Volume One, Chapter 18: My Wife, Fu Yuting

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"You really didn't know this was plagiarism?" Lu Jingyan's tone softened unconsciously.

Fu Yu listened, her right hand covering her mouth. Lu Jingyan noticed her trembling fingers, just as she had every time he rebuked her in the past five years.

"How could I ever harm the company?" Her voice quivered with emotion. "You know I..."

She stopped abruptly, as if swallowing a confession too raw to be spoken.

Lu Jingyan was momentarily distracted, missing the fleeting chill in Fu Yu's gaze. When he came back to himself, he met only her moist, vulnerable eyes.

"President Lu..."

"Do you trust me?"

A single tear slid down perfectly, landing on the paper right over Xu Qian's signature, the ink blooming into a tiny black hole.

Fu Yu hurriedly tried to wipe it away, but instead knocked over a coffee cup. The dark brown liquid spread across the desk, gradually forming a twisted outline, eerily resembling Xu Qian's face in her moments of hysteria.

This was the first time Fu Yu hadn't called him "Jingyan," and that detail made his heart skip a beat.

Lu Jingyan suddenly reached out and pressed her wrist. "Don't wipe it."

He felt the rapid, fragile pulse beneath his fingertips, just like that night on his birthday, when she waited till two in the morning holding a cake.

"I..." His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice gentle. "Let me check again."

Perhaps he really had misunderstood her.

After all, aside from the plagiarized design, the rest of the proposal was flawless.

Fu Yu lowered her head and murmured an "Mm," her voice hoarse, the corner of her lips lifting slightly in the shadows.

President's office.

By the floor-to-ceiling windows, Lu Jingyan absentmindedly traced the rim of his teacup, where Fu Yu had painted a daisy three years ago, now worn and faded.

Sunlight poured through the glass, casting mottled shadows on his face, mirroring his chaotic thoughts.

She truly seemed unaware...

Fu Yu's reddened eyes lingered in his mind, those eyes always filled with gentleness, now wounded like a frightened fawn.

But in the next instant, his memory skipped to Xu Qian's tear-streaked face, clutching his sleeve and saying, "I believe my sister didn't do it on purpose."

Suddenly, the door opened, breaking his reverie.

"Jingyan~"

A sweet, cloying fragrance enveloped him. Xu Qian had retouched her makeup, every eyelash perfectly defined, even her tear-smudged eyeliner now meticulously redrawn.

She carried a celadon tea cup and settled onto his lap.

"Try it, I picked the morning dew especially." Xu Qian brought the cup to his lips, her fingertips tracing lazy circles along the rim. "Didn't you say only dew can bring out the tea's flavor?"

Lu Jingyan sipped, the taste as refreshing as ever.

He looked at Xu Qian's charming demeanor, and saw only himself reflected in her eyes.

He couldn't help but shake his head internally, as if convincing himself.

Qianqian was so wonderful; surely it was just the contract gone awry that soured his mood.

And Fu Yu was merely a tool for making money.

"Did you talk to my sister? She probably didn't mean it, right?" Xu Qian's voice was sweetly aggrieved, her eyes still a little red.

Lu Jingyan instinctively held her waist, feeling the luxurious fabric of her Chanel couture. Today, Xu Qian wore peach-colored lip gloss, glittering seductively in the sunlight—a stark contrast to Fu Yu's ever-modest mauve.

"She said," Lu Jingyan's Adam's apple moved, "the design was taken from your office desk."

"Impossible!" Xu Qian's voice leapt several octaves, her false lashes fluttering with shock.

The next moment, she softened quickly, melting against his chest like cotton candy. "I meant, I never leave confidential files in my office."

"That foolish woman wouldn't dare lie to me. Think carefully, has anyone been in your office recently?" Lu Jingyan frowned, loosening his tie.

"Besides the cleaning staff, no one—"

Xu Qian's voice abruptly stopped.

Her lashes trembled, as if she suddenly remembered something.

A thrilling thought struck her.

Could it be him?

Bo Xingzhou?

Yesterday, her assistant had reported that Bo Xingzhou personally came to collect last quarter's financial statements.

Was he watching her every move, trying to help her?

For someone as powerful as him, getting Yun Yin to design a picture was effortless.

Could he be afraid Lu Jingyan might discover something?

The realization sent a rush of heat through her chest.

