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Jiang Qingqing’s voice was slightly hoarse before bedtime, though she didn’t notice anything unusual. However, to others, it sounded irresistibly delicate.
Fu Zhengnan’s fingers, which had been typing on the keyboard, paused momentarily. His gaze shifted to the phone placed beside him.
After contemplating for a few moments, he stopped working, picked up his phone, and instinctively navigated to that peculiar game app.
He was certain that the voice had come from this game.
[First-time experience has ended. Please increase your energy level.]
(Top-up options:)
(Friendly reminder: 1 Energy Point = 100 RMB. Identity verification and facial recognition are required.)
Fu Zhengnan: “…”
A paywall?
So the next part required payment?
Did the old man think he couldn’t afford this 100,000 yuan?
This part of the game was entirely unnecessary.
What kind of twisted humor was this?
Fu Zhengnan withdrew his gaze and did not proceed with the payment. Instead, he locked his phone screen and returned to work.
However, before long, his grandfather, Elder Fu, called.
Elder Fu: “Where are you? Didn’t Assistant Zhang tell you there’s a dinner tonight? Your Uncle Chen and I are already here. Hurry up and come over.”
Fu Zhengnan, as if already predicting his grandfather’s intentions, spoke in a calm tone, “Is it about that person from the game today?”
Elder Fu was momentarily confused by his words. After a brief pause, he bellowed, “What game? Since when did you play games? Just get over here. It’s only a ten-minute drive from Fu Corporation.”
With that, Elder Fu hung up, leaving no room for argument.
Fu Zhengnan’s expression remained unreadable as he glanced at his wristwatch.
8:02 PM.
Since he hadn’t had dinner yet, he figured he might as well go.
Grabbing his black suit jacket from the back of the chair, he headed to the underground garage, picked a silver supercar, and drove toward the private dining room Assistant Zhang had texted him.
Elder Fu was warmly chatting with the head of the Chen family.
The Chen family was well-established in Haicheng—though not as powerful as the Fu family, they were still a respectable name.
More importantly, their daughter.
The Chen family’s young lady had just returned from studying abroad. With her looks and credentials, she was a good match for Fu Zhengnan. Elder Fu figured this was the perfect opportunity to set them up.
In less than ten minutes, Fu Zhengnan arrived at the entrance of the private room.
His sharp, chiseled features carried an air of detachment and indifference. The well-tailored black suit emphasized his tall and lean frame, making his 188 cm stature appear even more striking.
The mere act of his arrival brought an almost imperceptible pressure to the room.
Elder Fu, noticing the gleam in the Chen family’s young lady’s eyes, stroked his beard with satisfaction.
His eldest grandson might have a cold personality, but in terms of looks, he had definitely inherited the best genes. Even among male models, he’d still stand out as the most handsome.
“Come, this is your Uncle Chen, and this is his daughter. She just returned to the country today. Get to know each other.”
Elder Fu eagerly beckoned Fu Zhengnan to take a seat—right next to the Chen family’s young lady.
If possible, he’d have him bring home a granddaughter-in-law that very night.
Fu Zhengnan said nothing. His gaze swept around the private room, searching for a certain face from the game.
Failing to find it, he seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then, he simply nodded and chose to sit alone, farther away.
His action made the atmosphere in the private room noticeably tense.
Everyone knew the true purpose of tonight’s dinner.
Elder Fu was the first to lose his temper. “What are you doing? I told you to come for dinner, not to put on a sour face!”
Although the Chen family patriarch was displeased with Fu Zhengnan’s obvious disdain for Chen Xiaoyue, he dared not show it. After all, the Fu family was not someone they could afford to offend.
So, he played the mediator instead, soothing Elder Fu, “It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s their first meeting. They’ll have more opportunities to get familiar with each other in the future.”
When Elder Fu had arranged for Fu Zhengnan to sit beside her, Chen Xiaoyue had felt a bit shy.
But now, her face had turned deathly pale.
Fu Zhengnan didn’t respond. He kept his head down, slowly rolling up his sleeves, his movements unhurried and deliberate, completely indifferent to the awkward atmosphere in the private dining room.
Elder Fu, seeing his attitude, grew even more furious.
The blind dates and chance encounters he had arranged over the past few days had all been dodged by this brat.
Tonight, no matter what, he had to make sure Fu Zhengnan finished this meal.
Just as Elder Fu was about to speak, a soft female voice rang out:
“Fu… Zheng… Nan…”
The voice came from Fu Zhengnan’s direction. It called his name, pausing between each syllable. It was so light and delicate that just hearing it made one’s bones tingle.
Too soft. Too alluring.
Even Fu Zhengnan was momentarily startled by the voice coming from his phone.
However, he quickly regained his composure and tersely said to Elder Fu, “Something came up.”
Then, without another word, he got up and left the private room.
—
Jiang Qingqing lay on a creaky wooden bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Because of the bed!
It was way too hard!
It was no different from sleeping on the floor—every part of her body ached from the discomfort.
Finally giving up on sleep, Jiang Qingqing sat up and fiddled with the watch on her wrist. The events of the day had been too bizarre, making her temporarily forget the strange glow the watch had emitted earlier.
Now that she remembered, she decided to study it further.
Consort Wan had never taught Jiang Qingqing how to use the watch, only instructing her to wear it at all times. Over time, Jiang Qingqing had treated it as nothing more than an accessory, never considering that it might have an actual function.
“How does this thing work? Is it broken?”
She muttered to herself.
No matter how she pressed, tapped, or shook it, the watch refused to light up again.
Just as Jiang Qingqing was about to give up, the screen suddenly flickered, and three large characters appeared:
[Fu Zhengnan]
Jiang Qingqing blinked and read the name out loud, syllable by syllable, her tone filled with confusion.
Immediately after, two more words appeared on the screen:
[Top Up!]
Jiang Qingqing paused for a few seconds before reading the two lines together:
“Fu Zhengnan, top up!”
After finishing the sentence, she was even more baffled.
What did that mean?
Why was she telling Fu Zhengnan to top up?
Was he rich?
Before she could figure out the meaning of the message, she suddenly felt the cold press of a sharp blade against her neck.
Jiang Qingqing: “…”
The icy sensation made her hairs stand on end.
Her life was truly full of misfortunes.
Whoever this was didn’t even bother with formalities—just straight to the killing?
She caught the strong scent of blood behind her, and before she could think, her body reacted on instinct. Forgetting the sword at her throat, she forcefully shoved the person behind her away and ran to the corner, where she immediately started retching.
Even in the middle of throwing up, she still managed to raise a hand to stop the masked figure in black.
“Wait—don’t kill me yet. Let me finish throwing up first.”
But Jiang Yu had no intention of waiting.
He grabbed her by the collar and hauled her up from the ground. His face was hidden under a mask, but his voice was deep and magnetic, sharp and commanding as he warned her coldly:
“Don’t play tricks with me. If someone asks later, you should know what to say.”
Jiang Qingqing: “…”
She didn’t know…
Who was this blockheaded idiot?
Miumi[Translator]
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 I'll try to release 2 or more chapter daily and unlock 2 chapter weekly every Saturday