《Transmigrated as the Stepmother of a Rebellious Heir》 Chapter 1 - 1 1 Rebirth ?Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Rebirth Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Rebirth The night was dense, high-rise buildings piercing the dark sky, with brilliant lights interweaving and changing, reflecting the name ¡°NIGHT¡± of the bar. Through the gaps in the large doors, one could see people inside, dressed bizarrely, writhing and reveling to the intense music, drinking merrily. Lady Shu stood at the entrance, her mind in a haze. Was she dreaming? Before she went to sleep, she was in the North Garden of the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, but when she next opened her eyes, she found herself in a completely unfamiliar world with a strange new memory, brought here by a group of strangers. ¡°Young Madam, the Young Master is inside,¡± A middle-aged man dressed in black approached her; this was the Fu Family¡¯s housekeeper. Shu Wan had not yet figured out whether this was a dream or an illusion; she masked her flurry of thoughts and nodded calmly, ¡°Lead the way.¡± The housekeeper was taken aback as he looked at Shu Wan¡¯s serene and beautiful profile. She still bore the familiar face, with bright teeth and lovely brows, the elegance of stars and the moon, yet her demeanor was utterly different. At this moment, Shu Wan simply stood there like the bright moon above, seemingly rightly entitled to be looked up to by all. In an instant, the housekeeper even thought of their family¡¯s eldest son, noting a strange similarity between the two. After a while, the housekeeper finally came to his senses and tentatively called, ¡°Lady Shu?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we going?¡± Shu Wan slightly furrowed her brow, her eyes carried the authority of long being in a high position, glancing over lightly, making one¡¯s heart tremble. Being the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister, the future Crown Princess Consort, the Mother of the Country, her status was incomparably noble, and she had long been accustomed to the identity of a superior. However, this gesture, to the people around her, was as outrageous as a comet colliding with Earth. After all, everyone had seen Shu Wan two months ago. Back then, she was timid and couldn¡¯t even speak her sentences completely, a stark contrast to her current demeanor. The gaze of the crowd followed the direction Shu Wan left in, involuntarily. Her figure was slim and graceful, her steps steady. As she walked, she seemed like a fluid ink painting, exuding a noble and elegant aura. Having worked in the Fu Family for so long, the housekeeper had seen countless nobles and dignitaries, but now he had to admit that the innate nobility and elegance embodied by Shu Wan was something not even the royal princesses possessed. While the crowd was still in a daze, Shu Wan¡¯s silhouette was about to disappear at the door. The housekeeper hurriedly signalled to everyone, ¡°Follow her.¡± Shu Wan entered the bar, where the deafening music was so loud it made her ears ache. The changing lights inside meant it was impossible to make out faces clearly. Standing in a corner, Shu Wan scanned the room but did not see the Fu Family¡¯s Young Master. ¡°How strange, the bar called and said the Young Master was here fighting, but he seems to be fine,¡± the housekeeper¡¯s voice came from behind her. Shu Wan turned her head, ¡°Which one is Fu Yang?¡± The housekeeper pointed to a figure seated in the VIP area, ¡°The one with silver hair is the Young Master.¡± Following the direction the housekeeper pointed, Shu Wan indeed saw a silver-haired young man, cockily sprawling on the sofa with a carefree leg propped up. The light was dim there, so she couldn¡¯t clearly see the youth¡¯s face. ¡°You go, just tie him up and take him home.¡± Disturbed by the raucous music, Shu Wan decided to handle this unruly young lord with the simplest and most direct approach. ¡°Yes, Young Madam.¡± Upon receiving Shu Wan¡¯s order, the subordinates headed straight for Fu Yang. At this moment, the people with Fu Yang had already spotted Shu Wan; after all, her conspicuous face here was hard to miss. ¡°Lin Yang, your stepmother has indeed come looking for you. And damn, your stepmother is quite the beauty.¡± Fu Yang did not want others to know he was from the Fu Family, hence among classmates and friends, he always used the alias ¡°Lin Yang.¡± ¡°How beautiful can she be? Let me have a look. It¡¯s also the first time for me to meet Little Mother today,¡± the young man lazily lifted his head, his lips curved in a teasing smile. He had a stunningly delicate face, and the eye-catching silver hair was but a plain backdrop to it. He wore metal ornaments on his wrists and fingers, a diamond cross earring adorned his right ear, and his pair of charming peach blossom eyes were complemented by his casual, lazy posture. Although each attribute spelled ¡®arrogant and frivolous¡¯ to the extreme, it didn¡¯t elicit aversion in others. At the heart of it, it was probably his pair of remarkably clear eyes. The 14-year-old youth, even with his determined efforts to exhibit individuality and rebellion, could not hide the eyes that were like a cool spring in summer. However, what caused Shu Wan to be momentarily stunned was not this. Instead, the young man bore a five-point resemblance to a benefactor from her previous life. But unlike the gentle and scholarly benefactor from her past life, the youth provocatively lifted his eyebrows at Shu Wan with an air of frivolity, ¡°What brings Little Mother out to drown her sorrows? Care to join for a drink?¡± Fu Yang¡¯s behavior was an overt challenge to Shu Wan. The housekeeper signaled the bodyguard to take Fu Yang away, but Shu Wan raised her hand slightly, ¡°You all wait outside.¡± The housekeeper was worried, for he knew Fu Yang¡¯s temperament better than Shu Wan, ¡°Young Madam, maybe¡ª¡± ¡°No worries, you all go out.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Since Shu Wan had said so, the housekeeper had no choice but to leave with the bodyguard. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving? Planning to stay and play with us?¡± Fu Yang lounged on the couch, his gaze sweeping over Shu Wan, a clear look of astonishment in his eyes. Hmph, his dad really knew how to pick beauties. ¡°What game?¡± Shu Wan sat down beside Fu Yang nonchalantly and turned her head to look at him. Fu Yang slightly tilted his chin and pointed with his hand towards the dice on the table, ¡°Do you know how to play this?¡± ¡°If I win, you¡¯ll come back with me,¡± Shu Wan said, noticing the cocktail in front of Fu Yang and curiously asked, ¡°Is it good?¡± Hearing Shu Wan¡¯s first statement, Fu Yang¡¯s instinct was to scoff, but her subsequent question caught him off guard. ¡°You¡¯re rather presumptuous.¡± Hearing Shu Wan¡¯s words, everyone burst into laughter since Fu Yang had never lost. Undeterred by the others¡¯ mockery, Shu Wan picked up the dice, ¡°Best two out of three, comparing high or low?¡± ¡°Low.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± The onlookers had already prepared the two dice cups, and Shu Wan took one, shook it casually, and then slammed it down on the table, ¡°Done.¡± ¡°Little Mother, you sure talk big, but¡ª¡± Fu Yang didn¡¯t finish his mocking words when he saw Shu Wan open the cup, revealing three dice stacked on top of one another, the top die showing a ¡°1.¡± Fu Yang¡¯s eyes paused, looking at Shu Wan with some surprise. The people around him wanted to say something, but Fu Yang raised his hand, signaling them to be quiet. He took the cup, shook it lightly like Shu Wan, placed it on the table, and revealed a ¡°1,¡± too. Shu Wan covered the cup again, shook it once more, and upon opening it, there was still a ¡°1.¡± Fu Yang did the same, and they were tied. ¡°That¡¯s really weird, Lin Yang, your Little Mother is this amazing?¡± Fu Yang was still calm while his friend, unable to contain his excitement, said, ¡°Seems like you two are an even match.¡± ¡°Boring.¡± Fu Yang casually shook the dice, and the three stacked dice appeared on the table. He gestured to Shu Wan, ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be a tie,¡± Shu Wan firmly replied, shaking the cup just like before. But if anyone had been paying attention, they would have noticed that, although the movement was the same, Shu Wan¡¯s wrist flicked at the last moment. Nobody else spotted anything amiss, only Fu Yang sensed something was off the instant the dice landed. However, he didn¡¯t make a big deal of it and took a sip of his drink, ¡°The smallest number is 1, you say it won¡¯t be a tie, seems like you¡¯re not very confident in yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite confident in myself,¡± Shu Wan replied, opening the cup to reveal that the three dice had turned into a pile of powder. Fu Yang choked on his drink, unable to swallow or cough it up, his face turning red. After coughing twice and still unable to catch his breath, he seemed to be choking, which alarmed everyone to the point they hurried to get their phones to call for an ambulance. Just as Fu Yang¡¯s face was about to turn purple, Shu Wan stepped forward and slapped him on the chest. ¡°How dare you hit me?¡± Fu Yang glared at her, furious. Shu Wan pointed at his throat, ¡°Is that how you talk to your lifesaver?¡± Fu Yang then realized that it was Shu Wan¡¯s slap that had allowed him to breathe again. Blushing with an unnatural expression, Fu Yang coughed, ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m in good shape, it¡¯s nothing to do with you.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t bother arguing about that, ¡°I won, let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d keep my word,¡± huffed Fu Yang, having regained his breath and arrogance. He draped his arm over the couch, lazily crossed his legs in a challenging posture, clearly conveying I¡¯m not leaving, what are you going to do about it? By this time it was quite late, and even though she was in a different era, Shu Wan¡¯s biological clock was still accurate. Drowsiness creeping up on her and running low on patience, Shu Wan approached Fu Yang and asked one last time, ¡°You really won¡¯t come with me?¡± Shu Wan herself had a naturally cool and aloof appearance that, when she looked at someone seriously, inexplicably exuded a compelling majesty. But Fu Yang clearly didn¡¯t want to admit that he could be dominated by Shu Wan. He adopted an even more arrogant pose, with the tip of his shoe pointed directly at Shu Wan. He couldn¡¯t believe it. How could Shu Wan, with her slender arms and legs, possibly get the upper hand over him? He raised an eyebrow at Shu Wan, ¡°Little Mother, you¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, Shu Wan suddenly tapped a spot on his shoulder, and Fu Yang was rendered speechless. Then, right in front of all his lackeys, Shu Wan picked him up like carrying a little chick and whisked him out of the bar. His face! His prestige was gone! He and Shu Wan would be enemies under the same sky!! Chapter 2 - 2 2 Suppression ?Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Suppression Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Suppression The housekeeper waited outside for a while and, seeing no one come out, started to worry about Shu Wan¡¯s safety. He walked with the bodyguard toward the inside, thinking of offering Shu Wan some help. He had barely taken two steps before he saw Shu Wan carrying Fu Yang out. Although only 14, Fu Yang was tall for his age, now standing at about 180 cm. Shu Wan¡¯s hands, beautiful as jade in a display window, delicate and fragile, who could have imagined they possessed such strength. Yet it was these hands that subdued the usually haughty and arrogant Young Master. Seeing Fu Yang restrained by Shu Wan, fury in his eyes with nowhere to vent, the housekeeper felt the urge to laugh but dared not show it, ¡°Young Madam, the young master he¡ª¡± ¡°Uncle Wang! Hurry up and let this woman let me down, I see you all must be tired of living!!¡± Fu Yang felt even more humiliated seeing the housekeeper; he wanted to struggle free but found himself completely devoid of strength. ¡°Never mind him, let¡¯s go home.¡± Shu Wan casually stuffed Fu Yang into the car and then sat down herself. ¡°Alright.¡± The housekeeper got into the passenger seat and motioned the driver to start the car. Living his life this way, Fu Yang had never been so thoroughly ignored. He looked at Shu Wan indignantly, ¡°What drug did you give me to make me like this? Does my dad know how vicious you are?¡± ¡°If your dad knew I dragged you home from the bar, he¡¯d probably thank me.¡± Having just arrived in this era, Shu Wan found everything about it quite interesting. She flipped through the magazine in her hand while calmly responding to Fu Yang. Fu Yang was taken aback but still couldn¡¯t let it go, ¡°I can¡¯t move, release me!¡± ¡°If you promise not to make a fuss anymore, I will let you go.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Fu Yang was about to agree but then felt Shu Wan was speaking to him as if he were a child, which immediately displeased him, ¡°When has this Young Master ever caused trouble? I order you to release me right now.¡± Shu Wan ignored him. Fu Yang was furious, but with his limbs incapable of exerting any force and maintaining the same position for a long time, his shoulders hurt terribly. Less than ten minutes later, Fu Yang bit his lip and deliberately softened his voice, ¡°I¡¯ll agree to your terms, just let me go first; my hand hurts so much, it feels dislocated.¡± Without even looking up, Shu Wan reached out and touched a spot on Fu Yang¡¯s chest, and he found he could move again. He shook his arms, found a more comfortable position, and rested his legs on the table, his shoes less than an arm¡¯s length from Shu Wan. It was disrespectful, but Shu Wan paid no attention to his provocation. She quietly read the magazine, somewhat puzzled that these models could wear a few strips of cloth and confidently appear in a magazine shoot. The bar was dim earlier, and Fu Yang hadn¡¯t had a good look at Shu Wan. Now, not far from each other, Fu Yang¡¯s gaze involuntarily drifted toward Shu Wan. She wore a simple white knit top, her hair casually tied up to reveal a slender neck, her features clear and unparalleled, made even more striking without makeup. Shu Wan was quite aloof, but her aloofness was not just cold detachment; it was an elegance born of being steeped in history and weathered by time, an allure standing apart from the world. Quietly reading her book, the light falling on her frosty, snow-like face seemed to pause time itself for a moment. Going out and telling anyone would be incredible, that such a woman could pick him up single-handedly. Remembering the embarrassing scene just then, Fu Yang could not swallow his pride, ¡°Hey, Shu Wan, what trick did you use to immobilize me just now?¡± ¡°Acupoint,¡± Shu Wan admitted without evasion. ¡°Acupoint?!¡± Fu Yang was dumbfounded, ¡°You know acupoint techniques?¡± No, where on earth did his dad find such a miraculous woman? ¡°Hmm, is there a problem?¡± Shu Wan shifted her gaze away from the magazine. After browsing through an entire fashion magazine, Shu Wan had come to accept Fu Yang¡¯s head of silver-white hair. At least Fu Yang was wearing clothes that covered his body and wasn¡¯t wandering around in just a few strips of cloth. Fu Yang wanted to retort that Shu Wan was spouting nonsense, but remembering his recent state of weakness, he felt the words stuck in his throat, unable to speak them. ¡°Do you know what your status is? How dare you speak to me like this ¡ª you¡¯re taking yourself too seriously.¡± ¡°I am your father¡¯s wife, legally married, with a marriage certificate. You can check if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°So what? My dad doesn¡¯t even like you; you¡¯re just a nameholder.¡± ¡°A legal guardian is still a guardian.¡± ¡°Pfft,¡± Fu Yang laughed in frustration, realizing he was simply no match for Shu Wan in an argument. Fu Yang turned his head away, choosing to go silent. However, after a short moment, seeing Shu Wan¡¯s reflection in the car window quietly reading her book, Fu Yang¡¯s irritation flared again. He grabbed the remote control, pressing it a couple of times, and instantly the song ¡°The Phoenix¡± blasted through the car stereo. The anxious drumbeats, the rapid rhythm, and the heavy metal style surged into the ear canals, overwhelming. Fu Yang cranked up the music, filling the entire car with sound, drowning out even the housekeeper¡¯s voice. Holding the remote control, Fu Yang knew that the driver wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey him. Fu Yang smugly raised his eyebrows at Shu Wan, ¡°I just like this kind of music. You can¡¯t strip me of my tastes, can you?¡± Shu Wan glanced at him indifferently, then lowered her head and continued reading the magazine. Watching Shu Wan¡¯s composed profile, Fu Yang hummed softly, curious how long she could keep up her act. Fu Yang turned up the music, choosing particularly fast-paced rock songs, which even for him, after about five minutes, caused a faint ache in his ears. But thinking that the usually tranquil Shu Wan must be finding it even more intolerable, he decided to endure. On the one hand, Fu Yang was getting a headache from the loud music; on the other, Shu Wan wasn¡¯t affected at all. Because she had temporarily sealed off her hearing with an acupoint technique. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t hear the outside world, absorbed in her own thoughts, pondering her current situation. She had read some supernatural and fantastical novels before and always thought the idea of resurrection was made up. Yet, the foreign environment and memories in her mind that were not hers told her that she had resurrected into a woman with the same name as hers, a thousand years later. The original owner of the body had already gotten married; her husband was the eldest young master of the Imperial City¡¯s Fu Family, but since he was mostly working overseas, the original Shu Wan had never met him. Yesterday marked one year since the original Shu Wan had joined the Fu Family. Though her husband was distant and her stepson rude, her life at the Fu Family was relatively better compared to her original family. But last night, the original soul had passed away quietly, allowing her, a spirit from another world, to take over this body. With so many memories crowding her mind, it was hard for Shu Wan to figure out why the original owner had died. Every time she thought about the previous night, her head would throb with pain, instinctively causing her to look out of the window. Back in her previous dynasty, curfews were enforced at night; after the second night watch, the streets were devoid of people. But here it was already eleven in the evening, and the streets were still brightly lit, filled with cars and people. From the original owner¡¯s memories, Shu Wan knew that this era had relaxed its constraints on women, but actually seeing it was still astonishing. Men and women were both drivers; female employees worked in shops, and young girls wore short sleeves and shorts that would have been punishable by death in her time, now openly walking the streets. The car radio broadcasted news reports, ¡°Tu **¡¯s team successfully developed artemisinin,¡± ¡°Yu **¡¯s research group shocked the world with the successful cultivation of human stem cells using non-cloning techniques,¡± ¡°Guo ** achieved championship victory in the world championships¡±... One by one, outstanding women stepped from behind the scenes to the forefront, reminding Shu Wan of what everyone in her past life had always emphasized, ¡°A woman must not show her face; no matter your talents, they can only be known through your brother.¡± And now, Shu Wan suddenly felt a glimmer of anticipation for this world, a thousand years later. Chapter 3 - 3 3 Conflict ?Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Conflict Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Conflict Finally, we arrived back at the Estate. The moment the car stopped, the driver finally had a reason to turn off the music, ¡°Young Master, Young Madam, we¡¯re home.¡± Suddenly transitioning from a very noisy environment to silence, Fu Yang felt somewhat uncomfortable for a moment. He pinched his ears and then turned to look at Shu Wan, noticing that she had flipped through the magazine to the last page. Fu Yang scoffed, ¡°What are you pretending for? I don¡¯t believe you actually read any of it.¡± Shu Wan tossed the magazine in front of Fu Yang, ¡°You can test me.¡± Looking at Shu Wan skeptically, he flipped through the magazine randomly, ¡°Then tell me what¡¯s on page 65.¡± ¡°A fashion show, a red moose-patterned dress with text: ¡®This season¡¯s embroidery collection focuses on animal themes on short tweed suits and overcoat dresses. Not only adorned with doe, stag, and branded classic embroidery, but young kittens, Corgis, rabbits, and swallows also make their appearance.''¡± ¡°....¡± Fu Yang frowned tightly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it too noisy? How could you read through that?¡± To annoy Shu Wan, he was sure he had turned the music up to the max; his ears were still aching. Yet Shu Wan was able to remember everything in the magazine clearly despite the noise? ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Shu Wan gave a slight smile to Fu Yang, ¡°I know acupoint.¡± Not only could she immobilize others by targeting their acupoints, but of course, she could also temporarily block her own hearing, and thus she hadn¡¯t heard anything on the journey. ¡°...¡± Watching Shu Wan¡¯s graceful departure, Fu Yang was astonished. He looked at the Housekeeper, who was smiling at the scene, ¡°Seriously, where did you find this oddity?¡± The Housekeeper couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Young Master, you should refer to her as your mother.¡± ¡°She looks even younger than me; my mother? That¡¯s impossible in this lifetime.¡± After the long hassle, when Shu Wan returned to her bedroom, it was already one in the morning. She surveyed her bedroom, where every item felt unfamiliar, and her eyes couldn¡¯t hide her shock. With the memories of her predecessor intact, though still unable to comprehend this world a thousand years later, Shu Wan was slowly figuring things out. Automated curtains, a thermos mug, a constant indoor-temperature air conditioner.... After drinking a glass of water, she went to the bathroom, turned on the faucet to wash her face, and upon looking up into the mirror, she was stunned. It was a face just like the one she had in her previous life. If there was any difference, it was that the original owner of this life hadn¡¯t been through battlefields, hadn¡¯t traveled far and wide; her skin was as tender as milk, as smooth as jade. The same phoenix eyes, the straight nose, the eyebrows like inked mountains, all breathtakingly beautiful. Especially Shu Wan¡¯s eyes, calm and indifferent, they bore an insight and coolness that seemed to transcend the mundane, as though nothing could hide under such a gaze. Shu Wan¡¯s eyes paused for a moment. This face after a thousand years almost identical to her own¡ªwas this a coincidence? Her mind flooded with too many thoughts, Shu Wan didn¡¯t want to torment herself any longer. Taking a towel, she wiped her face, made a quick wash, then lay down on the bed to sleep. In her previous life, the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion¡¯s amenities were of the highest caliber, but compared to those of the modern age, they paled. Lying on the extremely soft mattress, it wasn¡¯t long before Shu Wan was pulled into a dream. In the dream, she returned to the eve of her rebirth. In the deep December, boundless snow smothered Chang¡¯an City, except for the East Street Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, which was enveloped in the festivity of red silk and lanterns. Tomorrow was the day when the second daughter of the Shu Family, Shu Wan, would marry into the Eastern Palace and become the Crown Princess Consort. Unlike the joyful world outside, the atmosphere in the study room was as cold as ice. ¡°Father, what is the meaning of this?¡± Shu Wan, dressed in bridal attire, as red as a firebird, her radiant face, however, was deathly pale. ¡°Wan¡¯er, your father knows you are wronged, but you must consider the future of the Shu Family. Being born a woman is your lot. It¡¯s settled then; tomorrow your half-sister will take your place in the marriage, and you will stay here in the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion to prepare for the exams.¡± Shu Wan looked towards her elder brother, ¡°Brother, do you think so too?¡± Shu Wan¡¯s elder brother evasively averted his eyes, ¡°Sister, your scholarship is indeed superior, but you cannot hold office as a woman. Helping me secure the top scorer title is also helping all the people, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Second sister, although my scholarship may not compare to yours, my virtue, needlework, and household management are not inferior. I can handle the role of Crown Princess Consort. Besides, we look so alike; no one will suspect.¡± The half-sister¡¯s soft persuasion hid an almost uncontrollable pride in her eyes. ¡°Wan¡¯er, your brother has always treated you well; consider it a plea from your mother, just follow your father¡¯s instructions.¡± That was the usually doting mother of Shu Wan; however, between Shu Wan and Shu Ye, the legitimate son, she still favored the latter. While the others in the family were still trying to persuade, Shu Wan had already stopped listening to anything. She stood alone, surrounded by her beloved family and friends. Yet now, all were asking her to willingly give up her identity and become the ¡°shadow¡± behind the legitimate son of the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion. All this, simply because she was female. Even though she could recite the ¡°Book of Songs¡± by heart at three, read the ¡°Four Books and Five Classics¡± at five, and became the closed-door disciple of a contemporary scholar at seven, mastering both civil and martial strategies. Her parents had always asked her to cede her literary and strategic ideas to Shu Ye, and for the sake of family, Shu Wan did not care and thus Shu Ye gradually became known as the ¡°Qilin Genius.¡± But now, to solidify that title, the Shu Family was willing to completely swap her identity with a half-sister¡¯s, making her wholeheartedly become Shu Ye¡¯s ghostwriter. Shu Wan felt a desolate coldness in her heart. Holding back tears, she stood tall and straight, ¡°I, Shu Wan, will not become someone else¡¯s shadow.¡± ¡°Disaster! Had I known this, I would have never sent you to the academy!¡± The Prime Minister, who used to be kindly and benevolent, now glared furiously with an inexplicably ferocious look, ¡°I don¡¯t need your agreement. Someone come, take Shu Wan away. Qingqing, dress up and prepare the bridal sedan for early tomorrow morning.¡± Without waiting for the guards to come forward, Shu Wan removed her phoenix crown, broke away from the crowd, and returned to her sleeping quarters. The lamp burned all night long, and Shu Wan lay in bed, sleepless for a long time. She had never met the Crown Prince and didn¡¯t really care whether she got married or not. As for the Shu Family wanting to confine her to ghostwrite for Shu Ye, she had a way to escape. What kept Shu Wan awake all night was the thought that even if she managed to flee, in this vast world there seemed to be no place that could accommodate her, a mere woman. The bright moon hung outside the window, shining over this part of the world, dimly illuminating the reality and dreams. For a while, Shu Wan couldn¡¯t tell whether the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion was the dream, or a thousand years later was the dream... Perhaps due to the late night, when Shu Wan woke up the next morning, her head was in tremendous pain. Rubbing her temples, she sat up and glanced outside. She was still in the highly advanced world of a thousand years later. Outside, as far as she could see, trees were lush, and flowers blossomed brilliantly¡ªa world entirely different from the frigid Chang¡¯an City. While Shu Wan was deep in thought, the sudden ring of a phone broke the silence. Shu Wan reached for her cell phone and, using the memories of her original self, tapped the screen. The next second, an angry female voice came through, ¡°Shu Wan, didn¡¯t you listen when I told you to study properly before the exams? Now everyone knows you¡¯ve failed every subject and can¡¯t graduate. How embarrassing! Now that the whole internet is calling you illiterate, are you happy?¡± ¡°Graduate?¡± A flicker of bewilderment passed through Shu Wan¡¯s eyes, but she quickly remembered that in this era, women could study continuously like men. The original owner of her body was 21 years old and in her senior year of college. Despite her family¡¯s wealth, the original owner had a tough life, which led her to join the entertainment circle at a young age. With her extremely beautiful appearance, she had gained some fame in the entertainment industry. However, yesterday must have been the most infamous day of her career. Because her university exam results were leaked online. The almost universally failing grades were completely out of line with her reputable university, and people criticized her as a poor student and speculated whether she cheated on the college entrance exams. With these labels stuck on her, no matter how attractive Shu Wan was or how good her acting skills were, she was labeled a ¡°low-quality artist.¡± Her agent continued to nag about Shu Wan¡¯s lack of effort, causing Shu Wan to grow impatient, ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep on. I will graduate normally. Is there anything else?¡± Shu Wan had always had a weak character; harshly put, she was an obedient vase, and had never spoken to her agent like this before. The agent was taken aback and then, enraged, ¡°I haven¡¯t even settled accounts with you and you¡¯re losing your temper? Fine, I¡¯d like to see how you graduate. Let me tell you if you can¡¯t graduate, I can¡¯t keep you as a star either.¡± As the agent was about to hang up, Shu Wan beat her to it. Seeing the prompt that she had hung up first, the agent was shocked. Wasn¡¯t Shu Wan driven insane by the netizens?? Why did it feel like she had become a completely different person? At this point, Shu Wan had no mind to care about the agent¡¯s thoughts. Because a message on her phone captured Shu Wan¡¯s attention. It was a bank¡¯s debt collection message. Last month, the original owner fell for a friend¡¯s investment advice and incurred a huge amount of debt. Now she had to make payments every month, an amount the original owner could not afford at all. She might be able to postpone this month¡¯s payment, but if she couldn¡¯t pay next month, her credit would be completely blacklisted. In this era, this was a serious matter. Shu Wan felt a headache coming on. She was still unfamiliar with this era¡ªwhere could she find so much money? Chapter 4 - 4 4 First Encounter ?Chapter 4: Chapter 4 First Encounter Chapter 4: Chapter 4 First Encounter Shu Wan rose from her bed and freshened up before making her way downstairs. Below, the servants had already prepared breakfast. Surprisingly, the noodles were something Shu Wan was rarely familiar with. It must have been the sense of familiarity, as Shu Wan, who rarely enjoyed noodles before, had a whole bowl that morning. After breakfast, Shu Wan took a stroll around the estate. The Fu Mansion was situated beside a mountain and water, sprawling endlessly. According to the original owner¡¯s memory, an estate of this scale was considered supremely powerful in modern times. However, having grown up in the Imperial Palace and the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, these sights were not enough to impress Shu Wan. Although Shu Wan had been married to Fu Siyu for a year, the original owner had been afraid of the Fu Family and had been unwilling to move in after the marriage. At that moment, seeing Shu Wan¡¯s interest in exploring the estate, the housekeeper approached and began to introduce her to the estate. ¡°The old lady has always lived in the south, and the young master went abroad eight years ago. Currently, there are only the young madam and the young master in the estate. Your room is on the second floor, in the master bedroom.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand,¡± Shu Wan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll walk around by myself. No need to follow me.¡± The housekeeper had intended to suggest that it would be better if he accompanied her, but looking into Shu Wan¡¯s clear eyes, he suddenly found himself lost for words. ¡°Okay, Young Madam.¡± Shu Wan wandered around the estate much of the day, finally stopping in the large library where she quietly spent the afternoon. Books are always the quickest way to learn everything, no matter what era. The moon rose, accompanied by a gentle breeze. The night in the Imperial City had just begun, but across the ocean, it was three in the morning. In the Financial City, which influenced the lifeline of the global economy, darkness had taken hold, its lights reflecting coldly off the huge glass dome of the night sky. The night deepened, and the lights were still on in the top floor office of the World Trade Building. Behind the desk, a man in a black suit glanced down at the document in front of him. The light around him cast a sculptural, profound presence, like a statue from a Greek temple. Suddenly, his phone chimed. He turned his head to pick it up. It was a message from the Imperial City: ¡°Young Master, the young madam has moved into the estate.¡± Accompanying the message was a photo. Shu Wan leaned against the bookshelf, quietly reading an ancient tome, her long hair falling behind her shoulders, her beauty unmarred by makeup. She carried a historic depth that could even calm time itself, offering a moment of peace to the soul even through a photo. The man¡¯s gaze lingered on the photo, his eyes narrowing slightly. After a moment, he replied to the message, ¡°Send me her details.¡± Shu Wan had stayed in the library all day, engrossed in reading, forgetting even to eat until late at night, having only explored the tip of the iceberg in the library. The information in the books was so vast, Shu Wan couldn¡¯t absorb it all at once. Seeing it was getting late, Shu Wan finally felt a bit sleepy. She put down the book, returned to her room to take a bath, and was just preparing to go to sleep when she received another message demanding payment. Looking at the rapidly approaching repayment date, Shu Wan felt a headache coming on. She thought long and hard but couldn¡¯t find a way to gather enough money in this unfamiliar time. Unable to find a solution, Shu Wan decided not to think about it anymore, trusting that a way would present itself when needed. However, she hadn¡¯t expected that the way would present itself so soon. Suddenly, the door was knocked on. Shu Wan lifted her head, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Young Madam, it¡¯s me. Please come out for a moment,¡± the housekeeper¡¯s voice called from outside the door. The sleepwear in the estate was mostly dresses, and although the customs of this era were more open, Shu Wan still felt somewhat uncomfortable. She draped a coat over herself, wiped her hair, and then went to open the door. ¡°Young Madam, please come to the study,¡± the young master has called back.¡± Fu Siyu? Shu Wan nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll come with you.¡± When Shu Wan entered the study, she happened to run into Fu Yang coming out. He was furious, his entire demeanor like an exploded cat, with reddened rings around his eyes¡ªclearly, he had just had a quarrel with his father. Seeing Shu Wan, Fu Yang huffed heavily, disdainfully rolling his eyes at her, ¡°I knew it, you¡¯re in league with Fu Siyu, I will never submit to you.¡± After speaking, Fu Yang strode away, slamming the door as he entered, the noise echoing so loudly that the floor vibrated even several meters away. The housekeeper smiled apologetically at Shu Wan, ¡°The young master is just childish, please don¡¯t take it personally.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± The two entered the study, the housekeeper adjusted the computer, then pulled out a chair, ¡°Young Madam, please have a seat here.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Shu Wan replied and sat in front of the computer. The screen displayed a video call, but Shu Wan could only see herself; Fu Siyu¡¯s side was pitch black. Shu Wan didn¡¯t know how to adjust it, the housekeeper had already left the study, so she leaned forward to try to make out the words on the screen. Thus, on the other side of the ocean, Fu Siyu, having just signed some documents, looked up to see Shu Wan¡¯s face filling the video screen. More precisely, her lips. Shu Wan¡¯s lips were beautifully shaped; she had just showered, her skin so delicate it seemed like it could burst, dewy as a peach, which made her red lips even more striking. Seemingly puzzled by something, she bit her lower lip lightly, leaving a faint mark on her moist lip edge. Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze deepened slightly, his throat involuntarily tightening as he spoke in a low, husky voice, ¡°What are you doing?¡± As Fu Siyu spoke, his face also appeared on the screen. Shu Wan moved back, her eyes fell on the screen, a flicker of awe in her gaze, ¡°Fu Siyu?¡± Before Fu Siyu could respond, Shu Wan was already sure; this man was indeed Fu Siyu. Because in the original owner¡¯s memory, Fu Siyu was synonymous with dominance, power, and excellence. And the man before her, dressed in a black suit, with clear, distinguished features, appeared young, yet those profound eyes seemed as if they could see through everything. He sat there quietly, exuding a coercive presence of a superior, overwhelming Shu Wan. An ordinary person would surely feel intimidated by such an aura. However, he was facing Shu Wan, the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, who had once replaced her elder brother in commanding thousands of troops, inheriting a commanding presence. As the two made eye contact, not only did Shu Wan not falter, but she even held her own against Fu Siyu. Fu Siyu was somewhat surprised, ¡°Hello, I am Fu Siyu.¡± ¡°Hello, I am Shu Wan.¡± Chapter 5 - 5 5 Reaching an Agreement ?Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Reaching an Agreement Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Reaching an Agreement Separated by the screen, the two gazed at each other from afar, each seeing in the other¡¯s eyes the inner nature of their kind. Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes were still firmly locked on Shu Wan. He wanted to know why the person before him was so different from the information about Shu Wan provided in the documents. Shu Wan was the first to avert her gaze; she nodded toward Fu Siyu, ¡°The housekeeper told me you were looking for me.¡± ¡°Yes, Fu Yang is stubborn and rebellious; it¡¯s been tough on you.¡± ¡°Since we are married, and he is your son, it is only right that I discipline him.¡± In her past life, Shu Wan had been predestined to be the Crown Princess Consort from birth. She had long recognized that for great families, marriage was merely a tool for uniting forces. Occupying the position of Crown Princess Consort, managing the inner household, and disciplining the legitimate and illegitimate children was her rightful duty. Now, with a thousand years passed, the essence of some things had not changed. She chose to come to the Fu Family to solve her own predicaments, so naturally, helping Fu Siyu discipline his son was part of her obligations. Hearing Shu Wan¡¯s words, Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, ¡°You are smarter than I thought; so let me be direct.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I am often overseas and have neglected Fu Yang¡¯s discipline. I believe you can steer him back onto the right path.¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t off track in the first place.¡± Shu Wan was vastly experienced in judging people. If she truly thought Fu Yang was fundamentally bad, she wouldn¡¯t have bothered with him at all. ¡°You set a condition.¡± Softened by Shu Wan¡¯s words, Fu Siyu¡¯s demeanor relaxed a bit, ¡°As long as I can manage it, you can ask.¡± Shu Wan pondered for a moment, ¡°I want the right to decide the fate of our marriage.¡± At Shu Wan¡¯s statement, even Fu Siyu was momentarily stunned. When he grasped Shu Wan¡¯s intent, Fu Siyu looked at her with an almost strange gaze, ¡°You are smarter than I imagined.¡± He had long had people gather information on Shu Wan. He knew that what Shu Wan currently lacked most was money and resources. She could have simply asked him for money and resources in the entertainment circle, but she didn¡¯t. Instead, she chose their marriage. Of course, Fu Siyu wouldn¡¯t flatter himself to think that Shu Wan was doing it for him. Shu Wan was doing it for the Fu Family behind him. As long as she was the Young Madam of the Fu Family, she could use this status to accomplish many things. Her wanting the right to determine the continuation of their marriage meant she could utilize the Fu Family¡¯s platform for benefits or leave the Fu Family if needed. ¡°So do you agree?¡± Shu Wan countered. Fu Siyu was an outstanding businessman, always calculating the benefits and risks to the perfect degree. And Shu Wan¡¯s request undoubtedly far exceeded the risks he had anticipated. If Shu Wan was as foolish and weak as the rumors suggested, her demand wouldn¡¯t have been excessive. But Shu Wan was too intelligent. Such a smart woman taking the position of the Fu Family matriarch was no doubt a ticking time bomb¡ªnever knowing when it might explode. By all logic, Fu Siyu should have rejected her request. However, looking into Shu Wan¡¯s clear and lucid eyes, for the first time in his life, Fu Siyu¡¯s impulse overcame his rationale, ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Pleasure doing business.¡± Having secured a promise that was almost like a life-saving card, Shu Wan felt in high spirits. Her eyes gently curved, the light echoing in them creating ripples upon ripples; even the poor resolution of an international call couldn¡¯t hide the beauty spilling out from the screen. Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze hardened slightly, ¡°It¡¯s late; I must have disturbed your rest.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Shu Wan nodded unabashedly. According to her past life¡¯s routine, she would have already been asleep at this time. ¡°Then go to sleep, and leave Fu Yang to you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t know how to end the video call, watching as Fu Siyu¡¯s image disappeared, she presumed the video on her end had also been turned off. It was the end of spring and start of summer now; the temperature at night wasn¡¯t low, and a light nightgown was more than enough. But just now, to avoid any impropriety, Shu Wan had still put on a coat. Having sat here for so long, Shu Wan began to feel a sense of sweat on her back. With no one else in the room, she simply took off her coat and fanned herself gently with her hand. On the other side, Fu Siyu went to get a document and was about to shut down his computer when he saw the video call window was still open, so he glanced over. At that glance, Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze suddenly froze. Chapter 6 - 6 6 Motion ?Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Motion Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Motion Because of her habits from a previous life, Shu Wan, upon arriving here, still preferred clothes made of real silk. The silk nightgown she wore was light and thin; its pale aquamarine hue was originally quite elegant, but Shu Wan¡¯s skin was too pale, so pale that it seemed to shine through the fabric of the gown. The fine straps of the garment further accentuated the delicate beauty of her shoulder blades, which resembled the wings of a butterfly. With a gentle wave of her bare hand, her fingers, like delicate jade bamboo, shone luminescent in the light, and her hair, lifted by a soft breeze, brushed past her ears and neck before finally resting on her fair shoulders. Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze deepened, his hand unconsciously tightening on the documents he held. On the other side of the screen, Shu Wan sat for a short while until sleepiness washed over her like a tide. She yawned and got up to return to her own room. As for when the video call was actually disconnected, only Wanyue knew. Having gone to bed late, Shu Wan got up a bit late the next day. But even if she got up late, she still rose earlier than Fu Yang. She sat at the breakfast table, reading the newspaper, and asked the housekeeper, ¡°Has Fu Yang not gotten up yet?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Having just received instructions from Fu Siyu the night before, the housekeeper now treated Shu Wan with great respect, ¡°The Young Master usually gets up at around one in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Shu Wan quickly scanned the newspaper before turning the page, ¡°Do you have paper and a brush?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go get them now.¡± The housekeeper turned to retrieve the paper and brush, but after just one step, Shu Wan called out to him again, ¡°I want a writing brush.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The housekeeper paused for a moment, but quickly understood, ¡°Alright.¡± Before long, the housekeeper returned with the paper and brush. He wanted to speak to Shu Wan, but upon seeing her eating breakfast, he held his tongue. The housekeeper questioned himself; he had lived more than fifty years and had seen many things, but he had never encountered someone quite like Shu Wan. Her appearance was unparalleled among all those he had encountered. What was most astonishing was the unique poise she embodied in every movement. Just like now, as she quietly sat there eating her breakfast, slowing down time itself in front of his eyes, unfolding a scene like an ancient painting of a court lady. The housekeeper didn¡¯t understand why, but he subconsciously took out his phone and snapped a photo, which he then sent to Fu Siyu. The moment the photo was sent, the housekeeper realized it was inappropriate. After all, Fu Siyu hated it when others acted presumptuously. He intended to retract it, but just then, Fu Siyu replied, ¡°Hmm.¡± It was a simple word, but the housekeeper understood that Fu Siyu wasn¡¯t blaming him, but rather tacitly approving the action. Raising his head, the housekeeper glanced at Shu Wan, who had finished her meal and was wiping her hands, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel that Shu Wan might truly have the potential to become the real Young Madam. Sensing the housekeeper¡¯s gaze on her, Shu Wan turned her head, ¡°Have you brought the things?¡± ¡°I have.¡± With those words, the housekeeper placed the brush and paper on the living room table. Shu Wan walked over to the table and wrote down a few lines. At first, the housekeeper thought Shu Wan simply wanted to practice calligraphy, but as she actually began to write, he discarded that thought. Even without understanding calligraphy, he could see that Shu Wan¡¯s characters were forceful and elegant. The way she wrote was beautiful, and while everyone was immersed in the visual feast, they didn¡¯t notice what Shu Wan had written. It wasn¡¯t until Shu Wan set down the brush and handed the paper full of writing to the housekeeper that she said, ¡°After it dries, make a thousand copies for me.¡± Although the housekeeper didn¡¯t know what Shu Wan was planning, he nodded respectfully, ¡°Alright.¡± Soon, however, the housekeeper would understand exactly what Shu Wan intended to do. Chapter 7 - 7 7 Planning ?Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Planning Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Planning 12 o¡¯clock noon, the sunlight was at its peak. The glaring light streamed through the tall windows, casting its glow on the large bed inside the room. The air conditioning was set low within the room, and Fu Yang was curled up entirely under the covers, with only a few strands of silver hair peeking out from a corner. He had played video games all night long and now was the time he should feel sleepy, but for some reason, Fu Yang always felt a sense of looming danger. He tossed and turned under the covers for a while before he couldn¡¯t help but throw them off. Then, Fu Yang saw a crowd of people. ¡°Who let you in? Get the hell out of here!¡± Upon hearing Fu Yang¡¯s words, everyone stepped back, clearing a path, and only then did Fu Yang see Shu Wan sitting on the sofa. Seeing Shu Wan, Fu Yang thought of his dad and immediately became irritable, ¡°Shu Wan, are you sick? Don¡¯t enter my room without my permission. Now, get out immediately.¡± Shu Wan ignored Fu Yang¡¯s disrespect; her gaze landed on Fu Yang¡¯s face, ¡°You have five minutes to get yourself together, I have something to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Fu Yang rolled his eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t be bothered with you.¡± After speaking, Fu Yang pulled the covers back over himself, burying himself entirely, obviously not planning to pay any attention to Shu Wan. Shu Wan didn¡¯t get angry either; she sat quietly while everyone else didn¡¯t dare to speak, only waiting quietly for Shu Wan¡¯s orders. The room fell silent for a moment. Inside the covers, Fu Yang wanted to sleep, but when he closed his eyes, Shu Wan¡¯s clear and cool eyes kept floating into his mind, and he always felt like Shu Wan was not the kind of person to give up easily. He pressed his ear close to the comforter, listening carefully, and after confirming there was no noise outside, felt somewhat relieved and prepared to get some peaceful sleep. He closed his eyes again to recapture the feeling of drowsiness, and just as he was about to fall asleep, the covers were suddenly pulled away. Fu Yang¡¯s eyes snapped open, and four bodyguards stood at the four corners of the bed, flipping his covers to one side. Fu Yang¡¯s brows furrowed, and he looked at them furiously, ¡°Get out of here right now, or you¡¯ll regret it, get out!¡± The bodyguards, stunned by Fu Yang¡¯s shouting, hesitated and looked toward Shu Wan, waiting for her nod before they all withdrew. ¡°You really think you can boss people around now that you married into the Fu Family? You think you can call the shots here? Dream on.¡± With the covers pulled away, Fu Yang simply sat up and looked at Shu Wan with a sneer. Shu Wan remained composed, taking Fu Yang¡¯s attack without a flinch, ¡°Well said.¡± ¡°...¡± Fu Yang had never seen someone as tough as Shu Wan; it seemed like nothing he said could hurt her, ¡°What do you really want? Just spit it out.¡± Shu Wan passed Fu Yang a piece of paper, ¡°Take a look at this first.¡± Fu Yang glanced over the paper, his frown deepening, ¡°Wake up at seven in the morning? Exercise? Practice calligraphy? Read books? Have you gone mad, or have I?¡± ¡°Your dad has transferred all of your guardianship to me. He gave me a benefit, and I¡¯ll help him educate you.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t shy away from discussing her deal with Fu Siyu. ¡°Nutcase.¡± Fu Yang lifted his hand and tore up the plan Shu Wan had laid out, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, in this house, you¡¯re not yet qualified to manage me.¡± Realizing there was no more sleep to be had, Fu Yang got up out of bed. He walked over to the wardrobe and instinctively reached for a shirt but, remembering Shu Wan sitting nearby, he instead grabbed an avant-garde, skull-printed shirt and a pair of jeans full of patches. Fu Yang picked up the clothes and turned to face Shu Wan, ¡°I¡¯m going to change now, are you sure you still want to sit there?¡± As he spoke, Fu Yang turned and began stripping off his clothes. But as he pulled up his shirt halfway, he suddenly turned back to see that Shu Wan really hadn¡¯t left, and he couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes, ¡°Shu Wan, don¡¯t you know about the difference between men and women? You¡¯re actually not leaving?!¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± After yesterday¡¯s magazine incident, Shu Wan¡¯s tolerance for Fu Yang¡¯s hairstyle and bizarre outfits had increased significantly, but seeing those incomprehensible pants, she still subconsciously furrowed her brows. ¡°Off to have fun,¡± Fu Yang challenged, raising his eyebrows slightly at Shu Wan, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Chapter 8 - 8 8 Flattery ?Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Flattery Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Flattery Shu Wan stood up and walked out without responding to Fu Yang¡¯s words anymore. Watching Shu Wan¡¯s silent departure, Fu Yang hummed a tune, feeling smug. He kicked away the shredded plan laying by his feet, then started to change clothes and blow-dry his hair. Once he had packed up his things, Fu Yang grabbed his cellphone and backpack, ready to leave the house. But just as he left the bedroom, he saw Shu Wan standing at the doorway. Fu Yang hesitated for a moment, then pretended not to see her and continued downstairs. However, it wasn¡¯t long before Fu Yang stopped, turned around with a displeased face, ¡°What are you following me for?¡± Shu Wan handed Fu Yang a new plan, ¡°Will you accept this one?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Fu Yang took the plan and tore it up, tossing the pieces aside. Amid the fluttering scraps, Fu Yang gave Shu Wan a defiant smile, ¡°What can you do about it?¡± ¡°I can make you accept it,¡± Shu Wan replied calmly. ¡°Pfft, sure.¡± Fu Yang turned and continued walking, ¡°Let¡¯s see what you can do, then.¡± Though he said that, when Fu Yang saw Shu Wan following him into the car, he was still incredibly irritated. He threw his backpack to the side and crossed his legs with impatience, ¡°Shu Wan, are you out of your mind? Why are you following me if I¡¯m going out to have fun?¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t answer Fu Yang¡¯s question; her gaze fell on his clothes, curious. Compared to the strict feudal etiquette of the previous life, the modern world was obviously much more open and tolerant. Still, the clothes Fu Yang wore were a bit too avant-garde. A short-sleeved shirt covered with skulls and metal ornaments, paired with jeans that had more patches than actual fabric. It was quite a peculiar outfit, but fortunately, Fu Yang¡¯s face was captivating enough to downplay the eccentric clothes into mere accessories, which was not an easy feat. Looking at Fu Yang¡¯s face, Shu Wan¡¯s mind inexplicably conjured up the image of Fu Siyu. In terms of facial features, Fu Yang did share some resemblance to Fu Siyu. But in terms of aura, the two were worlds apart. Fu Yang was like a young deer, fresh and naive, with the exuberance of youth, whereas Fu Siyu was like a well-known lion, strong, domineering, and a figure of understated depth. ¡°My clothes look good, right?¡± Fu Yang¡¯s voice broke Shu Wan¡¯s thoughts. She snapped back to reality and met Fu Yang¡¯s provocative gaze, understanding clearly that he was doing it on purpose. Even though this era was quite accommodating, Fu Yang¡¯s dress style was still considered niche, especially in a long-standing family like the Fu Family, where such eccentric attire was not allowed. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± asked Fu Yang, swinging his legs and leaning back in his seat carelessly, ¡°You¡¯re not thinking¡± ¡°They look quite good,¡± Shu Wan interrupted him, ¡°Young people look good in anything they wear.¡± Shu Wan wasn¡¯t particularly concerned about clothing or attire. After all, in her previous life on the battlefield, where relentless bombardment left countless soldiers wounded beyond the help of protective clothing. As a commander, if she was still concerned about such things, that would be truly ridiculous. Furthermore, after reading that magazine yesterday, Shu Wan didn¡¯t find Fu Yang¡¯s outfit odd anymore. Perhaps it was because Shu Wan¡¯s expression was genuinely sincere, but Fu Yang was taken aback for a moment, his eyes flickering, ¡°Don¡¯t think that by flattering me, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± ¡°And stop acting like an elder in front of me. You¡¯re only 6 years older than me and quite a bit shorter; I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to prove.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve certainly inherited Fu Siyu¡¯s genes well, you¡¯re good-looking, and anything you wear looks good. It¡¯s pretty normal,¡± Shu Wan stated her thoughts straightforwardly, ¡°As for being an elder, even if I were younger, I am still your father¡¯s wife. As long as we¡¯re not divorced, I am your elder.¡± Fu Yang really wasn¡¯t someone with a lot of patience, but although he disliked being lectured by Shu Wan, he would always listen to her to the end, probably because Shu Wan wasn¡¯t preachy and seemed genuinely sharing her thoughts. So when he heard Shu Wan comment on his looks, the tips of Fu Yang¡¯s ears turned red unconsciously, ¡°Of course I look good. There¡¯s no need for you to say it.¡± Chapter 9 - 9 9 Phone Contact ?Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Phone Contact Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Phone Contact Shu Wan glanced at Fu Yang¡¯s reddened ears and said nothing. She opened her smartphone and read the news, aiming to learn more about modern knowledge. Fu Yang also played with his phone, the car falling silent for a while. Until they reached their destination, Fu Yang got out of the car and saw Shu Wan following him. A surge of annoyance rushed through him, ¡°Are you bored or what? What are you following me for?¡± ¡°Looking after you,¡± Shu Wan coolly replied to Fu Yang while surveying the surroundings. The place was far from the city, with vast flat grasslands and a few horses trotting leisurely in the distance. ¡°Making a mountain out of a molehill,¡± Fu Yang rolled his eyes, ¡°Fine, if you want to follow, follow.¡± With that, Fu Yang went straight into the horse ranch. He was a regular here, and as soon as the staff saw him, they hurried over, ¡°Young Master Fu, your instructor has been waiting in the VIP room.¡± ¡°Uh huh, any good horses lately?¡± Fu Yang threw his backpack to the staff while asking. ¡°Just last week, a thoroughbred arrived, reserved especially for you.¡± The staff respectfully replied, following Fu Yang for a few steps before noticing Shu Wan also following, a bit puzzled, ¡°Is this lady with Young Master Fu?¡± ¡°No,¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Fu Yang and Shu Wan spoke at the same time, their answers completely different. The employee was confused, unsure whom to believe. ¡°I don¡¯t know this woman. She¡¯s here to cause trouble. Listen up, don¡¯t let her in to disturb me.¡± Fu Yang said while arrogantly raising his eyebrows at Shu Wan. He was a VIP at the horse ranch, and if he said the word, no one would dare to let Shu Wan in. Hearing what Fu Yang said, the employees understood. They reckoned Shu Wan must be relying on her beauty, coming here to seduce Young Master Fu of the Fu Family, hoping for a lavish marriage. The staff member imagined an entire drama of a scheming woman and, striving to satisfy the VIP, promptly called the bodyguards, ¡°Stand guard here, don¡¯t let her in.¡± After giving the order, the staff turned back to Fu Yang with a flattering look, ¡°Young Master Fu, shall I take you in?¡± ¡°Yeah, well done.¡± Fu Yang¡¯s mouth curved slightly, his gaze sweeping over Shu Wan¡¯s calm face, ¡°I¡¯m going in. You just waste your time out here.¡± Shu Wan was not the least bit flustered. She took out her phone, tapped it a few times, and made a call. But the phone rang for a long time without an answer. Shu Wan had to hang up. ¡°I know who you¡¯re trying to reach.¡± Fu Yang stood on the steps, looking down at Shu Wan with mockery in his eyes, ¡°You think too highly of yourself.¡± He knew Shu Wan was trying to call his father, but his father was always busy with work, and considering it was the wee hours of the morning in North America, his dad was unlikely to answer Shu Wan¡¯s call. ¡°You just wait here on your own then, bye.¡± Fu Yang waved his hand gleefully at Shu Wan, then turned and entered the horse ranch. With Fu Yang¡¯s command, the bodyguards stood at the entrance, staring down Shu Wan. Although in reality, if it came down to it, these men couldn¡¯t stop Shu Wan, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to clash with them. The environment in the suburbs was nice, and although she couldn¡¯t enter the horse ranch, it was nice to walk around. But Shu Wan had only walked a short distance when her phone rang again. She picked it up and saw an international number. Fu Siyu had called her back. Chapter 10 - 10 10 Competition ?Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Competition Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Competition Shu Wan answered the phone, and Fu Siyu¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Compared to last night, Fu Siyu¡¯s voice now carried a distinct tone of weariness, as if he had just woken from a deep sleep. When Shu Wan called, she hadn¡¯t realized they were in different time zones. It finally dawned on her that it must be early morning where Fu Siyu was. She sounded apologetic, ¡°This is Shu Wan, I¡¯m sorry for disturbing your rest.¡± There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by some rustling sounds. By the time Fu Siyu spoke again, his voice had regained its calmness, ¡°Is there something you need?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to get into the horse racing track, but it seems I lack the qualifications.¡± ¡°I understand. I will have someone arrange it. You¡¯ll be contacted within three minutes.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± With the issue resolved, Shu Wan was about to hang up when suddenly, Fu Siyu coughed on the other end. Considering Fu Siyu was currently the best collaborator she could rely on, Shu Wan politely showed her concern, ¡°Do you have a cold?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve just been a bit tired lately.¡± ¡°Oh, that might be due to mental and physical exhaustion. I know a recipe for Calming Tea if you need it, I can give it to you.¡± Shu Wan had grown up in Bailu Academy, which was located on Bailu Mountain, home to a reclusive master healer. The old master, detached from worldly affairs, was rather fond of Shu Wan and had taught her quite a bit. ¡°Okay,¡± Fu Siyu responded on the other end. Just as Shu Wan was about to say she¡¯d have the housekeeper relay the recipe, Fu Siyu spoke again, ¡°I¡¯ll add you on WeChat. You can send it directly to me.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯m hanging up.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Shortly after hanging up, Shu Wan received Fu Siyu¡¯s friend request. Fu Siyu¡¯s WeChat profile picture was still the default image, and his name was simple, ¡°FSY,¡± an abbreviation of his real name. Shu Wan accepted Fu Siyu¡¯s friend request and, following the modern custom, greeted him with a hello. However, Shu Wan was not very familiar with WeChat, and just as she typed the words hello, the input method¡¯s built-in emoji system popped up with many options. Shu Wan accidentally slid her finger and sent a random emoji. Across the ocean, Fu Siyu leaned against the headboard, looking at the screen where a little cat was making a heart sign, and he paused for a moment. As Shu Wan didn¡¯t understand emojis well and also received a phone call, she didn¡¯t pay more attention to the WeChat matter. The phone call was from Fu Siyu¡¯s assistant, who sounded quite young, ¡°Lady Shu, hello, I¡¯ve already notified the horse racing track. You can go directly in now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. My name is Qin Lv, I¡¯m Mr. Fu¡¯s assistant. If you need anything, you can contact me directly. Here¡¯s my phone number.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up, Shu Wan saved Qin Lv¡¯s number. Her current status was that of the head of the Fu Family, and regardless of whether the Fu Family acknowledged it or not, she was the head and thus believed she had the right to mobilize resources, so Shu Wan didn¡¯t see anything wrong with having Fu Siyu¡¯s assistant assist her. As Qin Lv mentioned, the staff at the horse racing track had been informed; the same staff, who had been instructing Shu Wan moments earlier, were now all smiles, ¡°This was our mistake. You are an honored guest. Please, this way.