After Yuan Xi contentedly ran his hands over his abs, although he hadn’t gotten his fill, he was still delighted.

Even after returning to the office, his smile lingered, radiating pure happiness.

Once Yuan Xi was out of sight, Fu Yunzhou resumed remotely monitoring his foolish younger brother’s work.

After a period of rigorous training, Fu Yushen’s work performance had significantly improved. His efficiency and problem-solving skills had both taken a notable leap forward.

The moment Yuan Xi walked through the door, Fu Yunzhou heard the noise and swiftly closed the video feed.

Looking up and catching the lingering smile on Yuan Xi’s lips, a faint sense of irritation flashed through Fu Yunzhou’s heart.

Suppressing his displeasure, he spoke in a calm tone. “Why are you back so late? Did the other party like the gift?”

Still basking in the tactile memory of those abs, Yuan Xi had entirely forgotten to check if Yu Fei liked the gift he delivered.

Now, with Fu Yunzhou bringing it up, he froze for a moment. Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he looked a little embarrassed. “Ah… I forgot to ask.”

“You didn’t ask? Did you at least deliver it?” Fu Yunzhou raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a trace of dissatisfaction with his response.

Yuan Xi nodded earnestly. “I delivered it. Yu Fei already took it.”

Fu Yunzhou also nodded, though a part of him was curious about Yu Fei’s reaction upon receiving the gift. At the same time, he didn’t want Yuan Xi interacting with Yu Fei too much.

After all, he still hadn’t sorted out his own feelings about the little one. If someone managed to steal him away before he figured things out, he’d have no one to blame but himself.

Yuan Xi worked hard to pull himself out of his fixation on abs and turned his gaze to Fu Yunzhou.

Fu Yunzhou’s proportions were impeccable even when fully dressed, his figure looked remarkable.

After staring at him for a while, Yuan Xi leaned in closer and whispered. “Yunzhou, do you have abs? With your great figure, you must have abs or at least a defined waistline, right?”

His question rendered Fu Yunzhou silent.

While his physique was undeniably good, his naturally weak constitution had left him perpetually lean.

Abs? A defined waistline? Sorry, but he didn’t have either.

Before Fu Yunzhou could respond, Yuan Xi couldn’t help but ramble on. “Oh, oh, can I see your abs, please? Yu Fei only had four, but they felt so good! It’s such a shame I only have a squishy little belly—soft and not attractive at all.”

Fu Yunzhou hadn’t yet recovered from the blow of hearing about abs when his attention shifted to something else—only had four abs.

He couldn’t help narrowing his eyes. “You touched them?”

Completely oblivious to the change in Fu Yunzhou’s tone, Yuan Xi’s voice brimmed with excitement as he eagerly replied.

“Yeah, yeah! I saw them during their training—all the trainees have abs! But Yu Fei’s are definitely the best-looking. When I gave him the gift, I couldn’t resist touching them. They felt amazing! Though he only has four right now, it’ll probably take some time before he gets to six.”

Fu Yunzhou squinted at Yuan Xi, his gaze sharpening. A wave of irritation surged within him, and a single thought dominated his mind: Abs? That’s nothing. He could train and get them too!

And so, working out was officially added to Fu Yunzhou’s agenda.

Yuan Xi had no idea that his casual remark would set Fu Yunzhou on a dedicated journey of physical training, bringing significant changes to both his life and his own in the future.

For now, though, he kept sighing as he looked down at his own soft little belly. The feel of it, admittedly, wasn’t all that great.

Fu Yunzhou glanced at Yuan Xi, who was staring at his stomach with a look of dismay, and his voice deepened. “Xiao Xi, it’s work hours. Have you finished your tasks?”

Yuan Xi raised his head, his expression full of confusion. “I… don’t think I have any tasks?”

Fu Yunzhou fell silent. After a moment, he casually assigned him a few tasks, then lowered his head, lost in thought about how to start training his abs.

……

Fu Yunzhou’s sudden behavior changes didn’t escape his parents’ notice.

It became especially obvious when he skipped dinner at the family home for twenty straight days, and Aunt Zhang reporting that he had even replaced his usual morning coffee—a deeply ingrained habit.

