Fu Yu sat on the edge of Ruan Luo’s bed, his large hand cupping Ruan Luo’s cheek as he gently wiped away the tears from the corner of his eye with his thumb.
“Which Fu Yu are you calling for?” Fu Yu’s voice was low and husky. “The one who bullied you, or the one who cherishes you?”
A bitter smile touched his lips. “You dreamed of that damned impostor, didn’t you?”
After wiping away the last of the tears, Fu Yu kept his warm thumb pressed against Ruan Luo’s cool cheek, stroking it gently. “The real Fu Yu would never let you cry.”
Ruan Luo had been restless during the first half of the night. Fortunately, Fu Yu had been paying close attention to his condition, patting and soothing him until Ruan Luo finally drifted into a deep, completely relaxed sleep.
By then, it was already three o’clock. Fu Yu checked Ruan Luo’s temperature with the palm of his hand before quietly slipping away to rest in the side room.
The altitude in the mountains was high, with strong winds during the day and heavy dew at night. But Fu Yu had come fully prepared for all of this. He spent three days and nights with Ruan Luo at the Daoist temple. On the fourth day, he took Ruan Luo to the summit to watch the sunrise, spent the entire day there, and slept on the peak for another night.
On the fifth day, Fu Yu took Ruan Luo back the way they had come.
Hiking always drained one’s energy. Even though Fu Yu had been careful over the past five days, stopping to rest at every scenic spot, Ruan Luo was still exhausted.
At first, he sat upright in the passenger seat, where the temperature was just right. But soon, his body began to slump, leaning further and further until he sank softly into the car seat and fell asleep.
Fu Yu pulled over, retrieved a small blanket from the back seat, and covered Ruan Luo with it.
When he resumed driving, he slowed down, afraid the bumpy mountain road would wake Ruan Luo. He must have been driving the Maybach as if it were an old-fashioned car.
Only after the Maybach left the mountains and headed toward the outskirts of the Capital City did Fu Yu stop the car again. He gazed at Ruan Luo, his eyes unable to pull away.
The countryside was covered in broad-leaved trees.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the foliage, casting a dappled pattern of light and shadow inside the car.
The light fell upon Ruan Luo, making his skin appear even fairer, coated in a soft, golden glow.
He looked as pure as the first mist of dawn, yet so fragile and delicate that even a shallow breath might scatter him.
Fu Yu simply gazed at him like this for a moment.
Fu Yu thought Ruan Luo was still too thin. He’d have to make sure he ate more from now on.
Too pale. He needs more nutrients.
And… this boy is too well-behaved when he’s fast asleep, so still he doesn’t move a muscle.
The silence was so profound it worried Fu Yu.
Unable to resist, he reached out and gently pressed his hand against Ruan Luo’s forehead. It was warm, no fever.
Still not satisfied, he extended his index finger to check Ruan Luo’s breath. It was steady and even; he was truly just asleep.
Relieved, Fu Yu parked the car under the shade of some trees. He turned on the climate-controlled air circulation, stepped out quietly, and closed the door with a gentle touch.
He leaned against a towering birch tree, a cigarette held between his fingers, unlit.
Then, he took out his phone and called Assistant Wang. “I’ll be there in an hour. Be ready.”
Assistant Wang’s voice buzzed with excitement. “All set! I raced the sun this morning. I’ve been waiting here since before dawn!”
Fu Yu rubbed the cigarette between his fingers. “Coordinates.”
Assistant Wang’s tone held a hint of thrill. “Sending them now! There’s a lot of grass here, and the ground is soft and wet from the rain. President Fu, please drive carefully—”
Fu Yu hung up before she could even finish her sentence.
Yet Assistant Wang wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Instead, she beamed with joy, as if she were about to receive several huge red envelopes.
Cradling a grimy little kitten in her arms, she stood side-by-side with the driver who had brought her and a staff member from the stray animal rescue station on a vast, open grassy field in the suburbs.
The rescue worker’s face was a picture of utter bewilderment. “I just don’t understand the world of the rich.”
In a good mood, Assistant Wang kept playing with the grimy kitten while chatting with him. “What don’t you understand?”