¡± The upper management didn¡¯t specify Shu Wan¡¯s identity but used ¡°definitely¡± six times, instructing the staff to ensure she had a good time, which naturally told the staff her status was no small matter. The horse riding track here specifically served the high-end community of Imperial City, with a vast area covered by the track and excellent ecological greening. In the distance, running horses could faintly be seen. ¡°May I ask how to address you, Miss?¡± ¡°Shu.¡± ¡°Lady Shu,¡± the staff member pointed toward the front, ¡°Over there is the changing room, please go change your clothes.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shu Wan knew that modern people, to ensure safety, wore various protective gear while riding horses. But she truly did not need these. ¡°But¡± ¡°No ¡®buts.¡¯ You go do your work, I¡¯ll wander around by myself.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shu Wan was a valued guest, and since she said she did not need anything, the staff didn¡¯t insist further but still instructed the security department to pay extra attention to her area to prevent any accidents. After the staff member left, Shu Wan walked alone along the path inward. In her previous life, Shu Wan studied at Bailu Academy, which was specifically established for princes. It not only taught the ways of governing and military strategy but also emphasized skills in archery and horse riding. On Bailu Mountain, there was a horse riding track exclusive to the academy, and in her youth, Shu Wan often rode horses with her friends there, commanding the vigor of youth. To help her elder brother earn military merits, she had once marched to the Northwest, leading soldiers to charge into battle across the expansive grasslands. Unfortunately, later her brother had to participate in the civil service exams, and her father forcefully brought her back to the Capital, after which she never rode a horse again. Seeing the grassland and the spirited horses, Shu Wan felt a little eager to ride again. Following the signs, Shu Wan walked toward the direction of the horse racing track. At this moment, the horse racing track was clouded with the metaphorical smoke of battle. Fu Yang and another group were disputing heatedly over a newly arrived thoroughbred horse. ¡°So what if your father is Fu Siyu? Everyone knows your father doesn¡¯t care about you, and besides, when has our Han Family ever been afraid of the Fu Family?¡± Han Family¡¯s Young Master, Han Lin, also fancied the new racehorse. He derisively watched Fu Yang, each word stepping precisely on Fu Yang¡¯s sensitive spots. ¡°If you don¡¯t want your mouth anymore, I can remove it for you,¡± Fu Yang¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression chilling to the extreme. He moved his wrists, getting ready to take action. ¡°All right, all right, we all grew up together, why make it so ugly, Fu Yang? You¡¯re not good at horse riding anyway, riding this horse would be a waste. Why not just give it to Mr. Han?¡± Others tried to mediate from the side. ¡°Not giving it,¡± Fu Yang coldly stared at Han Lin, ¡°I said, today this horse is mine, let¡¯s see who dares touch it.¡± ¡°Oh, how refreshing, who do you think you can threaten?¡± Han Lin sneered with a smile, ¡°A good horse should be ridden by someone skilled. Why don¡¯t we compete for it, the winner takes the horse.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s compete.¡± Fu Yang snorted coldly, grabbed the reins, and directly mounted the horse. ¡°Last time, you played tricks when I wasn¡¯t prepared. This time, I won¡¯t give you any advantage.¡± Han Lin was not in a hurry to mount. He leisurely stepped back and lifted the corners of his lips, ¡°Who said I¡¯m personally competing with you? Lawrence, come out.¡± Upon Han Lin¡¯s words, a tall foreign man came out. As soon as he saw him, Fu Yang¡¯s expression cooled. Anyone who rode horses recognized Lawrence. Currently, the world¡¯s number-one ranked equestrian athlete, who had won countless awards. To put it bluntly, even if Lawrence were to compete blindfolded, he would still be unmatched. Chapter 11 - 11 11 Save the Son ?Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Save the Son Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Save the Son ¡°You were talking about us competing, what¡¯s the point of bringing someone else in?¡± ¡°Just now, you didn¡¯t say we couldn¡¯t get help,¡± Han Lin, smugly looking at Fu Yang, ¡°if you¡¯re capable, why don¡¯t you get help yourself?¡± He had long found Fu Yang displeasing to the eyes. To make Fu Yang lose face, he had gone to great lengths to bring in Lawrence. In this world, there could be no one better than Lawrence in horsemanship. ¡°You,¡± Fu Yang¡¯s face turned icy, his fingers whitening as they gripped the reins. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who first proposed the competition, Fu Yang? Why are you scared to compete now? You¡¯re just wasting our time.¡± ¡°Young Master Fu isn¡¯t getting scared, is he?? I heard his dad was excellent at horse riding. Surely he must have taught Fu Yang something?¡± Han Lin¡¯s minions mocked Fu Yang one after another. With his youthful temperament, Fu Yang impulsively agreed to compete on the spur of the moment, ¡°Let¡¯s compete then!¡± But, easy as it was to say, Fu Yang soon realized just how huge the gap between him and Lawrence was. The two competed in a show jumping event within a large arena set with several obstacles. The goal was to complete the course in the least amount of time, best two out of three rounds to win. According to Han Lin, Fu Yang could also seek external help for the competition. But, help or no help, the result would be the same. If any random coach from the stables could outdo Lawrence, he wouldn¡¯t have achieved such great success in world competitions. Fu Yang never thought he would win; he just wanted to finish the race he had set. But, under Han Lin¡¯s direction, it was clear Lawrence wasn¡¯t just competing straightforwardly against Fu Yang. Under normal circumstances, with Lawrence¡¯s professional skills, Fu Yang could never keep up. However, in the first round, Lawrence deliberately maintained the same speed as Fu Yang. While excellent in controlling his horse and completing the obstacles, Lawrence kept interfering with Fu Yang. Fu Yang rode quite well, but the gap between him and Lawrence was far too great. Since Lawrence kept matching his pace, Fu Yang decided to slow down and focus on stability. But, just as he was about to cross the finish line, Lawrence suddenly increased his speed and crossed the finish line before Fu Yang. He then abruptly turned his horse around and kicked the horse¡¯s belly. The scared horse neighed and attempted to attack in the direction of Fu Yang. Lawrence pulled on the reins, stabilizing the horse, but as it reared and neighed, it still frightened Fu Yang¡¯s horse. Even as Fu Yang pulled hard on the reins, he couldn¡¯t control his frightened horse. Just a step away from crossing the finish line, his horse turned around and started galloping back towards the starting point, only stopping after interventions by several coaches. ¡°Hahaha, Fu Yang, did you get the finish line and the starting point mixed up? Everyone else was rushing toward the finish line, but you went back to the start!¡± ¡°They say the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree, but such an impressive man as Fu Siyu, how did he end up with such a useless son? First time I¡¯ve seen someone run towards the starting point, hahaha, it¡¯s hilarious.¡± ... Under Han Lin¡¯s direction, everyone mockingly ganged up on Fu Yang. Fu Yang originally didn¡¯t plan to engage with everyone, but hearing the phrase, ¡°the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree,¡± he suddenly turned stern. He glared at Han Lin, suppressing his anger, and finally, as Han Lin once again brought up Fu Siyu, Fu Yang spurred his horse, charging directly towards Han Lin. At that moment, Lawrence rode over, blocking Han Lin, and caused his horse to kick Fu Yang¡¯s horse. The startled horse, no longer merely intimidated by noises, neighed violently in pain, trying to throw Fu Yang off its back. Fu Yang, having never encountered such a situation, clung to the reins, but to no effect. The tightened reins only stimulated the racehorse further, and it made a vicious leap to try hurling Fu Yang beneath its hooves. At that moment, a few urgent whistles were heard from somewhere. Something miraculous happened. The racehorse, which had been acting like a mad creature just a moment ago, suddenly calmed down and obediently walked towards the direction of the whistles. Fu Yang, who had been scared stiff, remained somewhat dumbfounded and could only let the horse carry him some distance. About twenty meters later, the racehorse stopped and kept looking towards the corner ahead. Fu Yang also looked towards that direction and saw a piece of cloud-patterned fabric appear around the corner. Fu Yang frowned slightly, feeling that the pattern seemed oddly familiar. The next second, Shu Wan walked out. Fu Yang was somewhat surprised, ¡°How did you get in here?¡± Before Shu Wan could respond, Lawrence¡¯s voice rang out from behind, ¡°Was it this lady who calmed the racehorse just now? How did you manage that?¡± Seeing Shu Wan, everyone was immersing themselves in the stunning beauty of her looks, completely overlooking the fact that she was the one who had calmed the racehorse. Now, hearing Lawrence say this, they were all astonished, including Fu Yang. He looked at Shu Wan skeptically, ¡°You?¡± Fu Yang¡¯s gaze slid from Shu Wan¡¯s face to her hand, where he saw her holding a leaf. Thinking of the whistle sounds, which quite resembled those that could be made with a leaf, Fu Yang was somewhat surprised. Could it be true that Shu Wan had saved him? Shu Wan ignored Fu Yang¡¯s doubts; her gaze swept over his hand, which had been chafed raw from pulling the reins too harshly and was now faintly bleeding. ¡°Get down,¡± Shu Wan said to Fu Yang, ¡°I¡¯ll race him.¡± ¡°Forget about it,¡± Fu Yang replied disdainfully, ¡°I won¡¯t let a woman stand in front of me. You just got lucky, and you think¡ª¡± Before Fu Yang could finish his sentence, Shu Wan stepped forward, swiftly mounted the horse, and sat behind him. Fu Yang hadn¡¯t even realized how Shu Wan had managed to get on the horse; he only caught a whiff of her fragrance as it wafted past him. Fu Yang turned around in surprise, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Without wasting words, Shu Wan grabbed his collar, gave a flick of her wrist, and dropped him to the ground. Being picked up like a chick for the second time in front of so many people, Fu Yang felt his dignity shattered again. He was about to protest when Han Lin spoke up first. For those at the top of the powerful circle, beauty was not a scarce commodity. But someone with Shu Wan¡¯s looks was truly rare to see. Han Lin eyed Shu Wan with ill intentions, ¡°Fu Yang, I¡¯ve changed my mind. I¡¯ll let you have the horse, but in exchange, how about you give me this beauty?¡± Even if Fu Yang disliked Shu Wan, she was part of the Fu Family, and being openly insulted by Han Lin like this instantly made Fu Yang forget the humiliation he suffered because of her. ¡°You look at yourself, do you even deserve her?¡± Fu Yang glared coldly at Han Lin, ¡°She is from my Fu Family. Drop that notion, otherwise, see if the Han Family will back you up.¡± Hearing Fu Yang say this, although Han Lin was reluctant, he still feared Fu Siyu and did not pursue the matter further. Instead, he turned to the matter of the race, ¡°Letting a woman represent you in the race, you really have the nerve to say that.¡± ¡°Exactly. Fu Yang, you don¡¯t think that relying on a woman can turn the tide of battle, do you? Beauty, if you ask me, you should just go shopping and buy some bags. Let¡¯s exchange WeChat contacts, I¡¯ll treat you for your shopping.¡± The crowd had a field day mocking and discussing, not considering Shu Wan a threat at all. Only Lawrence, observing Shu Wan¡¯s movement when she mounted the horse, sensed that something was amiss. Chapter 12 - 12 12 Seeking Help ?Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Seeking Help Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Seeking Help Shu Wan ignored the mockery of the crowd, as she looked directly at Han Lin, ¡°If you lose, the horse goes to us, and you have to bring it to Fu Yang yourself.¡± Han Lin found Shu Wan ridiculous and he scoffed at Fu Yang, ¡°Fu Yang, where did you find such a pretty lunatic? Did you hear what she just said?¡± Fu Yang despised Shu Wan, but at that moment, he hated Han Lin even more. He knew Shu Wan couldn¡¯t possibly win, but he just didn¡¯t want to lose to Han Lin in verbal sparring, ¡°Talking so much, are you afraid to race? Have you not tired your mouth with all the crap you¡¯ve spewed this morning?¡± ¡°Spare the lip service,¡± Han Lin quirked a smirk, his gaze floating across Shu Wan¡¯s face, ¡°Fine, but if we win, I want this beautiful lady to come with me.¡± ¡°No way,¡± Fu Yang instinctively objected. Shu Wan glanced at Fu Yang, then agreed with Han Lin, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Shu Wan!¡± Fu Yang approached Shu Wan¡¯s horse, frowning at her, ¡°Don¡¯t forget who you are, I¡¯ll tell my dad that you want to cheat on him, get down right now, you¡¯re not racing.¡± Shu Wan flicked her horse¡¯s belly, and the horse raised its front hooves, causing Fu Yang to hastily step back, his face turning a bit pale, ¡°Shu Wan, don¡¯t be shameless!¡± He had kindly given her a way out, yet she still sought danger; if that wasn¡¯t madness, what was it! ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shu Wan turned her horse around and walked slowly to the starting line. She looked at Lawrence, ¡°Let me see, this world¡¯s number one level you claim to have.¡± Shu Wan spoke arrogantly and provocatively. Lawrence, as a veteran in the equestrian world, had faced numerous opponents and heard countless taunts. But frankly, none had ever exerted the kind of pressure this woman before him did. Though it defied reason, Lawrence actually hesitated slightly, instinctively looking towards Han Lin, ¡°Mr. Han, I¡ª¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re afraid of racing a woman. Win this race, and I¡¯ll give you three million. Hurry up, I want to go see my horse after this.¡± With that said by Han Lin, any hesitance in Lawrence¡¯s heart evaporated, and he nodded slightly to Shu Wan, ¡°I apologize then.¡± Both competitors stood at the starting line. Lawrence rode his prize-winning BMW horse, fully geared and professional. And Shu Wan, dressed casually, without any professional equipment, as leisurely as if she were out for a stroll. As both prepared, the crowd already knew the outcome. Seeing Shu Wan so recklessly going ahead, Fu Yang furrowed his brow tightly. He couldn¡¯t persuade Shu Wan, but he knew his father could. Just as the race was about to start, Fu Yang hesitated for a moment, then pulled out his cell phone and dialed Fu Siyu. Due to the urgency, Fu Yang accidentally initiated a video call when opening the phone. Then, on the video, Fu Yang saw Fu Siyu, who hadn¡¯t returned to the country in three years. Facing Fu Siyu¡¯s deep eyes, Fu Yang instinctively frowned, ¡°Can¡¯t you take care of your woman? She¡¯s already showing off enough to sell herself to others.¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s expression darkened compared to when he was woken by Shu Wan earlier. He squinted slightly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Explain clearly.¡± ¡°Shu Wan insists on racing against the world¡¯s number one equestrian master, Lawrence. If she loses, she¡¯ll go with the Han Family. She¡¯s your precious wife. Won¡¯t it be embarrassing if the Han Family takes her away? I would be embarrassed even if you aren¡¯t.¡± Even though it was just a phone call with Fu Siyu, Fu Yang couldn¡¯t restrain his defiance and insinuated as he spoke. Fu Siyu gave Fu Yang a cold look and thought for a moment before speaking, ¡°Change the camera direction, let me see.¡± ¡°The race is about to start, what are you looking at?¡± Fu Yang couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes, then switched the camera as Fu Siyu instructed, ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s not my woman who¡¯s about to lose, not my wife being taken away.¡± While Fu Yang continued his sarcastic remarks, a whistle sounded from not far away. The race had begun. Chapter 13 - 13 13 Victory ?Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Victory Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Victory Almost everyone present had imagined how the race would unfold: one like an arrow shot from a bow and the other like a turtle crawling, a gap as vast as heaven and earth. But what they hadn¡¯t anticipated was that this gap was very distinct; the difference between heaven and earth indeed existed. However, that ¡°earth¡± turned out to be Lawrence, the world¡¯s number one. And that ¡°heaven¡± was Shu Wan. Lawrence was a professional athlete; all his movements were quite professional and highly skilled. In comparison, Shu Wan strolled idly, occasionally tugging at the reins, appearing effortlessly. Yet her horse consistently stayed a head faster than Lawrence¡¯s. It felt like she wasn¡¯t giving it her all, just leisurely toying with Lawrence. Lawrence, of course, realized this. Watching Shu Wan always being a step ahead, Lawrence, who had been the world¡¯s number one for so many years, felt his pride wounded for the first time. He had always prided himself as a favorite son of heaven, never taking anyone seriously, let alone a mere woman from Hua Country. Losing to her would be a great humiliation. Lawrence pursed his lips and suddenly gave a fierce shout, abandoning all principles of racing safely and clamping down fiercely on his horse¡¯s belly. The horse, startled, charged forward rapidly. Lawrence held tight to the reins, pulling so hard that deep marks were left on the horse¡¯s neck. Though the horse¡¯s behavior was extremely unstable now, its speed had genuinely increased, and it finally passed Shu Wan. With the finish line in sight, Lawrence¡¯s lips curled up; victory was still his. However, his happiness lasted only for a second. In the next moment, Shu Wan¡¯s horse caught up and left him far behind, crossing the finish line first. She did not leave immediately but turned her horse around. As Lawrence was about to cross the finish line, she pulled the reins tight. Her horse reared up, causing Lawrence¡¯s horse to panic and backpedal, uncontrollable no matter how Lawrence pulled the reins. It even turned and ran back toward the starting line. This scene was very much like Lawrence scaring Fu Yang; it was clear to any discerning observer that Shu Wan was avenging Fu Yang. Seeing this, Fu Yang, as the person involved, naturally felt his grievances had been redressed. But before a smile could form on his lips, thinking of Shu Wan colluding with his father, meddling in his affairs, he suppressed the smile. The outcome of the race was so unexpected; Han Lin was nearly driven mad. He rushed over to Lawrence, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the world¡¯s number one?! How can you not even beat a woman?!¡± Lawrence did not want to admit it, but he had to acknowledge that there was a vast gap between him and Shu Wan. Shu Wan did not seem like a professional contestant. Her horsemanship appeared natural. She rode not to show off in a competition but with a raw wildness, a strength that could not possibly be developed in a training ground. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Han, I¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s best two out of three, and it¡¯s only a tie right now,¡± Han Lin interrupted Lawrence before he could finish, ¡°You must win this last one for me, or you won¡¯t have any sponsorship for the next season. Do you hear?!¡± ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Lawrence nodded, looking inadvertently at Shu Wan and meeting her cool gaze, which made his heart inwardly falter. After that race, Shu Wan instantly became the focus of the entire venue. Initially, only a few people were watching the race, but when word got out that a woman had beaten Lawrence, the world number one, soon after, the area was crowded with spectators. ¡°So this young girl beat Lawrence? He must have let her win, right? With her skinny arms and legs, it doesn¡¯t seem likely at all.¡± ¡°I also think Lawrence let her win. Our country doesn¡¯t have great equestrians, let alone one who has defeated a champion. It¡¯s impossible.¡± The onlookers were full of confidence in Lawrence, but he himself started sweating coldly. Standing on the world stage had never frightened him, but now he was feeling somewhat fearful. ¡°Are you both ready?¡± The referee walked between the two horses, making the pre-race inquiries. ¡°We are ready.¡± ¡°Okay, get ready.¡± The referee spoke, nodded slightly to Han Lin, then picked up the whistle, walked around, and moved to the outside of Shu Wan. He blew the whistle with all his might. He was too close to the ears of the horse that Shu Wan rode, so when the whistle blew, Lawrence¡¯s horse had already charged forward, but Shu Wan¡¯s horse reared up and neighed in fright on the spot. This round was a do-or-die for Lawrence. From the beginning, he accelerated extremely fast. By the time Shu Wan settled her racehorse, Lawrence had already covered a significant distance. In an international race, that distance meant there was no chance of turning the tables. Seeing this, the crowd shook their heads, ¡°It looks like Lawrence was being a gentleman to that lady just now.¡± Before the crowd finished speaking, they heard Shu Wan shout ¡°Drive!¡± In the next second, her horse leapt into the air, clearing several hurdles consecutively. Shu Wan sat upright on it, her heroic posture and flowing black hair shining in the sunlight that cast a golden glow on her. The horse, under her command, soared like a dragon entering the sea. It effortlessly jumped over the racetrack obstacles, leaving Lawrence far behind. Lawrence had only finished half when Shu Wan already reached the finish line. Seeing that graceful figure seated on the horse, how could Lawrence not realize that she hadn¡¯t taken it seriously in their previous round? This round showed her true strength. He was no match for her. Realizing this fact, Lawrence¡¯s face fell as he bowed his head, no longer wanting to continue the rest of the race, ¡°I am outmatched. I concede.¡± Lawrence¡¯s surrender completely shocked everyone. So much so that even Fu Yang was stunned by Shu Wan¡¯s performance. It wasn¡¯t until Han Lin angrily brought the purebred horse in front of him that Fu Yang snapped out of it, and with schadenfreude, looked at Han Lin, ¡°So this is the world¡¯s number one you brought in? He¡¯s nothing special.¡± Han Lin¡¯s face turned ashen and flushed from Fu Yang¡¯s mocking. He glared at Fu Yang, ¡°What are you proud of? Winning thanks to a woman is nothing to brag about.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a woman?¡± Fu Yang sneered, ¡°You look down on women that much, weren¡¯t you born from a woman? Wow, does the Han family have the skill to bear children as men? That¡¯s really enlightening.¡± ¡°You!!¡± Han Lin was furiously choked by Fu Yang¡¯s words, not only losing the horse but also facing humiliation under all these watchful eyes. He threw the horse¡¯s reins in front of Fu Yang, ¡°We¡¯ll see!¡± With that, Han Lin turned and left. Indeed a purebred horse specially transported back to the country, the horse Han Lin had brought, had long, powerful legs, a robust body, and its coat gleamed subtly, making it an exceptional horse. Fu Yang couldn¡¯t help but touch it a couple of times and was just about to try riding it when he saw Shu Wan walking towards him. Fu Yang quickly withdrew his hand and cleared his throat feigningly indifferent, ¡°This horse is just average. You put so much effort into the competition, I won¡¯t thank you for it.¡± Shu Wan glanced at him then took the reins, ¡°Oh, I quite like it. Since you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll take this horse.¡± With that, Shu Wan led the purebred horse away. Watching the outstanding horse being taken away, Fu Yang felt heartbroken, but he remained composed on the surface, even mockingly said, ¡°Ha, picking up what I discarded.¡± As Shu Wan and the magnificent horse disappeared from sight, the composed expression finally collapsed from Fu Yang¡¯s face. My exceptional horse!! Shu Wan really conflicts with me! Enraged, Fu Yang grabbed his cellphone preparing to leave. But a glance at the screen made him freeze. Why was the video call still not disconnected?? Fu Yang opened his phone, and there was his dad¡¯s stern face still in the video. ¡°...¡± Fu Yang frowned, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you hung up?¡± Fu Siyu looked up, his cold gaze fixed on Fu Yang, ¡°Did you fail all your subjects in last exam again?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to you.¡± Fu Yang rolled his eyes, ¡°The busy Mr. Fu still has time to bother about me?¡± With that, before Fu Siyu could reply, Fu Yang hung up the phone. Chapter 14 - 14 14 Anticipation ?Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Anticipation Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Anticipation Across the ocean, first awoken by Shu Wan and then disturbed by Fu Yang, Fu Siyu completely lost the will to sleep. He got up and walked to the window, glancing down slightly, overlooking the city below. By now, it was late at night. Even the world¡¯s busiest city had quieted down somewhat. The lights scattered like pieces on a chessboard, were warm yellow in color, but under the envelopment of steel buildings and darkness, they seemed somewhat desolate. The myriad lights faded away in Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes. He stood quietly, like a statue, silent and cold, firm as a rock. That was until a ringtone broke the silence, Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and he then turned to grab his phone. Seeing the caller ID, Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He pressed the answer button, ¡°Shu Wan.¡± After a long silence, Fu Siyu¡¯s voice carried a hint of hoarseness, mixed with the faint sound of static, making his already pleasant voice even more magnetic. In her previous life, although Shu Wan was a woman, whether in academics or leading troops in war, she was among men, having encountered countless men. But in her previous life, even with many interactions with men, it wasn¡¯t like this moment. The phone was by her ear, and the good reception perfectly restored the stereo sound, making it seem as if Fu Siyu was whispering right beside her. Shu Wan¡¯s eyes fluttered slightly, and she moved the phone slightly away, ¡°Sorry, I forgot you were sleeping.¡± Though she had the memories of her former self, Shu Wan still didn¡¯t quite grasp the concept of time difference. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Fu Siyu sat on the edge of the bed, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Do you have a pen and paper handy? I¡¯ll recite the recipe for Calming Tea for you. You can prepare it yourself.¡± Shu Wan was not yet adept at typing on the phone, so she resorted to making a direct call and began reciting a list of medicinal herbs. When she finished and heard no response from Fu Siyu¡¯s end, Shu Wan felt puzzled, ¡°Fu Siyu, are you still listening?¡± ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Fu Siyu responded, his tone carrying an almost imperceptible smile, ¡°Do you think I can find the herbs you mentioned here overseas?¡± Oh, Shu Wan had forgotten again. Fu Siyu was now overseas where the customs are completely different from those in Hua Country, and they do not believe in traditional Chinese medicine, let alone have Chinese herbal shops. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll prepare it and have someone send it over.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you my address on WeChat in a bit,¡± he paused, then added, ¡°For something that is ingested, the fewer hands it passes through, the better.¡± Shu Wan agreed, she was about to suggest giving it to the housekeeper to handle. But before she could speak, Fu Siyu interrupted, ¡°Once it¡¯s ready, just give it directly to Qin Lv.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine then.¡± Seeing it as no trouble, Shu Wan didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Your equestrian skills are quite good,¡± Fu Siyu suddenly changed the topic. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Fu Yang just shared a video.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s decent. From what I¡¯ve heard, you were also very good before. We could ride together sometime.¡± After competing against the self-proclaimed world¡¯s number one, Lawrence, Shu Wan did not have high hopes for the equestrian skills of modern people. However, Fu Siyu was different. Although Shu Wan had never seen him ride, she had heard from others that he was skilled, and she felt that he could truly compete with her. ¡°Okay,¡± Fu Siyu responded. ¡°I have another call, I need to hang up first.¡± ¡°Mmhmm.¡± After hanging up, Shu Wan answered a call from her agent, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Unlike the previous time, which was filled with anger, this time the agent¡¯s tone was quite pleasant, ¡°Shu Wan, is the person in the top trending search you? It looks so much like you.¡± In fact, not only did it look like her, but in terms of appearance, it was a perfect match. But such a bold and spirited demeanor, the agent really couldn¡¯t believe Shu Wan could possess. Chapter 15 - 15 15 Hot Search ?Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Hot Search Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Hot Search Hearing what the agent said, Shu Wan opened Weibo and took a look. Sure enough, the top trending topic was ¡°Amateur beauty beats world champion.¡± Such an eye-catching headline naturally attracted many people to click and read. There were quite a few onlookers at the equestrian venue when Lawrence and Shu Wan competed, and someone had uploaded the video online. By now, the most-liked comment had already been shared 300,000 times. In the video, Shu Wan was neck and neck with Lawrence, seemingly strolling, yet they easily cleared the set obstacles, and she consistently stayed ahead of Lawrence. [Such a pretty girl!!! Why aren¡¯t the directors casting her in period dramas!! That figure, the way she rides, utterly swoon-worthy.] [This equestrian enthusiast is currently kneeling while watching the video. You laypeople might just see a pretty woman, but do you know? This Lawrence is one of the best equestrians in the world, and who is this woman? She¡¯s too powerful.] [Although I really don¡¯t want to say that name, do you guys really not recognize this woman?... Shu Wan, the one who despaired due to cheating on the college entrance exam.] After someone reminded them of this, everyone suddenly remembered that there was such a despairing illiterate hanging in the trending searches a few days ago. Some curious netizens dug up that trending search, comparing Shu Wan¡¯s failing grades and her vacuous interviews with the stunning video of her horse riding. Silence, still silence. [Damn, doubting my judgment for the first time. Originally thought this horse-riding beauty had to be the cool and substantial type, turns out it¡¯s the complete opposite.] [Such a beautiful face, how did it come with a brain of mush? Could this be the legendary case where all her talents were put into athletic cells??] [That face... is really good-looking. If we don¡¯t give her any lines and just let her be a vase, I could still accept that.] In her previous life, there was no such thing as the internet, nor were there so many social media platforms to bring people from all corners together. Shu Wan didn¡¯t really mind what others said about her; she was just more curious about the Weibo platform, which is why she looked at it for a bit longer. ¡°Have you seen it? Is that person really you?¡± Seeing Shu Wan not responding, the agent couldn¡¯t help asking again. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Shu Wan exited Weibo and answered the agent¡¯s question. ¡°Wow, it really is you,¡± the agent couldn¡¯t contain his surprise, ¡°I had no idea you had this skill. Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? We could¡¯ve been famous by now. With this video out, you¡¯ll definitely have scripts coming your way; just you wait.¡± ¡°Scripts?¡± ¡°Yes, alright, looks like your fate hasn¡¯t run out yet. Now let¡¯s be picky about scripts and aim to reverse public opinion.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t understand the modern entertainment circle very well, but since the agent was a professional, she trusted him to handle these matters. After hanging up the phone, Shu Wan closed her eyes, ready to lie down and rest. Logically speaking, modern cars are much smoother than the horse carriages of ancient times, but for some reason, sitting in such an enclosed space always made Shu Wan feel queasy in the stomach. ¡°Hey, Shu Wan, how much money does my dad give you a month?¡± Fu Yang didn¡¯t know when he had gotten into the car, and seeing Shu Wan sleeping, he deliberately woke her up loudly. Chapter 16 - 16 16 Living Expenses ?Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Living Expenses Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Living Expenses At this moment, the car was passing through a stretch of mountain road with poor conditions, winding so much that Shu Wan felt like throwing up. She opened her eyes, glanced at Fu Yang, suppressed the discomfort in her stomach, and calmly said, ¡°Why are you asking that?¡± ¡°He gave you how much money, I will give you double,¡± Fu Yang took out a bank card, ¡°As long as you stand by my side, you can have as much money as you want.¡± ¡°How much pocket money do you get every month?¡± ¡°No limit, probably no more than a billion, my dad won¡¯t even care.¡± Fu Siyu was overseas all year round, and the Fu Family¡¯s assets were substantial, so when it came to money, he was not harsh with Fu Yang. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Shu Wan nodded, then closed her eyes again. Fu Yang waited for a while, but seeing that Shu Wan did not respond, he knocked on the table again, ¡°Shu Wan, what do you mean? I am talking to you, do you agree or not?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have that much money to give me.¡± ¡°Your appetite is that big? A billion a month is not enough for you?¡± Fu Yang frowned before he spoke again after a long moment, ¡°Then how much do you want? I will think about it.¡± But Shu Wan did not answer his question, she closed her eyes and slept soundly. Fu Yang took a deep breath, turned over in frustration, his back facing Shu Wan, and closed his eyes as well. This woman was impervious to oil and salt; life with her was impossible. Under this eerie calm, the two returned to the estate together. Shu Wan got out of the car, but Fu Yang did not. Shu Wan turned back, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± Fu Yang crossed his legs arrogantly, looking provocatively at Shu Wan. The sunlight landed on his silver-white hair and silver diamond earring, reflecting a brilliant light. Shu Wan took a planning schedule from the housekeeper and placed it inside the car, ¡°Whenever you come to your senses, come find me.¡± Fu Yang glanced at the schedule, then lifted his leg and rolled his foot over it a couple of times until the schedule was crumpled into waste paper, it was only then that Fu Yang looked up and smiled at Shu Wan, ¡°In your dreams.¡± Shu Wan was not annoyed and turned to walk toward the estate. After all, within two hours, Fu Yang would come back to find her on his own. By afternoon, the sunlight was warm and mellow. Because of car sickness, Shu Wan had not eaten much at noon, so the kitchen made her a cooling rose and coconut water jelly. Shu Wan leaned on the sofa, eating bite by bite, the amazement hard to hide in her eyes. In her previous life, Shu Wan was born in the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion and frequently entered the Imperial Palace, where she had tasted the culmination of the world¡¯s finest foods. But compared to modern varieties, whether it was ingredients or cooking methods, they were far inferior. Moreover, the Fu Family hired a famous chef who used the best ingredients, creating dishes that Shu Wan had mostly never tasted. The faint fragrance of roses spread on the tip of her tongue, and the freshness of coconut water was just right to dissolve the flowery sweetness, colliding into a distinctive fresh scent. The dizziness brought on by car sickness was alleviated by the comfort of the delicious food. In her hand was exquisite food, and outside the window was a beautiful garden scene; if not for the angry footsteps that were getting closer and closer, it would have been a lovely afternoon. Unfortunately. ¡°Shu Wan!¡± Fu Yang stormed into the living room, ignoring the housekeeper and servants¡¯ attempts to stop him, and went straight to Shu Wan. Seeing her leisurely eating, the anger in Fu Yang¡¯s heart grew even fiercer; he stretched out his hand intending to smash the bowl in Shu Wan¡¯s hand. But as soon as he reached out, he found himself unable to move. Acupoints again!! Fu Yang took a few deep breaths, barely suppressing his anger, ¡°Shu Wan, release me!¡± Shu Wan calmly took another bite, ¡°Will you speak properly then?¡± Fu Yang clenched his teeth tightly, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t lay a hand on you.¡± Only then, did Shu Wan extend her hand and release Fu Yang¡¯s acupoint. Feeling he could finally move, Fu Yang flexed his wrists. Seeing Shu Wan looking down and eating her food, an idea struck him, and he quickly reached out his hand. However, he hadn¡¯t anticipated that Shu Wan was already expecting this. She slightly lifted her foot, and Fu Yang, who paid no attention, directly fell onto the sofa beside him. Having been trifled with over and over, Fu Yang clenched his fists, but remembering he couldn¡¯t beat Shu Wan, he struggled for a moment before letting his hand drop, ¡°I have a question for you.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Was it you who got my dad to stop my credit card?¡± Today at noon, he had planned to treat his friends to a meal, but when it came time to pay, his card wouldn¡¯t go through. Fu Yang¡¯s card had no spending limit, so there could be only one reason it wasn¡¯t working¡ªit had been stopped. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, your dad doesn¡¯t know, I stopped it.¡± ¡°What right do you have to stop my card?¡± Fu Yang widened his eyes, ¡°The bank actually listens to you?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Shu Wan glanced at Fu Yang, ¡°I¡¯m your guardian now, fully responsible for everything about you. How much money you should get each month, I have the final say.¡± Fu Yang hadn¡¯t expected his dad would grant Shu Wan such substantial authority, but with people under the eaves, Fu Yang could only force a smile, ¡°Then how much do you plan to give me?¡± Shu Wan had already thought this through. Having finished her dessert, she set down the bowl and wiped her hands with a wet cloth, ¡°Considering you have food and shelter at home and still have to attend classes at school, five thousand yuan a month is enough. If you have other expenses, you can report them to me for approval. If I agree, you can ask the housekeeper to transfer the money to you.¡± ¡°Five million yuan?¡± Fu Yang, habitually thinking the figures Shu Wan spoke of were in the millions, asked in disbelief, ¡°Are you that generous?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve mistaken the unit,¡± Shu Wan corrected him, ¡°It¡¯s five thousand yuan.¡± ¡°Five thousand yuan?¡± Fu Yang was shocked, ¡°Are you insane? Five thousand yuan isn¡¯t even enough to buy a pair of shoes.¡± ¡°Concerning your allowance, it¡¯s flexible,¡± Shu Wan added, ¡°depending on your performance. If you behave well, it can increase; if not, it will be cut.¡± Though Shu Wan was from ancient times, her educational philosophy had an origin in both ancient and modern times. In her previous life, Bailu Academy also restricted the students¡¯ spending. Without a concept of income, they only gave students the necessary living expenses to immerse them in ordinary life to understand the common people¡¯s hardships. Yet, if they solely employed adversity as a means of teaching, they would end up nurturing scholars reeking of petty household spirit. So once the students understood the concept of money, Bailu Academy would naturally ease the restrictions on them. This was also Shu Wan¡¯s plan for Fu Yang. Still only 14 years old, Fu Yang couldn¡¯t understand Shu Wan¡¯s intentions. He simply felt she was deliberately suppressing his allowance. ¡°Are you handing out money to beggars?¡± Fu Yang¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, staring straight at Shu Wan, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you now, I won¡¯t take the plan, and as for your five thousand yuan, whoever wants it can have it. This young master doesn¡¯t give a damn.¡± ¡°Really don¡¯t care? Then shall I give it as a bonus to the servants?¡± ¡°Do what you want.¡± Fu Yang snorted coldly, not taking the restriction on his allowance to heart at all. So what if there¡¯s no money on the card? The house is full of antiques, and more importantly, as the Fu Family¡¯s only young master, countless people would compete to offer him money if he desired it. The pride of youth was impossible to hide, and with just one glance, Shu Wan knew exactly what Fu Yang was planning. ¡°You could also steal things from home to sell, or ask others for money,¡± Shu Wan spoke up, ¡°That¡¯s your business, but Fu Siyu¡¯s son, the Fu Family¡¯s only heir, surely wouldn¡¯t stoop to such embarrassing actions, right?¡± ¡°...¡± Fu Yang was well aware this was Shu Wan¡¯s way of provoking him, but he was still goaded by her words, ¡°What kind of person do you think I am? I wouldn¡¯t stoop to such tasteless acts.¡± Watching Fu Yang lift his chin slightly, his face full of defiance, a rare smile seeped into the depths of Shu Wan¡¯s eyes. A rebellious youth, arrogant and self-assured, untamed and stubborn. Yet, also spirited, as free as the wind, by following the wind¡¯s direction, one can always find that subtle thread hidden amid the flourish and bluster. In fact, he was quite easy to steer. Chapter 17 - 17 17 Acceptance ?Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Acceptance Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Acceptance ¡°Since you¡¯ve already given your allowance to the servant just now, starting today until the 24th of next month, you won¡¯t have any extra pocket money.¡± ¡°Like I care,¡± Fu Yang curled his lips, heading straight upstairs. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Shu Wan stopped him.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with all the fuss?¡± Fu Yang turned around impatiently. ¡°Can¡¯t you just say everything at once?¡± ¡°What day of the week is it today?¡± ¡°How would I know? Don¡¯t you have a phone to check the calendar yourself?¡± Shu Wan took out her phone and showed the screen to Fu Yang. ¡°It¡¯s only Wednesday today. Shouldn¡¯t you be at school?¡± ¡°How novel,¡± commented Fu Yang, who was only 14 but already around six feet tall. From the higher step, he looked down with a sense of superiority. ¡°What¡¯s the use of school? I could buy an entire school with just one of my watches. Teach me? They¡¯re not worthy.¡± ¡°And you, don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve got a bit of power from my dad, you can boss me around. You¡¯re also not worthy.¡± With that, Fu Yang went upstairs without looking back. The standoff between the two left the housekeeper and servants almost scared to death. After Fu Yang disappeared on the second floor, followed by a loud sound of a door slamming. The housekeeper stood next to Shu Wan, observed her expression, and cautiously advised, ¡°Young Madam, the Young Master is still a child. Please don¡¯t stoop to his level.¡± ¡°He¡¯s 14, not that young.¡± Shu Wan looked up towards Fu Yang¡¯s room. In her past life, boys at the age of 14 could already be independent and achieve great things. At 14, she had led 50,000 elite troops to victory in the battle of Jinchuan. Fu Yang¡¯s character had been largely shaped by everyone indulging him with the excuse that he was still a child. Thinking of what Fu Yang had just said, Shu Wan lightly tapped her finger on the sofa. ¡°Go open his bedroom door.¡± The housekeeper hesitated. ¡°Young Madam, the Young Master will definitely get angry. He doesn¡¯t allow anyone to barge into his room.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Fu Siyu tell you?¡± Shu Wan turned her head and gave the housekeeper a quiet look. Despite being a young girl, the authority and pressure from that glance were something not even the experienced housekeeper could withstand. His heart faltered, and he quickly nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have someone open the door right now.¡± Sure enough, as the housekeeper anticipated, as soon as he opened the door, a vase flew out from inside. The housekeeper quickly stood in front of Shu Wan sheltering her and stepped back, the next second, pillows, cups, a computer, and a phone were thrown out. Inside the room, Fu Yang glared fiercely at Shu Wan. ¡°Aren¡¯t you annoying?¡± The housekeeper tried to protect Shu Wan, but she pushed aside his arm and walked straight towards Fu Yang. As Fu Yang was about to make a move, Shu Wan flicked her ankle, and a piece of broken porcelain flew up, shattering a vase on the table, and Fu Yang immediately calmed down. He rubbed his hair in irritation and looked at Shu Wan resentfully. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± ¡°Follow the plan, and I won¡¯t do anything more to you.¡± Looking at the stunningly beautiful Shu Wan before him, for the first time in his life, Fu Yang felt utterly powerless. He could neither fight nor argue with her, and his father had given all the authority to Shu Wan. He had not slept well last night, and the morning¡¯s exertions had left him exhausted; now, all Fu Yang wanted was a good sleep. He extended his hand to Shu Wan. ¡°I agree, okay? Give me the plan, we¡¯ll start it tomorrow. Can I go to sleep now?¡± Shu Wan gestured for the housekeeper to hand the plan to Fu Yang. ¡°Remember what you said.¡± After Shu Wan and the others left, Fu Yang looked at the mess on the floor and then at the plan, hitting the bed in frustration. How could there be someone as troublesome as Shu Wan!! Chapter 18 - 18 18 Selection ?Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Selection Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Selection The young man¡¯s sleep was deep and prolonged, and there was still no sound coming from Fu Yang¡¯s bedroom even as dinner time approached. Housekeeper wanted to go up and check, but Shu Wan stopped him, ¡°No need, let him sleep.¡± With a glance, she knew that Fu Yang had slept for less than an hour the night before, and the lack of sleep was not good for his health. Housekeeper looked at Shu Wan somewhat surprised, ¡°I thought the Young Madam would want us to drag the Young Master out of bed.¡± After all, in the past two days, Shu Wan and Fu Yang had been at each other¡¯s throats, like fire and water, and naturally, the housekeeper thought Shu Wan would disapprove of Fu Yang sleeping in. ¡°I do disapprove of him sleeping in, but he needs enough sleep,¡± said Shu Wan, glancing at the time, 7:30 PM, ¡°I¡¯ll go call him in an hour.¡± ¡°Okay then, please go ahead and eat first.¡± Considering the meals prepared by the Fu Family were indeed delicious, Shu Wan ate with great satisfaction. After dinner, Shu Wan suddenly remembered something, she called the housekeeper over, ¡°Go and get me some herbal ingredients.¡± ¡°Are you sick, Young Madam?¡± Housekeeper quickly asked, ¡°I¡¯ll call the doctor over.¡± ¡°No need, I plan to blend some Calming Tea,¡± Shu Wan explained, ¡°Once I¡¯ve prepared it, help me deliver the ingredients to Fu Siyu.¡± Hearing that it was for Fu Siyu, the housekeeper¡¯s attitude turned brisk, suddenly very proactive, ¡°Okay, okay, I will find them right away.¡± After the housekeeper left, Shu Wan stood up and went for a walk in the garden; she had eaten a bit too much and now needed to digest. The Fu Family¡¯s estate was vast, thanks to the development of modern science and technology, their house¡¯s decor managed to encompass traditional aesthetics while also promoting modern high-tech features. Even though there were no lights in the garden, there were ground lamps buried around the flower beds and by the pond, and the fountain exquisitely changed its shape, blooming in the night as occasional droplets mixed with the night wind and splashed onto the face, rather refreshing. Enveloped by nightfall, with the moon high in the sky, Shu Wan raised her head to look up; the moon above was still the same crescent as it had been a thousand years ago. For a moment, it was hard to tell if all that surrounded her was but an illusion. The happenings of these past days could just as well be a dream where she was a nonentity, devoid of a sense of reality in this world. Just as Shu Wan quietly contemplated while gazing at the moon, her phone suddenly vibrated. She tapped the screen and raised her eyebrows in surprise; it was a video call from Fu Siyu. Why was Shu Wan surprised? Because even though she wasn¡¯t very familiar with Fu Siyu, she could tell he was someone accustomed to being in a position of power, not someone who often took the initiative to make calls. In a moment¡¯s thought, Shu Wan quickly pressed the answer button, and what filled her view was a clear blue sky with white clouds. Now she remembered that there was a time difference between her and Fu Siyu; it was night in Imperial City, while it was daytime where he was. ¡°Are you in the garden?¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s voice came through the video, yet he himself didn¡¯t appear on camera; the lens remained focused on the vast grasslands and blue sky with white clouds. ¡°Yes, I just had dinner and came out for a walk,¡± Shu Wan had never been to the city where Fu Siyu currently was and was somewhat curious, ¡°Where are you?¡± The camera panned, and a relaxed herd of fine horses came into view on the video, ¡°I¡¯m at my private ranch, planning to send a horse back for Fu Yang. Since you know your stuff, help me choose one.¡± Shu Wan looked and commented, ¡°They all seem quite nice, your ranch seems to be of high quality.¡± Any horse from Fu Siyu¡¯s ranch, if brought out, would have been considered tribute-worthy in her previous life. In fact, they could even surpass tribute quality; after all, thousands of years had passed, and the breeding techniques for fine horses had matured significantly. Being the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion in her former life, Shu Wan never had the chance to ride such exceptional tribute horses, which were exclusively reserved for the Emperor and the Crown Prince. Seeing so many all at once really got to me, and I couldn¡¯t resist taking a longer look. There was no image of Fu Siyu in the video, but Shu Wan¡¯s was there, and her subtle movements didn¡¯t escape Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes. Fu Siyu zoomed in the camera, ¡°Which one do you think suits him?¡± After considering, Shu Wan responded, ¡°The one with the jujube-red color, it seems more docile, more suitable for him.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Fu Siyu nodded then turned the camera to another horse, ¡°This horse is spirited and stubborn. The horse trainer has been working with it for a month and still can¡¯t mount it. Do you have any suggestions?¡± Even someone as composed as Shu Wan couldn¡¯t help but be captivated by the horse at first sight. The horses they had seen earlier were already impressive, but those trained by a horse trainer in the paddock still lacked a certain untamed quality. But this horse was different, large and silver-white, emitting a golden sheen in the sunlight, it tossed its hooves restlessly, standing proud and tall. ¡°A fine horse,¡± Shu Wan couldn¡¯t help but admire, ¡°There is a way, but it¡¯s a pity I¡¯m too far away to help you tame it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect, I¡¯m arranging for Fu Yang¡¯s horse to be sent back to Imperial City. We might as well transport this one too, and I¡¯ll trouble you with the training.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also fine.¡± It wasn¡¯t her horse, but getting to train it for a while was all the same thrilling for Shu Wan. She sounded cheerful when she spoke, the tones slightly rising. Fu Siyu noticed that. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve canceled Fu Yang¡¯s credit cards, just letting you know.¡± Shu Wan had asked Qin Lv for help with this, knowing he would report it to Fu Siyu, but she still wanted to say it herself, fearing that Fu Siyu would feel sorry for his son after cutting off his allowance. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± At this point, Fu Siyu switched the camera back to himself, his handsome face appearing in the video, his gaze profound, ¡°As for Fu Yang¡¯s matters, you have full discretion; no need to consult me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan appreciated people who trusted their delegates completely. ¡°Your Calming Tea will be shipped out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Fu Siyu nodded, ¡°The housekeeper mentioned you like reading. The library at the estate is small, but I have a private library in Imperial City which you can use.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that offer.¡± The library at the estate wasn¡¯t really small, but given Shu Wan¡¯s reading speed¡ªten lines at a glance¡ªit would not last half a month before she¡¯d read through it all. ¡°Mhm¡± Fu Siyu acknowledged with a sound, just about to say something more when Shu Wan glanced at the time, then stood up, ¡°I¡¯m off to find Fu Yang now. Bye.¡± After a brief pause, Fu Siyu responded with a nod, ¡°Alright, goodbye.¡± After she spoke, Shu Wan hung up. On the other end, Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes deepened as he looked at the terminated call, then raised his head towards a subordinate, ¡°Prepare to transport the horses to Imperial City today.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Fu.¡± At that moment on the second floor of the estate, Shu Wan was already standing outside Fu Yang¡¯s bedroom door. Considering her experience with forcibly opening doors that morning, this time, before going to sleep, Fu Yang had specifically propped five hydraulic jacks at the door. Chapter 19 - 19 19 Use of Force ?Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Use of Force Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Use of Force In the bedroom, Fu Yang had actually already woken up. He was just about to get out of bed to find something to eat when he heard footsteps outside. Fu Yang guessed it was Shu Wan, so he plopped back down to sleep. He was sure Shu Wan was there to wake him up, but he refused to get up, planning to sleep for a few more hours at least. At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and Shu Wan¡¯s cool voice came from outside, ¡°Fu Yang, it¡¯s time to get up.¡± Fu Yang covered his head with the blanket. Pfft, as if I agreed to that. Whoever responds is a fool. Fu Yang didn¡¯t answer, and there were no more sounds from outside the door. It even became eerily quiet. From the past couple of days spent with Shu Wan, Fu Yang felt that Shu Wan was not the kind of person to give up so easily. He poked his head out of the covers and looked around. The windows were sealed, and the door was secured with a jack. Unless he opened the door, not even a bird could take off from here. Fu Yang lay back down, content. Having gotten the upper hand over Shu Wan for the first time, he started humming happily, ¡°Who¡¯s playing a tune on the pipa, ¡®Breaking the Eastern Wind¡¯...¡± No sooner had the word ¡°break¡± left his mouth than a loud bang shook the entire room. Fu Yang¡¯s first thought was that it was an earthquake. He threw off the covers to get out of bed, but then he realized something wasn¡¯t right. Hadn¡¯t he turned the lights off? Why was the room so bright? Fu Yang looked up towards the door and met Shu Wan¡¯s eyes standing outside. And the solid wood door was now completely lying flat on the carpet. A vein pulsed on Fu Yang¡¯s forehead, and in his extreme anger, he unexpectedly calmed down, ¡°Who knocked down my door?¡± Shu Wan stepped over the now-wrecked door and entered calmly, replying, ¡°I kicked it down.¡± ¡°...¡± Shu Wan was wearing a simple home dress with silky fabric as soft as mist. As she walked, the hem of her dress brushed against her slender calves and delicate ankles. Her ankles were so delicate, it seemed as if a breeze could carry away a few whiffs of cloud. And there on the carpet, lay the door made of solid Phoebe zhennan wood, nearly 5 centimeters thick. Fu Yang was absolutely stunned. He thought Shu Wan was already twisted, but every time, she managed to escalate the level of twistedness in his mind. At that moment, even though he was furious, the sight of the pathetic wooden door helped him suppress it somewhat. He acknowledged one clear fact¡ªhe couldn¡¯t defeat Shu Wan. Fu Yang took a deep breath, ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± ¡°Get up, come down for dinner, and go to sleep promptly at eleven. I will wake you up at seven tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°....¡± Fu Yang was nearly driven mad, but facing Shu Wan¡¯s overpowering force, he could only hold it in for the time being, ¡°Go out first, I need to change my clothes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Once Shu Wan left the room, Fu Yang got straight out of bed and walked to the door to examine it closely. Sure enough, he found a caved-in footprint in the middle. ¡°What on earth did I do to deserve such a wicked stepmother?¡± Outside, Shu Wan was still waiting for him. Fu Yang put on a sweatshirt and some casual sport pants before reluctantly stepping out of the bedroom, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shu Wan turned to look at him, her gaze lingering on Fu Yang for a moment. Today, without his bizarre outfits, the simple clothes brought out his naturally handsome face even more, and the cut of the sweatshirt accentuated the youthful vigor typical of his age. Shu Wan sincerely complimented, ¡°You look quite good in this.¡± ¡°.....¡± Although he had agreed to Shu Wan¡¯s plan, it didn¡¯t mean he was ready to obediently be a puppet for Shu Wan and Fu Siyu. Holding a grudge over the fact that Shu Wan had kicked down his door, now that he heard Shu Wan say she liked seeing him in a sweatshirt, Fu Yang immediately turned around and went back to his room. When he came back out, he was wearing a jacket covered in metal accessories and a pair of jeans you couldn¡¯t count how many designs were on them. Shu Wan was surprisingly calm, as long as Fu Yang wasn¡¯t prancing around her just wearing a few ribbons like those people in the magazines, she could accept anything else, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Fu Yang felt somewhat defeated when he didn¡¯t see any anger or dissatisfaction in Shu Wan¡¯s eyes. He gently hooked his little finger on a metal accessory on his clothing, causing a clinking sound to suddenly echo in the quiet space. Downstairs, Shu Wan sat on the living room sofa reading the newspaper while Fu Yang sat at the dining table eating. With each bite he took, he glanced at Shu Wan, calm and composed, and felt that something was off everywhere. ¡°Uncle Wang, come here,¡± Fu Yang waved at the housekeeper, ¡°Do you have any information on Shu Wan? Give me a copy.¡± ¡°Young Master...¡± ¡°Not giving it to me?¡± Fu Yang squinted his eyes, ¡°It seems you really don¡¯t take me seriously, huh.¡± Even if Fu Yang was still a child, he was the heir of the Fu Family. Shu Wan wasn¡¯t afraid of him, but that didn¡¯t mean others weren¡¯t. The housekeeper hesitated for a moment, then nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll find the information for you later.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Fu Yang snorted coldly, setting the spoon in his hand down. The tip of the spoon touched the table, making a dull sound, ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me. I need details down to every single one of her hobbies and habits, otherwise, you know, I have countless ways to make you miserable.¡± The housekeeper nodded as he stealthily glanced at Shu Wan from afar. His admiration for Shu Wan escalated enormously in his heart. This was the woman who could suppress their Young Master, truly remarkable. By the time Fu Yang finished eating, Shu Wan had already flipped through several rounds of newspapers. Seeing that Fu Yang was about to head upstairs, Shu Wan called out to him, ¡°I will go to school with you tomorrow.¡± Hearing this, Fu Yang¡¯s face immediately darkened, ¡°Are you crazy? Why would you follow me to school? I¡¯ve already agreed to your schedule, but don¡¯t push your luck.¡± Shu Wan frowned slightly, ¡°Why? I¡¯m going to school, of course.¡± Fu Yang paused, ¡°What?¡± At this, the housekeeper stepped forward to explain, ¡°Young Master, the Young Madam is currently a junior in college, and your Affiliated High School is exactly affiliated with the college she attends.¡± Fu Yang frowned even more, ¡°My dad married a college student who hasn¡¯t even graduated? He really knows how to have fun.¡± ¡°Oh my Young Master, please don¡¯t say that,¡± the housekeeper hurriedly intervened, fearing Fu Yang might say something even more outrageous. But Fu Yang kept at it, looking at Shu Wan sarcastically, ¡°Just a junior in college, and already so ambitious. Do your classmates know you married an old man with a son at such a young age?¡± ¡°.....¡± The housekeeper wished he were deaf at that moment. Fu Yang¡¯s attacks had no impact on Shu Wan; her focus was on, ¡°Is your dad very old?¡± From the two video calls they had, he looked quite young. ¡°Ha.¡± Fu Yang stared directly at Shu Wan, his eyes full of mockery, ¡°28 years old, not that old, but he had me with someone else at 14, you¡¯re really not picky, are you?¡± Fu Yang meant to imply that Shu Wan, for the sake of power, married a man who irresponsibly fathered a son at 14. But Shu Wan didn¡¯t care. Firstly, in her past life, men could marry and start households at 14, and although she knew the modern age for marriage was much later, the concept of having children at 14 didn¡¯t shock her. Secondly, she and Fu Siyu were merely in a business relationship; she didn¡¯t care about Fu Siyu, nor what kind of person he was. ¡°Your dad is rich, handsome, and capable, what more could I ask for?¡± Shu Wan retorted Fu Yang¡¯s words. Fu Yang gritted his teeth, wanting to argue back but found no grounds to support his case. He huffed coldly and stormed off. Watching the calm before the storm, the housekeeper stood aside, silently ¡°taking the essence and discarding the dregs,¡± and reported today¡¯s home situation to Fu Siyu in a trimmed down version. ¡°Young Master, after dinner the Young Master had a casual conversation with the Young Madam, asking why she married you. The Young Madam said you are rich, good-looking, and capable, one in a million, and of course she would want to marry.¡± Before sending it, the housekeeper struggled internally, but eventually sent it out. He wasn¡¯t making it up; the two hadn¡¯t fought, merely had a ¡°casual conversation,¡± and Shu Wan genuinely praised Fu Siyu for being wealthy and good-looking; he was just paraphrasing Shu Wan¡¯s original words. Hmm, he really was a genius. Chapter 20 - 20 20 Guidance ?Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Guidance Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Guidance Across the ocean, in the meeting room, everyone was silent as the grave, cautiously waiting for Fu Siyu¡¯s command. Due to a small issue in the interfacing process, a significant error had occurred in a recent investment plan. Fortunately, at the last moment, Fu Siyu had identified the problem, otherwise, it would have led to a loss of tens of billions. Although the loss was recovered, everyone knew that in today¡¯s meeting, someone would suffer a terrible fate. After all, Fu Siyu¡¯s way of doing things was always swift and fierce. He had managed to expand the North American market to its maximum in just a few years, thanks to his ruthless methods. A strange calm spread through the meeting room as Fu Siyu sat at the forefront, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the people in the room. Just as he was about to start calling names, his phone suddenly rang. There were not many contacts in Fu Siyu¡¯s phone¡ªhe would only receive messages from the housekeeper or Shu Wan. As for Fu Yang... ever since Fu Yang had shed his childish traits, he had never initiated a call to him, so it couldn¡¯t be him. Fu Siyu unlocked the screen, his eyes pausing on the message from the housekeeper. As the head of the corporation, Fu Siyu was the center of everyone¡¯s attention. Seeing him staring at his phone without moving, everyone¡¯s hearts were raised again. After all, Fu Siyu was someone who would merely glance indifferently at a loss of hundreds of billions. He wouldn¡¯t normally pay attention to anything else. But now, Fu Siyu was staring at his phone for so long¡ªthere was definitely something amiss. Was there a greater loss?? People¡¯s hearts, already suspended, felt so fragile that a slight breeze could scatter them. Everyone frantically searched their minds, wondering if they had made any mistakes at work recently and whether confessing proactively would allow them to meet a slightly less ugly end. At that moment, Fu Siyu looked up, his expression miraculously much more relaxed than before, ¡°Those involved in this issue will lose their half-year bonus. Meeting dismissed.¡± Not until Fu Siyu¡¯s figure had disappeared from the meeting room did everyone dare to believe that the punishment was so light. ¡°The sun must have risen from the west.¡± ¡°We dodged a bullet this time; we can¡¯t dare do this again¡ªit¡¯s too frightening.¡± ¡ª Imperial City, as the night deepened. Although Fu Yang had agreed to Shu Wan¡¯s plan, he had not intended to follow her rule of going to bed early and rising early. After all, there were so many fun games waiting for him. But tonight, for some reason, just as Fu Yang sat down in front of the computer, he felt a profound lethargy enveloping his mind, and sleepiness swept over him like a tide. Fu Yang struggled against the sleepiness and played a game for ten minutes, after which his eyelids became so heavy that he couldn¡¯t lift them anymore. Fu Yang yawned, hazily tossed aside the mouse, lay down on the bed, and quickly fell asleep. On the bedside table, the hour hand slowly moved, and at the moment Fu Yang closed his eyes, it pointed to 11¡ªthe exact bedtime specified in Shu Wan¡¯s schedule. Fu Yang left the game midway. In the game, because of his absence, his teammates lost a combatant and were repeatedly defeated. ¡°Damn, why go AFK? Report him, make sure he can¡¯t play for a few days.¡± ¡°Definitely report him, this is too much.¡± All of this, of course, went unheard by the soundly sleeping Fu Yang. ¡ª The next day was blessed with good weather, the sky high and the clouds sparse, the temperature pleasant. Shu Wan had a very regular daily routine, going to bed early and rising early as well. When she came down to the living room, the servants had not yet started cooking. Seeing Shu Wan, the housekeeper quickly came forward, ¡°My apologies, Young Madam, I will have breakfast prepared right away.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Shu Wan waved her hand, ¡°stick to the usual time, I¡¯ll eat with Fu Yang.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± the housekeeper, wary of Shu Wan having any special requests, asked, ¡°Is there anything in particular you would like to eat?¡± ¡°Just make something different from yesterday,¡± Shu Wan wanted to try some new varieties. ¡°Alright.¡± The morning air was fresh, and it was relatively cool. With more than half an hour left until breakfast, Shu Wan decided to take a walk outside and took her phone to the garden. During her time in modern society, Shu Wan had hardly had any downtime¡ªnow alone, she finally could spend some time exploring the various strange inventions of modern society. For instance, this palm-sized phone could perform so many functions that, if it were in the ancient times, it would definitely be considered an ¡°Immortal Artifact.¡± Shu Wan studied the functions of the phone for a while, her eyes growing a bit sore, so she looked up to relax. During the transition from late spring to early summer, the season was usually marked by the withering of many flowers and the vibrant bloom of lotuses, but the flowers in this garden were blooming splendidly. Shu Wan activated the camera, marveling at the technology¡¯s ability to perfectly capture images, and admired the well-maintained beauty of the flowers. After taking a bunch of photos, Shu Wan leaned on a swing, slowly filtering through them while familiarizing herself with the various social media apps. Although Shu Wan was from a feudal era, her ability to adapt to new things was strong. She was particularly interested in apps like WeChat Moments, Weibo, and TikTok. She first posted a few freshly taken photos on her WeChat Moments, then opened Weibo to try posting there, but, due to the original owner¡¯s suspected cheating during college entrance exams leading to numerous reports against her account, it was currently banned. So Shu Wan turned to a video-sharing platform and registered an account. She recorded a video of a dragonfly perching on a lotus and posted it. Since it was a new account, the video sank like a stone, unnoticed. However, her newly posted WeChat Moments drew many responses. ¡°Miracle, you¡¯re up so early, have you finally realized the importance of hard work?¡±¡ªthis was from her agent. ¡°Tsk, tsk, that garden, Sister has married well.¡±¡ªlabeled as ¡®sister¡¯. ¡°So, Wanwan, your family is this rich, huh? Then why not invest more? I¡¯ve got a great new project, we could partner up and definitely earn back the money we lost before.¡±¡ªlabeled as ¡®best friend,¡¯ but also the person responsible for the original owner¡¯s huge debt. There were many more replies, most not labeled, which Shu Wan could not recognize. She browsed other people¡¯s Moments for a while, and when she exited, there was another new response. Initially uninterested, Shu Wan strangely felt the avatar looked familiar. Upon opening it, it turned out to be Fu Siyu. ¡°Too much blank space, the lighting is a bit dark, and the composition could be shifted a bit more to the left.¡± Amidst comments of astonishment and flattery, Fu Siyu¡¯s ¡°nitpicking¡± seemed somewhat out of place. Most people might find it somewhat offensive. But now was exactly when Shu Wan eagerly wanted to learn more about modern society, and Fu Si Yu appeared to be one of those highly capable, excellent individuals. She found his advice very valuable. Thus, she opened Fu Siyu¡¯s chat window and typed, ¡°Haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡± Chapter 21 - 21 21 Riding a Bike ?Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Riding a Bike Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Riding a Bike Fu Siyu quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll sleep later.¡± ¡°I saw your comment in the Moments, are you good at photography, can you teach me?¡± ¡°I used to love photography and have won many awards.¡± Fu Siyu wasn¡¯t modest and quickly sent Shu Wan seven or eight pictures. Even as an amateur, Shu Wan could tell that the photos taken by Fu Siyu had superb lighting and composition. ¡°Looks great, can I ask you for advice next time I take photos?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Shu Wan wanted to send a text, but accidentally tapped on an auto-generated sticker in WeChat. A sticker of a cat making a heart shape with its paws was sent. Shu Wan didn¡¯t even know why she typed text, yet what was sent was a sticker. But she definitely couldn¡¯t ask Fu Siyu; it was okay to ask about photography techniques, but if she didn¡¯t even know how to use basic social media, Fu Siyu¡¯s keen perception would definitely suspect something was off about her identity. So, Shu Wan acted as if nothing had happened, and their conversation stopped there. About half an hour later, Shu Wan stood up, preparing to call Fu Yang. Just at that moment, her phone suddenly rang. Shu Wan unlocked the screen, somewhat surprised. Fu Siyu had actually replied with a sticker. Although it was a very formal ¡°you¡¯re welcome,¡± such an action didn¡¯t seem like something Fu Siyu would do. But it had to be said, this gesture made Shu Wan feel that Fu Siyu was less aloof and icy. Even the coldest gods would sometimes glance down at the mortal world. ¡ª In the upstairs bedroom, Fu Yang woke up amidst a strange fragrance. The fuzziness in his head from the night before gradually cleared under the influence of this scent. Fu Yang opened his eyes, put on a T-shirt, washed up, and went straight downstairs. In the dining room, the servants were setting the tableware, and Fu Yang, while yawning, glanced at the food on the table. ¡°Why noodles in the middle of the day? What are the chefs doing?¡± The servant looked at Fu Yang in surprise, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s still morning; this is breakfast.¡± Hearing this, Fu Yang was stunned for a moment before turning to look at the wall clock. Indeed, it was 7 a.m. Fu Yang still couldn¡¯t believe it, he looked out the window at the not-yet-risen sunrise, which was solid proof. ¡°Fuck,¡± Fu Yang couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°How did I get up so early!¡± Always waking up at noon or afternoon, Fu Yang had long forgotten what it felt like to rise early. He raised his hand to fix his hair, feeling something was off, accustomed to pulling all-nighters playing games, yet somehow quickly felt sleepy last night and now got up at exactly 7 a.m. It was as if someone had calculated it. Right then, Shu Wan walked in from the door, wearing a light blue chiffon long dress, cool, beautiful, and graceful, like a green bamboo swaying in the breeze hidden deep within the woods. In Fu Yang¡¯s eyes, Shu Wan now seemed no different from a green-faced, fanged Satan. ¡°What did you do, and why was I so tired yesterday?¡± Shu Wan slowly walked to the dining table and sat down, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to feel sleepy during bedtime?¡± Fu Yang furrowed his brow slightly¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to believe Shu Wan¡¯s words, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything miraculous that would make one sleep and wake up on demand. Shu Wan had already started eating, and Fu Yang, who was now hungry too, sat at the farthest diagonal from her and reached for a bowl of noodles. But with just one glance, Fu Yang was displeased. He always stayed up all night, and after waking up felt groggy, so he liked to eat strongly flavored foods to stimulate his taste buds. The kitchen knew his preferences, and the meals were always very spicy and salty. But today¡¯s bowl of noodles was bland and uninspiring. Fu Yang pushed the bowl to the side, ¡°Shu Wan, are you doing this on purpose?¡± Without Shu Wan¡¯s instructions, the kitchen would never dare to make something so bland. Shu Wan swallowed her mouthful of bread and then looked up, ¡°You probably started having stomach problems about a year ago, and you can¡¯t eat highly stimulating foods anymore.¡± Hearing Shu Wan¡¯s words, Fu Yang was stunned. Since a year ago, his stomach had pain every time after eating, but he had never mentioned it to anyone. The pain was also mild, so it was impossible for anyone to notice¡ªhow did Shu Wan know? Even if what Shu Wan said was true, Fu Yang couldn¡¯t possibly admit it at this point, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m some old man like my dad? I¡¯m young and very healthy, I¡¯ve never had a stomachache.¡± Shu Wan glanced at him indifferently, ¡°If you don¡¯t eat this meal, you¡¯ll have to wait until noon for food. I¡¯ve already instructed the kitchen¡ªoutside of three meals a day, they will not cook anything else for you.¡± ¡°Oh dear,¡± Fu Yang leaned back and kicked up his legs leisurely, his peachy eyes twinkling with a mocking light, ¡°I¡¯m so scared. I won¡¯t eat; what can you do about it?¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t respond to Fu Yang again. She lowered her head and finished the bread in her hands bite by bite. When her breakfast was finished, Shu Wan looked at Fu Yang again, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll accompany you to school.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go by myself,¡± Fu Yang looked at Shu Wan leisurely, ¡°Your schedule didn¡¯t specify what transport I must take.¡± Fine, catching loopholes in the wording. Shu Wan didn¡¯t quibble with Fu Yang further, ¡°Let¡¯s head out now, I¡¯ll wait for you at the school gate.¡± ¡°Ha,¡± Fu Yang stood up, his look scornful as he glanced at Shu Wan, ¡°You waiting for me? I will definitely get there faster than you.¡± Saying that, Fu Yang left the living room. After tidying up a bit, Shu Wan followed him out. Just as Shu Wan reached the doorway, she heard a huge roaring sound. Looking towards the source, Fu Yang was riding a motorcycle, speeding towards her. The motorcycle sped incredibly fast, about to hit Shu Wan in an instant, but Shu Wan didn¡¯t dodge at all. She stood there upright, as if the heavy motorcycle capable of crushing flesh and bone was merely a breeze. The motorcycle roared like a ferocious beast and stopped only half a meter away from Shu Wan. Fu Yang sat on the bike, looking down at Shu Wan, his lips curling up, ¡°You really aren¡¯t afraid of death.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking this to school?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Seemingly feeling that this move would finally break Shu Wan¡¯s composure and allow him to see her calm demeanor crack, Fu Yang was inexplicably excited, ¡°Your schedule didn¡¯t say I couldn¡¯t ride a motorcycle.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, I only agreed to the schedule you gave me yesterday. I won¡¯t acknowledge anything added afterwards,¡± Fu Yang added another comment. Chapter 22 - 22 22 I Dont Understand ?Chapter 22: Chapter 22 I Don¡¯t Understand Chapter 22: Chapter 22 I Don¡¯t Understand ¡°Yes,¡± Shu Wan nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s come back for lunch together.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Fu Yang pressed down on the accelerator and instantly sped off like the wind. Sunrise crested above the clouds, bathing the earth in golden light. The morning breeze weaved through the jungle¡¯s green leaves, lifting the silver-white hair of the youth. He rode his motorcycle fearlessly, plunging headlong into the blazing sunshine. Shu Wan stood her ground, quietly watching as Fu Yang departed until his figure had completely vanished at the end of the road. Only then did Shu Wan withdraw her gaze. Seeing Shu Wan¡¯s silence, the housekeeper thought she was upset by Fu Yang¡¯s words, ¡°Young Madam, don¡¯t take what the Young Master said to heart.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worth it,¡± Shu Wan said indifferently. Having lived two lifetimes and having truly experienced the strife of court and the blood and bone of war, Fu Yang¡¯s words could not stir any ripples in her. From Fu Yang, she saw some of the vigor belonging to this era that she hadn¡¯t seen in the feudal age. Quite good. Without Fu Yang joining her, Shu Wan went to school by herself. Although the original owner of her body got into this university, she rarely came to school. In the original owner¡¯s memories, she truly got into the key university in the Imperial City on her own merit. But during the summer before starting school, the original owner stayed at home for two whole months, and afterward, completely lost confidence in attending school. Perhaps because those two months were too painful, when Shu Wan tried to access those memories, her head would throb as if it were splitting open, so she decided not to think about it any longer. She lifted her head and looked out the window. Not far away, the school gates were bustling with numerous students. The leaf shadows were swaying; youth was at its prime. Looking at the young faces, Shu Wan¡¯s heart, which seemed to have been tempered for too long in the court, also became animated with life. She got out of the car and walked while taking in the campus scenery. But Shu Wan had underestimated the killing power of her own face. To fit the modern student identity, Shu Wan had specifically chosen a simple outfit for today. Her dress was plain, her hair tied back simply, revealing her snow-white nape. Her features were delicate and exquisite; even in a crowd, she was a standout, one in ten thousand. Moreover, her eyes, clear as a spring, caught one¡¯s gaze the moment they landed on her, making it impossible to look away. Shu Wan was accustomed to being in a position of power and to being the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. She didn¡¯t mind the curious or awestruck stares from the people around her. She walked along the campus path to her classroom. In just ten minutes, she had become thoroughly famous on campus. By the time Shu Wan arrived at the classroom, it was surrounded by students, packed to the rafters. Today¡¯s class was on ideological education, usually among the subjects with the highest rate of class cutting in universities. Therefore, when the professor entered the classroom and saw a room full of students, he thought he had gone to the wrong room. He even stepped out to check the classroom sign before entering again with confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t there still more than a month left before finals? Why is everyone so proactive so early?¡± The students chuckled together, and one student, seizing the moment, revealed the truth, ¡°Teacher, there¡¯s a fairy among us today, and that¡¯s why everyone has come.¡± The professor, without needing that hint, had already noticed Shu Wan sitting in the front row. Indeed, Shu Wan was so strikingly beautiful that regardless of where she sat, she instantly captured everyone¡¯s attention. The professor had lived half his life and never seen someone with such ethereal grace. He couldn¡¯t help but look twice and remarked, ¡°Indeed a fairy, I, too, will catch some of the fairy¡¯s aura today.¡± The professor was always easy-going and enjoyed joking with everyone. His words amused the students, and a kind laughter filled the classroom. The morning sun filtered through the ivy¡¯s green curtain, casting patchy light on the books, and the dancing golden beams, like the students around Shu Wan, were vibrant and full of energy. Shu Wan¡¯s expression softened with a smile as she picked up her pen and wrote her name on the book¡¯s front page. The leaf shadow swayed, shakily enveloping the words ¡°Shu Wan¡± in gold. Like a rebirth. For most students, the ideological education class was for playing with their phones. But for Shu Wan, it was different. She was like a root buried in the soil, eagerly absorbing all the moisture and nutrients. No teacher dislikes diligent and eager students, especially those who look like fairies. In just one class, the professor remembered the student named Shu Wan from his junior year and held a good impression of her. Thus, after the class, when Shu Wan asked to leave her contact information, the professor did not refuse. The original owner was a science student, majoring in physics. After the ideological education class, the next subject was mechanics. For the full two hours, Shu Wan did not understand a word. Chapter 23 - 23 23 Greedy ?Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Greedy Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Greedy Although Shu Wan could not understand, she had a great attitude and listened very seriously. The professor, gratified by her eagerness to learn, called on her to answer a question, ¡°Come, this student, tell us, what should we choose for this problem?¡± Shu Wan stared at the formula composed of a bunch of letters on the blackboard for a while, then honestly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The professor was taken aback, ¡°I just went over it in the last class, but never mind, sit down, I¡¯ll explain it again. Everyone, listen carefully.¡± The professor didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it, gestured for Shu Wan to sit down with a wave of his hand, and went over the problem again for everyone. Unfortunately, Shu Wan still didn¡¯t understand. After all, she was a person who had grown up educated during the feudal era, and in her knowledge system, just accepting that the Earth is round was already a significant challenge to her understanding. Not to mention the physics that she had never even heard of. After class, when everyone else had already left, Shu Wan approached the professor to ask how to catch up with the lessons she had missed. ¡°Start with the textbook, buy some materials, and work on them at home. You can come to me with anything you don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks a lot.¡± Shu Wan gave the professor a slight smile. Having become a full professor at a prestigious university, he had seen all sorts of situations, but he was still momentarily stunned by Shu Wan¡¯s smile. His shock had nothing to do with desire; it was because Shu Wan¡¯s clear eyes made her seem full of wisdom and bright as snow, and it was hard to believe that she couldn¡¯t even answer the simple question asked earlier. Regardless, it¡¯s human nature to give more favorable treatment to someone with high attractiveness. Since Shu Wan really didn¡¯t understand the lesson, the professor gave her his contact information and told her to look him up whenever she had questions. Talking with the professor had taken some time, and by the time Shu Wan left the classroom, lunchtime had already passed. The housekeeper called Shu Wan to ask if she would return to the Estate for lunch. Shu Wan thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll eat outside, no need to wait for me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Is Fu Yang coming back for lunch?¡± ¡°He is not.¡± The housekeeper replied respectfully, ¡°Young Master said the food at home is too bland, and he doesn¡¯t want to eat it, so he¡¯s not coming back.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± As expected, ¡°Is there a place to eat near the university I¡¯m attending?¡± Shu Wan wasn¡¯t very familiar with the area yet, so she asked the housekeeper for some guidance. ¡°There¡¯s a famous food street right next to Young Master¡¯s school, next to the university. I¡¯ll send you the location in a bit, you might want to check it out.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Fu Yang¡¯s middle school was affiliated with the university Shu Wan attended, separated from the university section by just one road. The food street the housekeeper mentioned was very close to Shu Wan as well. Following the map navigation she had recently learned, she found the location of the food street. Much like the markets of her previous life, it was crowded with people, store after store lined up, engulfed in the smell of food at mealtime, and the air was filled with a mix of different aromas. What was different from her previous life was the sheer variety of modern food, with virtually no duplicative shops along the long food street. Shu Wan decided to start with the first shop and try a different one each day until she had tasted everything on the street. To her left was a rice bowl shop. Shu Wan had never heard of it, let alone tried it; she decided that this was her stop for today¡¯s lunch. Shu Wan turned around and headed inside, just as she entered the front door, her eyes caught on a striking silver-haired head. Not far away, Fu Yang was seated with his back to the entrance, chatting with his classmates. As soon as Shu Wan walked through the door, she drew the attention of nearly everyone in the restaurant, Fu Yang¡¯s classmates included. ¡°Wow, she¡¯s so beautiful,¡± everyone gaped at Shu Wan, simultaneously exclaiming in admiration. ¡°Lin Yang, look quick, there¡¯s a super gorgeous girl over there.¡± While everyone else turned their heads to look at Shu Wan, only Fu Yang did not; his classmates couldn¡¯t resist urging him to join them. But Fu Yang was in no mood for that. His gaze swept past the covered rice dishes in front of his classmates, his eyes twinkling slightly, ¡°What beauty haven¡¯t I seen? Besides, with this face of mine here, do I need to go looking at other beauties?¡± His classmates were left speechless by Fu Yang¡¯s words. If it had been anyone else, they would have certainly thought he was boasting. But facing Fu Yang¡¯s extremely refined features, everybody had to admit that he had the grounds for his confidence. ¡°That¡¯s true, all the girls in school are lining up to chase you; you hardly need to look at anyone else.¡± A classmate expressed his envy, then scooped a spoonful of rice into his mouth, ¡°The food at this place is getting tastier and tastier¡ªthe stir-fried pork today is really something.¡± ¡°Really, this place makes the best spicy dishes,¡± another classmate agreed, stirring the shredded pork with green chili peppers in his bowl. The mix of red and green chili peppers, combined with the slightly charred and aromatic pork slices, was a blend that could ignite anyone¡¯s appetite. Fu Yang¡¯s gaze lingered on his classmate¡¯s bowl for a moment, then he turned his head away slightly, his jaw clenching a bit. ¡°Lin Yang, why did you come with us here today?¡± Even though Fu Yang had never revealed his family background, from his daily life, everyone knew that Fu Yang¡¯s family must be wealthy. Fu Yang rarely joined them for meals outside. Today, no one knew from which direction the sun rose, as Fu Yang had actually followed them here. But what was strange was that Fu Yang hadn¡¯t ordered anything and was just sitting by and watching. ¡°Just bored,¡± Fu Yang said lazily, leaning on the table, his fingers unconsciously tapping, ¡°What¡¯s that you¡¯re eating? It doesn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious! Super delicious!¡± The classmate said quickly, anxious to convince Fu Yang. He even mixed the meat and rice together in his bowl, which, soaked with the spiciness of the chili and the flavor of the meat, made the rice look even more tantalizing, ¡°Why don¡¯t you order one and try it?¡± ¡°Yeah, try it, and you¡¯ll know. Otherwise, I¡¯ll treat you.¡± Fu Yang¡¯s eyes flickered and he nodded, but his expression seemed rather reluctant, ¡°Well¡ª¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I know.¡± Before he could even finish a word, his classmate cut him off, ¡°You¡¯re usually strict with your diet, that¡¯s how your skin is so good. This kind of small shop food, you definitely won¡¯t be interested.¡± ¡°Well no joking, that backpack Brother Yang gave me last time was a limited edition. What kind of person is Brother Yang? He definitely wouldn¡¯t eat this kind of street stall food.¡± Fu Yang had to choke back what he hadn¡¯t finished saying. He looked at the classmate in front of him with a sulky face, regretting in his heart; if he had known earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have given him the backpack¡ªit was a total waste. While the classmates chatted, they finished a bowl of rice. However, teenage boys, being in their growth years, had huge appetites. Not feeling full yet, he asked the owner for another portion of stir-fried chicken in a hot pot, ¡°Boss, make it extra numbing and spicy! Add more potatoes.¡± Not long after, a fresh stir-fried chicken in a hot pot was served. The fragrance of the stir-fried chicken, with its crispy exterior and soft inside potatoes, was simply irresistible. Fu Yang¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple shifted unconsciously, and as his classmate was about to reach for his chopsticks, Fu Yang could no longer resist, ¡°Looking at how you¡¯re eating, is it really that delicious? Let me have a taste.¡± Saying this, Fu Yang reached for the chopsticks. But just as he picked up a piece of chicken leg meat, someone sat down beside him, followed by a familiar voice, ¡°My table is full; can I sit here?¡± Chapter 24 - 24 24 Dispute ?Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Dispute Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Dispute Fu Yang¡¯s movement paused as the chicken leg meat he had just picked up from his chopsticks fell off, rolling onto the table with a trail of oil. Fu Yang turned his head and saw Shu Wan¡¯s delicate profile. His face darkened, ¡°Don¡¯t sit next to me, you¡¯re in the way.¡± The others didn¡¯t know the relationship between Shu Wan and Fu Yang. Seeing Fu Yang¡¯s unfriendly attitude, they quickly tried to smooth things over, ¡°Beautiful sister, just sit here, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Lin Yang, all other seats in the restaurant are full, and since you¡¯re not eating anyway, let this beauty sit here.¡± ¡°Yeah, Lin Yang, just do a good deed.¡± Everyone was speaking up for Shu Wan. Fu Yang¡¯s expression changed several times, but he eventually fell silent, his face growing darker. ¡°Persistently annoying.¡± After being silent for a long time, Fu Yang suddenly cursed angrily. The restaurant was noisy, and his voice wasn¡¯t very loud, so only Shu Wan heard him. Shu Wan showed no reaction. Her attention was captured by the dish the owner had just brought out. Shu Wan ordered a cumin squid rice bowl according to the owner¡¯s recommendation. It was something she¡¯d never heard of before and wanted to try. The strong aroma of cumin mixed with the slight sweetness of the onions greatly stimulated her appetite. Shu Wan picked up a piece of squid and put it into her mouth. Unlike the refined dishes she usually ate, this cumin squid had a rough aroma, thick with the smell of fireworks, but it tasted quite good. Shu Wan¡¯s face and temperament, like Fu Yang, completely mismatched the surrounding environment. But she was tasting the food earnestly, which quickly made everyone feel much closer to her. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so beautiful, are you a teacher at the school?¡± Shu Wan swallowed the food in her mouth before answering the question, ¡°No, I¡¯m a student at the university next door.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so close to us, can I ask for your help if there¡¯s anything I don¡¯t understand? You must be amazing.¡± ¡°She¡¯s an utterly hopeless illiterate,¡± said Fu Yang, who had been quiet all the while, suddenly chiming in coldly. ¡°Hey, Lin Yang, don¡¯t be like that,¡± a classmate laughed it off, feeling embarrassed as he looked at Shu Wan, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t mind him, my classmate is just in a bad mood today, he didn¡¯t mean to target you.¡± Shu Wan glanced at Fu Yang, ¡°I won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Sister, if you don¡¯t mind, this stir-fried chicken is really tasty, give it a try,¡± the classmate warmly invited Shu Wan to join their meal, wanting to apologize. Shu Wan didn¡¯t hesitate, she nodded her head, picked up another piece of chicken leg and tasted it, ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Shu Wan was cold in demeanor, but she had strong social skills, not to mention dealing with just simple kids. As they talked and ate, it didn¡¯t take long before Shu Wan became the ¡°beautiful and kind big sister¡± in everyone¡¯s heart. The fragrance of food already filling the bowls was enough to annoy Fu Yang, and hearing Shu Wan chatting amicably with them almost made him want to flip the table. He had already endured until they finished their meal when, unexpectedly, Shu Wan ordered a batch of fried fries and drinks to treat everyone. Just as the aroma of the meal had almost dispersed, the crisp fragrance of fried fries refilled the space. Fu Yang could no longer contain himself, he abruptly stood up, glaring coldly at Shu Wan, ¡°Move, what you¡¯re eating stinks to death.¡± Calmly standing up, Shu Wan made way for Fu Yang. Fu Yang slung his backpack over his shoulder, and because of the wide movement, he even hit the person sitting in front. Taken off guard by the hit, the person in front furiously slammed his chopsticks down and stood up ready to explode in anger, but upon seeing it was Fu Yang, he immediately sat down again and picked up his chopsticks. Everyone knew, he was trouble. ¡°Sis, actually, Lin Yang isn¡¯t usually like this. He might just be in a bad mood today.¡± Although Fu Yang had a fierce reputation, those who knew him were aware that he generally didn¡¯t lose his temper unless provoked. Today was an exception; he inexplicably lashed out at strangers. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you guys keep eating. I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll be going first.¡± ¡°Okay, goodbye, sis.¡± Shu Wan left the restaurant and quickly caught up with Fu Yang. ¡°There¡¯s still time to go back and eat.¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± Hungry and extremely irritable, Fu Yang felt even more annoyed upon seeing Shu Wan. ¡°Fu Yang.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t continue following him; instead, she stood still and called out to him. Fu Yang couldn¡¯t be bothered with her and didn¡¯t respond. ¡°I hope you apologize for cursing.¡± ¡°Dream on.¡± Fu Yang turned around, his gaze defiant as he confronted Shu Wan. ¡°Don¡¯t like hearing me curse at you, huh? Then stay out of my business. You think too highly of yourself.¡± With that, Fu Yang walked away with big strides. Fu Yang¡¯s words and actions didn¡¯t really affect Shu Wan, but his habit of telling people to get lost bothered her. She didn¡¯t have class in the afternoon, so she decided to head home. But as soon as she got in the car, her manager called. ¡°I¡¯m about to be driven insane by you. Just when we managed to redeem your image a bit, you had to go and attend classes. I shouldn¡¯t have spent money to suppress those trending topics. Now, look, you¡¯re famous again.¡± Shu Wan was clueless about what had happened, but she thought quickly and remembered not having answered a question in class. ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯t answer that question right?¡± ¡°Yeah right, my dear grandaunt. It¡¯s one thing that you went to class, but sitting in the front row, as if you were afraid the teacher wouldn¡¯t notice you!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help it if I didn¡¯t know, right? I¡¯ll know next time.¡± ¡°No, you better not go to school anymore. A few more incidents like this, and even the greatest deity couldn¡¯t save your public image,¡± the manager, scared by Shu Wan¡¯s antics, said. ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t talk anymore. There are a few movie roles looking for you; I¡¯ll go handle that first.¡± Without waiting for Shu Wan to respond, her manager hung up. Shu Wan opened Weibo and, sure enough, saw herself trending. ¡°The Hopeless Illiterate¡± had become her unique tag. ¡°[Laughing emoji] Can¡¯t believe she couldn¡¯t answer such a simple question. I doubt she¡¯s ever attended middle school physics.¡± ¡°Say what you want, but her face is just too impressive, 360 degrees flawless. And her temperament seems so divine, it¡¯s like watching a fairy descend to earth.¡± ¡°How did she do it? She has the face of a scholar but acts like an illiterate.¡± The trending searches were mostly mocking, and though Shu Wan scrolled through them, she wasn¡¯t so much bothered by the insults as she was amused by how the modern vocabulary of insults was richer and stranger than in the past. The journey from school to the Estate was long. Shu Wan spent half the time on Weibo and the other half organizing her photos. Shu Wan loved to document her life. In her past life, she used to keep a diary with text records. In modern times, Shu Wan liked to take photos. She had taken many pictures at school in the morning, and at lunch, she had snapped quite a few of the delicious food. Shu Wan tidied them up a bit and selected a few with good composition and clarity to upload to a short video platform, also updating her social circle. It wasn¡¯t long before she received her first like and comment. It came from Fu Siyu. Chapter 25 - 25 25 Characters ?Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Characters Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Characters ¡°It looks like the one next to your university¡¯s food street.¡± Shu Wan was somewhat surprised and responded, ¡°Impressive, you can even tell from this.¡± Fu Siyu didn¡¯t reply but instead called Shu Wan. Shu Wan hesitated for a moment but still answered the phone, holding the receiver to her ear. The magnetic voice of Fu Siyu wrapped around Shu Wan¡¯s ear through the phone, ¡°Why did you go there? Did Fu Yang cause trouble at school?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shu Wan¡¯s ears unconsciously turned red, ¡°I went there to attend class.¡± ¡°That makes sense, you haven¡¯t graduated yet.¡± ¡°How did you know I had lunch there? You guessed it from the photo?¡± ¡°Um,¡± Fu Siyu responded, ¡°because I used to study there.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why, no wonder.¡± It turned out, Fu Siyu was somewhat her senior. ¡°There¡¯s a place at the end of the street that has decent raincoat fish; you should try it next time.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± Given Fu Siyu¡¯s experience, Shu Wan asked him some questions about the school. The two chatted, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the Estate. ¡°I¡¯m home now; I¡¯ll have to go,¡± Shu Wan got out of the car. ¡°Okay,¡± Fu Siyu nodded, ¡°you hang up then.¡± Only after Shu Wan had hung up did Fu Siyu put away his phone. He set the phone aside, ¡°Go ahead, continue.¡± However, there was no reply from the other side. Fu Siyu lifted his head to meet a pair of curious, fox-like eyes. ¡°Tsk tsk, Mr. Fu who¡¯s above worldly matters, when have you ever shared a dining recommendation with anyone? Something¡¯s off with you, Mr. Fu.¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s expression hardened slightly, ¡°I brought you here not to gossip.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± his curiosity growing, the man leaned forward lazily, ¡°Come on, tell me who you were talking to? You have a heart of flesh after all?¡± ¡°I was just lending a hand casually,¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s expression remained calm, ¡°She¡¯s just a business partner.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The man chuckled but said nothing, ¡°Alright then, when will you introduce me to this business partner?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so idle, go follow up on that project in F state.¡± ¡°Alright, can I drop it?¡± the man raised his hands in surrender, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the topic we talked about earlier...¡± Fu Siyu didn¡¯t want to continue, and the man didn¡¯t ask any further, sitting up straight and beginning to discuss work matters. Meanwhile, Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze lingered on his phone for a moment before he withdrew it and returned his focus to the documents. At that moment inside the Imperial Manor, Shu Wan had just changed clothes, preparing for a nap when her agent called, ¡°You¡¯re in luck, you¡¯ve hit the jackpot this time!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Do you know about Director Zhang¡¯s new film? It¡¯s a grand historical drama, and the role of the second female lead isn¡¯t finalized yet. The crew has informed you to come for the audition tomorrow. You must grasp this opportunity, it¡¯s all a big production.¡± Her agent spoke rapidly, many words were incomprehensible to Shu Wan, what she cared about was, ¡°Can it make money?¡± ¡°...How did you get so fixated on money? But thinking about it is good. If you get this role, with your face, your visibility will skyrocket, and then endorsements and advertisements will have you collecting money till your hands soften.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Shu Wan knew, in this era, being a celebrity was very profitable, and she was in need of money, ¡°Do I need to prepare anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you the script in a bit. Just memorize your lines.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 26 - 26 26 Stubborn ?Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Stubborn Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Stubborn After hanging up the phone, Shu Wan received the script. She opened it and roughly understood that acting in TV dramas was similar to the plays of her previous life, only modern filming and recording techniques were much more advanced. Shu Wan had a strong memory; after quickly skimming through it once, she had memorized all the lines. For the rest of the time, she pondered how exactly one could ¡°act well.¡± Shu Wan had never been involved in the acting industry, but she was adept at another kind of ¡°acting.¡± In her previous life, Shu Wan was the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, the designated Crown Princess Consort, also General Shu on the battlefield, as well as a famed strategist and Think Tank. In an era that absolutely did not allow women to overstep boundaries, Shu Wan had learned from an early age how to live life behind a ¡°mask.¡± If she did not want others to pry into her emotions, no one could guess what she was thinking. Fundamentally, it was about transforming herself into another person and merging seamlessly, which had a similar essence to modern acting. The role Shu Wan was auditioning for actually bore some resemblance to her former identity. Like being the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, being recognized as the most beautiful woman under the heavens, and being exceptionally talented. The difference was, this character fell in love with the male lead early on¡ªunrequited love that led her down a dark path. To obstruct the romance between the male lead and the female lead, this character schemed to seize the male lead¡¯s troops and cities, nearly ascending the throne, yet ultimately, due to the female lead¡¯s protagonist halo, she was assassinated in a careless moment. If one removed the plot of falling in love with the male lead and being killed, Shu Wan quite liked the character¡¯s personality. Understanding the character, it was not difficult to want to act well. Shu Wan pondered specific details, and by evening, she closed the script, feeling there should be no issues. ¡°Young Madam, the person you instructed to pick up Young Master has brought him back,¡± said the housekeeper, approaching to speak to her as she no longer looked at the script. ¡°Did he throw a tantrum?¡± ¡°Young Master threw quite a fit,¡± the housekeeper said with an awkward smile, ¡°but the bodyguards still managed to bring him back.¡± ¡°Mm, let¡¯s get ready for dinner.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Just as the food was ready, Fu Yang returned. He was furious, his silver hair messy from the wind, revealing a pair of eyes that shone exceptionally bright with anger. He slammed his backpack on the table, scattering water bottles and books all over, ¡°Uncle Wang, haven¡¯t I told you many times not to let the bodyguards announce outside that I am from the Fu Family?¡± Up to now, Fu Yang¡¯s classmates only knew that his family had some money, but they didn¡¯t know he was from the Fu Family. He didn¡¯t want others to know either. After school today, Fu Yang intended to go out and enjoy a good meal with some friends, but just as he reached the school gates, he saw a group of bodyguards standing there. When Fu Yang told them to return, they lined up and called out ¡°Young Master Fu.¡± With that setup, if Fu Yang didn¡¯t leave with them, they seemed ready to cause a huge scene right at the school gates. He couldn¡¯t afford to lose that face. So Fu Yang came back, carrying a day¡¯s worth of resentment. He, of course, knew that Shu Wan must have orchestrated this behind the scenes, but he couldn¡¯t argue against Shu Wan, nor beat her; he could only vent his anger on someone else. The housekeeper could naturally see he was just the scapegoat, and with a laugh, he said, ¡°Oh, it was my oversight, I didn¡¯t instruct them well. Don¡¯t worry, Young Master, I¡¯ll make sure it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Fu Yang snorted coldly, glancing at the lightly prepared dishes on the table, ¡°Why is the food so bland again today?¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s easy to talk, but after being hungry all day, Fu Yang didn¡¯t really mind whether the food was spicy enough or not anymore. In fact, he even thought that the mild fragrance was enough to whet his appetite. He sat at the table and didn¡¯t wait for Shu Wan; he grabbed the chopsticks and shoveled a mouthful of rice. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination, but the food seemed especially delicious today. Fu Yang was really hungry, he initially ate quickly, but when he caught a glimpse of Shu Wan eating leisurely across from him, for some inexplicable competitive reason, he slowed down his pace too. He didn¡¯t touch the dishes Shu Wan liked, but he picked up the dishes Shu Wan hadn¡¯t touched, one chopstick after another. Shu Wan naturally noticed his petty thoughts. She slowly finished her meal, and just as Fu Yang was about to put down his chopsticks, she instructed the servant, ¡®Take away this bitter gourd pork ribs soup, I¡¯m not drinking this. Don¡¯t serve it next time.''¡± When he heard this, Fu Yang immediately looked up, ¡°Why remove it? I like it, serve me a bowl.¡± The servant served him a bowl, and just as Fu Yang picked up his spoon, he remembered something. He suddenly smiled at Shu Wan, the earring hidden in his hair gleaming, a faint canine tooth only visible when he smiled, adding a touch of youthful charm to his otherwise refined face. ¡°Bitter gourd is good for reducing heat; the stepmother should drink more too.¡± With that, Fu Yang stood up, served a big bowl for Shu Wan himself, and placed it in front of her. Shu Wan¡¯s gaze briefly paused on the bitter gourd soup, and her eyebrows furrowed, a sight that fell into Fu Yang¡¯s eyes, deepening the smile on his face. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s drink it together.¡± Fu Yang sat back down. ¡°So Fu Siyu won¡¯t say I¡¯m rude again. Look how nice I am, even specially serving you soup.¡± With that, Fu Yang raised his bowl towards Shu Wan. Hesitating for a moment, Shu Wan finally picked up her spoon and drank the soup sip by sip. Seeing Shu Wan¡¯s slightly furrowed brow, Fu Yang felt slightly relieved. Although he never liked bitter gourd, seeing Shu Wan drink it reluctantly made the bitter gourd soup seem less bitter to him. He lifted his head and drank half a bowl in one go, after all, he hated bitter gourd the most and wanted to minimize the time it lingered in his mouth. However, after swallowing half a bowl, Fu Yang was somewhat surprised. It wasn¡¯t the culinary disaster he had imagined. In fact, there was a faint aftertaste and an unidentified refreshing fragrance. Strange. Fu Yang slowed down, took a small sip, and indeed, it really wasn¡¯t bitter. While it didn¡¯t stir up an appetite as spicy foods did, it certainly wasn¡¯t off-putting. Having finished the soup, Fu Yang complimented the kitchen, ¡°Today¡¯s food is quite good; it¡¯s tastier than before.¡± ¡°Then you should thank the Young Madam.¡± Shu Wan wanted to intercept but was too late, the housekeeper immediately picked up after Fu Yang, ¡°The Young Madam had some herbs added to the dishes to change the flavor, and the effect was very good. Young Master, you found it delicious, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°......¡± Fu Yang turned his head to look at Shu Wan, scoffed softly, and stubbornly retorted, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell I was being sarcastic? It¡¯s terribly awful, I thought so, it¡¯s getting worse, if it continues like this, might as well fire them all.¡± The housekeeper didn¡¯t respond, just silently glanced at the rice pot which had been mostly devoured by Fu Yang. Fu Yang also noticed the housekeeper¡¯s gaze; he also looked at the noticeably empty rice pot, remembering the three bowls of rice he had just eaten. He cleared his throat softly, put down his chopsticks, ¡°Do you think I ate so much because it was tasty? I¡¯m young, still growing, even if I¡¯m not hungry I could eat a whole pot, of course, you old folks wouldn¡¯t understand that.¡± After saying that, Fu Yang turned and walked upstairs. His silhouette and posture exuded a carefree and justified air. If only his ears weren¡¯t so conspicuously red.¡± Chapter 27 - 27 27 Intentional ?Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Intentional Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Intentional No matter the method, Fu Yang had his dinner in the end. Shu Wan withdrew her gaze, finishing the last bit of bitter melon soup, then took the spoon and served herself another half bowl. She not only didn¡¯t dislike this kind of food, on the contrary, she quite enjoyed it. After eating and having her soup, Shu Wan dried her hands and looked up at the clock. Seeing that the hour hand pointed at 7, she tilted her head towards the direction of the staircase. A loud door opening sound echoed, and Fu Yang appeared at the top of the stairs. ¡°Shu Wan, was it you who had someone cut off my internet signal?!¡± He had just turned on his computer to play a couple of games but couldn¡¯t connect to the network after trying for a long time. He had even disassembled his computer several times, and it was only then that he realized that it might not be an equipment issue, but someone had disconnected the internet. ¡°Right,¡± Shu Wan nodded, ¡°According to the plan, every day from 7 to 7:30 pm is for walking, not for playing games.¡± Fu Yang clicked his tongue impatiently, ¡°Come on, who goes for a walk after dinner? Uncle Wang at his age doesn¡¯t even have that habit, are you an old person?¡± The innocent Housekeeper silently adjusted his glasses. Although he looked old, he wasn¡¯t quite at the age of an elderly person yet. Shu Wan indifferently walked out, ¡°If you intend to go back on your word, then you might as well stay upstairs.¡± ¡°...¡± This taunting was as blatant as could be, but for the proud young Fu Yang, he wouldn¡¯t admit he went back on his word in front of Shu Wan for anything. He hesitated for a moment, but eventually slid down the staircase. It was already seven o¡¯clock, and because it was summer, although the sun had already set, the outside was not yet dark. Shu Wan leisurely strolled along the Estate¡¯s pathways, followed by a visibly annoyed Fu Yang. Shu Wan¡¯s height was 168, while Fu Yang was nearly 180. He walked behind her, and from his angle, Shu Wan looked slender and fragile. Fu Yang couldn¡¯t figure out how her delicate wrist could have possibly managed to haul him up. The Estate was lush with greenery and dotted with rivers and lakes that ran through the entire grounds. The air was quite fresh in the evening. The summer twilight was also beautiful to behold, large swathes like burning brocade, set against the backdrop of luxurious woods, small bridges, and flowing water. For Fu Yang, who spent his days immersed in games and bars, it felt like tearing a small hole in a sealed, stuffy space and letting in wisps of fresh air. Actually, the physical sensation was quite pleasant. But mentally, it was quite frustrating. To think that he, the Young Master of the Fu Family, not only couldn¡¯t eat what he wanted but also had to live an elderly person¡¯s life with early bedtimes and early rises¡ªand more outrageously, now someone had unplugged his internet cable. Was there any other wealthy second-generation who lived more stiflingly than him? Fu Yang wandered along with Shu Wan, kicking at the pebbles beside his feet out of sheer boredom. A stone hit the water, splashing. A few droplets landed on Shu Wan, causing her to frown subconsciously. Fu Yang quickly picked up on Shu Wan¡¯s reaction. His eyes gleamed as he went to the side and collected several stones, throwing them one by one into the water. This time Fu Yang put more strength behind it. The resulting water spray was not small like before. A large spray splashed, soaking the hem of Shu Wan¡¯s skirt. When Shu Wan turned her head to look, Fu Yang provocatively raised his eyebrow at her, his silver hair glowing in the twilight, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re going to control me playing with water too?¡± Shu Wan ignored him and kept walking. But Fu Yang, as if encouraged, not only kept picking up stones to throw into the water but also hopped about, pulling on fruit-laden tree branches, tearing apart colorful flowers and scattering them everywhere. When it was 7:30 pm, and they returned to the living room, Shu Wan¡¯s originally white dress was not only soaked but also stained with various colors of green, yellow, red, turning what should¡¯ve been an irregular smear of color into an outfit of unique beauty, thanks to her outstanding face and demeanor. As for Fu Yang, he wasn¡¯t drenched, but after jumping around for nearly half an hour, he had worked up a sweat, making his previously styled hair stick to his forehead, which strangely made him look a bit more obedient. ¡°My heavens, did it rain outside?¡± exclaimed the Housekeeper, stunned, ¡°Young Madam, you¡¯re all wet.¡± Fu Yang glanced triumphantly at Shu Wan, wiping the sweat from his face, revelling in disaster, ¡°Little Mother, walking with you is really fun. Let¡¯s continue together tomorrow, shall we?¡± Chapter 28 - 28 28 Recording Songs ?Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Recording Songs Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Recording Songs Shu Wan swallowed a sip of tea and then nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± A smile curled up on Fu Yang¡¯s lips. The walk he was initially reluctant to accept suddenly became something to look forward to. ¡°Alright, after the walk, don¡¯t bother me for the rest of the evening.¡± With that, Fu Yang strode upstairs. Shu Wan glanced at his retreating back. He had been bouncing around for nearly half an hour, and now Fu Yang¡¯s back was soaked with sweat. In her previous life at Bailu Academy, to foster all-around development among the students, daily martial arts and archery activities were required. Having a robust physique was the foundation to successfully accomplish all tasks. In modern society¡¯s schools, it seemed that the focus was solely on academic performance, leaving almost no time for physical exercise. Not to mention someone like Fu Yang, who was an ardent fan of esports, spending all day immersed in games. Shu Wan had dragged him out for a walk partially to let him get some exercise. Now that her initial purpose was accomplished, Shu Wan set down her water cup and went upstairs to wash up. In her past life, Shu Wan¡¯s standard of living was already top-notch. However, compared to current modern technology, it was still worlds apart. While taking a shower, Shu Wan pondered over the use of various high-tech gadgets in the bathroom. By the time she was done, one and a half hours had passed. Accustomed to the natural breezes of ancient times, Shu Wan was not yet comfortable with modern air conditioning; though it was cool, it felt somewhat stifling. Shu Wan walked toward the balcony while drying her hair. The balcony faced the garden, and the air was pleasant at night. But just as she stepped through the balcony door, she heard Fu Yang¡¯s excited voice from next door. ¡°Idiot! Go up and strike him!¡± ¡°Nanny, do you even know how to play? If you had revived me earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have died!¡± ¡°TMD, how can you guys be so bad? Their gear is a whole level worse than ours, and you still can¡¯t beat them.¡± Fu Yang wasn¡¯t wearing headphones. The sounds of the game mixed with his ¡°communication¡± with his teammates, all of which Shu Wan overheard. Shu Wan¡¯s appearance leaned towards the cold and aloof. Furthermore, she naturally carried an air of dignity, and her presence exuded grace and decorum. As a result, most people¡¯s impression of Shu Wan was that she liked quiet and was unapproachable. But actually, Shu Wan was not someone who disliked noise. In her previous life, every time she returned to the city from leading troops in battle, she would order a grand feast for three days. The vigorous bonfires, the surging atmosphere, and the noisy crowds all gave a sense of peace and tranquility. It was like now, with moonlight over the water and a faint scent of flowers wafting around, the night almost seemed to envelop Shu Wan entirely. When she first arrived in this era, Shu Wan breathed a sigh of relief. Because she had escaped from that suffocating environment and away from people who stifled her. But as the novelty wore off, even someone as resolute as Shu Wan began to feel lost, questioning her purpose in this era. Her connection to this era was only through this body of the original owner. She was like a breeze passing through this era, unattached and unconnected, drifting aimlessly. And the night intensified this ethereality. The noise from Fu Yang, while loud, acted like a boundary, pulling Shu Wan out from the dreamlike and surreal. Amidst the sounds of Fu Yang playing his game, Shu Wan slowly dried her hair. She leaned back in the lounge chair. Just as she settled back, she suddenly felt a push against her back. Shu Wan got up cautiously and turned around, only then did she notice the built-in massage function of the lounge chair. Shu Wan found it somewhat novel; she took a video and posted it on a short video platform with the caption, ¡°Interesting.¡± After posting the video, Shu Wan lay back down, tired from the day¡¯s activities. As she watched the stars and enjoyed the massage from the chair, she felt extremely comfortable. However, as Fu Yang¡¯s stepmother, as long as Fu Yang was around, this comfort clearly couldn¡¯t last long. Fu Yang had been playing for a while and, apparently infuriated by his teammates, he abruptly turned off his computer, called his friends, and was ready to go out for dinner and drinks. By then, it was already ten o¡¯clock at night. Only half an hour remained until the bedtime Shu Wan had set for him. In her past life, Shu Wan had friends from all walks of life. Eating and having fun with friends wasn¡¯t an issue for Shu Wan, but the timing wasn¡¯t right now. Seeing that Fu Yang was about to leave the room and go downstairs to ride away, Shu Wan slightly moved her wrist, picked up a pill from the table beside her, and flicked it towards Fu Yang¡¯s window. When the pill met the window edge, it immediately transformed into an invisible, colorless powder that mixed with the airflow from the air conditioner and met with the fresh flowers on the table. The surface of the petals quickly began to emit a mild fragrance. Fu Yang changed his clothes and came out of the bedroom, sitting at the table to change his shoes. However, after changing one shoe, Fu Yang suddenly felt overwhelmingly sleepy. He struggled against the sleepiness and yawned several times, but eventually, he couldn¡¯t resist the overpowering drowsiness. But he had already made plans with his friends, and Fu Yang thought that once he got to the bar, he wouldn¡¯t feel sleepy anymore. He stood up and took a couple of steps, but his body, ahead of his consciousness, directly collapsed next to the bed. Fu Yang yawned and fell into a deep sleep. Hearing that Fu Yang was silent, Shu Wan lay back down and tried using modern headphones to listen to some music. The all-encompassing surround sound, as if someone was playing live beside her ear, truly amazed Shu Wan. The immense number of modern songs, the wide range of instruments used, and the complex variety of song types were things Shu Wan had never imagined before. In ancient times, most songs were sung by people with musical accompaniments¡ªnothing as elaborate as modern variations. In a past life, a master at Bailu Academy once praised Shu Wan for having a ¡°talent that transcends eras.¡± He was referring not only to Shu Wan¡¯s knowledge but also to her skills in riding, shooting, and music. Though she had never experienced these modern songs before, after listening a couple of times, Shu Wan could sing along. Having explored various apps on her smartphone these past few days, Shu Wan knew there were apps specifically for recording songs that offered various singing-along and backing track services. Shu Wan searched for an ancient-style song she liked and tried recording it. The result was quite good. Shu Wan¡¯s short video platform account had no followers, so she used it as a tool to document her life. Finding the experience of learning to record songs on the app novel, she uploaded the audio clip online. As someone from ancient times, Shu Wan naturally couldn¡¯t imagine that modern short video platforms had something called ¡°big data recommendations.¡± Even a newcomer with no followers could get some exposure from the platform based on the situation. After uploading the audio, it was very late, and Shu Wan logged out of her account and went back to her room to sleep. Thus, she was unaware that the first wave of traffic exposure pushed by the platform had gone particularly well, leading to a surge in traffic. By morning, Shu Wan¡¯s singing clip had already received a hundred thousand likes. Chapter 29 - 29 29 Competition ?Chapter 29: Chapter 29 Competition Chapter 29: Chapter 29 Competition The audio she posted even made it to the trending searches on a short video platform, and everyone was scrambling to find out who the person singing the song was. Yet Shu Wan had no idea about any of this. She got up as usual, finished washing up, and went downstairs, only to be surprised that Fu Yang had gotten up even earlier than her; he was sitting in the living room, staring at his phone. Hearing her footsteps, Fu Yang looked up. The red diamond earrings by his ears shone much brighter than the sunrise outside, ¡°Good morning, Little Mother.¡± As he spoke, Fu Yang waved at Shu Wan, the ringing of his ring and metal bracelet clashing with each movement. He wore a bomb-print t-shirt paired with hip-hop casual pants and a pair of dad shoes. Shu Wan knew that this kind of trendy outfit was popular amongst young people who liked to flaunt their individuality, but she really couldn¡¯t understand it. But Shu Wan wasn¡¯t planning to manage what Fu Yang wore either. She chose to look away, ignoring his fashion choice. Seeing Shu Wan avoiding him for the first time, Fu Yang slightly raised his eyebrows, a sly smile flashing in his eyes. He stood up, and the skull metal ornament around his neck clashing with the other ornaments he wore, all came together like a symphony. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Little Mother, weren¡¯t we going to exercise?¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Shu Wan stopped Fu Yang, then looked toward the Housekeeper, ¡°What about the things I asked you to prepare?¡± ¡°They are ready.¡± The Housekeeper brought over a cup, Fu Yang glanced at it. It was transparent and colorless, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Drinking a cup of water first thing in the morning is good for your health.¡± This common knowledge has been recognized throughout the ages. Fu Yang rolled his eyes and headed out, ¡°I don¡¯t like drinking water, I¡¯m off to exercise.¡± Fu Yang wasn¡¯t cooperating, the Housekeeper looked at Shu Wan, ¡°Young Madam, this¡± Shu Wan waved her hand, ¡°Put away the other waters.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shu Wan walked out of the living room to find Fu Yang leaning on the railing by the lake, one hand holding a big bag, the other throwing stones into the lake. Shu Wan¡¯s gaze landed on the bag, and she finally understood why Fu Yang had gotten up so early today. The bag was filled with stones, probably picked up from the garden while she was still in bed. Just now in the living room, Shu Wan didn¡¯t notice, but Fu Yang¡¯s hands had acquired some small new wounds. He had already hurt his hands at the equestrian field last time, and now he had been digging in the dirt for half the day. From this distance, Shu Wan could see the red marks on his hands. ¡°Why are you walking so slow?¡± Having waited for a long time for Shu Wan to catch up, Fu Yang looked back impatiently, ¡°Hurry up, I¡¯m starving.