Not being rejected did not surprise Song Fu at all. Agreeing to have one more fiancée was already something, so what was a dance?
She gripped the other party’s slender and strong hand, tilted up her small face as if she was completely unaware of the mischief she had just done, and asked expectantly, “What birthday gift did you prepare for me?”
Yan Huai Xu lowered his gaze to look at her. “A watch.”
Song Fu spun with the music, her tone light and cheerful. “Change it to a ring, an engagement ring.”
At that moment, what the supporting female character felt toward the male lead was less obsession and more a tormenting fixation. The game character she had once liked was long forgotten and could not compare at all to Yan Huai Xu, who existed vividly in the flesh yet had always been out of reach.
On top of that, the hidden changes brought by Old Master Song’s deteriorating health made the supporting female character want to grasp him tightly, as if doing so could prevent some kind of loss.
As the dance ended, Song Fu had sorted through the supporting female character’s mentality and let go of Yan Huai Xu’s hand. “You know I don’t like waiting, so I want the ring as soon as possible.” With that, she casually took another glass of red wine from a passing waiter’s tray, planning to hold it while chatting with her friends.
As she scanned with her eyes, the wine in her hand was taken by another slender hand.
Yan Huai Xu met her stunned gaze and reminded her, “You’ve already had two glasses.”
Song Fu let out a dry “Oh” and went to chat with her friends empty-handed.
They were all little sisters she had not seen in a while. They smiled broadly and congratulated Song Fu, with the focus of the conversation squarely on Yan Huai Xu.
Things were different now. The current Yan Huai Xu was no longer the unfamiliar youth they had once glimpsed; he was someone who could sit with their elders, a figure whose every expression they watched closely. His handsome features already stood out, but compared to the bald-headed middle-aged uncles, he seemed even more striking. The only flaw was the dark circles under his eyes, though that could be seen as proof of his hard work.
One of them teased, “Fu Fu, you really have good taste. You grabbed him years ago.”
“To be honest, I thought you two would get married directly. You’re not underage or anything, so why go through the fiancé phase?”
Another little sister nodded emphatically in agreement, her tone laced with envy. “You two know each other inside out, and your relationship is rock-solid after so many stable years. Even when you went abroad to study and you two were long-distance for years, I never heard of him getting tangled up with anyone else… Unlike my damn ex-boyfriend, who couldn’t sit still for a moment. I was with him five days a week, and he still used the other two to cheat.”
By the end, the girl was gnashing her teeth, as if she wanted to chew up her ex-boyfriend and swallow him.
“Don’t let me see him again!”
Wait, something was off? Song Fu blinked in confusion. Grabbed him from the start, directly married? She raised her hand like a schoolgirl to request permission to speak. “My relationship with Yan Huai Xu is stable? What relationship?”
Her friend looked utterly baffled. “What kind of relationship do you two have? What other relationship could there be?”
“…What kind of relationship do we have?”
Song Fu’s gaze drifted to Yan Huai Xu, who was off schmoozing with others, and she stated the facts plainly. “I like him, I chased him, and he was indifferent to… uh, anyway, it’s a no-response kind of relationship.” She had originally wanted to say he was completely indifferent, but that did not quite fit the facts, so she awkwardly stopped.
As soon as she said this, her friends’ eyes widened in identical shock. They exchanged glances and said in disbelief, “Weren’t you two together before you went abroad?”
Song Fu shook her head. “No.”
They compared notes and finally understood where the misunderstanding came from—it stemmed from the first time they met Yan Huai Xu, when Song Fu had introduced him as the person she liked. Crucially, the two of them had seemed especially close, interacting in an intimate manner—
“Is that how it was?” Song Fu did not know what to say. She could not deny it, so she could only emphasize, “But he doesn’t like me. We’ve never been together.”
Her friends gave her speechless looks. “Then why are you still his fiancée?”
Song Fu crossed her arms confidently. “I’m the one putting in all the effort, hot face against cold ass, won’t stop until I hit a brick wall—”
“Alright, alright.” Her friend cut her off. This was not the time to show off her collection of idioms. “No one would let your pretty little face stick to a cold ass.”
They tried to prove from multiple angles that Yan Huai Xu did like Song Fu. First, “If he didn’t like you, why would he agree to the engagement?”
Song Fu replied, “Out of respect for my grandfather.”
Next, “If he didn’t like you, why spend his youth not dating anyone all these years?”
Song Fu replied, “Even though he doesn’t like me, he hasn’t met anyone he does like either.”
