Chapter 59: Secret Marriage and Child?

In the morning, Ruan Li helped Fu Yu get dressed and sent him to Fu Huaizhou’s car downstairs.

“Big sis, can’t I go to work with you?” The little one looked up at her with puppy-dog eyes. Fu Huaizhou was already seated inside the car, watching the scene unfold with amusement.

Ruan Li felt troubled. The film set was crowded and chaotic, and it wouldn’t be easy to take care of a child. With so many props around, he could easily get hurt. She crouched down to talk to him gently.

“How about next time when it’s less busy, I’ll take you along? Today, you can go with your uncle to his office. There are cakes, snacks, and a big bed to rest on. You’ll definitely enjoy it.”

Fu Yu blinked. “How do you know, big sis? Have you been there before?”

Fu Huaizhou, sitting in the car, couldn’t help but laugh. When Ruan Li worked as his assistant, she definitely had a better setup than him as her boss. Ruan Li shot him a glare, silencing him.

“I heard it from your uncle. Go on, give it a try, and we’ll meet again tonight.” After much coaxing, she finally managed to get Fu Yu into the car. She then glanced at the relaxed man inside and felt somewhat resentful.

The whole situation resembled a worried mother, an uninvolved father, and their poor child.

Fu Huaizhou looked at her standing outside and said casually, “Come home early.”

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By the time Ruan Li finished her scenes, it was already late. Today, Ruan Shu came to the set, which delayed the filming. Perhaps because her marriage had been settled, even though the director criticized her several times, she no longer appeared as awkward as before. Instead, she had a haughty air about her, and everyone on set noticed her good mood.

Ruan Li, however, had no energy to care. Her work was keeping her overwhelmed. As soon as she left the set, she noticed a familiar car parked nearby. Recognizing the driver, she got in. Within a few minutes, she was already drifting off to sleep.

The car pulled up to the gates of Yuyuan just as Fu Huaizhou returned from work. He opened the door and scooped Ruan Li into his arms. The servant quickly opened the door for him.

Ruan Li felt the movement and managed to crack her eyes open, catching sight of Fu Huaizhou’s clean jawline and tightly pressed lips.

“Where’s Fu Yu?” she asked.

“He said he was tired in the afternoon, so I had him sent back. He’s already asleep,” Fu Huaizhou replied, still carrying her. “You worked late today, so I didn’t have time to pick you up.”

Ruan Li knew he either worked late at the office or stayed up in the study. Sleepily, she murmured, “The driver picking me up is fine.”

Too tired to even lift a finger, Ruan Li felt herself drifting off again. She vaguely sensed Fu Huaizhou helping her shower and change into her pajamas. This routine had become familiar, like after they were intimate, when he would always take care of her like this. She had almost gotten used to it.

When her body finally touched the soft mattress, Ruan Li buried her face into the pillow. The sound of water trickled from the bathroom, indicating that Fu Huaizhou was showering.

As her consciousness faded, she felt the bed sink beside her. A cool body slid in, and she was enveloped in a firm chest from behind.

“Cold shower?” Ruan Li mumbled, turning over to nestle against his neck.

“Yeah,” he replied, his large hand slipping under her nightgown. “It’s hot out.”

Ruan Li was too tired to think. She mumbled something incoherent, and soon, she felt his hand slide up under her gown.

“I’m so tired…” she whined, her hand resting lazily on his toned stomach.

“Not doing anything,” his deep voice rumbled. “Just a massage.”

Seeing he had no further intentions, she let him continue, her mind drifting off to thoughts of how comfortable the bed at Yuyuan was and how cozy it felt to sleep beside him.

But the next morning, she was jolted awake by the loud ring of her phone. Learning from her previous mistake, she carefully checked the screen before answering. Seeing Chen Jing’s name, she picked up.

“Girl, since when did you secretly have a kid?” Chen Jing’s exasperated voice came from the other side. Recently, the news had been crazy.

Ruan Li was still groggy, snuggling closer to the man beside her. “What kid? I only have a cat.”

“You’re trending,” Chen Jing said, her voice filled with despair. “Top search: ‘Ruan Li secret marriage and child.’ The photos attached to the article show you squatting down and talking to Fu Yu, with a luxury car in the background. They’ve blurred the kid’s face, but the rumors are wild.”

“Popular actress secretly married with a child, suspected to have married into a wealthy family long ago.”

Nuan Li opened Weibo to see for herself, and sure enough, “Ruan Li secret marriage and child” was the top trending tag. The comments were already out of control.

“Her official age is only 22, but that child looks at least five or six.”

“Maybe she was kept as a teenager. Isn’t it normal for celebrities to lie about their age?”

Ruan Li frowned at the comments. Did she really look like someone who had a six-year-old child? Before she could react, the comments had shifted direction again because her management company had liked the post spreading the rumor.

“What happened?” Fu Huaizhou, sensing her mood, sat up.

She handed him her phone. “It’s from when you came to the hotel that day. The paparazzi must’ve snapped it.”

Despite having paid off the paparazzi multiple times, Fu Huaizhou hadn’t expected anyone to be bold enough to publish this. He handed the phone back to her. “I’ll take care of it.”

“What about your company?” she asked.

Ruan Li hadn’t expected her own company to betray her. Maybe they thought she was done for after leaving the Ruan family. She shrugged, “I don’t know. I might have to terminate the contract.”

The breach of contract fee didn’t worry her between Fu Huaizhou’s secondary card and her own contracts, she had more than enough to pay it off. The only issue would be finding another company.

“I’ll handle everything,” Fu Huaizhou reassured her.

Ruan Li continued scrolling through the comments, finding them ridiculous.

“I noticed her body looked better lately. Turns out she’s had a kid…”

Ruan Li glanced down at her chest, realizing her clothes had indeed been tighter around the bust lately. She thought maybe her recent diet of papaya was finally paying off.

Fu Huaizhou, seeing her movements and remembering that comment, smirked and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

“That’s all my doing.”

Ruan Li’s mind went blank for a moment. Then, remembering what happened before bed last night, she grabbed a pillow and smacked it over his face. “Shut up. No more talking.”

Fu Huaizhou didn’t resist, letting her pin him down as they both collapsed into bed laughing.

Just then, the door swung open, and in ran Fu Yu, wearing his lion pajamas. Upon seeing the scene, the little one immediately covered his eyes.

“Uncle, don’t worry, I won’t tell Dad that you’re the one getting beaten up at home too!”