Fu Jiaru didn't bother to keep up appearances once Fu Zhinian had left. She glared at Ruan Jiaojiao, spat out the word "vixen," and stomped upstairs in a rage.
Fu Dexin also cast a glance at Ruan Jiaojiao, tossed the clothing at her, and left with a cold snort, flicking his sleeves in annoyance.
The living room fell silent. Ruan Jiaojiao held the clothes in her arms, flicking off a few specks of dust from the fabric.
"Mom, let’s go back to our room."
Ruan Qianlian pulled her gaze away from Fu Dexin’s retreating figure, nodded, and followed Ruan Jiaojiao back to the attic.
"Jiaojiao, are you well-acquainted with that man from earlier?" Ruan Qianlian hadn't really known who Fu Zhinian was; she had only caught a brief glimpse of him when they first arrived and hadn't paid him much mind.
Having taken a closer look today, she couldn't help but feel curious. He looked like a man among men—handsome and imposing—so much so that even Fu Dexin seemed wary of him.
Ruan Jiaojiao folded the clothes and explained, "Not really. I just happened to run into him earlier today when I went to see Fu Dexin."
Ruan Qianlian leaned in closer. "I heard you call him Second Uncle, but he looks so young. He doesn't seem like Fu Dexin’s brother."
"I’m not entirely sure about his status either. I just heard Fu Jiaru call him Second Uncle, so I followed suit." Ruan Jiaojiao thought for a moment and added, "He probably just looks young for his age."
She hadn't delved into the affairs of the Fu family yet, but now, she felt she had no choice but to start.
***
The night at the Fu residence was quiet, likely because the cold weather kept everyone indoors.
Once Ruan Jiaojiao saw that her mother had fallen asleep, she picked up the clothes, scarf, and umbrella that Second Uncle had given her and went downstairs.
The ground floor was deserted; the servants had already retired for the night. She glanced at the wall clock; it was exactly nine-thirty.
Stepping outside, she found a fine drizzle falling. Relying on her memory from earlier that day, she made her way toward Xing Garden.
When she reached the gate of Xing Garden, the lights were still on inside.
In the study:
"Second Master, there is someone outside the gate." Lin Xiao looked at the notification on his phone, saw a woman standing outside, and informed his superior.
Fu Zhinian was hunched over his desk, focused on his painting with a calligraphy brush. "You know what to do," he said calmly.
Lin Xiao nodded and walked out of the study.
Outside the gate, Ruan Jiaojiao hesitated for a moment before preparing to knock.
Just as she raised her hand, the gate opened, and a tall figure appeared before her.
Ruan Jiaojiao was stunned to see the man who had been with Second Uncle earlier that day.
Lin Xiao was equally taken aback. Wasn't this the same woman who had fallen straight into the Second Master's arms earlier today?
As the Second Master’s executive assistant, this was the first time he had ever seen him remain so calm after coming into contact with a woman. Heaven knows how shocked he had been at the time.
Moreover, the fact that the Second Master had actually reached out to help this woman suggested she was special to him. He absolutely could not afford to offend her.
Thinking this, Lin Xiao quickly hid the baseball bat he was carrying behind his back, fearful of scaring her. He had dealt with plenty of women who thought they were special and tried to climb into the Second Master's bed; he usually beat them black and blue. Chivalry didn't exist in his vocabulary.
"H-hello. I’m here to see Second Uncle. Is he inside?" Ruan Jiaojiao steadied herself and offered a polite smile.
Lin Xiao stepped aside and gestured. "The Second Master is inside. You may go in and find him."
Ruan Jiaojiao nodded. "Thank you."
She walked into Xing Garden, covering the five meters from the gate to the house, holding the clothes, scarf, and umbrella she had come to return.
They entered the study. Lin Xiao spoke softly, "Second Master."
Fu Zhinian was still painting. He remained bent over the desk, head lowered, looking quite absorbed in his work.
"Is it done?" Fu Zhinian asked without looking up.
Lin Xiao glanced at Ruan Jiaojiao standing behind him, hesitating over how to explain.
After a few seconds of silence in the room, a soft, sweet voice rang out: "Second Uncle."
The brush in Fu Zhinian’s hand faltered. A drop of yellow pigment landed where a delicate touch of plum blossom was meant to be, ruining the beautiful painting.
Lin Xiao arched a brow, his expression shifting significantly.
The always composed and imperturbable Second Master Fu had actually been rattled by a single "Second Uncle."
Fu Zhinian lifted his head and saw Ruan Jiaojiao standing not far away, clutching the clothes, scarf, and umbrella, looking obedient and demure.
He set down his brush, stood up, walked around the long desk, and sat on the sofa.
Crossing one leg over the other, he took the string of Buddhist prayer beads off his left wrist and began to turn them slowly.
Lin Xiao poured tea for him, then poured a cup for Ruan Jiaojiao, reminding her, "Miss Jiaojiao, come and sit."
Ruan Jiaojiao looked at Second Uncle. Without his expression, he appeared cold and distant; his gaze was so piercing it almost made her want to retreat.
Steeling her nerves, she walked over to the sofa and sat across from him.
"Second Uncle, I’m sorry to bother you. I came to return your things." She was still holding the items.
Fu Zhinian held his teacup with one hand, taking a small sip, while resting his elbow on the back of the sofa, his other hand working the prayer beads. He watched her with an unmasked, direct gaze.
Ruan Jiaojiao felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, unable to fathom what he was thinking.
Was he angry, or was this his way of accepting her presence?
Finally, Fu Zhinian slowly set down his teacup. "I don't have a habit of taking back what I’ve given away."
Ruan Jiaojiao blinked her beautiful fox-like eyes, looking troubled. "Second Uncle, you gave me such expensive gifts, but I haven't been able to do anything for you. I feel bad about keeping them."
"How old are you?" Fu Zhinian asked suddenly.
Ruan Jiaojiao let out an "ah," then replied, "I just turned eighteen."
"Are you in university?" Fu Zhinian’s tone was relaxed, as if they were just making small talk.
Ruan Jiaojiao shook her head slightly. "Not yet. I was supposed to start in September, but because of some family matters, I applied to defer my enrollment until next semester."
She and her mother were hiding from debts and had neither money nor a permanent place to stay. She couldn't bear to leave her mother alone to face the debt collectors, so she had applied for a deferment.
She would have to return for the start of the semester in February after the Spring Festival, and by then, she would need to speak with Fu Dexin about her schooling.
However, she didn't intend to tell Second Uncle these details.
Although Second Uncle was the only one in the Fu family who had treated her reasonably well, she hadn't yet figured out his true colors and couldn't afford to trust anyone too easily.
Otherwise, she would end up just like before.
At the thought of those past events, Ruan Jiaojiao felt a dull ache in the tattoo on her lower back—a mark left by betrayal.