Chapter 15: Scars

Fu Yingcheng wasn’t wrong, Ji Fanling thought.

They were purely old classmates… plus a creditor-debtor relationship.

Fu Yingcheng walked ahead quickly, heading straight to the third floor of the clothing section.

Ji Fanling followed closely behind, muttering under her breath, “I’ve spent a total of 1,250 from you so far. I came to your house on November 3rd, and at the latest, I’ll find a job by the end of this month.”

Fu Yingcheng stopped in front of a clothing store that specialized in a youthful, girlish style. He picked up a piece of clothing and held it up against her to size.

Ji Fanling counted on her fingers, “Don’t worry, I won’t borrow more than three thousand… four thousand at most. Assuming I can pay you back a thousand per month, I’ll settle the debt by April next year at the latest. Besides, most of my expenses this month went toward making fake IDs, so I won’t…”

Seeing her mouth still chattering away, Fu Yingcheng impatiently interrupted, “Do you have to tell me everything? Do I look that free?”

Ji Fanling: “…………” Aren’t you so free that you’re even here buying clothes for me?

The piece of clothing in Fu Yingcheng’s hand was tossed into her arms. “See if you like it.” It was a stylish, short white shearling jacket.

Ji Fanling: “I don’t like it.”

Fu Yingcheng: “?”

Ji Fanling carefully hung the jacket back on the rack. “Why buy white? It gets dirty easily.”

Fu Yingcheng didn’t say anything and instead picked up a dark brown double-breasted coat with a fur collar.

Ji Fanling: “I don’t want it.”

Fu Yingcheng: “?”

Ji Fanling: “Can’t you see how long the fur is? It’ll easily collect dust.”

Fu Yingcheng: “What, is your dream job rolling around in a mud pit?”

Ji Fanling couldn’t help rolling her eyes behind his back. As she did, she caught sight of a black windbreaker hanging in a men’s outdoor clothing store across the way. Unable to resist, she walked over. “Hey, this one’s pretty good.”

The sales assistant, noticing her interest, immediately smiled and said, “You’ve got great taste! Our windbreakers are warm, stain-resistant, and perfect for outdoor activities. They even have an anti-static, fleece-lined interior…”

While speaking, the sales assistant couldn’t help but glance at the handsome man frowning behind her. “Are you picking this out for this handsome gentleman?”

Ji Fanling: “It’s for me.”

Sales assistant: “…Huh?”

Ji Fanling: “Can I try it on?”

Sales assistant: “…………Yes.”

Ji Fanling slipped the windbreaker on, looking like a child playing dress-up in adult clothes. The sleeves hung far past her hands, but she happily pulled the hood over her head. Tilting her head up with some effort, she asked Fu Yingcheng, “How is it? It even has four pockets, super practical.”

“Your taste is truly…”

Fu Yingcheng glanced down at her and paused for a moment before finishing, “…as terrible as always.”

Ji Fanling: “???”

She suddenly recalled that when Fu Yingcheng was teaching her how to use the dryer at home, he seemed to have said something similar.

At that time, the man stood leisurely on the balcony, arms crossed, his dark eyes fixed on her. “…When did I ever say your problem was intelligence?“

So, all along, he thought her taste was bad!

Ji Fanling pouted, her face falling. “What’s so bad about it?”

Fu Yingcheng: “Take it off.”

Ji Fanling argued with reason, “If this jacket gets dirty, you just wipe it clean.”

Fu Yingcheng: “I’m not paying for it.”

“…..”

One move to defeat her.

Ji Fanling reluctantly followed Fu Yingcheng back to the women’s clothing store, muttering, “…And you said you’d make it up to me.”

Fu Yingcheng glanced at her coldly. “My money is only spent on things I like. Got it?”

Ignoring him, Ji Fanling went off to browse the racks on her own. After flipping through a couple of items, her eyes landed on the price tag.

“…..”

What kind of scammy store is this?

The girl pretended to browse the clothes, casually moving closer to Fu Yingcheng. Lowering her voice, she said, “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t buy anything here.”

The man put down the clothes in his hand and turned his head to look at her. “You don’t like them?”

“They’re expensive,” Ji Fanling replied. “There’s a clothing wholesale market nearby…”

Fu Yingcheng interrupted her, “Not going.”

Ji Fanling persisted, “It’s much cheaper than here.”

Fu Yingcheng let out an exasperated huff, as if convinced she was a hopeless case, and said, “My money, you know…”

Ji Fanling: “………Only buys what you like.” Fine, fine. Great benevolent one, great sucker, great stubborn mule.

This time, she gave up entirely, standing off to the side like an idle manager, leaving Fu Yingcheng to do the picking.

Fu Yingcheng’s long lashes lowered, his expression unreadable, making it impossible to tell whether he was being overly picky or remarkably patient as he swiftly scanned through every item in the store.

Finally, he deigned to reach out and pick a dark coat—easy to care for and equipped with large pockets.

Ji Fanling tried it on and walked to the mirror, turning to examine herself.

