Chapter 73: The Marriage Contract

Ruan Li left Jing Pavilion and headed straight for the Fu Corporation. She was determined to see how far things had progressed, feeling like she was the only one left in the dark.

This time, she didn’t take Fu Huaizhou’s private elevator directly to the top floor. Instead, dressed in a businesslike outfit and wearing sunglasses, she slipped unnoticed to the back of a crowded elevator.

It was the middle of the afternoon, and every elevator was packed with people chatting noisily.

“I heard some gossip from another department that our President Fu is planning an arranged marriage. Is it true?” someone said.

Another chimed in, “It should be. Why else would Miss Ming come to our company the other day? She certainly wasn’t here to talk business.”

“But didn’t President Fu just go public with his relationship recently? Isn’t it a bit too soon to get married?” a skeptical voice asked.

Someone let out a mocking laugh. “For wealthy families like theirs, dating a small-time celebrity doesn’t conflict with family alliances, does it?”

Ruan Li stood at the back, clenching her fists. It wasn’t that she thought Fu Huaizhou was like those playboy second-generation heirs. What angered her was that rumors were spreading wildly while Fu Huaizhou remained busy and tight-lipped, without explaining anything to her.

As the elevator stopped at each floor, the crowd slowly thinned out. By the time it reached the top, only Ruan Li remained. Exiting, she found Assistant Qin still at his post.

“Miss Ruan? What brings you here?” Assistant Qin quickly followed her.

She nodded to him and headed straight for Fu Huaizhou’s office.

“President Fu isn’t in the office today,” Assistant Qin explained hastily.

“Not here again?” Ruan Li didn’t stop walking. “What’s he doing?”

“That… I’m not sure,” Assistant Qin answered sincerely. “President Fu has been very busy lately. It’s not something we’re privy to.”

Ruan Li pushed open the office door and shut it with a bang, leaving Assistant Qin outside. She spent a long time looking around Fu Huaizhou’s desk but didn’t find anything unusual.

Feeling frustrated, she sat in his chair and began rummaging through the drawers.

“Fu Huaizhou, let’s see what you’ve been so busy with lately,” she muttered to herself. After all, even if he caught her, he couldn’t really do anything about it.

Her eyes landed on a red corner peeking out from under a stack of documents. It seemed out of place. She pulled it out and saw two large characters on the cover: “Marriage Contract.”

Her heart sank. Nuan Li was rarely so visibly upset. Slowly, she opened the document and saw that the writing inside wasn’t the typical printed text. It was beautiful calligraphy, bold and precise clearly the work of someone with years of practice. She immediately recognized the handwriting. In the study at Yu Yuan, she had often seen Fu Huaizhou practicing calligraphy.

She had teased him back then, saying, “Isn’t this a hobby for old people? You’re showing your age.”

Fu Huaizhou had always looked at her calmly, saying, “It’s to keep my mind at peace.”

Ruan Li had laughed, “Then you don’t need to seek me out at night or take cold showers. Just spend the whole evening practicing.”

His response was always the same: “Smart mouth.”

Pulling herself out of her memories, she looked at the meticulously written marriage contract.

“Two families unite, a solemn agreement, a bond of good fortune, perfectly matched… May this promise of growing old together be recorded on this paper…” Ruan Li read carefully, reaching the signature section.

Fu Huaizhou’s name and birth date were clearly written on one side, while the other side was blank. Ruan Li frowned. Was this marriage contract for someone else, or was he still undecided?

Or perhaps he was already having doubts.

Ruan Li couldn’t be sure. She carefully replaced the marriage contract under the pile of documents and decided to stay in his office until he returned.

By the time Fu Huaizhou got back, the sky was already tinged with dusk. Stepping out of the elevator, he was immediately greeted by Assistant Qin.

“President Fu, Miss Ruan is here. She’s in your office.”

Fu Huaizhou was a bit surprised. She hadn’t wanted to leave YuYuan lately, claiming she was tired and needed rest. He’d even been considering bringing a doctor to check on her, but things had been hectic, so he had postponed it.

“How long has she been here?”

“Since the afternoon, nearly two hours. She hasn’t come out,” Assistant Qin reported.

“Alright. Don’t let anyone disturb us, and push back the rest of my appointments,” Fu Huaizhou instructed. He guessed she had fallen asleep since his office wasn’t exactly entertaining.

He entered without turning on the lights and, sure enough, found her in the lounge area, curled up in a blanket and fast asleep. He shrugged off his coat, lay down beside her, and gently pulled her into his arms.

The moment he moved, Ruan Li stirred. She had been sleeping lightly, and her posture remained with her back to him.

“Awake?” In the dim room, Fu Huaizhou could still sense her movement.

“Mm.”

“What brings you to the office?” he asked softly, resting his chin on the top of her head.

“Am I not allowed to?” she responded bluntly. “Do you have something you want to tell me?”

“What’s this about?” he asked, tightening his arm around her.

“Don’t you think we’ve been spending too little time together recently? You’re never home at night.”

Hearing the hint of accusation in her voice, Fu Huaizhou chuckled. “So that’s it? You’re upset about the lack of night-time fun?”

He actually felt the same. She’d been saying she was tired for a while, and now that she had free time, he had become the one constantly occupied. He could barely remember the last time they had a proper night together.

“When this busy period is over, I’ll make it up to you,” he promised, patting her belly gently, like comforting a child. “For now, why don’t we just rest?”

Ruan Li could sense his exhaustion. But why couldn’t he share what was keeping him so busy? Even if it was about managing or countering an arranged marriage, he could have just told her.

And yet, he remained silent about Ming Yue and what had happened in the UK.

“Do you think we need a child right now?” she suddenly asked. “I went to a friend’s child’s birthday celebration the other day.”

“Why bring that up out of the blue?” Fu Huaizhou’s voice paused. He sighed, “It’s not the right time.”

“No reason. Just asking,” Ruan Li said, turning to bury her face in his chest. Her voice was muffled as she added, “I remember you have a private jet, right? Lend it to me for a few days. Ye Mian and I are bored.”

Fu Huaizhou had almost forgotten about the plane since he rarely used it. “Sure. I’ll arrange everything for you tomorrow.”