Chapter 83: “I Beg You”

Mu Ruo was waiting for Fu Jianzhi in the living room.

Zhou Yanhui wanted to find fault with Mu Ruo, hoping to force her into divorcing Fu Jianzhi. She knew clearly that only by having Mu Ruo divorce Fu Jianzhi and letting Zhou Niannian marry him could she secure the wealth and status for herself and her son. Otherwise, when Old Master Fu eventually passed away, they would definitely be kicked out of the Fu family by Fu Jianzhi.

But today, Mu Ruo barely responded to her. No matter what harsh words Zhou Yanhui said, Mu Ruo just nodded with an “mm-hmm.”

Zhou Yanhui felt a bit frustrated and annoyed.

At that moment, Fu Jianzhi emerged from the study.

Mu Ruo guessed that Fu Jianzhi might have been scolded by Old Master Fu. After all, with a stepmother comes a stepfather. And with a step-grandmother, even a biological grandfather can become a step-grandfather.

Mu Ruo stood up, looking at him with some concern.

Fu Jianzhi ruffled Mu Ruo’s hair with his large hand, messing up the hairstyle she had spent an hour curling with a curling iron.

“Let’s go to the room.”

Mu Ruo grabbed Fu Jianzhi’s sleeve and followed him into the room.

She could tell that Fu Jianzhi wasn’t in a good mood.

“Did Grandpa scold you?”

Fu Jianzhi’s lips curved into a slight smile. “What do you think?”

Mu Ruo sighed, “I really don’t know how you managed to grow up in such a family environment.”

Fu Jianzhi paused for a moment. “Just like today.”

“Mm?”

“They were all happily together, and I was on the side as a spectator,” Fu Jianzhi said, his lips curling slightly. “From childhood till now.”

Mu Ruo felt an inexplicable pain in her heart.

Perhaps it was because Fu Jianzhi seemed so strong that such things didn’t seem like they should happen to him.

However, Fu Jianzhi himself didn’t seem too affected by it. Perhaps because he never longed for their care from a young age.

But seeing the faint trace of sympathy in the girl’s eyes, Fu Jianzhi was momentarily puzzled.

Since she was meeting the elders, Mu Ruo had dressed very pleasantly today. Her thick, long curls cascaded down her back, her face was bare of any makeup, and she wore a light purple angora sweater with a skirt that reached her calves. Her eyes were as clear and pure as melted snow.

She wore flat shoes today, making her appear quite petite in front of Fu Jianzhi.

Fu Jianzhi reached out and pinched Mu Ruo’s cheek. “Feeling sorry for me?”

Mu Ruo quickly dodged. “…Of course not.”

When it came to character arcs, wasn’t she the more pitiful one? Her ending was so tragic.

At least Fu Jianzhi was blessed with endless wealth, albeit in solitude.

Mu Ruo, on the other hand, was driven to ruin, disfigurement, and eventually suicide.

But if she only considered the present moment, Mu Ruo did think Fu Jianzhi seemed very lonely.

The perfect embodiment of “beautiful, tragic, and strong.”

Mu Ruo was somewhat curious about Fu Jianzhi’s past but didn’t want to reopen his old wounds.

After they had both showered, changed into their pajamas, and laid in bed, Mu Ruo curiously asked, “When you were a child, did your step-grandmother treat you as harshly as she treats me? Did she make you, the poor gray prince, suffer a lot?”

Fu Jianzhi: “…”

He thought Mu Ruo might have read too many romance novels and was entirely brainwashed by their classic tropes.

The past was indeed a mix of good and bad. In Fu Jianzhi’s mind, Zhou Yanhui and her son were far from being good people. In the Fu family, even madmen couldn’t survive, let alone good people.

A person like Fu Jianzhi, with a certain coldness in his bones, was born to bully others, not to be bullied.

But if Mu Ruo insisted on pitying him, he wouldn’t stop her.

After all, Fu Jianzhi was quite the opportunist. He wouldn’t turn down any extra benefits.

He nodded, chuckling softly. “Why? Does Madam find me pitiful and want to give me a hug?”

The next second, Fu Jianzhi’s body stiffened.

Mu Ruo hugged his waist and gave him a warm embrace.

The girl’s body was soft and fragrant, her whole form delicate and pressed gently against Fu Jianzhi, inexplicably causing him to feel a bit restless. His eyes darkened.

He feared that Mu Ruo had forgotten that he was actually a very assertive man.

Fu Jianzhi’s large hand gripped Mu Ruo’s slender waist. “Would you comfort other men like this too?”

Mu Ruo: “Uh.”

Fu Jianzhi’s question seemed oddly out of place, like asking who you’d save if both your mother and I fell into the water, leaving Mu Ruo momentarily unsure how to answer.

If it were someone else, of course not.

She didn’t know why she only felt this way when facing Fu Jianzhi.

Was it because Fu Jianzhi was extremely, exceptionally good-looking?

Mu Ruo thought quietly for a moment.

Lu Beichen was also handsome.

But if Lu Beichen had such a pitiable experience, Mu Ruo would probably question whether he had become a psychopath due to a troubled childhood and would keep her distance from him.

Fu Jianzhi had his gloomy moments.

But most of the time, Fu Jianzhi was dazzling. Even without his striking appearance, his demeanor and grace remained captivating.

Mu Ruo’s slender waist was being pinched painfully by his large hand. “Please don’t pinch me.”

After all, she was a beauty.

If the person in front of her wasn’t Fu Jianzhi but some other man, she would definitely think he was trying to take advantage of her.

It was unavoidable.

Mu Ruo’s waist was slender, and recent strenuous filming had made her even slimmer.

Standing nearly 1.9 meters tall, Fu Jianzhi’s frame was naturally twice the size of Mu Ruo’s, allowing him to easily encircle her waist with his hands.

His grip was so tight that it felt like her waist might break.

Fu Jianzhi still didn’t let go. “Beg me.”

Mu Ruo, well-versed in the ways of the world, knew that a mature woman must be able to be flexible, put her pride aside, and be thick-skinned to succeed.

To protect her delicate waist, Mu Ruo promptly spoke up, “I beg you.”

Fu Jianzhi, with a half-smile, said, “Not sincere enough.”

Mu Ruo, looking pitiable, pleaded, “Please, our great President Fu.”

Fu Jianzhi’s voice grew huskier. “Still not enough sincerity.”

Mu Ruo’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. “Husband, please.”

Fu Jianzhi closed his eyes and silently released his grip.

Mu Ruo finally escaped the clutches of the devilish hand and wrapped herself in the blanket, curling up in the corner of the bed to sleep.

Fu Jianzhi had no intention of sleeping.

He put on his clothes and went outside to the courtyard, finally lighting a cigarette.

Yesterday, Rongcheng had a heavy snowfall. The servants of the Fu family’s old residence had only cleared the snow from the bluestone steps. The winter roses planted on either side were blooming brightly in the snow, their large glacier roses vibrant against the winter white.

On New Year’s Eve, the sky was filled with stars. Despite the abundance and density of stars, the night felt lonely.

No one knew what Fu Jianzhi was thinking. Just like his experiences over the years, some secretive and obscure pasts, those cruel and dark thoughts, remained forever buried under the snow.