Her requirements for clothes were only the few she had just mentioned, and this coat met all of them. As for whether it looked good or not, she couldn’t really tell.

Ji Fanling took out her phone and snapped a picture of herself in the mirror.

Fu Yingcheng: “What are you doing?”

Ji Fanling: “Asking Zhou Sui.”

Fu Yingcheng extended his hand toward her. Ji Fanling paused for a moment before realizing he was offering to take the photo for her. She handed him the phone.

Ji Fanling pinched her sleeves, standing straight as she watched him.

Fu Yingcheng lowered his head slightly, looking at the screen.

The store’s white light illuminated his face, adding an almost unreal softness to his usually cold features.

When he was doing something, his eyes always carried an unwavering focus… On that naturally indifferent face, this kind of concentrated gaze almost gave the illusion of deep affection.

Suddenly, Zhou Sui’s words echoed in her ears.

—You see that face every day, and you don’t feel anything at all?

Ji Fanling’s heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat.

Damn it, Zhou Sui was messing with her.

Of course, she didn’t react to the photo.

Because Fu Yingcheng in person was far more stunning than any flat image could ever capture.

…

The brief few seconds felt endlessly stretched in Ji Fanling’s perception.

Fu Yingcheng finally finished taking the picture. “Come and see.”

Ji Fanling let out a small sigh of relief and walked over. “It’s okay, I guess.” She felt like Fu Yingcheng had been taking photos for quite a while, so there must be more than one. She casually swiped at the screen, intending to check the other pictures.

But perhaps she used two fingers instead of one, and with that swipe, the phone instantly switched to the previously opened page.

—Baike entry for Fu Yingcheng.^[1]“Baike” (百度百科) refers to Baidu Baike, an online collaborative encyclopedia hosted by Baidu, a major Chinese search engine. It’s similar to Wikipedia but is primarily used in … Continue reading

The photo of him in a black suit standing next to a Maybach.

…

Ji Fanling froze entirely, turning to stone inch by inch.

The man lifted his cold, thin eyelids to look at her, his dark pupils carrying a hint of profound shadow.

He spoke slowly and deliberately: “This seems to be… me?”

“…..”

“I’m right here in person, aren’t I?”

Fu Yingcheng’s tone was slow and deliberate, each word spoken with a trace of amusement, like a dull knife grinding against one’s eardrum.

“What, can’t get enough of looking at me?”

“You even have to secretly search for my photos in private?”

…..

Who! Secretly! Searched for your photos!

Ji Fanling snatched the phone back and quickly closed the page, her face expressionless as she said, “It wasn’t to look at your photos. I was just checking what kind of work you do.”

Fu Yingcheng stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly tilted his chin slightly. “Then tell me, what do I do for a living?”

Ji Fanling: “…..”

Crap.

Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap.

At the time, she’d been too focused on finding photos and hadn’t paid attention to the details.

Besides, Fu Yingcheng’s arrogance was ingrained in his very being, he never flaunted it outwardly. He never talked to her about his work, and she, knowing her place, had never asked.

“You… work… um, running a company…”

Ji Fanling, like a student punished by the teacher to recite lines, fiddled with her bead bracelet, struggling for a while before finally, with a face as blank as if the sky were falling, stiffly saying:

“You don’t know what you do, and you still need to ask me?”

After speaking, she turned and walked away, her ears burning hot. She didn’t dare look at Fu Yingcheng’s expression.

All she heard behind her was a low, pleasant, and slightly muffled laugh.

*

Ji Fanling walked off to the side with a stiff face, angrily exiting Baidu and sending the photo to Zhou Sui. Zhou Sui was probably busy and didn’t reply.

Instead, the sales assistant, noticing Ji Fanling wearing the coat, enthusiastically chimed in, “Oh my! Such a pretty girl. This coat looks even better with the buttons undone. You should wear it open like this…”

The sales assistant helped her undo the buttons but was surprised to discover that underneath, Ji Fanling was wearing an old and worn school uniform jacket—blue and white, with a zipper, the typical kind for autumn.

“Is this… a school uniform?”

Ji Fanling raised her head and recited emotionlessly, “I love No. 1 High School, and No. 1 High School loves me.”

Fu Yingcheng, who was picking out clothes nearby, seemed to be in a rather good mood as he spoke up, “Bring her a few tops to go underneath.”

The sales assistant immediately responded, “Got it!”

The sales assistant, sweet-talking her with repeated “pretty girl” compliments, coaxed and tricked Ji Fanling into accepting a few undershirts and then gently pushed her into the fitting room.

A few minutes later, Ji Fanling pulled open the curtain.

The sales assistant glanced up, stifled a laugh, and pointed to the middle of her own neck. “You’ve got it on backwards. That’s the button for the back of the neck… Let me help you fix it.”

The sales assistant, a straightforward northern woman, noticed that the girl was quite young and accompanied by a man, making it inconvenient for him to help. So, she stepped directly into the fitting room.