“The money to treat this cat is enough to buy a purebred, show-quality one. Maine Coons are highly sought after. If the medical bills were any lower, its owner would never have abandoned it. I mean no offense to President Fu or this cat; I’m just genuinely confused. So many people wanted to adopt it before, but they all backed out the moment they learned about the medical costs. Our rescue station doesn’t have that kind of funding… We’d already given up on it, thinking its time in this world was over. Who would have thought President Fu would be willing to pay for its treatment and adopt it?”
“Our President Fu is rich and powerful. Can you understand that?”
“I still don’t. He’s spending the money for a champion-grade cat but adopting a sickly one.”
“Are you even from the rescue station? Listen to yourself, you sound so vulgar! Our President Fu just likes doing good deeds, alright?”
“I don’t get it… The internet says your President Fu is a mob boss trying to go legit, with a heart as black as his hands.”
“Damn it! Shut up! You want to die, badmouthing President Fu in front of me? Believe me, I’ll kick your ass into pieces.”
The rescue station worker clamped his legs together and shuddered. He zipped his lips and stopped talking.
Fu Yu finished his call with Assistant Wang, crushed the cigarette between his fingers, and stepped lightly into the car.
After driving for a while, Ruan Luo woke up.
Realizing he had just fallen asleep, Ruan Luo instantly felt a wave of panic.
He sat up straight, about to say something, when the small blanket slipped off his body.
Ruan Luo instinctively reached out to catch it.
Only then did he realize that while he was asleep, Fu Yu had covered him with the blanket.
Ruan Luo felt that human emotions were truly the strangest thing in the world.
For instance, just a second ago, he had been anxious and uneasy because he’d fallen asleep without even saying excuse me.
But after seeing the blanket draped over him, that unease had inexplicably vanished.
Then Ruan Luo heard Fu Yu’s deep voice: “Drink some water.”
Ruan Luo turned his head and saw Fu Yu holding the steering wheel with his left hand while his right hand held out a thermos from the center console, waiting for Ruan Luo to take it.
Ruan Luo hurriedly took it with both hands. “Thank you.”
He was truly thirsty. He unscrewed the thermos and took small sips.
While he was drinking, he noticed Fu Yu pull the car over to the side of the road.
Ruan Luo gripped the thermos tightly and turned to look at Fu Yu. “What’s wrong?”
Fu Yu offered him a reassuring smile. “I saw a little creature.”
Ruan Luo’s fingers tightened slightly on the thermos. “What little creature?”
Fu Yu glanced toward the roadside. “There. A stray kitten.”
He gently guided Ruan Luo’s gaze to the small, dirty, brown kitten that would have been completely invisible if one wasn’t looking closely.
Only after he noticed Ruan Luo’s eyes finally catch sight of it did Fu Yu click his tongue. “So filthy. Poor thing.”
Ruan Luo’s long, raven-black eyelashes trembled.
He clearly couldn’t sit still anymore. Unconsciously, he screwed the lid back onto the thermos and placed it back into the console, his movements tense and anxious.
As if entranced, Ruan Luo stared fixedly at the dirty little fluffball by the roadside. “Fu Yu, can I… can I go down and check on it?”
Fu Yu gave a soft “Mm.” “Go ahead. Be careful.”
He quickly got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side, and opened Ruan Luo’s door.
Then, he reached into the back seat for a large backpack, pulled out a small medical kit, and handed it to Ruan Luo just as he stepped out. “A gift for the little animal.”
Ruan Luo was eager to see the kitten, but he still stood his ground politely to hear Fu Yu’s explanation. “What kind of gift?”
“Ointment for external injuries, cotton swabs, small bandages, and a cat treat.”
Ruan Luo’s eyes widened. He reached out with both hands to take the small medical kit, letting out a soft “Wow.” “Did you know we’d encounter a kitten?”
Fu Yu hummed in affirmation. “I did. There’s a stray animal rescue station behind this forest. Many irresponsible people like to abandon their pets here, knowing there’s a good chance they’ll be rescued by the station. I suppose it’s their final act of mercy toward their pets.”
Ruan Luo froze for a moment. Then, he suddenly looked up, his obsidian-black eyes shimmering in the sunlight. He spoke to Fu Yu in a soft but earnest voice, “Fu Yu, you’re so kind~.”
