Chapter 43: Endure

As soon as Ruan Li heard his words, she immediately tried to turn away and distance herself from Fu Huaizhou. She felt as if being near him was no different from being completely exposed.

“One comment and you’re upset?” Fu Huaizhou was in a good mood tonight, which made him talk a little more than usual.

He stretched out his arm to block her from rolling to the other side of the bed. Naturally, Ruan Li wasn’t strong enough to resist his strength, and soon, his large hand was pressing down on her head, holding her captive in his arms.

“I heard you weren’t happy tonight?” Fu Huaizhou asked, gently stroking her soft hair with his hand.

Even though he’d made this gesture several times before, Ruan Li still felt like he was petting a small animal. Hearing his words, she immediately looked up at him, staring, “Did the butler tell you?”

Seeing that she had basically confessed without being pushed, Fu Huaizhou didn’t need to probe further. “It wasn’t the butler. When I came back and saw you hadn’t eaten dinner, I guessed.”

What he didn’t say was that ever since he had returned to Yuyuan today, the staff had told him she hadn’t come down to eat and had locked herself in her room. Nearly every servant hinted discreetly

“Miss is not happy today and isn’t talking much.”

He thought it might be because of some discomfort at work recently, so he asked a few more questions during dinner. But what he hadn’t expected was that she was holed up in her room out of embarrassment after doing something mischievous.

Ruan Li also felt the butler wouldn’t be the type to go back on his word. Now, lying in Fu Huaizhou’s arms, her hand casually rested on his abs, which felt amazing to the touch.

Out of nowhere, she asked, “You work in an office and attend social events every day. How do you still have abs?”

Clearly, many men in Beijing have let their bodies go, especially those approaching middle age. Fu Huaizhou wasn’t that old, but his physical condition was almost terrifyingly good, even better than the young men in their twenties on her film sets.

Fu Huaizhou felt the small hand on his abs, no longer resting peacefully but instead starting to subtly tease him.

“There’s a gym upstairs. What else would I be doing early in the morning?”

This was the first time Ruan Li had heard about it, as Yuyuan was quite large, and there were still parts of it she hadn’t explored yet. “I never wake up with you, so I thought you just loved working.”

Fu Huaizhou heard her muttered response and didn’t bother pointing out her attempt to change the topic. “So, what’s been bothering you today?”

“Nothing.” But in truth, she was curious why Fu Huaizhou had been sleeping in the guest room lately. Was it because he didn’t like sharing a room with others unless it was for specific purposes?

So, she straightforwardly asked, “Why have you been staying in the guest room lately?”

Fu Huaizhou finally understood what had been on her mind today and why she had prepared that particular outfit it was all to test him.

His hand gently rubbed her waist as he replied with a hint of helplessness, “I didn’t want to accidentally hurt your wrist while you were sleeping.”

Plus, sleeping next to her while maintaining his distance was difficult. Not seeing her made it easier to control his urges.

Ruan Li hadn’t even considered this possibility, as she had thought of countless other reasons. She was so surprised that she started stammering, “But… my wrist is fine now.”

“Mm,” Fu Huaizhou responded, “which is why I was planning to return to our room tonight.”

He hadn’t expected to walk in and find a surprise gift waiting for him.

“What!” Ruan Li almost fainted from anger. So she had just voluntarily walked into the wolf’s den tonight, when all she had to do was wait one more day and he would’ve returned on his own.

“What did you think?” Fu Huaizhou found her reaction amusing. She was so expressive, as if she was afraid others couldn’t see her emotions.

Ruan Li weakly responded, “I thought you were a germaphobe or…”

She stopped speaking mid sentence.

“Or what?” Fu Huaizhou asked, urging her to continue.

Ruan Li found the topic a bit annoying. After all, they weren’t married, so if he had a little fling outside, it wasn’t illegal just a little awkward.

“Or that you had a little celebrity on the side?” she said quietly. Her feelings toward Fu Huaizhou were complicated.

On one hand, living with him was comfortable, even if it sometimes felt like having an overbearing father who constantly disciplined her. On the other hand, he gave her everything she wanted and was always generous, almost foolishly so.

But she also knew their current arrangement couldn’t last forever. After eight months, it would be best for both of them to part ways peacefully, so she had to make sure she didn’t get too attached. It would be too difficult if she did.

The hand that had been playfully pinching her waist tightened instantly. So, she had been so cooperative tonight because of her misplaced worries. He found the misunderstanding unnecessary.

He lowered his head to kiss her cheek softly. “There isn’t anyone else.”

Ruan Li winced slightly from the pressure on her waist, assuming he didn’t like people meddling in his affairs. She tried to brush it off, casually reassuring him, “Well, if you do find someone, just let me know. Or if you have marriage plans, tell me too.”

That way, she could prepare herself to walk away with her share of the sixteen billion and never have to work again.

The mood in the room suddenly dropped a few degrees, and Fu Huaizhou’s gaze turned cold.

When he remained silent, Ruan Li, who was practically falling asleep from exhaustion, tried to comfort him out of professional courtesy and a sense of duty for how gentle he had been earlier. She nuzzled his chin and muttered softly.

“I’m so tired. I want to sleep,” she said, burying her head in the pillow, her voice muffled. “I’ll be starting a new shoot soon. I might not come home every day, so don’t wait for me for dinner.”

“So generous?” Fu Huaizhou’s voice was low and dangerous. He pulled her out from under the blanket and held her against him. “Should I also expect you to tell me if you meet someone new during your shoot?”

Ruan Li, who was half-asleep, barely understood what he was saying. She only caught that he wanted her to keep him updated, and as a canary, that was just part of her duties.

“Sure, sure. I’ll let you know,” she mumbled, barely awake. Once the shoot started, she knew she’d be too busy to talk much, but for now, she promised absentmindedly just to satisfy him.

Just as she was about to drift back into sleep, her nightgown was lifted. Since she had just applied medicine, all she was wearing was a nightgown, and she was instantly jolted awake by the pain. Looking up, she saw Fu Huaizhou’s cold expression.

“It hurts… I’m so tired…” Ruan Li whimpered, startled, with a few tears rolling down her cheeks and soaking his shoulder.

The man who had been gentle earlier didn’t offer her any comfort this time. Instead, he gripped her waist tightly.

Sensing something was off, Ruan Li realized this time was different it was much rougher. She clung to Fu Huaizhou’s shoulders, pleading, “I’m too tired, I don’t want to…”

“Endure,” Fu Huaizhou said as he lowered his head, sucking on the skin near her collarbone.

The ointment she had just applied was now completely rubbed off. Ruan Li felt like her whole body was falling apart, and just before she passed out from exhaustion, she weakly muttered, “Bastard…”