Ji Fanling opened her mouth but didn’t say anything, awkwardly stepping back two paces until her back pressed against the wall.

She instinctively resisted overly close proximity.

But she didn’t want to show her reluctance either.

While she was still frozen in place, the sales assistant had already efficiently started helping her take off the shirt.

As the shirt was lifted, Ji Fanling snapped back to her senses and hurriedly exclaimed, “Wait a second—”

“Ah!” The sales assistant yelped as if she’d been burned.

The startled scream was unusually abrupt in the quiet store.

Fu Yingcheng put down the item in his hand, frowning as he looked over. “What happened?”

Another male sales assistant quickly ran toward the fitting room. “What’s going on?”

Inside the cramped fitting room.

Ji Fanling lowered her eyes, pulling down the shirt to cover the horrifying scars on her body.

The sales assistant in front of her stammered, “It’s nothing, don’t come in!” The tremble in her voice at the end sounded unnatural.

Which only made it seem more suspicious.

“Are… are you okay?” the sales assistant asked the girl softly.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” Ji Fanling lifted her eyes and replied slowly.

“These scars… are you in any danger?” The assistant frantically pulled out her phone. “Do we need to call the police? We have surveillance in the store, you can trust me, you’re safe here.”

Ji Fanling pressed down on her hand. “I’m fine.”

“Was it that person who came with you?” The sales assistant’s voice trembled with a mix of shock and anger. “I think I just saw him interrogating you.”

She had been at a distance earlier, retrieving some stock, unable to hear what the two were saying. All she had seen was the girl standing with her head lowered, barely reaching the man’s chest. Her slender frame had looked tense and uneasy.

The man stood at about 1.87 meters tall, his dark eyes carrying a condescending gaze when looking at others.

Though he had a handsome face, it lacked any warmth, instead exuding a cold and indifferent demeanor.

The wool coat he had taken off was draped over his arm, and beneath his taut dress shirt, his well-defined arm muscles revealed the signs of regular training.

The pronounced knuckles, wrist bones, Adam’s apple, and veins on the back of his hands, all radiated a sense of strength.

…Such a disparity in physical build.

It was as if he could pin the girl down with just one hand.

“Is he always controlling you, threatening you, or even abusing you? Think about it, just now, he wouldn’t let you pick your own clothes or take your own photos. Even when you had your back to him, he kept staring at you the whole time!”

The sales assistant grew increasingly agitated. “Does he hit you if you don’t obey him? Are those scars his doing? Oh my god, you’re underage! How could he do something so outrageous?”

Ji Fanling: “……” What the hell is she even talking about?

Fu Yingcheng’s reputation was absolutely obliterated, and he wasn’t even here to defend himself.

“True, he doesn’t look like a good person.” 

Ji Fanling muttered, fidgeting with the edge of her shirt and awkwardly averting her gaze. “But he’s actually… pretty nice. Really nice.”

The sales assistant looked skeptical. “Really?”

“Yeah, thank you.” Ji Fanling looked at her, a gaze reminiscent of the way Zhou Sui used to cry like a little rabbit whenever she noticed even the tiniest scratch on her years ago. Awkwardly, Ji Fanling patted the sales assistant’s arm and adopted a tone of an older sister, “Those scars are from injuries I got ten years ago.”

“…….It’s all in the past now.”

*

The sales assistant exited the fitting room and, smiling, explained to the customers in the store, “Just saw a little bug, but it’s taken care of now. No need to worry.”

Fu Yingcheng glanced at the still-closed fitting room door, not believing a word of her clumsy lie.

The other male sales assistant walked over and whispered, “What happened? Aren’t you the one who’s not afraid of bugs?”

The sales assistant, knowing she couldn’t hide it, reluctantly said, “That girl has scars on her body.”

Using the shelves as cover, Fu Yingcheng subtly moved closer to their position without drawing attention.

“What’s the big deal if a customer has a scar? Why are you making such a fuss?” The male sales assistant didn’t seem to care. “That’s so rude.”

“You don’t know anything!” The girl got agitated. “Is it just one scar? They’re all over her body, crisscrossing, some new, some old. They look like knife cuts, belt marks, even cigarette burns. I can’t tell exactly, but it’s terrifying…”

“Whoa, seriously? Should we call the police?”

“No need. She said it’s all from the past…”

The voices grew even lower, fading into inaudibility.

Behind the shelves, the silent man lowered his lashes, his expression heavy and brooding.

In his eyes, a shadowy storm slowly gathered, dark and oppressive.

The words “from the past” felt like a backward arrow, piercing deeply.

His thoughts were pulled back to ten years ago, to that frozen winter night.

The first time he went to Ji Fanling’s home.

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Author’s Note:

In the future, someone will kiss every one of her scars. (…Especially during certain activities.) (Is it okay to say this?)

Due to ranking considerations, tomorrow’s update will be delayed until 11:30 PM. Don’t forget to check in! Red envelopes in the comment section! More tomorrow!

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