What's Your Relationship with Fu the Second?

Fu Haoyao's WeChat was nearly empty—just his cronies and the top tier like the F4. So once this photo went up, everyone who mattered saw it.

In the recording studio Su Xingshu had gotten the school to approve for him, he sat at the equipment, earnestly fitting the lyrics he'd brainstormed into the score. Beside him, Fu Liedong and Wang Ziwei chatted, laughing. "Finally got a slot for Brother Su's group," Fu Liedong said. "You better make a good guide."

"Of course."

"But we haven't decided where to go yet, right?"

"Then make a set for each place. Look how prepared Ju Jinghuan is."

With a crack, Su Xingshu snapped the pen in his hand. Their chatter had reminded him of his failed invitation that morning, and his inspiration dried up as if a valve had been sealed.

He wasn't the type to take it out on innocent bystanders—that would be low. He leaned back in his chair, pulled out his phone, and scrolled aimlessly. What he was really looking for, even he didn't know.

Then his gaze froze. On his feed, Fu the Second had posted a photo. Fu Liangxia smiled charmingly, and beside her, Fu Haoyao looked nothing like his usual aloof self—he seemed almost tame. They leaned together, smiling, like a young couple in the early flush of romance—green and perfectly matched.

It was a lovely scene, yet it stung Su Xingshu's eyes. He kept his phone raised, his brow drawing tight, his expression freezing over.

From behind, Fu Liedong noticed the shift and sneaked a peek at the screen. Seeing his sister with Young Master Fu, he froze, then blurted, "Damn! I knew something was going on, but my sister wouldn't admit it! And now they're eating together and posting photos—if that's not dating, what is?"

Wang Ziwei, watching Su Xingshu's face, chose his words carefully: "Not necessarily. Just a meal in the cafeteria—classmates do that too. It's not like Brother Su hasn't eaten with her."

Su Xingshu shot the screen one last look, then flipped the phone over, feigning indifference. "It's nothing. Go on, play." What he really thought, no one could tell.

...

Fu Liangxia was completely unaware of the storm the photo had stirred. After a light twenty-minute nap, she hit the library for a while, then headed toward the lecture hall, following the flyer's directions.

Before she reached the teaching building, the crowd packed in front of it startled her. If you didn't know better, you'd think some celebrity had arrived—she'd never seen them this eager about studying. Her understanding of this world's money worship got another update.

With this many people, the lecture hall wouldn't hold everyone, so she figured she might as well go back to studying and turned to leave. But as she turned, her gaze collided with Liang Huiming, immaculately dressed. A row of assistants trailed behind him, and a gorgeous suit draped over his shoulders, he strolled toward her with an easy grace.

Unexpected, yet not surprising. She should have guessed—Liang Corporation had major cooperation with Fu Corporation in the near term, so they were bound together. Sponsoring the competition wasn't out of the question.

His entrance was so grand it was almost impossible to miss. Everyone turned to watch, his long legs crossing the ground as if he were walking a red carpet, and they couldn't help but stare.

What a bewitching man. What a beautiful face. He even wore a monocle, and with his ornate, elaborate attire, he looked like a noble straight out of an ancient European castle.

Hearing the gasps, Liang Huiming smiled and teased, "Everyone standing here—all this to welcome me?" A clamor rose.

"Yes!" someone shouted. Others complained, "We can't fit in the lecture hall. We heard you were coming, so some outsiders from other schools snuck in wearing our uniforms—way over capacity."

"Oh, is that so?" Liang Huiming covered his mouth and raised an eyebrow. "What do we do then? I can't let you all come for nothing. How about I book another lecture hall? I'll give my talk, and President Fu can give his?" He paused, as if remembering something, and winked. "Don't tell me you're all here for Fu Langshu—I'd be heartbroken."

His gaze swept past Fu Liangxia, lingering on her meaningfully for two seconds.

Laughter rose, and someone shouted, "No!" Clearly, among these children of privilege, only those with more money and power earned respect. His words weren't even that funny, but they couldn't stop laughing.

Fu Liangxia's expression stayed flat. She checked her phone—Bai Kewei said she had an elective class and couldn't go to the library together.

While she debated whether to leave or stay for the talk, Cheng Xingzhou walked over from the side. He wore the Student Council badge, and his expressionless face gave him a kind of ascetic beauty, especially in contrast to that peacock, Liang Huiming.

Out of all these people, he somehow spotted her at once, glancing at her with cold indifference. That look, veiled with a hint of grievance, almost made Fu Liangxia feel like she was some heartless woman who'd abandoned her husband and child.

What the hell, she muttered inwardly. What's wrong with him this time?

Behind him followed Fu Haoyao, hands in his pockets, headphones around his neck. Seeing her, he immediately snapped out of his game commentary and waved at her, looking like an excited puppy spotting its owner on a walk.

