The villa was built in the mountains of the southern suburbs of Beijing. The weather had turned cooler over the past few days, with large temperature differences between morning and evening in the mountains, and all the indoor hot springs had been fully opened.
Coupled with the fact that it had just opened for business, the owner of the villa had invited many people over to enjoy themselves.
Therefore, there were exceptionally many vehicles coming and going outside the villa.
As soon as Fu Yansheng’s car stopped, the manager stepped forward with a group of people to take Lin Zhao’s and Fu Yansheng’s suitcases down from the vehicle.
“President Fu, per your request, your and Young Master Lin’s rooms have been changed to an independent courtyard. Rest assured.”
Fu Yansheng had instructed his assistant to notify the villa about this early on.
The interior of the villa was designed in an antique style, with garden corridors interspersed among bamboo groves, and a few goldfish swimming along the current in the live-water pond beside them.
Seeing that the weather in the mountains was gradually turning dark and a mist was beginning to blanket the area.
In the autumn and winter season compounded by the low temperature in the mountains, a breeze blew, causing Lin Zhao to shiver.
The manager led Lin Zhao and Fu Yansheng to the entrance of the small courtyard, informing them that waiters would be on standby nearby, and regardless of where the two of them wanted to go, the waiters would lead them there at the first moment.
The very first thing Lin Zhao did upon entering the room was to fish out an outer coat from his suitcase and wrap it around himself.
His body instantly grew warm.
Lin Zhao bundled himself up in his clothes, then raised his head to look at Fu Yansheng beside him, “It’s cold in the mountains, Brother Fu, change your clothes first and then we can go eat!”
Fu Yansheng glanced at the suit jacket on his body, thought for a moment, took it off, and changed into an overcoat.
Taking advantage of the time Fu Yansheng was changing clothes, Lin Zhao glanced at the two rooms in the suite. The two rooms were roughly the same size, and even the scenery outside was equally pleasant.
Lin Zhao was somewhat conflicted.
As an assistant, he naturally ought to give the best room to his boss.
But nobody said both rooms were identical!
Counting off soldiers and generals, whoever I point to is who I choose!
Lin Zhao looked at both rooms and ultimately chose the room on the left.
He put his luggage into the left room.
Looking back and seeing that Fu Yansheng had already changed his clothes, he hurriedly stepped forward to put Fu Yansheng’s luggage back into the room and hang it up one by one.
Fu Yansheng watched as Lin Zhao bustled back and forth like a little honeybee.
Thus, he followed behind Lin Zhao, handing his clothes over to him.
“Brother Fu, this is my job.” Lin Zhao snapped back to his senses when he noticed Fu Yansheng’s actions.
He reached out wanting to take the clothes from Fu Yansheng’s hands.
How could an assistant make the boss do the work?
Yet he never expected Fu Yansheng to directly bypass Lin Zhao’s hand reaching for the clothes.
An arm brushed past Lin Zhao’s ear. Lin Zhao was stunned by Fu Yansheng’s movement, and instinctively turned his head, discovering that Fu Yansheng had reached straight into the wardrobe to take out a clothes hanger.
Coming to his senses, Lin Zhao hurriedly stepped aside to make some room for Fu Yansheng.
Acting as if he hadn’t seen Lin Zhao’s movement, Fu Yansheng hung up the last piece of clothing.
Only then did he turn his head to look at Lin Zhao, saying softly, “Let’s go. Didn’t you say you were hungry back in the car?”
Lin Zhao uttered a couple of “oh”s, then raised his head, his voice slow yet carrying a trace of firmness: “Brother Fu, I am an assistant drawing a salary, I should be the one doing this kind of work.”
In Lin Zhao’s mind, since he was someone earning a salary, he should fulfill his own basic duties.
Instead of letting Brother Fu do the work himself.
Hearing this, Fu Yansheng could not help frowning, “But aren’t we friends first and foremost?”
Lin Zhao froze, afraid that Fu Yansheng would overthink things and wanting to explain: “We are friends, but…”
Yet Fu Yansheng interrupted Lin Zhao’s words right then and there: “Since we’re friends, it’s only right for me to help Zhaozhao.”
The coldness in Fu Yansheng’s brows softened slightly because of Lin Zhao’s words. He reached out to tidy up the slightly disheveled strands of hair on Lin Zhao caused by his busyness, tucking them behind Lin Zhao’s ear.
Lin Zhao’s jade-like earlobes were fair and translucent. Taking advantage of the fact that Lin Zhao hadn’t recovered his wits yet, Fu Yansheng lowered his gaze and looked at them earnestly.