Even the famously aloof Bo Xingzhou had bent for her, even enlisting Yun Yin's help...

Xu Qian's lips curled involuntarily, then quickly flattened.

"Qianqian?" Lu Jingyan squeezed her palm. "Did you think of something?"

Xu Qian's tongue lightly touched her lower lip.

"Nothing..." She lowered her gaze, thick lashes casting fan-shaped shadows across her cheeks. "I'll go back and check again."

Night fell.

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Fu Yu pressed her fingers to her temples; today had been exhausting. She still had a meeting with Uncle Chen tonight to discuss the transfer of Fu family shares.

Just as she was about to shut down her computer, her phone screen lit up—

Why was he calling?

"Hello?" She answered, unable to hide her fatigue.

"Off work?" Bo Xingzhou's deep voice came through the receiver, with faint piano music in the background.

"About to leave." Fu Yu closed her folder, feeling puzzled.

"Would you keep me company at a friend's gathering?" Bo Xingzhou's tone was unusually gentle, as if he cared deeply about her response.

"Tonight might..." Fu Yu started to refuse, but was interrupted.

"At Nightfall Bar," Bo Xingzhou continued, his voice low.

Nightfall Bar?

She had arranged to meet Uncle Chen at Nightfall Bar tonight.

Was it a coincidence?

Nightfall Bar was a business she had managed for years but never made public, always leaving it in Uncle Chen's care.

Even Lu Jingyan didn't know about it.

How did Bo Xingzhou...

First, she would meet her nominal "husband."

"See you then, I'll go home and change," Fu Yu said, her fingers tightening as she glanced at the share transfer document on her desk.

But the beneficiary's signature was her own.

"Alright, I'll wait for you." Bo Xingzhou paused for half a second before replying.

For some reason, Fu Yu felt the words "I'll wait for you" carried extraordinary weight, as if he were confessing a long-hidden feeling.

Nightfall Bar.

The VIP corridor was lined with deep red carpet, like a flowing river of blood. It was Fu Yu's first time walking it as a guest, not as the owner.

She paused at the door, and as the diamond suite's entrance swung open, the crystal chandelier's light poured over her like a waterfall.

The laughter inside halted instantly.

A woman with ink-black hair draped casually over her fragrant shoulders, a few playful strands clinging to her face, adding a touch of languid allure.

She wore a red, form-fitting backless dress, as if crafted for her alone, accentuating every proud curve.

"You're here?"

Bo Xingzhou's voice glided through the air like a cello.

He sat on the main sofa, his silver-gray suit revealing glimpses of his sculpted physique.

Fu Yu noticed the black opal ring on his left pinky, from the same Australian Lightning Ridge as the pink diamond he had given her.

When did he buy that ring?

A wedding ring?

"Damn! Bo, you hid this well!" Rong Yu, a banker from Country C, sloshed whiskey onto his million-dollar handmade shoes, his mouth agape like a schoolboy rather than the financial shark gracing magazine covers.

Fu Yu scanned the room—

Internet tycoon Zhou Muchen, shipping queen Lin Lan... all big names who usually required months' notice, now frozen by her arrival.

"Even the thousand-year iron tree has finally blossomed!" Zhou Muchen looked stunned, unable to believe Bo Xingzhou was actually married.

A true thunderbolt from a silent sky.

"My wife, Fu Yu," Bo Xingzhou's lips curled faintly, his voice deep.

The suite fell into eerie silence, even the background music stopping at that moment.

After a pause, the silence broke.

"Sister-in-law, how did you and Bo get together?" Rong Yu finally voiced the question, still incredulous.

Fu Yu was about to answer when she felt an arm tighten around her waist.

Bo Xingzhou's hand circled her, and when she looked up, his eyes were as fathomless as deep water.

As if saying: you don't have to answer, not with me here.

Bo Xingzhou shot Rong Yu a cold glance.

Oh?

Bo doesn't want us to ask, then.

But—

There was always a way to pry out their secrets.

Rong Yu and Lin Lan exchanged glances, instantly reaching consensus.

"Let's play a game," Lin Lan broke the silence, her red nails tapping the glass. "Truth or dare."

She glanced meaningfully at Bo Xingzhou's hand on Fu Yu's waist. "Rare to see President Bo bring family."

