Chapter 44: Are You Even Human, Fu Huaizhou?

When Ruan Li woke up the next morning, she found herself clean, as if she had been bathed again. Before losing consciousness the night before, she could still feel someone tightly holding her. Now, however, the bed was empty, and it was already late morning. When she went downstairs, her legs were trembling.

If not for a quick thinking servant who helped her, she might have tumbled down the stairs.

“Beast!” Ruan Li cursed under her breath as she held onto the railing.

The night had started off normally enough, and she had even thought that Fu Huaizhou had been rather restrained, considering how long it had been since he’d had intimacy. But by the end, he had gone wild. Ruan Li had no idea what she did to provoke him.

“Miss, lunch is ready,” a servant cautiously informed her.

When Mr. Fu left that morning, his face had not been pleasant. The staff speculated that the couple had quarreled. Despite the commotion they had heard from upstairs the night before, no one had expected it to end so poorly.

“I’m not eating,” Ruan Li croaked, still fuming. Her voice was hoarse.

If Fu Huaizhou had simply asked to go another round the previous night, she might have agreed. But instead, he had taken control, acting cold and distant throughout. It had been worse than their first night together.

“Pack my things. I’m leaving,” Ruan Li instructed the servants downstairs.

But the usual accommodating staff stood awkwardly, not moving. “Miss, Mr. Fu said we are to take good care of you and ensure you rest at home,” one of them said.

“Of course, he did.” Ruan Li gritted her teeth. Clearly, Fu Huaizhou knew he had gone too far and even predicted she would want to leave. She turned and headed back upstairs. “I’ll pack myself.”

She pulled out her suitcase, one she hadn’t used in a long time, and began stuffing it with clothes and personal items. The house she had lived in before still had plenty of untouched belongings. She could easily go back and live there.

When Ruan Li returned downstairs with her suitcase, none of the servants dared speak. At the door, she was stopped by the butler.

“Miss, Mr. Fu instructed that you are not to leave.”

“He’s really going to restrict my freedom now?” Ruan Li’s whole body trembled with anger. If Fu Huaizhou had explained things to her, she might have considered forgiving him, but now that possibility was gone. She pulled out her phone to call Chen Jing.

“Come pick me up at Yu Yuan. I’m moving back to my old place.”

Chen Jing had assumed that with the help of that outfit, her relationship with Fu Huaizhou would have taken a huge step forward. “What’s going on? Did you wear the dress?”

Thinking about that dress only made Ruan Li angrier. If she hadn’t tried to seduce him, none of this would have happened. “Don’t mention it! Just come get me.”

Sensing something was wrong, Chen Jing suggested, “If he’s not letting you leave, there’s no point in me coming. We can’t win this battle. How about you wait a couple of days? Once you start filming, you’ll naturally be able to stay away. Just hold on for a bit.”

“When do we start filming?” Ruan Li asked, realizing that Chen Jing made sense. If Fu Huaizhou didn’t allow her to leave, no one could get into Yu Yuan to fetch her.

“The day after tomorrow.”

Ruan Li stamped her foot in frustration but agreed. Since she couldn’t leave the mansion, she would have to bide her time for now. She tossed her suitcase down at the door and went back upstairs.

“Miss, you haven’t eaten,” a servant reminded her from outside the bedroom.

Ruan Li lay on the bed, which had been made fresh after the events of the previous night. She grew even more upset just thinking about it. The room, from its furnishings to the decor, all reflected Fu Huaizhou’s boring and rigid taste. She hated it.

“I’m not eating. Don’t bother me,” she called back, pulling the blanket over her head.

With nothing more to be done, the servant left quietly. The entire mansion was unusually quiet that day, with everyone moving cautiously. Gone was the liveliness that usually filled the house when Ruan Li was there. She had always brought energy to the place, whether by having high end fashion delivered for showings or dressing up her cat, Lucky, and playing in the garden. Even the staff enjoyed watching her flit around like a butterfly, making the place feel alive.

By evening, Fu Huaizhou returned earlier than usual. As soon as he stepped into the house, he noticed the white suitcase in the living room.

“Where is she?” he asked coldly.

The butler, unsure how to handle the situation, had left the suitcase where it was. He replied, “She’s upstairs. Miss hasn’t eaten all day.”

Without changing his clothes, Fu Huaizhou went straight upstairs. He knocked on the bedroom door, but there was no response.

“Ruan Li.”

He tried the handle, but the door was locked. After a minute of silence, he ordered a servant to bring the spare key.

With a soft click, the door unlocked. The room was dark, and Ruan Li lay curled up on the bed, fast asleep, with her white cat by her side.

Fu Huaizhou frowned at the sight. He disliked animal fur in the bedroom, but here was her cat, shedding white fur all over the dark bedspread.

Ruan Li had been exhausted from the previous night. She had spent most of the day in bed, sulking, but eventually fell asleep. Hearing the noise, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Fu Huaizhou standing by the bed. She jolted awake.

“How dare you come in without my permission!” she snapped.

Fu Huaizhou’s face remained impassive as he looked at her, noting how swollen her eyes still were from the night before.

“Come downstairs and eat.”

“I’m not eating,” Ruan Li stubbornly turned her back to him. She had made up her mind. Since he wouldn’t let her leave, she would protest by refusing to eat. After all, she was about to start filming in a few days, and fasting could serve as a form of body management.

Fu Huaizhou’s expression finally shifted. He frowned slightly. “Don’t take it out on your body.”

Ruan Li let out a mocking laugh. She pulled down the collar of her nightgown, exposing her pale skin marked with red kiss marks and bite marks. She pointed to them.

“Where was this concern for my body when you were taking out your frustrations on me last night?”

Fu Huaizhou’s gaze lingered on her exposed skin. Though he had been careful with his strength the night before, her delicate skin showed every mark, making the aftermath look much worse than he had intended.

“I wasn’t taking anything out on you,” he sighed softly, noting her determined stance. His tone turned matter of fact. “For every meal you skip, one of the servants will lose their salary for the month.”

Ruan Li stared at him, shocked. Businessmen were truly the most shameless. She grabbed the nearest pillow and flung it at his face.

“Are you even human, Fu Huaizhou?”