Chapter 24: Two Men

Situated in the prime location of the city center, the headquarters of the Fu Group is a building that catches everyone’s attention. This architecturally acclaimed structure, combining Chinese romantic aesthetics, stands as a landmark in the city.

Imparting a sense of romance to a commercial building may sound like blending coldness into molten lava, but it exudes a tremendous sense of beauty.The designer of this building is well-known among experts, not as a famous architect but as a young painter belonging to the romantic art movement – Fu Xingran, the son of the chairman of the Fu Group.

A silver-grey Lamborghini parked in front of the headquarters, attracting the attention of several newly employed female staff members.

“Is this Mr. Fu’s car?”

“It seems like it.”

“Mr. Fu hasn’t been at the office recently. Why did he suddenly show up?”

“It’s not surprising for him to visit his own company. I heard he’s been working on the design plans for the Jiang Tianyi Su Villa area lately. Maybe he’s here to discuss it with Chairman Fu.”

“Enough talking; it’s early in the morning. Mr. Fu’s appearance is too stunning.”

“I have to say, Mr. Fu has excellent taste. He truly lives up to his art background. His aesthetics are on point.”

The Lamborghini’s door opened, and a pair of attention-grabbing long legs stepped out. It was Fu Xingran, dressed in black jeans and a forest green shirt. The white T-shirt and white sneakers underneath the green shirt gave off a strong youthful vibe.

If one could overlook the gloomy aura around him.Fu Xingran parked the car directly at the entrance, locked it, and walked briskly into the company. Today, he had to confront his father and find out what happened four years ago.

“Morning, Mr. Fu.”

Entering the elevator, Fu Xingran heard greetings from company employees. Normally, he might not bother responding, as he generally disliked these meaningless pleasantries.

“Yeah, morning.”

However, he wanted to make a change, something that Su Lixu could accept.

The employee who received a response from him was somewhat surprised. The elegant and reserved flower of the company actually responded to his greeting – quite miraculous.

The elevator reached the top floor, and the moment the doors opened, Fu Xingran headed straight for the chairman’s office.

Seeing Fu Xingran, the secretary outside the chairman’s office immediately stood up. “Mr. Fu, why are you here today?”

“Is my dad in?” Fu Xingran asked expressionlessly.

“Present. The chairman just arrived,” the secretary looked at Fu Xingran, who hadn’t been seen for months, thinking about what brought the young master here. It must be an unusual occurrence, “Do you need coffee prepared for you?”

“No need,” Fu Xingran replied and pushed open the door to the chairman’s office.

The door slammed shut with considerable force.

Secretary: “… Not good.”

The chairman’s office, strategically located facing east with 180-degree floor-to-ceiling windows, was bathed in abundant sunlight. Mr. Fu, dressed in a suit, was sitting at his desk, flipping through today’s news on a tablet.

However, the forceful closing of the door disturbed him.

“Fu Xingran, what are you doing again?” Mr. Fu lifted his head from the tablet, accustomed to his son’s attitude, “You’re giving me a hard time early in the morning. Did the design for Jiang Tianyi Su Villa come out?”

“Why did you say four years ago that Dr. Su’s treatment was ineffective?” Fu Xingran coldly questioned, his voice echoing in the office. Mr. Fu raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised that his son knew, and then pondered:

“Did Dr. Su tell you?”

“If he didn’t tell me, would he endure this grievance? Why should he endure it? What gives you the right to question him and interrupt my treatment?” Fu Xingran walked to the desk, hands on the surface, gazing down at his father with an intense look, “You even made me think he rejected me. Why did you do this? Did you threaten him?”

Mr. Fu, hearing his son’s words, laughed silently, “Do you see your dad as the brainless parent in a TV drama? Threaten him? Why would I bother threatening a small doctor? Have you ever thought about what you did? You bit someone, and shamelessly stayed by their side. I’m embarrassed for you.”

