Chapter 24: Provocation

Song Qingyou nearly leaped from his arms.

The moment she escaped his grasp, she swiftly straightened her disheveled clothes, her face icy as she pointed at the door and issued an unceremonious command, “Get out, right now!”

Fu Wenzhou couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. Yet, seeing that she was truly angry, he refrained from provoking her further. He rose calmly. “I’ll borrow your bathroom for a moment.”

Song Qingyou clenched her teeth. “What else do you want?”

Fu Wenzhou glanced downward; Song Qingyou followed his gaze, and in the next instant her face flushed bright red. “You… you…”

“You lit the fire—so it must be dealt with here,” Fu Wenzhou arched an eyebrow, his mood light as he strode toward the bathroom.

The sound of running water echoed from the shower, leaving Song Qingyou’s cheeks burning. She had no desire to know what he was doing in there; avoiding his overly direct gaze, she went over and opened the door.

“You really have no affection for me,” Fu Wenzhou’s handsome face darkened, but in the end, he left.

Song Qingyou caught sight of the exquisitely packaged gift box nearby and reminded him, “Take the gift box with you…”

Bang!

The door opposite slammed shut, shaking the entire floor.

Song Qingyou: “…”

What a temper.

He nearly devoured her whole, yet his anger was fiercer than hers.

After Fu Wenzhou left, Song Qingyou opened the gift box he had brought. Seeing “Qingshan Black” up close, she was stunned once more.

The finest materials paired with masterful embroidery, every detail exuded refinement. Entirely handmade, and as the latest work of Master Lin Qingshan, its uniqueness was unquestionable.

Song Qingyou had always loved cheongsams; such an item was priceless to her, and she cherished it dearly.

Yet, thinking that Fu Wenzhou had spent fifty million to acquire it, her heart ached.

Fifty million.

Her initial intention had been to purchase this cheongsam as a gift for Madam Ruan, and now someone had delivered it to her hands. By a twist of fate, she ended up with it after all.

But… it was Fu Wenzhou who had given it to her.

She carefully hung the cheongsam and went out to select another exquisite cheongsam as a gift. Yet the packaging box seemed unsuitable; after searching for a while, her gaze caught the “Qingshan Black” box.

Clearly custom-made by Fu Wenzhou, its understated elegance and deep blue-green hue matched perfectly with the cheongsam she had chosen for Madam Ruan.

So she used it.

On Madam Ruan’s birthday, many dignitaries and celebrities gathered at the Ruan residence.

As Song Qingyou entered, she spotted her father amidst the crowd, accompanied by his newly married young wife, skillfully exchanging pleasantries.

Her stepmother, Li Ruo, noticed her and whispered something into Song Yuan’s ear, prompting him to glance over with a frown.

Song Qingyou pretended not to see, never expecting any warmth from them.

Still, Song Yuan cared about appearances, so at least in public he would act the part of a loving parent.

Today, Song Qingyou had no intention of socializing; her chief aim was Madam Ruan. Once she found her, she approached with her gift.

It was Madam Ruan’s joyous day, and she was surrounded by well-wishers.

Song Qingyou hadn’t expected to see Fu Tingshen and Lin Niaoniao present as well. Upon meeting, Lin Niaoniao reacted dramatically, “Song Qingyou, what are you doing here?”

She instinctively looked toward Fu Tingshen; his eyes lingered on Song Qingyou, his expression unreadable.

Lin Niaoniao bit her lip secretly, “Tingshen…”

Fu Tingshen withdrew his gaze, but couldn’t help glancing at Song Qingyou again.

Dressed like that—who was she trying to seduce?

In the past, Song Qingyou always appeared before him bare-faced, beautiful but aloof.

Perhaps because today was Madam Ruan’s grand celebration, her light makeup transformed her from a plain ink painting to one touched with brilliant color; an untouchable, cool beauty.

Song Qingyou shot Lin Niaoniao a glance before moving to speak with Madam Ruan.

Madam Ruan was delighted with the young woman before her, and upon opening the gift box, she was utterly charmed. She kept praising Song Qingyou’s excellent taste.

Combined with Song Qingyou’s calm and dignified demeanor, Madam Ruan’s fondness grew, and she pulled her close, speaking warmly.

Everyone could see how much Madam Ruan liked her.

The others followed suit, showering Song Qingyou with compliments, but she remained composed, as serene as a tranquil lake.

Lin Niaoniao looked on with envy.

She had flattered the old lady for ages, but received only coldness in return, clearly looked down upon.

How was it that Song Qingyou’s arrival changed the old lady’s attitude so drastically?

Fuming, Lin Niaoniao left, clinging to Fu Tingshen’s arm with grievance, “Madam Ruan doesn’t seem to like me. Did I say something wrong to upset her?”

Fu Tingshen replied absentmindedly, “No.”

Compared to Song Qingyou, Lin Niaoniao was indeed more petty; Madam Ruan’s coldness toward her wasn’t solely because of that, but it was a factor.

Fu Tingshen’s thoughts drifted to Song Qingyou—her pale moon-colored cheongsam outlined her graceful figure, her distant aura like a cold moon amidst clouds.

He had always known Song Qingyou was beautiful, but he disliked her indifferent attitude, as if he meant nothing to her—yet she cared deeply for Fu Wenzhou, that mad dog.

Just as he thought of Fu Wenzhou, the man arrived.

Wherever Fu Wenzhou went, he was conspicuous, trailed by Gu Bai, drawing the crowd’s attention immediately.

Fu Wenzhou made his way toward Madam Ruan, but his eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Song Qingyou, making it unclear whether he was approaching the old lady or Song Qingyou.

Lin Niaoniao, seeing Fu Tingshen distracted, recalled his earlier gaze at Song Qingyou and bit her lip, feigning innocence as she murmured, “If Fu Wenzhou truly marries Song Qingyou, it would be the laughingstock of the entire capital. Our Fu family…”

Before she could finish, Fu Tingshen snorted coldly, “Shameless creature.”

He watched as Fu Wenzhou strode straight to Song Qingyou’s side, his gaze glued to her—a true mad dog at her heels.

He suddenly regretted divorcing Song Qingyou so decisively. Those two adulterers…

But the thought vanished quickly, as Lin Niaoniao’s voice drew his attention, “Tingshen, my stomach feels a bit uncomfortable…”

Before Madam Ruan, Gu Bai kept the old lady entertained and smiling, while Fu Wenzhou remained aloof, caring only about Song Qingyou.

When the old lady had someone take away Song Qingyou’s gift, Fu Wenzhou glanced at it, his handsome face immediately darkening.

Song Qingyou had actually given away the gift he had bought for her?