¡± Shu Wan walked toward Fu Yang, who, seizing the opportunity, threw several stones into the lake, splashing her with water drops. Shu Wan glared at Fu Yang; Fu Yang flashed his small canine teeth at her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s go.¡± Shu Wan continued walking. She could have stayed away from the lakeside, but Shu Wan didn¡¯t move away. As they walked, Fu Yang continued to throw stones. Before long, they both were soaked. Fortunately, it was early summer, so being drenched wasn¡¯t cold. Fu Yang, exhausted from the activity, panted as he turned to glance at Shu Wan¡¯s disheveled appearance. However, upon seeing her, Fu Yang was stunned. To facilitate the morning exercise, Shu Wan wore a white sports outfit, her hair tied back to reveal a slender neck. Others might look like drenched chickens when wet, but Shu Wan, even fully soaked, appeared like a lotus flower touched by rain; not only was there no trace of disarray, but there was also an astonishingly stunning and delicate beauty. Noticing Fu Yang¡¯s gaze, Shu Wan turned her head, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Fu Yang pursed his lips, contrary to his heart¡¯s voice, ¡°You are not good-looking, I don¡¯t know how my dad fell for you, he must have been blind.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, disregarding Fu Yang¡¯s mocking, she glanced at the bag in his hands, shifting the topic, ¡°You¡¯re really weak, can¡¯t even walk a few steps without panting.¡± ¡°You kidding me?¡± Fu Yang straightened up and looked down at Shu Wan with his height of 180 cm. ¡°I¡¯m in great shape, and you, an elderly, dare to say otherwise about me.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s have a running race. If you win, I will grant you one wish.¡± Upon hearing Shu Wan¡¯s words, Fu Yang¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, ¡°You said it yourself, no take-backs.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The Estate had its own sports field and running track. Standing at the starting line, Fu Yang turned his head, ¡°Hey, there¡¯s still time to forfeit now.¡± In terms of strength and acupoints, Fu Yang was no match for Shu Wan, but he did not believe Shu Wan could outrun him. Even if her physical quality was great, the difference in height was there, his one step was worth two of Shu Wan¡¯s; he simply couldn¡¯t lose. ¡°What if you lose?¡± Shu Wan countered. ¡°You say.¡± ¡°If you lose, you have to save my number, and when I call you, you can¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°....¡± Fu Yang had anticipated many demands from Shu Wan but didn¡¯t foresee this one, ¡°Saving your number is one thing, but why can¡¯t I refuse?¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s not compete,¡± Shu Wan said as she started to walk away. ¡°Hey hey, come back.¡± Fu Yang thought for a moment¡ªafter all, he wouldn¡¯t lose¡ª¡±Fine, let¡¯s race. With those short legs of yours, I don¡¯t believe you can beat me.¡± The two agreed to run 1000 meters, whoever reached the finish line first would win. ¡°Ready? I¡¯ll count to three, and we¡¯ll start, okay?¡± Fu Yang positioned himself for the start and shouted, ¡°1, 2, 3!¡± As soon as he said ¡°3¡±, Fu Yang dashed forward, but after running quite a distance, he realized Shu Wan hadn¡¯t started. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Fu Yang was perplexed, ¡°Not racing?¡± ¡°You start running right after saying 3?¡± Shu Wan clearly wasn¡¯t familiar with these modern conventions. ¡°Nonsense, didn¡¯t you ever have physical education classes?¡± Fu Yang was impatient but still returned to the starting line, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a pass this time. If you mess up again, I¡¯m not waiting for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Ready, 1,2,3!¡± As soon as the word ¡°3¡± fell, both of them shot out like arrows. But even among arrows, there is a difference in speed. Fu Yang watched that gracefully fleeting figure, almost swearing aloud. What kind of freak was Shu Wan to run so fast? He wasn¡¯t sure if it was his illusion, but he felt like Shu Wan hardly touched the ground, like that Qinggong on TV, floating a great distance with each bound. There was no point in continuing the race. Fu Yang knew he definitely lost. He simply sat down on the grass, utterly baffled as he watched Shu Wan finish the entire course effortlessly, and what was key¡ªnormal people would be panting after a full run, but Shu Wan was as calm as if nothing happened. If Shu Wan weren¡¯t his stepmom, he would definitely latch onto her legs and yell out, ¡°Master!¡± Unfortunately, Shu Wan was his stepmom, specifically the kind who dealt with him, so Fu Yang could only lament for himself, ¡°What a curse!¡± Shu Wan completed the course effortlessly, then walked up to a despairing Fu Yang, ¡°I won.¡± ¡°Got it, got it, you¡¯re the greatest, happy now?¡± Fu Yang handed his phone over resentfully, ¡°Save it yourself.¡± Shu Wan tapped around on his phone for a moment and then handed it back. Fu Yang took it and saw that Shu Wan had saved her contact name as ¡°Mother.¡± Fu Yang¡¯s eyes darkened momentarily, and when he looked up again, his eyes were filled with mockery, ¡°Are you crazy? You¡¯re only six years older than me, and you want to be called ¡®mother¡¯? You seriously think this is ancient times with all that legitimate mother and son drama?¡± Fu Yang continued speaking and changed the contact name to ¡°big monster¡± right in front of Shu Wan. Chapter 30 - 30 30 Making a Fortune ?Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Making a Fortune Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Making a Fortune After updating the contact name, Fu Yang finally looked up, his eyebrows raised provocatively at Shu Wan. ¡°You never said changing contact names was not allowed.¡± Shu Wan, with a composed expression, took back her phone and nodded. ¡°Indeed.¡± Then, quite naturally, she changed Fu Yang¡¯s contact name to ¡°Little Monster.¡± ¡°....¡± Fu Yang frowned, big monster... little monster, it somehow felt even weirder than a mother-son relationship. ¡°Are you sick? Why are you copying me?¡± ¡°Have you applied for a patent?¡± Serendipitously, Shu Wan had recently been studying intellectual property law, and anything not protected by a patent was fair game for everyone to share. ¡°.....¡± Alright, unable to win against Shu Wan, Fu Yang chose to give up. He stood up, dusting off his clothes. ¡°Just a warning, don¡¯t keep calling me. I only take one call per week from you, any more than that and I won¡¯t answer.¡± Saying this, without waiting for Shu Wan to respond, Fu Yang walked away. He returned to his room, took a quick shower, and then went downstairs for breakfast. Shu Wan was already seated at the table. Fu Yang reached for his customary cup out of habit, but grabbed at thin air. ¡°Get me a bottle of mine¡ª¡± Fu Yang didn¡¯t finish his sentence, glanced at Shu Wan, and quickly changed his request, ¡°Bring me a bottle of Coke.¡± ¡°Young Master, the Young Madam has already ordered all drinks to be thrown out yesterday. We only have boiled water now.¡± ¡°...Then I won¡¯t drink.¡± Since morning, Shu Wan had been trying to get him to drink the household water, but he purposely didn¡¯t want to acquiesce to her wish. But today¡¯s breakfast, as if intentionally torturing him, was either stuffed buns, dumplings, or mixed noodles, crispy noodles, or toast. Even the fruits were dry bananas and avocados that made one more thirsty the more one ate. By the end of it, Fu Yang felt his mouth was so dry that he could almost spit sparks. He never drank soy milk, but now looking at the only cup of it on the table, he thought it wasn¡¯t totally unacceptable. Fu Yang hesitated for a moment but eventually reached out to take the soy milk. However, Shu Wan¡¯s hand was faster and more decisive. She grabbed the soy milk and took a sip first. ....Unable to help it, Fu Yang rolled his eyes. If Shu Wan wasn¡¯t doing this on purpose, then ghosts wouldn¡¯t believe it! But he had just boasted that he would not drink the household water, and he couldn¡¯t go back on his word in front of Shu Wan. Fu Yang glanced around the living room and noted wryly that Shu Wan was indeed good at hiding things¡ªnow there probably wasn¡¯t even a hint of water vapor left in the entire room. Throwing down his chopsticks, Fu Yang announced, ¡°It¡¯s tasteless without sauce. I¡¯ll go find some.¡± Saying this, he entered the kitchen and searched through the fridge. Unfortunately, the servants had already stashed away fruits and vegetables with any moisture content, not to mention drinks or water. After searching for quite some time and finding nothing, Fu Yang became even more parched. Frustration almost made him laugh; he was such a rich heir and had come to a point where he couldn¡¯t even get a sip of water! In a huff, he stormed out to have it out with Shu Wan. But out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a full bottle of mineral water on the cabinet behind Shu Wan, which she, with her back turned, would not notice. Fu Yang¡¯s eyes gleamed as he strode over to Shu Wan. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not planning to go to school with me today too, are you?¡± ¡°Not going,¡± Shu Wan took a bite of her bun and sipped her soy milk. ¡°I have other things to do today.¡± ¡°Oh, at least you¡¯re sensible.¡± Fu Yang talked with Shu Wan while reaching for the water bottle on the cabinet. Just as his hand was about to grasp it, Shu Wan suddenly turned her head, startling him into quickly retracting his hand and scratching his hair as a cover. Startled, Fu Yang behaved himself for a moment before coming up with another idea. Having shared meals over the past few days, Fu Yang had noticed that Shu Wan didn¡¯t like green onions. While Shu Wan was looking down to eat, Fu Yang grabbed a handful of green onions and sprinkled them directly into her porridge, ¡°Little Mother, eat some more.¡± Shu Wan paused, lifted her head to glance at Fu Yang, who curved his lips upward, ¡°This is for your own good. You wouldn¡¯t want to waste food.¡± Shu Wan lowered her head again and began picking out the green onions from her bowl piece by piece. Making use of this distraction, Fu Yang reached back for the water bottle and quickly made his exit. When Fu Yang¡¯s figure had disappeared from the doorway, the housekeeper stepped forward, ¡°Young Madam, the Young Master has taken the water with him.¡± Shu Wan wasn¡¯t surprised, picking the last piece of green onion from her porridge bowl, ¡°Prepare it for him every day from now on.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Outside at the moment, Fu Yang, dying of thirst, twisted off the bottle cap and gulped down nearly half the bottle, finally relieving the dryness inside him. It was only then that Fu Yang realized something was off. Fu Yang had never really cared for soda or beverages. He wasn¡¯t interested in industrial products. Throughout his life, he could count the brands of mineral water that had passed his lips on one hand. But the water he drank today was unmistakably different; something had been added to it, making the first sip sweet. Moreover, this sweetness was exceptionally faint. It was only after drinking that one could appreciate its subtle flavor, which slightly altered the taste of the water, making it refreshing and thirst-quenching. Suddenly, Fu Yang remembered what the housekeeper had said that morning about Shu Wan adding some herbal ingredients to the water, making it taste better. Shu Wan had such a skill? What was up with this woman? Was she specially trained by his father to cure him? He knew it. Fu Siyu and he just didn¡¯t get along, always looking for ways to torment him. Not long after Fu Yang left, Shu Wan also got ready and had the driver take her to the entrance of the Film and Television City. Unfamiliar with modern car brands, Shu Wan had no idea that the limited edition Rolls-Royce she was in was so eye-catching. Combined with her face, as soon as she appeared, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to her. No matter where Shu Wan went, she attracted a hundred percent turning heads. Faced with onlookers, she just assumed it was due to her looks and didn¡¯t associate it with the car. As she walked in, her agent called over, ¡°Shu Wan, how come you haven¡¯t arrived? The person before you is almost done with their audition, and you¡¯re next.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already here, are you the one in pink clothes?¡± ¡°Yes, where are you?¡± the agent spoke while looking up, ¡°I don¡¯t see you, what are you wearing?¡± ¡°A green dress with wooden hibiscus patterns on it.¡± The agent looked again, ¡°I don¡¯t see you¡ªwait, what the fuck...¡± He closed his eyes, then opened them wide, then closed and opened again, finally recognizing those familiar features. The ethereal beauty not far away was, in fact, Shu Wan. His first reaction: Holy crap!! It¡¯s like seeing a ghost! Second reaction: Dear heavens!! He was going to strike it rich! Chapter 31 - 31 31 Styling ?Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Styling Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Styling Not only did the agent notice Shu Wan, but other people also realized that a very outstanding beauty had arrived. The director¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Hey, whose artist is this, her temperament is really good.¡± The agent quickly waved his hand and stepped forward, ¡°Mine, mine, Director Wang, this is Shu Wan who came for the audition today.¡± The director watched as Shu Wan walked over, dignified and graceful, nodding repeatedly, ¡°This demeanor is really good, and she¡¯s definitely suitable for ancient costumes, go change your clothes first.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The agent turned his head to face Shu Wan, unable to hide his surprised eyes, ¡°Last time you said you wanted to ¡®reform yourself completely,¡¯ I thought you were joking, but I didn¡¯t expect such a big change.¡± This was the first time Shu Wan had met the agent, Wang Tian. Her gaze fell on Wang Tian¡¯s pink hair, pink suit, and the yellow Chelsea boots, as she tried her best to maintain a calm expression. Shu Wan knew that in modern times this was called ¡°fashionable,¡± but she still couldn¡¯t handle the shock, especially those yellow, shiny leather shoes that were so long, Shu Wan wondered if one could trip over while walking in them. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± Shu Wan tried her best to ignore Wang Tian¡¯s outfit. ¡°First go change your clothes, get your hair done, and then come back for the audition.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan followed Wang Tian¡¯s instructions to the changing room, where a large number of costumes were piled up. There weren¡¯t many people in the changing room, just a few stylists and some actors. When someone came in, they all started to size up Shu Wan. Initially, they were dazzled by Shu Wan¡¯s appearance, but when they realized she was just an unknown eighteenth-tier actress, the admiration in their eyes turned into a scornful sneer tinged with hostility. Although the role for today¡¯s audition was not the lead, because the movie was directed by a major director, with a large production, many top-tier actresses also wanted the role. In the entertainment circle, beauty is highly valued, but beauty without any ranking is very dangerous. Her beauty represented a threat to others, and her low ranking left her with no ability to protect herself. While Shu Wan was changing, a few actresses gathered together and whispered for a while. When Shu Wan came out of the fitting room, the actresses had resumed their seats and nonchalantly touched up their makeup as if it were none of their concern. But the stylists were very enthusiastic, approaching Shu Wan, ¡°This beauty is really pretty, you¡¯re here for an audition, right? Let us do your styling.¡± In her previous life, Shu Wan had dealt with court politicians, each sharper than the last, and she could see through their pretenses clear as day, let alone these few stylists. Shu Wan went with the flow and didn¡¯t refuse them, ¡°Okay.¡± She sat in the chair, and other stylists began to work on her makeup and hair. Shu Wan appeared to trust them completely, closing her eyes and letting them do their work. After ten minutes, the stylists¡¯ voice sounded, ¡°Beauty, your styling is done, you can go for the audition now.¡± Shu Wan opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. To say that the stylists had made her ugly wasn¡¯t quite true, after all, even the director wouldn¡¯t ignore that. But the bright red lip gloss, flattened hairstyle, and deliberate dark circles under her eyes. Even with Shu Wan¡¯s face, the aging makeup and hairstyle still made her look quite haggard. The other actresses couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the sight, but their mouths still complimented Shu Wan, ¡°You look really good, this hairstyle suits you well.¡± ¡°Do you think so? I think so too,¡± Shu Wan calmly nodded, then stood up and walked out, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go for the audition.¡± Seeing that Shu Wan didn¡¯t make a fuss, everyone was a bit perplexed, but they quickly returned to being nonchalant. What was the use of being good-looking? As an eighteenth-tier actress, she had no grounds to compete with them on equal footing. Chapter 32 - 32 32 Stunning ?Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Stunning Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Stunning The director originally had high hopes for Shu Wan, but when she emerged dressed for the part, a hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes. Acting in TV dramas and movies is very much about the on-camera atmosphere. Some people are particularly beautiful in real life, but once they don the costume and get in front of the camera, they lose the beauty of the character, while others, though average-looking, exude exceptional charm once in role. The director felt that Shu Wan might belong to the former category. Although beautiful, she wasn¡¯t quite right for the camera. ¡°Alright, just go ahead and act,¡± the director said, clearly indicating he had given up on her and simply wanted her to go through the motions and leave. Wang Tian, of course, noticed this. He frantically signaled to Shu Wan, hoping she would change into another outfit and try again. But Shu Wan paid no attention to his hints. She glanced at the camera, ¡°I want to try the scene where the characters first meet.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± the director just wanted Shu Wan to hurry up and finish so she could leave. The Film and Television City had a variety of settings readily available, and at the moment, everyone was in a large courtyard set against a fake rockery. Right beside Shu Wan was a pond. ¡°OK, start,¡± the director muttered absentmindedly while flipping through the information of the next actor to audition. Then, a splash was heard at the front. The director looked up in surprise and saw Shu Wan had jumped into the water. ¡°Oh no, someone¡¯s committing suicide, call the police!¡± Wang Tian, frightened, quickly shuffled to the edge of the pond, yelling for people to call the police while preparing to dive in and rescue Shu Wan. Even though Shu Wan had turned his hair white with frustration and hadn¡¯t made him much money, after all, she was still a human life. But as soon as Wang Tian stepped into the water, the calm surface exploded in a splash as Shu Wan emerged. At this moment, having washed off all her makeup in the water, her delicate features, wet and clearer, appeared even more ethereally beautiful. It was not just her beauty that mattered, but the look and demeanor she now embodied seemed like that of the legitimate daughter of a noble family from ancient times. Even with her body submerged in the water, unable to see her clothing or accessories, one could feel her presence just from the serene gaze in her eyes. The character Shu Wan was auditioning for, the second female lead, was proud by nature and actually had no fondness for the male lead when she first met him. Now, Shu Wan looked towards the empty spot onshore, and even from a lower position, looking up at the shore, she managed to convey an air of looking down from on high, ¡°You are the new top scorer? Breaking into the inner court of the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, what punishment do you think you deserve?¡± Shu Wan spoke at a normal pace and volume, but her clear, tranquil eyes quietly looking at you, speaking slowly about the accusation, instilled a sense of dread from deep within. Wang Tian was dumbfounded; as an experienced agent, he could see that Shu Wan¡¯s acting was certainly godlike. In his excitement, he forgot he was at the edge of the pond and, carelessly, toppled into the water. Gulping down water, Wang Tian thought he was going to choke until a pair of hands pulled him out. Wang Tian coughed without managing to spit out the water he had swallowed, sitting disheveled on the ground as if he¡¯d just crawled out of a refugee camp. For this reason, Shu Wan, standing next to him, appeared even more like a cold, detached fairy. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders, making her skin look even whiter, rendering it impossible for anyone to take their eyes off her. The director made a decision on the spot, ¡°You¡¯ve got the role. Let¡¯s sign the contract now.¡± Wang Tian was feeling nauseous from the pond water in his stomach when he heard the director¡¯s words. His eyes immediately lit up as he wiped the water from his face, ¡°Alright, Director, let¡¯s go sign the contract now.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s clothes were all soaked, so Wang Tian let her change her clothes first while he handled the contract signing. Shu Wan returned to the changing room. Just as she was about to change into her own clothes, she found them thrown into a pile of filthy water, making them unwearable. Everyone had already left the changing room, and there was no way to find out who was responsible. With her clothes dirty like this, it was clearly impossible to wear them again, so Shu Wan picked a clean costume to change into. She explained the situation to the director while wearing the costume, and the director didn¡¯t mind, agreeing to let Shu Wan wear the clothes back home. By this time, Wang Tian had also finished the signing process. He was happily humming a tune as he came over and was once again astonished by Shu Wan¡¯s changed appearance. During the audition, Shu Wan had worn an ancient noblewoman¡¯s lavish dress, dignified and elegant. Now, Shu Wan had changed into a light aqua-colored long dress, complemented by her long black hair. With her naturally stunning features unadorned with makeup, she truly embodied the essence of a ¡°fairy.¡± ¡°Wow, wow, wow,¡± Wang Tian couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°It seems I¡¯ll need to check out the villas later.¡± Having such an artist under his wing, how could he not make a fortune? Sensing the money-making potential of Shu Wan, Wang Tian¡¯s enthusiasm towards her rose, ¡°Babe, how are you getting back later? Let me call a car for you.¡± Normally, such an overly affectionate nickname would be inappropriate coming from a man. But seeing Wang Tian speak with his raised pinky and even more delicate stance than hers, all the inappropriateness of the nickname ¡°Babe¡± dissolved into nothingness. ¡°I have a ride; I¡¯ll go back on my own.¡± ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll walk you out.¡± Saying this, Wang Tian even picked up Shu Wan¡¯s bag, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shu Wan did not protest, allowing Wang Tian to follow her. Outside the Film and Television City, the driver had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Shu Wan approach, the driver immediately opened the car door for her. Watching Shu Wan get into the car, Wang Tian¡¯s face, which had been smiling, suddenly cracked with an inexplicable expression. He looked at the Rolls Royce that could buy him a thousand times over, ¡°No way, babe, did you land a sugar daddy?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ah alright, no wonder you¡¯ve got such great opportunities these past few days.¡± Wang Tian returned the bag to Shu Wan, lost in his own thoughts, ¡°I can¡¯t manage your affairs for you, so just take care of yourself, all right? If someone¡¯s wife comes knocking, just don¡¯t say you know me.¡± ¡°.....¡± Shu Wan looked at Wang Tian with a complicated expression, feeling that this agent¡¯s thought process was somewhat abnormal. ¡°Alright now, off you go.¡± Wang Tian¡¯s tone was tinged with the frustration of disappointed expectations, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t come in this car, it¡¯s too conspicuous. Aren¡¯t you afraid of the legit wife finding out about you?¡± With that said and without waiting for Shu Wan¡¯s response, Wang Tian turned and left. He hailed a yellow cab at the roadside and wandered off into the distance, singing his out-of-tune song. ¡°Young Madam, shall we head home now?¡± the driver asked. Shu Wan withdrew her gaze and rolled up the car window, ¡°To Fu Yang¡¯s place for dinner.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Chapter 33 - 33 33 Lunch ?Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Lunch Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Lunch To Shu Wan¡¯s surprise, Fu Yang was not hard to find this time. He was still on the same food street, just at a different restaurant. As soon as Shu Wan approached the entrance, she could smell the pungent spiciness. It was a Sichuan cuisine restaurant located near the school. Shu Wan usually preferred lighter flavors, but she was not against trying something new occasionally. Right after she entered, a group of people sitting by the window spotted her. ¡°Beautiful sister, come sit here!!¡± It was Fu Yang¡¯s classmate. Shu Wan walked over and sat next to Fu Yang. Unlike yesterday¡¯s strong resistance, today Fu Yang seemed very obedient, not even moving back when Shu Wan sat down. ¡°It¡¯s such a coincidence, beautiful sister, you¡¯re also eating here.¡± ¡°Just passing by, saw you guys here so I came in,¡± Shu Wan replied, ¡°Why did you change places today?¡± ¡°Lin Yang wanted to eat this today.¡± The kids could not keep secrets; once Shu Wan asked, they spilled everything, ¡°We had a basketball game today, our class won, and Lin Yang, being the team captain, is treating us to dinner.¡± It was this place for dinner that everyone found a bit puzzling. Not that anyone disapproved of the place, but Lin Yang had always had a cold and proud Young Master persona. Everyone was already surprised when he joined them on the food street yesterday, and now eating at a small restaurant with them was just outrageous. But regardless, Lin Yang was treating, and everyone was happy. ¡°Basketball?¡± Shu Wan knew it was a popular sport nowadays, ¡°I¡¯d like to watch next time there¡¯s a game.¡± ¡°Of course you can, beautiful sister. Add me on WeChat, and I¡¯ll get you an inside ticket next time there¡¯s a game.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± As Shu Wan was about to add the student on WeChat using her phone, Fu Yang reached out and covered her phone screen. ¡°Random people shouldn¡¯t be allowed on campus,¡± Fu Yang slightly raised his eyebrows, ¡°What if someone with ill intentions tries to abduct teenagers? You guys have no sense of safety.¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone else was silent. I mean, Young Master, have you seen what this beautiful woman next to you looks like? What kind of kidnapper looks like that? Before others could protest, Fu Yang pushed Shu Wan¡¯s phone back, ¡°Alright, the food is here, don¡¯t keep me from eating.¡± At that moment, the owner had brought the steaming dishes to the table, and everyone had no choice but to let it go. ¡°Wow, is it that spicy? Did they overdo the chili today?¡± The teenagers, already having robust tastes and loving very spicy and numbing flavors, still showed a hint of fear seeing the red dishes on the table. ¡°I ordered these for myself; didn¡¯t you guys order other dishes?¡± While saying this, Fu Yang directly picked up a crispy red chili and ate it in front of Shu Wan. It must be said, this devilish spiciness was not ordinary; with one bite of the chili, Fu Yang immediately felt like his throat had been pricked. But since Shu Wan was watching, he could only swallow the chili nonchalantly and casually commented, ¡°The taste is alright, beautiful, do you want to try?¡± Shu Wan glanced at his hand tightly gripping the chopsticks and turned to pick up a piece of tomato and egg, ¡°No need, I don¡¯t eat that spicy.¡± ¡°Boring.¡± Fu Yang sneered lightly, seemingly eager to show Shu Wan that he wasn¡¯t willing to admit defeat. He picked up a big bunch of chili peppers with his chopsticks and swallowed them without changing his expression. At this table, including Shu Wan, there were seven people, yet they had ordered nearly ten dishes. Halfway through the meal, Fu Yang even picked up the menu again and checked off several more dishes. ¡°Lin Yang, we can¡¯t finish all this, don¡¯t order anymore. It¡¯s going to be a waste.¡± ¡°Yeah, the dishes here aren¡¯t cheap, we know you¡¯re wealthy, but wasting food is still not good.¡± Fu Yang ignored them and stubbornly ordered several more, then looked at Shu Wan, ¡°Beautiful miss, is there anything you¡¯d like to eat?¡± Fu Yang¡¯s intentions were clear with just one glance from Shu Wan. At this moment, she didn¡¯t hold back, took the menu, and ordered two dishes whose names she didn¡¯t understand. By the end of the meal, about half of the dishes remained uneaten on the table. Fu Yang had claimed the majority of the insanely spicy dishes, and when he finally put down his chopsticks, there was a sense of relief in his gesture. When it was time to pay, Fu Yang took out his phone and scanned the payment code, tapped the screen a couple of times, then said, ¡°I forgot, there¡¯s a problem with my bank card, it¡¯s been frozen.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Those present were all from well-off families, and the cost of one meal wasn¡¯t much, so they all took out their phones ready to pay. But Fu Yang turned to look at Shu Wan, his peach blossom eyes slightly lifted with a smile that was hard to describe, ¡°Beautiful miss, may I boldly ask how old you are today?¡± ¡°21.¡± Knowing what Fu Yang was up to, Shu Wan played along. ¡°Oh, 21,¡± Fu Yang slightly raised his eyebrows, his right hand resting on the back of the chair, absentmindedly fiddling with the cross under his ear. ¡°We¡¯re just middle school students, you wouldn¡¯t expect us students to treat you to a meal, would you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already paid.¡± ¡°When?¡± Things didn¡¯t go as Fu Yang had anticipated, causing his brow to furrow and his fiddling with his earring to stop. ¡°I paid when we entered, the remaining money I¡¯ll leave for you for next time you come to eat,¡± Shu Wan smiled at Fu Yang, ¡°Next time you¡¯re short on money, you can also come and mention my name to the owner.¡± ¡°....¡± Shu Wan¡¯s words sounded nice, but both knew that even if Fu Yang starved, he would never use Shu Wan¡¯s name to eat here. For Fu Yang, the difference between swindling a free meal from Shu Wan and Shu Wan paying on her own was huge. Fu Yang, who was about to let out a sigh, now held it back in his chest, coupled with all the spicy food he had eaten, he felt fiery inside. Fu Yang stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go, the food was terribly awful, never coming here again.¡± The restaurant owner, just about to come over to clear the table, saw Fu Yang¡¯s grim expression and heard his comment, his heart shattered, questioning life immediately, ¡°Was it really that bad?¡± ¡°The taste was okay.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s voice arose beside him, catching the owner¡¯s broken heart in the nick of time. ¡°Thank you.¡± The owner gratefully looked at Shu Wan, ¡°Welcome to come again next time, I¡¯ll give you a discount.¡± Shu Wan and the other students left the restaurant, thinking that Fu Yang had already gone far, but unexpectedly, Fu Yang was actually waiting for them at the entrance. He was still dressed in his trendy clothes adorned with numerous metal accessories, his silver white hair shimmering golden in the sunlight, his face a delicate and clean contradiction to his flashy attire. He leaned lazily against the door, glancing at Shu Wan upon hearing footsteps. Just as Shu Wan was about to say goodbye to the other students, the convenience store owner next door suddenly rushed over with a bag, heading straight for Shu Wan, ¡°Miss, here are the ice creams and desserts you bought, totaling 582 yuan, how would you like to pay?¡± Before Shu Wan could answer, Fu Yang spoke first, ¡°Beautiful miss is truly kind, not only treating us to dinner but also providing desserts afterward, such a kind and beautiful heart.¡± Chapter 34 - 34 34 Ice Cream ?Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Ice Cream Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Ice Cream Other people didn¡¯t know the truth and thought it was Shu Wan treating them, ¡°Thank you, beautiful sister, you¡¯re so kind.¡± Shu Wan took out her phone and paid, ¡°You guys go ahead and share the food then.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The students came forward and picked their favorite flavors around the bag, ¡°Beautiful sister, this new double-layer molten heart raspberry ice cream is really tasty. You should try this.¡± It was quite a coincidence because this new flavor was selling well, and now there was only one of these ice creams left in the bag the owner brought. Shu Wan hadn¡¯t tried any of these modern ice creams before. She reached out to take it but before she could touch it, Fu Yang snatched it away. Shu Wan looked up and met Fu Yang¡¯s teasing gaze, ¡°I haven¡¯t tried this flavor either, let me taste it.¡± The others felt a bit awkward, ¡°Beautiful sister, then have this vanilla ice cream, it¡¯s also good.¡± And then, it was snatched away by Fu Yang again. Even Fu Yang¡¯s classmates couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, ¡°Lin Yang, isn¡¯t one enough for you? Beautiful sister is treating us to a meal and dessert; stop competing with her.¡± Fu Yang stood there lazily, not only did he not return the ice cream to Shu Wan, but he even tore off the wrapper and bit off a big chunk. However, he had just finished eating some hot and spicy food inside, and his teeth hadn¡¯t recovered yet. Now, the ice cream impacted his dental nerves. Fu Yang clenched his teeth tightly, but the stimulation made it impossible for him to maintain his expression. Fu Yang turned and walked away with big steps, ¡°If you want some, go buy it yourself.¡± ¡°Lin Yang doesn¡¯t usually act like this, don¡¯t know what got into him today.¡± In fact, his classmates wanted to say that Lin Yang always acted weird around Shu Wan, showing an unusual hostility towards her, but they didn¡¯t dare to say it. But Shu Wan didn¡¯t mind. She handed the bag to the students in front of her, ¡°It¡¯s fine, you guys go ahead and eat. I¡¯m heading back now.¡± ¡°Alright, beautiful sister, goodbye.¡± Shu Wan got back into the car, and Fu Yang was leaning on the sofa, biting the ice cream. Hearing the car door closing, Fu Yang looked up at Shu Wan, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my stomach can¡¯t handle very stimulating food? Well, I ate it now, and it¡¯s not a problem at all.¡± Shu Wan sat on the sofa opposite Fu Yang. She didn¡¯t respond to his remark but instead reached out and touched his wrist briefly, retracting her hand before he could react. Touched unexpectedly by Shu Wan, Fu Yang frowned. He looked at his own wrist and then at Shu Wan¡¯s hand, his expression flickered, ¡°Shu Wan, let me tell you, don¡¯t get any funny ideas about involving me.¡± In their social circle, tales of ¡®Little Mamas¡¯ were as common as hairs on an ox, and Fu Yang had seen plenty. Although Shu Wan was indeed beautiful, the thought of getting involved in any ¡®Little Mother¡¯ literature made Fu Yang¡¯s skin crawl. Shu Wan understood him to some extent and calmly sipped her water, ¡°Put away your bizarre ideas, I was just taking your pulse.¡± ¡°Taking my pulse?¡± Fu Yang paused, then realized she was talking about diagnosing, ¡°You think you¡¯re living in ancient times? Taking pulses, that¡¯s funny. So, what did you diagnose then?¡± ¡°If you keep eating irregularly like this, you¡¯ll be in the hospital in no time.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Fu Yang didn¡¯t believe her, ¡°Stop trying to scare me. I¡¯m not one of the elderly like you all; I¡¯m very healthy and don¡¯t need your concern.¡± Saying that, Fu Yang picked up the remaining half of the ice cream and bit into it, causing a crunchy sound. Shu Wan had already anticipated the outcome, so she no longer argued with Fu Yang. Her attention was drawn to the ice cream Fu Yang held in his hand. Earlier at the store entrance, her classmates had mentioned that this new ice cream was delicious, but Shu Wan hadn¡¯t understood what they meant until she saw Fu Yang bite half of it. Modern manufacturing technology has developed to achieve a mix of various flavors and textures. This one in Fu Yang¡¯s hand, for example, had an outer layer of black chocolate crispy shell, enveloped a flowing raspberry sauce in the middle, followed by another layer of chocolate crispy shell, the core was soft and sweet ice cream. Though she hadn¡¯t tasted it, just from its smell, Shu Wan knew it must taste good. Fu Yang keenly noticed Shu Wan¡¯s gaze, proud and yet slightly puzzled. Shu Wan, whether in terms of appearance or temperament, did not seem like someone who would be so captivated by an ice cream. Sometimes, Shu Wan¡¯s curiosity about some sparse ordinary things made Fu Yang suspect that she was a relic from ancient times. Slowing down deliberately, Fu Yang bit into it slowly, letting the sweet aroma of the ice cream fill the entire car. ¡°You know, it really is delicious, it¡¯s a pity, Little Mother, you have to focus on maintaining health, let me deal with this body-harming treat for you.¡± To Shu Wan, Fu Yang¡¯s provocative behavior made him look no different from a mischievous child. After a fleeting regret, Shu Wan picked up her phone to check the news, no longer paying attention to Fu Yang. With Shu Wan remaining silent, Fu Yang didn¡¯t provoke her further. He reclined on the couch, thinking about how to escape Shu Wan¡¯s clutches while eating the ice cream he had snatched from her. By the time they returned to the Estate, Fu Yang had finished three sticks. Getting out of the car, Fu Yang vaguely felt a chill in his stomach mixed with greasiness from the spicy oil at lunch, which nauseated him inexplicably. Thinking he had just eaten too much ice cream, he drank a bottle of water and dismissed it as nothing. Seeing them return together, the Housekeeper quickly came forward. Fu Yang gave the Housekeeper a brief greeting then went upstairs. Soon after, he came down carrying a skateboard,¡±I won¡¯t be back tonight, don¡¯t call and bother me.¡± Having said that, Fu Yang left directly. The Housekeeper, holding back his words, looked at Shu Wan. ¡°Young Madam, the Young Master was supposed to have class this afternoon.¡± Shu Wan waved her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, he¡¯ll come back on his own tonight.¡± His already fragile stomach, after the ordeal just now, wouldn¡¯t endure an afternoon. ¡°Alright.¡± Although the Housekeeper didn¡¯t know why Shu Wan was so confident, he trusted her,¡± Oh, Young Madam, the Young Master called earlier to say that if you¡¯re back and free, please return his call.¡± ¡°Sure, I got it.¡± After going upstairs, Shu Wan freshened up quickly, changed her clothes, and comfortably lay down on the couch before calling Si Yu. The phone rang three times before Si Yu hung up. Shu Wan calculated the time; it must be late night where Si Yu was, he was probably asleep. So, she put down her phone, picked up a strawberry, but before she could eat it, Si Yu¡¯s call came back. This time, it was a video call. Chapter 35 - 35 35 Degeneration ?Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Degeneration Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Degeneration Shu Wan didn¡¯t dislike video calls. In fact, she felt that video calls were more respectful than voice calls. She pressed the answer button, and Fu Siyu appeared on the screen in a suit, still in his office with the reflection of the city lights on the glass window behind him. ¡°Hello,¡± Shu Wan politely nodded to Fu Siyu. Fu Siyu paused for a moment, ¡°I thought we were no longer strangers.¡± ¡°Sort of.¡± In Shu Wan¡¯s view, they hadn¡¯t met in person and had only had a few phone calls, which wasn¡¯t enough to be considered familiar. ¡°...¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly, ¡°Well then, hello.¡± ¡°Are you still working late?¡± ¡°There are some documents I haven¡¯t finished yet.¡± Fu Siyu didn¡¯t get much sleep. Staying up late or even pulling an all-nighter was normal for him. ¡°Oh,¡± Shu Wan nodded. ¡°I suggest you avoid staying up late. Resting at the appropriate times can help your body recover.¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°Okay, thanks for the reminder. I mainly called to tell you that I received the Calming Tea you sent¡ªit¡¯s quite effective.¡± ¡°Glad you like it.¡± As they were talking, the door was suddenly knocked on, and the servant walked in. ¡°Young Madam, here is the ice cream you were looking for.¡± Shu Wan took the ice cream, ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan was very interested in everything modern. Just coming back earlier, she had instructed the housekeeper to find the particular brand Fu Yang had been eating in the car. Shu Wan tore open the packaging and gently bit into it. The multilayered texture and sweetness instantly took over her taste buds. Shu Wan had never tasted such a unique flavor before. She was so engrossed in it that she forgot she was on a video call with Fu Siyu. Unlike Fu Yang¡¯s cud-chewing style of eating, Shu Wan was tasting tentatively. Her red lips slightly parted to bite off a piece. Unfamiliar with the chocolate and molten core, she inadvertently got some cream on the corner of her mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve got something on the corner of your lips,¡± Fu Siyu suddenly spoke up. Only then did Shu Wan remember the call was still active. She looked at the screen, noticing the residue on her mouth. Shu Wan extended her tongue, gently swept it over the cream, and took it into her mouth, leaving only a glossy wetness on her lips, which made her lips look even more plump and attractive. Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, and he unconsciously looked away, lowering his head to look at the documents in his hand. ¡°Fu Yang has been causing you trouble.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Shu Wan continued eating her ice cream as she responded to Fu Siyu. ¡°By the way, the housekeeper brought me a bank card yesterday.¡± ¡°Um, it¡¯s a supplementary card of mine. You can use it directly for whatever you need.¡± After speaking, Fu Siyu added, ¡°Spend as much as you need¡ªit¡¯s like you¡¯re borrowing from me. You can pay me back when you have the money.¡± Since Fu Siyu said so, Shu Wan had no reason to refuse. She smiled at Fu Siyu, ¡°Thanks.¡± Shu Wan was beautiful, and when she smiled, her eyes shone like a refreshing breeze over a river, touching hearts unintentionally. ¡°No need to thank me. But if you¡¯re buying something that involves Fu Yang, you don¡¯t need to pay me back. Feel free to use it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± As they spoke, Shu Wan finished her ice cream. She glanced at the deep night in the background behind Fu Siyu, ¡°It¡¯s late, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. Get some rest.¡± Fu Siyu paused then nodded, ¡°Alright, good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± After Shu Wan hung up, Fu Siyu turned off his phone. He picked up a document beside him, but even with his usually high concentration, he found it hard to focus. He looked up at the clock. It was 12:05 AM, far from his usual bedtime. But perhaps persuaded by Shu Wan¡¯s advice, Fu Siyu hesitated for a moment before closing the folder, standing up, and walking to the adjacent resting room. However, he didn¡¯t sleep for long, as the usually abstinent man fell into a charming dream. In the dream, he was enveloped in sweetness, and heard someone whispering in his ear, their breath lingering and weaving a softness. That heat trailed along his ear tips, ears, cheeks, by his eyes, until it gently pressed against his lips. Fu Siyu, who hated others getting close, subconsciously wanted to push the person in front of him away, but his body couldn¡¯t resist. As the heat along his lip corners broke through his closed teeth with sweetness, he turned over and pinned the person under him. At that moment, the face of the person became clear. Her hair flowed like a waterfall, her eyebrows like ink, and her lips red. It was Shu Wan. Fu Siyu suddenly opened his eyes. Chapter 36 - 36 36 Illness ?Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Illness Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Illness In the estate, Shu Wan was enjoying her ice cream while taking a photo of the half-eaten dessert with her phone. She logged onto the short video platform, habitually preparing to upload the picture. But as soon as the app opened, a dense cluster of messages appeared. Shu Wan was somewhat surprised; she clicked on her own profile and discovered that the singing video she had casually recorded the other day had now garnered over 700,000 likes. Moreover, her account went from no followers to over 50,000 in just a few days, barely classifying her as a minor internet celebrity. Shu Wan never expected so many people to like her because of a song; after a brief moment of joy, she returned to her usual composure. She uploaded the photo she had just taken online, captioned, ¡°Pretty tasty.¡± Her post quickly attracted a lot of attention from her followers. However, the focus wasn¡¯t on the ice cream, but on Shu Wan¡¯s hand. Pale and delicate, slender and well-defined, it looked as if it were carved out of the finest quality jade, beautiful and exquisite like a piece of art. [Alright, I can confirm now; the owner of this account must be a great beauty, beautiful sister, give me a hug.] [Such a nice voice, and even the hands are so good-looking, honey, look at me!! Honey, hug me!!] [When will you share a photo with us? My heart has been stolen by my wife, and I still don¡¯t know what my wife looks like.] The comments from the netizens came one after another, surprising Shu Wan. Everyone seemed exceptionally enthusiastic, and their comments were quite interesting, though she didn¡¯t quite understand this ¡°wife¡± thing they were talking about. Looking at the profile pictures, they were mostly young girls. In her previous life, she had seen men with a fondness for male companionship and knew about the strong inclusivity of today¡¯s times. But for so many girls to like her was a bit preposterous for her. Although she didn¡¯t quite get it, since it was all over the internet and nobody could really do anything to her, and having had the experience of two lifetimes, she viewed these enthusiastic young girls as kids, so she didn¡¯t take it to heart. Shu Wan selectively responded to a few comments, which immediately sparked even greater enthusiasm. ¡°Looking at our wife¡¯s previous posts, she shares so many snippets of life every day; can you share more in the future? We love to see them.¡± In this era, Shu Wan had no friends; now, through the internet, she had gained a group of followers who paid attention to her; naturally, she wouldn¡¯t turn down their requests. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try my best.¡± After chatting with her fans for a while and reading a book for some time, Shu Wan felt sleepy and lay down on her bed for a nap. Because she went to bed late and didn¡¯t set an alarm, she didn¡¯t wake up until it was nearly evening. At that time, the housekeeper came to invite her downstairs for dinner, ¡°Young Madam, just as you said, the Young Master has returned.¡± ¡°What is he doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s sitting downstairs.¡± Shu Wan went downstairs and sure enough saw Fu Yang sitting on the sofa. He was leaning back against the sofa, one foot resting on the table, the other on a skateboard. He probably had come back after skateboarding; Fu Yang¡¯s face was covered with a thin layer of sweat, and his silver-white hair, damp with sweat, stuck softly to his forehead. He had his eyes closed, his brows slightly furrowed, his thin lips lightly pursed, and he didn¡¯t look too good. ¡°Young Master, are you not feeling well?¡± Even the housekeeper noticed something was off. Fu Yang opened his eyes and saw Shu Wan coming downstairs; he tried to appear relaxed and kicked away the skateboard at his feet, ¡°I¡¯m fine, very fine. Is dinner ready? I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all prepared.¡± Fu Yang didn¡¯t wait for Shu Wan and went straight to the dining table and picked up his chopsticks. But after only a couple of bites, Fu Yang threw down his chopsticks, uttering, ¡°Disgustingly bad,¡± before heading upstairs. Shu Wan glanced at his slightly hunched back and then turned to the housekeeper, ¡°Have a driver on standby tonight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Upstairs, Fu Yang walked back to his own bedroom with a calm demeanor, but as soon as the bedroom door closed behind him, he could no longer maintain his composure. Fu Yang clutched at his stomach, emitting an uncomfortable grunt. It felt as though numerous frozen threads were simultaneously tightening around his intestines and stomach, causing not only pain but also a rising sense of nausea. Fu Yang lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep, thinking that once he fell asleep, he would not feel the stomach pain. But under these circumstances, even falling asleep was difficult. Fu Yang tossed and turned in bed for a long time. Far from feeling sleepy, he only made his stomach churn even more uncomfortably. Enduring the pain, Fu Yang sat up and opened the nightstand drawer, taking out a box of medicine. He poured several pills into his mouth and washed them down with a drink, then lay back down on the bed. As time passed, the medication began to take effect. Despite his clear mind, he couldn¡¯t fend off the overwhelming drowsiness that swept over him. On the ceiling, the chandelier cast its pale glow throughout the room, shining on the medicine box Fu Yang had cast aside¡ªclearly labeled ¡°Do not exceed 2 pills per adult per dose.¡± However, in his quest for a restful sleep, Fu Yang had swallowed seven or eight pills at once. As night deepened, Shu Wan had been reading in the study after dinner. When she began feeling sleepy, she put down her book and returned to her bedroom, and it was already past ten at night. ¡°Has Fu Yang come out?¡± ¡°No, not yet,¡± replied a servant respectfully. Shu Wan glanced at the tightly closed door of Fu Yang¡¯s room, her gaze slightly narrowed, ¡°He hasn¡¯t come out at all?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shu Wan felt something was amiss and walked to the door of Fu Yang¡¯s bedroom. Knowing that Fu Yang would not open the door no matter what happened, Shu Wan didn¡¯t hesitate and kicked the door open directly. She walked over to the bed, where Fu Yang was buried under the covers, sleeping, with half of his silver hair peeking out. Shu Wan pulled back the blanket slightly, and Fu Yang¡¯s flushed ears and cheeks appeared. Seeing the unnatural redness, Shu Wan flipped back the covers and took Fu Yang¡¯s wrist to check it, immediately furrowing her brow. She didn¡¯t know what Fu Yang had ingested to fall into such a deep coma. ¡°To the hospital.¡± Shu Wan, skilled in medicine, still found herself baffled by many of the illnesses and drugs of this era; going to the hospital was the safest option. ¡°Yes.¡± The servants said they were ready to carry Fu Yang down, but then they saw Shu Wan grab the blanket, wrap up Fu Yang, and carry him down herself. In Shu Wan¡¯s arms, a 180 cm, 60 kg man was no different from a large toy doll; she didn¡¯t even seem out of breath, so everyone else simply withdrew their hands, which had been prepared to help. Thanks to Shu Wan¡¯s prior instructions, the driver delivered Fu Yang to the hospital in the shortest time possible. The hospital quickly arranged treatment for Fu Yang. By the time the nurses moved him to a regular ward, it was very late. ¡°Young Madam, why don¡¯t you go back first? We can take care of the Young Master,¡± they suggested. Shu Wan waved her hand, ¡°No need, you all go back.¡± Shu Wan excelled at psychological tactics. Sick people were more vulnerable, more susceptible to bonding, and now was her opportunity. In her former life, Shu Wan had carved a path of survival amidst encirclement by cunning and wily powerholders; she did not consider herself a particularly benevolent person. Her treatment of Fu Yang stemmed from her desire to leverage the Fu Family¡¯s power to secure her footing in this era. Thus, she purposely instigated Fu Yang¡¯s competitive spirit, leading him to exacerbate his gastrointestinal problems until they became acute, all to create an opportunity for her to get closer to Fu Yang. This was an effective tactic, one Shu Wan was well acquainted with. However, at this moment, seeing Fu Yang¡¯s pale face, stripped of his usual flamboyance and resembling a docile, vulnerable little creature, Shu Wan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. She could have chosen not to harm Fu Yang¡¯s body in this way. Chapter 37 - 37 37 Mom ?Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Mom Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Mom The night deepened, and even the hospital had become completely quiet. For some reason, Shu Wan was not sleepy. She looked up at the moon outside the window and suddenly remembered that it was daytime over where Fu Siyu was. Compelled as if by a ghost, Shu Wan sent a message to Fu Siyu, ¡°Fu Yang is sick.¡± After a while, Fu Siyu replied, ¡°The housekeeper told me about it. He¡¯s always eating randomly, and his stomach isn¡¯t great.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Although Shu Wan didn¡¯t elaborate, Fu Siyu seemed to understand what she meant. After all, at their core, they were the same kind of person, ¡°Without you, he would still get sick, just perhaps later.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s eyes fluttered, and she suddenly brought up another topic, ¡°What was Fu Yang like when he was little?¡± Soon, Fu Siyu sent Shu Wan many photos and videos, all from Fu Yang¡¯s past. Mostly from before Fu Yang turned eight, there were mushy baby photos with incomplete teeth, drooling silly at the camera. Then there were videos of him just learning to walk, wobbling step by step towards Fu Siyu, his big eyes like black grapes shining bright. Later on, Fu Yang grew a bit taller, with rosy lips and pearly teeth, like a porcelain doll sculpted from gold and jade, his features faintly resembling Fu Siyu, irresistibly cute. He had learned to talk, milkily calling out to the camera, ¡°Daddy, hug.¡± Although various messages Shu Wan received mentioned that Fu Siyu didn¡¯t take much care of Fu Yang, in the photos and videos Fu Siyu sent, his own figure was actually present. And judging by Fu Yang¡¯s condition, it was clear that he had been well cared for. Innocent and joyous, it reminded Shu Wan of her own younger brother. The Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion had two legitimate sons, one was Shu Wan¡¯s older brother; the other was her younger brother. Her older brother, who was once a very good elder brother, taught her to read and write, brought her treats from the Zhongxuan Building, and gifted her rabbit lanterns. Her younger brother, once as cute as Fu Yang, soft and squishy like a sticky rice ball, would follow her, calling ¡®sister¡¯ again and again, would secretly bring her little toys, and cling to her legs coquettishly when she came home. But they both gradually grew up, and the cage of feudal ethical teachings, like an invisible wall, completely separated her protective older brother and her dependent younger brother from her. They gradually became men like Prime Minister Shu, for the sake of their family¡¯s interests and their own future, treating their sisters as a resource, seeking only the greatest benefit. For this, they could sacrifice her life, her marriage, erasing her completely in the age of ¡°the three obediences and four virtues.¡± ¡°There are no more photos after he turned eight.¡± Fu Siyu must have not been able to find any more photos and could only explain to Shu Wan, ¡°Fu Yang didn¡¯t want them taken.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Also, after he turned eight, I went abroad, and since then, we¡¯ve had a deep estrangement.¡± ¡°He will understand you, eventually.¡± A parent¡¯s love for their child plans for the long term. Fu Siyu did not provide Fu Yang with intimate companionship, but he did provide him with a rich safety net that countless others could only dream of. As long as his father is Fu Siyu, his life would be filled with innumerable possibilities. Shu Wan flipped through Fu Yang¡¯s photos a little longer, then turned her head to glance at Fu Yang, still deep in sleep from the sleeping pills. The medical staff had changed him into a hospital gown, without those clothes loaded with metal accessories, the rebellious air about Fu Yang had dissipated quite a bit. His brow furrowed slightly, a delicate face buried in the pillow, his eyebrows and eyes serene and obedient, even his silvery white hair seemed to soften under the light, neatly covering his forehead. Perhaps his stomach was uncomfortable again, as Fu Yang¡¯s brow furrowed even deeper, and he turned uncomfortably a few times in bed. There was still an IV hooked on the back of his hand, and with his movements, the blood momentarily backflowed. Shu Wan hurriedly stepped forward, following the nurse¡¯s earlier actions, and rearranged the IV for Fu Yang. After the IV flow returned to normal, Shu Wan finally let go of Fu Yang¡¯s hand. Yet just as she was about to turn away, her wrist was seized by Fu Yang. Shu Wan turned around; Fu Yang was still asleep, but he clung to Shu Wan tightly, looking extremely vulnerable, his lips moving slightly, his whispers inaudible. Hesitant for a moment, Shu Wan ultimately gave in to Fu Yang¡¯s pull and sat down by the bed. Chapter 38 - 38 37 Mom_2 ?Chapter 38: Chapter 37 Mom_2 Chapter 38: Chapter 37 Mom_2 Fu Yang was still saying something, and Shu Wan thought he was unwell. She bent over to try and hear what he was saying clearly. Then, Shu Wan heard a very soft, ¡°Mom.¡± A gentle and weak voice, filled with dependency and helplessness, completely different from Fu Yang¡¯s usual tone of speaking. Shu Wan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, deeply looking at Fu Yang for a moment. Back when she first arrived at the Fu Family, Shu Wan had specifically searched for information about the Fu Family online. Fu Siyu¡¯s success in business was widely praised, but there were hardly any mentions of his love life. Let alone Fu Yang¡¯s birth mother, Shu Wan had once indirectly probed the servants for information, but puzzlingly, even the servants who had worked at the Fu Family for years knew nothing about Fu Yang¡¯s birth mother. Shu Wan remembered her former self, back when she was a little girl who played in the mud with her brothers, neither her beauty nor her intelligence had come to light. Back then, no one praised her as a beauty that could topple empires, nor did anyone commend her for her intelligence. Still, she was quite happy. Because she was the only legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, her parents used to love her very much, and she also knew how much a child yearns for care from their parents, and what a mother gives to a child, is a continuous sense of security and belief support. But Fu Yang had none of these. From a certain perspective, Fu Yang was also somewhat pitiable. Shu Wan allowed Fu Yang to grab her hand, and she raised her left hand, gently patting Fu Yang¡¯s shoulder. Miraculously, Fu Yang, who was in his sleep, seemed to have received comfort, and gradually his furrowed brows stretched, and his expression softened a lot. Seeing that Fu Yang was calming down, Shu Wan also closed her eyes and fell asleep while maintaining a sitting posture. In her previous life, when she was campaigning in the field, where was there time to lay a bed and arrange blankets? Often, she just sat on the ground, fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes, so Shu Wan had developed this skill. Time slowly passed, the IV bottle¡¯s contents were all used up, and gradually there were sounds of cars and people outside the window. Even Fu Yang woke up earlier than Shu Wan. Although he had been sleeping all along, the side effects of the sleeping pills were quite obvious; Fu Yang¡¯s headache felt like it was going to explode. He opened his eyes, habitually thinking of pinching the center of his brows, but then he noticed something was amiss. Fu Yang turned his head and looked at the scene in front of him in horror. No, why was he holding Shu Wan¡¯s hand? Fu Yang quickly threw Shu Wan¡¯s hand aside, recoiling as if avoiding some flood or ferocious beast, and moved a certain distance back, ¡°Shu Wan, what are you doing sitting on my bed and holding my hand? Do you have some kind of problem?¡± The moment Fu Yang threw Shu Wan¡¯s hand away, Shu Wan woke up. She didn¡¯t sleep well, and there was a faint redness under her eyes, ¡°Let¡¯s get the wording straight, it was you who were holding me.¡± ¡°Well, this is my bed! You are sitting on my bed in the middle of the night, and I¡¯m still a minor, do you feel no shame saying that?¡± Seeing Fu Yang so lively as if he could continue a big fight with her for three hundred rounds, Shu Wan knew there was no need to ask him how he felt now. She stood up, ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, get up and have breakfast. Your stomach illness is caused by irregular eating habits.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pull that trick on me,¡± Fu Yang scoffed, ¡°don¡¯t think I don¡¯t see what you¡¯re up to.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s brows slightly raised, ¡°Tell me, what am I up to?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just waiting for me to be sick, deliberately showing concern and then getting chummy with me, right? Do you think I¡¯m a fool who can¡¯t see through it?¡± Fu Yang snorted disdainfully, ¡°Your trick is way old.¡± Before Shu Wan, many people had approached him while he was sick or at a low point, deliberately caring for him and looking after him. In the end, their true colors would show; they were not really caring about him, they just wanted to use that opportunity to get close to him and take advantage. Once, when he had a fever, a servant took care of him, and in the end, the servant used his name to steal nearly two hundred million worth of antiques from the house. There was also a time in school when he was not doing well, and a classmate befriended him under the guise of tutoring him. Just after becoming friends for a couple of days, that classmate brought their whole family to the Fu Family under the pretext of visiting him, but in reality, they just wanted to meet Fu Siyu. With such incidents happening frequently, Fu Yang concealed the fact that he was a member of the Fu Family while at school. Now, he was sick, and Shu Wan was actually willing to stay with him all night. In Fu Yang¡¯s view, she was no different than the people before. However, there was also something different. Shu Wan actually admitted it. Facing Fu Yang¡¯s accusation, Shu Wan nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, I did intend that.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Fu Yang sneered, ¡°you¡¯re a woman with a malicious mind.¡± ¡°The malicious-minded woman is about to have breakfast now. Are you coming?