As his fingertips withdrew, it was as if he had accidentally brushed against them lightly.
Feeling a chill that did not belong to his own ear tips, Lin Zhao instinctively looked at Fu Yansheng, who stood before him as if nothing had happened at all.
Subconsciously, he felt that the person in front of him had just brushed past him by accident.
Fu Yansheng smoothed out his slightly rumpled sleeves.
He glanced at Lin Zhao in front of him, as if seeing through the inner conflict in Lin Zhao’s eyes.
Dropping his gaze, Fu Yansheng spoke in a deep voice laced with a trace of unclear emotion: “Zhaozhao used to say that I was your best friend.”
Hearing this, Lin Zhao’s mind—which was still conflicted—suddenly recalled that he had indeed said those words when he was a child.
It was just that Lin Zhao never expected Fu Yansheng to have remembered those words all the way until now.
Warmth welled up in Lin Zhao’s heart, and he hurriedly followed after Fu Yansheng.
Under Fu Yansheng’s gaze, Lin Zhao nodded heavily, as though making a promise to the person before him: “Yes, we are best friends.”
Even if it’s work, it cannot obscure the fact that our relationship is that of good friends!
Regardless of whether he was the young master of the Lin family, Fu Yansheng treated him as his best friend.
Then Lin Zhao would also treat Fu Yansheng as his own best friend.
Fu Yansheng let out an “en.”
Watching Lin Zhao follow closely by his side, his expression recovering the liveliness of past days, even the chill surrounding Fu Yansheng in the eyes of outsiders seemed to diminish somewhat.
A middle-aged man hurried over, walking quickly right up to Lin Zhao and Fu Yansheng, a trace of joy in his eyes as he looked at Fu Yansheng.
He never imagined that Fu Yansheng would actually be willing to come to the villa to play; at the time, he had only sent an invitation to Fu Yansheng with a trial-and-doubt attitude.
Yet he didn’t expect Fu Yansheng to really come.
After all, the villa under Fu Yansheng’s own name was far superior to his.
“President Fu, I’m truly sorry. I was dealing with some matters just now and failed to come and greet President Fu in a timely manner. It is my fault.”
The moment he heard the voice, Lin Zhao stopped in his tracks, looking curiously at the middle-aged man in front of him. Realizing that the man had come for Fu Yansheng, Lin Zhao silently looked toward Fu Yansheng beside him.
Waiting for Fu Yansheng’s stance.
Fu Yansheng merely nodded casually, uttering an “en”: “President Wu is busy, you don’t need to come see me specially.”
Yet President Wu was ecstatic precisely because Fu Yansheng actually replied to him.
After all, this was Fu Yansheng; if he managed to hook into this layer of connections, perhaps his company could have more cooperation with the Fu Group.
President Wu hurriedly wanted to open his mouth to say something, but when he raised his head, he noticed Fu Yansheng’s gaze falling upon Lin Zhao.
The rumors going around in elite circles over the past few days had long been roaring, and President Wu recognized Lin Zhao at the very first instance.
The Lin family’s young master who currently occupied an awkward position.
Although he hadn’t been openly cast out of the Lin family, almost everyone felt that Lin Zhao had already been abandoned by them.
However, who could have guessed that Fu Yansheng would actually bring Lin Zhao along by his side?
Although he had lost the Lin family, he had gained the support of the head of the Fu family—someone with a far more profound heritage than the Lin family. This young master Lin had really struck it rich.
“I didn’t expect the friend President Fu mentioned to be Young Master Lin. There’s a group of young people holding a gathering in the small courtyard next door right now; if Young Master Lin is interested, you can go take a look. After all, young kids always share the same interests.”
President Wu recommended eagerly, though his gaze landed entirely on Fu Yansheng.
The gathering was just an excuse; his real purpose was to chat privately with this head of the Fu family.
Lin Zhao didn’t have much interest in gatherings.
Yet he still kept his gaze on Fu Yansheng, as if inquiring of him.
“Let’s go eat first. Knowing you were coming to play, you didn’t eat much at noon.”
Fu Yansheng’s voice inevitably carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
Yet it was more of a helpless indulgence toward Lin Zhao.
As for what President Wu had just said, Fu Yansheng acted as if he hadn’t heard it at all.