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"Alright," Fu Yu looked at the glass of milk before her, a ripple stirring in her heart.

Was this Bo Xingzhou ordering milk because he knew her poor tolerance for alcohol?

She had spent five years with Lu Jingyan, and every time she accompanied him for client dinners, he made her drink.

Refusing always meant days of cold treatment.

How laughable.

Bo Xingzhou turned to her, seeing she didn't object, and nodded.

He naturally wiped the milk from her lips with his thumb, the intimate gesture sparking a wave of playful teasing.

The empty bottle spun on the table, landing first on Fu Yu.

"Truth or dare?" Zhou Muchen pushed up his glasses.

"Dare." Fu Yu's eyes flickered; after a moment's hesitation, she chose not to risk questions about him.

"Wow~" Rong Yu whistled. "Then, Mrs. Bo, please kiss President Bo in front of us for at least ten seconds!"

Fu Yu's ears flushed scarlet.

She wore gardenia balm today, but now all she could smell was her own nervousness. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her red dress, searching for an excuse—

Bo Xingzhou had already cupped the back of her neck and leaned in.

The kiss was sudden yet precise. His lips, tasting of whiskey, were warm and dry. In the instant their lips met, Fu Yu was enveloped in Bo Xingzhou's presence.

A chorus of counting began: "2, 3..."

The whistles and countdown seemed muffled behind frosted glass, yet forced Fu Yu to stay alert.

When the count reached "7," Bo Xingzhou released her.

Though brief, the kiss was restrained, like a dragonfly skimming water.

Fu Yu bit her lip, feeling that even with just four lips touching, no lingering embrace, his unique scent remained, and the heat on her lips wouldn't fade.

He looked again at the teasing crowd, his eyes deepening like ink, as if this kiss was nothing more than a lost dare.

Meanwhile, in the second-floor suite.

Lu Jingyan's ice sphere spun slowly in his whiskey glass, emitting soft clinks.

Nightfall's lighting was dim, reflecting cold glints off his gold-rimmed glasses, hiding his gaze.

"Tianyi's losses must be kept under thirty million," his voice was soft but made Lu Yuan sit up straight.

Xu Qian's crimson nails slid quickly over her tablet, pausing at a set of figures. "The Singapore investment firm can take over, but it requires a twelve percent markdown."

She looked up at Lu Jingyan, lips pursed. "If you want to cut losses, it's the only option."

Lu Yuan wiped sweat from his brow. "But the chairman..."

"Don't mention it."

If his father found out, the consequences would be dire.

Especially now that his brother was back, he couldn't let his father down again.

"Yes," Lu Yuan lowered his head, not daring to speak.

He was about to leave when he remembered something. "Oh, I think I saw your brother in the corridor just now."

"What was he doing here?" Lu Jingyan asked instinctively.

"A woman went in after him—looked young from behind. Probably your mysterious sister-in-law?"

Xu Qian's hand trembled, splashing drops of red wine onto the white tablecloth, staining it dark.

She hadn't expected, after missing her chance last time, that another opportunity would come so soon.

She had to figure out how Bo Xingzhou really felt about his secret wife.

If he cared, why give her such a good design?

If not for her sake, was he framing her for plagiarism? The second possibility seemed unlikely—someone of his stature could crush her like an ant, so why bother?

So, she decided it must be the former. If that's true, she still had a chance.

It was time to meet this "Mrs. Bo."

She quickly regained composure, pretending to ask casually, "Which direction did they go?"

"The VIP area," Lu Yuan mused. "Strange, President Bo never even sent out wedding invitations. The old man didn't mind?"

Lu Jingyan chuckled lightly, but his eyes behind the lenses showed no humor. "My brother never cares about others' opinions. As long as he's capable, the old man may be displeased but won't say much."

Lu Yuan nodded. "True enough."

In today's world, ability trumps all.

Xu Qian leaned forward, her eyes shining with a peculiar light. "Jingyan, I think we should meet your brother. We're family, after all, and should keep good relations."

Lu Jingyan set down his glass.

If he could see the mysterious sister-in-law today, it might be an unexpected gain.

"Let's go." Lu Jingyan adjusted his cufflinks and stood. "Let's meet my brother and his enigmatic wife."

When they reached the VIP area,

Xu Qian bypassed him, handing the waiter a stack of tips. The waiter immediately opened the suite's door for them...