¡± Shu Wan sat down calmly next to the sofa and then began to unpack the breakfast box sent by the housekeeper. Because of Fu Yang¡¯s illness, today¡¯s breakfast made for him by the Fu Family¡¯s chef was very light: porridge, vegetables, eggs¡ªfood that Fu Yang wouldn¡¯t normally even glance at. But Fu Yang¡¯s stomach had been empty for too long, and because of the medication, even the simple porridge and dishes gave him an appetite. Having had enough of yesterday¡¯s stomach pain, Fu Yang did not want to go through it again. After a slight hesitation, Fu Yang chose to sit across from Shu Wan, ¡°This is breakfast made by the Fu Family¡¯s chef, my eating breakfast has nothing to do with you, don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of what you said.¡± Shu Wan nodded, casually opening the breakfast the housekeeper had sent her, ¡°I know.¡± Fu Yang took a sip of the porridge, about to add ¡°good that you know,¡± but his eyes shifted and saw the bowl of red-chili-oil beef noodles in front of Shu Wan, his expression twisted immediately. He was furious, he knew it¡ªShu Wan was not well-intentioned. Chapter 39 - 39 38 Angry ?Chapter 39: Chapter 38: Angry Chapter 39: Chapter 38: Angry Although he was craving it, Fu Yang didn¡¯t want to experience the nauseating pain he felt yesterday ever again. He shifted his gaze away from the beef noodles and forced himself to swallow a spoonful of bland white porridge. Hmm, if you savor it, white porridge can also taste sweet, Fu Yang tried to hypnotize himself. Unfortunately, the aroma of the beef noodles was simply too strong. The scent of chili oil mixed with the flavors of the noodles and beef aggressively tempted Fu Yang¡¯s taste buds; he couldn¡¯t help but keep glancing over at Shu Wan. Shu Wan didn¡¯t eat directly, instead she took a small bowl, picked some noodles with her chopsticks into the bowl, and then grabbed a bottle of boiling water, pouring a lot into the bowl. Fu Yang frowned, ¡°Do you even know how to eat noodles? They¡¯ll be soggy and taste horrible after soaking them in water like that.¡± Right after he spoke, Shu Wan placed the bowl of noodles, which had been rinsed with hot water, in front of Fu Yang. Fu Yang instantly fell silent. Even though the hot water had washed away much of the chili oil, the noodles still carried an intense fragrance. He involuntarily swallowed, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I rinsed them with hot water, they won¡¯t be too greasy now. You can have a little,¡± Shu Wan said while picking up a few noodles to try. They were spicy but tasted really good. Fu Yang intended to be stubborn and refuse the small bowl of noodles offered by Shu Wan, but in contrast to the pitifully pale rice porridge, the noodles seemed so tempting. Ultimately, Fu Yang couldn¡¯t resist and took a bite of the noodles. Delicious! It was just a bit too little. At Fu Yang¡¯s age, when his appetite was considerable, a few bites of noodles were far from enough to satisfy his hunger. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to actively ask Shu Wan for more and turned back to eating the remaining white porridge. This time, no matter how much he tried to hypnotize himself, it still tasted bland and uninteresting. Fu Yang sipped the white porridge disinterestedly when, unexpectedly, several slices of beef appeared in his bowl, the kind that had been rinsed with hot water. Fu Yang turned his head and saw Shu Wan wearing plastic gloves, peeling the outer layer off the pan-fried buns that had been fried in oil, revealing the soft, fluffy white dough inside. Then, the soft bun, now devoid of its greasy outer layer, landed in his bowl. Fu Yang¡¯s grip on the bowl tightened slightly, ¡°What now? Found out that forcing me didn¡¯t work, so you¡¯ve changed tactics to butter me up? I¡¯m not buying what you¡¯re selling.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right about everything, just eat up,¡± Shu Wan removed her gloves and began to eat the unpeeled bun, biting into it to release a burst of delicious meaty flavor, her eyes and brows relaxing, ¡°Eat up. The doctor will come for a follow-up. If there¡¯s no problem, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± ¡°The weasel greets the chicken for New Year,¡± Fu Yang looked at Shu Wan¡¯s profile suspiciously, always feeling that she was scheming something. However, while he was doubtful, he still ate whatever Shu Wan gave him without fail. Just as the two finished breakfast, the doctor and nurse came to make their rounds. At that moment, Shu Wan was outside throwing away trash, leaving Fu Yang alone in the ward. After examining Fu Yang, the doctor wrote down some instructions in the medical record, ¡°Where¡¯s your family?¡± Fu Yang habitually answered, ¡°No¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Shu Wan came into the room without Fu Yang noticing, walking towards them, ¡°Doctor, I¡¯m his mother; you can talk to me about anything.¡± The doctor looked at Shu Wan, then at Fu Yang in slight surprise, ¡°You¡¯re his mother? You¡¯ve taken great care of yourself.¡± The doctor¡¯s comment was already quite tactful; in fact, he thought that Fu Yang and Shu Wan didn¡¯t seem to have much of an age difference. Shu Wan looked like she had just come of age. ¡°His condition has stabilized. After he¡¯s discharged, there are some things he needs to pay attention to...¡± The doctor wasn¡¯t that gossipy after all and quickly composed himself, instructing Shu Wan on some dietary and lifestyle precautions. After the doctor and nurse left, Shu Wan poured Fu Yang a glass of water, ¡°You can be discharged this afternoon.¡± Fu Yang glanced at her but didn¡¯t take the glass from her hand, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, I won¡¯t be leaving the hospital.¡± Fu Yang wasn¡¯t foolish, he knew he could no longer win against Shu Wan. If he went back home, he would certainly have to submit to all sorts of plans Shu Wan had for him, which was less comfortable than staying in the hospital. Realizing this, Fu Yang conveniently laid back on the bed, ¡°Ouch, my head hurts so much, I hope it¡¯s not a concussion, get a doctor to check on me quickly.¡± Shu Wan was about to say something but before she could speak, her phone rang. It was her agent Wang Tian calling, ¡°Baby, are you busy? The production team has asked you to come over now for a costume fitting photo.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After hanging up, Shu Wan looked at Fu Yang, ¡°Then you just stay in the hospital for now, I¡¯ll come back after I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, I get an even worse headache when I see you.¡± Fu Yang buried himself in the blankets, and muttered a muffled reply. Shu Wan didn¡¯t respond and walked out of the ward. After giving instructions to the housekeeper, she left directly. Watching Shu Wan¡¯s departing figure, the housekeeper¡¯s face was fraught with worry, unsure if he could handle the Young Master the way Shu Wan did. Sure enough, the next second, Fu Yang¡¯s voice rang out from the ward, ¡°Housekeeper, come in.¡± The housekeeper, close to tears, knew he was in for it. He managed to squeeze out a smile and then entered the ward, ¡°Young Master, what can I do for you?¡± Unlike when he was subdued in front of Shu Wan, Fu Yang now reclined lazily at the head of the bed and pointed around the room, ¡°This is so ugly, change all this. Put a gaming console over here, a computer there, and bring my skateboard from home; I want to play when I have nothing to do.¡± ¡°Young Master,¡± the housekeeper cautiously began, ¡°Young Madam said when she left...¡± ¡°Heh,¡± the housekeeper hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Fu Yang interrupted with a cold snort. After all, he was the sole heir of the Fu Family. Lifting his chin slightly, when he looked at someone, although there was more of the impudence of a young man, he already possessed a crushing presence somewhat like Fu Siyu¡¯s, ¡°Is it she or I who has the surname of ¡®Fu¡¯? Who is your boss in the end? My words don¡¯t matter anymore, is that it?¡± The housekeeper was still hesitating. Fu Yang reached out to pull out the IV, ¡°Fine, no one listens to me, then why am I even bothering with this illness, I might as well die of it.¡± Finally, the housekeeper couldn¡¯t bear it and stepped forward, ¡°Okay, okay, Young Master, you wait here, I will immediately instruct people to take care of it.¡± The housekeeper was efficient, and within less than two hours, the ward had been transformed into a mini electronic gaming paradise. What was happening in the hospital was unknown to Shu Wan at the moment; she had already arrived at the Film and Television City, waiting to take still photos for the TV drama. Compared to other actresses, Shu Wan had the most costume designs, even more than the lead actress. After all, her character in the drama was of a highborn lady; she had to change her look nearly every time she appeared on the screen. And the point that Director Zhang agonized over wasn¡¯t that Shu Wan¡¯s costumes were unattractive. The problem was that each one seemed quite beautiful, and he found himself stuck in the throes of decision paralysis. What an oddity, having been a director for so many years and nearly immune to beauty, this was the first time he had encountered someone like Shu Wan, whose bone structure and aura were both top-notch and stunning, naturally inspiring abundant creativity. Director Zhang¡¯s favoritism towards Shu Wan quickly stirred dissatisfaction among others. Because the costume fitting photo shoot time was limited, and the director gave most of his time and energy to Shu Wan, others felt they were being neglected. Chapter 40 - 40 39 Devil ?Chapter 40: Chapter 39 Devil Chapter 40: Chapter 39 Devil ¡°Sister Lin, Shu Wan is really clueless, isn¡¯t she? The director is filming her because he respects her, but she¡¯s taking herself way too seriously. It¡¯s been almost half an hour, and she¡¯s not leaving any time for you.¡± ¡°Exactly, an eighteenth-tier small-time star still acts like she¡¯s a VIP.¡± Another actor chimed in, ¡°Sister Lin, I heard you have to attend a film celebration later, how dare Shu Wan waste your time.¡± The one referred to as Sister Lin was the leading actress in the TV drama, Lin Man. Unlike Shu Wan¡¯s relative obscurity, Lin Man was a bona fide first-tier actress with a strong background; nearly half the funding for the drama came from her connections. Lin Man was beautiful, but when she looked at people, she always did so with a condescending gaze that was full of hostility. She fiddled with her freshly done nails, ¡°Youth always like to show their sharp edges.¡± ¡°Just so, they don¡¯t know how high the sky is or how deep the earth is, only how to show off. Sister Lin, don¡¯t worry, someone will teach her a lesson.¡± Lin Man didn¡¯t respond, just gave Shu Wan a brief glance, a hint of darkness flashing in her eyes. Shu Wan was always sensitive and naturally perceived the hostility from everyone around her. While posing for the photo shoot as per the director¡¯s requirements, Shu Wan took the chance to glance over at Lin Man¡¯s group. Not finding any information about these people in her host¡¯s memory, Shu Wan didn¡¯t pay further attention. ¡°Good, very good, keep it up.¡± Shu Wan was attractive and naturally had an aura that fit ancient costumes perfectly, truly the muse directors dream of. Director Zhang was so excited that he personally picked up the camera to take pictures of her. Shu Wan had thought at first that being a modern actress would be a breeze, but to her surprise, she felt exhausted even with her robust constitution after an entire set of photos was taken. As the sun climbed higher, and after Director Zhang had covered every angle photographing Shu Wan, he finally let her go, ¡°Hard work, you all can go back first. The crew will notify you when we officially start filming.¡± ¡°Okay, Director.¡± Wang Tian responded enthusiastically and then picked up Shu Wan¡¯s bag, leading her away directly. Wang Tian had arrived halfway through Shu Wan¡¯s photo shoot, to be honest, he hadn¡¯t dared to recognize the person sitting in front of the studio at first. ¡°Baby, how did you grow such a face.¡± Wang Tian studied Shu Wan¡¯s profile as they walked. He knew she was beautiful before, but never has he felt like now, that she was too stunning to look at directly. Faced with Wang Tian¡¯s amazement, Shu Wan was quite calm. She turned her head to say something, but upon seeing Wang Tian¡¯s outfit, she was left speechless. The colors on Wang Tian¡¯s clothes probably changed faster than Fu Yang¡¯s facial expressions. Today he wore an all-green suit with a belt as thick as an arm, a large gold chain that jingled loudly with each step. Yesterday it was pink hair, today it turned green, and he used styling gel to fix his hair into an inverted triangle shape. He even sprinkled a layer of gold powder on top, which now glittered under the sunlight. Given that she didn¡¯t know much about this era, Shu Wan eventually swallowed any comments she had. ¡°I asked around just now, and the crew¡¯s actor equipment funds are basically in place. In at most a week, filming will definitely start, so you just focus on memorizing your lines at home. Don¡¯t be like your last movie; the camera was right in front of your face, and you couldn¡¯t recall a single line, okay?¡± Thinking of the last film he had gotten for Shu Wan, Wang Tian got annoyed. Truth be told, with Shu Wan¡¯s looks, even if her acting was subpar, there would still be plenty of scripts coming her way¡ªafter all, there were many poor actors, but very few looked like Shu Wan. But Shu Wan had really been too disappointing in the past, performing well during auditions, only to forget even the simplest line during the actual filming. Because of this, Shu Wan had offended many directors and crews. Later on, rumors spread, claiming Shu Wan was a ¡°digital actress,¡± suggesting she didn¡¯t recite lines during filming but instead used numbers like 1234567, then patched it up with dubbing in post-production. Once this rumor started, no matter how Shu Wan explained it, her reputation was pretty much ruined. This time, Shu Wan¡¯s audition went very well, but the previous failures had cast such a shadow over Wang Tian that he subconsciously wanted to remind her to be more mindful. ¡°Mhm.¡± Shu Wan responded indifferently. ¡°Besides acting, what else can I do to make money?¡± Time flies quickly, and it won¡¯t be long before the next repayment date. Right now, Shu Wan was quite strapped for cash. Wang Tian gave Shu Wan a perplexed look, ¡°No way? Is your old flame that stingy? Willing to buy you a Rolls-Royce but not giving you spending money?¡± ¡°What old flame?¡± ¡°Right, right, right, I understand, let¡¯s use another term¡ªyour ¡®collaborator.''¡± Wang Tian pondered for a while and came up with the term ¡®collaborator¡¯ to spare Shu Wan¡¯s pride. One provides the money, and the other provides the service. Isn¡¯t that a collaborator? Shu Wan didn¡¯t grasp Wang Tian¡¯s meaning, but since she and Fu Siyu were indeed business partners, she didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°The car is his, I can¡¯t always spend his money.¡± By the time she was on firm footing in this era, she was certainly planning to divorce Fu Siyu. After cutting ties with the Fu Family, she would definitely need a lump sum of money. How Shu Wan felt, Wang Tian naturally had no idea. He could only piece together a version of the truth he imagined from the tidbits of her conversation. That was, the sugar daddy behind Shu Wan was not only old but also stingy; even after taking care of such a beautiful star like Shu Wan, he was reluctant to spend money on her. Especially when Wang Tian looked at Shu Wan¡¯s face which could claim the throne of the entertainment circle, he had even more contempt for the stingy sugar daddy, ¡°Babe, you¡¯re thinking right, those stinky men, petty and selfish, we can¡¯t count on them. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely find you more ways to make money.¡± Wang Tian¡¯s words were quite comforting to Shu Wan, though his overly lifted pinky finger left her somewhat helpless, ¡°Alright, then I¡¯m off.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Wang Tian nodded, about to look for a shared bike, when he suddenly thought of something, ¡°Hey, wait, where are you going?¡± ¡°To the hospital.¡± ¡°The hospital?¡± Wang Tian didn¡¯t ask why Shu Wan was going to the hospital. ¡°No problem with the hospital, just as long as you don¡¯t go to school, you can go anywhere else.¡± Wang Tian was truly scared. It wasn¡¯t that Shu Wan was going to school; it was like she was going to mass-produce scandals. Seeing the look of lingering fear on Wang Tian, Shu Wan hesitated for a moment but decided not to tell him that she was heading to class tomorrow, ¡°Then I¡¯m off.¡± ¡°Alright, bye, remember to memorize your lines well.¡± After leaving Film and Television City, Shu Wan had the driver take her to the hospital. But halfway there, Shu Wan asked the driver to stop for a moment. She went down to buy some things and then got back in the car, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Returning to the hospital, before Shu Wan reached the door of the ward, the Housekeeper ran over to her like seeing a savior, ¡°Young Madam, you¡¯re back.¡± Shu Wan also knew that without her here, Fu Yang would definitely be up to no good, she didn¡¯t ask any questions and just pushed the door open and entered the ward. If it weren¡¯t for seeing with one¡¯s own eyes, no one would believe that the current room was the same ward that Shu Wan had left that morning. All the furniture had been replaced, including the hospital bed which had been swapped out for a two-meter by two-meter memory foam mattress. A high-definition screen hung on the wall of the ward, and Fu Yang was nestled in the sofa, playing games on the screen. He was wearing headphones, totally unaware of Shu Wan¡¯s arrival, endlessly criticizing his teammates, ¡°Could you guys suck any more? So stupid¡ªnever seen anyone as dumb as you, can¡¯t stand it, could¡¯ve strapped a dog to the controller and it would¡¯ve played better.¡± Shu Wan frowned slightly, ¡°Does the hospital allow just anyone to swap out equipment?¡± The Housekeeper stepped forward silently, ¡°Young Madam, our young master is the largest shareholder of this hospital.¡± In other words, it wasn¡¯t just about switching out the hospital¡¯s equipment¡ªeven if they changed everything in the hospital, the hospital management wouldn¡¯t dare say a word. ¡°I see.¡± Shu Wan waved her hand, ¡°You all go out.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± With Shu Wan there to hold down the fort, everyone could finally relax a bit. They quickly left the ward for fear of being caught up in the impending storm if they stayed too long. ¡°Damn it, are you blind? The enemy¡¯s gun is practically in your face and you can¡¯t see it; tell me the truth, are you a seventy-year-old Parkinson¡¯s patient sneaking on to play with your grandson¡¯s account? You¡ª¡± Fu Yang continued to belittle his teammates. In the midst of his ranting, his headphones were suddenly snatched away. Unable to hear the game sounds, and thus unaware of the enemy¡¯s approach, Fu Yang was instantly killed off. Looking at the word ¡°Defeated¡± floating on the screen, Fu Yang threw the controller onto the table in anger, ¡°Shu Wan, why are you so damn annoying!!¡± Fu Yang had reached the point where he didn¡¯t need to look back to know whether it was Shu Wan; after all, aside from Shu Wan, no one else dared to remove his headphones while he was playing. ¡°What are you playing?¡± To Fu Yang¡¯s surprise, Shu Wan didn¡¯t sit high and mighty lecturing him about playing games this time, but instead sat next to him and took a serious look at the controller. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Fu Yang turned his head, warily watching Shu Wan, ¡°A charm offensive? I¡¯m not buying that.¡± Shu Wan was quick on the uptake. While Fu Yang was on guard against her, she had already read through the game manual, something she had never been in contact with before, ¡°Aren¡¯t your teammates bad? Let¡¯s try together.¡± ¡°Try what?¡± Fu Yang¡¯s gaze became even more guarded. He had never felt so uneasy even when Shu Wan was overpowering him physically; he always felt she was a bit scarier when smiling, ¡°I¡¯m not playing with you, don¡¯t try to cozy up to me, and you¡¯re definitely terrible at it.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t bother arguing with Fu Yang; she just nodded her head, ¡°Fine, if you won¡¯t play with me, I¡¯ll have all this thrown out. It¡¯s your choice.¡± ¡°......¡± The family members didn¡¯t understand; they had encountered a devil. Chapter 41 - 41 40 Teasing Laughter ?Chapter 41: Chapter 40: Teasing Laughter Chapter 41: Chapter 40: Teasing Laughter Seeing Fu Yang remaining silent, Shu Wan stood up and single-handedly picked up a computer and its main unit nearby. Fu Yang had thought about resisting, but past experiences had taught him that not only was it useless, but it would also end up even worse. Just as Shu Wan was about to throw the computer out, Fu Yang called out to her, ¡°Hey hey hey, I¡¯ll play with you, okay? Just put the computer down, it¡¯s really expensive.¡± Shu Wan put down the computer and sat down next to Fu Yang again, ¡°First, tell me how to play.¡± Fu Yang, looking unwilling, threw the controller to Shu Wan, ¡°Here, hold this. This is for controlling the direction, this switches skills, this is for jumping, this is aiming...¡± Although Fu Yang was just explaining how to play the game, Shu Wan could tell that he was strong in logical thinking and expression. That made sense¡ªdespite his rebelliousness now, having grown up under Fu Siyu¡¯s care and the many elite tutors of the Fu Family, it was unlikely he was as indolent as he seemed. As Fu Yang was explaining, he noticed Shu Wan¡¯s gaze, looked up at her disgustedly, and shook slightly, ¡°Can you not look at me like that? I don¡¯t like older women.¡± Shu Wan raised her hand and gently tapped on Fu Yang¡¯s head, ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± Fu Yang felt goosebumps rising faster on his skin, he hugged his arms and stepped back, ¡°Are you sick or something, Shu Wan? Stop messing around with nonsense; I like cute young girls.¡± Shu Wan, uninterested in arguing, turned on the game display, and many game options appeared on the screen, ¡°Which one?¡± Fu Yang chose the most difficult shooting game, ¡°This one, just to be clear, if you lose, I won¡¯t play with you anymore. How can you, at your age, come and mess with me?¡± Shu Wan took the controller, ¡°You direct.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± While talking, Fu Yang started the game, choosing the duo rank mode. Fu Yang was quite skilled on his own, and before Shu Wan hadn¡¯t cut off his allowance, he had quite a lot of spending power, so his rank in the game was quite high. Correspondingly, the rank of the opponents they were matched against was also high. Even a gaming expert could struggle at such a top rank, let alone Shu Wan. As soon as they entered the game, Shu Wan was killed by an enemy. Fortunately, the game had a round-based system, and each player had 5 chances to revive. While waiting to revive, Shu Wan stopped to watch Fu Yang¡¯s maneuvers. Fu Yang was extremely focused when playing. His typically attractive eyes looked a bit icy when serious, and now, completely engrossed, his eyes slightly narrowed and his delicate profile seemed like the most perfect gift sculpted by the gods. The young man¡¯s fingers were slender as they expertly maneuvered the controller; in the game, the character he controlled kept winning battles, relentlessly taking down enemies amid the fiery chaos. This was Shu Wan¡¯s first encounter with a modern young man playing video games. Shu Wan understood that most parents these days opposed their children playing games, believing it wasn¡¯t the right path. Shu Wan didn¡¯t hold such prejudices. As an outsider to this modern society, everything here was unfamiliar and fascinating to her, games included. In fact, Shu Wan thought Fu Yang was quite smart; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to play a game requiring high coordination so well. ¡°Revived, revived,¡± Fu Yang said amid his busy gameplay, glancing at Shu Wan, ¡°What are you doing? If you can¡¯t play, don¡¯t mess things up for me.¡± Shu Wan picked up the controller again and took a few steps, then Fu Yang noticed that Shu Wan¡¯s movements were much smoother than before. When encountering enemies, Shu Wan no longer stood foolishly letting others shoot her; instead, she would find angles to hide. Even more outrageous, after a few failed shots, her accuracy started to improve significantly, and she was even beginning to coordinate with him almost intuitively. But still, at such a high rank, even though Shu Wan was improving rapidly, she couldn¡¯t avoid dying in the onslaught of enemies. And this time, Fu Yang was also sent back to the revival point. While waiting during the revival cooldown, Fu Yang turned his head, looking at Shu Wan in puzzlement, ¡°Have you really never played games before?¡± ¡°Never.¡± Not to mention playing, it was her first time even seeing it. Fu Yang, in disbelief, found it ridiculous; the nickname he had chosen for Shu Wan was just too fitting. Chapter 42 - 42 40 Teasing Laughter_2 ?Chapter 42: Chapter 40 Teasing Laughter_2 Chapter 42: Chapter 40 Teasing Laughter_2 If this isn¡¯t the big monster, what is? Could there be a more monstrously talented being than Shu Wan? The resurrection cooldown was up, and the two entered the battlefield once again. This time, Shu Wan progressed even faster than before. She could now simultaneously move and observe the enemy¡¯s movements, accurately report positions to Fu Yang, and coordinate with him to annihilate their adversaries. By the time of the last resurrection, Shu Wan had even become the core of the entire team. The core of such modern games was still war strategy and gaming skill level. For Shu Wan, her strongest suit was troop arrangement and using the terrain to her advantage to create vantage points on the battlefield. Dodging and moving were simply too easy for her. ¡°You head to that corner, I¡¯ll circle around,¡± Shu Wan was now taking command. Fu Yang had intended to use this opportunity to shake off Shu Wan, but he could distinctly feel that Shu Wan was nearly playing better than him, and he couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit resentful. Shu Wan told him to stay in the corner, but he insisted on running out. However, the moment Fu Yang revealed himself, he knew he shouldn¡¯t have come out. Because, in another blind spot, a team was lying in wait. His appearance made him the perfect target. A gunshot sounded, and Fu Yang was down. Now only four teams were left on the field, including Fu Yang¡¯s; all the other teams had no casualties. Normally, in the final circle, the first target for everyone was the lone wolf with no teammates. Shu Wan was right in the middle, and the other six players were slowly encircling her. Fu Yang threw the controller to the side and carelessly placed his feet on the table, ¡°Give it up, it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re just...¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence when he saw Shu Wan throw a smoke grenade to the east, then she found an excellent blind spot, evading the enemies encircling from the north, and then, using the tiny gaps between crates and vehicles, she managed to avoid the ambush from the west and successfully retreated to a high ground. Before the others could react, Shu Wan was popping them off one by one, half-dead in an instant. The remaining opponents, intimidated by Shu Wan¡¯s momentum and realizing they faced a master, started to retreat and looked for places to hide. But Shu Wan wasn¡¯t about to give them the chance. She pinpointed the angles, and using rooftops, crates, and vehicles for cover, she kept on the move, meanwhile dealing with the remaining enemies. Until the word ¡°Victory¡± appeared on the screen, Fu Yang was still somewhat in shock. ¡°We won,¡± Shu Wan turned to look at Fu Yang. ¡°Luck,¡± Fu Yang came back to himself, eyes flashing, but stubbornly unyielding, ¡°Surely because your Rank is too low, it lowered the level of the teammates.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t argue, just nodded slightly and casually picked up a book to read. Fu Yang was expecting Shu Wan to retort, and he was somewhat disconcerted by her sudden quiet. He glanced at Shu Wan, pursed his lips, and after a long struggle, finally couldn¡¯t hold back, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m about to play War God, let me take you for another game.¡± Shu Wan flipped a page in her book, coolly responding, ¡°That was just luck.¡± ¡°...¡± Fu Yang was left at a loss for words, unable to catch his breath, ¡°Fine, forget it, I¡¯ll play by myself, you really think I need you?¡± As it turned out, Fu Yang had underestimated the game¡¯s penalty system. It was already hard enough to play normally, but the promotion matches were hell mode. Fu Yang played four or five rounds, not only failing to advance but also losing five in a row. After another defeat, Fu Yang irritably rubbed his hair and flung the controller aside, ¡°Stupid game, all garbage teammates.¡± While he was ranting, he glanced over at Shu Wan. She was still engrossed in her book, and by this time, she had read through most of it. Fu Yang really didn¡¯t want to ask Shu Wan for help, but anyone who had played games knew the gut-wrenching feeling after a six-game losing streak, desperate to win back. He hesitated for a long time but finally turned to Shu Wan, ¡°Hey, play a few more rounds with me, I¡¯ll reluctantly admit that you¡¯ve got some skill.¡± Shu Wan remained silent. ¡°Do you know how many people are queuing up to play games with me?¡± Fu Yang¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly with a touch of pride, ¡°If I accept invites now, there¡¯d be a whole string of players waiting to play with me.¡± Chapter 43 - 43 40 Teasing Laughter_3 ?Chapter 43: Chapter 40 Teasing Laughter_3 Chapter 43: Chapter 40 Teasing Laughter_3 As he spoke, it seemed that he wanted to show Shu Wan just how popular he was, so Fu Yang actually disabled his settings to reject invitations. Just as he had said, the moment he stopped rejecting invitations, a bunch of people scrambled to invite him to play games. Shu Wan had originally thought that it would mostly be little girls inviting Fu Yang to play since he was good-looking. But to her surprise, when she carefully checked the profile pictures of those sending the invitations, they were mostly boys. Shu Wan was puzzled, ¡°Why are they all boys?¡± Fu Yang raised his eyebrows slightly, leaned a bit closer to Shu Wan, and his peach-blossom eyes shimmered, ¡°Want to know? Play a few rounds with me, and once I reach War God Rank, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan hadn¡¯t planned on truly rejecting Fu Yang, and now, using this as an excuse, she agreed. With Shu WAN, a super teammate by his side, Fu Yang¡¯s journey to rank up was indeed invincible. Previously struggling to climb even one star, now with Shu Wan, ranking up was as easy as drinking water, winning 5 rounds in a row, and reaching War God Rank in no time. Finally, without relying on someone else to play his account, he reached War God Rank himself, which gave a teen his age like Fu Yang a significant sense of achievement. Delighted, he took a photo with his phone and posted it to his circle of friends with the caption ¡°Your god has returned!¡± Fu Yang knew that once he posted it, there would definitely be people liking it. But he never would have guessed that the first person to like it would be Fu Siyu. When Fu Yang saw his dad¡¯s profile picture, he was at first slow to react until he saw the remark ¡°Heh¡±, and only then did he remember who owned this profile picture that hadn¡¯t appeared in his friend circle for years. Before, when Fu Yang posted on his circle of friends, whether it was about eating, drinking, having fun or whatever, Fu Siyu had never shown up, so much so that Fu Yang habitually thought he had already blacklisted Fu Siyu. Now that Fu Siyu suddenly showed up, Fu Yang knew that his dad had always been lurking in his friend circle. What surprised Fu Yang was that Fu Siyu merely liked the post and didn¡¯t scold him for playing games. After a brief moment of panic, Fu Yang grew bolder. Since he was playing with Shu Wan, if Fu Siyu scolded him, he would just bring up Shu Wan. ¡°Can you tell me now?¡± At that moment, Shu Wan spoke up, ¡°Why are there so many people inviting you to play?¡± Fu Yang turned off his phone, lazily leaned back on the sofa, and swept away the strands of hair on his forehead with his right hand. He gave Shu Wan a slight smile, ¡°Because I¡¯m handsome and popular.¡± Shu Wan had only asked casually, and she found Fu Yang¡¯s conceited behavior somewhat amusing, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, When do you plan on going home?¡± At the mention of this, Fu Yang¡¯s expression changed immediately, and he lay down on the sofa, ¡°My stomach hurts, I might be sick again, go find a doctor for me quickly.¡± Shu Wan knew he was faking, but she wasn¡¯t going to argue about it at this moment, ¡°Then you just rest here, but I¡¯ll only let you stay until tomorrow noon.¡± After speaking, Shu Wan stood up and walked out of the sickroom, ¡°Find a few people to keep watch over the sickroom, don¡¯t let him run away.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Shu Wan hadn¡¯t slept well last night, and now she felt even sleepier. She yawned, ready to go get something to eat, then head home for some more sleep. But just as she got into her car, she received a message on Fu Siyu¡¯s WeChat, ¡°Are you still busy?¡± Because she had previously interacted with Fu Siyu through video calls, Shu Wan also habitually replied with a video call. It took a while for Fu Siyu to answer the video call. He was still in his office, only now the backdrop of home lights had turned into a bustling street scene. ¡°It seems like every time I see you, you¡¯re working.¡± ¡°I am a bit busy.¡± Fu Siyu put aside the documents next to him, ¡°I will arrange for someone to take care of Fu Yang at the hospital, you go home and rest well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Shu Wan was still talking with Fu Siyu when suddenly, she received a call from a number labeled Little Monster, which surprised her since it was the first time Fu Yang had actively called her, ¡°Wait a moment, Fu Yang is calling me, it might be something important.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After hanging up the video call, Shu Wan answered Fu Yang¡¯s call, and his bold youthful voice came through the phone, ¡°When will you get home? Let¡¯s play a couple more rounds later, I¡¯ve slipped down again.¡± Deep down, he still somewhat refused to admit that Shu Wan had carried him up in rank, so after Shu Wan had left, Fu Yang had played two more rounds by himself. Chapter 44 - 44 40 Teasing Laughter_4 ?Chapter 44: Chapter 40 Teasing Laughter_4 Chapter 44: Chapter 40 Teasing Laughter_4 Then, he actually dropped from War God Rank. Shu Wan yawned lightly. She was going to refuse, but for some reason, she suddenly thought of the vulnerable look Fu Yang had lying in bed and softened, ¡°Okay, an hour later.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it, hanging up now.¡± Shu Wan then returned a call to Fu Siyu to explain the situation, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and play with him for a while.¡± On the other end of the line, Fu Siyu didn¡¯t have much of a reaction to his son playing games. He only thought about Fu Yang¡¯s social circle, ¡°Your relationship with Fu Yang has improved a lot compared to before.¡± In fact, Shu Wan didn¡¯t realize how resistant Fu Yang was to Fu Siyu, and by extension, to a bunch of people related to Fu Siyu. For Shu Wan to be able to play with him was already beyond Fu Siyu¡¯s expectations. Fu Siyu looked the same as before, the same clothes, the same posture, and his expression hadn¡¯t changed much either. But Shu Wan was very good at reading people. Although Fu Siyu just sighed lightly, Shu Wan keenly noticed the slight sigh in his tone. Shu Wan subconsciously asked, ¡°Fu Yang is going to drag me into a game later, do you want to join us?¡± As soon as she said it, Shu Wan instinctively negated the answer. After all, Fu Siyu was incredibly busy, and besides, he didn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with games. But Shu Wan was wrong, because Fu Siyu agreed, ¡°Okay, but I¡¯m not very good, you might need to teach me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Back at the Estate, the servants had already prepared the meal. Shu Wan ate a bit and then returned to her bedroom. During the time she was eating, Fu Siyu had already downloaded the game. As soon as Shu Wan went online, Fu Siyu invited her to the team, ¡°I¡¯ve downloaded it.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll bring Fu Yang in.¡± Shu Wan then asked, ¡°Do I need to tell Fu Yang who you are?¡± ¡°No need. If he knew, he wouldn¡¯t want to play anymore.¡± Fu Siyu was clear about how much Fu Yang resisted him. ¡°Alright.¡± Fu Yang soon joined the team. Seeing an unfamiliar teammate, and moreover one with the lowest Rank, he couldn¡¯t hide his disdain, ¡°Where did you dig up a newbie? Are you really trying to screw me over?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a friend of mine, he knows how to play.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Having witnessed the absurd level of Shu Wan¡¯s newbie skills, Fu Yang now had a new definition for the word newbie and temporarily let the matter of the new teammate slide. But five minutes into the game, Fu Yang couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. ¡°Seriously, where did you find this gem? Look at that movement, what¡¯s the difference between him and a hemiplegic?¡± Fu Yang could tolerate Shu Wan because she could suppress him, but for others, he was not so considerate, ¡°And he doesn¡¯t even know to shoot when the enemy is right in front of him, even a person with a thousand-degree nearsightedness isn¡¯t as blind as him.¡± In the game, the man in black standing next to Fu Yang fell silent for a moment, as if he wanted to say something. A speech bubble appeared above his head and then disappeared. But Fu Yang saw this scene, ¡°You still want to argue? Look at your record. If you spilled some rice on the keyboard and let a chicken peck at it, it would play better than you.¡± The man in black seemed unable to hold back anymore, ¡°Do you always have such a temper when playing games?¡± ¡°I have a temper? You¡¯re this terrible, and you have the nerve to talk about my temper?¡± Heh, Fu Yang¡¯s temper flared up instantly, ¡°Tell me, don¡¯t your movements look just like a hemiplegic? Go observe some patients in a hospital; you walk even more like them than they do.¡± ¡°Calmness nurtures the character. Have you forgotten what your elders have taught you?¡± ¡°Wow, this is an eye-opener,¡± Fu Yang hadn¡¯t expected to get a paternal lecture while surfing the net, ¡°Uncle, you really have a strong dad vibe. Do you often lecture the youth online?¡± While Fu Yang and Fu Siyu were chatting, Shu Wan had already cleared out all the enemies around them. She stepped over a ground littered with corpses to come find the two of them. But she arrived just in time to hear an enraged Fu Yang, ¡°You¡¯re still trying to act like a dad and command the world online? Heck, even in real life, seeing me, you¡¯d have to call me daddy.¡± Even someone as composed as Shu Wan couldn¡¯t keep her expression in check upon hearing this. In the tense moment between Fu Yang and Fu Siyu, a clear chuckle broke the silence. ¡°Pff.¡± Shu Wan couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°What¡¯s going on with you two? Why the sudden argument?¡± Fu Yang was still angry. ¡°Look at how bad he is! Where did you find this guy? I think he¡¯s just here to drag me down.¡± Shu Wan looked at the character in the game with a bit of amusement. ¡°He just hasn¡¯t gotten the hang of it yet. Besides, we won, didn¡¯t we?¡± Though that¡¯s what she said, Fu Yang just couldn¡¯t seem to see eye to eye with this new teammate. He always had an unnervingly strong intuition that this guy had a very strong ¡°dad vibe,¡± somehow reminiscent of his own dad. But Fu Yang knew that Fu Siyu would definitely not be playing this, so his dislike for the new teammate grew even stronger. Out of all people, he had to be like Fu Siyu. He dared not cross Fu Siyu, but was he not brave enough to lash out at a teammate online? ¡°He¡¯s just clumsy, we can work with that, but let¡¯s get this straight. If he keeps holding us back, I¡¯m going to kick him out.¡± Before Fu Siyu could say anything, Shu Wan quickly agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± Just as Shu Wan said, Fu Siyu was only getting used to it in the first match. By the second game, Fu Siyu was already coordinating with Shu Wan. Watching the new teammate seamlessly pull off a double kill with Shu Wan, Fu Yang muted himself in frustration. In this world, there turned out to be someone as freakishly skilled as Shu Wan. It was downright unreasonable. Unfortunately, he had hoped to use the second match to dominate the new teammate to the point where he¡¯d willingly call him ¡°Dad.¡± That hope was now dashed. Despite having won the game and successfully reached War God Rank, Fu Yang wasn¡¯t all that happy. Especially since the new teammate even tried to add him as a friend, which vexed Fu Yang even more. ¡°Why are you adding me? There¡¯s no one as low Ranked as you on my friends list.¡± ¡°Just do it. We might play together often in the future,¡± Shu Wan interjected. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? He isn¡¯t bad at all.¡± ¡°No, Shu Wan, tell me honestly, who is this guy?¡± Fu Yang was baffled. Shu Wan was always so detached from everyone, but she was being unusually nice to this new teammate. ¡°You¡¯re not really cheating, are you? Does Dad know about this?¡± Shu Wan sighed exasperatedly. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. He¡¯s just a gaming buddy.¡± ¡°Fine, even if you did cheat, I¡¯d support you unilaterally.¡± After Fu Yang finished speaking, there was a strange silence on Shu Wan¡¯s end. Meanwhile, in the game, the teammate standing next to Fu Yang shifted slightly. Fu Yang, oblivious to anything amiss, accepted the new teammate¡¯s friend request and then cheerfully logged off to sleep. On the other side, Fu Siyu¡¯s face had completely darkened. Seeing that Fu Siyu hadn¡¯t said anything, for some reason, it tickled Shu Wan¡¯s funny bone. Her voice filled with a hint of laughter, ¡°Fu Yang was just saying nonsense. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that serious,¡± Fu Siyu replied with a subdued voice. ¡°It¡¯s late. You should go rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan yawned, only then realizing she was indeed a bit sleepy. ¡°You should rest early too.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Shu Wan habitually went to bed early, and as a result, she missed the official release of the costume photos for the TV drama ¡°Yun Ni.¡± The production had officially released the costume photos of 20 actors, and most of them were well-received. Only under Shu Wan¡¯s photo, there erupted a chorus of voices calling for a boycott. Chapter 45 - 45 41 Husband ?Chapter 45: Chapter 41 Husband Chapter 45: Chapter 41 Husband ¡°Yun Ni,¡± as a historical drama that boasts both a grand production and a renowned director, represents the highest level of makeup and costume standards in the industry. Most of the other actors in the cast were consistently on-point, the beautiful were beautiful, and the handsome were handsome. The only issue arose with Shu Wan. Because Shu Wan¡¯s character styling photos were quite unattractive. Unfortunately, according to the original story¡¯s settings, this legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion was supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the world, yet in the styling photos released by the production team, not to mention the most beautiful woman in the world, she couldn¡¯t even surpass the beauty of the female lead¡¯s maid. [Help! That round face, are you guys serious? The world¡¯s most beautiful woman? Did the production team go crazy to cast such an unsightly person for my Su Wan?] [So ugly, those fake double eyelids are terrible, weren¡¯t some of Shu Wan¡¯s earlier photos alright? Turns out they were all retouched, huh? She¡¯s exposed the moment she entered the production team.] [Change her, change her, being ugly is one thing, but she¡¯s clearly wearing the costume of our Lin Man¡¯s character. Does she not know, or did she deliberately steal the female lead¡¯s wardrobe?] When Wang Tian saw these online comments in the middle of the night, he was furious. Not to say that Shu Wan¡¯s face was the best-looking in the entire cast, but in Wang Tian¡¯s eyes, it was the number one face in the world; seeing the official styling photos turn out like this, he knew someone had tampered with them. Wang Tian originally wanted to find the director of the production team, but just as he picked up his phone, he realized it was late at night and managed to suppress his rage for the time being. He then opened Weibo and uploaded a few of Shu Wan¡¯s styling photos he had taken himself. Unlike the ugly photos released by the official production team that had been heavily Photoshopped, the pictures Wang Tian posted showed Shu Wan with her black hair billowing, her eyes cold and sharp, and her beauty so breathtaking it was earth-shattering. [At first glance, so pretty, but when I saw clearly who it was, hehe, it seems agents these days are willing to ditch their honor to promote their artists, huh? It must¡¯ve taken a long time to retouch these photos.] [The artist you manage isn¡¯t much to write home about, but the aesthetic skills in retouching are not bad. These photos look quite nice, if she really looked like that, I¡¯d crawl from Shandong to Xinjiang.] Wang Tian¡¯s intention was to use the photos he took to clear Shu Wan¡¯s name, but he didn¡¯t expect that netizens simply wouldn¡¯t believe that these photos were unedited. Wang Tian, unable to contain his fiery temper, turned into a raging dinosaur and started arguing with netizens. It wasn¡¯t until the next morning, when the netizens he debated with could hold on no longer, that Wang Tian, yawning, dove into his blanket, ¡°Little fellows, I¡¯ve never lost an argument.¡± Before he completely fell asleep, Wang Tian also called Shu Wan, wanting her to post a few videos on Weibo to prove it. However, he was too sleepy; the moment the call connected, Wang Tian fell into a deep sleep. At the Estate, Shu Wan had a good night¡¯s sleep and felt greatly refreshed. Looking at the phone in her hand, she was a bit puzzled, ¡°Hello? Is there something you need?¡± Silence came from Wang Tian¡¯s end. Shu Wan waited a bit longer, but there was still no response, so she eventually hung up the phone. It was 7 a.m., the sun had just peeked out, casting golden light that filtered down to the mortal realm, and everywhere you looked, there were specks of light. During this period, after being influenced by Fu Yang and Wang Tian¡¯s style of dressing, Shu Wan¡¯s acceptance of modern clothing had increased. She used to like wearing loose dresses that resembled ancient attire, but now, Shu Wan could comfortably don modern sportswear. She had thought that tight clothing would be uncomfortable to wear, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated that the fabric of the modern era could be so lightweight. The sportswear didn¡¯t feel awkward on her; rather, it was more conducive to exercising. Shu Wan tied up her hair and ran a lap around the Estate. When Shu Wan first arrived in this era, the original body¡¯s physical fitness was mediocre, and it was evident that she didn¡¯t like to exercise much. After some time of conditioning, now Shu Wan could run a lap around the Estate without feeling tired. The Estate had its own sports field, and all kinds of sports equipment could be found there. Aside from soccer, which resembled the ancient game of cuju that Shu Wan was familiar with, she was quite new to everything else. But Shu Wan liked to try. She took a tennis ball and practiced against a wall for a while by herself; although she wasn¡¯t very good at it, it was still quite fun. After practicing for roughly half an hour, Shu Wan took a photo of the tennis ball and posted it on the short video platform along with the caption, ¡°Practiced tennis today, pretty fun.¡± Chapter 46 - 46 41 Husband_2 ?Chapter 46: Chapter 41 Husband_2 Chapter 46: Chapter 41 Husband_2 Fans soon commented, ¡°Wow, wife can also play tennis, wife gets up so early.¡± While walking to the living room, Shu Wan responded to the fans¡¯ comments, ¡°Early to bed and early to rise is good for health.¡± ¡°Wife is really good at health keeping, feels like the kind that would wake up early every day and exercise, so when will you let us see what you look like, wife?¡± ¡°You will see,¡± Shu Wan replied, after all, she was about to act in a TV drama soon, and the fans would definitely see her then. ¡°Young Madam, breakfast is ready.¡± As Shu Wan entered the living room, the servants came up to greet her. ¡°Pack it up, I¡¯ll take it to the hospital to eat.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan went upstairs, took a quick shower, and then headed to the dressing room. In her previous life, Shu Wan often lived in academies and barracks, which led many people to think that she didn¡¯t care about her dress and appearance. But the fact was quite the opposite. Shu Wan felt that everyone has a desire for beauty; when conditions were not favorable, simplicity sufficed, but when conditions allowed, she also liked to try various beautiful things. This nearly 500-square-meter dressing room at the estate, to be honest, really pleased her. It¡¯s just that Shu Wan was not very familiar with modern clothing combinations, and she searched her mind for someone she could learn from. Wang Tian dressed even more enchantingly than her, wearing more colors than even a palette. As for Fu Yang, his metal accessories were definitely not Shu Wan¡¯s aesthetic. Regarding the housekeeper, well, there was obviously a clear age gap. Thinking over and over, Shu Wan realized that the only person she could turn to for opinions was surprisingly Fu Siyu. But just as the thought came to her, Shu Wan herself dismissed the idea. Fu Siyu was so busy, obviously, he wouldn¡¯t have the leisure for this. Coincidentally, at that moment, Shu Wan¡¯s phone rang. Shu Wan glanced at it, and it was actually Fu Siyu. She answered the phone, walking along the wardrobe, ¡°Morning, oh wait, it must be evening over there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s morning in Imperial City, so saying morning isn¡¯t wrong. Have you had breakfast?¡± ¡°Not yet, I¡¯m going to eat at the hospital soon.¡± Shu Wan spoke as she took out a dress and compared it against herself, subconsciously asking Fu Siyu¡¯s opinion, ¡°Does this look good?¡± Fu Siyu paused briefly, ¡°The color is a bit dull for the season, something lighter would be more appropriate.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t expect Fu Siyu to actually know quite a lot about this, so she changed into a floral short-sleeve, ¡°How about this?¡± ¡°The pattern doesn¡¯t suit you; the pale aqua suit across from you might be a good fit, you should try that.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shu Wan was always open to advice, she put the phone on the table, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go try it on.¡± After saying that, Shu Wan took the clothes and went into the fitting room. Before long, Shu Wan stood in front of the mirror holding her phone, ¡°You have quite the eye, this looks really good.¡± The outfit chosen by Fu Siyu was a light aqua suit with bamboo leaf prints, with a well-cut light aqua shirt that outlined Shu Wan¡¯s figure vividly, and a pair of white trousers with wide legs that accentuated Shu Wan¡¯s straight legs. ¡°There are accessories over there, pick a silver thin chain,¡± Fu Siyu spoke again. Following Fu Siyu¡¯s suggestion, Shu Wan picked a silver thin chain lock and added a pair of simple black stud earrings. The already beautiful outfit, with the addition of subtle accessories, looked even more elegant and classy. ¡°Thanks,¡± Shu Wan was very pleased, almost surprised, ¡°I had no idea you knew about these things?¡± The admiration in Shu Wan¡¯s eyes was too obvious, and Fu Siyu naturally noticed, his gaze shifted slightly, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Is it your wives who are more into these things? It looks quite nice.¡± Shu Wan knew that modern law enforces monogamy, but as someone born in a vortex of Imperial Authority, she never believed that men could remain loyal to only one woman. Especially wealthy and powerful men, to them, providing their legal wives with respectability seemed to them to be the ultimate achievement. As for the fate of the women whose lives they treated merely as resources to be consumed, they couldn¡¯t care less. Thus, in her past life, even if the Crown Prince had many close female friends, Shu Wan didn¡¯t care. During the era of the Imperial Authority, where arranged marriages were inevitable, she couldn¡¯t resist, so she had to adjust her mindset; from the beginning, she only wanted to leverage the title of the Crown Princess Consort to do things she wanted to do. Even after coming to the modern era and roughly understanding the status of Fu Siyu and his family in this era, Shu Wan didn¡¯t see much difference between him and people like the Crown Prince. Chapter 47 - 47 41 Husband_3 ?Chapter 47: Chapter 41 Husband_3 Chapter 47: Chapter 41 Husband_3 No matter how time erodes, it cannot change the essence of those who possess absolute power. Therefore, when Shu Wan saw how well Fu Siyu understood women¡¯s fashion, she naturally assumed that he must have been influenced by those around him. Shu Wan suddenly blurted out this assumption and, to be honest, it took Fu Siyu a moment to react. When he realized what Shu Wan was implying, Fu Siyu frowned slightly, ¡°Madam? Them?¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t see anything wrong, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does mentioning them offend you? I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve never had any other women by my side, let alone ¡®them.¡¯ You must be misunderstanding something.¡± Shu Wan paused for a moment, then quickly followed up on Fu Siyu¡¯s words, ¡°Then I apologize. I misunderstood. I won¡¯t say that again.¡± But Fu Siyu, a master at reading people¡¯s thoughts, could clearly tell that Shu Wan was just placating him, ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of man controlled by desire. Don¡¯t even mention ¡®them,¡¯ even my assistant is male, and there are no other women around.¡± Fu Siyu spoke seriously, and Shu Wan finally believed him. Although she found it slightly incredible, upon reflection, she realized that not every man was lecherous, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve offended you. I apologize.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Fu Siyu continued, ¡°I know about fashion because I¡¯ve just acquired a luxury goods conglomerate. Naturally, I needed to learn more.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Hearing Fu Siyu say this, Shu Wan felt even more guilty about her unwarranted misunderstanding, ¡°Then you are quite impressive.¡± ¡°Next time you need advice, feel free to ask me.¡± ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t be polite then.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± As they talked, time gradually passed. Shu Wan glanced at the clock, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I need to head to the hospital now. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Fu Siyu responded and was just about to hang up the phone when he suddenly thought of something else, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I take the spirit of a contract very seriously,¡± Fu Siyu said, sitting at his desk and watching Shu Wan with deep, cold eyes, ¡°During our marriage, I won¡¯t have any other women. You can rest assured about that.¡± Shu Wan found Fu Siyu¡¯s words a bit odd, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly why, ¡°Actually, if you wanted someone else, I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± For some reason, Shu Wan felt that after she said this, Fu Siyu¡¯s expression darkened noticeably, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Would you really want another woman threatening your position as Madam Fu?¡± Once Fu Siyu said this, Shu Wan immediately understood, ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t want that.¡± Their current relationship was a good working one. If someone else were to get involved, turning it into a bizarre love triangle, it would be quite absurd. ¡°So let¡¯s not talk about this anymore.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shu Wan nodded, feeling somewhat emotional, ¡°Fu Siyu, if you ever get married, you would probably make a good husband.¡± In Shu Wan¡¯s experience, men were commonly accustomed to polygamy and often fickle. This was her first encounter with a man who declared he wanted only one wife. Whether or not he could fulfill this promise remained to be seen, but at least his intention seemed commendable to Shu Wan. Especially considering that most people in modern society followed this ideal, Shu Wan once again felt that ¡°modernity has indeed progressed.¡± Hearing Shu Wan¡¯s praise, Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, ¡°Thank you for your compliment, but, as it happens, I am already married, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Shu Wan was taken aback and then realized that Fu Siyu was playing along with her words, praising himself as already being a good husband. But Fu Siyu¡¯s expression was too serious, and for a moment, Shu Wan hardly dared believe that Fu Siyu would actually joke with her. ¡°Well, I also have work to do. You go ahead,¡± Fu Siyu initiated, breaking off the topic, ¡°If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the phone, Fu Siyu directly dialed his secretary¡¯s number, ¡°Send me the latest fashion magazines for this year.¡± Honestly, the secretary initially thought he had heard wrong and confirmed again, ¡°Mr. Fu, are you asking for fashion magazines related to clothing and jewelry?¡± ¡°Mhm, the ones for women.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± the secretary calmly replied. However, once the call ended, the secretary nearly jumped up, ¡°Oh my God, do you guys know what Mr. Fu asked me to send over? Fashion magazines? And women¡¯s editions? I need to check if the sun set from the east today, this is just too unbelievable.¡± Chapter 48 - 48 41 Husband_4 ?Chapter 48: Chapter 41 Husband_4 Chapter 48: Chapter 41 Husband_4 Imperial Hospital, Even though Shu Wan had been delayed at home for quite some time, when she arrived at the hospital, Fu Yang was still asleep. Fu Yang was a restless sleeper, and even though the hospital bed he was given was quite large, he still managed to hang half of his body off the bed as if he was about to fall. He lay sprawled out at the edge of the bed, his silver-white hair exploding in the air like a burning white flame. Shu Wan had always wanted a close look at Fu Yang¡¯s silver-white hair, and now that he was asleep, she walked over to the bed, bent down, and carefully examined his hair color. Unlike the typical white hair of the elderly, Fu Yang¡¯s dyed color was quite sophisticated, flowing like starlight, not only did it not look old, but it also matched his bold and unrestrained personality. Shu Wan glanced at her own black long hair, contemplating when she should try dyeing it another color as well. Mainly because she had never tried it and wanted to give it a shot. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Fu Yang had woken up at some unknown time, half-squinting his eyes, suspiciously looking at Shu Wan, ¡°What do you want to do with my hair?¡± Thinking about the discipline Shu Wan had enforced on him recently, Fu Yang immediately imagined Shu Wan holding scissors, messing up his hairstyle, and then forcing him to dye it black. He swiftly sat up in bed, covering his hair while he stepped back, ¡°I paid a lot of money for a designer to do this, you better not touch it. If you mess with my hair, we are both going down.¡± Shu Wan looked at Fu Yang amusedly, ¡°No one wants to mess with your hairstyle. Come eat breakfast.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Fu Yang looked at Shu Wan skeptically, ¡°If you dare cut my hair secretly, I will have my dad divorce you.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Shu Wan half-coaxed, ¡°Come on over.¡± Only then did Fu Yang walk over to the sofa, half-believing, half-doubting, and sat down. He then looked at the breakfast on the table, which felt even more nerve-wracking. Unlike the dull and flavorless meals before, today¡¯s breakfast was quite hearty, and many of them were kinds he liked. ¡°You weren¡¯t letting me eat spicy and sour noodles, right?¡± Fu Yang, while talking, picked up some noodles with his chopsticks, ¡°Be honest, do you need a favor from me?¡± Shu Wan added a custard bun to Fu Yang¡¯s bowl, ¡°What could you possibly have that I¡¯d need to ask for?¡± ¡°...¡± Damn, that felt like an insult, quite infuriating. Fu Yang took a bite of the custard bun, ¡°Then you¡¯re definitely plotting against me.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Shu Wan nodded and then handed Fu Yang a bottle of pills, ¡°If you want to eat spicy food, take one of these pills within fifteen minutes after eating, and you won¡¯t get a stomach ache.¡± Fu Yang took the bottle, a bit puzzled, ¡°Is it really that miraculous?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Shu Wan nodded, ¡°Your dad got a miracle doctor to make this medicine especially for you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s that kind-hearted?¡± If it was from Shu Wan, Fu Yang might not have taken it, but since it was from Fu Siyu, he accepted it. Even though he always called Fu Siyu a cheap dad, a cheap dad was still a dad, and he likely wouldn¡¯t really harm him. ¡°After you finish eating, you¡¯ll come with me to school.¡± Shu Wan sipped some oat milk and suddenly changed the subject, ¡°This oat milk is pretty good.¡± It was Shu Wan¡¯s first time tasting this milk with a hint of sweetness, and she found it quite novel. ¡°You country bumpkin, it¡¯s just regular oat milk,¡± Fu Yang mocked, but honestly took the milk and sipped, then gave his verdict, ¡°Definitely a bumpkin.¡± When he finished speaking, Fu Yang realized that Shu Wan¡¯s main point wasn¡¯t about that, ¡°My stomach still hurts, I¡¯m not going to school.¡± ¡°You go by yourself, or I carry you there. Choose one.¡± Violence was the most effective way to suppress anything, and Shu Wan knew this well. She never hesitated when it was time to use it. Fu Yang¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Can you, alone, not just do this whenever? Have you ever seen a woman who can lift someone up with one hand like you?¡± ¡°Why should I be like everyone else?¡± Shu Wan retorted to Fu Yang. ¡°Do you really want to be completely like others?¡± Fu Yang choked, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I have a stomachache anyway.¡± Saying this, Fu Yang threw down the carton of milk and turned to lie down on the bed. Shu Wan wasn¡¯t in a hurry. She leisurely finished her breakfast and wiped her hands clean, then walked over to the bed and effortlessly picked up Fu Yang, heading straight for the door. Fu Yang couldn¡¯t figure out how Shu Wan, with her slender arms and legs, managed to lift him. He struggled in mid-air for a while, but his limbs didn¡¯t move at all. Seeing that Shu Wan was about to open the hospital room door, Fu Yang closed his eyes and steeled his heart, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s both get embarrassed then, headline news tomorrow!¡± Fu Yang figured, since he was handsome, why be afraid? Being on the news was fine, Shu Wan was the violent one, he wasn¡¯t the one who would be embarrassed. Shu Wan¡¯s eyebrows slightly lifted, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, she directly opened the hospital room door. Then, before Fu Yang could react, she picked him up in a princess-style carry. Fu Yang, at 180 cm, with long arms and legs, nestled in Shu Wan¡¯s arms. The housekeeper and servants were all stunned, not to mention the patients outside. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this child? Is he disabled? How pitiful.¡± ¡°Oh dear, this young lady is so kind. She is so thin yet she can carry such a tall brother. Young lady, do you need a hand?