The final note of his voice trailed off with a slight, upward lilt.
The clear-eyed gaze and the unconscious, coquettish lilt in his voice were like a soft petal carrying a damp spring message, falling unexpectedly into the frozen lake of Fu Yu’s heart, which had been sealed in ice for thirty years.
By the time Fu Yu snapped back to his senses, Ruan Luo was already running off with the small first-aid kit, searching for the little dirty ball of fur.
Fu Yu’s expression sharpened. In his concern, he had become flustered, and his voice came out louder than usual: “Walk slower, don’t run.”
Ruan Luo stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Fu Yu, his face clouded with a visible layer of grievance. He let out a soft “Oh.”
He didn’t run anymore.
Fu Yu stood where he was, pinching the bridge of his nose and cursing himself silently. His mind was filled with the surprised, slightly aggrieved look in Ruan Luo’s eyes when he had turned around.
Fu Yu started to stride toward Ruan Luo with his long legs, but just as he was about to catch up, he heard a faint rustle coming from the bushes by the car.
He looked down and his face immediately darkened.
Fu Yu glanced at Ruan Luo again, seeing that he had already found the dirty ball of fur and was crouching on the ground, earnestly examining its body. Only then did Fu Yu lower his voice to the bushes: “What are you doing hiding here?”
Assistant Wang was crouching in the bushes, with only her head visible. She was cradling a notebook in her arms. “Mr. Ruan’s biography! I told you back then, only paper has the texture of time!”
Fu Yu pinched the bridge of his nose again, though this time it was unclear what he was cursing.
He reached out and took the notebook.
Fortunately, it wasn’t large and could be slipped directly into his overcoat pocket.
Fu Yu mouthed a single word to Assistant Wang: “Go.”
Assistant Wang was usually quite sharp, but perhaps she was too excited today. She completely misread Fu Yu’s “Go” as “Good.”
She nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking at grain. “I’ll keep working hard!”
Fu Yu pressed a hand to his forehead, looking like he wanted to kick someone.
But Assistant Wang, caught up in her enthusiasm, was completely oblivious. She even thought Fu Yu was touched by her dedication.
She continued to chatter away with even more vigor. “There’s one more major achievement I need to report—the arrangements for Mr. Ruan’s grandfather’s hospital transfer are complete! He’s now settled in our Fu Family Hospital. To address his brain shock, Song Qi has brought in relevant experts from his overseas mentor’s network to form a medical team and consult on a treatment plan. Will you be taking Mr. Ruan to see his grandfather on the way? I’ll make the arrangements!”
After hearing this report, Fu Yu’s dark expression finally softened considerably.
Fu Yu looked at Ruan Luo and said softly to Assistant Wang, “No need. It’s better that he’s forgotten all his worries for now.”
After he spoke, seeing Assistant Wang still planted in the bushes like a radish, staring at him expectantly, Fu Yu’s anger flared up again. “Are you still here?”
Assistant Wang scratched her head. “President Fu, Secretary Li made a bet with me.”
“I’m not interested.”
“But the key to winning or losing is you, sir.”
“Speak.”
“Secretary Li says you definitely won’t take Mr. Ruan to see his grandfather. She says you’re playing the long game! You want to cure Ruan Luo’s grandfather, and when he wakes up, he might like you a little less- I mean, dislike you a little less for his sake. Hehe, hehe…”
Fu Yu lowered his gaze, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. “Tell Secretary Li her year-end bonus is gone.”
Assistant Wang chuckled with the smugness of a petty person who’s just struck gold. “Hehe, hehe…”
Fu Yu shot Assistant Wang a glare. “Yours is gone too.”
With that, Fu Yu strode toward Ruan Luo on his long legs.
Assistant Wang watched Fu Yu’s ruthless figure retreat, her eyes wide with resentment. “Stinking boss, you skinflint! I’m going to trip you up in front of Mr. Ruan, make your life a living hell! …Waaah.”
Unfortunately, Assistant Wang had no chance to get close to Mr. Ruan. She could only turn around and, together with Radish No. 2, the second driver also crouching in the bushes, and Radish No. 3, the rescue station staff members, sneakily crawl through the bushes to find their car on the other side of the woods.
