An Invitation

Fu Haoyao watched his brother appear at the study door, his confusion growing.

"Bro, are you done with work?"

He had never offered to drive a tutor home before; Secretary Feng always handled that. Of course, part of that was because previous tutors had been dismissed on their first day. But still, something felt off.

He didn't dwell on it, though. For now, Fu Liangxia was just a decent, ordinary classmate and tutor—nothing more. At most, she had better gaming skills and was prettier than most.

He wasn't particularly fond of her. He was naturally lacking in the romance department. If someone annoyed him, he'd ignore them. If someone seemed alright, he'd befriend them.

By now, Fu Liangxia barely counted as a friend.

At least he no longer gave her that dismissive "boring, like the rest of them" label.

And his brother wouldn't have any other designs on his friend, right? He probably just wanted to get a read on the situation, especially since Fu Haoyao hadn't objected for once.

Having reasoned it out, Fu Haoyao casually switched on his computer, lounged back in his gaming chair, and waved at Fu Liangxia. "See you tomorrow. We can game sometime."

His attitude was much warmer than when he'd picked her up, signaling that she'd been promoted from "ignore" to "friend."

Fu Liangxia: "...Okay."

She rose and walked toward the door, where a young man stood. Around twenty-three or twenty-four, handsome, with deep blue eyes that seemed almost affectionate as he looked down at her.

Truly, eyes that could make you feel like a lover even when he was just looking at a dog.

Fu Liangxia blinked. Maybe this was why she hadn't felt that top-tier condescension from him. Not because Fu Langshu was genuinely kind, but because his looks worked in his favor.

She couldn't read his true expression.

She smiled at him in thanks. They'd agreed that the Fu family would arrange her transportation, but she'd assumed Secretary Feng would send a driver, not that Fu Langshu himself would come.

She had a feeling this wasn't what Feng Qian had meant either. Fu Langshu had likely decided on a whim.

But why?

As she followed him out, Fu Liangxia couldn't guess his motive, but she suspected he had something to say.

Perhaps because the outdoors weren't ideal for a serious conversation, Fu Langshu only asked casual questions: her age, why she hadn't been at Saintland last year, and basic info.

Fu Liangxia answered politely, playing the part of a good student—well-mannered, neither servile nor overbearing, her words carefully measured.

Two minutes later, she got into a silver-gray Porsche with him. The color was understated, but the license plate was not.

On the surface, Fu Langshu's tastes seemed to differ from Fu Haoyao's, but even she, who knew little about cars, could spot a subtle resemblance in the design between this one and his brother's sports car.

She couldn't pinpoint exactly what, so she figured it was just a personal preference and looked away.

Fu Langshu noticed her glance, his gaze sharpening slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

With a soft click, the dome light came on, and Fu Liangxia watched as the car glided out of the underground garage.

"Miss Fu, you surprise me."

Fu Langshu's slender fingers gripped the wheel, his voice filling the small space like a vinyl record slowly spinning—rich and captivating.

Fu Liangxia wasn't swayed by his voice. She smiled. "You can be surprised once I've brought Fu Haoyao's grades up."

Fu Langshu paused, glancing at her through the rearview mirror with a raised brow. "You're amusing. But that's not what I meant."

She turned to look at him.

"That new project the Fu family invested in—I heard you approached the researcher and offered funding."

Fu Liangxia's expression shifted. This was actually another reason she'd stayed in the Lower City. Besides recovering, she needed to present her father a token of her worth, proof that she could handle being the heir.

The researcher she'd chosen was none other than the tech upstart from the original story who'd later skyrocket onto the rich list. Just three months ago, she'd been a destitute old woman who could barely afford her nursing home fees.

If the old lady Xu's research wasn't promising, Fu Liangxia wouldn't have been able to convince her father to gamble on a hefty loan for future development. Nor would Fu Langshu have noticed that particular proposal among all the others and decided to meet with her father.

But Fu Langshu's initial thought wasn't partnership. As the leader in the semiconductor industry, his first instinct was to swallow the whole pie rather than share it.

What surprised him was that a routine check into whether he could poach Xu Yuan and her research team had turned up something interesting.

A high schooler—one who'd spent over a year in a nursing home due to poor health—had the sharp eye to spot such a promising project. And the cleverest part: her relationship with Xu Yuan wasn't just investor and investee. It was practically life-saving gratitude, along with genuine appreciation and support in a time of need.

He'd learned that three months ago, Xu Yuan's research had yielded nothing. It was a money pit with no end in sight. She'd poured her entire fortune into it and couldn't even cover her hospital bills.

That was when Fu Liangxia appeared. She not only paid Xu Yuan's medical expenses but also solved her research funding problem.

After learning all this, Fu Langshu realized he'd never be able to cut the Fu family out of the deal.

—Xu Yuan would never agree.

But the discovery only made him more curious about Fu Liangxia. He wanted to know what kind of prodigy could make such decisive, savvy decisions at her age.

Contrary to his expectations, she was slender, with bright, clear eyes—just a rather pretty girl, nothing more.

Nothing special, it seemed.

But being nothing special was itself special.

Fu Liangxia kept her innocent-student expression, unflustered even when caught out. She said softly, "Just lucky."

Fu Langshu neither agreed nor disagreed. He followed her lead. "Not everyone has that kind of luck. And in business, sometimes a little luck is exactly what you need."

