Something Unwarranted

"Good thing I came back early, or I might have missed such an exciting round."

Fu Langshu looked at Fu Liangxia expressionlessly, his gaze deep and unreadable. "Would you care to explain yourself, Teacher Fu?"

He drew out the last two words, and somehow they carried a hint of mockery.

Fu Liangxia's heart skipped a beat at his tone, and she instinctively shrank back a little. Although it had been a necessary measure, in Fu Langshu's eyes, it probably looked like she was taking a hefty tutoring fee without doing any real work.

For the sake of her part-time job, Fu Liangxia bowed her head. "I'm sorry..."

The girl's expression was apologetic and seemed utterly sincere, as if she were the one who had led Fu Haoyao into playing games.

Seeing this, Fu Haoyao cut in. "Bro, it was me who asked Fu Liang... Teacher to play with me. Don't blame her. It's my fault."

The young man lowered his eyes slightly.

It had been his idea to make things difficult for Fu Liangxia in the first place—he'd ignored her lesson and kept playing games, leaving her with no other choice... Still, he had to admit, she was really good.

A bet was a bet, and Fu Haoyao wasn't one to be a sore loser. Besides, judging by how she treated him and his brother, she didn't seem as hateful as the previous tutors had been...

Even now, when she was about to be scolded because of his mistake and might even lose this part-time job, her eyes remained clear and her attitude was composed, as if she were the one who had led him astray.

...Why would she say that? She could have simply shifted the blame onto him, like the others before her.

Those people... Even if they didn't dare say anything to his face, when they reported to his brother behind his back, they all talked about how unruly and arrogant he was, never mentioning what they themselves had done.

This seemed to be the first time someone had taken his side and chosen to defend him.

A flicker of emotion passed through Fu Haoyao's eyes. He knew that his brother, who understood him so well, would never believe that today's incident was started by anyone but him, but he still instinctively spoke up for her.

Fu Haoyao lifted his gaze. "Bro, I'll study hard."

So please don't fire her.

Because... she didn't seem as annoying as he'd thought. Maybe listening to her lessons wasn't so bad after all.

It was better than having another disgusting tutor.

Fu Liangxia was genuinely taken aback this time. Fu Haoyao was actually speaking up for her? Could it be that her gaming prowess had really won him over?

And unless she was mistaken, she could have sworn she saw Fu Haoyao flash her a faint smile. Though the curve of his lips was slight, that small change in expression made his face even more striking, almost eclipsing the ambient light around them.

She was pretty sure she hadn't seen wrong—Fu Haoyao must have eaten something wrong.

"Is that so?"

A deep male voice suddenly sounded from the doorway. Fu Liangxia turned to look and saw Fu Langshu staring at Fu Haoyao with a heavy gaze. After a moment, he looked thoughtfully at her and said, "It seems Xiaoyao likes you quite a bit, Teacher Fu."

【Affinity Points with conquerable target "Fu Langshu" +3. Current Affinity: 11.】

Fu Liangxia's hand trembled slightly. Who would have thought Fu Langshu was a secret brother-con?

But what was this feeling—attracting the attention of the big-shot elder brother because of the younger brother's unexpectedly favorable treatment?

Fu Liangxia wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Slightly darker than Fu Haoyao's, his platinum-blond hair was warmed by the light behind him, and the man stood with his back to the glow, his expression hidden in shadow.

He appeared courteous yet distant, and even his appraising gaze didn't seem intrusive.

So this was what someone in a position of power looked like.

Fu Liangxia was lost in thought, completely oblivious to the pressure in Fu Langshu's words and the silent exchange between the two brothers.

"Bro." Fu Haoyao's tone carried a hint of displeasure.

He could tell that his brother was deliberately using his words and presence to pressure Fu Liangxia, just as he had with every previous tutor. Most people, under a stare like his brother's, would have already panicked and revealed their hidden motives.

He usually turned a blind eye to this, but using such tactics against a girl his own age... wasn't Fu Langshu ashamed of himself?

"Got it."

Seeing Fu Haoyao's unusual behavior, Fu Langshu raised an eyebrow and withdrew his oppressive gaze.

But he instinctively sensed that she hadn't been intimidated at all, not even moved.

"It's... fine?" Fu Liangxia just snapped out of her own thoughts, remembering she hadn't answered him yet, and said hesitantly.