Fu Xingran seemed to realize something, furrowing his brows, “So, did you tell Dr. Su that his treatment was ineffective because I bit him?”

“Otherwise, what? My son bit his own psychiatrist, strategically in a hard-to-discuss spot. I didn’t want Dr. Su to be troubled by you again.” Mr. Fu looked at Fu Xingran and took a sip of his coffee, “Of course, initially, I didn’t say Dr. Su was unprofessional. I just suggested taking you abroad for treatment. But who knew Dr. Su would argue, insisting that interrupting your treatment would be detrimental. I knew it wouldn’t be good, but I didn’t expect him to say such things even after being hurt. He’s responsible and a good doctor. But my son is a bastard, just in case, I had to say things that would hurt Dr. Su to prevent future troubles.”

Fu Xingran’s thin lips trembled slightly, his eyes turning red with anger. He struggled to understand, “Then what about me? Didn’t you think it would hurt me? I thought Dr. Su rejected me, felt so sad that I cut my wrist and attempted suicide. Now you tell me it’s all your doing. If I had died because of this, wouldn’t you feel guilty?”

Mr. Fu remained silent, just placing the tablet back on the desk.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Fu Xingran couldn’t discern any emotion on his father’s face. He nodded, turned away, and chuckled with self-deprecation, “You’re nice to everyone, except me. I get it now. You wish I were dead, so I wouldn’t bother you. You must be disappointed that I didn’t die, right?”

“What nonsense are you talking about again? When have I been unkind to you? What do you want that I haven’t given you?” Mr. Fu listened to Fu Xinrgran’s father; speak respectfully to me.”

“Yes, you think you’re good to me because giving me money is good, ensuring my material needs are met is good enough for you. But have you ever thought that what I really want isn’t these things? I wouldn’t be happy even if I had them.” Fu Xingran felt it was unnecessary to continue talking to this man, “I remember what you did to Dr. Su; questioning anyone should never include questioning him.”

Mr. Fu, hearing Fu Xingran avoiding the main issue, sighed, somewhat helpless, and rubbed his temples, “I know I did something wrong in this matter. I apologized to Dr. Su, but I didn’t expect him to return to the country so soon.”

“So, you did something wrong and want to brush it off?” Fu Xingran sneered, “Indeed, only personal interests matter to you. You think time can erase everything, and if Dr. Su hadn’t returned to the country, were you planning to let this go forever? You not only hurt Dr. Su but also hurt me.”

And almost made him act impulsively.

“If it weren’t for what you did to Dr. Su, could I do this?” Mr. Fu, seeing Fu Xingran standing there, slammed the table, “Sit down!”

“I don’t have time.” Fu Xingran took a USB drive from his pocket and tossed it onto Mr. Fu’s desk, “Also, find someone else for the design plans for Jiang Tianyi Su Villa. I won’t do it. Find whoever you want, just not me.”

Having said that, he turned to leave.

“You stop right there!” Mr. Fu abruptly stood up, “Fu Xingran, what do you mean?”

Fu Xingran stopped his steps, hearing the urgency in his father’s voice behind him, “It means exactly what it says.”

“Are you crazy? Everything is ready, and you tell me you won’t do it?! How am I supposed to explain to the developers! This is not a small project, Fu Xingran, tens of billions are at stake. I’m not joking with you!!”

The man’s scolding voice echoed in the office.

Fu Xingran turned around to face his father’s furious expression, raising an eyebrow, “Yes, I’m crazy because I’m not happy. You made the mistake first, so don’t blame me. Apologize to me first, and I’ll consider drawing. Otherwise, no way.”

With that, he walked out of the office.

“Fu Xingran!!! Get back here!!!”

Fu Xingran no longer cared about whatever “old man” or not, completely ignoring the furious yelling inside. Even if the emperor himself begged him now, he wouldn’t budge. If he didn’t want to draw, he simply wouldn’t, and no amount of pleading would change his mind.

