Gu Yu was dragged out of the bedroom, and he asked Lin Xiao impatiently, "Is that woman the one you mentioned? The one who triggered a reaction in Second Master and can also help him fall asleep?"
As Lin Xiao led him downstairs, he whispered, "It is her. She is Fu Dexin's illegitimate daughter, just brought back to the Fu family these past two days."
After what happened last night, Lin Xiao had briefly looked into Ruan Jiaojiao’s background. He knew she was Fu Dexin’s illegitimate daughter and that her mother had also come to the Fu family residence, where the members of the Third Branch did not welcome them at all.
That made sense. In a prestigious, wealthy family like the Fus, the status of an illegitimate daughter was a disgrace; how could they possibly be welcome?
"An illegitimate daughter?" Gu Yu suddenly realized. "So, she isn't loved by Fu Dexin, which explains why it’s no surprise she was punished by being made to kneel."
"With a father like that, this delicate girl is in for a hard time."
As he spoke, Gu Yu nudged Lin Xiao with his elbow. "Tell me, do you think Second Master has taken a fancy to her? Just now, I felt like Second Master’s gaze was fixed on me the entire time; it was truly chilling."
Lin Xiao looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lin Xiao didn't answer. He had just finished escorting him to the front gate. With a sharp "click," the gate closed.
Gu Yu stood there in a daze for several seconds, staring at the closed door...
"You heartless bastard! Couldn't you at least walk me to the parking lot?!"
Lin Xiao’s calm, detached voice drifted from inside. "The snow makes the roads slippery. Do take care on your way."
Gu Yu: "..."
Both of them were heartless—once they had women, they forgot their brothers!
As Gu Yu walked, he pulled out his phone, looked at his pinned WeChat contact, tapped it, and initiated a video call.
"What time are you off work today?"
"I'll come pick you up."
"Let's continue what we started last night."
***
In the bedroom, Fu Zhinian sat on the edge of the bed. He glanced at the soiled marks on the sheets and frowned imperceptibly.
Watching Ruan Jiaojiao’s pale, delicate sleeping face, his dark, unfathomable eyes seemed lost in thought.
A moment later, he bent down, slid one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back, and lifted her into his arms.
Stepping out of the bedroom, Fu Zhinian told the maid, "Change the sheets and the duvet."
"Yes, Second Master."
Fu Zhinian carried Ruan Jiaojiao into the room next door, placed her on the bed, and tucked her in.
Just as he was about to stand up and leave, Ruan Jiaojiao began to murmur, apparently caught in a nightmare. She furrowed her brows tightly, and beads of fine sweat broke out on her forehead.
Fu Zhinian paused. He sat back down on the edge of the bed, a trace of hesitation crossing his usually cold, phoenix-like eyes. He rarely comforted anyone; he didn't know what he should do.
Ruan Jiaojiao’s brows knit tighter, and her pale little mouth let out a soft moan.
Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Fu Zhinian’s sleeve. As if she had found a lifeline, she scrambled to move closer into his arms. She wrapped her hands around his waist, her body still trembling.
Fu Zhinian’s body stiffened, and his breath hitched. He remained silent for a long while before finally letting out a long sigh.
He reached out, placed his hand on the back of hers, and patted her gently. The Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist emitted a soft, rhythmic "click-clack" with every movement.
Perhaps sensing the comfort radiating from him, Ruan Jiaojiao’s trembling body gradually calmed, as did her breathing.
Fu Zhinian looked down at her breathtaking face, his gaze lingering on her pale lips for a long time. Finally, his thumb came to rest on her lip, stroking it lightly. However, the prominent veins on the back of his hand betrayed his intense restraint.
In her sleep, the girl seemed to feel a sting on her lips and let out a soft whimper.
Fu Zhinian snapped out of his trance and pulled his thumb away; her once-pale lips were now flushed with a hint of color from his touch.