Fu Liangxia fell silent.

Luckily, Fu Langshu didn't press the point. He shifted to another topic. "There's a conference in Haishi at the end of the month. You could have your father take you."

A conference Fu Langshu specifically mentioned couldn't be ordinary. She didn't need to think twice—it would be packed with big names, and without an invitation, no one ordinary could get in. Given the Fu family's standing, they wouldn't even come close.

But since Fu Langshu had brought it up, it meant he'd be sending her father an invitation.

And "take a look" wasn't just a casual visit. It could be about attracting investment or finding new opportunities.

Perhaps it was also a way to usher the Fu family into the upper echelons.

In any case, Fu Langshu had extended the invitation to high society. It was up to the Fu family to seize the chance.

And Fu Liangxia, as it happened, excelled at seizing opportunities.

Speaking of Haishi at the end of the month... Fu Liangxia thought back. If she passed the selection, she'd be heading to Haishi around that time for the preliminary competition. It was convenient to do both together.

*

Fu Langshu drove her to the door, politely declined her "come in for a bit" invitation, and drove off.

When Fu Liangxia entered, her father was watering the flowers in the courtyard, surrounded by tiny, warmly glowing fairy lights.

He looked up at the sound. "Xiaxia's back. How did it go?"

She nodded. "Smoother than expected."

Then she added, "Oh, Fu Langshu also mentioned he'd send you an invitation to a conference in Haishi at the end of the month."

Her father lit up at that. He patted her shoulder. "Well done. You've worked hard, Xiaxia. Head in and rest for today."

He didn't say whether he'd bring her along.

But Fu Liangxia guessed Fu Langshu would drop a hint. She could feel he was more interested in her than in her father.

She said nothing, walked inside, and went to her room.

It wasn't even ten yet. Luckily, tutoring Fu Haoyao, who was in the same grade, also helped reinforce her own knowledge. All she needed now was a quick review of the day's lessons.

Saintland teachers rarely assigned homework, leaving most studying to the students—consistent with the school's elite-education philosophy.

She spent some time reviewing, then packed her bag, washed up, and finally lay down in bed in her soft pajamas.

Fu Liangxia could tell the rain and chill today had taken a toll. She'd held herself together while tutoring Fu Haoyao, but now that she'd relaxed, exhaustion washed over her.

She was about to drift off when she remembered she still hadn't replied to Su Xingshu's message.

Did she really have to reply?

She asked herself.

She was too tired and sleepy to lift a hand. But remembering she needed to raise Su Xingshu's Affinity Points to 60 to keep her life, she resignedly fumbled around for her phone.

Just then, her phone buzzed. She thought Su Xingshu had sent another message, but it turned out to be a friend request from Xu Cai.

Fu Liangxia accepted. To keep the peace at school, she didn't want too many enemies, and staying on good terms with a standard Saintland student like Xu Cai was the safer bet.

After adding her, Xu Cai's side showed "typing..." but nothing came through after two minutes.

Losing patience, Fu Liangxia switched to her chat with Su Xingshu.

Fu Liangxia: [Fine.]

A moment later, his reply came: [Good to hear. Those two today... they've been dealt with.]

Fu Liangxia: [Oh.]

She couldn't sound too pleased, or she'd come off as some vindictive girl.

But she couldn't help regretting that she hadn't gotten to handle them herself.

She didn't know then that her chance for personal revenge would come sooner than she thought.

Of course, that's a story for later.

After sending that curt response, she saw the "typing..." indicator again. It stopped, then started again a few seconds later.

What was he hesitating over?

Just then, Xu Cai's message came through.

Xu Cai: [Liangxia, what's your relationship with Young Master Fu?]

Xu Cai: [Kitty peeking.jpg]

Fu Liangxia thought for a moment, then replied: [Our families have some business dealings.]

She deliberately kept it vague, letting Xu Cai assume her family was at a level where they could partner with the Fu family.

In a way, that was the best way to avoid trouble.

Sure enough, Xu Cai didn't press further. Instead, she cheerfully offered to lend her notes since she'd missed class, then invited her to go sailing over the weekend.

Fu Liangxia declined.

On the other end, Su Xingshu messaged.

Su Xingshu: [By the way, do you know Cheng Xingzhou? The one who carried you to the infirmary today.]

Seemingly aware his voice was pleasant, he sent a voice message. When she played it, his magnetic voice hit her ear directly, sending a shiver down half her body.

She had to admit—Su Xingshu had a reason for being in a band.

He definitely had the goods.

And when he wanted to seduce someone, he knew exactly what girls fell for.

Normally, a voice message from someone you didn't know well would feel intrusive. But he pulled it off without seeming rude, adding just a hint of ambiguous flirtation.

Fu Liangxia was certain Su Xingshu was trying to win her over.

Not that he was serious—probably treating her like he'd treated his previous girlfriends: a plaything.

All technique, no sincerity.

She knew that signal all too well. In her past life, she'd seen plenty of rich heirs who, when they met someone they found attractive, would pursue them for a while, showering them with gifts and slick but not oily sweet talk, looking sincere.

But if the girl didn't bite, they'd quickly shift their attention elsewhere.

Fu Liangxia had no intention of being such prey. If she took the bait, her Affinity Points with Su Xingshu would stay at 30.

That wouldn't do.

So she sent a voice message too, her voice extra soft from lying in bed.

She said, "Hmm, I used to like him."