Heartache

Fu Liangxia was taken aback. How had Fu Langshu already heard about this morning's incident? Then it clicked—Fu Haoyao must have told him. But judging by his tone, Fu Haoyao hadn't gone to his brother to tattle; he'd gone to scold him.

How... adorable.

A smile tugged at Fu Liangxia's lips. Because she'd been fishing for gold, Fu Haoyao must have assumed she was short on cash. And with the Fu family currently cooperating with them, he'd naturally jumped to the conclusion that Fu Langshu was shortchanging them, right?

He'd even gone to his own brother to "fight for justice" on her behalf...

Though it surprised her, she hadn't meant to play the victim, but this worked in her favor—it let Fu Langshu know ahead of time.

Because this gold piyao was meant for Fu Langshu—or more precisely, for his biological father. It was also the "one opportunity" she'd chosen when completing her first task.

This object wasn't something you'd stumble upon by chance; Fu Langshu had searched for years without a trace. But with the System's intervention, here it was.

Fu Liangxia wasn't particularly virtuous. She didn't think that just because it originally belonged to Fu Langshu, she should hand it over. She was a businesswoman. A qualified businesswoman does good deeds and expects fair compensation.

She just hadn't realized how much this gold piyao was worth in Fu Langshu's eyes.

Still, hearing his unreadable tone, Fu Liangxia wasn't sure if he thought she'd deliberately instigated Fu Haoyao to make trouble for him.

After all, in the original book, Fu Langshu didn't appear often, but the few descriptions made his brother-complex obvious. In his eyes, Fu Haoyao could do no wrong, and even if he blamed his elder brother or sided with outsiders, it wasn't his fault—he must have been instigated.

Fu Liangxia worried Fu Langshu might see it that way, and the whole thing would backfire.

She spoke slowly, "President Fu, you misunderstand. I didn't mean it that way."

The male voice on the other end was half-smiling: "Oh? So you like playing treasure hunt games?"

Fu Liangxia thought to herself, Isn't it treasure? A treasure that might even earn me shares.

But of course, she couldn't say that to Fu Langshu. She chuckled lightly and changed the subject: "President Fu, stop teasing me. I came from a modest family; it's only natural to be tempted by something valuable."

After all, Fu Langshu would have thoroughly investigated the Fu family before cooperating, and he must know that they were just nouveau riche, having only risen in recent years.

She was candidly resigned to it, but Fu Langshu unexpectedly fell silent for a moment.

When Fu Liangxia answered the call, she must have accidentally hit a button that made it a one-way video call.

So from the start, Fu Langshu could see her.

The girl was wearing a bright dress, her figure elegant, with dark hair and fair skin—extremely eye-catching in the night. Usually composed and mature, she now wore bright clothes befitting her age, and the whole person became more lively. Her eyes held starlight, full of spirit.

But soon, the starlight dimmed.

Fu Langshu's gaze turned slightly deep. He seemed to catch a hint of loneliness on her face.

He heard her say she came from a modest family, that she was short-sighted.

Fu Langshu suddenly remembered something, and the movement in his hand stopped.

Ah, right. The Fu family had only risen a few years ago, and she had been in a sanatorium all this time, so it was natural she hadn't seen many valuable things.

There was no need for him to press her.

He put down the documents in his hand, tapped his fingers slowly on the desk, and suddenly said, "There's a small private auction in Haishi at the end of the month."

The topic change was abrupt, and Fu Liangxia took a moment to realize what he meant.

Could he possibly...

"Would you be free to be my date?"

Fu Liangxia was shocked.

She had imagined many possible reactions, but never this—him inviting her to a private auction.

The kind of auction Fu Langshu could attend was not one where just anyone with money could enter. Especially those labeled "small" and "private"; they were more like high-society gatherings than auctions.

Was this any different from putting his connections right before her eyes?

Fu Liangxia tightened her grip on the phone. What did this mean?

Fu Langshu didn't blame her, and instead was willing to take her to "broaden her horizons."

Fu Liangxia breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and said cheerfully, "Sure."

She had never thought Fu Langshu would yield because of sympathy or Fu Haoyao's pleas. He was a businessman, not a philanthropist. There was no reason for him to show useless kindness.

But she hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise, and Fu Langshu didn't seem as cold-blooded as she'd thought.

Just as she was lost in thought, a low laugh came from the other end: "I'm not taking you for free. I expect a reward."

As expected, still a scheming capitalist.

Fu Liangxia froze, her smile stiffened, and her entire face was written with disbelief.

It was as if the other side could see her reaction, and there was another barely audible chuckle: "Don't worry, I won't ask for money."

"Then what?"

Fu Langshu's fingers traced over the documents, his tone casual: "I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you when we meet next time."

After he spoke, a secretary's voice came through the phone—probably he had another appointment.

Fu Langshu answered, then said goodbye, but in the end, he added, "Next time, don't go to Xiaoyao about things."

The man's voice was cool, with an ambiguous meaning: "He doesn't get a say in this."

...

Over on their side, Fu Liangxia and Ju Jinghuan were loading the watermelons into the cart and pushing them out of the yard. Meanwhile, Su Xingshu was helping Fu Haoyao and the others grill meat. Before long, a crowd gathered around them.

They didn't dare to mess with the hot-tempered Fu Haoyao or the president with an ice reputation, but they could tease Su Xingshu, who always had a smile on his face.

One of the girls, noticing he'd come with a guitar and a microphone, curiously probed, "Su, you brought a guitar. Are you planning to sing for us later?"

"Mm," Su Xingshu said as he focused on what he was doing.

Seeing him confirm, everyone got excited. It was rare to see Su Xingshu perform. Usually, tickets to his concerts were incredibly hard to come by, and the thought of a private performance was out of the question.

If it were an ordinary idol, they could easily hire them to perform solo with their wealth. But this was Su Xingshu, of the Su family that dominated the entertainment industry.

Someone sighed, "Then we're in for a treat today!"

Another cheered, "Su is the best! Even on a camping trip, he thinks about everyone. Being a fan of Su is so lucky!"

"Su is really gentle!"

"Who wouldn't like Su?!"

Hearing this, Su Xingshu paused. He looked up, his clear eyes fixed on the girl who had said the last sentence, and gave her a faint smile, causing a chorus of screams.

After a few seconds, he suddenly asked, "Really? Is there no one who wouldn't like me?"

People who become famous by singing always have good voices, especially combined with Su Xingshu's almost bewitchingly gorgeous face, it could easily make a splash.

The girl being stared at blushed from head to toe instantly, and even the surrounding classmates felt their hearts racing and their limbs weak.

"Of... of course, who could dislike Su?" The girl who was stared at suppressed the urge to faint and stammered.

Su Xingshu sighed: "But it seems there are still some who don't like me."

He lamented, "Maybe I need to pull more tricks to be more likable to girls?"

Everyone was taken aback, not understanding why Su Xingshu would suddenly have such a worry.

Could someone who had never failed in love also feel insecure?

And when he said "someone doesn't like him," it seemed to refer to a specific person.

And that phrase "more tricks" felt oddly sarcastic...

"Probably... they do," someone replied.

"Is that so," Su Xingshu said, casting a sidelong glance at Bai Yan with a half-smile. "I notice Bai Yan is really good at those tricks."