The room was silent, save for the sound of their breathing.
Lin Xiao pushed the slightly ajar door open. Seeing the scene before him, he froze in the doorway, not daring to enter and interrupt.
After a long time, Fu Zhinian finally spoke. "Is something the matter?"
Lin Xiao whispered, "Second Master, Fu Dexin is here."
After Lin Xiao had seen Gu Yu off, he had lingered in the courtyard for a while and heard the doorbell. Fu Dexin was standing outside with several gifts, insisting on seeing Fu Zhinian.
"I told him you didn't want to see him, but he was very persistent. He said he had to see you—probably about the dividends that were deducted," Lin Xiao said.
Although the person in his arms was fast asleep, Fu Zhinian didn't stop the gentle patting of her back. The prayer beads clicked softly again. He didn't speak, his face devoid of expression. But Lin Xiao, who knew him well, recognized that Second Master was angry.
After a long silence, Fu Zhinian said coolly, "Let him wait."
"Understood," Lin Xiao replied.
He backed out of the room and closed the door. He walked downstairs, stepped outside, pulled the door shut behind him, and crossed the front courtyard to the main gate.
When he opened it, Fu Dexin was still standing outside. He seemed to be shivering from the cold, pacing back and forth and rubbing his hands.
Hearing the door creak open, he turned around and hurried toward Lin Xiao. "Assistant Lin, has Zhinian decided to let me in?"
Though Lin Xiao maintained a professional smile, his eyes were cold. "Third Master, Second Master is busy with work inside. If you wish to see him, you will have to wait until he is finished."
Fu Dexin asked, "When will he be finished?"
"I don't know. You'll just have to wait." With that, Lin Xiao turned around, walked back inside, and closed the gate.
Fu Dexin tried to step forward to ask more, but he was a second too late. Looking at the firmly shut gate, he raised his hand to knock but hesitated, instead calling out, "I'll wait out here! Please tell Zhinian that!"
There was no reply from within.
A blast of cold wind hit him, and Fu Dexin shrank his neck and pursed his lips, feeling deeply disgruntled.
He was a man who knew how to read the room; Fu Zhinian was angry, and he couldn't just sit there and do nothing, even if he was filled with resentment. He knew Fu Zhinian’s methods—they could be fatal.
It was raining and sleeting, and it wouldn't stop anytime soon. He had no choice but to take shelter under the eaves nearby. However, the wind blew the rain and sleet under the roof, and before long, his clothes were soaked.
Watching the security monitor, which showed Fu Dexin standing against the wall to hide from the rain, Lin Xiao smiled with satisfaction.
***
The sky began to darken. Lin Xiao checked the monitor; Fu Dexin was still standing there.
Deciding the punishment was sufficient, Lin Xiao stood up and headed toward the room.
Fu Zhinian had already left the bed and was sitting on the sofa, watching the peaceful face of Miss Jiaojiao as she slept.
"Second Master..." Lin Xiao whispered, "Fu Dexin is still waiting outside. He has been standing there all day."
Fu Zhinian didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on Ruan Jiaojiao’s face. He had sat there for a long time, feeling a sense of peace and tranquility he had never known before.
He recalled waking up that morning and being stunned to find that he had actually fallen asleep on the sofa.
He suffered from insomnia. Every night before bed, he needed a bath in Chinese medicine prescribed by Gu Yu, followed by specific medications, just to be able to drift off. Yet, last night, simply listening to Ruan Jiaojiao’s voice had made him feel a wave of drowsiness, and he had fallen asleep unconsciously, his usual vigilance failing him entirely.
On the opposite sofa sat the items Ruan Jiaojiao had brought back; she hadn't taken them with her.
She was clearly suffering and cold, yet she still insisted on returning the clothes he had given her?
Fu Zhinian didn't dwell on it further. He said to Lin Xiao, "Tell him to wait in the living room."
His things needed to be protected, lest they be ruined by others.