed Shi Jie’s sentiment, adding her own agreement.
“Don’t worry. My brother would never fall for a vixen like her.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course!”
No sooner had Ji Yan confidently said “Of course” than reality slapped her hard in the face.
The two of them were about to leave the mall when they happened to pass by a wedding dress shop.
Shi Jie suddenly stopped in her tracks. Ji Yan was about to ask why she had stopped, but then followed her gaze.
That tall figure, that handsome and familiar side profile who else could it be but Fu Qingheng?
And the woman standing beside Fu Qingheng was that shameless vixen.
The two of them entered the wedding dress shop, one after the other. The vixen’s face wore a radiant, blissful smile.
That smile was blinding. Shi Jie’s eyes turned red with anger. She demanded, “This is what you meant by ‘no way’?”
Fu Qingheng was already taking her into a wedding dress shop to try on dresses. Wasn’t the next step getting a marriage license?
And she had been stupidly kept in the dark, believing Ji Yan’s words, convinced that Fu Qingheng couldn’t possibly fall for that vixen.
Ji Yan also hadn’t expected to be proven wrong so quickly. She stood there stunned for a moment. “Ah? This…”
Her brain stopped working. She didn’t know how to explain.
“Ji Yan, we’re through!”
Furious, Shi Jie pushed Ji Yan aside and quickly walked away on her high heels.
**