¡± In front of a significant difference in size, passersby cast sympathetic glances at Shu Wan, and some even offered to help. Shu Wan declined everyone¡¯s kindness, ¡°Thank you, but I can manage.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong with your brother then? He doesn¡¯t look injured. Why does he need to be carried?¡± In response to the inquiries from the onlookers, Shu Wan didn¡¯t answer. She looked down at Fu Yang with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask my brother what he thinks?¡± The bystanders actually did turn to Fu Yang, ¡°Young man, what¡¯s wrong with you? What illness do you have?¡± Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, and unable to move because Shu Wan had hit his pressure points, Fu Yang couldn¡¯t just say he was fine and being carried by Shu Wan, so he blushed and managed to squeeze out, ¡°Paralyzed.¡± ¡°Oh my, so pitiful.¡± A gossiping aunt clicked her tongue twice and stuffed the last banana she was holding into Fu Yang¡¯s arms, ¡°Here, eat this young man. It¡¯s such a pity. Such a handsome face, but to be paralyzed.¡± The aunt¡¯s voice was loud and being a gossip spreader at the speed of light, Fu Yang received countless sympathetic and pitying looks just walking one corridor. Fu Yang couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, he gritted his teeth, ¡°Put me down, can¡¯t I walk by myself?!!¡± If he didn¡¯t get down soon, he wouldn¡¯t just wait for Shu Wan to hit the news and embarrass herself tomorrow; he would have already lost all his face! Chapter 49 - 49 42 Clarification ?Chapter 49: Chapter 42: Clarification Chapter 49: Chapter 42: Clarification Shu Wan put Fu Yang down and released his acupoints, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Fu Yang reluctantly followed behind Shu Wan, unable to resist making a face at her. But it was as if Shu Wan had eyes on the back of her head. The moment Fu Yang stuck out his tongue, she turned around. Caught in the act, Fu Yang paused, then casually pulled his tongue back in and flicked his bangs. ¡°My tongue¡¯s a bit hot, just airing it out.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s lips curved slightly, ¡°Is that so?¡± Noticing the amusement she couldn¡¯t hide, Fu Yang got a bit irritated, ¡°What else? It¡¯s my tongue, I¡¯ll do what I want with it. Are you going to control that too?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Shu Wan turned her head and continued walking. ¡°Hmph.¡± Still not satisfied, Fu Yang huffed lightly and put on a face mask before he finally followed Shu Wan. It would damage his mighty image among his little followers if others saw him walking behind Shu Wan. The two headed in the same direction to their schools. After Shu Wan dropped Fu Yang off at his school, she turned and entered the university gate. Shu Wan arrived early, and there were not many students in the classroom yet. Trying to mimic modern students, Shu Wan brought a notebook and books. She wanted to preview the lessons like everyone else, but unfortunately, even for Shu Wan, university physics might as well have been rocket science. University physics is based on a modern view of the physical world, a concept totally alien to Shu Wan¡¯s understanding of physics, let alone such advanced university physics. As Shu Wan read, a classmate nearby curiously looked her over and ventured to strike up a conversation. ¡°Shu Wan, you haven¡¯t been to class for a couple of days, have you?¡± Shu Wan, having a demeanor that kept people at a distance, made her classmates nervous when talking to her. Against everyone¡¯s expectations, though, Shu Wan wasn¡¯t as difficult to approach as they thought. Turning her head, she replied, ¡°I was at a film crew shooting these past few days.¡± ¡°Oh, I remember now. Is it the one trending online?¡± The classmate quickly searched on her phone. She looked at the official photos on the trending search and then at Shu Wan sitting in front of her, even doubting if they just shared the same name. ¡°Why does this look so off?¡± Shu Wan was puzzled, ¡°What does it look like?¡± She hadn¡¯t had the chance to see it yet. The classmate handed her the phone, and Shu Wan glanced at it, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. She had never acted before and didn¡¯t know how she appeared on camera, briefly doubting whether it was indeed her poor performance. But her classmate quickly pointed out the real problem, ¡°This photo must have been maliciously edited by someone who dislikes you. Look, the background next to your face is all blurred. You¡¯re so beautiful, even the worst angles wouldn¡¯t produce a photo like this.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The classmate nodded affirmatively. ¡°Thanks.¡± Shu Wan then probably understood where the problem lay. Any anomaly was usually because of conflicts of interest; her performance had affected some people¡¯s interests, causing unrest within the crew. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s written in this book,¡± Shu Wan picked up the textbook. ¡°How can I understand it?¡± ¡°Which part don¡¯t you understand?¡± The classmate earnestly leaned over. ¡°All of it.¡± Shu Wan replied honestly. ¡°Uh.¡± The classmate felt a bit awkward but still tried to comfort her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we feel the same. College physics is really tough. I had average grades in physics in middle and high school because I didn¡¯t have a strong foundation, so I can¡¯t understand any of these university courses.¡± The unintentional speaker, but the listener intentional, Shu Wan immediately grasped the key point, ¡°So, a strong foundation is needed to understand all this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The classmate nodded, ¡°I regret now that I didn¡¯t choose journalism instead of physics. It feels like I¡¯m listening to gibberish every day; I¡¯m even doubting whether I¡¯ll graduate.¡± ¡°Can I change my major?¡± ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t know? Some schools allow major changes, but our university is quite strict, and since it¡¯s already our fourth year, it¡¯s too late to switch.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shu Wan continued inquiring, ¡°So, if I really want to switch, there¡¯s no way?¡± ¡°If you really must, you could retake the college entrance examination and then choose the major you want.¡± ¡°College entrance examination?¡± The term reminded Shu Wan of the imperial examinations from her previous life. The great scholars of Bailu Academy had once praised her, ¡°If not for being a woman, you would certainly top the exams three times in a row.¡± Back then, she had agreed to help her older brother in his examinations partly because, as a woman, she couldn¡¯t take part in the imperial exams and had to use her brother¡¯s identity to enter the examination hall. But now things were different; in this era, men and women were equal, and everyone could take exams. A new idea began to form in Shu Wan¡¯s mind. And the next two classes only deepened this thought. Because she truly couldn¡¯t understand a thing. ¡°Frankly speaking, ever since Shu Wan was born, she had been bearing the halo of being a top student, but this was the first time she felt completely lost in a class.¡± As the bell for the end of the class rang, Shu Wan actually felt a sense of relief. She picked up her phone, which was flooded with missed calls from Wang Tian. There were a total of 12. Shu Wan called back, and Wang Tian on the other end was panicking, ¡°Oh my heavens, little ancestor, why didn¡¯t you pick up your phone? Let me tell you, the crew is having a clash with the investors right now, and it¡¯s still uncertain whether you can still act in this drama.¡± Before Shu Wan could respond, Wang Tian started ranting non-stop about the investors. The director of the crew was naturally very satisfied with Shu Wan¡¯s performance, but she was only a supporting role. For a supporting role, shining too brightly might overshadow the protagonist. Lin Man had the biggest investor behind her, and she didn¡¯t like Shu Wan stealing the spotlight, so naturally, the investors put pressure on the crew. ¡°It¡¯s too much, we have already signed the contract, and now they¡¯re backing out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Shu Wan responded calmly, ¡°They are using their influence to pressure us, why don¡¯t we just find a bigger investor?¡± ¡°Oh boy, that¡¯s easier said than done. Behind Lin Man stands the Han Family, and in this entire Imperial City, there are few capitals bigger than the Han Family, which can be counted on one hand.¡± ¡°What about the Fu Family?¡± Shu Wan asked. ¡°The Fu Family? That¡¯s a top-notch elite family among elite families. Oh wait, isn¡¯t your boss a member of the Fu Family? Have you made connections?¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t respond and said, ¡°You handle the release of the promotional photos, I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, if it¡¯s really the Fu Family, then we might be saved.¡± At first, Wang Tian couldn¡¯t believe that Shu Wan¡¯s patron was from the Fu Family, but then he thought, considering how formidable Shu Wan was, it wasn¡¯t impossible for it to be the Fu Family. After hanging up, Shu Wan contacted Qin Lv and briefly explained the situation, ¡°No need to invest any additional capital, just make a phone call to those investors.¡± Shu Wan knew well that when one side holds tremendous power, everyone else could only look up to them, and that they could exert a natural deterrence without much effort. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get on it right away,¡± Qin Lv responded respectfully. After hanging up, Shu Wan then picked up her books and walked out of the classroom. Shu Wan was not afraid of others saying she was using Fu Siyu¡¯s influence to achieve her own goals. In the long-term bind of moral shackles, Shu Wan cut through the flesh, shedding blood before she could remove the shackles imposed on her. Any tool that could be of use to her could be employed; how others judged her was their own business. She admired those who could admire themselves alone, yet she didn¡¯t need to be that kind of person. Qin Lv acted swiftly, and within an hour after Shu Wan¡¯s call, the crew officially updated her promotional photos. @Yunni Official Crew: ¡°Let us welcome Shu Wan, she is a butterfly who fearlessly pursues love, achieving nirvana amidst entanglements of love and hate, and also falling in the flames of the same.¡± The released photo was the one that both the director and Shu Wan thought had not turned out well during the promotional shoot; its only merit was perhaps being natural, without any digital touch-ups. But even as a discarded promotional photo, it looked stunning because of Shu Wan¡¯s face. Unfortunately, fans already had preconceived notions; even if the new promotional photo looked good, they didn¡¯t think there was a problem with the previous photo but suspected the crew had started to make amends for Shu Wan. [Laughing, what kind of background does Shu Wan have to make the crew work overnight to salvage her reputation with a photo, isn¡¯t that funny, another little princess with backing?] [The previous photos were so ugly, now suddenly she looks so good, and even the clothing and makeup are the same, do you think we are fools? No one will believe Shu Wan looks like this, change the actress immediately.] [Isn¡¯t it hilarious, the arrogance of capital, working overnight on the images? To transform such an ugly person into this, must have cost a lot of money, right?] With the public¡¯s ridicule and guidance from fans of other actors, the new photo released by the crew not only failed to serve its purpose, but also attracted even harsher mockery. Until Wang Tian began to go mad on social media. ¡°Please look at our great beauty, this is what our beautiful lady looks like in private; I can only say the promotional photo doesn¡¯t capture one ten-thousandth of her beauty.¡± ¡°Whoever says our Shu Wan isn¡¯t beautiful, I¡¯m ready to fight; who could find a second face and presence like hers?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you believe the photos, do you also not believe videos? Who can digitally create such a magnificent face?¡± Wang Tian kept posting on social media, and also shared some photos and videos. Since promotional photos from the crew couldn¡¯t be shared without permission, Wang Tian posted some of Shu Wan¡¯s everyday photos and videos. [I heard now videos can be edited frame by frame, I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anyone who naturally looks like this, it must be fake.] [If she really looked like that, wouldn¡¯t she have become famous earlier, why wait until now? Anyway, I don¡¯t believe it.] [The agent is so anxious to clarify for Shu Wan, one would think you¡¯re not her agent but her boyfriend.] Wang Tian thought that releasing the photos and videos would clarify things, but he hadn¡¯t imagined that people¡¯s biases were like a mountain. Once a mountain is formed, moving it is not so easy. Chapter 50 - 50 43 The Old Mansion ?Chapter 50: Chapter 43: The Old Mansion Chapter 50: Chapter 43: The Old Mansion Wang Tian had a battle on Weibo with netizens, and in the end, when he found he couldn¡¯t out-argue them, he resorted to calling Shu Wan, ¡°Baby, I¡¯m being bullied by netizens. How is it that someone can say such a good-looking face as yours isn¡¯t good-looking?¡± At this time, only a few days had passed since Shu Wan had arrived in the modern world, but Wang Tian¡¯s attitude toward her had, unbeknownst to him, shifted from high-handed criticism to a strangely dependent one. He hadn¡¯t realized that every time something happened, his first thought was that Shu Wan could definitely solve it. At that moment, Shu Wan had just arrived at the gates of Fu Yang¡¯s school when she received the call. She was utterly calm, ¡°It¡¯s not like today¡¯s the only day; there will be plenty of time in the future.¡± One or two smear campaigns might work, but in the long run, the truth would naturally come to light. When that time came, all the blame the public was heaping upon her now would transform into guilt. ¡°Alright then, you should manage your Weibo account more, I¡¯ve already gotten the company to unblock your account.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At that moment, the bell rang for the end of classes, and students rushed out of the school en masse. Shu Wan leaned against the car window, watching them with their backpacks, walking in groups of three or five toward the snack shop or horsing around, finding the sight quite interesting. However, even after the last of the students had emerged, she hadn¡¯t seen Fu Yang. Shu Wan¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. She had just picked up her phone, intending to call Fu Yang when the Housekeeper¡¯s call came in, ¡°Young Madam, I¡¯ve just heard that the Young Master has been picked up by people from the old mansion.¡± ¡°The old mansion?¡± Hearing this, Shu Wan subconsciously felt a pang of panic, a habitual fear formed by the body she inhabited. But the original owner didn¡¯t have much memory of the old mansion, only a vague recollection of a dim living room and several lofty figures. ¡°Yes,¡± replied the Housekeeper respectfully, ¡°I received a call just now saying that the Young Master¡¯s middle school exams are approaching and the Old Madam plans to take the Young Master back to the old mansion to care for him.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t care who the Old Madam was; what concerned her more was, ¡°What does Fu Siyu think?¡± The Housekeeper hesitated for a moment, ¡°Young Madam, it¡¯s not our place as servants to judge these things. Perhaps you should ask the young master directly.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± After hanging up, Shu Wan made a video call to Fu Siyu. Right now, it was early morning across the ocean, and Fu Siyu seemed to have just sat up in bed. Unlike his usual suit and tie, Fu Siyu was merely wearing a silver-gray silk nightgown, with the belt loosely tied, the soft fabric faintly outlining his good physique. Shu Wan was no saint. Her gaze instinctively lingered for a moment on the rarely exposed chest of Fu Siyu before she spoke, ¡°Fu Yang has been taken away by people from the old mansion.¡± As she finished speaking, she sensitively noticed Fu Siyu¡¯s face darken, ¡°Huh, they sure are quick.¡± ¡°Do you have a general relationship with the Old Madam?¡± ¡°Five years ago, I took over the Fu Family from the hands of her favorite youngest son.¡± This was also why Fu Siyu had been expanding the market overseas all these years; back then, his roots were shallow, and no matter how capable he was, he couldn¡¯t match the decades of influence wielded by the people from the old mansion domestically. ¡°I understand.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t ask further; knowing Fu Siyu¡¯s stance was all she needed to know how to proceed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can take care of things domestically.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s tone was mild, like a breeze passing by, but Fu Siyu knew the weight behind her words. After so many years, it was the first time someone had said that to him. And it was the first time that someone had taken a position beside him, allowing him to entrust his back to them with confidence. Chapter 51 - 51 44 Instant Kill ?Chapter 51: Chapter 44: Instant Kill Chapter 51: Chapter 44: Instant Kill Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze was deep as he looked at Shu Wan and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± At this moment, the sky was slowly turning dark, the sunset casting large swathes of purplish-red ink outside the car window, the street lamps lighting up one after another, spreading a soft pale glow on Shu Wan¡¯s face, outlining a warm halo around her. Her appearance was extremely cold and aloof, and when she didn¡¯t speak, her eyebrows and eyes were frosty, like a goddess perched atop a temple, noble and inviolable. Therefore, when the goddess was willing to descend into the mortal realm, it was especially heart-stirring. ¡°By the way,¡± Shu Wan suddenly remembered something, she looked towards the screen, ¡°today, the housekeeper mentioned that the horse was delivered, I¡¯ll have time to try it out.¡± ¡°Okay, I trust your skills.¡± ¡°There are also some gift boxes; I¡¯ve had someone put them in Fu Yang¡¯s room.¡± ¡°...¡± Fu Siyu paused briefly, ¡°Actually, those gift boxes were meant for you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± Shu Wan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°Yes, didn¡¯t I mention to you recently? I acquired a batch of luxury brand companies, and during business dealings, I received some gift boxes. There¡¯s no one else to give them to, so I have to trouble you to help me use them up.¡± Fu Siyu explained earnestly, and Shu Wan believed him. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Have you not had dinner?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shu Wan looked outside the window, ¡°I¡¯m going to find Fu Yang first.¡± ¡°Okay, there are plenty of nice little eateries in Imperial City, you guys can eat out there and then head back.¡± ¡°You seem to know quite a bit about food?¡± Shu Wan looked at Fu Siyu curiously. ¡°Is that strange?¡± ¡°Very strange.¡± Shu Wan nodded, ¡°You seem rather detached from worldly needs.¡± Shu Wan was actually being quite euphemistic; what she meant was that Fu Siyu looked like someone who could sustain on cold water alone. ¡°You also seem detached from worldly needs, yet you still like snacks.¡± Fu Siyu spoke, though his expression remained indifferent, his tone was much more relaxed than usual. Like teasing. Shu Wan blinked shyly, ¡°Is eating snacks not allowed?¡± ¡°Of course, you can.¡± A subtle smile appeared in Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes. ¡°The Fu family¡¯s enterprises encompass nearly 300 types, if there¡¯s anything you want to eat, just tell Qin Lv directly, he¡¯ll arrange it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice, thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Fu Siyu said, taking a sip of water, his Adam¡¯s apple moving up and down, carrying a somewhat inexplicable allure. However, at that moment, Shu Wan¡¯s focus wasn¡¯t on that; her gaze fell near Fu Siyu¡¯s chest area. When Fu Siyu had taken a drink, his pajamas had loosened for a moment, and Shu Wan thought she saw a thread of red spreading across his heart. Before Shu Wan could see clearly, Fu Siyu lowered his hand, and his pajamas returned to normal. Given the relationship between the two, it was, of course, absurd for Shu Wan to expect Fu Siyu to open up his shirt and let her look at his chest, so she shifted her gaze, ¡°I¡¯m about to arrive, I need to hang up now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Right after Shu Wan ended the call, the car stopped and the driver opened the door for her, ¡°Young Madam, we¡¯ve arrived at the mansion.¡± As Shu Wan stepped out of the car, she nearly felt as though she had arrived at the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion. Perhaps it was because the Fu Mansion was a traditional Chinese-style building. This was the site of the old Prince Mansion over a hundred years ago, and the two stone lions in front of the door bore marks washed over by time. The vermilion door was majestic and solemn, with high thresholds symbolizing that even in this era of nominal equality, the Fu family was still part of the elite. The driver went up to knock on the door, and shortly after, a servant came to open it, ¡°Who is it? It¡¯s late, do you have an invitation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Young Madam coming back, please let her in.¡± The servant looked Shu Wan up and down, ¡°What Young Madam? I¡¯ve worked at the Fu family for many years, and I¡¯ve never seen this person.¡± ¡°This is the legally married Young Madam of the eldest young master of the Fu family, if you don¡¯t let her in, fine, I will call the eldest young master right now.¡± The driver reacted quickly, swinging the name of Fu Siyu out like a weapon. Although the servant looked down on Shu Wan, he was somewhat wary of Fu Siyu. He reluctantly twisted his mouth, ¡°She¡¯s back then, fine. The old madam is having dinner, I¡¯ll inform her; you wait here.¡± With that, the servant shut the big door, and the copper door slammed against the threshold, producing a heavy, muffled sound. ¡°What¡¯s with this person?¡± the driver frowned tightly, ¡°Young Madam, please don¡¯t take it to heart; that servant is snobbish.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Shu Wan wasn¡¯t really affected, she waved her hand, ¡°just wait here, I¡¯ll bring Fu Yang out shortly.¡± Chapter 52 - 52 44 Instant Kill_2 ?Chapter 52: Chapter 44: Instant Kill_2 Chapter 52: Chapter 44: Instant Kill_2 ¡°Okay,¡± the driver nodded, ¡°then I¡¯ll wait here with you.¡± The driver had thought he would definitely have to wait a long time with Shu Wan here, given the way that servant purposely snubbed Shu Wan, it was clear to him that the Fu Mansion was trying to make things difficult for Shu Wan. However, what the driver didn¡¯t expect was that as soon as he finished speaking, Shu Wan took off her high heels and threw them over the wall into the courtyard. The driver didn¡¯t even have time to ask what Shu Wan was doing before she looked at him, ¡°Do you have a rope in the car?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the driver hastily nodded, then quickly found a rope and handed it to Shu Wan, ¡°Young Madam, what do you want this for?¡± ¡°To get inside.¡± The attitude of the servants reflected that of their masters. From the servant¡¯s attitude just now, Shu Wan could imagine that if she really stood here and waited, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get in all night. As she spoke, Shu Wan tied a knot at the end of the rope and swung it over a tree branch next to the wall. The driver thought Shu Wan was probably planning to climb over the wall via the tree and rolled up his sleeves, ready to support her. However, he had only taken one step when he saw Shu Wan holding the rope, running a distance to gain momentum, and then, like those heroines in ancient times who could scale walls and rooftops, she quickly climbed up the wall and disappeared from the driver¡¯s sight. The driver was stunned; if he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes today, he wouldn¡¯t have known that their Young Madam was capable of such a feat. Inside the courtyard wall at this moment, Shu Wan had just landed on a patch of grass. Although the Fu Mansion looked like a traditional Chinese building on the outside, its security system was the most advanced. The instant Shu Wan landed, an alarm went off inside the courtyard, and a group of bodyguards converged in her direction. When the men arrived, they saw an exceptionally beautiful woman sitting on the grass putting on her shoes. ¡°Who is it?! Who dares to break into the Fu Mansion?¡± ¡°Speak!!¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t respond to them. She calmly put on her shoes, picked the grass off her clothes, and leisurely stood up. Clearly unarmed and slender in stature, she seemed fragile in front of a group of professional bodyguards over 190 centimeters tall. Yet, as she leisurely stood up, the noble and aloof demeanor one develops only from being in a position of power made everyone stare dumbfounded, to the point that they all forgot to guard against Shu Wan. It wasn¡¯t until Shu Wan stepped out of the grass that everyone reacted and, holding electric batons, moved forward, ¡°Stop right there, who exactly are you?¡± ¡°I am Shu Wan, or to put it another way, the mistress of the Fu Family.¡± ¡°You wish,¡± the bodyguards scoffed, ¡°since when does the Fu Family have a mistress? The old matriarch is perfectly fine eating inside right now, does she know what you¡¯re claiming?¡± Shu Wan had already learned about some matters of the Fu Family from her phone call with Fu Siyu earlier. The Fu Family, in the eyes of the outsiders, was a large clan, but in reality, they were internally split between a new faction led by Fu Siyu and an old faction based in the Fu Mansion. The people of the old mansion considered themselves elders, able to trump Fu Siyu in status, and thus have always been reluctant to acknowledge Fu Siyu¡¯s position as head of the family. Shu Wan didn¡¯t intend to quibble about these things with the servants. As someone who grew up in the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion and often entered the Imperial Palace, she could find her way to the main hall of the old mansion without anyone guiding her. She walked calmly towards the inside, completely ignoring the bodyguards¡¯ electric batons. ¡°If you take one more step inside, we¡¯re not going to be polite.¡± Seeing Shu Wan continue to walk inside, the bodyguards immediately stepped forward, trying to stop her. Shu Wan¡¯s gaze chilled slightly as she glanced at the electric baton in the bodyguard¡¯s hand, knowing it was more effective than the knives, swords, clubs, and staffs of ancient times. Fine, it would be good to see what modern electric batons were like. On the battlefield, there was no dragging one¡¯s feet in combat. Without wasting words with them, before anyone could react, she had already snatched an electric baton from the hand of the closest person, turned it on, and swept it towards the surrounding bodyguards. In less than twenty seconds, there was a group of people lying around her. Shu Wan didn¡¯t know how to control the level of electric current, so she just turned it up to the maximum. Moreover, the way she used to deal with enemies was the very real combat style of the battlefield, aimed directly at taking the opponent¡¯s life. The modern bodyguards, with their flashy moves, were no match for her at all. The men lay on the ground foaming at the mouth, unable to even summon the strength to stand up, let alone do so. Shu Wan threw the electric baton to the ground and went straight towards the main hall. Chapter 53 - 53 44 Instant Kill_3 ?Chapter 53: Chapter 44: Instant Kill_3 Chapter 53: Chapter 44: Instant Kill_3 The interior style of the Fu Mansion gave Shu Wan a sense of nostalgia that she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. The environment in which a person lives and their style of dress can to some extent also reflect their personality. The architectural style of the Fu Mansion was strikingly similar to the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion where Shu Wan had lived in her previous life. Although she hadn¡¯t yet met the Fu family¡¯s old lady, Shu Wan could pretty much guess what the old lady¡¯s personality was like. She must be just like her Prime Minister father from her past life, rigid, arrogant, and full of schemes. When she reached the main hall and caught sight of the old lady sitting at the dining table, Shu Wan immediately knew her guess was right. Shu Wan¡¯s footsteps were light, so no one inside had discovered her yet. The main hall was vast, with a large carved wooden table in the center. Although there were only three people eating, the table was fully set with more than twenty dishes, and there were over a dozen servants attending to their needs. It was quite similar to the protocols of their Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion from her past life. The three had probably just finished eating, the dishes on the table had not yet been cleared away, and the servants brought over hot tea for them to rinse their mouths. The old lady took a sip of the tea, spit it out, and glanced at Fu Yang¡¯s hair, her deeply lined face showing clear displeasure, ¡°What kind of mess is this hair? Have someone dye it back later.¡± Whether at home or here, Fu Yang would always retort as usual, ¡°I won¡¯t, my dad doesn¡¯t bother me, so what right do you have to?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Accustomed to her own authority, the old lady couldn¡¯t imagine anyone defying her like Fu Yang. ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t be angry,¡± the woman sitting to the right of the old lady quickly stood up to smooth things over for her, ¡°Fu Yang is still a child after all, these rebellious teenagers at his age, they all like to dye their hair such colors.¡± ¡°Walking around and bringing shame to the Fu family,¡± Old Mrs. Fu said displeased, ¡°Fu Siyu has always been reluctant to send him over for me to raise. What has he raised himself? A crooked beam leading to a skewed frame.¡± Being forcibly brought here to dine, Fu Yang was already upset, and now hearing the old lady¡¯s words, his rebelliousness surged up, and he threw his cup onto the table, ¡°A crooked beam leading to a skewed frame? Isn¡¯t the biggest beam you, grandma? You can insult me, but don¡¯t pull yourself into it.¡± ¡°Sharp-tongued,¡± the old lady was livid, ¡°Just like your father, exactly the same. I always said, what good could Fu Siyu raise? Servants, apply the family discipline.¡± As soon as the old lady spoke, everyone¡¯s expression instantly changed. Everyone knew the family discipline of the Fu Mansion was very strict, and the old lady staunchly believed in the ancient hierarchy, even to the point of keeping a group of servants who had signed indentured contracts in modern times, which was all about equality. As her voice fell, the servants came over with a bunch of tools, ¡°Old lady.¡± ¡°Cut his hair for me. Sharp-tongued, give him a slap on the mouth, let him learn what it means to respect one¡¯s elders.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The crowd said and approached to restrain Fu Yang. Fu Yang tried to struggle, but his strength was no match for the dozen or so people. Just as the scissors were about to fall on his head, Fu Yang even heard a brief snip¡ªthe sound of his hair being cut. Fu Yang clenched his teeth hard, veins popping out on his forehead. Just when he thought all his hair was going to be cut off, a shadow suddenly flashed before his eyes, and the next second, he heard the sound of scissors hitting the floor. Fu Yang opened his eyes in astonishment and saw the evil scissors lying at his feet. The servant who had held the scissors was now frantically flailing his hands, shaking uncontrollably as if he¡¯d been electrocuted. The others looked towards the doorway, on high alert. Following everyone¡¯s gaze, Fu Yang looked towards the door, where Shu Wan was slowly walking in. In the gloomy environment crafted by the rosewood furniture, Shu Wan seemed to emanate a glow all around her. At this moment, Fu Yang was willing to temporarily remove the ¡°big monster¡± title from Shu Wan. ¡°Who are you?¡± The Old Mrs. Fu hadn¡¯t spoken, but a lady beside her, with a displeased face, looked at Shu Wan. ¡°What are the bodyguards doing, allowing just anyone in here?¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t answer her question. She walked to Fu Yang¡¯s side and glanced indifferently at the servant who was pressing on Fu Yang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let go.¡± The servant was from the Fu Mansion, and naturally, they wouldn¡¯t let go without a word from Old Mrs. Fu. Shu Wan only gave them a second of hesitation. The next second, Shu Wan stretched out her hand to grab the wrists of the people around her and with a gentle twist, a crisp cracking sound could be heard. Even just listening, Fu Yang felt a chill down the back of his neck. Suddenly, he felt that Shu Wan hadn¡¯t been so ferocious towards him after all. Compared to these people, everything before was child¡¯s play. ¡°How dare you! Is it the confidence Fu Siyu gave you, Shu Wan?!¡± Seeing Shu Wan take down several people in just a few seconds, Old Mrs. Fu finally spoke. Shu Wan raised her head and looked back at Old Mrs. Fu. ¡°Yes, Fu Siyu is the head of the Fu Family, and as his wife, it seems there isn¡¯t a problem for me to deal with a few Fu Family servants.¡± Shu Wan knew exactly where to hit to break Old Mrs. Fu¡¯s defenses. With that statement, Old Mrs. Fu¡¯s complexion changed. ¡°How insolent. A street cat and dog from a minor family daring to act wild in front of me, Fu Siyu sure knows how to pick people.¡± ¡°Perhaps you should reflect a bit. If you were really as powerful as you imagine, how could you let me run wild here?¡± ¡°Sharp-tongued as always,¡± Old Mrs. Fu said, her face ugly. ¡°But, in the end, still a young person. Do you really think a little martial prowess gives you the right to act lawlessly? Bring people in.¡± As Old Mrs. Fu finished speaking, two teams of people immediately surged into the hall. These people, unlike the bodyguards from before, truly possessed a life-or-death aura; they were people who had genuinely been in real combat. ¡°Tie her up,¡± Old Mrs. Fu ordered, and the crowd immediately stepped forward. At this point, Fu Yang was also in a panic, but he still faced Old Mrs. Fu and spoke out, ¡°She is my father¡¯s favorite woman. Aren¡¯t you afraid of my dad coming back to find you if you touch her?¡± Old Mrs. Fu snorted coldly. ¡°You think I¡¯m really afraid of Fu Si? It was just him taking advantage of a loophole before. If he hadn¡¯t been unable to contend with the main house all these years, why would he have gone overseas? Tie her up.¡± Fu Yang anxiously stepped forward, standing in front of Shu Wan. ¡°What are you doing here? Really, don¡¯t you have anything better to do?¡± Fu Yang spoke impatiently, but his body genuinely shielded Shu Wan behind him. ¡°I am the only heir of the Fu Family. If you dare to lay a hand on her, I dare to make you regret it.¡± Yet, the crowd clearly didn¡¯t buy his threats, especially since they were on the grounds of the Fu Mansion. Surrounded by dozens, even someone as formidable as Shu Wan couldn¡¯t possibly withstand them. Just as Fu Yang was anxiously at a loss, Shu Wan suddenly stretched out a hand and pushed him aside. She stepped forward and smiled at Old Mrs. Fu, ¡°At your age, why are you showing off? What if something happens to your health?¡± Old Mrs. Fu¡¯s expression turned cold, and just as she was about to speak, she felt a numbness in her throat, incapable of uttering a word. ¡°See, I guessed correctly, didn¡¯t I?¡± To outsiders, Shu Wan appeared cold and was expected to be like a refreshing breeze, light and ethereal in her actions. But Shu Wan wasn¡¯t like that at all. She had followed many teachers in her life, some taught her knowledge, some strategy, and others taught her how to engage with the world. When dealing with enemies, causing harm was necessary, and it was also essential to infuriate them to the point of collapse. Shu Wan smiled faintly at Old Mrs. Fu, ¡°Didn¡¯t heed the advice, got sick, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What have you done to the Old Mrs. Fu?!!¡± Chapter 54 - 54 45 Handsome ?Chapter 54: Chapter 45 Handsome Chapter 54: Chapter 45 Handsome When Old Mrs. Fu couldn¡¯t even speak, the woman hurriedly summoned the doctor who always followed closely beside Old Mrs. Fu to check on her, ¡°Shu Wan, you¡¯ve really gone mad, how dare you poison Old Lady Fu!¡± While caring for Old Mrs. Fu, the woman sternly reprimanded Shu Wan, appearing to be very worried about Old Mrs. Fu; however, the smidgen of schadenfreude hidden in her eyes could not be concealed from Shu Wan. Shu Wan now represented Fu Siyu, and if anything truly happened to Old Lady Fu today, Fu Siyu would definitely be accused of plotting against an elder, and then the other members of the Fu Family would have a reason to denounce Fu Siyu. This woman was the new wife remarried by Old Mrs. Fu¡¯s favorite son. If the old lady died, the entire family¡¯s power would fall into her husband¡¯s hands, so naturally, she was eager for Old Mrs. Fu to meet with an accident. ¡°No need to rejoice over Old Mrs. Fu¡¯s death so soon, thinking you¡¯ll be the head of the household,¡± Shu Wan unmercifully pierced through the woman¡¯s inner thoughts, ¡°as soon as Fu Yang and I step out the door, Old Mrs. Fu would immediately recover.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± the woman slammed the table in anger, ¡°Your petty tricks, trying to threaten Old Mrs. Fu, keep the doors guarded, don¡¯t let anyone leave.¡± Saying this, the woman then smiled at Old Mrs. Fu, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t believe her. Our family¡¯s medical team is the top globally; they can cure anything.¡± Then, she signaled the doctor with her eyes, ¡°Quickly take mom to the backyard for treatment.¡± Saying that, she started to help Old Mrs. Fu to her feet to walk inside. But Shu Wan spoke up again, ¡°If Fu Yang and I leave, the worst you¡¯ll suffer is a loss of face, but if you refuse to believe me, thinking your daughter-in-law is reliable and entrust your life to her, then you might as well go back to the backyard.¡± Shu Wan could see that Old Mrs. Fu and her previous life¡¯s Prime Minister father were essentially the same kind of person, extremely selfish, unwilling to put themselves at risk. As expected, upon hearing Shu Wan¡¯s words, Old Mrs. Fu stopped moving, seemingly seriously considering Shu Wan¡¯s words. At that moment, the woman became anxious, ¡°Mom, how can you believe Shu Wan¡¯s words? She just wants to drive a wedge between us.¡± Old Mrs. Fu didn¡¯t pay attention to her; she hesitated for a moment, then turned and reached out to Shu Wan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As soon as we step out the door, you¡¯ll naturally get better. After all, this street is all yours; aren¡¯t you afraid we¡¯ll run away?¡± Old Mrs. Fu thought for a moment, then motioned to the bodyguards who stepped back, clearing the way for Shu Wan and Fu Yang. Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Shu Wan walked out of the old residence with Fu Yang in a grand manner. It was only after they stepped out the door that Shu Wan turned to a servant and said, ¡°Dig up an orchid root from Old Mrs. Fu¡¯s courtyard, brew and drink it, and her illness will be cured.¡± After saying this, Shu Wan got into the car with Fu Yang and drove away. Fu Yang had been very quiet from then until they got in the car, just quietly staring at Shu Wan, which was completely out of character for him. After the car had driven a few blocks, Shu Wan finally opened her eyes and looked towards Fu Yang, ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°When did you poison Old Mrs. Fu? You weren¡¯t even close to her.¡± ¡°During the fight with the bodyguards.¡± At that time, everyone¡¯s attention was on her and the bodyguards, and no one noticed the small pill that Shu Wan flicked from her hand. ¡°Although I despise you,¡± he said, ¡°I must admit, that scene just now was quite cool.¡± Cool enough to impress a Chu?nibyo? like Fu Yang deep inside. Chapter 55 - 55 46 Fireworks ?Chapter 55: Chapter 46: Fireworks Chapter 55: Chapter 46: Fireworks ¡°Do you want to learn?¡± Shu Wan¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly. ¡°Can I?¡± Fu Yang¡¯s eyes brightened, but then, remembering Shu Wan¡¯s style, there¡¯s never a free lunch. He reined in his smile and coughed nonchalantly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested anyway.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± Shu Wan nodded and continued to rest with her eyes closed. Seeing that Shu Wan was ignoring him, Fu Yang picked up his phone to play, but no matter where he scrolled, nothing was as intriguing as the trick Shu Wan had played on the chu?nibyo? teen. He couldn¡¯t fathom how Shu Wan, who hadn¡¯t come close to the old lady from start to finish, had managed to poison her unnoticed. Finally, Fu Yang couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, ¡°Tell me, how did you poison the old lady? You were so far away from her, and you never got close.¡± ¡°Want to know?¡± Shu Wan responded with a question. ¡°Yes.¡± Fu Yang nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a bit thirsty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck, Shu Wan!¡± Fu Yang widened his eyes in disbelief, the innocence of youth in his gaze as clear as a fawn. His silver hair shone even brighter under the light. Today, Fu Yang had swapped his earring for a diamond-studded skull that glittered brilliantly in the light. Impetuous as he was, his youthfulness seemed to make him shine from all angles. Shu Wan remained silent, quietly resting with her eyes shut, as if she had fallen asleep. Fu Yang, petulantly wanting to challenge Shu Wan, was yet to master the art of curbing his curiosity. After much internal struggle, Fu Yang poured a glass of water for Shu Wan and pushed it quickly toward her. Ripples formed and a few drops spilled on the table, spreading their wetness, ¡°Here, don¡¯t take advantage, okay? Even my dad has never had a drink poured by me.¡± Finally, Shu Wan opened her eyes and glanced at Fu Yang distantly. He sat there with a rebellious look on his face, staring at the car roof, the light tracing his superior nasal profile, casting his exquisitely perfect features, highlighted by a youthful arrogance. Fu Yang¡¯s facial structure bore a resemblance to Fu Siyu¡¯s, his eyes and brows carried the essence of a less domineering but similarly poised Fu Siyu. For some reason, Shu Wan¡¯s mind wandered to a matter completely unrelated to the present ¨C the difference between video and reality was significant, she wondered what the real Fu Siyu looked like. The myriad of thoughts flashed by in an instant, and Shu Wan quickly shifted her gaze from Fu Yang¡¯s face, took a sip of water, and then answered his question, ¡°Because I¡¯m skilled in the art of hidden weapons.¡± In her previous life, Bailu Academy was filled with many talented individuals, including a master of hidden weapons. However, many princes were unwilling to learn this technique, feeling that the use of hidden weapons was not honorable or dignified enough, undermining their masculine pride. Shu Wan, however, thought differently; she believed that any means to victory was valid. Thus, she often followed the master of hidden weapons to practice the craft. With her quick wit and diligent learning, she was exactly the kind of student all teachers adored. As a result, the master imparted all of his skills to her. The trick Shu Wan had used just now was one of the simplest. ¡°Really?¡± Fu Yang had always thought that hidden weapons were things of martial arts and fantasy novels. Shu Wan glanced outside the car window, where it was conveniently a red light, and the car was temporarily stopped at the intersection. About fifty meters from the car, on the other side of the intersection, two men were arguing over a fender bender. They stood in the middle of the road, ignoring the honking cars behind them, absorbed in their squabble. One of the men, probably too agitated, was red-faced and shouting. When he failed to prevail in the argument, he became even more enraged and went back to his car to grab a thick steel pipe, threatening to teach the other driver a lesson. As the pipe was about to hit the other driver, potentially lethal, the onlookers wanted to intervene but it was too late. Shu Wan casually plucked a leaf from a potted plant, flicked her wrist, and the leaf flew out straight away. Moments later, the steel pipe dropped to the ground as the man clutched his wrist in pain, ¡°Who threw something at me?!¡± He scanned around angrily, only finding a leaf the size of a thumbnail on the ground. His hand was so swollen that he couldn¡¯t believe he had been hit by a leaf; he crushed it underfoot in anger. Just as he was about to continue the quarrel, a traffic police officer had arrived. The man spat on the ground in frustration and reluctantly returned to his car. Fu Yang was stunned. Copying Shu Wan, he plucked a leaf from the plant and tossed it, but the light leaf barely traveled a meter before it landed on the table. Chapter 56 - 56 46 Fireworks_2 ?Chapter 56: Chapter 46: Fireworks_2 Chapter 56: Chapter 46: Fireworks_2 ¡°Damn.¡± Fu Yang couldn¡¯t help but curse. He knew it, Shu Wan was definitely a monster. Even in front of absolute power, even Fu Yang straightened his own blasted fur, ¡°Well, about what just happened, I owe you one.¡± If he had to choose between Shu Wan and the Fu Mansion who he hated the most, it would definitely be those people at the Fu Mansion. Just looking at them once, Fu Yang would need to wash his eyes for three days. Moreover, the people from the Fu Mansion had a very strong desire for control; once inside the mansion, Fu Yang would never think about getting out again. Compared to that, Fu Yang suddenly found Shu Wan much more pleasing to the eye. ¡°This isn¡¯t the way back, where are you taking me?¡± Seeing that the direction of the car was completely opposite from the estate, Fu Yang became curious. ¡°Eating,¡± Shu Wan responded to Fu Yang, ¡°I saw a restaurant online.¡± Recently, Shu Wan felt more and more that modern smartphone apps were truly amazing. Each app had its own functions, and even sitting at home, one could see countless food strategies organized by netizens. ¡°... You really have the leisure for this,¡± Fu Yang was speechless, ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Shu Wan said, pointing to a snack shop of a few square meters by the roadside. The exterior looked quite clean, with a sign at the door, ¡°Fried noodles 7 yuan, fried rice noodles 8 yuan.¡± Fu Yang stared speechlessly at the fried noodles sign, then looked at Shu Wan, who was getting ready to get out of the car, ¡°Is this the restaurant you mentioned?¡± He had never eaten at a restaurant that cost 7 yuan in his life. ¡°Recommended by netizens, they say it¡¯s very ¡®lit.''¡± Of course, the main reason was that Shu Wan had never eaten it before and she wanted to try it. Fu Yang was simply speechless, ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten such humble food in my life, I¡¯m not eating it. It¡¯s too embarrassing, you eat by yourself.¡± Fu Yang was resigned; every time Shu Wan did something that made him think she was extraordinary, there would be another reversal. But Fu Yang¡¯s stomach truly had other ideas. He had casually eaten a few bites at noon, and after being taken to the Fu Mansion in the evening and seeing those two people¡¯s faces, he couldn¡¯t even drink a soup, much less eat a meal. Just as he spoke, his stomach grumbled twice. Shu Wan didn¡¯t expose him and pretended she hadn¡¯t heard, ¡°Alright then, you wait here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not waiting,¡± Fu Yang snorted softly, and as Shu Wan walked towards the snack shop, he directly instructed the driver to leave, ¡°Take me back.¡± The driver didn¡¯t move. Fu Yang¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand human speech? I told you to take me back.¡± ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s wait here for Young Madam, are you really not afraid of her?¡± Besides, even if Fu Yang wasn¡¯t afraid, he was. Shu Wan could turn someone into that state with just a leaf; if he offended Shu Wan, he, a grown man, was also afraid of getting beaten. Fu Yang was momentarily stuck, obviously also recalling Shu Wan¡¯s outrageousness. ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s already very late, it¡¯s not really appropriate to leave the Young Madam here alone.¡± Seeing Fu Yang¡¯s hesitation, the driver gave him an out, ¡°How about we wait a little longer?¡± ¡°Ah, whatever, just let her.¡± Fu Yang waved his hand and leaned back in the seat to take a nap. But just as he was about to fall asleep, a strong aroma suddenly wafted to his nose, instantly whetting his appetite. Fu Yang sat up and traced the source of the smell, and then he saw Shu Wan sitting not far away. The space inside the small shop was limited, and since it was late at night and there were hardly any people or cars on the road, the owner had set up a few tables and chairs under the trees by the roadside. Shu Wan was sitting at a table not far from the car; the street light was dim and it was hard to see what was on the table, but it looked abundant. And it smelled good. Street food¡¯s main allure was its vibrant and aromatic appeal, attracting people¡¯s taste buds in the most straightforward and passionate way. Ordinary people, even after a full meal, couldn¡¯t resist indulging a bit more when they saw street food during an evening stroll, let alone Fu Yang who was at his hungriest now. He unconsciously swallowed saliva, held back for a while, but eventually couldn¡¯t resist. He opened the car door, strode over to Shu Wan, pulled out a stool, and sat down directly. ¡°It¡¯s too hot inside the car,¡± Fu Yang said, while stealing a glance at the dishes on the table. Well, Shu Wan really knew how to eat. Deliciously fragrant egg and shredded pork fried rice noodles, extra crispy fried dough twists, and a bowl of honey peach jelly. Fu Yang had never eaten these before, but when someone is hungry, everything looks tasty. Chapter 57 - 57 46 Fireworks_3 ?Chapter 57: Chapter 46: Fireworks_3 Chapter 57: Chapter 46: Fireworks_3 He swallowed, ¡°Is it really that good?¡± Shu Wan leisurely took a bite of rice noodles and passed him a lifeline, just as Fu Yang had hoped, ¡°It¡¯s delicious, do you want to try some?¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± Fu Yang cleared his throat, ¡°I never eat from these street stalls, but since you invited me, I might as well give it a try.¡± Speaking, Fu Yang went directly to the counter to order, and within a short while, he came back with a heap of food. The previously spacious table immediately became crowded. Feeling as hungry as if he could eat a cow, and having never tried these foods before, Fu Yang ordered a large amount of food. Fu Yang sat down, and the first to be graced was the beef noodles. One spoonful of the steaming hot noodles went down, and Fu Yang satisfyingly squinted his eyes, ¡°This taste,¡± He was about to say it was delicious, but after glancing at Shu Wan, he quickly changed to, ¡°It¡¯s passable.¡± Shu Wan slightly smiled and didn¡¯t reply; she eyed the fried balls next to Fu Yang¡¯s hand and picked one up with her chopsticks. Before she could pull back her chopsticks, Fu Yang intercepted halfway, still chewing beef noodles, his speech was somewhat muffled, ¡°What are you doing? I ordered this.¡± ¡°Do you have any money? Don¡¯t I still have to pay for it?¡± Fu Yang was about to say he had money, but then he quickly remembered that Shu Wan had limited his pocket money, and even a beggar on the street had more money than him. Fu Yang removed his chopsticks and snorted coldly, ¡°Your money is still given by my dad, so it¡¯s all technically my money. Don¡¯t get cocky.¡± Shu Wan ignored him and ate a ball. Honestly speaking, it was quite greasy, but the taste was pretty good, worth a try. After eating the fried ball, Shu Wan took an interest in the grilled sausage in front of Fu Yang. She had just stretched her chopsticks toward it when Fu Yang moved the bowl away, ¡°Hey, hey, hey, there¡¯s only one, what will I eat if you take it?¡± ¡°You ordered so much and can¡¯t finish it, we can share.¡± ¡°Why are you like this.¡± Fu Yang was dissatisfied, but considering that today was a bit special and Shu Wan had somewhat saved his life, Fu Yang chose to compromise. Reluctantly, he split the grilled sausage in two with his chopsticks and handed the smaller piece to Shu Wan, ¡°Here, don¡¯t snatch mine anymore.¡± Shu Wan acted as if she hadn¡¯t heard and took a bite of the sausage. Hmm, delicious. Shu Wan was curious about all kinds of snacks, and Fu Yang¡¯s resistance was utterly ineffective. The heap of food he bought, Shu Wan nearly took half of everything. So, as they continued eating, Fu Yang was often still munching on one snack, scrambling to snatch another from Shu Wan¡¯s hands. ¡°Hey! Shu Wan, you¡¯re overdoing it! There¡¯s only one, and you¡¯re snatching it again!¡± ¡°This one isn¡¯t tasty, trust me, just put it down!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be infuriated by you, is your stomach a bottomless pit? How can you eat so much.¡± ... The moonlight was gentle, and the street lamps cast a yellow glow, unidentified insects fluttered in the dim light. A slow breeze blew, stirring the leaves, and the spotty light patterns shakily landed on the shoulders of the two under the trees. The sounds of their bickering combined with the street food¡¯s bustling atmosphere gradually rose, passing over the treetops and antennas, eventually blending into the night. Perhaps because the food they fought over tasted better, even a self-disciplined person like Shu Wan ate a bit more, not to mention Fu Yang. Once they got into the car, he lay straight down on the couch, usually eager to argue with Shu Wan, but now he was much quieter. Shu Wan glanced at him, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°No,¡± Fu Yang immediately denied. Shu Wan walked over, didn¡¯t continue questioning Fu Yang, and instead directly pulled him up and pressed a few points on his back. Miraculously, Fu Yang immediately felt much better. He looked at Shu Wan awkwardly, struggled for a long time but could not muster the word ¡°thanks.¡± In the end, Fu Yang poured himself a glass of water, then lifted the teapot¡¯s lid to check, ¡°Seems like there¡¯s a bit left, you drink it.¡± Saying this, Fu Yang also poured a cup for Shu Wan and pushed it towards her. The warmth in Shu Wan¡¯s eyes appeared quite natural as she uttered, ¡°Thanks.¡± Fu Yang got even more awkward, placed the tea aside, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s just a small gesture. I¡¯m so tired, I need to sleep a bit.¡± Saying this, Fu Yang immediately lay down on the couch and closed his eyes, as if falling asleep instantly. Shu Wan glanced at him, smiled, and shook her head, not saying anything more. She drank a sip of water, then took out her phone, edited the photos from their meal, and uploaded them to a short video website. Chapter 58 - 58 46 Fireworks_4 ?Chapter 58: Chapter 46 Fireworks_4 Chapter 58: Chapter 46 Fireworks_4 Shu Wan didn¡¯t know how long she would stay in this era, but with such a dream-like experience, Shu Wan wanted to leave a very concrete trace of everything she had gone through here. So even when it came to having a late-night snack, Shu Wan gave a serious review of each food item. Shu Wan wasn¡¯t very skilled at typing yet, so she used voice input instead. She went into detail with her reviews, reciting nearly three thousand words into her phone. Fu Yang had originally been closing his eyes, but as he heard Shu Wan speaking, he quietly opened his eyes. He had never seen someone as unworldly as Shu Wan, who had to write a three thousand-word review for a late-night snack. Normally, Fu Yang would have started mocking Shu Wan. But Shu Wan¡¯s expression was too serious, as she precisely articulated her thoughts when she had been eating and provided detailed descriptions of the appearance and taste of each snack. Under the lights, Shu Wan emanated a sense of patience and gentleness. Fu Yang himself did not realize that he had been staring at Shu Wan for a long time. Shu Wan, focused on editing the message, didn¡¯t notice Fu Yang. She was now considered a minor internet celebrity on the short video platform. Therefore, as soon as the message was sent out, it attracted the attention of many fans. [Oh my god, such a serious guide, my wife has worked hard, let me give you a shoulder massage.] [My wife is so cute, I can already imagine a super beauty sitting at a roadside stall enjoying food in the night breeze.] [I¡¯ve eaten at this little shop five times!! It¡¯s so delicious, ah ah ah, my wife went to the same nighttime eatery, that means my wife went with me, rounding up.] Most of her fans focused on Shu Wan¡¯s essay-like reviews, but some noticed another person sitting across the table in Shu Wan¡¯s photo. [The hands of the handsome guy opposite look so nice, are they works of art? Oh boy, does my wife have a boyfriend now?] [From the boy¡¯s physique and hands alone, he seems quite young, right? Is my wife still a student?] [I feel like he is a university student, after all, only university students would have this much patience to write so many reviews about a late-night snack, awoo, I love my wife!!] Whether it was the reviews or Fu Yang¡¯s hand that accidentally appeared in the shot, both piqued the curiosity of the public vastly. Their enthusiastic discussions once again propelled Shu Wan¡¯s video to popularity. Subsequently, Shu Wan gained a significant number of new fans. By the time they returned to the Estate, it was close to midnight. Fu Yang had fallen asleep on the couch at some point, and although the driver wanted to wake him up, Shu Wan waved it off, ¡°Let him sleep.¡± Saying this, Shu Wan approached, pressed Fu Yang¡¯s acupressure point for stability, and carried him back into the Estate. The Housekeeper watched on in shock. He looked at Fu Yang, who was tall with long legs, and then at Shu Wan, wearing high heels and her arms slim as if they were works of art. He felt relieved that he had advised Fu Siyu to wait for Shu Wan earlier, or else he might have met a terrible fate. After taking Fu Yang back to his bedroom, Shu Wan finally returned to her room. She washed up, and considering it was noon at Fu Siyu¡¯s location, she made a call to him. Shu Wan had become more accustomed to modern clothing by now, unlike when she first arrived, when she would always choose to dress in tightly wrapped nightwear. Now, Shu Wan had gotten used to wearing nightwear that was primarily comfortable and light. Like now, she was wearing a white silk camisole nightdress. Having just washed her hair after a shower, her waterfall-like hair fell on her back, making her skin appear as white as snow, clean and translucent. Even through a video call, it was a strong visual impact. Even Fu Siyu was taken aback when he opened the video. ¡°We¡¯re back now,¡± Shu Wan told Fu Siyu about the evening¡¯s events, ¡°It seems that the Fu Mansion is quite angry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them,¡± Fu Siyu said, seemingly unconcerned about the Fu Mansion, ¡°They¡¯ve been living too comfortably these past few years.¡± To this day, the Fu Mansion still arrogantly believed that Fu Siyu went overseas because he was not yet fully mature and needed to stay out of the Mansion¡¯s influence. Therefore, the Mansion had been making small moves for several years, and because Fu Siyu had not responded, they felt even more as if Fu Siyu was afraid, and they became increasingly self-important. Today¡¯s visit by Shu Wan represented Fu Siyu and was a form of warning. So, not only did Fu Siyu not see any issue with Shu Wan¡¯s actions, but he actually appreciated what she did. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now,¡± Shu Wan said, yawning, ¡°It¡¯s already very late.¡± ¡°Alright, you should rest soon.¡± Just as Shu Wan was about to end the call, she suddenly remembered something, ¡°Fu Siyu, have you ever been to Bruce?¡± Hearing Shu Wan mention this, Fu Siyu was somewhat surprised, ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about Bruce? It¡¯s a beautiful city in Northern Europe.¡± ¡°Northern Europe.¡± Another term outside of Shu Wan¡¯s understanding, ¡°I have to make a trip to Bruce the day after tomorrow.¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°For a movie?¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± This invitation was from long ago. In the original host¡¯s memory, she had signed a contract with a European film crew three years prior. At the time, they did not specify which crew it was, but after meeting Shu Wan and being amazed by her beauty, they enthusiastically invited her to make a cameo. Back then, Shu Wan did not have an agent and nai?vely signed the contract directly with them. But three years had gone by, and they never contacted Shu Wan again. Yet yesterday, they had sent her an invitation via email. According to them, Shu Wan¡¯s cameo in the film would last less than 10 seconds on-screen. Probably, the shoot would be completed in about a day. Along with the invitation, they also sent airplane tickets and an introduction to the film crew. Shu Wan didn¡¯t understand the string of English, so she used a translation device and roughly grasped the basics. Shu Wan didn¡¯t think they were scammers, and considering the shoot wouldn¡¯t take long, and she could return before the ¡°Yun Ni¡± shoot started, she decided to go. She was just unfamiliar with the city of Bruce and was a bit worried about communication problems once there. ¡°How coincidental,¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°I happen to have a meeting in Northern Europe tomorrow, and the meeting place is just a two-hour drive from Bruce.¡± ¡°You mean, you can pick me up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fu Siyu nodded, ¡°Send me your flight information.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 59 - 59 47 Basketball ?Chapter 59: Chapter 47 Basketball Chapter 59: Chapter 47 Basketball It was strange, actually, when she found out she was going abroad, Shu Wan did feel a bit worried. After all, it was a place she had never set foot in before, and she didn¡¯t speak the language. But knowing that Fu Siyu would come to pick her up, Shu Wan miraculously calmed down, probably because Fu Siyu always gave her a certain impression. That was, as long as he was there, all problems would be solved. Shu Wan went to bed late, and the next day she even woke up later than Fu Yang. At dawn, there was a knock on the bedroom door, and Fu Yang¡¯s smug voice could be heard from outside, ¡°Who¡¯s the one always forcing others to get up early, huh? How come you can¡¯t do it yourself?¡± Shu Wan opened her eyes, got up, and opened the door, ¡°Do you need something?¡± Fu Yang held a basketball in his arms, ¡°You¡¯ve got ten minutes to come downstairs, the morning is so suitable for exercise.¡± ¡°....¡± These familiar words were exactly what Shu Wan had said to Fu Yang a few days ago. ¡°Hurry up, I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs.¡± Fu Yang winked at Shu Wan, then bounded down the stairs with the basketball. As if the person who had lain on the hospital bed looking pale and pitiable just the day before yesterday wasn¡¯t him at all. Shu Wan helplessly supported her forehead, turned around, and walked into the bathroom for a quick wash before changing clothes. She was naturally beautiful and didn¡¯t need makeup to look pretty, so she directly went downstairs without makeup. Shu Wan with makeup added a bit more brilliance. But without makeup, she looked much more elegant. The commonality was, both types of beauty were stunning. Even after spending so much time with Shu Wan, Fu Yang was still amazed by her beauty. Noticing Fu Yang¡¯s gaze, Shu Wan looked at him, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Fu Yang leaned back on the sofa, ¡°I was just thinking, my dad is quite the actor.