Chapter 22: He Got Used for Free

“Can’t you turn it off?” Ruan Li asked weakly, though she was already pressed down onto the soft mattress by Fu Huaizhou.

“You’re the one asking for a favor now,” Fu Huaizhou replied with a meaningful look in his eyes, raising his chin slightly as he gazed at the girl whose face had turned as red as a peach.

Ruan Li felt like he was teasing her why else would he let her see his sharp jawline up close? Feeling dazed, she puckered her lips and planted a soft kiss on his cheek, silently agreeing to his terms.

Just as Fu Huaizhou lowered his head to touch her earlobe, the girl beneath him gently pushed at his waist. The touch was so light it tickled.

“Hmm?” He narrowed his eyes, a hint of danger in his gaze.

“Your glasses… they’re poking me,” Ruan Li mumbled. She had only seen him without glasses once before when he helped her bathe and had to take them off after she smudged the lenses. But she had been too dazed then to see clearly.

“Take them off,” Fu Huaizhou said in a low voice, leaning forward slightly. From this close, he could see the tiny hairs on her skin standing up from nervousness.

Ruan Li slowly raised her hand and carefully removed his silver-rimmed glasses from his high nose, placing them on the bedside table. It was then that she noticed how long his eyelashes were, making him seem a bit more distant and cold.

Their breaths intertwined, and the blanket was messily tossed aside.

Suddenly, Fu Huaizhou froze for a moment, his body stiffening.

Ruan Li, still dazed, looked up at him in confusion.

“I didn’t come prepared,” Fu Huaizhou said, sounding a bit frustrated. This whole thing had been unexpected neither of them had planned for it. The necessary items were at her place, not here.

The girl blushed even deeper and awkwardly gestured toward the table by the door, where the assistant had just dropped off some clothes and daily essentials. Among the toiletries, she’d noticed not only her own personal items but also a box of safety tools.

She had chalked it up to the assistant’s thoroughness at the time. After all, if she hadn’t seen that box, she wouldn’t have thought of using his presence as a way to relieve her stress.

Fu Huaizhou raised an eyebrow, his usual serious and aloof expression softening slightly. He retrieved the box, tore the package open with his teeth, and Ruan Li stared at him in a daze, her eyes clouded.

“Looks like you planned this ahead of time.”

Ruan Li buried her face in the pillow, refusing to look at him anymore, but Fu Huaizhou pulled her right back out.

The night was filled with joy.

---

Fu Huaizhou woke up the next day, as always, to his internal clock. Years of habit couldn’t be changed overnight. When he opened his eyes, he realized something was draped across his waist and arm.

In the morning light, he glanced over and saw the person in his arms, fast asleep. Her small face rested on his arm, while one of her arms was wrapped around his waist, pressing against the abs she had so thoroughly admired the night before.

He wasn’t sure what to feel in that moment, but with a slight sigh, he gently moved her arm. As soon as she lost the warmth, her lashes fluttered and, like a small animal, she burrowed her head under the covers.

Her sleeping posture was… questionable. She’d hidden her face under the blanket, but her long legs and slim back were completely exposed to the air.

The gentle sunlight illuminated her skin, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she had skin as smooth as jade. The air still carried a hint of her delicate fragrance.

In her sleep, she murmured softly, “Don’t… do that…”

Fu Huaizhou quietly closed the bedroom door. The butler was already waiting outside.

“If anyone comes looking for her, don’t stop them,” Fu Huaizhou said. The security at the estate was as tight as a government compound, and no one could enter without his permission. The only people likely to come for her would be her staff.

After returning to his room to freshen up and having breakfast, Fu Huaizhou noticed that the girl upstairs was still asleep.

“Don’t wake her. When she’s up, prepare breakfast for her,” he instructed as he left. By the time he reached the garage, his assistant Qin was already waiting by the car, ready to open the door as usual.

Just before getting into the car, Fu Huaizhou glanced at him for a brief moment.

“Is something wrong, Mr. Fu?” Qin Assistant felt a cold sweat break out. Ever since Ruan Li had entered the picture, he’d been penalized more times in the past month than in the past few years combined.