Sensing Fu Yansheng’s special treatment toward Lin Zhao, President Wu opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
Only to see Fu Yansheng recover his aloofness, withdrawing his gaze from Lin Zhao to cast a slight gesture toward him: “Apologies, President Wu, we’ll be leaving first.”
Fu Yansheng didn’t care about President Wu’s expression, and naturally didn’t see President Wu’s face turn icy cold in an instant.
Fu Yansheng was much younger than President Wu.
Yet he never expected that one day, he would fall short at the hands of a junior, but unfortunately, President Wu’s background couldn’t compare to the Fu family’s either.
He could only swallow his pride in silence.
Even Lin Zhao was able to ignore him.
Isn’t he just a fake young master who was driven out of his home by the Lin family?
If not for relying on Fu Yansheng, he probably wouldn’t even show up in public anymore.
So thought President Wu.
Watching the backs of the two as they left, he gave a cold snort and turned away.
Fu Yansheng glanced at the waiter who had been following almost practically step-for-step beside them.
With just a single look, the waiter understood Fu Yansheng’s gaze.
Fu Yansheng didn’t require anyone to follow them.
Yet, remembering President Wu’s arrangements, the waiter gritted his teeth and wanted to follow anyway, but had barely taken two steps.
When he noticed Fu Yansheng slow his pace down, pause when lagging two steps behind Lin Zhao, and fix a cold glare upon the waiter.
Amidst the piercingly cold mountain mist, the waiter felt as though he had been targeted by a wild beast in a split second, feeling a terrifying chill in his heart that made him instinctively want to retreat.
It wasn’t until both Fu Yansheng and Lin Zhao had left.
That he finally snapped back to his senses.
Only then did the waiter realize that his palms were already soaked with sweat, dripping wet.
“Brother Fu, where did that waiter go just now?” Lin Zhao turned around only to discover that there were now only the two of them left in the corridor.
“Probably had something to do,” Fu Yansheng answered Lin Zhao without turning red or skipping a beat.
Lin Zhao let out an “oh,” his brows furrowing in distress: “But I don’t know the way…”
“I do.”
“I remember I just turned over from here right?” Lin Zhao had merely stepped out to use the restroom, and upon turning around, discovered he didn’t recognize the way anymore.
With winding corridors intersecting, Lin Zhao frowned and looked left and right, trying to figure out which path he was more familiar with, yet after walking for a short while, Lin Zhao found that the surrounding environment was getting more and more unfamiliar.
What was even more despairing was that Lin Zhao had also left his phone back in the private room.
With no other choice, Lin Zhao could only bite the bullet and keep walking.
Only, as he walked and walked, he noticed:
The murmuring sound of the stream that could previously still be heard had vanished completely by the time he walked further, leaving not a shred of sound around him.
Lin Zhao grew increasingly afraid to proceed downward. Just as he was thinking he should turn back instead, and worst case walk the route all over again as long as he ran into people.
Lin Zhao remembered the name of the private room.
“Zhaozhao?!”
A man’s voice was crisp and bright, carrying pleasant surprise.
The brain of Lin Zhao who had been called out to went blank for a brief second upon hearing the voice, but he quickly recognized the familiar tone, and turned his head to look at the person.
“Lü Yuanyuan?”
Lü Yuanyuan looked very well-behaved with his eyelids drooping slightly. In Lin Zhao’s view, Lü Yuanyuan’s personality was very much like a Samoyed he had seen before obedient and enthusiastic.
Yet Lin Zhao failed to notice that Lü Yuanyuan’s pair of eyes had been staring fixedly at him without shifting away ever since he spotted him.
Seeing a familiar person around, Lin Zhao felt his suspended heart settle down, a trace of expectation in his eyes: “Lü Yuanyuan, do you know which way the Yuanshan private room is?”
Hearing this, Lü Yuanyuan lowered his eyes slightly: “This is my first time coming here too, I don’t really know the names. We’re having a gathering right next door, Zhaozhao, why don’t you come hang out for a bit?”
“Not right now, oh, Brother Fu is still waiting for me in the private room, sorry Yuanyuan.” Apology stained Lin Zhao’s eyes as he bashfully pursed his lips.
Lü Yuanyuan felt no surprise whatsoever in his heart at being rejected.
He was well aware that in Lin Zhao’s eyes, he was merely an ordinary friend.
Lü Yuanyuan’s tone carried a hint of dejection, his whole face looking pitiful, and even his tone of voice took on a touch of sadness:
“I haven’t seen Zhaozhao in a long time. The last time I sent Zhaozhao a message, Zhaozhao didn’t reply to me either.”