Ruan Luo’s eyes slowly widened. His slightly pale, thin lips trembled, but no words came out immediately.
His moist eyes stared blankly at Fu Yu.
The daylight fell into Ruan Luo’s eyes, and Fu Yu’s shadow fell into them as well.
Ruan Luo’s voice trembled slightly as he looked up, his eyes pleading. “Which kind of ‘take it away’?”
Fu Yu lowered his gaze to Ruan Luo, his voice warm and deep. “Keep it.”
Ruan Luo’s reaction was completely unexpected for Fu Yu.
Fu Yu had thought Ruan Luo would be overjoyed by this sudden surprise, that he would smile at him.
But Ruan Luo looked as if he were in a daze. His eyelashes were wet, and he fought back his instinctive fear as he took a step closer to Fu Yu, asking again for confirmation: “Not just for a little while, not just for a few days, but the kind of ‘keep’ that means for a very, very long time?”
A dark tide surged in Fu Yu’s eyes. His heart ached, and his voice grew even deeper. He made a solemn promise, speaking each word clearly: “Not just for a little while, not just for a few days, but for a very, very long time, until you no longer like it.”
The corners of Ruan Luo’s eyes were also wet. He still felt a profound lack of security and asked Fu Yu cautiously, “What if I always like it?”
Fu Yu answered him solemnly, “Then we’ll keep it forever.”
Ruan Luo gazed at Fu Yu, his words dying in his throat.
Fu Yu couldn’t bear to see that pitiful look in Ruan Luo’s eyes, much less the way he hesitated to speak.
He gently coaxed, “Are you afraid I won’t keep my word?”
Ruan Luo shook his head.
Fu Yu offered a reassuring smile, his tone soothing and patient, “Then what is it?”
Ruan Luo’s fingers gripped the small first-aid kit so hard his knuckles turned white. He bit his lower lip. “But… what happens when the agreement expires? If I have to leave your house, what will happen to the kitten?”
Fu Yu froze.
Ruan Luo thought he had said something rude. He lowered his head, clutching the first-aid kit with one hand while the other fiercely wiped at his eyes. His already smudged face became even more of a mess.
Fu Yu hadn’t expected that Ruan Luo would take the “contract marriage” to heart, a phrase he had only used to put him at ease when he first adopted him.
A dark shadow crossed Fu Yu’s eyes. He realized that Ruan Luo’s subconscious must despise him. If it weren’t for the imprinting Ruan Luo had developed toward him, he would have probably wanted to leave the moment Fu Yu mentioned the contract marriage. Even when adopting the kitten he loved so much, he still thought about that.
Fu Yu felt a pang of bitterness. Keeping his composure, he gazed at Ruan Luo and spoke softly, coaxing him. “Whether the agreement expires or not is entirely up to you. When the time comes, if you want to keep the kitten, you can. If you don’t, I’ll raise it myself. I won’t let it wander the streets again.”
Fu Yu thought these words would give Ruan Luo a sense of security and freedom.
To his surprise, Ruan Luo’s face was even more smudged with tears after he heard them.
Fu Yu, a veteran of the business world, was always known for his unflappable, stoic demeanor. Yet, before Ruan Luo, he found himself completely at a loss.
He couldn’t bear to see Ruan Luo like this. He wanted nothing more than to pull him into his arms, present him with the most precious gifts in the world, and cherish him properly.
But he knew he couldn’t. It would be a miracle if he didn’t scare Ruan Luo into a panic attack.
Fortunately, Ruan Luo only wiped his face for a moment before hugging the small first-aid kit and handing it to Fu Yu. His face was smudged like a calico cat’s, the corners of his eyes red, and his voice muffled. “Can you hold this for me?”
Fu Yu quickly took it.
Ruan Luo knelt down and gently scooped up the kitten that was meowing and rubbing against his ankles.
The kitten remembered Ruan Luo as the one who had fed it treats. As soon as it was lifted, it clung to his clothes and began licking his face.
This finally brought a smile to Ruan Luo’s lips.
Fu Yu finally let out a breath of relief.
Once they were in the car and everyone- man and cat- was settled, Fu Yu pulled out a wet wipe to hand to Ruan Luo so he could clean his face. But seeing how engrossed the two were in their play in the passenger seat, he decided against it.
He stole a few more glances at Ruan Luo before starting the Maybach and pulling away.
Ruan Luo had been utterly exhausted these past few days on the mountain. As he played with the cat in the car, he drifted off to sleep again.
He was curled up in the plush passenger seat, the cat nestled in his arms.
Both man and cat were incredibly well-behaved.
Fu Yu found it hard to keep his gaze away, taking every opportunity while driving to steal a look at Ruan Luo.
Finally, while stopped at a red light, Fu Yu couldn’t resist. He cautiously reached out toward Ruan Luo.
His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he gently pressed his fingertip against Ruan Luo’s soft cheek. As if stroking a precious treasure, he traced the skin with a feather-light touch, wiping away a smudge of dirt.
He didn’t know what had come over him. The only excuse he’d given himself for reaching out was to wipe away the dust.
