Chapter 60: Bought for Ruan Li

“Uncle, why is sister still mad?” Fu Yu asked, sitting on the sofa in Fu Corporation’s office, looking at the man working on the other side.

Fu Huaizhou glanced at him briefly. Ever since that morning when Fu Yu entered their bedroom, Ruan Li had been giving him the cold shoulder for nearly half a month.

At first, Fu Huaizhou couldn’t figure it out. He was the one who got caught being hit, so why was she the one upset? It took him a few days to finally understand knowing Ruan Li’s personality, perhaps she was just embarrassed?

He called his assistant, Qin, and asked, “Are there any auctions happening recently?”

Qin handed him the information, and Fu Huaizhou pointed out a few items based on what he knew Ruan Li liked. “Send them to her at the film set.”

After a moment’s thought, remembering how frustrated she got over recent news, he changed his mind. “Never mind, send them to Yuyuan (Imperial Garden).”

Qin glanced at the selected items and nearly gasped. Even though sending them to Yuyuan would keep Ruan out of the spotlight, Fu Corporation was bound to hit today’s business headlines.

“What did you buy, uncle?” Fu Yu asked curiously. After all, whenever his dad bought gifts for his mom, it usually ended in an argument.

Fu Huaizhou looked at the culprit and calmly replied, “Things she likes.”

“And from now on, don’t barge into our bedroom without knocking.”

Fu Yu pouted. “Well, you didn’t lock the door.”

Fu Huaizhou gave him a cool glance. At Yuyuan, no one dared to enter their bedroom without knocking, so there was never a need to lock the door. The only times the door was locked were when Ruan Li didn’t want him to come in.

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At the film set.

Because the director had invested a lot of money in hiring an acting coach for Ruan Shu, filming had progressed much faster, and the project was nearing completion.

Ruan Li was resting on a lounge chair while her agent, Chen Jing, discussed the termination of her contract. After the news scandal broke and the company did nothing, Ruan Li decided it wasn’t worth staying.

“Who was that kid from the other day?” Chen Jing asked, curious, as she’d never seen any children around Ruan Li before.

Ruan Li remembered the news and sighed. She had posted a video of Fu Yu calling her “sister” with his face covered, and thanks to Fu Huaizhou’s company’s PR efforts, the attention on her died down. The rumor was just too far-fetched.

“Fu Huaizhou’s nephew,” Ruan Li answered nonchalantly.

“You two seem close lately. Have you thought about making it official—like, turning this friends-with-benefits thing into something more?”

Ruan Li froze for a moment and then shook her head. “That’s impossible. There’s no chance of us becoming official.”

Chen Jing didn’t understand the complexities of relationships in high society, but she mused, “If Fu Huaizhou made more of an effort, why not? It would only be his fault for not trying hard enough.”

Ruan Li laughed. If Fu Huaizhou wasn’t trying hard, no one in the world worked harder. But unlike Fu Xingchuan, Fu Huaizhou was the one in charge, and that came with many restrictions.

“Why is the director so tense today?” Ruan Li asked, glancing at the director and producer.

Before Chen Jing could respond, a group of people started walking toward them. Ruan Li squinted, trying to make out the faces, but the crew assistant called out first.

“Is that Shi Xun? I thought he wasn’t going to make a cameo!”

“What role is he playing? How come I didn’t know about this?”

Ruan Li glanced at her script. She did know about this. Shi Xun was cast as her brother, who sacrifices himself in battle but is later honored as a celestial being. In the story, her character’s descent into madness and eventual redemption all revolve around her brother’s death.

It was one of the reasons Ruan Li had chosen this role—her character had depth, a well-rounded arc, and her revenge plot was cathartic.

Ruan Shu was hoping to chat up Shi Xun to boost her social status, but to her dismay, he walked straight over to Ruan Li.

“Sister, take care of me, okay?” Shi Xun grinned lazily, his light-colored eyes gleaming like gemstones in the sunlight.

Ruan Li casually waved him off. While the rest of the crew treated him with the utmost respect, Ruan Li refused to play along.

“How rude of Ruan Li, not showing respect to her seniors,” someone whispered, trying to stir things up.

Ruan Shu’s expression soured. She couldn’t understand why, even after Ruan Li was cast out of her family, influential people still gravitated toward her.

Shi Xun wasn’t offended by Ruan Li’s indifference. In fact, he leaned down and teased her, “Still mad about me tricking you into Fu Huaizhou’s car last time?”

Ruan Li shot him a glare. “I hold grudges.”

It wasn’t just about being tricked into the car. That night had nearly broken her.

Shi Xun chuckled. “Calm down. We’ll be working together more in the future.”

Ruan Li didn’t get what he meant. Considering their career levels, unless she skyrocketed in popularity, their chances of collaborating were slim.

However, she had to admit, Shi Xun’s acting was impressive. It was the most comfortable she’d felt filming in a long time. Their first scene together—a tearful sibling farewell was seamless.

After the director called “cut,” the set fell silent. Even Ruan Li hadn’t completely shaken off the emotions. She stared blankly at Shi Xun.

“Hey, I’m still alive, you know,” Shi Xun teased, trying to comfort her.

It took Ruan Li a while to come back to her senses. Shi Xun continued to joke around, asking when he and his friend Ye Mian could visit Yuyuan, though Fu Huaizhou’s cleanliness made it difficult.

Ruan Li glared at him. “Ask him yourself.”

While getting her makeup removed, Ruan Li was resting when Shi Xun suddenly interrupted her again.

“Has Fu Huaizhou lost it?” Shi Xun said, shoving his phone in front of her face.

Ruan Li looked at the screen it was news. Several bodyguards were escorting a few boxes, with Qin the assistant leading the way. The headline read:

“Fu Family’s Head Spends Billions on Rare Jewels, Crushing the Dreams of Countless Socialites.”

The comments underneath were just as entertaining, and Ruan Li couldn’t help but read more.

“Isn’t this the elusive CEO of Fu Corporation?”

“What, is the CEO about to get married? Or does he have a girlfriend? Forget about rich girls fans of Fu Huaizhou and Ruan Li are the ones whose dreams are shattered!”

Shi Xun grinned and, like a mischievous fan, started typing a comment.

“I bet it was bought for Ruan Li. Anyone wanna bet?”

He showed her his handiwork with pride. “How’s that for steering the conversation?”

Ruan Li was about to laugh at his childishness when she caught a glance at the screen again and froze. Her face paled, and she screamed in the makeup room.

“Shi Xun! You used your main account!”