Finally, “If he didn’t like you, why take care of you? I just saw him stop you from drinking. Don’t deny it!”
Song Fu still had a retort. “Maybe he sees me as a little sister?”
Her friend scowled and criticized her for being stubborn. Talking about brother-sister with unrelated opposite sexes was just an excuse for enjoying the ambiguity without taking responsibility.
The little sister who had just vented about her ex spoke up softly. “How do you know that scumbag didn’t say he only saw that girl as a sister?”
Song Fu wanted to say something but held back. She felt deep sympathy for her friend’s ordeal and did not continue arguing. She chalked it up to polite business flattery—no one would say your fiancé doesn’t like you at all. That would be ruining the vibe.
Fortunately, the System was on her side. [If the male lead really liked you, with you nagging about liking him every day, wouldn’t you two have been together long ago? Why wait until now?]
…
The banquet ended, the bustle turning to silence. Old Master Song also returned to the hospital, with Song Fu going along.
The hospital at night felt even heavier than during the day, with the pervasive smell of disinfectant, the cold white fluorescent lights, hurried passersby who were either anxious or numb, and the faint sounds of sobbing.
Old Master Song took it in stride. He even had the energy to help a lost child find her mother. Watching the child skip away hand-in-hand with her mom, he sighed deeply. “When you were that age, I let you sit on my shoulders to pick pomegranates. You accidentally swallowed a seed while eating and cried, saying a tree would grow in your belly. So I gave you calcium tablets and said they would…”
A bout of heart-wrenching coughing cut him off. Once he recovered, he patted Song Fu’s hand. “I’ve watched for so many years, and I get it now. Huai Xu is a good kid. He’ll treat you well. It’s good to settle this matter sooner.”
This was indeed one of the reasons in the plotline for the supporting female character and male lead’s engagement. Yan Huai Xu was reliable and responsible. Old Master Song knew that even without love between them, his granddaughter would receive the care she deserved. Song Fu restrained the urge to sigh in front of the elder and forced some energy. “Grandpa, I’ll stay and keep watch at the hospital tonight.”
Old Master Song was unhappy about it. With a caregiver, that was enough. Rather than trouble the younger generation, he might as well die early. “I don’t want to be a burden and annoy people at the end.”
Song Fu insisted she did not mind, but she really could not sway him. Unable to stay at the hospital, she thought the one picking her up would be the family driver. Instead, it was Yan Huai Xu, whom she had just parted from at the banquet, along with his assistant.
“Hello, Miss Song. I’m President Yan’s assistant. Just call me Little Zhang.” Assistant Zhang greeted her politely, offered birthday wishes as courtesy, and then presented a jujube milk tea like a treasure. “It’s cold out. Drink this to warm up.”
“Hello, Assistant Zhang.” Song Fu got in the car and held the milk tea, staring out the window in a daze.
Assistant Zhang sat in the passenger seat. Through the rearview mirror, he sneaked glances at his boss in the back and the boss’s newly appointed fiancée. His peripheral vision lingered on her, still lighting up at her beauty. He praised her inwardly.
After today’s events, he realized his assistant work was not perfect enough—he had not even known his boss had someone he liked and had even arrogantly speculated… Right, Assistant Zhang was ninety percent sure their boss liked this Miss Song. Otherwise, right after the banquet ended, he would not have tasked him with getting a custom ring.
Moreover, the requirements for the ring were described in exhaustive detail, not something thought up on the spot.
If he did not like her, with their boss’s personality, he absolutely would not spend half a bit of energy on it.
Even more importantly, picking her up could have been left to the driver alone. They actually had work trips pending and did not need to come along, but their boss did—and thoughtfully prepared milk tea. Truly…
The car was set, destination reached. “By the way, Assistant Zhang, thanks for the milk tea.” Song Fu got out, her lips curving up into a smile.
Assistant Zhang was dazzled by the smile and grinned foolishly in response. When she walked away and he turned to meet his boss’s cold face, he suddenly realized the issue: He had not said it was the boss who prepared the milk tea.
Protective instinct for his bonus kicked in. Assistant Zhang opened the door and chased after her. “Miss Song.”
Having walked five meters, Song Fu was called back. Subconsciously, she reviewed if she forgot anything. Conclusion: no.
Assistant Zhang steeled himself. “D-Did you like the milk tea?”
Song Fu glanced at the milk tea in her hand and nodded. “It was pretty good. What’s up?” She pulled out her phone. “Do I need to reimburse you?”