From a young age, Fu Yunzhou had been stubborn, his poor health only adding to his challenges. After years of treatment with no improvement, he had completely given up on maintaining or nurturing his body.

Instead, he threw himself entirely into his work, as if staying busy was the only way to forget the limitations of his physical condition.

Fu Yunzhou’s parents had never expected that someone could actually influence him enough to change his mindset.

Not only had Fu Yunzhou stopped his morning coffee habit, but he also began eating his meals on a strict schedule. Even his work was delegated to his younger brother, as he chose to take breaks instead.

At that moment, Fu Yunzhou’s mother, Shen Xiyun, couldn’t have been happier.

“Tianqi, do you think Yuan Xi could really be our son’s destined partner? Master Chen mentioned it back then, but it was Yushen who insisted on testing Yuan Xi’s character first, which caused so much unnecessary trouble. That Qi Yunrou—I’ve said it before, she’s not a peaceful soul. But why did Yushen even take a liking to her?”

Shen Xiyun had strong opinions about the matter.

When she first learned that Yuan Xi and Fu Yunzhou’s birth charts were highly compatible and could potentially improve her son’s health, she was overjoyed.

However, Fu Yushen argued that it wouldn’t be right to pair Yuan Xi with his elder brother without first understanding his character. He insisted on testing his personality before making any decisions.

Initially, Shen Xiyun hesitated but eventually agreed, swayed by Fu Yushen’s confident determination.

Who could have guessed that not long after Yuan Xi was brought to the main residence, Shen Xiyun would run into Qi Yunrou four times? Each time, Qi Yunrou either directly or indirectly complained about Yuan Xi.

The content was nearly identical each time—entirely negative remarks about Yuan Xi.

Fortunately, thanks to Aunt Zhang’s updates, Shen Xiyun had a fairly accurate understanding of what Yuan Xi was really like.

In comparison, Shen Xiyun had a particularly poor impression of Qi Yunrou, especially after hearing Aunt Zhang’s reports suggesting that Yuan Xi might have developed feelings for Fu Yushen.

When this came to light, Shen Xiyun felt an even deeper frustration bubbling within her.

Thankfully, Qi Yunrou’s antics from before had ultimately backfired, smoothing things over and even strengthening Yuan Xi’s bond with Yunzhou.

Fu Tianqi, on the other hand, didn’t have much of an opinion. However, upon learning that Yuan Xi had helped Fu Yunzhou break several of his bad habits, his view of Yuan Xi began to change significantly.

It had been over twenty days since they last saw Fu Yunzhou, and Shen Xiyun couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

They had never gone this long without seeing him. Even when Fu Yunzhou moved to the main residence, he had still come home every night for dinner.

After twenty days of silence, Shen Xiyun felt restless. What’s more, knowing that Yuan Xi had prompted Fu Yunzhou to improve many of his bad habits only fueled her curiosity.

“Tianqi, what do you say we visit the main residence to get a sense of what Yuan Xi is really like? Yunzhou has been keeping him hidden so carefully. Ever since he brought him back, we haven’t even met him. All we know is from secondhand accounts. Why don’t we see for ourselves?”

As Shen Xiyun tried to persuade her husband, she began quietly hatching her own plans.

While Fu Tianqi was curious about Yuan Xi, he also respected his son’s decisions and didn’t want to intrude unnecessarily.

Seeing his wife so eager, Fu Tianqi couldn’t help but try to reason with her. “If Yunzhou hasn’t brought him home to meet us, it means their relationship might not be what we’re imagining. If you barge in recklessly and stir up trouble, Yunzhou will just end up upset with us.”

Fu Tianqi’s words made sense, and Shen Xiyun quieted down a little after hearing them. Still, the curiosity gnawing at her refused to let her rest.

After some contemplation, an idea flashed through Shen Xiyun’s mind. “Hey, what if I go and talk to Yunzhou directly? Do you think he might agree?”

=^_^=

Author has something to say: Yuan Xi: Wow, abs are so good-looking!

Fu Yunzhou silently looked down at his flat stomach, then turned around and headed straight for the gym.