Because she was looking up at him, a few strands of hair fell from her cheeks and rested lightly on her slender shoulders. Her neck was arched at a beautiful angle, her face fair and delicate, her eyes sparkling with a subtle light.

She looked fragile and lovely, and yet the determination in her eyes was a spirit he rarely saw.

Fu Langshu suddenly felt his fingers itch, a craving for a cigarette.

He wanted to take a deep drag and blow the smoke onto her delicate little face that seemed unshakable by anything. Her fine skin would probably flush under the warm, moist haze, turning even pinker than it was now...

【Affinity Points with conquerable target "Fu Langshu" +5. Current Affinity: 16.】

Fu Langshu vaguely sensed his own loss of control. Something wasn't right—and it wasn't just Fu Haoyao. It was... himself.

It had been years since he'd been stirred by such a desire.

This secret longing, both destructive and tenderly ambiguous.

Fu Langshu wondered if it was because of Fu Haoyao—because his younger brother's favor toward her had cast her in a different light in his eyes.

Fu Haoyao rarely showed kindness to others, especially to young women.

So right now, he was merely showing a hint of favor, and his thoughts had already spiraled this far out of control. If she were to become Fu Haoyao's girlfriend...

Fu Langshu suppressed the rest of that thought.

"Continue your tutoring. I'll leave you to it." Fu Langshu spoke, his deep voice seemingly strained. "Teacher Fu, I look forward to seeing the results of your teaching."

Fu Liangxia was momentarily stunned, then flashed a standard smile. "Yes."

Fu Haoyao looked from one to the other and then back again.

...Why did the atmosphere feel so strange?

After Fu Langshu left, Fu Haoyao got up and turned on the room's main light, instantly brightening the space.

Seeing that Fu Liangxia had already shut down the computer and picked up her book again, he silently turned off his game as well. Spinning halfway around in his gaming chair, he suddenly asked, "Is there really a trick to it?"

Fu Liangxia looked at him as if he were an idiot. "What do you think?"

What tricks could there be in gaming? Once you mastered the basic controls, all that was left was practice and talent.

She had never played this game before, but fortunately, her dynamic vision was strong, and she trusted herself enough to pull the trigger quickly and decisively. That alone put her ahead of most people.

Fu Haoyao leaned back in his chair, relaxing his body. "Alright, I admit you're amazing. I was wrong to target you before. It's not that I don't like studying, it's just that I'm kind of... Ah, never mind. Plus, the forum said you had some grudge with Xiaoshu, like you were trying to get his attention or something. But I don't think you're that kind of person anymore."

Fu Liangxia flipped through her book and raised an eyebrow. "Maybe I am."

Fu Haoyao instinctively shook his head, about to say that then she wouldn't have defended him. But seeing the enigmatic smile on her face, he leaned back slowly and said hesitantly, "No way..."

To win his favor? To get closer to Su Xingshu?

The mere thought of that possibility made Fu Haoyao feel a strange discomfort in his chest.

This feeling came from nowhere, unfamiliar to him, and he instinctively pushed it aside.

Fortunately, Fu Liangxia said, "Can't I just be doing it for myself?"

She could sense that he didn't really understand what she meant, but he instinctively relaxed, as if relieved that she wasn't using him to get to Su Xingshu.

Worried about his friend?

Fu Liangxia couldn't quite figure him out.

"I don't think you're the type to fawn over power," Fu Haoyao suddenly said seriously. "You're a good student, you're smart, and you don't need to resort to such tricks."

Fu Haoyao had spent over a year at Saintland, and during that time, he'd only seen two kinds of people: those who kowtowed to the powerful, and those who were kowtowed to. Even the special admittees who had been recruited for their outstanding grades would soon bow to privilege.

If someone had told him back then that there would be someone who, despite having less wealth than him, could treat him as an equal—neither fawning nor disdainful—he would have scoffed.

But Fu Liangxia really was... different. She wasn't like the stiff, bookish good students; she was also amazing at gaming...

Even now, remembering her shot and the look she gave him, his heart still raced uncontrollably.

He attributed it to admiration for the strong.

So, even without the bet, Fu Haoyao felt he would be willing to listen to her lectures.