¡± Over so many years, he hadn¡¯t heard of his dad being interested in any woman, and there were even rumors outside that his dad was homosexual, declaring him to be a son raised by his dad and a young male lover. But unexpectedly, it wasn¡¯t that his dad wasn¡¯t interested in women, but that when he did show interest, it had to be big, and if a woman wasn¡¯t top-notch beautiful, she wouldn¡¯t catch his dad¡¯s eye. Shu Wan didn¡¯t catch Fu Yang¡¯s meaning, she went straight outside, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Fu Yang took the basketball and followed Shu Wan, ¡°Hey, do you know how to play basketball?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Yo.¡± Fu Yang slightly raised his eyebrows, ¡°There¡¯s actually something you don¡¯t know how to do? That¡¯s a rarity.¡± ¡°Then you teach me.¡± Her straightforward reply caught Fu Yang off guard, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, he agreed. After all, to get a chance to be Shu Wan¡¯s teacher was not something to pass up on. Fu Yang twirled the basketball on his fingertips for a few spins, ¡°Okay, but first call me Mr. Fu.¡± ¡°Mr. Fu.¡± Without any hesitation, Shu Wan promptly complied. A mere title didn¡¯t matter much to Shu Wan. But her decisive action sort of flustered Fu Yang, who stood there bemused for a while before responding, ¡°You, how come you have no backbone?¡± ¡°So, are you going to teach me or not?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Fu Yang tossed the ball over to Shu Wan, ¡°You¡¯ve already called me teacher, how could I not teach you?¡± Fu Yang was the main player on the school basketball team, and his basketball skills were quite good. He was tall and could accurately shoot the ball into the basket even from outside the line. Fu Yang demonstrated three shots in a row for Shu Wan, then proudly raised his eyebrows at her, ¡°You¡¯re in luck learning basketball from me.¡± ¡°Just throwing the ball into the basket counts as a win?¡± ¡°Yep, as long as it¡¯s within the court¡¯s boundaries.¡± After Fu Yang finished speaking, Shu Wan casually threw the ball toward the hoop, and, sure enough, it went straight through without deviating. ¡°....¡± Fu Yang was at a loss for words, ¡°You¡± Before he could finish, Shu Wan stepped back a bit and casually tossed the ball again, hitting the center of the hoop without even touching the rim. Probably feeling that it was simply too easy, Shu Wan retreated to the very edge of the basketball court and effortlessly made another shot. This time, even Fu Yang couldn¡¯t claim that Shu Wan¡¯s shots were just luck. With that accuracy and casual demeanor, Fu Yang thought, even basketball superstars would look no different. This woman, Shu Wan, really was exceptional in every aspect. ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple, huh?¡± Shu Wan commented. Basketball might be considered a difficult sport for many people nowadays, requiring a lot of practice to make a shot. But for Shu Wan, it was far too simple. After all, a basketball court is only tens of meters in length, whereas, in her past life, Shu Wan¡¯s archery training involved distances of several hundred meters. Shooting an arrow into a small target was far more challenging than this. Fu Yang was speechless, ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky too soon. Just now, I was teaching you how to shoot. In a real game, you also have to play defense and offense.¡± Saying this, Fu Yang picked up the ball and ran towards the hoop, ¡°No violence allowed, try to take the ball from my hands.¡± Fu Yang was on full alert this time, clutching the basketball tightly and waiting for the right moment to shoot. He was much taller than Shu Wan, and when he jumped, she couldn¡¯t reach him at all. But he had still underestimated Shu Wan. Shu Wan might not be as tall as Fu Yang, but she was agile and had an excellent vertical leap. Coupled with her coordinated movements and superior close-combat skills, she always popped up from angles he least expected, making her hard to guard. After several rounds, Fu Yang hadn¡¯t managed to take the ball from her once. Finally, a breathless Fu Yang tossed the basketball, ¡°No more, I¡¯m hungry, let¡¯s go back for food.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Although the sport was overly simple for Shu Wan, the exercise was barely adequate, so after throwing the ball into the hoop one last time, she followed Fu Yang back to the main building. When the two of them met again in the dining room after washing up, Fu Yang had changed his clothes. Today, he wasn¡¯t wearing his usual apparel heavily adorned with metallic elements and was, unusually, dressed quite simply. A black windbreaker and a pair of gray casual pants made him look lean and tall, with a faint air of aloofness. Especially the design of the black windbreaker, which perfectly showcased the youthful spirit that Fu Yang embodied. Shu Wan couldn¡¯t help but give a compliment, ¡°That¡¯s a nice looking outfit you¡¯ve got on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m handsome, not because the clothes look good.¡± Shu Wan laughed, ¡°You have a point.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Fu Yang rolled up his sleeves, his long hands appearing as beautiful as works of art. Despite having eaten a lot the night before, Fu Yang was still young with a good metabolism, and he was already hungry by now. Dinner had been rich in oil and salt, so the light breakfast on the table was just right. For the first time, Shu Wan and Fu Yang had a peaceful breakfast together. ¡°I have a flight tonight and will be gone for a few days. Call me if you need anything.¡± After eating, Shu Wan took Fu Yang to school and reminded him casually. ¡°Where are you going?¡± As soon as he heard Shu Wan would be away for a few days, Fu Yang¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. Chapter 60 - 60 48 Ointment ?Chapter 60: Chapter 48: Ointment Chapter 60: Chapter 48: Ointment ¡°Europe.¡± Shu Wan murmured while browsing through a stack of books the Housekeeper had brought over. ¡°Europe, huh? Okay, sounds good.¡± At that moment, Fu Yang was like a monkey who knew the tiger was leaving the mountain. His tone couldn¡¯t hide his happiness. ¡°Hey, why do those books you¡¯re holding look so familiar?¡± Fu Yang leaned closer to Shu Wan, picked up two books, and glanced at them. ¡°Aren¡¯t these the books I used in kindergarten?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Shu Wan nodded. ¡°I asked the Housekeeper to find them for me.¡± ¡°Why are you looking at these?¡± Fu Yang was puzzled. ¡°Are you planning on having a second child with my dad?¡± ¡°...¡± Shu Wan was almost rendered speechless by Fu Yang¡¯s wild guess. ¡°No, I¡¯m just trying to learn some basic knowledge.¡± Now it was Fu Yang¡¯s turn to be speechless. ¡°Kindergarten basics? The internet claims you¡¯re desperately illiterate. You aren¡¯t really illiterate, are you?¡± Shu Wan wasn¡¯t in the mood to banter back and forth. ¡°Think whatever you like.¡± ¡°Tsks,¡± Fu Yang chuckled with schadenfreude. ¡°If you need help, you can ask me. After all, you¡¯ve called me ¡®teacher.''¡± Kindergarten textbooks covered basics, which were just right for Shu Wan. As someone ancient who had no understanding of modern knowledge systems, those kindergarten lessons were really useful for her grasp of modern knowledge. Fu Yang initially thought Shu Wan was joking by reading kindergarten books, but from the Estate to the school, she had been reading through them the entire way. The moment the car stopped at the school entrance, Shu Wan had also just finished the kindergarten phonics book. Fu Yang thought he had some understanding of Shu Wan¡¯s quirky nature, but at that moment, he still couldn¡¯t figure out what she was up to. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Shu Wan lifted her gaze from the book and looked at Fu Yang. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you here at noon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Fu Yang flatly refused. ¡°I¡¯m not a primary school kid who needs someone to pick him up; just leave me be.¡± ¡°As far as I know, your friends from class are all going home to eat today. You¡¯ll be alone and without any money. Are you planning to starve all day?¡± ¡°How do you know they¡¯re all going home?¡± Shu Wan raised her phone slightly. ¡°They¡¯ve all added me on WeChat.¡± Initially, a classmate had taken down Shu Wan¡¯s WeChat, and after the others found out, they had eagerly added her as well. To make conversation easier, they even added Shu Wan to a group chat. Since high school students are naturally talkative and everyone liked Shu Wan, the chat was always active, and she naturally knew what they were all up to. ¡°...¡± Fu Yang was speechless again. ¡°Then I won¡¯t eat. I¡¯ll just starve.¡± Watching Fu Yang¡¯s retreating figure, the driver asked in concern, ¡°Young Madam, do we still need to send lunch for the Young Master?¡± ¡°No need, he¡¯ll come.¡± Shu Wan was certain. ¡°Okay.¡± Once Fu Yang entered the school, Shu Wan had the driver take her to the university. Just as Shu Wan passed the university entrance, various information about her popped up on the campus forum, and immediately, streams of people began running towards the classroom where Shu Wan was supposed to have her class. But everyone waited and waited until the professor for the class arrived, yet Shu Wan never showed. Seeing how the students went from excited to disappointed, the professor knew what everyone was thinking. ¡°Okay, stop sighing. I know what you¡¯re all thinking; you want to see the beautiful woman, right?¡± The professor had a good relationship with the students and joked, which made the students join in, ¡°Yes, Professor, why didn¡¯t Shu Wan come today?¡± ¡°She probably won¡¯t come anymore.¡± The professor put the chalk he was holding back into the box and explained to everyone, ¡°I heard she¡¯s dropping out.¡± ¡°What? Dropping out?¡± Hearing this news, everyone was startled. ¡°Why? Because of her poor grades? But our university allows retakes, doesn¡¯t it? Even if she can¡¯t graduate this year, can¡¯t she in two more years?¡± ¡°I last heard her say she found physics very difficult. Could it be she felt she absolutely couldn¡¯t graduate?¡± Shu Wan¡¯s university was nationally renowned, enough to be called a prestigious university. Thus, everyone was utterly baffled by Shu Wan¡¯s decision to drop out. The students were buzzing with discussions, and soon, the news spread online. To today¡¯s media reporters, as long as a headline could attract public attention, the more sensational it was, the better. Thus, a headline that read ¡°Entertainment Circle Actress Expelled by Leading University¡± quickly surged to the top of the trending list. Before I even clicked on the trending search, I already had a name in mind, and sure enough, it was her. Hadn¡¯t Shu Wan already been exposed as a desperate illiterate? Isn¡¯t being expelled a normal thing? Such a satisfying revelation, finally seeing her getting kicked out. Hasn¡¯t anyone checked how she got her college entrance exam scores? How did such an illiterate, lacking even elementary knowledge, manage to sneak into a key university? I suggest a strict investigation into the forces behind her. Being able to get someone who slipped through nine years of compulsory education into a key university¡ªI don¡¯t believe she did it without connections. With this explosive news ahead, soon other stories started to top it. ¡°Finally someone is spilling the beans on Shu Wan. I¡¯m a crew member from ¡®Yun Ni¡¯, and I must say, calling her a fish that slipped through nine years of compulsory education is giving her too much credit. I suspect she may not have even attended kindergarten.¡± Along with this revelation, a video filmed by a crew member on set was uploaded. In the video, Shu Wan was facing away from the camera, typing a line of the script on a computer. It was a very short line, but Shu Wan took a long time to type it out, and more ludicrously, she misspelled seven or eight out of just a dozen or so characters. These were characters that even kindergarteners wouldn¡¯t get wrong, yet Shu Wan did. Help, isn¡¯t it true that she might not have even gone to kindergarten? Is this something a normal person would do? It¡¯s so ridiculous, I¡¯m seriously questioning whether that¡¯s even a human in front of the camera. Sorry, calling her a fish that slipped through nine years of compulsory education was an overestimation on my part. From the looks of it, she might not have even attended kindergarten. In the entertainment circle, what most netizens love to talk about is their low level of education, and Shu Wan just hit that nerve. Suddenly, there were swarms of negative comments about Shu Wan, and someone even went to check her college entrance exam scores. Someone reported her to the education bureau, demanding a re-evaluation of her exam situation. This issue blew up, and even Fu Yang, who was attending classes at school, heard about the gossip. ¡°You didn¡¯t really cheat on your college entrance exam, did you?¡± As soon as Fu Yang got into the car, he watched Shu Wan with a hint of schadenfreude. Shu Wan counter-asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Fu Yang actually wanted to say that he thought so, just to make Shu Wan uncomfortable. But looking into Shu Wan¡¯s clear, bright eyes, Fu Yang couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it, and he just turned his gaze away. ¡°Oh, are my opinions that important to you? Why don¡¯t you consult me when making other decisions?¡± As a teenager¡¯s insincerity was so obvious, how could Shu Wan not see it? She smiled slightly, ¡°This is your lunch. I need to head back early this afternoon, so I won¡¯t be joining you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like we¡¯re close. Whether you go back or not is none of my business,¡± Fu Yang retorted, taking a bite of his food and mumbling unclearly. ¡°If there¡¯s anything, you can speak to the housekeeper. If you run into any trouble, you can call me.¡± Although Fu Yang didn¡¯t want to listen, Shu Wan was taking on the responsibility of raising him, and she still needed to say what was necessary, ¡°Eat less greasy and spicy food. It¡¯s okay to have a slightly heavier meal, but remember to take the medicine I gave you after eating.¡± ¡°Why are you nagging so much?¡± Fu Yang hurried through his meal, rolling his eyes. Fine, Shu Wan stopped talking and started having her lunch. Before long, Fu Yang quickly finished his lunch and got off the car to leave. However, Shu Wan called him back and handed him a small box. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Fu Yang took the box, curious, and peeked inside. It turned out to be a tube of ointment. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Shu Wan pointed at Fu Yang¡¯s knee. ¡°Didn¡¯t you scrape your leg? Apply this ointment twice a day, morning and evening. It will heal in three days.¡± Fu Yang clenched the box in his hands, his lips slightly pursed, ¡°You really are nagging. I don¡¯t have any scrape, what are you talking about?¡± Without waiting for Shu Wan to respond, Fu Yang ran off. He ran so fast that the driver thought Fu Yang had fought with Shu Wan again. ¡°Young Madam, what¡¯s wrong with Young Master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Shu Wan¡¯s eyes twinkled with a slight smile. ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡± What else could it be? The kid was just feeling a bit embarrassed. At that moment in school, about ten minutes before classes started, everyone was joking and playing around until Fu Yang burst into the classroom like a gust of wind and sat down without saying a word. Usually, Fu Yang hardly attended school and if he did show up recently, he¡¯d just play basketball in the gym, wander around outside, and never spent time in the classroom, let alone arrive early. ¡°Brother Yang, why are you in the classroom today? Is the sun rising from the west?¡± ¡°Beat it,¡± Fu Yang waved his hand impatiently, ¡°Stop bothering me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seeing that Fu Yang was fiddling with a box in his hand, ¡°What¡¯s that? That box looks pretty neat.¡± Fu Yang glanced down at the box, then he chucked it carelessly into his classmate¡¯s arms. ¡°Useless stuff, I¡¯m giving it to you.¡± ¡°Really? Thanks, Brother Yang.¡± Although the classmate didn¡¯t know what was inside the box, he trusted anything from Fu Yang wouldn¡¯t be bad, ¡°I knew Brother Yang was the best.¡± The classmate gleefully took the box back to his seat, just about to open it, when a pair of jade-like hands snatched it away, ¡°Never mind, I might still have use for it.¡± Chapter 61 - 61 49 Airplane ?Chapter 61: Chapter 49 Airplane Chapter 61: Chapter 49 Airplane The classmate looked up and saw Fu Yang holding a box and walking away. He sat lazily at the desk, staring at the box in his hands for a long time, lost in thought. Sunlight streamed in from the window, bathing him in a scatter of golden glimmers. ¡°Hey, what are you looking at? What¡¯s with those gooey eyes? Are you secretly in love with Lin Yang?¡± ¡°No, haven¡¯t you noticed that Lin Yang has been different lately?¡± Listening to his classmate¡¯s words, another person unconsciously glanced toward Lin Yang. Not far away, Lin Yang sat bathed in sunlight, radiating light like a beacon. ¡°Isn¡¯t he still the same handsome guy? What¡¯s different?¡± ¡°Forget it, you wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± said the classmate, waving his hand and taking another look at Lin Yang. The Lin Yang of the past gave off an air of wild growth amidst chaos, free yet oppressed. But lately, even though Lin Yang seemed more irritable and had a fiercer temper, there was something about him that felt recklessly alive, a vital force reaching for the sun. Like a weed climbing wildly in the abyss, finally glimpsing the sunlight through the cracks, and from there on, tracing the path of light, ever upward. Now, at the airport, Shu Wan had arrived. The original host¡¯s family in Imperial City could be considered well-off, but she had never left the country, hardly leaving Imperial City. Standing in the airport, looking at the expansive ceiling that seemed to extend into infinity, amidst the countless people coming and going, Shu Wan was curious about how modern society managed to transport such vast numbers of people at once. In her past life, in times of war, had they had such advanced means of transporting troops, the outcome would have been unimaginable. ¡°Young Madam, the plane has arrived, please follow me this way,¡± a man in a black suit came over and greeted Shu Wan with respect. ¡°Mm.¡± Shu Wan followed him through various passages and finally stopped before a large plane on the tarmac. Not far away, a plane took off in a rush, and with a tremendous roar, two white trails streaked across the sky. ¡°Truly magical,¡± Shu Wan couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Such a massive machine flying through the sky without any external aid was a challenge to Shu Wan¡¯s understanding. Her university physics courses had already made her wary of physics, but now, watching planes soar in the high sky, for the first time, Shu Wan developed an interest in modern physics. She followed the staff onto the plane, which had a luxurious interior, equipped with a TV, a sofa, and a bed for rest, among many other amenities. Shu Wan had never flown before and naturally did not realize that the plane she was on was actually a private jet exclusive to the Fu Family. Shu Wan arrived, and the plane soon took off. After a strong bout of dizziness, the plane pierced through the clouds and gradually distanced itself from everything on the ground. Sitting by the window, Shu Wan gazed down at the city below, resembling little matchboxes, and at the clouds, misty and floating like cotton, feeling an inexplicable emotion stirring in her heart. Coming to this era was accidental, and she didn¡¯t know how long she would stay, but since her arrival, this era had brought her many surprises and accidents. No matter what the future held, at least now, having experienced it, it was already worthwhile. It was over ten hours of flight from Imperial City to Bruce, and as night fell, Shu Wan slowly drifted into sleep. Until the next day, when a sudden violent jolt of the plane woke the sleeping Shu Wan, and a staff member came over, ¡°Young Madam, we have arrived in Bruce. The young master is waiting to pick you up at the airport.¡± Chapter 62 - 62 50 First Encounter ?Chapter 62: Chapter 50 First Encounter Chapter 62: Chapter 50 First Encounter ¡°Okay,¡± Shu Wan pulled the blanket off her body and glanced out the window subconsciously. Bruce is a city far up north on the planet, surrounded by the sea on three sides and rich in humidity, mostly shrouded in rain and fog. The weather today was overcast, which seemed rather dark for someone like Shu Wan who was used to the sunny and blooming spring days of Imperial City, but in reality, it was a calm day without wind or rain, considered fine weather for Bruce. Shu Wan had set out from Beijing in a thin silk maxi dress. Having never been abroad before, she was not sensitive to changes in temperature. And so, Shu Wan declined the long coat offered by the staff member and stepped off the plane directly. The moment she exited the cabin door, a gust of cool air blew her way, and her vision was suddenly obscured by her hair, which also got caught on her earrings. Shu Wan brushed the hair from her face, and attempted to untangle the strands from her earring, but the design was somewhat intricate. Unable to see it herself, she tentatively pulled at it a few times. Her ear felt a tinge of pain, but the hair remained firmly wrapped around the earring. Shu Wan frowned slightly, about to turn around to seek help from a staff member, when a deep, magnetic voice suddenly came from in front of her, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, let me help you with that.¡± Shu Wan suddenly looked up, and only then did she realize that Fu Siyu had approached her while she was preoccupied with her earring. In her life, Shu Wan had seen countless talented and handsome men, but seeing Fu Siyu now, she reflexively paused, a clear look of amazement flitting across her eyes. The two had already video chatted before, and Shu Wan naturally knew that Fu Siyu was handsome. But a video call could only capture a fraction of one¡¯s physiognomy, hardly comparable to the person in the flesh. Fu Siyu was very tall, at least 188 centimeters by her estimate, dressed in a black suit and wearing a dark blue wool coat over it. His entire figure was tall and straight, statuesque and clear-cut. His features were extremely handsome, a traditionally refined and handsome face, resembling a long and enduring landscape painting, rich in flavor and depth. However, what people would first submit to was not his looks, but rather the air of authority on him, a demeanor characteristic of someone long accustomed to being in a high position. In his eyes seemed to be a vast ocean, endless at a glance, where one could sink into an abyss if they were to fall in. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Shu Wan said, regaining her composure after a moment of distraction, offering her hand to Fu Siyu in a relaxed and free manner. ¡°Hello,¡± Shu Wan¡¯s momentary distraction did not escape Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes. His gaze shifted slightly, a hint of a smile almost imperceptibly playing at the corners of his eyes. He also stretched out his hand, clasping Shu Wan¡¯s. Shu Wan, lightly dressed, had cold hands, and when Fu Siyu grasped them, she felt the warmth from his palms seeping into her cool skin and into the flesh and blood beneath. The warmth was fleeting, and in the instant that Fu Siyu withdrew his hand, Shu Wan even felt a faint wistfulness. But soon, that wistfulness was replaced by surprise. For Fu Siyu took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. The previously faint scent of sandalwood that hovered at the tip of her nose now enveloped her completely, accompanied by the warmth from the coat, which belonged to Fu Siyu. It was warm and comforting, instantly dispelling the chill of her body. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Your earring is tangled, let me help you with that,¡± Fu Siyu spoke before Shu Wan could say a word. ¡°Ah, okay.¡± Fu Siyu was being very friendly, and naturally, Shu Wan would not resist his kindness. She tilted her head slightly, ¡°This side.¡± In the midst of the gloomy sky, that stretch of pale neck and the delicate, refined ear stood out, instantly making everything around them pale in comparison. Chapter 63 - 63 51 Stunning ?Chapter 63: Chapter 51: Stunning Chapter 63: Chapter 51: Stunning Shu Wan had always been very composed, even in the face of formidable forces, she had never changed her expression. But at this moment, her entire being was enveloped by Fu Siyu¡¯s body heat, and occasionally, the warmth from the tips of Fu Siyu¡¯s fingers brushed past her ears, making Shu Wan feel inexplicably uncomfortable. She slightly lowered her eyes, fixating on a dark blue tie pin on Fu Siyu¡¯s chest, almost counting every single pattern on it. A gust of cold wind suddenly picked up, stirring Shu Wan¡¯s skirt, the soft, wave-like hem fluttering against the edge of Fu Siyu¡¯s suit pants. Fu Siyu also lowered his eyes, hastening the pace of adjusting his cufflinks. Before long, he released Shu Wan¡¯s hair, stepping back, ¡°All set.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan subconsciously tucked her hair behind her ear, ¡°Where are we going now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s rest at the hotel for a while, and if you¡¯re interested this evening, I can take you around.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Shu Wan nodded, lifting her foot to descend the stairs. The stairs were a bit steep, and Shu Wan moved slowly, with Fu Siyu following behind her, waiting for her to take a step before he followed suit. The chauffeured car had been waiting on the tarmac already; once Shu Wan got into the car, she felt the chill dissipate somewhat. ¡°It¡¯s actually so cold here.¡± Shu Wan was somewhat puzzled, ¡°How long was my trip?¡± ¡°Over ten hours.¡± Fu Siyu, sitting opposite Shu Wan, poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her, ¡°Around nine thousand kilometers.¡± ¡°So far.¡± As she watched the scenery swiftly passing by outside the car window, Shu Wan reflexively sighed. In her previous life, she had been one in ten thousand, a woman fortunate enough to step beyond her high threshold and see the world¡¯s rivers and mountains. Yet in the modern era, an ordinary woman, with just a plane ticket, could travel to places thousands of miles away. It was magical and wonderful. Bruce was a city known for its ¡°magical realism,¡± shrouded in a perpetual sense of absolute solitude. Year-round gloom, towering ancient castles standing along the roads, and scattered leaves fluttering down, conveyed a decadent sense of solitude. This was a style Shu Wan had never seen before, and thus she found it quite interesting. Shu Wan watched intently the scenery and the passersby with their odd, different colored eyes outside the window, not noticing that while she was admiring the view, Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze was fixed on her face. Fu Siyu¡¯s handsomeness couldn¡¯t be fully captured by a video camera, not even a tenth or a twentieth, and neither could Shu Wan¡¯s. Shu Wan in the camera was already extremely beautiful, but when she truly stood before one, that¡¯s when one would understand what breathtaking beauty meant. Her features were so delicate there wasn¡¯t a single flaw, and however many beauties there were in the world, you couldn¡¯t find a second person like Shu Wan who could stand casually anywhere and become the focus of sight. Because there was a quality about her that was as light as the rhythm of bamboo, as clear as pine, as if settled through the long passages of time. Unhurried, yet with a power that could touch the heart. She must have been cold, for even in the car, she was still draped in Fu Siyu¡¯s coat, her slender body wrapped in the oversized coat, making her seem even more like an upright bamboo, tall and delicate. ¡°Fu Siyu, what¡¯s the time difference between here and Imperial City?¡± After watching for a while, Shu Wan suddenly turned her head, and Fu Siyu was sitting opposite, looking at the files in his hands, his whole person silent and restrained like a sculpture. ¡°Imperial City is seven hours ahead of here.¡± Fu Siyu raised his head, the light falling into his deep eyes, unfathomable. ¡°Then Fu Yang must already be asleep.¡± Since arriving in this era, Fu Yang had been Shu Wan¡¯s only significant connection to this world, and although Fu Yang wasn¡¯t particularly fond of her, Shu Wan still cared about his affairs. ¡°Right.¡± Fu Siyu put down the file, adding a bit of water to Shu Wan¡¯s cup, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon. The hotel has already prepared lunch.¡± ¡°Is the food here very different from back home?¡± Shu Wan asked Fu Siyu curiously, ¡°Are raw foods more common?¡± The original owner of her body didn¡¯t like foreign cuisine very much, even resisting foreign food, remembering it as a bunch of raw, bloody meat. But Shu Wan didn¡¯t think the same; she was actually quite curious about what foreign foods tasted like. Shu Wan¡¯s curiosity was unabashed, her clear eyes filled with a look of anticipation, like a forest deer sprite. Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes moved slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve had them prepare both Chinese and Western meals.¡± Chapter 64 - 64 51 Stunning_2 ?Chapter 64: Chapter 51: Stunning_2 Chapter 64: Chapter 51: Stunning_2 ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Although she hadn¡¯t known Fu Siyu for long, Shu Wan had a very good impression of him. Whether it was his intelligence or his considerate gentlemanly demeanor, both made Shu Wan feel very comfortable. She liked the relaxed feeling that came with interacting with smart people. It was a kind of joyful recognition of like-mindedness, this kind, regardless of time or dynasty, seemed like a predestined entanglement. As if they were destined to meet. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Fu Siyu nodded slightly, ¡°You helped take care of Fu Yang back home, and after you went abroad, it¡¯s only right that I take care of you a bit more.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t say anything more about being polite; she smiled at Fu Siyu and then took out her ¡°Primary School First Grade Math textbook¡± from her bag. Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze paused on the textbook for a moment, he didn¡¯t ask any questions or express doubts, instead, he picked up a document and started reading. The car fell into a silence. The driver occasionally glanced through the rearview mirror; it was quiet inside, with only the sound of pages turning, as many times before. But also different. The car¡¯s light fell on Fu Siyu¡¯s shoulder for the first time, casting his intermittently visible eyes, adding a hint of warmth. As the car drove, it gradually began to rain outside, softly patterning the car window with sprays of water droplets. By the time they reached their destination, only a hazy view could be seen through the car window. The driver opened the car door and held up an umbrella for Fu Siyu. But he quickly realized his severe mistake because he had brought only one umbrella. Whether to cover Mr. Fu or Young Madam was a tough decision for the driver. However, Fu Siyu didn¡¯t give him much time to decide as he took the umbrella from the driver¡¯s hand, leaned slightly, and held the umbrella over Shu Wan¡¯s head. Shu Wan walked out of the car, a gust of wind blew, and she subconsciously shivered. This body seemed to be particularly sensitive to the cold. ¡°It won¡¯t be cold inside,¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s voice arose beside her ear, ¡°let¡¯s go inside.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan followed Fu Siyu inside, leaving the driver in the rain, staring dumbfounded at Fu Siyu holding the umbrella for Shu Wan, almost as if he had seen a monster. As Shu Wan and Fu Siyu walked into the ancient castle¡¯s grand gate, the driver planned to drive to the parking lot. Just then, the housekeeper led several servants out from both sides of the gate, each holding an umbrella. Only then did they open the umbrellas. The driver puzzled for a moment, then his eyes lit up. Good gracious, no wonder he was only a driver; others had already been promoted to housekeeper. He still had much to learn and understand! Inside the castle at this moment, Shu Wan and Fu Siyu walked side by side. Although it was a bit cold, Shu Wan slowed her pace, slowly admiring the castle¡¯s scenery, ¡°Is this a hotel?¡± Looking at the towering marble pillars, the elegant fountain, and the garden filled with royal grace, Shu Wan really couldn¡¯t associate it with a hotel. ¡°Yes, this is a hotel open to the public by the Bruce royal family, it was formerly a resting place for the royal family,¡± Fu Siyu patiently explained. ¡°I see.¡± Shu Wan nodded and continued to look intently. The architectural style of Bruce greatly differed from that of Hua Country; ancient architecture in Hua Country mostly used wooden materials, while here they mostly used various types of marble and granite. The design of the buildings was also drastically different from those in Hua Country. Shu Wan was so captivated that she didn¡¯t notice the steps for a moment. It was slippery due to the rain, and before she could stabilize herself, she fell sideways. Luckily, Fu Siyu quickly reached out to help her, and she didn¡¯t fall to the ground. The arm that crossed her waist seemed to have the strength to lift everything up, and what lingered around her nose was the same sandalwood scent that was impregnated on his coat. Shu Wan slightly raised her head and met a pair of eyes as deep as quiet pools; she could see her own reflection in them. Fu Siyu was always very focused, no matter what, which made it feel like he only had eyes for Shu Wan at that moment. Shu Wan subconsciously shifted her gaze and let go of the arm Fu Siyu extended, stepping back, ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°No harm done,¡± a faint glint crossed Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes as he retracted his hand from behind Shu Wan¡¯s back, ¡°We¡¯ve reached the main hall, let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The main hall was a completely different world from the outside. Since Fu Siyu had notified in advance, before their return, the servants had already adjusted the indoor temperature to 26 degrees. Chapter 65 - 65 51 Stunning_3 ?Chapter 65: Chapter 51: Stunning_3 Chapter 65: Chapter 51: Stunning_3 At this moment, the mansion was brightly lit, with splendid and colorful murals spread across the entire hall, and court-style, luxurious furniture glittered with gold under the lights. ¡°Young Madam, the bath is ready; you can go take a bath now,¡± a servant approached. ¡°Okay.¡± It was indeed a bit cold outside; a bath would certainly warm me up. Shu Wan went upstairs, and the servant stepped forward to ask Fu Siyu, ¡°Young Master, would you like to take a bath?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Fu Siyu took off his suit jacket, the right shoulder covered with beads of rain. After all, the umbrella that had protected Shu Wan had been completely tilted over to her side. ¡°Get me a towel.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Upstairs, Shu Wan intended to just wash up simply, but after enduring more than ten hours on the plane, the moment she stepped into the bathtub, she was so comfortable that she didn¡¯t want to get out. She told the servants not to wait for her for dinner, then leisurely soaked in the bathtub until almost every pore in her body had absorbed the warmth, before she finally stood up, changed clothes, and went downstairs. She wore a simple and loose white top with a pair of gray casual pants, her long hair cascading down her back. The simple combination of black, white, and gray exuded the most heart-stirring beauty. Downstairs, Fu Siyu was typing on a computer. He had taken off his suit and was wearing only a white shirt, meticulously buttoned from the collar to the cuffs, his back straight and firm as a pine. Hearing Shu Wan¡¯s footsteps as she came downstairs, Fu Siyu looked up, his gaze paused for a moment before he spoke, ¡°You¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The bath was great, and now I was utterly hungry. Shu Wan walked toward the dining table, ¡°You¡¯ve eaten already, right?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Fu Siyu closed his computer and stood up to follow Shu Wan, ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± ¡°I told the servants not to wait for me, didn¡¯t I?¡± Shu Wan turned her head back in surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve traveled from afar as a guest. It¡¯s not in line with my principles to leave a guest to dine alone.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan sat down by the dining table, ¡°Then let¡¯s eat together.¡± As Fu Siyu had mentioned, the servants had prepared an extremely lavish lunch. There was not only Chinese food but also various Western dishes. The first thing that caught Shu Wan¡¯s eye was the steak that looked like it was still oozing blood. In the memories of the original host, there was no concept of these things; Shu Wan only knew that the sight of this steak subconsciously brought a sense of panic and fear to her mind. Shu Wan forcefully suppressed this inexplicable emotion. She instinctively prepared to pick up the steak with chopsticks. But almost instantly, Shu Wan put down her slightly raised hand. Since I¡¯m in a foreign country, where eating habits and architectural styles are completely different from home, it¡¯s safe to assume there are significant differences in dining etiquette too. Shu Wan decided to observe and see how Fu Siyu would eat. Fu Siyu had actually picked up chopsticks already, but for some reason, he suddenly put them down and instead picked up a knife and fork, cut a piece of steak from the plate in front of him, dipped it in some sauce on the side, then placed it on Shu Wan¡¯s plate, ¡°Try it, and if you¡¯re not used to it, you can spit it out.¡± Shu Wan picked up the knife and fork without a trace of emotion, mirroring Fu Siyu¡¯s motions as she put the steak in her mouth. At first, it felt a bit unusual, but the steak was tender due to its good quality and skillful cooking; it wasn¡¯t gamey at all. Shu Wan nodded in affirmation, ¡°It¡¯s quite delicious.¡± After that, Shu Wan took out her phone, ¡°Do you mind if I take a photo?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± said Fu Siyu as he added a small piece of seared sashimi to Shu Wan¡¯s bowl, ¡°Phones can adjust filters; you can use a food filter to make the pictures look better.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan tried it according to Fu Siyu¡¯s suggestion, and indeed, the photos came out much more appealing. She looked up, the sparkle of myriad stars in her eyes, ¡°You know so much.¡± In his life, Fu Siyu had received too many compliments, but none were as simple as Shu Wan¡¯s words, nor did any of them bring him such a deep sense of satisfaction. Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, and instead of being modest, he simply accepted the praise, ¡°So, if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, you can ask me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Having taken the photo, Shu Wan put down her phone and began to taste the local delicacies. To be fair, Shu Wan still preferred the cuisine from her own country, but the foreign dishes were novel, and she ended up eating mostly Western food for this meal. After dinner, the rain outside had not stopped. Shu Wan initially wanted to go out for a walk, but seeing the drizzling rain, she ended up saying nothing at all. However, Fu Siyu saw through her thoughts, ¡°Dress warmly; I¡¯ll take you for a stroll around the neighborhood. Bruce in the rain has its own unique scenery.¡± Chapter 66 - 66 52 The Block ?Chapter 66: Chapter 52: The Block Chapter 66: Chapter 52: The Block ¡°Now?¡± ¡°No,¡± Fu Siyu slightly turned his head toward Shu Wan. ¡°You can rest this afternoon, and after dinner, I¡¯ll take you out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan had the same intention. Fu Siyu seemed busy. After speaking with Shu Wan, he returned to his study to work, and Shu Wan sat in the living room reading for a while. The huge floor-to-ceiling window acted like a barrier between reality and fantasy, as the rain outside grew heavier and the ground turned into an expanse of water. As Shu Wan watched, drowsiness overwhelmed her. She leaned on the sofa intending to lie down for a bit, not expecting to fall asleep right away. When she awoke, a blanket covered her, faintly emitting the scent of sandalwood. From nearby, the quiet sound of pages turning reached her ears. She turned her head and saw Fu Siyu sitting by the window, eclipsing all the art pieces in the room with his presence. Who doesn¡¯t enjoy gazing at beautiful things? Shu Wan was no exception. She stared at Fu Siyu for some time; although he didn¡¯t look up, his page-turning gradually slowed until it completely stopped. ¡°Did you rest well?¡± Fu Siyu suddenly looked up, his gaze meeting Shu Wan¡¯s. Shu Wan didn¡¯t feel embarrassed and sat up, tossing the blanket aside, ¡°Yes, what time is it now?¡± ¡°Local time, seven in the evening.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that late?¡± Shu Wan was surprised; she had slept for so long. She instinctively looked out the window; the rain had stopped and the night was deep, the outside resembling a dense, undissolvable blob of black ink. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first, then I¡¯ll take you out,¡± Fu Siyu stood up. ¡°You eat, I¡¯m not very hungry.¡± Shu Wan was slightly embarrassed to admit that she actually wanted to save room to try the foreign snacks and see how they differed from those back home. ¡°Okay.¡± Fu Siyu ate quickly and then left the dining room. The servants had already prepared their coats, and the two put them on and left by car. The Royal Castle was close to the main street. After a short drive, the car stopped at the beginning of a pedestrian street. Fu Siyu got out first, noticing the drifting misty rain, he opened an umbrella, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shu Wan got out of the car, her eyes capturing the surroundings twinkling with a trace of novelty. In the misty rain, the Gothic buildings on either side of the street seemed to spike up into the sky. Everything around was somber, with the perennially rain-shrouded church buildings also carrying a hint of melancholy atmosphere. Although it wasn¡¯t very late, most shops had already closed, leaving only a few small stores glowing with dim yellow lights. At a glance, it was like seeing a witch¡¯s shop in the forest, waiting for travelers, mysterious and wonderful. The locals here largely preferred fried foods; a faint scent of baked bread filled the air, injecting a rare warmth into the chilled night. Seeing Shu Wan interested, Fu Siyu guided her to the side and exchanged a few words with a vendor, then bought some local specialty desserts. However, at this moment, Shu Wan¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on the food in her arms but on the language Fu Siyu had just used to communicate. Shu Wan knew that the official language here was English, and she had seen others speak English on television. But to hear someone speak it so elegantly and nobly like Fu Siyu was a first for her. Noticing Shu Wan¡¯s gaze, Fu Siyu slightly lowered his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Shu Wan shook her head, not hiding her previous thoughts. ¡°Your English sounds very nice.¡± Fu Siyu was taken aback for a moment, his expression visibly softened. ¡°If you want to learn, I can teach you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shu Wan was indeed eager to learn. ¡°My pleasure.¡± Chapter 67 - 67 53 Fiery ?Chapter 67: Chapter 53: Fiery Chapter 67: Chapter 53: Fiery Distant bell chimes carried through the air as Shu Wan bit into her pastry, walking towards the direction of the sound. As the drizzle became heavier, the cobblestone streets gradually dampened. Fu Siyu changed his direction, walking to Shu Wan¡¯s left, ¡°Is filming going smoothly?¡± ¡°Smoothly.¡± Shu Wan swallowed her pastry and gave Fu Siyu a slight smile, a myriad of lights seemingly twinkling in her eyes, ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± Shu Wan knew that even with a face as attractive as hers, landing the role of the second female lead in a big-budget TV drama by a director like Zhang was an impossibility. ¡°It¡¯s only right.¡± Fu Siyu tilted the umbrella slightly more towards Shu Wan. The rain fell on his coat, covering it with a thin layer of mist. Shu Wan glanced over and nudged the umbrella back towards Fu Siyu, ¡°I won¡¯t get wet over here.¡± A faint smile flashed across Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes as he looked down, ¡°Okay.¡± The streets were unlike the bustling nightlife of Imperial City; because of the perennial rainfall, people preferred to stay in the warmth of their homes at night, leaving the streets far from busy. For this reason, as they walked on, they encountered fewer and fewer pedestrians. Churches towered amidst the falling leaves, and within the veil of rain, it seemed as if only Shu Wan and Fu Siyu remained. Munching on a cookie, Shu Wan felt an indescribable sense of tranquility. In this era, the noisy crowds might dispel some loneliness, but in moments of complete silence, the soul seemed to settle more peacefully amidst the chaos of the world. Shu Wan subconsciously turned to glance at Fu Siyu, finding that being far from home in a foreign land didn¡¯t feel lonesome, largely thanks to him. Sensing Shu Wan¡¯s gaze, Fu Siyu turned his head, thinking she was interested in the nearby coffee shop, ¡°Want some coffee?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shu Wan knew that coffee was introduced from abroad, but she wasn¡¯t quite sure what made foreign coffee different from what was available back home. Fu Siyu asked Shu Wan to wait on the side while he went inside the shop, soon coming back with two cups of hot coffee. Accepting a cup, the rich aroma of coffee instantly filled Shu Wan¡¯s nostrils. She walked forward with her coffee in hand but had only taken a few steps when Fu Siyu called out to her, ¡°There¡¯s mud on your coat.¡± Following Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze, Shu Wan looked down and indeed, there was a smudge of mud about the length of half a finger on the pocket of her coat. It wasn¡¯t deep, just a shallow streak, probably from brushing against a tree branch on the side of the road. Shu Wan had an odd habit. If you asked her to go to a battlefield or handle errands without wearing formal attire, she wouldn¡¯t care at all about cleanliness or hygiene. But if she dressed up formally to go out for leisure, she would be very particular about the cleanliness of her clothes, even slightly obsessive. Seeing the stain on her clothes now, Shu Wan instinctively furrowed her brows. She looked up, about to find a place to wash her hands when Fu Siyu already produced a tissue from nowhere, ¡°It¡¯s just a small spot; it¡¯ll come off with a wipe.¡± Bending slightly, Fu Siyu used the tissue to carefully clean the mud off her coat. Inside the coffee shop, there were tourists from back home, gossiping and enjoying the view out the window. ¡°Wow, look, there¡¯s a super handsome guy over there, so handsome, oh my God!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m already immune to handsome guys, there are too many in this city. I got tired of looking at them on the subway. Holy crap, it¡¯s actually a handsome Chinese guy, a super handsome guy!!! Quick, take a photo!!¡± ¡°Got it, got it, it¡¯s like seeing the real-life male lead of a novel.¡± Shu Wan and Fu Siyu had disappeared around the corner before the tourists reluctantly put away their phones, drooling over the photo gallery. ¡°Unbelievable, heavenly, to see such a badass boss-looking figure in Bruce, I¡¯m starting to think this is all a dream.¡± ¡°Post a video fast; it¡¯s definitely going to blow up on the trending page. When you go viral, remember to help me find a boyfriend.¡± The two laughed and joked as they quickly edited a photo montage and posted it to the short video platform. As it turned out, the power of a handsome man was immense, and that of a super handsome man was explosive. Within five minutes of posting on the platform, the photos had already attracted a mass of attention. In the photo, through the misty rain, Shu Wan stood in the shadows, clutching her coffee. Although her features were not clearly visible, the pure and peerless quality of her presence almost burst through the screen. Fu Siyu stood in front of her, holding an umbrella with one hand and a tissue in the other, gently wiping the dirt off her coat. Chapter 68 - 68 53 Fiery_2 ?Chapter 68: Chapter 53 Fiery_2 Chapter 68: Chapter 53 Fiery_2 A beam of light from the stained-glass church window cast down, perfectly outlining his sculpted, statuesque features. Even as he bent over, the aura of authority around Fu Siyu did not diminish one bit. In one photo, it seemed Fu Siyu noticed the distant camera, his eyes slightly lifting, a gaze fit for a king. [Saved a big one, there really are overbearing CEOs like in the novels! Who is getting ready to kill with looks?] [Hit the jackpot, who is this CEO and his delicate wife? Although I can¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face clearly, she must definitely be a super beauty no doubt.] [So charming, do men like this really only exist in comics and novels? A high-ranker bows down for love, ahhhh ahhh, novel translated into reality!!! The background looks like Bruce¡¯s, could I still fly to Bruce overnight?] Even just a side profile, a blurred silhouette, this novel-like scene still sparked a heated discussion across the internet. In the developed internet age, everyone thought it should be easy to find someone, but despite searching, they couldn¡¯t find any information about the man. Soon, people began to question the authenticity of the image. ¡°According to the suit the man is wearing, it¡¯s the work of a world-renowned fashion designer. Being able to wear a suit personally designed by such a master, there are no more than two hundred people in the entire world. I just looked it up, and it seems there¡¯s no such person.¡± [I feel like it¡¯s a fake image, probably AI-generated. I don¡¯t believe there are men that handsome in this world, if he was, he¡¯d be famous already.] [Forget it, if it¡¯s fake, it¡¯s fake, but I¡¯m still obsessed. No way does such a perfect face exist in the real world, only in animation.] [Okay, I declare him as my animated husband now, tonight I¡¯ll choose this husband¡¯s face to play out a big drama of a CEO chasing his delicate wife.] As quick as the internet hype came, it went, declared as a fake photo by many netizens, the buzz around Fu Siyu and Shu Wan¡¯s photo gradually subsided. But due to the composition and the attractiveness of the figures, some anime fans regarded it as a legendary image. Some businesses, capturing this wave of enthusiasm, even toyed with the idea of using the photo commercially. All this turmoil, naturally, was unbeknownst to Shu Wan and Fu Siyu. By then, they had already returned to the ancient castle. After drinking coffee and eating their fill of desserts, Shu Wan felt sleepy. It was getting late, and after saying goodbye to Fu Siyu, Shu Wan returned to her bedroom to sleep. However, before going to bed, Shu Wan had another task. She made a video call to Fu Yang. Fu Yang obviously wouldn¡¯t accept it, and even arrogantly hung up, provoking Shu Wan¡¯s discipline. Unperturbed, Shu Wan sent Fu Yang a photo, and within three seconds, Fu Yang initiated a video call back to Shu Wan. On the call, Fu Yang leaned against a corner, the background filled with harsh metal music; colorful lights intertwined, shining on Fu Yang¡¯s face as he held a bottle, swaying it and archly raising his eyebrows at Shu Wan, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°You¡¯re at the bar?¡± ¡°Otherwise?¡± Fu Yang tilted his head back, and half the bottle¡¯s contents were gone at once. His face flushed as if drunk, his eyes half-closed, his collar slightly open revealing some lipstick marks. Shu Wan frowned slightly, just about to say something but stopped herself, instead, she brought up another topic, ¡°Those shoes, your dad says he¡¯ll buy them for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about them.¡± Fu Yang snorted, ¡°He¡¯s just pretending to be nice. I won¡¯t accept it; let¡¯s not talk anymore, there are many beautiful girls tonight, don¡¯t delay my dancing.¡± Then, Fu Yang cut the call. The music was still loud, the lights still flashing, but the setting wasn¡¯t a bar at all, it was Fu Yang¡¯s bedroom. He grabbed a wet wipe to remove the red marks on his neck, reached out to turn off the colorful lights. After a moment, Fu Yang cursed under his breath, ¡°Damn, I should¡¯ve just gone to a real bar, why am I faking this.¡± Though he said this, Fu Yang didn¡¯t move, attributing it to being too tired to go out that day. Yes, that was it, Fu Yang successfully convinced himself. On the other side, looking at the hung-up black screen, Shu Wan smiled helplessly, then set her phone aside, ready to sleep. She had been quite sleepy earlier, but now, lying on the soft bed, her sleepiness seemed to fade away a bit. Chapter 69 - 69 53 Fiery_3 ?Chapter 69: Chapter 53 Fiery_3 Chapter 69: Chapter 53 Fiery_3 From the second-floor balcony, Shu Wan could see the rooftops of the nearby Imperial Palace and the dazzling lights within. Shu Wan picked up her phone, took a picture of the night view, and then posted it to a short video platform, quickly attracting a large crowd of fans. ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t that the Royal Castle over by Bruce? Rich lady, do you need a leg ornament? Can you spare me a leg hair, rich lady?¡± ¡°Ah! My wife is actually in Europe, too. Honey, stick close, I want to know what my wife looks like.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to be rich; they get the best views. You can even see the rooftops of the Imperial Palace.¡± Everyone was curious about Shu Wan¡¯s identity and how she could afford to stay in such a high-end hotel, though a few people had wild guesses. ¡°The couple from that popular novel are in Bruce right now. The blogger couldn¡¯t possibly be the heroine from that photo, could she?¡± But since the speculation was too outrageous, the comment was quickly submerged in the sea of other comments. Shu Wan read the comments for a while, browsed the short video platform a little more and, as sleepiness took over, soon fell asleep. At this time, in the study, Fu Siyu was still in a video meeting. ¡°My dear Young Master Fu, you¡¯ve left me to tire myself out,¡± a handsome man with peach blossom eyes complained mournfully on the screen, ¡°Where on earth have you gone? What happened?¡± ¡°Bruce.¡± ¡°Bruce,¡± the man with peach blossom eyes murmured, then suddenly remembered something, ¡°No way, that mysterious photo that¡¯s gone viral¡ªit couldn¡¯t really be you, could it? At first, I thought it just looked like you.¡± After all, no matter how you looked at it, Fu Siyu didn¡¯t seem like he would stand next to a woman. Ah, right, a woman¡ªthe man suddenly widened his eyes, ¡°Fu Siyu! You couldn¡¯t possibly be in love, could you?! Who is this amazing person who has made our Young Master Fu bend his proud stance?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so nosy. Did you get done what I asked you to do?¡± ¡°Do you even have to ask if you can trust me?¡± the man chuckled, ¡°Come on, spill it. Who¡¯s this incredible person capable of making the inaccessible flower bow down?¡± Fu Siyu cut off the video, leaving the man perplexed in front of his computer. ¡°Cheh, that¡¯s not very nice,¡± the man grumbled, then blew up the photo taken by netizens, ¡°Too bad, you can¡¯t see the face; this paparazzi skill is just awful.¡± The night grew deeper, and the rain hadn¡¯t stopped, with the relentless drizzle shrouding the entire sky in a blanket of mist. The next day, when Shu Wan got up, she thought it was still early, but to her surprise, it was already 9 a.m. local time. Shu Wan hurriedly got ready and went downstairs. Fu Siyu was still sitting in the living room, looking over documents, calm and collected. ¡°I slept in,¡± Shu Wan thought of the scheduled time with the film crew, ¡°I need to leave now.¡± ¡°No rush.¡± Fu Siyu put down the documents, his gaze deep, exuding a calming strength that settled everything, ¡°I¡¯ve already checked for you. It¡¯s about twenty minutes from here to the filming location, ten minutes for you to get ready, so you have half an hour left. You can sit down and have a good breakfast.¡± Amid the unsettlement of the unknown, Shu Wan felt calmed by Fu Siyu¡¯s orderly arrangements. Shu Wan set down her bag, walked to the dining table, and sat down, sincerely exclaiming, ¡°Fu Siyu, it¡¯s really great to have you around.¡± Unfortunately, Fu Siyu wasn¡¯t the kind of man who would take orders from someone else. Otherwise, what an assistant he would make, just to handle her affairs¡ªthat would save her so much trouble. In a past life, Shu Wan had always wanted to find a perfect Think Tank to work with, but alas, she never met one. She had indeed met one in the modern era, but he would definitely not be an assistant to anyone. Of course, Fu Siyu had no idea what Shu Wan was thinking. It was just that her comment made his eyes light up slightly, ¡°Well, I¡¯m quite honored.¡± Shu Wan smiled at him, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Sigh, such a capable person with such meticulousness, it¡¯s a pity he couldn¡¯t work for her. Breakfast was still a mix of Western and Eastern cuisine. Shu Wan ate half Eastern, half Western, and then finished with a cup of tea. ¡°Okay, I need to go. You take your time,¡± Shu Wan wanted to head over earlier, so she put down her cup and got up to leave. ¡°Alright, the driver will take you.¡± Fu Siyu accompanied Shu Wan to the garden and waited until the car drove out of the castle before turning around and heading back inside. He didn¡¯t continue with his breakfast either, returning instead to the study to prepare for the day¡¯s meetings. ¡°Did you see that? That woman from the East was using chopsticks to eat spaghetti. My God, it¡¯s so tacky. How can someone not have eaten Western food before?¡± ¡°And she didn¡¯t drink milk, but tea, that bitter and astringent leaf water¡ªso undrinkable. I really don¡¯t know why the boss is so nice to her.¡± ... In front of an ancient building on West Street, Shu Wan had arrived. She glanced at the address in the email and walked straight in. Unfortunately, she was stopped at the entrance, ¡°Do you know where you are? You¡¯re not allowed in without an invitation.¡± Chapter 70 - 70 54 Goddess ?Chapter 70: Chapter 54 Goddess Chapter 70: Chapter 54 Goddess Before she came here, Fu Siyu had given Shu Wan a translator. Shu Wan glanced at the text on the screen converted from spoken language, then handed the email to a staff member, ¡°I¡¯m here to act in a movie.¡± The staff member sneered with a look that said they were examining a liar, ¡°Do you know who the director of our movie is? Mei Long, a globally top-rated director. How could he possibly let a person from Hua Country act in a movie?¡± Hearing the staff member¡¯s words, Shu Wan felt a bit uncomfortable, but she didn¡¯t argue too much, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you let me meet the director, and we¡¯ll know?¡± ¡°Every year, thousands of people use the same excuse to try to meet Director Mei. I advise you to give up on this idea. If you continue to persist, I¡¯ll have to call the police.¡± Having come all the way to Bruce, Shu Wan still wanted to try her hardest, ¡°Just give the email to the director for me.¡± ¡°Someone come quick, there¡¯s trouble here!¡± The staff member treated Shu Wan as if she was there to cause a commotion, directly calling security over. A group of tall and strong men, nearly two meters in height, quickly surrounded Shu Wan. Shu Wan looked at them coldly, contemplating whether to just leave or to try one more time. As the standoff was taking place, no one noticed a car slowly driving by the street corner. Thick smoke drifted leisurely out of the car window. ¡°Director Mei, there¡¯s only one role left to cast, and it¡¯s only on screen for ten seconds. It doesn¡¯t have to be that demanding, right? As long as they look good, that should be fine.¡± The man referred to as Director Mei had white, curly hair, and his beard nearly covered half of his face, with his eyes shining bright. He frowned, ¡°If a movie doesn¡¯t focus on the details, then what¡¯s the point of making a movie!¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right in your reprimand,¡± said the staff member, passing a book called the Eastern Stars Collection to Mei Long, ¡°These are some people from the Eastern World who meet your requirements. Could you take a look and see if any are suitable?¡± Mei Long flipped through the book, his frown deepening, ¡°This isn¡¯t the vibe at all.¡± The staff member was close to despair and asked carefully, ¡°Could you please specify what kind of vibe you¡¯re looking for?¡± Mei Long took a puff of his cigarette, and images of female figures from Eastern literature he had read floated in his mind, ¡°Just¡ª¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence; his gaze suddenly fixated outside the window, ¡°Stop the car!¡± At that moment, in front of the film company¡¯s entrance, Shu Wan hesitated only briefly before deciding to push back. The invitation was from this company, the cooperation had been signed before¡ªshe had every right to be here. Why shouldn¡¯t she be allowed in? Shu Wan moved her wrist, about to take action, when suddenly a strong smell of smoke hit her nostrils. ¡°Wow, an Eastern Goddess! You¡¯re exactly what I¡¯ve been looking for!¡± Shu Wan turned her head and saw a disheveled, bearded middle-aged man. Although he appeared ordinary, Shu Wan knew that this man was the globally acclaimed Mei Long. Shu Wan lowered her guard and nodded slightly to Director Mei, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello, are you here for the audition? Let¡¯s go inside and talk in detail.¡± Director Mei was exceptionally excited and immediately went to embrace Shu Wan. Shu Wan knew this was a foreign custom, but she still couldn¡¯t quite accept it, instinctively stepping back to avoid the director¡¯s embrace. ¡°I understand, you¡¯re from Hua Country, reserved, very good.¡± Director Mei wasn¡¯t annoyed; he simply smiled and invited Shu Wan inside. Shu Wan followed him to a reception room, where a staff member brought over two cups of coffee. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± Shu Wan sat down, directly pulling up the email to show to Director Mei Long, ¡°Do you remember, three years ago, you sent an invitation to a girl in Imperial City?¡± Director Mei Long was momentarily stunned as distant memories suddenly resurfaced. Three years ago, he visited Imperial City. On the eve of his departure, he encountered a student. The student was dressed in a white dress, with long hair draped over her shoulders, barefaced and astonishingly beautiful. Yet that beauty was featureless, solely an extreme of loveliness without depth or substance. At that time, Director Mei Long had already started preparing for his current movie, and the Shu Wan of back then wasn¡¯t within his scope of consideration. But her face was truly too beautiful, beautiful as an exquisite piece of art, so much so that even Director Mei Long couldn¡¯t help but make an exception and issued her an invitation. And this invitation, three years later, brought Director Mei Long an immense surprise. Because the Shu Wan before him, aside from her facial features, had become thousands of times more beautiful than before. It was a radiance emanating from the depths of the soul, dazzling enough to shake one¡¯s heart. This was precisely what Director Mei Long had been searching for, a person who could represent the image of an Eastern goddess. ¡°Great, when are you available? Let¡¯s shoot your scenes.