Daring to let his Dr. Su suffer, ruining a project worth tens of billions, that’s all.

As his eyes lowered, a fierce determination flickered in them.

In Fu Wen’s mind, money always took precedence over his own son.

Apartment 1303 entrance—

He Shi held a latte that Su Lixu loved, looking at this door, puzzled by the phone that couldn’t get through no matter how many times he dialed, and the house that wouldn’t open no matter how he pressed. Didn’t they agree to meet at home for lunch?

Glancing at the time, it was almost eleven, and based on his understanding of Su Lixu, this person was highly disciplined and never overslept.

But if he’s not sleeping now, where else could he be?

His fingertips slid across the screen, pulling up the message Su Lixu sent him last night. The sending time was 2:33 am:

【He Shi, help me. I’m not sure what to do right now. I want to talk to you about Fu Xingran’s situation. Do you have time for lunch tomorrow? Come to my house.】

He Shi lifted his head from the screen, looking thoughtful at Su Lixu’s front door. Why would he suddenly want to talk about Fu Xingran in the middle of the night? What could they possibly discuss about that arrogant brat? Thinking about what he said to him yesterday made him annoyed.

What does it mean by “I like him, so I want to learn psychology to have common ground with him, but actually, I don’t like psychology. I only learned it because of him. I didn’t expect to meet Professor He and have you as my mentor. I’m sorry.”

What does it mean by “If Professor feels my attitude is bad, you can reject me, but I will still learn. Because I like Su Lixu, I want to understand him more.”

What does it mean by “So, Professor, whether you think I have a bad learning attitude or because I like Su Lixu and you don’t like me, I won’t deny the fact that I like Su Lixu. Thank you for your trouble. I have an appointment with Mr. Su later, so I’ll leave now.”

Wait, an appointment?

A date?!

He Shi was shocked, eyes widening. Could it be that last night… Last night, Su Lixu played with Fu Xingran until past two, and then something happened, leading Su Lixu to message him now? That… that means…

“Professor He, how come you can come up?”

Just as He Shi was pondering, a voice suddenly sounded from behind. He turned around and saw Fu Xingran stepping out of the elevator. Looking down, Fu Xingran was holding a latte from the same shop as the one in He Shi’s hand.

This latte was Su Lixu’s favorite.

“Why can you come up?” Fu Xingran noticed He Shi standing at Su Lixu’s door, his expression suddenly turning dark. The security and confidentiality of the apartment were high, requiring a card to access the floor. Why did He Shi have Su Lixu’s access card?

In the instant their eyes met, a silent confrontation carried sparks of hostility and vigilance.

He Shi smiled ambiguously at Fu Xingran’s dark expression and leisurely took out the access card from his pocket. He then twirled it lightly between his fingers.

“Because I have a card, so I can come up.”

Fu Xingran stared at He Shi, who was twirling the access card in his hand, as if declaring something. This refined yet rogue appearance seemed distasteful no matter how he looked at it.

Apartment access cards in romance novels always had the homeowner’s ID information, and this access card, aside from opening the main door, could only open the individual apartment doors. In other words, only the homeowner should have this access card. So, how did He Shi get Su Lixu’s access card?

The taste of acidity bubbled up in his chest as Fu Xingran gazed at He Shi holding the card. He wanted it too.

Seeing Fu Xingran’s expression as if he wanted to devour him, He Shi chuckled and put the card back in his pocket. How could this card open the door? Su Lixu’s home door used fingerprint unlocking.

“I’m pursuing him,” Fu Xingran stated.

He Shi’s smirk gradually faded from the corner of his lips, his eyes reflecting Fu Xingran’s appearance, tinted with indifference. “Oh? Is that so? I’ve known him for over ten years, and I didn’t know he liked men.”

Over ten years?!

This timeframe felt like a stimulus to Fu Xingran and added a bit more to his sense of crisis. He initially thought having a four-year advantage in knowing Su Lixu would give him an upper hand, but he didn’t expect He Shi to have known Su Lixu for over ten years.

