“Spreading the Love Universally / Rain and Dew Shared Alike”
Once there is a first meeting, there will be a second meeting; the fact that their trajectories had begun to overlap meant that within the short term, they would constantly be entangled with each other.
The health of the Fu family’s grandfather was getting worse and worse, and he had been staying in the hospital all along. As Fu Yunting’s fiancé, it was only proper for Jiang Zhi to pay a visit. Therefore, as soon as the other party’s phone call came, he agreed.
Jiang Zhi had not been back in the country for very long, and his work could not be considered leisurely. For lunch, he had met up with his former piano teacher, and in the afternoon, there was a charity concert. By the time it ended, it was neither too early nor too late—it happened to be exactly at dinner time.
The moment he came down from the stage, he rushed to the lounge to change his clothes. The person he was going to meet today was an elder; if he were to be late again, it would be a question of politeness and upbringing.
But just as he entered the door, Jiang Zhi saw Zhao Fei from the volunteer team.
Today’s concert was related to charity, so many teachers within the industry had come, as well as a few artists from the entertainment industry. Knowing that several girls in the team liked to chase stars, Jiang Zhi had specially had his assistant deliver tickets to the volunteer team’s side.
He didn’t expect that Zhao Fei would actually find his way to the lounge.
“It’s rare that you can still think of the people in the team. Everyone is waiting at the entrance; will you grace us with your presence for a meal, great artist?”
Jiang Zhi looked toward his assistant. “Why didn’t you let everyone come in together?”
Chang Ran cast a glance at this swaggering man. “I didn’t see the people he spoke of.” Just now, he clearly said it was only himself.
Jiang Zhi didn’t say anything more. He roughly guessed what was going on, so he changed his clothes, took his assistant along, and went to the exhibition hall exit to look for the people.
Today the temperature outside dropped, and everyone was crowding around the hall exit to shelter from the rain. Aside from the team members, there were also some fans of the artists.
“Sorry, it was my poor hospitality. Next time you guys come over, just come straight to the lounge.”
Several team members silently cast a glance at Zhao Fei, then turned around to smile and wave their hands. “It doesn’t matter. We are all your fans, and we are currently meeting up in person with a few sisters from other provinces.”
Jiang Zhi saw his own fans squeezed in the middle of a crowd of artists. He didn’t expect that they would come to support even this kind of charity-nature concert.
He hurriedly had his assistant call everyone back to the lounge to speak. “Let’s all go inside together to avoid the cold, and leave after the rain stops.”
Hearing this, several fans standing at the back were somewhat excited. “We are not cold; being able to see you makes us very happy already.”
Jiang Zhi curled his lips slightly, his mood turning a bit good.
“Then wait until the rain stops before leaving anyway.”
His popularity within the country could not compare to artists and idols. Because of the audience limitation of classical music, those who were willing to hold up signs at the scene to support him were even fewer; it was rare for him to be able to meet fans at close range.
Having arranged everyone into the lounge, Jiang Zhi cast a glance at the time and accompanied everyone to chat about their recent situations.
Zhao Fei had originally wanted to use the name of the team members to invite Jiang Zhi out for dinner. He didn’t expect there to be this hitch, and he instantly became somewhat impatient.
Unfortunately, this place was not his volunteer team; no one was willing to look at his face, and even several team members seemed to have forgotten his existence.
“Zhizhi, will you still collaborate with Movie King Gan in the future? You guys look to have such a tacit understanding.” A little girl holding hot tea looked at him with some anticipation.
Hearing Gan Shize’s name, Jiang Zhi’s expression stiffened for an instant, but it returned to normal very quickly.
“Being able to collaborate with Movie King Gan made me very fortunate, but after all, we are not in the same field; opportunities might not be many,” Jiang Zhi said tactfully.
“Is that so? Previously, I heard that entertainment companies threw olive branches to you. Have you thought about developing a bit inside the entertainment industry? That way, collaboration opportunities will definitely be more.”
“Aside from the piano, I don’t know how to do anything else. What would I go to the entertainment industry to do—eat?” Jiang Zhi was helpless.
“Sigh!” An old fan feigned sorrow. “Clearly able to rely on a face to eat, yet insists on relying on capability. Our Zhizhi is just too hardworking.”
Jiang Zhi lost his laugh. He didn’t know what these little girls were thinking inside their heads day after day.
Seeing that Jiang Zhi was buying milk tea and accompanying these fans to chat and smile, Zhao Fei felt disdain in his heart. What difference was there between this and those beggars in the entertainment industry who relied on fans to eat?
The time for the reserved restaurant was about to arrive soon, and he impatiently wanted to step forward to urge him. But before he could manage to open his mouth, a slender shadow suddenly fell beside him.
Zhao Fei turned his head to look over.