¡± Having finally found an actress so suited to his vision, Director Mei Long was so excited he wished he could start shooting immediately. Even though the entire crew wasn¡¯t ready to start filming yet. ¡°Can we do it today?¡± Knowing she had only a small part, Shu Wan estimated filming would take at most half a day, ¡°I¡¯m planning to return to my country tomorrow.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Director Mei Long hesitated briefly, then agreed, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll personally shoot your part, come on, I¡¯ll take you to the studio.¡± The crew was scheduled to start work in three days, and although the set was filled with various pieces of equipment, there were scarcely any crew members present. Director Mei Long asked Shu Wan to read the script while he called the stylist and the makeup artist, instructing them to come over immediately. Speaking of the script, Shu Wan hardly had any lines at all. The movie was mainly about a Western fantasy. On the eve of the world¡¯s collapse, the hero learns from a witch that if he could gather five Light Gems, he would possess the power to save the world. These five gems were scattered across the globe. After overcoming countless difficulties to find four gems and being chased by villainous creatures, the hero accidentally enters Kunlun Mountain in the East and is saved by a mysterious goddess. After hearing their tale, the goddess sacrifices herself to become the final gem, helping the hero and his comrades defeat the creatures. Throughout the entire process, Shu Wan only needed to say two lines, ¡°Who dares to trespass this sacred place?¡± ¡°Enough, take it then.¡± To play the part well, one must first understand the character¡¯s image and emotions. Shu Wan¡¯s understanding of the goddess was of someone detached and cold but also compassionate at heart. Her exterior would be icy, but her gaze must carry the tenderness that encompasses the world. During the styling phase, Shu Wan flat-out rejected the costume the stylist prepared for her and disagreed with the makeup artist¡¯s work, ¡°A goddess from the Eastern World is not like this.¡± The stylist and the makeup artist were upset, but Director Mei Long simply waved them off and then looked towards Shu Wan, ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± Chapter 71 - 71 55 Embroidery ?Chapter 71: Chapter 55 Embroidery Chapter 71: Chapter 55 Embroidery By this time, the staff had already brought over the pen, and Shu Wan quickly drew a detailed diagram of the Flowing Immortal Bun hairstyle, followed by a Flowing Immortal Dress. ¡°It should look like this,¡± Shu Wan said to the director, ¡°this is what truly fits the image of a traditional Hua Country Goddess.¡± Director Mei Long had indeed read some of Hua Country¡¯s literary works, but when it came to truly understanding them, he was still at a loss. Although Shu Wan had already drawn very clear diagrams, without seeing the actual items, Director Mei Long dared not make any rash decisions. He looked towards the stylists nearby, ¡°What do you think?¡± Director Mei Long¡¯s intention was to seek the opinions of professionals, yet he didn¡¯t know that these two harbored latent discrimination against Hua Country. In response to the director¡¯s question, the two exchanged glances, then looked at Shu Wan disdainfully, ¡°We¡¯re gold-medal stylists, how could we not know how to do Hua Country¡¯s ancient costumes?? This lady is simply ridiculous.¡± ¡°Rose, don¡¯t be so impolite,¡± Director Mei Long didn¡¯t have these unfounded biases, and he felt these two were very rude to Shu Wan, ¡°Are you saying you can¡¯t create these styles?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t create them, they¡¯re just plain ugly,¡± the stylists scoffed at Shu Wan¡¯s drawings, ¡°Hua Country¡¯s clothing is all plain colors, it¡¯s too tacky to add so many patterns like you did, how can it possibly look good.¡± At this point, the ever-silent Shu Wan finally spoke up, ¡°What if I can make it work?¡± ¡°Impossible to look good.¡± ¡°Then do you dare to bet with me?¡± Shu Wan calmly stared at the two in front of her. Europeans are often taller and larger than Hua Country people, and at this moment, despite being nearly half a head shorter, Shu Wan¡¯s presence completely dominated the other two. ¡°Of course,¡± they didn¡¯t take Shu Wan seriously at all. ¡°Fine, then let¡¯s meet here at this time tomorrow and see whose design looks better,¡± Shu Wan said, looking at Mei Long, ¡°What do you think, Director?¡± ¡°I have no problem with that,¡± as long as Shu Wan was willing to shoot, he could wait. ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll be going now, see you tomorrow.¡± Having said that, Shu Wan picked up her bag and left. ¡°Director, why would you hire a Hua Country person for your movie? They simply can¡¯t act.¡± ¡°Exactly, so thin and small, with no presence at all. It¡¯s her own fault she can¡¯t carry the styles we make, how dare she push all the blame onto us.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s feet hadn¡¯t even stepped out of the door yet, and the two behind her had already begun to gossip. With a reprimand from the director, their voices gradually quieted. Shu Wan didn¡¯t pay any attention to them, she just walked straight out of the building, got in her car, and prepared to return to the castle to alter clothing. In the castle¡¯s study, Fu Siyu was holding a meeting with subordinates, arranging the work after his departure from North America. As the meeting was nearing its conclusion, Fu Siyu, who had been giving orders, suddenly lifted his head and looked out the window. Then, Fu Siyu announced the meeting had ended and stood up to leave immediately. This was a rare occurrence for Fu Siyu. Even when the world was in financial crisis and subsidiary companies were incurring losses of tens of billions, it didn¡¯t interfere with Fu Siyu¡¯s work reports from subordinates. Therefore, seeing Fu Siyu¡¯s reaction now, everyone¡¯s first thought was, could there be something more serious than the financial crisis of those years? Downstairs in the living room, just as Shu Wan stepped through the front door, Fu Siyu came down from the staircase holding a cup, surprised to see Shu Wan, ¡°You¡¯re back so early?¡± ¡°Could you help me find a place like a tailor¡¯s shop?¡± Fu Siyu didn¡¯t inquire why Shu Wan needed a tailor¡¯s shop; he simply nodded his head, ¡°Sure, shall I take you now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The city of Bruce is close to the famous city of romance and the cradle of fashion, hence, the artistic atmosphere here is very strong. Shu Wan was unfamiliar with Bruce, in fact, there are many fashion design companies throughout the city. And the place Fu Siyu brought Shu Wan to was a private couture shop hidden within a bell tower. Shu Wan may not understand foreign design styles, but as soon as she entered, seeing the garments, materials, and patterns hanging at the entrance, she could tell that the level here was very high. Seeing customers come in, the staff quickly approached to inquire, ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± Fu Siyu handed over a business card, ¡°I¡¯m here to see Master Mongnai.¡± The staff member glanced at the business card and immediately adopted a much more respectful demeanor, ¡°Please follow me.¡± The staff member led Fu Siyu and Shu Wan deeper inside, through showroom after showroom, until finally stopping at the entrance to a somewhat cluttered workshop, ¡°Boss, Mr. Fu is here to see you.¡± Chapter 72 - 72 55 Embroidery_2 ?Chapter 72: Chapter 55 Embroidery_2 Chapter 72: Chapter 55 Embroidery_2 Soon, an elderly gentleman with snow-white hair yet bursting with energy came out, ¡°What kind of wind blew today, for Mr. Fu to grace us with his presence.¡± This was the globally renowned master of fashion design, Mongnai. Two years ago, he had announced his retirement from the forefront and would only take specific orders annually. Due to past acquaintances, he now custom-made garments exclusively for Fu Siyu. Fu Siyu nodded slightly at him, then introduced Shu Wan, ¡°This is my wife.¡± ¡°She¡¯s beautiful.¡± As a top-tier fashion designer, Mongnai had seen countless beauties, but upon seeing Shu Wan, his eyes still lit up, ¡°Your wife is really stunning, an Eastern Muse indeed.¡± Shu Wan smiled faintly, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± After greeting Shu Wan, Mongnai then asked the purpose of their visit, ¡°Are you here to make clothes for the esteemed Madam today?¡± ¡°No,¡± Fu Siyu took over the conversation. ¡°My wife has a filming tomorrow, and she needs your help to make her a dress.¡± ¡°Alright, any particular requests?¡± Not to mention Fu Siyu coming to him for help, with Shu Wan¡¯s beauty and figure, any designer would dream of such an inspiration, and Mongnai was no exception. Fu Siyu looked at Shu Wan, ¡°You can make as many requests as you like.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan opened up the design she had drawn earlier at the Shadow Cutting studio, ¡°I need a dress like this.¡± In her previous life, Shu Wan was accustomed to ink painting, so even at the Shadow Cutting studio, she had drawn in ink, unable to fully represent many colors. However, Mongnai had the most comprehensive collection of fabric types and colors in the world. Shu Wan showed Mongnai the design while explaining the colors of fabrics she needed. Mongnai listened attentively; he was a true master of design, able to imagine the finished product from Shu Wan¡¯s description. Initially, Mongnai thought Shu Wan just wanted a normal dress, but as he listened, his eyes began to sparkle, ¡°This color combination is gorgeous! Madam, you are truly a genius.¡± ¡°Can it be done by tomorrow?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Mongnai nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll start now, and if you have any suggestions, you can tell me directly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mongnai thought that Shu Wan wanted to follow him to ensure he followed the design on the paper, but he never anticipated that she wanted to help make the dress. And observing Shu Wan¡¯s methods, though different from Western tailoring techniques, exhibited a unique system. ¡°Madam Fu, what technique is this?¡± Mongnai was surprised. ¡°It leaves no traces of cutting.¡± ¡°Shadow Cutting,¡± Shu Wan responded as she selected fabrics. In her previous life, Shu Wan had both strategized military formations and studied embroidery. She didn¡¯t see the need to separate the two. She learned military formations because she wanted to see a broader world, and she studied embroidery because the beauty of a sophisticated lady was equally touching. Smart as she was, under the full guidance of a Jiangnan embroidery master, Shu Wan¡¯s level of embroidery and craftsmanship was quite superb. ¡°Impressive,¡± Mongnai praised. At that moment, his praise was only for Shu Wan¡¯s tailoring skills, but later, as the entire dress took shape and Shu Wan began embroidering personally, even the well-versed Mongnai was astonished. Traditional Hua Country embroidery was quite famous in the fashion design community, and traces of it were present in many of Mongnai¡¯s designs. His design team included several embroidery masters from Hua Country. Though he thought their skills were superior, upon seeing Shu Wan use six threads for embroidery, her fingers fluttering like a dancing butterfly, Mongnai couldn¡¯t help but look towards Fu Siyu standing beside him, ¡°Mr. Fu, your wife has the greatest embroidery skills I have ever seen, surely she is an exceptional designer, isn¡¯t she?¡± Fu Siyu didn¡¯t speak; his gaze was fixed on Shu Wan. With her hair simply tied up, Shu Wan sat in front of the fabric, patiently embroidering auspicious clouds, mountains, rivers, stars, and the sea with a faint, nearly invisible fine thread into the dress. The light poured down on her face from above, momentarily isolating her and the background. Around her, a delicate Jiangnan mist seemed to envelop her, gently revealing the secrets of flowing time. Shu Wan¡¯s movements were swift, but to embroider the entire dress with the patterns she required still took a considerable amount of time. Mongnai stayed with Shu Wan into the night, readying all necessary materials. Although he wanted to stay and watch Shu Wan, given his age, he couldn¡¯t keep up. As midnight approached, Mongnai finally gave in, ¡°I¡¯ll go rest for a bit, come find me if you need anything.¡± Shu Wan looked up, nodding at Mongnai, ¡°Alright, you go rest.¡± After Mongnai left, Shu Wan checked the time and realized nearly eight hours had passed. She glanced at Fu Siyu, who was sitting on a nearby sofa, ¡°Perhaps you should go back first, I might be working until tomorrow morning.¡± Fu Siyu slightly tilted his head, his eyes deep. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t leave you alone in an unfamiliar place; don¡¯t worry about me, continue your work.¡± Though Shu Wan was not afraid to be alone, having Fu Siyu stay indeed alleviated much loneliness. She smiled, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Fu Siyu was genuinely considerate, and Shu Wan did not fuss further, lowering her head to continue her meticulous work. The night grew dense like water, meandering slowly through the ancient city streets until dawn¡¯s first light dispersed the pre-dawn darkness, painting clock tower spires golden. With the final piece of cloud pattern secured, Shu Wan finally put down her needle and thread. The dress was completed. Chapter 73 - 73 56 Completion ?Chapter 73: Chapter 56 Completion Chapter 73: Chapter 56 Completion ¡°Is it ready?¡± Fu Siyu¡¯s voice came from behind her. Shu Wan turned in surprise, ¡°Haven¡¯t you gone back?¡± ¡°No, I went and bought some breakfast.¡± Fu Siyu raised his arm, holding a bunch of food in his hand, ¡°Now that it¡¯s done, let¡¯s eat something first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After a night of intense work, Shu Wan was indeed very hungry. She took the breakfast from Fu Siyu¡¯s hand and started eating with a small steamed bun. Even though they were in a foreign land, Fu Siyu managed to bring her steamed buns that tasted just like those from Imperial City, which rather surprised Shu Wan, ¡°Do they sell steamed buns here as well?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Fu Siyu nodded slightly, but did not tell Shu Wan that the chef who made the steamed buns had just come from Imperial City yesterday afternoon. While Shu Wan was eating, Fu Siyu walked over to the finished costume and scrutinized it closely. Even someone as composed as Fu Siyu couldn¡¯t help but express his admiration, ¡°Your embroidery skills are unmatched; truly impressive.¡± The embroidery work on this dress would take about a week for a skilled embroidery woman to complete, but Shu Wan had done it overnight. And with such efficiency, the quality was still exceptionally high. The entire dress was based on white, the cuts were seamless, appearing naturally formed, with every edge of the fabric bordered by light-colored gold thread. As a result, even though the dress was white, it didn¡¯t feel bland, but rather exuded a kind of lofty dignity, befitting of a Goddess. Of course, the most exquisite aspect of the whole dress was Shu Wan¡¯s embroidery. The traditional costumes of Hua Country inherently have many layers, and too much embroidery can make the whole outfit look bulky. But Shu Wan used an almost invisible, extremely fine silk thread, so even though she filled the entire hem with embroidery, it did not reduce the dress¡¯s lightness. The embroidery was multicolored, and at a glance, there seemed to be more than twenty different shades. If the colors were not matched well, this multitude would be a disaster. But Shu Wan, with her superb skills, harmoniously integrated all the colors. On this dress, one could see rushing mountains and rivers, towering peaks, drifting clouds, and endless starry skies. All elements combined without any sense of abruptness, instead coexisting harmoniously, creating a stunning visual masterpiece. This truly was a dress befitting a Goddess, blessed by heaven, commanding awe and reverence. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s eyes curved slightly; she was indeed very satisfied with this dress. In her former life, although Shu Wan¡¯s skills were excellent, she was constrained by the rather backward conditions of the time: the types and colors of fabrics couldn¡¯t compare with even a fraction of modern options. Now, whenever she wanted, she could render a design in its most perfect form. ¡°Do you mind if I accompany you to the filming?¡± Fu Siyu rarely made a request, ¡°The dress is beautiful, and I would like to see how it looks when it¡¯s finally worn.¡± Shu Wan paused for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Of course, that makes you my first audience.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡± Fu Siyu walked over and helped Shu Wan open a can of milk. However, just as he handed her the milk, his gaze paused. Because on Shu Wan¡¯s hands were many tiny wounds. Shu Wan was highly skilled, but completing such a large volume of work in such a short time was a great challenge for her. In her rush to make progress, Shu Wan had been pricked by the needle many times. Somehow, looking at the wounds on Shu Wan¡¯s hands, Fu Siyu felt as if his own heart was being pricked by the needles, tinged with a dull ache. Chapter 74 - 74 57 Arrival ?Chapter 74: Chapter 57: Arrival Chapter 74: Chapter 57: Arrival ¡°Your hand,¡± Fu Siyu slightly furrowed his brows, ¡°I¡¯ve asked someone to send over some medicine.¡± Shu Wan lowered her head to glance at her hand, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious.¡± But Fu Siyu didn¡¯t think so; he made a call to his assistant, and very soon, the assistant brought the medicine over. ¡°Let me help you disinfect it,¡± said Fu Siyu, reaching for the disinfectant spray. Shu Wan waved her hand nonchalantly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, you go ahead with your work, I can do it myself.¡± Saying that, Shu Wan took the disinfectant spray and swiftly disinfected the wound. Then she squeezed out a bit of ointment and applied it with extremely practiced hands. Watching her, Fu Siyu suddenly remarked, ¡°Your technique is as practiced as someone who gets injured often.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained calm, ¡°These things happen often when practicing embroidery.¡± But in truth, Shu Wan was used to all sorts of injuries from previous martial arts training and combat. She had not been highly skilled in martial arts from the start, and as a woman, she had an innate disadvantage compared to her male peers in training. At Bailu Academy, Shu Wan had disguised herself as a man. Because of her short stature and delicate appearance, other students would often target her. They were ruthless during sparring sessions, and Shu Wan couldn¡¯t even count the number of times she was injured before ultimately coming out on top in the academy¡¯s competition. Regarding Shu Wan¡¯s explanation, Fu Siyu neither agreed nor disagreed, ¡°Hmm.¡± As for whether he believed her, that was his own concern. After applying the medicine, Shu Wan packed her clothes, ¡°Let¡¯s go find the director now.¡± They hadn¡¯t even stepped out of the workshop when Mongnai came running over, gasping for breath. ¡°Wait for me, wait for me, can you take me with you?¡± Mongnai looked at the garment bag in Fu Siyu¡¯s hand, ¡°I also want to see the final effect of this outfit.¡± Logically, a master of Mongnai¡¯s caliber wouldn¡¯t usually get so excited over a single piece of clothing. But after hearing Shu Wan¡¯s ideas last night and witnessing her unique aura, he simply couldn¡¯t imagine what the final result would look like. He was too curious. Fu Siyu turned to Shu Wan, ¡°That¡¯s up to my wife.¡± Mongnai looked at Shu Wan with anticipation, and she replied with a bit of amusement, ¡°Why not, of course you can.¡± ¡°Good, good, good.¡± Mongnai followed the two happily, heading to Director Mei Long¡¯s company. Outside the filming location, Director Mei Long had already arrived and was currently arguing angrily with a stylist, ¡°You¡¯re being too petty. She only suggested a better idea; she didn¡¯t dismiss yours.¡± ¡°Sorry, Director, but we refuse to style her. In any case, work has not started yet, and we aren¡¯t required to be here.¡± The opposition was firm, blatantly ignoring Director Mei Long¡¯s requests and refusing to style Shu Wan. Director Mei Long, blowing his beard and glaring with anger, was about to say something else when he saw Shu Wan approaching. He quickly hung up the phone and suppressed his anger. ¡°Director,¡± Shu Wan walked ahead and greeted Director Mei Long first. Then she introduced Fu Siyu and Mongnai, ¡°These two are my friends who accompanied me here.¡± Director Mei Long obviously knew who Mongnai was, and his eyes practically lit up instantly, ¡°Master Mongnai, it has been so many years.¡± ¡°It has indeed.¡± Mongnai smiled and embraced Director Mei Long, ¡°Long time no see.¡± Director Mei Long was originally frustrated about the stylist¡¯s absence, but his heart settled down the moment he saw Mongnai. Having one Mongnai was worth more than ten million styling teams. After greeting Mongnai, Director Mei Long then turned his gaze to Fu Siyu. He didn¡¯t recognize the man from Hua Country before him; however, he could feel the powerful aura emanating from him. Director Mei Long greeted Fu Siyu in a friendly manner; Fu Siyu nodded lightly, a gesture of aloofness from someone in a high position. Perhaps it was because Fu Siyu¡¯s presence was so commanding, Director Mei Long couldn¡¯t muster even a hint of irritation. He looked towards Mongnai, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Lady Shu to be your friend. Are you styling her today?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Mongnai laughed and waved his hand dismissively, ¡°You give me too much credit; I just don¡¯t have that level of skill.¡± ¡°But the stylist for my shoot ran into some issues and might not make it,¡± Director Mei Long said with an uneasy expression, ¡°How about this, we wait for my team to arrive, then we shoot?¡± ¡°No need, let¡¯s do it today,¡± Shu Wan suddenly spoke up, her gaze fixed on the director, ¡°The Goddess doesn¡¯t need makeup; managing the light changes will be sufficient.¡± In certain situations, the natural look indeed worked better for specific characters. However, the role of the Eastern Goddess that Shu Wan was supposed to play required a stunning appearance right from the entrance. Although Shu Wan was truly beautiful, the director remained apprehensive, ¡°This...¡± ¡°Mei Long, just give her a chance,¡± Mongnai interjected, and though he had only known Shu Wan for a short time, he felt an exceptional trust in her. ¡°Since you say so, then okay, go change into your outfit, and let¡¯s try it out afterwards.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shu Wan responded and headed straight to the fitting room. She had walked quite a distance before the director remembered, ¡°Hey, wait; your costume is still in the workshop, go get it first.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she brought her costume,¡± Mongnai assured him. ¡°Ah?¡± Director Mei Long asked, puzzled, ¡°What costume?¡± Mongnai just smiled and remained silent, looking forward to the direction Shu Wan had left with great anticipation. Who was Mongnai to be trifled with? When he became famous in the global fashion scene, Director Mei Long was just a rookie in the film industry. Seeing Mongnai admire someone like this sparked Director Mei Long¡¯s curiosity. As Shu Wan took longer than expected, Director Mei Long had someone bring a few chairs for everyone to rest. As a director, he had zero resistance to absolute beauty and charisma. Watching Fu Siyu, who sat quietly with his hands gently clasped, Director Mei Long couldn¡¯t help glancing over several times; eventually, he couldn¡¯t resist and quietly asked Mongnai, ¡°Is he interested in acting in one of my films? This aura, it¡¯s just so rare.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a tough one,¡± Mongnai replied with a smile and a shake of his head, ¡°Don¡¯t set your sights on him if you still want to make movies.¡± Though the words were severe, coming from Mongnai, Director Mei Long didn¡¯t doubt their truth for a moment. His heart chilled, he instinctively glanced at Fu Siyu again and met his deep gaze; he didn¡¯t dare look his way any longer. As time ticked slowly by, Shu Wan still hadn¡¯t reappeared, and Director Mei Long was growing impatient, ¡°Maybe I should have someone check on her; this delay, could something have happened?¡± No sooner had he spoken than the fitting room door flew open. Watching Shu Wan slowly emerge, Director Mei Long felt a roar in his ears as if struck by lightning, he stood frozen in place. Chapter 75 - 75 58 Date ?Chapter 75: Chapter 58: Date Chapter 75: Chapter 58: Date Even though Director Mei Long held four Oscars for Best Picture, countless divine shots had emerged from his camera. At this moment, however, Director Mei Long felt that the scene before him surpassed all the frames he had ever been proud of. Shu Wan¡¯s beauty, with her naturally rosy, unmade-up face, black eyebrows, and lightly red lips, was the perfect embellishment. With a simple jade hairpin, she had styled her hair into a Flowing Immortal Bun, her long hair cascading down her back, exuding poetry. This garment, stunning even just by hanging there, finally came to life when worn by Shu Wan. Plain yet noble, as she moved, the dark gold threads sparkled faintly in the sunlight, making Shu Wan seem like a goddess descended to earth. As she walked, the mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, and stars on her skirt shimmered with the movement, as if the entire universe was moving with the goddess¡¯s steps. It was as if all things in the universe came to life following the goddess¡¯s movements. Heaven and man coexist, this was the most vivid concept of a goddess in Eastern culture. Although the skirt was stunningly beautiful, it did not steal any light from Shu Wan; instead, it served as an elegant enhancement to her noble and graceful aura that reached out to everyone. Director Mei Long didn¡¯t know much about Eastern culture, but at that moment, Shu Wan made him believe that this was what a goddess looked like. ¡°How beautiful,¡± Mongnai knew the final result would be good, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this good. He looked at Director Mei Long with emotion, ¡°You¡¯ve really found a gem this time.¡± Director Mei Long was so excited that he ran to the camera and took control himself, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s shoot now.¡± Shu Wan¡¯s scene was simple to shoot; with her 360-degree flawless beauty and her innate understanding of the character, if hurried, the shooting could be completed within an hour. But Shu Wan gave the director so much inspiration that he kept holding onto her, switching from one set of shots to another. He continued shooting until noon and still didn¡¯t want to let Shu Wan go. Until Fu Siyu stood up, handed Shu Wan a bottle of water, and said, ¡°Tired yet?¡± Okay, the director got the hint. Reluctantly setting down the camera, Director Mei Long said, ¡°We¡¯ve put Lady Shu through a lot today, you performed excellently, and I believe the film will stun everyone once it¡¯s released.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Shu Wan smiled slightly at the director, ¡°Then we¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the director replied, then called out to Shu Wan, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s exchange contact information; who knows if there might be another collaboration in the future?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shu Wan and the director exchanged contact information. She had intended to leave wearing the costume, but the director reminded her that she couldn¡¯t reveal any related information before the film¡¯s release. Regretfully, she had to change back into her own clothes. After all, Shu Wan grew up immersed in ancient culture. Although she didn¡¯t resist modern clothing, deep down, she still preferred the clothes of the past. Especially when they were as beautiful as this one. On the way back, the over-sixty Mongnai chatted with Shu Wan about her embroidery skills, his eyes sparkling like those of a child. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, Madam Fu, that you are leaving the country soon; otherwise, I must learn from you.¡± ¡°You flatter me, I only know how to embroider.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Mongnai was quite certain of Shu Wan¡¯s talents. ¡°The most important thing in fashion design isn¡¯t the skill but the aesthetic sense, and Madam Fu, your aesthetic sense is exceptional.¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment,¡± Shu Wan smiled and nodded, ¡°We can exchange contact information and keep in touch in the future.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Fu Siyu sat quietly, watching Shu Wan and Mongnai converse. In just one morning, Shu Wan had won the recognition of a globally renowned director and a fashion industry legend and had established social connections with them. Any of these was something most people might never encounter in their lifetime. Yet, Shu Wan had that ability; she seemed to make anyone a follower of hers. Including... Fu Si¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment. Shu Wan had originally planned to leave Bruce¡¯s place today, but plans had changed, and now she had a whole afternoon and evening to stay. Fu Siyu suggested, ¡°Let me take you out for dinner tonight.¡± Shu Wan shook her head, ¡°You¡¯ve helped me out this time and taken good care of me, I should be the one inviting you.¡± Fu Siyu was taken aback for a moment, his eyes moving slightly, ¡°Alright.¡± Shu Wan then turned to Mongnai, who was sitting beside her, ¡°If you have time, why don¡¯t you join us?¡± Mongnai was about to agree instinctively; he was quite curious about Shu Wan¡¯s culinary skills and enjoyed conversing with her and was more than willing to accept her invitation. However, as Mongnai was about to speak, he felt an intense stare on him. Mongnai¡¯s heart sank, knowing the difference between a meal filled with warmth and just a meal. Mongnai waved his hand, ¡°No need, I¡¯m old, I shouldn¡¯t disturb you two, go have fun.¡± ¡°All right then.¡± Although Shu Wan was not familiar with Bruce, she knew how to leverage the power of the crowd. Shu Wan asked around on a short-video platform, and soon netizens came forward with suggestions. According to everyone¡¯s recommendations, Shu Wan had prepared a fun-filled guide for eating and sightseeing. ¡°Then you go back to work, and I¡¯ll go have some fun on my own; we¡¯ll meet at Shengdebao Restaurant tonight.¡± Shu Wan knew Fu Siyu was quite busy, so she decided to explore on her own first and then meet him for dinner in the evening. Fu Siyu glanced at the guide in Shu Wan¡¯s hand, his brows slightly raised, ¡°Seems like I won¡¯t get the chance to join you.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy?¡± Whether it was their phone conversations or these past two days, Shu Wan hadn¡¯t seen Fu Siyu idle; he was always working. ¡°Even robots need to rest.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do it together.¡± It was just a matter of having one more person, and Shu Wan didn¡¯t see an issue with it. Fu Siyu withdrew his gaze, his eyebrows faintly twitching, ¡°Thanks.¡± Although the conversation between Fu Siyu and Shu Wan was very normal, even slightly too polite and distant, Mongnai couldn¡¯t help but feel redundant here. Just then, the car had arrived at the studio, and Mongnai quickly said his goodbyes, ¡°I¡¯ll head back then, have fun.¡± ¡°Yeah, goodbye.¡± Shu Wan bid Mongnai farewell, then lowered her head to continue going through her sightseeing plans. ¡°I¡¯ve got it planned out. I heard there¡¯s a beautiful church here; we can start there and spend about two hours, then take a half-hour walk along Mao River, and then go for dinner. I¡¯ve got the restaurant¡¯s number already; I¡¯ll make a reservation in a bit. After dinner, we can catch a movie, and there¡¯s a fireworks show after the movie ends, then we can head back home together. What do you think?¡± Shu Wan laid out the plans clearly, and Fu Siyu listened with an indescribable expression on his face. Shu Wan thought there might be a problem with her planned schedule, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Fu Siyu shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± The driver, sitting in front, suddenly chimed in, ¡°Young Madam, your date plan is quite packed.¡± Chapter 76 - 76 59 Brothers ?Chapter 76: Chapter 59 Brothers Chapter 76: Chapter 59 Brothers Shu Wan was taken aback and looked down at the sightseeing guide; it did indeed resemble the route that young couples on dates would take. She didn¡¯t mind, but she was mainly worried Fu Siyu might misunderstand. As if knowing what Shu Wan was thinking, Fu Siyu turned to her, ¡°I won¡¯t misunderstand, just follow your plan.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± According to Shu Wan¡¯s plan, they first went to the Basilica of the Holy Mother of Flowers. At this time, the rain had stopped, but the sky was still gloomy with wispy clouds circling the top of the cathedral, adding a touch of mystery to it. This beautiful cathedral, faced with white, red, and green granite, fully interpreted the classical, elegant, and free spirit cherished during the Renaissance. Walking from the outside to the inside of the church, they passed countless bas-reliefs and frescoed domes. The bas-reliefs were completely different in style and skill from the ones in ancient Hua Country, and Shu Wan found them very interesting. To her surprise, Fu Siyu seemed to know a lot about them. He was like a walking encyclopedia, explaining to Shu Wan everything from the schools of bas-relief to architectural styles to the implied meanings with crystal clarity. Daylight filtered through the stained glass and fell upon Fu Siyu¡¯s clear-cut side face. He stood tall and elegant, detailing these medieval artistic legacies with his deep voice echoing gently in her ear, slowly and steadily calming the mind. Shu Wan couldn¡¯t help but take a second look at Fu Siyu. No one could resist admiring a knowledgeable and powerful person, and Fu Siyu was exceptional in that regard. He gave the impression that no matter what the issue, he could resolve it with ease. Noticing Shu Wan¡¯s gaze, Fu Siyu paused slightly, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shu Wan praised Fu Siyu from the bottom of her heart, ¡°You know so much, it¡¯s impressive.¡± His eyes warmed a bit, ¡°If I can receive a compliment from you, my role as a guide is indeed worthwhile.¡± Shu Wan smiled and glanced around when she suddenly saw something and grew curious, ¡°What are they doing over there?¡± Following Shu Wan¡¯s gaze, Fu Siyu took a look and his expression shifted slightly, ¡°They are taking wedding photos.¡± ¡°Can wedding photos be taken in the church?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Fu Siyu nodded, ¡°Many of the churches here are open to the public.¡± Shu Wan had not seen how modern people took wedding photos yet, so she approached out of curiosity, ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look too.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The wedding photo shoot featured a foreign couple, the man in a black suit and the woman in a pure white gown, embracing in front of a huge bas-relief. In her former life, the bride and groom-to-be couldn¡¯t see each other for at least a month before their wedding, a practice entirely different from now. Seeing Shu Wan looking intently, Fu Siyu turned his head, ¡°Do you prefer Chinese-style weddings or Western-style?¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re both quite nice.¡± Each had its own cultural characteristics, and to Shu Wan, both were good. ¡°Mm,¡± Fu Siyu responded, not saying anything further. The newlyweds moved through the church, changing several shooting scenes, and Shu Wan and Fu Siyu followed along. Being so conspicuous, they naturally drew the attention of the bride and groom. During a break in the shoot, the enthusiastic bride approached Shu Wan and handed her a bag of wedding sweets, ¡°Hello, are you tourists from the East?¡± After translating with a language app, Shu Wan calmly interacted, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow, you two are so beautiful, you must be a very loving couple.¡± Shu Wan was about to say they weren¡¯t a couple, but then she thought that legally they were, and it would be pointless to deny it, so she nodded, ¡°You look very beautiful today.¡± ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m so happy to receive such a compliment from someone as beautiful as you,¡± the bride liked Shu Wan, ¡°Can you give me a wish for my new marriage?¡± Shu Wan nodded, ¡°Of course, you can.¡± As soon as Shu Wan finished speaking, the bride immediately took Shu Wan¡¯s hand and placed it on top of Fu Siyu¡¯s. A trace of warmth flowed from the back of her hand. Fu Siyu instinctively turned his head to look at Shu Wan, who was also looking at the bride in surprise. The bride winked at Shu Wan, pulled her own husband over, and then very respectfully placed both her and her husband¡¯s hands under Shu Wan¡¯s. ¡°We hope we can be as happy as you two.¡± The bride looked at Shu Wan with hopeful eyes as if she could really receive blessings from her. The bride and groom were so devout that Shu Wan felt a little embarrassed to withdraw her hand. She held Fu Siyu¡¯s hand and smiled at the bride, ¡°You definitely will be.¡± It was only after the bride and groom finished taking photos and left that Shu Wan finally let go of Fu Siyu¡¯s hand. The lingering warmth on her hand dissipated, and Fu Siyu couldn¡¯t help but feel a touch of emptiness. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡± The bride had finished taking the wedding photos, and Shu Wan had already seen most of the sights within the church. ¡°Alright.¡± The two did not take a car but quietly walked along the Mao River towards the restaurant. As the sky gradually darkened, there were hardly any pedestrians by the river, just the slowly brightening streetlamps adding a dreamy hue to the cobblestone path. Shu Wan really enjoyed talking with Fu Siyu. Fu Siyu was knowledgeable about everything, spoke with a sense of when to advance and when to retreat, and always maintained a good distance. Even though they were separated by a thousand years and grew up in different eras, Shu Wan felt a sense of recognizing a kindred spirit in Fu Siyu. She suddenly changed her mind, ¡°Otherwise, let¡¯s switch to a different place to eat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything, it¡¯s up to you.¡± Shu Wan pointed to a simple tavern not far from the riverbank, ¡°How about we drink some wine?¡± Fu Siyu naturally had no objections. Coincidentally, the owner of the tavern was also from Hua Country, and he was selling Hua Country¡¯s baijiu here. Seeing a fellow countryman, the owner was very happy and enthusiastically arranged a window seat for them that offered a view of the entire exterior street. ¡°Feel free to drink, we have plenty of alcohol in this tavern.¡± The owner said, bringing out several jars of wine. Seeing the ceramic jars, Shu Wan felt a rare joy. She hadn¡¯t even seen such old-fashioned wine bottles in the Imperial City, just like the ones she used to drink from in her previous life. Seeing Shu Wan examining the wine bottle, the owner got a bit embarrassed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, these were just dug out of the cellar. If you mind, I can change to a different bottle for you.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Before Shu Wan could speak, Fu Siyu was the first to respond, ¡°This one is fine.¡± He could tell that Shu Wan liked it. ¡°Alright then.¡± Following Shu Wan¡¯s preference, the owner served several hot and cold dishes, ¡°Please enjoy, call me if you need anything.¡± Shu Wan tried a piece of braised beef with her chopsticks, her eyebrows slightly raised, ¡°I never expected to stumble upon such a familiar taste here.¡± It might have been Shu Wan¡¯s illusion, but the flavor was quite similar to that of a restaurant she frequently visited back in the Capital in her previous life. In an era a thousand years later, ten thousand kilometers away from the Imperial City, in a foreign land, tasting a flavor similar to one from a thousand years before, Shu Wan almost couldn¡¯t distinguish between dreams and reality. However, whether in a dream or reality, with wine and a confidant, Shu Wan¡¯s mood at that moment could definitely be described as good. At that moment, fireworks burst forth outside the window. Shu Wan raised her glass and toasted Fu Siyu, ¡°I¡¯m very glad to have met you.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± At the moment their glasses clinked together, Fu Siyu was fully welcomed into the ranks of her trusted friends. Chapter 77 - 77 60 The Gift ?Chapter 77: Chapter 60: The Gift Chapter 77: Chapter 60: The Gift ¡°I used to have many friends too.¡± Fireworks burst outside the window, the fragrance of wine lingered at hand, and the faces of those close friends from her past life emerged in her mind. ¡°That must have been very outstanding people,¡± Fu Siyu added. After all, anyone who could become Shu Wan¡¯s confidant must certainly have strong abilities in all aspects. ¡°Yeah, just like you,¡± Shu Wan poured another cup of wine for Fu Siyu, ¡°I hope we can always be friends, no matter where I go in the future, I will remember you as a friend.¡± ¡°.....¡± Whether it was an illusion or not, Shu Wan always felt that Fu Siyu¡¯s expression seemed to crack for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal, ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Wan actually had a pretty good tolerance for alcohol, but that was in her previous life. Her current body simply couldn¡¯t handle several cups of wine. Yet, because she was having such a good time talking with Fu Siyu, Shu Wan drank one cup after another, and before long, there were three empty jars on the table. Fu Siyu glanced at the emptied jars and was about to suggest Shu Wan drink less when her cup fell straight onto the table, and she herself toppled over sideways. Fu Siyu quickly stood up to support her, ¡°Shu Wan.¡± As a doctor, even when she was drunk, Shu Wan would use acupuncture to force out the effects of the alcohol. But that was only something she did when she needed to entertain. When she was happy, she would usually let the intoxication spread, and now surrounded by the scent of Fu Siyu, Shu Wan felt a deep sense of peace within her heart, and she didn¡¯t try to sober up. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± she murmured hazily. ¡°Okay.¡± His low voice rang in her ear, and Shu Wan felt the ticklish breeze on her ear, instinctively shrinking back. However, she was currently in Fu Siyu¡¯s arms, and her shrinking back was essentially like snuggling deeper into Fu Siyu¡¯s embrace. Fu Siyu¡¯s body stiffened for a moment, and then, helping Shu Wan stand, he explained to the approaching innkeeper, ¡°Someone will come to settle the bill later, we¡¯re leaving now.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± Shu Wan was helped into the car by Fu Siyu. The wine from this tavern followed the style of old taverns, smooth at first, but with the advance of time, the potency of the alcohol grew stronger. Especially when covered by the stifling air in the car, Shu Wan felt a wave of nausea rising from her stomach. In her view, modern cars were good in every way except for the smell of genuine leather after it had been heated, which was truly unbearable. Now, drunk, she found the smell even more pungent and suffocating, and everywhere was this suffocating smell, except for Fu Siyu, who carried a certain clarity. Fu Siyu had just poured Shu Wan a cup of tea, and before he could pick it up, a soft arm clung around his waist. Fu Siyu paused his hand that was holding the cup, and looking down slightly, Shu Wan was hugging his waist, burying her head in his chest. She took a deep breath, and Fu Siyu felt a layer of heat at his chest, which then turned cool, and between the warmth and coolness, it felt as though the air in his heart was being drained. Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze darkened, and he reached out to hold Shu Wan¡¯s wrist, ¡°Shu Wan, let go.¡± At this moment, Shu Wan was mostly engulfed by the drunkenness. She frowned and broke free from Fu Siyu¡¯s hold, hugging his waist even tighter. Around her was that nauseating smell of leather, while only Fu Siyu had that pleasant scent. ¡°Smells good,¡± murmured Shu Wan. Fu Siyu never imagined that one day someone would use this adjective to describe him. He looked at Shu Wan¡¯s delicate profile with an amused expression, ¡°I smell good?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± For some reason, Fu Siyu¡¯s scent always made Shu Wan feel safe, and she nodded without any defenses, ¡°Very good.¡± ¡°You really like this smell?¡± ¡°Like it.¡± Shu Wan responded unconsciously. Whether it was because of the city¡¯s overly humid climate, or because her lips were naturally very moist, At that moment, under the light, Shu Wan¡¯s lips, tinted with a light lipstick, were plump and lustrous, as if glimmering with the sheen of water. Her features were very cool and detached, but when she closed her eyes, the coldness in her gaze was concealed, and only then did people remember her age. She was, after all, just a college student who hadn¡¯t even graduated yet. With the obedience of a student and the petulance of a child. She nestled in Fu Siyu¡¯s arms, like a noble and elegant Persian cat. Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes were deep as water, sliding over Shu Wan¡¯s clear features, and finally resting on her lustrous lips. Fundamentally, he and Shu Wan were the same kind of person; they were both highly guarded, always vigilant, and only when encountering their own kind would they subconsciously trust. Chapter 78 - 78 60 The Gift_2 ?Chapter 78: Chapter 60: The Gift_2 Chapter 78: Chapter 60: The Gift_2 At that moment, unlike what Shu Wan had said, Fu Siyu could tell that she actually trusted him a lot. Unfortunately, Fu Siyu put down the cup he was holding, raised his hand, and tried to touch Shu Wan¡¯s lower lip, but he stopped when he was only a step away. ¡°You seem to trust me too much,¡± Fu Siyu suddenly said in the silent carriage. Outside the window, fireworks burst forth in grand splendor; inside the carriage, Shu Wan was lost in a hazy drunkenness, and no one heard Fu Siyu¡¯s words. When Shu Wan woke up again, it was already early morning. Her head aching, Shu Wan raised her arm to rub her temples; after just a couple of rubs, she turned her head to look at the side, where Fu Siyu was resting with his eyes closed on the sofa. Shu Wan picked up her phone to check the time and then sat up and called out to Fu Siyu, ¡°Fu Siyu.¡± Hearing her voice, Fu Siyu opened his eyes, still heavy with sleepiness, ¡°You¡¯re awake. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Apart from a bit of thirst, just as Shu Wan was about to get up to grab a cup, Fu Siyu handed her a glass of water, ¡°Have some water first.¡± Shu Wan paused, then nodded slightly at Fu Siyu, ¡°Thank you.¡± The warm water slid down her throat, making Shu Wan feel much more comfortable. She put down the cup, ¡°Thank you for taking care of me, you should go back to rest too, it¡¯s very late.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Fu Siyu stood up, filled the cup with more water, then turned and left, ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Good¡ª¡± Shu Wan had just uttered one syllable, when she suddenly remembered something and called out to Fu Siyu, ¡°Fu Siyu, thank you.¡± Fu Siyu halted in his steps and turned to look at Shu Wan, his deep gaze like that of a profound well, ¡°Thank me for what?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been very kind to me.¡± Since entering this unfamiliar era, Fu Siyu had offered her a lot of help; even now, being abroad, Fu Siyu was with her the whole time. Fu Siyu¡¯s kindness made her somewhat puzzled, ¡°Why are you so good to me?¡± ¡°Before we¡¯re divorced, you are rightfully Madam Fu. What¡¯s the problem with me being good to you?¡± Fu Siyu tossed the question back to Shu Wan. Although Shu Wan felt something was amiss, the alcohol hadn¡¯t completely worn off, leaving her without the energy to analyze Fu Siyu¡¯s words. Even then, Shu Wan momentarily short-circuited, ¡°Then if we get divorced, you wouldn¡¯t be this good to me anymore.¡± With that said, the room went quiet for a moment. Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze slightly lifted, his expression somewhat odd as he watched Shu Wan, until she uncomfortably shifted her gaze away. Then, Fu Siyu finally spoke slowly, ¡°That won¡¯t happen, I¡¯ll definitely always be this good.¡± Unsure if it was due to the increased body temperature from drinking or the awkward topic they were discussing, Shu Wan suddenly felt a bit hot and instinctively avoided Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze, ¡°It¡¯s late, go get some rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As Fu Siyu was about to leave, his gaze brushed past Shu Wan¡¯s ears, as red as pomegranate seeds, his gaze slightly stirred, and he suddenly turned back. Seeing Fu Siyu return, Shu Wan was stunned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Fu Siyu stretched out his hand, pointing behind Shu Wan, ¡°There¡¯s a large patch of ivy climbing the outside of this castle.¡± As Fu Siyu spoke, Shu Wan turned her head to look, and then was startled by a spider crawling into the house from the windowsill. It was a spider with an odd pattern, black and white spiraled, a rare species, and, incidentally, the kind that Shu Wan feared the most. Shu Wan wasn¡¯t afraid of snakes, but she had a particular fear of these black and white interwoven spiders, a fear stemming from a childhood trauma. In her previous life, whether inside or outside the court, Prime Minister Shu had countless enemies. He always acted cautiously, and since others couldn¡¯t grasp anything against him, they naturally turned their attention to his children. At that time, Shu Wan¡¯s older brother had already reached adulthood and entered the military for training, while her younger brother was still in his infancy, never leaving the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion. Thus, Shu Wan, who had been sent to school at an early age, became their target. Despite the tight security, there was a moment of lapse in the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, which allowed an opening for the enemies. Back then, Shu Wan, who was only a few years old, was kidnapped by thieves and taken all the way to the Western Regions. The journey had taken so long that Shu Wan couldn¡¯t remember how long they had run; she only remembered that towards the end, there was only the intense heat and the endless desert. Later, finding Shu Wan too much trouble, the thieves found a cliff and threw her down. Chapter 79 - 79 60 The Gift_3 ?Chapter 79: Chapter 60: The Gift_3 Chapter 79: Chapter 60: The Gift_3 Fortunately, she was young at the time, and the tree branches at the bottom of the cliff could still support her. Yet, having saved her life, she faced an even more desperate situation, surrounded by sheer cliffs. There was nothing to eat there, and no water either. Shu Wan held on for seven or eight days, and just when she was about to give up, she discovered a spider¡¯s nest. It was this kind of spider, black and white with strange patterns. At that time, driven to extreme hunger and dehydration, this cluster of spiders became Shu Wan¡¯s only choice in her desperate plight. When the spiders were gone, another ten days had passed. Shu Wan finally awaited the rescue team that came to find her, and her fear of spiders started from that time. She could barely manage her discomfort with other spiders, but faced with this particular species, Shu Wan couldn¡¯t suppress the nausea surging inside her. Her face turned pale instantly, a cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she clutched the blanket tightly, wanting to say something but unable to make a sound. Fu Siyu had only intended to tease Shu Wan, but seeing her strong reaction, his expression changed as well. He stepped forward, took a magazine, and directly swatted the spider out, then closed the window, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve closed the window.¡± Shu Wan hadn¡¯t seen this kind of spider in many years, and encountering them so unexpectedly stirred up fears that had been forgotten over the years. Fu Siyu noticed something was wrong, moved close to Shu Wan, and looked straight into her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s okay, there are no more spiders now.¡± Hearing Fu Siyu¡¯s voice, Shu Wan seemed to come back to her senses, looking into Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes, ¡°I want to eat something.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with you to eat now,¡± Fu Siyu lowered his voice, soothing her like coaxing someone, giving a feeling of reassurance and calm. Shu Wan got out of bed, and although she had adapted more to the modern lifestyle, some ingrained habits could not be changed. Like always changing clothes, combing her hair, and fixing her make-up before leaving the house. Even while still shaken, Shu Wan went to the bathroom, changed her clothes, tied up her hair, and quickly washed up before coming out. Meanwhile, the food had been prepared in the small kitchen downstairs. Taking into account that Shu Wan had been drunk before, the dishes prepared were all very light. Shu Wan and Fu Siyu went downstairs, and looking at the light dishes on the table, she said, ¡°I want meat, the more the better.¡± The housekeeper glanced at Fu Siyu, and seeing him nod, quickly replied, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll cook it now.¡± The kitchen was already equipped with an assortment of dishes, both half-cooked and fully-cooked. Very soon, the plain porridge and small dishes on the table were replaced by an array of chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Shu Wan sat down at the table and began to eat quietly. Naturally, her movements were still graceful when eating, but it felt different from usual. Normally, her manner of eating was about experiencing and enjoying. This time, Shu Wan seemed to be eating just for the sake of eating. Watching Shu Wan eat more than twice her usual amount of food, the housekeeper looked at Fu Siyu in surprise, even he noticed that something was off with her. Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze stayed on Shu Wan, he waved his hand at the housekeepers and servants, signaling them to leave. Once everyone had left, Shu Wan reached out for a chicken leg, and finally, Fu Siyu reached out his hand to stop her. Shu Wan slightly turned her head, her eyebrows furrowed, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± In fact, her stomach was already full, but the fear she had just felt brought with it a hunger that had been dormant for many years. This hunger sprouted from the depths of her soul, unrelated to the amount of food she consumed. Fu Siyu didn¡¯t know what Shu Wan had experienced, but he could infer it was related to spiders. ¡°I have already sent people to disinfect and exterminate pests throughout the castle.¡± Shu Wan looked up and, sure enough, saw lights outside, with many people coming and going, spraying insecticide. ¡°There is also plenty of food, you don¡¯t need to rush to eat now,¡± Fu Siyu continued. ¡°Tomorrow morning, there will be three types of noodles, five kinds of desserts, and four kinds of drinks. Although we will be on the plane at noon, I¡¯ve also prepared 12 dishes that you can enjoy all by yourself. Tomorrow evening you will return to Imperial City, where meals will also be prepared to your liking.¡± Seeing Shu Wan slowly retract her hand, Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°Let¡¯s eat tomorrow morning, okay?¡± Although Fu Siyu didn¡¯t understand everything, every word he said alleviated the ¡°hunger¡± seeping from Shu Wan¡¯s heart. The spiders would be eradicated, and never again would there be a lack of food. Fu Siyu was very firm in telling her this. The unbearable hunger inside Shu Wan gradually subsided, her stomach, filled with food, was also beginning to feel a bit sore. Shu Wan, almost dependently, nodded at Fu Siyu, ¡°Okay.¡± Fu Siyu had seen many sides of Shu Wan, but he had never seen such a look in her eyes¡ªfragile, almost shattered, where a slight harm could completely destroy her. Fu Siyu¡¯s fingers twitched, just about to lift his hand when Shu Wan returned to her usual demeanor. She elegantly wiped her mouth and then nodded at Fu Siyu, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs to rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Returning to her bedroom, Shu Wan was surprised to find that in such a short time the entire window had been replaced with sealed glass panes. Now, not even a mosquito could get in, let alone a spider. Guessing it must have been Fu Siyu¡¯s instruction, Shu Wan¡¯s eyes softened warmly. Just as she was about to change into pajamas and sleep, someone suddenly knocked on the door. Shu Wan opened the door, and there stood Fu Siyu, tall and regal. The light overhead cast down on his prominent nose, making his features appear even more profound. ¡°There¡¯s food in the thermal box downstairs. If you get very hungry at night, go down and have some.¡± Shu Wan was momentarily stunned, then a smile formed on her face. Her eyes carried warmth, ¡°Thank you.¡± Shu Wan didn¡¯t realize the powerful impact of her smile. Under such a smile, even Fu Siyu¡¯s gaze paused for a moment before he coughed lightly, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± That night, Shu Wan slept well. Even though she saw a spider before bedtime¡ªa sight she never wanted to see again¡ªher dreams that night were not nightmares. The next morning, Shu Wan and Fu Siyu had breakfast together, after which Fu Siyu took her to the airport. On the tarmac, servants were carrying boxes into the plane, filled with the latest fashion and jewelry. Hesitant to accept so many gifts, Shu Wan pulled out a small box from her bag, ¡°Compared to the gifts you¡¯ve given me, this seems a bit modest.¡± Seeing the small box, Fu Siyu¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°If gifts are judged by their monetary value, that¡¯s just vulgar.¡± ¡°Then this is for you,¡± Shu Wan said, handing the box to Fu Siyu. Fu Siyu opened the box and glanced inside. It contained a bracelet of an unusual design. It looked like porcelain jade, but felt like wood; the style was understated and elegant. Up close, one could smell a faint aroma of medicinal herbs. ¡°This is made from many herbs.¡± Shu Wan lifted her wrist, showing a similar bracelet on her hand. ¡°This helps nourish vital energy and calm the spirit; wearing it is good for the body.¡± In fact, Shu Wan was being modest. The medicine-infused water used to make the bracelet hailed from a formula in a past life, called the ¡°Washing Marrow Formula.¡± Wearing this bracelet over a long period, by modern standards, was said to greatly enhance the immune system. Fu Siyu wasn¡¯t much interested in the bracelet¡¯s effects, he glanced at the similar bracelet on Shu Wan¡¯s wrist and raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°I really like this gift.¡± Chapter 80 - 80 61 Cliff ?Chapter 80: Chapter 61 Cliff Chapter 80: Chapter 61 Cliff Fu Siyu spoke and took off his watch from his left wrist, then put on the wooden bracelet that Shu Wan had given him. Considering Fu Siyu might not fancy flashy styles, Shu Wan had specifically chosen a sandalwood color, with subtle, cracked patterns that resembled the coiling tail of a dragon, understated with an ineffable elegance. It somehow matched Fu Siyu¡¯s aura perfectly, and his commanding presence made the handmade bracelet seem like haute couture. ¡°Looks good,¡± Shu Wan complimented without making it clear whether she was praising him or the bracelet. ¡°Take care on your way,¡± Fu Siyu, with a slight lift in his eyebrows, told Shu Wan, ¡°Send me a message once you get there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The weather in Bruce today was as gloomily overcast as ever, the cold wind biting, fluttering the edge of their coats, overlapping the fabric of Fu Siyu¡¯s and Shu Wan¡¯s garments. Shu Wan wrapped her coat a bit tighter around herself, ¡°Well then, I¡¯m off.¡± With those words, Shu Wan walked step by step up the boarding stairs under her umbrella. When she reached the cabin door, Shu Wan instinctively looked back, finding Fu Siyu still standing in his original spot. He was like a mighty peak, unmoved by wind or storm, standing silently there, providing an infinite sense of security. Shu Wan¡¯s eyes flickered, a turmoil she hadn¡¯t noticed rippling through their depths. As the cabin door closed, cutting off the cold wind, a wave of warm air greeted Shu Wan inside the cabin. She took off her coat and sat down by the window. On the tarmac, Fu Siyu had not yet left. Umbrella in hand, his face was obscured. But having spent time together, Shu Wan was already very familiar with Fu Siyu¡¯s features. Without even looking, she could imagine exactly how he looked at that moment. Brows like mountain ridges, eyes profound, jawline sharp as a blade, lips slightly pursed, silent and reserved yet deeply steadfast. Shu Wan didn¡¯t understand what was muddling through her mind until the plane ascended and dizziness swept over her, causing her to instinctively grab the handrail. As the aircraft soared into the sky, that sensation of weightlessness eased considerably, and only then did Shu Wan open her eyes and glance down subconsciously. The airport had shrunk to a small square below, and apart from specks of other aircraft, nothing else was visible. A sudden sense of emptiness streaked through Shu Wan¡¯s heart, like an aftereffect of weightlessness. When she had come from Imperial City to Bruce, it was night, and she had felt somewhat airsick, basically sleeping through the whole journey. Now on the return trip, it was daytime, and having overeaten the night before, Shu Wan¡¯s stomach was uncomfortable, preventing any sleep. Shu Wan simply sat by the window, quietly observing the view outside. The sight surprised even the composed Shu Wan. On her way here, she had seen layers upon layers of clouds, but she had not witnessed this scene of sunlit gold. Golden sunlight rose from the clouds, coloring every cotton-like cloud in gold, and Shu Wan took many photos with her phone. As the plane passed the world¡¯s tallest peak, Shu Wan gazed down at the mountains from above the clouds, a strangely heroic sentiment filling her heart. Once, leading her army on the Western Expedition, her path had been blocked by this very chasm. The horses and clothing of the Central Plains could not withstand the Snow Mountain¡¯s bitter cold. Even with the soldiers¡¯ indomitable will, amidst such piercing cold and towering snow-capped peaks, they were helpless. Later, until Shu Wan left that era, the failed Western Expedition remained one of her greatest regrets. But now, that insurmountable barrier had not only been conquered, it had become a protective belt for Hua Country. Even ordinary people could take a plane, observing this once unscalable peak from a bird¡¯s-eye view. For Shu Wan, especially, the feelings were complex. Little by little, she integrated into this era, discovering both the commonalities and differences from her past life. From the bottom of her heart, she was happy for the progress of the country, even though it was no longer the same dynasty or people¡ªthe soul that flowed in their blood was the same lineage. The emotions in one¡¯s heart are the best filter a photographer can capture. Holding her phone, Shu Wan took a picture of the Snow Mountain below. Just then, a beam of golden sunlight crossed over the mountain ranges, hitting the highest peak perfectly. A stunningly beautiful photo was captured as a result. Shu Wan also thought the picture she took this time was beautiful. She took out her phone intending to post the photo online, but after a tap, there was no response. That¡¯s when she realized there was no signal on the plane.