"Some people are born in Rome, while others never reach it in their entire lives. The resources each person gets are unequal from birth. You can rest easy in Rome, but for those of us who have nothing," Fu Liangxia paused, meeting his gaze calmly, and neither looked away first, "ability alone isn't enough. Too many geniuses are buried halfway, never getting a chance to rise. And I don't want to be one of the buried. If there's no opportunity, I'll create one."

Her eyes were like a deep pool, reflecting his image and luring him further into its depths.

"A fair wind lifts me to the clouds." She smiled, her features brighter than the light itself.

Fu Haoyao's gaze seemed to be swallowed by that deep pool, and he was silent for a long time.

"Thump, thump—"

His heartbeat struggled at the bottom of the pool, growing louder with each beat.

*

Meanwhile—

"I heard about it. This time, you didn't handle things the way you usually do."

Su Xingshu thought of the sorry state Kang Jin and Li Yuanfan had been in during the day, and his expression turned slightly strange. "They looked pretty rough."

"You think I did wrong?"

The young man sitting across from him raised his hand, slender fingers gripping the glass goblet, his phoenix eyes narrowing slightly. "Pitying them?"

"Of course not, it's just that..." Su Xingshu frowned, choosing his words carefully. "Is it because of her?"

Was your unusual behavior because of Fu Liangxia?

From the first moment he saw Fu Liangxia, he'd felt she was a little special. Even when she later said something offensive, Su Xingshu was only angry for a moment before realizing she actually had a point.

But before he could clarify things, the rumor had already spread, and it had caused such consequences...

Su Xingshu frowned slightly, wondering how Fu Liangxia was doing now.

According to Fu Liedong, she hadn't been in good health to begin with.

Cheng Xingzhou looked up. "Why do you ask?"

Su Xingshu: "What other reason could there be?"

The air fell silent for a moment. Then Su Xingshu heard him say in a low voice, "Maybe I just didn't like the look of them."

Let him do as he pleased. After all, no matter what Cheng Xingzhou was thinking, it couldn't affect him.

Su Xingshu downed the rest of his drink in one gulp and slowly typed a message on his phone.

【Su Xingshu: Are you feeling any better?】

The WeChat message popped up just as Fu Liangxia was explaining a problem to Fu Haoyao. Her phone was lying on the desk, so the moment the screen lit up, both of them saw the text.

"..."

Fu Haoyao, who had just declared with such conviction that she wasn't using him to get to Su Xingshu, fell silent.

He averted his gaze, staring at the words on the paper, but his peripheral vision was secretly watching her movements.

"Why did you stop writing?" Fu Liangxia just picked up the phone, glanced at it, and put it back down. Seeing Fu Haoyao sitting there motionless, as if lost in thought, she asked.

He snapped back to reality. "Oh, I don't know how to do this one."

"Really? Let me see." Fu Liangxia leaned in a little closer, and her soft hair brushed lightly against the back of his hand, bringing a slight tickle.

Fu Haoyao caught that faint, elusive cold fragrance again. It was a bit like cedar, elegant and not easily approached.

Very much like the impression she gave.

Fu Haoyao's mind wandered again. His ears were filled with her well-organized explanation, but his thoughts were on why she hadn't replied to Xiaoshu's message.

Maybe she really wasn't interested? Or perhaps they had a falling out?

But judging from Xiaoshu's proactive inquiry, that didn't seem to be the case.

"Because it's class time." Fu Liangxia answered slowly.

It was only then that Fu Haoyao realized he had voiced his inner question out loud without meaning to.

He turned his head to look at her. Because she was explaining, the girl was quite close to him, her hand holding the pen thin and pretty, and her slightly upturned eyes looked at him. "Did you understand?"

"Oh, actually, I don't really care." Fu Haoyao touched his nose, feeling a bit awkward.

Fu Liangxia gave him that look again—the one reserved for idiots. "I'm explaining a problem to you, and you say you don't care?"

So she was asking if he understood the problem.

Fu Haoyao's expression slowly froze. He'd thought...

"Knock, knock—" A firm knock sounded at the door. When Fu Langshu pushed it open, what he saw was this harmonious scene before him. The boy and girl were sitting close together at the desk, the girl's head slightly tilted with a helpless expression, while his younger brother looked unusually uneasy.

"Time's up," he said slowly. "I'll drive Teacher Fu home."