Chapter 14: Her Heart Softens a Little 14

He scooped the little woman up in his arms and left the courtyard.

He made her feel wronged.

He lowered his head, saw her eyes and nose red from feeling wronged, and his heart ached.

"Ruanruan, I made you feel wronged."

He held her and hurried back to his own courtyard like a shooting star; along the way, the Fu family's servants and juniors, seeing this scene, couldn't help but peek.

But he shouted sternly, "What are you looking at!"

Returning to his own courtyard, the servants who had served him for several years stood in a line, as if they had been waiting.

Yi Ruan was laid on the soft large bed by him.

The two were close together; he half-knelt beside the bed, his rough fingers brushing her eye sockets, "Ruanruan, I made you feel wronged."

She couldn't bear to make things difficult for him, her charming arms wrapping around his waist, "No, I'm not wronged; I just snapped at her twice." Although it was a coquettish charm, it couldn't hide the grievance and sob in her voice.

Hearing this, he gave a relieved "uh."

The woman beneath him said with a slightly proud tone, "Mother took a lot of money to bribe me, but for your sake I didn't accept any."

He chuckled lightly and couldn't help saying, "How much is 'a lot of money'?"

She counted on her fingers, then shook her head, "I don't know, but it needs a lot of money."

Fu Qiwei's fingers gently pulled down the zipper on her back; when his cold fingers touched her back, she couldn't help shivering and let out a soft cry.

"Don't move, let me check your shoulder."

The room was dim; he gently pulled open the zipper on her back, looking at her collarbone, where her fair, tender skin showed a bluish tint; he poked it with his finger and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"

She shook her head; it didn't hurt at all, just bruised.

But he still took out medicinal wine from the bedside cabinet, dipped a cotton swab for Ruanruan in the cold liquid, and gently applied it to her.

"Ruanruan, I made you feel wronged." He couldn't bear to hit her, yet today he let her suffer such a great injustice in his home.

"Ah... I already said I'm not wronged, don't be like this, really." Her soft nasal voice was very pleasant.

Rap rap!

He got up to open the door; opening it, the old steward stood at the entrance, respectfully saying, "It's almost mealtime, young master."

He grunted noncommittally; the servant outside bent over and handed him a bag, saying, "The Fourth Young Lady sent this over, saying it's never been worn."

Who is the Fourth Young Lady? She is Fu Shi's daughter, blessed with countless affections from birth, all roads lead to Rome, and she was born in Rome.

Her father Fu Shi is a government official; her mother He Lan is a master dan in the Peking opera world; she has an older brother, Fu Kai, who is a superstar in the entertainment industry, a film emperor–level figure.

Fu Qiwei took the bag and closed the door.

"Ruanruan, change your clothes."

In the dim room, the man methodically changed the little woman's clothes.

Her ears were red and hot.

"Wear my Buddhist bead bracelet." His bracelet was something his father obtained from a temple, left to him as a final gift; at that time his father kowtowed on every stone step of the temple and knelt in silence for an afternoon, hearing that it was inscribed by a powerful metaphysical elder, a sutra that can keep one safe.

She wore it large, yet it fit perfectly.

Classmate Xiao Ruan secretly vowed in her heart to also give him a gift someday.

The Fu family members all eat at the Silent Bright Hall.

Fu Qiwei held her hand, walking slowly, her wrist

An orange-gradient long dress made her skin look even smoother and whiter, and the flowing, splendid hem also appeared exceptionally noble and lively.

"Elder brother." Fu Wan, she is the Fourth Young Lady of the Fu family.

He has always doted on this little sister since childhood, "uh."

Yi Ruan tilted her head to look at her, and Fu Qiwei introduced, "Ruanruan, this is Fu Wan; just call her Wanwan."

Fu Wan winked at her, very cute.

"Wanwan, this is Yi Ruan; call her elder sister-in-law."

After he said that, Yi Ruan blushed and smiled, "Elder sister-in-law, hello."

Study

Fu Heng stood before the desk, while the Old Master Fu sat, holding a cane.

"I know what you're thinking; back then I stopped you from being with that girl; now you must help Qiwei and that lass." The Old Master Fu, he is not a good father, nor even a good husband, but he is a good clan chief.

"I have seen that child; she has a pair of bright, soaring yet pure and spotless eyes." Fu Heng hadn't seen eyes like that for many years; the last time was twenty years ago.

Like the sun, her gaze was brilliant, fervent, and gorgeous.

"I won't stop him; let Qiwei decide for himself." Like a life long dormant, it let out a sigh.

After hearing the slight sound of the door closing, the Old Master Fu turned his head to glance outside.

The breeze outside lifted the curtains, letting in a long-absent ray of sunlight.

Could that girl's radiant cheer be the last ray of sunlight in this ancient manor?

Laughter echoed from the Silent Bright Hall.

A man, not much older than Yi Ruan, is the Fu family's Second Young Master, Fu Hui.

Yi Ruan sat beside Fu Qiwei, his large palm resting on her waist, lazily listening to their chat.

Fu Wan sat between Yi Ruan and Fu Hui, saying, "When we were little and napped at noon, Mom set an alarm clock that ticked when time was up; Second Brother would startle, shrink into Big Brother's blanket, shouting, 'Brother, brother, the bomb's going to explode!' Thinking back now, it kills me with laughter."

Fu Qiwei also recalled this, whispering in Yi Ruan's ear, "Our family's Second Brother has the smallest courage."

"Before, when sleeping, Second Brother snored, and Wanwan would tug my clothes and ask, 'Big Brother, are you home, are you raising a pig?' He told Yi Ruan this while suppressing a laugh, and Yi Ruan laughed so hard she fell into his arms."

Fu Hui saw for the first time someone interpreting the word "flowery branches trembling with laughter."

"No, what did Big Brother say to Big Sister-in-law that made you laugh like this?" Fu Hui looked puzzled; Yi Ruan waved at Fu Wan and said, "Big Brother said Fu Hui snores in his sleep."

She remembered, "Yes, yes, yes, Second Brother really does sleep like that."

She laughed as she fell into Fu Qiwei's embrace.

"Laughing like this, what propriety is this? It's a disgrace to propriety." Fu Mingzhu walked in from outside.

The four rose together, the expression on Fu Qiwei's face faded, and she curiously looked at the man beside Fu Mingzhu.

When that man saw her, a flash of strange color passed through his indifferent eyes; Fu Qiwei stepped in front of her, blocking his gaze.

Fu Mingzhu looked at the several juniors, then at Gu Yunzhen, and introduced him in turn: "Yunzhen, this is Qiwei, Miss Yi Ruan, Hui, Wanwan."

"This is the heir apparent of the Gu clan arms, Gu Yunzhen, staying at our home for a few days." Fu Mingzhu said, then had them sit down, while Gu Yunzhen's gaze lingered faintly on Yi Ruan.

Fu Wan saw through the situation, linked her arm and said, "Elder sister-in-law, let's go to the restroom together."

"Okay." She lifted her skirt slightly, and the two left, arms linked.

"Elder sister-in-law, do you know Gu Yunzhen?"

Humbly asking for collections and votes.