This person had a cold and stern face, and an extraordinary temperament. Without looking closely, one knew this was a natural-born superior. On his wrist, he wore a watch that he had only seen in luxury goods; the price… was at least enough for him to pay off twenty years of a housing loan.
Furthermore, he didn’t even dare to look deeply into that well-tailored suit on his body.
“President Fu, should I call Young Master Jiang?”
The man waved his hand, not speaking.
Hearing this, Zhao Fei’s whole person froze, and his footsteps instinctively took a step backward.
Realizing his own action, he looked at the other party’s back with embarrassment, and suddenly thought a great deal in his heart.
Thinking back, he had been the student union president since school, leading a stream of student cadres beneath him, and upon graduation, he entered the Tax Bureau, being the “child of the neighbors” spoken of by all parents.
Pampered by parents and praised by those around him, he was a top-notch existence wherever he went. After establishing the volunteer team, he had the blessing of a strong sense of social recognition, making Zhao Fei’s image even more full. As long as he used a tiny bit of methods, there was no boy he couldn’t handle, yet now he was deterred by a man he had met only once to the point of wanting to flee the spot.
Zhao Fei leaned behind the lounge door, unable to utter a word for a long time.
This man, like Zhao Fei, came to look for Jiang Zhi. However, before even opening his mouth, he had already made him feel ashamed of his own unworthiness. Such a strong contrast caused the self-confidence he had established over many years to crash down with a roar.
Jiang Zhi had originally intended not to stay here for too long, however, everyone was more fun than the last, and several fans had even run over from the neighboring province from a great distance away, making him somewhat unable to move his feet and unable to leave easily.
“As for the entertainment industry, I temporarily do not have this plan. But these years, isn’t there a trend of some crossover? Singers acting, actors singing, idols going to perform in sketches. Me… who knows, maybe one day I’ll also go on a variety show, take a nap, do an eating broadcast or something. Everyone don’t give up, there is still hope.”
Hearing Jiang Zhi chatting with fans about recent situations and speaking of the entertainment industry, Fu Yunting’s expression was faint, not knowing what he was thinking.
Sheng Yuan noticed Fu Yunting’s somewhat fatigued complexion and hesitated for an instant. “Otherwise, how about you go to the car to rest first, and I will wait for Young Master Jiang here?”
“No need,” Fu Yunting said.
Sheng Yuan could only close his mouth and continue to act as his own door god.
He had thought that with so many people, they would have to wait for a while. Unfavorable to that, this man’s sense of presence was too strong, and very quickly there were fans who discovered Fu Yunting’s existence.
For a time, everyone’s gazes cast toward here one after another.
Jiang Zhi followed to look toward the back, and noticing Fu Yunting, he stood up in some astonishment.
“When did you arrive?”
Fu Yunting shook his head, indicating for him not to mind himself.
Jiang Zhi caught sight of everyone’s gossiping gazes, secretly thinking how could they continue chatting like this, so he could only stand up to bid farewell to everyone with apology.
“Sorry, I can only accompany everyone up to here. I have something to do later, so I must leave now.”
“Go ahead, go ahead. Being able to see my idol at such a close distance, I already have no regrets in death. Hurry up and go eat with the handsome guy.” That girl from just now spoke again, and after finishing, she winked and made faces again, using a breathy voice to say, “This domineering president’s facial value is absolute; he is even more good-looking than Movie King Gan. Have fun playing~”
Jiang Zhi, “……”
Other people’s fans were all terrified of their own idol dating, but their family’s was great—they could actually calmly gossip on the side. Just now it was still Gan Shize, and this moment upon seeing Fu Yunting, eyes immediately sprouted stars.
Sure enough, nowadays, the three views follow the five facial features [people judge morals by looks].
Jiang Zhi explained to his assistant to arrange for everyone well, and after greeting his colleagues from the volunteer team, he went out the door together with Fu Yunting.
Before going out the door, Sheng Yuan cast a glance at Zhao Fei who was still guarding the entrance, his eyes showing sympathy; unexpectedly, neither of the two people was willing to cast a single glance toward this direction.
Coming out from the performance hall, Fu Yunting drove Jiang Zhi straight to the hospital.
Recently, aside from the day he met Jiang Zhi when he returned to Yu Garden, most of the time he was at the hospital accompanying the old master.
Regarding this, Old Master Fu was very gratified, but the thing he could least let go of in his heart was also this grandson. Knowing that Fu Yunting had finally gotten engaged to that child from the Jiang family as he wished, he couldn’t wait to have a look.
The old master had a fall some days ago, and after that, his health had been not very good all along. Various functions were continuously failing, and most of the time each day he could only lie on the bed.