But then, upon further thought, He Shi had known Su Lixu for over ten years and still hadn’t succeeded in pursuing him, making Fu Xingran feel somewhat relieved.

“But, Professor He, you still can’t get him.”

He Shi: “…”

“Near the water’s edge, the pavilion can’t catch the moon, Professor He, you’re not capable.” Fu Xingran casually leaned against the wall, legs crossed, arms folded, looking at He Shi with great pleasure. “If I like him, I will definitely pursue him. Love needs to be declared loudly.”

He Shi: “…”

Is he being educated by a 20-year-old young man? He turned away, chuckled, and there was no trace of amusement in his eyes. This guy was indeed too arrogant:

“Fu Xingran, are you always like this in front of Lixu? He doesn’t like your type.”

“Of course not, I’m very well-behaved in front of him,” Fu Xingran said bluntly. “Very well-behaved.”

He Shi felt provoked by Fu Xingran’s shamelessness. If Fu Xingran really had borderline personality disorder, he hadn’t encountered such a personality before. Although borderline personality has many features, in his view, Fu Xingran exuded arrogance and even self-importance from head to toe, traits typical of someone who thinks highly of themselves.

And such people are often the most challenging to communicate with.

If Su Lixu wanted to seek him out for psychological counseling regarding Fu Xingran, he should reconsider, as it might infuriate him.

“Fu Xingran, don’t be so full of yourself when you talk. It’s easy to end up with injuries,” He Shi advised.

Fu Xingran smiled brightly, and possessiveness was evident in his eyes. “Professor He, I talk this way, and I’m not afraid of injuries. I have confidence that I can win him over. He’s the goal of my life, and I won’t let him go, so you don’t stand a chance.”

He Shi didn’t know what had happened between Su Lixu and this guy in the past, but listening to Fu Xingran’s tone, something must have occurred. Otherwise, it’s impossible to make someone with borderline personality disorder so dedicated.

The most obvious characteristic of borderline personality is emotional instability, and Fu Xingran had identified Su Lixu as his emotional switch.

However, this is precisely what worried him.Worried that Su Lixu might get hurt.

“How do you know I don’t stand a chance?” He Shi replied calmly. He put the card back into his pocket, then turned around to continue ringing the doorbell. “Before pursuing someone, why don’t you first understand what the person you like actually likes? It’s not achievable just by talking. Otherwise, setting a goal is nothing more than daydreaming. Lixu is disciplined; he values his sleep. If you disrupt his circadian rhythm and affect his normal routine, he might not speak to you for a week.”

Fu Xingran’s arm-folding motion stiffened. Disrupt circadian rhythm and affect normal routine? Not speaking for a week?

Then, last night…

“What happened last night? Why did he send me a message after two in the morning? You should reflect on whether you did something to trouble him.” He Shi’s voice was low. “Fu Xingran, Lixu has a good temper, he’s gentle, but you’re an adult. You shouldn’t think that being cute and playful gives you the right to bother him without any reservations.”

Fu Xingran’s mind went blank in an instant. Oh no, he hadn’t thought of this. This is bad, bad. But wait, last night Su Lixu even told him there would be a reward today.

“Don’t scare me. He told me last night that he would reward me today.”

He Shi found it somewhat amusing. “Are you so easily fooled? Perhaps the reward is him not talking to you for a week.”

Fu Xingran: “…You’re scaring me.”

“Can I scare you?”

These two grown men stood at the door, taking turns scaring each other, displaying a childish yet evenly matched rivalry.

Just then, the door ‘clicked’ open, and the two immediately dropped their previous banter, putting on their best postures.

“Why are you here so early—” Su Lixu opened the door and was startled when he saw the two men at the entrance.

Fu Xingran saw Su Lixu and immediately waved at him, smiling brightly. “Good morning, brother. Did you dream of me last night?”

Su Lixu: “…”

Help, why is Fu Xingran here?