But once his finger touched Ruan Luo’s face, it was as if a magnet had found its pole—he couldn’t pull it away.
Only when the light turned green did Fu Yu reluctantly withdraw his hand.
Fu Yu arrived home at three in the afternoon. He didn’t wake Ruan Luo, but instead carried him back to his own room.
He gently wiped Ruan Luo’s face and hands with warm water, tucked him in, lit a calming incense stick, and left a small lamp on before leaving.
When Ruan Luo wasn’t watching, Fu Yu was anything but gentle with the kitten. He grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and handed it to Butler Ji. “Wash this little thing. Find someone to watch it so it doesn’t run off.”
Just as Butler Ji was about to leave with the cat in his arms, Fu Yu stopped him. “Forget it. Don’t touch it.”
Butler Ji replied, “But it’s dirty. It still needs a wash.”
“You don’t have to be the one to wash it,” Fu Yu said.
Butler Ji thought for a moment. “Very well.”
Fu Yu had a quick afternoon tea and instructed Butler Ji not to disturb Ruan Luo at dinner. “Don’t wake him for the meal. Just prepare it fresh whenever he wakes up.”
Then, he called his driver and rushed straight to the Group’s private hospital.
This was the first time Fu Yu would see Ruan Luo’s grandfather in person.
Special Assistant Wang had arranged the best possible ward for him, where Ruan Luo’s grandfather was receiving top-tier care.
When Fu Yu entered the hospital room, he saw a nurse helping Ruan Luo’s grandfather turn over in bed and giving him a massage.
Fu Yu observed the old man for a moment, then called over the doctors from the specialist group to ask a few questions. He spent a busy hour listening to reports and reviewing medical files.
Finally, Fu Yu asked the special nurse to fetch the attending physician; he still had some details to discuss.
Unexpectedly, the attending physician was in a conference room, holding a multidisciplinary consultation on the grandfather’s condition.
Fu Yu told the nurse not to disturb them.
Instead, he went to the smoking area, lit a cigarette, and sat down to wait.
As he smoked, he scrolled through his phone. He replied to several work reports from Secretary Li and reviewed the weekly financial report in his inbox.
Leaning back in the chair, he closed his eyes to rest.
Strangely, the moment he closed his eyes, Ruan Luo’s image flickered across his mind.
Fu Yu pinched the bridge of his nose, then, as if struck by a thought, gripped his phone and started dialing a number.
The contact name “Ji Chenxi” began to flash on the screen.
Ji Chenxi was Fu Yu’s friend. But unlike Fu Yu, an elegant head of a family wielding great power, Ji Chenxi was merely a second-generation scion of a mining family, a playboy with a fortune to spend.
This man had spent years frequenting high-end clubs and art galleries. From luxury auctions and Royal Elizabeth galas to Patek Philippe’s exclusive haute couture showcases, you’d always find this gold-burning demon in the crowd.
When the call connected, Fu Yu got straight to the point. “What rare colored gemstones are hitting the market lately?”
The odds of Ji Chenxi getting a call from Fu Yu were slimmer than seeing a ghost. He was just about to voice his astonishment when he was blindsided by Fu Yu’s directness. He had to swallow his shock and the string of WTFs filling his mind, then replied with a teasing grin, “Oh? Our President Fu has moved on from playing with wooden blocks to gemstones? I thought you looked down on our shallow tastes.”
“It’s a gift for a kid,” Fu Yu said. “He likes them.”
Ji Chenxi froze on the other end. “What kid?”
“My kid,” Fu Yu replied.
Ji Chenxi’s jaw dropped. “Ah… you mean that kid? The one you’re always beating up?”
“I’ll be good to him from now on,” Fu Yu said.
This time, Ji Chenxi was stunned for a full minute. “Bro, if you’re serious, I’m all for it! He likes colored gemstones?”
Fu Yu said, “He likes colorful gems and diamonds, anything that glows.”
Ji Chenxi’s smile turned mysterious. “Are you trying to win him over to make up for something, or are you actually trying to date him?”
“I just want to make him happy,” Fu Yu replied.
This time, Ji Chenxi was stunned for a full three minutes. “No way, man. You’re thirty years old. How can you still be this innocent? You’re not looking for anything in return, just his happiness? Where are you? Come out for a drink, I need to talk some sense into you!”
“I’m busy,” Fu Yu said curtly. “Just let me know when you find the information I need.”
“In three weeks, there’s a once-in-a-century auction in Zurich themed ‘Galaxy Kiss.’ Want to go? I can get you a VIP seat. You could take your kid along for fun.”
“You have one day to arrange it. Get back to me as soon as possible.”
Ji Chenxi hurriedly said, “Wait, don’t hang up yet! Fu Yu, where are you right now? Come out for a drink.”
Fu Yu chuckled softly. “I’m busy. I can’t leave the kid alone.”
Just then, the faint rumble of thunder echoed in the sky. Fu Yu frowned and hung up immediately, rushing back home.
The information from the files he had read burned in his mind; Ruan Luo was afraid of thunder.