Ruan Luo’s hands were already stained with blood.
The kitten’s ear was bitten, and its paws and tail were covered in bleeding wounds.
As Ruan Luo tried to apply ointment, the kitten let out heart-wrenching meows, making him too afraid to even touch it. His hand trembled with every slight flinch of the kitten, and it took him five whole minutes just to treat a single wound.
Ruan Luo broke out in a cold sweat from anxiety.
Just as his breathing grew ragged, a tall figure overshadowed him.
Ruan Luo looked up to see Fu Yu crouching down toward him, though he kept a respectful distance of half a meter.
Fu Yu reached out. “Let me try?”
Ruan Luo carefully cradled the struggling kitten and offered it to Fu Yu, his voice soft and gentle. “It’s… it’s so small. I’m afraid it will hurt, so I can’t hold it firmly… I can’t keep it still.”
Fu Yu took the kitten.
Strangely, the moment it landed in his hands, the kitten became docile.
It stopped struggling and screaming, letting out only faint, low whimpers.
Ruan Luo didn’t know that the genes of a top-tier alpha worked on all living creatures. Never mind a kitten- even a tiger would have to behave itself before Fu Yu.
Thinking the kitten simply liked Fu Yu, Ruan Luo let out a soft “wow.” “It seems to like you.”
Fu Yu found the scene adorable. He couldn’t help but glance at Ruan Luo, a slight smile playing on his lips. “Perhaps it does. But the kitten struggling in your hands doesn’t mean it dislikes you. It’s just not afraid of you, which is why it dares to act up. You’ve already done a great job. Did it scratch you?”
Ruan Luo was always easily distracted by things that piqued his interest.
Without even realizing it, he had moved closer to Fu Yu, his eyes fixed on Fu Yu as he applied ointment to the kitten. The three wounded spots were treated in just a minute.
Afterward, instead of fleeing, the kitten lay submissively at Fu Yu’s feet, licking his fingers in a flattering gesture.
Ruan Luo watched with a pang of envy.
He couldn’t help but tear open a cat treat, softly murmuring, “Kitty, time to eat.”
But to Ruan Luo’s astonishment, even after he had torn open the treat, the cat remained curled at Fu Yu’s feet, completely ignoring him.
Seeing the mist slowly begin to form in Ruan Luo’s eyes, Fu Yu grew anxious. He gave the little dirty furball a gentle nudge with his foot- not enough to hurt it, but just enough to send it rolling like a fluffy ball toward Ruan Luo, where it unfurled.
Only after leaving Fu Yu’s side did the cat realize the scent of the treat in the air. It scrambled over, wobbly and eager, wrapping its two paws around Ruan Luo’s hand and squinting its eyes as it lapped up the treat with all its might.
The mist in Ruan Luo’s eyes finally cleared.
Fu Yu didn’t disturb Ruan Luo, but his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs cast a large shadow over him, making Ruan Luo seem even smaller and more fragile.
The morning sunlight was tinged with gold. As Fu Yu looked down, he felt as if Ruan Luo were framed in a golden border. For a fleeting moment, his career-driven mind unexpectedly stirred with a poet’s melancholy.
If only I had traveled back in time a little earlier, could I have frozen this peaceful moment forever?
After finishing the kitten’s meal, Ruan Luo wiped his eyes and forced himself to walk toward the car. The kitten followed him, meowing incessantly, but he dared not look back. He stopped half a meter in front of Fu Yu and looked up. “It’s had a full meal today. It’s a happy day for the little one. If it can find someone willing to feed it every day after we leave… that would be wonderful.”
Ruan Luo’s face was covered in smudges from his own fingers. He had gone to feed a stray cat, yet he looked like a stray cat himself.
Fu Yu felt a sudden, sharp pang in his heart.
The kitten continued meowing at Ruan Luo’s feet. The corners of Ruan Luo’s eyes were moist, but he resisted the urge to glance back. Instead, he looked at Fu Yu with polite obedience, waiting for him to lead the way to the car.
But Fu Yu didn’t move. He gazed at Ruan Luo and said in a low, deep voice, “Ruan Luo, let’s take the kitten with us, okay?”