After the greeting, he remembered the photo he'd cropped and secretly posted on Moments, felt a twinge of guilt, and averted his gaze.

But after a few seconds, he looked back at her. He'd gotten permission to post the photo, anyway—he'd just cropped out the two of them. What was there to be guilty about?

No guilt. None at all!

He stepped forward and took the initiative: "Fu Liangxia, what are you doing here?"

"I've got nothing better to do, so I came to listen to the talk." Fu Liangxia tilted her head up to look at him, saw his hair nearly gilded by the sunlight, and saw Cheng Xingzhou's face darken a bit more. "I also signed up for the competition," she said. "No harm in learning more."

Fu Haoyao was briefly stunned—though not surprised she'd signed up. He nodded casually: "Then I'll wait for your good news. Score well, and I'll treat you to a meal."

"If I score well, I should treat you," Fu Liangxia said with a light laugh. "Why would you pay for my celebration?"

"What's the big deal?" Fu Haoyao shrugged, unconcerned. "If you're happy, I'm happy." Realizing he might have let something slip, he shut his mouth quickly and said no more. His ears, however, turned red.

The two exchanged words back and forth, and an odd atmosphere enveloped them—a special kind of aura that made others feel they couldn't intrude.

Fu Liangxia keenly felt two gazes on her: one from Cheng Xingzhou, the other from Liang Huiming, who seemed lost in thought.

Right, Liang Huiming! She still remembered that just last week, she'd played the sweet couple with Fu Langshu right in front of him. And now she was being all ambiguous with Fu Langshu's younger brother here... Fu Liangxia didn't dare imagine what kind of image she'd become in his eyes, or what title he'd given the movie playing in his head. She didn't want to think about it, didn't dare to know. She had a feeling it would be something explosive.

Cheng Xingzhou interrupted the awkward atmosphere at just the right moment. He glanced sidelong at the girl, feigning surprise: "I didn't know you were interested in this kind of thing." Interested in the talk, or the speaker? Cheng Xingzhou gave Fu Haoyao a subtle look—the speaker was, after all, his brother. Even if she were trying to curry favor with his family, it would be understandable.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Fu Liangxia smiled, but her words were a polite rebuff.

Cheng Xingzhou didn't want to argue with her in public. He scanned the curious gazes around them and rubbed his brow: "I asked Xue Changgui to open the adjacent lecture hall. The two rooms will be connected, so everyone can head over."

Even though they knew this was Cheng Xingzhou's way to disperse them, they still fell for it. After all, seats were limited—what if they were late and couldn't get a spot? They surged into the building.

Fu Liangxia was about to follow, but she heard Cheng Xingzhou say to her, "Is it too late for me to get to know you now?" She paused mid-step and gave him a complicated look.

What did he mean? "Of course," she said. Whether that meant 'of course you can' or 'of course it's impossible' was for him to figure out.

"Good. There's something I want to know right now." Cheng Xingzhou walked beside her, his tone light, as if he didn't really care about the answer. "What's your relationship with Fu the Second?"

...So he'd gone through all this trouble just to ask her that? Fu Liangxia felt that men's hearts were unfathomable. She answered, "As you can see—classmates."

"And?" Cheng Xingzhou turned his head, waiting seriously for her reply.

Fu Liangxia was puzzled—what else could there be? She glanced at Fu Haoyao on the other side, whose eyes held a faint, eager hope. She caught a longing there. Longing for what? She let her mind wander, then quickly remembered his request to increase the tutoring sessions. Ah, of course—longing for academic success.

"Tutoring relationship," she answered smoothly.

Fu Haoyao's eyes dimmed, but Cheng Xingzhou felt like a stone had been lifted from his chest. Thank goodness...

"Oh, so you're just classmates—I was scared to death." Liang Huiming, who had been watching the whole exchange, suddenly spoke up, clutching his chest in an exaggerated gesture of relief. "I thought..."

The moment he opened his mouth, Fu Liangxia knew what he was about to say. Her forehead throbbed hard, and instinct told her she couldn't let him finish—otherwise, things would spiral in an unstoppable direction.

Luckily, Liang Huiming didn't continue.

But fate wasn't about to let her off so easily. Just as they reached the designated floor and the elevator doors opened, a figure appeared outside.

"Xiaoxia."

The man in the impeccably tailored black shirt looked down, his platinum-blond hair falling, his thin lips curving into a smile for her. Fu Liangxia took a second to remember that Fu Langshu was putting on an act for Liang Huiming, but before she could react, his large hand had already wrapped precisely around hers: "You're here, with Xiao Yao? Why didn't you tell me? I'd have sent someone to pick you up."

"..."

Cheng Xingzhou, who had just suspected Fu Liangxia of coming to the talk to curry favor with Fu Haoyao's family, felt his expression crack.