Chapter 5

Lu Xi stayed seated, her face burning so red it looked ready to bleed. She had never kissed a man before. Even holding hands—back in middle school—had gotten her beaten by her sister the moment her brother-in-law found out. To jump straight into something so intimate… Lu Xi just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Besides, she’d heard the first time was incredibly painful. And the men in novels were always so rough, keeping their partners up all night. She wouldn’t be able to handle it. “Mr. Fu… tonight, are we…” “Mm?” Fu Nanzhou raised an eyebrow. “N-Nothing!” Lu Xi shook her head quickly. How could she possibly ask if they were going to share the same bed tonight? “Come on. Let me show you to your room.” A faint smile played at the corners of Fu Nanzhou’s lips, making his strikingly handsome features even more captivating. She really was just a little thing—blushing so easily, every thought written plainly across her face. She couldn’t hide anything at all. He stepped forward with long strides to grab her suitcase. Lu Xi hurried over at once. “Mr. Fu, please—let me take it.” Fu Nanzhou paused and glanced down at her bare, delicate feet. Lu Xi instantly curled her toes inward and ducked her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t put my shoes on.” Fu Nanzhou pulled out a pair of cute women’s slippers. He dropped to one knee before her, gently wrapping his hand around her ankle. Lu Xi gasped. “I can do it myself!” Fu Nanzhou seemed to come to his senses as well. A self-deprecating smile touched his face—some habits were etched so deep in his bones that his body moved even before his mind caught up. Fu Nanzhou’s bedroom was the master suite on the second floor, facing south. It was a sprawling two-hundred-square-meter apartment with a massive balcony stretching the entire width of the southern side, fully connected to the bedroom to let in light and space. The room felt vast and bright. Lu Xi stared in awe. The world of the wealthy truly exceeded everything she had ever imagined. “The walk-in closet is through here,” Fu Nanzhou explained. “The wardrobes on the left are mine. Yours will be on the right. The eight drawers in the middle are for underwear and socks—you may keep your undergarments there as well.” Lu Xi waved her hands quickly. “No need, really. I can just keep everything in my suitcase.” That was how she had always lived at her sister’s house—her clothes stowed away in luggage. She had boarded at school, and whenever she visited home, she was never allowed to unpack freely. Every time her sister neatly arranged her things, Li Qian would come along and pack them all back up again. Her sister and brother-in-law had scolded Li Qian many times for it, but she always had the same reply: “You just don’t understand! XiXi works so hard at her studies—when would she ever have time to tidy up? Keeping things in the suitcase, taking one out as she needs it… it’s neat and saves space.” After Guoguo was born, Li Qian watched her even more closely. Lu Xi had long grown used to keeping her life inside a suitcase—small, unobtrusive, tucked away beneath a bed where it wouldn’t trouble anyone. Fu Nanzhou stood watching her, his tone warm with quiet amusement. “Little Lu Xi, this is not a hotel. This is your home now. You are the mistress here. Your things belong where you please.” Lu Xi’s cheeks grew warm. He had called her “Little Lu Xi.” And he had said this was her home—even though she had paid nothing toward it. “All right,” she whispered, and wheeled her suitcase toward the closet. Fu Nanzhou followed her inside. He pulled out a fresh set of men’s underwear from a drawer, along with a silky silver nightgown and a white bath towel. Then he left her there. Lu Xi stood alone in the closet, marveling—it was far larger than the room she shared with Guoguo. Being wealthy truly was wonderful. If only she could earn enough money to live like this someday… she would buy a big house, all to herself, with plenty of room for her sister and Guoguo whenever they came to visit. Though she knew deep down nothing she could ever afford would compare to this place. She hung her clothes neatly in the right-hand wardrobe. Even with all that space, she pushed the hangers close together, keeping her belongings confined to the smallest area possible. She wiped her suitcase clean and tucked it away on the very bottom shelf. Finished, she felt a little warm from the effort and wiped the sweat gently from her forehead. Just then her phone rang. Seeing her brother-in-law’s name, her expression tightened at once. She let it go unanswered. Then her sister called. Lu Xi bit her lip and finally answered. “Hello, Sister.” “XiXi! Where are you?” Her brother-in-law’s voice came first, sharp with worry. Then her sister Lu Yao spoke, breathless and frantic. “Lu Xi, have you run away from home? Do you have any idea how terrified I’ve been?” Lu Xi lowered her head, her voice soft. “Sister, I haven’t run away. It’s just… from now on, I won’t be staying at your house anymore.” “Where will you go?!” Lu Yao cried out. “I have somewhere to stay.” “That’s a lie!” Lu Yao’s voice rose sharply. “XiXi, I’m sorry for whatever happened. Please don’t be like this. Come home right now. You’re the only sister I have. We’ve relied on each other since we were little. What would I do if anything happened to you?” Lu Yao was crying now. Che Nan wrapped his arms around his wife. He, who almost never spoke sharply to Lu Xi, spoke firmly this time. “XiXi, you’re not a child anymore. Can you bear to see your sister so distraught? If she doesn’t care for you, I certainly do. Now, tell me where you are. I’ll come fetch you myself—it’s far too late for a young woman to be wandering about alone.” Lu Xi spoke quickly. “That’s not necessary, Brother-in-law. I’m staying at YiYi’s tonight.” “You’re lying,” Che Nan said plainly. “You’ve always stammered when you tell lies.” Face burning, Lu Xi blurted out, “I have a boyfriend! I’m going to live with him from now on!” Che Nan narrowed his eyes and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. “XiXi, your sister and I know perfectly well whether you’ve been seeing anyone. Don’t be willful. Tell me your address at once.” “It’s true!” Lu Xi said, irritation rising. “I really do have a boyfriend.” “Lu Xi, listen to me,” Che Nan warned gravely. “Men outside only deceive innocent young girls. They see how soft and gentle you are, how easily trusting—and they take advantage. You must protect yourself. Your sister and I have looked after you all this time with great care.” Lu Xi felt a surge of impatience. She had no desire to sit through his sanctimonious warnings any longer. “Sister, Brother-in-law, I must go,” she said. “I’m perfectly safe. Please don’t worry.” And she hung up. Lu Yao called back immediately. Lu Xi rejected the call—again and again—until finally she answered. She did not wish to cause her sister further worry. Once more, it was Che Nan who spoke. “XiXi, listen to reason. Give me your address. If you truly refuse to come home tonight, I will drive you to your company apartment.” “No thank you,” Lu Xi replied firmly. “From now on, Brother-in-law, you need only care for my sister. I have my boyfriend to look after me.” Che Nan lost his patience entirely. “Lu Xi, do not force me to call the police and report you missing!” At that moment, Fu Nanzhou stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. “Lu Xi, it’s your turn to wash.” Silence fell over the line. Seconds later, Che Nan’s voice cracked with alarm. “XiXi… who was that?! Is there a man with you? Are you truly staying with a man?” “XiXi, listen to me!” he rushed on urgently. “Men like that are all the same—they only want one thing. Do not give yourself away lightly! You are my…” He caught himself just in time. “You are my sister-in-law. It is my duty to look out for your well-being.” Lu Xi spoke quickly. “Brother-in-law, please stop worrying about me. I’m going to wash up now. And don’t worry—we aren’t sleeping in the same bed.”