Chapter 47: Afraid She Might Not Endure

"Fu Wenzhou, I want to eat dumplings."

Her tone was soft, almost coquettish.

In that moment, Fu Wenzhou could think of nothing but the person before him. He thought, never mind dumplings—even if she asked for his life, he would give it to her without hesitation.

"Alright." His voice was hoarse, even a little flustered as he withdrew his gaze. She hadn't done anything in particular, yet, just like this, she was impossibly alluring.

No one needed to say it—Fu Wenzhou himself thought he must be some kind of pervert.

Song Qingyou glanced curiously at the man who had his back to her as if hiding something, feeling puzzled.

She walked over and asked, "What's wrong? Are dumplings that hard to make?"

Fu Wenzhou took a deep breath and said, "If you still want dumplings, it's best you stay away for now."

Song Qingyou didn't understand. "Why?"

But as she spoke, she was already beside him. Seeing he wouldn't look at her, she leaned in. "Fu Wenzhou, you—"

Before she could finish, a strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist and pulled her close. Their bodies were pressed together, not even a sliver of space between them.

At such close proximity, she could clearly feel the change in his body.

Instantly, her cheeks flushed. In anger and embarrassment, she shoved him away. "Are you some kind of animal?"

Fu Wenzhou's breathing was heavy, but he didn't refute her accusation. Instead, his tone was unbearably gentle. "Qingyou, stop wandering in front of me, or I'm afraid you won't be able to handle what comes next."

Song Qingyou fell silent.

She didn't even dare ask what he meant by 'won't be able to handle it.' Fleeing in panic, she retreated to her room.

An hour later, Fu Wenzhou brought a tray of dumplings to the bedroom.

Song Qingyou was curled up on the cozy sofa by the bed. Hearing him enter, she glanced over, her gaze unconsciously drifting downward.

"Qingyou."

She snapped back to herself and found his dangerous eyes locked on her.

"You'd best not tease me."

Song Qingyou pressed her lips together, a little weakly retorting, "I wasn't..."

Fu Wenzhou didn't want her to be hungry for too long and didn't dwell on this any further. He knew well that Song Qingyou had never tried to seduce him—he was simply enthralled by her, even by a single glance.

Or perhaps, it was in the way her lips parted to eat a dumpling, rosy and inviting, that drove him wild.

He averted his gaze, pulling out his phone and pretending to be busy, but his entire attention remained fixed on her.

Song Qingyou had a small appetite; after a few dumplings, she was full.

She glanced at the man beside her. He was frowning at his phone, seemingly annoyed about something.

So she didn't call out to him, just picked up the remaining dumplings, intending to take them out.

She'd barely moved when he set his phone aside and looked up. "Already full?"

"Mm."

"You eat like a kitten—such a small appetite." He took the bowl, poking at the dumplings, and frowned when he saw more than half remained. "Eat two more."

Song Qingyou quickly retreated to the sofa. "I can't."

Fu Wenzhou's expression was stern. "No way. If you can't, I'll feed you."

Just as Song Qingyou was about to protest that even if he fed her, she still couldn't eat any more, the man took a bite of a dumpling and suddenly leaned in.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Fu Wenzhou!

He said he would feed her, but in the end, he devoured her from the inside out.

The remaining dumplings all ended up in his stomach.

That night, Song Qingyou spent the whole time worrying he would pounce on her at any moment. Even in her dreams, Fu Wenzhou had become a little demon chasing her relentlessly, never letting her escape, no matter how she ran.

"Qingyou, I won't tease you anymore. Go to sleep," came Fu Wenzhou's voice in her haze, and she finally relaxed. With his promise, she was able to fall into a deep slumber.

It felt as though Song Qingyou slept for a very, very long time.

Vaguely, she sensed someone lifting her up.

After a long while, she heard voices again.

"Not coming back... What does it matter to me... I have my own home... You being angry is pointless. Wherever she is, that's my home now... Fu Tingshen is nothing..."

Her mind grew clearer. Opening her eyes, she saw Fu Wenzhou on the phone, his voice low.

She was in a car, the heater on high and his down jacket wrapped warmly around her.

As soon as she stirred, Fu Wenzhou noticed. He spoke curtly to the person on the other end and hung up. When he turned to her, his expression had completely changed.

"Qingyou."

His gaze burned into her, as if his entire world contained only her.

Song Qingyou could almost hear her own heartbeat quicken.

She hurriedly looked away, glancing out the window, only to realize she was in an unfamiliar place. She froze.

"Why did you bring me here?"

She didn't recognize the location, though the scenery was beautiful. The roadside was covered in fallen maple leaves.

A golden carpet beneath the blue sky, the scene resembled a vibrant ink painting.

Her first thought was that Fu Wenzhou had brought her hiking.

The possibility made her laugh. Unless Fu Wenzhou had lost his mind.

Fu Wenzhou noticed the curve of her lips and couldn't help but smile as well. He leaned over, carefully wrapped her in the down jacket and scarf, and said, "You'll see soon enough."

The more mysterious he was, the more curious Song Qingyou became.

They got out of the car and walked up a stone stairway.

After just a few steps, she was already breathless.

The next moment, Fu Wenzhou crouched in front of her. "Come on, I'll carry you up."

Song Qingyou looked at the nearby road. "Are we climbing? Why don't we just drive up?"

"Today is the winter solstice. I want to walk with you, is that alright?" Fu Wenzhou smiled. "Come on."

Before she could figure out what the winter solstice had to do with taking a walk, he had already pulled her onto his back.

As he stood, she gave a startled cry and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling.

She had almost never been carried like this in her life and felt awkward.

But Fu Wenzhou shifted her slightly, his hands beneath her, and said with a laugh, "You're too light. We need to fatten you up."

Song Qingyou clung to his clothes, heart in her throat. "Stop bouncing me around. Aren't you tired?"

But to Fu Wenzhou, she was as light as a feather. In just a few steps, they'd reached the top of the stone stairs.

When he set her down, she looked ahead but before she could see anything, his hands covered her eyes.

"Wait, don't look yet."

Though she couldn't see his face, she could sense the nervousness in his voice.

Imagine—Fu Wenzhou, nervous?

The more secretive he was, the more her curiosity grew. What on earth did he want her to see?

"Alright."

But with her eyes covered, she could only glimpse a sliver of light through his fingers, unable to see the path ahead. Feeling unsteady, she instinctively grabbed his arm and followed him carefully.

Fu Wenzhou glanced down at the hand clutching his sleeve, his heart as if gripped by that small hand. In that moment, he wished this path could go on forever, even if they never reached the end.