Listening to Fu Yunting telling him about the Fu family’s grandfather, Jiang Zhi had a strange sense of familiarity. He thought over the reason—it was said that the grandfathers of the two families had a very good relationship in the early days and also frequently interacted; could it be this reason?
However, later after Fu Yunting’s father took charge of the household, they gradually became estranged.
The reasons for the estrangement: firstly, it was the passing away of the Jiang family’s grandfather; secondly, it was said that Fu Yaoming, because of the matter of Fu Yunting’s mother, had once had a very big conflict with the Jiang family’s father.
Rumors outside said that Fu Yunting was an illegitimate son of the Fu family, and his mother was a nightlife singer named Xu Jingjing. It was said that at that time she was very famous in the entire Kyoto nightlife scene—with an outstanding singing voice, young and beautiful. Nowadays, among the previous generation of celebrities in Kyoto, estimating it, there were probably not many who hadn’t coveted his mother; Fu Yaoming and Jiang Zheng were two among them.
It was also for this reason that among the three children of the Fu family, Fu Yunting’s appearance was the most outstanding. Of course, his capability was also the most outstanding—appearance inherited from his mother, while capability inherited from Old Master Fu.
Jiang Zhi thought, the affection between this grandfather and grandson must be very good.
As for other details—how Xu Jingjing got together with Fu Yaoming, whether she was a family destroyer or was coaxed and blinded by Fu Yaoming—Jiang Zhi had no way of knowing, and whether the Jiang family’s father really became angry on account of a beautiful woman, no one confirmed it either.
But the two families indeed had not had much interaction over these years. On official business, if there was a conflict, the Jiang family would take a step back on their own initiative, hiding if they could hide. The Fu family maintained silence throughout, never publicly responding to these rights and wrongs.
The book actually didn’t have much description regarding Fu Yunting; aside from being decisive and ruthless, it was just some negative, derogatory words.
Jiang Zhi looked at someone’s silent profile. Actually… no matter how words were written, they were one-sided; the one he truly faced was the living, breathing human being.
If it were possible, he truly hoped Fu Yunting was just an ordinary Fu Yunting.
And he was just an ordinary Jiang Zhi.
Not a supporting character of any world, and not anyone’s foil counterpart; every person was the main character of their own life.
This hospital, compared to a hospital, looked more like a luxury version of a nursing home.
From the moment he entered the door, Jiang Zhi was somewhat staring blankly. Where was this a hospital? It was simply the specification of a five-star hotel. Jiang Zhi was born into the Jiang family, considering himself to have seen not a few scenes of the world, yet it was his first time coming to this kind of hospital.
“Your grandfather… just lives here?” Jiang Zhi said hesitantly.
“Yes, our own institution. The positioning is a high-end nursing-type hospital, so the consumer crowd is relatively fewer compared to ordinary hospitals,” Fu Yunting explained. “It is also relatively quiet.”
Jiang Zhi curled his lips slightly. “Understood.”
Entering the elevator, Jiang Zhi was still somewhat apprehensive. Was there really a grandfather willing to find a male grandson’s wife for his grandson?
He followed Fu Yunting all the way to the eighteenth floor. He touched his nose—sure enough, it was the Fu family whose heroic spirit reached the sky; he must not show timidity, absolutely must not show timidity.
But in the turn of an eye, he saw that tiny bit of smile beside Fu Yunting’s lips. Jiang Zhi felt somewhat inexplicable.
“……What are you laughing at?”
The smile on Fu Yunting’s face had not faded. He shook his head and then indicated for Jiang Zhi to follow himself to walk inside.
“Oh……”
After the two entered the door, they walked through a long living room, and opened another door before they saw the sickbed.
An old man with a head full of gray hair was currently wearing glasses, leaning on the bed to read a book. The old man’s eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of his mouth carrying a smile, looking kind and benevolent.
“Grandfather,” Fu Yunting called out.
Hearing the voice, the old master looked toward the doorway. His reading glasses automatically slid down, and his eyeballs turned upward to look carefully at Fu Yunting and the boy beside him. When he saw Jiang Zhi, his mouth unconsciously opened, carrying some scrutiny toward a grandson’s wife.
Jiang Zhi couldn’t help but let out a light laugh. This Fu family grandfather didn’t look serious at all; he was much more benevolent than his own grandfather.
“Oh, our family’s baby has come,” Old Master Fu said smilingly as he put down the book.
Just as the words fell, Fu Yunting’s expression suddenly twisted.
Jiang Zhi was astonished for an instant, and truly hadn’t expected it either. “Can’t tell at all, ah—you are actually grandfather’s little baby?”
The man’s lips twitched, but raising his eyes to see Jiang Zhi’s thoughtless smile, his expression spaced out for an instant. This kind of Jiang Zhi… he hadn’t seen him for too long.