“Double the year-end bonus,” Fu Huaizhou said quietly, his expression more relaxed than usual. “At any cost, find out what happened at the Ruan household last night.”

“Uh… Yes, sir!” Qin Assistant felt revived. The year-end bonus was much higher than regular salary and bonuses combined. After some thought, he realized that the only thing he had done differently yesterday was adding a few extra safety tools to the delivery.

---

In the quiet room, Ruan Li’s phone rang incessantly.

“Huh? Who is it?” Half asleep, Ruan Li fumbled around the bed before finally finding her phone and answering it.

“Where are you? Do you plan on leaving the entertainment industry?” On the other end, Chen Jing was almost frantic. She had driven to Ruan Li’s apartment building, only to find that the car was in the garage, but the apartment itself was empty. “Do you even remember you have work today?”

“I overslept!” Ruan Li shot up in bed, glancing at the time. It wasn’t too late, and she could still make it, especially since she didn’t need much time to do her makeup.

“Where are you? I’ll come pick you up,” Chen Jing said, having spent the whole night worrying about Ruan Li’s whereabouts. She was almost convinced the wealthy young heiress was about to quit the industry for good.

It took Ruan Li a moment to realize that she was completely undressed beneath the blanket. Though her body felt a little sore, it was nothing like before; in fact, she felt quite refreshed.

Last night, she had insisted he leave no visible marks, unlike the first time when she’d been covered in them.

“I’m at…,” Ruan Li paused, feeling awkward as she realized that while he had already left, her entire body still smelled like his cedarwood scent. “Yuyuan. You probably won’t find it. I’ll send you the location.”

Chen Jing thought for a moment, trying to recall such a place, but when she saw the location, she realized it was just another exclusive, gated community for the rich and powerful.

Ruan Li quickly dressed in the new clothes prepared for her the previous night and tidied up the bed. Though she knew the cleaning staff would easily figure out what had happened just by looking at the trash bin, she still tried to hide the evidence.

As she prepared to sneak downstairs, she was stopped by the butler.

“Miss, Mr. Fu asked that you have breakfast before leaving. It’s better for your health.”

“I have work to get to, so I’ll skip it,” Ruan Li mumbled, feeling embarrassed. Everyone in the house knew that Fu Huaizhou had come out of her room that morning. She didn’t know how to face them after losing control last night.

“Should I inform Mr. Fu that you’re leaving?” the butler asked with a kind smile. He was an elderly man who looked quite amiable.

Feeling guilty, Ruan Li clutched her phone and coat and hurried to the door. “I left him a note. Just give it to him when he gets back.”

Before rushing out the door, she turned to the butler, who was heading upstairs. “Wait until I’m gone to tell him, okay?”

With that, she dashed out and hopped into the car waiting outside, letting out a long breath of relief.

---

Meanwhile, in a conference room, Fu Huaizhou sat at the head of the table, listening to the managers report on the latest data. Just as they were reaching a key point, his phone buzzed. The speaker faltered, turning pale.

“Continue,” Fu Huaizhou said. Surprisingly, the usually strict man paid no attention to the interruption, instead gesturing for the meeting to proceed.

Standing nearby, Qin Assistant couldn’t help but take note Mr. Fu was in an exceptionally good mood today.

Fu Huaizhou glanced at his phone, seeing a message from the butler. It was a picture of a note left on a familiar bedside table, written in a graceful, flowing script, indicating that the writer had likely practiced calligraphy.

He read the note, his previously calm expression darkening instantly, and the atmosphere in the room grew tense. The speaker’s voice lowered instinctively.

“Thank you, Mr. Fu, for taking care of me last night. I must have had too much to drink, because I woke up with a headache and some memory gaps. If I caused any offense while drunk, I’ll treat you to dinner next time! Ծ ̮ Ծ”

Fu Huaizhou stared at the cutesy face drawn at the end, clearly meant to downplay the seriousness of her message. It was obvious that she intended to forget about what had happened last night and expected him to do the same.

He could feel a vein pulsing in his temple, and the urge to laugh coldly rose within him.

Great. He had been used for free.