“No, no.” Assistant Zhang waved frantically. “About this milk tea—our boss picked it. If you like it, he can order more.”
Song Fu chuckled, getting the hint. “Sure.”
Assistant Zhang let out a long breath, genuinely happy for salvaging his bonus. Back in the car, he found his boss looking at him speechlessly. “…” Damn, did he overstep again?
Fortunately, the gaze did not linger on him long but followed a certain someone’s retreating figure.
Villa.
Two a.m., normal rest time, yet a room on the third floor still had its lights on. The room had only basic furnishings. The only decoration was a pot of grass on the desk.
Yan Huai Xu took two sips from the cup of water, then poured the rest into the pot.
It was the plant Song Fu had given him. Its flowering period was indeed short. At this season, only lush green leaves remained, growing well—much bigger than before. He had repotted it into a larger one last year.
Yan Huai Xu had just showered, his hair still damp. He casually swept it back, revealing his full face, features cold and detached. His gaze fell on the dry tip of a leaf, and he frowned, searching his phone for the reason.
According to experts, insufficient watering was a possibility.
So, he poured in another half cup of water.
One drop missed the pot and slid down the leaf onto the desk.
Yan Huai Xu thought of Song Fu’s tear-streaked face and began to feel a physiological headache. The doctor said it was caused by insufficient sleep. The only solution was to get a good night’s rest.
But that was difficult. He recalled the day’s events.
Song Fu had claimed him like a gift to be her fiancé, without even discussing it. He should have been unhappy, but he was not.
Just like back then, when he had let Song Fu act freely, listening to her childish play-pretend tone as she said she liked him. He clearly knew the best solution was to indulge her—once she was satisfied enough, that inexplicable feeling would fade from boredom.
But he did not want to.
The reason he did not refuse the engagement was the same.
“Song Fu.” Yan Huai Xu murmured the name softly, the ending drawn out tenderly.
Even renowned doctors could not save those destined to depart.
Old Master Song died, in the spring when willow trees sprouted buds. Just days before, he had complained about not fishing in ages, but after entering the ICU, he never woke again.
The funeral was grand. People came and went in somber black attire, repeating “my condolences” over and over. Don’t grieve too much—but how could that be easy? Father Song and Mother Song cried until their eyes swelled. Song Fu’s tears flowed without stop.
Old Master Song’s illness had lingered for some time already, so everyone had some mental preparation. But when the day truly arrived, the heartache was undiminished.
“I should have taken Grandpa to stroll by the river, go fishing.” Song Fu regretted it. She had worried the weather was still too cold for the old man’s body.
Yan Huai Xu frowned as he wiped her tears for her, his fingertip brushing her wet, reddened eye corner. “I took him already.”
Song Fu looked up in a daze. “Huh?”
“Sneakily, when you weren’t around.” To prove his words were true, Yan Huai Xu showed the photo. In the photo, Old Master Song was bundled up tightly, clutching the fish he had caught, with only his eyes visible, squinted into slits from smiling.
Song Fu blinked, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she opened her mouth. “That’s good.”
Yan Huai Xu continued wiping her face with tissue paper, as if finishing an incomplete task, still carrying it out dutifully. Without any discernible emotion, he said, “He told me to take good care of you and not get angry with you.”
Song Fu stared at the old man’s black-and-white photo in a daze, her tone drifting. “Did he tell you not to leave me?”
Yan Huai Xu: “No.”
“Then you can remember it now.” Song Fu grabbed a tissue herself and wiped her face messily, stopping her tears. She turned her head to gaze at Yan Huai Xu beside her and suddenly understood the female supporting character’s dependence on the male lead.
But she knew better that these were meaningless words—the plot was about to officially begin—
The male lead, afflicted with untreatable insomnia from past experiences, distrusted everyone and always assumed the worst intentions of them. Thus, he insisted on handling everything personally, gripping his work with a hands-on intensity that surpassed even Old Master Song.
This directly left him unable to manage his personal life, so after some thought, he decided to hire a life assistant.
A life assistant for the top executive of a massive corporation offered generous pay—many people would break their heads trying to get the position. But inevitably, those with ulterior motives sought to seize the opportunity: commercial spies, those planning to rise through beauty and emotions, ones previously dealt with by the male lead biding their time for revenge… The male lead repaid them with the same malice.
Assistants came and went, one after another, until the female lead was selected, and everything changed.