Chapter 18: Like the Deep Sea

Mu Ruo felt profoundly grateful as Fu Jianzhi rescued her from the predicament.

She got into the car and buckled her seatbelt. “Thank you, thank you.”

Mother-in-law relationships are already challenging.

And Zhou Yanhui was not just any mother-in-law; she was a super-upgraded version.

She was her mother-in-law’s mother-in-law, not even the mother-in-law’s biological mother.

Mu Ruo could tell that Zhou Yanhui was quite skilled in her methods.

She had one attitude with men and another with her.

Mu Ruo sighed, “Fortunately, she seems to respect you. Otherwise, it would be tough to get out of her clutches with her acting like a grandmother.”

“Respect?” Fu Jianzhi suddenly smiled, but his eyes were cold. “From age five to fifteen, I lived in this house.”

He had seen all kinds of tactics and had experienced more intrigue at a young age than many adults had.

Originally, Mu Ruo should have been kept behind.

After all, she had taken his money, so she deserved to endure such suffering.

Yet, by some strange twist of fate, Fu Jianzhi had come back.

The black Bentley quickly drove out of the villa area and headed towards the city.

Mu Ruo: “My home is—”

Before she could finish, the car stopped at the roadside.

Passersby might have thought it unusual to see such an expensive car and would glance over as they walked by.

“Get out.” Fu Jianzhi said, “It’s easy to get a cab from here.”

Mu Ruo: “Alright, so even though the big shot appears gentle on the outside, he’s ruthless at heart. I’m going to find my ex-boyfriend.”

“Correction, Lu Beichen is not your ex-boyfriend.” Fu Jianzhi teased, “You never pursued him successfully. Little girl, I wish you good luck in love.”

Mu Ruo: “…”

Mu Ruo was left gasping for breath, inhaling the exhaust fumes.

She took a cab back to her neighborhood, and by chance, she ran into Lu Beichen and Xia Wanwan.

Xia Wanwan, seeing Mu Ruo alone, looked around and asked, “Ruo Ruo, where’s your husband?”

Lu Beichen stared at Mu Ruo with a dark expression, as if she had given him a green hat.

Mu Ruo: “My husband went to work; he’s very busy. What are you two doing here?”

Xia Wanwan looked a bit shy. “I… We? Lu Beichen bought me a house here, it’s very expensive, over twenty million…”

Though the house wasn’t under Xia Wanwan’s name, it was essentially a gift to her.

Lu Beichen didn’t know what was happening to him…

He tried to prove his love for Xia Wanwan by doing everything he could for her.

But his cash flow was tight at the moment, even though his assets were considerable. Sometimes, cash was not as available.

Buying a house for over twenty million wasn’t easy, so the house was bought on a mortgage.

Mu Ruo’s heart sank.

If Xia Wanwan and Lu Beichen bought a house here, wouldn’t it be in the same building where she lived?

Mu Ruo asked.

Xia Wanwan, feeling triumphant, still put on a particularly shy smile. “Ruo Ruo, we’re just above your floor. You don’t mind, do you?”

No matter what, Xia Wanwan wanted to overshadow Mu Ruo.

Even buying a house, she wanted to be a level above Mu Ruo.

Mu Ruo: “…”

This cursed plot.

She had chosen not to quarrel with the main characters, so why did they keep appearing in front of her?

Thinking about her fate in the original text sent shivers down Mu Ruo’s spine.

In the original story, any supporting female character who went against Xia Wanwan would meet a tragic end, even if they realized their mistakes later.

Mu Ruo’s original ending was particularly grim, and others’ were also quite harsh.

One plot involved Xia Wanwan and Lu Beichen having a fight, leading Xia Wanwan to swear to find a new job away from him. However, her new female boss liked to make things difficult for her, often assigning her tasks like toasting clients and saying nice things.

Later, Xia Wanwan orchestrated the boss getting drunk, and a group of clients took advantage of her. Xia Wanwan and her friends even posted photos online.

The boss, unable to handle the humiliation, went mad. Her husband and children abandoned her, and she ended up in a mental institution.

“Wanwan!”

“Beichen!”

“…”

The voices of several people rang out, and Mu Ruo turned to see Xia Wanwan’s roommates.

Xia Wanwan’s roommates had a deep animosity towards Mu Ruo. As soon as they saw her, they shielded Xia Wanwan: “Mu Ruo, what are you doing here?”

Xia Wanwan glanced at Lu Beichen’s expression and quickly said, “You shouldn’t be so hostile to Ruo Ruo… She lives here too, just below my floor.”

“Oh, I see.” One of Xia Wanwan’s roommates sneered, “She’s a young lady who married a wealthy man, so she can live in such a nice place thanks to her father and husband.”

Mu Ruo smiled. “Yes, unlike you Wanwan, who started from scratch and worked hard to live here.”

Their expressions changed instantly. “Mu Ruo, don’t be too much!”

Mu Ruo retorted, “Is speaking the truth considered bullying?”

Xia Wanwan lowered her head, her eyes instantly reddening. She stood in front of Lu Beichen, feeling wronged. “Beichen, she’s right. I shouldn’t live in your house… I should work harder myself.”

Lu Beichen shot a cold glance at Mu Ruo. “Don’t listen to her. Wanwan, everything I have is yours.”

After saying this romantic line, Lu Beichen expected Mu Ruo to show her usual heartache.

However, Mu Ruo merely smiled and walked away.

Lu Beichen was stunned.

---

Night.

Fu Jianzhi stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the night view.

Butler Li entered the room, carrying a cup of warm water and some pills.

“Mr. Fu, you should rest early.”

Fu Jianzhi had long struggled with sleep disorders, and there were even more severe issues.

Butler Li was well aware of this, having served Fu Jianzhi for many years and witnessed many changes in the Fu family.

However, in public, Fu Jianzhi always maintained a graceful demeanor, refined and polite. Those who had never met him might see him as a ruthless business tycoon, but those who knew him saw him as a gentleman.

Fu Jianzhi’s world was desolate, so barren that no one had ever stepped foot in it. It could be described as being like the deep sea, thousands of meters below, where rare creatures and sunlight are almost unreachable, even by the most precise human-made instruments.

The deep sea, at ten thousand meters, always seemed calm, showing no signs of waves.

Just like Fu Jianzhi’s emotional control, always calm and indifferent.

Even though, in reality, it could stir up a tsunami that could engulf an entire city.